Keep it Simple, Stupid. Taking the KISS principle for a weekend walk.

Last Sunday was an exceptionally warm day here in Southern Ontario (10 c) and even though I was not feeling so great, I wanted to get out there and enjoy the pleasant weather and take a few photos. My destination was the Lynde Shores Conservation area, just 10 minutes away from home.

Normally, I would take a kit bag consisting of a camera, a bunch of lenses,  filters, etc.  After a while it’s all overkill and it can just get in the way.  This time around I decided to go the KISS route and take only the camera and two small prime lenses.  This is a very simple kit that harkens back to the days of 35mm film photography with a fixed prime lens.  No fancy zooms, if you want to change perspective, just use your legs and walk.  Reminds me of my first SLR camera that I got when I was a teenager, all I had was the camera and two simple prime lenses.

I grabbed my Pentax K-5 and the two small lenses: a 35mm prime and a 21mm pancake prime.  One lens was left on the camera and the other in my pocket.  It made the whole venture fun and I was better able to enjoy my walk as I was not toting around a big shoulder bag.  One of the reasons I got into Pentax is because they are one of the few DSLR manufacturers who offer small, high quality primes.  As an added bonus, I was able to smoke a tasty Cuban Cigar because both hands were free thanks to KISS.

My KISS walk around kit.  Pentax K-5, 35mm Limited Macro Prime and 21mm Limited Pancake Prime.
My KISS walk-around kit: Pentax K-5, 35mm Limited Macro Prime Lens and 21mm Limited Pancake Prime Lens.

I took the photos near sunset in the hopes of getting some nice light.  However, the lighting was so dull and flat I opted to auto-bracket most of my exposures and merge them using HDR software.  One of the nice things about the Pentax K-5 is I can do this at the touch of a button.  The camera quickly fires off five shots ready for processing.  I guess the post processing did not quite follow the KISS principle, but I had fun talking the shots, enjoyed a brisk walk.  Besides, playing with HDR software is fun too!

All that snow is finally melting.  Soon enough the trees will no longer be barren.
All that snow is finally melting. Soon enough the trees will no longer be barren.
Ah, the Serenity.
Ah, the Serenity.

 

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