A Star Picket

This post is all about a star picket. Well, more about me attempting to turn this humble steel post into a star subject of a photo...

Remember this post? Well that was about the home of the star picket. It's part of an electric fencing system to allow the cattle to be gradually fed an oat crop. There are a dozen or more of these posts lined up across the paddock (in roughly a straight line) and two electric fencing tapes strung between them. 

A star picket fence. Fairly straight forward to 'create'. Easy to move. Effective with cattle.

So, my eye got caught on the line of this fence. I was actually trying to somehow capture the tape and it's movement. But the movement was too strong and somehow it looked way more boring through the lens then in my minds eye ;-)

But the post/picket. Well, that was another story. It was standing nice and tall. And still! So, through the lens this star picket caught my eye... How to capture it though... Hmmm. Do you think this fits my photo challenge category? Photos of an everyday object, perhaps made a little bit less ordinary??? Let me know when you finish checking this post out.

Well, my first instinct was to stick with the vertical line of the post and keep the camera in portrait mode... I was playing with the aperture setting... but decided I liked the background blurred so kept the f-stop low. This makes the picket the 'star' of the shot, plus I like the way the oats create a lovely green background that still has texture without dominating.

The next thing my (slow) brain registered was that there was quite a dark shadow running down the post... not so bad, but what did it look like without the shadow? Let's try the other side of the post. Picture me walking around the post here! Very technical hey?! But I reckon the walk was definitely worth it ;-)

Suddenly the texture of the post pops! And the edges, cut-outs, holes. Even the rust gives great contrast... (well I think so!).

And finally, just to finish telling you about my sluggish brain thought-trail whilst taking photos, I turn the camera to landscape. I once read an article about this photographer for Australian Geographic who said to always turn around and check the view behind you, sometimes it's the best one. Well, voila! In this case it was a matter of turning the camera around. Creating my favourite shot/angle/setting. A star picket for you...

Hope you can excuse my brain wanderings today! And please tell me you have similar click-and-correct approaches to taking photos... ! 

Now, I have a plan for today. It's going ok; (larger) small people to school, washing out, garden watered, post blog, send smallest person to slumber-land, then paint... if I manage it I'll have (white) photos for you. If I don't manage it you'll hear my wailing in my post tomorrow! Catch you then.