Loaded, Colorful Outtakes

Sunset over Dias Islet, Kefalonia

Decisions, decisions!

Before the ink had a chance to dry (*) on the first photo stories I prepared for the KefaloniaWorld e-Magazine, an unrelenting dilemma surfaced. What do I include and what do I leave out?

Despite the plethora of images available—a result of years' worth of roaming on Kefalonia with a camera strapped around my neck—the problem is not quantity but qualitaty. Take sunsets, for example; I have hundreds of images that I could use. But some of my better sunset images, photographically-wise,  do not mean that much to me.
There, I've said it!
Let me explain.

 My photo safaris

Sometimes I went about my quest with a purpose in mind, correct settings on the camera, time to spare, and conscious choice of location and time so they'd be advantageous in terms of light and sky conditions.

So, I do have heaps of "semi-correct" (**) sundown images. On the other hand, sometimes I was just impelled to point the camera at the horizon and press the shutter button without addressing suitability of lens, settings, or position.

But Kefalonia does that to you.

You may be on the road driving—or occupied photographing sea shells, e.t.c.,—but if you lift or divert your glance from the task at hand, you are overwhelmed by colors, shapes, and light formations that developed while your attention was focused elsewhere.

Then, you act on feeling and instinct rather than on plan. And though the images that result are not picture-perfect, they are loaded with memories of those moments and stories that are hard to put into words.

Like these outtakes... which will probably never make it to the website; I'll keep them to share here.

Case in point: Top photo was taken from Avythos Beach on an afternoon dedicated to collecting pebbles and sea shells since the approaching sunset and sky seemed to be dull, monochromatic, and otherwise uninteresting.

Sunset over Paliki Peninsula

More: Photo above was taken from Gradakia Beach, while in the car, listening to music and daydreaming to kill time, waiting for the full moon to rise in the evening sky.

Sunset over Livatho

The shenanigans of Kefalonian light

Eyes on the road! That is the wise thing to do if you're driving on the Poros-Argostoli road, and not just in the afternoon!

But as you drive through the villages of Simotata and Vlahata, you should always be prepared. For me that translates into quick recollection of every widening and clearing along the road, and the camera placed on the passenger seat.

No need to worry about lens selection or current settings.
The island's insane light will do all the exposure compensation ever required.

(*)  Although old enough to have used plain paper and ink, I do really mean "before I could save the .doc file on my computer screen" —but it just doesn't look or sound as good as ink drying on the page!
(**) I will never aspire for more than "semi-correct" —lest I fall into the popular trap of shooting or post-processing photos to such correctness that they no longer resemble the island. You know what I mean 😉