The Ohio River -- on it, in it, over it, beside it. No politics.
So I was driving down the road and saw this boat coming. I found this one spot where I could get a clear shot with no trees in my way. The problem was the sun was setting, and I didn't know if the boat would be there in time to get a good shot with the golden rays of evening bouncing off it or if the boat would be in shadow.
Shadow, as you can tell.
You can also see the sunlight on the hills across the river, so I didn't miss it by much.
There wasn't much activity in Catlettsburg that morning, so I got something to eat and headed toward the place where I was help babysit a granddaughter. As I crossed the bridge over the Big Sandy from Catlettsburg to Kenova, I saw the MAP Runner downbound pushing an empty. I got time to get another shot, I figured. So I went to Virginia Point Park in Kenova and found a shooting spot.
As soon as I got there, I realized my mistake. The sun had already crossed the point in the sky where I would be shooting into it instead of with it at my back. But I probably didn't have time to go back to the Kentucky side of the Big Sandy, so I stayed put. Before the MAP Runner got there, I heard another boat coming behind me. It was the M/V Tri State coming out of the Ohio and up the Big Sandy.
Now, I thought, if things time right I can get both boats in the same picture. So I waited and sure enough, I did. It was also cool when the barge being pushed by the MAP Runner ran into the Tri State's wake.
And I left once the MAP Runner made the hard turn to starboard to take the barge up toward Kenova.
Here are some more from this past Sunday as the M/V MAP Runner comes down from Kenova WV to Catlettsburg KY, then back up the river so it can go up the Bit Sandy River to pick up an empty barge.
The first photo was shot from a distance away and had to be cropped down to get this detail, for what that's worth.
Next up: Two boats meet on the Big Sandy. That entry should go live at 5:30 p.m.
UPDATE: I just noticed I left a couple of pictures out of this post that I had intended to include. Here they are.
In the first one, the MAP Runner is making the turn to head up the Big Sandy. The boat in the background between the flags on the MAP Runner's tow knees, is the R.H. Beymer of Superior Marine. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to frame one boat with another.
When my youngest son bought another camera about a year ago, he gave me his old Nikon D50 to play with. And I do mean old. The D50 was in production in 2005 and 2006. Despite its age, this one still takes decent pictures at times.
This is of the upriver side of the Greenup Locks and Dam as seen from the Ohio side. It has been processed slightly, but not much.
I'm still learning the ins and outs of this camera. I found the battery charger this evening, so I should be able to give it a better test run in the coming week.
