ANZAC Day 2012...

It bucketed with rain.

Let me repeat that ... it BUCKETED with rain!! Okay, I know it’s April and it’s autumn and there might be rain because it’s that kind of season, but seriously - this was a stupid amount of rain!

Poppies (first things to grow in the battle fields of Europe at the end of WW1)

[Just as an aside, I’m in the market for a new camera. I think it’s down to the Nikon D800 or the Canon 5D Mk III. (I’m not into brand wars. Don’t engage me, you’ll just get bored). I hired a D800 for this assignment, mostly because my Sony doesn’t cope with low light (remember - it’s a dawn service folks!) and also to try before one buys.]

So here’s the first problem: I didn’t know that Nikon’s light meter inside the camera was back to front to what I’m used to, by default. So when it came to shooting at dawn, I was exposure challenged. Dealing with the rain meant using an umbrella, so fiddling with controls wasn’t a happening thing (let’s not forget that I’m not familiar with this camera) - I just got frustrated and very, very wet.

By 8.00am, I was soaked enough to invoke a trek home for dry clothes. I returned to find the parade in full swing albeit with a much lower turnout of spectators than anyone had anticipated. The day was still depressingly grey and cold, but at least the rain had eased off a bit ... and I had warm feet. Win!