Weather

Ok, kids.  First lesson in doing big kid assignments starts with making sure you have a reliable source.  We all learned this in probably 3rd grade, roughly, give or take a few grades.  Writing a paper?  Don't use the National Enquirer for your source.  Its also ill advised to research something like the Lock Ness monster or Bigfoot because there's not a lot of verifiable evidence for these topics.  As a science major I was drilled over and over again about sources.  Not only citing them so that someone else can say that you're a viable source, but meticulously checking and double checking and cross referencing information to make sure its credible.  If one person says it, its a story.  If 5 people say it, its worth looking into.  If 100 people say it, you can probably take it to the bank.  Even new scientific discoveries aren't believed for decades simply because there was no one else to say "I conquer!".

So why the big monologue?  Because I broke the cardinal rule of checking my sources.  I had planned on going out Saturday and Sunday this weekend to shoot for both my photo classes.  I actually have a weekend off, first one in almost 7 months.  I checked the weather and it said it was supposed to be partly cloudy and warm.  Yay! 

Wrong.  My source was not credible.  I did not verify my findings with 3 other weather forecast websites.  I didn't check the news.  I used one source.  The same source that after I was out trying to get some shots, waiting for the clouds to pass that suddenly opened up and poured on me and my equipment, wishing I wasn't back back in the woods on a nature trail when the thunder and lightning happened...yes, that source then changed from partly cloudy to thunderstorms.  And when I got home and checked again, it shows ugly nasty lighting rain for the next 3 days. 

Moral of the story?  Check your source.  Its never a bad idea and can save you a lot of heartache in the long run.  Pray for some bright weather, though?  I still need shots with variable light, not just all overcast and rainy.