May 26th, 2026
Canon 5DII & EF 50/1.8 STM
Mother’s Day
May is drawing to a close. It’s been a weird month here in Poland - mostly chilly and miserable. It wasn’t even particularly rainy, so everything is just bone dry. Mostly, it was just plain cold. The last two or three days, however, have been a completely different reality. Yesterday it hit 30 degrees down here in the south. I happened to be working remotely. My wife flew off to Italy with a friend, and my mother-in-law is helping out with the kids. So, I took advantage of the beautiful weather, packed the “brick” into my bag right at 6:30 PM, and rode off to hunt for some frames.
On my way, per tradition, I passed a herd of what is most likely Scottish Highland cattle. I was curious to see how the 5D Mark II sensor would handle the color and texture of their coats. In my humble opinion, it pulled it off quite nicely.
A bit further down the road, I passed some views I’ve already photographed, but I’m a huge advocate for shooting the exact same things over and over again. It allows you to create comparisons based on changing conditions, weather, and light. So don't be afraid to keep shooting the same "boring" frames. If anyone ever asks you why you do it, just keep a straight face and tell them you’re working on a long-term documentary project. That's exactly what I do.
My Target is Out There in the Woods…
When I was riding out a week and a half ago to shoot the fisherman's shack near the hydrotechnical station, I did some scouting on Google Maps. It turned out there was supposed to be another one a bit further south. I sized up the immediate area, mapped out a route, and decided to investigate. On the way from Wisła Wielka toward Studzionka, right past yet another cattle farm, I had to take a right turn onto a forest dirt road. The catch was, it’s supposedly a private access road with a strict "No Entry" sign for unauthorized personnel. I conveniently turned a blind eye to it. After a few minutes of riding along the forest trail, I stumbled upon the rather unphotogenic ruins of a hunting blind and another fisherman’s shack (or maybe fish farmers? I don't know, this whole area used to be breeding ponds).
The area was completely overgrown. Despite the heat, I knew I’d be bushwhacking through the woods, so I made sure to wear high-top boots and long pants. Thank God I did, because the tall grass was everywhere. There was absolutely no way to approach from the other side to get a different angle; the grass there was waist-high. I grabbed the best frame I could and wondered what to do next. Push deeper into the woods, or turn back? I figured I’d go a little deeper, knowing I could always just turn around if things got sketchy. That was a very good call.
A Scarecrow for the Drowners
Literally just down the trail, I almost squealed with joy. Slap bang in the middle of a dried-up fish pond, someone - a very long time ago - placed a scarecrow... to scare off what, exactly? Drowners and water demons? Maybe the fish farmers wanted to spook the birds that were eating their stock? I have no idea, but getting the actual shot proved to be tricky.
First off, I had my nifty fifty strapped on. The 5DII sensor is 21 megapixels, and I cropped in about 20%, yet it’s still hard to call the composition a total success. No big deal. I mentioned in a previous note that I bought a Tamron 70-210mm f/4 with a hidden defect. As soon as it comes back from the repair shop, I’ll ride out there early in the morning, when the sun rising from the east will light up that scarecrow beautifully. It would also be absolutely perfect to return on a slightly foggy day. So many possibilities...
Oh, and to actually get that picture, I had to do something rather stupid. I had to climb down into the pond basin through the reeds. One wrong step and the mud would have claimed my boots for good. Luckily, it only ended with me scrubbing them under the tap with soap and a brush later that night. Either way, I’ve got another pin on my local map that I’m definitely going to revisit a few times.
Surprise!
I was wondering where I’d end up if I kept following the trail, and my inner compass told me I should pop out somewhere near the hydrotechnical station and the shack from my previous posts. I wasn't wrong. Only this time, two surprises were waiting for me. First, someone had mowed the grass in the area, which opened up some entirely new shooting angles. The second surprise was the light. Golden hour firing on all cylinders. Just look at it.
In this kind of light, the 5DII sensor flexes its biggest muscles. No Nikon is going to give me these warm, earthy tones straight out of camera. The Canon 6D behaves very similarly. I’d even say that in certain situations, the colors are a bit more refined in the newer model, but at the end of the day, Canon is Canon, and in this light, Canon is simply king.
So, as you can see, freshly mowed grass, and right next to the shack, someone had left a BBQ grill behind. I peeked through the window and saw what is probably the standard scenery for a place like this: coffee cups, an empty vodka bottle, and a rogue roll of toilet paper. My Spidey-sense started tingling, telling me I needed to watch my step very carefully.
Right next to it, the cleared grass meant you could actually stand by the shore now. There were stairs leading down to the pond, a sluice gate, and some genuinely pleasant views.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
The sun started dipping lower, and it was getting noticeably chillier. Already a bit tired and thoroughly chewed up by bugs, I decided to head home. On my way back, I passed the "Reksio" tree again, alongside a field of barley. I decided to let loose and get a little artsy. Just look at what this camera-and-lens combo is capable of - a setup that, in modern photography terms, costs about as much as a handful of dirt.
Even when this nifty fifty catches a flare, it’s incredibly pleasing to look at. The highlight roll-off is pure eye candy.
The Return and Conclusion
There’s a lakeside beach bar just around the corner. I pulled up right before closing time and managed to buy something to drink, since - naturally - I forgot to bring any water with me. I took the opportunity to scout the area for potential shots, and I reckon I might be able to get some good material there once the tourist season hits full swing.
The sun set. The light died. And I finally made it back home. I easily clocked around 30 kilometers on the bike. The conclusion is simple: once again, I’m convinced that revisiting the same spots with a camera makes a ton of sense. You can be pleasantly surprised. Or unpleasantly, because it often happens that a place simply ceases to exist or completely changes its character.
That’s all for today. See you soon!
Long term documentary projects are the best
I love all of these, more than anything I admire the explorer in you. That kind of terrain would leave me covered in ticks and bites where I live. Makes it tough to want to go out and explore things that deeply.