We just finished Day One of California Waterfowl's 2010 Women's Hunting Camp, and while I'd normally wait until we're all done before posting anything, I just love this series of photos I got from the shooting lessons.
The three shots below cover less than half a second, capturing the moment the shooter pulls the trigger. Read more...
If you look closely at the second one (or click on it to see a full-sized version), you can see this crazy beam of orange light bouncing off her sunglasses. I don't know if it's the flash of the gunfire or an actual spark, but it almost looks as if she's literally got laser focus on her target.
And you don't have to look too closely at the third one to see the smile emerging on her face.
What a joy it is to watch a group of women - some of whom have been afraid of guns up to this point - breaking their first clays! And tomorrow morning, we hunt pheasants.
© Holly A. Heyser 2010
Pimp My CZ 527. The Parts List Part 1
1 week ago
11 comments:
That's so cool that you're helping out with that this year! I'm guessing my sister didn't end up making it. I could be wrong. Haven't talked to her in a while. Stay gold, ponygirl!
I keep getting the "killing animals" disdain at home from my spouse, although there is plenty of interest in the byproducts, wild boar. So, I am just biding my time, waiting for my opening, to actually get into a deep, yet unemotional conversation, and start taking her to different websites, yours will be number one. I feel as if I'm part of a social movement/network of fairly non-political hunting and locovore eating activists, and that is a good thing. Thanks for your advice, and for the blog.
What a great picture series.
We have a couple great organizations in our state which are specifically geared toward getting women involved in the outdoors.
I'm glad to see you helping out in your state, Holly. The look on her face is awesome.
Matt, I'm really bummed she didn't make it. But there's always next year...
Richard, I counsel you to go in the opposite direction - you need to engage in an emotional conversation, and by that I don't mean filled with histrionics; I mean a conversation that addresses emotions.
Much of women's negative reaction to hunting is emotional - we don't like inflicting pain, and we think people who do deliberately are callous bastards. I'd talk to her specifically about the emotions you feel - no faking, gotta be genuine - and letting her ask questions about it. My biggest fear before I started hunting, which I didn't express to anyone, was that I'd become callous about suffering. Now I freely tell people about that fear, and tell people that the exact opposite has happened. It may not help with your wife, but it might...
Simply: Thanks! Today was really fun too. Hope to blog about it in the next day or two, but I have an unrelated newspaper story I need to finish first.
Holly,
obviously you have the perspective I needed, that of the woman as hunter. I take the point, and will take the approach. Thanks again for the sage counsel.
Holly, these are great pictures! You really captured the spirit of it in the series of three. I can't wait to see the rest of the pics!
Thank you for absolutely everything. What a wonderful weekend, and I would recommend it to anybody.
BTW, I watched a couple of YouTube videos and cleaned my guy at home tonight. It was so easy! Hmm, I'm thinking about Parmasean-encrusted pheasant later this week.
I don't think my sister made it this weekend. We were, uhm, busy.
Baby boy and all.
It was great to see you today and be able to give back to the organization that gave so much to me last year.
can't wait to see the pics from the day!
Kirsten, email me.
Josh: Yay! A wonderful warm welcome to your new son. :-)
Renee: I may finish editing photos tonight...
Great pictures Holly! And congrats and good luck to the ladies!
There is nothing more rewarding than to get people involved with the outdoors or shooting sports -it's such a joy to see their reaction when they first connect with their target and always the catalyst to growing their desire to learn more and get more involved. Great pics & story!
Post a Comment