Click photo to buy a printI bought the LensBaby lens system about a year ago.  It came with a double glass sharp lens with the option of buying a separate lens kit containing 3 other drop-in lenses.  One of these is the "Zone Plate"/"Pinhole" lens - the one that I had ignored the most.  

I figured it was about time - I decided to take that lens module down to the beach in front of the Crap Trap at sunset.  The sunsets here are brilliant as usual, but not much stood out of this one at first. If there's one event that's easy to take for granted, it has got to be a sunset.

As I was thinking this, almost as if a prayer was being answered, a heron landed a few yards away, right where the water touches the sand.  The sun had already slipped past the horizon and since the zone plate's f-stop was a constant and small f/19, it had to be a long exposure.  The heron played along though, not only staying still but also allowing me to creep closer with my tripod and my backpack.

Slowly re-leveling the tripod on the sand, I broke out my shutter release cable, and hooked it up.  I stayed as long as the light and lens would allow, perhaps 15 minutes.  The heron posed, always facing away, like it was scouting for dinner and didn't mind the company.  

I could have stayed longer, switched lenses and taken more crisp shots despite the low light.  But I had accomplished my goal for that afternoon: Shooting with the zone plate.