Here is a nice sunny day picture for all those who (like my parents) are buried under several feet of snow. This image is of the Portland Head Lighthouse that was taken last fall on a photo trip to Acadia. I wish I could have stayed around longer to get more interesting evening light, but my plane was leaving and I only managed a few different compositions before having to leave. The hardest part when shooting this lighthouse was waiting for all the people to stop meandering into the frame.
I’m making it a point to shoot more local scenes and focus on the area around me. It’s actually kind of fun trying to find pockets of nature in a city like San Diego. Here is an image from an area call Sunset Cliffs. The park is small, little more than a slice of undeveloped land along San Diego’s coast.
I didn’t get a nice sunset, but instead took this photo on my way back to the car. The strange color of the eroded cliffs is from the distant lights of a parking lot. I think they made a nice contrast to the starry sky. It just goes to show that if you keep an open mind, you can get interesting images in your own backyard.
This is a picture that was tucked away, hidden among a bunch of other raw files taken during a past trip to Death Valley. Obviously, unless this was Mars, the colors and look are a result of some computer software (Photomatix) and too much beer. Try not to look too long at it since the colors may burn out your retinas.
I put this image up mainly for fun, but to also point out that technology (when not abused like this), can be coaxed into bringing out the best in a photograph. Ansel Adams had a dark room, we have photoshop. Check out the article on HDR where I fumble through several techniques to see what I mean.
Ian
Earlier this year I went to Kauai, Hawaii’s garden isle as it’s affectionately known, for a week long trip. The island is small with a main road that travels along its edge, and it only takes a few hours to drive around the entire island (or at least the part that has a road). Despite the small size Kauai has such a diverse range of climate and landscapes. It would be raining on the northern part, where I stayed, and dry and sunny 45 minutes south. The changing weather definitely made things challenging, but when the rain cooperated the photographic opportunities were astounding. There were waterfalls, beautiful beaches, meandering streams, and friendly people (except for one person who tried to ram my car with his truck) that made everything memorable.
The reason I bring up Kauai now is that I’ve been going through all the photos trying to put together a short book of the trip. It’s more of an experiment now but I’ll let everyone know when it’s done. Until then here is a photo from the top of a cliff before the water plunged over the side.
Ian
Early in the fall I took a trip to Maine. It gave me a chance to use neutral density filters in a more serious way for landscape photography. I am always looking for new ways to expand my creativity, and being able to shoot 15-30 second exposures in the middle of the day definitely does that. Of course neutral density filters can be a pain to use, especially when trying to focus, but they can also make your photos stand out from the crowd.
For this photograph, I shot the Bass Head lighthouse about 45 minutes before sunset. There was already a horde of other eager photographers just sitting and waiting for the sun to drop. Being too impatient to wait, I began shooting anyway and this image is the result of two shots merged to get a more even exposure. You can also see the effects of using a neutral density filter by how the clouds begin to streak across the sky.
Ian
People close to me know that recently I was nailed by a nasty cold bug. So nasty that I considered investing in stocks of dayquil and kleenex. Despite a strong desire to stay hidden beneath layers of covers, today I dragged my pitiful self out to greet the first sunset of the new year. It was also a good chance to fire away with the Canon 7D and 100-400 lens. Usually I shoot nature photography, but the light was so nice (and I was feeling left over holiday cheer) that I tried to add a more human element.
The following photographs aren’t all works of art, but after going through them I realized that when viewed chronologically, they give a good impression of how evening light can quickly change. When it comes to shooting sunsets, even 5 minutes can completely alter the feel of an image. The first image was taken about 45 minutes before sunset with some medium cloud cover (looking over the Pacific from a San Diego beach).
The sun is above the frame and behind some clouds, giving the sky a pastel soft look. Not very dramatic but nice evening light.
Surfer paddling into the ocean
Same surfer, same nice pastel colors. If you look you can see near the top of the frame the thicker cloud that is hiding the sun. Underneath it there is a gap over the horizon that I hoped would stay clear.
Sand Piper feeding along the shoreline
This was taken a few minutes later. The sun finally starts to push through the thinning clouds and patches of water took on a nice yellow reflection. I was happy to see that the canon 7D locked focus quickly and things looked sharp (see the “fuzzy lens” post for why I had problems earlier).
Man pulling kayak into Pacific Ocean
Here you can see that the sun really starts to push through the clouds making it hard to shoot the sky without blowing the highlights in part of it.
Kayakers row into ocean
Here the kayakers begin paddling into the ocean. They are no longer directly in front of the sun so the sky is still warm, but less intense.
Surfer and orange sky
Now the hidden sun and sky are becoming more colorful and orange. I underexposed slightly to bring out this color and keep the surfer a nice silhouette
Interesting evening clouds
Away from the setting sun, the clouds start looking interesting. It seems like there are several layers bunching up near the horizon.
Surfer looks over the ocean
Here you can see that the light levels are starting to drop and there is a definite evening feel to the image.
Female surfer enters the water
By using the 100-400 zoom lens I picked out a colorful piece of water and waited for this female surfer to pass through it.
Surfer scans horizon
Another view of a surfer looking over the waves. I like this image for the seaweed covered rocks.
Continued from the first post
Three surfers catch a wave
Finally some people actually surfing (I don’t usually shoot surfers so bear with me).
Two surfers (back in focus)
Two surfers (front in focus)
Here is an example of something I couldn’t do with the Canon 5D. I was tracking the distant surfer when another one came in from the right. I waited til the new surfer was in the right spot and then tapped the Canon 7D’s rear Af-on button to re-lock onto the nearer surfer, following him out of the frame. Even in the low light I was surprised how quickly the 7D focused.
Sun touching the horizon
As you can see, by now the sun was hovering over the horizon and had finally popped free of the cloud cover. I find that usually in these conditions you can get some great colors well after sunset, so I kept shooting (luckily).
Surfer standing on board
I mostly shoot landscapes, but the 7D did a good job of keeping focus. Most of these later images were shot at iso 1600. At this high an iso there was some loss of detail (especially in shadowed areas) but overall the images still look very nice.
Kayakers and orange sunset
By now the sun had finally set and the sky took on an amazing orange glow. Here are the familiar kayakers peacefully rowing….
Overturned kayak and wave
and here they are thirty seconds later. Unfortunately by now the sky was almost too intense so exposure became a tricky balancing act.
View of seagulls and Pacific Beach
I turned away from the sky and instead to a few shots of the beach and coastline. The late evening light made the air seem to glow.
Surfer leaving ocean after sunset
This was at the height of the sunsets color, well after the actually sun had dipped below the horizon. The sky and reflecting water seemed almost surreal. If I hadn’t been there I probably wouldn’t believe it.
Amazing sunset and surfer
I zoomed out to show more of the sky and how the different layers of clouds lit up like they were on fire. I thought the surfer was a nice touch.
Dusk along Pacific Beach
By this point the sunset had finally started to fade into a purplish gray. The pastel colors once again return, giving a nice softer light.
Slow shutter and surfer
This was the last image I shot. A mellow slow shutter pan of a surfer finishing off the day.
Happy new years everyone, hope you get what you wish for.
Ian
Like many people, my parents on the east coast were hit by a recent winter storm. It wasn’t long before I started getting photos of cars buried in snow and stories bemoaning how cold it was. Well, since I moved to San Diego, I can’t say that I often miss shoveling snow, cold fingers, or falling on icy patches. I do however miss some of the great photo opportunities that come with a really good snow. I definitely need to get back to Pennsylvania, if only for a week.
Since I’m not back east, here are a few old (actually taken on film, yes film) old scans.
I realize that there isn’t much going on in the leaf photo, but it reminds me of how bleak winter can be and its transition from fall.
Here are a few more photographs from a recent trip to the Salton Sea. As you can see the area has an almost alien feel. There are definitely a lot of opportunities to make some interesting images.
This first image is another view of several mud volcanoes. The glowing lights and crazy sky comes from the long exposure, a distant town’s lights, and a rising moon still behind clouds.
For this next photo I was shooting near an old house that was falling apart. Near it were these now useless telephone poles that have an unavoidable symbolism to them. Interesting enough when shooting the long (several minute exposure) the night sky flickered and lit up for a few seconds. When I looked up, somewhat fearful of a alien abduction, I watched a large meteor streak by overhead. Cool to see and a nice top off to the night.
I’ve always loved capturing human’s interactions with nature. Photographs like this remind me of how precious and fleeting life is. Given enough time, nature always seems to reclaim what it lost.
Ian
I went out the other day on a little road trip to the Salton Sea. I’m not much of an early riser so instead I focused on shooting images at night. For those who don’t know, the Salton Sea is located several hours east of San Diego, and is a strange mix of rotting fish, decaying buildings, agricultural run-off, and just weird old things in general. There is almost a depressing feel to the place, as if the earth is devouring man’s follies, but all of this can make for some interesting photos.
Unfortunately, I always seem to forget just how hard shooting in pitch black can be. Getting one shot right can take half an hour, and visualizing the final image when you can’t even see your hand can be frustrating. I did however manage to get a few nice shots before heading back (right into the beginnings of a nasty storm).
Here are two, I have a few more I’ll put up later.
Ian
The other day I decided to go on a quick drive to grab lunch and check out some areas around me. It also gave me a chance to give my new Canon G11 (advanced pocket camera) a little bit of a workout. I have to say that I was very impressed with some of the images I got, and while I probably wouldn’t use it for more serious work, it was nice having a lite camera with me for quick snaps. Here are a few images that I took over the quick trip. As you can see these aren’t boring measures of sharpness, color accuracy, etc… with 100 percent crops. Instead I wanted to see what I could get out of each raw images, and if the results were pleasing.
This shot was taken from the Torrey Pines Gliderport. It’s a nice view but I don’t think I have the cajones to strap into a paraglider and dangle over the Pacific. It was a little hazy but the camera did a nice job, and you can even see people walking on the beach in the distance.
If I had 40 million dollars I’d probably live here. This amazing home in La Jolla overlooks the Pacific and for what ever reason it reminds me of old Hollywood wealth. Again the G11 captured some nice details that really pop with a little sharpening, I cropped and added tinting in photoshop.
I have a lot of photographs from this area in La Jolla, it’s just so photogenic and I love the vibe of the place. This place is also great for testing the “landscapeability” of a setup. Here the camera still held detail close and far (thanks to its smaller sensor), and while not exactly fast, I was still able to capture the scene as the seagulls took off.
This image of the amazing Mormon temple in San Diego was taken from across the highway, right before I went to have lunch. The afternoon light really gave the temple a nice glow and I liked the symmetry of the image. Again I wouldn’t have taken the shot if I never had a pocket cam with me. I look forward to experimenting more with the Canon G11, I don’t think I’ve seen all it can do yet.
Ian
Surfer girls and the Canon G11, two things I’m fond of. Here is a quick shot taken the other day. I’m used to shooting with a dslr, so I was amazed at how much detail the G11 captured, especially considering it can fit in my pocket. It’s also nice that no one seems to pay attention to these smaller cameras.
Here is a crop from the above image (taken at iso 80). I only sharpened it a little, but it definitely shows that the Canon G11 can make for a viable walk-around camera.
I have a soft spot for all animals, but reptiles have always been a life-long love. I hate to think what sharing a certain kinship with scaly cold blooded animals says about me, but I’ve decided to share a photo of a recent bearded dragon hatchling. These little guys always amaze me. I’ve never seen a lizard seem more entitled or hungry, and they certainly have personality to spare.
Ian
Well I was going through some old photos when I came upon this one that somehow got lost in the shuffle. It may not be the best photograph (some highlights are blown and the composition needs work), but I think it does a good job illustrating back or rim lighting in nature. If done well, you can get some really nice photos that pop the subject from the background.
Ian
Well the other day I had a little time to try my newly acquired Canon 7d. I don’t usually shoot many birds or wildlife, but I thought that the 7d would make a good backup to the 5d mark II while complimenting the 5d with its better autofocus and greater reach for telephoto shots. I started out by going to a local beach with my 7d and 100-400mm lens. I spent an hour shooting hyper-active sand pipers as they raced back a forth along the shoreline. The focus seemed to lock on quickly even in the dim light but when I got home I was surprised to see that all my shots were soft like this:
and a crop from the image:
It was unfortunate, but I was busy with other matters and dismissed the outing as user error. I probably had too much coffee, needed to micro-adjust the lens, or California was undergoing a series of tremors that night. Either way it wasn’t until a week later that I tried again to get a sharp image out of my 100-400 lens, this time under more controlled conditions.
The second time around I set the my Canon 7d and Canon 100-400 on a sturdy tripod and focused from my doorway in good afternoon light at a nearby grocery sign (thankfully nobody called the cops to report a peeping tom). It was originally supposed to be a quick informal test to make myself feel better, but lo and behold this is what I got:
and here is the crop:
By now I was beginning to get frustrated. Either my camera was junk, my lens was junk, or my technique was junk. Not very happy scenarios. Again I began testing the lens, this time more seriously. I tried stopping the lens down 2 stops (where usually it was at its sharpest)… still fuzzy. I double checked the Image Stabilization was off… still fuzzy. I used mirror-lockup and a 2second timer… still fuzzy. I used live view to prevent and front or back focusing… still fuzzy. I even thought that maybe at this distance with the sun beating on the concrete that heat waves could be ruining the picture, so I tried shooting at a lamp post high off the ground and got this (crop):
It looked slightly better but definitely still soft. It was only when I zoomed the lens all the way in to 100mm that I noticed things looked somewhat better at 100 percent viewing (cropped heavily):
Finally my dusty brain began to figure things out and with a small prayer I removed the filter. It’s strange I didn’t think of it first but removing the cheap multi-coated Quantaray UV filter (which I had on to protect against sand and sea spray) gave me this (back at 400mm):
and a crop:
Finally something actually sharp or at least respectable. I quickly stuck the filter back on and got a fuzzy image again here is a comparison:
Now for all those UV filter users (me included) don’t freak out. I tried the same test with one of my many B+W multi-coated UV filters and could see no noticeable loss in sharpness compared to no filter. I don’t know how I still had that Quantaray filter in my bag, but I believe something jarred the filter’s glass (in the flimsy aluminum mount) just enough to play havoc with image quality. Needless to say, that filter is no longer with me and I’d suggest if anyone has a similar problem, check the filter first.
Also viewers may have noticed that at ISO 400 (which the sign photos were taken) the Canon 7D has a some fine-grained noise. These images were shot as raw, processed in DPP, and then imported with no noise reduction or sharpening into Photoshop. Having only used full-framed cameras, the noise is more than I’m used to, but I think it is very pleasing and would certainly print well. I’ve also included a quick crop after some noise reduction and slight sharpening to show how well it cleans up:
Oh and if these images have given you a sudden urge to round up shopping carts I apologize.
Ian
Another shot from my trip to Acadia National Park. It seems nothing evokes the feeling of Maine more than lobster buoys, colorful leaves, and clam chowder. Here I framed the image to emphasize the different shapes and colors while trying to maintain a pleasing balance throughout the frame.
While I’ve been going through images, I also have been playing with a new Canon G11. It’s my first really “pro” compact camera and I am actually very impressed with the image quality, especially below 400 iso. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to take it for more of a spin later this week.
Ian
Sometimes it’s not about the most mega pixels or razor sharp images, sometimes it’s about mood and the feeling an image gives us. Often the images that aren’t technically perfect are the ones that become favorites.
Here is one image from an evening of shooting with the new Canon 7D. It was shot at iso 6400 and underexposed by 2 stops (later pulled up in photoshop). In most situations a throw away shot, yet with a little processing I have an image that still captures the feelings I had while shooting. Never let the technical stop you from taking a shot.
Ian
Getting this image almost cost me a quick swim in the Atlantic. I’ve been going through the many many photos from Maine and this is one I took on my last morning there when the sun had finally decided to make an appearance. This was an area I had scouted out before but I wasn’t expecting the tide to be so far out.
In fact I probably looked like a circus clown balancing from slick rocks to even slicker seaweed covered rocks while holding a tripod, camera bag, remote release and little common sense. In the end I think it was worth it since the wet rocks reflect the warm light nicely and the seaweed (while dangerous) gives a nice detail to the image.
I know the site still has a ways to go, but I’m working on several updates and should have the galleries up soon.
Ian
As promised I’ve started going through my photographs from my week in Maine. I’ll go into more detail once I write an actual summary of my trip, but I will say for most of the week a nor’easter made the weather pretty miserable. For most of the time I had damp, windy, and heavily overcast conditions… difficult shooting. Here are a few quick shots.
Having never been to Acadia National Park (or Maine) before I was pleasantly surprised to see such rugged shorelines on the East Coast, much different than the New Jersey coast I grew up with. For this image I chose to go with black and white to emphasize the mood and textures of the scene.
The road that runs through Mt. Desert Island (where Acadia national park is located) is just beautiful. Here I got a lucky 20 minutes of sun so I stopped the car and raced to get this shot before becoming road pizza.
Here is a night view of one of the popular streets in Bar Harbor (the biggest small town on the island). As you can see it’s a very picturesque place to visit… just make sure to eat before 9:00 since things close a little earlier than in the city. I’m sure in the summer this street is busy, luckily I missed the tourist season.
I’ll end with this image of the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. This is definitely a popular and classic spot to take images, and I couldn’t imagine a more scenic spot for a lighthouse. Ironically, one of the few times I actually wanted some clouds and I get a perfectly clear evening. Oh well, I’ll put up a more in-depth summary of my trip (with more photos) once I’ve gone through everything.
Ian
Just got back from an awesome, yet cold, trip to Acadia National Park in Maine. Fall colors were really amazing and the rugged coast made for a lot of great photo opportunities. I’m still decompressing and unpacking, but soon I’ll start putting new photos and info up.
Ian