Saturday, April 30, 2011

A Sad Sunny Day

Today we spread my aunts ashes. Needless to say it was a sad day in many respects but as is tyical for my family it was very informal and a nice get together for family. We also toured around the area which is a must when coming to Seaside. Today we were North of Seaside visiting a few places including the Peter Iredale.This little girl was loving stepping in the water with her boots and for a few moments was fascinated by this metal shaft sticking out of the sand. I got permission from Mom to take some photo's and started clicking away. She heard my camera going and turned and posed with a big smile. This photo was just a little before she noticed me. She was such a little sweet heart who became quite unhappy when Mom had to take her from a wave that came in a little close.  

I expect I'll be posting photo's for a bit from this trip.

Friday, April 29, 2011

The Beach

We are in Seaside. It was a good trip. We got to see tanks in the vehicle park at the military museum. I got to have razor clams for dinner. A trip here wouldn't be complete withot a trip to the turnaround and on to the beach. I got that first evening down to the water with Peter (Nick) and cousins Debra and Judi. Here is a sunset shot caught from the turnaround.

 I am doing this post (and the next few days) from my netbook. So no exposure info handy.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Road Trip!

(Peter) Nick and I are going on a trip to Seaside in Oregon. My brother Dale is coming as well. It is a somber occasion as we are spreading my Aunt Penny's ashes. However I'm looking forward to it. I want to show Peter (Nick) a great place where I have been on a lot of occasions and have lots of great memories. There is a lot to show him there and it'll be great for us to get away. Besides, even to mark the passing of a loved one, our family get togethers tend to be eventful. 
This is a photo when I got my first digital camera. I wanted to take a photo of (Peter) Nick and he wanted to be doing something else. He stood there because Dad told him to, but he sure let Dad how how he felt about that. The big left cheek is a "gobstopper" which is still a favourite of his. 

The exposure information was not recorded.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Carnival At Night

Hand holding the camera at night is pretty much a no no. There is just no way to keep a photo sharp without a tripod in dim light. Sometimes sharp isn't what you're striving for. I was at the PNE one summer evening and thought about those ferris wheel shots at night where it looks like they're spinning like crazy. Figured I should give it a try when I saw this one. You could use a tripod for a shot like this, but you don't carry one for a full day at the fair on the off chance you might want use it. So hand held it was. Although motion is the effect you are looking for you still have to keep the camera as steady as possible. Too much movement and it would just become mush. I think here I just (only just) kept it still enough. 

 I used the 24-85 at 24mm 1/2 sec f4.5. If I get the chance again, maybe I'll go 1/4 or 1/15th.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A Portrait In Iron

Steam engines are powerful. Steam engines are mighty. Shooting close and wide helped demonstrate that. Of course I shot this in colour and converted to black and white. It's suits the subject matter. This particular one is from the Kettle Valley Railway in the Okanagan.  It was fun trying to get a photo of the train without a bunch of tourists around it. A little patience and I got a short little window of opportunity with no one standing on the cow catcher getting their photo taken.

I used the 17mm for the wide look shot 1/160th at f8 iso 200

Monday, April 25, 2011

Zero Out!

Recently I made a link on Facebook to a post photographer Joe McNally did on his blog. It was about common mistakes using a camera. It's a great post. One he mentioned was "Don"t use yesterday's settings". Zero out your camera before you go out. That's a smart idea, one so good I had come up with it myself and have suggested to people before. It's a habit that has to be formed and one day I will have it.
When I've been driving to work the past few days I've been noticing the Mountains on the North Shore of Vancouver. The Lions have been looking pretty awesome in the first morning light with all the snow on them. Yesterday they looked pretty good, not a cloud in the sky so I found a spot and grabbed a few shots. Later at work I took the photo's for yesterday's post. This morning the Lions were absolutely dramatic with the stormy clouds around them and the golden sunlight shining on spots. So I went to the same spot as yesterday and started shooting. Click, crap. Click, crap, crap, crap, crap. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, it just didn't look right and the light was changing.... Then the bulb went on and I checked the settings. I was using settings I made for the photo's of Lindsay.

 I used the 70-210 at 210mm  1/160th sec f6.3  iso 100. Once I got the settings right that is.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Some Fun With Nails.

Yesterday we were sitting at work admiring Lindsay's nail polish. She explained how she got the crackled effect with the polish. Steve said "Brook should photograph them". The light went on for me. I asked Lindsay if she was game and she said sure. So this morning we sat down and tried out some ideas. I got a few I liked and I may post a couple more. It was about the nails today though and this one was that matched the theme best. 

I used the 50mm at 1/80th f4 iso 100. The flash was wireless above the camera shot through the Lumiquest Soft Box III

Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Colour Is Gone

The cans are empty, their colour is spent. I've talked about the graffiti in the tunnel behind my work. They use such bright colours and create huge wonderful images. The spraypaint cans get tossed aside. Someone does come clean them up. But for the ones still there, drained of their colour, how perfect is a black and white. I was checking out some funky features on my camera phone and came up with this. 

 Exposure didn't record

Friday, April 22, 2011

The Beauty of Colour

I've Been thinking black and white the past little while. Tonight I was looking through old photos to see if there was something I could convert. I came across this one which I had looked at before but the timing wasn't just quite right. However I did do some manipulating. I saturated colour in the flower a bit then desaturated and darkened the background some. I wanted the colour on the flower to stand out. I think it works. So much for black and white tonight. 
 This was with the 100mm lens shot at /160th sec f8 iso 400

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Inspiration!

It was such a lovely spring day today. The sun was out, big puffy white clouds in the sky, flowers blooming like crazy. Especially Daffodils. They're every where you look. I was so inspired I got out the camera and went straight to the studio with some Daffodils. I love getting an idea and having the time and space to work with it. I guess I should have been outside running around taking photo's but here I had complete control and I have always enjoyed the look of flowers with a black background. I came out with this photo and one other I really enjoyed. I Think I'll show that one off another time. 

Here is the 100mm shot 1/125th sec at f14 iso 100. Flash through an umbrella high and to the right, another one through a Lumiquest Softbox III at full power high, behind, and to the left.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Use What You Have

I took the opportunity walking to the bus to see if I could get something for tonights blog with my camera phone. I took a few shots. It has a few positives and an few negatives. The camera is a 5megapixel which is small by today's standards. I do have photo's from a 3.2mp camera on this blog though. A positive is depth of field that goes on forever. A negative is the depth of field that goes on forever can't be controlled. I think that'll be ok for close up, not so great for portrait. I'll learn more about that. It has all kinds of doo dads on it and I look forward to playing with those. I guess it can be useful. I'll just have to realize it's limitations and work within them. 


Shot with the Samsung Galaxy S lens at 3.79mm (no really that's the focal length) 1/50th sec at f2.6 iso 200
 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

It's A Real Life Saver

Years ago I went to Granville Island with the camera on quite a regular basis. This was one I took and printed up. It was originally in colour but I thought I would see what it looked like in black and white. I liked the results. Every time I go to the island I think of this shot and when I go out on the boardwalk, I look for lifesavers. 

Didn't record the exposure of course. If you go to Granville Island check out the skyline. Looks a lot different now. 

Monday, April 18, 2011

There And Back Again

This was an opportunity I had revisited. I posted the first visit, I had been so taken with the idea of plantlife taking root on the wall of a building. I had to go back and photograph it again. I didn't post the second photo. I do now because with this weather coming out, I'm starting to think it's time to revisit the old haunts in town. 

 Was taken with the 50mm 1/200th sec f1.7 iso 100

Sunday, April 17, 2011

A Graceful Landing

I walked up a hill and was a fair distance from the nest. She was still not happy about me being there. She talked a lot, took off and flew some circles. She came back and talked a lot more at me. I guess as long as she could see me. I decided I had my shot and I should leave her alone.

Didn't note the exposure here. There is something wrong with the uploading tonight and I am not sure if the previous one I tried was posted. I wasn't happy with the photo once I saw it on the post anyhow so if it shows up I am taking it down.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

All They Survey

Canada Geese. My days have been pretty long. I've been tired by the time I get to sit here lately. I have been trying to think of what to say about this photo for a while. Tonight, I will just post and hope you enjoy the photo.  


 The 200-400 at 280mm 1/400th sec at f5.6 iso 200

Friday, April 15, 2011

Into the Dragons Lair

With the studio it's going to be easier,or at least quicker, to set up shots I think. Here is a little experiment I tried with some dragon figurines. I figured I would have them guarding some jewelry or gold or something. All I could find was a couple little amethyst chips. In the photo they were way too small. I took separate photos of the jewelry with the same light. I copied them on to the photo, did some computer stuff to give them their look and, voila!


 Shot with the 100mm macro 1/125thsec at f16 iso 100. Flash to the right and behind and fill flash to the left and front.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Let's Go To The Beach

Warm summer days at the beach and an ice cream cone are starting to come to mind. Definitely have to take the camera. While walking around I like to look down at water's edge. Sometimes I will find a still life I like. Like this one, which just happens to have been taken in March a couple years ago.

 This was with the 24-85 at 85mm 1/60th sec at f8 iso 100.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Angry Bird

There's a computer game out there called "Angry Birds". When I came across this photo I thought of that game. This is one angry looking little Sparrow. I wouldn't want to cross him late at night in the alley of some bird sanctuary.

This was shot with the 200-400 at 360mm f5.6 iso 200. 

Monday, April 11, 2011

There's Something In The Air

Spring. I was out doing some yard work today and it was so nice in the sun. I guess that's why I kept stopping at all the outside photo's looking for something to post. When I took this I wanted something just a little unusual. I wanted to show the lines in the feathers. There are a lot, going in all different directions but together they fit. I feels warm to me.

 
 This was with the 200-400 at 250mm  1/400th sec at 5.6 iso 200

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Pretty Bird

Photographers dedicated to photographing birds can go to great lengths and expense to catch a good photo of one. They'll buy the best equipment, they'll travel great distances and spend hours waiting to catch the bird in the right light and at an angle pleasing to the eye. Other photographers will rely on dumb luck stepping out of the car in the parking lot, looking up at the right moment and luckily having the camera out and turned on. This particular photo would be the latter as taken by me.  
 Taken with the beercan 70-210 at 105mm 1/60th f11 iso 800

Saturday, April 9, 2011

More Stuff To Think About

Found another one. Was just scanning the old photo's and this one just kind of leaped out at me. I had been playing around trying to figure out different ways to photograph the jewelry. Not sure why I picked an apple, guess I just had one handy. There were some other photos with the apple but I didn't really like them.  I landed on this photo tonight and I had one of those little "oh" moments I've talked about before. I like those moments. 

Shot with the 100mm macro 1/125th sec f11 iso 200

Friday, April 8, 2011

Red Wing Black Bird

Here is another photo from that day at Reifel. Whenever I go there I like to try get a photo or 2 of the Red Wing Blackbird. Hadn't had much success with them till this day. They usually seem to stay in amongst the branches. This day they were venturing out more, maybe because of the sun. I got a few pretty good photo's I think.

 This would have been with the Tamron 200-400 at 400mm. 1/320th sec f5.6 iso 200.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

A LIttle Spring In His Step

From a trip to Reifel Bird Sanctuary last year with Nicola and Andrea. Spring feels like it's here. Time to go out and enjoy the sun with a camera. May have to show some more from this trip too.

 The Tamron 200-400 at 330mm at f6.3 iso 200

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Straight Shooter

Here is (Peter) Nick from the shots last night. Gone is the revolutionary look. Now he is hip with his fedora and haircut. I have to admit I like the new look. 
This is another example of starting with one idea and coming out with another. I was originally looking for a profile shot with this light set up. As I was setting up I thought of this angle. I did a couple of the profile while adjusting the light, tried this angle and ended up sticking with it. 

I used the 50mm 1/125th sec f11 iso 100. 1 flash behind and to his right with a Lumiquest III soft box on the strobe, in front and to left a strobe shot through umbrella a few stops down for some fill. I really am not sure how many stops I kept moving it back and forth.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Controlled Light

I have a studio again. It is just a room in the basement so it is limited but I'll have fun with it. I am just setting it up and getting organized but tonight I took some time out to get a couple shots I've been thinking about. Tonight's is a project in the works for a few weeks now. In the works mainly because I kept forgetting to buy the coffee beans. Today I remembered them. I also got Peter (Nick) down to get some mood shots in one of his new fedora's. I'll post that tomorrow maybe.

 This was shot with the 50mm 125th sec at f16 iso 100. 2 flash through umbrella. 
 

Monday, April 4, 2011

An Environmental Portrait

The Hope Slide. I remember this day, the day it happened. It was so long ago it's almost like a dream. The details are fuzzy of course but I recall trying to picture the scene in my mind. My imagination was just not big enough. I saw some photo's in the years after and even they couldn't do it justice. It isn't until you are there you can see just how huge It is. It's a pretty epic scene. I took the normal photo's looking up the mountain and they were okay. Jenn and I went walking out amongst the rocks which isn't highly recommended as it is somewhat treacherous. I was leaning against a rock at one point and realized it was bigger than my van. I looked around me and there were rocks strewn about all around me that size and bigger. I asked Jenn to go sit on this particular rock for a photo. Although you can't see that the rock field is 85 metres deep, 3 kilometres wide and crosses the entire valley I think this photo gives an impression of the scope of what happened here. Every once in a while I would stop and try to imagine the noise this must have made. My imagination still isn't big enough I don't think.

This image is cropped some, colour balanced, sharpened. I don't have the exposure recorded.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Uncle Floyd

He was my Aunt Penny's husband. To me he was one of those bigger than life men. I always knew him with his silver hair, Deep soft spoken voice and that American accent. He always showed up with a gift when he and Penny came to visit. I knew him as a tv repairman, a musician, a fire-chief. He always came with a new joke to tell and the jokes were always funny. I think I was able to show the essence of Uncle Floyd, the hair, those glasses, and his clothing style. I caught him in a quiet contemplative moment here. Well, he was actually playing with a toy of my cousins, but it looks quiet and contemplative don't you think?

Saturday, April 2, 2011

I Have A New Camera!

Its my phone. My previous phone had one but it just wasn't really good for anything beyond maybe Facebook snaps. This new one is 5 megapixel which is still pretty small by today's standards but they are more useable. I took a few while out today with Dar on a short photo walk. We've been to this spot before, New Brighton Park. It's a pretty good spot for a view of the North Shore Mountains. 

Don't worry, I'm not going to stop using my real cameras. Photo's from my phone may show up sometimes though.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Trees In the Mist

This was a daytrip to Manning Park. We got a very early start to the day so as we went into the mountain area past Hope we made some stops for no other reason to than to take photos. It was a wonderful break from the usual rush to get to whereever. Too many times I'd driven by opportunities like these. Not this time!

I love photography.
 Such as the true nature of the forest pictured here, the exposure info will remain a mystery.