Photo of the Week 2024-07-15

I thought this week's post may have been about my recent nightscape photography, given that a lens purchased for that purpose had arrived late last week. While I did get out on Saturday to give it a trial workout, other aspects of life, namely a new puppy, had other ideas for time that I had planned to learn some new image stacking software for editing the resulting raw files.

 

So I sit here at the keyboard on Sunday night, resigned to the fact that I don't have enough time or energy to get through a new workflow to show you the results of last night's shoot (amazing as it was that I managed to stay up until midnight to see the Milky Way rise in the sky). Instead, I delve into the archive for something and ... lo and behold, there's a nightscape image from over 4 years ago (albeit from winter) sitting there, ready to share.

 

' Front Row Seats '

 Dark skies at our cottage on the Bruce Peninsula are absolutely awe inspiring ...

 

This image was made with the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 on a Canon 5D MkIII DSLR. A while after I got rid of the 5D MkIII, I also hesitantly traded in the Rokinon 14mm with plans to upgrade it down the road. Now I have with the Irix 15mm f/2.5 in EF mount to use with the EF-RF adapter and Canon R5 mirrorless. Hopefully, I'll have something to show from this combination some time soon.

 

Up to now, all of my night sky / nightscape images have been processed from single exposures, as is the image presented here. During my shoot Saturday night, I was capturing multiple frames to stack later with software specifically designed for night sky work. Why? Well, in simple terms, because processing a single image shot at high ISO includes noise that can result in bright pixels ultimately show up like stars making for a busier than actual night sky. How much difference will there be? I hope t' let ya know.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-07-03

HAPPY CANADA DAY !

Canada Day 2017 Fireworks III

... from the Parks Canada Visitor Centre tower, Tobermory, ON, in windy conditions. The tower movement from wind and people proved a challenge.

At Lynn's suggestion, this year I headed to the to observation tower with the idea of capturing the Canada Day celebration fireworks from a different point of view. Also on my list of objectives were to use in-camera multiple exposure and a wider angle of view.

Arriving at the tower around 9pm, it seemed no-one else had the same idea or at least they hadn't made it there yet. As I climbed the stairs, the wind picked up. A few flights and I was above the tree tops, fully exposed. Concern that the fireworks might be cancelled started to play in my mind. Reaching the top, heading back and returning the next night seemed a 50/50 possibility.

Alone, I began to set up, against the railing, in a corner.  As I set the tripod and attached the camera, others started arriving, a couple at first, and by the time the show started around 10 there were maybe 20 of us up there braving somewhat cool temperature made colder by the wind. With that many, the movement in the tower from weight and wind catching our bodies was more than I had expected. I began to wonder if it was such a good idea from a photography point of view as I would be using long exposures and the movement would be an issue.

As it turned out, for the most part the images I captured were impacted by the tower movement. Not so much as to make them all trash can worthy but enough to disappoint my discerning eye. In addition, I had decided to pack light and brought just the 17-40mm lens which turned out to be too wide even at 40mm given the distance away. The 24-105 would have been more suitable on my full frame DSLR ... oh well, that's what pixels and cropping are for ;-)

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-08-17

"... activities focused on repetition tend to increase our awareness of variation. I have also found that repetitive expressions tend to liberate me from the self-imposed pressure to be 'creative' and 'innovative'. As I stick to the task of repetition I discover how the creative process varies itself."

                                                                                            Trust The Process - Shaun McNiff

In creating or selecting an image for this blog each week, I have been faced with the recurring dilemma of creating something new, selecting something different vs. using something similar to a prior post. Allowing repetition, if not focusing on repetition in my creative efforts may help me overcome the mental block imposed by my desire to always "find something new".

Thus far, I have always found more inspiration in the freshness of places and subjects new or unfamiliar as evidenced by my efforts to seek out a new trail or new location to explore. The task of always finding something new is daunting and can dampen the creative spirit.

Readings on the creative process, and particularly quotes like the one opening this blog post, help me to assess my own creative journey and understand how seeking out the new and unfamiliar, revisiting the same subject and experimenting with different media and techniques all play a role in creative development.

For me this week's image is not simply another image of sunset along the shore. It was born of an effort to explore the familiar, to be open to what I may be given, to accept it and just create.

taming waters

DJE

Photo of the Week 2014-12-01

It was BLAH weather at the cottage this weekend and I needed something a little different to stir the creative juices. I've been thinking about converting my Canon EOS M for infrared (IR) photography and decided to give it a whirl with some IR filters to see how it handled. Dull overcast days are not a good time to work with IR but hey, I needed to play around.

There's this little scene at the side of our cottage road that speaks to me every time I pass by so I decided to set up there for this little trial.

The first thing I experienced was extraordinarily long shutter speeds. I already know that using a non-converted camera with IR filters on the lens will require long shutter speeds in the range of 15-30 seconds to overcome the internal IR cut filter. But wow ... with the dull, overcast day and starting first with an 850nm filter I was 4 minutes f/5.6 ISO 3200 and I found lack sharpness to be an issue. I think it was mostly a focus shift issue and not being able to determine how much focus shift adjustment was required or at least not taking enough 4 minute exposures to get the right focus by trial and error. Now the 850nm filter really blocks a lot of light only allowing the longer wavelength IR to pass so I dropped down to the 720nm filter which would let in a smidgen more light overall.

With the 720nm filter, I still required a 2 minute exposure with f/5.6, ISO 1600 so the blustery wind played havoc with my subject, moving the spruce and cedar branches causing them to blur, but it can be an nice effect so I carried on and ended up with something interesting ... I think.

I R Spruce Out of Rock

Working with an IR converted camera can be a lot more convenient depending on the particular camera type and features. A converted EOS M will show me the IR image on it's live view screen and should be able to focus without a recalibration since it uses the actual imaging sensor to focus, unlike my DSLR's which use a separate focus sensor. The "M" is also a nice compact package that will be easy to include in my kit along with the adapter that allows it to use all my EF mount lenses :-D

Now the only questions are which IR range to I get it converted to and which conversion service do I use .... hmmmmmm

DJE

Photo of the Week 2013-02-25

My weekend photo outing started with a stop for a coffee then a meet up in a local parking lot where 3 of us loaded our gear into one vehicle. Since Patrick was able to join Alan and I on this outing we had decided to show him a couple locations we always enjoy and headed for a couple of waterfalls in Ancaster, Tiffany and Sherman.

The company of friends certainly made for a different outing than I had the previous week. In place of quiet contemplation there was laughter, friendly banter and much talk of photography. We arrived, first at Tiffany Falls, geared up and proceeded up the trail. It didn't take long for the group to separate as each moved on to explore on their own. I have written and talked before about how I find the approaches to a location taken by different photographers and the varying results of their efforts to be quite interesting.

As for my approach to capturing the feel of this location, I had been thinking about some long exposure photography and wanted to try out a new Lee ND filter. The flowing waters downstream of both falls provided plenty of opportunity to do so.

Ancaster Creek 2013-02-23

In particular, I was drawn to a scene just upstream of a footbridge over Ancaster Creek at Sherman Falls. Surveying the area for the best point of view from which to capture the scene, I scrambled down the bank of the creek and worked my way into position under the bridge. With the mild weather, temperatures had risen to just above freezing, turning falling snow to a light rain. The ice was beginning to melt and the falling rain was dripping from overhead branches to mark the remaining snow with a pattern of dots. As I set up under the bridge, I managed to keep my camera gear out of the path of water dripping from overhead as well, not so for myself as I had cold water drip down the back of my neck more than once. 

When I arrived home and was able to download and view the images I made on a larger computer monitor, I was very pleased. I knew I had a winner and went to work right away processing the version above. Printed and framed, it now stands on the display easel in our entrance hallway.

 

DJE