Project365 - The Boy Scout Motto

Introduction

I was on Facebook this morning, and a friend pinged me via the Messenger app. He was lamenting that a pair of bald eagles were roosting in a tree on his acreage, but he couldn't "find" his good camera body & long lens ! Of course, I felt for him - it sucks not being able to take the shot you want. But - how do you "lose" your equipment ?!?

On my way home from dropping Pat off, I came across an accident. The fire trucks and ambulances were long since gone, and the police were probably waiting for a tow truck to come cart the wreck away. Fortunately for me, I never leave the house without a camera with me.

The Setup

Nothing exciting, my Canon 60D with the trusty 24-105mm f/4 L lens. I shot handheld from across the hi way, as the constable didn't seem thrilled to see me !

The Photos

Bear in mind these were entirely spur of the moment. Couldn't really even call them Street Photography, as there were no people in the frames.

When I first came upon the scene, I had a moment where all I could think was "Whoops !". Truly, I hope nobody was hurt, but I may never know.

As you can see, the van tore up the guard rail before ending up on its side, up against the pole. I suppose we're lucky the pole didn't come down too !

Lessons Learned

The motto of the Boy Scouts is "be prepared", had I not had my camera with me, I wouldn't have been able to capture these photos.

 

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Project365 - Long Exposures

Introduction

This is my first blog back, since my eye infection. I felt I was taking too long, and didn't want anyone to think I had abandoned the project. I haven't, but I also didn't shoot today. So this entry is based on some of my earlier work.

In this series, I experiment with long exposures. With only one exception, the photographs were shot at a shutter speed of 30 seconds. This allows a LOT of light onto the sensor, which creates some remarkable images. But that also poses challenges, as the photographer must contend with trying to create great images, while only adjusting ISO and aperture. I shot a lot of photos that night, and these will hopefully represent those challenges & some success.
The Setup
I wa shooting my then-new Canon 60D. It had the venerable 24-105mm f/4 L series lens, and because of the length of the exposures, I mounted the camera on my tripod & used my cable-release to trigger the shutter. The shoot was held at Bridgeland Station, on the Calgary LRT line. It has pedestrian bridges that cross over Memorial Drive, as well as an unconstructed view of the downtown core.
The Photos

This is the first photo. It was shot at f/9, ISO 100 and 30 seconds. The lights on the building pop, but the foreground is kind of eerie looking. It also looks a little blurry, but that's what photographers call "noise".

Here is the exact same shot, only at 15 seconds.the image looks less noisy & loses the eerie glow.

Here is the shot I like best. I went back to a 30 second exposure, but dialled back the aperture to f/13. The lights still pop, the buildings are still sharp, and the colours look the most natural to me.

I shot these next two the same night. Due to the fact the shutter was open for 30 seconds, you don't see the cars themselves, but they leave long red streaks where the tail-lights glowed. I also love how the lens filter created remarkable star bursts around the street lights !

Here we are facing the oncoming traffic. The train is more visible, as it stayed in the station for the back half of the shot. But you can still see the lines of the headlights. Gotta admit, I like the effects created by long night exposures.









Lessons Learned
I like night photography. Long exposures allows the sensor to collect a lot of detail, as well as creating cool effects with the lights on the moving cars. Perhaps later this year (when it's a little warmer !), I'll experiment with long-exposure still photography & see how that turns out.
Thanks for sticking around ! There's lots more to come, now that my vision is coming back...

Project365 - Street Photography

Introduction

I travel to Las Vegas at least once a year. I love the glamour and the bright lights. It's simply a photographer's paradise to shoot at night ! But when the sun is shining, the same glitz looks a little bit shabby. Many parts of the infamous Las Vegas Strip are downright seedy !

I am learning about Street Photography. While there is no prescriptive definition of the term, the very best examples depict real people in real situations. Often, their faces are wrought with raw emotion. Admittedly, I am not very good at it.

The Setup

Truth be told, this was a spur of the moment, "out the car window" shot ! I used my Canon 60D handheld, with my "general purpose" Canon 24-105mm f/4 L series lens. Back button focus was extremely helpful in getting this shot !

The Photo

When I first took the shot, I was looking at the man and his dog. I was interested by the expression on the man's face & and the state of his dog. Frankly, I never noticed the OTHER homeless man, huddled beside the railing ! When I compare the two, it makes me realize that homelessness has many faces.

Lessons Learned

This photo was not so much about technique or even composition. It's about learning to "see" the environment, and capturing it faithfully. While I was unable to capture the other man's face, mostly because I never saw it, you can still feel an element of desperation in his body language.