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 - Vertoramas

Introduction

As always, I like to experiment with new techniques. We are in Cornwall, visiting family, and thought it would be great idea to get pictures of the bridge to the USA before it is pulled down. So, mixing technique with opportunity, I thought I'd see what I could capture.

A panorama photograph is typically created when the subject of the photograph is wider than the lens can capture in a single frame. Special software is used to stitch together two or more frames. A vertorama takes the landscape orientation & runs in portrait, top to bottom.
The challenge is having enough overlap between the photographs to be able to stitch them together into a single realistic image. There are also other challenges, usually related to light. As you pan across the image, the intensity of the light changes.
The Setup

Since I want to capture a lot of scenery, my trusty Canon 60D has my Canon 24-40mm f/4 wide-angle lens mounted on it. Since this is a really cold day - 18 degrees BELOW 0C ! - I think I'll give it a go without setting up my tripod. Equally, it is a very bright, sunny day - no need for secondary lighting.
The Photos
Creating a vertorama starts by taking a number of images vertically, such that about a third of the photos overlap each other. Then the photos are turned 90 degrees so the panorama software can stitch them.

The first photo, including a lot of the base. Many tutorials suggest that you start shooting with your toes in the image & work your way up !

Here, much of the original photo is still in view. I wanted to make sure there was lots of opportunities for the stitching software to find identical points.

Now we are starting to point upwards I would guess at about a 75 degree angle. For the entire shoot, my feet never moved. Nor did I change any camera settings.

This photo is looking almost vertical now.

I'm starting to lean over a little backwards - but my feet never moved ! :-P

In this, the final photo of the series, I am leaned way over backwards. Pat was quite sure I was going to fall over !





























So those are the raw photos. In the perfect world, I would have been tripod-mounted, with a rig which makes the tip of the lens the pivot-point. Given I am not expecting to become a professional vertoramist (I think I just made up a word !), I elected to forego such an expense, and thought I would try to shoot it handheld, and see what needs improvement. After all, this IS about learning and experimenting...

This is the output of the stitching program. As you can see, it stretched and turned some of the perspectives in the raw source photos, in order to align the reference points.

After cropping and straightening the output photo, I did a couple of quick touch ups. Finally, it was watermarked.














































Lessons Learned
In a future attempt, I'd like to shoot from the tripod. I think it would render a better product, especially in terms of the alignment of reference-points in the stitching software. Also, I would like to shoot a venue where I have more control over the lighting. As you can see, the sky in the final photo gets progressively darker as I shoot towards the sun.
I like this technique a lot. It is fun to shoot, and creates an interesting photo. Although I am starting to appreciate why most vertoramists shoot inside large buildings - like churches and railroad stations ! But that will be another day's shoot ...

Project365 - Out and About

Introduction

We were traipsing around Cornwall, and found so many interesting things to photograph. I had decided to use my wide-angle lens, to see what effect it would have on the feeling my photos.

The Setup

As always, I was shooting with my trusty Canon 60D. On it, I had mounted my Canon 24-40mm f/4L series lens.

The Photos

Some photographers like to take pictures of running water with long exposures. This smooths the flow, making it look soft & silky. Here, I was hoping to capture the crusty nature of the ice. That crustiness is also seen in the concrete wall, and the swirling water - I hope !

This is the bridge between Cornwall, ON and Messina, NY. I wanted to shoot it before it gets torn down. The very bright sunshine (flare in the top right corner) makes the bridge look dark & foreboding. Maybe this should have been shot in HDR, but I like the hard shadows.

The sluice way at the power dam posed a challenge. The fence you see creating leading lines is also cutting right in front of me. I opened up the aperture wide, and hoped that any incursion would be invisible. It almost was - a little cropping saved the photo.

Lessons Learned

This shoot was an "out and about" series. I had not scouted any locations previously, so I had no idea what challenges I would face. Equally, the brutal cold made me push to be just a smidge faster. Prepping the camera settings in the car beforehand really helped !