Beyond the Lens

Photo of the Day- ‘Cobscook Bay Dawn, Maine’

RR Jr — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:13:35 +0000

Canon 1Ds Mk III, 1/500 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS

This is one of those images that almost didn’t happen. It was my first morning at Cobscook Bay State Park campsite, and I really wasn’t that familiar with the area. But when I stuck my head out of our camper at 5am, the sky was already ablaze with the rich red colors of sunrise, so I knew I had little time to find a decent composition. Moving quickly along the shore of the bay, I spotted this small island with these nice arranged trees, and decided I would work with this scene for the rest of the sunrise. Although I started with my wide angle lens, I switched to a 70-200 zoom lens to get a tighter framing that would also emphasize the rising sun. I metered for the sky since I wanted to maintain good cloud detail, and create a silhouette with the trees which would really bring out their shapes and make a more graphic image.

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September 2010 Desktop Wallpaper – Green Cove, Nova Scotia

RR Jr — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:53:53 +0000

The September 2010 Free Desktop Wallpaper is now available for download. On my recent trip to Cape Breton Highlands National Park, it was really hard not to think panoramic with such wide amazing seascapes. Keeping it simple is the real challenge, and this image was one I felt captured the essence of the ocean and dramatic atmospherics that occurred on almost every morning and evening.

As always, thanks for your support and come closer to nature in Nova Scotia..

1920 x 1200
1680 x 1050
1280 x 800

Instructions:

First determine your screen size. Your Current Resolution Is:

Then click on the link for the correct size. When the image opens in a new browser window, right click on the image and select “Set as Wallpaper” (on a Mac, select “Use Image as Desktop Picture”).

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Photo of the Day – “Sea Rocks”, Quoddy Head State Park, ME

RR Jr — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:51:20 +0000

I’m currently in the middle of a two week trip on the coast of Maine, but have not been able to do much processing due to lack of electricity at the campsites I’ve been staying at. Here is the first of many images from the trip captured at Quoddy Head State Park, the eastern most coastline on the US.

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Seascapes from Nova Scotia – Video

RR Jr — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:28:51 +0000

In addition to photography, I also shot HD video on my recent trip to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia with the intent of combining the video and stills into a short film. I shot video with my hacked Panasonic GH1, the stock 14-140mm lens and a Canon FD 20mm lens. The hack enables much higher bit rates than the factory firmware, which results in much more detailed video, cleaner shadows, and better files for post editing.

DSLR’s cameras that shoot video have opened a whole new world for those who want to explore new creative possibilities, and I really enjoy the challenge and rewards of experimenting and finding new ways to convey a story. I’m learning a great deal each time I work on these projects, and have a bunch more planned for the near future. In addition, my commercial clients are excited about the new possibilities it brings to communicate their message in the digital age. Enjoy this short film, and as always, please feel free to leave feedback and/or leave any questions.

Tech Notes

I shot this film at 1280×720/ 30 fps (Motion JPEG) and the slow motion shots were 60 fps (AVCHD). Both were converted to 24 fps using Apple Compressor. I edited in Final Cut Pro and color graded using Magic Bullet Looks (an incredible plugin). All filming was done on a tripod, and I used a Zoom H4N for field audio.

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Photos of the Day – Lakies Head, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

RR Jr — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:50:53 +0000

Canon 1DS Mk III, 25sec @f/11, ISO 100, 24mm (24-105 f/4 L IS)

I visited this location four times during my trip to Cape Breton Highlands National Park, three times during sunrise, and once during sunset to shoot some video. The first two times were unsuccessful since there was never a sunrise, but I decided to try once again on the day I was leaving – I’m glad I did. The weather was very active to say the least, with fast moving cloud formations, wind, and extremely variable light – the perfect opportunity to play with long exposure once again. I made many images, but here are two that are similar, so I decided to see what a black and white conversion would feel like.

Canon 1DS Mk III, 3 min @f/14, ISO 100, 24mm (24-105 f/4 L IS)

Removing the color creates a totally different mood, and I really like how the tonalities create areas of interest and lead the eye from foreground to the sky in a circular fashion. Again it all depends on what you want to convey with an image, so in time I will have to decide which of the two really captures my feelings about the scene.

CREATIVE NOTES:

Both of these were processed in Lightroom 3 only, with little or no noise reduction since I used ISO 100 for both. I added a slight warming tone to the highlights of the black and white, and some minor dodging to the waves in the foreground. On both of these images I used a Singh-Ray 0.3 soft graduated ND filter to bring down the highlights in the clouds, adding drama and intensity to the scene (the way I felt while shooting). Lately I have been using these filters more and more to cut down post processing time and capture an image that is closer to a final version.

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Photo of the Day – Wreck Cove, Nova Scotia

RR Jr — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:56:09 +0000

Canon 1Ds Mk III, 4 min @f/16, ISO 100, 19mm (17-40mm f/4 L)

Having scouted this beach the day before, I was up at 4am to get to this spot before sunrise. Noticing there was probably not going to be much color given the clouds on the horizon, I decided to work with long exposures and the strong blue color of twilight. It took some time to work out a composition that was pleasing to me given all of the rocks along the shore. I am always looking for simplicity, and I struggled quite a bit to come to terms with the the patterns here. But I just couldn’t get away from the beautiful rhythm these rocks create and how the balance the sky so well moving from left to right. Telling a story is the point of it all, and I was in awe of how these rocks were formed over millions of years and how they are constantly shaped by the forces of the sea.

CREATIVE NOTES:

For this image, I used my 6 stop ND filter to cut down the light significantly and allow me to use a 4 minute exposure. This enhances the blue color as well as create a more surreal effect with the water and rocks – nothing new but I still love the effect! Using an ND filter this strong can be tricky since I can barely see what I’m looking at once it’s on, so I set up the composition and exposure beforehand, then put the filter on and calculate the new exposure based on reducing the light 6 stops. For example, at f/16 the exposure was 4 sec, but once I add the 6 stop filter, the exposure becomes 240 sec, or 4 mintes. Calculating exposures in the field is critical for this type of work, but the calculator in my iphone works great, and there are also iphone apps (Photo Buddy) that will calculate this as well.

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Nova Scotia Update – video and photos

RR Jr — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:39:35 +0000

So far I am in awe of this place, so much to experience and photograph, it is a paradise for nature lovers and photographers. I have been spending 14 hours plus in the field scouting, hiking, and trying yo get a feel for the area. It is beautiful and the scenery is very enjoyable, but it is hard work nonetheless. Here are a few images from the trip so far, as well as a video I posted on Facebook. More soon…

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Photo Trip – Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

RR Jr — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:21:31 +0000

I’m on the road today to Cape Breton National Park, Nova Scotia for a week of hiking, cycling, and of course landscape photography. I’ve never visited this part of Canada, so I’m really excited about exploring the coastline and mountains in the region. I’m looking to add more images to my collection of seascapes, and will also be working on star trails and time lapse videos.

I’ll try to post updates and photos here on a regular basis, but it will depend on internet access in this rather remote part of Nova Scotia. I’ve driven 12 hours today, and I have another 5 tomorrow before I arrive at the cabin I’m “borrowing”. More to come soon including what gear I packed, and how I process and backup my RAW files remotely.

Unfortunately the August Desktop Wallpaper will be late due to the fact I just plain forgot with all the preparations and packing for this trip. Sorry for the delay!

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Photos of the Day – Adirondacks

RR Jr — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:13:34 +0000

“Heron Marsh Trail”
Canon 1Ds Mk III, 1/4 sec @f/14, ISO 400, 17mm (EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II)

CREATIVE NOTES “Heron Marsh”:
This image was pretty straight forward from a technical standpoint, and a good example where any mode except manual fails miserably to make a proper exposure. A careful balance between shadows and highlights is crucial in terms of conveying the depth I felt as i walked along this trail and the forest opened up to the marsh. The feeling of moving into the open space is what the image is about, yet I didn’t want to give away what was beyond these last few trees, so the element of mystery is also at play. I used higher than normal ISO in order to minimize movement in the trees, and was very careful with the corners in order to avoid any distractions. Sure I could have used HDR, but the deep shadows and very soft light is the effect I was after, not an exposure where every part of the image leaves nothing to the imagination.

“Buck Pond at Dawn”
Canon 1Ds Mk III, 1/25 sec @f/11, ISO 400, 16mm (EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II)

CREATIVE NOTES “Buck Pond”:

I had been “eyeballing” this spot from my campsite since it was about 30 feet away and in front of a small marsh in the water. I knew the stump in the pond would provide something in the foreground together with the delicate grasses to anchor the image. I couldn’t walk there, so I used my canoe to get into position, then stood in the pond together with my tripod and waited what seemed like forever for the water to settle down like a sheet of glass. Because I was concerned about movement, and didn’t want to use too high of a ISO, I set my aperture to f/11 allowing more light to enter and hence raise my shutter speed. The tradeoff of course is depth of field, so I focused on the grasses to the left and hoped the lily’s in the foreground would remain fairly sharp which they did. At f/11 and 16mm, my hyper-focal distance was about 10 feet, so focusing 10 feet away meant that everything from 5 to infinity would be sharp. Here, I tried to make sure the closest lily was about 5 feet from my lens.

You can find several calculators for hyper focal distance here.

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Photo of the Day – “Light in the Forest, Adirondacks”

RR Jr — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:23:06 +0000

Canon 1DS mkIII, 3.2 sec @f/16, ISO 100, 16mm (16-35mm f/2.8L II)

I’m back from a week long camping trip in the northern Adirondacks, and this is one of several photos I made during my stay. While driving around, I stopped at the Adirondack Interpretive Visitors Center in Paul Smiths, and after exploring some of the trails and enjoying the beautiful scenery, decided to return a few times after wards in better lighting conditions. This image was from my third visit and is probably one of my favorites.

Working with light in the forest is really exciting for me, and I waited close to two hours for the angle and intensity of light that I thought would make this composition really work. Often when I find a composition I like, I’ll set up my camera, then just wait for that special moment. I might walk around a bit and do some exploring, but I’m always keeping a close eye on the sun and as soon as I think the conditions are getting close to optimum, I won’t move from my tripod. I almost didn’t think the light would happen on this particular morning since clouds were building, but a few lucky minutes was all I needed to make a few exposures. Patience is such an important skill, and one I continue to work on each time I venture out into nature.

CREATIVE NOTES:

Because there was virtually no wind, I didn’t worry too much about movement, and set my camera to ISO 100 for maximum image quality. I also stopped down to f/16 for good depth of field since I wanted to keep the trail going off into the distance fairly sharp and together with the light, creates a very strong leading line from the ferns in the foreground. I knew this would mean a fairly long exposure (3 sec) which I normally try to avoid in this type of situation (foliage in the foreground) but a quick check on the LCD display confirmed that my green friends had remained perfectly still! While looking at the image in the LCD, I zoom in as far as possible and scroll around to the spots that need to be tack sharp. Processing was done in Lightroom 3 with a slight touch of dodging on the fern in front of the left tree and the moss on the large rock to make those areas stand out a little more. This is one image, no HDR or combined exposure.

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