May
09
2020It’s been a week of using my macro lens, the first time in a long time. When I started with photography, my plan was to get into macro and closeup photography. It didn’t really work out that way. After watching a couple of idea videos on YouTube, I’ve been really gotten into getting that angle.
These shots are somewhat cliché, but something I’ve always wanted to do. I was making a drink (I’m on a fresh lemon in my drink phase) with fizzy water. Soon as I saw the bubbles, I put the glass in the afternoon sun and went to town.
Sep
11
2016Over the summer I’ve taken up cycling as a way to stay in shape and keep some weight off. There are a few bike paths near the house so I don’t need to ride on the streets. I find that going out early in the morning on the weekends the best. Most people tend to sleep in so there are less people on the paths other than joggers or dog walkers. Not that its a problem, it makes for a hassle-less ride.
Last weekend I awoke early and saw on the weather site that there was fog. I jumped to it to ride to a spot I knew there would be fog. I brought along my X-Pro1 and 35mm lens to get something.
Sadly, at 8:00 am the fog was burning off already, such that by the time I got to where I wanted to be, it was too late. I carried on though and ended up down at the Rideau river by the locks. There I scored a few photos. So all was not lost. There was still mist on the very calm waters.
And in an inlet the water was perfectly still allowing me to get these photos for my reflections series I’m poking along with.
As the days get shorter, and my ability to get out for a ride after work continues, I hope to maybe get some nice sunset photos as well. We shall see.
Jul
09
2016Here in Ottawa, and in most of Ontario, it’s been pretty dry – near drought conditions. In the last couple months, there has been half as much rain as any given one month.
So today, the sky has opened up, and over the full weekend, it’s promising to be wet and grey. Sucks for those on camping trips and vacation, but it is needed.
As I was finishing up breakfast and getting dressed, it grew darker and darker. The thunder clapped and the rain came down in torrents. I love a good thunder storm, and this one didn’t disappoint. I grabbed my Fuji X-T1 and fitted with the 16-55 I went out to get some shots. Both are weather-sealed, so I wasn’t concerned about the water problems. I was a bit damp, but got some photos. All taken with a longer exposure to get the water motion.
Dec
16
2015I’m not one to go for the Internet fads, but I found this photo in my archives, and figured bringing it out for “Throwback Thursday” was an option.
A few years back I took an online photography course through Harry Nowell. It was a six month span where he would provide a topic or theme, give regular video updates and at the end of the month critique a selection of photos. It was a lot of fun. I took it not so much to improve my skills as to get the creative juices flowing. It worked, and some of the photos I ended up selling as stock on istockphoto.com. Double bonus!
This was the first challenge/theme in April of whatever year it was – slow shutter speed. And if memory serves, the speed had to be no faster than 4 or 5 seconds. I thought of rushing water and it drew me to the Rideau Falls in downtown Ottawa.
I used my Nikon D700 with a 16-35 f4 lens. To get the soft flow of water with the 5 second or more exposure, I racked the aperture as small as it would go and put on a ND4 and polarizer filter. The filters caused a bit of vignetting which I had to crop out. But the end result was great. The black and white treatment works well, given the time of year when everything is brown and grey anyway.
Oct
27
2015While visiting family over the Thanksgiving weekend, I took my son up to my old haunt where I would go and watch trains on Saturday mornings. When I was his age, I would ride my bike up to the Dundas station – long abandoned – to watch trains on the Dundas sub until noon. Most of the freights went by in the morning. The station was unlocked (just not used) so there was a place out of the sun, and a “toilet” if needed.
Its all long gone, destroyed by fire from vandals. But, we went up to see if there was anything coming. The lights showed green so we waited. Well, I did. My son went down into the ravine to explore. After a while I went after him. There in the stream was a chair. He decided to wade out and sit in it. And I got the photo.
Shot with the Fuji X100 with the 50mm teleconverter on it.
Aug
21
2015Since purchasing the Fuji 16-55 f2.8 lens last year, I’ve been dying to use it in inclement weather. Its a weather-sealed lens, and with the equally weather-sealed X-T1, its a no brainer for wet weather.
Granted, I wasn’t about to stand out in a downpour to prove it is weather resistant, but the opportunity to have it get wet a little bit and not worry about it was always on my mind. That and some sort of rain shot would be neat.
Yesterday, soon after I got home, a sun shower came through. As with a few other times this summer, I grabbed said camera/lens and hoped for something interesting.
That was the day. First off, as I stood under the canopy in the backyard (because I don’t really want to get wet), I shot the water dripping into the hanging bird bath.
I went out to the front of the house. As it was a sun shower – the sun still shining – I hoped for a rainbow. I wasn’t disappointed. There were two!
The camera and lens didn’t really get wet. A few splashes/drops. But its nice to not have to worry about water seeping in and ruining things.
Aug
10
2015The one thing I like in the summer is a good old rain. This was a storm that came up one weekend. The neighbours were having their fence replaced, so I had full view of the rain drops (and resulting bubbles) in their pool.
Shot with the Fuji X-T1 and the 16-55 f2.8. The all weather sealed combination meant that if the wind picked up and blew onto the camera (and me) I needn’t have worried about them getting wet.
Jul
14
2015Every once in a while, one needs a project to keep the creative juices going. I’ve been in a wee bit of a slump lately. Partially because I’ve been busy in other avenues to focus on making pictures.
The last post I put up, the reflection of the Laurier bridge over the Rideau Canal, coupled with a “missed shot” (I didn’t have a camera with me and the picture showed up) has me inspired to do a project of reflections. Specifically, but not limited to, water reflections. Each lunch time, I walk down the Rideau Canal and see the reflections of the buildings in the water, or the boats in the water, and think what a neat shot that would be. So hey, why not do a series on reflections!
Take this shot to the left. It is the Department of National Defence headquarters. I’ve seen its reflection a number of times but today as I saw this. I had my Fuji X-Pro1 with me with the 18mm f2. I had to back up a few steps (a few times) to get it all in.
Yesterday was not the best day as a bit of a wind rustled the waters. I would prefer a calm water like the bridge shot. But, there were still some opportunities for some shots.
This one for example, of the trees in the water, and some runners along the pathway. Surely better with a still water. Also with the X-Pro1 and the 18mm f2.
I’ll keep trying. I found some great Lightroom presets from Thomas Fitzgerald. Check them out. They are pretty cool.
May
12
2015
Inspiration comes from from anywhere. This was a glass of water on the bedside table. The water had little bubbles in it, and the light from the sunshine outside gave it a nice backlight. I grabbed my X-T1 and used the 60mm macro.