2010, Day 334 - Oof

I thought I would try something different and play with Christmas lights and manual focus. The result? A flower of out-of-focus lights!

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

51mm, f2.8, 1/200 sec @ 6400 ISO

2010, Day 333 - Ho-Hum

It's been a while since I've posted a puppy shot and Johan obliged. Well, Hubert did as well but he didn't sit still long enough for any of the shots to turn out well...

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

62mm, f11, 1/125 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 332 - Goldendale

This afternoon I had an errand to run that took me way out into the Columbia River Gorge. On my way I drove into Goldendale because I could see snow and thought it might present some interesting views. Although I took a few pictures of the wind farms I decided I liked the old barns better.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 100/f2.8L IS

100mm, f16, HDR of 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60 and 1/30 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 331 - Shell

I am going to start this post with an admission, this was a frustrating shoot. The shell of this burnt out building is really interesting but it is, of course, surrounded by chain-link fencing which made finding any decent vantage post difficult. Add to that sloping ground and I walked around the are three times trying different spots. Ultimately I really like this photograph but it was not easy to obtain. Nevertheless, persistence pays off!

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

23mm, f16, HDR of 1/250, 1/100, 1/40, 1/15 and 1/6 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 330 - Her name was Lola

She was a showgirl, or a Yorkshire terrier. I think they're pretty much the same thing. This is Lola who belongs to my friend Chris. We has a post-Thanksgiving get-together at her place this afternoon and while she slaved away in the kitchen I took Lola's portrait.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

46mm, f2.8, 1/30 sec @ 1600 ISO

2010, Day 329 - Abandoned

Happy Thanksgiving! It's been a laid-back day around here but I went to revisit a damaged but awesome old house this afternoon. There is layers upon layers of filth and neglect but under that is a really interesting and totally solid old home. If you look at the floor you can see the remnants of a linoleum area rug.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f2.8, HDR of 0.6, 1.6, 4, 10 and 25 sec @ 800 ISO

2010, Day 328 - Fire and ice

Sometimes I think this photo-of-the-day thing is going to be the death of me... Yesterday I went out to Multnomah Falls but I decided to head back before photographing all of my potential subjects thinking that I could run out again this morning, which is what I did. Luckily for me the temperature dropped even lower last night and when I got up this morning it was nineteen degrees out.

Not to be deterred I bravely drove east into the high winds of the Gorge to bring you the following photos. I wanted to capture the sunrise and I feel fortunate to have left so early (just before six thirty) because there was color but it lasted only minutes and then the clouds closed ranks again. What struck me when reviewing today's photos is that there are in almost all of them distinct elements of warmth in otherwise cold scenes.

Looking eastward up the Columbia River with I-84 in the foreground.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

35mm, f8, HDR of 1/40, 1/15, 1/6, 0.4 and 1 sec @ 100 ISO

Vista House.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

35mm, f11, HDR of 1/15, 1/6, 0.4, 1 and 2.5 sec @ 100 ISO

A small creek near Latourell Falls.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

20mm, f8, masked and merged layers of 1/3, 0.8 and 2 sec @ 100 ISO

Another view of the same small creek near Latourell Falls.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f8, masked and merged layers of 1, 2.5 and 6 sec @ 100 ISO

2010, Day 327 - Frosty

Last night we got snow, well, not really snow, more like a mix of snow and hail which I suppose might be called "snail." Anywho, the temperature overnight was down in the mid-twenties and it stayed there all day today. Bizarrely I woke myself up at five 0'clock this morning so I took the dogs out, ate a little breakfast and then decided to take a trip out to Multnomah Falls to see if the freezing weather had any affect.

There was still some snow on the ground and ice had formed in a few places but nothing truly spectacular. Given the early hour and the cold weather it was absolutely deserted so I was able to get a nice photo of the lodge at the base of the falls and a few other photographs from the gorge.

The lodge at Multnomah Falls.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f4, masked and merged layers of 1/8, 1/3 and 0.8 sec @ 100 ISO

A gentle stream at sunrise.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

26mm, f8, HDR of 1/13, 1/5, 1/2, 1.3 and 3.2 sec @ 100 ISO

Looking down the Columbia River from Rooster Rock State Park.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

35mm, f22, masked and merged layers of 1/25, 1/10 and 1/4 sec @ 100 ISO

Wahkeena falls.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

25mm, f22, masked and merged layers of 0.6, 1.6 and 4 sec @ 100 ISO

2010, Day 326 - Christmas at the Griswold's

My buddy Stacey has already finished decorating his house for the holidays. In the style of Clark Griswold, you can see the house BEFORE you turn down his street. No one else has lights up yet and despite that (or perhaps because of it) Stacey has decided that he has to upstage everyone else. I have to admit, it felt a lot like Christmas this evening, especially because we got SNOW!

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f4, HDR of 1/4, 0.6, 1.6, 4 and 10 sec @ 100 ISO

2010, Day 325 - Winter parking

Although it was chilly this morning it seemed like a good day for an adventure. Unfortunately I arrived at Tryon Creek State Park only five minutes before it started raining. Not to be deterred, I took a short hike and found a few picture-worthy views to share.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f5.6, masked and merged images at 1/25 and 1/10 sec @ 100 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 100/f2.8L IS

100mm, f2.8, 1/800 sec @ 400 ISO

2010, Day 324 - Hayden

My sister Stacey is in town for the weekend staying with her childhood friend Katie. This evening we had takeout at Katie's house and I got to meet her baby Hayden. He is possibly the happiest baby I've ever met, lots of smiles and laughing with this kid.

Generally I don't care for earth larvae but this little grub is rather endearing.

That cowlick is kind of awesome.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

35mm, f2.8, 1/80 sec @ 6400 ISO

Waiting like a baby bird to be fed.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

32mm, f2.8, 1/60 sec @ 6400 ISO

2010, Day 323 - Fluttering

I found a tree-lined street with leaves intact so I took a picture of the filtered light coming through the leaves.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

35mm, f4, 1/1000 sec @ 400 ISO

2010, Day 322 - Devil is in the details

I don't know why but churches always seem like sinister places to me. My family is agnostic and I've never found places of religion to be inviting especially, maybe it's because all my friends who went to church hated it but I've never been able to shake the negative connotations.

Today's picture is, in my mind, a good corollary because there is something that looks a little foreboding about this church. Maybe it is the clouds and the side lighting that suggests the sun is reluctant to touch this building...

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f5.6, HDR of 1/4000, 1/1600, 1/640, 1/250 and 1/100 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 321 - Park yourself here

I had a signing this evening and there is a four story car park at my title company's building but it was almost completely empty because much of the building is being refurbished so the majority of the offices aren't occupied. When we were finished I thought that the cold utilitarian space might make for some interesting photographs.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

24mm, f5.6, HDR of 1/20, 1/8, 0.3, 0.8 and 2 sec @ 200 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f5.6, HDR of 1/10, 1/4, 0.6, 1.6 and 4 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 320 - Trolling

This evening's photos come from beneath the eastern end of the Hawthorne Bridge. While lurking in the shadows I felt a bit like the troll under the bridge in the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Anywho, I'm still playing with HDR and the urban landscape. Most of the year has been devoted to the natural landscapes in and around Portland that I thought maybe it is time I balance that with images of the city.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f4, HDR of 0.8, 2, 5, 13 and 30 sec @ 200 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

19mm, f4, HDR of 1/15, 1/6, 0.4, 1 and 2.5 sec @ 320 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

16mm, f5.6, HDR of 1.3, 3.2, 8, 20 and 30 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 319 - Grunge

The internet, when combined with digital photography, has done wonders. You can now see the work of thousands of very talented people, follow their careers and benefit from their experience without leaving your home. One photographer whose work I enjoy is Brian Matiash who specializes in what he calls UrbEx (urban exploration). A lot of his subjects are in various states or disrepair or outright decay. He is probably my favorite user of HDR (high dynamic range) photography and recently I've been working on imitating the feeling of his work in a quest to find my own style of HDR. Tonight's photos are a continuation of that quest.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

20mm, f5.6, HDR of 0.8, 2, 5, 13 and 30 sec @ 100 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

20mm, f5.6, HDR of 1/4, 0.6, 1.6, 4 and 10 sec @ 100 ISO

2010, Day 318 - Wrong side of the tracks

I was in the neighborhood so I stopped by the MAX station and captured this image.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

42mm, f11, HDR of 1/8, 0.3, 0.8, 2 and 5 sec @ 100 ISO

2010, Day 317 - Post no bills

I don't know what it is I like about utility poles but here is yet another. Maybe it is the fact that the utility company has a sign telling all that posting is prohibited but people obviously do it anyway.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

38mm, f5.6, HDR of 2, 3.2, 5, 8 and 13 sec @ 100 ISO

2010, Day 316 - UrbEx

Another day of playing with my friend Terri. Yesterday we went to shoot in one of her favorite places and today it was my turn to play guide. She told me that what she wanted was some night shots of Portland. Actually, night isn't really right, she wanted shots at dusk when the sky still holds some color but when the lights in the buildings highlight the city.

Unfortunately the first spot I selected didn't work out but thankfully it was readily apparent that it was a dud so we moved on to plan B and it turned out to be a great choice. We started shooting together but I wanted something different because I have a number of cityscapes already. I hope you enjoy the results, for my part I found it to be a very fun evening.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

68mm, f18, HDR of 1, 2, 4, 8 and 15 sec @ 100 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

34mm, f11, 8 sec @ 100 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

24mm, f5.6, masked layers of 1/4 and 0.6 sec @ 100 ISO

2010, Day 315 - Showers of silver

Today was an amazing day, at least photographically. Actually, it was just a good day overall but especially for my photography. A couple weeks ago my friend Terri, fellow photo enthusiast, asked if I would be up for a little adventure on Veterans Day and because I have a flexible schedule and can work quite easily from the road I told her I would be delighted.

She chose the venue, Silver Falls State Park. I had never been before but I know Terri has been a number of times so when we met up to complete the rest of the trip with one car she admitted that she wasn't sure how exciting the photographic opportunities were going to be. Well, I think she ate those words pretty quickly. We started at the Upper North Falls and then worked down to the North Falls proper and as we went it became increasingly more beautiful. The light was filtered to the last remenants of the morning fog as the sun tried to come out. Even though the leaves have mostly fallen from the trees they litter the landscape and give great depth and color.

Below is my favorite shot from the morning. I may post more later but I really like this single one so much that I don't think the other would fare well by comparison. Unusually, for my anyway, I did no cropping, only resizing because I this was framed just the way I wanted it looking out from under the North Falls. This photo is thanks in no small part to Terri who let me borrow her ultra wide-angle zoom while mine is at the Canon spa for a little pampering before my upcoming trip.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

19mm, f11, masked layers of 1/8 and 1/2 sec @ 100 ISO

2010, Day 314 - Street walking

No, I have not yet become a prostitute but I am thinking about...

I walked to the top of Mount Tabor this evening to take a gander at the city at night. It wasn't really that late but with the new stupid daylight savings time it gets dark a whole lot earlier.

Anywho, this is what Hawthorne looks like at night all lit up leading to downtown Portland. I love this city!

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II

200mm, f4, 1/2 sec @ 400 ISO

2010, Day 313 - Burning bush

It was a cold wet day and I spent most of it hiding from the rain but I did venture out and found some great fall color.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

54mm, f5.6, 1/80 sec @ 400 ISO

2010, Day 312 - Damaged

This morning was not a good one for Stubbs. Somehow my sweet old man tore a chunk out of his foot when we were walking out the door for our morning stroll. He never made a sound, I just noticed he was limping so I picked up the offending foot. Initially I didn't see the damage, it was dark and there was no blood to speak of but upon closer inspection I was shocked. The poor guy!

Broken, I kept him out only long enough to get a little relief and then put him in the house while I walked the other two. When we got back I flushed the wound, started him on antibiotics and called the vet. Unfortunately this is just going to be one of those injuries that takes time to heal.

Afterwards I went to the store and on the way I found peeling paint and rust, two of my friend Terri's favorite things. I am off to baby the old guy...

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

64mm, f2.8, 1/60 sec @ 640 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

54mm, f5, 1/640 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 311 - Sandy shores

With a somewhat foreboding forecast I decided to take advantage of the morning sunshine to take a walk along the Willamette River. While there are beaches on the Oregon side they are more easily access and don't require a parking permit in Washington so I headed over to Vancouver to adventure.

I started at Frenchman's Bar Trail in Vancouver Lake Park and walked a couple of miles along the beach the up river. The port in Vancouver gets a lot of traffic and there are barges putting along, laden with cargo and huge cranes silhouetted against the sky. It was nice, a little cool but refreshing although less so when I got caught in the rain. Oh well, we all know that rain is inevitable in the Pacific Northwest, so I headed back to my car and managed not to get totally soaked. Despite the need to cut my walk short it was well worth it.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II

70mm, f5.6, 1/250 sec @ 200 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II

200mm, f5.6, 1/800 sec @ 200 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II

105mm, f8, HDR of 1/6400, 1/3200, 1/1600, 1/800 and 1/400 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 310 - When pigs fly

I have to admit that I feel a little lost because I sent two lenses in to Canon for cleaning prior to my upcoming trip to the Orient. They are my two favorite lenses, my wide-angle zoom and my macro, which makes sense because I intend to utilize them heavily but that means that they are off at the spa.

Unfortunately my lovely 70-200mm zoom doesn't get a lot of casual carrying time so I decided to throw a little love its way this morning and mounted it on my camera before I left the house and I am rather happy I did. While running errands I was returning to my car and when I looked up I noticed a flight of pigeons on the power lines so I wandered around to find the best angles to capture their souls...

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II

200mm, f4, 1/800 sec @ 400 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II

145mm, f4, 1/800 sec @ 400 ISO

2010, Day 309 - Bort-friend

Who else loves Bort? Hubert is my funny little man, he runs around like a man with his hair on fire just to entertain himself and in the process provides me with a lot of laughs. In the morning he employs a squeaky toy as an alarm to wake me. At meal times he runs back and forth in whatever room I'm in howling to remind me that he's hungry. My favorite times, though, are in the evening when he has crazied himself into exhaustion and he just wants to cuddle.

Want a little bit of that? It's your lucky day because the greyhound group I volunteer with just got a new group of dogs and one is Bort's half sister, Verity. She has already shown that her screws are adorably loose and I think whoever gets this little girl is going to be very lucky. Tempted? Although she isn't on the website yet now would be an ideal time to submit your adoption application...

Verity, Dauntless x Instant Vintage

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

58mm, f5.6, 1/500 sec @ 200 ISO

2010, Day 308 - High key

Today was one of those days, you know, the ones where you have a million things to do and you're running from one to the next with barely time to eat much less to spend quality time with your camera. Fortunately I carry a camera with me at all times and as I was leaving an appointment I saw a row of birch trees. Thanks to the Daily Shoot, I have my photo:

Today, make a photo that emphasizes or even exaggerates brightness in a scene.

This was taken as the sun was beginning to set and the warms of the light translated into the image.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

70mm, f5.6, 1/3200 sec @ 400 ISO

2010, Day 307 - Mount Talbert revisited

I returned to Mount Talbet in the hopes of finding some fall color. On my drive over I suspected my search would be fruitless because it was extremely windy but I would never let logic impede hope. As I suspected there wasn't a lot of color on the trees, there was some on the ground and some leaving beginning to change but nothing spectacular. To top it off it was a very bight sunny day which is great for being outdoors but not so great for photography. Instead of fighting the light I decided to us it to highlight the bright greens and yellows of the leaves contrasted against the dark shadows of the trees. Ultimately I like the effect and I hope you do as well.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 100/f2.8L IS

100mm, f2.8, 1/320 sec @ 400 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

35mm, f2.8, 1/200 sec @ 400 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

35mm, f2.8, 1/400 sec @ 400 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II

33mm, f2.8, 1/2500 sec @ 400 ISO

2010, Day 306 - Bubba-day!

Today is my boy Stubbs' birthday! He is the oldest hound in the house at seven years-old. After living here for over three years I can honestly say that he is an absolutely delightful boy. Yes, he hates having his picture taken and the big flashes scare him even more but he is THE BEST.

As a special birthday treat all three got steak and sweet potatoes for lunch and they loved it!

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

48mm, f2.8, 1/40 sec @ 1600 ISO

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L

54mm, f2.8, 1/25 sec @ 1600 ISO