2012, Day 53 - Clear and fuzzy

I hadn't planned to go out this evening but when Dave Sanderling posted he was going out and looking for company I decided to join him.  Who cares if the subject matter is similar to that in recent days, hopefully I am learning and growing.  So we wandered the southern end of the east side esplanade and the sky transitioned from cloudy to clear to cloudy.  At least it makes for an interesting photograph and it's always nice to have company when you're wandering around after dark :)

Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f9, 120 sec @ 100 ISO

2011, Day 336 - Docked

Another flashback to Alaska from four years ago.  These are the docked fishing boats at Cordova Harbor on a cloudy morning.  It had been raining for most of the trip so we fished in cold downpours in rivers choked with mud churned up by the storms.  We had little luck those days but the day before I took this picture the weather broke and we had some nice days of scattered sunlight that proved very fruitful.  The vignetting you see is the natural effect of the clouds, it is amplified only slightly in the upper right to create a sense of visual balance.

I am hoping that I will be able to go back next fall to fish and to explore Cordova a little more.  In retrospect it looks like a tonemapping dream come true.

Canon 1D, Canon 17-40/f4L
17mm, f4, 1/1250 sec @ 200 ISO

2011, Day 335 - Time travel

I've actually thought about this and other photos from this trip recently.  This was taken in Cordova over four years ago and in that short time my ability to process a RAW file has improved dramatically.  If I recall correctly this is a fish processing facility but what caught my eye was the clouds, the signs of neglect, the rust and the fantastic backdrop; essentially there is a lot of texture in this image so it is a visual feast.

Sadly I have not had time to return to Cordova in the intervening years.  My father goes annual to fish for salmon and 2007 was the first and last time I've been even though he has been generous enough to invited me every year since.  It was a lot of fun and because the fish are so plentiful it doesn't take much skill which means that it is still quite a challenge for me.

It is always worth looking back into your archives at photos that you might have forgotten about.  This one is a gem, one that I remembered fondly but like even more now that I have had a chance to rework it.  What amazes me most is that this is a single image, one that was really well exposed by pure luck.

Canon 1D, Canon 17-40/f4L
26mm, f4, 1/800 sec @ 200 ISO

2011, Day 288 - Stormy silence

We awoke in Bend to cloudy skies that came and went throughout the day.  One of our last stops was at Crane Prairie reservoir, while there are campsites, gas pumps, a lodge and docks for sail boats it was almost deserted.  We took a moment to walk out on the empty dock to enjoy the mild weather and the gathering clouds.  There is nothing so lonely as an abandoned summer resort...

I have to give the nod to Singh-Ray, their Vari-ND and multiple long exposures where used to create this photograph.  The look I wanted was one of calm so silky smooth water was essential.  Even though it was cloudy and overcast I needed to slow the camera down by about six stops to get the look I wanted.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f16, 3.2 sec @ 100 ISO