2012, Day 52 - Winding

Normally power lines are the bane of my existence.  They always seem to be run through the most interesting views like some intentional flaw in an otherwise ideal scene.  Last week when I was in central Oregon riding out to our day's snowshoeing I made my friend pull over as we came upon these power lines because I liked the clouds and the serpentine access road below.  The power lines in this situation act like leading lines and they aren't totally distracting.  I used OnOne's Perfect Blur and the Nicely Toasted Effect for the finishing touches.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
23mm, f4, 1/5000 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 51 - Trial

This photo was taken as a test to figure out what kind of exposure time would be necessary to capture the stars.  To the naked eye not all the clouds were visible but I still took another shot at a lower ISO.  Unfortunately the clouds were coming in and at the end of that five minute exposure almost no stars were visible.  That left me with my test shot which I processed and share with you now.  While it isn't ideal is it better than what I ended up with which is why you never delete anything until you've had an opportunity to review it on your computer.  In fact I don't delete anything, sometimes the best shots look terrible as you are chimping (reviewing your photos on the back of your camera).

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f2.8, 25 sec @ 8000 ISO

2012, Day 50 - Patience

I love long exposures, especially around water.  By leaving the shutter open longer water starts to look silky and clouds become blurs of motion.  The smallest light source becomes a little sun and the darkest night seems bright when you measure time in minutes rather than seconds or fractions of a second.  The key though is to be patient.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, 3 min 58 sec @ 500 ISO

2012, Day 49 - Stillness

This evening I went down to the waterfront to take a few long exposures and while I was there waiting for the minutes to go by I was kept company by a heron.  He stayed for about fifteen minutes, hardly moving and saying even less.  Ducks swam by and he just stood there so when I finished one of my seven minute exposures I changed lenses and took this picture.  The water in the background is reflecting the lights from downtown Portland but he didn't seem to mind the bright lights at all.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II
165mm, f4, 2.5 sec @ 1000 ISO

2012, Day 48 - Lenten rose

Folklore would have us believe that hellebore was used to summon demons, something I would wholeheartedly support if it meant an end to this infernal winter weather.  Actually, it isn't bad at all, yes it has been raining and there no end in sight but it is relatively warm and the flora is flourishing.  Still, I wouldn't mind a little sunshine...

Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f4, 1/160 sec @ 320 ISO

2012, Day 47 - Preview of spring

It seems like every year around February we get a glimpse of spring.  The clouds break and show us a little sun before the insulating effect of the overcast skies have yet to dissipate.  Bulbs are already budding and the hellebores are already in bloom.  I guess there is reason to be optimistic!

Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f2.8, 1/100 sec @ 500 ISO

2012, Day 46 - Frosted

Monday was not an especially sunny day in central Oregon but there were enough breaks in the clouds to get some great shadows on the sparkling snow.  The world seems to calm and peaceful when it is covered in snow; although to be fair I've generally only been around snow in a recreational capacity, I've never lived anywhere that would reliably have white winters.  Nevertheless the woods were quiet and the fresh snow made everything look so clean, the only sound we could hear were the birds and the quiet crunch of loose snow being compacted under our feet.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
35mm, f4, 1/1600 sec @ 200 ISO