The so called Blue Hour

Image: 5D Mk III, 24-70 f/2.8 L II, f/10,  20 sec

 
Image: 5D Mk III, 24-70 f/2.8 L II, f/ll, 13 sec

Falcon Attack

Falcon dives down from upper right. f3.2 1/800 sec.
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Falcon is in the midst of the Sandpiper flock. f3.2 1/800 sec.

Flock is being divided and falcon now center above flock. f3.2 1/800 sec.

Flock divided moments later and the unlucky Falcon has left. f3.2 1/1000 sec.

Swarming Dunlin Sandpipers trying to protect themselves in numbers over the Puget Sound, the Peregrine Falcon tried several times to make a kill and failed.

Ross 

Images In Light 

Night Photography

Image: 5D Mk III, 24-105 f4 L IS

Taking photos at night is mostly about getting focus, here I was setup on a tripod and set my focus on one of the windows, there was enough contrast for the auto focus to pick it up, I set my aperture to f7.1 to get a bit faster shutter speed.

 Image: 5D Mk III, 24-105 f4 L IS

 Again I got enough light on the window for auto focus to work and tried to maintain about 20 sec exposure to keep the stars pinpoint instead of streaks.

so some basic rules are keep the exposure as fast as you can at ISO 100, use a tripod, find contrast for your auto focus to work or switch to manual focus, if there are no stars or you want to impart movement somehow go with a longer exposure, if its very dark you may need to bump up your ISO to 1600 to get a faster shutter speed.

Its amazing what can be done with today's cameras, tomorrows, well ?.................

Ross

Images In light

Giant image of Mt Everest

this is an amazing Image you can zoom in on base camp and camp 3

with this one follow the green box's until your viewing from a different location.

Ross

Hand Held Landscapes

 

Nooksack Ridge , 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, f5.6 at 1/1250 sec, 160mm

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We can't always truck a tripod around with us, so shooting fast at optimum aperture, we can achieve very sharp results with proper technique.

Bright daylight and good contrast, not to much shadow, for an even exposure across the frame, all helped to gain 1/1250 sec, no foreground to worry about allowed me to shoot at f 5.6.

Ross 

Waiting for the moment

 

5D Mk III, 24-105 F4 IS L

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 5D Mk III, 24-105 F4 IS L 

  5D Mk III, 24-105 F4 IS L 

I was having a stare down with this goat, we were each perched on a rock and he looked really cool with the still waters of the lake behind him, however he was in the early morning shadow, so I waited for him to get bored and move in to the sun, it paid off, the first with his head lit by the sun and the second with his shadow on the rock. 

The little guy was walking toward me with his mother and I snapped this one off just before he turned away from me.

Shots where taken in the Enchantments also known as the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington state.

Ross

Abstract Aspen

Image, 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, f9, 1/4 sec, 85mm

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Reflections

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I'm always looking for reflections, whether or not its a full reflection of the subject like the top image, or a reflection within the image. The second image shows the clouds and mountain reflected in the lake behind the primary subject, in this case making one think, what am I really looking at in this image?

Ross 

Images In Light

 

Leprechaun lake

Image: 5D Mk II, 24-105 f4 L IS,  1/60 sec at f16, 24mm.

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Image: 5D Mk II, 24-105 f4 L IS,  1/100 sec at f11, 28mm.

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A beautiful day in the Enchantments, probably my favorite part was exploring the area around Leprechaun lake. The Larch changing color to yellow and the blue sky made for rich colorful images, the above two images where taken from opposite ends of the lake.

 we where surrounded by granite, Larch and towering mountains, all under a blue sky day, was sad to leave, Leprechaun lake was probably the most spectacular place I have ever camped.

Ross

Images In Light

Gothic Basin

Image: 5D Mk III, 24-105 f4 L IS 1/160 at f 11, 45mm.

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Image: 5D Mk III, 24-105 f4 L IS 1/250 at f 9, 75mm.
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Image: 5D Mk III, 24-105 f4 L IS 1/60 at f 11, 105mm.
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Gothic Basin a nice hike in the North Cascades, off the Mountain Loop Highway, a great place for an overnight hike to an alpine landscape full of photographic opportunities.

The first shot was a small tarn early in the morning, tripod placed at waters edge, using the reflection of the delicate clouds in the blue sky to create a composition with fairly even tones throughout.

The second shot, again with the tripod set at the waters edge, this time at Foggy Lake, I used the snow and the shape of the saddle and Del Campo Peak and its reflection to compose this image.

The third image, collecting as many ridge lines as where available, with the misty valley's adding the needed contrast to make them stand out.

Ross

Images In Light

The Enchantments

perhaps the most beautiful place I have ever seen.........

 Prusik Peak and Gnome Tarn

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 Goat at Inspiration lake

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Upper Enchantments
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Prusik Peak and The Temple

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With names like Jabberwocky Tower, Dragon Tail, Little Annapurna, The Witches Tower, Leprachaun Lake, Gnome Tarn and Aasgard Pass, it conjures up images of JRR Tolkien's books, The Lord of the Rings and it in deed looks like a place right out of those books.

I have visited a few places around the world, whether they where tropical or alpine or something in between, this place ranks at the top for pure beauty, I think this is Mother Nature's finest piece of work.

In trying to describe this place, one would imagine themselves being dropped on an alien planet similar to ours, yet with things a tad different, yet untouched by anything unnatural.

Ross

RX1

Really Sony, wow, full frame 24mp camera with a Zeiss 35mm lens the size of a micro 4/3 camera, I want, drool......

first Cyber Shot I have ever wanted, but at $2800, can't seem to justify this one.

Hey Sony, I'll test it for you !

Ross

5D Mk III in camera HDR

Image: 5D Mk III, 8-15 f4 Fisheye, 3 shot in camera HDR

 Image: 5D Mk III, 8-15 f4 Fisheye, 3 shot in camera HDR

New X camera

New X camera, now this one I Like.

For the latest in Fuji news visit Fujifilm X Cameras here

Fujinon Lenses are sweet, like the new XF14 f2.8  and the XF18-55 f2.8-4.0 OIS, the XF35 f1.4 is an exceptionally sharp piece of glass, Fuji has been producing lenses for Hasselblad for a long time, so you know they can design good glass.

Fuji Site

 If Fuji has solved the slow focus issues of the earlier X cameras (and they say they have) then this is going to be the first real ILC camera that takes exceptionally nice images and performs well.

The X-E1's 16MP-X-Trans-APS-C sensor is the one to buy in a none full frame camera, priced at around $1000, the X-E1 is not cheap, I'm guessing Fuji have a real winner here and my pocket book is going to be worse off for it.

Fuji out of camera jpg's cant be beat by any company out there, the sensors they produce and the in camera processing has a quality about them that has to be seen, would be nice to not have to shoot in RAW !  skin tones and very delicate features are more accurately reproduced.

Ross

Images In Light

Logan Pass to Granite Park

Logan Pass to Granite Park, see map, 7.6 miles one way. The beginning of our trek in Glacier.

There is a reason why they call the first part of the trail the Garden Wall, if you hit it right, flowers will surround you for a good portion of the hike, even though you are pretty much on solid rock the whole time, they find a way to grow.

Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, 1/320 sec at f5.6

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Goats are very common along this trail, especially early morning
while the trail is still in the shadow of the garden wall.

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Bear grass is plentiful and a constant companion in late July.

Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, 1/1250 sec at f6.3
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Some new flowers to me.

 Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, 1/100 sec at f/4.5

The trail grew hot as the day progressed, looking back towards Logan Pass.

Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, 1/50 sec at f/11

Granite Park Chalet and a look back along the Garden Wall, no food in the tents here!

 Image: 5D Mk III, EF 24-105 f4L IS f4 L IS, 1/40 sec at f/11

Ross

Images In Light