Super Bloom

Carrizo Plain National Monument

 

Images: Canon 5D Mk IV, EF 70-200 f4 L IS, EF 24-70 f2.8 L II

Mother nature puts on a show at Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California. I have never seen this kind of display of flowers in all my years of photography and seeking out this kind of spectacle. Lots of rain last year germinated a lot of seeds and sunshine at the right time made them explode. Entire hillsides completely covered in flowers.  

Bureau of Land Management 

Ross

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Spring has sprung

5D Mk III, EF 16-35 f4 L IS, f/11, 1/125 sec at 28mm

5D Mk III, EF 16-35 f4 L IS, f/5.6, 1/500 sec at 16mm

I was out exploring the Cottonwood creek wildlife are near Pacheco pass this weekend, the hills are green and the wild flowers have started to bloom, should be great in the next few weeks, with temps in the 70's and rain in the forecast. It should be the perfect storm for the bloom this year.

Ross

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Hand Held Landscapes

Nikon D800E,  AF-S 70-200 f/2.8 G II ED, f/7.1 at 195 mm 1/500 sec

Oak tree and flowers outside Gilroy, Ca.

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Hand held landscapes can be achieved by using fast shutter speeds and good camera technique to ensure sharp images. Always shoot as fast as possible, open up the aperture as needed to maintain a fast shutter speed, hold your breath and brace the camera or your body against a solid object, use image stabilization.

Whats a fast enough shutter speed? I would try to stay above 1/250 sec, but faster is better, once you drop below that threshold its time to get out the tripod. I would not raise the ISO unless you have no choice, but its always better to get a shot than not.

Ross

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My favorite place to shoot

Image: 5D Mk III, EF 24-70f/2.8L II, 70mm, f/16, 1/20th sec, tripod.

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Image: 5D Mk III, EF 24-70f/2.8L II, 70mm, f/11, 1/30th sec, tripod.
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Image: 5D Mk III, EF 70-200 f4L IS, 200mm, f/4.5, 1/250th sec, ISO 400.
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Most photographers have a favorite place to shoot, mine would have to be Mt Rainier National Park.

The ever present Mountain in these parts is Mt Rainier or as we call it "The Mountain", it has attracted me from a very young age and I'm a regular visitor to the park in all four seasons, I ski in the winter and hike the rest of the year, I even managed a summit back in 2000 with a group of friends.

When I go hike the Mountain I usually come across wildlife of some kind, this time it was a mother Black bear and her two cubs, but this is one of my favorite weeks to be on the Mountain, the Bloom is in peak near Chinook pass and I chose the Naches Loop for this days hike.

Image: 5D Mk III, EF 100f/2.8L IS, f/7.1, 1/125th sec, hand held.

Image: Upper Tipsoo lake, x100s, 1/280sec at f/8, ISO 400

The hike starts and ends at Tipsoo lake, so I started there at sunrise and completed the hike 2 1/2 hours later, I highly recommend it if you go to Rainier, fall will be especially nice as well maybe the first week of October to catch the fall colors

Image: Mountain Anemone, 5D Mk III, EF 100f/2.8L IS, f/3.5, 1/4000th sec, hand held, sky background.

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Ross 

Images In Light

5D Mk III/EF100 f2.8L IS

5D Mk III, 100 f2.8L IS, f2.8, 1/250 sec at ISO 100, crop.

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5D Mk III, 100 f2.8L IS, f2.8, 1/800 sec at ISO 100, crop.

Wow.......

I don't  review gear, but when something comes along that works like sliced bread, well.......

the combination of the 5D Mk III and the EF 100 f2.8L IS just works and works well, the image stabilization is incredible, the AF speed and accuracy phenomenal, fantastic bokeh and great color rendition, this lens will have to get pried off the Mk III.

The 5D Mk III is an all around improvement from the MK II, Canon have a fine camera that has the most advanced auto focus system in a DSLR, excepting the 1Dx which has improved color RGB tracking. See the on line guide book for the 5D/1D auto focus.

If you only shoot landscape is it still worth it ? I think so, no one really only shoots landscapes, I photograph friends and family, my dog Ducky, along with airplanes and wildlife, so do I need it?...

no, do I want it, yes. Did I get it? absolutely !

oh and being able to shoot in the dark at f2.8 and ISO 12,800 is incredible, usable images at that ISO.

Ross

PS for those of you that don't like to shoot RAW ?  this is the camera for you, the jpg's out of camera are excellent. 

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Spring in September

Image: 5D Mk II, 16-35 f2.8 II L, 29mm at f16, 1/50 sec, no filter's.

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Image: 5D Mk II, 16-35 f2.8 II L, 16mm at 1/25 sec, no filter's.

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Spring in September ? at Mt Rainier, yes. Extremely unusual weather this year in the Pacific NW left snow in the high country a lot later than normal, this pushed the bloom out almost two months, normally we would see flowers like this in late July.

Last year I was shooting fall color at Mt Rainier on October 12th, this year spring flowers on September 10th.

Regardless, it makes for a great time to be at the Mountain, bring bug spray, suntan lotion and keep an eye out for bears in the Bench lake area, the blue berries are ripe and the bears love them.

Ross

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