Dereliction

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron 10 - 24
f/8 at 1/160
ISO 100

I bought a new ultra wide-angle lens this past weekend. I have not had a wide-angle lens for a long time. This particular lens has a field of view of 109 degrees at 10mm. On Sunday afternoon I took a few shots just to test it out.

This old abandoned Mercury pick-up served as my subject. It fits my last post’s theme of transportation. Tomorrow I will present another photo that continues this theme. For this shot I was standing right in front of the truck with the lens set to 10mm. I like the altered perspective this gives.

I look forward to playing around with this lens some more. So far I am happy with it.

Early Sunday Morning

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 70 – 300 VR
f/5.6 at 1/800
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 tripod

Yesterday I got up early, made coffee, grabbed my camera and went for a drive. Vancouver was completely clear but as I drove into Burnaby that changed to a thick fog. It stayed that way until I reached the area around Lougheed Mall where it cleared.

For this shot I was facing an early morning sun. I fully zoomed my lens to compress the scene. The best place to shoot from was in the middle of the road. I decided that was too dangerous so I moved to another location on the south side of the road.

I set up my gear and waited for the Skytrain to pass through the scene. I also wanted a few cars and I was lucky they all appeared at the same time. The resulting image is in full colour but because of the slight fog and the fact that I am facing the sun it came out almost like a sapia toned black and white.

Bumble Bee

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP90 Macro
f/2.8 at 1/750
ISO 100

I took a few pictures today but I will wait until tomorrow to post one. This picture was taken at the same time as the one from the previous post. I like the composition in this image better than the previous one.

Once again I was hand holding the camera. It would have been nice if the bee lifted its head long enough to get a picture. It was very focused on collecting pollen. I was very focused on gathering pixels.

Bumble WEEEEeeee.....

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP90 Macro
f/4 at 1/800
ISO 100

For this shot I hand held the camera with a macro lens and chased this bee around as it went from thistle to thistle, never staying still for very long. Most of the shots were blurry. With this one however, I was lucky to capture the bee in fairy good focus.

The thing I don’t like about the photo is the background. I was paying too much attention to the bee itself and not the background. However, if I had taken the time to position myself to avoid the distracting thistle, I may have missed the shot entirely.

One thing I like about insect pictures is the fact that you actually get to look at them for as long as you want. Like this bee most insects are constantly on the move so it’s hard to get a good look at them.

Also, a macro lens lets you get real close and see details you sometimes can’t see with the naked eye.

Behind the Mask

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron 70 – 300
f/9 at 1s
ISO 100

I was in Venice, Italy one year during the Carnaval celebrations. As an amateur photographer I found it to be an amazing experience. Everyday hundreds of people would parade around St. Marks square in elaborate costumes and allow people to take their picture.

This photo is a combination of one of those pictures sandwiched with a picture of a weathered stucco wall taken somewhere in Venice as well. Originally taken on colour slide film the images were put together and projected on a screen. I then took a picture of the projection with my digital SLR.

In post I only adjusted the brightness and contrast. Sharpening this image only brought out flaws I didn't want to enhance so I left the image soft. No other Photoshop filters were used. The resulting image once again looks more like a painting than a photograph. I did this with several of these images and I was pleased with most of them.

Circle in Square

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron 70 – 300
f/4.2 at 1/60
ISO 100

I was out one day driving around looking for something to take pictures of when I came across an old truck parked at the side of the road. I was interested in the details in the metal doors on the back end. I really liked the tones in the rust.

I think the strongest element in this photo is shape. There is a sharp contrast between what are mostly lines forming squares and rectangles and the circle in the latch mechanism.

The circle definitely becomes the centre of interest because of that contrast. Technically I think the photo could have been improved if I was able to use a smaller aperture to get more depth-of-field. That would have produced a sharper image with more detail in the rust.

Contemplating...

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron 70 - 300
f/22 at 1/60
ISO 200

Boundary Bay is a nice area to go on a sunny day. I usually go with camera in hand, tripod on shoulder and at least a waist bag with lenses and other stuff, all loading me down.

One time when I went there, I saw this woman who carried not even a purse just sitting and enjoying the fresh air and sun. What was she thinking about? My focus was on taking pictures. Her focus seemed to involve more than just her sense of sight.

Someday I will go back there and take my place on that bench unencumbered by camera gear and contemplate…

Taking Flight

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/9.5 at 1/320
ISO 100

My interest in photography started way back when I was 14 years old. Back then I was a skateboarder and had a subscription to Skateboarder Magazine. I was always impressed with the pictures of people doing crazy things like this BMX rider I present here.

I took this picture at a skate park near the PNE grounds. I went there to shoot the Italian garden but once I saw what these guys were doing I ignored the garden completely. It kind of took me back to my youth.

In terms of technical considerations, it was a bright sunny day so I had no problems getting a fast shutter speed while still on a low ISO setting. I had never shot something like this myself. I watched the riders for a while and learned the routes they would take and then positioned myself accordingly. This shot is a horizontal image that has been cropped to vertical to increase the apparent height of the rider.

Lady on a Daisy

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP90 Macro
f/8 at 1/20
ISO 400

I’m a lazy photographer. Although I like nature, I don’t like trying to shoot things that take too much effort to get to. My front yard therefore is an ideal location for me shoot. And surprisingly there is a decent amount of life that comes and goes right in front of my living room window.

I did not use flash for this shot. Therefore I had to use a slow shutter speed and an ISO setting of 400. An aperture of f8 was not ideal for the depth-of field I wanted and the slow shutter left things vulnerable to blur from movement. Luckily, the lady on the daisy stayed still long enough for me to get a reasonably sharp image.

Waterfront Living

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 70 – 300 VR
f/5.6 at 1/800
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 tripod

Today my wife and I went for a drive to Point Roberts, a small sliver of the United States situated just south of Tsawwassen, BC. There really isn’t much there. A marina, a grocery store, a home centre, and a few gas stations are the main retail services. It remains relatively rural although there are a few expensive waterfront developments.

Speaking of waterfront, these old pilings that are no longer in use have become prime real estate for this group of Cormorants. What a fabulous view they have and they don’t pay a penny for it. Ownership does not exist. It is a first come first served kind of thing and there is a constant rotation or sharing. They even let some Seagulls hang out with them.

I wish it was the same with humans. Unfortunately ownership does exist in our world and only a select wealthy few get the privilege of owning and enjoying beautiful spots such as waterfront properties that the rest of us can only dream about having.

Stone Angel

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/4.2 at 1/200
ISO 100

Last night I was watching a movie called “The Stone Angel” where a family plot in a small graveyard played an important roll in the main character’s reflection on her life. I immediately made a connection between the angel in the film and this picture I took last year in a cemetery in Dundas, Ontario.

This is where I grew up and most of my family is buried here. For some reason this stone angel captured my attention. I still am not quite sure why. Perhaps it’s her facial expression? There is a certain sadness I sense in her gaze that is fitting for such a place.

Perhaps it is something more spiritual, something I have suppressed within for most of my life that she is trying to draw to the surface. Perhaps it’s her permanence that I envy as I reflect on the fragility of flesh and blood. Whatever it was, she will stand there long after most of us are gone.

Scary Monster

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP90 Macro
f/4 at 1/125
ISO 200

Well, here it is. Up close and personal with a dragonfly. Its kind of scary looking isn’t it? This shot was hand held and I was working only a few inches away from the subject. This is the actual framing I achieved. The photo is not cropped.

It was difficult because I would focus the lens but I couldn’t stop myself from moving. Eventually I just left the lens alone and just moved the whole camera back and forth snapping shots as the subject came into focus.

I think dragonflies have a rough life. This one had a damaged left eye and parts of its wings were missing. I suppose we all have our own scars and wounds.

Organic Biplane

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP90 Macro
f/4 at 1/500
ISO 200

This was one of the most patient dragonflies I have ever seen. Most often they don’t even land so you can take their picture. This one not only landed on an interesting object, the purple flowers, but also stayed there for a longtime while I fumbled around him quite close up with all my gear.

I handheld the camera with a macro lens. I wanted a fast shutter speed so I could freeze subject as the flower moved back and forth in a light breeze. The result is a reasonably sharp subject with a completely blurred background.

I was shocked that it did not fly away. As I look at it now, it reminds of an old biplane. After shooting at this distance, I moved in closer and closer and closer. I will post the resulting close-up image tomorrow.

Tangles

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: 70 – 300 Nikon VR
f/32 at 1/10
ISO 100

This is another attempt at breaking away from the literal. I used a small aperture on purpose to get a slow shutter speed. I then hand held the camera and gently moved it in an up and down motion while I pressed the shutter release.

In post I de-saturated the image to make it black and white and boosted the contrast a little. The location was once again Vandusen Garden.

Flower Impression 2

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 28-105
f/8 at 1/200
ISO 200

Continuing with altered realities, this photograph also takes on a painterly effect using the same technique as was used in my Self-Portrait 2 shot. I am going to use this technique more often this year.

The shot above was simply my attempt at using the technique for the first time. I learned it from an old Kodak photography how-to book from the 80s. As you can see it doesn’t matter whether you shoot digital or film. Older photography books can still have information that is usable in the digital age.

The technique is simple. I bought a sheet of silver mylar and taped it to a piece of corrugated plastic so I could handle it without it bending. I then positioned it so my subject could be seen reflecting off the Mylar and I took a picture of the reflection.

Because the mylar is not flat like a mirror, the texture in the mylar distorts the reflection and therefore can be seen in the photograph. I really like the effect it produces.

Flower Impression 1

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: 70 – 300 Nikon VR
f/6.7 at 1/60
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 tripod

Like many photographers, I spend lots of time in search of techniques that help me to express myself in ways more satisfying than just copying reality. In fact just like drug addicts some photographers live for creating altered realities.

This is an example of something that was created using reality for paint but altering it using a photographic technique to create something more like an impressionistic painting. I created it by setting my camera to its multiple exposure setting and shooting ten frames that combine to form one image.

The more shots you can combine the more painterly it becomes. I have seen examples of 30 and 40 shot multiple exposures that are amazing. My camera is limited to 10 shots on one frame. There are ways to get around this but I have not yet tried. I am reasonably satisfied with what it produces.

Hangin' Around

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron 70 – 300
f/8 at 1/250
ISO 320
Manfrotto 055 tripod

My attempts to shoot new pictures everyday seem to be thwarted at every turn. During the week my 10-hour workdays get in the way. This weekend my time has been taken up by shopping for a newer car. Our old car has seen better days. We think we have found one so this won’t be an issue next weekend.

I am forced to show you something from June 2007. Once again my wife and I headed to one of our favourite spots, Vandusen Garden. Along with the flowers, trees, and shrubs there is plenty of wild life. There are a couple of ponds at the garden, which attract dragon flies, one of my wife’s favourite subjects.

The lesson I learned with this picture is to look back at my images every now and then. I didn’t even remember this photo. I discovered it today while searching for something to post. Technically it is not as sharp as it could be but it is passable. What I do like about it is the composition. It is a good example of the use of the rule-of-thirds.

I also like the lack of depth-of-field which allowed the background to blur. That was accomplished partially by the aperture I was forced to shoot at due to poor available light and partially by the fact that I used the lens at full zoom but was relatively close to the subject.

Woman on Wood

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/11 at 1/40
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 Tripod

My interest in both graffiti and old faded things shows again in this photograph. Freeman Patterson says the camera looks both ways. He means the images a photographer produces tell you as much about the photographer as it does about the subject in the photograph.

He also suggests that it takes time for a photographer to understand his/her motivations. I need more time with this one. One day I will figure out what my attraction is to theses and other objects. Until then I will just keep shooting what intrigues me.

Have you noticed recurring themes in your photographs? If so, why do you think you are drawn to this subject matter?

Waiting for the Mail

Camera: D200
Lens: 28 – 105 Nikon
f/11 at 1/8
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 Tripod

This picture is almost two years old. It was one of the first pictures I took with my D200 after switching from film. I was simply testing the camera. I went for a walk down the alleys in my East Vancouver neighbourhood and found this old door attached to a reasonably new garage.

I believe I used the mirror lock-up function because with a shutter speed of 1/8th of a second there is always the possibility of camera shake from the action of the shutter. I love old faded and weathered things. This door is older than I am. I wonder how many letters have passed through the mail slot.

Sing Song

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: 70 – 300 Nikon VR
f/11 at 1/200
ISO 500
Manfrotto 055 tripod

Once again being a workday, I have been unable to take any new pictures today. Therefore I can only present something I shot last year. My wife and I live reasonably close to Vandusen Garden and usually have a membership so we can go as often as we like.

There are many things to see and take pictures of if you like flowers and nature. This little guy was singing up a storm for several minutes. I set up my gear and got off only a few shots before it bolted. This was one of the better ones. Unfortunately I had to use a high ISO setting to get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action.

In post I boosted the saturation and contrast a touch and cloned out a small twig that was in front of the bird. I didn’t do a great job with removing the twig. I’m not that experienced with retouching photos in Photoshop. This is definitely one area of my workflow that needs improvement.

Questions

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/9 at 1/15
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 Tripod

On my way to shoot the car graveyard photo, I passed by this scene. Not an award winner from an aesthetic point of view. Also, I’m not sure I put much thought into my camera settings. I took several shots framing this in different ways. I chose to present this one for no particular reason.

Why did I shoot it? One reason is that I seem to find graffiti interesting. Frequently it is incomprehensible. This one however, I feel is easy to understand. Who is the author or artist? Why did he or she feel the need to express this in such a public way? This is not just a picture of some paint, it is a picture that shows rebellion and inner turmoil.

Does the statement made here reflect the thoughts of today’s generation? We do live in an age of science and many younger people in Western society are losing their ties to religion. Should I be presenting this photo on the Internet? Am I helping this person spread their message? These are but a few questions that have come to my mind when examining this photograph.

Frost on Grass

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/18 at 1/8
ISO 100
Nikon SB-600 Speedlight
Manfrotto 055 Tripod

After shooting the frost on my car window I noticed this frosty patch of grass. The lens I used has a macro setting that allowed me to get quite close. Once again I chose a very small aperture to try get as much in focus as I could.

The morning light was not very interesting so I chose to add light to the scene with a speedlight. I put a full CTO gel on the flash to warm the light but left my camera’s white balance setting on daylight. In post I cooled the image down a touch.

Frost on Glass

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP90 Macro
f/16 at 1/125
ISO 100
Nikon SB-600 Speedlight
Manfrotto 055 Tripod

When I headed out yesterday morning to take some pictures, I made it only as far as the car where I paused to shoot the frost on the driver’s side window. I used a small aperture to try to get enough depth of field to see as much of the intricate details as possible.

If I used only ambient light, trees and other things in the environment could be seen in the photograph through the window. However, using my flash allowed me reduce all of the background to black. I tried both backlighting and front lighting. The image presented here was the best of the bunch and was front lit.

Car Graveyard

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 28-105
f/8 at 1/50
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 tripod

I have passed by this scene hundreds of times and always thought I should come back with a camera and take some pictures. This morning I finally did just that. It is kind of a pain because you have to park the car several blocks away and walk to the viewpoint.

The initial composition I had in mind did not work because of lens flare from the early morning sun. I vow to go back another time in the afternoon and see how I like the light. I know I won’t get lens flare at least at that time of day.

Spreading the News

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 28-105
f/14 at 1/250
ISO 100

I went out at 6:30 this morning to take some pictures. It was cold and very windy. There were lots of clouds at the horizon so I had to wait a while before the sun rose above them.

On my way to Richmond to check out the new Olympic lights by the airport, I passed by a section of stores on Fraser Street. Obviously wind is not something newspaper people are used to. There were bundles of papers in front of many stores and some of the bundles were open allowing the wind to steal them page-by-page and spread them down the street.

After dealing with a faulty battery problem in my camera, I mounted my camera on a tripod and chose a slow shutter speed. I wanted to capture some blur as the papers were thrown about. Back at home when I processed the image, I felt it looked best as a black and white image.

Where Have all the Houses Gone?

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/16 at 1/20
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 tripod

I took a day off work one day and went for a bike ride with my camera gear on my back and a tripod strapped to a carrier. I chose to tour around an industrial area of East Vancouver. The area seems to have once been mostly residential but over several decades has slowly seen its houses replaced by cement square boxes.

The day I took this shot, this house was still inhabited. But, it is now sitting empty and surrounded by construction fencing. I think it will be gone soon unless this recession stops development. I guess every neighbourhood is in some sort of transition phase whether it’s moving from houses to warehouses, warehouses to condos, or condos to………?

Phantom Power

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP90 Macro
f/22 at 2.2
ISO 100

Once again I used the “Invert” function in Photoshop to produce this image. I like it because it has been transformed from a simple photograph of some batteries to a graphic representation of the same.

Turn it Up

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP90 Macro
f/16 at 25.0
ISO 100

This image came about as I searched for something around my house to shoot on a rainy day. The end result was a picture that seemed to be missing something. I decided to use the “Invert” function in Photoshop to produce the image you see above. If I am not mistaken, that function produces a negative out of a positive. I will post another tomorrow using that same function that I think is a stronger image with more visual impact.

Self-Portrait 2

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/8 at 1/350
ISO 200

Some might look at this picture and ask, “What Photoshop filter did he use?” This was actually done in camera. Some experienced photographers will recognize the technique. It is nothing overly complicated. For those who don’t know I will keep you in suspense for a later posting.

Was it a good effect for a portrait? That could be debated. As a self-portrait I felt it worked. I think we all have a side to ourselves that is easy to see and read. Sometimes we have a side we want people to see. Presenting a typical in-focus picture of a person smiling may work to show this side of someone’s personality. However, we all have a side that is obscured, that is difficult to see, or that we try to hide.

Perhaps it would be good try to capture or rather suggest the darker corners of a person’s character and using some not so typical camera techniques may help to do this. What do you think?

Man on the Tube

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: 70 – 300 Nikon VR
f/7.1 at 0.6s
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 tripod

One day when I was at home playing around with my camera, I started snapping shots of the TV. I did not do it with intention rather just as an experiment. I only took a few shots one of which is presented here.

I think this could be worth experimenting with a little more. A TV could be seen both as a source of light and subject matter. The biggest problem I can see is there are definitely copyright issues to consider.

We live in a time where watching TV is a huge part of our lives. Incorporating this device in some photographs with a purpose to make a statement about our generation could be worth exploring a little further. Creating the imagery presented on the TV to be photographed would eliminate the copyright issue.

Defiance

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: 70 – 300 Nikon VR
f/32 at 2s
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055 tripod

This was taken at Queen Elisabeth Park in Vancouver last winter. I think it speaks for itself. In terms of the shutter speed I chose, I wanted there to be something of interest other than the message itself. The slow shutter speed allowed some blurring that suggests movement.