Chop Sticks

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

I love reflections in water! You never know exactly what you’re going to get when you press the shutter because water is usually moving. You do however know you will end up with something abstract and usually interesting to look at.

This shot was taken at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary. The sun was shining on some trees by a small body of water which reflected the colours back up to my camera. Sometimes I try to use a fast shutter speed to freeze the moving water. Sometimes I use a slow shutter speed to let water blur.

You can focus on the water surface or on the reflected subject as each produces different results. I tend to focus on the water’s surface and I try to get as much depth-of-field as possible.

Adults Only

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/22 at 9s
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055

I like to wander the streets near where I live looking for interesting subjects. One evening this store caught my eye. I have had an idea for a series of shots using mannequins. Therefore I couldn’t resist taking a few shots.

This was a bit of a challenge since the lights were quite bright compared to the ambient light. Luckily it wasn’t completely dark out yet and with a bit of Photoshop work I was able to produce this image.

Cultures change rapidly over time. Fifty years ago attitudes towards sex were quite different than they are today. Fifty years from now this image will tell people something about today’s culture.

Slithering Snake

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 28-105
f/5.6 at 1/400
ISO 100

We went for a drive to Pitt Lake yesterday. There were lots of people riding bikes, canoeing, fishing, hiking, etc. We chose to walk a trail away from the water. It was warmer and along much of this trail there were snakes slithering through the grass trying to find a place to sit in the sun.

As we walked they would disappear but if you paused for a moment they would reappear. As long as you didn’t move too much they would come almost right up to your feet. Of course I had to get a few pictures.

I did not have my macro lens with me but my Nikon 28 – 105 lens has a macro setting that works in a pinch. Most of the shots weren’t any good because of pieces of grass covering their faces. This one isn’t too bad. I like the lack of depth-of-field which helps to draw the viewer’s eyes to the in-focus subject.

Inukshuk

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron 10 - 24
f/8 at 1/160
ISO 100
Nikon SB600 Speedlight
½ CTO Gel

This image was taken about 3 hours ago just after sunrise. Once again I was using my new wide-angle lens. The sun was just starting to hit the Inukshuk. I supplemented the sunlight with some flash with a half-CTO gel on it.

I am pleased with the resulting image. The light is quite nice and the buildings in the lower right corner help to balance the composition. Also, I like the fact that there was some clouds cover and not just a big blue sky.

This particular piece of art has been here since 1986 but may soon be dismantled as scientists have reported it is leaching acid into Burrard Inlet. This is not good for Vancouver since this sculpture was the inspiration behind the logo for the 2010 winter Olympics.

White Christmas

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/8 at 1.3s
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055

Speaking of snow… Last December I took this shot at Vancouver City Hall. It was snowing and I wanted to capture it in a shot. To capture the building I determined an exposure detailed above. To capture the falling snow popped a flash during the exposure.

The most difficult part was keeping my camera gear dry. I don’t have a camera raincoat so a plastic bag was used to cover it. For extra protection I had taped a gulf umbrella to a monopod which I held between my knees leaving my hands free to operate my tripod mounted camera and my hand-held flash.

I feel I accomplished what I set out to do. However, next time I would like to do a longer time exposure to capture car light trails as well as the falling snow.

Seasonal Conflict

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/4.8 at 1/200
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055

I was working yesterday so was unable to take pictures. However, last year on a day with weather almost exactly as we had yesterday, I took this picture at Vancouver City Hall. The statue is of Captain George Vancouver.

I like the contrast in the image in terms of the weather and the seasons. The blossoms on the tree are an obvious sign of spring yet the snow shows that winter is not giving up just yet.

My original desire was to use a slow shutter speed to show the movement of the snow. The shutter speed was too slow and the snow all but disappeared in most of those shots. I should have bracketed a little. This image used a faster shutter to freeze the action and it was the best of the bunch.

A Block off Main

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon 18-70
f/22 at 0.4s
ISO 100
Manfrotto 055

Every city has its picturesque scenes worthy of being in a travel brochure. They also have areas not to be proud of. This photo was taken just one block off of Main Street near the Main and Terminal Skytrain Station.

Just out of sight there was an overturned barrel of used oil filters that were spread all over the street. Not one Vancouver’s best tourist sights. To capture this image I used a tripod and chose a small aperture to try to capture as much detail as possible.

In terms of the point of focus and focal length of the lens, I’m not sure these settings were required. Lenses are not at their best when stopped down and the shutter speed I was forced to use lends itself to camera shake. Probably an aperture of f/11 would have been a better choice?