Shooting in the fog at Cape Lookout.

Cape Lookout on a foggy day.

The modern digital camera is designed to read reflected light coming off a scene and estimate an appropriate exposure based on that information and its current settings.  The process has come a long way from the days of selenium based light meters.  Today cameras use multiple light readings from an image and process that information by an onboard computer chip.  The end result requires less interpretation to get the correct exposure than in days of yore. 

I typically shoot in RAW mode because it has such wide latitude and is very forgiving when the correct exposure isn't used.  Having said that, you always want to capture the best image possible, which means using the right exposure amongst other things.  This is where it becomes important to consider the exposure settings the camera is making as a suggestion or starting point, not the ultimate values in capturing the moment.  This is especially true in lighting situations that are somewhat extreme in nature.  Common themes include strong backlighting, and places boasting significant amounts of sand, snow, or fog. 

My friend and I were exploring the hiking path of Cape Lookout while we were camping at Pacific City in Oregon this summer.  It was still relatively early in the day when we hit the trail, and it wasn't long before it disappeared into fog.  When shooting in such circumstances I generally do two things.  The first is to keep my camera's lens protected to keep water droplets from settling onto the front element.  The second is to use exposure compensation to adjust for the brighter background usually associated with fog.

How much exposure compensation depends upon the amount of fog, how much skyline is present, and how close my subjets are.  I usually find that I need somewhere between +1 to +2 stops of correction.  The next time you are in fog, or even snow or on a sandy beach, give this a try.  A sure-fire way to get the correct exposure is to bracket.  Bracketing is where you take several shots of the same scene, but vary the exposure in each one.  For the above situation I would recommend shooting three images; one at the given setting, one at +1 and the last at +2.  Take a look at the shots afterward.  If you understand histograms, have a look at them too.  It is highly likely that one of the three will be better than the other two.

The great thing about bracketing in this way is that you learn something each time.  After a while, you will find that you can estimate what corrections you need to make before taking the shot and get away with only one image instead of three or more.  Of course, the advantage of several photos bracketed over a wide range is that you can combine the images using HDR software.  That is another story, however.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

Surfing at Pacific City, Oregon.

Surfing at the beach in Pacific City; Haystack Rock is in the background.

The word "surfing" makes me think of the iconic images related to the sport.  You know the ones, a young person is on a freshly waxed board hanging 10 inside a large curling wave.  The truth is that most people that surf will never experience the thrill of that moment.  The idea equates somewhat to heliskiing, base jumping in a flight suit, or cave diving.  All these require nerves of steel and extreme confidence and skill.  Anything less than this and you are asking for an early grave.

There is an important thought here.  It is the idea that participating and enjoying the experience is often enough.  You don't have to do more than what your comfort level dictates.  I am all for being safe and enjoying things without putting myself at risk.  People who ski are usually content with working the regular slopes and not having to hit the double black diamond runs to feel they accomplished something.  Flying in a glider harnessed to a trained guide can itself be the thrill of a lifetime.  For surfers, the three-foot swells are often enough to satisfy the need to engage them.

I will never accomplish anything at the extreme level.  All my activities, including my photography, are done with the idea in mind of getting out and enjoying the world around me.  I don't have to be the best, or even excellent.  I just have to be there and have fun.  Its what most of us do in reality.  And really, that is enough.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

Reflection Lake, Golden, BC.

Kayaking on Reflection Lake, just outside of Golden, BC.

It was a glorious day when I decided to take my kayak to the lake I had seen just outside of Golden.  I like to go early in the morning for a number of reasons.  First off, there is the low angle of the sun which produces long shadows which still retain details.  Then there is the general absence of people.  I do not mind sharing the world with others, but they can royally foul up a scene when they are there milling about.  Finally, I am an early riser anyway and would rather do something useful with my time.

Getting into the lake was difficult.  I visited the lake the day before looking for put-in locations.  There really was only one, and it either had not been used much or not used at all.  The access was narrow and the entrance to the lake was thick with cattails.  Once my boat was in the water I had to "paddle" through the choking weeds.  By "paddle" I really mean pole because the only way I was getting through all that vegetation was to pry myself forward.  It took ten minutes of forceful muck shoving before I hit open water.

Once I was free and clear of the thick ring of bullrushes encircling the lake I found myself to be in a magical world.  There were lots of birds including trumpeter swans, yellow-headed blackbirds, and ruddy ducks.  The Purcell Mountains were spectacular and the clear blue sky was broken only by the occasional cloud.  Best of all though it was quiet, with only the sounds of nature to lure my mind away from the glory before me.

I took the above shot with my full frame camera using a 28-300 mm lens set at its lowest focal length.  I had a polarizer filter on which helped enhance the blue skies and took some of the colour cast away from the vegetation, which is why it looks so wonderfully green.  I keep my gear stored in watertight bags until I am safely floating on quiet waters.  I keep them handy on my lap on top of the drybags in case a shot suddenly presents itself.  I have never had a problem doing this.

Once I had finished exploring I returned to the weed-choked place I had put in and pried my way back.  It was more difficult getting in because I had to guess at where the best path lay; it was clearer on entering.  After fifteen minutes of struggling I managed to land and quickly had everything loaded up.  I was tired, but it was worth every bit of energy I had expended.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

Rotorua Museum, New Zealand

The Museum in Rotorua, New Zealand.  

Rotorua is a magical place.  Besides culture, iconic scenery, and great places to visit, it has a great deal of surface geothermal activity.  We were there about 10 months ago, and I wish we could have stayed longer.  Although our time was short, we were constantly amazed by the wonderful vistas laid out before us.  It was a feast for the eyes, as well as the heart.

The above photo was taken with a full frame DSLR utilizing a polarizer filter.  Even though the sun is directly in front of me when shooting (notice direction of light pole shadows) I managed to get a good exposure.  The polarizer managed to prevent much of the reflected blue sky from altering the colour of the photo.  Also, shooting in raw allowed me to post process the image to improve the details in the shadows resulting from the backlighting. 

I like this photograph because of the contrast between the horizontal lines (the museum in the background) and the vertical lines (trees, light posts, and sidewalk).  The lines of the walkway also draw your eye into the photo making it even more compelling.  I had to make sure the foilage of the trees did not interfere with the roofline.  Too close and the trees would be cropped, too far and the roofline would be compromised.

Even though photos can be captured in the blink of an eye, it generally takes time to get the image exactly the way you want it.  Time of day, position of camera, the presence or absence of people, and the various camera and lens settings all require attention.  I find a lot of joy in exploring an environment with my camera; walking away with some wonderful shots is just icing on the cake.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

A million ways to frame.

Framing a landscape using land - Pitt Polder Dike

Many of my framing attempts are done using wispy vegetation.  While usually effective, I often look elsewhere for framing opportunities.  The body of water above is a good example.  At first glance, it may seem that it is a pond independent of other nearby watercourses, but further study (far mid-right) would prove otherwise.  Furthermore, the water's path continues bottom left, although it can't be clearly seen.

In order to get the shot, I had to crouch low to the ground.  This facilitated two things.  First was the closed frame-like appearance of the surrounding land; the second was the reflection of the clouds.

I just love clear reflective surfaces when shooting landscapes.  I find water bodies are more likely to be cooperative early in the morning.  The low angle of the sun helps but the biggest credit goes to the lack of wind at that time.  A mostly clear day with modest scattered cloud is always appreciated.  The area I was shooting in happened to be in shadow at the time, allowing the background to reflect off the water strongly.

I cheated a bit in that I applied a graduated filter in the editor which darkened the upper half of the image.  It helped to tone down the slight overexposure which resulted when shooting for the foreground.  Overall I like the shot; it is not fantastic but I find it casually appealing.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

Framing and the art of pointing.

Looking at Burrard Inlet from Rocky Point Park

This is my first blog after being away for the summer.  I was out on a walk on Tuesday with a friend and we hiked around the east end of Burrard Inlet from Rocky Point Park to the old mill site.  There was a good collection of water birds, although the high tide meant that little of the intertidal zone was exposed.  Shorebirds were not to be seen.  I did get some good images of a great blue heron extracting a fish from the water after a lightning lunge though.

Framing and pointing are two techniques I favour when shooting landscapes.  The above shot utilizes a gap in the vegetation to frame the far shoreline.  It is amazing to see how framing will take a relatively mundane image and transform it into something more appealing.  I prefer to use mild, wispy edges instead of hard ones, although I have had success with both.  Framing works because it draws the eye into the scene.

Drawing the eye is an important part of what makes a photograph attractive.  Another way to do this is through pointing.  All kinds of things can be used to point, but in general, they have to be long rather than wide or elliptical in nature.  The path of the partly fallen tree moves from the outside inwards towards the central part of the image.  If you pay attention to how you look at the image you will notice that your eye tends to follow up its length.  Not all the time, of course, but it does lend itself towards that idea of drawing your eye.

I have hundreds of shots from my time away and will be sharing many of these photos with you throughout the year.  I am looking forward to returning to my blogging.  I just hope that you enjoy them. 

Thanks for reading.  www.ericspix.com