Ansel Adams is one of my heroes
There’s a story I read, once, that Ansel Adams told about his “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico” photo. It is one of the most evocative photos, with the moonlight reflecting off of gravestones and crosses in a cemetery in New Mexico. As he tells it, he was driving away from another photo shoot. He saw the moonlight reflecting off the cemetery as he was driving, so he pulled over to the side of the road, took out his camera and climbed up on his car, set up his tripod, managed a shot and…then the moon moved on. A minute later and he would never have taken this photo.
It’s a cool story because of the timing. Much of what makes a good photo is timing.
Above is my photo taken along the Sumas River. It’s as much of an Adams photo as I’ve taken so far. He will continue to inspire me and I will continue to photograph.
4 degrees and raining. I need some surf.
So, here is some surf. It’s a shot I took in Oregon this summer. I took whole bunch of shots along the beach so that on rainy, crappy days like today I could go to my photo files and feel the summer warmth.
Comfort from the past.
Aaaaaahhhhh…
Ducks? Get out of the way, ducks.
I took this shot on my way home last week. It’s the Sumas River. I drive alongside it most of the way home.
I thought I had this beautiful shot of the willows’ reflections in the water. It looked great in the camera’s LCD. I got home, downloaded it and found that there were two ducks mucking up the perfect reflections.
Thanks a lot, ducks. I think it turned out alright, even with the water-”foul”.
Black and white always makes me feel cold.
What is it about black and white photos that feels so cold?
It was a very cool morning when I shot this. I was wearing a cardigan sweater and t-shirt and freezing my niblets off as I stood on the back end of the ferry to take this shot. When I was playing around with this in processing, I flipped the RAW photo to grayscale and felt that the photo suddenly matched the feeling that I had while I was on the ferry.
So, why it is that black and white photos feel cold? Anyone?
Set your mind adrift…
I don’t know what’s more interesting – the boats on the water, waiting to take their owners on watery adventures, or the reflections of the boats in the water.
Photographically speaking, I’m enamored of the reflections. I love how everything is mirrored, but not quite exactly. There’s that wavering quality that suggests that the world below is just like ours, but dreamier.
Hell’s Gate. Do you see why they call it that?
So here’s Hell’s Gate. It’s 175 feet deep right at the point that you see above. It’s a ridiculously fast and furious and deep and scary. Also, it’s a tourist space now and much less scary when you get to walk across it on a totally safe suspension bridge.
Water is really nice.
I watered the flowers and hydrangeas and katsura tree a couple of nights ago and then my wife said, “Are you going to take a picture of my day lilies for me?”
I said, “Uh…I could if you like.”
“Well, you don’t have to, but they’re so pretty.”
So here’s a photo of the leaves from the day lilies with pretty water droplets from the soaker hose. Oh, and if you’re interested, the day lilies are in yesterday’s post. They’re pretty as well.
What’s that in the sky? All orange and fiery and hard to look at…
On a rare, sunny day in January, I went out to the Public Library. Our library in Chilliwack, BC, is next to a park in which someone wisely planted a fake pond. Yes, fake pond. Complete with water fountain in the middle. I’m sure there’s something natural that was the initial inspiration for this pond, but now it’s a magnet for ducks and geese, like the stately gentleman above. They show up because the people who frequent the library and the park often feed them.
As for the photo, I liked the way the water was an unnatural orangy-yellow from the sunlight that peered out from behind the clouds for two and three minutes stints throughout the day. Yay, Vitamin D!
And judging from what I just wrote, I’m way too excited about a possible early spring and a few more minutes of sunshine. Pathetic.
Pretty barn is pretty, and its twin is nice looking, too.
We have had a ton of rain lately, to the point where many of the smaller rivers and streams have been overflowing their banks. All of the low spots in fields around Chilliwack have been filling up with water as well. The weather’s been so unpredictable lately – last week there were small children skating on this pond and now, you can’t tell there was a snow day last week. I’d hate to be a meteorologist right now.
What has been great is the number of photographic spots. For whatever reason, I’m really feeling the reflective business right now. I don’t know if it’s because I’m at the semester end or if my subconscious is feeling neglected, but I want to take pictures of everything with a reflection right now. Maybe I need a counselor. Oh well. Pretty barn.
If a rolling stone gathers no moss, what does a rock do that is buried in sand?
While I visited Garry Point Park, in Steveston, BC, I spent a large portion of the day on the beach. I was quite fascinated by the small rivulets, or their trails, that ran away from this rock.
I was also happy with the bokeh of the lens I just bought. It’s a 70-210mm Tokina, with the largest aperture of f3.5. So far I’m just playing with it, but it seems pretty good. What do you think?
Bellagio show is amazing; in other news, I am amazed by water, lights and music.
This was a definite highlight of my Vegas trip. Outside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, from 8:00 until midnight, is a musical fountain and draws hundreds of people to the shore of the lake every fifteen minutes. I don’t know why it is that I can be so mesmerized by lights and water set to the tune of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, almost emotional even. Perhaps it was the fact that I was extremely tired after a long day of flying and then wandering Las Vegas all day. Perhaps I am just amazed by simple things. I know, the kind of computer programming that must be required to pull this off, the ridiculous time and money that must have gone into constructing this, but the result is something simple – lights and water and music. And I stand amazed.
Orphans
Oh, hi. It’s been raining here a bit, and when it stops the rain leaves all of these little orphaned droplets behind. Some of the plants in my front yard have been adopting these little orphans and displaying them in such a lovely way.
BTW, I’m feeling a bit silly this evening. Hooray for weird.
Pentax K20D; Pentax M SMC 50mm; f1.7; ISO 100; 1/80 sec.
I’m a believer…
As I wandered around Vancouver’s downtown and waterfront area with 100,000 of my closest friends from all around the world, I couldn’t help but marvel at what the 2010 Olympics have accomplished.
Firstly, I was apologized to five times by people bumping into me in Robson Square, where thousands of people were wandering and bumping into each other and no apology was necessary. I wonder if these are the most polite Winter Games in history.
Secondly, I heard thousands of fellow Canadians “ooh”-ing and “aah”-ing and cheering every time anything remotely athletic happened, including when someone would fly by on the giant zip-line set up in downtown Vancouver.
Thirdly, I heard complete strangers joining in victory when Canada scored and cry out in anguish as USA scored as we joined together to hope for a Men’s Hockey win.
I confess, I love these games.
btw, congratulations to Moir and Virtue – you were beautiful.
Pentax K20D; Pentax FA 28-200mm; f8; ISO 800; 1/30 sec.
Station
The aim of every photographer is to turn the mundane into the interesting.
Pentax K20D; Pentax DA 18-55mm AL II; f8; ISO 400; 1/100 sec.
Reflection
“A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.” – W. Blake
Pentax K20D; Pentax DA 18-55mm AL II (@48mm); f8; ISO 400; 1/200 sec.
