IN THE FIELD: The First Sunset

The big move to our new home a few days ago went smoothly and was mostly stress free. Rain was predicted for the morning but thankfully it never amounted to more than a drizzle.

On the first night, furniture was placed, beds were made, makeshift curtains were hung for a semblance of privacy, and other necessities of life were located and unpacked. Take out food was the dinner of choice…after a long day, I really didn’t feel like cooking. Besides…all the pots, pans, and utensils were still in boxes.

As the eventful day was coming to a close, we went outside for some fresh air and were treated to the first sunset at our new home. This one lasted quite a while and we were able to relax outside and enjoy it before heading inside to eat dinner.

This view is looking due west. In the lower right hand corner of the photo, the steeple of a church is visible. The bells in the tower chime the time of day every hour on the hour. After the time is announced, a few stanzas of the song of the day is then played. How cool is that!

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HOW TO: Speedy Abstracts

Last weekend we were out for a drive in the countryside on a beautiful Autumn afternoon. My wife was driving and I decided to get creative with my camera as we whizzed through the woods.

I set up the lens with a mid range aperture and the camera with a slow shutter speed. In this case it was f8 and 1/25th of a second. As we drove through the woods I pointed the camera out the passenger window towards the scenery that was zipping by. I was attempting to capture the various colors of leaves as they began to change colors, but in an abstract way.

Photography from a moving car, whether it is daytime or nighttime, offers endless possibilities for creativity.

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IN THE FIELD: First Flash Of Fall

Autumn is here! The days are getting shorter and more temperate…the nights are getting longer and cooler…and the Chrysanthemums are everywhere.

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IN THE FIELD: Gold Or Silver

A few weeks ago I was out doing some street photography in the shopping district of a nearby town. I got some shots of the local architecture, storefronts, construction workers, signage, and people milling about town.

As I walked past a shop filled with jewelry and beads from around the world, something shiny in the storefront window caught my eye. It was a small display of hand hammered sterling silver scarf rings.

I liked how the light reflected off the facets in the metal. Getting a good photo looking through the window proved to be nearly impossible. So I went inside and asked the owner if I could get a few photos of the display, and she said, “have at it.” I decided to photograph them using the available light in the shop rather than using a flash.

The natural daylight and the overhead halogen lights combined with the cloudy white balance setting I was using, turned the silver a warm golden color. And while it does not reflect the true color of the piece, I like the mood it sets.

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IN THE FIELD: Close Encounters

This is one of my favorite photos of early spring bloomers taken this year.

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IN THE FIELD: Hydrangea

The Hydrangeas have been blooming in the area for a few weeks and have been putting on a grand show. It appears they have received just the right amount of rainfall and sunshine.

The best part photographing this shrub is its locale as I didn’t have to travel very far. It is growing right outside our kitchen window. It has been a pleasure to watch the flowers mature and change from off-white to pale pink, and then to blue and lavender.

The difficult part of photographing this shrub was trying to choose which group of blossoms to focus on.

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IN THE FIELD: The Heat Is On

We are in the midst of a heat wave where I live. For most of the week it’s been extremely humid with temperatures in the high 80’s to low 90‘s, with no relief coming anytime soon. When it is hot like this, I just want to stay inside and stick my face in a bowl of ice cubes.

Ice cubes? Hey….not a bad idea…and I might as well have some fun with the camera while I’m cooling off.

I started by putting a bunch of ice cubes in a glass bowl and placed it on the table. I mounted the camera on the tripod due to the low light levels indoors and the resulting slow shutter speeds. I took a few shots…the ice looked like ice…cool and refreshing, but it wasn’t very exciting.

Then I wondered what kind of effect I could create by illuminating the ice with some kind of light source. I used the flash, but the result wasn’t very dramatic. I even photographed the ice with various colors of acetate held in front of the flash. The ice took on some color, but it was too subtle for what I was trying to achieve.

I needed something more reflective to scatter the light among the ice cubes. So I turned up the volume on my thinking cap and remembered I had some battery-operated glow sticks. I dumped the ice cubes into a stainless mixing bowl, turned on the glow sticks and shoved them into the melting ice. The glow sticks were just the ticket.

This photo was not manipulated in any way. It is straight out of the can.

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IN THE FIELD: Before The Storm

Saturday morning I ventured out to capture more of the autumn color surrounding us here in the woods where I live. I figured it may be my last opportunity before it was all swept away from the massive storm headed our way.

The skies were overcast and provided a perfect even light. I was able to use shutter speeds of 1/60 of a second and slower. I also used a polarizing filter, which greatly improved the saturation of color, and eliminated the reflections from the leaves.

I found some brilliant maples with white pines as a background. I also found a stand of young beech trees showing three different phases of their color transformation.

At the time of this posting, hurricane Sandy is just beginning to make her presence known. It’s been showering off and on since Sunday afternoon, but now the rain is steady. It’s not raining sideways yet…that’s due to occur later today and into tonight, along with increased winds and heavier amounts of rainfall. I’m glad I had the opportunity to get some shots before the storm unleashes it’s fury.

 

IN THE FIELD: New Discovery

In our travels last weekend, we discovered a farmers market that is new to us. We enjoy shopping in places like this for several reasons. Not only is the food grown or raised locally, but it is also educational. The folks there love to chat about their farms and products they sell.

It is a rather lengthly list of what venders were marketing, but here are some examples. They were selling fruits and vegetables, homemade noodles and pasta, fresh meats, baked goods, honey, fresh homemade cheeses, and other dairy products, jams, jellies, and other canned/preserved items. One family operation was selling various kinds of flour that is grown, harvested, and milled at their farm.

This display of colorful woven baskets was just outside the entrance. We couldn’t resist buying one to carry all our purchases. It is harvest season, so our basket will be put to good use in the weeks ahead.