Monthly Archives: October 2009
10/11/2009
Youngens (Yellow-crowned Night Herons)
Happy Sunday!
Two young Yellow-crowned Night Herons among at least 50 sharing a roost on the pond behind the Jekyll Island amphitheater. I’ve never seen so many Yellow-crowned…I have, in fact, rarely seen so many herons of one kind anywhere.
I was shooting closer birds with the PhotoScope when I saw this pair and zoomed back for double portrait. I like the attitude these guys are displaying and attempted to frame the shot to convey some of the tension in their posture…which was in marked contrast to the rest of the brood, who were in various stages of lounge around the pond.
Zeiss PhotoScope at 1200mm equivalent. 1/35th second at ISO 200 and about f4.7. Programed auto.
In Lightroom I used mild Recovery for feather highlights, moved the blackpoint to the right just slightly, added Clarity and just a small amount of Vibrance, and used the Sharpen landscape preset.
From Colonial Coast 09.
10/10/2009
Northern Cardinal in the South
The Cardinals I have seen in Georgia have not seemed as red as the Cardinals I see in Maine, or in Arizona. This might reflect a real regional variation, or it might be because I only visit Georgia in October, or it might be my imagination. At any rate, this is one of several specimens visiting a feeding station at the Jekyll Island Campground on Jekyll Island Georgia. It was taken in very low light under a solid canopy of heavy foliage, with the new Zeiss PhotoScope (a 15-45x wide-field spotting scope with a sophisticated, fully integrated, 7 mp digital camera…operating as 600 f4 to 1800 f5.6 equivalent telephoto). In this light I set the ISO to 200 and, even so, was only getting shutter speeds in 1/10th to 1/4 second range. In order to get shots where the motion of the bird did not destroy the image I set the camera on series capture, which takes a burst of 5 shots in very rapid sequence with a single push of the shutter release. I should also say that the PhotoScope has a wireless remote, so when you press the shutter release there is no camera motion, and that it has Auto Focus Assist, that adjusts fine focus as you shoot. All of this advanced tech allowed me to get some very satisfying images in a situation that was, at best, marginal for any kind of photography.
This shot was taken at about 1800mm equivalent at 1/4 second @ ISO 200. The aperture would have been about f5.6.
In Lightroom I moved the blackpoint slightly right, added Clarity and just a bit of Vibrance in the Presence panel, and used the Sharpen landscape preset. I also adjusted the white balance slightly, as the Auto Clouds setting I used on the PhotoScope had it just a bit too warm.
From Colonial Coast 09.
10/9/2009
Autumn Angler
I was down at the river looking for a view, when I turned to see this fisherman in the stream. I had only time for one shot before he became aware of me. To me it captures a moment and a feeling. Just enough autumn color to give you the when, and yet a king of timeless quality in the activity. The reflected colors in the water, the little fall behind the fisherman…I could not have posed it better…and yet it just happened. To me those are the best shots!
Sony DSC H50 at 31mm equivalent. F2.7 @ 1/60th @ ISO 100. Programed auto.
Cropped slightly in Lightroom for composition and to eliminate a light sky expanse. Recovery for the highlights in the falls. Some Fill Light to open shadows. Blackpoint to the right very slightly. Added Clarity and Vibrance in the Presence panel and Sharpen landscape preset.
From Fall 09 Maine.
10/8/2009
Mousam Pond: Moody Fall
Just down river from the falls (yesterday) there is a dam that backs up this pond (by Maine standards…perhaps a lake elsewhere). I also have many, many images taken from this spot. This is by far the moodiest. The light makes the foreground almost as prominent as the foliage. I like the subtly of the reflected clouds and the few floating leaves.
Sony DSC H50 at 31mm equivalent. F5 @ 1/250th @ ISO 100. Programed auto.
Recovery in Lightroom for the sky and reflections. Blackpoint just barely to the right. Added Clarity and Vibrance in the Presence panel. Sharpen landscapes preset.
From Fall 09 Maine.
10/7/2009
Fall Fall on the Mousam
One of my favorite spots for fall foilage images is this little fall on the Mousam River a few miles from our home. I manage to photograph it just about every year and often catch it at peak as they say in the foilage business.
This year peak coincieded with rainy Saturday. Saturday: good since I had the time to make the pilgrimage. Rainy: not so good, but sometimes you just have to make do. If you don’t have sun you have to go for mood.
Sony DSC H50 at 31mm equivalent. F4.5 @ 1/250th @ ISO 100. Programed auto.
In Lightroom I used Recovery for the sky, a bit of Fill Light for the foilage. Added Clarity and Vibrance in the Presence panel and Sharpen landscapes preset.
From Fall 09 Maine
10/6/2009
Bluefish Cove
I almost missed this. I was done for the day as the fog rolled in more heavily across Point Lobos after noon, and was headed out when I though, “Oh why not check Whaler’s Cove?” And, wouldn’t you know, the fog still stood well off there and the whole bay opened clear. There is a trail up to this vista from the parking lot (where you joggle with the divers for space), and it is always worth a look. As you can see, the fog was just drifting over the point and East Grove, but the water of Bluefish Bay was just as named: intense blue.
Sony DSC H50 at 31mm equivalent. F5.6 @ 1/640th @ ISO 100. Programed auto.
Recovery in Lightroom for the white highlights and to bring up the fog. Blackpoint to the right. Added Clarity and Vibrance in the Presence panel. Sharpen landscape preset.
From Monterey Bay 09.
10/5/2009
In China Bay...from China Beach
As I mentioned previously, the stairway down to China Beach was open this year and I was able to climb down for the first time. Amazing place. (See 9/28). This is the headland along the south shore of China Beach with fog rolling behind it.
Sony DSC H50 at 31mm equivalent. F5.0 @ 1/250th @ ISO 100. Programed auto.
Recovery in Lightroom for the fog and sky. A good deal of Fill Light to open the shadows on the rock. Blackpoint slightly right. Added Clarity and Vibrance. Sharpen landscape preset. Cropped slightly for composition.
From Monterey Bay 09s.
10/4/2009
Hidden Beach Again
Happy Sunday!
A second view of Hidden Beach at Point Lobos, CA. (see 9/29) This time from actual beach level using the H50’s flip out monitor and the super macro ability to create an image with maximum depth. Because of the fog I did not have to worry about a sharp horizon in this shot.
Sony DSC H50 at 31mm equivalent. F5.6 @ 1/320th @ ISO 100. Programed Auto.
In Lightroom, just added Clarity and Vibrance and Sharpen landscape preset. Blackpoint just to the right.
From Monterey Bay 09.
10/3/2009
Fog over South Point and Cypress Grove
Like I said…no such thing as a bad day at Point Lobos. Even the fog is epic! This is a shot from the Sea Lion Point trail looking back at South Point and Cypress Grove. One of the classic views at Point Lobos. The blowing fog, moving in across the point, adds some mystery and drama, without detracting significantly from the view.
Sony DSC H50 at 31mm equivalent. F5.6 @ 1/500th @ ISO 100. Programed auto.
Recovery in Lightroom for the fog effects. Recovery, as I have mentioned before, reduces the highlights in the image. In the case of fog, a lot of what you are looking at is scattered light. Recovery removes a layer of that so that you see deeper into the fog, and increases the contrast between light and dark areas within the fog so that it looks altogether more transparent….as it does in real life. Added Clarity and Vibrance in the Presence panel. Blackpoint just right. Sharpen landscape preset.
From Monterey Bay 09.
10/2/2009
Splender in the Weeds
Still at Point Lobos from my visit last Sunday, but something a bit different. It would not do to get lost in the view and the drama of the fog blowing in, and miss the little details at your feet. Or so I say. As always the Sony H50s flip out LCD and super macro setting makes shots like this easy. Flip out, hold low and close, frame, shoot when it looks good.
I am not sure what this is, but the contrast between the spiky balls and the creamy pendants behind was arresting in reality, and makes, I think, a find study as an image.
Sony DSC H50 at about 40mm equivalent. F5.6 @ 1/320th @ ISO 100. Programed auto.
Just my most basic added Clarity, Vibrance, and Sharpen landscape preset in Lightroom.
From Monterey Bay 09.