Month 2 in Review - February

It's a leap year, so I guess technically this year I have a project 365 on my hands.  With work being extremely busy, I didn't get much time to experiment with the camera much.  My biggest step forward has been shooting RAW.  I got Lightroom, so have started drifting away from Photoshop for about half of my post-processing.

Onto month six of getting images out there, I entered a Parks Canada photo contest.  Because really, who wouldn't want a Campfire in a Can (I'd need to buy a place with a yard to be allowed to use it) or a free national park pass??? 

Some stats for February:

• Favourite photo: Day 41 - Redoubt Mountain from Ptarmigan Lake - I love the sunbursts from the Sigma 8-16mm lens
• Least favourite photo: Day 38 - Packing Mess - also a photo mess
• Most challenging photo to take: Day 42 - Skoki Lodge Dining & Living Room
• Most creative photo: Day 45 - Rose
• Most used Photoshop edits: fill light
• Number of photos taken this month: ~470
• Number of days on which I wouldn't have taken a photo if I didn't have to for this: 25 (which must be my record of least motivated photography month)
• How I feel about this project: It's getting to be a chore at times, but I'm not giving up.

Which is your favourite photo from February?

Day 60 - Gaussian Blur

f/5 | 1 sec | 70mm

Day 59 - Clock

f/4 | 1/6 sec | 31mm

Day 58 - New Neighbourhood

f/22 | 1/50 sec | 32mm

Day 57 - New Park Along Memorial

f/22 | 30 sec | 112mm

Day 56 - Black and White Cookies

f/5.6 | 1/125 sec | 42mm

Day 55 - 'Purple' Light District

f/4.5 | 1/20 sec | 8mm

Day 54 - Moody Clouds

f/8 | 1/250 sec | 82mm

Day 53 - Bedtime Reading

f/4.5 | 1/30 sec | 44mm

Day 52 - Sweet Tooth

f/4.5 | 1/30 sec | 48mm

Day 51 - Into the Woods

f/14 | 1/800 sec | 18mm

Day 50 - Spray River

f/4.8 | 1/100 sec | 46mm

Day 49 - Snowy Owl

f/5.6 | 1/250 sec | 200mm

Day 48 - The Den

f/10 | 30 sec | 8mm

Day 47 - Skoki Screenshot

f/4.5 | 1/80 sec | 32mm

Day 46 - Blurred Bamboo

f/5.3 | 1.3 sec | 95mm

Day 45 - Rose

f/5.6 | 1/160 sec | 200mm

Day 44 - Books

f/3.5 | 0.8 sec | 20mm

Day 43 - Skoki Lodge Kitchen

f/3.5 | 1/50 sec | 18mm

Day 42 - Skoki Lodge Dining & Living Room

f/4.5 | 1.6 sec | 8mm

Day 41 - Redoubt Mountain From Ptarmigan Lake

f/14 | 1/800 sec | 8mm

Day 40 - Light

f/3.5 | 1/50 sec | 18/mm

Day 39 - Outdoor Ideas

f/3.8 | 1/2 sec | 24mm

Day 38 - Packing Mess

f/3.5 | 1/13 sec | 20mm

Day 37 - Climbing Skins

I ended up exchanging these 80mm skins for the 65mm version.

f/3.8 | 1/30 sec | 26mm

Day 36 - Bowness Stairs

f/8 | 1/250 sec | 24mm

Day 35 - Ski Reads

I think it's dangerous when an outdoor store gives away their ski magazines. I know what they want.

f/4 | 1/30 sec | 29mm

Day 34 - A Boy and A Girl

f/3.8 | 1/30 sec | 22mm

Day 33 - Cream of Wheat

f/3.8 | 1/40 sec | 24mm

Day 32 - Computer

I keep looking at those Lake O'Hara photos.

f/4 | 1/60 sec | 24mm

Month 1 in Review - January

I debated calling this Month 13 for it's the second year that I'm doing this project. The month started off with a call for photos for a map publication, so I sent in a couple of images and they say I'll hear from them in the spring.  That would keep my streak of getting an image 'out there' every month going for the fifth month. 

My proudest photos this month were taken at Elizabeth Parker Hut. This was the first time that I shot RAW, and between that and the long exposures with the tripod, I came back with a handful of images that I keep looking back at. I think the difference really shows.  This also meant a shift in post processing and I am now using Lightroom first, and then doing a bit of final tweaking in Photoshop.

Some stats for January:

• Favourite photo: Day 27 - Elizabeth Parker Hut
• Least favourite photo: Day 29 - Winter Gear
• Most challenging photo to take: Day 27 - Elizabeth Parker Hut Bonus Photo - the tripod wobbled on the mattress until I took the bunk apart
• Most creative photo: Day 7 - Tyrwhit Tree
• Most used Photoshop edits: crop, sponge (saturate)
• Number of photos taken this month: ~470
• Number of days on which I wouldn't have taken a photo if I didn't have to for this: 21
• How I feel about this project: Keep going and slow down. Use the tripod more often.

Which is your favourite photo from January?

Day 31 - Succulent

f/5 | 1/10 sec | 82mm

Day 30 - Elizabeth Parker Hut Interior, c. 1925

From The Lake O'Hara Art of J.E.H. MacDonald and Hiker's Guide by Lisa Christensen.

f/5.6 | 1/20 sec | 130mm

Day 29 - Winter Gear

f/3.5 | 1/25 sec | 18mm

Day 28 - Lake O'Hara Lodge

One day I'll stay here.

f/4.5 | 1/40 sec | 8mm