f/22 | 1 sec | 18mm
Friday, June 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Day 179 - New Inspiration
One of the first photos out of the 35mm f/1.8, the nifty fifty equivalent on DX cameras.
f/1.8 | 1/3 sec | 35mm
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Month 6 in Review - June
It's been a very slow month for me photography-wise, mostly because work has been extremely busy. I guess that means that it's no surprise that my favourite photo from this month - Day 169- Five Years in the Making - is an image of one of my projects. Ever since a photographer commented on my grain elevator photo about the ridiculousness of the slant (an effect that I actually really like on that photo), I have paid more attention to lines - vertical and horizontal lines. Day 169, I think, gets that.
This 365 project will also likely start to take on a different meaning. While I haven't been taking as many photos as I'd like, not having the pressure of taking one every day has been nice. I think I've reached a point where I am also starting to begin all this photographer's crazy about prime lenses. I've been shooting 99% of my photos with zoom lenses (primarily the 18-200mm and the 8-16mm) and am really not learning anything from them right now. You get lazy. You stand there, you zoom in, you zoom out. That doesn't teach about depth of field, does little to focus on improving one's composition, and, as lenses that cover a whole range of focal lengths, they don't blow you away for it all. I've studied countless photos and so much of what I'm drawn to is blatantly the result of the nifty fifty on full frame cameras. Now, I'm not ever planning on going full frame (too much weight for hiking, etc.), but I have come to appreciate what the primes can do. Guess what may be next?
This 365 project will also likely start to take on a different meaning. While I haven't been taking as many photos as I'd like, not having the pressure of taking one every day has been nice. I think I've reached a point where I am also starting to begin all this photographer's crazy about prime lenses. I've been shooting 99% of my photos with zoom lenses (primarily the 18-200mm and the 8-16mm) and am really not learning anything from them right now. You get lazy. You stand there, you zoom in, you zoom out. That doesn't teach about depth of field, does little to focus on improving one's composition, and, as lenses that cover a whole range of focal lengths, they don't blow you away for it all. I've studied countless photos and so much of what I'm drawn to is blatantly the result of the nifty fifty on full frame cameras. Now, I'm not ever planning on going full frame (too much weight for hiking, etc.), but I have come to appreciate what the primes can do. Guess what may be next?
Day 178 - From the Inside Out
Sold my MEC TGV 4-season tent and got myself the MSR Hubba Hubba 3-season tent.
f/4.2 | 1/20 sec | 35mm
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Day 176 - Ultralight Sleeping Bag
I made the switch to an ultralight bag, so am now going with the Western Mountaineering Summerlite 0ºC (1.2 pounds with stuff sack, red) vs. my MEC Hybrid -12ºC (4.3 pounds with stuff sack). Same loft, same size, less weight.
f/4.2 | 1/20 sec | 34mm
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Day 159 - Five Years in the Making
Designing and coordinating every square inch of this project has been my life for the past five years. Thousands of pieces of equipment, every room inspected, a project large enough that it had its own cement plant, thousands of miles of cables, pipes, and ducts large enough to stand in, and it's finally getting there. Stretchers are in, staff is being trained, helipad's ready for it's first landing, and the climbing wall's ready to go.
f/4.8 | 1/80 sec | 11mm
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Month 5 in Review - May
This month almost motivated me enough to start a website to show some of my 'best' photos. I kept coming across this one photography contest for the past few months, but their requirements gave me the impression that they're looking for professional photos - for free. Someone in this photography group that I'm a part of once said to never ever give away an image for under $100. Those words have stuck with me. And yet, at the last minute I submitted one - and only one - image that I felt had a good chance of winning. I mainly submitted to see if any of the photographer judges would deem my image worthy. Interestingly enough, I won, and this image will now be on display for three months at an exhbit in the middle of Banff Avenue. While I didn't get paid for it, I did receive gift cards for it - in the amount of $100. It's a start.
Abbott Pass, August 2011.
This image will be on disply in a park along Main Street in Banff for three months this summer.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Better Photos
507 days after starting this project I'm in the habit of virtually carrying my camera everywhere. However, due to time constraints way too many photos have just been snapshots for the sake of having a daily photo. While I really don't want to give up this project (it's neat going back and seeing what I was up to on any given day), moving forward I may not have a photo every day. Instead I'm going to focus on quality photos and post those regularly. I'd like to try longer water exposures, more filters, streaking car lights, star trails, etc. I know the basics of my camera; now it's time to focus on the manual settings and the real 'art' that can be created.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Day 128 - Chasing Clayoquot
Great book about the Pacific Rim area around Tofino.
f/3.8 | 1/30 sec | 24mm
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Day 127 - Hello Garmin GPSMap 62s
Happy with my new GPS - not a single dropped satellite since I got this unit.
f/6.3 | 1/160 sec | 16mm
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Month 4 in Review - April
For the first time I felt like giving up on this project. These past couple of months I just didn't have time to focus on photography as much as I'd like. Daily photos have become more of a diary of my life, rather than something 'photographic'. Still, I'm forcing myself to go on. hoping for better weather and getting out of work on time. I have found, though, that if I take just a bit of extra time for photos (for example, Days 89 - 91) I am much happier with them.
Last year I also joined a local (Bow Valley mostly) online photography group. I mostly lurk, as the other 30 people or so seem to be all the landscape pros in the area. They are perfectionists, and they rip photos apart in critiques - in a good way though, so in theory I'm learning. They think about their shots before clicking away: What do you want the composition to be? What story does the photo tell? What is the focal point? How much detail is there in the shadows? One day!
Some stats for April:
Last year I also joined a local (Bow Valley mostly) online photography group. I mostly lurk, as the other 30 people or so seem to be all the landscape pros in the area. They are perfectionists, and they rip photos apart in critiques - in a good way though, so in theory I'm learning. They think about their shots before clicking away: What do you want the composition to be? What story does the photo tell? What is the focal point? How much detail is there in the shadows? One day!
Some stats for April:
- Favourite photo: Day 97 - Good Friday
- Least favourite photo: Day 111 - Empty Bottles
- Most challenging photo to take: Day 99 - White Sands - challenging to keep accurate colour and detail
- Most creative photo: Day 103 - Old Car - I love taking these with the wide angle lens
- Most used Photoshop edits: fill light
- Number of photos taken this month: ~700
- Number of days on which I wouldn't have taken a photo if I didn't have to for this: 17
- How I feel about this project: Almost gave up, but will keep going.