Daily Image - Jan 2018 Archive

02 Jan 18 The best laid plans of mice and men . . . . . . I had planned on being home all New Year's day but the weather changed and we made an early departure for the Skagit figuring the activity would be sparse and it was, not only on the road with vehicles but also eagles; we saw a grand total of three, one of which was flying across I-5. Not exactly what we had expected. Nor was the weather in that we saw virtually no snow whereas last year we had a couple of feet. But it varies from year to year and week to week within the years so we never know what we will encounter but we are always equipped for whatever weather we do encounter. Today it was sunshine for the most part. But the trip prevented my preparing the image for today, so I'm going to share one I had worked up for Thursday. Depending on the response to what I'm sharing I may share the B&W version of it later in the week. If so, you have the makings of your first triptych for the year. Those of you who have been with me since the beginning may recall that during the later part of the last decade I was making use of a filter (plug-in) called Fractalius. Many of you even inquired about it. It got me many first place awards in one of my camera clubs. It was, however, just an 8-bit filter and when everything went to 16-bit it no longer worked and so I put it to bed. Over the weekend I was doing some searching and found that it had been updated to 16-bit and, further more, a sister version of it called Fractalius 3-D had been released. So I purchased the new 3-D version and to say the least I am somewhat wowed by it. So for today's submission I'm introducing you to the new 3-D version. This is the same image I shared on the 29th with the new Fractalius 3-D applied to it. Nikon D500; 105mm macro; ISO 200; 1/60 sec @ f /18 with fill flash on a tripod.

03 Jan 18 My goal, excluding eagles, on the trek to the Skagit was to photograph Mt Baker from the back side, get a few waterfall shots, and some nice icicle photos. We got some of each, none of them earth shaking, but for toady we have a 3 shot HDR image. Some of you may remember the HDR stuff when it originally became popular. It was pretty grungy, and while it made for some really interesting images, they were, in general, not exactly realistic. Today's HDR is a very different approach and the Aurora HDR 2108 program does a very good job of attempting to pull out the highlights, mid tones, and shadow material from a set of shots to provide something quite close to what the eye can capture. This is a shot of the back side of the mountain. If you compare it with what I shared last year you may see an improvement over what the software could accomplish then. I rather like what it can do and will likely use it as my goto program for HDR work. Other than the HDR aspect, this is pretty much straight from the camera. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/1600 sec @ f /8 on a tripod.

04 Jan 18 Take I-5 to Burlington and exit at the North Cascades Highway, Hwy 20. Follow Hwy 20 to Marblemount. At the sharp left turn paralleling the river don't turn and continue straight across the bridge over the Skagit River on Cascade River Road. This will take you to the fish hatchery but continue on another couple of miles. Along the way you will generally encounter a fair amount of snow, lots of waterfalls, some year round and some only during a melt, and depending on the weather conditions lots of lovely icicles. Sometimes you get more than you bargained for and this last trip the extra delight was a series of god rays. This was the first time we've ever been treated to them and the setting was very different from what we see here annually just down the road. It being Theatrical Thursday, and as I've already shared a straight shot of same for Christmas, this time around the image is a bit creative. It displays best if you move back from the screen by about 3 feet. Unfortunately what is lacking is the surrounding forest which is almost black where not be illuminated by the light rays. You'll just have to supply that with your imagination. This is basically out of camera save for the application of the Topaz filter "Simplify 4" and my painting out in black the very upper left hand corner. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture priority; ISO 1000; 1/125 sec @ f / 8 on a tripod.

05 Jan 18 A few feet from where I took the photo I shared yesterday the light was striking this piece of moss for perhaps a total of 5 minutes, then it was gone. I managed to compose just three shots before it was over. This is my favorite of the three. On this mail box it appears somewhat darker than it does on the graphics box so I'm hoping it will display appropriately on your screen. Nothing exceptional about it save for the nice back lit illumination. Off tomorrow - hopefully - to shot a number of waterfalls along the south bank of the Columbia River in northern Oregon. Taking in a family wedding and visiting long time friends we made in MD who now live in that area so it should be an enjoyable trip all around. We'll return to central Europe on Monday for a week of shots from that trip. The base image was tightly cropped and I darkened down the cedar branch some as it was way too bright. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 1000; 1/40 sec @ f / 5.6 on a tripod.

08 Jan 18 Some of you may have seen the movie "Lover's Locks." It takes place in Paris and it's theme was that of two lovers purchasing a padlock, writing their names of it, and locking it around a metal portion of a bridge, in this case, the Seine. Of course it is far more involved than that, but that's the foundation of the story. It's a chick flick but all-in-all not that bad. If you haven't seen it you might want to give it consideration. Imagine our surprise and delight as we approached the east end of the Charles Bridge for the first time to find just such a thing, a portion of the bridge adorned with literally hundreds of these locks. In this case, as opposed to the movie, the scene behind the bridge was really interesting, to say nothing of the weather we were experiencing. This is the river Moldau and we are looking across it from Old Town to St Vitus Cathedral and Prague Castle. On the left you can see a very few of the statues lining both side of the Charles Bridge. We'll take a look at some of them in the next several days along with more of the decorative adornments on the buildings. I've added a small amount of contrast enhancement to the original to help bring out the detail in the image. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture priority; ISO 400; 1/200 sec @ f /10.

09 Jan 18 Charles Bridge would likely be included in the top 3 attractions of any list on what to see in Praha. I would agree but would quickly expand the list considerably. Today we will look at just one of the pieces of art adorning the bridge, but there are a total of 30, 15 on each side of the bridge. The vast majority of the statues were erected between 1683 and 1714, but today none remain as they have been moved to the Lapidary in the National Museum. What is now located on the bridge are exact copies. Everyone visiting sees them as the originals; I know we did and I still did until today when I was doing a search for the names of the individual statues and read about the substitutions. There is absolutely nothing to give you even the faintest idea that they are not original so don't let that dissuade you from going to see them in person. Violating my rules of no people in my pictures today by including Jan for some perspective. The real challenging part of seeing this open air art gallery is getting past the people!! We were there in late October, a time when apparently, according to our tour guide, most folks think it is the off season. It isn't. Tourist season in Praha is roughly March through November, although based on the painting I saw on the bridge I think winter time with a nice snowfall would be one of my favorite times to visit, with fall, obviously, being the other. This is the statue of the Madonna and St Bernard (not the dog) erected in 1709, one of the last to be added. Lessor town is in the background. Tomorrow we'll take at look at the entire gallery (bridge) in one wide photo. Except for the sky, which I added to replace the awful gray one we experienced, this is how it looked for the brief moment when I could get people out of the frame. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture priority; ISO 400; 1/250 sec @ f /10.

10 Jan 18 Having looked at one of the 30 statues on the Charles Bridge yesterday, today we'll take a look at the entire bridge. It is said that you should never apologize for your work, but I need to sorta do so today. Had we had more time in Praha I might have found the right solution for shooting the entire bridge in either one shot or a series perpendicular to it, but as I wasn't able to so do I had to take my shot(s) from an angle on the sidewalk paralleling the river. I needed a total 8 frames to get it all but unfortunately doing it hand held I introduced a little distortion that will be obvious in a few places in this 8 shot composite. You won't see it until you enlarge the image to 50% or greater, and I do highly recommend you look at it at 50% magnification as there is much to see. If you look closely you can see tourists taking photos looking down river. The bridge has 8 arches and a tower at either end named the Lesser Town Tower (on the left) and the Old Town Tower (on the right). The image of the citrus fruit in the urinal was from a restaurant in the ground floor in the building at the far right hand side of the bridge. Look under the first two arches at the right hand side and you'll see some of the swans that live there year round. For those of you who want to know significantly more about the bridge, named after their most beloved King - Charles IV, you can start here and then jump to where you want to go. The bridge has an interesting history so reading some about it may be worth your while, especially if you think you might one day visit Praha. This is a composite of 8 images. I've added a tiny bit of micro contrast enhancement, straightened the left had edge, and cropped it minimally. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/400 sec @ f / 9.

11 Jan 18 If, like me, you are attracted to somewhat baroque architecture, then central Europe is where you want to be. As we wandered around in any of the five cities we visited, I was constantly memorized by the striking architectural aspects of the buildings. Even the simplest of them were adorned by something that would catch your eye, and the shot for today is very typical of what you can see almost anywhere you look. This is just one window on the side of a building which I believe is, and may always have been, some form of residence. I mentioned in my first mailing about the trip that I had taken in excess of 5K photos; by far the majority were of the architecture and statues. This shot may give you an inkling of what we were seeing on a daily basis. I'll share many more as we go along. I've straightened this a little and cropped it some to get the lines parallel, otherwise it is as we saw it. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO500; 1/500 sec @ f / 6.3.

12 Jan 18 On the opposite side of the road and about a football field higher from where I took the god ray image I shared last week was an area of ice enclosed vegetation and lots of icicles hanging off the rocks. This grouping was about 20 feet above the road and in a location that was collecting the melt dripping from the icicles above. I tried shooting with both flash and natural light and while I liked the results of both, I think the natural light shots were the better approach. With a little imagination you might see just about anything you desire in this composition. Should those of you local like to visit the area, the coordinates are in the exif data. Other than some cropping of the original, this is how it looked. Nikon D500; 105mm macro; Aperture Priority; ISO 250; 1/40 sec @ f / 8.

15 Jan 18 Today's submission is the view from Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) looking south. In the distance you can see one of the 9 bridges that cross the Vltava (Moldau) River as it flows around Praha. Beyond that bridge are two more, you can see a small amount of reflection of one of them, and there are another 5 downstream (behind) the Charles Bridge. All but the Charles Bridge are vehicular bridges with the Charles Bridge being strictly a foot bridge. The blue sky you see in this image is as it was; we didn't see blue again until the last day we spent in Budapest. This is a composite of 5 images shot handheld from the middle of the bridge. As I didn't do a good job of holding the camera perfectly perpendicular I had to do a fair amount of cropping off both the top and the bottom. Otherwise, this is basically what the eye sees looking south. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/640 sec @ f /10.

16 Jan 17 Back in December (11th) I shared a shot of the north portal of the Church of Our Lady Before Týn that encompassed the entire entrance. That mailing also included a detailed description of what the carvings on the door represented. Today I'm sharing just part of that door, isolating the part with the carvings as I think you might more fully appreciate the work in isolation. I've used a different shot that was taken just to emphasize the carvings, endeavored to get it straight, and removed all the "stuff" that has fallen into the netting currently in front of the door. Zoom in to 100% to get a feeling for the entire work. At that magnification it is a little soft as I shot it hand held at 1/13 second but not that much. Other than cleanup and straightening, this is what the camera captured. ISO 800; 1/13 sec @ f / 5.6 hand held.

17 Jan 18 Something entirely different for today for many reasons the largest of which was a totally disrupted day and this was available. Nothing like transparency. In the past I have shared several images of Snoqualmie Falls, even a couple of the once-in-a-century freeze about 7 years back. The town of Snoqualmie is known for the falls, but also of interest to many is a restoration project for many old trains that used to support the logging industry which was a significant player in the development of the major portion of western WA. At one time there was going to be an opportunity for me to get inside the work area to tour the old rusted bodies and film them but not all opportunities come to fruition and this was one such. Still, I had the chance to shoot many of them from directly outside the fenced yard which is no longer possible. This shot is of one of the old locomotives and I took it just for the textures and colors of the rusting metal. There is nothing really special about the shot but I liked the detail of/in the rust when I saw it 8 years ago and I still do today. So for that reason alone I thought I'd share it. This is what the camera saw back then. ISO 1000; 1/160 sec @ f/ 8 with the then brand new D300s and the 105mm macro.

18 Jan 18 An approach to photography called painting with light, a rather silly term since all photography is done by capturing light, is a method of rendering your image by virtue of a single light source being "painted" across a subject. It is done in the dark so that only the surface receiving the strokes of light are recorded. Generally this is accomplished through the use of something like a single flash light although the photographer is free to employ as many light sources as desired. The more directed the light source the more constrained the result. As you might imagine you can use any kind of light source you desire manipulating not only color but shape if desired. The resulting photo can be anything you want from highly creative to very exacting. This style of photography has been in fashion to some degree for at least 20 years but last night was the first time I have ever tried it. Our "local" camera club traveled to my neck of the woods and met at a lighthouse just a few miles from where we live. We spent the better part of two hours playing with different lights, different timings, and different presentations of light to see what we might come up with to share with each other. Some even put creative glass filters in front of their lens to get still different looks. Over the course of the two hours I got 4 shots that I really liked and I'm sharing one of those for today. I plan on returning on a fully starred night to record one shot of the starry sky and another of the painted lighthouse which I'll sandwich together to get the look I really want. But for a first attempt this shot is O.K. I've straightened the left end, cropped of some due to not having my lens hood on properly, sandwiched two shots together to get the blue of the light properly exposed, and burned in a bright spot on the right building to lessen its influence. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Manual Mode; ISO 400; 30 sec @ f / 8 on a tripod.

19 Jan 18 Breaking with protocol today on two counts, people included in the photo and not a macro/close-up on Friday. Two weeks past this time we were on the south bank of the Columbia River visiting with good friends from MD and recovering from a day of terrible traffic and rain, at times combined. But in-between the driving and visiting we got to visit and photograph 5 lovely waterfalls. This would be my favorite of the five and the one furthest west along Hwy 30 in Oregon. Latourell Falls is 249 feet in height and is unique among the OR Columbia Gorge waterfalls in that it falls straight down while the others tumble as will be seen in the other photos I share. At the bottom of the falls is a group of rocks that create their own show by redirecting the water falling on them but I was unable to photograph it happening as the combination of LOTS of cascading water with a strong wind blowing it all away from the rock cliff meant that there was a steady "blow" of water hitting the lens making for less than acceptable images. I, along with the gear, got quite wet in just trying but it was worth the effort none the less. I shared an image of the display several years ago from a previous visit. This is a shot taken from an observation platform close to the parking lot. You can see the large rocks at the base of the spill. I left the four humans in for perspective. This is basically what the camera saw. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture priority; ISO 200; 1/20 sec @ f /10 on a tripod.

22 Jan 18 At the west end of Charles Bridge is a monument about which I can find no info but I'm sharing it in lieu of several other statues/monuments that exhibit a similar appearance. As many of the statures and monuments, such as the one I'm sharing today are made of bronze, they tend to display rather obviously which parts of them are rubbed by the public in that the part(s) rubbed are very shiny with the rest of the statue/monument rather dull by comparison. As many of the statures in central Europe are of nude figures, both male and female, I'll leave it up to you to figure out which parts are shiny. Sometimes it is really entertaining to see them. This monument illustrates what I'm saying quite well but it is one all the family can see without asking potentially embarrassing questions. I had hoped to be able to get a full on shot of this monument but was lucky to get what I did. You are looking generally north from the west end of the bridge. Over the weekend I finally got the 5K+ images labelled and have decided to share 1 or 2 a week throughout the year which I think I can pull off without boring you considering the vast amount of material they cover. On Saturday a very dear friend lost his wife to cancer following a several decade battle. Though no longer with us here on earth, please keep Patti, and her family who are now dealing with such a terrible loss, in your prayers. This is pretty much what the camera recorded save for a small amount of straightening and replacement of an ugly gray sky with what you see. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/160 sec @ f / 10.

23 Jan 18 On the south side of the Charles Bridge on the West Bank of the River Vltava reside a large number of shops offering all kinds of service for your card plus an indoor/outdoor art gallery and a beautiful group of parks, some on the river bank and others on the small islands in the river. Here you can find just about anything you want to while away as much time as you desire, day or night. It is on this side of the river that you find the tour boats and there is a cruise to fit all pocket books and tastes, from the absolute luxurious to paddle it yourself. Our first visit to the left bank occupied "us" for the better part of three hours and would have lasted much longer had Jan been able to walk longer. I would visit it twice more on my own but even so barely scratched seeing what was potentially available. This shot was taken not 50 yards from the bridge and depicts one of the dinner cruise ships starting to get ready for the night's cruise. Looking back we should have taken an evening cruise but as our dance card was fully booked by our tour package there just wasn't an opportunity. Next time . . . . . . . . . This is basically what the camera saw save for the fact that it is 6 x what the camera saw plus having been converted to how I imagine Vinny might have rendered it. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/500 sec @ f /10.

24 Jan 18 The boat on which we made our cruise would not have cleared these bridges in Praha, nor any of the other 7, but that doesn't mean that there aren't boats who could as today's submission clearly depicts. There are five cruise boats in this shot and it wasn't uncommon to see more at any one time. You name your time and destination and there will be a boat to meet your needs. The boats as positioned in this image remind me of my youth and the hydroplane races that ran each August as part of Seattle Seafair. (They still do but the races aren't even close to being of interest anymore due to all the changes in their design.) Of course the Seafair boats were loud and dangerous while these on the Moldau are very safe and quiet. Both have their place and I enjoyed them in their respective roles, but given the option, I'd prefer to return to the land of river cruises. Other than having been converted to B&W, this is pretty much what the camera saw. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/400 sec @ f /10.

25 Jan 18 This being Theatrical Thursday, this is about as theatrical as you can get. Sometimes you just happen upon something that evokes a chuckle and is one of those moments you want to share with others. Such was the case as we were walking to Charles Bridge for the first time. We were walking alongside the river and about to enter what might be best described as a tunnel directing one through a myriad of shops and off the road when I noticed a "store" front on the opposite side of the street with a most curious sign. At first I didn't quite believe my eyes, and being in the location is was, it was even harder to fathom. But there it was right in our faces. I only saw it during the day, so it might have been more interesting in the evening, but even so it definitely caught my eye and Jan's as well. I was surprised to see the small hanging on the main entrance which I couldn't read but could comprehend from the picture on it; a red circle with a diagonal red line running across it with the item in the center being a cigarette. Interesting combination of signs/activities to say the least. Other than a small amount of straightening, this is what the camera recorded. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/80 sec @ f /10.

26 Jan 18 If you can remember the several images I shared on the Mt Baker trip several days back, this image belongs in that set. Walking back to the SUV from a different direction from which I had left it, and I suppose in part because of constantly shifting light patterns, I noticed something directly under the vehicle and behind the tires I hadn't noticed prior. Not sure what I was seeing, I knelt down and saw this I have no idea what kind of ice this is, but it was in patches in the vicinity of where I had parked and receiving some amount of sunlight so I decided to capture it to share. My first impression upon looking closely at it was that it resembled shag carpet or bleached AstroTurf. Stepping on it crushed it but didn't appear to alter it further. Some of you may be familiar with this stuff but for me it was a first. This is what the camera recorded. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 800; 1/3200 sec @ f / 8.

29 Jan 18 Without a doubt all of you studied the expedition of Lewis & Clark at some point in your educational experience if you reside in the U.S. Depending on which state you grew up in the amount of time devoted to their travels likely varied. For those of us in WA & OR there was considerable time devoted to it. Some of it was quite interesting, some not so much so. But if it was of interest you can "minimally" relive their adventure by traveling the Lewis & Clark Trail. In our neck of the woods you would do it by visiting the northern edge of OR and following the Lewis & Clark Trail off Interstate 84. IF you happen to be a photographer the photographic opportunities abound along the entire route but here on the south bank of the Columbia River, roughly 100 miles east of where the Columbia dumps into the Pacific Ocean the locale is rich in waterfalls, in fact, over a hundred in roughly a 50 mile radius. If waterfalls are your passion, this is the place to be. The site of today's submission is an interpretative trail adjacent to Bridal Veil Falls (one of 5 falls in the U.S. with the same name), as well as one of five falls on a 3 mile side road. This view is of the Columbia River about 100 miles east of where it joins the Pacific Ocean creating one of the most dangerous waterways in the world. Beneath the confluence of the Columbia and Pacific lie several hundred vessels. I've crossed it twice and both times it was a most memorable experience. I took Jan there once to show her how extraordinarily rough it is and on the day we visited it was as flat as a sheet of glass. She thought I was nuts. Maybe it was because it was Mother's Day. Other than a little straightening this is what the camera saw. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/540 sec @ f /10.

30 Jan 18 After you take your shots of the Columbia, you continue walking around the interpretive loop to the other end of the parking lot and take the trail at that end for about a half mile walk all downhill - just one way - until you reach a nice little "stream" over which there is a foot bridge. At the other end of the foot bridge you can turn left and go further downhill to an area where, if you are a photographer, you will likely desire to spend some significant amount of time. Or, you can turn right and walk uphill about 300 feet to see Bridal Veil Falls. This a two tiered falls and not all that high (in the photo the road is immediately above the upper white area) but having a beauty all its own. Depending on the location from which you take your shot, it presents several different looks. Today's shot is taken roughly half way up between the foot bridge and the falls. Obviously you aren't limited to just one option, but on the day we visited the weather strongly suggested we spend "our" time just working with the falls. This is basically what the camera saw. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 80; 1/2 sec @ f /22 on a tripod to get the cottony look.

31 Jan 18 Charles bridge this, Charles Bridge that, Charles Bridge blah, blah, blah. So why so much stuff wrt Charles Bridge. As I think I've mentioned a couple of times, at least according to all our tour guides, Charles the IV is the all time favorite king of the Czech Republic. Charles was born on 14 May 1316 and lived until 29 November 1378, a pretty long life for that era. His birth name was Wenceslaus so he had to have been a good king. Good thing too or we would be shy one Christmas song. He was a king of what was then Bohemia as well as the first Bohemian King to become the Holy Roman Emperor. Not a bad career path when you think about it. Prominently displayed at the east end of the Charles Bridge is a large statue of him that I thought I should share. It is almost constantly surrounded by tourists, or at least it was so when we visited. I tried for several minutes to get a clean shot of it but the best I ever could do was get a shot with just one pesky tourist who just wouldn't get out of the way. This is almost what the camera saw save for the sky which I had to replace, as a basically white sky sitting at the top of the shot was just too distracting. Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/125 sec @ f /10.

15 Jun 18 Got some great news Thursday from another member of our church that he was skilled with Mailchimp so with a bit of luck I should have the mail situation under control for next week's mailings. Let's hope! Today's image is more along the close up than macro type but I think it conveys the same idea. The photo club in which I participate (I'm VP, pres elect) is more of a social club than a competitive one and places emphasis on training and field trips rather than on score keeping. I would enjoy a bit more of the competitive stuff but that isn't going to happen. I could always join any number of other clubs focusing on competition but that would mean more commitment and I think I'm committed out so I'll just accept things as they are. At least once a month this club holds a Tech Tuesday in which one member with expertise in an area hosts a get together to go over some aspect of photography. A few days back the topic was shooting birds from a blind. I participated but never got into the blind, electing instead to shoot from basically behind the blind. Worked out rather well as the techniques, excepting the camouflage, were the same. The subjects were to be birds but we had very few participants with just a couple of humming birds showing up along with a few finches and one Pileated Woodpecker. Now we have a family of them living on the property along with three other kinds of woodpeckers, but our feeders are situated such that getting usable portraits of them is almost impossible. So I was delighted to have the one subject pose for us for the better part of an hour. This is one of the shots I got that night of the critter having a bit of suet. In the original capture the other half of the chain holding the feeder was in front of the bird's bill, so I had to remove it but otherwise this is a straight shot. In addition to the chain removal I've given the image a wee bit of contrast enhancement but that's it. Nikon D500; 150 - 300; Aperture priority; ISO 1000; 1/500 sec @ f /11 on a tripod.