monochrome monday

City’s just a jungle; more games to play

Trapped in the heart of it, tryin' to get away

I was raised in the country, 

I been workin’ in the town

I been in trouble ever since I set my suitcase down

~ Bob Dylan

I don't typically take pictures of cars. Mostly, because I don't know how

to get a good shot of one.

But, this car.

It was a beauty.

Confirmed by the fact that everyone that walked by it - stopped. 

Walked around it.

And, pulled out their mobile devices to take a shot.

Including us.

I was initially captured by the interesting reflections.

There is even a little selfie in there.

I have no tips to provide on capturing this kind of subject.

I would gladly welcome any thoughts about shooting cars,

and more specifically, reflections on cars.

Keep shooting!

Stay out of trouble...unless it gets you the shot!

Fuji XT1 ISO 640 1/100 f/5.6 XF18-155mm (67mm EFL)

a rainy night

Your problem is to bridge the gap which exists 

between where you are now and the goal you intend to reach.

~ Earl Nightingale

Remember my comments recently about microfiber cloths being your BFF?

I forgot them on this night.

You can see the little rain spots on the image.

I kinda liked the mood and texture the rain spots added, but...

...it wasn't what I had intended.

Fuji XT1 ISO 200 f/11 14 sec XF18-55mm (42mm EFL)

pinhole

When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.

~ Alfred Eisenstaedt

My first images with my DIY pinhole camera!!

Too fun!!

The nature of the images with a pinhole camera are to be soft. 

I think with a professionally tooled pinhole you can gain better focus.

The DIY pinhole has a greater chance of rough edges that can lead

to diffraction and increased softness.

I turned my DSLR into a pinhole camera by modifying the body cap.

Very easy. The most advanced tool you need is a drill with a 1/4inch bit.

I plan to revise my making method to improve the focus/softness.

I am really pleased with my first attempt to make one! :)

See here for making tips:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pinhole-Lens-for-Your-SLR-Camera

http://www.diyphotography.net/the-comprehensive-tech-guide-to-pinhole-photography/

http://photo.net/pinhole/pinhole

I took these shots "blind" in that the light was low and I had

to aim and shoot and hope I got the subject framed as I wanted.

Not too bad.

The fix to this is to take my 50mm lens (the approximate focal length of the pinhole body cap),

and "preview" the image then switch to the body cap.

Especially in low light, you can't escape a long exposure with a pinhole camera.

A tripod and remote release device are must haves.

I guesstimated the exposure time. But with a real lens I can make an image and then

calculate the time to get an equivalent exposure with the pinhole.

See here for exposure information:

http://www.pinhole.cz/en/pinholecameras/exposure_01.html

More links:

http://www.pinhole.cz/en/links.html

http://pinholeday.org/support/?pid=faq

Canon 6D ISO 400 f/125 - f/185 appx. 45" - 1'  Pinhole body cap (EFL ~50mm)

autumn redux

I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine 

by staying in the house. 

So I have spent almost all the daylight hours 

in the open air. 

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

How about a 'Throw back Thursday' post on this rainy January day?!

I love photographing the St. John's bridge in Portland, OR. 

It is iconic.

Every fall I seek out a venue from Cathedral Park 
that showcases the bridge framed by fall leaves.

This image is from an afternoon of leaf peeping on my birthday in October 2015. 

I was in a different part of the park than prior years.

I think it pays to revisit the same area more than once.
I will go to this park several times every autumn just
to watch the leaves change and fall over time.
That's always a thrill for this dyed in the wool autumn girl!

More practically, you learn which perspectives work, and which ones don't.

After all these years, I was delighted to find a fresh point of view.

FujiXT1 ISO 640 f/8.0 1/100sec XF18-135mm (112mm EFL)

night notes

Most glorious night!

Thou wert not sent for slumber!

~ Lord Byron

I will never, ever tire of this view.

Night photography. Of the city. Down by the river.

Will. Never. Tire.

This particular night it was raining. 

I just can't seem to escape the rain these days...but that's another story.

I quickly took a few shots before the men on the dock moved out of the frame.

I think they were enjoying the view, too!

A few thoughts regarding night photography:

A tripod is a must for night shots.
You can never go wrong by using a tripod at any time of day.

A wired/remote shutter release is also a must.

A flashlight or other light source is helpful to see dials/settings. 

If you use the flash light mode in a mobile phone, make sure it is fully charged (don't ask how I know that!).

Pop an extra battery into your pocket.
If you use live view it eats up your battery life.
So do the long exposures, especially if you use long exposure noise reduction.
If a spare battery is in your pocket, you have easy access to it.
Change your battery at the first indication it is low in the camera.
You don't want it to poop out during a long exposure.

Microfiber cloths are your BFF, especially in the drizzle. Not only do lenses get wet,

but so do glasses!! And then all bets are off if you can't see to check your focus, etc.!

If it's dusk, an ND filter may prove useful to achieve long enough shutter speeds.

Another trick is to use multiple exposures at faster shutter speeds to get the silken water effect.

Dress warmly...it can get chilly when the sun goes down, even in summer. 

As always...just have fun!

In the end it doesn't matter if you get the shot or not if you enjoyed the process!

FujiXT1 ISO 200 f/11 6 sec  XF35mm (53mm EFL)