midnight fog

midnight fog, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

Another after work shot of Science World...I noticed it was foggy just as I was pulling out of National Yard so I thought why not. A few different possibilities but it was cold and the metal on the camera and tripod just about gave me frostbite. Or at least it felt like it in the end. As often as I come by and take photos I find the different weather and light conditions to provide an interesting variety of shots.

Eastside morning

good morning, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

I wanted to try a sunrise/sunset shot from this vantage point and I am not too keen on it. It is tougher to shoot when it is towards the sun. Seems like my more successful shots are when it is opposite the sun or away from it. Or maybe it's the foreground that isn't suitable. But this vantage point has been good when there are lots of clouds on an cloudy day and not at sunrise/sunset.

Vancouver Idle No More

20130102-Vancouver_IdleNoMore_DSC3347, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

Another protest...seems like everybody is including me. Tried my hand at portraiture on the street so to speak. Lots more practice...mostly to get over the feeling of intruding in someone else's space and take a good photo!

at Kits Beach on a foggy New Year's day

Kits Beach on a foggy New Year's day, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

I was trying to get to the Polar Bear swim but with so many people couldn't find a parking spot so I went to my usual shooting location at Kits Beach. Cold at freezing temperature but there were a lot of people walking around. Great day to start the new year.

2012 Work

2012 a video by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

Just thought I'd pick my favorites for 2012. Should have done this before but never been organized enough. Fits well in a slideshow which I am having fun creating.,.now if I can just get it down to a reasonable size for those with slow connections...

Vancouver Eastside Spin

Vancouver Eastside a video by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

My first post out of many tries to produce a slideshow in movie format. Not as easy as I first thought as converting formats from mpeg to avi was quite a challenge. Also finding background music (royalty free) that would have rights infringement was and still is a big problem. Oh well it was fun...

Sunset Beach long exposure

Sunset Beach 1, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

Been a while and I'm a little rusty and I need to get this technique down pat so I can take photos of interesting spots around the Vancouver Mainland area. This was an 8 minute exposure and I liked it better than the shorter exposures that I tried.

discovery

2, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

So I took a quick look down the path, and walked down a little bit. And a little bit more and eventually ended up at the beach. Didn't quite look like I thought it would look like but there's possibilities worth coming back for. However coming back and staying until dark might not be too much fun. Have to bring the flashlight to find my way in the dark.

soccer warmup

4, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

Another chance to shoot a few just before the soccer game. Remembered to use the intensifier and polarizer this time and the results are so obvious. Less reflection, more intense colour and a more solid feel to the image. I like it so much better.

Jericho - old camera, old location, new vision

Jericho, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

Going back to the old photos I realized again that although the Nikon D100 was my first and Nikon's first DSLR that it was an excellent camera so I took it out for a few shoots. This was a spur of the moment stop as I was driving by and I realized just how interesting a location it could be and with a new found vision more interesting images to make.

path to Elowah Falls

1, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

Path to a pro workflow as well...somewhere along the line I forgot to create the best image possible by not figuring out a set workflow. In the end it wasn't that complex but it still took a while to think it out. Basically it starts by using Nikon Capture NX2 to create a tif version with only WB and exposure adjustments. The rest of the post processing is then done in Lightroom from which a jpg version is created. The use of Lightroom required some organization thinking and the result was a Lightroom catalog by year. The jpg images were then resized and copyright information added in ACDSee Pro.

jb photoshoot

jb, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

It's been a while since I did a strobist photoshoot and so I was a bit nervous. After a couple of shots though it was obvious that it was going to be an easy shoot. Until I tried a natural light shot which I also did the other day. I failed to realize that the overall light was not as bright which was why I was getting such a range of exposures. Surprisingly those shots cam out ok as well.

Kits in the fall

4, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

Took a walk along the beach with Yolly and after our walk took some quick photos. I was quick and got setup fast so I guess I am getting better at this. Forgot to set the WB though...have to remember to check the settings before I start shooting. Not an overly dramatic sunset but I liked the quiet sky colours on this shoot. Aside from adjusting shadows and highlights pretty much all there was in PP. Or maybe I ran some tonal contrast...

twilight time

I almost, always pack up my gear once the sun goes down forgetting that some of the best images can be captured when the sun is below the horizon. The combination of ambient and artificial light can make for some interesting images.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Spanish Banks sunset

Spanish Banks, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

I am lost. I don't know what I'm doing here. Mind you it was one of those improvise days. I forgot the 17-35mm lens and had to do with a 20mm. That needed a 62mm-77mm stepup ring. Then I stuck a Vari-ND filter and the GND filter setup. That had a lot of vignetting which I had to crop out during post processing. I also added some more post processing and while it may look Ok I find it to have that overprocessed look that I dislike.

shooting Lynn Canyon

Lynn Canyon, a photo by SlowManLuis2011 on Flickr.

I have been here a few times and getting good compositions have always been a problem. The colourless rocks just do not make for interesting images. But difficult conditions lead to great learning experiences. It finally came to me that I had to minimize the rocks in the photos and introduce more colours into the overall composition.Now have to go back and do thisagain.

an old family friend

we were huddled in the garage, waiting for the rain to ease up and this image magically appears...an old family friend.

Sent from my iPhone

useful things

The 24-70mm lens is a bit heavy specially with the battery grip added but after using it this morning have chosen it as the lens of choice for walking around. The raincoats (all of 80cents) was a lifesaver at the Great Wall. It kept us fairly dry and the sandals was solid as I didn't slip at all while going up and down the wall ( once ;D ) and getting it wet was not a worry.

Sent from my iPhone

right/correct lens

I walked around with the 17-35mm lens to Tsiannamen Square and though it worked with a few of the wide shots for the most part I didn't like the results. Shooting too close which was most of the time resulted in distortion I didn't like. The 50mm might have been a slightly better choice and using narrow dof could create some interesting
compositions but would have limited use for when there wasn't enough space to back up. The 24-70mm would have been the best choice although a bit heavy. Should have left the dead weight tripod.

Sent from my iPhone

Intramuros

Went with Hans to Intramuros which turned out to be a different location from where I expected to go. Nice shooting, kind of hot, but it turned out quite good after I went to the 50mm f1.4. What a terrific little, lightweight lens.