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Ohanapecosh
I have returned from a long weekend with the family at the Ohanapecosh Campground. It was a bit crowded and overrun with RV's, but the view from our campsite was breathtaking.
Ohanapecosh River, Mount Rainier National Park. Nikon D700, 17-35mm, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo. Single exposure. No Photoshop magic.
I had precious little time to shoot during this trip.
In the early morning, I waited for sunlight to hit the sweet spot in the canyon next to our tent. A Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer helped to capture the vivid blue of the Ohanapecosh River. The water really is that color! A 2-stop ND Grad controlled the sunlight filtering through the forest, balancing the scene nicely. Photoshop work was limited to simple curves adjustments, a slight boost in contrast, and sharpening.
...and yes, there are trout in there. I caught many on my Steffen 8' 3/4. And yes, there was scotch.
Up Close and Personal
I have a complete lack of fear for snakes. This is terrific, because I can pick them up and charge at friends wielding the source of their night terrors. They love it. The other benefit of it is that I can employ one of my favorite macro techniques: get close to your subject.
Several dozen frames lead up to this shot as I slowly moved in closer. With a working distance inside of twelve inches, I was able to fill my frame with an intimate portrait of my subject. Eventually, the sun creeped along in the sky and the snake slithered off to find another place to warm itself.
Garter Snake. Nikon D90 & Sigma 150mm Macro Lens. Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo Polarizer.
Simply amazing! The Panasonic DMC-TS1 comes home.
Today, I returned to Twin Falls to search for my poor little Panasonic camera, lost in the Snoqualmie River now for an entire week.
There was NO way I was going to give up this camera. Not to the river. Not like this.
The flow rate was down to 200 cubic feet per second and the water was crystal clear. After wading around in 45F snow-melt runoff without my waders, I came up empty-handed... and cold. I gave up for a while to do some fly fishing. A short while later I became frustrated and searched again where I was certain the camera should be... and there it was, sandwhiched between two rocks!
The cheap "pleather" cellphone case that i'd been using did look happy and was caked with gritty sand. I thought about the camera's lens and cringed. To my surprise, there was no visible damage to the exterior! After rinsing away sand and wiping down the camera, I nervously opened the battery door. Not a drop of water inside. I resealed the battery compartment and hit the power button. The camera came to life! The contents of the memory card were intact. Everything was in perfect working order.
Seven days spent submerged in three feet of fast moving water, and this tough, little camera refused to give in! Way to go, Panasonic! You certainly exceeded my expectations with the TS1.
Alpine flowers, Mt. Rainier. Panasonic DMC-TS1
Doh! Camera meets Snoqualmie River
I took the family to the south fork of the Snoqualmie River today. The DMC-TS1 camera came along, but did NOT make the journey home. While ferrying one of my girls across the river, I lost the camera in the rapids. After everyone had crossed safely, I spent the better part of an hour looking for it. I gave up when the youngest started yelling "I have to poop... NOW!". Well, what can I say? If you find a Panasonic DMC-TS1 somewhere around Twin Falls then drop me an email. I'll be back next weekend to search again.
Rain, rain, rain...
...but it draws out a number of interesting subjects living within the temperate rainforests of my home in the Pacific Northwest. During these cool and wet months of Spring, I have created many close-up images with my 150mm macro lens and Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo. You can view more of my images and the stories behind them at the Singh-Ray Blog.
Nikon D90 & Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo
Trillium signify the return of spring... I hope!
I've been using my Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo for close-up work a lot lately, and I like the results. I shot this trillium during a rain shower and its petals and leaves were shiny and slick with water. I used the LB ColorCombo polarizer to remove glare while also adding an extra punch of color.
Nikon D90 & Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro shot "wide open", Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo
Rugged, waterproof cameras. Who will capture the market?
Fly fishing and photography go hand-in-hand. As I've mentioned before, I have no desire to drop my D700 into a fast moving freestone river. Kindered spirit (ie witty and sarcastic s.o.b) Tom Chandler wrote
on his blog, The Trout Underground, about the Pentax Opt
io W-series camera he shoots while fly fishing. No doubt, the market demand for rugged, waterproof cameras is increasing. Those who enjoy outdoor activities want to capture memories and create images without fear of damaging expens
ive camera equipment. I'm on board with that and anticipate great things as the market responds. I've selected the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 as my camera of choice when fly fishing. The DMC-TS2 has been released since that time, increas
ing waterproof capability up to 33 feet (10m), shockproof up to 10 feet (2m), freezeproof to 14F (-10C) and dustproof. Wow!
A very fond Thank You to Juza of Juza Nature Photography
This morning, like the morning before, I reported to my county courthouse for juty duty. Here I would sit, for two days. And I can say, without doubt, that I consumed the worst cheeseburger on the face of planet Earth. It was horrible. Luckily, I had a nice surprise while checking e-mail. It turns out that one of my photographs, Air Stagnation Warning, won 3rd place for Photos of the Year 2009. I am honored to have my photo selected. All of the selected photos were top notch and demonstrate incredible talent. Congratulations to all who had their photos selected! If you are not familar with Juza, his work, or the online community which he has created, have a look at www.juzaphoto.com (English and Italian).
Nikon D700 & nikkor 24mm f/2.8, 1/20s @ f/11, ISO 1600, handheld
Snoqualmie Falls Becomes Icy Wonderland
For those brave enough to face the cold (come on, anything above 0 isn't really cold) Snoqualmie Falls was quite a sight. Of course, the waterfall hasn't frozen, but the spray has filled the entire spill pool with wicked ice and frost. The weather is warming already and the scene is fading quickly. Changes are, most of the ice will be gone by tomorrow. It's the fist time i've seen anything like it since moving to Washington in 2003. I was told by a 25 year resident that he's never seen anything quite like it. Go see it before it's too late. Watch your step!
Nikon D90 & 17-35mm f/2.8, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo & 5-Stop ND Filter
Nikon D90 & 17-35mm f/2.8, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo & 5-Stop ND Filter
Unexpected Visitor
An unexpected visitor hitched a ride on a head of lettuce in our CSA produce box. With the temperature outside hovering around 25F, we've decided to keep the hitchhiker inside for a while.
2009 Microsoft Giving Campaign
Thank you, to all who purchased prints auctioned during the 2009 Microsoft Giving Campaign. Your generous donations helped to raise the $274,039 collected for the United Way before matching contributions from Microsoft! Thank you, so very much.
One last hike at Chinook Pass
Fall colors are fading rapidly in the higher elevations with winter fast approaching. Near freezing temperatures and clear, blue skies made for excellent hiking conditions at the Chinook Pass entry to the Pacific Crest Trail. A very large landslide near Naches kept the majority of visitors from reaching Lake Tipsoo. I wouldn't know just how bad it was until I made the drive back to Redmond.
Upper Lake Tipsoo, RNP. October, 2009
Nikon D700, 17-35mm f/2.8, Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer + 2 Stop Soft ND Grad
Fall hike at Paradise
Fall has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. As I write this, Seattle is receiving significant rainfall for the first time in months. Autumn frees the mountains from tourism. Wildflowers begin to fade and the threat of incliment weather increases.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 05 2009
... A COOL AND WET LABOR DAY WEEKEND IS EXPECTED ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON WITH POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS...
Excellent!
Paradise River
Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington
Nikon D90, 17-35mm f/2.8, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo
Fly fishing with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 solves a problem I've had for quite some time. When I'm fly fishing, I do like to have a camera handy. However, I am not wild about the idea of dropping an expensive piece of gear into a river. Or... am I?
Trout
Sno????? River, Washington
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1
Catch and Release
Sno????? River, Washington
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1
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