Bandon Sunset

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Face Rock State Park, Bandon, Oregon Coast

Canon EOS Digital Rebel, 17-40 f/4L, aperture: f/5.6, shutter: 1.3 sec, ISO 100, Exposure bias: -0.7, filter: 2-stop soft edge graduated ND, tripod: yes, cable release: yes

As mentioned in an earlier post, Bandon is one of the most photographed venues on the Oregon Coast.  We use to live about an hours drive from this quaint coast town so made frequent trips for the clam chowder and quiche at Two Loons Cafe, walks on the beach, and of course, photography.  Because Bandon is a frequent subject for photographers, don’t think that it’s the only great photo point on the coast.  There are hundreds of great spots to explore and photograph, many of them very remote, like Blacklock Point, about a 30 minute drive south of Bandon.  The point is accessed by hiking a 2 mile trail through ‘old growth’ rhododendrons, that are just amazing during the flowering season.  I’ll share photos of Blacklock and other scenic spots later.

As for this photo, I set the camera on a tripod and used a remote shutter release… as expected for shooting a sunset, right?  To get the ghost image effect I zoomed the lens during the 1.3 second exposure.  I took several, maybe dozens, of photos zooming, panning and normal (without zooming or panning), but liked this one the best.

The image was processed in Lightroom.  Vibrance, clarity and saturation were all increased.  Sharpening was locally applied with the masking tool.

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Climber in the Landscape, Mount Shasta, California

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Ken Cannon

West Face Camp, Mount Shasta, California

Canon EOS Digital Rebel, ISO: 100, Aperture: f/22, shutter speed, 1/60 sec, exposure bias: -1

Mount Shasta is a big mountain, second only to Mount Rainier in elevation in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest.  Conveying size and grandeur in a photograph can sometimes be a challenge.  A mountain may be huge, but to convey scale something of known size needs to be included in the photograph.  In this photo, a climber and tent are included in the lower right corner to help convey that sense of size.  Without those elements the viewer would have no idea of the scale of this mountain.

Three interesting lighting elements lead the viewer’s eye to the climber’s camp.  One of those is the light beam (or starburst) aimed right at the climber.  That beam of light is created by using a small aperture, in this case f/22, and aiming the lens at the edge of the sun.  Light on two ridge lines complete the trio of light converging on the climber, to help relate the size of this giant mountain.

The photographs were captured in early May on a climb of the West Face Route.  This part of the mountain offers outstanding climbing and backcountry skiing… and great photo ops.

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Backyard Wildlife

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Ruby throated hummingbird

Canon 30D, 70-200 f/4L
Settings: ISO: 800, aperture: f/4, shutter: 1/320 sec

Backyards offer a great place to hone your wildlife shooting skills.  A viewing blind can be easily set up and moved around as the need may be. Many great shots can be captured from the comfort of a lawn chair, as was the case with this ruby throated hummingbird feeding on a fuchsia blossom.

For shots like this I’m in aperture priority at f/4, wide open for this lens.  f/4 does a nice job blurring the background and allows the fastest shutter speed for any given ISO.  To freeze, or in this case partially freeze, the wings of the hummer I had to crank up the ISO to 800 to get to a 1/320 second shutter speed.

Photos were processed using Lightroom 3.  Both images were cropped slightly.  Luminance was adjusted with the target adjustment tool and a slight vignetting was applied to the corners.  Sharpening was locally applied using the masking tool.

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Painted Hills, Oregon

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Canon Digital Rebel, ISO 100, f/11, 1/100 sec, circular polarizer filter

Painted Hills, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon

The Painted Hills is a favorite place to go in the spring.  Wildflowers are at their peak and afternoon thunder storms add drama to normally clear skies.  Colored soils bring a surreal element to photographs.

Less is more, as they say.  Landscapes can be busy with details…or not.  Simplicity will often make a more compelling image than one filled with details and distractions.  While walking one of the boardwalks in the monument this simple layered pattern in the landscape grabbed my attention.

More information on the monument can be found here:

http://www.nps.gov/joda/index.htm

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Oregon Coast near Bandon

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Canon 30D, 70-200 f/4L
ISO: 100, shutter: 4 seconds

Bandon is one of the most photographed landscapes on the Oregon Coast.  Little wonder since beautiful ocean vistas are just outside the hotel room window.  This photograph was literally taken from our hotel balcony during a foggy early morning shoot.  I’ll have to say working from a hotel room is not my usual venue but it’s hard to beat the comfort and convenience of freshly brewed coffee literally steps away and working in your pajamas!

The flowing patterns in the water, the most compelling part of the image, were captured with a 4 second exposure.  The fog adds a great mysterious feel to the scene.

Most of the sea stacks on the  Oregon Coast are a part of the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex.  The refuges offer sanctuary to marine life including scores of nesting seabirds.  To protect the wildlife most of the rocks and reefs are closed to public entry year around.  More information on the refuges and best viewing areas can be found here:

http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/

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Pond Lily, Salem, Oregon

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Canon 30D, Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro
HDR- ISO 100, aperture priority:  f/7.1, multiple exposures with varying shutter speeds, processed in Photomatix Pro and Lightroom 3

Three exposures were used to create this HDR image of a pond lily.  I tried several different aperture settings to increase and decrease the depth of field but settled on f/7.1,  since that setting rendered the background slightly out of focus.  This strategy leads the viewer’s eye to the blossom, the main subject.  The exposures were recorded using the camera’s auto exposure bracket feature.  AEB is great for taking multiple exposures in quick succession for creating an HDR image like this one.  Shutter speeds were: 1/13, 1/125, 1/50.

The three exposures were combined and processed in Photomatix Pro and imported into Lightroom.  Once in Lightroom, colors were desaturated slightly and sharpening was locally applied using the masking tool.

Thanks for visiting today.

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Astoria, Oregon

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Cannery Pier Hotel, Astoria, Oregon

Canon 30D, 17-40 f/4L  settings: 1.6 sec at f/8, iso 100, processed with Lightroom 3

Without a doubt, the Cannery Pier Hotel is the place to stay in Astoria.  Although there are many other hotels and B&Bs in town that offer great accommodations, many of them with fabulous river views.  Being greeted at the front desk with a complimentary glass of chardonnay and plate of assorted cheeses does push this hotel to the top of the best places to stay list.

This photograph was made during the early morning hours just as the sun was peeking through the heavy overcast.  Lighting is everything, as they say.  In this case, the ambient light brought life to the sky by adding color and texture to the clouds.   The hotel lighting really makes this photo by adding shadow detail and color to the building, plus nice reflections in the waters of the Columbia River.

Clarity, vibrance and saturation were added during post processing.  A graduated filter was applied to the sky and sharpening was locally applied to the hotel and piling.

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Bird in flight, Astoria, Oregon

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Canon 30D, 70-200 f/4L, camera settings: 1/1000 sec, f/4, iso 400, back button focus, al servo

Shooting birds in flight is challenging.  Locking on a sharp focus of a moving subject takes practice and patience.  Using back button focus, al servo mode and panning to follow the action will help acheive a good photograph.  Using a fast shutter speed is important too, if your goal is to freeze action.  Bumping up the iso setting and leaving the lens wide open will help maintain a fast shutter speed.  To get the desired depth of field, I do most of my shooting in aperture priority and adjust the shutter speed with the iso setting.  Good camera technique is important, but the light that falls on your subject is the real key to a successful photo.  In this shot the gull was flying into the morning sun… note the shadow cast by the bird’s bill, indicating angle of light is low. The warm light on the leading edge of the wing, the dab of catch light in the eye (click on image to see the catch light) and detail and color tones of the feathers all help to make this a nice capture.

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Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Canon 30D, lens: Canon 18-55 f/3.5-5.6, manual mode- set to f/4.5, exposure 2 minutes, ISO 100, with R72 infrared filter and tripod, processed with Photoshop CS2

The R72 filter provides an inexpensive way to explore infrared photography… no camera conversion is required, just a filter.  Exposures are always long so a tripod is needed.  The long exposures render a nice ‘fog’ effect with water.  Green tones turn white giving the impression of snow.  This photo was taken mid-day during the summer at a nice secluded beach in the Pacific Rim National Park.

More on infrared photography: http://dpfwiw.com/ir.htm

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Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Ken Cannon

Sunset, Pacific Rim National Park

Canon 30D, 17-40 f/4L, settings: f/22 at 0.6 sec, iso 100, lens set to 17mm, 2X soft edge neutral density filter

Pacific Rim National Park is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, about a 5 hour drive from Victoria.  Camping is available in the park and B&Bs can be found in the nearby towns of Tofino and Ecluelet.  Reservations are highly recommended since accommodations are limited.  This area is rich in scenic beauty and cultural heritage.  Photo ops abound here, so bring plenty of memory cards.  During summer months plan to take a zodiac whale watching, humpbacks are common sightings.

http://www.britishcolumbia.com/parks/?id=404

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