The September 2010 Free Desktop Wallpaper is now available for download. On my recent trip to Cape Breton Highlands National Park, it was really hard not to think panoramic with such wide amazing seascapes. Keeping it simple is the real challenge, and this image was one I felt captured the essence of the ocean and dramatic atmospherics that occurred on almost every morning and evening.
As always, thanks for your support and come closer to nature in Nova Scotia..
I’m currently in the middle of a two week trip on the coast of Maine, but have not been able to do much processing due to lack of electricity at the campsites I’ve been staying at. Here is the first of many images from the trip captured at Quoddy Head State Park, the eastern most coastline on the US.
In addition to photography, I also shot HD video on my recent trip to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia with the intent of combining the video and stills into a short film. I shot video with my hacked Panasonic GH1, the stock 14-140mm lens and a Canon FD 20mm lens. The hack enables much higher bit rates than the factory firmware, which results in much more detailed video, cleaner shadows, and better files for post editing.
DSLR’s cameras that shoot video have opened a whole new world for those who want to explore new creative possibilities, and I really enjoy the challenge and rewards of experimenting and finding new ways to convey a story. I’m learning a great deal each time I work on these projects, and have a bunch more planned for the near future. In addition, my commercial clients are excited about the new possibilities it brings to communicate their message in the digital age. Enjoy this short film, and as always, please feel free to leave feedback and/or leave any questions.
Tech Notes
I shot this film at 1280×720/ 30 fps (Motion JPEG) and the slow motion shots were 60 fps (AVCHD). Both were converted to 24 fps using Apple Compressor. I edited in Final Cut Pro and color graded using Magic Bullet Looks (an incredible plugin). All filming was done on a tripod, and I used a Zoom H4N for field audio.
Canon 1DS Mk III, 25sec @f/11, ISO 100, 24mm (24-105 f/4 L IS)
I visited this location four times during my trip to Cape Breton Highlands National Park, three times during sunrise, and once during sunset to shoot some video. The first two times were unsuccessful since there was never a sunrise, but I decided to try once again on the day I was leaving – I’m glad I did. The weather was very active to say the least, with fast moving cloud formations, wind, and extremely variable light – the perfect opportunity to play with long exposure once again. I made many images, but here are two that are similar, so I decided to see what a black and white conversion would feel like.
Canon 1DS Mk III, 3 min @f/14, ISO 100, 24mm (24-105 f/4 L IS)
Removing the color creates a totally different mood, and I really like how the tonalities create areas of interest and lead the eye from foreground to the sky in a circular fashion. Again it all depends on what you want to convey with an image, so in time I will have to decide which of the two really captures my feelings about the scene.
CREATIVE NOTES:
Both of these were processed in Lightroom 3 only, with little or no noise reduction since I used ISO 100 for both. I added a slight warming tone to the highlights of the black and white, and some minor dodging to the waves in the foreground. On both of these images I used a Singh-Ray 0.3 soft graduated ND filter to bring down the highlights in the clouds, adding drama and intensity to the scene (the way I felt while shooting). Lately I have been using these filters more and more to cut down post processing time and capture an image that is closer to a final version.
Canon 1Ds Mk III, 4 min @f/16, ISO 100, 19mm (17-40mm f/4 L)
Having scouted this beach the day before, I was up at 4am to get to this spot before sunrise. Noticing there was probably not going to be much color given the clouds on the horizon, I decided to work with long exposures and the strong blue color of twilight. It took some time to work out a composition that was pleasing to me given all of the rocks along the shore. I am always looking for simplicity, and I struggled quite a bit to come to terms with the the patterns here. But I just couldn’t get away from the beautiful rhythm these rocks create and how the balance the sky so well moving from left to right. Telling a story is the point of it all, and I was in awe of how these rocks were formed over millions of years and how they are constantly shaped by the forces of the sea.
CREATIVE NOTES:
For this image, I used my 6 stop ND filter to cut down the light significantly and allow me to use a 4 minute exposure. This enhances the blue color as well as create a more surreal effect with the water and rocks – nothing new but I still love the effect! Using an ND filter this strong can be tricky since I can barely see what I’m looking at once it’s on, so I set up the composition and exposure beforehand, then put the filter on and calculate the new exposure based on reducing the light 6 stops. For example, at f/16 the exposure was 4 sec, but once I add the 6 stop filter, the exposure becomes 240 sec, or 4 mintes. Calculating exposures in the field is critical for this type of work, but the calculator in my iphone works great, and there are also iphone apps (Photo Buddy) that will calculate this as well.
So far I am in awe of this place, so much to experience and photograph, it is a paradise for nature lovers and photographers. I have been spending 14 hours plus in the field scouting, hiking, and trying yo get a feel for the area. It is beautiful and the scenery is very enjoyable, but [...]
