When Is Enough "Enough"

I'm the first to admit that I could be a MegaPixel (MP) hoarder. In other words, while many of us started with 7 or 10 or 11 MP digital cameras - the "Swan Song" to call even more cash out of our wallets now-a-days is stronger than ever given the industry race to beyond 24, 42, 50 some-odd and recently - even whopping 61 MP full frame sensor (gee - thanks Sony. Not.). So - when is enough enough? Are my 42 MP A7RII or is the 20MP E-M1 MK II "enough"?

That question bugs me, more so as I'm a bit of a contrarian by nature so I've been playing with some what many consider low resolution "flying toys".

Yes, drones. Those silly cameras that fly. While all my "real drones" include exceptional sensors, MP counts, RAW files and cinematic effects (and also "exceptional price tags") and I have a bunch of those that require FAA registration but, how about a "toy" that falls well under those regulatory weights and for that - can be stuffed into a camera bag and can be flown virtually anywhere given their "toy" status? So, what happens when we take and gently process images from those sensors?

Well, here is the answer (for me anyway).  This is from a 2 (yes "two") MP camera attached to a 7.7oz/220gram "toy drone" delivering a less than stellar native 1920x1080 JPG image @ 72 DPI. But - I'm actually intrigued how it handled the early morning haze & colors in an early AM test flight today and scaled to "social media" size? Well, you be the judge - just don't be looking for "shadow or small details" ;). Frankly, it reminds me of the slide film (Velvia) images I was processing & posting to our Arcanum cohort.

So, I guess I'm of the opinion that it's not how many MPs any camera has - but rather - what we choose to do with those limited pixels we've got. In this case - it was a "toy" - and I have to admit - I enjoyed shooting it as much as my "real" cameras and drones - maybe more so? ;)

For Mom

This one is for my Mom - who is a professional artist. She will always be a professional artist, whether she has a paintbrush in her hand or not. During her "hey day", she had galleries throughout the USA - New York, Boston, Maine, Florida - oh snap - I don't really know - as my Mom was and is just "Mom". But back then - she always cheered me on in photography - and she was always keen on color, composition, light and textures. 

And today - she still cheers me on.

Anyway - this is a single image from a Sony A7R II with the Sony/Zeiss  16-35mm f/4 lens taken a few days ago in North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

In this image - I wanted to focus on color complementary hues/tones, and set an image which was balanced both visually and dynamically. The processing, I did last night while being stranded at the airport - and, well - I "kind'a got into it" - pushing some of my boundaries in post-processing.

The original image was taken on the Blueridge Parkway - and it was processed from a single RAW file. Brought into LR, then PS - oh dang  - I can't tell you everything I did to it, as Mozart was playing in my earphones and I kind'a got lost into just "working" it at between about 1:30 - 3:30 AM this morning in the airport...

Anyway - thanks Mom...

This one is for you.

Looking Glass Falls

As a couple of you know - I've been in Asheville NC for the past few days - so while I have hundreds of images from many State Forests, the Brevard area - including Pisgah, DuPont - and several others.  I'll share one taken this AM as the sun came up... As well - this is processed on my Surface Pro 3 Tablet - so I'm pretty sure I'll either reprocess it entirely or clean this version up before entering it into my next challenge...

Anyway -  I waited for a bit for the rays to strike the falls - and really didn't know it would take the effect it did. I had only a few minutes to watch it - and less time to capture it. It's a magical place...  How magical?

As an aside - up the stream about 50 yards, was a lunch basket sitting on a rock..? I wondered who had left it, as no one was around, and I was certain I was alone - as there were no cars in the parking lot? Going back to shooting and composing - down walked a young man and woman, smartly dressed - as if they were about to go out on a date (even though it was still very early AM?). Anyway - they walked the shoreline to the picnic basket sitting on a rock downstream...

A few minutes later - I heard the young girl shriek - and looking back towards them - she was staring at her left hand and suddenly jumped into his arms... Obviously - he had just asked her to marry him - and from the sound of it - she was thrilled... I raised my voice and bellowed "CONGRATULATIONS!" - and they both looked up, still embracing - and waved back with huge smiles on their faces...

Yes - it's a magical place... And I'm sad to leave it shortly...

The Jetty

It's been a bit since I've posted to my blog, so - I thought I share one from earlier today. The day was dark with heavy clouds - and surprisingly, not a breath of wind. The calmness was almost surrealistic serenity that allowed unhampered shooting while enjoying a "perfect" morning to just get out and "do it". As the cloud bank above rolled nearer to the shoreline - it started to gently sprinkle and drizzle - adding just another dynamic to the morning.

This was taken at Ordione Point, Rye NH USA. I use my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with an ND filter covering the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens. Postprocessed in both Lightroom and Photoshop - I hope you enjoy the final result.  

The Path at Bellamy

Recently, I challenged myself to take exactly one camera with one lens out for an extended landscape session. It's interesting to see what happens - rather than slog along with a camera bag with various lenses, filters, remotes, etc. In some ways, it frees your mind and requires you become more creative with composition.

That being the case, and that winter continues to unleash its wrath here - there was little color in this shot - so I envisioned originally as a B&W conversion - keying in on the textures of the grass, tree limbs and the subtle visual path that  carried through the composition. This was taken a few days ago in Dover, NH USA at the Bellamy Wildlife Reserve.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with the Olympus-Zuiko 12-40mm Pro lens.

Springtime Snow

Woke up this morning - and we were having a Spring Snowstorm! Yea!!  Grabbed my camera and headed out with my Sony A7RII, tripod, ND filter and remote. What - really - an ND Filter? You bet..!  You see - I wanted to not see individual snowflakes, and as well, as there was a slight breeze, actually blur the trees with new hints of foliage to just "see" the color and to smooth the water. It's something I've always wanted to try, anyway..

So, above is that image.  Thirty second exposure, Sony A7RII with the Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm, ND filter taken from a tripod in Portsmouth NH USA.

Now - I'm hoping for more snow..!

A Short Walk to Whaleback Lighthouse

This was taken mid-morning this morning at Ordione Point, Rye NH USA- low tide on the coast of New Hampshire. While I have a few I'm working on - this one allowed me to play with various things I've learned in only the past week or so in The Arcanum.

And yes - the weather really is this dark and grey today - and the fog is real, as there is a 10 degree temp difference only yards from the shoreline... I left the house with only a light shirt - and was in a coat while shooting for three hours this AM... You have to love New England when "Spring has almost Sprung"...

Sony A7R2 - Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm.

Estuary in Bellamy Wildlife Preserve

What a silly day. With the winds blowing steady at 20MPH and gusts up to 50MPH, temps hoping to meet 40+ - it was perfect shooting conditions, if one is a masochist...  ;)

Anyway - when I headed out this AM - I wanted to accomplish simply two things...  Shoot/make an image which would show "something from nothing". Second, not drown or something if I stepped onto the reeds covering a mud-hole.

The first target for today - I might have hit.  The second goal? Not so much. Stepped into the muck in one area, one one leg sank up to my thigh. My wife is thrilled when she came home this evening to find my boots drying on the hot radiator - and my pants are so covered in mud, that I'll have to hose them off in the driveway before putting them in the washing machine... ;)

Anyway - I used quite a bit of post processing - as this image has been in Lightroom, Photoshop, On1, back into Lightroom - and I think I finally have a version I like enough to show here...

It was taken - uncharacteristically for me - handheld, as with the wind and all the branches dancing about required a fast shutter-speed (1/1000). BUT - when the branches turned up due to the wind - I liked the effect in the limbs. I hope you do as well...

Shoreline Path

Playing a bit with textures, colors - and moods created by colors in single images. This is one of those. I was drawn to the path, the leading lines - and with the ability to pull the post processing into what I saw at the time. This was taken today in Portsmouth NH USA - and the post processing went like this:

• Raw file into Lightroom whire I played with colors, hue, saturation, curves - and "painting" in various effects;
• Into On1 Photo 10 for dynamic contrast, hues and color balance;
• Into Photoshop for layer masks;
• Back into Lightroom for final edits and export

Sony A7RII, Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm.

Shoreline Shrub

I must say - my journey in The Arcanum (http://thearcanum.com) has been both inspiring and pushed several "hot buttons" creatively. In short - in many ways - it's been both a revelation and an artistic rejuvenation.

The image above  was taken today on the coastline. As the sky was tremendously boring being almost a pure blanket of white clouds - I lay in the sand to frame the tree against only the bare sky. Converted in Photoshop and tweaked in NIK Silver EFX Pro 2, the original image was taken with my Sony A7RII and the Sony-Zeiss 16-35mm.

Snow Capped

Taken yesterday morning during a snowstorm, this tiny plant was 14" (35.5 cm) away, and using a Sony NEX 7 with a Olympus/Zuiko 50mm f/1.2 - and shot at f1.2 - yields a total DOF of exactly 0.04" (0.02 cm) - which produces some wonderful results.

Spring & Winter

Just one of those days that "Old Man Winter" has a difficult time letting go. This morning, we awoke to several inches of newly fallen snow, and until late morning, decided to to show us one more blast. While I really like shooting in the snow, typically landscapes during the height of a snowstorm, today, I just wanted it to end and "be gone".  And apparently - I'm not the only one - as these daffodils are worse prepared than I was.

Sony NEX-7 with a vintage Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/1.2 lens. The bokeh that this combination delivers is almost surreal. Post processed in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Misty Morning

Taken yesterday while it was raining at the Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I wanted a long exposure to remove the raindrops and bring out the mist and reflection on the "smooth" water. The actual exposure was 25 seconds, which helped blend the clouds and mist - while leaving the water perfectly still.

Sony A7R II, Sony Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 with an ICE 10 stop ND filter. Post processed in both Lightroom and Photoshop 

The Tidal Stream

Taken this morning, this tidal stream is port of the networks of estuaries that comprise Great Bay on the seacoast of New Hampshire USA. With a light drizzle that turned into a slightly harder rain - and coupled with the higher than normal temperatures, it created a mystical and eerie feeling. 

Upon entering the reserve, there was a flock of about 50 turkeys who decided to take a "stroll" across a field and up the road I was walking at the time - and they seemed not to care that I was there.. Almost as if they were appointed my "Welcoming committee".

Later in the day, when shooting this image, a large flock of Mallard ducks passed overhead, landing in the mist and fog of the distant bay. As I was set up with a 16-35mm lens - all I could do was watch and enjoy one of the gifts of the estuary.

This was taken with my Sony A7RII and, as I mentioned - the 16-35mm Sony-Zeiss f/4 lens.

Shoreline Storm

Taken several days ago over the coast of Rye, this fast moving storm kicked up both the surf and the wind. The image above is a four image panoramic - each frame shot with my Olympus OMD E-M5 Mark II. The trick in doing a panoramic in weather with fast moving clouds and surf - is pay particular attention to shutter speed (1/500th of a second in this case) and pre-plan your panning motion with a level pan head.

While I'm still processing several other images from that session, I enjoyed the way this turned out, especially with the frenzied detail in both the clouds and surf.

This image was processed in both Lightroom and Photoshop.

The Harbor in Portmouth

Portsmouth Harbor, Portsmouth NH USA - Taken earlier today with a Sony A7RII and the Sony-Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 and an ND10 filter. Early morning in the harbor, as the light was a still soft and warm. I thought it complemented the bricks used in so many of the early building along the historic waterfront. As well, this morning, the harbor was a bedlam of activity, as one of the Irving Tankers was escorted out by two of the tug tenders. After passing, another freighter was pulled away from the wharf at Granite State Minerals by two other tugs and escorted to the open ocean.

Welcome to my blog and my hometown!

The Deafening Stillness

Frankly, I love the forest, nature and beauty of shooting in conditions that keep most people indoors - certainly true for most photographers. During this particular storm, one could hear the snow falling, the branches on nearby trees straining under the load of the wet heavy snow that kept falling at an incredible rate. As well, the snow muffles typical sounds such as faraway traffic, or call of birds - and the silence is quite deafening, in a very peculiar and wonderful way.

In this spot, which is a frozen over estuary, one has to be careful when walking upon the snow, as there are hidden soft spots of ice that one can fall through without warning. But, using a tripod as a walking stick to poke forward before the next step is taken - and turning back, simply walk back in the previous footsteps.

This was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and the Olympus-Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens at the NWR in Newington NH USA.

Sarah Mildred Long Bridge

I thought I'd capture this before this bridge is demolished and replaced, which construction is now underway. It spans the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth NH and Kittery Maine USA and as a truss bridge, carries both traffic and a railroad tie into the the Portsmouth Navel Shipyard.  It has been a part of the Portsmouth waterfront since 1940.

Taken with one of my Sony systems, this was primarily post-processed in Photoshop using luminosity layers with the final export into Lightroom for final adjustments

Outgoing

Very strange weather this morning - the temperatures rose overnight by 15 degrees Fahrenheit and rain was coming down "sideways" as a blustery wind whipped against everything in sight. I thought the surf might be interesting, so I grabbed my camera, wet weather gear and headed out to the coast of Rye NH USA.

As I slowly made my way out onto the rocks and through the seaweed,  the rain started to magically let up - and intent on shooting large waves in front of me, barely noticed what was coming up from behind from the seashore. It was a huge line of clouds that hung low and formed a nearly perfect line.

Above is just one of the many images I took, and I'll be post processing more as I get the chance over the next day or two.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with the Olympus 12-40mm F/2.8 Pro lens, taken this morning on the coast of Rye NH USA.  

Thank you Olympus Corporate...

Today, I woke up and found out that Olympus USA Corporate marketing posted one of my images to the world on their site and Twitter feed. I'm both humbled and shocked, as most of you know - I just "do what I do"..

Anyway - the link is here:  Get to Olympus

My thanks Olympus.....

Breakwater

Breakwater. The image struck me as I was shooting, simply watching the waves and wind strike one side of the jetty while the ocean was perfectly calm on the opposite side. I could draw numerous analogies to life, people and social norms - but, I'll spare all those quotes.

Sony A7RII with the Sony-Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 taken February 25, 2016.  Long exposure with an ND 3 stop filter. Post-processed in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Thank you for looking!

Shoreline Storm

Taken yesterday during wonderfully high-surf off the coast in Rye NH USA. The cause of this seasonal storm was a rise in temperatures by over 20 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, bring on terrific winds, rain and even a random February Thunderstorm.

This is a long-exposure taken with my Sony A7R II and the Sony-Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 using a three stop ND filter. Postprocessing from a single RAW file was accomplished in Lightroom, and then brought into Photoshop for some work in various layers.

I'll be posting a few more images from yesterday over this weekend, but, I hope you enjoy this one. Thanks for looking!

Mist, Snow and Fog

We awoke early this morning to new snow, with a quick changeover to sleet and freezing rain - all of which created a wonderful fog over the coast. As the tide was coming in, and expected to peak in the next few hours, I packed up my gear and headed to the coast. While the wind was brisk on the beaches and inlets (to say the least,  I was thankful that I brought my cold weather gear.

There are a few challenges in shooting in weather like this with the first - staying warm while it is blowing cold rain and mist into your face. The second is trying to keep the fron element of the lens dry enough during a long exposure (such as above) to not blur the image. As a lens hood won't fit (and probably isn't long enough) - I sacrificed my warmth to use the visor of my cap to shield the ND filter long enough to finish the long exposure.

I'll try to post more from this mornings shoot in the next few days, but for now, this was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, the Olympus 12-40mm f/2,.8 Pro lens and a 10-stop ND filter. Post processed in Lightroom and Photoshop.

The Trail

Taken earlier this week in Bellamy NWR, Dover NH USA.  While the snow comes and goes, it allows outstanding photo opportunities as there are huge expanses of natural habitat that most folks don't go into given the recent weather. And tomorrow? We are expecting snow, sleet and freezing rain. What I saw, and liked, are the subtle tire tracks leading my eye to the incredible winter sky.

Sony A7R with the Sony-Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 lens. Post-processed in Lightroom and Photoshop

Spring Break

What a terrific day today - it is finally feeling a bit like spring.  Taken today in the late morning in an estuary.  Given the weather, I was surprised that no one was in the 120 acre refuge.

Sony A7R II with a Sony-Zeiss 16-35mm. I used an 10 stop ND filter to show the motion in the water. 

First Flight

Taken this morning at GBNWR. The past few days has been a bit challenging weather wise, when until this morning, temperatures have been hovering at the 0F mark. But, that changed early today. We awoke to a new 6" of wet snow and the forecast was for rain and temperatures soaring into the mid-50s (F), which as I write this - it's headed up into.

For that, I knew before heading out this AM that the estuary would be deserted of people and hoped for a foggy mist to continue to roll in as the the wild temperature swing would create.

Walking through the estuary, I heard a flock of Canada Geese making a ruckus - as they always do before taking flight. So, I crept to the shore and simply hoped for the best, as I didn't have my typical wildlife gear/lenses, so I figured I try to combine my two passions - both landscape and wildlife photography. Out of the hundreds of images I shot this AM - this is the one that I thought caught the moment - the stillness of the estuary, an incoming flight and the beauty of the reserve.

Taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with the consumer version of the Olympus 40-150mm lens.

Winter Mere

Taken during the snowstorm a few days ago, this small pond ("mere") was the only open area of fresh water within the Wildlife Refuge. Numerous deer, rabbit and other tracks were quickly getting filled in by the increasing snow fall. The only sound made by the forest were the infrequent groans from branches as they struggled against the weight of the new snow. It was, for the most part - "deafening silence" for sure.

Shooting during a snowstorm is challenging enough, but to effectively post-process images I find even more challenging and complex, as I always want to show what my mind's eye captured. In this case, I processed in Lightroom - and then exported into Photoshop, where I used several layers/masks and filters to subtly bring out the contrast, lights and tones. This image was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens. 

Winter Coastline

Yesterday along the coast, we had exceptionally high surf and temps in the low 20's F (-6C) - making shooting somewhat daunting. As the surf rolled in - the sea-spray would turn into an icy slush, covering the rocks - and unsuspecting photographers ("me" ;) ) and equipment. The soft winter light, however  - was just tremendous.

This was taken with my Sony A7R II and the Sony-Zeiss 16-35mm with a 10-stop ND, tripod mounted - giving a 20 second exposure at f/16 - 100 ISO. The image was processed in PerfectPhoto Suite, then finished in Lightroom for export as a JPG for the Web.

Season Change

A few months ago - I posted an image taken from this same location. Today, however, we had our first major snowstorm, and like an mad idiot - drove to one of my favorite locations. Upon arriving on un-plowed roads, I was the only person once in the multi-acre area. That was no surprise, quite frankly - as it was still snowing quite hard and I'm sure most rational people were safe, warm and cozy at home.

After spending several hours just going through the woods, fields and shoreline - this is the first image I've post processed so far - but, I'm sure I'll share others in the near future. This was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and the 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro lens. This system is weatherproof, freeze proof and needed to be today.. 

Sunset Over the Portsmouth Traffic Circle

Taken this evening just after sunset in Portsmouth NH USA. While outside what I typically post - it was a long day of try to shoot a flock of Canada Geese - and they had a mind of their own in coming close enough. After a few hours I gave up - went home - and grabbed my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, as this is an image I've envisioned for quite some time.

Shot in RAW and only post-processed in Lightroom, it shows the traffic flow around the rotary. I liked the lights, sunset colors and patterns. I hope you do as well.