Algonquin in the Fall

D700, ISO 400, f11@5s. (70-200mm 2.8, 2 frames)

Morning in Algonquin is a very special time, especially in the fall. The warm and cool air mixes over water to create spectacular misty mornings. Dress warm though as the temperature dips below freezing!

The Opeongo River offers some spectacular scenary. Low valleys are shrouded in mist and ice after a frost.

Pickeral weed and other types of aquatic grasses and sedges provide wildlife forage in the Opeongo system. This tributary is a well known spot for feeding moose (unfortunately none seen). On this particular morning, the mist provided a surreal atmosphere.

D700, ISO 400, f11@10s. (70-200mm 2.8)

The sun breaks through the trees here as it climbs into the sky. These mornings are so beautiful that sometimes the camera becomes secondary and you are left just quietly watching events unfold.

Steam rises off the lake and produces a great effect. These are the moments that the hikes in the dark and cold mornings pay off.

D700, ISO 400, f11@ 1/5s. (70-200mm 2.8)

The following photos are the result of a long hike up the trail to get there for daybreak. It was worth it as the views did not disappoint.

Poplars and maples showed up in stark contrast against a coniferous backdrop as the mist separated me from another peak.

D700, ISO 400, f11@ 1/25s. (70-200mm 2.8, 3 frames DoF stacked)

Two wider views on this plateau offered spectacular scenary of 100's of squared kilometers of Algonquin wilderness.

D700, ISO 400, f11@ 1/40s. (70-200mm 2.8, 3 frames stitched)

D700, ISO 400, f11@ 1/25s. (70-200mm 2.8, 10 frames stitched)

Overall impressions of the trip were as follows:

1. I used the 70-200mm 2.8 more than any other lens. Why? Because the 14-24 and 24-70 were ofter too wide and got foreground elements in the photos I didn't want. What a surprisinly useful landscape lens.

2. Morning in the fall is a much better time for photography than dusk. There is much more spectacular and moody shots available.

3. Didn't use the 14-24mm once this trip. I find it difficult to use properly. You really need the right view and there is much more to consider in the composition. I will need to practice much more with this lens to use it properly.

Lake Superior Landscape Fine Prints Now Available

Now available for purchase on my website are several new Lake Superior landscapes fine prints. Featured in these prints are the popular "Morning On the Cove", "Morning On the Cove Revisited", and "Fire on the Point". Each print can either be purchased without borders or on a white or black border for mounting.

Each print is printed on Kodak Professional ENDURA paper for long life and maximum finish. The lustre finish allows for the high saturation and colour quality of glossy, but without the glare of glossy paper. My Print Gallery can be found here.

Ominous Gas Prices...

Took the same shot I presented in the previous post and decided to have some more fun with it. Maybe I should preset it to ESSO as a reminder of an ominous future.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Rural Landscape

After adding a little snap for the printer, this is the second version:
The sky is still a little washed out.... soooo....

I went back to same spot I was during the previous post and decided to give it a go with Photomatix Pro (tonemapping and HDR software). The trick was to make this as realistic as possible while exposing all the detail in the shadows. Objectively looking at the shot now, I may re-process the image with a slight bit more contrast.

I find Photoshop CS3's HDR function not quite as good as Photomatix. Photoshop tends to really soften the image and requires much more sharpening work than Photomatix does. Colours don't seem to come out quite as vibrant for me.

According to famous wildlife and landscape photographer Bryan Peterson, in order to get full dynamic and tonal ranges, you need to bracket an HDR to the extreme limits. I usually shoot a minimum of 5 shots, with as much as 8. Two of the shots will be extremely underexposed (almost no light at all) and overexposed (almost no dark at all). One will be the correct exposure and the other two about half-way between the extreme exposures. Usually EV compensation on a camera is NOT enough to get all detail. One thing I have noticed though, is that the more exposures you blend, the softer the image gets.

New Posters!

Three new posters created from my Algonquin trip (larger sizes can be seen on my website)!

Reflections In Velvia

Wild Refuge

Golden Reflections