Monthly Archives: May 2020

…as the sun goes down

Posted by Mike on

Delta Lake State Park

You have to be in the environment to capture the landscape. This thought ran through my head last evening as I waited for the sun to reach that perfect distance from the horizon. I have been making more of an effort to haul my lazy butt out of the house and it is paying off in image possibilities.

When I started my photography journey I was out exploring every free minute. I was learning, experimenting, trying new things. Now that I know everything… LOL, I have become complacent. Normal thoughts that have run through my mind…

  1. doesn’t look like it will be a good sunrise/sunset
  2. I’ve captured that view before
  3. I’ve done a lot of… lately
  4. it’s a long drive to get there, what if…
  5. maybe later

This week I have been changing the status quo. I have ventured out into the pre-dawn morning, energizing myself for the workday. I have been driving to familiar locations for the sunset, on the off chance it will be worth seeing. You have to be in the environment to capture the landscape.

There was a better than normal chance the clouds would roll in and obscure the sunset last night. I still went to Delta Lake. It was so worth it! I spent the hour before the sun reached the horizon capturing long exposure images. I had my ten-stop ND filter on and was happy capturing 15-20 second exposures around the lake (more on those in a later post).

The park was practically empty and there was barely any breeze. As the sun approached its ideal location I staked out my spot, setup the tripod and waited for the show. This image is one I would have missed if I was still listening to that little lazy voice in my head…

 

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; ...as the sun goes down

…as the sun goes down
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/15s, 12mm, f/11, ISO 100

Working Canal

Posted by Mike on

Barge Canal – Lock 20

Another morning venturing into the darkness in search of the sunrise. My adventure was not as fruitful as the previous day due to a lack of clouds in the sky. The clouds add the drama and enhance the interest better than a sky without them. They are also very good at capturing the morning colors as the sun marches toward the horizon.

I did spend time exploring the staging area around Lock 20 for the equipment used in maintaining the canal. I was amazed at the volume stored around the lock. I guess the canal authority has not yet begun maintenance after the winter season. At least it allowed me to capture some close-up images.

The first image is looking East along the canal toward Lock 20 from the Rt. 291 overpass. The view from the bridge has been a favorite over the years. Timing the position of the sunrise is always important. Currently the sun is rising a little to far North of the canal for a typical sunrise for me.

The second image is a floating crane. It is parked at the entrance to the lock. Someday I’ll time it right to actually see a vessel going through the lock. The last image is a pair tugs waiting to be placed back into service. I’m sure they don’t like to be out of the water.

  

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; Working Canal

Working Canal
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 3.2s, 40mm, f/11, ISO 100

  

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; SPS-52

SPS-52
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/4s, 18mm, f/11, ISO 100

  

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; Workhorses

Working Canal
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/8s, 23mm, f/11, ISO 100

Moving In

Posted by Mike on

Bellamy Harbor Park

I did something a little out of the ordinary for me yesterday. Well, at least something different in this work from home environment we are currently living in. Generally I am online for work by 6am, but yesterday morning I was itching for a sunrise image. The urge was especially strong once I noticed the approaching clouds.

I finished the first cup of coffee while posting my latest image, filled the travel mug with the remainder, grabbed the camera bag and headed down to Bellamy Harbor Park. The clouds were moving in fast. I setup the tripod on the edge of the wall supporting the barge canal flow control gates. It is my go to spot at the harbor as it allows the widest view of the park and it appears as though the camera is in the middle of the canal.

I still made it back home in time to be online at my normal hour but I was energized for the day. I think getting out into the morning air, even if it is to drive to work, gets everything going for me. It is what has been lacking while I am sequestered in my apartment riding out this pandemic storm.

Time to get dressed and do it again today…

  

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; Moving In

Moving In
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mmm f/2.8, 4s, 16mm, f/16, ISO 64

 

The Other Falls

Posted by Mike on

Chittenango Falls State Park

I had another waterfall adventure on Sunday morning. This time I took a leisurely day out to Chittenango Falls State Park. I mistakenly thought if I arrived fairly early on a Sunday morning I would not encounter too many people. Others had the same thought, or maybe, everyone needed some sunshine. It wasn’t so crowded that I was unable to get my images, but there were more people than I anticipated.

Chittenango Creek was flowing fairly heavy and the amount of water going over the falls was incredible. I’ll have a few images of the main falls later in the week. For today, my focus is on another. The extra water activated the other waterfall within the park. It is in an alcove below the main falls off the trail on the way to the bottom of the gorge.

It is early enough in the season that the trees have barely any leaves. Typically, the sun has a difficult time penetrating the cover to reach into the alcove. I was fortunate to have enough light I did not need to bracket this view nor create an HDR image. This image was worth the drive…

  

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; The Other Falls

The Other Falls
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8, 0.8s, 22mm, f/11, ISO 200

 

Pixley Spring

Posted by Mike on

Pixley Falls State Park

Saturday morning started off a little disappointing as a heavy fog hung over the city. I had been looking forward to venturing out into the pre-dawn morning in search of the sunrise. I dragged my butt out to the laundromat early enough and left myself plenty of time for an morning adventure… and then the fog.

Luckily, it didn’t last long. As I was sitting at the computer working on images the sun started to break through the fog. I didn’t wait for the complete transition to a sunny day, I grabbed the camera and headed North to Pixley Falls.

The twenty minute drive had me questioning my decision as the fog and cloud cover increased the further I drove. And then, boom, the sky opened up and I had nothing but blue above me. The change was dramatic but welcomed. My adventure was on…

  

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; Pixley Reflected

Pixley Reflected
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/3s, 19mm, f/11, ISO 100

  

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; Pixley Spring

Pixley Spring
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/5s, 26mm, f/11, ISO 100

Little Purple

Posted by Mike on

In The Yard – ITY63
Squared – SQ140

  

MLCreations Photography: Blog Post Related &emdash; Little Purple

Little Purple
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, M. Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/640s, f/2.8, ISO 200