Tag Archives: landscape

Before and After

Posted by Mike on

Photo Hunt/Challenge

This is your assignment, if you choose to accept. Those words and the theme music from Mission: Impossible are what is in my head when my friend Karma posts one of her photo hunts. The mission this time was before and after. My head was swimming with ideas all week. I didn’t get to all of the ideas so I may have to post again later.

My first thought, being primarily a landscape photographer, was before and after sunrise. The light changes drastically when the sun crosses the horizon and changes the mood of the scene. The conditions were not ideal Sunday morning but the temperature was more accommodating than on Saturday (I strongly dislike the cold).

I went to my go to place in Rome, Bellamy Harbor. I had other ideas for additional challenges I wanted to capture but the sunrise was first on my list. I got lucky as the fence preventing me from reaching my favorite spot at one end of the harbor had been rotated again allowing me to walk right in. I probably should have left the camera in one spot and waited but I’m not always good at waiting. These are basically the same view…

Before Sunrise
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1.3s, 35mm, f/11, ISO 100

After Sunrise
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/40s, 39mm, f/11, ISO 100

The two images are only thirty minutes apart. The first image is twenty minutes prior while the second image is ten minutes after the sun woke up for the day. Two different scenes of the harbor. I like the before image best.

My next idea had several opportunities for me. The after image for this scene is the only one that worked out. My thought was to show a winter scene before this weird winter thaw and what it looks like now. As much as I complain about the cold, the snow tends to “pretty up” a scene. I’m borrowing a previously posted image for the first one.

Peer into the Heart
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/60s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 100

Empty Heart
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/160s, 24mm, f/11, ISO 100

There were a few more stops along the Mohawk River Trail that I wanted to capture for the after image party but I miscalculated the view. I know, I should have pulled out my phone and looked up the before images, but it was such a beautiful day I didn’t want to ruin it by having my nose to my phone.

My last set of images for this photo hunt is a concept that showed up in my head this past week. I’m not positive what prompted it or how it appeared, other than I was hungry. I made chili yesterday. I still make enough to feed a family but it works for me as I freeze half and eat half for a few days at work. How does this fit the theme you ask? Well…

What is needed
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/13s, 30mm, f/8, ISO 1600

What you get
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/20s, 37mm, f/4, ISO 800

Other ideas I didn’t pursue; show a clock at 11:55am and 12:05pm, an image out the front window of the car and then the back window (that one required a quiet country road I could stop on), the straight out of camera image and the post-processed image… I could go on.

This was a fun photo hunt. I needed the challenge to wake up my brain. I think I have been sleep walking through my days lately. Thanks Karma! Looking forward to the next one… ;)

Time For A Little Color

Posted by Mike on

Beach Club Resort
Crescent Lake, Walt Disney World

I have been on a run of monochrome images recently. I thought it was time for a little color. Mother Nature has not been helping in the color department as of late, so I turned to my stockpile of images from Walt Disney World. I couldn’t pass up this sunrise reflection of the Beach Club Resort.

Beach Club Reflections
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M, Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 1.6s, 12mm, f/16, ISO 100

Three Brothers

Posted by Mike on

Wordless Wednesday
Monochrome Winter

Three Brothers
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/50s, 58mm, f/8, ISO 200

Vision Obscured

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome
Landscape

Yesterday’s search in the fog was related to this week’s challenge at 52frames.com, ‘Scene From a Movie’. I was thinking film noir but looking at the images nothing feels cinematic to me. I still have today to work on the challenge.

I like the images I was able to bring home. As I said, yesterday’s image is my favorite. The images today are me looking for that cinema feel with the shrouded dam. I believe the issue with them, for me, is the composition. I didn’t find the right one.

The last image was the most difficult to capture as the fog was too intense for the camera to detect focus. I manually set the camera at infinity but it still is blurry. I’m going with, “I intended for it to be that way”… ;)

Somewhere Out There
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/30s, 29mm, f/8, ISO 200

Lost in a Haze
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/40s, 31mm, f/8, ISO 200

Vision Obscured
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/40s, 36mm, f/8, ISO 200

Memories Fade

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome Winter

Late January and it has been raining more than snowing. Weird winter so far.

Although the fog prompted a weather alert for low visibility I thought I could create something interesting within the morning conditions. I threw the camera bag in the car and drove around the city before sunrise looking for opportunities. My usual spots didn’t resonate with me. I eventual gave up and went for groceries.

After getting home, and after sunrise (somewhere behind the clouds) I headed out again in search of that foggy composition. I thought Delta Lake would give me what I was looking to capture but on my way there the car turned the dam at the south end of the lake.

Yes! This will work. I played for a while near the dam. My favorite turned out to be this image of the Mohawk River from the single lane bridge crossing it. The fade into nothingness hit the right tone for me. Plus, reflections! Right up my alley.

Memories Fade
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/30s, 34mm, f/8, ISO 200

Lonely Sentinels

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome Winter
Bellamy Harbor, Rome, NY

I’ll preface it as a statement, not an excuse, OK, maybe a little excuse. Work and weather have been conspiring against me. Getting out of work close to sunset provides little time to get the camera or enough daylight to go explore for images. And the weather definitely has it out for me. It is the full moon today and Friday morning is the best time to photograph it setting (my favorite time), but the forecast is for rain all day. :(

So, sitting here pouting this morning, drowning my sorrows in coffee, I give you the Lonely Sentinels at Bellamy Harbor.

Lonely Sentinels
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/500s, 35mm, f/8, ISO 100

Winter Picnic Anyone?

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome Winter
Monochrome Monday
Bellamy Harbor Park

I’m going to make it easy on myself today. I’ll stick with the monochrome/B&W theme and show another monochrome winter image. As I was searching for doors yesterday, I did eventually stop at Bellamy Harbor Park. It wasn’t horrible out (as long as I walked with the wind). I managed to find a few scenes worth capturing.

I typically grab an image of this pavilion from the Mill St. bridge. The additional elevation allows me to incorporate more of the area around the pavilion. I chose not to go up to the bridge yesterday as I really did not want to deal with the wind. I know, I should be more brave… :)

Winter Picnic Anyone?
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/400s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 100

Peer into the Heart

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome Winter
Mohawk River Trail

No real objective today.

Not positive where I want to go with this post.

I wanted to post an image today, but I haven’t had the opportunity to go out after work to capture anything new. So I’m left with looking through the images from the past few weeks. There’s not a lot you haven’t already seen.

This image reminded me of my friend Karma’s post, Icy Beauty, although it is nowhere as sparkly as her images. It is similar in that it is from my go-to walking trail. Seeing it brought me back to that afternoon in between the snowfall, listening to the river gurgling past as I picked my way along the path in search of winter scenes.

I need another one of those afternoons.

Peer into the Heart
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/60s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 100