Discovery Island, Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World
Life in the Morning
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/50s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 100
Life in the Morning
Tag Archives: landscape
Tomorrow Castle
Wordless Wednesday
WDW in B&W – WBW45
Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
Tomorrow Castle
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 40mm f/2, 1/320s, f/8, ISO 100
New Opportunities
Floral, Macro, Landscape, etc…
My original intent for Saturday was to drive to Ithaca, NY and explore some of my favorite state parks. That plan changed when I woke up and saw the email from FedEx indicating my package, originally scheduled for delivery on Monday, would be arriving between 10:20am and 1:20pm. This would be the new lens kit I mentioned the other day. I couldn’t have it sitting on the front stoop, baking in the sun waiting for me to return… so, I stayed and worked on the garage cleaning I have been avoiding.
I have been checking out the Lensbaby website for a few months, playing my normal head game of should I or shouldn’t I. Do I really want the new lens. Do I need a new lens. Which lens is the best “bang for the buck”. All my normal crap leading up to my eventual purchase. Still haven’t learned how to stay out of my own head. And then, boom! There is a sale! For those interested, here is a link to the kit I purchased: Soft Focus II Optic Swap Macro Kit.
Late in the afternoon, as the temps started to drop, I went over to the Sculpture Garden to play with my new toy. There were some flowers calling my name…
Solitude
Nikon Z6 II, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 50, 1/1000s, 50mm, ISO 100
The first lens I tried was the Sweet 50, which as the name implies is a 50mm lens with an adjustable center focus area and a surrounding blur. This is a manual focus system and the slight breeze did challenge me with attaining good focus in the sweet spot.
Crowded
Nikon Z6 II, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 50, 1/400s, 50mm, ISO 100
I wasn’t getting the images I wanted. The focus length is around fifteen inches which wasn’t allowing my to get the close-ups I desired. The lens adjusts the “depth and size” of the center focus by adjusting the aperture. As you can see above, the f/8 setting let me have more of the subject in focus but left the remaining area visible. The image looks cluttered.
What am I missing?
These don’t look like the examples.
Do I need to return this kit?
The macro filters! Totally forgot about those. The kit has three filters to allow macro shots, actually to shorten the focal distance. Time to walk back to the car.
Much better! I started with the 4X filter. You can stack them to decrease the distance even more. As you stack the filters you reduce the amount of articulation the lens can perform. The movement allows the sweet spot to be moved around and changes the blur effect as well.
See Me
Nikon Z6 II, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 50, 1/1250s, 50mm, ISO 100
I had been playing among the flowers for over an hour. My stomach was complaining as it was nearing 7pm and way past supper time. I made a command decision to stop at my favorite place for a sandwich and a cold one. So worth it…
After refilling the fuel tank I wanted to try out the other lens in the kit, the Soft Focus II. This lens is also 50mm and as the name implies an adjustable soft focus effect. You can play with the aperture again to achieve the amount of focus you want. The image will have an underlying sharpness with the softness layered over it.
I had already played with the flowers. The sunset was looking good. Yep, you guessed it, Delta Lake State Park was my destination to end the day. The sun was slipping away so I stayed on the beach and played. I think there will be opportunities with this lens as well…
Endless Dreams
Nikon Z6 II, Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Soft Focus II, 1/500s, 50mm, ISO 100
Time to Wake Up
Bellamy Harbor, Rome, NY
It has been a long week. New head honcho at work. Upcoming audit. General craziness.
So, when I headed to work Friday morning and saw there was fog permeating the city, I didn’t make that left turn. I drove down to the Bellamy Harbor. The sun had already risen and the golden light was illuminating the park through the haze.
I was losing the race though, as the sky was clearing quicker than I could get to my “go-to” spot. Still, it was a beautiful morning and any image would be different than I normally capture. Typically, my sunrise images are of the colors prior to the sun making an appearance.
I was able to get an image with the sun shrouded in the haze and peeking over the trees. I stopped down my aperture to f/14 (the sweet spot of my lens is f/8 to f/11) so the sunburst would be enhanced. I only captured a few images but was positive I grabbed a winner.
Time to get to work…
Time to Wake Up
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/125s, 33mm, f/14, ISO 100
Bridge Over
Chittenango Falls State Park
Bridge Over
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, {0.5, 1/3, 1/5, 1/8s bracket}, 47mm, f/16, ISO 100
Tower Moon
Bellamy Harbor Park, Rome, NY
I was on a hunt. A full moon hunt. Friday was the full moon for May. Commonly known as the Flower Moon. My first attempt was Friday morning. I prefer to photograph the moon setting as I can get conditions that allow a better exposure.
I went to Delta Lake State Park to search for suitable compositions. I found a few, nothing special, but I was content with what I captured. Until I got home and attempted to process a few of the images. Nothing jumped out at me. I set them aside and hoped a little time would help (I’ve read somewhere, probably the internet, that you should wait to process your images…).
That didn’t work.
Enter Saturday morning.
Another opportunity for me and the “full moon”. I use the quotes because a day on either side of the full moon reduces the percentage. This morning the moon is 97% full in the waning gibbous stage. Close enough for me.
The extra day lets the moon hang a little longer in the sky around sunrise. I got an extra thirty minutes. Which doesn’t seem like it should have an impact but as the sky brightens, I can properly expose the scene without having to capture a different exposure setting for the moon. It can be bright and easily washed out.
I went to Bellamy Harbor with the hope of using the Mill Street bridge as a foreground subject. That didn’t work out. I couldn’t find an elevated location to shoot from which would bring the moon and the bridge together. I did find an interesting composition with the moon on my way to the park. There is a railroad bridge over the Mohawk River which kinda worked. Maybe I’ll process that one later.
What I did find really got me excited.
I love the old General Cable water tower at Bellamy Harbor. I have photographed it to death over the years. I’m still on the fence with the city’s decision to add the “Rome” signage and the LED lights, but I see what they were trying to do. Anyway…
I was able to find a spot far enough away to get the water tower and the moon in the same composition while using my 300mm lens. This focal length will compress the scene and help increase the apparent size of the moon. The location also kept the sunrise at my back so the colors in the western sky would have blues and magentas.
I processed this one with a light touch. Let me know what you think…
Tower Moon
Nikon Z6 II, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, 1/8s, 300mm, f/16, ISO 100
Serene
Chittenango Falls State Park
Serene
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/3s, 34mm, f/11, ISO 100
Spring Falls
Chittenango Falls State Park
Sunday was the day. The day to take a short trip for a waterfall image. The cloudy morning that started at Bellamy Harbor, was going to continue for a while and the diffused light through the clouds is exactly what I needed for a waterfall.
Which one?
I have already visited Pixley Falls this spring. Chittenango Falls is the obvious next choice. It would have to be near midday so the light will illuminate the gorge.
Will the clouds last until then?
Let’s see. What else are you doing? It will be worth the drive.
And it was…
Spring Falls
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/4s, 33mm, f/16, ISO 100
I’m enjoying the spring green. After winter and the muddy thaw, seeing the landscape come alive with the green is refreshing. Although it was overcast, the clouds still presented a challenge and a risk of over exposure. I bracketed each shot with the thought of having to merge them into an HDR image. Surprisingly, the two thirds under exposed image was workable.
Now, I like the above image, but I also like a good monochrome image. My waterfall images generally convert well to monochrome. Did this one? Let me know…
Spring Falls – B&W
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/4s, 33mm, f/16, ISO 100
MLCreations Photography 