Pretty In Pink

This picture looked great (to me) right out of the camera!

But I played with it anyway, because how else will I learn anything? First, a little obligatory cropping. There was a pale pink smudge on one side that had to go, and I wanted the flowers to be just a bit more off-center than they were. I also used the feature to adjust depth of field, so the flowers stayed brilliant, but the background was pushed even further back than it already was.

Fall colours

This one I played with a little bit in post-processing.

This scene and therefore the image already had great colours. Late fall gave the gorgeous reds and oranges, and the sun was setting, leaving the pinks on the left. The water was quite still, giving a very beautiful reflection. So, what did I do to this?

First, I cropped it. I actually cut out most of the sunset, because that isn't what I wanted to focus on. Then I added some "warmth" to the picture. It gave the sky a slightly odd cast, but I think it made the rest of the colours pop even more. Third, I increased the saturation a bit, again, just to bring out those gorgeous colours even more.

I love this picture.

Sunrise

This is NOT the result of post-processing. It really was that spectacular.

Star Trails

This was about a 25 or 30 minute exposure at our camp site in northern Sask.

Ring-Billed Gull

Birds, part 2! Today will focus on the Ring-Billed Gull, one of many different gulls you can find around here.

Angry bird is angry! I believe he was angry at another gull, but who knows. As you can see, whatever it was, it wasn't close.

I caught this one having a snack. I am very pleased with the timing, but I'm also sharing it because of the vibrant colours. The oranges and reds are stunning.

BE GONE!

Seriously, it looks like the one on the right is casting a spell at the one on the left. And the spectators seem none too concerned about what's going on. "Oh, it's just Maggie getting mad Joe was out late again." Really pleased with a lot of things in this picture, but wondering if maybe I should have cropped it more at the top, or even cloned the people out...

My favourite of this bunch! Really pleased with the timing, the crispness on the bird to the left, and the colours. It was actually quite empty water around them, but I cropped it way in to just focus on the birds. Thoughts?

Just buzzzzing along

I am thrilled with how this picture turned out! I stopped to take some pictures of these beautiful Alberta Wildroses at the same time as a couple of bees were visiting. Normally I hate bees, but I decided to gather my courage and take this fabulous opportunity. And my efforts were rewarded! The bee is perfectly in focus, you can even see the detail in her wings. The flowers are sharp, but the background quickly drops away to a soft, fuzzy green. I'm thrilled!

Owl in the City

I looked out the office window the other day, and the City was hosting an event downtown, where they were showing off city services and attractions. It seemed like a fun way to pass lunch, so I headed out to see what was what... and discovered that the local zoo had brought 3 raptors to show off!

This is Cortez, a South American Spectacled Owl from Edmonton's Valley Zoo. He was very calm, but definitely aware of and interested in what was going on around him. He only tried to take a nibble out of one person, and even then it seemed like only a half-hearted attempt - he didn't move very fast! It was also quite warm out, so he may have been feeling a bit lethargic. The zookeeper was paying close attention to signs that the heat was getting to Cortez.

And this is a close-up of the foot of Cortez! I'd rather not find myself on the wrong side of those powerful talons. The detail of the feathers is also great, I love how sharply in focus this image is.

This was an amazing experience. To be so close to this bird - I even got to pet his chest! Beautiful bird.

First image: 1/250 exposure, f/4.5 aperture, ISO 80, 19.8mm focal length (the slight zoom was just to minimize the background)

Second image: 1/200 exposure, f/4.5 aperture, ISO 100, 22.4mm focal length (slightly zoomed in to focus on the foot)

Another rabbit

This is NOT the same rabbit as last Sunday. If you look at the ear length in particular, this one has much longer ears. It was also much calmer and let me walk around it taking many pictures.

I moved forward very slowly, and he just kept letting me get closer and closer. I love the little patch of sunlight on his back. 1/200 sec exposure, 5.7 aperture, ISO 200, 100mm focal length

MY FAVOURITE PICTURE! I adore this image. I actually think he's yawning, because there was nothing to startle him and he didn't take off. You might notice this is from the other side of him than in the first picture. There was a small patch of bushes to the left of the image, and I was able to go in behind them to get to his other side for several pictures. 1/320 sec exposure, 5.7 aperture, ISO 200, 100mm focal length

Stretching, listening. Details same as the last pic.

Sick of the paparazzi. Or he realized there was a dog coming. 1/500 sec exposure, 5.0 aperture, ISO 200, 70.6mm focal length

Long time no see!

I have no excuses for ignoring my blog. I find winter uninspiring, and by February I was out of indoor ideas, so I just stopped. However, the weather is warming up again and I'm feeling inspired again, so here we go!

Here's a small series of images of one little guy I saw yesterday. He's seems fairly young and was rather skittish. Maybe he knows he's still quite white against a very brown and yellow ground. (It's snowing again today, so he'll blend in better for a little while.)

He says, "I'm watching you."

"What's that sound?"

"If I pretend I'm eating, maybe I can trick you in to making your move." See the eye? He's not paying attention to the grass.

"What's over there??" (Note that it's not me he's looking at, I didn't do anything to alarm him.)

Just after this image was taken, he retreated slightly in to the bushes.

About the images! 1/640 sec exposure, 5.7 aperture, ISO (100, 125, 80, 80), auto white balance

Dog picture

To keep things balanced off with the cat picture from the other day, here's a picture of a puppy!

He was being tempted by a little piece of ham, which is what had him licking his chops! I love that I caught him with his tongue out, so cute!

Lake reflection

Yay for vacations! They give you a chance to try a whole different type of photography, by being in a different environment. Here, instead of dealing with snow, I have to figure out how to deal with fog and near-constant drizzle.

For this picture, I was trying to get two sets of trees - the real, and the reflection! I really like the way it turned out, with the skiff of fog over the water to act as a sort of barrier for the two. The sky is a little too bright, too washed out. I wasn't expecting that to be an issue on such a rainy, cloudy day!

Complete Moon

I took quite a few pictures while my computer was on the fritz. There are things you just can't see well on a camera screen that turn up quite clearly on the computer monitor. Like this gem!

I thought this was just an average shot of the moon, as I was playing with exposure lengths and so on. But when seen on my computer monitor, I realized I actually captured the entire moon, not just the reflection that gives it the stereotypical crescent shape! Along with a smidge of cloud reflection, and the rest of the picture full black, I really like this shot.

Memories of the past

I haven't taken anything interesting in the last few days, so here's one from this past summer.

I was so pleased with how this one came out. The flower is sharp and clear and the background is soft and fuzzy. Perfect, to me!

In Motion, Part 2

Holy crap! I did it! The reverse of yesterday's picture is to get the vehicle (or other moving object) to be in focus, while the scene is blurry. It's not perfect, but I think it's quite a good attempt. Then add in the fact I shot this through the window of a moving bus.

Very pleased with this.

This is part of the assignments related to motion. This was #3, Show the action by blurring the background.

Trumpeter Swans

We saw 2 pairs (breeding pairs?) of Trumpeter Swans this weekend.

From one pair.

The second pair. They have amazing necks!

Moth

This moth invaded my house. Therefore, he became the subject of intense photography.

I'm amazed how clearly his legs and the detail along the wings came out.

Hawaiian birds

Looking at the sunset pictures a couple of days ago reminded me of some other favourite moments from my trip to Hawaii. This was taken right after a morning spent snorkeling.

I can't claim any skill here, it was a complete fluke. I was taking a picture of my own hand stretched out, which isn't easy at the best of times, but even harder when you have two adorable little birds eating from your hand and perching on your fingers! What an incredible experience.

Sunset

Another 30 Day Challenge was to get a sunset. I played around with the settings and such, but in the end, letting the camera do its own thing on the "sunset" setting was the best.

While I was attentive to the time I needed to head outside at, I neglected to think of where I would take this picture, so the colours are there, but the view is somewhat less than interesting. It wouldn't be bad if not for the power lines. I think the dark frame on three sides really makes the oranges stand out. Regardless, here is a non-challenge picture of a much more spectacular view.

Imagine the colours if I had known about the sunset setting! Hawaiian sunsets (at least the ones I saw) seem to be very pink, while the ones at home are often very orange. I wonder if that has anything to do with altitude.

Yes, this picture breaks the rule of thirds "law", which I didn't know about at the time, but I think it really works. I love the frame of the dark foliage, particularly the little fringe at the top. I would not change the composition of this one, except perhaps to straighten the horizon just a hair - I took this free-hand.

Little bird, little bird...

I went for a walk at work, and stared at a bush for a long time after watching two little birds disappear in to it. I didn't catch them in the bush, but my patience was rewarded when they stopped on a tree not far away, and I caught this:

He's a little far away, I had my zoom at its limit, but I'm pleased that the little bird is in focus, and facing forward! I get a lot of views of bird butts.

Gift from Mother Nature

Sometimes, if you are really stupid and get up at 5am, you will catch the first show of the day that Mother Nature hosts.*

What a glorious sunrise, over-looking Lake Abraham near Nordegg, Alberta.

*Note: HHGttG fans, I think this is a little bit like going to the Big Bang Burger Bar, to catch the ultimate first show!