Just wonderful. This is the fourth morning we have awoken to a winter wonderland covered in Hoar Frost. Local photographers are making lots of pictures with this phenomenon. This is not a rare occurrence here. But for four days in a row at the beginning of February. It certainly is a gift from Mother Nature.
This photograph was made from a small gondola while gliding through the canopy of a rainforest in Costa Rica earlier this month. I was drawn by the slight tint to the fog/rain from a sliver of sun peeking in from somewhere.
On the weekend I went with some photo friends to an antique car museum. Apart from cars, trucks and motorcycle. They had various automotive service brands highlighted in various displays including full blow service stations from bygone days.
There also was a General Store with a post office. That is what caught my eye. Since everything in the building was from long ago and even further back than I can remember. I decided my post processing would have to reflect that point in time.
Enjoy the result.
Take Care and Be Safe
My wife Glenda and I are going on a ten day cruise over New Years out of Fort Lauderdale. We have six ports of call included the Panama Canal. We are certainly looking forward to that.
I really had some very serious thoughts as to what camera equipment would be coming along. Since this will not be primarily a photo trip. And I did not relish the thought of carrying a 40lb camera bag containing things just because I may need it. Especially trekking through jewelry stores.
The end result is Nikon D700, Nikkor 28-300 VR and 50mm f1.8. A polarizer and a SB-900. That is it not even a tripod, just a few charging and cleaning items. If Jay Maisel and Bob Krist can do it, I just might be able to do it also.
Hope you all have a very Happy New Year and a prosperous 2012
Take Care and Be Safe
Christopher Robin
I was able to secure two places on Squiver.com’s Ultimate Bears Workshop in September, 2012 at Clark National Park, Alaska. A seven day photographic adventure I will be sharing with my son Geoff.
Like most of Squivers Workshops lately they sell out very quickly.
Geoff came with me to the Masai Mara last August, he purchased a new D7000 and we exchanged long lens during the trip. Geoff learned that on photographic adventures like this it is best to carry and use two camera bodies. This time I will be adding tripods and mounts to the mix. My hope is that he gains an interest in my Nikon D3 about the same time as the anticipated Nikon D4 hits the shelves. Time will tell on that one.
For those that have visited Monument Valley. You are aware that the Valley Loop is closed to the general public until after sunrise. So unless you take one of the special guided tours you have to find other ways to get your mittens in the rising sun.
My one day visit to the valley, sort of a scouting trip as I had never been there before, was how I made this image. Arrival was just at sunset, a 3rd floor room was booked at The View hotel. This was the view from the rooms balcony. Shot the sunset, then a few shots during the night and was set up in the morning to get this wonderful sunrise. The rest of the day was spent driving around the Valley Loop road marking places for photography on a return trip.
On the night of December 10th, 2011. Parts of the world enjoyed a total lunar eclipse. Here in Manitoba we raced the rising sun to try and see the moment of totality, but we lost out to the daylight and clouds. The next total lunar eclipse will be April 15,th. 2014.
I was able to pull out several cloudless images during to period from full moon to just before it went into totality. This composite photographs shows my results.
This was taken on the Masai Mara in western Kenya in August 2011. This young lioness seemed to be annoyed at something but I couldn’t tell what it was. Then when I put my 70-200mm at 200mm up to my eye.
Well you can see what the problem was. Up till that I thought we had problems with mosquitoes. Thank goodness those flies like the smell of carrion better than our pit sticks.
The Miami station, built in 1889, is a rare surviving example of a Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway station which was used for many years by the Canadian Northern and the Canadian National Railways.
Silver Efex Pro 2 by Nik Software is very quickly becoming my favourite way to convert my images to Black and White or variations of greyscales.
Yesterday seemed like a good day for the just over an hour drive to Miami, Manitoba and the station. Weather was around zero Celsius lots of dramatic clouds. So 3 1/2 hours later I finally got to the station. Took lots of images from all sorts of angles before moving on to the next unknown location.
The tutorials on the Nik site make learning Silver Efex Pro 2 relatively easy. Like most of the Nik Software when it come to sliders only a very little is needed. Well for me anyway. It is short of putting salt on your food. It is a matter of taste.
You should visit the Nik site and download the trial version. I am sure you will like it.
Take Care and Be Safe
Christopher Robin
