Archive for January, 2010

Waikiki Beach Twilight

Image 1: Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 60 seconds.

Clouds drift over Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/6 of a second. Lenswas fitted with a Singh-Ray 2-stop split neutral density.

This is one of my favorite views of Waikiki Beach. The image was shot at twilight about 30 minutes after the sun had set. This is the optimum time to get this kind of exposure where the sky is a deep, beautiful blue that compliments the city lights. In order to get a shot like this there are a few rules to follow:

1. Scout the Shot: This is something you hear a lot from photographers but its true. I have been to this location before and pre-visualized this exposure.

2. Know your Astronomy: What I mean here is know where the sun rises and sets and at what time.

3. Set up Early: Get to your location ahead of time. This gives you time to set up, compose, figure out what filters you might need, watch the light, and take test exposures.

4. Be There: Shots like this happen everyday but you have to be there. Galen Rowell said there are only so many sun rises and sunsets. Get out and shoot.

To capture this kind of shot you need to wait till the sky and cityscape reach an equal EV, generally around 5. This means if you took a spotmeter reading on the sky and the city and the reading was approximately 5 you are ready to go. This generally occurs approximately 30 minutes after sunset. The exposure will typically be 45 seconds to a minute. The result is a beautiful cerulean sky complimenting the orange lights. I also set the color balance to about 4800 to 4900.

Image 2 was shot approximately 50 minutes before the twilight shot. This is why you get to your location early so you can capture the light on your subject as it changes.

Mahalo from Hawaii.

Bob

2010
01/29
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CATEGORY
Architecture
City Photography
Hawaii
Landscape Photography
Photography Technique
Photography Trips
Singh-Ray Filters
Sony α900
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Diamond Head Sunset

Storm clouds clear over the ocean. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 2 seconds. Image shot with a Heliopan Polarizer and a 3-stop Singh-Ray split neutral density.

So you are probably wondering about all these Diamond Head shots. Well its very picturesque and it happens to be the view from my room. This shot was made at sunset. The light was pretty flat and blocked by the expansive cloud cover but a small hole opened up for about a minute spreading light into the landscape.

I used a Singh-Ray 3-stop split neutral density filter to account for the difference in contrast between the sky and landscape. Additionally I used a Heliopan warming polarizer to accentuate the clouds. The light was beautiful.

Unfortunatley I made a major mistake in that I forgot to reset my camera from the days shooting and shot this as a high res JPEG. Not an end of the world mistake but one that does not leave me a lot of headroom to manipulate the file. The JPEG rendering from the Sony proved to be quite good though so all is not lost. So this is just a reminder to all to make sure you check your camera settings prior to a shoot.

2010
01/28
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CATEGORY
Hawaii
Landscape
Landscape Photography
Photography Technique
Photography Trips
Singh-Ray Filters
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Diamond Head Sunrise

Sunrise over Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens at f16 for 30 seconds.

This is an early morning view of Diamond Head, as a band of dark clouds moves over Oahu. To capture this shot I used a Singh-Ray 3-stop Reverse, Split Neutral Density. This is a more specialized neutral density where the darker portion of the filter is in the middle and fades upward. It is very useful in situations like this where the brightest contrast is in the middle portion of the shot.

Bob

2010
01/27
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CATEGORY
Hawaii
Landscape
Landscape Photography
Photography Technique
Singh-Ray Filters
Sony α900
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Whirly Gigs

Image 1: Whirly Gigs in Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/8 second. Flash set for TTL High Sync Mode, bounced off ceiling.

Image 2: Whirly Gigs in Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/8 second. Flash set for TTL High Sync Mode, bounced off ceiling.

Image 3: Whirly Gigs in Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/8 second. Flash set for TTL High Sync Mode, bounced off ceiling.

I found a street vendor in Waikiki selling Whirly Gigs. A breeze was blowing off the ocean and they were really moving. The colors were amazing and I saw an opportunity to create a kind of abstract photographic painting. The vendors cart had some nice light but I used a flash unit set to Manual Mode with High Speed Sync and Rear Sync to add a little more light and to freeze some of the whirly gigs. The flash was aimed up to bounce the light off the inside ceiling of the cart. While in Manual Mode I experimented with the light output and finally settled on a 1/4 flash output so I avoided blowing out the image. 

This is the kind of shot where you can experiment and every shot will be different. I looked for compositions of color and size and shape within each shot. The three I posted today I really like bor their color, vibrance, and motion. They just might be next years Christmas Cards.

Though each RAW shot was full of color on capture I used Lightroom’s color sliders to help bring out the color details. All that was required in Photoshop was a little curves work and very light sharpening.

Bob
2010
01/26
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CATEGORY
Flash Photography
Hawaii
Photography Technique
Photography Trips
Sony α900
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Hawaiian Hula

Image 1: Hawaiian Hula, Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm at 300mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/60 second. Flash set to TTL and High Speed Sync.

Image 2: Hawaiian Hula, Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm at 300mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/60 second. Flash set to TTL and High Speed Sync.

While on my nightly walks through Waikiki I ran across a hula company performing along the beach. I stayed to watch and shot a few images.

Since I arrived late I could not get a front row position to shoot and unfortunately ended up standing behind the musicians. In a case like this you have to look for opportunities and deal with the hand you were dealt. I found a gap between the musicians and waited for the dancer to move into position.

Having the longer lens here was a plus. I wanted to freeze the motion as much as possible so I set the flash to TTL and High Speed Sync so I could play with the shutter speed a bit. I put the lens at the lowest aperture to blur the background.

The images were shot RAW and processed in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bob

2010
01/26
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CATEGORY
Flash Photography
Hawaii
Photography Technique
Photography Trips
Portrait
Sony α900
Street Portrait
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Tommy

Image 1: Tommy weaving a palm frond bowl. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f4.5 for 1/750 of a second. Flash was set for TTL and High Speed Sync.

Image 2: Tommy in Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/550 of a second. Flash was set for TTL and High Speed Sync.

Image 3: Intricate bouquet of flowers woven by Tommy. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm lens at 200mm. Images exposed at ISO 100 at f6.7 for 1/30 of a second. Flash was set to TTL Fill Light Mode.

I met Tommy on the streets of Waikiki. He is a soft spoken man who weaves inticate and beautiful bowls, hats flowers, and other whimsical creations using palm fronds.

He has been training with a master weaver for only a year but his work has a level of craftsman ship that belies this short time. Using only a small pocket knife Tommy strips the leaves from the stems, folding and weaving them together into a final piece of art. No glue. Everything is held together by the weave or special knots in the stems.

If you are in Waikiki you can find Tommy in his usual spot down near the Marriott.

Mahalo from Waikiki, Bob

2010
01/25
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CATEGORY
Hawaii
Portrait
Street Portrait
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Chris Sebo

Chris Sebo, artist. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/2 second. Flash exposure set to Rear Sync.

Chris Sebo laying down a run of paint on a new work of art. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 70-300mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f5.6 for 1/2 second. Flash was set for Rear Sync.

This is artist Chris Sebo at work on the streets of Waikiki. An amazing artist, Chris creates his paintings using ordinary spray paint. I had the opportunity to spend a little time watching Chris and he graciously allowed me to shoot a few images.

He works incredibly fast, blending his colors across the canvas using cardboard, crumpled newspaper, bottle caps and brushes to create paintings that are other-worldly.

To capture the dynamic way he paints I used a flash unit set to TTL Mode and Rear Sync. The combination of Rear Sync with a 1/2 second exposure allowed me to capture the motion.

To see Chris’s art go to www.seboart.com

Mahalo, Bob

2010
01/25
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Hawaii
Photography Technique
Photography Trips
Portrait
Street Portrait
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The Salk Institute-Classic View

The classic architectural shot of the plaza at the Salk Institute in San Diego. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 24mm. Image exposed at ISO 200 at f10 for 1/320 of a second.

Todays post is from the Salk Institute outside San Diego, California. Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine, established the Salk Institute for Biological Studies more than 40 years ago. His goal was to create an institute that would serve as a “crucible for creativity” to pursue questions about the basic principles of life. He wanted biologists and others to work together to explore the wider implications of their discoveries for the future of humanity. Salk engaged architect Louis Kahn to design the facility. Their vision and partnership resulted in one the most iconic and engaging works of modern architecture.

The plaza shot is one of the iconic views of the Institute. On the day I visited there was an overcast sky tht engaged the horizon just above the Pacific Ocean. The light was relatively flat and uninspiring. I did not have a tripod or my 20mm lens. Luckily I was able to get on a bench to get a little elevation over the water feature. I carefully centered myself and used the grids in my viewfinder to maintain perspective. Even so I had to do a little correction in Photoshop.

In order to capture the loneliness and stark duality between architecture, sea, and sky I used a neat blending technique in Photoshop. After RAW development I brought the image into Photoshop. From there I duplicated the background and set the blending mode to multiply. This introduced more contrast into the shot. I added a Black and White adjustment layer and used the sliders to to further accentuate some of the details. Final touches were achieved with a curves layer and a Mid Tone Contrast Layer set to Soft Light. This is a powerful work of architecture and to stand and look out into the infinity of ocean and sky was a special treat.

2010
01/22
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CATEGORY
Architecture
Black and White
Photography Technique
Photoshop Technique
Salk institute
Sony α900
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Slot Canyon Glow

Image 1: The interior walls of Upper Antelope Canyon glow from sunlight penetrating from above. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f14 for 2 seconds.

Image 2: Reflected light reaching down into Lower Antelope canyon literally causes the walls to glow. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 28mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f14 for 2 seconds.

I was searching through some of my site statistics and noticed I had a request for the best lenses for shooting inside a slot canyon. So here are 2 images shot this year in Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon in April. At this time of the year the sun is rising higher in the sky and the light more fully penetrates into canyon. The first image was shot at 10:30 in the morning and the walls were glowing.

Slot canyons do come with some challenges including diminished light and narrow, almost claustrophobic space. Additionally, the light moves within the canyon as the sun passes overhead. Within minutes a once glowing wall will be plunged into shadow. My Sony 20mm f2.8 lens is one of my favorites for tight spaces. I also use a Zeiss 24-70 f2.8. The advantage in using the 24-70 is getting the wide angle view but having the flexibility to zoom in for more detail or to isolate an area. My exposures range from 1 to 2 seconds to well over a minute at ISO 100. To mitigate camera shake I recommend shooting in mirror lock-up mode. I shoot in manual mode: manual metering and manual focusing.

I have been asked about filters and I do not use them in the slots. For a shot like Image 1 I will increase the white balance to 6000 to accentuate the warmer colors. You can also achieve this effect by shooting with the shade color balance setting.

Image 2 was shot in Lower Antelope canyon in the early afternoon. This canyon is deeper and the light penetrates later than Upper Antelope. The effect here is other worldly. The canyon wall appeared to glow from within. Again no filters were used, only an adjustment with the white balance.

I would encourage anyone visiting the Page area to take the time to go to Antelope Canyon. If you do you can book your visit with Carol Bigthumb at Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours.

As far as equipment you will need a good wide angle such as a 20 or 28mm, and a medium range zoom can help isolate details. A tripod is a necessity. And flash is not allowed inside the canyons.  When you go please respect the canyon and your hosts. They are places of immense beauty and serenity. And perhaps if you are lucky, as the soft notes of a flute echo off the canyon walls you will feel the heartbeat of the place.

Bob

2010
01/21
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CATEGORY
Antelope Canyon
Grand Circle
Landscape Photography
Photography Technique
Photography Trips
Slot Canyon
Sony α900
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Sunset over Cadillac Mountain

Beautiful red clouds float over Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens set to 24mm. The image was exposed at ISO 200 at f16 for 2 seconds. The RAW file was processed in Adobe LR and Photoshop.

Those of you who visit on a regular basis will notice a change in the design of the blog. This is a new template called Monochrome that was just added to the WordPress Theme Library. I think its a little more dramatic and helps frame the images. Let me know what you think.

Todays post was shot earlier this fall on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. I was visiting the park to do some survey work and wound up on the mountain in the late evening. The sun was just setting below the horizon off to image left and was subtly lighting up the the boulders. There was three stop difference between the foreground rocks and the sky. To hold the sky in check I used a Singh-Ray 3-stop, soft edge, split neutral density filter. I only had the red in the clouds for a few minutes before the light faded.

For more information on Acadia National Park please visit http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

To see more Acadia images please visit my website at http://roberthclarkphotography.com

Bob

2010
01/20
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Acadia
Landscape
Photography Trips
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Copyright

© Robert H. Clark, Robert H. Clark Photography, Robert H. Clark Photography Blog, and rhcl.wordpress.com, 2009/2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Robert H. Clark and Robert H. Clark Photography Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All photography ©Robert H. Clark Photography.
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