Frostad Photography - Image of the Day

The F1.4 Project - Let There Be (outdoor) Light

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of the outdoor pedestal lights in Central Memorial Park downtown.

Now that it is pleasant enough to shoot outdoors again.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/6400, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Let There Be Light

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, it's good to walk around the house and see what catches your eye. In this case, the detail of the dining room light. I'm quite a fan of it.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4 ISO100, 1/4, f1.4

Rocket

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

That's what the top of this garden trellis reminds me of, anyway. A fanciful rocket climbing above a jungle-covered planet.

That's the beauty of the macro - perspective is everything.

Panasonic P&S, ISO100, 1/50, f2.8

Warm

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

That's a little more like it. A 30ish degree temperature swing in a couple of days makes it more tolerable for man and machine outside. I guess I could have been shooting inside....

Panasonic P&S, ISO100, 1/250, f2.8

Cold

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Really cold.

Too cold to shoot. Even too cold to post.

Hopefully something when it warms up next week.

Reach

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Not as much Photoshopping in this one as it may look. The levels and the glow, mostly. The rest is done in camera. In all honesty, this is one of those results you get when you are just playing around and, in the end, you go "how did I do that?"

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, 1/60, f6.3

Departures

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

And now for something fairly different.....

The only Photoshop work on this one is some slight levels adjustment and the tinting. The rest is in-camera.

The "departure" is moving from a self-taught history of small apertures and huge depth of field to purposely defocusing an image with a shallow depth of field. The results can pan out, though.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, 1/60, f6.3

Tower N22W

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

There's probably more to the location designation of this hydro tower. Hard to tell what the top portion of the lettering is.

Sometimes the pseudo-HDR processing really works on the skies - sometimes it fails miserably and I can't put my finger on what causes each outcome yet.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/60, f22

HDR processing in Photomatix

Down the Rabbit Hole

2012-01-13T07:00:00.002-07:00

Alternate title: Through the Looking Glass

This hydro tower in Ontario provides an interesting perspective when viewed from directly underneath. The pseudo-HDR effect applied also adds some drama to the sky.

Funny how regional dialects and phrases exist throughout our country. In Alberta, this would be an electrical tower or power pole. "Hydro" refers to water - why would it refer to electricity? (unless that's how it is generated...) Don't get me started on "parkades".

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/30, f22

Microlandscapes - Dead in the Water

2012-01-12T07:00:00.004-07:00

With all the wind recently, it is surprising that the iced-over puddles aren't completely full of branches and twigs and boughs.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/4000, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Just Hanging Out

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

A little bit of pseudo-HDR processing went into this one. Not much, though. It really just boosted the saturations a little. Looks much more interesting, though.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/1000, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Oh Little Leaf

2012-01-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

Sara pointed this shot out to me after she had taken it. I had been down at a lower angle trying to capture the sun's reflection on the ice/water in the puddle while she was busy shooting the leaf captured below the ice.

It's good to get someone else's perspective.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/3500, f1.4

Rung - In the New Year

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

New Year, new design. May as well mix it up and make it a little more "image-friendly" than before.

Still no snow on the playground.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/1000, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Take Down the Tree

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

It seems like it just went up but it's time to take off the ornaments and put away the tree for another year.

Maybe some snow would make it seem more like January....

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/13, f1.4

It Came From Outer Space

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, it came from a tree.

This seed cone, when shot in harsh light and given a pseudo-HDR treatment, takes on an otherworldly look of a space alien pod or a sea cucumber.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/2700, f2.8

The f1.4 Project - A Horse, of Course

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Pining for snow, this lonely pony waits to prance for the children in the playground.

Canon 5D, 50mm f`.4, ISO100, 1/640, f1.4

Back in Black (and White)

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

One day, winter will come. When it does, the playground will be more empty than it was on this balmy December day.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/500, f1.4

And to all a good night.....

2011-12-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

Have a Merry Christmas!

Back with new images in 2012.

Old Faithful

2011-12-16T07:00:00.001-07:00

One of the pseudo-HDR images that worked.

I love the increase in contrast in the foreground and the shadows in the steam column.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, 1/100, f16, pseudo-HDR processed in Photomatix

Porcelain Basin Redux

2011-12-15T07:00:00.005-07:00

Never one to let a good idea go to waste, I gave the pseudo-HDR treatment to a number of other images. Most failed miserably. You won't see those. This one, of Porcelain Basin, brought out the blues and greens along with the detail in the ground that was missing in the original.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/100, f16 Pseudo-HDR processed in Photomatix

Just Goofin' Around

2011-12-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

What if I try this RAW file as a pseudo-HDR? Nah. What about this one? Not really what I was looking for. Maybe one of these cloud images will.... HOLY COW! That was unexpected.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, single-frame HDR created in Photomatix.

The f1.4 Project - Tired

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

One person's trash is another person's subject matter.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/320, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Leaner

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's really hard to gauge how old some of these barbed-wire fences are. Withe the weather extremes here, they could be anywhere from 10 to 100 years old.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/1250, f1/4

The f1.4 Project - Freeze

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

A nice thing about shooting at 1.4 is that you can freeze action in even the lousiest lighting. These grass blades, for instance, were vibrating quite strongly in the breeze. There's absolutely no motion blur in the frame - a nice feature to have.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/1600, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Storm Warning

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

It is interesting how the wide-open f1.4 lens can give the effect of miniaturization to some scenes. This one, in particular, looks like a model fence with some fake snow blown on it. The real blowing snow was yet to arrive.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/1000, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Range Road 13

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

This image pretty much captures how dreary it was last Saturday morning up in Olds. Based on the tracks in the new snow, I was the first one on Range Road 13 this morning.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/1600, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Stubblejumper

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

In close-up, the stubble in this field creates a somewhat otherworldly landscape. It almost looks like it is underwater.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/800, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Darkness on the Edge of Town

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

It was still quite dark when we arrived in Olds on Saturday. There was a storm coming, I knew that. The only question was whether it would arrive before we left. It did, but not before I could squeeze some shots out of the day. "Day" is relative as it didn't get much brighter than this.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, f1.4, 1/800

Yellowstone - Somewhere in Mammoth - HDR

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

It is sometimes difficult to tell where some features at Mammoth stop and where others start.

This feature is a spring above the main portion of Minerva Terrace, behind Jupiter and Mound Terrace, and below Canary Spring. It may have been part of Cleopatra Terrace but it wasn't really clear. With the rate of change and growth in the terraces here, it must be difficult to keep maps up to date.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, three-frame HDR image processed in Photomatix

Yellowstone - Porcelain Basin

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Norris Geyser Basin, where Porcelain Basin is located, has some of the highest surface temperatures in the entire park. Soil temperatures above 80 degrees Celsius can be found here. The area sits along three fairly major fault and fracture systems and experienced a marked increase in temperature in 2003 - probably due to shifting groundwater patterns and magma movement.

Walking along the boardwalk through Porcelain basin often feels like walking through a steam bath.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/100, f16

Yellowstone - Over the Rainbow

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

At the base of Uncle Tom's Trail. the spray from the lower falls creates a rainbow that climbs out of the center of the canyon. It is interesting to look "down" on a rainbow.

Drive still broken. Always back up your work, kids.

Panasonic P&S, ISO100, 1/250, f8

Cannot find V:\

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sure you can, it's right there on the desk! If I can find it, you can find it. C'mon, Iomega, you can do it!

Posting to resume shortly - Hopefully.

Lower Falls - Yellowstone River

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I could have carried the big pack of gear down the 328 steps of Uncle Tom's Trail to the lookout at the Lower Falls. That would have meant carrying it back up the 328 steps as well (at over 8000' elevation).

Instead, here is a shot with the point and shoot.

Panasonic P&S, ISO100, 1/320, f2.8

Microlandscapes - Cones

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

When the foreground and background are as busy as they are here, it takes some considerable time and patience to get the proper focus on these shots - especiallt when you are shooting blind.

This was attempt number six, or so.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/500, f1.4

Yellowstone - The Fishing Cone

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

As with most features in Yellowstone, the Fishing Cone is very literally named. At first glance, it may not make much sense but the history of this location tells the story.

Back in the "wild west" days of Yellowstone, the rules surrounding how to behave in the park were much more relaxed - just take a look at some of the pictures of the park from the '60's with visitors feeding the grizzly bears from their cars. The story of the fishing cone geyser begins with a lone fisherman fishing from the cone into the waters of Yellowstone Lake. Upon catching a fish, he reeled it in only to have it wriggle free and fall into the scalding waters of the geyser. It lasted a few seconds before it expired in the heat and a new trend was born.

This undated USPS photo, probably from the 20's or 30's, shows a couple of resourceful fishermen catching and cooking their meal in one smooth motion.

The cone is now off-limits as it started to get damaged by all the traffic. But now the name makes sense.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/400, f9

Atlas Mine - All Bottled Up

2011-11-23T07:00:00.002-07:00

On the outside of one of the restored workers houses at the mine there rests a shelf of old bottles.

Why? No idea. They do, however, offer a nice contrast to the weathered wood.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, 1/100, f11

The f1.4 Project - Deadfall

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of the main reasons that the Yellowstone fires of 1988 were so destructive was the presence of a significant amount of deadfall on the forest floor. A lack of smaller, natural fires in the preceding century had left this buildup of fuel just waiting for the right conditions.

When those conditions were met, much of the Yellowstone forest was lost.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/500, f1.4

Yellowstone - Gibbon Falls - HDR

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

As with many locations in Yellowstone, Gibbon Falls is a perfect spot to use HDR processing to get more from an image. Here, the falls are in fairly deep shadow and the side of the canyon on the left is in bright sunlight. The three images in the HDR cover four full f-stops and capture most of the detail in all of the image. Any single one of the images had either blown-out highlights or the falls lost in shadow.

It's nice to be able to capture these scenes more as your "eye" sees it.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, three-frame HDR image processed in Photomatix

Yellowstone - Below Canary Spring

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Just along the boardwalk from Jupiter Terrace, you come to the area below Canary Spring. From the top, it is much more impressive but you don't get the view of the sky that you get here.

I think I have this shot from the '90's as well. I'll have to look that up.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/60, f16

Yellowstone - Angel Terrace

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

This stop, at Angel Terrace in Mammoth, was spectacular with the travertine enveloping the trees as it spreads down the terrace. I spent a fair amount of time trying to get this image framed right and the exposure correct. I finally settled on the vertical orientation to keep more of the sky and cloud in the shot. In the viewfinder and on the screen it looked very pleasing.

When I started editing, I noticed a dark vignetting in the lower left corner. It was present on this whole series of images and others from Mammoth. It was the edge of the lens hood on my 20-35L lens. It's only visible when zoomed out to 20mm but it is there and needs to be cropped out of every image.

Details.....

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/60, f13

Yellowstone - Mammoth - Minerva Terrace

2011-11-16T07:00:00.002-07:00

These clouds only hung around for the first part of the morning at Mammoth. I'm glad they did, though. The depth they added to the sky was just amazing.

I have a pseudo-HDR version of this image as well that will get posted later.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/125, f16

Atlas Mine - Belt Drive

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

As best as I can tell, this belt-driven piece of machinery would have been used to initially bend iron when starting the process to make horseshoes in the shop at the mine.

That is only an interpretation based on the setup of the machine. It may be something completely different.

Canon 5D, 50mmf1.4, ISO3200, 1/250, f1.4

Atlas Mine - History

2011-11-14T07:00:00.002-07:00

I don't know the provenance of this mural on a wall in the wash building at the mine. My suspicion is that it has been done recently as part of the restoration of the mine site.

It doesn't matter when it was done or who did it. It is well done.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO3200, !/125, f1.4

Atlas Mine - Pit Pony Shoes

2011-11-10T07:00:00.006-07:00

The pit ponies were held in higher regard than all the other workers at the Atlas Mine. The blacksmith's shop, near the mine entrance, made sure that all their shoeing needs were taken care of.

These leftovers still hang on the wall of the shop.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO3200, 1/250, f1.4

Yellowstone - Home on the Range

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last time we were in Yellowstone, there were buffalo everywhere - along roads, on roads. Every driving loop seemed to have its share of buffalo.

This time, the herds were concentrated in the Hayden Valley area South of Canyon Village. This allowed for a much more "natural" viewing of the animals. Although you were further away, you could still watch the interaction between animals as well as the dynamic within the herd.

To watch the buffalo meander down this dusty hillside in the distance with only the sound of the wind blowing was, for a second, to be transported back 200 years when they roamed the great plains by the millions.

Canon 5D, 80-200L, ISO100, 1/1250, f2.8

The f1.4 Project - Bolt

2011-11-08T07:00:00.002-07:00

Just to show that the depth of field at this focal distance at f1.4 is about 3cm.

And the snow is starting to stick.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/250, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - St. James Anglican Church

2011-11-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

This tiny church, nestled in the trees just across the street from the community centre in Priddis, was established in 1904. I don't know if this is the original structure but it could very well be.

I had been planning to get a shot of this church for a while and the early sunsets now helped me get the correct lighting.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/200, f1.4

Yellowstone - Icon

2011-11-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

Old Faithful erupting is the iconic image of Yellowstone. There are geysers that are bigger and geysers that erupt more often but there are none that are more reliable than her. Since the creation of the park (and probably thousands of years before that, she has lived up to her name. Sometimes earthquakes will shake up the underground plumbing and change the cycles slightly but very 40 minutes or so, day in, day out, hundreds to thousands of people gather to watch the five minute show.

They never leave disappointed.

They can also take home the image on cups, plates, spoons, t-shirts, books, or posters. It's hard to escape the park without some sort of image of Old Faithful on something you have purchased.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, 1/100, f16

Can I take my tripod in the cavern?

2011-11-03T07:00:00.004-06:00

"No."

"Really?"

"No, it's too cramped and there's nowhere to set it up."

"Alright."

Turns out that there was room in the Lewis and Clark Caverns to set up a tripod and I could have easily wiggled through the tight spaces with it. That said, if everyone was allowed to bring a tripod, it would have been a nightmare underground. I had to settle for ISO1600 and the image stabilization lens.

The caverns themselves are magnificent. It would have been nice to spend more time in there but the guided tour format does not allow for that. Some of the rooms rival those seen in Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico but the setting is much more rustic and the lighting is much less dramatic. I would imagine that these caverns also see about 1% of the traffic of Carlsbad.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO1600, 1/13, f4

Yellowstone - Vapours

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Norris Geyser basin contains the hottest springs and geysers in Yellowstone. Even walking around Porcelain Basin, it just "feels" hotter.

Crackling Lake, pictured here, was named for the sounds that emanated from a nearby spring. The air temperature was warm on this day - at least 25c at this point and the steam was still thick above the water.

Panasonic P&S, ISO100, 1/500, f10

Yellowstone - Blue

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Low, morning sun (and some saturation enhancement in PS) made this possible. What appears to be ice is actually water flowing over mini terraces on the top of Mammoth Hot Springs. The irregular "island" in the middle is actually a small depression surrounded by a tiny travertine dam that holds the water back.

With the speed that the terraces grow in this area, this spot may not have been there the day before - or survived to the day after.

Panasonic P&S, ISO400, 1/1000, f13

Yellowstone - Mudcracks

2011-10-31T07:00:00.002-06:00

The Mud Volcano trail is, like most trails in Yellowstone, very descriptively named. This area has a preponderance of mud pots and muddy springs. Depending on the time of year, things may be very muddy or beginning to dry out. The feature shown here is in a dry phase and the water in the mud is evaporating and leaving deep cracks in the surface. These will heal up in the spring when the water levels rise as the snow melts.

Sidenote: Post 500!

Panasonic P&S, ISO100, 1/80, f4.3

Yellowstone - Jupiter Terrace

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have this virtually identical shot from the same position from 18 years ago. That one is on film and has a crescent moon in the background. I'll have to dig that up and see how things have changed on the terrace in that time.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, 1/60, f16

As Below - Now in Black and White!

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

Monochrome HDR is always tricky for me. There are two distinct workflows that you can follow - do the HDR by combining monochrome images into the final image or creating the colour HDR image and then converting to monochrome. This uses the latter with a red filter black and white conversion. I'm starting to think that I like this method better as I am able to have more control on how much I darken the sky with the filtering. I don't seem to have that latitude when I merge monochrome images.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, three-frame HDR image processed in Photomatix and converted in Photoshop.

Yellowstone - Palette Spring - HDR

2011-10-26T07:00:00.003-06:00

One of my goals on this tip to Yellowstone was to shoot some HDR images. Last time I was there, digital photography was still in its infancy and HDR imaging was a voodoo-darkroom technique.

This shot of Palette Spring at Mammoth is one of those images that requires HDR for full effect. The sun is getting lower in the sky and most of the terraces are getting to be in shadow. There is still a huge dynamic range in the image that needs to be captured. Three frames two stops apart did it in this case.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 3-frame HDR image processed in Photomatix

Yellowstone - Another view of Grand Prismatic Spring

2011-10-25T07:00:00.001-06:00

In this view of Grand Prismatic Spring, the gradation of the colour is indicative of the change in the water temperature supporting different types of algae. The clear and green colours of the center of the spring are the hottest. The rusty red grading to brown on the edges shows a cooling of the water.

"Cooling" is relative, however, as the waters out at the edge would still scald quite effectively if you were unfortunate enough to check the temperature by touch.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/125, f16

Yellowstone - Great Fountain Geyser

2011-10-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

This geyser on the Firehole Lake road was a little side trip late in the day on the way back to West Yellowstone.

Even without an eruption, It was well worth the diversion.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/320, f9

Yellowstone - Tangled

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

From the area around Artist Paint Pots.

A subtle tangle of branches amongst the ferns on the shady side of a hill.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, 1/30, f5.6

Yellowstone - Grand Prismatic Spring

2011-10-20T07:00:00.003-06:00

I have seen a number of fantastic HDR images of Grand Prismatic Spring and I was hoping to get something similar. Most, like this Trey Ratcliff version here, have been taken from the hill in the background of this image. Although it looks close and easily accessible, at this elevation it was probably a 90 minute round trip. So, instead of the aerial view, we have the "worms-eye" view you see here.

No HDR processing has been applied to this image. This is the natural colour of the spring as it runs off and down to the Firehole River. I may try some pseudo-HDR to see what happens but the image is pretty interesting on its own.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/100, f16

Yellowstone - Artist Paint Pots

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have a number of old film images from the last time we were in Yellowstone in 1993. We visited many of the same locations on this trip but something was just "off". The vistas before were stark and foreboding. Then it made sense - the trees had all grown back. Our last visit was only a few years after the great wildfires of 1988. The new growth that was barely past the forest floor are now mature 20+ year old trees. It changes the look of the park dramatically.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, 1/125, f16 .

Perspective

2011-10-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

Once you gain it, the image makes sense.

Panasonic P&S, ISO400, 1/6, f4

If you go out in the woods today....

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

You could be in for a big surprise!

I must admit that I have never, before this year, seen a grizzly in the wild. Black bears? Dozens at least but never a grizzly. This year we have seen two - within about 10km of each other although separated by a few weeks.

The male we saw first was huge. Eating berries in the ditch along highway 93 near the Paint Pots, his head gave away the size of his body. The tracks we saw in the mud on the Paint Pots trail were awe inspiring. This female (I assume) was somewhat smaller and working her way across the highway just up from the Stanley Glacier parking lot. Thirty seconds sooner and she would have passed behind us. A minute later and she was gone up the mountain.

Timing is everything. Have the camera ready.

Panasonic P&S, ISO400, 1/640, f5

Yellowstone - HDR Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

What is interesting about this HDR image is that the water really was that colour.

This part of Yellowstone is somewhat amusing in that you can become short of breath just walking from the car to an overlook. You easily forget that you spend most of your day here at over 8000' elevation (2400m+). Higher than the lodge at Sunshine Village.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, 3-frame HDR image processed in Photomatix.

Yellowstone - HDR - Lower Yellowstone Falls

2011-10-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

This overlook, in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, is probably one of the single prettiest places in the world.

The light on this day was nice enough but the HDR processing really brings out the colour in the shadows n the lower part of the canyon and the water.

It looks okay on the small version here but I'm really not happy with some of the banding in the sky. The HDR processing seems to accentuate that and, for future reference, I may need to go straight to the RAW files and process from there.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO100, three-image HDR, processed in Photomatix

Yellowstone - Mammoth - Canary Spring

2011-10-12T07:00:00.003-06:00

The travertine along the top of the upper terrace at Mammoth grows and advances at a somewhat alarming rate and can quickly change direction as springs get choked off and re-emerge. It often overruns trees and forces the relocation of boardwalks. This poor tree, near Canary Spring, didn't stand a chance.

A little bit of tweaking in black and white with a red filter conversion and this point and shoot image turns out quite nice.

Panasonic P&S, ISO100, 1/320, f10

Yellowstone - Red Spouter

2011-10-11T07:00:00.002-06:00

Red Spouter is a combination mud pot, hot spring, and fumarole - depending on the time of year and the amount of precipitation. This geothermal feature is also interesting in that is is very young. It originated during the Hebgen Lake earthquake in 1959. During this visit, I noticed some newer features in some of the parking lots for the geyser basins in which hot sulfurous gases were now coming up through the asphalt or a storm drain. The parks crew had wisely cordoned them off.

The earth never sleeps.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/640, f11

Yellowstone - Mammoth - Late Afternoon

2011-10-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

This hot spring between Minerva Terrace and Palette Spring in Mammoth could, technically, be grouped with either but I believe it is part of Palette Spring.

The late afternoon temperatures greatly reduced the amount of steam coming off the top of the spring. We would revisit this location early the next morning to get a true feel for the hot springs in fall.

Embrace the lens flare! It was sunny!

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/250, f16

Yellowstone - Welcome!

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Roosevelt Arch marks the North entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana. Built in 1903, the quotation on the top - "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People" came from Roosevelt's wording in the 1872 Organic Act that created the world's first national park in Yellowstone.

Still lots of Yellowstone images to pour over. Some HDR to process, some panoramas to stitch. This could be going on for a while....

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 1/256, f8

Floe Lake Trail - Reach for the Sky

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

The forest along the trail to Floe Lake was burned by the major fires in 2003. In the last eight years, the rebirth of the forest in the area has been significant - even in this harsh mountain environment.

These trees are some of the few burned relics still standing along the trail.

This will tie in nicely to the Yellowstone images to follow.....

Panasonic point and shoot, ISO100, 1/800, f2.8

Olive Lake Spring

2011-10-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

This is the spring that feeds the lovely Olive Lake at the top of the pass above Radium right beside the highway. We have driven by hundreds of times but seldom stop there. It is our loss as iit has a nice little trail and you can spot many brown trout in the crystal clear waters. Pack a lunch and stay a while.

Panasonic point & shoot, ISO100, 1/10, f4.6

Regularly scheduled posting to resume shortly.

2011-10-02T23:38:00.001-06:00

Lots of images to go through.

HDR - Overdone

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

What good are sliders in a piece of software unless you push them around to see what they do?

This is the grain elevator at Rosedale - just at the start of the road to Wayne. The solarized effect is courtesy of Photomatix.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 4-image composite processed in Photomatix

The f1.4 Project - Left Behind

2011-09-29T07:00:00.003-06:00

In the old wash house at the Atlas Mine, there is a collection of old artifacts that have the look of just being left behind by the last person to use them. These boots are just left in a corner - waiting for their owner to show up tomorrow to head back into the mine.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO3200, 1/60, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Gear Up.

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you're going to go down in the mine, you need a helmet. And a light.

These battery powered units are for the tours going down in the Atlas Mine. They have a heavy battery pack on a belt and the helmet itself is quite heavy.

We are getting soft......

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO1600, 1/60, f1.4

HDR - Bridge 10

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

Of the 11 bridges to Wayne, this is bridge 10. All the bridges are single lane trestle bridges with wooden decks. Luckily, there is not really any traffic to speak of along the road.

Although the HDR process accentuates the colours somewhat, the sky was actually fairly close to this colour as it was about 30 minutes before sunset.

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 4-image composite processed in Photomatix

HDR - The Track to Wayne

2011-09-26T07:00:00.002-06:00

Evenings in the coulees around Drumheller can give some fantastic lighting - often best captured with HDR. We had gone on a little side trip up the road across the eleven bridges to Wayne. Just outside the Rosedeer Hotel and the Last Chance Saloon, the old abandoned rail line runs back down towards Drumheller. Back when Wayne had a population in the thousands, coal would have been sent from the dozens of nearby mines down the line to points both East and West. Now, with a population of 27, the area is known mainly for the bridges and the saloon.

And the scenery

Canon 5D, 20-35L, ISO100, 4-image composite processed in Photomatix

The f1.4 Project - Handle This

2011-09-23T07:00:00.004-06:00

Stepping away from the sepia (but not the 1.4), this handle is welded to a cover on one of the coal cars at the mine. Nothing is "light" in the coal industry and, back when the mine was in operation, it would have been exhausting, back-breaking work. Larger machinery and automation will have lessened that burden.

Some HDR next week to change things up.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/3200, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Coal Conveyance

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favourites from the mine yard. This machine was used to move coal off the mine face and on to this "conveyor" that would move it back from the face and deposit it (I assume) into the coal cars. The front end of the machine was something to behold as it had an oversized chainsaw blade that sat parallel to the ground and a pair of giant "pincers" that would sweep the coal back up a ramp to the conveyor. I call them pincers because, when looking at them from the front, they would look very similar to crab claws sweeping food to the mouth of the crustacean.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/800, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Hub 2613

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Another one of these images where I wish I would have taken a few steps back so that I could see what this hub was attached to. My recollection is that it was a large (2m) diameter wheel that looked like it may have been a drive wheel. Hard to say. There are so many "custom" machines at the Atlas Mine it is difficult to get a grasp of what each of them would be for.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/4000, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Ampere Hours

2011-09-20T07:00:00.001-06:00

Lots of really cool stuff in the boneyard at the Atlas Mine. This meter is on an old battery-powered train engine used to pull coal cars. it is pretty amazing that this single engine, powered by 12-12V batteries could haul what it did.

I was hoping to find a date of manufacture for this meter but my internet research on the subject has come up fairly empty. My best guess is sometime in the early '50's.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/2500, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Have a Seat

2011-09-19T07:00:00.001-06:00

This comfy seat once held the driver of a coal train for his entire 8 to 12 hour shift in the Atlas Mine. This train was powered by electric batteries so it was a step up from the pit pony era but, still, it was a harsh life - and this was one of the cushier jobs....

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/8000, f1.4

Atlas Mine - Worm Gear

2011-09-16T07:00:00.009-06:00

This worm gear was in an unknown piece of machinery in the yard at the mine. Based on the age of the equipment there, I would guess that many of the parts were custom made and that there would have been a booming business while the mine was open just machining replacement parts.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/4000, f2

Microlandscapes - Hoodoos

2011-09-15T07:00:00.001-06:00

Make no mistake, here in the hoodoos of the Drumheller valley, it is the desert. Small plants grow close to the ground, prickly pear cactus abounds, and the temperature reaches into the high 30's on a regular basis in the summer.

This tiny plant was clinging near the top of a small hoodoo. Barely existing in the thinnest of topsoil in the rock and clay. It tough out there......

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/5000, f1/4

Atlas Mine - White Star

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

We had the pleasure of visiting the old Atlas Mine National Historic Site when we were in Drumheller a while ago. I was quite pleasantly surprised by the quality of the exhibits and the knowledge of the staff. On top of the tours, there is a large yard of old mine equipment.

This white start is stenciled on the side of one of the old rusted coal cars. I could have spent the better part of two days there just photographing the yard and buildings. It is quite the interesting place.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISo100, 1/6400, f1.4

First Baptist Church

2011-09-13T07:00:00.002-06:00

I shot a wedding here back in the day. A "Medieval" theme - full armour and chain mail. Pretty fun and it fit the architecture of the church.

I'm still a little torn with this image. I really like the texture in the wood and stone and the symmetry of the window and the light. The problem with the light is that it just seems to be hanging in space and looking somewhat like a stylized snakes head.

Dunno. I'll leave it out there.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/60, f8

The Doors - Black

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

During a little jaunt around the beltline during a recent lunch hour. The alleys are full of interesting images.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/250, f4

Decade

2011-09-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

It has been ten years.

A decade, and you still remember where you were and what you were doing.

You remember that the day didn't just happen, it developed. It morphed from a terrible accident, to an act of war, to a life changing series of events.

You remember the twinge of fear, even far away from the event.

You remember the aftermath - the ripples of which are still felt to this day.

Armand Vallee created this painting within days of the events of 9/11 so that we would not forget.

Thank you, Armand. We won't.

The f1.4 Project - Tag

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

The back alleys downtown are full of interesting patterns. Sometimes you have to look a little closer to see them.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/2000, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - Bow Valley Strong

2011-09-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

There is quite a capitalist gathering that takes place in the alley every morning. Money changes hands and beverages are distributed. It is a perfect free-market economy of supply and demand.

This is the leftover from one such day. The empties go to the depot.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/4000, f1.4

The f1.4 Project - No Parking

2011-09-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

The alley behind my office sees much during the day. People and items come and go. On this day, leftover food containers and some no parking signs were the main inhabitants. One sign remains - I don't know what has happened to the other.

Canon 5D, 50mm f11.4, ISO100, 1/5000, f1.4

Connection Restored

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

A girl and her cat.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO400, 1/3200, F1.8

Telus Presents... (cont'd)

2011-09-02T07:58:00.000-06:00

Hey Telus!

Hey, Telus, that 60 minute support call last night was great. I was happy to get the new modem yesterday but, when it didn't work either, I had a suspicion that something else was wrong. Remember how I opened the call by saying that I just got the new modem and there was still no internet connection and that the problem must be at your end? No? Okay we'll go through the steps:

Reset modem - check.

Power off modem - check

Reset connection - check

Power off computer and modem - check

I think it's something on your end.

No?

Okay, renew DHCP - check

Restore factory defaults - check

Do you think it might be something on your end? You'll check with the network department? Thanks.

What? You've discovered that there is something wrong with the network node in our neighborhood and you'll have a tech out in the next 24-48 hours to check on it? You don't say! You realize that this has been an issue for 10 days now? Yes, 10 days (and counting). I should call customer care and ask for a rebate/credit for the time I haven't had the internet?

I think I will.....

Telus Presents... (still)

2011-09-01T11:31:00.000-06:00

Hey Telus!

Hey Telus, you know what's funny? I just got my passport in the mail! How does that relate to my Telus service, you ask? Well I'm glad you did ask.

You see, my router failed right about the same time as I applied for my passport - within a day. I'm not saying that there is a connection - stay with me here (and don't ask me to turn my passport on and off to see if it is working). I've spent over 2 hours in various chat and phone conversations with you to try and get a new router. I spent one hour at the passport office applying for my passport. My passport arrived two days ago via Canada Post. You say my router is on the way but it isn't here yet. The tracking number you gave me is bogus. It doesn't work with Canada Post or any other carrier.

Do you see where I'm going here?

The bloated red tape and bureaucracy of the federal government actually outperformed your streamlined "customer service" department.

You just got pwned, Telus.

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad (and becoming increasingly more annoying by the day).

Telus Presents....

2011-08-28T21:14:00.000-06:00

Hey, Telus!

Hey, Telus, the DSL modem/router you sent me a month ago failed. Can you send me a new one?

<20 minutes of turning it off/on, resetting, and rebooting>

Yes, it does not work, we will send you another one.

How long will it be? I need it for work this week.

24-48 hours.

<48 hours pass with no modem>

Hey, Telus, can you tell me where my modem is?

This is the repair chat, you will have to call customer care.

"I'll" have to call customer care? I just waited 20 minutes to talk to you.

I'll see if I can find out.

<elevator music>

Turns out there was something wrong with the order and it hasn't been sent out. It will be sent out now.

Great, how long? 24-48 hours.

Hey, Telus, my router hasn't arrived yet. Can you give me a tracking number so I can tell where it is?

I can see that it has been ordered but I cannot see a tracking number. You can call customer care and -

No, you can check with them and let me know.

One moment please.

<more than one moment>

It was shipped out yesterday. It should be 3-5 business days. Here is your tracking number.

Is that Purolator?

No, it is Canada Post.

Thanks.

<enter tracking number>

No such parcel exists. Please enter a valid tracking number.

Well, thanks for all that.

As such, posting will be poor to none until a new DSL modem shows up. Without my Fido cell modem, I would be fully isolated (and you wouldn't even be seeing this).

I'm waiting for the next call to get me to order Optik TV......

Quonset

2011-08-26T07:00:00.001-06:00

This odd perspective is looking up the corrugated sheet metal side of the quonset that houses the riding arena out at the barn.

The black sky is provided by the deep blue Alberta sky plus a heaping dose of red filter.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/60, f22

Strength

2011-08-25T07:00:00.001-06:00

When I was out photographing at the barn last week, this framing caught my eye as I was walking back in from taking Miss Angela back out to the field.

I'm still a little on the fence but it is growing on me. The toning helps.

Canon 5D, 50mm F1.4, ISO400, 1/2000, f1.8

Ratchet

2011-08-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

Used to keep the wire fences taut around the fields, these ratchets are so common that they become unnoticed. That is, until the setting sun hits them in just the right way so that the glean silver.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO400, 1/8000, f1.8

The f1.4 Project - Wheelbarrow

2011-08-23T07:00:00.002-06:00

Kind of a microlandscape without the landscape. This toy wheelbarrow sits on the window ledge overlooking the riding arena at the barn.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO400, 1/125, f1.4

To Infinity, and Beyond!

2011-08-22T07:00:00.001-06:00

With the right lighting and perspective, this simple horse trailer takes on the look of an intergalactic space helmet.

Or spacecraft.

Or something futuristic.

Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4, ISO100, 1/60, f22

Silver on Red

2011-08-19T07:00:00.002-06:00

Last of the colorification shots for the week. I remember the light was fading when I took this one so I bumped the contrast when I converted the RAW file. The end result was a little more of an outline around the hood ornament.

Original shot here.

Canon 5D, 28-135IS, ISO400, 1/15, f8