San Simeon Pier

San Simeon Pier, Study #1,
San Simeon, California 20100

20 sec at f/32, focal length: 70mm, ISO 50, Aperture Priority, +1EV,
- 25 April 2010 6:26 pm PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/4L, Singh-Ray Mor-Slo 5 stop ND, tripod mounted.

San Simeon Pier, Study #2,
San Simeon, California 20100

100 sec at f/32, focal length: 75mm, ISO 50, Aperture Priority, 0EV,
- 25 April 2010 6:49 pm PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/4L, Singh-Ray Mor-Slo 5 stop ND, tripod mounted.

San Simeon Pier, Study #3,
San Simeon, California 20100

383 sec at f/32, focal length: 70mm, ISO 100, Bulb,
- 25 April 2010 7:17 pm PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted.


I'm posting these at a time that is much to late for me to write anything coherently. SO, have a great weekend!
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Slo Going

Morning surf,
from San Simeon State Park, California 2010

30 sec at f/22, focal length: 70mm, ISO 50, Aperture Priority, 0EV,
- 24 April 2010 6:45 am PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/4L, Singh-Ray Mor-Slo 5 stop ND, tripod mounted.


I've been slowly editing/processing files from a recent camping trip to the coast this weekend with my family and some friends. I only had two solid sessions of photographing, one morning and one sunset, but definitely feel like I made the most of my time within those two sessions. I had never been to San Simeon before and so with fresh eyes and no expectations, I was seeing new compositions to explore with virtually every foot step. Such an exciting trip!

The image above was made during the first session. It was the morning after we had arrived and a nice relatively dense, high fog had settled in just before the sun came up. I love these conditions. Longer exposures, softer light, more time to fine tune a composition without worrying about the light changing. Less sentimental, more Zen.

Although the given conditions allowed for exposure times running into the 2+ second range I opted for the Singh-Ray Mor-Slo ND to extend the exposure as long as possible. This allowed me to soften the water further and enhance the quiet and contemplative mood I was experiencing while standing on a bluff above the shore below.

San Simeon Creek,
San Simeon State Park, California 2010

15 sec at f/32, focal length: 70mm, ISO 50, Aperture Priority, +1/3EV,
- 24 April 2010 6:23 am PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted.


In case you didn't see the above image that I had posted to my John O'Connor Photography Facebook Page, here is another one made just a bit earlier on the same morning.

Oh, and Happy Cinco de Mayo!
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Happy Earth Day 2010!

Plovers in flight,
Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, California 2008

1/15 sec at f/14, focal length: 98mm, ISO 100, Aperture Priority, +2/3EV,
- 6 September 2008 7:42 am PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200mm f/4L, hand held.


Get out and enjoy what your mother gave you!
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Sunrise over the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Sunrise over Sierra Nevada Mountains,
from Ahwahnee, California 2010

1/100 sec at f/16, focal length: 70mm, ISO 50, Aperture Priority, 0EV,
- 10 April 2010 6:35 am PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted.


I recently wrote about the importance of returning to locations in 'Getting to know your favorite "Friends" '. The above image is another example of a location I'm constantly returning to. Daily, in fact.

While I may be spoiled in that this is the view that I'm greeted with when I walk out my front door, it shouldn't lessen the lesson of importance in visiting a location repeatedly in varying light or conditions. Even when you think you can do no better, you never really know.

By the way, 'Moon rise over Shuteye Peak' was taken from the same spot as the image above. Same goes for the images found here, here, and here (2nd image).
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Spring?

Snow covered Oak branches,
Ahwahnee, California 2010

1/8 sec at f/22, focal length: 131mm, ISO 100, Aperture Priority, +1EV,
- 5 April 2010 7:58 am PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted.


We had some heavy snow just a couple of weeks ago here in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. Last Monday, we got even more though it didn't stick. And now, with May just around the corner, we're hearing talks of more snow from a storm coming in on Tuesday!

As much as I enjoy snow and all the exciting photographic opportunities that come along with it, like these Valley Oak branches in a grove about a half mile from my house, I'm ready for Spring. Dogwood, Lupine, Corn Lilies, Ferns, rushing rivers, vernal pools, and on and on. Let's have it already!
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Old & New

Young pine tree and old abandoned barn, Kelty Meadow,
Sierra National Forest, California 2009

Multiple exposures merged to HDR at f/16, focal length: 122mm, ISO 50, Manual
- 15 August 2009 6:49 am PDT. Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/4L, tripod mounted.


Old image with nothing new to say.

Cheers!
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A music video for landscape photographers

Long time friends, Stomacher, have worked with photographer/cinematographer, Sean Stiegemeier to put together this absolutely amazing music video.

Stomacher's music is well worth checking out, but what makes this video of particular interest for most of us landscape photogs are the locales and how it was made. The video is pretty landscape-centric and most of the locations are probably pretty familiar. Like the one with that giant half of a dome.

Stiegemeier also has managed to capture some of the most incredible time-lapse sequences I have seen, which were captured with Canon 5d and 5d mark II bodies. He states in the comments at the Vimeo site, that he used an inexpensive telescope mount for the panning during the time-lapses. Worked pretty damn well. Another incredible technical feat, is the use of HDR. This guy must be extremely patient to have shot so many of those time-lapse shoots as brackets to later merge to HDR. That is a mind boggling amount of frames to deal with.

Bravo to Sean Stiegemeier and Stomacher for such a job well done!

Stomacher - Untitled/Dark Divider from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

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