banjon's photos

Your Bio

Hi.

Thanks so much for visiting our website. We live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Photography is our passion (amateurs) and we do a lot of day tripping (day or weekend trips) around this beautiful and almost pristine province taking photos. We've also had the privilege of meeting and chatting with dozens of visitors we've met on the road. We've helped them DISCOVER the incredible beauty this province has to offer through this website.

Our cameras are a Nikon D80 and a Fuji FinePix S6000. Most of our photos are taken in RAW mode with very little post processing as we prefer a more "natural" look.

Please feel free to offer your feedback in comments and/or ratings (thumbs up or down) on any of our photos. We've added a "New Work" gallery that contains uploads of our most recent photos. Enjoy!

Regards
Richard and Barb Jones.
E-Mail: banjon@eastlink.ca

Featured Galleries

Daily Photos Challenge 2008 : My attempt at a photo a day. :) Will giver my best.

Daily Photos Challenge 2008

My attempt at a photo a day. :) Will giver my best.

Updated: Apr 09, 2009 10:12pm PST

Bald Eagles 2009 : Visiting Sheffield Mills on Feb 7, 2009.

There were over 85 Bald Eagles near the cornfield.
Temp started off chilly -8C and windchill -18C.
It did warm up a bit, maybe it was all the people that kept it warm.
When they began to filter out, you could suddenly feel the cold air.

I spent about 3 hours watching and photographing the Bald Eagles.

Bald Eagles can fly about 35 to 45 mph but their diving speeds are as fast as 200 mph. They typically have 7,000 feathers each. They are the 2nd largest bird in North America next to the Condor. Their life span is approximately 36 yrs. They remain in single family units caring for immatures for 2 to 3 yrs. Their avg. weight is 14 lbs. They are 32 to 40 inches long with a 6 to 8 ft. wingspan The males are smaller than the females.

What a site to watch them fly by. Many have never heard the sounds Eagles make, other than that loud shrill everyone hears on TV. :)

Bald Eagles 2009

Visiting Sheffield Mills on Feb 7, 2009. There were over 85 Bald Eagl ...

Updated: Feb 08, 2009 1:27am PST

$DVDH20 : When DVD's refract in water.$

When DVD's refract in water.

Updated: Dec 16, 2008 2:34pm PST

$Water and Light : Water drops on a DVD - light refractions. Some shots remind me of cosmic scenes.$

Water and Light

Water drops on a DVD - light refractions. Some shots remind me of cos ...

Updated: Nov 18, 2007 7:37pm PST

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Most Popular Photos

Day 205 - The Little Wanderer

The day started out dreary and rainy. Pat and I debated whether to head out to Conrad Beach for the 5:30am sunrise, but it was pouring rain, so we left a little later. When we arrived at the beach the sun was coming out and it was beautiful. We were lucky enough to spot and photograph our first Piping Plover (a very rare little bird that is only found in one or two pairs on a few beaches in Nova Scotia - placed on the endangered list) mixed in with a lot of Sanderlings and Sandpipers.

Later on we met up with Melanie and Barb and headed out to Canning and Medford (Bay of Fundy shore). We spotted a few Bald Eagles and hawks along the way. At Canning, we met a gentlemen walking with his two white dogs who showed us the way along the paths to the grassy mud flats (clay-like soil) and beach. I think the dogs just came along to show how well they can play in the mud... white plus red mud clay = not a pretty sight.. hehe

On our way back this little girl passed us by. Only a quick hello and a shy smile and she was on her way - all the while having a wonderful discussion with and singing to her little lamb doll . You see she had places to go, people to see, and things to do.

The late afternoon sun lit up the sea grass and red mud flats. On the far shore is Blomidon's North Mountain.

Sept 10 2008

Day 22 - Windy Day at Prospect Bay

Well, weatherman called for snow, then it turned to torrential rain, first with the deluges, then with near hurricane winds. I didn't hear any hurricane warnings!!! The wind gusts were hitting 80MPH or more last night. The windows were bouncing and doors were shaking.

So I expected more of the same today. Nope! Remember that saying, don't like the weather wait 10 minutes. Well, it was sunny and blue skies with 40mph winds. I knew where I was headed! Prospect Bay.

The bay is one of the farthest tips into the Atlantic Ocean and it sees a lot of wave action. These waves are so unpredictable, I don't think surfers even bother with this area. As you can see, this wave is viewed from upon a hilltop - the average spray heights today had to be in the 50 to 60 ft range when they smashed into the granite rocks. I bet the town is grateful for those granite rocks, they act as a natural break water.

Notice the white rock how smooth it is. This is the same type of rock formations found at Peggys Cove, which about 20 miles south from here.

The wind was so strong and bitterly cold - I could only take small exposures for roughly 15 minutes at a time. I still feel the chill in my bones. I had to hold the tripod with one hand, trying to keep my foot near one of the legs, and I left the camera strapped around my neck. For a few moments, the wind was so strong, I had to turn around to breathe. :)

I had so many awesome shots today! The sun was battling a massive snow storm over the Atlantic. Half the sky was dark grey and dark blue, the other was all puffy white and powder blue. When the Sun was over taken by the thick dark clouds, within moments the temp dropped roughly 10 or more degrees - you could actually feel the blast of cold air. Next thing I know, ice pellets were stinging me in the face, and snow - the sky was full of snow. Thick white puffy snow. That lasted for about an hour, then it was all gone. The sun came out and showcased some awesome rays of light which cast spot lights on the rocks and lit up the ocean. Pretty cool.

I could have stayed there all day! I ran out of space on the memory card and batteries died. :(
When it gets very cold I notice the camera starts to act a bit odd. Oh well.. next time. I keep telling Barb we should get a house down there. :)

PS ... and Barb says NO WAY!!! (signed Barb :).

Mar 09 2008

Day 244 (1/2) - Lost In Time

An old dory slowly withers away in the thick fog in West Lawrencetown. I can imagine the tons of cod it hauled in its day.

Since the cod stocks were nearly depleted by commercial trawlers, the small local fishermen had to abide by a 10-year moratorium on cod. This really hurt the Maritimes as many families had to pursue other means of employment or move away and leave everything behind. Governments can be cruel, allowing the commercial fisheries to continue fishing (unofficially looking the other way), meanwhile, the small guy thinks everyone is playing fair only to get shafted once again. The cod stocks were suppose to replenish, but now every one fears they may be lost forever due to some greedy politicians.

Nov 09 2008

Day 236 - Morning Mist at Kearney Lake

I visited Kearney Lake early this morning. The mist was rising off the with Autumn colors in the background. As I was walking the along the lake, I sat on a rock to watch the trees get brighter, and brighter. When three ducks landed behind me, and then came within a foot of the shore where I sat. Eventually, coming round, right in front of me and to my surprise started to come on shore about 2 feet away from me. I never thought I'd say, backup you're too close for my 300mm.. :)

I was hoping to see one of the beavers in the mist, they were there. I usually would hear them after they submerged. Checking me out I guess. Saw lots of Chick-a-dees, Finches, and Sparrows. A sparrow just about walked into me before realizing I wasn't a tree. :)

I added some more photos from the morning out. (here)

Oct 12 2008

Day 263 - Lighthouse Silhouette

I was trying different compositions of Peggy's Cove lighthouse. This was one of my favorites that day.

Dec 04 2008

Day 196 - The Field of Three Doors

Wasn't that a Moody Blues tune... Timothy Leary...

Thanks to a creative artist in Grand Pre who placed three doors in their field. When I saw them I was totally taken back, and said WOW! I can imagine with a blue sky what it must look like.

The image is a composite of two images I took today. The clouds are from a nasty wicked storm that moved in earlier today. Wicked lightning and wind. Pouring cats and dogs. The color of the clouds is the original color, no desaturation.

The second image, the three doors, I removed the pale white sky and overlayed onto the clouds. I added a blue tint to the door on the right, and inverted the sky on the middle door.

The middle door has me thinking... whats with #9... maybe a Beatles reference.

Just moments earlier we saw three bald eagles in the corn fields looking for pheasants. I was trying to get closer and setup my tripod, but before I could even setup the tripod he was in the air. I think he was waiting for the other younger eagle to finish his fly by.. sort of like a parent watching if the kid did okay. :)

Very few shorebirds today, I think they flew out of harms way prior to the nasty storm.

Aug 31 2008

Day 76 - Trying to Blend In

Oops forgot to give a description. :)

Its a clear glass marble on top of green glass beads. The green from the glass is shining through the marble.

I used a 250w halogen - man them things are warm. I felt like I was in a sauna. :)

I found the sweet spot (where the marble turned green) by trying different angles. I liked this one the best. I did try other colors, blue looked neat, but didn't light up like the clear glass one did.

Thanks for all the comments. :)

May 02 2008

Day 362 - Lemonata

The only soft drink I like to treat myself to every now and then.

Setup: Blue dishpan behind the bottle, fill the bottle with water then use a pitcher to pour into the spout. Make sure the pitcher is white or clear, it will cast colors. Its in an aluminum sink, so that adds as a foil reflector on all three sides and bottom. Out cabinets and backsplash are white, so I bounce the flash off the backsplash and underside of the cabinets to add light from above. I use a 1/8 flash setting and position the flash about the start of the dish pan - just beyond the edge (towards the back splash), this way the flash wont light the dish pan but will bounce the light very well. You won't get any glare either, but you never know what water droplets will reflect. Keep a towel handy for around the sink, yourself, and any spray back onto the lens (it happens, so don't get too close). Then take about 200 photos. :)

Apr 06 2009

Day 302 (1/2) - Ivory Gull

It is extremely rare to sight an Ivory Gull this far south of the Arctic. This one has been hanging around Sambro Harbor for about a week. He's alone and must have gotten caught in a storm or something. His presence has the birding community here in an absolute tizzy :).

I woke up early this morning hoping to sight the gull. This gull is about 2 yrs. old. He is not at all camera shy and came within 2 ft. of where I was to check me out. I was terrified to make a move in case I spooked him.

Thankfully the sunlight was slightly diffused this morning which made for excellent conditions to photograph. Unfortunately, the weather was a bone chilling -20 c (about -5 f). I was well dressed for the elements though and oh so lucky to have been able to get these shots. It's a once in a lifetime experience.

More photos of him in this gallery

I also added a nice sailboat photo of a Frosty Morning

Update: A 2nd Ivory Gull was spotted today. Wow. :)

Jan 27 2009

Day 273 - A Pair of Cherries

Trying some water and cherries experiments. :)

Dec 16 2008

Day 117 - Hot Coffee Beans

I love the aroma of fresh coffee. I did not mind spending a few hours, trying different approaches.

This is the Jungle Blend Fair Trade Coffee - great stuff! 100% Arabica beans. :)

I used an LED to paint the scene and adding the simulated smoke using the LED.

A little more detailed explanation for those interested:
The LED I mention is a Flexible LED (Light Emitting Diode) Reading Flashlight - goes for about $13 at Chapters/Borders or other book stores. It shines a white light, that has a hint of blue - like those blue headlights, possible true color of light.

I used the foam board as my base and black backdrop way in the distance (about 6 feet away). The camera is about 2.5-3 feet from the cup. For 3 second exposures I use f/11, 6 f/16, 8 f/19. Try a few samples to see if there any hot spots from leaving the LED stationary for more than 2 seconds.

I start by planning the steps of the light painting by keeping track of the seconds in my head as I pace through dabbing light here and there. If you want an area brighter, keep the light stationary a bit longer, then move on to the next area.

This shot I start in the lower right about a foot above the cup - thats my focus, hold that for 2 seconds, then move onto the base. I spend about a second in each corner in the front, then 1/2 second in the back, then I pull upward which casts the light outward. Then I quickly zoom into the coffee, slightly turning the flashlight so only a smidgen of light is shown, and I move upward like smoke would. This causes the light trail or simulated smoke. Sort of like writing in the dark with the laser lights.
All this in 8 seconds. :)

It goes pretty quick once you get the feel of the flow - sort of like a conductor at a symphony, but with light.

Also, an almost dark room should be used. You really only want the LED to be the main source of light.

I've also added a shot of the coffee beans using the same technique - if interested:
http://banjon.smugmug.com/gallery/5078470_zjcXu#312486068_L5oVi

June 12 2008

Day 308 - Hoarfrost

First time ever seeing hoarfrost up close. Cool stuff.

Feb 02 2009

Day 258 - Snowy Owl

I heard of some owls in the area, so I traveled to Hartlen Point this afternoon. I was walking along the cobble beach checking out the coral and soft shell crabs stranded from low tide and watching the tide come in smashing huge waves on the shore of Devil's Island.

I was just about ready to head back when I noticed what looked like a new piece of driftwood on the beach. Something out of place from the last time I was here a few months ago (I have a photographic memory that makes me notice this stuff). I was about 1000 feet away, so I zoomed in the best I could, and then I saw it move, adjusting its wings. My mouth dropped! :)

It took me a while to work my way through the bushes and briers to get within 50 feet. The owl knew I was there and allowed me to continue observing for about a half hour. He was really amazing to watch. Then I heard some dogs barking in the background, off he went to some pine trees in the distance.

I spoke to a birder in the area and he said everyone is excited because there are going to be a lot of owls headed South this year. It was a very successful breeding year and there are hundreds headed our way from the Arctic.

This owl is most likely a male, as it's been reported that most young males have already begun heading South. So we should start to see more in the upcoming weeks. He said there are already two or three in the area now, with more expected soon.

Nov 27 2008

Day 320 - Love

I love photographing water. It always gives me a nice surprise. :)

Happy Valentines Day

Feb 13 2009

Day 364 - Glass

Trying a different bounce method. I really like what it did to the glass.

Apr 08 2009

Day 255 - Eastern Coyote
This morning I traveled to Hartlen Point in search of Eiders or other Arctic birds which are starting to appear in the area. I was hoping to see some Black Headed Gulls with their bright orange beaks. No luck

As I was about to head out of the area, I thought I noticed a dog in the distance alone on the beach. It had a reddish sheen somewhat like a fox, but it was larger than a fox. I positioned myself and waited for him to get closer for a better shot. It was only when I zoomed in that I noticed it wasn't a dog or a fox ... it was a coyote. I couldn't believe it. Whats a coyote doing in this part of Nova Scotia?

I guess he was distracted by his search and didn't hear me right away because of the surf, but he was getting closer and closer. I was beginning to get concerned when he spotted me and stopped dead in his tracks. He froze for a couple of seconds and I snapped this photo. He then turned in the opposite direction. WOW! What an exciting encounter that was.

He has been injured. Perhaps he's an Alpha and got into a fight with another Coyote. He didn't seem to be handicapped by it though and was busy hunting. Later I read that there are about 8,000 coyotes in Nova Scotia. They arrived here in 1982, and are larger than the Western Coyote weighing up to 50lbs. There is an abundance of food (deer, fox, and other wildlife) for them in the Annapolis Valley, but probably only large shore birds and hares by the ocean.

Nove. 23,2008.

Day 232 - Autumn Leaves Collage

At lunch today, it was so nice out, I decided to take a walk on the trail (where the lady was walking her bike). The sun helped me get some really nice foliage shots today. Along with a few shots of a bee, red dragon fly, and a big green grasshopper. :) Usually they all flee when I walk the trail.

There were so many nice photos, Barb suggested doing a collage today. I tried gathering some of the color backgrounds to give the feel of Autumn. I really love the colors. I think its the first Autumn that we had the chance to get out and really enjoy the foliage closeup. Usually we just admired it's lovely colors from afar.

I added some more photos to the Fall gallery (here)

Oct 08 2008

Day 354 - What Awaits...

Had some ideas working with the flash and green tissue paper.

This is the 2nd go, trying to get the lighting right. I had some neat effects, but I noticed it has to be totally dark to help with the green gradient. I found the setup to be very challenging. It's not so much the lighting behind the door, its the way the light falls in the dark foreground. It must be due to the analog to digital conversion that is causing shadow pixeling. I definitely want to pursue to see how to beat those blasted pixels. Sort of like a dark scene on a DVD - waves of pixelized gradients. Any suggestions would be great. I thought about a remote flash trigger or longer exposures.

We got snow last night - not much a few inches. Oh well. Winter's back. :(

Mar 24 2009

A Rare Close up.

Day 317 - Red and White Scallop

I was looking for my next victim, I mean subject for the daily's. I tried a few things, when a little scalloped trash bin caught my eye. I tried a few things with the flash inside the bin. Then I started experimenting with diffferent colored objects to see what would bank the light nicely. I found a blue piece of plastic that gave off a nice powder blue color. Then I found some red tissue paper laying around from Christmas (hehe).

It took me several attempts to get the paper just right to work with the fill flash.

I really like the colors and lines. I had a few other ideas I'd like to try. I think they would come out nice.

Feb 10 2009

Day 256 - The Old Fishing Shed

An abandoned fishing shed sits idle as the snow piles up and another cycle of the tide reveals frozen mud reflecting the blue sky. Don't be fooled by the calmness of the scene, the windchill was in the negative numbers and made you quite aware winter has arrived.

Fishermans Reserve, NS

Nov 25 2008

Day 163 - Electrifying

...storm that is.

Tonight we had a lightning storm, a couple of big booms and a handful of flashes. After shutting down the computers, I thought about trying to capture lightning again. I've tried several times in the past, but the problem is the fog. Usually by the time the light show begins, the fog always creeps in to spoil the fun.

After I set up bulb mode and got the remote ready, I set it up and thought about grabbing the wide angle, because you never know where they strike. As I was digging for the lens, this huge flash of light occurred. I ran to see the result - wow. Not one, but two bolts!

This is the first successful lightning image I've taken. Woohoo!

You can see the fog rolling in as was illuminated by the strike. Another 10 minutes and it was hard to see the strikes, just clouds getting really bright then a boom.

This also marks another milestone - today I hit photo #40,000... :) addicted much.
I'm loving every minute of it. Thanks to everyone - your kind words and encouragement really helps. I love the daily photos, it really pushes you to be creative and selective.

July 29 2008

Day 333 - The Freezing Thaw

Between the freezing rain and very thick fog with temps hitting around 8C/48F, the water saturated everything including the ice in the coves and lakes leaving these strips of water across the ice allowing for some awesome reflections.

By the way, the temp dropped to -13C/5F in only a few short hours. Mother Nature messing (trying to keep it clean here) with our heads. :)

I recommend you view it full screen (I put it as my desktop). I love the depth to it.

Feb 28 2009

Day 253 - Wintery Wall

Remnants of ice and snow remain because the sun hid all day. Snow and ice still outlined every tree and bush as far as the eye could see. So I headed over to a nearby lake for lunch to see the aftermath. I was not disappointed. The water levels were high, so the brooks were flowing pretty good. It was definitely a great time.

This brick wall caught my eye as I was heading out. I really liked how the snow was strewn about.

Nov 20 2008

Day 177 - Blue Tulip

Thought I'd try photographing the incense last night now that I got some more foam core boards. The black is excellent, non-reflective, works perfect. It took me a bit to get situated with lighting and flow of smoke.. keep the incense lit.. hehe

I need to find those little triangular incense pellets - they last longer than the sticks. I mostly crumpled up the sticks and lit them up. Bill was right, the smoke is thicker and flows much better and odds of getting something nice go way up.

I've had some nice results, but need more playtime.. I mean experimenting.. Trying to get the billowing smoke into the light is tough. I was adjusting the flash at the end to see how it effects the brightness and clarity of smoke. I really like the results.

Looking forward to trying this again.

Why do they sell different scents of incense?
They seem to all smell the same. hehe

Aug 12 2008

Day 171 - Everybody Hurts Sometimes

When I saw this dying flower, it reminded me of a song.

This is one of our favorite songs and one I love to play.

"When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,
When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on
Don't let yourself go, 'cause everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)
If you feel like letting go, (hold on)
When you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on

..." lyrics by REM, 'Everybody Hurts'

Aug 06 2008

Day 346 (1/2) - Polly's Cove

This cove is not too far down the road from Peggy's Cove. Its about a 1K walk up some small inclines which eventually you arrive on top of one of the cliffs about 70ft/25m above the cove. Peggy's Cove Lighthouse would be located to the right (not in this photo). It was the first time there, with lots of ice still around on the trails, it was a little tough to explore. (I landed on my butt, slipping on leaves under the snow, not the ice - go figure).

Geologists dated the rocks/erratics and large white granite back to the Ice Age. They even traced the origin of the rock to South Africa. Nova Scotia traveled a long way over millions of years. As the glaciers moved over the rock, minerals were ground into the marble. Its very interesting to see. Trees don't really grow that high here. Locals refer to this area as the barrens - mostly stunted growth and lots of cranberry bogs.

I didn't know at the time, there were three harbour seals sunbathing on the farthest rock. Seals are very elusive and move quick. They really hide from man. If you spot one, they have already picked up your scent and begin to disappear.

Funny thing happened while cruising the other coves around St Margaret's Bay, I saw a male Merganser, all in breed colors showing off for some brown ducks. I think he was a bit confused. hehe He got the hint soon enough and flew from the area.

Mar 14 2009

Day 185 - Models and Muscle Cars

Tonight we had an outing with the local photography group. They arranged for several models to pose for us using some muscle cars and racing bikes. It was my first experience working with models. Everyone had a great time, including myself. The models are attending a local community college and use these events to help build their portfolio.

Amazing how fast 3 hours goes by. :) The weather finally held out after two prior reschedules, we were about to call it quits, when we saw the forecast for tonight. Although a bit chilly, the sun really held out and gave us a spectacular sunset to boot! :)

I look forward to the next meetup. Its great to meet other local photographers and get to know the models who are very professional. Finding the right words can be difficult at times, but the models are very understanding and patient. :)

Aug 20 2008

Day 239 - Mother and Daughter

We had two visits today from the White Tail Doe and her two, make that three offspring. I think she found an orphaned young buck in her journeys. They hung around for about 20 minutes, checking for flowers and shrubs.

She really keeps an eye on young ones. It's funny how the young are oblivious to their environment. She does teach them to watch and listen. I even saw her break down some food into smaller pieces so the little one can share as well.

I guess it doesn't matter the species, we all have the same basic instincts.

We really enjoyed their visit today.

Nov 04 2008

Day 315 (1/2) - Sunset Rain

Today I saw a beautiful unexpected sunset. Why? It was pouring rain, high winds, snow clouds were moving in (the dark ones), and pretty much cloudy and foggy all day. Temps were up in the 4C/38F in February. This is odd because in less than 12 hours, the temp dropped to -12C/8F, with -22C/-10F windchills.

I was watching the rain trying to melt the snow, when I saw an orange glow on the windowsill. I ran to the porch to see what was going on. I saw the sun breaking through the snow clouds.

As I was about to tell Barb to come and check out the sunset, I heard the rain pounding the window. That's when I saw the sunset through the rain soaked window.

Here's what the sunset looked like from the porch - something you don't see that often, the sun splitting in half by the storm clouds. here

(Some other photos of the sun breaking through the snow clouds here)

Feb 09 2009

Day 170 - The Emergency Response Team

B-52's! Woohoo! Ever since Barb introduced them to me back in Montreal, I fell in love with them. They are soooOOOOooOOOoo great! After 5 or 6 shots of these, you really feel like you're flying. hehe

For those who've never mixed one, here are the ingredients:
In a shot glass, fill half with Kahlua (coffee),
then the other half with Baileys (chocolate),
then top it off with a smidgen of Grand Marnier (orange).
The trick is to pour them slowly into a shot glass using the backside of a spoon. The spoon should be touching the opposite side of the shot glass when pouring each ingredient.
The spoon keeps them from mixing, so you get three stacked layers.
Then bottoms up! :)

I made another concoction of two shots into a tumbler, and fill the rest with milk.
Add an ice cube or two... yummy. :)

The setup is a semi-clear white plastic drawer. I sprayed water on the front and back,giving it a wet look. I placed a black tarp behind the drawer and the flash about 2 feet behind the drawer. This turned the white plastic into an metalish look. I love the handle - it really added something. I also placed a white foam board to the left and a front flash about 6 feet away. Finally, I added some B52 text.

There are some things I picked up along the way that I want to try -
off to the art store I go... hehe

Aug 05 2008

Day 122 - Fresh Cut Watermelon

I love watermelon in the summer, especially ice cold. :P I like to cut it into chunks and put it in the fridge for a while. When I cut into this melon, I thought the growth lines were really neat. So I took some shots before slicing and dicing it. So hard to find seeded watermelons these days - just glad they are still round - wonder why the square ones never caught on here ... yet.

As I finished putting the last chunks into the containers, Barb nonchalantly scarfed them before I got to sample the goods. hehe Well, I did sample one or two - who can resist.

June 17 2008

Day 363 - Descending into the lair of the Unknown

I was taking photos of this crystal candle glass when this idea of shining the LED red laser onto it's rims and outer edges. I set a longer exposure to pickup the color from the laser pen. When I saw this image, it instantly reminded me of a video game where the player descends through an opening into a lair of some huge beast (aka dragon) :)

Apr 07 2009

Day 314 (2/2) - Bald Eagle Perched

(Gallery of Bald Eagle Photos here )

Feb 07 2009

Day 227 - Harvest

Autumn is upon us as the air takes on a chill and the trees are about to blossom into full fall foliage. It's our favorite time of year. Nova Scotia is widely known as apple country.The Annapolis Valley has hundreds of apple orchards. The story goes that the first apple seeds in the new world were planted by French (Acadian) farmers in the valley more than 500 years ago.

The setup includes a $2.00 basket Barb purchased at a market in the valley, fresh apples, and a checked pattern table napkin. I used 2 white boards on left and on the right and a black board in the back. I bounced the flash on the left at different heights to simulate a window. The image required no processing other than cropping and dead pixel removal (does this happen with all digital cameras?).

The image reminds me of a country kitchen scene :).

Oct 03 2008

Day 275 - Cherry Droplet

I had some more ideas about the cherries while they were in the fridge. This one is using Grenadine sauce which really clings to the cherry and shines nicely, let alone being kind of sticky and RED! Luckily I used a bigger plate to catch the drops.

To get this effect, dunk the cherry in the sauce and lift up quickly and stop to compose the shot. The syrup is thicker than water, so that helps a bit, however, I found trying to capture the droplets was easier using water.

It takes a while to get the correct wrist action to get the droplet to snap suddenly and act like a rubber band. Of the 350 shots, I got about 3 or 4 that really came out nice. Since there is no autofocus, trying to position your hand exactly for the focal point in the lens is very challenging.

I really enjoy trying to capture the effects. I had so many close ones, but the framing was off due to final resting position. oh well. :)

The last couple of days I've seen some long hours at work. Thankfully the new release is out and working and vacation begins on the 24th! woohoo!

Now were getting hit with a blizzard sort of... power outages are frequent. Glad they only called for a dusting.

Dec 21 2008

Day 329 - Wine Glass Reflections

I used a combination of natural light and incandescent light.
I also liked how the three glasses in a row reflecting each other.

Feb 22 2009

Day 175.1 - Neon Straw Flower

Wanted to try these neon color straws we had. I tried different lighting and came up with a few interesting patterns.

I've added a second photo using an uplight to create a pastel metallic look.
http://banjon.smugmug.com/gallery/4356946_mQ7BB#349597036_CDj3S

Added note: These straws are translucent and only turn solid color when the flash was applied. That was an added surprise. :)

Aug 10 2008

Day 116 - Just A Splash Of Lemon, Please...

I thought I'd try simulating a lemon dropped into water. Not something to try in the winter, well with the heat on maybe. I learned you need lots of towels for bigger splashes - mostly to wipe your face off from the back splash. After a few good soakers, I managed to get a few decent splashes.

Next on the my shopping list is a small fish tank to do drops in.

I set this up with only the on-camera flash, dropping the flash ev to -1.5. I used the white foam board over the splash angled forward and a black backdrop behind. I also disabled AF, since AF always causes you to either miss the shot leaving you lots of infocus photos of water in a bowl with a lemon floating, or focus in on some odd water droplet in closest to the lens. Focus manually works 99% of the time - I judge where to drop in the water - focus on that spot, either with a pen tip or the lemon itself. Then drop away, hoping not to get too soaked. :)

Timing for the lemon was MUCH easier than water droplets. Although I did catch a few lemons just about to splash or in mid air. Which was cool too. :) Maybe a neat sequence shot.

June 11 2008

Day 324 - Chocky-lit and Cherries

Time to treat the taste buds with some Black Forest cake and some ice cold milk. :)

Feb 17 2009

Day 312 - Big Yellow

The amber glow from Big Blue's brother.
(I wish!)

Having fun with an old computer case. I liked the repeating small squares.

Setup: Halogen light onto yellow paper back lighting a vented side panel.

Feb 05 2009

Day 343 - Liquid Form

I was about to embark on my next daily photo, when the condensation in this little bottle sprayer caught my eye. I tried a few shots, and then brought the lighting closer to the bottle. I then experimented with the white balance, and added a polarizer to help with glare.

Setup: Small plastic black spray bottle, with a little vinegar in the bottom. Vinegar seems to condensate better than water for some reason. I used a 25 watt halogen (50 watt began to melt the bottle hehe) for back lighting. It was placed pretty close to the bottle opposite the beads of vinegar. I tried a few white balance settings - this one is Flourescent, the other nice one which made it look like silver - K2500. I then added a polarizer and adjusted to eliminate any glare from the middle.

Mar 10 2009

Day 316 - Separate Ways

Having some fun with the pulsating shower head.
One of my favorites experiments to try is water in motion.
Something about the randomness I really like. You never know what you'll get.

Feb 09 2009

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