Peebles Island

I skipped posting any photos from Schodack Island the other day but here are some from this morning at Peebles Island. Interestingly, both state parks are islands that were inhabited by indigenous peoples after the last ice age up until the 17th century when Dutch settlers displaced those peoples. Both islands saw farming activity with Peebles Island seeing more industrial activity than Schodack Island. Today, Schodack Island is more publicly commercial with a campground, boat launch and docks.

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 95mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 27mm, f/11, 1/1000 sec., ISO 200

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 28mm, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 43mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 37mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

Website Reorganization

I spent some time the other day reorganizing the website so that is divided into two sections, black & white and color. The folder and gallery structure will be similar in both and follow the design prior to the reorganization. Old links in blog posts will not work any longer, as the old galleries are now in folders.

I've spent the past two and a half months focusing on black and white and I think I have a better handle on the differences when shooting for monochrome and what works best for each. Going forward, it will greatly expand the subjects and conditions where I can expect to get good results.

Here are some scenes from this morning's walk around Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve.

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 85mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 101mm, f/11, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 85mm, f/11, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 35mm, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 72mm, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

Another Warm Day

After Tuesday's record warm temperatures, today was also significantly warmer than normal. Wind and some high clouds kept it from feeling that way, though. I was out early[ish] for a moonset and then had a 5.8 mile hike around the Saratoga Battlefield.

Here are some of the photos.

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 105mm, f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 800

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 25mm, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 25mm, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 40mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 42mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

Frozen Grafton Ponds

I'm not sure why the New York State Park in Grafton is named Grafton Lakes since the major bodies of water within the park boundaries are Long Pond, Shaver Pond, Second Pond and Mill Pond. I haven't been to the park since November, before I started my black and white processing phase. It was one of the last local locations that didn't have monochrome photos in its gallery.

Despite recent warm temperatures, in the 60s the past couple of days, the ponds remain frozen. This, of course, is to be expected. When I was a kid, I used to fish at Shaver Pond with my father in early April when trout season opened. There was open water from shore out to about 20 yards all around the pond. When the wind shifted, the ice could move toward the leeward shore leaving little room for casting.

Long Pond
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 35mm, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

Long Pond Trail
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 42mm, f/8, 1/60 sec., ISO 100

Long Pond Trail
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/11, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

Long Pond Trail
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 27mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

Second Pond
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

Second Pond
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 28mm, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

Continued Testing

I'm continuing to test out this copy of the RF 24-105mm f/4L lens and also building up to getting back to longer outings after my slip on the ice last week. I was out twice yesterday, over to Cohoes in the morning and then along the Champlain Canalway Trail in Halfmoon in the afternoon. The afternoon was nice with temperatures in the high 50s but it was quite windy. Today's forecast calls for even warmer temperatures but even windier.

Here are some shots. I especially like the last one with the power pole transitioning from lighter to darker than the background. I need to see if I can do more to eliminate the jet trail remnants.

Silliman Park Mural, Cohoes, NY
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 45mm, f/5.6, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

Cohoes Music Hall
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 32mm, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

Canalway Trail, Halfmoon, NY
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/11, 1/90 sec., ISO 200
CPL Filter

Canalway Trail, Halfmoon, NY
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/11, 1/125 sec., ISO 200
CPL Filter

Warmer and Sunny But Cold

I slipped on some ice the other day and pulled a bunch of muscles so I haven't been out walking around. I have also been left with only the 35mm lens while I waited for my trade with MPB to be completed.

It was sunny this morning and the thermometer said 34 degrees so I decided to drive over to Waterford Harbor and test out the RF 24-105mm f/4L lens that arrived yesterday. The wind was blowing at 25 mph which meant a wind chill of 14 degrees. I still have some sore leg muscles so a short walk around the harbor worked nicely. 

This is the third copy of the RF 24-105mm f/4L lens I've had. It's a little bigger and heavier than I recalled, especially after using the 28-70mm f/2.8 lens for months. Here are the results.

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 72mm, f/11, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 58mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 77mm, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 24-105mm f/4L at 31mm, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

Yesterday and Today

As we straddle February and March, I await the completion of my trade-in transaction with MPB which will bring me a like new copy of the RF 24-105mm f/4L lens in place of the RF 28-70 f/2.8 and RF 85mm f/2 lenses. It's really not much of a sacrifice, though, to be out and around with the RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM lens. I used to think that a 50mm lens would be my choice for an only prime lens but lately I'm thinking that a 35mm lens is a better choice. 

Here are some scenes from yesterday at the Saratoga Battlefield and from this morning in Waterford, NY.

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

Schodack Island State Park

One of my galleries with the fewest images is Schodack Island State Park in Schodack Landing, New York. The island straddles the border between Rensselaer and Columbia Counties, underneath the Thruway bridge over the Hudson River (seen in the first photo.) It is bordered on the west by that river and on the east by Schodack Creek which is really a tidal bay of the Hudson at that point.

I've mentioned it's not the most photogenic park. The trails do not run along the edges of the island for the most part and views of the waterways are limited, especially when the leaves are on the trees and shrubs. It has great trails, but there are seven state and national parks within 30 miles of home and Schodack Island is the second farthest.

The gallery can be viewed at https://www.trulandphotography.com/New-York-State-Parks/Schodack-Island-State-Park. Here are some photos from yesterday.

Hudson River
RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/2.8, 1/4000 sec., ISO 100

RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

Schodack Creek
RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

Schodack Creek
RF 35mm f/1.8 STM, f/11, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

These are made with the RF 35mm f/1.8 macro IS USM lens which is currently the only lens I have available, except for the old Minolta lenses. I decided to trade in my most recent combination of the RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM and 85mm f/2 macro IS STM lenses for an RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens (again) at MPB. The STM lenses were shipped out on my way to Schodack Island yesterday and the L lens won't arrive until next week. This is a cash neutral trade which gives me additional focal length on the short and long ends and will eliminate me having to decide which lens to have on the camera. 

Saratoga Spa State Park

I visited Saratoga Spa State Park this morning in the hopes that the warmish temperatures would leave a reflective sheen on the ice rinks but they were still frozen and not very reflective. I guess the one day I visited earlier this winter while they were hosing down the rinks is as good as it gets.

The park gallery can be viewed at https://www.trulandphotography.com/New-York-State-Parks/Saratoga-Spa-State-Park. Here are some shots from this morning.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 35mm, f/11, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/90 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 37mm, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

RF 85mm f/2, f/2, 1/4000 sec., ISO 100

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/11, 1/90 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 33mm, f/4, 1/1500 sec., ISO 200

Oneonta Day Trip

I've been desperate for a day with decent weather to get somewhere different for photos. Today was the day and the destination was Oneonta, NY, where I spent the middle 1970s at Hartwick College. 

Here are some shots from the campus as well as the Wilber Mansion which was built in two phases, 1875 and about 1890. Interestingly, I have owned two houses, both of which are older than this one, albeit not by a lot.

Also interestingly, all of these are at 28mm, the widest focal length on the zoom lens. Of the very few options for digital cameras dedicated to black and white, which do not record files in color at all, the best option is the Leica Q2 Monochrom which has a full frame 47 megapixel sensor with a fixed 28mm f/1.7 lens. The more I find myself using 28mm, the more interesting the Q2 Monochrom becomes.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100