Fifty at the Fair

The Schaghticoke Fair in northern Rensselaer County is held each year leading up to Labor Day weekend. It's been more than a decade since I visited. Yesterday afternoon had some good weather for fair photos, indoors and out. The indoor lighting is terrible so light coming in through windows and doors makes a big difference.

I added 23 images to a gallery you can visit here.  Here are some samples.

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/1.4, 1/180 sec., ISO 400

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/1.4, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/2.8, 1/8000 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/2.8, 1/2000 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/2.8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/1.4, 1/8000 sec., ISO 100

Another Polarizing Day

Yesterday was another good day for the polarizing filter with haze free skies and puffy clouds. After spending the morning pulling and cutting invasive bittersweet at Saratoga National Historical Park, I drove the tour road for some of the usual scenes.

Here are some results with the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens with polarizer filter.

Neilson Farm
70mm, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

Neilson Farm
35mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

Neilson House
45mm, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

American River Fortifications
24mm, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

American River Fortifications
24mm, f/11, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

Polarizing in B&W and Color

Conditions were perfect today for using a polarizing filter. Here are some from my afternoon walk around Waterford including Peebles Island.

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

And here is one without the polarizer as I was crossing back across the bridge to Lansingburgh.

RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM, f/8, 1/6000 sec., ISO 400

A Versatile Lens

I carried the 85mm lens on my walk this morning and added images to several galleries including the new Details project. Here are some of the results.

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/2.5, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/2.8, 1/2000 sec., ISO 400

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/4, 1/750 sec., ISO 400

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 1600

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 400

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec., ISO 100

Feels Like Fall

Temperatures were in the low 50s this morning as I headed out for the sunrise. I had to find long sleeves and a jacket. There was a small window for decent conditions this morning. An hour after sunrise, the sky was completely overcast.

These are all with the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens from lock E5 in Waterford, NY.

24mm, f/5.6, 1/90 sec., ISO 400

72mm, f/8, 1/90 sec., ISO 400

29mm, f/5.6, 1/90 sec., ISO 400

67mm, f/5.6, 1/180 sec., ISO 400

24mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 400

58mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec., ISO 400

Another New Project

I started a new project this morning I'm calling Details. I describe it as containing "...images that show only a part of the whole without much context." I'm anticipating that it will contain color photos only so it's located in the color half of the web site at https://www.trulandphotography.com/Color/Projects/Details.

I started it off this morning with a trip to Oakwood Cemetery knowing that headstones and monuments are good subjects for this treatment.

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

Austrian Pine Bark
RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/5.6, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/11, 1/90 sec., ISO 200

RF 85mm f/2 IS STM, f/11, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

Bennington Battle Day

August 16th fell on a Saturday in 1777 as it is this year. The Bennington Battlefield is located in Walloomsac, New York, just northeast of Bennington, Vermont, which was the destination for the British, German, Loyalist American and Native forces. The location is a New York State Historic Site.

It did not go well for them. Of their 1,470 combatants, 900 of them were killed, wounded and/or captured. Rebel casualties were 33 killed and 50 wounded out of 2,000 combatants. 

Battle Loop Trail
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

Battle Loop Trail
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/4, 1/250 sec., ISO 400

Battle Loop Trail
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm, f/4, 1/90 sec., ISO 400

Tory Fort Site
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 53mm, f/11, 1/2000 sec., ISO 400

Tory Fort Site
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 30mm, f/11, 1/1500 sec., ISO 400

Tory Fort Site
RF 24-105mm f/4L at 63mm, f/11, 1/2000 sec., ISO 400

Old Canal in Summer

I dragged along a polarizer filter for a walk along the old Champlain Canal in Halfmoon shortly after noon today. It did make a difference in the harsh sunlight, particularly on the Duckweed and Watermeal green covering. All these are with the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM.

24mm, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

24mm, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

72mm, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

28mm, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

105mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

83mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

Filling In Some Gaps

The Canadian wildfire smoke is still hanging around and has to be taken into consideration when deciding where to go and what to shoot. I decided to aim for black and white today and my Saratoga NHP gallery could use some additions. 

The wildfire haze lightens the sky in black and white and can show depth in landscapes. The diffused light can also bring out colors nicely. These are all with the RF 24-105mm f/4L lens.

65mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

50mm, f/4, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

43mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

50mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

24mm, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

91mm, f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

88mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 100