The Best Time of Day

If I had to choose a two hour period as the only time I could use my camera each day it would be the hours each side of sunrise. Frequently, the hour before the sun comes up brings the best color of the day. Sometimes it's the hour after the sun comes up which presents better scenes. Today was one of those days.

I knew there were no clouds and a lot of fog when I went over to lock E5 before sunrise, but, you never know... 

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 55mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 37mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/11, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 18mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 200

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/22, 1/60 sec., ISO 400

New Lens, New Project

I picked up another copy of the RF 45mm f/1.2 STM lens this past week. I had traded in the copy I preordered when the lens was released in December for the 28-70mm zoom lens back in the spring. Between a Canon instant rebate and rewards cash at Adorama, this copy didn't cost much more than I received for the original lens.

I've long thought about switching to the FujiFilm medium format GFX system someday. This system has a native 4:3 aspect ratio in contrast to the 3:2 ratio of 35mm film and full frame digital systems. As an exercise, I'm going to organize images made with this lens and processed in 4:3, or 3:4, aspect ratio in a gallery in the prime lenses folder at https://www.trulandphotography.com/Prime-Galleries/45mm43.

Here are some of the initial photos from yesterday and this morning.

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/16, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/16, 1/45 sec., ISO 100

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/1.4, 1/45 sec., ISO 800

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/1.4, 1/90 sec., ISO 800

RF 45mm f//1.2, f/4, 1/90 sec., ISO 800

Waking Up

I hadn't really intended on making an effort to get out for this morning's sunrise but when I'm up, I'm up. 

I don't know if it's DOGE cuts to NOAA and the NWS, but the formerly reliable hourly forecasts for sky cover have been extremely inaccurate this year. A forecast of 40% to 60% sky cover used to be a harbinger of a good sunrise. Now, it could be anything from totally clear to completely overcast. And that's not taking into account fog or wildfire smoke.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 53mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec., ISO 1600

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec., ISO 1600

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/5.6, 1/180 sec., ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 53mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/22, 1/45 sec., ISO 100

Catching Up

I've been out a couple of times since the last post so here are some photos to catch up. 

First is a concert at Saratoga National Historical Park featuring Ampersand, a trio from Maryland performing traditional American music.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/350, ISO 100

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

Following the concert I drove the tour road, making some stops and walking some of those trails.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/8, 1/180, ISO 200, CPL

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/8, 1/350, ISO 200, CPL

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/8, 1/350, ISO 100

And then this morning I was out for another sunrise, which is now getting to be at a more reasonable time of 5:51AM.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/4, 1/125, ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/4, 1/350, ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/4, 1/180, ISO 100

Quilting Consolidation

I've created a gallery under color projects to organize all photos relating to quilting. These are images made at quilting shows, exhibits and shops of quilts and related subjects.

The gallery can be found at https://www.trulandphotography.com/Color/Projects/QuiltingCollections.

Yesterday was the Hudson Piecemakers Guild show at Hadley-Luzerne High School in Lake Luzerne, NY. Hadley and Lake Luzerne are where the Sacandaga River meets the Hudson River before the latter's journey to the Atlantic Ocean.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 42mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 37mm, f/2.8, 1/180 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 35mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec., ISO 400

Hudson River
RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 63mm, f/11, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

Welcome to August

I was out for the first daylight of August this morning but there was both more fog and less cloud cover than forecast. As the month progresses, sunrise in Albany, NY migrates from 5:47AM to 6:19AM. 

Here are some scenes from this morning at lock E5 in Waterford.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/2.8, 1/6 sec., ISO 800

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 42mm, f/2.8, 1/20 sec., ISO 800

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec., ISO 800

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/2.8, 1/10 sec., ISO 800

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO 800

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 400

A Bag For My Finalized Kit

It's obvious that what gear you're using affects what bag(s) you want to be carrying. It's also true that what bag you're using has an influence on what gear you want to be carrying in it. I hate empty spots in bags and I hate having gear that doesn't fit in the bag.

I think I'm very satisfied with my one camera body and two zoom lens setup. And I'm getting used to swapping the lenses when desired. I even traded the 50mm STM lens and a large bag I haven't used in years to MPB last week for cash.

Shoulder bags I've been using, a Think Tank Photo Speed Freak V2.0 and a Case Logic Kontrast, are older, out of production and the velcro in the dividers is not holding as it once did. Both these bags are also wider than ideal and I keep bumping into things as I walk around in crowded situations.  As I'd been pondering a better shoulder bag, an option appeared as a featured one day sale on the B&H website.

The Think Tank SpeedTop 15 is the style and size I'd been looking for and was a great price. This unusual bag has no zippers anywhere on the bag. The lid to the main compartment is secured magnetically. Pockets inside the main compartment utilize velcro and another magnet. I carried it yesterday, modified things slightly afterward, and I love it.

In the section to the right under the grip is an EL-100 flash,
camera and flash batteries.

Here are some scenes from Peebles Island yesterday afternoon.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 19mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 19mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

Subdued, Pastel Sunrise

It's been a bad year for me catching good sunrises over at the canal this year. I don't think I've missed many good ones either, at least not when I'm in the area. 

Fall is the best time, though, so there's still hope. Here are some from this morning.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 58mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO 800

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 24mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec., ISO 800

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/4, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 16-28mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/16, 1/20 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 39mm, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

Back to Papscanee

I first visited Papscanee Island Nature Preserve along the Hudson River back in early June. This morning, foliage along the trails had grown up significantly and the tide was higher leaving much less beach areas. 

And the mosquitos were out in full force. I did manage to get some decent shots despite having to keep moving to avoid their bites.

I added these seven images to the gallery at https://www.trulandphotography.com/Color/New-York-State-Parks/Papscanee-Island-Nature-Preserve.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 50mm, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

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