Mystic, Connecticut Day 1

Here are some scenes from the first morning in Mystic. The early light was nice and the water calm. You don't see many people out and about at 5AM.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 67mm, f/4, 1/90 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 52mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/5.6, 1/180 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/5.6, 1/750 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 62mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 35mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

Massachusetts Layover

Here are some photos made during a 48 hour layover in Massachusetts on the way to Mystic, Connecticut for a brief stay there. I used all three of my lenses, changing as frequently as needed, at Robinson State Park in the morning and Montague and Turners Falls in the afternoon. 

Westfield River, Robinson SP
RF 16mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/1500 sec., ISO 100

Westfield River, Robinson SP
RF 16mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/2000 sec., ISO 100

Robinson SP
RF 16mm f/2.8, f/22, 1/15 sec., ISO 800

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

Saw Mill River, Montague, MA
RF 16mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

Great Falls Discovery Center
RF 50mm f/1.8, f/2, 1/90 sec., ISO 400

Great Falls Discovery Center
RF 50mm f/1.8, f/2, 1/30 sec., ISO 400

Turners Falls, MA
RF 50mm f/1.8, f/8, 1/4000 sec., ISO 400

Another Sunrise

Sunrises and sunrise time are the perfect antidote to thinking that a prime lens or lenses, however great the optics, can be your only tool. Sunrises cry out for a variety of focal lengths and the conditions change from second to second.

So while yesterday I was wanting the 50mm f/1.2L lens, today I want the 24-70mm f/2.8L. My current zoom, the RF 28-70mm f/2.8 STM, is very competent but the 24-70mm lens is better. Of course, it costs over twice as much and weighs almost twice as much. Maybe a kit with both for small and light versus better image and build quality depending on the scenario? 

And then why not also the 50mm f/1.2 lens? And maybe even an EOS R8 to pair with the 28-70mm lens? I can think of many thousand reasons.

Here is this morning's sunrise time at lock E5. Not in chronological order.

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 37mm, f/4, 1/90 sec., ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 41mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/22, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 50mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec., ISO 400

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 28mm, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

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

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

Canon's Cheap 50mm

I carried my two prime lens setup around Peebles Island this morning, using mostly the 50mm lens. I'm finding that 16mm pushes background objects much farther way than I'd like. Something you don't really notice with an untrawide zoom lens as you can always zoom in a bit. This could be an argument for the RF 16-28mm f/2.8 lens.

I've only been out with the cheap 50mm f/1.8 once since picking it up so decided to use it this morning. I really like the 45-50mm focal length. Objects seem as near or far as our eyes really see them. The problem is the field of view which, in contrast to our eyes constantly move around to capture a wide vista, is severely limiting. A roughly 50mm focal length on a larger sensor like the Fujifilm GFX cameras would be a help as it has the same benefit but with the field of view of a 39.5mm lens on a full frame body.

I'll predict that if I start using this lens a lot and enjoy it with quality results I'll end up wanting the RF 50mm f/1.2L lens. I have a lot of different filters for that filter diameter including the 500D closeup lens. It would be a really nice setup.

But, at least for now, it's the cheap RF 50mm f/1.8 STM.

RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/30 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

Back to Cohoes Falls

After some torrential rain overnight I was hoping for some decent water levels at Cohoes Falls this morning. But it was not to be. 

Conditions were nice, though, and I had Falls View Park all to myself. I didn't even see the Brookfield steward who is always present when the gates are unlocked. 

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 45mm, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 60mm, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 28-70mm f/2.8 at 35mm, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

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

RF 16mm f/2.8 STM, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

RF 16mm f/2.8 STM, f/8, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

This Summer's Project

When I do a seasonal project I use meteorological rather than astrological seasons. So the seasons start March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1.

This summer's project is the 16mm prime lens and the gallery is located in the Prime Lenses folder. As always, ongoing projects are listed in the sidebar to the right.

Here are some shots from a walk around Waterford shortly after sunrise this morning.

RF 16mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/125 sec., ISO 100

RF 16mm f/2.8, f/4, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

RF 16mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/180 sec., ISO 100

RF 16mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/90 sec., ISO 100

RF 16mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

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

A New Trail, 249 Years Later

The Battle of Bennington was fought along the Walloomsac River in the state of New York on August 16, 1777. This battle resulted in a setback for British forces and their allies attempting to reach Albany. The failure of the supply mission combined with the loss of about 10% of Burgoyne's invading army basically doomed the invasion.

Of a force of 1,470 fighting for the crown, 230 were killed or wounded, including the commanding officer Friedrich Baum, and 670 were captured. American forces suffered 33 killed and 50 wounded out of a force of 2,000.

The main portions of the battlefield are preserved today as a New York State Historic Site. The new trail which opened this year follows the perimeter of the fields along the river where the first stage of fighting ended and Baum was mortally wounded. Some fighting later in the day took place slightly to the west along the river as reinforcements for both sides arrived on the scene. 

40mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

33mm, f/5.6, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

28mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

70mm, f/8, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

39mm, f/8, 1/500 sec., ISO 100

31mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

28mm, f/8, 1/350 sec., ISO 100

28mm, f/8, 1/750 sec., ISO 100