Algonquin Provincial Park, 2013

I don't know if this will be a story so much as a description of the photos below.  We'll see. I've only been to Algonquin Provincial Park once and that was long ago, an over-nighter and on a motorcycle.  The ride was long, involved a couple of gas stops (300km one way) and one seriously sore ass.  Sorry, should that be butt? Nah forget it, this is my blog.  Ass.

I don't know why I haven't been back in so many years as it really was a fun night, and I did see 2 or 3 moose on my ride home.  Maybe it was the 300km rainy ride home.  That's probably it.

Enough of that.  This trip started the same way many things in my life do.  Spontaneously.  I'm in the parking lot at work at about 5:45am listening to the radio when the thought enters my head.  As soon as I can get out of work, I'm going home, throwing a few clothes in a bag, my camera, and going north.  Well.. Everything worked out well and that's just what I did.

The drive went pretty quickly.  In fact, I was surprised just how fast I was there.  The highway moved strangely well and before I knew it I was on Highway 60 heading east, only 50km from the park.  I wasn't even in the park yet when I was blown away by how beautiful the fall colours were.  Reds, yellows and oranges were everywhere.  A little voice told me to take off my sunglasses and I was greeted by even brighter colours.

Passing a small lake on my right, I couldn't help but stop and take a shot.  I have a thing for reflections so getting the colours of the trees reflecting in a tranquil lake seemed like a win for me.  Passing cars cooperated (by not killing me) as I parked on the shoulder set up my tripod and grabbed a few shots.  My critical side says it would have been much nicer if those trees and shrubs in the foreground weren't there, but I couldn't get any closer so, sometimes you have to take what you're dealt.

Continuing east to the park, I passed the visitors office.  Here, you buy your park pass ($16.00 per car) and this gives you access to the sights within the next 56km of park.  Well, unfortunately when I arrived it was a bit late and nobody home.  My evil side didn't pay for my pass via the machine so I hopped back in my car and continued on.

My first stop was to be a place that was marked simply as "Lookout".  No name, just "Lookout".  Interesting.  I parked, and began a gradual climb up a roughly 1.5km rooty trail.  At the beginning of the trails there are typically pamphlets that tell you what each numbered post is highlighting.  Unfortunately my shots are less than interesting, but I grabbed this shot of a fallen tree.  There are lots.  Hundreds.  Thousands probably.  This isn't your mama's park.  Go off the path and you're going to be seriously lost as Algonquin park covers thousands of square kilometers.  Anyway, nuff said.

Up, Up, Up the trail went, and after a while, I reached the top and enjoyed a beautiful view.  The sun was in my face though so I didn't take any pictures, so you'll just have to trust that it was worth the climb.

By the time I got back down, it was getting darker and darker.  Dusk was definitely here and it was time to get into my car before the critters and creatures come out to play.  With it being my first time out there and by myself, any large creaks and cracks got my attention quickly.

As the sun set and the sky darkened, I began to look for a place to get some night sky shots.  It was clear that it would be a cloudless sky and since I was miles from the lights of the Greater Toronto Area, I hoped that I would be treated.  And I was.  As a kid, I'd been treated to a view of the Milky Way on a road trip to Vancouver with my parents and its something that has stuck with me ever since.  This night was a close second.  It was spectacular.  I had found a spot just off the road with a watery foreground, trees in the distance and the stars above.  Just about perfect in my books.  If I wasn't clicking, I was taking it in.

I took a number of shots much like this one and in some, I noticed the trees were lit up nicely by the passing cars and trucks so I thought I would play with them a bit by turning around and shooting the sky and trees.

With my bike mounted on the back of my car, I shot the sky and a piece of the Milky Way and captured the lights of the passing cars.  I may have had more fun results if I could have had a bit of traffic going each way at the time, but beggars really can't be choosers.  I like the result.

I was really enjoying myself when I heard the sound of a rather large splash behind me on the other side of the lake, perhaps 100 feet away.  The sound of something getting in the water and swimming in my general direction was clear.  It's no secret that I have a fear of bears.  I'd very much like to not be eaten by one.  With that in mind, I quickly grabbed my camera and tripod, folded what I could and in a near-panic fumbled with my keys to unlock my door (damn you, Auto-Locking Tucson!!!) and threw in my gear before closing the door behind me.

My flashlight refused to illuminate whatever it is that was in the water, but no matter.  Something large was out there and I wasn't going to be dinner for it.  Even if it was just a moose.  My night was done and it was time to find a place to sleep.

By now it was about 10:30 and I found a place outside the park that looked like it would do.  Ringing the doorbell, I was greeted by a nice woman in a robe who was extremely kind and helpful and gave me her last room.  Spring Lake Resort took care of me for the night so I feel like I should give them a plug.  The lady spoke quite excitedly about my first time there alone, the things to do and see, places to hike and bike (and not to sweat the bears).

I spent a while by their small lake taking some more shots of the sky and playing with the mist as it drifted across the water before calling it a night.

The following morning there was a good amount of fog and mist in the air.  I was up long before dawn to make sure I found a spot worth shooting.  Keeping in check with my desire for reflections, I found this outcrop of land in a place called Mew Lake.  With the sun rising in the distance behind the trees, I liked how it was backlit on the near and far shores.  It didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted and given more time, I would have re-visited there several more times if necessary to get it the way I wanted.  Ideally I would have liked a somewhat cloudless morning rather than overcast skies, but sometimes you have to take what you're given.

Sometimes I wish I hadn't moved from Orangeville so places like this could be much more reachable but what can you do.  If I'd known that a year after moving that I'd be spending more time north than south.. nuff said.

With a fresh day ahead and fog in the air, I thought I'd visit another lookout.  Algonquin has plenty of them - unfortunately I can't remember the name of this one.  It may be Hardwood Lookout, but don't quote me.

Having noticed a theme of the lookouts being accessible via a loop, I took a more direct route to the top.  What I didn't realize at the time was that the direct route seems to mean a steep hike upwards.  Carrying a billion pounds of camera stuff with tripod meant that it was a serious pain in the butt (there I go censoring myself now).

Still a bit spooked by animals and the fact that it was still pretty dark on this trail, the nearby cracks and crunches were punctuated by the sound of that large creature I'd heard only hours before.  But still, up I climbed until I reached this lookout.  There was an area very close by that offered a much more unobstructed view, but somehow I think this one works to add some depth to the shot.  It gives the illusion of being above the clouds, and I like that.

With the night on my mind and wanting to find a safer place to shoot, I found myself at Lake of Two Rivers.  There is a place to stop and walk to the beach so as the sun was dropping from the sky, I carried my gear to the water, dragged a picnic table near the water and enjoyed some more quiet time.  There was a stretch of cloud in the sky that I had been watching for a while which I think was a contrail.   It lingered in the sky for a couple of hours and slowly got wider and wider over time.  I was pretty fortunate that it slowly dissipated as darkness truly set in and I was able to get this shot.  The glow near the horizon is from the lights of nearby Huntsville, Ontario.  Yes, I managed to work in yet another reflection as well.

The following morning I didn't get up as early.  In fact I let myself wake up on my own.  I would have to drive home soon and I'd been burning the candle at both ends for a while (as usual).

Heading back to Lake of Two Rivers, I had noticed this pile of rocks but didn't have a good lens with me to shoot it at the time.  With a bit of mist still on the water and my 150-500mm lens set at maximum zoom, I'm pretty happy with this shot.  It was probably 200 feet awaybut the lighting was pretty decent to get a contrasty shot with a nice backdrop of the changing leaves.  Truth be told, I wish I could have gotten physically closer for a clearer shot but, oh well.

It was time to head back.  My parents had given me a heads-up about a tower that I had to visit along the way home.  It was only slightly out of the way and promised to be worthwhile.

They were right.  My shots didn't really show anything spectacular (blame the photographer) but I have to tell you, if you're up there, climbing and descending that tower is an experience unto itself.  The tower moves, creaks slightly and the steps are steep and small.  I've never held a handrail tighter to avoid a very quick trip south from 100 feet.

Finally, along the trip home, I passed a small pond at the side of the road.  I was well on my way home but something stuck in my head that I liked about it, so after a minute or two, I decided to turn around and get a second look at it.  Well, since there's a shot here, you can tell I liked it.  It was a bit of work to get though.  I found a place to park, walked back, went over the barrier and climbed down a pretty steep and rocky embankment that led down to the water.  Pushing aside the tall grass, I found a spot I liked and this is what I came up with.

The climb up wasn't any easier.  I probably would have looked pretty suspicious if any cars had been passing at that moment, but I made it back to my car safely, and so ended my first solo trip to Algonquin.

I was planning on writing about both trips in a single entry but this one is already pretty long and I'm afraid I'll click something and lose it.  I'd hate to throw my computer out the window.

I'm outta here! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for Algonquin #2!

Full Moon at 2X

So there I am at work, working diligently so the taxpayers get their full value for my employment when I am excitedly approached by a friendly voice from behind.  "Did you see the moon?!" That was enough.  By now if you've read any of my blogs or looked at any of my pictures, you've seen the moon more times than you've had Cheerios.  Maybe I should apologize.  No, I don't think I will.

The night was beautiful and clear and I've been waiting to get image the moon at 1000mm.  My last couple of attempts have been mediocre thanks to wind and cloud.  Tonight the sky was perfect.  A healthy breeze though, but still doable.

I'm not going to go into a long yack attack on this writing, but suffice is to say I'm pretty happy with how the moon turned out.  Maybe tomorrow I'll get it a little clearer if the breeze dies down.

My other hope was to get a better shot of Saturn.  Being at home, I can openly admit I couldn't find it at first.  I had to use an app to locate it.  Well, what can I say.  I'm still no expert on the night sky.  Android to the rescue!

In the viewfinder of my 5Dm3 at 1000mm I was able to easily see the body of the planet along with the rings standing out quite distinctly.  Unfortunately, even with the mirror locked open, I wasn't able to get a stellar shot worth posting.  I'll try again tomorrow if the breeze is better.  It moves extremely fast at that magnification so I need to find a good balance of settings, and maybe I'll get an improved shot worth posting.

Until then, feel free to click on the moon.  I haven't resized it down so you can view it full screen if you like.

Edit: Apparently my site scales it down.  Pity.

Lessons Learned, and Oh Look, Saturn!!

I've been shooting pretty consistently for a little while now.  Some of those images end up here, some just go to Facebook, and others still just remain sitting quietly on my hard drive, hoping to see light another day.  I don't know if it's true of all photographers, but out of a session's work, I typically only like a handful enough to want to display, the rest I'm not thrilled with and if space were an issue, I'd delete.  More on that later.

I've been using a place called Mono Cliffs a few times lately as my location to shoot the night sky.  It's fairly dark, fairly remote, but still not too far from home.  There is still a lot of city lights so it is far from pristine, but it beats sitting at home and getting nothing.

To the left is one of my more thrilling accomplishments.  It doesn't look like much, but this is the planet Saturn which is roughly 1.2 billion km from the Earth, captured on the 500mm lens of my Canon T2i.  The past few times I have been out, with the help of a handy iPhone app, I knew that one of the dots among the millions overhead was Saturn, so I took some shots in hopes of taking a recognizable picture.

I can't describe in words how much luck is involved.  A clear sky, away from the horizon, a moonless night, a dark location and managing to get the focus right are just some of the issues.  Speaking of focus, that's a funny beast.  Just breathing on the focus wheel too hard (you can't use auto focus) could blow the shot out.  This picture is at 200%.  When you're setting up, the best you can do is focus until what you see looks like a sharp dot in the sky.  Then click it, and then have a look, zooming in to max, adjust focus just a fraction, and try again.  But it's so very rewarding when all of those tumblers line up.

With that accomplishment described, I now come back to my first paragraph.  Storing the photos that I either like or love.  Do you remember the topic?  The lessons learned?  Here we go.

No matter how confident you are in your computer, you need to back up anything you value.  At least once.

The past couple of days I'd been having issues with my computer.  It boots off a solid state "C" drive, so Windows loads lightning fast, as does Photoshop and a few other apps I use.  The other hard drive is your typical drive, and is where I store my work.  Like I said, most of my pics are fairly mediocre, but a few I truly value.

This morning when I turned on my computer, I was greeted with a flash, a bang and a hint of burning in the air.  Not a good sign.  I unplugged it, went to the basement and flipped the breaker and prepared to bring the computer to the shop.

Video cards can be replaced, as can memory, motherboards, and power supplies, but not hard drives.  Correction, not the stuff on them.

A couple of hours after dropping it off at the store, I got the call.  Motherboard, CPU, RAM, Power Supply and Cooler are all history.  I won't even mention the price tag to replace them because it's irrelevant.  It has to be done.  But they are confident that both hard drives survived.

As the tech started entering my days purchases into the computer, I strolled on over to the backup hard drive section and picked out a nice unit and added it to the bill.  I'll pick up a second one at some point just to be extra sure I'm not in the same position again.

Do your backups folks.  Think about the time you spend in good places, bad places, hot places and cold places and then think about it all being for nothing when you lose it all.

Remember that title again? "Lessons Learned"? The other lesson is, when you're out shooting, make sure you take in what you're seeing because if all you walk away with is a picture, but no memory of the experience, you really do have nothing.

Research Continues

The research continues into astrophotography.  Ultimately I know I will be purchasing a telescope to push deeper into the sky, but before I do that, I'm reading what I can so I have some skills necessary to take some quality photos.  To that end, I've discovered a little gem for sale that should make stacking images much more pain-free.  This little gem http://www.henrys.com/70762-PIXEL-TW-282-E3-W-L-SHUTTER-CANON-EOS.aspx jumped out at me while I was on a date with Google.  Rather than standing next to my trusty Manfroto with a tiny remote in my hand counting my images and the seconds of exposure as they happen, this baby should do the work for me.  Love it.

In the meantime, here's a picture of the moon I took a few months back on my crappy Best Buy tripod (otherwise known as Shakey - May it rest in peace).  If we ever have a cloud-free evening, I'm looking forward to shooting again on a good tripod with my new 500mm lens.

Disappointed

After watching the weather forecast pretty much all day, it went from being a clear night, to partly cloudy.  As the day was already VERY overcast, it was going to be a gamble on when the sky would turn to only "a few clouds".  And this of course can still mean that there is a haze.

At 11pm I made the decision that I would take a chance and make the nearly 3 hour drive.  Every hour or so, I would pull over and take a good look up and make a decision to turn around or continue on.  Each time I continued on.

At 20km away, I was once again blown away by the beautiful starry night and my excitement peaked. I hurried on to my destination, eager to begin taking pictures, but as I pulled into the beautiful dark parking area, there were no stars to be seen anywhere.  I figured I must have gotten ahead of the cloud clearing so I wrapped myself up in a sleeping bag, reclined my seat and waited.  It was unexpectedly warm, a very nice surprise.  But as 2am turned to 3, and then 330, I decided it was time to give up waiting.  The wind may be blowing in the wrong direction, so I gave up.

About halfway back to the highway I took a gander upwards and saw the sky was pretty clear.  Not spectacular, but enough that I had to get out and salvage *something* out of what was going to be 6 hours of driving, and arriving home as the sun was soon to rise.  All I was able to get was this.  The ole Big Dipper.

As I snapped away at a few other things in an attempt to get some deep space, I was jolted back to reality by the sound of a wolf way off in the distance.  Moments later it was answered by a second, and then a third closer one.  And then a fourth even closer, and finally a fifth that was clearly very close.  At this point, I didn't even put the lens cap on.  I threw open the trunk, hurriedly placed my tripod, still with camera turned on inside and hopped in the car and rolled up the windows.  As my door was closing, I could hear at least a couple of them attacking something that howled aggressively.  I don't know who won that round as I got the hell out of Dodge and began my trip home.

Click the image above a couple of times for a larger version.