I think this is one of those cliche styles of photography that every photographer tries at some point, so it was just a matter of time before I gave it a spin. It is fun, and the results are interesting - even if they are a challenge to get something really worth keeping...

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro1:2 at 176mm, 41 sec at f/36. ISO 100. RAW processing in Adobe Camera Raw.

Why This Photo: As I said, I think every photographer gives this a try at some point.

What Works: The symmetry of the light trails is really what caught my eye and I am glad that the end product does a good job of presenting it. Also, my new tripod worked well to keep the shot very steady even for a 41 second exposure.

What Doesn't Work: All in all, though, the photo is still pretty cliche, and quickly after browsing it, I think it can become stale. There are also some rather distracting elements scattered around the shot, but those are probably hard to avoid in such an urban setting.

I'm sure I'll try it again, so I'll just have to keep an eye out for a more interesting area to try next time.

- Bill

With the evenings getting darker earlier these days, I recently went out with a couple friends to get some night photography downtown. I came back with only a handful of keepers, but it was still a fun learning experience.

One keeper is actually two different exposures of the Roberto Clemente Bridge. One is a fairly short (1/2 second) exposure while the other is a much longer exposure at 25 seconds.

Short Exposure 1/2 sec at f/1.8	Long Exposure 25 sec at f/11

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, 1/5 sec at f/1.8 and 25 sec at f/11, ISO 100. Raw conversion in Photoshop CS5.

Mouseover each thumbnail for a larger view, then place your vote and leave a comment to let me know why you chose what you did.

- Bill

OK - a quick break from the dive photography today to share a TTV shot that I took a couple weekends ago. Anya and I were doing a short hike along the trails at McConnell's Mills State Park, and I took the opportunity to get a couple shots of her when we took a short break.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D TTV Argus Seventy-Five, Tokina AT-X M35 Pro DX AF 35mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1, 1/8 sec at f/8. ISO 100. Tripod and handheld. Raw conversion and cropped in Photoshop CS5. McConnell's Mill State Park, Lawrence County, PA.

- Bill

Well - the weather today is brisk and certainly gives the feeling of fall, so I looked back through the archives and came up with this fun autumn shot using Tom's Sigma 10mm fish-eye lens.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Fisheye (borrowed), 1/50 sec at f/12.9. ISO 200. No post production. Ohiopyle, Fayette County, PA.

What Works: The distortion caused by the fish-eye lens produces a nice effect of making both sides of the creek loom a little larger while causing the hillside at the middle of the frame where the creek turns seem much smaller. The 10mm focal length allows the floating leaf in the foreground to appear much larger than it might have otherwise looked.

What Doesn't Work: Unfortunately, the clouds are completely blown out, and there is absolutely no detail there, producing a large area of dead space and a very uninteresting sky. The position of the leaf is just a little bit off - preferably it would have been a little more up and to the right... and ideally on a slightly different rotation (but it drifted out of reach before I could get it right).

Hopefully we'll have a colorful fall and I can get out and get some more autumn shots this year.

- Bill

Normally, you wouldn't use a 100mm macro lens to photograph a waterfall. Most times, if you're standing at the base of a waterfall, you reach into your bag and pull out a wide angle lens to capture the whole scene.

However, a couple weeks ago, I decided to try a longer focal length to get a more intimate view of only a portion of the waterfall. This is the result...

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 1 sec at f/32. Image Stabilization on. ISO 200. No post production.

Why This Photo: I have been to this waterfall several times so far, and I decided I wanted to find a different shot to come back with. Along with the TTV waterfall shots, I decided to isolate only a portion of the falls - to concentrate on the look of water cascading over the rough stone surface.

What Works: The slow shutter speed produced a nice soft look to the flowing water, while the sharp focus on the rock texture provides the nice juxtaposition between the two - particularly with the large portion of rock only partially obscured by the water in the bottom right corner.

What Doesn't Work: There is a small rock protruding into the frame in the bottom left corner. Additionally, the flow of the water is not as strong on the left edge of the frame. Perhaps a slightly tighter crop would eliminate these problems.

Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.

- Bill

Ok - got another TTV shot for you today. This was the first time I'd taken the TTV rig anywhere other than Phipps, so it was kind of fun. Trying to scramble up the rocky hillside to this waterfall while juggling my camera bag, my DSLR, tripod, TTV rig, and monopod on the other hand was not so much fun.

I really don't know why these photos have so much more grit and grain to them than previous examples. It possibly could be because of the difference in focal distances - most of the TTV done at Phipps is done within a couple feet of the subject, here I was working in the tens of feet.

I also found that focusing was much more difficult this time around. I had a razor thin range on the lens that would put the scene into focus, and even then it was just a touch away from focusing purely on the grit and grain on the Argus' viewfinder lens.

Regardless, here's another shot I brought back on Sunday...

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D TTV Argus Seventy-Five, Tokina AT-X M35 Pro DX AF 35mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1, 1/5 sec at f/8. ISO 200. Monopod and handheld. Cropped in Photoshop CS5 Extended.

Why This Photo: I've shot this waterfall before and I thought that since I was at the park for a field workshop for my class, that I would give it the TTV treatment to change things up instead of coming back with the same shot again.

What Works: The curving path of waterfall is pleasing to me, while the slow shutter speed produces that nice soft fluffy water.

What Doesn't Work: The grit and grain is just too distracting this time around I think - perhaps I need to clean up the viewfinder a little. Additionally, that razor thing focus range means that this shot is a little soft. And the long shutter speed to draw out the detail in the rocks produces a completely white stream of water that is a bit overpowering.

Even with its flaws, I still really like the shot, and may be convinced to head back in the summer with a different TLR (perhaps the Anscoflex II) and try it again.

Drop me a comment and let me know what you think!

- Bill

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D TTV Argus Seventy-Five, Tokina AT-X M35 Pro DX AF 35mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1, 1/16 sec at f/9.1. ISO 200. Monopod and handheld. Cropped in Photoshop CS5 Extended.

I'm busy with some other stuff tonight, so you'll have to provide your own critique. Thanks for stopping by.

- Bill

It was the rainy season while we were in Bali, and as such, it rained at least once every day.

In particular, on our second day there, we made a trip up to see one of the major volcanoes on the island (sorry - I can't remember the name). We seemed to have good luck with the rain only hitting overnight or while we were in the van driving to/from our destinations.

However, in this particular case, the rain produces a large amount of mist/fog that just blanketed the whole area. We had driven up a neighboring peak so that we could enjoy a lunch with a scenic vista of the volcano right across thre way, but were presented with nothing but a featureless white cloud.

As we finished eating, I watched the fog shift and pulse as it started to lift slightly. We spent a while on the overlook catching glimpses of the volcano. At one point, these trees appeared through the fog. I instantly thought it looked like something I would see in a National Geographic magazine or a BBC Wildlife special.

I quickly composed the shot, and fired off one frame, and just as quickly as they appeared, the trees were gone.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, 1/660th sec at f/1.8, ISO 100 (auto). No post production

- Bill

Here's another shot from the perigee full moon from a couple weeks ago. After taking the shots or the moonrise up on Mount Washington, we stopped off at a nearby cemetery to see what kind of shots we could find there. It was really cold that night, so I rattled off a couple quick shots and then headed back home for some hot cocoa.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II at 55mm, 2.6 sec at f/5.7. ISO 200. No post production.

Why This Photo: With the large full moon, Anya suggested some spooky shots in the cemetery. Once I saw this tree with that distinct low limb, I decided to frame the moon in the middle of the branches.

What Works: The dark exposure adds to the spooky feel of the scene, and the branches of the tree wrapping the moon completes that sense.

What Doesn't Work: The moon is a bit over-exposed and becomes a harsh featureless spot instead of an ominous moon. The composition is lacking a bit - the evergreen bush on the left is pretty unbalanced, and the moon is a bit too close to center. Perhaps some post production cropping could help the cause.

Thanks for stopping by today.

- Bill

I've been having some motivation issues with getting new posts written, so today I'm just dropping by to post a couple nice sunset photos. Enjoy.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II at 18mm, 1/32 sec at f/8. ISO 320. No post production.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II at 28mm, 1/32 sec at f/11.3. ISO 3200. No post production.

Hopefully I get my motivation back soon and can get back to posting regularly.

- Bill