Random Reflections...

I have always been fascinated by images that are reflected in water.  Over the years I have shot lots of them.  I have used grad filters to make some so evenly exposed you could not determine which way was really up.  Other times, I have used the reflections just for drama and allowed them to stay darker than the top of the photograph.  I can't say anymore than they are fun to do and sometimes make for a compelling image.

Some of them mess with your perception and some of them don't.  But one thing is sure... They sure can be beautiful.  Combine their natural beauty with fall when colours are in some foliage and the wow factor can go through the roof.

Here are a couple of images I made last weekend in Moose Mountain Provincial Park.  We may not have much in the way of red fall foliage here in Saskatchewan, but yellows and oranges are out there.  One of these images is an abstract reflection.  It is quite outside of my comfort zone in photography, but I thought I would try and grow a little.  I like it and a few friends have told me they like it.  So hopefully it is something that can make people smile. 

Both of these images were made with the new D800 body and a long lens with a Singh Ray polarizer.  I love the colours!!  It's a shame the limited colour space of a WEB based image can't show the amazing shades in these images.  I printed a canvas of the abstract and the colours blew me away.  I hope it gets some attention in my next show.

Adding a D800 to the bag

Well after an awful long wait, I have finally been able to add a Nikon D800 to my camera bag.  A 36MP body will be much appreciated while shooting the things I love.  It will by no means become the main camera for me, but it gives me the ability to capture awesome amounts of detail in images that will benefit from it.  My 12MP D3 will still be my tool of choice for the bulk of my work, but having options to shoot more or less MP will be wonderful.

 

I wish I had more time to practice with the new camera, but my show schedule and running the gallery are giving me little time this summer.  I'll post a few shots below just for fun though.  They are really just grab shots as I wander around the countryside looking for anything to practice on with the new body.  I'm a firm believer that shooting is also a skill you must practice.  You don't want your technique to become rusty so practice is a must.  A new camera makes it even more important.

 

In a few weeks I will be shooting fall colours in Great Smokey Mountain National Park and the practice I get now will let me capture the sort of images that Extraordinary Light is known for.  Colourful, crisp, eye popping images will be coming from this new tool soon.  For now, enjoy the practice shots.  It's still wonderful to just get out and shoot.

I'm impressed with the Dynamic Range of the D800.  The specular highlights on the tin of this home made grain shuttle cart and the darker grass areas all have detail and it was a simple snap with no worries about blowing out the high lights.

This old home near Tuxford, SK is still hanging in there.  I tried to shoot it about 4 years ago, but the time of day was bad and I had harsh light.  I was in the neighborhood recently and made an acceptable image.  There is lots of detail in this image at full size.

 

The shot of this old truck has so much detail it's crazy when you see the full resolution file.  Everything from the grasses to the tiniest specks of rust are crisp as can be.

 

I'm looking forward to putting the D800 to the test with the millions of leaves in some fall colour shots.  Stay tuned for those pictures in late October.