Post Laundry

The laundry is done, the truck is almost packed, the road trip home is coming up.  First though, I gotta tell you about Shenandoah.  I'm re-naming the trip "Shenandoah Valley" since we spent more time out of the park than in.  What can I say?  When I scout I drive every road and I found some great stuff.

Here are some pics from the scouting drives:

Yep, there were apple orchards here too.

The trees were just starting to turn that first week.

It's all about light

Luray Cavern

More eye candy

So you get the idea.  Virginia is a beautiful state full of cool stuff to shoot.

Then the group got here - the group of groups by the way.  Here they are:

And here are some of the pics I shot with them:

Yep, I was an amazing week!!  Like I said, those were just some of the pics.....



Brian stayed an extra day.  We found the most incredible light but not much we felt like shooting.  We did find this though:

They came walking over when we got out of the car.  I love cows.

Wyfi? Why Not?

Yeah well that is the question...... This motel just didn't have it's act together until today.  Yep - I'm still here in Waynesboro, Virginia.  It's my last day, the group has gone home.  Laundry day....... ah the joy of traveling.....

So we have some catching up to do - photo wise.  I haven't been able to post anything since New Hampshire and Vermont!!  I took 2 of my favorite shots from the whole trip in New York in the rain.  Here they are:

Mosquito Point

Drowned Rat Cove

As you can see from the titles, I did suffer for my art!  The rain was falling so hard in the second one that I was totally soaked in the 5 or so minutes it took to set up and take the shot.  That was Lake George by the way - in case anyone cares....

After that it was on to Pennsylvania.

This is your train on drugs

Sunset in PA

I went to Gettysburg.  It's strange to be in a place where there was so much violence and now there are so many tourists!!  You sort of feel what happened there in spite of all the strange people it attracts.  (Yeah - I know I was one of them.). 

At the same time I was there, the National Apple Festival was happening - so of course I went there too.  Not much to shoot.  Don't ever eat scrapple by the way, but there were some amazing orchards in the area and there was this one clown......  (Really - don't eat scrapple.)

After that I headed into Maryland along the Chesapeake Bay,

Then I got to Virginia.  Now I gotta get out of my pjs and go do that laundry.  I'll blog the Shenandoah trip later today, I promise!

If it's red - shoot it!

These sage words came from Felice.  They explain so much about why you guys flock to red things.  So here's the funny thing; I've been shooting red things since leaving Maine.  I never know they're red until Photoshop tells me - but .... here are a few:

Vermont

New Hampshire

New Hampshire again

Ok - I know color is important.  That's why I stayed up north for the last few days.  That's why I took all of the following pictures.  I still say though that without strong content, a photograph cannot be totally successful.   I have heard people say "It's just about color".  What do you think?  Is that really enough?  Here are a few that might be weak without the fall colors.

Andoscoggin River

Lake Umbagog (I don't make up these names!!)

Back road.... I was lost

New Hampshire Pond

Here's one I knew was about color - but I think the content is strong too.

This last one is where I am tonight......

Ticonderoga, NY

Lemmeknow what you think!!  You can double click on the photos to see them bigger.

Weather or not.....

It's 3:30 pm, the group is on their way home and I just woke up.  Wow - what a week!!

Here's the group shot:

Of course it's a pano!!!

As you may have guessed from the title, we had some weather this week.  Yep - rain, mist, fog etc.  Is that a bad thing??  Aside from Michael's cold and the rest of us chugging Air-born all week - well, you tell me!!

Belfast Harbor

This is one of my favorite panos from the whole trip so far,  On a sunny day, I might not have even stopped the truck. 

Corea Harbor

Damariscotta River

Pumpkin Island Light

Weather is again a huge part of these three shots.  It may even be the subject of the middle one.

Remember this shot from last week?  I like it better in the rain. (Thanks again Barbara)

Marshall Point Light

So should we hope for rain on photo trips?  Probably not - it's cold, wet and crappy.  But when it does happen, we have to embrace it.  Isn't that the definition of great travel photography?  Shoot what's there..... love the one your with.  I'm really proud of this group - they braved wet equipment and frizzy hair.  Nobody complained about the weather.

By the way - the last day, the weather cleared - and that was nice too.

Portland Head Light

Stonington

Oh yeah and one more just 'cause.........

One Week Later.....

..... and a whole mess of photos.

The photo opertunities on this coast are truly endless.  Maybe it's just because it's so different from what I'm used to seeing.  Who knows why a shot will occure to someone?  I could get all philosophical here, but I think I'll just show you some pictures and see what you think.

First though - I want to thank Jeri for shooting the above picture of me.  It's one of the few where I'm not holding a camera or looking hopelessly confused or laughing.  I do laugh a lot...... life cracks me up.  In this one I just look a little lost.  It's the way I feel most of the time.  I sometimes think for me, being lost is being home.

Little Scottie wants to know what lenses I'm using for panos so I'll add that info today.  They are all "prime" or fixed focal length lenses.  In other words they don't zoom.  The focal lengths are all "full frame"  Same for Canon, Nikon or any other full frame 35mm camera.  The 35mm is this amazing old Nikon lens that has a warming filter built in.  I love the look of photos taken with that lens so I guess I'd say that's my favorite.

When you choose a lens for a pano, you choose the focal length to fit the vertical space you want to depict.  You can always add levels to add height - but that will change the look of your pano.  The more I shoot these things the more control I feel I have.  I'm addicted big time!!

35mm f/1.4 lens

Notice how there's no major distortion here,  If you keep the angle straight and stay a good distance away from your front photo elements - you can avoid that distorted look.

35mm f/1.4 lens - up close and distorted on purpose.

Doing things on purpose is big with me.

Ok, check this out - 2 shots of the same thing with 2 different lenses:

180mm f/2.8

35mm again

Remember - telephoto lenses compress the elements.  That's why I chose the 180 for the first shot.  For the second - I wanted the elongation and greater depth of field.  Don't get hung up with the pano thing - always choose your lens for all of the features it provides.

Here's another compression shot taken behind the motel in Camden:

105mm f/2.8

Ok - you get the idea...... here are some lighthouses.  There are lots more.....

35mm f/1.4

105mm f/2.8

35mm f/1.4

35mm again  Barbara found this angle last time.  I loved her shot so I tried the pano from there.

Also 35mm,   It is so cool how the swing of the pano changes the placement of the elements!

These are just a few of the many panos taken this week - hope you like them.  I gotta go do nothing for a while.  Ria and I had a great week together.  Her shots are beautiful!!  The group is coming Monday and I need some snooze time!!!!