Photo Walks Today

looking north from Front Street - the Division Street Bridge - Mount Vernon

Another night shot – LOL. It really does feel like it’s always dark this time of year. I grabbed this photo the other night after class in Mount Vernon. This photo was taken about 10:30 pm. It’s interesting how much blue there is in the sky at that time of night. Again, it was one of those clear days/nights. Not even much fog coming off the river – very unusual. This shot is looking north from Front Street – the Division Street Bridge – Mount Vernon.

The photo is very, very noisy which indicates I didn’t get a good exposure (as well as I have a small sensor in my camera). I wanted the best depth of field I could get – so used F/13 at 30 seconds (ISO 100). Next time I’ll try opening up to about f/5.6 and up the ISO to around 400. Can’t hurt – already very noisy and the extra ISO should give me a better exposure.

There’s a wooden walk and parking area open to everyone along Division Street. It’s Wheelchair
accessible.

Bellevue Night Shot From Madrona Park

If you’d like to catch the Bellevue Skyline a great place for a clear shot across Lake Washington is from Madrona Park. I used a 55mm lens to capture a little of the tree in the foreground and lake reflections. This photo was shot about 1/2 an hour after the sun went down, on one of those sunny February days.

Settings were: F/5.6 at 30 seconds (ISO 100).

Madrona Park has asphalt sidewalks with plenty of room for wheelchair photographers to capture this shot. Drive along Lake Washington Blvd to find your favorite view.

It seems that it’s always dark this time of year! In the spirit, I’ve decided to learn more about photographing in low light.

Last night on my way home from class I took this shot from the 70th St. overpass. I was facing south towards downtown and used a 70 -300mm zoom lens at (200mm) to capture the downtown buildings.

The image is pretty darn noisy and will never be accepted by a stock photography house – but that’s the price you pay for longer exposures and exentended zooms. Doesn’t matter, I like it and will add it to my favorite night shot collection.

Place: 70th street overpass (of I-5) facing south. Sidewalks do have wheelchair access – but I noticed a ’sidewalk closed’ sign for that extends for several weeks.
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Exposure time: 20 seconds

ISO: 100

F/stop: f/11

Space Needle Photograph by James Chen

• Use a tripod – this is a must!
• Set your camera to manual and adjust it to bulb (the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the release).
• Use a shutter release cable (or IR shutter release) to prevent camera shake as you press and hold the shutter open
• Set your ISO speed to 100 or 200
• Use F/Stop F/11 or F/16
• Prefocus using the manual focus – auto-focus won’t work
• Experiment – take some with several bursts and some with just one
• For multi bursts cover the lens with something black between explosions to prevent over-exposure – try not to touch your camera to prevent shake
• Try for an upwind position (if the smoke surrounds you, your photos will turn out hazy).
• Use a UV filter, but remove the polarizing filter for this type of work
• Have an extra battery charged up and ready – long exposures with the shutter held open – runs down batteries quickly

If you take some photos that you’d like to share, be sure to join the Space Needle Flickr group

Photo above by James Chen. To see more great photos from James Chen visit his flickr page

Saturday December 13th in North Everett the Annual Christmas boat parade.

Starts at 5:00pm

Route starts at 10th Street Boat Launch and heads south towards the Everett Naval Station. Then, the boats will turn north for their return voyage.

Viewing is avialable along the route – come early, find a place to park and set up a tripod.

After the parade you’ll be able to photograph the boats from 7:00 to 8:30pm at Anthony’s Homeport visitors dock at:

1726 W. Marine View Drive

There’s a run through for the vessels tonight at 6:30 if you want to stake out your spot or take a few practice shots.

Photo courtesy of Gexydaf – shared under creative commons – see more of their work on Flickr

Looking For Christmas Lights to Photograph?

Check out the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma for their wonderful display of colorful holiday lights.

You know that saying: “a photographer should always carry their camera where ever they go?” Well, I wish I would have headed that advice before I headed out to brunch with friends on Sunday.

When done, I had a hype active dog who needed a walk – before she started chewing the interior of my truck. We were done eating, so I thought a short walk around the neighborhood would settle her down so we could visit a bit more.

As it turns out – we stumbled into a mini nature preserve in Shoreline. The park has just finished construction. They built a watershed to help prevent run off from going directly into the Puget Sound caused by the occasional winter and spring flooding.

What my dog Buster and I found as soon as we walked off the main path is mini eco system similar to a Washington rain forest. Yellow and gold fall leaves from the deciduous trees line the path as you walk amoung Douglas fir trees and moss covered stumps. There’s a trail down to a small creek, with stepping stones to cross and small ponds that look like inviting water holes during the summer months.

Just North of Shoreline Community College a photographer could spend several hours wandering Boeing Creek Trails - there are mushrooms, moss, ponds, leaves and firs all waiting for their photo to be taken. And, if you keep the lens focused on the immediate, your viewer will never know you were in the middle of the city.

Boeing Creek Nature Trail Google Map

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King Lane in front of Thomson Hall

• Low light means tac sharp photos will be much easier with a tripod
• Leaves don’t have to be on the trees to be interesting
• Don’t give up when it rains. Cover you camera with a rain cover and point it down. There’s lots of foliage color without the sky.
• Use buildings and lanes to draw a viewers eyes through the photo.
• Watch for small bright lights shinning through leaves
• Walk around your subject to see which angle brings out the most vibrant color
• UW campus parking is free on Saturdays after 12:00 noon

Coupeville Wharf

 

Spend the night and photograph early morning and at sunset

 Google Map

 

Coupeville was built by sea captains who took advantage of the abundance of oak and pine tress to make their fortunes in the timber trade. Now these well preserved Victorian mansions house luxurious bed and breakfasts.

A photo walk along the narrow Front street will turn up views of Mount Baker across the Penn Cove. Old buildings are photogenic at sunset.

There’s free parking along the street and a lot located just north of Front Street.

More information about Coupleville can be found at their website:

http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/Puget/Coupeville/Coupeville.htm

http://www.centralwhidbeychamber.com/

* Wheelchair accessible *

This weekend is the Mulkilteo Lighthouse Festival.

Tonight there will be fireworks over the bay to celebrate.

Anyone want to go?

 http://www.mukilteofestival.org/calendar.html

PS – your fireworks photographing tips are welcome – please post in the comments below.