February Aurora at Jordan Pond

Yep, I got to see the aurora tonight after waiting an hour for the clouds to move through the Jordan Pond night sky. At that point, I could only shoot for 30 minutes before my numb hands and feet were screaming, 'warmth - we need warmth'. When I first arrived at Jordan Pond, I was dumbfounded that I was the only one there. Upon reflection on the 21° F temperature, I completely understand why I was alone out there! Here's the first shot, while there were still some clouds to the west.

Aurora at Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Night Sky Photography

I don't usually post two large pictures from the same shoot, but I thought both are beautiful and have artistic value. Here's the shot once the clouds moved out.

February Aurora, Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park

EXIF data -
Top Image: Nikon D800, 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/2.8, 65 secs, ISO 640, 2/27/14, 8:50 PM
Bottom Image: Nikon D800, 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/2.8, 30 secs, ISO 2000, 2/27/14, 9:06 PM

Acadia's Snowy Heart

Saturday's snow storm drew me to Ocean Drive first thing Sunday morning. We were literally the second car behind the Acadia Park Service plow truck. Fresh snow - no tracks! I stopped at this outcropping because of the snow drifts. Eye to the viewfinder, composed the shot and didn't notice the heart formed by the melting snow until I reviewed the image for exposure. About a minute later the area around the heart starting melting and the heart was no more. What good fortune to arrive when the snow had melted just enough to form a heart shape. Brenda thinks it has something to do with 'Valentine's Day Weekend'.

Snowy Heart, Ocean Drive, Acadia National Park

EXIF data: Nikon D800, 300mm, f/15, 1/800 sec, ISO 400, 2/16/14, 11:26 AM

Chippin' Away At New Years

Photography is like life, it's all about perspective. In this case, everyone was taking photos from the front of the ice sculpture (including my first photos). By walking behind the ice, I was able to silhouette the ice carvers. Consider changing your perspective to create interesting photographs. I was the only one behind the ice.

This was part of Boston's First Night Ice Sculptures located close to where the Boston Marathon bombing took place.

Chippin' Away At New Years, Copley Plaza, Boston, MA

EXIF data: Fujifilm X100S, 23mm, f/2.0, 1/50 sec, ISO 400, 12/30/13, 5:15 PM

Blue Line Poinsettia

Over my left shoulder I spot a dapper-dude carrying an umbrella in one hand and poinsettia in the other.  He walks right past me and stands in a 'clean spot' awaiting the blue line train in the subway. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Most of my landscapes shots require 'good light', this time it was all about the subject. I had adjusted my camera for subway shooting before he arrived and I was fortunate to grab this shot before he turned and posed for me. I tried something a little different for post-processing.

EXIF data: Fujifilm X100S, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO 4000, 12/29/13, 11:40 AM

 

Blue Line Poinsettia, Government Center Subway, Boston, MA

 

Blue Line Poinsettia, Government Center Subway, Boston, MA

Raw image from the Fujiflim X100S:

Blue Line Poinsettia, Government Center Subway, Boston, MA

Given the high ISO, I ran the image through Nik Define.

Blue Line Poinsettia, Government Center Subway, Boston, MA

In Lightroom: 

  • Cropped the ceiling and some of the blue column
  • Toned down the white poster on the column
  • Adjusted temperature and tint for more natural skin tones
Blue Line Poinsettia, Government Center Subway, Boston, MA

Blue Line Poinsettia, Government Center Subway, Boston, MA

In Nik Color Efex I cranked up the Detail Extractor for the gritty look and finished with a small vignette in Lightroom.

Penobscot On Blocks

Brenda wisely took refuge in the heated terminal and waited for the Swan's Island ferry to arrive in Bass Harbor. Meanwhile, I was determined to find an interesting composition of the boat, despite my numb fingers, the 5° F temperature and stiff ocean breeze. After deciding on the composition, then it was just a matter of waiting for the clouds to drift across the sky to complete the shot. 

 

The Penobscot, Bass Harbor, Maine

 

The Penobscot, Bass Harbor, Maine

The raw image with a small decrease of exposure, black clipping and shadows in Lightroom.

 

The Penobscot, Bass Harbor, Maine

In Nik Color Efex Pro I added Tonal Contrast (maybe the balanced setting) and Skylight Filter.

 

The Penobscot, Bass Harbor, Maine

In Lightroom:

 - Straighten the horizon
 - Increased exposure
 - Brightened the sky
 - Darkened and desaturated the green tarp
 - Added small vignette

 

 

The Penobscot, Bass Harbor, Maine

Final step: ran the image through Nik Sharpener Pro.

 

EXIF data: Nikon D800, 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO 400, 12/14/13, 8:37 AM