Sargeant Drive's Swelling Stream

Teetering on the edge of the stream in my Birkenstocks, I was tossing my tripod in the middle of the stream and shooting with a remote shutter release cable. I couldn't look through the viewfinder or see the back of the camera to frame or review my image. After each shot, I would pull the tripod out, change the settings on the camera (shutter speed, aperture, focal length or angle) and then place the tripod back in the stream (hopefully in the same place) and shoot again. Rinse and repeat until I found a compelling image. Below is the last image captured - I like it.

Given the heavy rain from the previous day, the original plan was to photograph water running off the rocks adjacent Sargeant Drive on Mount Desert Island along Somes Sound. Thinking this was going to be a quick 15 minute shoot, I didn't dress for the cold weather. After an hour shooting the rock faces and waterfalls it was time to head home and warm up. I found a spot to pull over and turn around. Just as I was preparing to make a U-turn, I spotted this raging stream hidden behind some trees. I jumped out of the car and headed into the woods and discovered this swelling stream. To learn how to create images like this, consider taking one of my nature photography workshops in Acadia National Park.

 

Swelling Stream, Sergeant Drive, Northeast Harbor, Maine

 

EXIF data: Nikon D800, 24-70mm @ 28mm, f/8 (&B there), 1 sec, ISO 100, 4/8/14, 6:15 PM

Monument Cove Blizzard

What do you do when the electricity goes out and there's a blizzard outside? Howie says, "Grab a camera and go out shooting!" and that's how my day went. Brenda's excuse for joining me, "It's warmer in the car than at home." So we drove around, in the 'last' blizzard of the season, searching for photo ops. I spent about 30 minutes at Monument Cove in Acadia National Park, it felt longer given the 27° F temperature, over 35 mph wind gusts and snow flying everywhere. Was it worth it, a resounding 'YES'. I'm pleased with the results. To learn how to create images like this, join one of our photo workshops in Acadia National Park.

Blizzard at Monument Cove, Acadia National Park, Maine

EXIF data: Nikon D800, 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO 640, 2/26/14, 5:15 PM

 

Here are the post-processing steps. Starting with the RAW file.

 

In Nik Software applied: Pre-Sharpening and Define (due to higher ISO).

 

In Nik Software - Viveza:
  • On the wave: added slight amounts of Brightness, Contrast, Structure, Saturation, Warmth, and Green
  • On the monument wall: added slight amounts of Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Warmth, and Red

 

In Nik Software - Color Efex Pro, applied the Tonal Contrast and Skylight Filter.

 

Finally, in Nik Software applied Post-Sharpener and in Lightroom added a vignette.

Down Jordan Stream

The temperature was slightly above freezing causing the local streams to flow due to snow melt. My freshly minted snowshoe tracks were the only ones along Jordan Stream in Acadia National Park. I'm guessing no one had been here in the past couple of weeks. I've been up and down this stream dozens of times, however today with the snow stacked on the rocks the stream looked like a new scene for me to photograph. I spotted this down-stream angle and remembered when I was on a workshop with Bill Fortney and heard him say that shooting looking down a stream can but just as effective as shooting upstream. So I jammed my tripod legs into two feet of snow a few times until the composition felt right and snapped about three shots. The water flow over the rocks always varies slightly, so I like to have a couple shots to choose from. To learn how to create images like these, join one of our photo workshops in Acadia National Park.

 

Jordan Stream, Acadia National Park, Maine

 

EXIF data: Nikon D800, 24-70mm @ 32mm, f/18, 2 secs, ISO 100, 2/22/14, 4:11 PM

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