Sunset Photographs

Last night, I was examining my sunset photographs. I realized that I had shot them with three different digital cameras. These sunset photographs, take at Geneva State Park Marina, taken in 2004 with a Nikon D1x using a 300mm lens at 1/400 sec, f/10.0, ISO 800, Pattern metering. It is obvious that at high ISO settings the D1x was not able to contain the color noise.

Also, upon further thought, I think I should have used a lower f stop (since depth of field did not matter), and a lower shutter speed by using a tripod. This would have allowed me to shoot at a must lower ISO. The lower ISO would have produced a photo with much less color noise. The Geneva State Park in Northeast Ohio is a lovely location at sunset. Lake Erie is consistently providing changing weather and wave patterns. I am waiting for a thunderstorm to come across the lake from Canada. I would love to set-up a night an shoot lightning bolts.

Cook Forest

The Forest Primeval that is Cook Forest, PA 2009

Re-enactment Photography

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to Cook Forest, PA to attend a French & Indian War re-enactment. As the photographs show, these performers dress and act the part of either French, British or Indian soldiers and frontiersman. The authentic look of these re-enactments is no accident. The re-enactors take great pride in researching the periods for which the dress and fight. The cloths, guns, tents, supplies and tactics are all as period authentic as they can make them. This is living history, taught not by book reading, but by watching and interacting with the actors. The re-enactors love to answer questions and educate the public. Their performances are not funded by any outside service. These folks spend their own funds to get to and from events, to make their cloths, and buy their weapons. The re-enactors are very friendly to approach and look their activities photographed. So next time to see an re-enactment event in your area, pack up the camera and head off for some photographic fun and gain a little knowledge.

This re-enactment occurred in the woods of Cook Forest. The lighting is minimal, flash would not carry far enough to help and the white balance is changing. These photographs where shot with a Nikon D3, a Nikon 70mm - 200mm f/2.8 lens at 3200 ISO. The shutter speed was between 1/200th and 1/300th of a second. I used a mono pod attached to the lens for support.

If you have any questions or comments, please comment in the comment section below.

Airshow Photograhy

Airshow photography in my humble opinion is as diificult an event to photograph as there is. The speed of the aircraft forces one to be nimble with the focus the sunny blue or white cloudy sky poses serious challenges to the aperture and shutter speed adjustments. Less not forget, that starring all day into the sunny sky and lead to a seroius case of sunburn!. This photo is of the US Airforce Thunderbirds at the Cleveland Airshow. Shot with a Nikon D2X.