A Foray Into Astral Photography

It's been something I've planned to do so many times, stay up to photograph the stars in the night sky - hopefully in a picturesque setting. The only problem has been that all too often my bed is too warm and cozy as opposed to the cold night air.

Not only that, you see, my bed is a very jealous bed and once it has be wrapped in its warm and cozy embrace it is unwilling to release me to the chill of night - even if it's for a little astral photography.

But on a recent trip to Cama Beach, I was determined to try my hand at some night time photography. The setting would be perfect - cabins lined along the beach each with a warm glow emanating from the windows. 

On top of all that, night was somewhat early right before the time change so I could stay up, dress warmly and not have to argue with the warm comforts of my bed.

The front cabin here is mine. I debated as I set up the composition if I wanted to shut the door tightly. In the end, I rather liked the door cracked open - invitingly. Plus it helped break up the dark corner of the cabin.

For setting up the image, I knew from watching a few on-line classes and reading articles, that I didn't want the exposure to be too long (longer that 20 seconds and the stars could elongate too much).So I used 800 ISO (after several images of experimenting with higher ISO and seeing the windows get blown out by highlights) and an aperture of f8 to keep my shutter speed at 20 seconds. 

Focus stayed on my cabin there in the front and I was far enough away that with the hyperfocal distance of the lens, the stars stayed in distant focus. And really, keeping the shutter speed short is supposed to help keep those little buggers from getting too fuzzy.

All in all, it was a fun excursion into a new skill, one I hope I can convince my bed to allow me to keep working on. Hopefully, I'll be able to create the oh so pretty images like I see on-line so often.

And I'm always willing for a little company while out there if you're able to convince your own bed to let you join me.

Washington State Parks: Bay View State Park

A few years ago I thought it might be a fun personal project to photograph Washington State Parks - the centennial was coming up and I thought it might be fun to travel the state and photograph the wonders of our state. It was a personal project. I had no real plans what I would do with the images, I just wanted to be able to find photo opportunities at each of the parks.

Then a friend suggested I write a book, which gave birth to the thought of a photographic guide to the parks. There are so many pretty places in Washington, but with some parks you can easily think of the photographic spots. Others however, photography just doesn't come to mind. Sad too because it leaves an impression that a lot of the parks aren't worth a photo trip.

I recently discovered that I still hold that prejudice. And I have been properly schooled.

I wanted to spend a weekend on Whidbey Island exploring the parks there a little more - there are 6, do you know them? (I'll cover those later.) But all of the campsites on the island were filled and why wouldn't they be as fabulous weather was forecast and everyone wanted one last trip. The closest park with open campsites was Bay View State Park on Padilla Bay across from the Tesoro refinery. Oh great. How photogenic could that be?

But it was a good place for base camp and I was able to explore the parks on Whidbey easily enough. for my schedule, I decided to reserve exploring Bay View until Sunday morning. In my opinion, Bay View was the cherry on top of the weekend.

I woke a little after sunrise having spent the evening before chatting with the couple next door and sharing their fire. Not every images needs to be taken at sunrise or sunset and I needed the extra rest. I set off from the campground to the beach.

The campground is on a small bluff over Padilla Bay - a few of the campsites and the rent-able cabins have a nice view of the bay . . . and the refinery. Below the bluff is a small day-use area, a man-made peninsula of sorts, with picnic tables, horseshoe pits and a volleyball net. And a small little beach to explore the mud flats of the bay. I meandered down to the beach and looked north to a tranquil view of calm waters, peninsulas and barnacle covered rocks. My eyes widened as did my smile. This was gorgeous! As I set about composing my images, I kept thinking how pretty it might have been at sunrise. And, OH! what about sunset?

The beach is small, but the mudflats there are what make Padilla Bay a wildlife refuge. The Breazeale Padilla Bay Interpretive Center is just north of the park and also worth a visit. Birds frequent the bay from the stately Great Blue Heron to the migrating Snow Geese. The beach area offers some nice vantage points for bird photography. Kayaks and other small water craft can be seen offshore.

Take your wide angle and macro lens to the beach. Wide angle for full views of the bay; the macro for the critters and details along the beach. Your longer telephoto for the birds will come in very handy. Set up near either end of the beach where the waters are calmer - most birds will like to rest and feed in the calmer waters. Bring a polarizer to cut down on the reflection off the water and the glare off the rocks.

As for the Tesoro pant across the bay? Well, a little night photography can make it look a bit prettier.

Taking Advantage of a Beautiful Situation

It's an iconic tourist destination. It is on most people's to-do list when they come to Seattle. During the summer months as relatives visit, they are taken to walk along the Seattle Waterfront with it's restaurants, shops, harbor cruises, views of the Olympics, parks, harbors and convenience to other downtown attractions. No wonder one can get a bit claustrophobic while walking the sidewalks.

But the Seattle waterfront isn't just for tourists. It's also a fabulous place to visit for photographers - any type of photographer. Beginners and professionals can find a myriad of subjects along the waterfront from views of Elliot Bay to the people who walk along the shops.

Stay after sunset when the skies darken and the lights of the city turn brighten, you will find another reason to pull out your camera. The vibrance of Seattle in the day, sparkles at night. The reflection of neon on the ripples in the water helps to create a glittering illusion and an understanding of why this is the Emerald City.

I recently joined a group of photographers for a night-time outing to photograph the Seattle Great Wheel as the wheel gave a special light show. The light show happens during special occasions and some home games of local sports teams. Give them a call to find out when they'll be doing the next one. Even if you aren't photographing the wheel, it's a pretty sight.

So if you're planning on a trip to the waterfront for a light show below re a few tips to help you prepare and get some great images.

1. To get the cool pinwheel effect as in the image above, you will nee to use a slow shutter speed. This image had a shutter speed of 3 seconds. As there was still light in the sky and I wanted the texture in the clouds, I had to adjust my settings. ISO went to 100, f/stop 22 - I then added a neutral density filter to finally get the shutter speed slow enough to blur the lights enough for the effect.

2. Since you will be photographing at a slow shutter speed, you'll need to take precautions to steady your camera. (Although hand held can add an interesting effect, we're focusing on sharp images today.) A sturdy tripod is needed. It doesn't have to be the heaviest or most expensive, but it does need to be tall enough to rise above the fencing in the area (which isn't very tall). One that stands about 4 1/2 to 5 feet should be adequate. Also, you don't want a lot of futzing with your hands on the camera because that will also cause camera shake. Invest in a remote shutter release or cable release.

3. Once you get your camera to the settings you want, all you need to do is hold the remote shutter release or cable release and click away to your heart's content. But even in summer, Seattle nights can get chilly. So while you're photographing away, be sure you have an extra layer, hat and gloves to keep yourself warm.

Next time you're along Seattle's waterfront for the day, plan on staying until the sun has set (sunsets over the Olympics can be quite picturesque) and photograph the Seattle Great Wheel.

Have fun!

Finding Inspiration

I recently went on an evening photo shoot with friends at the Pike Place Market & Post Alley in Seattle. I love the lights of Seattle. And I love Seattle nights - although they can be bitterly cold in the winter. But the wind & cold would not deter us as we explored the street & neon signs near Seattle's iconic market. We had postponed our trip once before because of weather that didn't turn out to be so bad, so we weren't going to be fooled again.

The sunset glowed as it set behind the cloud-shrouded Olympic Mountains and we lined up for the quintessential image of the neon coffee cup and the Public Market Sign along Pine Street. A crowd gathered to catch the sunset behind the signs. Then we stopped for a cup of hot coffee to warm up our hands. Did I mention it was cold.

From here we could explore Post Alley and Pike Place Market as the night progressed and night lights created a different Seattle. I was taking a picture of the Post Alley sign above my head when I lowered my gaze to the alley across the street. My gaze stopped at the little corner cafe, golden light illuminating the sidewalk and outside seating area. The Edward Hopper painting Nighthawks suddenly came to mind - A "simple" painting of people sitting in a corner cafe in the evening, the lights of the cafe lighting up the city street outside.

For me this is the image that made my cold fingers & nose worth it.