Uploads from Joel.Sjaarda, with geodata

Sleeping Under Solar Storms

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:14:43 -0700

Perhaps the most magnificent sight I've ever seen.

A Milky Way Moonset

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:30:25 -0700

One of the most captivating and awe-inspiring scenes I have ever witnessed. I caught this image of the moon setting beside the Milky Way while I was making a time-lapse in late August this past summer. The moon was super orange because atmospheric conditions and the long exposure I chose allowed the light pollution and colors of the sky to really stand out.

I sat on the shore of Lake Huron here for hours, taking many images and spending some time in prayer to thank God for such beauty.

The Sound of Thunder

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 21:10:59 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

A summer storm moves across the waters of Lake Huron between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m.

I captured this image while creating a time-lapse video during late August on the Bruce Peninsula. I sat for hours watching the lightning strike the surface of the deep and listening to the sound of thunder roll across the waters.

In this particular scene, what appears to be the setting sun is actually a powerful bolt of lightning - undefined due to my chosen length of exposure. The majority of the sky has a green tint to it - a result of distant auroras showing themselves faintly for a few minutes here and there.

Gully Bay Milky Way

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 23:09:41 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

500px.com/joel--sjaarda

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I took this picture during the dead of night. The air was completely still. What bothered me more than anything else was the fact that I couldn't hear any noises. It's usually the strange noises of the night that creep me out while I trek through pitch-black wilderness...but this time it was the silence. I was most comfortable once I was off the road and into open space beside the water. I actually waded into the water in order to get this shot...and the warmth of my feet attracted several leaches - which I ripped off as soon as the shot was finished.

In addition to the night sky, I witnessed a lovely scene in the water here. I generally take a few seconds to shine a light around me every ten or fifteen minutes in order to make sure no animals are creeping up on me. Between my foreground and sky exposures, I decided to shine my flashlight across the bay to my right. Moving gracefully across the water was a large white swan. I finished my second exposure and then watched the swan for a few minutes as it made continual attempts to paddle away from my light. It was comforting to know I wasn't alone in this bay...

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 15mm f/2.8
Exposure: 12 sec and 115 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 15mm
ISO Speed: 4000 and 2000
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Standing on the Shores of Another World

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:02:42 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

500px.com/joel--sjaarda
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While I put as much planning and preparation into my photographic expeditions as possible, I cannot control what God does or does not provide for me during my actual time in the field. Somehow, this lack of control doesn't bother me. Perhaps this is because I have been blessed immensely with scenes such as this.

This is a composite image - One to get the foreground in focus and better exposed and one to get the stars in focus.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 24L 1.4 II
Exposure: 11 sec and 110 sec
Aperture: f/2.0
Focal Length: 24mm
ISO Speed: 4000 and 2000
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

The Beast in Motion

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Sun, 27 May 2012 22:14:47 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

I decided to have a little fun so I'm posting this image. I had a hoot lying on the road with my EF 15mm lens...just 15-20 cm away from this snapping turtle.

He is a Rock Among all that Moves in Time

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:24:21 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

500px.com/joel--sjaarda
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This is the shot that cooked my $259.00 Canon Remote. The water was too much for my setup and the remote took a swim in the waters of Lake Huron. I've lost several hundred dollars of equipment along these shores, including my well-used Lee 0.9 hard-edge GND filter during a shoot last summer. Regardless, if I get a good shot, I consider my loss a gain...however that works...

These shores continue to be a place of inspiration for me. I like to combine my shooting with a time of prayer in order to make the experience more meaningful - and help me remember the feeling of the moment.

This scene reminds me of the way God remains a constant in my life despite all the forces the seek to push and pull me in different directions. He is a sure and firm foundation - immovable, steadfast, and true to his Word. I find no greater comfort in life that the assurance that my aspirations, hopes, and dreams are held in the hands of One who controls every visible and invisible reality on this earth.

Some of the most powerful words I've heard about prayer, by the way, are from a small message by a wise man named Sunder Krishnan. --> www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZRT5q1DuMg .
This has really changed the way I see, understand, and think about prayer (as well as the way I pray, of course).

[Singh-Ray 1.2 Reverse Grad + Lee Big Stopper + tripod + remote]

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 17-40L f/4
Exposure: 159 sec
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 24mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Reaching for the Sun

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:48:18 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

500px.com/joel--sjaarda
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This image may be a little dark but I feel that it accurately reflects the mood and feel of the scene at the time I captured it - so I'll keep it like this.

From the ground we are taken...we rise for a time...but to the ground we return (Genesis 3:19). These words came to mind when I looked at the ice in this image. It is formed from the lake, and after a short season, it returns to its previous form. The whole concept reminds me to make every day count. Love hard, Live strong, and Give more.

This is another shot of the ice in Solace Bay on the Bruce Peninsula. It was difficult to capture this scene as I had to lie down in the icy waters with my tripod legs splayed and my camera just inches from the water. Feathering the neutral density filters was no easy task either - keeping them dry and avoiding camera shake while feathering was a mission!

[Singh-Ray 1.2 Reverse Grad + Lee 0.9 Hard ND filter feathered + tripod + remote]

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 17-40L f/4
Exposure: 1 sec
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 40mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Cold and Warm

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:31:22 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

500px.com/joel--sjaarda
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Burning skies meet the cool waters of Lake Huron. The patterns in the sand are from an icy stream that feeds Solace Bay. I stood in the mouth of the stream in order to get this image - my "waterproof" boots turned out not to be so waterproof...so it didn't take long to get some intensly frozen soakers.

...The skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
-Psalm 19:1-4

[Singh-Ray 1.2 Reverse Grad + Lee 0.9 Hard ND filter feathered + tripod + remote]

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 17-40L f/4
Exposure: 4 sec
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 35mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Winter Gone

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:38:52 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

500px.com/joel--sjaarda
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Sunsets from silent shores in the wild provide the perfect place for photography and prayer. Understanding that I don't have all the answers is what allows me to grow in my photographic capabilities as well as my character and faith. In order to understand this, I often sit on the beach before and after the sun sets and simply listen. Whatever it is that I need to learn, He is faithful to teach me when I take the time to stop and hear His voice.

“Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray." Job 6:24

[Singh-Ray 1.2 Reverse Grad + Lee 0.9 Hard ND filter feathered + tripod + remote]

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 17-40L f/4
Exposure: 1 sec
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 27mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

A Road to Somewhere

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 14:51:47 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

500px.com/joel--sjaarda
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Stars can best be seen in Ontario's cottage country during the dead of winter when there are virtually no cottagers and virtually no lights to pollute the air. I took this while exploring the night sky of the Bruce Peninsula during my march break from school.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF15mm f/2.8
Exposure: 30 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 15mm
ISO Speed: 3200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Some Star Trails and Washed out Auroras

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:29:44 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

500px.com/joel--sjaarda
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This is 1 hour & 18 minutes of star trails and some distant northern lights. Beside the road I usually drive in on is a large grove of pines with an abandoned trail leading through it. The backside of the grove opens up into the back of a marsh. I took this route, found the stream, and followed it until I found a suitable spot. I then walked into the middle of the stream (my feet went numb from the icy water) and composed the shot.

I left my camera on my tripod in the stream and locked the shutter open to take 78 sixty-second exposures. Then I went back to my cottage and watched a movie till about 2 a.m. After an hour, I drove back out to this marsh, made my way through the grove of trees in pitch black darkness, and found my camera sitting where I left it. Last night I used Deep Sky Stacker to stack the 78 exposures and this is my final image. The brighter areas of the sky are from a display of Auroras and the glow from undefined stars in the Milky Way.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 24L 1.4 II
Exposure: 1 hour & 18 min
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 24mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Icy Tides

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:01:36 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

Perhaps the most difficult thing about capturing this scene, other than balancing the foreground and sky by feathering a singh-ray 4-stop reverse grad and a lee 3-stop hard-edge grad at the same time, was getting low enough for the shot.

I had to lie down in the wet sand for this image, keeping my camera 2 inches off the sand and 12 inches away from the piece of ice. As I predicted. the tide eventually came up to the point where I was lying in frigid waters. Most of my legs and stomach went numb, and my clothes became soaked and full of sand. One thing I've realized about landscape photography is: it works best if you're willing to get uncomfortable.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 17-40L
Exposure: 1.0 sec
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 17mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Paradise in the Jungle

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:24:52 -0800

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

Llano de Cortez is perhaps one of the most beautiful things to see in all of scenic Costa Rica. I learned of this place during my research of the country before I arrived and made it my goal to visit. It is well off the beaten path, and few tourists know of the place. With the help of my father and brother, we found the falls. There is a beautiful beach to the right and shade to the left. It was a fabulous place for a swim.

For this shot I fixed a 77mm Singh-Ray LB Color Combo filter to my lens and I feathered a 0.9 Lee Soft edge and a 0.9 Lee Hard edge GND infront of the lens for the duration of the exposure. I crossed the two Lee filters diagonally go reduce the extreme light on the left side and top right, I also used mirror lock-up (via live view) and a remote to avoid vibrations.

Feathering the filters does add a little vibration - especially because the filters have to be kept against the lens in order to prevent light reflecting off the back of the filters and into the lens barrel. With a super-wide angle, a small vibration matters less, so this is just one trade-off I'm willing to make.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 17-40 f/4L
Exposure: 17 sec
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 17mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

The Boulders of Solace Bay

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:54:33 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

While hiking alone on the wild eastern shores of Lake Huron, I found this beautiful sandy bay nestled amoung all the rocks and flows of ice. I decided to stay for sunset. If there are two things the Bruce Peninsula is good for, they are taking photos and finding a quiet place to spend some 'alone' time with God.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 17-40L
Exposure: 49 sec
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 17mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Meteor Marshland

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:13:17 -0700

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

The 'shooting star' in this image is a "Bolide" - an especially bright meteor that burns and flares up many times brighter than regular meteors. Technically, Bolides are really bright "Fireballs" - meteors that are already classified as 'extra bright'. This Bolide burned so bright that it lit up the entire marshland in a fantastic display of green light (the green light not seen on the foreground due to the length of exposure).

The Bolide was actually enormous, but because you're looking at a 180 degree view of these marshlands, everything appears smaller and further away than your eye would normally see things.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 15mm f/2.8
Exposure: 67 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 15mm
ISO Speed: 3200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Moon Sliver at 2240mm

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:02:33 -0800

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

"The heavens declare the glory of God..." Psalm 19:1

I have been wanting to properly shoot the moon for at least 5 years now - but never had the opportunity. With the EF 800mm, I knew I was finally able to achieve my goal. I stacked two teleconverters to get more reach, mounted the lens on my tripod, rested the end of the lens on a structural portion of a surf shack on the the beach, set up 10x live view (mirror lock-up), set my camera to manual, and used a remote to avoid camera shake.

Press "L" for a much better view.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 800mm f/5.6 + 2x teleconverter II + 1.4x teleconverter III (stacked)
Exposure: 0.01 (1/90) sec
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 2240mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Major Pipe

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:02:12 -0800

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

Surfing at Playa Negra on the west coast of Costa Rica. This is a beach where world-class surfers congregate to take on major pipe. I had to move well down the beach from the regular surfing spots in order to get this angle. While surfing is incredibly fun, catching some of the world's best is also quite a rush.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 800mm f/5.6
Exposure: 0.0013 (1/750) sec
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 800mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Heron just Hangin (sooc)

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:33:46 -0800

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

I took an early morning boat tour through the estuary between Tamarindo and Playa Grande with my family while in Costa Rica. This guy was sitting on half-sunk tree at the edge of the mangroves. I had difficulty getting him in the frame as an 800mm lens doesn't provide a large field of view - but thankfully, he stayed put and I got the shot off.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 800mm f/5.6
Exposure: 0.0028 sec
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 800mm
ISO Speed: 1000
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire

Peaceful Sunset (sooc)

nobody@flickr.com (Joel.Sjaarda) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:25:33 -0800

Joel.Sjaarda posted a photo:

The sun and a sailboat silhouette from Tamarindo's beach in Costa Rica (uncropped). Of all the places I've been, the Pacific coast of Costa Rica seems to be the best for catching a sunset. The sun began to set earlier that I expected on this evening so I had to hurry down the beach in order to find a spot that would allow for the moored sailboat to fall in line with the sun. Before I even boarded the plane to Costa Rica I had envision a shot like this - I'm thrilled that it worked out.

Camera: 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 800mm f/5.6
Exposure: 1 sec
Aperture: f/32
Focal Length: 800mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, did not fire