Uploads from PatrickSmithPhotography, tagged headlands, with geodata

Coit Tower with Cables - San Francisco, California

nobody@flickr.com (PatrickSmithPhotography) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 09:24:54 -0800

Another the cityscape series, this time with a 500mm lens plus a 2x extender for 1000mm total reach! I'm still working on the big panorama. It is difficult to get identically perfect conditions on 3 different evenings. No HDR.

Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!

See the super big 1800 pixel version to see every bolt on the cables!!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/521152361...

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Settings etc.:
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Canon 5D Mark II - 1 single image, no cropping
Canon 500L F4 + 2x extender
(with live preview magnified to 10x to get it perfectly sharp with the background soft.)
Be careful, as a lens cools down after being in a hot car, you have to refocus every minute or so!
0.3-second exposures @F29, very little diffraction compared to F8. Needed big DOF to get it all in focus!
No grad filters
No polarizer.
ISO 100
RAW files processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF files processed with Photoshop
Tripod - 1 home depot bucket with a circular 1-inch thick plywood board rotated on top to create panoramas. (this setup far more stable than the most sturdy tripod and only US $15!) I'm not kidding!!! Make sure it is perfectly level so that the entire panorama is level.

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The Story
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This is just a single image that I saw while setting up for an evening panorama. It ended up being too hazy for the panorama but this single shot came out well! I was not intending on getting this image but the light was too good to ignore. Don't get married to preconceived ideas about what you want or you may miss a great moment.

The big pano is really difficult to capture so I'm still working on it. The first week,the visibility was 100 miles but the heat made big waves which blurred out the longer exposures. Then a few days later, the air because stable for really sharp photos but it was hazy so the distant objects were not perfectly visible. Then for the last few days, everything was perfect but I had to go to LA to visit relatives so I still have yet to be here under the right conditions for the panorama I want.

If you wish to get a really outstanding image when 5,000 images are uploaded to Flickr each minute, it seems as though you really have to be dedicated! Don't give up.

The map shows the exact location.

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Other stuff
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My pictures are featured on the front page of the newly redesigned
The state Gov. of California website. Have a look! It is Flash with my pics cut into layers for a 3-d slideshow. If you are into building apps, the State has opened up lots of data to the public, so check it out!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Google Earth
earth.google.com/

Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.

Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr

Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235

Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif

Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.

www.californiacoastline.org/

City Lights - The Spectacle

nobody@flickr.com (PatrickSmithPhotography) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 17:43:33 -0800

PatrickSmithPhotography posted a photo:

I'm continuing the cityscape theme with a small portion of a bigger 64-shot panorama created with the Canon 500L F4 lens. I'll be back at doing the landscape in a few weeks. No HDR.

Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!

See the tourists in this super big 1800 pixel version!!
(Ignore the compression blobs, they are not there in the real version!)
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/519375661...

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Settings etc.:
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Canon 5D Mark II - 6 portrait photos (64 total in the Panorama) stitched with Autopano version 2
Canon 500L F4 (with live preview magnified to 10x to get it perfectly sharp with the background soft.)
Be careful, as a lens cools down after being in a hot car, you have to refocus every minute or so!
6-second exposures @F6 (to speed it up but too narrow DOF now, F13 better.)
No grad filters
No polarizer.
ISO 300 (to speed it up a bit for the big pano to follow)
RAW files processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF files processed with Photoshop
Tripod - 1 home depot bucket with a circular 1-inch thick plywood board rotated on top to create panoramas. (this setup far more stable than the most sturdy tripod and only US $15!) I'm not kidding!!! Make sure it is perfectly level so that the entire panorama is level.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Story
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As I mentioned last time, I've been commissioned to do some extremely large 2-gigapixel-sized panoramas with a Canon 800mm lens. But it is difficult to get the entire thing with the perfect light shown here. So this is a small portion of an alternate panorama with the 500mm that is 16,000 pixels tall x 80,000 wide = 1.6 gigapixels. Maybe that is enough?

In addition to the problems below, I discovered that even at F8, the foreground people and hill (> 1 mile, 1.6km) away are out of focus when the city is in focus. So I have to go to F13. Still, at f13 it is all sharp and I notice no degradation of the image. The atmosphere has been warm and unstable so I only noticed this after a week of shooting!

Eventually I'll post more from these panoramas. They take forever to process since they are not just a giant gigapixel shot that you see often now, but rather more like a single shot with that good light that lasts for just a few minutes... but blown up big!

Problems reposted from last time:

Since each photo is a 5-10 second exposure and the eventual gigapixel photo will be 3 portrait shots high by 30 shots wide, and you only get 5 minutes of good light like above, I had to come up with a way to do each photo quickly. However, moving a big lens on a tripod requires quite a while to settle down to stability for each shot. So, I went to the local Home Depot (hardware store) and bought a large plastic bucket, some door shims (small angled wood slices to go under the camera to adjust the lens up or down), and a round piece of 1 inch thick sanded plywood to rotate on top of the bucket. It worked perfecty for a super sharp 30,000 pixel pano I did last night. Even in the wind, the lens does not move at all even when viewed in live preview at 10x.

The road up here on the Marin Headlands was just rebuilt and just reopened. You used to be able to drive right to this spot (amazingly) and shoot this photo right out of your car door! (Though a 500mm lens would shake too much.) It is an amazing cooincidence considering that this spot is over 1 mile to the Golden Gate Bridge and 7 miles to the Transamerica Pyramid Building seen through the opening in the tower. However, there is no place to stop now because of a guardrail and some earth moving work so you have to park below and hike up to this location. I'll include the exact spot on the map.

Once I was there, I set up my bucket and wiggled it around in the dirt to get it flat and stable. Then I placed the round plywood board on top and moved it around to make sure it was perfectly flat.

Then I put the camera with the huge lens on the wood and used wood shims to get the lens pointed up to the top row and shot a small panorama of a few shots on each row to practise my speed and accuracy. Just add shims under the camera to move to a lower row. I'll explain the rest of the procedure when I show the a portion of the bigger panorama. It would not fit into the Flickr scheme of things but the detail is incredible. I really could hardly believe it!

The map shows the exact location.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Other stuff
---------------------------------------------------------------------

My pictures are featured on the front page of the newly redesigned
The state Gov. of California website. Have a look! It is Flash with my pics cut into layers for a 3-d slideshow. If you are into building apps, the State has opened up lots of data to the public, so check it out!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Google Earth
earth.google.com/

Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.

Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr

Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235

Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif

Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.

www.californiacoastline.org/

Rodeo Beach Reflections - Marin County, California

nobody@flickr.com (PatrickSmithPhotography) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:09:20 -0800

PatrickSmithPhotography posted a photo:

What do you do when you forget your tripod? Read on!
No HDR.

Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!

See the 1200 pixel version for the full effect!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/431373605...

---------------------------------------------------------
Settings etc.:
---------------------------------------------------------

Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @32
1/6-second exposure @F14
LEE soft ND grad (100x150mm) 0.9 + 0.75 (5 1/2 stops total)
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
No polarizer.
ISO 50
** A 3-foot long 2x4 as a monopod!
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
Water shoes and shorts for the ineviable drenching

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Story:
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Last week, I headed out to have dinner with my mother in Marin County, just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Of course I scheduled it for an hour after sunset so I could stop by Rodeo Beach for some shooting. It is perfect beach for me right now (with my injury) because it is very easy to get to. Just park and walk on the beach. But as I pulled into the parking lot I got this sinking feeling as I realized that I left my tripod in the other car.

Usually I have it in my backpack but I did not clean it so I left it in the car. The other
car! It is also a perfect beach because it has beautiful black-red sand and for a moment in between waves, it can glisten with the sunset.

The light was looking good and it is a 45 minute drive from my house, so rather than give up I decided to look around for something to use as a tripod, or a monopod. I had no rope to tie up the camera to a branch, so I looked around for a piece of driftwood. Fortunately I eventually found a nice 3-foot long (1m) 2x4. The standard size used in building houses.

It has a good straight flat edge, perfect for balancing a camera on the end. So I headed to the edge of the water, rolled up my pants and looked around for the place with the best glistening sand to use as a foregroujnd. As I was walking around, I ran into Jim Patterson again who was leading a workshop. His version (and dramatic novel) is here:
www.flickr.com/photos/jimpatterson/

He thinks I should come out with a eco-friendly bamboo version, but I'm thinking of a wheat-based version (like those forks and spoons) that you can use and then just toss into the sea when you are finished!

We talked for a bit but he was working and had to get back to his group, so I dug my 2x4 into the sand and started to experiment with different ways to balance the camera on the wood, while making sure that the rather large waves did not knock me and the camera into the water. It was difficult to get it dug in between waves, set up the camera, and get the shot before the next wave would strike. Many attempts were blurry from a bit of motion but a few were sharp and crisp, just as it would have been with the tripod!

People were laughing (with me I'm sure..hehe..) for using the 2x4 but later someone on
Flickr (who will remain anonymous but there is a hint on page 2 of the comments..) realized it was me after I recognized his shot from this evening. He mentioned something to the effect of "Oh, YOU'RE the 2x4 guy! I was wondering if he managed to get a good shot!"

So now I guess I'm 'the 2x4 guy.' I'll have to change my Flickr Name!

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The map shows exactly where this is.

See my Flickr profile for a link to my newly designed website.
.

---------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
---------------------------------------------------------

Google Earth
earth.google.com/

Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.

Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr

Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235
Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif

Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.

www.californiacoastline.org/

I get my cameras, filters, etc. here:

www.bhphotovideo.com/
or
www.adorama.com/

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Light on the Marin Headlands - San Francisco, California

nobody@flickr.com (PatrickSmithPhotography) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:07:40 -0800

PatrickSmithPhotography posted a photo:

The prospect of a perfect alignment of the lowest tide of the month, at sunset, with a clearing storm and the sun setting furthest south (to the left) to light up the Marin Headlands (on the right) was too good to pass up, so I headed out for some shooting! No HDR.

Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!

See the 1200 pixel version!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/418662867...

---------------------------------------------------------
Settings etc.:
---------------------------------------------------------

Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @24
0.5-second exposure @F14
LEE soft ND grad (100x150mm) 0.9 + 0.75
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
No polarizer.
ISO 50
Small Slik tripod with Manfrotto pistol grip ball head
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
No shoes so I don't have to worry about getting wet.

Resources:

Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr

Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235

Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif

When I got here, the sky was dark and heavy, and the tide was about a foot higher, so this scene was hard to imagine at that point. But I noticed on the satellite website that the storm might break right at sunset. So I thought I had a chance.

Eventually the light got better. So while I waited for the right light over the bridge, I did some long exposures of a pier to the right of the frame that came out really well. I'll show those later. Then I took off my shoes and headed out. Fortunately it has warmed back up to normal so the water was fine. Then, the sky opened up and I made about 20 versions of this scene as the clouds and waves rolled by.

It was hard to believe that every single element I had hoped for could possibly come together like this, but never say never! I have some with a glossy surface with a reflected bridge but this version had some nice dynamic motion so I'm going with this one. It is moments like this that make me glad that I took up photography.

The map shows exactly where this is, even though it shows no beach. The beach is only there during a VERY low tide. No hiking required but you must climb down slippery rocks to get here.

See my Flickr profile for a link to my newly designed website.
.

Portal to Mendocino, Mendocino Beach, California

nobody@flickr.com (PatrickSmithPhotography) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:13:08 -0700

PatrickSmithPhotography posted a photo:

I like sea arches because they seem to be a mysterious portal to another world! And they are even better when you can see something on the other end. No HDR.

Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!

See the 1200 pixel version!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/384573694...

---------------------------------------------------------
Settings etc.:
---------------------------------------------------------

Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 24-105L @ 99 (to exclude sky and only show rock and portal)
30-second exposure @F7 (it was getting dark!)
No filters (I usually use LEE 100x150mm soft ND grads)
No polarizer!
ISO 200 (a higher ISO to keep it at 30sec @F7)
(I didn't want to go more open than F7 so
everything would be in focus)
2-second shutter delay. (My remote shutter release died!)
Small Slik tripod with Manfrotto Pistol-grip ball head.
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop

This 100+ foot long sea cave and arch is located near the center of town in Mendocino. There is a 30 foot wide hole in the top about halfway along and that allows a little extra light to get into the cave. It is easy to fall into the hole, even with the small fence so be careful!

I've been visiting this place for a while but on this evening, the sky was clear and the sunset was boring. So I spent some time scouting around for future potential photos. After sunset the sky started glowing a soft orange, so I made my way down the cliff via an easy path (for once!) to the beach facing the arch. The cliff face was picking up the orange and blue in the sky. Usually the light is too harsh during the day even on cloudy days, so this is the perfect time to make a long exposure. I wanted a long exposure in order to smooth out the water so as not to distract from the arch and view beyond. Also, the soft color and texture of the water is a nice contrast to the strong angles in the rock.

I liked being able to see the Mendocino headlands across the bay through the arch. And I like how the darkness seems to envelop the arch. This area is pure magic. And the beaches below the cliffs are excellent.

The only tricky thing was making sure that I did not overexpose the relatively bright cliffs seen through the arch. Usually this shot is not possible because there is too much contrast between the bright and dark areas of the frame. But the soft light about 10 minutes after sunset made this possible.

The map shows exactly where this is. You can see down the top of the hole. It is a short hike from the nearest road.

See my Flickr profile for a link to my newly designed website.
.