Spire St. James Cathedral, Toronto
TTl 120 camera
1853 – New Gothic Revival Cathedral opens for services on original site
1865 – Bells installed
1875 – Spire completed
Tag Archives: Provia 100F
US Consulate at the Chateau
The Stars and Stripes and the US Seal are subtle signs of the US Consulate close to Quebec City’s Chateau Frontenac: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_Frontenac
The Consulate is witness to two centuries of friendship between the US and Canada following the war of 1812. I am playing in the early morning light with a mirror to juxtapose adjacent objects in new ways.
Original slide shot October 10th, 2011 with a tripod-mounted Sputnik using Provia 100P exposed at 1/25th at f22.
Champlain at the Chateau
A large statue of Samuel de Champlain stands beside the Chateau Frontenac, in honour of his founding of Quebec City over 400 years ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_de_Champlain
In this early morning light I am playing with a mirror creating a picture within a picture, juxtaposing adjacent objects in new ways.
Original slide shot October 10th, 2011 with a tripod-mounted Sputnik using Provia 100P exposed at 1/25th at f22.
Old Quebec City and the Citadelle
A historic building of old Quebec City is juxtaposed in the mirror onto the green fields surrounding the Citadelle, the city’s fortifications:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadelle_of_Quebec
In this series I have played with a mirror to juxtapose adjacent objects in new ways.
Original slide shot October 9th, 2011 with a tripod-mounted Sputnik using Provia 100P exposed at 1/25th at f20.
Green oval on Burning Bush
The green leaves in the oval mirror are in striking contrast to the red of the Burning Bush. It is ironic that the shrub is called a Burning Bush as it sits in front of Quebec City’s Armoury that burned in July 2008: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_City_Armoury
In this series I have played with a mirror to juxtapose adjacent objects in new ways. I am bothered by the softness of the image in the mirror, probably caused by the wind moving the mirror, but my wife likes it the most of the four and asked me to include it anyway.
Original slide shot October 9th, 2011 with a tripod-mounted Sputnik using Provia 100P exposed at 1/25th at f20.
Blue Flower
The Giant Wheel at the Evergreen State Fair, now in LED!
The outfit that provides the rides for the Evergreen State Fair and Central Washington Fair is Butler Entertainment. This year they’ve outfitted their Giant Wheel with LEDs. I prefer the incandescent lights, but I know the LEDs will save a lot of energy. And the LEDs look pretty cool in my time-lapse movies. On film they can have nice patterns (or some with nauseating color) but they often look like big TV sets.
The rides always look (to me) like some great engine of science fiction when captured on film, and of course people should be mesmerized by it. So I’m glad the fellow on the left is doing his part.
YOYO & Fireworks #8
Captured at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, Washington, August 2011.
Last year there were fireworks at the Evergreen State Fair and I didn’t know about it until it was happening. I was in a rotten spot to capture them and it all ended in tears.
This year I got the dates for the fireworks beforehand and guesstimated some good spots for shooting.
Poipu Sunrise
The sunrise at Poipu beach on Kauai, a short walk from our rental house.
I have long wanted to use a graduated neutral density filter with my MF photography. The problem is aligning a couple of filters on different cameras. On the TL-120, I wouldn’t be able to mount 2 filter holders side-by-side — there isn’t enough room. You could use screw on filters but then you’re limited by where you can frame the image. Problems, problems, problems.
At some point I realized that there was an extra large square filter size called X-PRO that would fit over both lenses of the TL-120. I found a used filter holder and had it modified to fit on the TL-120 and also came up with a system for positioning the filter (because when you frame the shot through the viewing lens the filter is in the wrong position and needs to be lowered precisely to take the shot).
I found an outfit in the UK that claimed to have Lee ND grad filters in X-PRO size. This was a little confusing to me because on their website Lee has no mention that they make such filters. But after several emails back and forth to the UK and assurances that the filters were real I pulled the trigger. I picked up 1, 2, and 3 stop hard-edged filters.
I don’t remember which filters I used in this shot but it was probably 2 of them, dropping down the sky by 4 or 5 stops.
David W. Kesner – Lava Tube Throat
Another lava tube cave. This image is looking down a side passage that I thought looked like a throat. Taken with a TL120 on Fuji ProviaF 100. Lighting was from a single Vivitar 283 flash held off to the left.
David W. Kesner – The Sentinels
These formations in a lava tube are called extrusion spires and were formed when molten lava in the floor was pushed up through a hole. You can see how some of the lava traveled to the top and then spilled out and dripped down the sides. These are over six feet tall and are the largest in the US. Taken with a TL120 on Fuji ProviaF 100. Lighting was from two Vivitar 283 flashes. One was placed to the far left and triggered by a slave. The other was held just to the right of the camera.
David W. Kesner – Up or Down?
My son Talon is trying to decide whether to take the upper or lower passage in the lava tube. Taken with a TL120 on Fuji ProviaF 100. Most of the light was natural, but Talon also fired a Vivitar 283 to light up a bit more of the dark recesses.
Kalalau Sunset #5
This spot was suggested by Robert Hitchman in his Photograph America newsletter. You are looking toward the rainiest place on earth. As such, by the time you drive to this vista for a sunset shot, you have no idea what conditions you’ll find. This is at the Kalalau Lookout, about 17 miles up road 550 on the island of Kauai. I’m standing on a sidewalk behind a big metal rail. Nonetheless, the view there is stunning.
I can be dense but sometimes I’ll learn something from experience. I was at this spot two nights and the first time there was a cruise ship hanging out in the water below. I thought I’d wait for it to get out of my shot before I pulled out my good film cameras so I started shooting with my digitals. Now that I see those digital shots I am kicking myself. The cruise ship at that distance just becomes an iconic ship, and it looks like it’s sailing away from Eden. I think this is a beautiful picture but that was a beautiful picture that told a story and I’m really sorry I missed it.
Playing chess, big chess
Does the blur signify motion and dynamism in 3D like it can in 2D, or is it a problem? Do we have less tolerance for movement in 3D? If yes, is it just a convention or do we need to be able to see the entire image clearly for the illusion to work well? I have another shot of this scene without the chess players that is clear but static.
Original slide shot August 24, 2010 at the Hariot Bay Inn on Quadra Island in British Columbia with a tripod-mounted Heidoscop with Provia 100P at 1/100th at f25.
On the way to Long Beach, NY
Everyone except the boy seems quite serious about their trek across the wide expanse of sand to or from the seashore, oblivious of the guy with the funny camera.
Original slide shot during the summer of 2002 with a tripod-mounted Sputnik with Provia 100P, exposure unrecorded.
Reaching for the ray of sun
Certain species of trees, such as the Western hemlock in the foreground, tolerate shade and remain small for years in the undergrowth waiting for an opening in the canopy to initiate rapid growth.
Original slide shot August 23, 2010 off the Lupin Falls Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island in British Columbia with a tripod-mounted Heidoscop with Provia 100P at 1 second at f25.