Flickering Aspens

I've always loved the way the light flickers in the leaves aspen trees when the breeze blows.

Trying to capture this in a still photograph is another thing altogether - but today, I gave it a try:

What do you think?

Taken with Canon 1D Mk IV camera with Canon 24-70 2.8L lens, f22, 1/5 sec, iso 50, 70mm, tripod.

As it is blazing hot today and I'm hiding inside (after roasting outside for about 15 mins to take several frames), I thought I'd play around in post processing, too:

(Silver Efex Pro 2 Full Contrast & Structure with a few of my own tweaks, green colour filter at 44%, toned with coffee #13, image border type #11).

Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships - Panorama, BC, July 2013

After scouting the course on Thursday, I was up early this morning to get to Panorama Resort and up the mountain before the course was closed and readied for the start of the Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships.

Unfortunately, the powers-that-be neglected to update the website, which advised that the racing started at 10am. I arrived at about 8am only to find that it had been pushed back to noon, which was irritating, but it gave me plenty of time to hike up to my chosen spot, get my heart and breathing rates back to normal, then do some test shooting.

I enjoyed the spare time hanging around and enjoying being alone in the forest, too!

Panorama's Bike-Patroller-Trail-Blazer

I was surprised that no-one else chose my spot - most went to the rock garden a few seconds above the wooden ramp that I picked, or the root/rock drop about 30 seconds above that. Not that I minded! I had the place to myself for the most part, and had plenty of space to play around with my radiopoppers and off-camera flash, which I was using for the first time at this type of event.

The first few photos in the Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships 2013 are up on my website - I'll be adding more photos asap. Apologies to the handful of people who I missed - next time!

Scouting!

Scouting = visit to location in advance of an event, to see what shooting angles, lighting, action-catching opportunities there will be available to you on the big day.

Today involved a visit to Panorama Resort here in the Columbia Valley of Southeastern British Columbia, where the 2013 Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships will be held this weekend, July 13 and 14.

We took the Mile One chairlift halfway up the mountain, then hiked down the trail that the riders will be navigating over the next few days. The weekend's action promises to be awesome, because we could barely walk down the trail - never mind ride a bike down it!

Of course, I had my camera with me, so had to take photos of the spectacular scenery around me - it was the perfect summer's day in the mountains!

High resolution versions may be viewed here. Stay tuned for action shots early next week!

Radiopopper Flash!

At last, after having had them for a few weeks, I've finally got to play with my Radiopoppers today!

I got myself a second-hand set a while ago but, with a family wedding along with overseas and long-distance visitors, I haven't had the chance to try them out. Well, that's my excuse - a healthy dose of "fear" might be thrown in there, too!  ;-P

For you non-photogs out there, these gadgets, which consist of a transmitter that attaches to the top of the camera where the flash normally goes, and a receiver that attaches to the flash, allow me to use a flash to light my subject - with the flash unit located up to 1200 feet away from the camera position! They worked a treat!

My usual targets, at the moment, are our resident Rufous Hummingbirds. They weren't too obliging today, only showing themselves a couple of times - they must have young that they're spending all their time tending, instead of gorging on our sweet-water - but I managed to get a few frames.

Speaking of our sugar water, check out our fancy new feeder - my Dad and his Fiancee kindly bought it for us as a thank-you for having them stay during the wedding - and after I destroyed our cheapie version by putting too-warm water in it! The bottle is glass, and the lid of the base with the "flowers" on it, is metal - lovely!

These shots are, as usual, heavily cropped. Flash (Canon 580 EX II) at 1/32 sec, lens: Canon 70-200mm 2.8L at 200mm, camera: Canon 1DmkIV at 1/250 sec, iso 100, f2.8. High resolution images may be viewed here.