We received our first snowfall yesterday while there are still leaves on the trees. This results in very “contrasty” images. A single coniferous tree in a forest of deciduous trees makes for an even more interesting composition.
Light Trails on Yonge Street, Toronto
Although it was cold and wet last night, I grabbed my camera bag and tripod and set up on the Kay Gardner Bridge over Yonge Street to photograph these car light trails.
Basically, photographing light trails involves finding a spot where you’ll see the light trails created by cars, setting a long exposure on your camera and shooting at a time when cars will be going by to create the trail of light. Of course it’s a little more complicated than this – but the main principle behind it is longer exposures that will enable the cars that create the trails to move through your image.
For these images I also used a 6-stop neutral density filter which extends the exposure time even longer to increase the length of the trails in the photos. These images were exposed for approximately 2 minutes at ISO 64, f11, +1 exposure compensation, using a Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 Nikon lens set at 46mm.
Getting a good car light trail photo can be tricky and takes some patience to get the right timing. I try to get a balance between the white headlights and the red taillights , but since headlights are brighter than the taillights, you aim for an image that has more cars going than coming to create that balance.
Shooting outside a studio where you have little to no control over light and other elements is what makes landscape photography very challenging , and incredibly rewarding when through good technique and composition , and a little bit of luck, you get the photo.
Nikon's Legacy Manual Focus Lenses
The cityscape image below was captured using a Nikon 105mm f2.5 Ai-s lens. It is considered one of the best mid-telephoto and portrait lenses in the world and was made famous when it was used to shoot what is arguably one of the most recognizable images of the 20th century - the National Geographic cover photo of the Afghan girl in 1985. It is a spectacular super sharp lens.
Nikon Ai and Ai-s series of lenses from the late 1970s and early 1980’s are a beautiful combination of simple, manual mechanical build quality and beautiful vintage glass. Despite the improvements of today’s newer autofocus lenses, some of the best built and sharpest lenses Nikon ever made are these metal-bodied manual focus lenses. Nikon’s reputation as a great camera company was built in large part on the quality of these lenses.
When autofocus lenses were introduced, these mechanical focus lenses were soon replaced and largely forgotten for these digital wonders that made focusing so much easier and promised that every image would be in perfect focus. While it is certainly possible to still take photos out of focus, there is no question that it is much easier to photograph a fast-moving subject with an autofocus lens.
I have no intention of selling my newer high quality autofocus lenses. They are amazing lenses that are convenient and produce incredibly sharp images. But I do keep my eyes open for good deals on mint condition Ai-s lenses and pick them up when I can, and despite the inconvenience of manual focus, I won’t hesitate to use them under the right circumstances.
Toronto Streetcars
Toronto is know for its streetcars. They are numerous, large and colourful, which make for stunning images when photographed in motion.
The first photograph was taken from the northwest corner of the King and Bay intersection. When I arrived at the location, no one was stopping to take a photo. However, once my equipment was set up at least 20 people pulled out their smart phones to take a picture of the CN Tower visible between the buildings. I suspect they never noticed the tower until they looked to see why I had set up my camera.
Although the CN Tower adds to the picture by adding context, the real reason I was there was to capture the bright red and white streetcar in motion against the dark backdrop of the buildings. I kept the exposure time short at one second so as not to completely blur the seats and people inside. It was shot at f11, ISO-100, 0.7 exposure compensation, and at a focal length of 45mm.
The exposure of the second image was timed to allow the building and the two lit trees to be partially visible behind the streetcar. I used an exposure time of 4 seconds, two of which occurred after the streetcar had passed out of view. Two seconds was enough time to partially expose the building and trees and give the appearance that were visible through the streetcar. All three images were captured in-camera and were not photoshopped.
Museum Subway Station, Toronto
Museum subway station opened in 1963 and is located under Queen's Park beside the Royal Ontario Museum after which it is named. It was renovated in 2008 to evoke exhibits in the museum.
This image is a single photo and was not photoshopped. It was created in-camera by using a neutral density filter and a 15 second exposure. I started the exposure as the subway left the station and I had Deanna stand motionless in the frame for 5 seconds before she moved quickly out of view, which resulted in her ghost-like image. It was shot using at f11, ISO-100, -2 exposure compensation using a 20mm f1.8 Nikon lens.
Museum is one of the coolest and most beautiful subway stations in the world and the ghosted image of Deanna and subway train helps to reinforce the archaeologically inspired columns, and the historical theme of the station.
Toronto City Halls
Its hard to believe that Toronto's City Hall is approaching 55 years old. It remains one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by a Finnish architect, the building opened in 1965.
The "temporary" 3D TORONTO sign was installed for the 2015 Pan American Games. However, the sign has become very popular with tourists and residents and the City has decided to replace it with a permanent structure.
The Old City Hall is a Romanesque building completed in 1899. It was the home of the Toronto City Council from 1899 to 1966 and remains one of the city's most prominent structures. The photo above was taken using an exposure time of 8 seconds making the streetcar appear as trails of light as it passed in front of the building.
Allen Lambert Galleria, Toronto
I spent a hour or so in Allen Lambert Galleria at Brookfield Place with my camera. It is a 6-story high pedestrian atrium which connects Bay Street and Yonge Street. It is structured by eight freestanding supports on each side of the Galleria, which branch out into parabolic shapes evoking a forest canopy or a tree-lined avenue due to the building facades along the sides of the structure.
It is a popular place to photograph so creating an image that is a bit different or unique is a challenge. The last image was shot looking at the Royal Bank Plaza and Bay Street through the glass wall at the west end of the atrium. The glass ceiling of the atrium above and behind me is reflected in the glass and results in an intriguing pattern when combined with the Royal Bank Plaza building outside.
Architectural Photography
There are many types or categories of photography, and while I have my favorites, I like to try anything because the skills you need in one category, do carry over into others and make you a better photographer.
Architecture and real estate photography is one such category. Throughout the history of photography, buildings have been highly valued photographic subjects, mirroring society's appreciation for architecture and its cultural significance.
It has become quite specialized and today is viewed as an art form. There are professional photographers whose business is focused solely on taking photos of buildings and similar structures.
This photo of a typical Toronto condominium was taken around 10 in the evening using an exposure of 20 seconds, ISO 64, a 14-24mm Nikon lens at 22mm, and an aperture of f9. The 20 second exposure time turned the cars into light trails and help provide the sense that the building is located in a busy part of the city.
Puente de Luz Bridge, Toronto
Puente de Luz, “bridge of light”, links the Concord CityPlace neighbourhood to Front Street over the rail lines in Toronto, for pedestrians and bicyclist. It was designed by Chilean artist Francisco Gazitua and cost $8 Million to construct and install.
The bridge is busy, occupied by pedestrians and cyclists. I shot this photo using a neutral density (ND) filter. Basically, a ND filter reduces the amount of light making its way into the camera. With less light entering the camera, you will need to slow the shutter for a given aperture setting. The slower shutter speed will allow anything moving in your frame to become blurred, or if left long enough, be rendered invisible, as is in the photo. So even though the bridge was busy with people, using a ND filter makes the bridge look vacant.
More Toronto Rail Lines
This photo was shot from the Spadina Street Bridge over the rail lines looking east towards Union Station and the city centre.
I spent some time looking over the scene and chose a composition that uses a technique known as leading lines to draw attention to the CN Tower - the main subject of the image.
Leading lines pave an easy path for the eye to follow through different elements of the photograph. They start at the bottom of the frame and guide the eye upwards and inwards, from the foreground of the image to the background, leading toward the main subject.
When leading lines, such as these train light trails, connect the foreground to the background of a scene, they help to create depth and dimensionality which draws the viewer into the image.
The light trails come from three trains. The two on the right are GO trains, which is why the trails are green in colour. The train on the left is an UP Express, which is much shorter and not as colourful. Neither the colour nor intensity of the light trails were altered or enhanced.
The image was shot with a Nikon D850 on a tripod with the ISO set at 64, and an exposure time of 37 seconds. I used a Nikon f2.8 14-24mm lens at 16mm set at an aperture of f11.
Toronto Rail Lines
Tuesday evening I took my camera downtown to capture some night images. My last stop was the Bathurst Bridge over the rail line heading to and from Union Station.
Catching an interesting image requires skill and sometimes, a lot of luck. I spent more than an hour at this location waiting for trains to come and go with the hope that I could get the timing just right and capture an interesting photo.
Exposure was a challenge. I wanted the train light trails to be long with no breaks, and given the relativley slow speed of the trains, it meant an exposure time of about 30 seconds. In order to achieve this and not blow out the rest of the photo, I reduced the aperature to f22, set the ISO at 64, and set composure compensation to -4. Normally I don’t use small aperatures to avoid refraction, but these settings reduced the amount of light coming into the camera allowing for the longer exposure needed to get this image.
Portaits of Deanna
Although I focus primarily on landscape photography, shooting portraits is both challenging and rewarding, and requires skills that can be useful in other type of photography.
Focusing on the eyes is critical. Focusing on other parts of the face will result in images that appear soft and out of focus.
Sometimes you have to improvise. These shots of Deanna were shot on the street using natural light just before attending a friend’s wedding.
Midtown Toronto
Shooting the city from 60 metres above the street provides a different perspective and unique view of the urban landscape.
Toronto Skyline - Toronto Islands
In July, I took the ferry across to the Toronto Islands to photograph Toronto’s sweeping skyline in the evening. My preferred location was closed due to higher than normal water levels. However, after some scouting, I found a spot with a good vantage point.
I like to spend several hours shooting because the change in light also changes the mood of the image. For really beautiful results, its great to shoot during twilight, otherwise known as the blue hour. This is the hour following sunset where the skyline will be bathed in a cool blue hue.
Following the blue hour night sets in and the skyline is lit up by the artificial illumination of street lamps and the pinprick lights of skyscraper windows.
The Islands are located approximately 2 km from the mainland. I used a 600mm zoom lens to photograph the top of the CN Tower and the Rogers Centre.
Toronto Skyline - Polson Pier
There are several great vantage points from where to photograph Toronto’s Skyline. Polson Pier is one, and is easlily accessable.
Bruce Peninsula National Park - Georgian Bay Shore
The eastern shore of the Bruce Penisula consists of dramatic rocky cliffs that rise from the turquoise waters of Georgian Bay. These photos were taken using a Lee Filter “Little Stopper” neutral density filter.
Bruce Peninsula National Park - Milky Way
Spent the weekend on the Bruce Peninsula, primarily to shoot the Milky Way before the end of the season.
This photo was taken at Emmett Lake in Bruce Peninsula National Park Saturday night. The image was shot using an equatorial mount to counter the earth’s rotation and produce pinpoint stars rather than streaks normally seen in photos created by exposures that exceed 30 seconds or so. This method results in images that are cleaner, sharper and more detailed. This is evidenced by the sheer number of stars visible in this image.
Capturing great images of the Milky Way Core is challenging. It requires the right equipment and some knowledge, and is only possible under certain conditions. During Saturday evening, the conditions were ideal. There was no moon, no clouds, little to no light pollutiuon, and low humidity. This night, the core of the Milky Way was clearly visible, even to the naked eye.
The core or centre of the Milky Way is the white cloud-like area just above the tree line. It is located approximately 25,000 light years from earth. To provide a sense of just how far away the core is, it took the light of the core 25,000 years to reach earth and light travels at 186,000 miles per second. The brightest light in the photograph is the planet Jupiter.
The photo was taken using a Nikon D850 camera, a Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 lens, and Astrotrac equatorial mount . The lens was set at 14 mm, and the camera aperature at f4, an ISO of 640, and a shutter time of 5 minutes.
The "Crack", Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario
While in Killarney, we hiked 6 km and climbed "The Crack" to capture these images.
Lake Erie Works Steel Mill
While in Port Dover, Ontario, I came upon a massive steel mill in what is best characterized as a rural area dominated by agricultural farms. The area is also known for its wind farms and the landscape contains countless wind turbines.
I thought it would be interesting to capture both in a photo, along with more detailed images of the mill itself. These photos were all taken using timed exposures of about 5 seconds, and an aperature of f11, and an ISO setting of 1000.
Princes' Gates, Toronto
The Princes’ Gates mark the east entrance to Toronto’s Exhibition Place. They were built in 1926 to commemorate the 60th anniversery of Canadian confederation and were opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony by Prince Edward and Prince George.
Today, the gates sit adjacent to the busy intersection of Strachan Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard. I wanted a photo without cars, but still provides a sense of how busy it is in this area, even after midnight when this photo was taken. A long exposure where only the lights from the cars are visible and not the cars themselves creates that sense.
