Landscape Photography Fail

I don't take anywhere near as many photos as I did a few years ago. Then I would routinely come home with 2 or 3 hundred shots. Now I think I work a little harder to get it right before I click the shutter. However, I still have some shots that just don't do it for me. I thought it might be interesting for you to see a shot that doesn't do it for me. There's two things that don't work in this photo - one is the sky - there are some lovely wispy clouds but they are all focused/aimed at the horizon, not the lighthouse. Secondly, the main leading lines that do focus on the lighthouse are the road lines on the ground. The only trouble with these is that the road is not a very interesting object in itself - it's a little cracked and junky looking. I'd prefer a dirt track with some grass and dandelions, etc. I'll be interested in any comments on this photo, especially in comparison with yesterday's photo (taken the same afternoon).

Landscape Photography

I decided to take a break from the causeway and its summer bustle and rode out to the Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site. While the above photo doesn't look a lot different from my usual photos of this landmark, it was an attempt to put into practice some hints and tips on landscape photography I've lately been picking up (mostly from YouTube tutorials). Well, at least I've got the horizon fairly level in this shot.

Esquimalt Lagoon

The Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site is directly adjacent to the Esquimalt Lagoon Nature Sanctuary. The above photo was taken from Fort Rodd Hill looking towards the lagoon. The stream in the foreground is the tidal flow into and out of the lagoon.

The Postcard

I'm not a very adventurous photographer - usually what I strive to achieve is picturesque rather than striking or unique and this shot is a good example of what satisfies me.

Fisgard Lighthouse

Under blue skies and bright sunshine I went out today to Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site. I was pleased to discover that in celebration of Canada's 150th Birthday this year, all National Historic Sites have waived their admission fees. The entrance fee to Fort Rodd Hill has always been quite modest but the feeling that I could come back again, often, subtly changed the tenor of my visit, so that I was able to concentrate on one part of the site and reserve the rest for further visits. Above is a slightly different view of the Fisgard Lighthouse viewed from Fort Rodd Hill.

From Saxe Point

I'm still cruising the archives - it's just too cold to be creative outdoors these days. Here's a photo of a favorite subject, the Fisgard Lighthouse. What gives it its special interest for me is that it is a view of the lighthouse from an unusual angle. The photo was taken from Saxe Point Park. The lighthouse looks rather closer than it actually is because of the 300mm telephoto lens I was using. Fisgard Lighthouse is a favorite subject for me because it always looks good, from any point of view. This photo was taken in April 2012.

Fort Rodd Hill

When the weather is fine one of the local landmarks I like to visit is Fort Rodd Hill. It's a location that actually has two National Heritage Sites, the military fortifications and Fisgard Lighthoue. Above is the lighthouse, from the most classical perspective. I like to go out to Fort Rodd Hill in the spring especially since they have developed the Garry Oak Learning Meadow where they are propagating many of the indigenous plant species specific to that ecosystem. We'll have a look at a few of their specimens later in the week but I wanted to start out with the Fisgard Lighthouse because it is so photogenic.

Fisgard Lighthouse

I went out to Esquimalt Lagoon on Wednesday to see if there were any interesting birds passing through on their way to their northern nesting grounds. There were lots of Northern Pintail Ducks and Mallards but nothing unusual so I contented myself with a few photos of my favorite model, the Fisgard Lighthouse, since it is visible from the lagoon. From this perspective it almost looks landlocked - that's because of the telephoto compression that makes the naval base on the other side of the harbor entrance seem so close.

Fisgard Lighthouse

Regular visitors here will know that I never miss a chance to photograph our famous local lighthouse and last week was no exception. Usually I try to see it f rom a new angle or in dramatic weather but for this shot I opted for the classic postcard view. Fisgard Lighthouse shares its grounds with another National Historic Site, Fort Rodd Hill. This photo was taken from the top of the cliffs where the Fort Rodd Hill gun emplacements are. There's lots to see out there and we'll have a look at some new developments later this week.

View Royal - Esquimalt Harbour

At another shoreline access in View Royal last week I was able to capture this photo of the Fisgard Lighthouse from a new angle. Here we are looking south, out through the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour. On the right is the Fisgard Lighthouse and on the left are some of the buildings of the Naval Base. The mountains in the background are on the Olympic Peninsula.

Fisgard Lighthouse

By the time I had walked out to the lighthouse the fog bank had blown clear - you can see its remnants off to the right.

Fisgard in the Fog 2

Along the shore there are some aspens or poplar trees whose leaves are just turning into coppery disks that shiver in the slightest breeze.

Fisgard in the Fog

Those of you who visit here regularly will know my fondness for the Fisgard Lighthouse. Thus you will understand why I was happy to see it on a foggy morning recently. I have not photographed it in the fog previously so the first thing I did when I arrived at the Fort Rodd Hill/Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site was take some shots of the lighthouse. It was only later I noticed the Steller's Jays and the deer romping around.

Fisgard Lighthouse

On January 2nd I posted a photo taken from Macaulay Point with the Fisgard Lighthouse just visible in the far distance. Here from nearly the same vantage point but with a much more powerful lens is a closer look at my favorite model. To the left of the lighthouse one of the gun emplacements on Fort Rodd Hill can be seen.

Looking Westward

Yesterday's photo was taken from Macaulay Point looking east towards the city. Today's photo is also taken from Macaulay Point but looking west towards Esquimalt Lagoon and Metchosin. In the foreground you can see the Fleming Beach Breakwater. A bit beyond that the red and white Canadian flag identifies Saxe Point. Beyond that and to the left you can see the Fisgard Lighthouse, also red and white.

Esquimalt Lagoon

The old-growth forest pictured yesterday is situated on rising land above and slightly to the west of Esquimalt Lagoon and provided the above view of the lagoon. I like this view because it shows clearly the long narrow spit that separates the lagoon from the ocean. The Fisgard Lighthouse is also visible in this photo very close to the center. Though our weather continues quite warm, autumn colors are clearly beginning to seep into the palette.

Fisgard Friday 3

This week's Fisgard Friday features on the left an HDR version of the lighthouse directly from the camera. For side-by-side comparison a "normal" single exposure is posted on the right above. All I've done here with these photos is to shrink them to one third of their size so they don't take forever to load. In the HDR case the camera took three exposures rapidly with one click of the shutter button and then merged them into one final shot. On the right is a single exposure. In this case I think I prefer the "normal" shot on the right but I really like the way the HDR version brings out the lichen on the rock and tones down the blown out brilliance of the lighthouse tower. Ultimately I think I would prefer something midway between the two, so I merged the above two photos in Photomatix to produce the version below.

Fisgard Friday 2

The new camera has some interesting features - particularly its well-developed set of possibilities for HDR effects. The above photo, for instance, is actually made from 5 separate exposures at different shutter speeds. These were then fused (in Photomatix) to produce a more balanced exposure while at the same time retaining and strengthening the detailed contrast. In this case I did the fusion in post-processing. However, the camera also produces finished tone-mapped HDR images from multiple exposures and we'll have a look at one next Friday.

HMCS Algonquin

While out at the Fisgard Lighthouse earlier in the week I was lucky to see the Canadian Navy's HMCS Algonquin entering Esquimalt Harbour, pictured above. The Esquimalt Canadian Forces Base is the headquarters of Canada's Maritime Forces Pacific.

Fisgard Friday

I have a new camera - a Sony Alpha SLT a77 - So of course one of the first places I took it was out to the location of my favourite model, the Fisgard Lighthouse. The lighthouse was looking as beautiful as ever. And the camera? Well, so far I'm pretty pleased with its performance too.