SAME LAKE - THREE DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHS

When I peered out of my tent at 4 a.m., I could see the stars. An hour later when I broke camp and headed to the lake, the stars were gone and the clouds were starting to build. There was some wind, however, it was blocked by the mountains, so the surface of the lake remained calm, allowing me to capture some nice reflections. A half hour after I took this photograph, the sky became a solid gray and it started to rain. No sunrise, but I still came away with a photograph. Fujifilm X-Pro2 with 16mm lens, 1 second @ f3.2, ISO 200.

I set out on an overnight backpacking trip to Avalanche Lake, located in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks in New York State, with the intention of capturing both a sunset and a sunrise photograph. What I ended up with was neither a sunset nor a sunrise, but I still came away with three photos that I'm proud to share.

The details. From the Adirondack Loj parking lot, located 16 miles from the town of Lake Placid, it is a 5.2-mile hike to the south end of the Avalanche Lake where I took the photographs. The first 2.3 miles to Marcy Dam and the next one mile are fairly easy. However, the next mile presents you with a 635-foot elevation change in order to reach Avalanche Pass before you descend a litte to the lake which sits nicely between Avalanche Mountain and Mount Colden.

I knew that I would not be able to capture the sunset unless I hiked back to the other side of the lake. and that wasn't going to happen. But the great late afternoon light coming from behind and skimming the tops of the mountains on either side of the lake added a nice warm color reflection and made the photograph. Fujifilm X-Pro2 with 16mm lens, 1/60 @ f11, ISO 800, Exp. Comp. -1.3.

The final part of the hike which brings you around the lake is the most challenging and demanding, especially with a full pack and camera gear. You will contend with boulders, ladders, and a very winding trail, but if you take your time, it is worth it. One of the neatest parts of this section is the two "Hitch-Up Matildas," or boardwalks, that are affixed to the sheer rock walls. 

While it is quite possible to do the round trip hike to Avalanche Lake in one day, it would be tough to do that, yet still be there early in the morning or late in the day, optimal times for taking photographs. So I recommend you bring a tent and plan on spending the night. There are some lean-tos closer to Marcy Dam, but that is still quite a hike. A nice tent area sits only about 100 yards from the South end of the lake.

At this end of the lake, there is plenty of debris, mostly logs, that has built up and makes for some interesting foregrounds. In this case, I switched to a vertical and used this large branch to lead you into the photograph. Converting to monochrome emphasizes the contrast between the warm wood and the cool lake. Fujifilm X-Pro2 with a 16mm lens, 1/60 @ f16, ISO 800, Exp. Comp. -0.3.

So in the end, even if I didn't capture a sunrise or a sunset, I was able to get three different looks of the same lake and it was all made possible because I made the overnight hike. Sometimes the effort put into the hike makes the photographs even better, even if only to the photographer.

PHOTOGRAPHING THREE WATERFALLS IN THREE DAYS

A tripod of some sorts is a must if you wish to convey movement in the water. One of the advantages of tree cover and shadows is that you can normally achieve this look without adding neutral density filters to your camera. Fallingwater Cascades is a 1.7 loop hike located in the Jefferson National Forest off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Fuji x-Pro2 with 16MM. 1/1.7 @ f16, ISO 200, -0.3 exposure compensation.

I didn't set out to photograph waterfalls. In fact, I don't even get that thrilled about photographing waterfalls. Especially when it's the middle of the day in the summer. However, there are some advantages.

1. Many waterfalls are only a short hike from the road.

2. Since much of the light doesn't reach them, shooting in the middle of the day is normally not a problem. 

3. People seem to like when you show them photographs of waterfalls. Translates to plenty of likes on social media.

Light not great, lots of people, that's when you look for other angles. I noticed these leaves and how the strong mid-day sun made them pop. That same light also provided a nice rim light which separated the rock ledge from the background and also reflected off the water brightening the underside which kept it from going completely dark. Spruce Flats Falls is a 1.5 mile out and back hike located near the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Treemont. Fuji X-Pro2 with 35MM. 1/100 @ f2.2, ISO 200.

There are also some disadvantages to photographing waterfalls.

1. Many waterfalls are only a short hike from the road.

2. Since much of the light doesn't reach the waterfall, there can be a wide exposure range between the light that does reach them and the shadows.

3. People not only like to see photographs of waterfalls, they also like to visit them. This normally happens about the same time you decide to photograph them.

You will need patience if you hope to capture a waterfall without people. Or you could embrace it and use people to add a splash of color and additional movement in the frame. Grotto Falls is a 2.6 mile out and back hike located outside Gatlinburg, Tenn., in the Great Smoky Mountains. Fuji X-Pro2 with 16MM. 

I actually photographed more than the three waterfalls in the three days, but after a while, they do all start to look the same. 

TOO BOLDLY GO... NOT A REVIEW OF THE FUJI 16MM LENS

Best Western Space Age Lodge in Gila Bend, Arizona. Fujifilm X-Pro2, 16mm 1.4. 1/70 @ f2.0, ISO 200.

Two photos, two locations, one theme, and one lens. I had originally thought this post was going to be a review of the Fujinon XF 16mm f1.4 lens, but I'm not quite ready to write that yet.

It's not that I'm disappointed with this lens. In fact, it is tack-sharp, solidly built and deserves its place in the Fuji premiere lens lineup, but I just haven't used it enough to really write a proper review. Perhaps I will never use it enough to write that review. And that's the issue.

Typically, before making a lens or camera purchase, I borrow the piece of equipment and try it out. If I had done that before aquiring this lens, I would have realized that the Fujinon XF 23mm 1.4 would have been a better choice for me. 

Too big. That was my first impression when attaching the 16mm lens to my X-Pro2. I'm so used to carrying this camera around all the time while not drawing attention to myself, that this lens with its 67mm front element and even larger lens hood made the camera front heavy and made me feel very conspicuous.

Too wide. Is that really possible? I had become so accustomed to shooting with the Fuji X100S and its fixed 23mm (35mm equivalent) and the Fujinon XF 35mm F2 (53mm equivalent) on my X-Pro2 that I found myself lost in the frame.

Restored USS Enterprise model on display at the Smithsonian Sea Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Fujifilm X-Pro2, 16mm 1.4. 1/60 @ f2.0, ISO 1000.

Too much. Not cost, in fact, I was able to purchase the lens for $699 during a promotion. Perhaps the real issue I need to work through is how many lenses do I really need? The joy of shooting with Fuji for me has been the simplicity, one camera, one lens, in a form factor that does not draw attention and allowed me to be very creative.

For me, the reality is that the 16mm (24mm equivalent) borders on a specialty lens, whereas the Fuji 23mm (35mm equivalent) or the 35mm (53mm equivalent), can be a one-lens solution. Or, maybe having to change lenses just feels like I'm at work shooting with DLSRs.

Perhaps this has turned out to be somewhat of a mini review after all.

PLAYBOY STYLE INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHS

What would you call this photography or layout style when used to accompany an article?

I know it's always been somewhat of a joke when someone says they only read Playboy for the articles.

And certainly, I won't say the articles were the reason that I first opened my Dad's 1970s-era Playboy magazines. But other than for those obvious pre-teen reasons, one thing I always remembered was the Playboy interview, or more to the point of this post, the three photographs that accompanied the article which always appeared at the bottom of the first page.

So when I recently proposed that I shoot an upcoming interview "Playboy style" for our internal newsletter and was met with a blank stare, I began to wonder if my memory had failed. Then I mentioned it four more times, to both woman and men, of various ages, and again I was met with blank stares. This was getting weird.

Of course, I still had the choice to shoot the interview in apparently what only I was now referring to as Playboy style and I could let the editor think I had invented something unique. Or I could just stick to a standard environmental portrait and give up on the idea of three photographs supporting the interview.

Two things happened.

First, I did submit the three photos with instructions on how they should run and everyone thought it was a great idea.

Second, I no longer refer to this as Playboy style, at least when I'm at work.

* A quick search of the internet confirms that I am not imagining any of this and I'm by no means taking credit for it.

A PINHOLE PHOTO TAKEN FROM A DRONE

"Pinhole" photograph of Dogfish Head Brewery.

Every good news story or photo caption needs a when, who, where, what and why, and after reading this headline, I have no doubt you are probably seeking answers to those very questions. 

The when. Each year, normally around the third week in April, Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day is celebrated around the planet. In 2013 and 2014, I participated using what would be considered a more traditional pinhole camera, but last year due to planned travel, I had to get a little more creative which you can read about in Making the Best of Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day.

The who. Me and my son. He is the one flying the Solo 3DR.

The where. I can explain this in two ways. There was the original location of Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware and the final location which came to me while enjoying a few beers after getting kicked out of Cape Henlopen State Park for flying a drone. I suppose I should have seen that coming, but like many initial plans that don't work out, I think the final outcome yielded much better results than the original concept would have. 

Something to consider when taking a pinhole photograph from a drone is that you will be looking through a pinhole when flying the drone. So keeping the drone in sight and close is very important.

The what. This gets complicated and depends largely on your interpretation of what is a pinhole photograph. I'm always looking to try something new and was thinking of ideas on how to build off of last year's photograph when it hit me that I could use a GoPro. And if I was going to use a GoPro, it wasn't a great leap to consider using a drone. 

A few problems that I didn't consider. The GoPro has a fixed lens and even though I thought I was smart and ordered a lens cap, which I planned to drill a hole in, I didn't consider that there was still going to be a lens. Traditionally pinhole cameras don't have a lens. And then the surprise when I placed the cap, now with a small hole in it, over the lens and saw that instead of a wonderful slightly out of focus pinhole image, I was seeing a small dot made by placing a lens cap with a hole in it over the lens. So much for that. Experimenting with the size of the hole and adjustment of the lens cap I finally achieved the results you see in the top photograph, what I'm calling a pinhole photograph.

Non-pinhole photograph of Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware, taken by Patrick Williams.

The why. I'll avoid the very snarky response of why not. But really, why not. When I rediscovered pinhole photography it was about trying something different, exploring new ideas, getting out of my comfort zone. It was never about making a perfect image or adding income to my bottom line. So why a drone? It was something I hadn't seen done before, seemed a little crazy, and I had nothing to lose.

Of course, you still might be asking a simple question. Is this really a pinhole photograph? The short answer is no, of course not. But if you read this far and some crazy ideas are making their way into your head, then I suspect you really don't care whether it's a true pinhole photo or not. I know I don't.