Slow Road to Squamish: Long Exposures on the Sea to Sky
A couple of weeks ago my friend Eli and I did a photohunting trip from Vancouver to Squamish. The goal was to capture some long exposure shots along the way, below are some of the results. Eli’s Gitzo tripod was conveniently lost by WestJet, and a loaner fell through at the last minute. A stop at the Salvation Army saved the day though as he was able to pick up a “pro quality” tripod for $9!
First stop was the Lions Gate Bridge. Not a great day for long exposures as it was mostly clear skies. We gave it a shot though.
A shot with my iPhone 5S first.
The resulting long exposure shot with my D800 and 24-70.
Next we went to a spot that I have never been to, the Cleveland Dam in North Vancouver. I didn’t even know this existed but, while waiting for Eli to do whatever it is he was doing, I found it on Google Maps. It’s a great spot that is worth visiting again. Eli set up on top, my tripod also ready to shoot the spillway.
A quick way to lose gear when looking over the edge :)
There are a couple of holes in the fence where you can get a shot of the reservoir.
Too bad the clouds are not more interesting, you take what you are given I suppose.
You can also shoot the spillway from below, here Eli stands on the edge shooting his long exposure.
Mine from that spot.
We left Vancouver and stopped in Horseshoe Bay for a few shots. I have a few more to look through, but in general I didn’t get anything here that I was that happy with. If I get something worth posting I’ll just do an update. However, on our way out I decided to set up my camera in the passenger seat of my truck, then use the remote release to get some shots while I’m driving. I used a 6-stop ND filter and a circular polarizer to take out the glare from the windshield. Looks odd, maybe like photo radar :)
Considering that this was highly experimental, the resulting shots were not too bad. Some were completely unusable, but others show promise. I want to try it again, but play with the settings to see if I can get something better. This shot was a 1-second exposure at 100Km/h, that is Eli in front of me.
We hit Squamish, had lunch at The Watershed Grill, and parted ways. On my way home, I stopped at Shannon Falls.
This is the creek below the falls.
My final stop was at Porteau Cove, where I have been many times to dive but never to take photos. Turned out to be my favourite shot of the day.
