Shelter Dogs Nov 10 2012
When needed, I try to help out at the local animal shelter (Vancouver Animal Control) by taking photos of their dogs available for adoption. I believe the quality of the photos makes a difference in the dogs adoption so I’m happy to help out when I can. It helps me and helps the dogs. You can see the animals they have available at PetFinder.com (not just dogs but rabbits, lizards, and at times even more strange things). You can also see previous shelter dogs I photographed here.
Vancouver False Creek At Night
Last night, I went out for a few sunset and night time shots with my friend Scott. Sunset was a bust, but we did get a few shots of Science World and the Vancouver skyline. Overall, a fun night out and made better as we finished up with a pint at the new tap house.
Fall Colours in Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park
Just as I did last year, I took a short walk through Queen Elizabeth Park to view and photograph the fall colours. The weather forecast said rain, and lots of it, for the next week so I knew it was my last chance before things got really wet. I hope to go back in a week or so, weather permitting. The conditions were not ideal, it was a bit foggy and I could not get a good shot of the whole garden without losing a lot of contrast in the background. I used a polarizing filter to cut some of the glare but some shots just didn't turn out that well. It was still nice to get out, the colours are really great right now.
This was one of the first images I shot. As you can see, the trees in the background are starting to get lost because of the foggy and humid conditions.
The sky was very bright which made some exposures more difficult but the fog and overcast conditions made for a nice diffuse light.
On my way out of the park, I stopped by the duck pond to watch the action and take a few shots. There were at least eight species of birds in and around the pond when I was there.
This guy was taking a bath in the pond just a few feet away from me.
His little minion.
Hiking Stawamus Chief South Peak - Squamish, BC
Last week, I decided to head up to Squamish to hike the south peak of the Stawamus Chief. As with the Lions hike, I'm not going to go into how to get to the trail, etc. There are plenty of sites that can give you good info about the trail: Vancouver Trails, Club Tread, Trail Peak, Live Trails.
I wish I had got a better shot of the rock face, I'll have to do that next time.
This is a very popular hike in the area, expect to see at least a few people on the trail and on all of the peaks. The south peak is the most popular and the shortest hike as well. Middle and north peaks are less popular but still see their fair share of hikers. The Chief is not only popular with hikers, but is also a huge draw for climbers who come to challenge themselves on the granite face. I found this interesting video while writing this post: Patagonia climbing ambassador Sonnie Trotter climbed the first free ascent of Cobra Crack (5.14). Props, that is something that I'll never do.
You start your hike in the campground, nice and easy.
A map and some info before you start the hike.
Also a warning. The trail isn't long (about 6Km round trip) but it is steep and if you are unprepared you can get into trouble. I saw some yahoo going up in flip flops!
The trail is very well maintained. Kudos to the crew that come out to maintain this for the rest of us, very much appreciated.
Sure beats the stair climber at the gym.
Another sign along the route, very easy to follow as long as you pay attention. There are several of these along the way which will guide you to any of the peaks along with some of the other trails available in the area.
The trail is quite steep for most of the route.
Though well maintained, no cake walk and Mr. FlipFlop likely had a fun time in some sections.
The lower part of the hike is in the forest and the shade makes it easier on a hot day. As you get near the summit, you start to see the sun trickle though.
There are a few ladders on the route, don't see that on most hiking trails.
A large overhang looms over the trail.
Warning on the trail. As I said before, the area is popular with climbers so do not throw anything over the edge.
You know you are reaching the summit when the forest gets thin and the rocky soil yields to solid granite.
A chain and ladder help you navigate the grade.
Soon after, you start to get rewarded with some great views.
Don't get distracted though, one wrong step and you are going over the edge.
Now just a scramble to the top.
Tough life for trees that live on the summit.
Once at the summit, you get a beautiful view of Howe Sound and Squamish.
Just like on the Lions hike, this raven took the easy route to the top.
You can also see the middle peak with a few hikers enjoying the view.
Some hikers coming down from the middle peak.
I ventured to the cliff edge, though didn't spend much time there.
Along with my trusty Nikon I brought up my tripod and f-stop Guru backpack. It's a great pack for a day hike with photo gear.
Soon after I arrived, I was joined by a chipmunk.
We became good buddies after I gave him a couple pumpkin seeds from my trail mix.
Got any more???
A few more views from the top. Can anyone tell me the name of the mountain in the background? Please post in the comments. UPDATE: It is Mount Garibaldi (thanks Jesse).
Me wrecking a perfectly good shot.
A good spot for lunch.
Here is a map of my route to the summit tracked using Runkeeper on the iPhone.
While at the top, I also shot a complete panorama which resulted in a 100 megapixel image. If you want to see the full size image check my previous post.
On my way down, I stopped along the creek to take a few photos. I tried some shots with a polarizing filter and a neutral density filter to get longer exposures.
Finally, on my way home I topped in at Shannon Falls which is only a few minutes from the Chief. First, an HDR image of the falls, I was hoping it would turn out a little different.
And just a regular shot, but taken with a polarizing filter to get a longer exposure.
Shelter Dogs Sept 13 2012
When needed, I try to help out at the local animal shelter (Vancouver Animal Control) by taking photos of their dogs available for adoption. I believe the quality of the photos makes a difference in the dogs adoption so I’m happy to help out when I can. It helps me and helps the dogs. You can see the animals they have available at PetFinder.com (not just dogs but rabbits, lizards, and at times even more strange things). You can also see previous shelter dogs I photographed here.
CFL Football: BC Lions vs Montreal Alouettes Sept 8 2012
Yesterday I went to my first CFL football game of the season thanks to a friend who couldn't use one of his season tickets. I like to go to a few games each year and the BC Lions are sitting at the top of the league standings and playing well. This was also my first visit to the new and improved BC Place Stadium and since it was a nice day the roof was open.
One of the first shots I took once inside. Seats were great.
I had my Nikon D800 with me and two lenses: Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 wide angle and Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 telephoto. Despite a decent reach of 200mm I still had to crop the images of the play. Also, while bright I had to shoot at ISO 400 otherwise shutter speeds were just not fast enough to freeze the action. Here is Tim Brown (35) ready to do his thing.
Anthony Calvillo (13) set for the snap and for the toss.
There are always some interesting characters around.
Certainly one of the best parts of the game is when the Felions squad takes to the field.
This image is just to show the great ability to crop images from the D800. A 100% crop from the full size image.
Always some crazy games for the fans. If it were me I would have ran into the field in that thing, they can keep the t-shirt or whatever you win.
Back to football, Sean Whyte (6) punting away the ball as the Alouettes couldn't get it done.
Travis Lulay (14) chased by the pack and making the pass.
Crushing hit, one of the best in the game.
Here are a few views of the stadium from the upper deck.
Back to the game, Tim Brown (35) takes another kick.
Another Paul McCallum (4) field goal, I think he missed this one.
Attendance at the game was 29,734 and the 50/50 jackpot went up to $34,500. The lucky guy who won it was in my section, high fives all around.
As always, some guys decide to start the wave. I'm all for it, but you are supposed to do it when the opposition has the ball. Just an FYI.
After some perseverance they did get it going.
Looking over the images, I noticed a zombie in the crowd. Glad I'm not in that section.
Is Khalif Mitchell (96) doing the robot?
Lions on the one yard line, not looking good for Montreal.
And the free throw is good too.
A few more shots of the Felions, can't go wrong.
Despite the wide angle lens, I still couldn't get the whole stadium. Here is a panorama stitched from several images shot with the 14-24 lens.
Since there are some BC place photos in the mix, some previous shots I took of the stadium.
Shelter Dogs August 30 2012
When needed, I try to help out at the local animal shelter (Vancouver Animal Control) by taking photos of their dogs available for adoption. I believe the quality of the photos makes a difference in the dogs adoption so I’m happy to help out when I can. It helps me and helps the dogs. You can see the animals they have available at PetFinder.com (not just dogs but rabbits, lizards, and at times even more strange things). You can also see previous shelter dogs I photographed here.
Some very cute dogs in the bunch. My favorite is Tug, the little bull terrier.
These images should automatically display in high resolution for anyone who has one of the fancy new Macs with a Retina display.
Hiking the Binkert Trail To The Lions
The Lions are two very familiar peaks that can be seen from Vancouver. I have hiked most of the mountains in the immediate Vancouver area but the Lions always looked down on me with a smug look. Every time I looked to the North Shore I could see the twin peaks and I knew I had to get up there one day. On August 18th, five of us decided to make the trek and I was the only Lions virgin in the group.
The trail starts in Lions Bay and is a 16km round trip journey. The elevation gain is 1280m (4200') with some very steep sections you will feel in your legs. This is a strenuous hike and of the hikes I have completed may be second only to Black Tusk in terms of effort. I would not bring your dog on this trail, there are sections that would not be easy for your four-legged friend and there are some very steep cliffs. The hike took us about 3.5 hours in each direction, with a one hour break at the top to enjoy the view, eat lunch, and take photos. For more detail on the trail feel free to check out these links (some include updates on conditions): Vancouver Trails, Club Tread, Trail Peak, Live Trails.
Some photos from the hike. First, the motley crew ventures out at the start of the day. The trail is fairly flat and everyone is feeling good.
Things begin to get steeper, everyone is still having a good time and chatting.
One of the only waterfalls along the route. Not much rain in the area lately and the snow pack is almost gone so it's really just a trickle at this point. Harvey Creek is much bigger with pools large enough for a dip. There is a well built bridge over this creek so you will certainly know when you are there.
The trail takes a sharp turn up and chatting turns into cursing.
Coming out of the trees, you are finally rewarded with stunning views of Howe Sound.
The Lions are still looming, a long way to go.
The group taking a breather after a few hours of hard climbing.
Back on the trail, hiking turns into scrambling.
Near the top of the rock scramble, views are still great and a good motivator.
After a few more tricky sections, you finally reach the ridge and see a full view of the Lions before you.
It was a bit hazy, but the view from the top was truly spectacular. Hard to beat and makes the 3.5 hour climb completely worth it.
You need to be careful with your footing on the ridge, there are very steep cliffs on both sides. One misstep and you won't be around to tell anyone about it.
Up close and personal with the West Lion.
The West Lion towering over Scott and Jason.
It is possible to climb to the top of the West Lion, but only for those with some experience with this type of activity should even attempt it. It is a high consequence climb with no room for error. If you decide to do it, you need to descend down a small cliff (a rope is provided). People here are waiting to climb down.
Once on the West Lion, find the best route up. You can see how steep it is in the photos below.
The hike is popular in the late summer, especially on a nice day. We didn't see many people on the trail, but there were a few at the top.
Of course, some things didn't have to climb to the top. Cheater :)
I can imagine life at the top is not easy for any plants or animals that choose to live here.
Vancouver feels very far away when you are up here.
On the way down, your knees will take a serious beating. The trail through the forest and the gravel road seem to stretch on forever. At the end of the day though, it's an amazing climb and worth the effort for anyone who wants to make the journey.
Antrodiaetus pacificus Trapdoor Spider
I was walking my dogs near the University of British Columbia (UBC) today and came across a spider I have not encountered before. It looked like a small tarantula: similar body shape, hairy, black, and rather menacing. I only had my iPhone 4S with me (wish I had the D800 and 105mm VR Micro) and took a few photos before moving on.
It turns out this is a trapdoor spider (or folding-door spider) and fairly common in this area. They are not often seen because they tend to stay in their burrow. This one is specifically Antrodiaetus pacificus, and it is a type of tarantula. It is likely a male out of his burrow in search of a mate.
More info on these guys here (PDF). Also found this great video on Youtube (see below).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUa-Fc088NU
Siwash Rock at Sunset
I was waiting for a nice sunny day in Vancouver as I wanted to get out to photograph Siwash Rock. This basalt stack is the only one of it's kind in the Vancouver area, and I wanted to catch it when high tide was at or near sunset. This is an HDR image created from several exposures.
And a shot I took with my iPhone 4S as my D800 was taking the 7 bracketed shots for my HDR above.
And a few more shots from that evening including some fun with a neutral density filter for longer exposures.
UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research
Last weekend, my wife and I paid a visit to the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research (at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver). Despite having lived in Vancouver a combined 35 years it was the first visit for both of us. We were very fortunate because one of the volunteers, Dana, took us for a private tour as no one else was there for a tour when we arrived. He spent several hours with us, taking us first on the Greenheart Canopy Walkway, which is a series of bridges and platforms in the trees. It's a bit wobbly, but fun at the same time. Also, you get an interesting view from up there that you don't often see. The canopy system is hung from the trees but is done in such a way that it doesn't harm the tree, it's rather amazing actually and the only one of its kind in Canada.
There are a lot of vines in the garden, from all over the world.
It's not all plants and flowers.
Though there are a lot of beautiful flowers as well.
They also have a big garden with all kinds of edible things.
Including the most interesting way to grow fruit. These trees are trained to grow at an angle and only have branches in one plane. Because of the angle, the tree bears fruit much sooner than they would otherwise. Also, they are very easy to pick being no more than six feet high, some only a foot with branches parallel to the ground. I wish I remember what this growing style was, if you know please leave a message in the comments below.
UPDATE: The technique of training trees in this manner is called Espalier (thanks to Wendy Cutler!).
In one section, they have plants from all of the continents including a lot of desert varieties. Apparently there are fire ants too, though I didn't see any.
There is also a section of the garden dedicated to plants used in the medical field. This sundial is in the middle, accurate though doesn't adjust well for daylight savings time :)
We found this interesting bee hive, which was a temporary art installation. The solar panels provide energy to open and close it daily.
Finally, there is a fantastic water fountain the garden located in the amphitheatre. It was designed by William Pye who installs these amazing water sculptures all over the world. I'll have to go back to get more photographs.
Birds At Acadia Beach in Vancouver, BC
Took a short walk with my dogs on Acadia Beach today. The best time for birds, especially Great Blue Herons, seems to be on the rising tide early in the morning. The Herons like to walk around in the shallow water and pick off smelt and other small fish who are too dumb to notice a three foot tall bird.
I didn't get any stellar shots today but did see a Bald Eagle, a few Great Blue Herons, Geese, and a few of the usual suspects as well. Overall, a fun day and always nice when an eagle is around. The birds were quite far away so these are crops from much bigger images shot with the Nikon D800 and 80-200 f/2.8D lens. In cases like this, a longer lens would sure be nice. If an updated 80-400mm VR becomes available I may be tempted to sell the current zoom and go for the bigger reach. Teleconverters do not work with the 80-200. There was also a strong backlight so I had to dial up the shadow recovery introducing some noise.
I definitely got some better shots when I went to Brackendale to shoot the Bald Eagles with a borrowed 400mm f/2.8.
Impressive talons on this guy, wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of those.
The geese didn't seem to care that a top predator was in the area.
The heron also went about his business catching fish.
I even managed to catch a crow in flight.
The image above was rescued from a very underexposed shot. The screenshot below shows the impressive dynamic range of the Nikon D800 which allowed me to recover the shadows and save the image, if only for web use.
Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival 2012
Some shots from the 2012 Vancouver RioTinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival. Saturday, June 16th was an absolutely miserable day with solid rain all day. I didn't even go down to the event as sitting in the rain watching is not much fun. Sunday was much nicer, and I did get out to watch the racing and take a few photos.
Heading out to race
Racing
One of the racers, a dragon boat team, and me.
Concord Pacific Flying Dragons One and Too (processed in the style of "300")
The Gong Show that is the Guts and Glory race. 16 teams race 4 legs of 500m, which means they need to make a three turns. These boats, with 22 people, don't turn on a dime and the turns are where the action is. A lot of fun to watch.
Looks like the geese are enjoying the racing too.
The Hastings Street Band providing entertainment for the fans.
I also found a very cool video, shot by the steersman for team "Kai Ikaika" of Portland, Oregon, winners of the 2012 Guts and Glory race. Looks like an exciting race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxyRqJ8Xmhk
The Fifth Annual East Van Show and Shine
My friend Eli and I attended the Fifth Annual East Van Show and Shine held at the Whip Restaurant. It is a fundraiser that features live bands, a barbecue, local vendors, and vintage and classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Proceeds support the Canadian Cancer Society. We have attended the event for the last few years and it's always fun. There were a few new cars this year, including a late 60's Charger and a late 60's Camaro which are both near the top of my favorites list.
On our way out of the house, Eli noticed a rainbow around the sun. More info about this in my previous post, but it was very cool and not a common sight.
The most popular attraction as not the cars, girls, band, or food. It was a pug in a side car :)
Everyone was stopping to take photos.
There were some cool bikes down there too.
Guard dog on duty.
Mr. Grumpy Pants.
Vancouver Sun Halo
Yesterday, on my way to the East Van Show and Shine, my friend Eli pointed out a circular rainbow around the sun. Not something you see every day, and since we both had our cameras we took some photos. Someone suggested that this phenomenon is called a sun dog or sundog (Wikipedia), but I think it is actually a sun halo. A sun dog is a 'mock sun', or a bright point of light similar to the sun. I this case, it's a complete circular halo around the sun and looks like a rainbow. There are some references to these things here and here.
Update (May 29): After posting on a forum, it turns out this phenomenon is called a sun halo. It is seen when thin cirrus clouds are present high in the atmosphere on a sunny day. Light refracts off ice crystals and creates the effect. More info here: 22° halo at Wikipedia, NASA.
Shelter Dogs May 11 2012
Another trip to Vancouver Animal Control to photograph dogs. Photos from previous visits can be seen here. As always, you can see the animals available for adoption from this shelter by visiting their PetFinder page or just drop in at the shelter.
First up, this young pit bull who is a bit chunky but loves to play.
I had to visit the puppies again, they are great dogs and won't last long. Previous photos of these little guys are here.
A playful and very cute Pomeranian.
Call of the wild
And a German Shepherd who was more interested in napping in the grass than having her photo taken.
Another visit to the Vancouver Aquarium
I have had a membership at the Vancouver Aquarium for the last few years and I like to visit often. It's a great place to just walk around and relax. I almost always see something new and different. I like to bring my camera, you never know what you will see.
Don't bug me, I'm crabby
Best buds, Gus and Ollie, hyacinth macaws
Dragon Boat Spring Sprint in Vancouver
What a great day for some dragon boat racing. Since my wife is on a team, I went down to take some photos and enjoy the nice weather. Spring Sprint is a warm up to the big Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, which is in mid June. The boats are smaller, only 10 paddlers instead of the usual 20 and the distance is substantially shorter as well. Still fun to watch, especially when you can soak up the sun after the miserable April showers.
The races are held in False Creek with downtown Vancouver as the backdrop. Hard to find a nicer venue than this.
The staging area is right beside Science World.
Some shots of the action.
Organized chaos.
A Walk on Wreck Beach, Vancouver, BC
I don't always take my camera when I'm out walking the dogs, but since the D800 is new I decided to bring it along today. I was using the Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR lens, which I love. All shots hand held, so may not be critically sharp especially when shooting in the shady areas. It's still too early in the year, and too cold, for the nudies to be out so I had the beach to myself.
This is one of my dogs, Jammie. She is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, small but thinks she is a big dog.
You see some interesting critters when you start getting close
I have also been playing around with black and white images more and more. The D800 captures so much detail and has so much dynamic range you can really get great effects with b&w.
This was a bit random, looks like someone brought it to the beach and stuck it in the sand. I didn't see these growing anywhere.
The horror! Actually they are rather cute, as long as they don't decide to set up shop in my back yard.
And the fern somewhat reminds me of the furry caterpillars.
First attempt at light painting
This didn't start out as a light painting shoot. My friend Andrew wanted to get some long exposure shots of planes taking off so we ventured down to the airport near sunset. Before the sun went down, we took a few shots at Iona Beach.
The beach wasn't particularly interesting, so as the sun was going down I decided to try out the variable ND filter I purchased. First time I have ever used an ND filters, but it was a day of firsts so why not. Here are a couple of shots, looks like it could be fun and the effect can't be duplicated any other way.
And here is Andrew setting up for a sunset shot.
The sun finally set so we found a spot where we could see the runway and decided to shoot planes on the way in and out of the airport. There were not a lot of flights and we couldn't get a decent photo. Out of the photos I took, this was the best one and it is average at best.
We quickly got bored, and decided to try some light painting. Started with waving the flashlights around.
Then we noticed the back hoe, so we decided to try some light painting on that. The idea was to trace the bucket and tracks with brighter light and fill in the rest. For a first attempt, somewhat successful.
And better after we stumbled on some better camera settings.
Found a bulldozer nearby as well.
And finally my truck before we wrapped up for the night.
Finally, I asked Andrew to paint on some horns, he must of thought I said "propeller". They sound so similar I can see where he got mixed up.
So I had to try it myself