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California's Eastern Sierra, 20 October 2007.
all © 2007 KenRockwell.com
My hotelier told me that a lazier photographer group cancelled their weekend because they were afraid of the wind. Whimps: I shot hand-held in 50 knot winds with no problem.
People who sit home and read the Internet thought that the color had passed, but as every photographer (as opposed to online expert) knows, being past peak simply means you still find plenty of turned trees to shoot. We also got to shoot leaves blowing off the trees in the heavy winds. We had a great time; when there's weather, the real photographers (and sometimes me) get out to shoot.
Dawnfire, Mono Lake, California.
Canon 5D, 70-200mm f/4 L IS at 127mm, f/4.5 @ 1/100 (program mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held, slight crop, otherwise exactly as shot in JPG. (tech details). Next Photo >>
Toupée de Montagne, Mono Lake, California.
Canon 5D, 70-200mm f/4 L IS at 165mm, f/6.3 @ 1/320 (program mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held, slight crop, otherwise exactly as shot in JPG.
I love my IS lenses: we had 50 knot winds, and all my hand-held tele shots, even those at 1/50, are fine. Next photo >>
Mono Lake, California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 16mm, f/11 @ 1/80 (Av mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held (tech details). Exactly as shot in JPG. Next Photo >>
Angry Colors, Eastern Sierra, California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 16mm, f/11 @ 1/250 (Av mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held (tech details). Exactly as shot in JPG.
I used the 16mm lens to exaggerate the angles between elements. That's what makes the left tree so dynamic, along with shooting when the passing light highlighted the subject. Next Photo >>
June Lake Loop, Eastern Sierra, California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 16mm, f/11 @ 1/100 (Av mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held (tech details). As shot in JPG. Next Photo >>
3-D Tree, June Lake Loop, Eastern Sierra, California.
Canon 5D, 70-200mm f/4 L IS at 200mm, f/8 @ 1/250 (Av mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held (tech details). Slight crop, otherwise exactly as shot in JPG.
By having the tree in focus and in a warm color (yellow), and the background cool to neutral and out of focus, the tree appears to loom in front of the mountain. It's a neat 3-D effect. Next Photo >>
Sea of Fire, June Lake Loop, Eastern Sierra, California.
Canon 5D, 70-200mm f/4 L IS at 200mm, f/8 @ 1/250 (Av mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held (tech details). Exactly as shot in JPG. Next Photo >>
Boring Idyll, June Lake Loop, Eastern Sierra, California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 35mm, f/4 @ 1/1,000 (Av mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held (tech details). Exactly as shot in JPG.
I shot at a larger aperture to use slight light falloff to darken the corners to try to add something interesting. Next Photo >>
Sand Tufas, Mono Lake, California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 16mm, f/11 @ 1/80 (Av mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held (tech details). Slight contrast reduction and crop in Photoshop, otherwise exactly as shot in JPG.
Due to recent changes in the Patriot Act I'm not allowed to detail their precise location, as access is restricted. They are several hundred feet tall, and they are very dangerous in the wind. They occasionally come crashing down. Next Photo >>
Heavy Surf, Mono Lake, California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 16mm, f/11 @ 1/200 (Av mode), -0.7 exposure compensation, ISO 100, hand-held (tech details). Slight corrective rotation, otherwise exactly as shot in JPG. Next Photo >>
Victorian Hotel, Bridgeport, California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 16mm , f/10 @ 15 seconds (manual mode), ISO 100. (tech details). Exactly as shot in JPG. Next Photo >>
I shot this at 2,800K WB and it still came out this red. This is because the light comes from relatively monochromatic low pressure sodium vapor street lights. Next Photo >>
Sportsmen's Inn, Bridgeport, California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 16mm , f/11 @ 15 seconds (manual mode), ISO 100. (tech details). Exactly as shot in JPG. Next Photo >>
Bridgeport is in the center of a sportsmen's paradise. While we were hiking around taking pictures, fishermen were having the time of their lives. If I wasn't so busy shooting, I wanted to go fishing, too. Next Photo >>
Bridgeport Inn (1877), Bridgeport California.
Canon 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II with Tiffen 812 warming filter at 16mm , f/11 @ 8 seconds (manual mode), ISO 100. (tech details). Exactly as shot in JPG.
The ECV is The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus. Unknown to many outside of California, the ECV is the group that still owns most of present-day California.
The ECV leased land to the Mexicans starting in the 1200s. In the 1800s the United States won California from the Mexicans who had been there for hundreds, or thousands of years, but the Mexicans were merely leasing. Of course the temporarily conquered Mexicans conveniently forgot to tell the victors about the leases, and ECV still owns California.
Luckily for everyone, the ECV is an incredibly charitable organization, and always is too busy helping the people of California to push the point. The ECV is also extremely active in documenting and preserving California's colorful history.
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