|
|
|
|
Greetings,
Since I was busy last month (over half of it spent in Yellowknife) I didn't put out a newsletter. The length of this one should more than make up for that egregious sin.
|
|
Yellowknife tours report
This year's aurora tours were Sept. 7-14 and Sept. 14-21. The first tour was in partnership with NANPA and co-led with my friend Mary Louise Ravese. We had nine participants on this tour. The other tour I led on my own with five enthusiastic photographers.
Despite some dismal initial weather forecasts, both tours managed to see and photograph some spectacular auroras. During the first tour, when the weather forecast called for rain or lightning, we got rain or lightning. However, when the forecast called for 100% cloud cover, we ended up with mostly clear skies.
During both tours we got to experience aurora storms overhead. And by that I mean we witnessed fast moving, rippling, twisting and colorful auroras. They are hard to photograph because they’re moving so fast that even with short exposures like a half-second, the auroras mostly blur. Because I know that will happen, I encouraged everyone to simply look up in awe and enjoy.
My strategy for photographing these displays is to blindly point the camera straight up and hope for the best while oohing and aahing. It always pays off. Sometimes (usually?) I don’t get a usable picture (sometimes I do), but I’m always left in awe over what I’ve experienced.
 Auroras aren’t the only attraction in Yellowknife. The reason I go in September is two-fold: temperatures at night are tolerable (rarely getting down to freezing) and there can be spectacular fall color during the day. Said color provided by birch trees, willow, wild rose leaves, fireweed leaves and tamarack trees (larch).
This year's visit was very good: both groups saw good fall color and both groups got to experience and photograph magnificent auroras, and, from the feedback I received, everyone had a great time.
If you’re interested in joining me for an aurora/fall color tour to Yellowknife, drop me a line.
To read the full report, visit my blog.
|
|
Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 impressions
I finally had an extended time of using the Viltrox16mm f/1.8 AF Z-mount lens. It's also available for Sony E-mount and Leica L-mount.
First off, I really liked using this lens, day or night.
At night, thanks to the f/1.8 aperture, I was easily able to focus on individual stars. Reviewing my aurora shots, I see nice sharp stars and sharp tree silhouettes.
One annoying thing about using this lens at night is the lit-up LCD on the top of the lens, especially if I’m shooting vertically as it casts its light to the side. Using the Viltrox smart phone app, I’ve programed one of the custom buttons to turn the LCD off, but if the camera goes to sleep, the LCD comes back on upon the camera waking up.
I can set the camera to never sleep, but that takes up battery power. And even if I do use that setting, if I use the camera’s playback button to review an image and that shuts off on its own, then when I go to shoot again, the lens thinks the camera is waking up.
During my nights in Yellowknife, I simply put tape over the screen.
Since then, I’ve done some more experimenting. There is a custom lens setting that will shut the screen off after a designated time span. This may be what I choose to use going forward. I currently have it set to two seconds. What’s nice about this feature is that half-pressing the shutter release does not turn the screen back on as long as the camera hasn’t gone to sleep. Taking a picture will turn the screen back on, but after two seconds, it shuts down.
Turning the focus ring or pressing one of the lens function buttons will turn the LCD back on, which is what one would want to have happen anyway.
Figuring out the screen is a minor annoyance though and does not diminish my enthusiasm for this lens.
Do I miss the 14mm perspective that my Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 has? To be honest, while that extra 2mm of focal length does make a visible difference, I never really missed it. Did I ever want to go a bit wider? Sure, but that happens using the Rokinon. (With auroras, sometimes there’s never enough width.) And considering the Viltrox’s 1.8 aperture, its solid build, its 77mm filter thread, its focus recall feature and its smooth operation, well, I wasn’t missing my Rokinon 14mm at all.
One note: I recently saw a review where the reviewer observed that this lens will stop working if the temperature falls to around -10°C (14°F). I’ll keep this in mind when I visit Lofoten early next year. I’m hoping my Lens Muff will keep the lens warm enough if we happen to have weather that cold.
|
|
Lofoten Islands
Speaking of Lofoten, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that there is still space available in my Jan. 29 - Feb. 5, 2027 tour.
Jump on over to my Lofoten page for more info.
|
|
Olympic National Park 2027 workshop open for registration
My 2027 Olympic National Park photo workshop, set for May 17-22, is now open for early-bird registration.
During this workshop we’ll visit the Hoh rainforest, the Sol Duc area, Lake Crescent, wild ocean beaches, the Quinault area, and more. We’ll also gather for constructive critiques and processing demonstrations.
As many of you may know, I love Olympic NP. It’s my favorite park and a place I know well; it is practically in my back yard, after all. And because of that, I also love introducing folks to, and showing off, “my” park.
For more information, check out my Olympic workshop page. And to take advantage of the early-bird pricing, visit the Olympic early-bird page. The password is: ONP2027
Early-bird pricing is in effect until the end of this year.
Rod Barbee Photography is an authorized Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) holder of Olympic National Park.
|
|
Washington’s Palouse region
Other than Olympic National Park, the Palouse is the place I’ve visited the most. Every year I find something new (to me) and every year I come back with pictures to be proud of.
My 2027 workshop is scheduled for June 14-19 and is based in Colfax, WA, the epicenter of Palouse photography. If you’re not that familiar with the Palouse, I invite you to take a look at my Palouse gallery to get a taste of what’s to be seen.
For more on this workshop, visit my Palouse page.
To take advantage of early-bird pricing, visit my Palouse early-bird page. The password is PALOUSE2027.
Early-bird pricing is in effect until the end of this year.
|
|
Bubble-net feeding in Sitka Sound
Humpback whales bubble-net feeding on herring is one of those wildlife spectacles you won't soon forget. And it's just about the most intense and exciting wildlife photography I've ever done.
Working together, a group of Humpback whales force the abundant herring into a small area on the surface and then, all at once, the whales rise in a group, mouths wide open, and consume the herring.
Then the whales will meander about, spouting and diving, some showing their tails, some breaching, until they all dive and disappear. Then it's a waiting game.
This happens over and over again.
This photo tour is planned for March 27-31, 2027 and includes three days on the water.
 Besides the humpbacks, we should also see bald eagles, gulls, fishing boats, and other marine mammals, possibly including Gray and Minke whales. And the scenery is just stunning.
For more information and to sign up, visit my Sitka Whales page.
|
|
Canceling Faroe Islands in October tour
Due to a lack of response to this trip, and another opportunity arising (see next), I’ve decided to cancel this tour. I’ll be looking into rescheduling it as perhaps a summer trip. Let me know if interested.
|
|
Autumn Color in Colorado
I’m teaming up once again with Margo Pinkerton from Barefoot Contessa Photo Adventures for an autumn color workshop in Colorado next October. Based in Crested Butte, CO, dates are slated to be October 4-8, 2027. Pricing and hotel details are pending.
Imagine a blanket of yellow and gold aspen set against a Rocky Mountain backdrop or reflected in a still lake. Or a wall of aspen trunks highlighted by yellow leaves.
If you’re interested and want to be notified when this workshop is open for registration, just reply to this email and let me know.
|
|
Maven TALON
If you use portable lighting in your photography, this may be of interest to you.
Maven, the maker of fabulous magnetic filters and accessories, has launched another photo related Kickstarter campaign, this one for their new TALON portable lights. This isn’t something I need in my work, but I can see where it would be handy for those doing portrait or location shooting. Or lighting for YouTube videos.
For more info, follow this link to the Kickstarter page.
I am a Maven Filters affiliate, but since this is a product I’m unlikely to use, the link provided is not an affiliate link.
|
|
Sydney on the run
We recently took a two-day mini-vacation in the rv to nearby Fort Flagler State Park where there are beaches, forest trails, fortifications and old gun emplacements, originally meant to protect Puget Sound. The Fort and surrounding emplacements were built on Marrowstone Island in the late 1890s and became a state park in the summer of 1960. Hey, the park is the same age as I am!
It's a great place for camping, bird watching, hiking and biking. Port Townsend can be seen across the water, with the Olympic Mountains serving as a backdrop.
Sydney loves it here. There are birds to chase, things to sniff on the beach, and water to wade in. A sandy spit of land sticks out and we took her out to the end where there were no other people and let her run free for a little bit.
We (and she) liked it so much that we came back a few days later (it's only about 40 minutes from our house) for another walk. We plan on going back to camp at the end of this month.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
