Friday, December 26, 2008

North Point Slide Show

Slideshow created with Animoto linking Flickr images. Slideshows are created automatically based on the number of slides and the style of your music. It's a great way to create easy quick slideshows that can be, among many other things, embedded in your blog. You can doownload and post as well.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

I was able to get out to do some shooting yesterday and it's a good thing I did it then.  Yesterday morning was a "balmy" 15 F.  Today, it's a much different story at -4 F with wind chills in the -35 F range.  Definitely a day to stay indoors.  The scene here is a boat launch in the Third Ward of Milwaukee.  I find this boat launch somewhat curious as it is located in a very industrial area of the city but offers quick access to Milwaukee Harbor and Lake Michigan.

The skies warn of the coming snow which, in this case, was only a couple of inches but adds to the foot of snow we received on Friday.  And there's another storm brewing for Tuesday.  Ahhh, winter in Wisconsin . . .

Friday, December 19, 2008

South Point Pipes


South Point Pipes, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Long Exposure. I've been playing around with my Singh Ray vari-ND filter for some time now. I gives me a wide range of neutral density settings in a single fllter. I've seen others taking images like the one here but I've longed to put my own stamp on this technique. Exposure was 30 seconds which was long enough to give a dynamic sky and smooth water. I'd like to go further . . . maybe 2-3 minutes and show more movement in the sky.

In this case, I like the mix of industry and nature created by the pipes, the old pier and the stormy skies. The location here is the shore of Lake Michigan, south of Milwaukee. I plan to shoot more like this. Since I'm in Wisconsin, these winter months should offer plenty of similar stormy skies.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Brrrrrr


Brrrrrr, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Winter has arrived and for the second consecutive December, we seem to be getting snow storm after snow storm. Another is on it's way as we speak. This means it's cold outside which translates to ice along Lake Michigan.

So, I visited North Point (again) this past Sunday to find the old pier covered with ice. The four pillars resemble four gnomes marking into the icy waters of Lake Michigan. It was a frigid morning for sure with temperatures in the single digits but I had to continue to play with my Canon 5D Mark II. The detail this camera captures continues to amaze me.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Chicago


Chicago, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Well, I have had my new Canon 5D Mark II for about a week now. The more is shoot with it the more I'm amazed at the level of detail this camera can show. I was in Chicago this week at a conference and brought the gear with me. It was cold and windy but I couldn't pass up the chance to photograph Chicago at night. I ventured to Navy Pier and on the way back caught this scene looking back up the Chicago River.