Back to North Point

Sometimes it can be months between visits and then I will go there several times a week if I can.  I went back to North Point yesterday morning and was greeted by another stunning display of predawn color caused by the glow of city reflecting its lights into the clouds.   It was still dark enough for the lights to stand out.  About 15 minutes later, the scene changed so much that the city lights no longer looked as dramatic as they did here.  I never tire of this place.

Breaking the Rules?

The rules of photography that is.  When should you follow the 'rules' and when are rules made to be broken.  Typically, you would never take a landscape shot like this one and put the horizon in the middle of the image cutting it in half.  More typically, the horizon is found in the lower or upper third.  This is consistent with the photography rule of thirds which divides any images into nine sections.  Images are typically more dramatic if a subject is place in one of the outer thirds rather than smack in the middle.  Normally, I would tend to compose the same way but this image required that I break some of these rules.

The sun and its reflection are pretty much in the middle of the image.  The horizon cuts the image in half.  Yet, I think this image works very nicely because the clouds and their reflections preserve this rule of thirds.   What do you think and why . . . ?

North Point Revisited

It's been some time since I've visited North Point on Milwaukee's Lake Michigan lakefront.  Sometimes it seems like I'm there every couple of days and then I go months without even driving by.  This morning, I decided to revisit this spot as I have a current portfolio published in Wisconsin Trails magazine.  I'm glad I went.  The surf was rough and I wish I could have stayed until there was enough light to catch the waves crashing against the ice causing classic explosions of water into the air.

Instead, I caught this image looking south toward the city.  The sun won't come up for another half hour or more but there enough color in the sky caused by the reflecting lights of the city.  Good morning Milwaukee.

Canon ID Mark IV

OK, I admit it.  I love technology.  I love the latest and greatest.  I always thought that Canon's 1-series cameras were going to be just out of reach for me.  Then, a stroke of luck, some extra cash, a quick sale of an almost new 7D and here I sit with a new Canon 1D Mark IV.  I feel extremely fortunate.  It's only been a couple of days with this new state of the art machine but there's so much to love about it already:

• The new 45 point auto focus system is great.  No hunting in low light (like my 5D Mark II often does)
• High ISO shots are fabulous.  I've shot at ISO 8000 which cleans up nicely with even the default settings in Noiseware Professional noise reduction software
• The noise pattern itself is more pleasing (to me) as compared to the Canon 7D
• I think I like the 1.3 crop factor better than the 1.6 but I still like full frame (5D Mark II).
• The feature set like spot metering on the AF point
• The new AI Servo for action shots

There's much more that I have only read about but not explored.  But at the end of the day, the camera has to take good photographs regardless of all the features.  The image in this post was taken during a recent trip to Ft. Lauderdale, FL (think warm).  It was taken at ISO 6400, handheld and processed with noise reduction software.  The glow in the foreground is due to the street lights on the main draft in Ft. Lauderdale Beach.

A Classic Ford

This weekend I'm back up in Menomonee County at my Legend Lake retreat.  The weather is quite cold but calm.  We were greeted with blue skies and bright sunshine which made the 10 degree temperature feel tolerable.  I was mad at myself for leaving my tripod at home which meant no sunrise or sunset pictures this weekend.  Wouldn't you know it but there were some nice sunrises and sunsets!

I did a little driving around the lake and surrounding areas and came upon this classic old Ford pickup.  Now, I'm not one for knowing the exact year of this model but I do know I can't pass on an opportunity to photograph and old beat up truck with rust and peeling paint.  It just gives us that sentimental feeling of days gone by.  In this case, the way the light was hitting truck really emphasized the rust and textures.  I kept the exposure underexposed by 1.5 stops and added vignette in Photoshop Lightroom

Making Waves

I just published my Making Waves series to my website.  I like this series as it reminds me of warmer weather and the peace of being out on the lake early in the morning or at sunset.  The series captures the gentle ripples of boat trails creating a pattern of colored light depending on the surroundings.  Green for trees, blue for skies and many colors of sunrise and sunset.

Check it out at http://www.rjiphotography.com


Making Waves - Images by Bob Israel

A Cold Start to the New Year

Spending New Year's up north on Legend Lake was a wonderful way to relax.  It was cold though.  But there was also a blue moon.  I caught a few shots but the one shown here is a setting moon on the morning of January 2nd.  It was about 5 below zero but the winds were calm and it was quiet.  It was so quiet that all I could hear was my own breathing.  Soon the sun came up and I was able to watch my little world wake to new day.

Happy New Year to all.  As we enter the new year, here's a look back at some of my best from 2009.

Enjoy!


Scenes from 2009 - Images by Bob Israel