01.02.2021

Fujifilm X-T4 + XF16mmf/1.4 R WR: 2s, f/11, ISO800

We made it to 2021! I had to wait a day to make sure it’s true! In all honesty, I had planned to shoot the sunrise on both January 1, as has been my New Year tradition for the past 10 or so years, and January 2 so I decided it would be easier to to combine them all into one post. I’ve forgotten how difficult it is for me to wake up so early two days in a row! This week I woke up earlier than most winter sunrise mornings because parking gets scarce at all the popular sunrise spots. I always found this a strange conundrum given the island’s unrelinquishing attachment to loud fireworks leading up to and through the midnight hours.

This first photo was taken on January 2. I’ve been trying to return to this spot for the past several weekends, but the weather caused last minute changes of plan. When I parked the car this morning, I realized only then that I had left my tripod at home! 😭 I’ve been getting more forgetful as of late. Last week I forgot a memory card, and was saved by Ryan! I’m also noticing more white hairs. Perhaps they are related. TMI warning, I also discovered white nose-hairs! 😳 At least I had packed my Platypod Ultra. This morning would be a true test of the product since it was very gusty! I attached my nodal slide to the Platypod, not so much to shoot panoramas, but to have the capability of adjusting the center of balance of the camera with different lenses on the Platypod. It was very difficult for me to find a composition on this morning because the spot I was hoping to shoot from required the tripod. Blue hour broke and I could start to see without the aid of my headlamp. More precious minutes of careful scouting and water-line observation ticked until I settled on this spot that when the water surged enough, the white-wash would move in interesting circular and linear patterns. I still had several minutes before the sun would be bright enough for the white-wash photos so I took a long exposure. I was disappointed to discover that the clouds were moving left to right perpendicular to the camera angle instead of toward or away. The tiny Platypod Ultra (with the Really Right Stuff BH-30 ballhead and Nodal Slide) sustained stability through a 4-minute exposure with 50mph gusts blowing through (after I took the time to adjust the the leg screws)! The other comment I must state about using the Platypod is: Thank you Fujifilm for including a fully-articulated screen on the Fujifilm X-T4! 🤗

Fujifilm X-T4 + XF16mmf/1.4 R WR: 240s, f/11, ISO800

Speaking of the New Year tradition, this year’s was different. I usually met with my original landscape group “dA Crazies” for an indulgent pot luck, and we’d photograph the sunrise at Sandy Beach. This year required vigilance, so there was no potluck and no large gathering of people. I was determined to keep the photography part of the tradition alive so I went out to shoot anyway. Rain was in the forecast, so I chose to shoot at a pier where I could shelter should the weather not cooperate.

The road throughout the 50+ minute drive to the pier was wet. I met up with Norris and Ryan. We all started under the large pier, but when I noticed the weather was cooperating, I ventured out along the beach to get a less obstructed view of Mānana Island. The cloud direction was better on New year morning, So I took a few longer exposures and even blended a long with a drag exposure to get the last of the set from that morning.

Fujifilm X-T4 + XF16mmf/1.4 R WR: 1s, f/2.8, ISO800

One more technique I’m experimenting with more these days is shallow depth-of-field landscapes. The above is a failed example from December 26, in the 20 minutes of shooting time before the rain came. I’m finding that I like them if they fulfill a few conditions. There’s a defined foreground subject (the above example is missing this key trait). The blurred background still adds context or visually interesting elements to the overall photo (the above example provides information as to the specific location the photo was taken from and a sense of distance). I’m also preferring these in vertical orientation. This is a fun technique to try while I’m waiting for the light to get bright enough to close the aperture down. More exploration to come.

The last thing worthy of mention in this already long post is that I have started my year away from all of the Facebook owned properties (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and What’s App). I am thankful for all the likes, follows, comments, and support! To those that continue to follow my journey here, thank you for being a friend, and don’t be a stranger! I hope I make it worth your while!