Nikon D810 | 80-400 | 400mm | f/8 | Foreground: 2.5 seconds @ ISO 1600 | Moon: 1 second @ ISO 3200
September 2015’s total lunar eclipse rising over Mount Shuksan in Washington State, shot on a rented 80-400mm. This is a composite of two images – one to capture the foreground while there was still enough light and another for the moon as it rose above the mountain about 20 minutes later. This shoot was planned out in advance with the amazing Photo Pills app and a bit of trigonometry.
Seattle is not known for its clear skies and dry weather, although an occasional cold snap will pass through the Pacific Northwest and give us an astoundingly clear view of land masses surrounding the region that we often forget exist.
Such a cold snap rolled through Seattle in November, obliterating all haze and clouds from the sky. It just so happened that I had just received my very first full-frame body (a refurbished Nikon D810), so I decided to test out my new ISO limitations with some night photography.
Once the weekend hit, I set off with the new body, a rented Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 from Glazer's, and nearly every bit of outdoor clothing that I own. I drove in to the south side of Mount Rainier National Park before being stymied by a road closure and hiked in the rest of the way to Reflection Lake. Four hours later, I had two compositions, 3 dead batteries, and a water bottle that had frozen shut. Driving included, it took 14 hours to get this shot.
This image is a composite of multiple 30 second exposures merged together in Photoshop.
The final throes of summer was spent on a backpacking trip to the unbelievably photogenic Shi Shi beach on the Olympic Peninsula.
This three mile long beach is accessible by trail and is one of the coolest spots I've had the pleasure of visiting. My only regret (besides getting plantar fasciitis in both feet - stupid sand) is not having allowed an extra day to fully explore this area.
We spent the final throes of summer on a backpacking trip to the unbelievably photogenic Shi Shi beach on the Olympic Peninsula. This three mile long beach is accessible by trail and is one of the coolest spots I've had the pleasure of visiting. My only regret (besides getting plantar fasciitis in both feet - stupid sand) is not having allowed an extra day to fully explore this area.
This is one of the moments in my life where the Photography Gods almost certainly had my back. On the way from a total hike at Mount Rainier with nearly blizzard like conditions, we passed this lake with a blazing sky behind it and about 10 minutes of daylight remaining. I had to scramble to find a decent composition before the light ran out, but managed to experience and capture one of the best sunsets I've seen.
This fearless doe was spotted just off of the main trailhead to the south side of Mt Rainier, enjoying her time in the spotlight and munching away on some delicious foilage. Paradise, Mount Rainier, Washington.
We spent the final throes of summer on a backpacking trip to the unbelievably photogenic Shi Shi beach on the Olympic Peninsula. This three mile long beach is accessible by trail and is one of the coolest spots I've had the pleasure of visiting. My only regret (besides getting plantar fasciitis in both feet - stupid sand) is not having allowed an extra day to fully explore this area.