Photography

[KingOfPain]

Pacific Coastal Ocean Drive - Vancouver - Part II Around Town

Of all the west coast locales I have the most photos of Vancouver to share. Vancouver is about 4 hours drive from home and I often make weekend/day trips that way, if only for Dim Sum.

This photo "Bad Moon Rising" I have shared before in the Dark Side Of The Loon thread. This is a special lunar eclipse because it is what is known as a Super Blood Moon. Super Moon = when the moon is closest to earth, Blood Moon = eclipsed moon. It also fell on the same day of the Chinese Moon Festival, August 15 on the Chinese lunar calendar; which always has a full moon and is the most celebrated occasion next to the CNY. What are the chances of that!?

This shoot I have planned extensively with a variety of apps, searched near and far for a suitable foreground. It was important to get a foreground that is of telephoto lens distance, a clear line of sight from as far away as possible. This would allow me to magnify the moon and make it large in comparison to the foreground.

The Omni Dome (Science World) was a 10 hours round trip from home. I took the gamble hoping for a clear sky. If all else fails, I would still have Dim Sum the next day


And then some more fun with the dome afterwards. Zooming in and out during a long exposure to create the light streaks.


One favorite place to hang out at night is around Canada Place by the waterfront.






Canada Place from Stanley Park. Stanley Park is a 405 hectare public park that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver's Downtown Peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. A must see.

Stanley Park is a magnificent green oasis in the midst of the urban landscape of Vancouver.

Explore the 400-hectare natural West Coast rainforest and enjoy scenic views of water, mountains, sky, and majestic trees along Stanley Park's famous Seawall. Discover kilometres of trails, beautiful beaches, local wildlife, great eats, natural, cultural and historical landmarks, along with many other adventures. The park offers a wide range of unforgettable experiences for all ages and interests, including Canada’s largest aquarium

[KingOfPain]

Pacific Coastal Ocean Drive - Vancouver - Part III Scenic Spots

Ocean/Skyline
Downtown Vancouver with Canada Place and Stanley Park in the foreground
 
From Stanley Park's Third Beach - Siwash Rock
With tankers floating in the ocean like buildings on solid ground


Lighthouse Park - Old Growth Forest
A wonderful hike through the forest often bathed in fog from the ocean air and light streaming thru the trees. The scent of the forest is heavy and prickle the senses better than fresh cut grass.


We are rewarded by an open sky and endless ocean at the end of the trail,
Point Atkinson Lighthouse


Another favorite spot of mine is Whytecliff Park, less than 10km away from the lighthouse.
This I spent a day camping out on the beach and shot it from sunset to sunrise.

They say nothing beats a Pacific sunset...


Unless you get a friendly visitor in the middle of the night.
The clouds failed to disperse for a Milky Way shot. I wasn't complaining...

The serenity is quite deceptive what the photographer was going through at that moment. Imagine 1am in the morning and you see this great heron flew by and landed on a rock nearby, but you have your camera set to shoot pre-focused, pre-framed elsewhere. The heart was pounding as I tried quickly to re-frame and make the composition work; changed out the telephoto lens to a wide angle lens, refocused, adjusted the exposure to a faster shutter speed to lessen the bird's movement. All this in complete darkness, noiseless and in a hurry.



A gentle sunrise
Further enhanced by an extra long exposure to soften the clouds and smooth the ocean.



Now, 4am, it is time to catch some sleep then wait for restaurants to open for breakfast....



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[RefSteel]

Wow - gorgeous shots, as ever; I'd never have guessed you'd get that kind of effect on a long-exposure zoom effect (with the Omni Dome)....

And I can relate to the rush to reconfigure your camera for the heron shot - though in my case, it's a question of struggling to get my phone ready to snap a shot of a cool bug before it flits away!

[pindicator]

Those are beautiful, KoP. I forget you're a fellow Pacific Northwesterner.... And I'm also ashamed to admit I've never made the trip to Vancouver BC. These are making me think it's time to remedy that.

[KingOfPain]

These are making me think it's time to remedy that.

Where about are you? Lots to see and do in and around Vancouver. You will love it

though in my case, it's a question of struggling to get my phone ready to snap a shot of a cool bug before it flits away!

That, I won't even try ;p



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[darrelljs]

I wanted to make one of these images my computer background (the pacific sunset with the rocky island), is that okay?

Darrell

[KingOfPain]

I wanted to make one of these images my computer background (the pacific sunset with the rocky island), is that okay?

Darrell

Thanks for asking first! These images should scale up well. If you need more pixels or the proper aspect ratio, I can arrange that.

[darrelljs]

Thanks! My eyes are 51 now so the scaling should be sufficient .

Darrell

[KingOfPain]

Pacific Coastal Ocean Drive - Cape Flattery

Crossing the Salish Sea from Victory, BC., Canada to Port Angeles, Washington, USA


And headed straight toward the northwesternmost point (below Alaska), Neah Bay and Cape Flattery. It is mostly rugged coast line and jagged rocks all along the northern coast.


A nice walking trail to explore the area



And the birds called it a day



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[darrelljs]

How much post processing do you do for these images?  The colors are so vivid .

Darrell