Sony A7R IV

Shootin' the moon

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Camping on 7th Lake with my family this week, I took advantage of the dark mountain sky. There’s so little light pollution up here in the Adirondacks. It’s funny; I never realized how fast the moon is moving until I tried to capture it. Between adjusting camera settings I found the moon was moving through my frame quite quickly! Using a shutter speed of 1/15 second seemed almost too slow, so I ended up bumping it up to 1/25 second and took a bunch of test shots playing with the aperture until ultimately settling at f/10 on my 500mm lens. Having never really tried to capture the moon before, I am happy with these results.

1/20 sec at f/10, ISO 50, 500mm, Sony A7R IV

A case of stairs

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These images were made shooting at 1/80 second and 1/60 second at f/16, ISO 100, 14mm, Sony A7R IV.

HDR urban decay

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One thing I like about HDR photography is that it makes the impossible, possible. It allows your eye to see what you ordinarily wouldn’t be able to see. When you shoot HDR, you use a series of images to reveal details in the shadows and highlights which you just wouldn’t see in a single exposure. Adobe Lightroom makes it easy to stack and merge these images, resulting in images like mine below.

Linfield Industrial Park

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Currently under demolition.

Down low

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A little more low angle photography tonight on the way home from the grocery store… I walked down the wayside to snap a few shots of these tank cars paralleled by the utility lines during the last few moments of sunset.

Ever wonder how tank cars are made? Check out UTLX’s website. I was impressed with the level of detail they provide in their “build process” overview.

1/30 sec at f/2.8, ISO 250, 14mm, Sony A7R IV

Straight up

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I really enjoy making images using this perspective. …Straight up y’all.

Low angle and extreme low angle photography, using super wide angle lenses, is one of my favorite styles of shooting. Low angle shots always add a bit of majesty to the subject. They can even add a heroic feel to the image. I’m really happy with this image. I love the perspective, the industrial feel, the leading lines that take your eye right to the top of the tower, and the use of negative space.

1/30 sec at f/1.8, ISO 125, 14mm, Sony A7R IV

Morning gloom

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Determined to get out early with the camera, I had the Subi packed last night and was rolling towards Glendale, PA by 8:15, this dreary morning. I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for quite a while and wasn’t going to let some crumby weather stop me from getting out there and creating some images. I thought I’d try to use this morning gloominess to my advantage to amp up the drama in some of my shots. Following this thought, Sleighton Farm School came to mind. Sleighton Farm School is an abandoned reformatory school for delinquent children in Pennsylvania. Click here for the complete history on this dilapidated campus.

…Poor Mr.Groundhog.

1/160 sec at f/4.5, ISO 100, 16mm, Sony A7R IV

1/100 sec at f/6.3, ISO 100, 21mm, Sony A7R IV

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

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These birds are awesome. I love seeing and hearing them in the woods. Folks are quick to mistake them for Red-headed Woodpeckers which I, personally, am not a fan of. I find them a bit frightening! As someone who’s probably watched a few too many horror films, the Red-headed Woodpecker just conjures up a gruesome, Quentin Tarantino version of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. So much blood. So Gross. I digress. But, see for yourself, is this a creepy looking bird?

Nevertheless, I love the way these birds are built. Did you know that their tongues retract deep into their heads and actually wrap around their brains to cushion their little brains while they’re hammering away at the side of a tree, in search of delicious insects. Not only are their tongues three times longer than their bills’ length, but they are also highly maneuverable, cylindrical, pointed, and barbed at the tip. It’s true!

1/2000 sec at f/7.1, ISO 2000, 480mm, Sony A7R IV

Dark-eyed Junco

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The Dark-eyed Junco is one of my favorite small birds. My favorite being the Black-capped Chickadee. These images were shot right out of my living room window. With my camera on a tripod, and with this little guy sitting still, I probably could have dialed down my shutter speed and ISO, for a cleaner image, but I’m pretty happy with these results. Next time!

These images were all shot at these settings: 1/2000 sec at f/7.1, ISO 2500, 500mm, Sony A7R IV.

I love the excitement of making the image. When you’re in the moment, pinning focus on that little bird as he hops from branch to branch, changing your composition in realtime, spinning dials under thumb and finger to properly expose the scene as he moves in and out of the light.

The vertical grip on my A7R IV is also so handy. I love that I still have access to the front and rear dials for shutter speed and aperture, and can still back-button-focus even when I’m shooting in portrait orientation. So handy. So comfortable.