A downtown walk.

It was a nice sunny day today in downtown Ottawa. I try to do a 4-5km walk several days per week. I started my photo exploration on Metcalfe Street.

I was prompted to look up with this arrow. I headed over to Nepean Street.

Condos almost ready at Nepean Street and Metcalfe Street. Continuing west up Nepean...

Got to Kent Street, diagonally across from my old parish church are these towers.

New condo The Hudson.

Travelling a couple blocks west I ended up in front of the old family home at Nepean Street and Lyon Street.

The house I grew up in. This was the family home of my Grand parents, later owned by my parents. 335-333 Nepean Street, built in 1867. Still standing but is surrounded now. With condos on Bay St, Lyon St and Gloucester St (behind it)

Darrell Larose
Ottawa, Ontario

Les grands feux du Casino du Lac‑Leamy : August 16, Grand Finale Show

Braving the low hanging clouds, and a sky the colour of aged pewter, I heading out for the final Fireworks display of the festival.  My new venue was outstanding, with an excellent sight line. I will fully compliment the on-duty R.C.M.P. Officers for their courtesy and professionalism. We are indeed fortunate in Canada that our Federal Government buildings and grounds are open to the public.

Yes you are seeing fall colours in the foreground. As darkness flowed in...

 

Québec's Royal Pyrotechnie (Saint-Pie, Québec) created the Grand Finale of Les grands feux du Casino du Lac‑Leamy. I had good success on Canada Day on Victoria Island in the Ottawa River (West of Parliament Hill) for shows by Portugal and Switzerland. had an excellent field of view at river level. Tonight I selected a new elevated (230' above the river) and about 800 metres from the raft where they were being launched from.

I started with my SMC Pentax-DA 14mm f:2.8, but switched to my SMC Pentax-M 35mm f:2.8 the only other lens I was carrying was my SMC Pentax FA 50mm f:1.4. The 50mm was too long for tonight's vantage point. The low cloud ceiling at below 2,000' so the cloud held the smoke in. As my friend commented; ".. pay no attention to the show behind the smoke..."

With time exposures of fireworks you have to wing it, and hope the entire burst is in the frame. This one was one of the bigger bursts and I was already at the short end of my lens. Shutter drag technique, 8-12 seconds @f:22.

Darrell  Larose
Ottawa, Canada
16 August 2014

Les grands feux du Casino du Lac‑Leamy : August 13, Switzerland

Wednesday August 13, 2014, was  Switzerland's entry in Les grands feux du Casino du Lac‑Leamy. I had good success  previously from Victoria Island in the Ottawa River (West of Parliament Hill) had an excellent field of view.  This is around 800 metres from the raft where they were being launched from.

Pentax *istD, SMC Pentax-DA 14mm f:2.8. ISO 200, 12 seconds @ f:8. Was just a bit wide for there.

Twilight view looking east; showing the Alexandria Bridge in the center, Musée des beaux-arts du Canada light in red, Notre-Dame Basilica twin steeples, and to the right of the bright lights Parliament Hill. Pretty much the same view, as on Canada Day.

I alternated between my  SMC Pentax-M 35mm f:2.8 and my SMC Pentax FA 50mm f:1.4. With my Pentax *istD firmly mounted on my Manfrotto tripod and Manfrotto head.  With time exposures of fireworks you have to wing it, and hope the entire burst is in the frame. This one was one of the bigger bursts and I was already at the short end of my lens. A remote cable release is vital so you don't shake the camera during the 6-12 second exposures.

Tonight, if the weather holds, I will be trying a spot that's closer to the launch raft.

 

Darrell Larose
Ottawa, Canada
16 August 2014

Afternoon project

I was toying with the nice natural light that my living room window has. So I grabbed my Pentax *istD with the SMC Pentax-FA 50mm f:1.4 lens and Manfrotto tripod. I ended up with the classical 1/125 second @ f:5.6 portrait setting on these self-portraits.





I decided to try Topaz Lab's Details plugin on this one. For the new hyper-realistic effect.





 



 

I've mocked the last one up as my new business card.

 



 

 

Darrell Larose
Ottawa, Canada

Les grands feux du Casino du Lac‑Leamy : August 9, Portugal

I decided to shoot the Portugal's entry in Les grands feux du Casino du Lac‑Leamy. I had good success on Canada Day on Victoria Island in the Ottawa River (West of Parliament Hill) had an excellent field of view.  This is around 800 metres from the raft where they were being launched from.

Pentax *istD, SMC Pentax-DA 14mm f:2.8. ISO 200, 12 seconds @ f:8. Was just a bit wide for there.

Twilight view looking east; showing the Alexandria Bridge in the center, Musée des beaux-arts du Canada light in red, Notre-Dame Basilica twin steeples, and to the right of the bright lights Parliament Hill. Pretty much the same view, as on Canada Day.

I decided the SMC Pentax-M 35mm f:2.8 was the best choice from my experience the last time. so I switched to the only other lens I was carrying was  my SMC Pentax FA 50mm f:1.4.

 

With time exposures of fireworks you have to wing it, and hope the entire burst is in the frame. This one was one of the bigger bursts and I was already at the short end of my lens. 



After the show, the Ottawa sky was laden with the sulphurous cloud of gunpowder smoke.

 

Darrell Larose
Ottawa, Canada
10 August 2014

Lost & Found

I hadn't seen the RAW files of these in sometime, it appears that in a previous move a CF went "missing" and didn't end up with all the others. Files for whatever reason never were archived. Found the card when I unpacked last week. I processed a few of my favourites.



Alexandra Bridge connecting Ottawa-Gatineau. I liked to effect, so I waited for a red car. Pentax ☆istD, SMC Pentax-DA 14mm f:2.8, 1/100 sec f:16



Fall Sumac. I reworked an older image of mine, back when I made the transition to digital. Frond was getting a spear of backlight through a small gap in the forest canopy, natures spotlight at work.

Pentax ☆istD, SMC Pentax-M 50mm f:4 manual focus Macro Lens, 1/125 sec f:11.



Ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis), Ottawa River shore. Odd as this one appears to have a very pale, almost white eye, rather than the normal yellow eye. Not sure if this a trick created by the light.

From the live Butterfly show.



Butterfly tongue, Pentax ☆istD, old legacy manual focus SMC Pentax-M 50mm f:4 macro lens.



Emerald Swallowtail, Pentax ☆istD, old legacy manual focus SMC Pentax-M 50mm f:4 macro lens.

Darrell Larose
Ottawa, Canada.

Canada Day 2014: Fire Works

I decided to shoot the Canada Fire Works for the first time in 25 years or so. Consulting Google maps I decided the the east tip of Victoria Island in the Ottawa River (West of Parliament Hill) had an excellent field of view. This is around 1.1 Km from Major's Hill where they were being launched from.

Pentax *istD, SMC Pentax-DA 14mm f:2.8. ISO 200, 12 seconds @ f:8. Was just a bit wide for there.

 

Twilight view looking east; showing the Alexandria Bridge in the center, Musée des beaux-arts du Canada light in red, Notre-Dame Basilica twin steeples, and to the right of the bright lights Parliament Hill. The leading edge of the heavy 15 minute rain storm is entering the scene.  The downpour was heavy, but my Pentax is weather sealed, and I took the extra step of covering the tripod mounted camera with a water proof bag. The rain stopped on time for the first launch.  Here are some of my favourites, more will be added when I process all the files.

Pentax *istD, SMC Pentax-DA 14mm f:2.8. ISO 200, 6 seconds @ f:8. Shutter dragged.

 

I decided the SMC Pentax-DA 14mm f:2.8 was just a little too wide for that position, so I switched to the only other lens I was carrying my ATX Tokina 60~120mm f:2.8, and the rest of the show I shot at the 60mm end. Next time I will simply use my SMC Pentax FA 50mm f:1.4 as it would be the perfect lens for that point of view.

 

Pentax *istD ATX Tokina 60~120mm f:2.8 (at 60mm). ISO 200, 6 seconds @ f:11.

Pentax *istD ATX Tokina 60~120mm f:2.8. ISO 200, 6 seconds @ f:11.

 

 Pentax *istD ATX Tokina 60~120mm f:2.8 (@60mm). ISO 200, 6 seconds @ f:11.

More Canada Day fireworks from last night, quick RAW conversion. With time exposures of fireworks you have to wing it, and hope the entire burst is in the frame. This one was one of the bigger bursts and I was already at the short end of my lens. My guess  a 35mm length would have been perfect here.  

 

Darrell Larose
Ottawa, Canada
2 July 2014