Norway – March, 2018

I had the opportunity to visit Norway recently.  My goal was to see the Northern Lights, landscapes and to capture the small fishing communities when there would be the least amount of visitors.  That meant that the average daily temperatures during my time in Norway would between + 20 degrees to – 20 degrees.

The fishing villages, landscapes and lights did not disappoint on any level.  I was really pleased with the colors, skies and overall photographic opportunities.

I traveled with the same group that I went to Iceland with last year. This was my second time traveling with this group and I especially liked the focus on capturing what many others would not want to photograph based on the weather and overall conditions.

The first image was shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera using the M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm f4.0 IS PRO with the following settings:ISO 64, 21mm, f/14, 60.0 sec.
The second image used the same camera and the M.Zuiko ED 7-14mm f2.8 PRO and the settings are ISO 200, 10mm, f/11,1/125 sec.

Don’t go chasing waterfalls…

Well I do chase waterfalls year round.  I am intrigued with there ever changing landscapes and views based on each season.  This past winter and early spring I have visited several locations in PA and NJ and have been able to capture several great images.  Pennsylvania has so many areas to hike and view waterfalls. I have been using the All Trails app on the phone and selecting different sites every chance I get to go shoot.  The first image was Hawk Falls in Hickory Run State Park.  I used the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Camera and the M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm f4.0 IS PRO.  The settings were ISO 200, 28mm, f/8.0, 60 sec. The second image was shot at Rickett’s Glen State Park used the same camera and lens and the settings were ISO 200, 12mm, f9.0, 1.50 sec.

Bold & Beauty Contest 

First Friday at the Banana Factory – Bethlehem PA

Bethlehem has a great arts community and I am fortunate enough to be involved through my photography and serve on the ArtsQuest Visual Arts Board.  The Banana Factory is a home to local area artists occupying their studios.  There are 30 studios, several galleries and classrooms where artists from all mediums work and display their works.  The Banana Factory also includes the Glass Factory where glass is blown by expert artists.

Each month on the 1st Friday, the Banana Factory opens up its doors for anyone to come in and meet the artists.  I enjoy going studio to studio to see the artists ranging from painting, ceramics, sculpting and photography (to name a few) and capturing a few “in-studio” shots.  Every artist is different and their passion for their craft is clearly evident.

Both of the images were taken using the Olympus PEN-F camera and the M. Zuiko ED 17mm f1.2 PRO lens. The settings for the 1st image are: ISO 500, 17mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec. The second images settings were ISO 400, 17mm, f1.2, 1/80 sec.

What’s New In My Bag…

M.Zuiko ED 17mm f1.2 PRO

Olympus continues to produce amazing craftsmanship in their professional lenses.  The M.Zuiko ED 17mm f1.2 PRO is one of their pro model lenses designed for landscapes and street photography, two of my favorite things!  This has become one of my go-to lenses.

The advanced ED-DSA element is truly unique, reducing the lens’ size while improving performance, and the lightweight focusing mechanism is quiet, fast, and accurate.

The lens has superior low light performance and like all of their equipment is light weight, easy to carry and is also dust proof and splash proof.  Here are a few of the images from the lens.

To see more about the lens go to http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/lenses/m-zuiko-ed-17mm-f1-2-pro.html

Both of these images were shot using the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II camera using the lens referernced above.  The settings for the first image was ISO 200, 17mm, f/2.5, 1/320 sec. The second one is ISO 200, 17mm, f/1.2, 1/800 sec.

My New Toy…

DJI Spark

Over the holidays Santa brought me a new drone, the DJI Spark. I have been experimenting with the drone over the past several months and have been getting a little more comfortable (and willing to push the limit) flying the drone.  The perspective from 50’ to several hundred feet above the ground is amazing to capture.  The drone is very easy to navigate and I am thankful I have not had to go swimming to rescue the drone.  Click on the image to see the video.