The images from the previous Olympus InVision Photo Festival post were mostly from the Sunday workshop. Here are a few more from the Southside of Bethlehem. The following images were taken at the Book Store, Machine Shop and the Cathedral Church of the Nativity:
Every November, ArtsQuest puts on the Olympus Invision Photo Festival. The event is focused 100% around photography. There are presentations, social activities, and workshops throughout the weekend event. Here are a few images from the event:
Light Painting on the Hoover Mason Trestle
The roof of the Hotel Bethlehem
The Smithy
This past weekend I had it in my head that I wanted to photograph some waterfalls in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. The main reason I wanted to do this at this time frame, was because it would probably be the coldest weekend of the entire year, which should make for some great imagery. In that regard, I think I was right on target. I reached out to fellow photog from the area, Eric Goins. He was kind enough to recommend Resica Falls. It is a Boy Scout camp I had been to many years ago with my sons. When I arrived, it was a balmy -5 degrees Fahrenheit. I wasn’t sure if my equipment or periodically exposed hands would endure. I’m happy to report, both performed very well. I used the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and the M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO with a 10 stop ND filter. After a couple of hours I knew I shouldn’t push the boundaries too much further. I headed out and treated myself to a much deserved hot chocolate. BTW – As I was leaving the temperature made it up to a warm +3 degrees. So, when someone says No-pain No-gain, I have an even better appreciation for that!
Last year, around this time, I had the opportunity to listen and photograph this amazing trio at the Jazz Cabaret upstairs from the Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown PA. Acclaimed pianist Simon Mulligan has played with everyone from The Royal Philharmonic to Sting. Mr. Mulligan returns to Allentown for an evening of standards, jazz classics, and original music from his CD “Playlist.” Joining Simon will be bassist Gene Perla, who has performed with Elvin Jones, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Sonny Rollins, and other jazz luminaries. Rounding out the rhythm section will be my good friend, Dave Willard on drums. Expect to hear the Simon Mulligan Trio’s sophisticated take on your favorite timeless melodies and Simon’s own compositions. They will be playing again this Friday, February 19th at 7:30PM. For more info and tickets click here. The following are images from last year’s performance and were shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M1.
This is an area that I have photographed in the past. It’s know as the Zimmerman Farm. However, it’s been several years since I traveled back to this area. I shot these images shortly after the last snow storm we had. The area is still as I remember it. All of the images were shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. Mother nature was more than cooperative this day. The light was beautiful and the textures on the buildings were amazing.
Last week we had a storm here in the North East of epic proportion. In our area we had in excess of 31 inches. We set a record snowfall, based on a 24 hour period. I wanted to get up to the Poconos to photograph in some areas I had been to in the past, but not in the winter months. I wasn’t sure what to expect since they received slightly less snow than we did. I was greeted with some beautiful weather and as such, some amazing landscapes. The following images were shot with long exposures to create the milky effect in the moving water. In all cases, the camera I used was the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.
For the past week I have had the opportunity to check out Olympus’s newest lens. The M.Zuiko ED 300mm f4.0 IS PRO. This thing is absolutely amazing and probably one of the SHARPEST lenses I have ever used. Not only is it tact sharp, but it’s incredibly FAST. All of the following images were taken with the 300mm and in a couple cases, I also added the M.Zuiko Digital 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14 . Because of the Olympus sensor, the focal lengths are 600mm & 840mm equivalent. This lens has built-in image stabilization and when used in tandem with the 5 axis in-body image stabilization of the OM-D series cameras it creates 6 steps of shutter compensation. Everyone of these images were handheld.
Olympus continues to be a pioneer with some of their latest technology advances. With their most recent firmware upgrades for the OM-D series cameras, we are now able to create images with a significantly greater depth of field through the use of Focus Bracketing & Focus Stacking. There is an option to create “in-camera” results (Focus Stacking) and also through the post processing processes (Focus Bracketing). Bracketing has always been an option in the past. However, it was extremely time consuming and required many manual focus steps, along with a lot of trial & error and guess work.
The process I use to accomplish Bracketing and Stacking results are as follows:
Below is an example of an in-camera Focus Stacked image using this process along side of a single non stacked image. The differential is quite amazing. Click on the images to see the full view.
Focus Stacked
Non-Focus Stacked
Below are two series of images where I used this process. The first image is the processed bracketed image and the second one is a single non-bracketed image.
Bracketed
Non-bracketed
Bracketed
Non-bracketed
In all cases it will require experimenting with various settings. All of the images were shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the 60mm f2.8 macro lens.
Last weekend during my visit to Valley Forge we stopped by the Washington Memorial Chapel which is located within the Valley Forge National Historical Park. The Images were shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mk II using the 7-14mm f2.8 PRO lens. The inside shots were handheld at 1/20 of a second at ISO 3200.
The Chapel was built in 1903 to serve two purposes. The first purpose is as a tribute to George Washington and his service to our country. It currently serves as a wayside chapel for the visitors of Valley Forge National Historical Park. The second purpose is as the home for the Episcopal parish that worships at the chapel.
The chapel is constructed in an impressive Gothic Revival style with a Bell Tower. The Bell Tower houses the Justice Bell, a replica of the Liberty Bell, which was used in the campaign to gain women’s voting rights. The Veterans Wall of Honor honors all veterans of the United States Armed Services.
Last week I visited Jacobsburg State Park located near Wind Gap in Bushkill Township, Northampton County, PA. This was my first visit to this 1,168 acre park. There are 18.5 miles of trails. The flora, even at this time of the year was amazing. All of the images were shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and a combination of the 7-14mm & 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lenses.
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