Whew what a weekend! Out of all of the Pitchfork Music Festivals I've shot, this one was by far the hardest for several reasons. The biggest ones were probably still my own anxiety about getting sick (I was double masking the whole time), and the fact that it rained pretty much the entire day Friday and I've already lost one camera due to unexpected rain. (It also rained a bit yesterday, too). But also, on our way to the park yesterday, my partner Cinchel got doored about two blocks away. He's ok and it could have been way way worse but it started the day with a very traumatic feeling. I'm not sure what I would do if I lost this human, to be honest.

One of the good things to come out of this festival was Spiritualized. As a whole, I dislike it when bands (especially those who aren't officially headlining) exclude some photographers or make photographers apply special. Spiritualized actually just picked 15 photographers out of all of us (There had to be at least over 100) and somehow I was picked. I know there were other publications that are more popular or widely read, etc. that weren't picked so I was actually pretty surprised but somehow I was on that list. To be honest, if I hadn't been picked, I probably would have just crawled into a heap of despair and disintegrated into the ether (Does this sound too melodramatic?). Well, the problem with me is that I always say or write exactly what I mean.

I first discovered Spiritualized when they opened for Radiohead at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1998 and they were one of the main reasons (as well as Low) that I wanted to photograph the festival. There's always a little bit of pressure I put on myself when I'm one of only a handful of people (or sometimes the only one) documenting something not just for myself but for others. I have a friend who is a huge Spiritualized fan who just couldn't come because of our current circumstances in reality and I feel those who can't be there deeply.

Anyhow, this is probably all a lot extra as usual. I'm working on Day Three coverage today but more photos of Spiritualized and a review and setlist are up here:

bigtakeover.com/concerts/PitchforkMusicFestivalHighlights...

I also took photos of a few others bands Friday and so far my camera still works. I didn't get nearly as many shots as I would have wanted (I was photographing less than half a song for some bands then putting my camera back in my waterproof bag immediately.

Isn't the expression "You get what you get and you can throw a fit but it won't change this postmodern reality anyway?"

**All photos are copyrighted***

I was on a speedboat in the rain and the weather was only going to get worse as the rain on the mountain was coming my way. I snapped a few shots and managed to get my camera into my waterproof bag before the heavy rain started.

The last picture of this "Toulourenc" serie...

Next time, I will arrange not to have to protect my camera in a waterproof bag in the most delicate passages encountered during the climb and descent of this magnificent river, unfortunately now much too frequented, even in this covid period ...

Challenge on flickr: CoF108 - EARTH & SHARP

DSC_3741

This little red bag 'popped' on the white door of the beach hut. It was obviously a waterproof bag protecting the padlock on the door, as many other huts had similar.

Shortly after the heavy rain came hail and then lightning and it was hitting close. Not having a waterproof bag I had to find shelter. This thunderstorm claimed the lives of 2 hikers. A difficult reminder to never underestimate the mountains

Well this caught me a bit off gaurd last night. Was about to go to bed saturday night, it was close to midnight and i checked the BOM website for the mornings weather.. only to find out there was a massive storm front coming towards me streching from one side of the state to the other. That ruined any plans of me getting any sleep! i had an hour before i needed to get out to location so i grabed my torches, camera gear etc. This shot was taken at 3:38am on early sunday morning on the 1st May 2016. And it was raining quiet heavy at the time of this picture. luckily the rain was coming in side on from the diriction i was facing so all i could still keep shooting... just had the waterproof bag protector wrapped around the camera and lens.

This storm was the loudest and most intense one iv seen in a long long time. First time iv questioned if i should be standing out in the open or so close to the big metal conductor pole that you can see in the image. There was lightning all around me everywere. And after speaking to everyone today and looking at the news.. can see why. it woke most people up by the loudness of the bangs and some suburbs had mini tornados sweep through them!!

But was Still worth only having an hours sleep after all that then having to get up and continue on with the day... and also getting absoloutly drenching wet getting some shots :) I Love a storm though!

Much of the day, sleet came down so hard I did not want to take out my camera. It is a lot of trouble to do photography when snowshoeing in bad weather. Removing gloves, taking camera out of waterproof bag, keeping camera wiped down, shooting photo, wiping moisture off camera as best as one can while in a sleet storm, returning camera to waterproof bag, putting wet freezing hands back into gloves, etc. Regardless of the effort, it was a beautiful day in the mountains, even if we couldn't actually see the mountains....

I was very excited when I noticed that it had started to snow. I got all my camera gear together, got all dressed up with waterproofs, wellies and my waterproof bag for my camera and set out. Unfortunately by the time I had done all this the snow had turned to sleet. Then when I got off the bus it was raining and any snow was fast disappearing. I didn't really get any snow pictures but I did find some icy patterns on my garden table this morning!

Yes, yesterday it was another typical rainy day in Portland. But I decided to go outside and take some photos anyways :-D. I tested my new waterproof bag, coat and camera protection, and everything worked great. So Portland let it rain, I'm prepared now! ;-)

Have a great week and HBM (Happy Bench Mondays)!

A welcome sign as I headed back to the lea shore and calmer water. An opening in the scudding clouds. It's interesting too see the color shift on the water, where there's blue reflecting off it's surface as a strip in an otherwise steely grey river. As the conditions improved, I felt good enough to get the big DSLR out of its waterproof bag!

In real life this rainbow was a lot more noticeable and spectacular. Unfortunately, by the time I got my camera out of its waterproof bag, it had started to fade.Also to be seen is the next gust of wind approaching, noticable by the rippling of the water at the foot of the rainbow.

We usually think of beautiful forests and mountainous places when it comes to fall foliage. Being from Los Angeles, the only fall colors I would see in the city limits were from the local parking lots of various big chain type stores and malls. It wasn't until I began exploring Northern California back in early 2012, and that's when I started appreciating fall for what it was. Little did I know I would make a move to the Pacific Northwest, where my love for fall photography increased ten fold. I fell in love with such areas like Leavenworth, Metaline Falls and Stevens County. Those top three areas are still my go-to areas for fall foliage in the State of Washington. Sometimes, it pays us photographers to look in the city. I didn't have to try hard to get this capture. I simply went out to my car, which was parked on the street outside of my Airbnb; as I was getting ready to warm up the car, something told me to open up the door and look at the curb. I was already reading the sign that was knocked over from last night's wind or possibly could have been down from another night who knows about parking and such. Then, I noticed this nice puddle where the water was still for the most part yet murky looking. There were interesting colors going on; both competing and colliding. portions of the smoothness of the water reminds me of some plastic waterproof bag no it wasn't umbrella it was a plastic type of umbrella that my mother had when I was a kid and I want to say it was yellow if not clear.

Photo captured via Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm F/1.7 Lens. Central District. City of Seattle. Central Puget Lowland section within the Puget Sound Lowlands Region. King County, Washington. Early November 2022.

Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-400 * Aperture: F/4.5 * Bracketing: None * Color Temperature: 3650 K ** Selective Color Grading: Deep Woods 10

In 2019, I finally had some time around Thanksgiving to photograph Zion National Park. It meant a lot to me because Zion is such a beautiful place that I just didn't have time to visit. I made some plans beforehand, including doing the two most famous hikes, Angel's Landing and the Narrows, there and I even brought waterproof bag for the adventure. However, an unexpected snowstorm completely changed our plan. The snow caused most part of the main canyon to close during our visit, and the shuttle bus could only take us to its first four stops. So we had to adjust to the condition and do something else.

After some research, we decided to try the Sand Bench trail, because it was still reachable by the shuttle bus, and not so hard to hike in the snow. The best part of this trail is that you get very close to some giant peaks, and the snowy condition just added so much more atmosphere to the view. Glad I chose this trail.

I had to put the photo equipment inside a waterproof bag to get to this place. This kind of effort makes the shot more special to me.

Location: Minas Gerais, Brazil

“If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched. I share wildlife with them because humans want to save things that they love.”

-Steve Irwin

From the archives and taken in Salt Springs Florida, just off of Lake George back in October of 2019. While fishing below this lady, a very brief morning shower covered our area. She just sat there during the rain; we kept fishing. My camera was in a large “Waterproof” Bass Pro bag for protection.

After the shower I noticed her spreading her wings to dry out a bit and decided to capture this shot. Within minutes it started to rain again so I placed my camera back into the Bass Pro “Waterproof” bag. It quickly became one of those downpours where all you can do is to face the bottom of the boat and watch the rain water run off the tip of your nose!

The rain quickly stopped; I opened my “Waterproof” bag to find that it was in fact, not. My camera body was sitting in about a half inch of water inside the bag. The camera quickly became a very expensive paper weight, but the SD card was unharmed.

I loved that camera and this is the last shot that it ever took!

Used a bit of plastic to make a waterproof bag for the rifle, not quite sure that I like how it turned out though

Looking NW towards the coast and the Ardnamurchan peninsula.

There is a somewhat distant golden eagle centre picture (zoom in for a better view). It was much closer when I crested the ridge but didn't hang around waiting for for me to get the camera out of its waterproof bag inside my rucksack. That's one reason why I would make a rubbish wildlife photographer!

My new friend Bethany came down to visit from Tallahassee, FL Loads of great stuff from this set but I need to get to beddd More tomorrow-ish!!

Decluttr

strobist: ab800 12 foot cam left thru 45" brolly full power on b

powered by vegabond II on another lightstand in a waterproof bag.

Triggered by Cybercyncs

Visit my website at: www.graemekellyphotography.com

you can also follow my page for news and updates on Facebook

I’m also now displaying my work at 500px

Skogarfoss close up! I really pushed the camera to its limits getting this shot. Skogarfoss has fast become Iceland’s premier waterfall due to its beauty, accessibility and tremendous publicity, and so has been well and truly ‘shot’ by photographers. After taking a few shots from the usual vantage point I walked up stream, almost to the base of the falls. Here I tucked myself away in a slight hollow in the side of the backwall and watched the spray, looking for a pattern. After a while I noticed that the spray would only reach me every 10 seconds or so, but with the light fading fast it was going to be pushing it to rattle off a bracket before the spray descended. Setting up I covered the camera in a waterproof bag, dialled in the settings and waited for the spray to retreat. The breezed picked up and pushed the spray back and I took the bag off the camera and pressed the shutter. One, two shots and the wind is holding, but then half way through the third, longest exposure the spray returned and straight away everything was soaked, waterproof bag back on and retreat back to the campsite toilets for some paper towels!

So back home I held off editing this one as there were more water droplets on the images than I’d realised, also the clarity had been effected by condensation on the lens. Blending the 3 images together I purposely left the right part of the image dark, not bringing out the details of the backwall (it was pretty dark anyway!) and I’ve removed most of the water drops -but there are still a few in there! So even though the image isn’t technically perfect, I really like it, particularly the spray cloud forming over the plunge pool and the angle I’ve got on the falls.

Like the image? Press ‘L’ to see it large and ‘F’ to add it as a favourite, and feel free to leave a comment; it’s always nice to hear what you think.

Thanks for looking

Graeme

© Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved. If you would like to purchase prints or use my work then please contact me through flickr or my website.

Explore May 16, 2010 #45 - Thank You!

Snorkeling with the D300 was a scary experience, but I really like how some of the photos came out as opposed to the Canon P&S. This is one of them - with the little ocean bokeh bubbles in the background of some happy fish swimming along.

Sorry for the lack of updates! Back to the real world, and I've been tied down at work.

EXIF:

Exposure Program: Aperture Priority

Aperture: f/9.0

Focal Length: 17 mm

ISO Speed: 200

Exposure Bias: 0 EV

1 RAW/NEF exposure

DiCAPac WP-S10 Waterproof Bag

View this photo large

The special thing about photograph this waterfalls is that I need to swim with the equipment in a waterproof bag and climb some rocks before I arrive in the spot. It makes the image more special. (Para tirar essa foto eu tive que nadar e escalar pedras com o equipamento em uma sacola a prova dagua até chegar nesse lugar, tornando a foto mais especial para mim.)

I used a Lee polarized filter and a 6 stop Lee Little stopper.

4 seg ƒ/18 ISO100

Location: Ibiá, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I was lucky enough to have last Friday off, and was considering traveling to a few places I need to check off my list. But those plans changed when I learned that I135 was going to have 2 EMD MAC leaders, and I knew what I wanted to do with my day. By the time I arrived in Harper's Ferry after seeing them at Powell's creek, signs of afternoon thunderstorms appeared in the sky, and I settled in to wait on my train. Perched under a shade tree on the banks of the Potomac, using my camera bag as a pillow, fear of missing the train was the only thing keeping me from settling into a nice nap. A light mountain rain began to fall, and the beautiful smell of Appalachian mountain rain was heavy in the air as I happily waited for the scanner to crackle alive. Once they called Weaverton, I grabbed my camera out of its waterproof bag, and dialed in my settings. Experiencing a train come through here as the horns echo deep off the mountains, and the whole town is overtaken by the sound of prime movers, is something that never gets old. Make that horn a K5 and the prime mover of the EMD variety, and well, it simply doesn't get better. CSX 4805 was FRESHLY painted, and looked and sounded amazing taking the train west to Cumberland. I have photographed trains here many times now, and I enjoy it each and every time as though it was the first. After they cleared, the rain began to pick up, and I headed for some BBQ and a cold lemonade. A real dream come true.

I took the Pinsta out in the Kayak, set it on the side of the boat and held it pointing at lily pads along the shoreline. I put in back in it’s waterproof bag and paddled around for a while. I didn’t realize I forgot to zip the bag, the camera was dripping water when I got home. I love this photo despite all of the technical fails, I think it’s that artifact that looks like a perfectly formed letter K. This is on direct positive paper that was developed in camera using Eco Pro developer and fixer (and a little lake water through out the process).

didn't have the camera sitting in the waterproof bag quite right, but it's still zuper happy fun times

K2 INTEX EXCURSION PRO Having the right kayak to support you on your day in the water can make a huge difference in the quality of your experience. That's why the Intex Excursion™ Pro Kayak is made with features like adjustable seats or built-in footrests to keep you comfortable. Not only that, it's also made with fishing rod holders on each side for hands-free fishing. There's also a waterproof bag you can latch into the front for anything you need to carry out onto the water with you. Since it's inflatable, it's easy to stow away on a car or in the back of a truck. Even when it is inflated, handles on the front and back give you an easy way to carry it over land or onto a beach. Packaged with a pair of aluminum oars and an air pump, the Intex Excursion™ Pro Kayak has everything you need to start enjoying your day on the lake, river, or ocean.

Super-Tough laminate material with polyester core for high strength and durability, ensuring high impact and abrasion resistance, while retaining light weight and portability

High pressure inflation provides extra rigidity and stability, with high pressure spring loaded valves for easy inflation and fast deflation

Two Specially designed removable skegs for optimal maneuverability through deep and shallow waters

Two floor mounted footrests

Two integrated recessed fishing rod holders

Removable and adjustable mounting bracket for additional accessories, such as GPS systems, fish finders, swivel fishing rod holders, etc.

Grab handles on both ends

Two adjustable bucket seats

Inflatable booster pad for elevated seating

Storage space in bow and stern with stainless steel D-rings for tying down dry bags and gear

Includes a carry bag and repair patch

3-ply super tough construction employs a high molecular PVC that is unaffected by gasoline, oil and salt water. It is highly resistant to damage from abrasion, impact and sunlight. It also permits more air pressure for rigidity.

Includes 86in Aluminum Oars and High-output pump

Weight capacity 400 lbs

2 Person capacity

Build with durable 30ga vinyl

Approximate dimensions 151in x 13in x 18in

(more details later, as time permits)

**************************************

Months from now, if people stumble onto this set of Flickr photos, they won't know or care when the photos were actually taken. After all, rain is a fairly universal phenomenon, and it can happen in any of the four seasons of the year.

Still, it's an odd experience to be writing these notes a week after the photographs were taken -- at an altitude of 35,000 feet, on a flight to Miami that lifted off from JFK airport just as the first snow flurries hit the runway at the beginning of what promises to be the first major snowfall of the 2009 season. Twelve inches of snow are expected by the time the storm stops, which makes this collection of water-soaked individuals seem like they got stuck in the wrong place and the wrong time.

But a week ago, the temperature was about ten degrees warmer -- and what could easily have been a foot or two of snow was instead just a couple of inches of cold rain. Rain, of course, brings out the umbrellas; and on a couple of earlier occasions this year (which you can see here and here on Flickr), I began to see that -- notwithstanding the typical stories about New York fashions -- people were not restricting themselves to black raincoats and black umbrellas. My winter coat (courtesy of North Face) is black, and just about every umbrella I've ever owned has been black; my suitcases are black, my backpacks and briefcases have always been black, and even my camera bag is black. Since it's promising to be a cold winter, I just bought a new pair of gloves and a new woolen cap ... in black.

But that's apparently not true for many other New Yorkers. While you'll see a few black outfits in the photos collected here, the range of vivid colors continues to surprise me. Somehow, it's something you would expect to see at the beginning of the spring season -- signifying the rejection of the dark gloom of clouds and rain, and celebrating the imminent arrival of flowers and blossoms, of emerald-colored trees and thick green grass and the chirping of birds. But this collection of photos was taken in mid-December, only a week before the official beginning of winter. You'd think that people would be carrying black umbrellas and somber raincoats that marked the season of death and darkness, but I guess that's just not the way things are here in New York City.

On the previous occasions when I've photographed umbrellas in the rain, I've deliberately used a "pocket camera," albeit a fairly sophisticated one such as the Canon G-10. I wanted something that would be compact enough that I could stick into my jacket pocket if the rain got heavy, and I didn't want to risk damaging the electronic components a really expensive, sophisticated camera by getting it wet. The results were usually fairly good, but I always wondered if I could do a better job with one of my high-end DSLR cameras...

... so that's what I used for this collection of photos: my Nikon D700 camera, with a big, heavy 70-300mm zoom lens. I attached a lens hood to the lens, to minimize the chances of raindrops falling directly onto the lens itself; and I stood beneath the awning and overhang of various storefronts and buildings along Broadway as the rain poured down steadily all around me. Next time, I might be even more adventurous, since I've got a professional waterproof bag-thingy that should keep the camera dry even if I'm standing out in the middle of a torrential downpour. But for now, this was a good start.

Because of the rain, most of the people I photographed paid no attention to me at all; they were too busy concentrating on where they were walking, where the puddles were deepest, and whose umbrellas were about to poke them in the face. On the rare occasions when they did see a crazy guy standing under an awning, pointing a camera in their general direction, they frowned or gave me a quizzical look, and just kept going...

So that's the way it was, on this rainy Sunday afternoon. At this point, I'm going to assume that winter has officially arrived, and that the precipitation during the next few months will take the form of snow, not rain. I don't know how well it will turn out, but one of my future projects will be a series of photos during a blizzard. Stay tuned ... and in the meantime, stay dry.

I took some more pictures in the Baby swim last time I went. Now I had with me a waterproof housing (it actually was a bag) and took the pictures when Ari was diving. I was rather happy with the results considering this was the first time I tried this.

Thanks Kristinn for borrowing me the waterproof bag.

Snorkeling with turtles two weeks ago!

For a video of the experience:

vimeo.com/272467193 (including drone footage)

Filmed with a DJI mavic air drone and a pixel 2 phone (wrapped in a cheap waterproof bag)

Whilst this is not the sharpest of photos, it gives you some idea of what the Chilean Air Force Base at Waterboat Point is like - penguins everywhere!

The going was tough when I took this shot, slipping my camera back into the waterproof bag as soon as I'd finished. That's because it was quite windy and choppy.

Galapagos

A dry landing was exiting the Panga direct onto the beach or rocks. Still a bit tricky if there is a bit of a swell, but shoes could be kept on.

A wet landing meant getting off into the water, normally up to 12 inches deep. Shoes had to be taken off and all camera gear etc had to be put into a waterproof bag.

THANK YOU for your visits, comments and favs

A bit of a touristy spot, but after avoiding it in the bay area for a year, I had to go SOMEWHERE when the sky was about to blow up, the tide was very high, and the waves were scary huge for any beach. It's actually a beautiful area, and I'm glad I was finally able to see and enjoy it :)

This is multiple exposures blended, all taken within a span of a few minutes. Camera-in-a-waterproof bag and dry-clothes-back-home kind of experience. Thanks for stopping by!

Sunrise forecast powered by #escaype

www.escaype.com

Portfolio, instruction, and other services:

www.landESCAPEphotography.com

i was soaking wet at the end of this hike...good thing I had my camera in a waterproof bag!

p.s. holding and focusing a medium format camera sideways and upside down to take a picture of your shoes is not as easy as you would think ;)

Last Wednesday was the first time in 5 years that I hiked the Narrows in Zion National Park. Needless to say, I was beyond excited to do the hike again last week!

Other than being a little behind schedule everything worked out perfectly. The crowds weren’t bad for the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend last week. The shuttles to and from various stops at Zion ran efficiently. The weather was perfect for hiking the Narrows (warm and almost no chance for flash flooding). Even the water flow and levels were easy. Although there were a couple spots where the water level rose to my stomach it was still manageable as I stored my camera and lens in a waterproof bag.

The 6 miles round trip hike was well worth the effort as I came home with a few keepers. Everything felt like gold!

Equipment:

- Nikon D800e

- Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

- Slik 400 tripod

Software and Processing:

- Initial edits in Adobe Lightroom

- Shot 4 images at different focus points for focus stacking. Stacked in Helicon Focus

- Final post-processing in Adobe Photoshop (adjusted curves, orton effect, saturation boost, burn, dodge, added slight vignette sharpen)

www.broncoloco.com

www.instagram.com/thebroncoloco

www.facebook.com/broncoloco

The closer one gets to a waterfall, the wetter the air becomes, and the less inclined one should be to use her camera equipment. It was the end of May, and slippery footing and tremendous water spray were prevailing conditions as the Vernal Falls was at its peak.

While on the Mist Trail hike, I was forced to keep my camera inside a waterproof bag that was zipped into my jacket. These mists soaked through most everything. Obviously, to make this image, I had to remove the camera lens from the cover of the protective bag. It was mere seconds after removing it and composing and then the lens would become fogged. Challenging conditions in which to make photographs; as a result this was my last shot in the hike ascent.

Birds just want to have fun this week at FeatheryFriday. One of our Sebastopol geese decided she wanted to be a movie star. Here she is auditioning for a role in a remake of the wonderful Esther Williams film "The Million Dollar Mermaid"

A note about the processing of this shot. I got a waterproof bag for my Canon A620 for taking photos in the pool. So far the quality of the shots is not too great but the content is fun. The blue on her wings in this shot is the reflection of the water; the background has been blurred in CS. This is one I will probably rework as my skills improve. ;)

Have a happy Feathery Friday everyone and a great weekend!

We usually think of beautiful forests and mountainous places when it comes to fall foliage. Being from Los Angeles, the only fall colors I would see in the city limits were from the local parking lots of various big chain type stores and malls. It wasn't until I began exploring Northern California back in early 2012, and that's when I started appreciating fall for what it was. Little did I know I would make a move to the Pacific Northwest, where my love for fall photography increased ten fold. I fell in love with such areas like Leavenworth, Metaline Falls and Stevens County. Those top three areas are still my go-to areas for fall foliage in the State of Washington. Sometimes, it pays us photographers to look in the city. I didn't have to try hard to get this capture. I simply went out to my car, which was parked on the street outside of my Airbnb; as I was getting ready to warm up the car, something told me to open up the door and look at the curb. I was already reading the sign that was knocked over from last night's wind or possibly could have been down from another night who knows about parking and such. Then, I noticed this nice puddle where the water was still for the most part yet murky looking. There were interesting colors going on; both competing and colliding. portions of the smoothness of the water reminds me of some plastic waterproof bag no it wasn't umbrella it was a plastic type of umbrella that my mother had when I was a kid and I want to say it was yellow if not clear.

Photo captured via Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm F/1.7 Lens. Central District. City of Seattle. Central Puget Lowland section within the Puget Sound Lowlands Region. King County, Washington. Early November 2022.

Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-400 * Aperture: F/4.5 * Bracketing: None * Color Temperature: 5650 K ** Selective Color Grading: Cryptic Dawn

One of the most memorable swims I had at Shark's Cove was with a juvenile sea turtle, who while fighting the waves and current, would eat mossy seaweed attached to large lava rocks.

As the waves came crashing in, both myself and the turtle would swim against the surge, and in this photo I caught the turtle just right with the bubbles of the wave and light from above. It looks to me as if the turtle is about to hit warp speed!

EXIF:

Exposure Program: Aperture Priority

Aperture: f/8.0

Focal Length: 17 mm

ISO Speed: 200

Exposure Bias: 0 EV

1 RAW/NEF exposure

DiCAPac WP-S10 Waterproof Bag

View this photo large

A while ago I had a vision.... To take a shot half in water, half out of water. After looking into the expense of an underwater DSLR housing I decided to buy an 'Aquapac' waterproof bag. I tried the bag out in the kitchen sink with some tissue inside so I could see any evidence of leaks... Well I can say that the bag is a load of rubbish! It's ok to dip the lens into the water (just) but if you get the 'waterproof' seal wet the moisture finds its way in.

I would advise anyone against buying this bag, the shot I took here had just the lens in the water, even still when I took the camera out of the bag later there was moisture getting in from somewhere.

The shot is of Tryfan, North Wales

Thanks for looking!

and to see what's happening under the water of the lagoon! I quite like this ecclectic mix of fish. These photos were all taken at the same time, using my canon 400D inside a waterproof bag. We loved using the bags, they worked well and were entirely waterproof - and these are the results.The hardest part is looking through a mask, the bag and the viewfinder to get the shot but we did ok. I have plenty more fish photos to come, you'll probably get sick of the sight of fish!

First Creek Falls , Red Rock Canyon , Nevada

Today we had some massive rain storms in the valley. I was hoping this falls would be flowing during the storm as many do dry up in the summer. As the rain subsided i decided to venture out to to get this shot. Who knows when we going to ever get rain like this again in the valley. I never found this place before but with the help of a fellow photograp

her (Cam Thanx) he gave me great directions which made it easier. I had about 10mins to shoot this until it started to really pour down heavy for about an hour. Thanx to my waterproof bag and rain guard for my camera the important stuff was dry and safe, I cant say the same for my self however. I found the nearest rock to huddle under but i still got pretty soaked. Overall I really didn't mind being wet from the rain with the added breeze it was a beautiful change from our dry summers.

Single Exposure

Nikon D800

Nikon 16-35mm f4 VR

ND filter .09

Note: This Moc/story introduces my Secondary Character, Lenfel spy Skyelia Murdale.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Skyelia Murdale, (Skye for short), and today is probably the most important, and harrowing, of my whole life.

Why?

Because I am a spy for Lenfald.

And today I am in Dalmanutha, The capital of Loreos, our arch-rival, to meet with a Loreesi sympathetic to Lenfald.

The Loreesi, going by “Mr Jal” (a fake name, obviously), contacted me, saying he had vital information, and instructed me to meet him in Dalmanutha, at the tavern Desert Rat, (a fitting name, given the nature of our meeting) at noon exactly.

I had received tips and info from him many times, but never actually met him, so this was going to be rather interesting. Little did I know just how interesting, (and dangerous), this would be!

So here I was, four days later, disguised as a moderately wealthy Loreesi heiress, roaming the docks of Dalmanutha, looking for anything that would signify a tavern with the name I was looking for.

Although so far unsuccessful in that area, the trip had provided beneficial results, as my roaming had taken me all along Dalmanutha’s docks, giving me a detailed look at the fleet that Prince Hilarious was amassing for the “conquest” of the new islands.

I had been stopping periodically to jot down details of the spectacle before me in a small notebook I always carried, for about an hour and a half, when I noticed a smallish, old-looking building squished between two fancy shops. The sign hanging above the door was of a faded, poorly-rendered rat sitting in a patch of almost faded-off sand.

“Jackpot,” I muttered under my breath, and, putting away my notebook, opened the door and went inside.

Several heads turned to stare as I walked in, and almost immediately I realized a serious problem with my disguise. It was far too fancy for this dingy, dirty establishment, and consequently made me stand out far more than I would have liked. That was not a good thing for a spy.

Stepping inside, my mind racing, I quickly scanned the room before me, looking for my contact as well as getting the layout down. To my right was the bar, consisting of about half-a-dozen old barstools, a long, tall counter, and a large cabinet behind the bar, full of different types of alcohol. Directly in front of me was a modest-sized common room, with a dozen or so tables. Along the wall behind this was a row of booth tables, unbroken except for the worn stairwell at the far end. To my left was a fireplace and mantle.

Inhabiting the whole thing were about ten or twelve mean-looking sailors, and one bartender.

I was the only woman in the place.

That didn’t bother me however, as besides the razor-sharp dirk at my side, there were also about twenty different things around the room that I could turn into deadly weapons in the blink of an eye.

Completing my scan, my eyes alighted on a hooded figure sitting well back in the shadows of the furthermost booth from the door.

It was my contact, “Mr. Jal”.

He saw me and started to rise.

I made a show of rushing over to him, and throwing my arms around him as he did.

“Ah, there you are my love,” I said loudly, giving him an exaggerated kiss on the cheek.

Pulling back, I gave “Mr. Jal” a look that said, play along, hoping he would understand.

He did.

“Ah, my sweet, what took you so long?” He responded, as we broke apart and sat down in his booth.

I gave a flippant laugh. “Oh, I had to escape my betrothed. It took awhile.” I looked around casually. “He’ll never find us here though.”

We both then lowered our voices, like lovers conspiring together. As we did so, I looked at the room from the corner of my eye.

Our little show had the desired double effect. It served to explain why I was dressed so nice, yet coming into a dingy place like this, and, the other patrons were now going back to their drinks and conversations, no longer paying us any attention.

I got the feeling this was rather common.

Only now did I take a closer look at my contact.

Not much of him was visible under the hood he still wore, but I did catch a glimpse of fancy red clothes and a well-groomed goatee.

“That was very clever.” Mr. Jal said in a whisper.

“Thanks. I wasn’t sure it would work.” I said in an equally quiet tone.

“I’m very glad it did." The other responded.

I nodded. “On to other business. You said you had important information.” I made it a statement, not a question.

“I do,” Mr. Jal said, and then, raising his voice a bit, “I think we should order a drink first, however.”

I nodded my assent. It would be wise to keep up our charade.

—————————

Once the bartender had brought us a chipped tankard full of ale each, Mr. Jal passed me a sealed envelope under the table. I took it without comment and slipped it into a waterproof bag in my robes.

We sat for several minutes, sipping our ale and studying each other silently, wondering who each other really was, and where they been, what they’d done, etc.

I was about ninety percent sure “Mr. Jal”, was a textiles merchant, and not a poor one either, judging by the fact that what little of his clothes I could see were of a obviously high quality.

His real name, I had no clue about, but that didn’t really matter.

For his part, I was a complete mystery, of which he hadn’t the faintest clue about.

And that suited me just fine.

——————————————

Our tankards emptied, we rose and prepared to leave. We would walk out the door together, and then immediately go in different directions.

Walking out the door, I turned right, and Mr. Jal turned left. I began walking back the way I had come earlier with fast, confident strides, easily moving through the crowds.

I had gone about a hundred feet done the dock, when something compelled me to casually turn around and locate my contact. I did within seconds. He was not far from the tavern we had met in, taking in the crisp sea breeze blowing in the harbor. Stop being paranoid, I told myself, there’s nothing wrong with breathing the sea air.

I was about to turn away and continue walking, when all of a sudden Mr. Jal gave a cry, and pitched forward onto the cobbles, motionless.

Several people gasped and moved away from his body, giving me a better look, from which I instantly could tell he was dead.

Instincts screaming at me to get the heck out of here, I spun around…..and came face-to-face with two guards, armed with long, spear-sword combo weapons, scowling down at me.

“Eh, hi fellas. What’s wrong?” I asked, feigning innocence.

“You’re not fooling us, spy” the bigger one said.

I pretended to be shocked. “Spy?? Me?”

“Yeah, you,” the other one sneered, “There’s a ‘nice’ interrogation room waiting for you in the Prince’s dungeon, and I’m sure the Prince himself will want to talk to you, too.”

I held out my hand placatingly.

“Now hold on a minute gentlemen, I can explain everything.”

They both laughed. It wasn’t a friendly laugh.

“Oh, I’m sure the Prince will be thrilled to have you ex-.” He never got a chance to finish, as his weapon seemed to suddenly shoot into my outstretched hand, and I swung it viciously in the same smooth movement, taking both out with one motion.

“Sorry boys, got to go.” I said, and ran.

Behind me I heard someone shout, “Stop her! She’s a spy!!”

I didn’t stop to look, but I could here the tramp of armored boots coming after me.

Shoving shocked bystanders aside, I dashed along the docks, frantically looking for an escape route. There were people everywhere, not to mention far more guards then I would have liked.

Weaving around parked wagons, clusters of people and market stalls, I spotted a pair of Loreesi soldiers rushing at me from the side. As they reached me, I planted one foot firmly on the cobbles and pivoted in a half-circle, slamming the butt of the spear into the first soldier’s face, then, reversing my grip, I plunged the head into the second soldier’s back, before charging down the docks again, my pursuers hot on my tail.

Bolting into a open space in the crowd, I increased my pace, and thus widened my lead, though only by a little bit. People all around me yelled and cursed as I (and the guards pursuing me) breezed by them, sometimes knocking them out of the way, in our wild chase through the city docks.

Up ahead, I spotted a large crane, engaged in the process of loading a small warship pulled up alongside the dock. Aiming for this, I dodged around a pair of unwashed peasants and a mother and her son, eliciting a torrent of angry words directed at my fleeing back.

Rounding the crane’s large stone pedestal, I was confronted by a pair of startled guards who had been watching the ship. The first one never had time to lift his shield before I body-slammed him into the ground, and the second had barely any more warning than the first, for I cut him down before he even registered his companion’s demise.

A peasant was also slammed aside in the sudden tussle.

A third guard, behind the first two, and thus having advanced warning, blocked my first strike, and thrust his spear at my chest in a surprisingly fast reaction, but then his spear was suddenly and violently deflected away from me, seeming to the guard as if my left hand had somehow warded it away, before I swung my weapon down in a powerful arc, slicing through his flimsy tunic and cutting deep into his torso, where it stuck there.

I left the weapon in the guard, seeing as I wouldn’t be needing it any longer, and charged across the dock and onto the ship. As I ran across the bow, the captain stepped in front of me, one hand out to stop me.

“Hold on a minute there beatifu-.” He started to say, right before I shoulder-rammed him aside, and, reaching the far gunwale, dove off the ship in a shallow dive.

Plunging beneath the water, I allowed myself to sink to the bottom, before swimming underneath the ship, and silently surfacing under the dock, hidden from view by the hull of the ship.

Holding onto a dock piling, I brushed my now-wet shoulder-length blonde hair away from my eyes, and waited for my breathing to steady, and my heart to stop racing, while listening to the angry shouts of my would-be pursuers, venting their frustration at being unable to find me.

That, I thought, Had been way too close for comfort.

——————————

Apologizes for the long story, I just got so caught up in (and was enjoying) the story, I forgot to look at how long it had gotten.

Hope you all like it anyway! :)

The annual festival of Els Enfarinats (meaning "the floured ones" in Valencian) takes place in the town of Ibi in Alicante, Spain on December 28, as part of celebrations related to the Day of the Innocents. In the day-long festival, participants dressed in mock military uniforms stage a mock coup d'état, under a blaze of fireworks, flour bombs and eggs.

It was a very messy morning but extremely fun to shoot. I played it safe and carefully egg/flour proofed my DSLR using a waterproof bag which I covered with a camera “skin” along with a clear UV filter to protect the lens.

© 2017 Alex Stoen, All rights reserved.

No Group Invites/Graphics Please.

www.alexstoen.com

Follow me on 500px * Google+ * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram .

Hurricane season just started in the Atlantic. In the West, fires have already begun to break out. But no matter where you live, extreme weather events are becoming commonplace.

The Red Cross site offers an essential guide for getting through an emergency. It recommends staying equipped with items like batteries ($35.99 for a pack of 24), toilet paper ($13.47 for 12 rolls), a hand-crank radio ($21.54) and a first-aid kit ($43.49).*

While we were working on this piece, a torrential rainstorm hit New York City. Shaina’s building flooded, and Julia’s power went out for a night. It prompted us to consider what we should be stocking in our cabinets and storing in our “go bags” if we had to flee. We wanted to talk to people who had been through disasters (or are preparing for imminent ones), so we found eight people around the country who have thoughts on what you might want close at hand. Here are some of their suggestions.

*Source: Retailer web sites as of 5/15/23.

“This is a way of life for us, defending against storms. Come June, we all get in the mode. What are you going to do when someone says “Storm’s in the Gulf”? When you lose electricity, the refrigerator leaks. We all eat seafood, so you have nasty seafood juice all over your floor. We prep our freezers and put everything in plastic garbage bags so if it gets liquified, it’s contained. We learned that after Katrina.”

Cynthia Lee Sheng, 56, President of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

“I have a kit, or a go bag, but I also keep things in the shelter during tornado season, so we don’t have to move them. We have a case of water, rain boots, extra outfits. And we have a hand winch that my dad always referred to as a “come-along.” It’s essentially a hand-jack so if the shelter door gets stuck, we can put the hand winch in there and crank it open.”

Ashleigh Gibson, 37, Oklahoma City

“Just imagine what it would be like to have no coffee for 11 days. And you’re in a disaster zone with your family. You want the coffee. So I’ve got cold-brew instant coffee. After Hurricane Ian, I thought, ‘Do I like it here enough to live through this again?’ But there are really no disaster-free areas now.”

Kelli Harris, 47, Venice, Fla.

From wildfires and tornadoes to hurricanes and winter storms, disasters are happening all year long. Last year, the United States experienced 18 weather- and climate-related disasters, leading to nearly 500 deaths and billions of dollars in damage. Very little of the country was untouched.

After hearing about the extreme weather that many of our interviewees had survived, we asked some whether they had ever considered moving. They said they thought the pros of staying put outweighed the cons. Several said that no matter where they lived, they would have to deal with emergencies.

“I have $100 in singles because I was told if we’re in an emergency and everyone’s got very little cash and the ATMs don’t work, we should always have ones to buy what we need. We have a deck of cards in the kit and because I have a toddler we have a stuffed animal (a little kitty) that makes my kid feel happy and safe.”

Damaris Dragonas, 45, Nevada City, Calif.

“Boots are really important. Cut feet are one of the biggest injuries in earthquakes. But the most valuable thing in terms of emergencies is knowing your neighbors. I got these signs – one side is red and says ‘Help,’ and the other side is green and says ‘OK.’ If you need help, you put ‘Help’ in your window. I got them for everyone on the block.”

Lynda Bishop, 72, Portland, Ore.

“I recommend making sure you have stuff you actually want to eat. Like junk food. We have Pringles in our kit. We throw an earthquake-themed dinner party every year as a way to teach friends and family about earthquake preparedness. The whole party is candlelit, we do quizzes about what you need to know. We have all the kids go under the table and we shake the table. It’s a fun thing, but hopefully when the next big earthquake comes, our friends are ready.”

Emily F. Peters, 43, San Francisco

Last month, the World Meteorological Organization predicted that the Earth’s surface would reach record-high temperatures within the next five years, increasing the likelihood of droughts and wildfires, as well as the severity of storms.

Dire forecasts can feel beyond many people’s control. Disaster kits could be one small way to help.

“What pushed me to get an emergency kit was the big winter storm Uri in 2021. That was pretty dramatic here. I bought a kit from JUDY. It’s a highly designed kit. The whole kit and kaboodle comes in a waterproof bag. The list of what it had matched what I was looking for.”

Natalie Davis, 42, Austin, Texas

“It’s important to have flip-flops in times of flood. You don’t want to be in shoes. Your shoes will always be wet.

Since 1989 I have been helping people in times of disaster. You have to be compassionate with people. Recently at a shelter I was passing around toothbrushes. I was going to give this person a pink toothbrush and he said, “Can I have a blue one?” At first I thought, ‘Oh this is a person who is being picky.’ But then I remembered he just lost everything. If that blue toothbrush is going to make him happy, he can have it.”

Ayenza Matthews, 54, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Designed and produced by Leo Dominguez and Rebecca Lieberman.oops

Shot with:

Canon 7D, 17-55mm f2.8, in a DiCAPC WPS-10 waterproof bag.

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The cliffside rushed past as I fell, seeming to me to pass in slow motion, though in reality it was but a few seconds before the rushing river filled my vision. I barely had time to take a breath and hold it before I slammed into the icy water.

My crossbow was ripped from my grasp, spinning away in the current, and my clothes were instantly saturated with freezing liquid, the only thing I could see as I flailed wildly (I was not an excellent swimmer), was rushing bubbles of water all around me, illuminated by the setting sun.

The sun.

Foggily, through the hypothermia I could already feel threatening to set in, my brain registered that the sun meant the surface, and I kicked for it with all my remaining strength.

Bursting out of the turbulent surf, I gasped for air, gratefully filling my overtaxed lungs.

Now that I was on the surface, I could see that I was being swept downriver rather fast. To either side, green, wooded banks passed by, looking very dry and clam compared to the rough water I was currently residing in.

Noticing that the left bank was somewhat closer to me, I struck out for it, struggling against the powerful current tugging me father downriver. Reaching the riverbank, I hauled myself onto the muddy slope with a mighty heave, and lay there, panting and sopping wet.

——————————

Eventually, I worked up the strength to get to my feet, and started walking down the shore, following the river.

Evening was fast approaching, and I began to shiver in my wet clothes. Drawing my cloak around myself in a futile attempt to keep warm, I was about to stop and build a fire, when my keen eyes caught the rays of the setting sun glinting off something in the shallows just ahead.

As I drew closer, the indistinct shape resolved itself into something I recognized.; my crossbow.

Speeding up my pace, I reached my crossbow and picked it up, grateful to have found it, as I had grown quite fond of the reliable weapon, and had been very worried I had lost it permanently after I jumped into the river.

Turning away from the Aines river, I headed into the tree line a bit, searching for a suitable spot to make camp.

Finding one such area, I cleared away some of the brush, then gathered sticks and tinder, assembling them in a small campfire in the middle of the clearing.

Once the fire was going, I shed my soggy clothes, laying them out to dry.

I then took out my small healer’s kit, and cleaned and bound my arm injury, which fortunately had been numbed by my time in the Aines, and so didn’t hurt as much anymore.

After that was done, I wrapped myself in my cloak, and sat down next to the fire, leaning back against a large rock pile.

After a few minutes, I reached over and withdrew the nautilus shell from my satchel.

Holding it up to the light, I turned it over in my hand idly, thinking about my ordeal in the catacombs in which I had found it.

Unbidden, the dark memory that had been dredged up in those caves returned to me now.

Instead of fighting it this time however, I simply let it flow, taking me back to my childhood, which seemed so very long ago, and far away from here……

————————

I was born and raised in the village of Woodsgarl, near the city of Dragonsmouth, in the shadow of the imposing Dragonscale Mtn range. Woodsgarl was a relatively small village, numbering only a few dozen houses, an inn, and a few government buildings.

My father was a blacksmith, my mother a Healer (the small healer’s kit I still carried had been a gift from her), so consequently we were rather prominent members of our little community, and knew almost everyone.

The mayor, Archibald Mortlen, and his family were particularly close friends of ours, and I had known Archibald’s son, Trevor Mortlen, for as long as I could remember.

We had practically grown up together, and Archibald and my father liked to joke that Trevor and I would end up married one day, we were so inseparable.

As time passed, both of us began to believe that was true, and as we got older, gradually fell in love with each other.

There was only one problem; The Mortlen family, upstanding and honest as they were, hated any and all forms and users of magic. Archibald himself made sure to banish or convict anyone the village constable caught using magic, regardless of how harmless or helpful it was.

This wouldn’t have been that big a problem however, if I hadn’t started exhibiting signs of inherited magic on my thirteenth birthday.

We’d never had magic in our line that we knew of, so it came as a complete shock to all of us.

Although my parents were outwardly happy and encouraging, I could tell they were inwardly worried, and I understood quickly that whatever ‘gift’ I had could ruin all our lives if anyone, especially the Mortlens, ever found out about it.

This possibility was terrifying, and for a while it seemed my burgeoning relationship with Trev was over before it even really began, which devastated me.

As time passed however, I began to believe that I could make it work, even though I would have to keep my unique talent hidden from everyone, only using it when there was on-one else around.

It was a price I was more than willing to pay.

And then it all came crashing down, on that fateful hunting trip, when I foolishly used my power with Trevor still nearby.

I had just turned seventeen, and Trev had invited me on a hunting trip with him, as a late birthday present sort of thing.

It became more than a simple hunting trip between friends on the second day, the night before my life fell apart.

It had been a fun, successful hunt, and we’d been sitting together in front of the campfire, laughing and telling exaggerated stories to each other, when Trev took my hands in his, and almost before I knew it we were kissing passionately, friends no more.

I was in a state of joyful disbelief all the next day, and so consequently neglected to make sure Trev was fully out of sight before using my magic to draw my spear back to me.

As a result, he saw, and despite my best efforts to convince him otherwise, set off for Woodsgarl, breaking my heart with each step.

I was left with only two options; run, and leave my family to a potentially fatal fate, or stop Trev.

Permanently.

Faced with this horrible set of options, I had chosen to kill my best friend and first love, to save the other people that I loved.

After killing Trev, I took his body deep into the woods, and buried him, marking it as both our graves’, therefore making it seem like we had been slain by a grizzly, and a trapper, having come upon our bodies in the woods, buried us respectfully.

Hoping that would do if a search party from Woodsgarl ever found ‘us’, I then traveled back to the village under cover of darkness, and, waiting until my parents were away for a day, retrieved some things from my house that wouldn’t be missed, then set out for Dragonsmouth, leaving behind everything I knew, in order to protect those that I loved from further harm.

After reaching Dragonsmouth, I traveled on to Stonewald, where I enlisted in the army, in the Spy Corps.

Once my training was complete, I was assigned to the city of Durrough, operating under the authority of the Grand Duke of Durrough, Lord Cartney.

I still lived in Durrough, four years and eighty successful missions later, and continued to report to Cartney every time I finished a mission. Speaking of missions………..

——————

I came out of my reverie, reminded suddenly of the letter Mr Jal had given me back in Dalmanutha days ago.

I hadn’t bothered to check and see if it was still okay after my unplanned dip in the Aines river.

Sitting up, I reached over to my satchel, and dug through it, until I found the packet of papers.

Fortunately for me, the packet had gotten wedged deep in the middle of the mostly-waterproof bag, and so was only a little bit soggy on the bottom

Replacing it in it’s spot, I got up and checked my clothes. Finding the were dry, I put them back on, then laid out my bedroll, kicked out the fire, and rolled up in my cloak.

Tomorrow, I would reach my destination, the city of Durrough.

And, my home, with all my books, and my washtub, and my lovely feather bed.

And with those joyful thoughts swirling through my mind, I drifted off to sleep.

———————

Stay tuned for the next installment in Skye's story, where a certain furry face will make an appearance!

Previous Chronicle stories start here.

Shot with:

Canon 7D, 17-55mm f2.8, in a DiCAPC WPS-10 waterproof bag.

It's always special to see your child bonding with their grandparents. Here is my son showing his Gram some iPhone photography tricks. He will be 16 in two weeks, and will be a junior in high school when school starts up again. My oldest just graduated and is getting ready to move off to college next month. I'm glad this one got to spend some quality time with his grandmother. Time flies.

I took this from inside the cooled pool (never heard of an air conditioned pool, so that was a new one for me) using my phone inside a $5 waterproof bag/pouch we got at Buc-ee's .. great invention and for $5 I was able to enjoy my phone and a little photography in and out of the water without sand or water ruining my phone. I give it two thumbs up.

The special thing about photograph this waterfalls is that I need to swim with the equipment in a waterproof bag and climb some rocks before I arrive in the spot. It makes the image more special. (Para tirar essa foto eu tive que nadar e escalar pedras com o equipamento em uma sacola a prova dagua até chegar nesse lugar, tornando a foto mais especial para mim.)

I used a Lee polarized filter and a 6 stop Lee Little stopper.

Location: Ibiá, Minas Gerais, Brazil