Friday Harbor Labs Golden Fog at Sunrise
Back in September, I attended a workshop at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. On our last morning in town, I got up early to take a few photographs before breakfast. Low clouds and fog were blocking most of the morning light, and I was regretting my decision to leave my warm bed. As I was about to pack up my tripod, the clouds on the horizon parted enough to allow the rising sun to cast a jaw-dropping golden glow that reflected off the fog, drenching the air in honey. This light lasted for maybe 2 minutes, then disappeared.
Golden Light Behind Tree at Sunrise, Friday Harbor, WA (12″x18″)
Stan Sayres Boat Launch at Sunrise
Bulb exposures of passing clouds reflecting morning light at the Stan Sayres Boat Launch in late August.
Stan Sayres Dock at Sunrise (Angle), Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Stan Sayres Dock at Sunrise (Side), Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Dark Morning Clouds over Seattle
In early August,, I peeked out my window before heading in to work and noticed dramatic, dark storm clouds rolling over town. I grabbed my camera and shot a few panoramas on my way in to work.
Central District and Dark Morning Rain Clouds, Seattle, WA (12″x43″)
Lake Washington Bulb Exposures, Part 6
We had a relatively rare mid-summer rain pass through this weekend, so I took advantage of the darker skies and headed out to Madison Park to take a few bulb exposures of the passing clouds over Lake Washington. Unfortunately, as I set up to shoot, the sun started poking through the clouds, so even stacking a 10-stop ND filter on a polarizing filter only allowed for ~60-75 second exposures. I’ve found that I need a good two to five minutes to really get the water to flatten out in these photographs.
Madison Park Pier and Summer Rain Clouds (#5, B&W), Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Bulb Exposures of Seattle Skyline at Sunset
Back in late April, I drove over to West Seattle to shoot a few long-exposure photographs of the Seattle skyline at sunset.
Alki Beach Pylons and Pink Skies at Sunset, West Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Pylons and Seattle Skyline at Blue Hour, West Seattle, WA (16″x41″)
Lake Washington Bulb Exposures, Part 5
Exploring more docks/piers along the Lake Washington shore line- this weekend, I visited the ‘T Dock’ near Madrona Beach. With the low, thick clouds, I was able to get 2-5 minute exposure times with a 10-stop ND filter, even during the middle of the morning.
Lake Washington T Dock and Rain Clouds (#1, B&W), Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Lake Washington T Dock, Rain Clouds, and Ghosts (#1, Color), Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Lake Washington Bulb Exposures, Part 4
I had a chance to go back to the swimming pier at Mt Baker Beach on Lake Washington near sunset- fading pink light shifting to blue hour and passing clouds, and five minute exposure times. I was there for about an hour and walked away with something like six photographs. I like the way bulb exposure photography slows things down.
Lake Washington Swimming Pier at Sunset (#1, Color), Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Lake Washington Swimming Pier at Sunset (#2, B&W), Seattle, WA (10″x18″)
Lake Washington Bulb Exposures, Part 3
Swimming pier and I-90 bridge along the shore of Lake Washington, Seattle, WA.
Lake Washington Swimming Pier (#4, B&W), Seattle, WA (11″x18″)
I-90 Bridge and Fog (B&W), Seattle, WA (12″x12″)
Lake Washington Bulb Exposures, Part 2
Swimming pier near Mt Baker Beach along the shores of Lake Washington, Seattle, WA.
Mt Baker Beach Swimming Pier (#3, B&W), Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Lake Washington Bulb Exposures, Part 1
Foggy/rainy evening skies provide perfect ‘grey box’ lighting for bulb exposures along the shores of Lake Washington, Seattle, WA. This was my first time shooting there, so I tried two compositions: one including the eroding stairs leading down to the water, and the other with just the swimming pier- I like the simplicity of the latter, but the stairs and shore are a nice element in the former.
Lake Washington Swimming Pier (#1, B&W), Seattle, WA (12″x18″)
Lake Washington Swimming Pier (#2, B&W), Seattle, WA (10″x18″)
