Iceland 1 - Day 3 (March 17, 2014)
It is day 3 of this trip and we head out to the region known as Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This is a rugged region of Icelandic west coast that juts out into the Atlantic between Faxaflói bay and Breiðafjörður. The two coasts north and south separate by a range of mountains that run along the peninsula and culminate ending up at Snæfellsjökull, a large volcano and glacier at the land’s westernmost point. This is the largest volcano on this peninsula. This is the mountain that was featured in the Jules Verne book “Journey to the Center of the Earth"
Travel to this region is shortest when you take the 6 kilometer long tunnel that traverses under the ocean. Once through the tunnel, on the way Snæfellsnes to our first stop was the unique single crater volcano named Eldborg (The Fire Castle) is actually it is a caldera rather than a volcanic crater.
Next, we ant to the town of BÚÐIR. This is a former fishing village in the Búðavík bay. The settlement was abandoned in the early nineteenth century and today has just a hotel and a church. The church is a black church surrounded by a lava field. It has three white-framed windows and was constructed in 1703. The church has a surrounding wall made of lava and topped with turf.
Our next location was an costal area Arnastapi at the foot of Stapafell. It is a small fishing village and harbor. The rocks and cliff sides are rookeries. This time of year the primary nesting sea birds were Fulmars with a few Kittiwakes. Arctic terns also nest here and are known to dive-bomb when threatened.
There are lots of photo opportunities in this area and one has to be very careful of massive rogue waves. The waves are very unpredictable and if you are on a beach or near the ocean you must be extra cautious.A quick snack and then on to another hunt for the Aurora. There were faint signs while we were driving so we stopped and set up. This was truly rewarding.
Iceland 1 - Day 2 (March 16, 2014)
Iceland continues to be cloudy, stormy and very windy. We planned of doing the Golden Circle route despite adverse weather conditions. On the way to Þingvellir we stopped at Mosfellsheiði (Mosfellsheidi in English).
Þingvellir (Thingvellir in English) which is the is the National Park where the Althing, open-air parliament that represented all of Iceland, was convened in 930 and continued remained active until 1798. It became a national park in 1928 and has a special tectonic and volcanic environment as a rift valley. It is in this area that you can see the continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates particularly in the faults which traverse park. The largest of the fault cracks is the Almannagjá. 
Þingvellir is on the northern shore of Þingvallavatn, that is the largest natural lake in Iceland.
As we walked along the fault cracks we noticed bus loads of tourists arriving so decided we would go ahead to the largest waterfall Gullfoss and beat the crowds that were bound to visit the famous Gyser before going to Gullfoss.For a change Gullfoss was not as windy so the group was able to get some excellent images from the various vantage points.
Next stop was for lunch at the Geyser. Here again the crowds were impossible - it was school vacation week in England and hence the crowds.After lunch we headed out to photograph the Geyser. A few quick eruptions and then we are in the middle of one of the fastest developing snowstorms. No one outside was spared. A few (sensible) members of the group decided to stay back in the restaurant - smart move. By the time one could walk from the gyser to the concession store photographers, cameras and tripods all became one big white snow covered mass.Heading back around the Golden Circle we stopped and photographed a small church in Faxi called Haukadals Kirkja (Kirkja means Church - interesting that the Hindi word for church is Girja and sounds similar to Kirkja).
Next stop was a coral of Icelandic horses on Route 35 before heading to another waterfall.
This is Faxafoss which is not very high but has some lovely form.
With the weather continuing to be problematic we heads towards a potential Aurora location. As the sun was going down we stopped overlooking a valley with a lovely little church. This is the church at Lake Ulfljotsvatn that is south of the Thingvellir national part called Ulfljotsvatn Kirkja. The original church or churches were was established 1200. The current church was built in 1914 and will be 100 years old this year. The lake is frozen but it is deceptive. It is believed that centuries ago the priest and people traveling to attend mass drowned on their way trying to cross the lake as a shortcut to church.
- The church at Lake Ulfljotsvatn
The Aurora is always a waiting game so we waited and waited. All there was to photograph was the full moon.One can only have so much patience and with no signs of the skies clearing we returned to the hotel.
Iceland 1 - Day 1 (March 15, 2014)
We arrived about 1/2 hour early and the luggage was already on the carrousel when we go to baggage claim. It was raining, torrential at times when we got the the car rental building, all very smooth and efficient. Getting the rentals was another story - it took over an hour to get the 4 suv’s despite pre booking and payment. The 7 of us finally get to the hotel where we have been moved because the hotel we originally were booked in was overbooked. In one way tho seas great because this is a very luxurious 4 star hotel. We checked in and went down to have an excellent buffet breakfast. We met up with the rest of the group who had come in a day earlier.
Though it was still raining we headed out to the Reykjanes Peninsula. The word Reykjanes means Smoky Point in Icelandic. We traveled paper and semi paved roads through lava fields to Grænavatn a green tinted lake that was created within a volcanic crater. The wind was constant and blowing furiously 50 MPH or more. It was virtually impossible to hold a camera still. The next stop was Seltún a geothermal field with mud cauldrons, hot pools and steam vents.
We spent a short while photographing the lighthouses of Reykjness. One is a yellow/orange lighthouse named Hopnes after the lava spit of the same name.
After a lunch at a local village N1 we drove to another Geothermal Area Gunnuhver where once again the wind intense. The smell of sulfur is everywhere and the vapors here are dense. Beautiful mineral tones adorn this field. The geothermal is is named Gunna a legendary woman who was accused of murder and thrown into the boiling hot spring.
The final stop of the day was the ocean area called Valahnúkur. This is a beautiful coastline with high jagged cliffs all formed by volcanic eruptions and lava. As it was the whole day, here too we were greeted with high winds and major ocean spray making photography a challenge.
On our way back to the hotel we drove by the tallest lighthouse in the region built on Bæjarfell hill. With the forecast and dense clouds we decided not to venture out for Aurora activity this evening.
So what's in the bag for my Iceland workshop
I had indicated that once I had figured out what to take and how to configure and pack my thinkTANK Airporter International V2 I would share the details with you.
So here is what it looks like all packed and ready to roll.
Then I had to unpack everything to show you what I had packed. Good exercise, as one can pack a lot but repacking the same amount never seems to work. Fortunately it all repacked just fine. Because of its construction, the bag is heavy when empty but that does not bother me. The contents are secure and the wheels are very smooth. One of the features I really like is the extra handle on the bottom of the bag between the wheels to facilitate loading the bag in overhead bins when traveling by air.A tighter view of the main compartment:
So here is what is in the kit.
Bodies:
- Canon 5D Mk III
- Canon 7D
- Panasonic GH3
- GoPro Hero 3 Black
Lenses:
- Canon 70 - 200 f/2.8 IS
- Canon 24 - 70 f/2.8
- Canon 16 - 35 f/2.8 II
- Canon 40mm f/2.8
- Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 Nikon mount with a Canon adapter
- Panasonic 12 - 35 f/2.8
- Panasonic 7 - 14 f/4
I typically carry all the lens hoods and the BosStraps separately in my suitcase.Intervalometers and Motion Control:
- ASTRO intervalometer and motion control device
- Promote Control for HDR, Timelapse and other remote functions
- Hahnel Giga T Pro
Filters:
- Lee Big Stopper 10 Stop Filter
- HighTech 8 stop ND Filter
- HighTech 100mm filter holder
Accessories:
- 2 Panasonic batteries and 7 Canon batteries
- Canon and Panasonic Battery Chargers
- 2 GuraGear Memory card carriers with CF and SD Cards
- 1 Hyperspace Disc drive and downloader adapter
- Kirk Panorama nodal slide rail
- Spare Lens caps
- A large Cleaning Cloth in pouch
- Lens Pen
- Dust blower
- Delkin USB UDMA Card reader and cable
- Various cables and connectors for the intervalometers
- Set of Allen Wrenches
- Roll of Gaffers tape
GPS:
- Canon GPS Receiver GP-E2
- Garmin eTrex GPS device
Flash Lights:
- Surefire Head Lamp
- Sure Fire 900 lumen flashlight
- Maglite (2 AA halogen bulb)
International GSM Compatible Blackberry Phone.Not Shown in the image is a 15in MacBook Pro in the outer sleeve of the bag.That is a lot of equipment and there is still room in the various sleeves and pouches that I have left empty.Check out this previous blog post for some new products and a link to purchase.
Issues with downloading my book - RESOLVED
There was a problem with Payloadz and PayPal that was giving various "merchant" errors. This has been resolved and the PDF version of my book can be downloaded without this aggravation. My apologies.http://store.payloadz.com/details/1996482-ebooks-other-time-lapse-imagery.html
Introducing Astro - a single axis motion control device
The Astro is a fairly simple and compact intervalometer and single axis motion control device for time-lapse and panorama photography.The unit is powered by 2 AA batteries. The unit can be positioned in one of two orientations, horizontal for rotational panning and vertical for tilt panning. Rotation can be in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. It is rated to support unto 22 pounds of camera gear when properly mounted and balanced on the central pivot point in the horizontal pan mode and 6.5 pounds in tilt mode. It has a maximum speed of 6° per second in panorama mode or 360° in 55 seconds. It is rated for operating temperatures of 32° to 104° F or 0° to 40° CThe device can be ordered with cables specific to the camera you use. A 2.5mm jack connects the Astro cable to you camera. A cable with 2.5 mm jacks on either end is provided to connect your iPhone or Android phone for additional functionality. The IOS and Android applications are under development and not available as of the writing of this book.
Programming the astro is very easy. The unit has three rings stacked one above the other and a status LED that also serves as a marker.
- The uppermost ring controls the “Duration” where you set the total duration of the time-lapse from 15 min to 12 hrs.
- The middle ring controls the “Rotation” that is the total rotational angle from the start of the sequence to the end.
- The lowest ring sets the triggering “Interval” in seconds.
You mount a plate that matches yourtripod head to the bottom of the Astro. Mount a ball-head on the top or mount your camera directly to the to 1/4 20mm screw. Connect the cable to the Astro and your camera. Program the Astro in three steps and press one of the directional start buttons. The unit will turn on, follow a move, settle shoot cycles to the end of the sequence.Depressing either of the two start buttons during a sequence will terminate the sequence.The Status LED provides the following information:Single Green: Indicates each movement.Rapid Orange: Smartphone Mode. The unit is waiting for a smartphone program transfer.Rapid Red: Indicates an error in starting the program.Continuous Red: Indicated a canceled program.Rapid Red: Indicates a low battery.Two Astro units can be coupled using “L Brackets” to achieve 2 axis motion, panning and simultaneous tilting.
For testing 2 Eneloop Rechargeable AA batteries were used. The Astro was fitted with a 1/4 20 to 3/8 adapter and a Feisol CB-50DC bullhead on top. A Really Right Stuff plate was attached to the base. This combination was mounted on top of a Gitzo tripod and the Really Right Stuff BH55 bullhead. I first tested the Astro with a Canon 7D and a 16 - 35 mm f/2.8 L series II lens in pan mode and the the unit's performance was effortless and accurate through the duration of the time-lapse sequences. To take it up a notch, the Astro was mounted with the 7D and a 70 - 200 f/2.8 L series lens. The lens foot plate was used to balance the camera lens combination on the Astro. This is about as heavy as you would use to do a time-lapse sequence. Once again the performance was very good. I did notice a slight backlash in the last frame. This is easily solved by eliminating the frame before assembling the final sequence.Since the L brackets are not yet available the Astro was mounted in a vertical orientation by dropping the Tripod's ball head 90 degrees. For this test the camera body was a Canon 5D MkIII and a the 16 - 35 mm f/2.8 L series II lens.You can get the Astro now by clicking on the button below. The pre order price is $249 and the retail price will be $280.
thinkTANK - announces two new products
Think Tank just announced the release of new products aimed at enhancing your workflow and increased mobility.Also look out for my update on the thinkTank Airport International V 2.0 and a new post on the Retrospective Shoulder Bag. 
Think Tank Photo’s new Modular Pixel Pocket Rocket (PPR) is belt-mountable, which enables you to easily whip out CF and SD cards and to keep them securely and conveniently at hand when shooting. The Modular PPR is easily secured by a sturdy hook-and-loop panel to any Think Tank Photo modular belt or to any belt. It holds six CF cards and three SD cards, as well as other small accessories, such as a smart phone or lens cloth.Click here for the Modular Pixel Pocket Rocket (PPR) 
The App House 8 and the App House 10 are two hybrid bags for quick access to a small or standard-size Apple tablets and can be used either as shoulder bags or mounted on belts. Streamlined and secure, their small size, removable shoulder strap, and double-lock belt-mount make it practically effortless for you to carry and access your tablet and stay connected around town or when traveling. Key features include: Dedicated pockets for carrying a smart phone, device accessories, plus other small items; a dedicated, easily accessible smart phone pocket with soft liner; and an internal organizer with elastic and zippered pockets for connection cables, card readers, power cables, portable charger, pens, or other personal items.Click here for the App House 8Click here for the App House 10 For all other thinkTANK products CLICK HEREAll orders over $50 entitle you to a free gift. In case you are wondering what your choices are see the screenshot below:
Elinchrome D-LiTE-RX4 - Review
Elinchrom’s new D-Lite-RX 2/4 200/400 ws strobes are excellent low sync speed semi portable studio worthy strobes. The ”it” designation is for Intelligent Triggering.
Each strobe head is made from a rugged impact resistant plastic that has a rubberized top handle with a holder for a spare fuse.with many new exciting features. The kit contains two strobes, power cables, two Portalite square soft boxes, with bayonet mounts. Included is one reflector.
Each head has a built-in Skyport” receiver and a four channel Skyport transmitter is included with the kit.The transmitter is an optional item for single units. All heads are fan cooled when needed. The kit includes a pair of Manfrotto light stands and all carrying cases.
The heads are available in 200 and 400 Watt versions. My units are 400 Watts. The control panel is well configured as shown in the image below.
Specifications:
The power switch is illuminated when the head is powered on. A two position LED indicates the power setting, with two buttons to increase or decrease the power in 1/10 increments. Another button allows you to set the modeling light at full power, minimum power, proportional power or off. There is a strobe trigger button called the Eye-Cell and is programmable for Auto, Manual or Pre-Flash modes. This is very useful when using a hot-shoe flash to trigger the D-Lites. Finally there is a button to turn on or off the audible beep. The units have a decent recycling rate recharging in .35 to 1.6 seconds based on the power output setting. A great feature is "Auto Dumping". When you lower the power output the nut will automatically dump the excess charge and indicates it is ready with a beep.
Set-up
Assembling the Portalite soft boxes takes up most of the time. There is one addition I would like, a secondary diffusion panel inside the Portalite Softbox. The rest is easy. The units come preconfigured to work with the Skyport set on the Frequency Channel 1 and Group 1. Changing channels and groups is easy and accomplished pressing the power up and down buttons together, then toggling the function using the modeling lamp mode button and using the individual power up or down buttons to
select the following:
- Groups 1 through 4
- Channels 1 through 8
At any time you can do a Master Reset to factory defaults switching off the unit, holding the power up and down buttons and switching on the unit again.
The unit has two umbrella mounts. one is a centered tube that will accept 7mm diameter umbrella shafts that are on the Elinchrome EL umbrellas. If you do not have EL umbrellas you can mount an off centered umbrella in the secondary mount near the tilt handle.
For most of the work I do in studio I find these to be an excellent choice. The units work flawlessly. I have two sets in my studio and for the past 8 months these have never missed a beat. The power output and color temperature are consistent and the supplied cases are ideal for transportation to allocation shoots.
I highly recommend these units to anyone looking for an excellent high quality starter system. My preference is for the 400W units.
These can be purchased for $949 for the 400WS heads and $849 for the 200WS heads. Individual heads are also available but the best price breaks are when you purchase a kit.
Time-Lapse Imagery - interactive PDF version available
The interactive PDF version of my e-book Time-Lapse Imagery is now available and can be downloaded. You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat reader for your computer in order to read this book.Download the interactive PDF by clicking on Add to CartThe iBook version can be downloaded from the iBook store
Adobe Acrobat can be downloaded and installed using this link: http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Syrp Newsletter and NAB 2014 discount information
My friends from New Zealand and makers of the Genie Time-Lapse Motion Control Device publish a wonderful newsletter. This issue includes my book and that deserves a big thank you. Also a passcode for a $150 savings at NAB 2014.Here is a link to the latest issue and you might just want to subscribe to it.Syrp News 23rd february
thinkTANK Airport International™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag
Just got my thinkTANK Airport International Camera bag and am in the process of configuring it for Iceland. At this point I have two DSLR's, a 70 - 200 f/2.8 IS, a 16-35, 50mm Zeiss, 40 mm pancake, 24 - 70 f2.8, GoPro Hero 3 Black, batteries, intervalometers, and a compliment of ND filters. and more in the bag. I will be including a third Panasonic GH body and two Panasonic lenses.First impressions - the bag is built like a tank and has great depth so I can really pack in a lot. The zippers lock, using a combination lock system and a rear security cable can be used to secure the bag to any immovable object while traveling.I will include a few images showing the contents when the bag is fully configured.If you are looking for thinkTANK bags and accessories use this link. For a purchase of $50 or more ThinkTank will send you a special gift free.
The winter of 2013 - 2014
I can't remember a winter like this one. Days and days of freezing cold. The heating bills going through the roof and no end in sight. Another storm tonight. This started with 10 to 12 inches of snow and now just and inch - but of course it is a storm so has a name "TITAN". Oh well if it is an inch the Titan is not so mighty.
The image was captured two weeks ago in New Hampshire along the Kankamagus Highway in New Hampshire. (click on the image to enlarge). This is the Swift River - mostly frozen. I loved the interplay of light and shadow and the awesome textures. The image was further enhanced with Macphun Software - Focus 2 Pro. (See my previous blogpost for details)
Macphun releases Focus 2 Pro
Focus 2 Pro launched today! The software is a substantial upgrade from the standard version that many of you already use. Focus 2 Pro lets photographers of all skill levels easily add creative focus, blur, tilt-shift effects, motion blur, and other enhancements to images. It’s FAR easier to use than Photoshop or other labor-intensive techniques, at an affordable price.
Here is a quick summary of key points:• Plug-in support for host applications Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Apple Aperture• 3 New Types of Blur: Zoom, Radial and Linear Motion Blur• RAW image support, up to a 16-bit depth• Advanced Brightness, Contrast and Saturation fine-tuning for blur areas• Advanced Detail, Clarity and Vividness fine-tuning for areas in focus• Improvements to Bokeh simulation algorithms• Price: MSRP $39.99, upgrades $19.99Click Here to orderSee simple images in the gallery.
TWiP - 348
The production version of TWIP 348 is on line. It was a pleasure and honor to be a co-host on TWiP. It truly was a great session with Frederick and Syl. The great news is that my book "Time-Lapse Imagery" is in the Apple iBook store as of this morning. I am thrilled.Check it out hereIf you are not subscribed, please do so in iTunes for the audio podcast.More on Frederic Van Johnson at http://frederickvan.com and http://mediabytes.comMore on Syl Arena at his blog http://pixsylated.com/blog/ and his work at http://sylarena.comDon't miss out the interview with Blunty. Frederick sat down for a chat with YouTube star Blunty about cameras, photography and life! Check out Blunty at http://www.blunty.tv
Time-Lapse Imagery - Published
I am so thrilled. My book is finished and is available in the Apple Store. It is an interactive iBook/e-Book that can be viewed using iBooks on a Mac or on an iPad.I am working on an interactive PDF version for all non Mac and iPad users. This should be ready in a week or so.
Topaz Simplify - 50% Discount
Effective now through the end of February you can get Topaz Simplify at a 50% discount. Topaz Simplify allows you to turn your photos into watercolors, paintings, and other fine art.Click Here to purchase and get your discount.
Another Cold Night in Boston
Spent last evening in Boston doing some night time time-lapse sequences. This was taken from the 29th floor of Harbor Towers about 9:15.
Tamron's new 16 to 300 mm f/3.5 - 6.3 lens and less than 4 inches long.
This from the February 6, 2014, Tamron Press Release: Tamron Co., Ltd. has announced the development of an advanced new all-in-oneTM zoom lens exclusively for digital SLR cameras with APS-C size image sensors that provides an amazing 18.8X zoom ratio. The lens sample will be on display at the Tamron booth at the CP+ 2014, which will be held from February 13 to 16 in Yokohama, Japan.Responding to consumers’ demand for expanded focal lengths both at the wide-angle end of the zoom range and the telephoto end, Tamron has begun developing a completely new all-in-oneTM zoom lens design that provides an impressive focal length range extending from 16mm true wide-angle to 300mm super-telephoto.
Product Highlights
- With a minimum focal length of 16mm (35mm film equivalent: 24.8mm) at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, and a maximum focal length of 300mm (35mm film equivalent: 465mm), this remarkable new lens provides a zoom ratio of approximately 18.8X.
- Superior, reliable image quality with a universal lens. The lens construction features 16 elements in 12 groups.
- A minimum focusing distance of just 0.39 meters supports an extensive range of macro photography capabilities.
- PZD (Piezo Drive) delivers faster, quieter autofocus action.
- Sharper images with VC (Vibration Compensation)
- Moisture-resistant construction for worry-free outdoor shooting.
| Specifications: | |
| Model | A010 |
| Focal Length | 28-300mm |
| Maximum Aperture | F/3.5-6.3 |
| Angle of view (diagonal) | 75°23’ - 8°15’ (for full-frame format)52°58’ - 5°20’ (for APS-C format) |
| Lens Construction | 19 elements in 15 groups |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 19.3 in (0.49m) |
| Maximum Magnification Ratio | 1:3.5 (at f=300mm: MFD 19.3 in) |
| Filter Size | Ø67mm |
| Maximum Diameter | Ø74.4mm |
| Length (5) | 3.8 in (96mm) |
| Weight | 19 oz (540g) |
| No. of Diaphragm Blades | 7 (circular diaphragm) |
| Minimum Aperture | F/22-40 |
| Standard Accessories | Flower-shaped Lens hood |
5 Day Special Pricing on Wacom Tablets
Hunts of Melrose is offering a 5 day special on Wacom Intuos Tablets for my subscribers.
Small tablethttp://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?ProductID=PTH451&sp=9ZtAQMedium tablethttp://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?ProductID=pth651&sp=9ZtAQLarge tablethttp://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?ProductID=PTH851&sp=9ZtAQ
Winter Storm Nika Forces Indoor Photography
We have about 10 inches of snow, but with the rain the snow is is getting packed down and getting heavier by the minute. It's just not conducive for any outdoor winter photography so decided to play with some water drops. Using a TriggerTrap V1 hooked up to a Nissen 866 flash head, Rogue gels, a dropper and a pan of water. Flash set at 1/64 power backlighting the water drop through an acrylic panel. Camera at ISO 100, aperture f/10 in Bulb mode.