Day 292 - The Sky's the Limit!

While I waited for the bus for close to an hour, I saw the strangest shapes of clouds in the skies.  The setting sun turned the sky into a riot of colours and the drifting clouds passed by like shape shifters.  Incredible!

All the images were taken with my cell phone.  I have done very minimal post-processing (slight saturation, cropping and noise reduction) as the quality of these images would otherwise deteriorate a lot.  So, please excuse the quality of the images today.

Day 184 - Arc en ciel

I had decided not to touch my camera today - exhausted after a night of very little sleep.  I was relaxing on the couch, after I got home when my son alerted me to the colour of the sky.  And not only was the camera lifted, but the lens was changed in record time, coat donned, feet slipped into running shoes, and the shoes were running away with the feet in probably less than two minutes of witnessing the light outside my window - there was a huge rainbow!

On my way home I had seen the heavy, dark clouds with a tear in them and the sun shone through it and lit everything up with a strange, iridescent light.   I knew that if I were in my right mind, I should go out.  But that's the thing - I wasn't in my right mind.  I was so tired, I had almost dozed off on the couch.  Had it not been my son asking me to look out of the window, I would never have known.  If my son has identified a photo op, then it's gotta be real good!  Normally, he just couldn't be bothered, because he doesn't quite figure out why I do what I do, every day!

Anyway, to cut long story short, I ran out to try and shoot the rainbow, since I've tried and failed to produce a good shot in the past.  This occasion was no different.  By the time I fiddled around with the settings, it was reduced to a blur! :(  But on turning back to return home, I was rewarded with the most incredibly red sky that I have ever seen!  I took a couple of pictures of that, and headed back home as it had started to drizzle, and I was bitterly cold having gone out without socks or gloves - and the temperature definitely felt sub-zero with the wind and the moisture.

These shots are SOOC.

Day 169 - I crossed the bridge when I got there...

... but only after I had snapped up this sunset.  Gorgeous colours and the clouds tell a story of their own.  I tried different perspectives, but this low-down shot through the railings got me the best one.

These shots were taken a couple of days ago, but I just hadn't had the time to upload them because of my work schedule.  It's finally lightened up a bit, and although I'm exhausted, I figured I should start clearing my backlog.

Handheld @ 1/15s, f/11, 21 mm, ISO 100, Aperture Priority

Handheld @ 1/25s, f/11, EV -0.33, 34 mm, ISO 100, Aperture Priority

Day 164 - A wasted photo op

I have been working very late every day and therefore getting home after it gets dark.  I left a little early because I had a technical problem that can't get fixed before tomorrow morning.  So, I left work thinking I would walk the last 3 kms home since I have been extremely stressed over the past few days.  I was exhausted but needed the exercise.
As I left the office, I observed the sky was gorgeous with the clouds hanging low looking like the smouldering ashes in a wood-burning fireplace.  I had wanted to enjoy the view, from my favourite part of the island where I live.

However, I lost time on the bus, then I lost time getting to the spot from where I thought I would get a nice view, only to realize that the path was blocked off by construction.  Then as I sadly walked home, I saw the last bits of the beautiful sky.  I had decided not to use my phone camera again since it delivers such poor results.  But I couldn't let myself give up and one optimistic corner of my heart led me to take a few shots.  The clouds in the sky seemed on fire, and the blue parts peeking out from behind the clouds reflected on the river.  It was breathtaking, yet what a waste without a camera.

This is the only shot that came out clear - the rest are horribly grainy.  But even from this poor quality image you can probably tell what I meant about the blue and the sunset colours reflected on the river.

Day 155 - Tired

I didn't do any photography today - I was completely fatigued for a lack of sleep for days now! :(  Happens too often for comfort, but well, that's me!

I ended up snoozing in the evening, and thought I'd take this chance to process a few shots I took yesterday.  Not sure which composition of the leaves with the house in the background I like better - probably the first one.  What do you think?

Day 143 - Mont Saint Bruno National Park

Day 130 - Reflections of a gorgeous sunset

Determined to get back on track a bit with my photo 365, I headed out with my camera, even though I felt totally uninspired.  Had no idea what to look for today, so just explored a new neighbourhood on the island where I live.  Found a few curious things, including an ivy covered lamp post.

I had a challenge exposing for the foreground that was the lamp post, because I'd wanted to include the interesting clouds in the sky.  Finally, gave up and just composed my shot with the lamp post, totally excluding the clouds, since they were getting blown out and the light was failing really fast.

Looking at this image makes me think like someone is towering over me and saying "I told you about the feet, didn't I?" (King Julian-style, in the movie Madagascar).

The image below was the only shot of the car I could get, because I was afraid someone might tell me off for photographing their car.  But I really like the reflection, and I managed to sneak a shot.  It didn't turn out too bad considering I had only the one chance.

The last ones here are not well composed at all!  I turned around at one point and saw the sky turning this incredible colour and I was in the thick of a residential neighbourhood.  I tried to get to the river side as fast as I could, because I knew that's where I would find all the colours, but I was on the east side of the island, and it would take me a good 20 min. brisk walking to get to the other side.  So, just to be able to record the colours, I shot into thin air, not caring about anything but the sky.  So here's the series almost SOOC, except for a little saturation and a crop in a couple of them.

Day 119 - Up with the birds 'n' the butterflies

And I also made a new friend while I was out shooting the sunrise.  

Day 93 - Another spectacular dusk, but I was in a hurry

Taken with the 55 mm end of my telephoto lens.  Missing the wide angle view.

I tried to blur the main subject her and kept a small part of the foreground in focus.  

Day 75 - Thunderstorm

I went out in the mini T-storm that we had yesterday evening.  My objective was to catch some lightning, but there were some major challenges - a) I didn't have a proper way to trip the shutter because I couldn't predict the lightning flashes; b) I used long exposures, but the lightning was really weak whereby there wasn't anything that was caught on camera; c) I waited for over an hour amidst the mosquitoes and other miscellaneous bugs that are characteristic of Spring and got a few bites as souvenirs.

I played with the WB on this one.  

These were unexpected shots of some Canada Geese treading water and taking off of the river.  I knew they always fly within some kind of formation, so I had to click continuously to get a shot that I liked.  

Day 73 - Playing tourist

Most noteworthy event for the day was that I finally managed lens flare and used it to create a star (photo #5)!  

Day 71 - Sunset on Ile des Soeurs

The evening walk had to be cut short because of the bug infestation this little island is witnessing.  You have bugs mobbing you like there's no tomorrow.  You have to keep swinging your arms around to chase the bugs away and be able to see where you're going!  If you blow up the first photo, you'll know what I mean.

This shot was handheld.  I need to use my tripod to see the difference in details.