The Ramble - My Top 30

I tried hard to put together a selection of images that would tell the story of our little trip.  10 guys, fatbikes and cameras in tow, it was not easy to narrow it down. We spent 6 days riding and I spent more than 8 days in all.  That equates to a lot of shooting, even for someone that tries to be a bit slower, shooting manual and never on continuous.  Still, I feel a responsibility to show a selection of images that I feel encompass the beauty, the spirit, and the love that took place on this little ramble. 

As Such, here are my top 30 (and even that was rediculously hard) images from the trip.  A combination of landscapes to portraits to priceless moments.  Enjoy!

G-

Controlled Chaos

View fullsize

Old City, Morocco -- Sony NEX-5 16mm @F/9.0

Celebrating the release of Bunyan Velo issue number 04, this is another shot from my Morocco bikepacking trip.  A speeding Moped races down the narrow stalls full of people, vendors, goods and bikes.  A crazy scene, which could be described as 'Controlled Chaos' is something that has to be experienced to be appreciated. 

You can read about the trip in the current issue and then next week I will upload the full Photo Essay.

Camera Nerds - The Lost Coast

Choosing what camera gear to carry on a long distance bike trip is always a challenge.  Over the years I have spanned the gamut from the simplicity of a smart phone to the complexities of DSLRs and mirrorless bodies.  Often for me, the over-arching theme is what types of images am I hoping to capture and what is my intended goal for said images.  Am I shooting to simply blog or am I looking for large print worthy images?  Am I traveling in a capacity that allows me to carry a bit more gear or am I very much constrained by size and weight.  

Since adopting a purely Bikepacking style of traveling, size and weight have often been key components in any decision that I make.  An exception to this was my trip last year to Alaska where I knew that I would have to use rear panniers in order to carry the amount and type of food needed for a self supported tour.  That decision opened up the opportunity to carry a D800E DSLR and a set of larger Zeiss lenses with a small NEX-7 as my point and shoot body.

You can barely see the little Hubba Hubba bag on top of my roll bag.  That is how nicely it fits up there.

For the recent Lost Coast trip, I knew that I needed to travel light, so I opted for a very minimal kit, at least minimal in size and weight.  I chose to carry my little Nikon V1 with 10/2,8 lens as my go to  on the bike 'grab' camera.  For a bit higher quality imagery I carried the Fuji X100s and the Fuji X-E1 with a XF 35/1,4 and the XF 60/2,4.  This entire kit, with batteries, easily fit in a Think Tank Hubba Hubba Hiney pack that was attached to my handlebars with velcro straps.

What was so interesting to me about the choice of camera gear was the distribution of both the images that I shot and then the distribution of images that made the final cut for my Lost Coast Photo Essay.  To say it was not what I expected is an understatement.  Here are the final stats:

Images captured on the entire trip: 3527 images

• Nikon V1: 1603
• Fuji X-E1 w/35: 196
• Fuji X-E1 w/60: 268
• X100s: 1460

That proved to be a fairly reasonable result given that the Nikon V1 was my go to camera on the bike.  It was the camera that was most easily simply grabbed and shot while cruising along on the bike. At camp or for more methodical shooting I would turn to the Fuji's to do the job.  As you can see, I really did not like the X-E1 very much otherwise I would have used it way more than the little X100s.  The X100s is just a lovely little camera to hold and shoot.  I look forward to seeing what Fuji does with that little guy.

However, what was really amazing to me, although I guess not totally unexpected, was the distribution of images that I used to tell the story.  These were images that I selected not only for their meaning to the story, but also because I felt they were nicely crafted images from a Image Quality (IQ) perspective.  Now, before this trip, I was shooting almost exclusively for a year with a Nikon D800E and Zeiss glass.  Widely considered to be one of the finest cameras ever made.  So my definition of IQ is a bit biased in one direction.

The final image selection: 118 images

• Fuji X100s: 43 images
• Fuji X-E1 w/35: 9
• Fuji X-E1 w/60: 20
• Nikon V1: 46

Folks, the Nikon V1 can be had for a little more than $200 on the used market w/10mm lens, which is exactly how I acquired mine.  This little camera and those image distribution numbers just blow me away. I want to beat the crap out of Nikon because they have allowed this little guy to be pummeled by the media when the reality is, if your target is the web or small (11x14) print, this camera just rocks.  It still  has the fastest, most reliable, AF of any small camera.  Yes it has a few warts, but it produces absolutely solid B&W images. 

I admit, I am not a fan of its color, but as anyone who follows my efforts these days knows I am turning almost exclusively to B&W imagery, and the little V1 does B&W beautifully. This camera at the current price points, should be in every adventurers bag.  The V1 uses the older Nikon batteries and they just last, so you can take a little V1 with the 10/2,8 lens, two batteries, and go shoot forever.  To say I am a fan is really an understatement.

Other than promoting the little V1, which really was not my main intent, I wanted to highlight how you can go create a compelling visual story with just about any camera out there today.  They all take great pictures, which means, like it always has, it is about the person behind the lens, the one that chooses when to push the shutter button.

Learning to see, before you pull the trigger, is what it is all about.

February Portland Photo Walk

We met up in the chilly winter air of Portland Maine for some beer tasting and an opportunity to explore the city with our cameras.  Learning to see at night is especially challenging given the extremes of light and dark.  For me, the Leica Monochrome simply excels at this environment.  The camera, with its high ISO capabilities and its beautiful rendition of tones, simply eats up the night light and spits out stunning images.  I love this camera more and more with each passing moment. 

Attached are some of my favorites from our evening walk.  I will be scheduling more walks as the year progresses so please stay tuned.  Part social, part teaching, all Fun.

Portland Photo Walk - 2/08/14

I am planning a photo walk, this coming Saturday, 2/08 in downtown Portland Maine.  The goal is to simply walk the city, sample some of the local beers, and have fun taking pictures.  Any and all are welcome to join in.  Start time will be 6:00 and we will meet at Eventide.  Please email me or comment here if you are planning on attending. 

Below are some images captured on my last Portland Photo Walk.  A beautiful city to photograph at night.

An ode to TMAX

It was my favorite film to shoot during 'those' days.  I don't know why, maybe the grain structure or the big dark contrast, or the way the blacks could really block up on you adding to that intense contrast .... I may actually never know, but in any event the TMAX look very much influenced the way I see B&W. 

With B&W I can focus on blacks and whites and shades of gray, structure, form, shapes and subtleties.  It becomes easier for me to tell the view exactly what it was that I saw and therefore, hopefully, easier for them to see what I saw. These 4 images from yesterday, developed in SEP using the TMAX filter and some of my own adjustments, were captured during my winter ride. 

I brought the trusty Trangia with just enough denatured alcohol to warm up my Snow Peak TI pots and make a lovely cup of tea.  It wasn't cold, but instead raw from the moisture in the air.  Having a cup of tea as I sat overlooking the water was a fitting way to end the day.

Two Fat Bikes, some snow, a good woman, and some Irish Whiskey

Oh, yea, don't forget the Leica Monochrome...

Day One

2014 arrives and I am stoked to continue this wonderful, crazy, sometimes psychotic thing called life.  While this year I made a resolution to not make resolutions, there are still areas of introspection that I hope to expound on as time goes by.  One thing that I will talk about right now is my journey with the Leica Monochrome.

The end of 2013 saw me sell off all of my Nikon and Zeiss gear to purchase a Leica Monochrome Rangefinder.  A camera with a lousy display, somewhat neurotic electronics, slow write speeds, no auto focus, only center weighted metering, and a host of other 'Non 2014' camera features that would make one question why any sane person would make this choice.  As part of this journey, and perhaps as a way of answering this 'why' question, I hope to post a single picture, each day, that represents my life with the Monochrome.

Along with these images I will throw in my thoughts about the camera, the lenses, photography in general, and life in the simplistic lane.  Yep, I guess that gives you insight into the biggest reason for this decision, Simplicity.  You see, with the Monochrome, you are on a singular mission.  It is not the camera making decisions for you, it is you making decisions for the camera.  What is the light like; what is the subject; how do I want to render this image that my eye sees;....

The list goes on and on.  It is a thinking persons camera, a very methodical image making tool. It is not a point and shoot camera with a gazillion menu options that allow some SW engineer to define how your image is going to look.   You are not going to get more than 2 frames per second, maybe 3, but that is only for the first several shots before the buffer gets completely backed up and the camera stops working. Nope, it is definitely not going to be any good for the run and gun lets capture 1000 images in a day photographer.  If you don't understand light, and luminance, and if you can't 'see' what is going on around you then you will be completely frustrated by this little guy.

The battery is just ok.  I have been able to work for days on end without any issue because I don't 'Chimp' anymore, other than some random peaks at the histogram.  It is winter right now, and without a doubt, shooting in bright snow conditions with a camera that absolutely cannot deal with blown out highlights, requires your utmost attention to detail.  I know, I know, old school chrome shooters did not have a histogram and managed to do ok.  Yep, I cut my teeth shooting thousands of rolls of Kodachrome 64 so I get it.  However, it is 2014, and therefore if I do have the use of a histogram, I will use it.

What I won't do is spend all of my time staring at the monitor on the back of my camera, zooming and panning to see if I got things in focus. I either did or I didn't and since I am not on some huge photo shoot where it needs to be right, I am content to simply do my best, and capture what I can.  If I got it, I got it, and if I didn't then I didn't. 

Now, this simplicity will either excite you or you will hate it.  I am not here to argue the merits of either way.  What I am here to say, is that after one month with this thing, I am in love with my photography again.  Yes, in love AGAIN.  By that I mean that I want to take pictures all the time, every day, every moment.  The kit is small and lite and unobtrusive.  I carry it with me everywhere in a simple non-descriptive Mountainsmith sling bag.  It is not a camera bag, but with a little insert to give the body and lens some bump protection, it works perfectly. 

I carry the bag and camera when I go out to the post office or out for drinks or out for dinner, or wherever I go.  I want it with me all the time and I love that with this camera, I am capable of producing images that are of a quality that is meaningful to me.  This is where the Nikon kit let me down.  It wasn't that I could not produce outstanding images with the D800E and the Zeiss lenses, because I could. Hands down one of the nicest combinations of photographic kit I had ever owned.  However, what was lacking is that more than  not, I did not have the camera with me.  I did not carry it everywhere.  Nope, I know, it really was not that much heavier, but I guess the MM just hits the sweet spot for bulk and weight. 

It is hefty enough to feel outstanding in your hands, but small enough and light enough that swinging a bag over your shoulder is nice.  Heck, I think the bag, with some miscellaneous stuff in it, the camera/lens and whatever else I happen to be carrying is actually lighter than my GF's purse/satchel/bag... Ok, sorry, I digress.  You get it, the kit is light enough to have with you all the time and that is what matters.

If you don't have the camera with you, then you cant capture that decisive moment.  While I love taking the occasional snap with my 41 megapixel Nokia Lumia camera phone, that just does not cut it for me. It is not what I want for my moment to moment image making tool.

2014 is here, and I intend to continue following my passions to the fullest.  I have always felt the most happy when I had a camera in hand.  Making images is my life blood.  I suck at the written word, but will strive to get better on that front. 

Images, they are my stories, a window into my world, how I see, feel, think and love. Follow along and enjoy the journey.

Peace & Love

G-

Shades of Gray

View fullsize

2013 Autumn Gales - In the Books

Another successful gathering of paddlers and coaches down in Stonington CT. This event, hosted by Greg Paquin of Kayak Waveology, has become the go-to premier rough water paddling event on the East Coast.  For the 3rd year in a row I have attempted to capture the event to the best of my abilities.  Lots of images left to edit, and as with the AW1 review, I hope to get them all done by Monday.  In the meantime, a few teaser images to get things going....

Shooting Wide Open

If you own Zeiss glass then you have to shoot wide.  The magic of these lenses really shines when used this way. 

Mirrorless updates - Going Light, final bits

It has been a while since I totally dedicated myself to traveling with just a mirrorless camera on a trip that I knew would have a great deal of photographic opportunity. For the upcoming Lost Coast trip, in an effort to go lighter and to do a more realistic evaluation I have chosen to fore-go the big Nikon/Zeiss gear and instead travel with a set of small cameras.  The Fuji X100s, the Fuji XE-1 and my small fun&gun Nikon V1. 

It will no doubt be interesting to see if this collection of cameras and lenses can provide me with the coverage and IQ that I typically require or even demand.  There has been much written in the blogo-sphere about people making the switch from DSLRs to Mirrorless cameras.  Well, I can say for a fact, as of right now, there is NO way I would make that a permanent switch -- It would require giving up way to much IQ for my purposes (The Nikon D800/Zeiss combo is simply incredible).  Instead, I choose to view these cameras as tools.  Each having a utility and a purpose along with pros and cons.  Weight and bulk typically versus IQ and focus speed/accuracy.

I wanted to go light on this trip and yet I still want a range of focal lengths.  I want something small, quick and relatively disposable (the Nikon V1) for my 'grab' camera and I want something with more meat, more flexibility, and yes, better IQ -- the X100s and the XE-1 paired with the 35 and 60.  I have always preferred the concept of two cameras with different focal lengths paired together over switching out lenses in the field.  Traveling in lightweight mode, it is simply not possible to carry two D800's, which is surely another great benefit to these small little cameras.

It will be a real life experiment with real life images and a real test to see how this all works out.  From a bulk standpoint they are collectively almost the size of my D800 with Zeiss lens.  From a risk standpoint, they are a fraction of the cost of that kit, which, having destroyed a few D3's on trips, is a relief. 

I have also added a few other bits to the kit, just to try and sort out a few answers for myself.  The RRS L plate for the X100s gives me a nice grip and a quality L plate all in one modular kit.  I have also added the Gorrilla Pod Focus unit mated to a RRS UL ball head.   New SanDisk memory cards and a manual cable release fill out the remaining parts. 

On a bike note, the Fargo has not arrived, so it will be the Ti Mukluk configured as lightweight as I could set it up.  My riding partners are going skinny and I am going Fat -- we will see how this all works out at the end.

Two days and counting so follow along, it is going to be a beautiful ride!!   

Nikon V1 Arrives

I have been a huge fan of the Nikon 1 series since they were first released.  There was only one issue with them in my opinion, and that was price. Due to current market conditions, Nikon V1s can be found for an absolute steal.  I was able to acquire a vintage V1 with the little 10/2,8 lens for less than $300 including shipping.   

I have some very specific goals and objectives for this little camera.  As many know, I am a devout Nikon D800 shooter and Zeiss lover.  However, the weight of that kit is very limiting when traveling light.  It is also an expensive system and one that I am not willing to jeopardize while out on the water in the Kayak.  The little V1 fills a very specific niche in my opinion.  It is small in size, takes great images with a very film like capability and more importantly, has the best AF of any mirrorless camera available. 

My intention is to pair the V1 with an Outex cover and use that setup as my hand held kayak camera.  The reach of the 1" cropped sensor along with the snappy AF system should provide me with plenty of capabilities while shooting on-water events.

On the bike, my intention is to use this as my go to 'grab' camera.  The one that is rugged and reliable and capable of shooting super slow motion video, fast hand held shots and other quick grabs where I might previously have used a GoPro.  The fact that you can get these bodies so inexpensive, doesn't make them throw away, but it does minimize the risk associated with using the camera in this manner.

As I go through the process of learning the camera I will  share my thoughts and images.  For now, here is a series of images, shot today, straight out of the camera in B&W.  The only processing applied was light sharpening when they were exported from LR.  I don't know, they look pretty nice to me.

Fall is rapidly approaching

I love this time of year, it is so peaceful, colorful, and a wonderful time to take pictures. 

Combine cameras and bikes along with gravel roads, and you suddenly have the ability to get off the beaten path and explore the region at its finest.  This image was taken in the Moosehorn NWR while out riding my Salsa Ti Mukluk.  The Mukluk is the perfect mode of transportation for getting back into the woods along the rutted and often wet trail system of NE Maine.

This year I will be starting a set of photography workshops that are focused on using bikes as a means of accessing remote and pristine areas.  I am looking at doing one or two of these in Maine this October and possibly a third in Vermont.  If you are interested drop me a line. 

The Path

I talk about it quite a bit, the path of life.  It takes us to unknown places no matter how much we try and control it.  Right now I find myself a bit busy, not getting out on the bike or even out on the water in the Yak.  A few moments here and there behind the camera, but definitely not enough to fill my soul...

Yet the path keeps on moving, it takes us where it will. There is no controlling the path-- I can't fight it, just gotta go with it, see where it leads, where it ends.  

View fullsize

The Path