Fresh from the Echo Trail

[Steve Foss]

Hey all, spent the day (from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.) with a couple photographers. We headed up the Echo Trail and got as far as Jeanette Lake before turning around and making our way back to Ely.

Here's some of what we found.

Sunrise in the bog

Canon 30D, Canon 400 f5.6L, iso100, 1/500 at f5.6, monopod

Caught!

30D, Canon 100 f2.8 macro, iso100, 1/320 at f6.3, handheld

Spider web pearls

30D, 100 macro, iso100, 1/2000 at f2.8, handheld

Small buck, towering pines

D-Rebel XT, 400 f5.6L, iso400, 1/200 at f13, monopod

Fading bunchberry

30D, 100 macro, iso100, 3.2 sec at f16, tripod, remote shutter release, mirror lock-up

Pitcher plant flower in late succession black spruce bog

Canon 5D, Canon 17-40 f4L at 17mm, iso200, 1/25 at f16, handheld, gold reflector disk underneath to illuminate flower and match temperature of sun on spruces

To capture this image, I was laying on my back in sphagnum, which flattened and allowed 4 inches of water to flow in around me. Wish it would have been the last pic of the day, but I had about 2 hours to go after this one. Yikes!

[123fish]

Nice! Really like the spider web pearls.

[Catmendo]

All cool stuff Steve! The pitcher plant turned out really interesting. It gives me the impression of being under a shower head waiting for the water to turn on! In your case the water was apparently creeping in from "all" parts of your extremities!

Good work!

[finnbay]

Hey, great series, Steve! I really like 'em all, though I think the mood in "Sunrise in the Bog" is my favorite.

[buzzsaw]

Another vote for the Spider Web pearls. But all in all a nice series. It's nice to get a feel for the lay of the land up in your neck of the woods.

[Dbl]

All great shots but I really think the spider web pearls is a "jewel"!

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, guys, for looking and commenting. Stu, if that pitcher plant flower would have made like a shower head and soaked me from above, it would only have matched the soaking I was getting from below!

I like the jewels myself, but my all-time fave is the pitcher plant. It's an image I could not have made with the 30D and 17-40, because the 1.6 crop factor of the 30D sensor renders 17mm as about 26-27mm, and that 10mm difference is huge in wide angle.

While I tend to emphasize vision over equipment when it comes to photography, equipment can impose limits upon imagination, and this is a case where having the 17-40 on a full-frame sensor so it was a true 17mm allowed me to accomplish what the bog inspired. I was laying there looking at the pitcher plant when I rolled onto my back to get up and saw the trees forming a concentric circle of spires pointing to heaven, and it occurred to me I could position myself so the blossom was in the opening created by the spires, like laying on the floor of nature's cathedral and looking up at God. Since one of the clients I was with is a serious Christian, we agreed it seemed like an appropriate sentiment. Considering the wilderness is my church (and the black spruce-sphagnum bog the most special place for me), it was even more appropriate.

And, luckily, the sun was at a cooperative angle so we didn't have to wait and wait and wait to make that image.

Considering how I love most to spend time in those bogs, it would be a great gift to have the time and resources to put together a book. A combination of essays and photographs capturing some of the many species within the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as the mood and weather, of the black spruce bogs in all seasons. What a rich and rewarding project that would be.

Anyway, enough of my silly philosophical meanderings, and thanks again for looking in and commenting, everyone.

P.S. -- Gotta get me one of those 5D bodies! But first, this photographer has to find me a benefactor, and those folks just don't grow on trees.

[jonny_redhorse]

All nice Steve but that pitcher plant is a dandy image...nice work on that one!...

[Paul]

I will say, that I have actually gone back about 5 different times to look at that pitcher plant. I made a point to show the people at work, and some other people as well as I emailed a link to them to check it out. By Far that shot has to be one of my favorite shots I have seen posted in a long long time anywere. If it were not for the fact that I have way to many pictures on the wall as it is, It would be something that under different circumstances, I would purchase and hang on the wall. A true beauty. It also just goes to show we are willing to go through for a shot.

KUDOS.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Jonny and Paul. And Paul, you've darn near got me blushing. That's not easy to do.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Last one for me too-gorgeous!

A little off topic-I have been hearing on all the west coast photography podcasts from the big time pros that crop bodies are on the way out. I have also heard this in passing from some folks at Canon. All DSLRs are destined to be full frame-in the not too distant future.

This made sense to me,as I always thought it would be cheaper to have one set of "tooling" for 1 sensor size. This may also explain the almost immediate price drop of the 40D's.

The majority of peeps say that 12-14MP is the magic number on full frame. This is backed up by many,many folks who say the 5D has the best image quality of any DSLR at any price. I was very suprised to see Ken Rockwell,who is a diehard Nikon guy,attest to the 5D's superiority over the D300 and the D3 when it comes to resolution/image quality.

The new 5D I had awhile back didn't impress me to the extent of the hype,but I wasn't shooting the good glass on it either. I just wish it was a few more FPS!

If the 5D's replacement keeps the image quality,same sensor size,and has 5 FPS-the wife will not be happy!

Sorry for the Hi-Jak.

[Steve Foss]

No hijack, MM. If the upgraded 5D incorporates the new pixel technology pioneered by the 1D Mk3 and included in the 1Ds Mk3 and XSi, it can stand another 2 to 4 Mp and still not sacrifice its current IQ. If it's already the class of the world on IQ, it'll be the NEW class of the world. I've no doubt it'll be 5 fps or better on the burst rate. And 5 fps is enough for anyone who doesn't need a stunning burst rate for sports or other ultrafast action applications. When you get right down to it, other than in a few specific genres, IQ is the ultimate decider.

Because Canon put that new technology in the XSi, I'm encouraged that it'll be adopted by all future Canon DSLR releases, regardless of the "entry level," "prosumer" and "pro" labels people put on the various models.

Pros will always look to the higher end of the spectrum, and so pro talk that crop sensors are on the way out isn't necessarily to be believed. Pro gossip is still just gossip. That being said, as full-frame sensors continue to come down in price, particularly now that Nikon has finally been able to incorporate them and the competition among top pros and serious amateurs with serious budgets is getting more fierce, it would not surprise me at all to see a total switch. One problem is size. Casual DSLR consumers, who make up the majority of the DSLR market, want them small, and it's harder to keep the body small with a full-frame sensor inside it than with a 1.5 or 1.6 crop sensor.

Plus, with the new pixel technology, crop sensors keep improving. I've sold 20x30 images with my 8 Mp 1.6 crop sensors that are simply stunning in their quality, and those bodies are now one generation old.

One factor that tells with me more than any other is that Canon isn't developing any more lenses lately that are specifically designed for the crop sensors. If the crop sensors were going to continue to dominate the casual market, I'd expect more lenses that cater to them.

It's an interesting thing to think and talk about, isn't it? At some point, DSLR marketing will have to move beyond the megapixel wars, because how many megapixels does a person actually need?

[polarsusd81]

Steve, that last shot is simply amazing. Sorry you had to get wet to get it but that is honestly one of the coolest photos I have ever seen. You never cease to amaze me. I wish I were 1/4 of the photographer that you are. Unbelievable capture.

[Steve Foss]

There goes that blushing thing again.

Thanks, Tom. You should come up here for a day. I'd show you around all right, simply as a friend, not a client. Your work indicates you are an excellent photographer. I wish you'd post more of your pics in here.

A day out in the wilderness, taking it slow and easy and in no hurry, sitting and watching and listening and smelling, waiting for inspiration to strike, well, it doesn't get any better than that.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Quote:

One factor that tells with me more than any other is that Canon isn't developing any more lenses lately that are specifically designed for the crop sensors. If the crop sensors were going to continue to dominate the casual market, I'd expect more lenses that cater to them.

This is what the Canon guys kept sliding me off handedly. When I would ask them if there was any truth to the rumor,they would say something to the effect of "have you seen any new efs lenses coming out lately?"

Another thing that made me suspicious was Canon 40D kits with the 17-85 EFS lens as a kit lens. Many had the 28-135,but I have seen alot lately with the 17-85. Hmmmm.

I would love to see an image comparison between a 100-400 at 400 on a crop,compared to a 70-200 2.8 with a 2x TC on a 5D.

Given the 5D's edge on image quality,I wonder if it would be a wash?

Sure is fun talking hardware!

[polarsusd81]

Thanks, Tom. You should come up here for a day. I'd show you around all right, simply as a friend, not a client. Your work indicates you are an excellent photographer. I wish you'd post more of your pics in here.

A day out in the wilderness, taking it slow and easy and in no hurry, sitting and watching and listening and smelling, waiting for inspiration to strike, well, it doesn't get any better than that.

I wish I had more time to get out and do some more photography. It is pretty tough right now as any time I bring my boy to the woods he runs off like a shot and goes bumping into things and tripping over logs. I really need to get out and spend some more time outside with the camera. This fall should be pretty good for me though.

[Steve Foss]

MM, at consistent iso, the 100-400 wide open at 400mm on a 40D would be sharper than the 70-200 wide open at 200mm with 2x on a 5D.

No contest. It's the lens or lens/TC combo that determines sharpness rather than the camera sensor.

No Canon zoom, even the nicely sharp 70-200 series, can handle the 2x without a noticeable degradation in image quality, and only a couple Canon tele primes can take the 2x in stride (300 f2.8L and 400 f2.8L based on my experience).

[Steve Foss]

I wish I had more time to get out and do some more photography. It is pretty tough right now as any time I bring my boy to the woods he runs off like a shot and goes bumping into things and tripping over logs. I really need to get out and spend some more time outside with the camera. This fall should be pretty good for me though.

Tom, Ely is only four hours away from the Twin Cities. Golly, I have three weddings booked in or around the Twin Cities this summer/fall. Take a man day and bring your gear. It's no different than a day fishing trip. We have paved roads and everything all the way up here to Ely. I can even give you GPS coordinates to help you find our wonderful little town if Ely doesn't show up on Google Maps.

[DMN]

Very nice series Steve, I liked the string of pearles best, until I came to the last one and it changed my mind in an instant. That last shot looking up is fantastic.

Thanks

Dan

[WCS]

Very nice Steve. That pitcher plant is a real winner. It is a wonderful feeling when you put yourself through heck to get the shot and pull it up on the computer and realize you nailed it.

[polarsusd81]

WCS, Trust me, he didn't have to pull it up on the computer to know he nailed it. That shot had money written all over it.

[Steve Foss]

Well we did end up doing a little high-fiving when we looked at the images on the back of the camera.

[Sandmannd]

Those are awesome pictures. I love the last one.