Downtown in the Blistering Cold

So it's been a pretty busy and cold winter so far, which means I haven't really had a chance to go outside and do my 'photo walks'. Since I had the day off today, I really wanted to get outside, even just for a little bit, and take some photos. The only problem was, it was about -24 with the windchill. I wasn't going to let that stop me so I bundled up and dressed as warm as I can and set off. My first stop was Boulevard Lake.

The plan was to walk the trail for a short while and see what I could find. That didn't quite go as planned because the trails were anything but groomed. At one point, I was walking through 4 feet of snow. So instead of the trail, I headed straight to the dam and bridge. That part of the park was a bit less snowy, and it was easier to traverse. Too bad the wind was more fierce and it felt about 10 degrees colder. As my own snot froze to my face and I began to lose feeling in my fingers, I decided to go back to the car and warm up. Off in the distance, as I drove down to Cumberland Street, I saw a pretty cool looking cruise ship docked at one of the piers. I checked it out but sadly, there was no way to really get close as it was fenced off. 

I didn't really want to go home quite yet so my last stop was downtown. I had a feeling it would be a bit more sheltered from the wind and 'somewhat' warmer. It ended up being tolerable but still quite cold. Regardless, I came away with some pretty good shots. 

For those interested in camera stuff, I just brought my D750 and 85mm 1.8 with me. As I mentioned before, it's a surprisingly light combo (at least for me). I'm constantly amazed at the colours the Nikon D750 produces. I always do a bit of post processing in Lightroom, but honestly, I don't really do THAT much. Since getting the D750, I find I don't really use my Fuji XT-1 as often as I used to. Nothing against the Fuji, but the Nikon is just as fun to use in my opinion. 

In any case, thanks for stopping by! Until next time...

It's almost spring!

I had the chance to get for a little bit this past weekend and enjoy the brisk spring weather. It was mid afternoon which meant bright sunny conditions. Instead of looking for low contrast and subtle photos I focused on finding nice shadows and strong bold images. 

My combo of choice this time around was my D610 and 85mm 1.8. The 85mm might be my new favourite lens. I love how light it is and the colours it produces are just amazing. Plus, for me, it's a great focal length, at least when walking around. 

The ultimate destination for this walk was to meet up with my Fiance Anne at our friend Raven's house. It was to be our first bon fire of the year. It was still a pretty chilly day but sitting on the deck in the backyard with the fire blazing and the sun beating down was really nice. It reminded us how much we are looking forward to camping this year.

It was a pretty relaxing afternoon and evening but that didn't mean I put the camera way. While hanging out on the deck I decided to practice and explore the continuous focusing abilities on the D610. I have always known how to use them but I really wanted hone my skills. What better way to do so then to follow and track to hyper dogs, Daisy and Jack. The camera locked on very well and almost always held focus. I was often using a very large aperture as well. Suffice it to say I was very impressed. 

In the end I had to leave the fire around 10:00pm. I'm just not as tough as the girls, I was freezing by then. With that being said, I can't wait for warmer evenings around the fire. I will of course have my camera by my side the entire summer capturing every moment.