video | At Home with Tech

July 9, 2023

A Cloudy Morning Doesn’t have to Ruin your Sunrise Photography

If you’re looking to photograph the sunrise, but it’s a cloudy day, consider a time lapse instead. Here’s what you might discover…

It’s not really the sunrise. It’s everything else that surrounds the rising, warm circle. That’s what matters when you’re trying to capture this magical moment. It’s the state of the rest of the sky that makes our sun the star.

Placed properly (as if the photographer has the power), clouds can make a sunrise truly spectacular. All of those wonderful colors in the early morning sky are immediately enhanced by clouds.

Clouds are your friend. Clouds are your special ingredient. Until they take over and ruin your shot.

But even after they creep in and mask the glow, don’t call it a day. It’s not over.

Speed up the Clouds with a Time Lapse
If you choose to look at clouds differently and start to observe their motion and trajectory, you can begin to unlock their beautiful intensity with your camera. Often, you can accomplish this with a time lapse.

Even the grayest and foggiest morning may contain its own cloud dance that can be revealed through a time lapse. You just need to speed up time to really see what’s going on…

Stormy Predictions?
Last year, I captured some amazing sunrise time lapses overlooking the mud flats in Cape Porpoise, Maine. And yes, the best ones had lots of clouds circling the sun, and they all gave it enough space to visibly rise.

This summer, my family and I returned to this incredible part of Maine, but my photography encountered more challenging weather conditions. In fact, the forecast was for rain each day of the week. It was as if a storm cloud would be parked overhead for the entirety of our vacation.

But as my wife likes to say, coastal weather conditions can be unpredictable. And that’s where the opportunity lies.

So instead of sleeping in, I still woke up early every day to evaluate the cloud cover.

Vacation Report
The first morning totally fooled the weather forecast, and I was there to witness the sun making its glorious appearance.
This was my gift for the week. The remaining days, I would have to work harder to find my shots…

On the next morning, the clouds rolled in during my time lapse recording to obscure any hope of seeing the sun. As I stood there at 5am, I wondered what the point was to keep going. But I continued my 30-minute time lapse recording by my little DJI Osmo Pocket.
When I reviewed my Osmo Pocket’s video clip, the sped-up motion revealed a morning rush hour of Maine cloud traffic.

It was dark. It was moody. It had great flow. I loved it.

The Dark and the Light
Yes, I was drawn to the power of the dark side. And I had plenty opportunity to experience it on this vacation. It’s pretty cool. I get it now.

I’m pleased that I found both the dark and the light during this trip to Maine.

Like a great restaurant, nature just serves it up. And you enjoy it.

I learned that it’s not about finding the shot you want, it’s about experiencing the uniqueness of each new day.

And if your camera can capture just a little of that, you’ve accomplished your job as a photographer.

Here are my morning time lapses.

June 25, 2023

Why an Overcast Day can Offer the Best Conditions for Nature Shots

Cloudy conditions at the Prydden Brook Falls in Connecticut can still offer a photographer great imagery to capture. Here’s what I humbly learned…

Last summer, my family and I went on a beautiful hike along with friends up to the Prydden Brook Falls in Newtown, Connecticut. For me, the waterfall was the highlight of our eight-mile hike through the Paugussett State Forest on the Zoar trail.

I focused on capturing silky smooth photos of the rushing water with my small Panasonic Lumix LX10 camera. That, of course, took slowing down my camera’s shutter speed.
This effect is the opposite of freezing fast motion. Instead it blurs it, while the surroundings remain crystal clear.

Packing my Gear
This year, we returned to our Zoar trail hike. (It’s actually the fourth time… We started during our series of ‘pandemic hikes’ back in 2021.)

On this trek, I brought my beefier Panasonic Lumix GH5 II with me. I had it stashed comfortably in the bottom of my Peak Design V2 Everyday Backpack designed for camera gear. I also carried my compact Manfrotto Befree Live carbon-fiber video travel tripod vertically in the other side of my Peak Design backpack. (It has adjustable internal compartments that enable this kind of trick.)

My goal was to capture more 4K video along with some additional stills.

Discovering the Beauty in Darker Conditions
Unfortunately, the conditions weren’t optimal. it was overcast when we arrived at the falls that afternoon. (And the sun came out as soon as we left.)

Of course, the darker environment gave the space an entirely different feel. The water wasn’t sparkling in the sunlight. The rocks didn’t glisten.

I was disappointed, but I still proceeded to get my shots. But when we returned home and I reviewed my videos and photos, I was surprised by what I saw…
I liked the darker imagery after all.

It has a moody energy. But the water is still bright… coursing through the darker scene. There’s plenty of contrast. Dark doesn’t have to mean murky.

I often feel the creative urge to brighten up my shots. But mother nature forced me down a different path this time. And it was a great lesson that I humbly learned.

My Waterfall Video Montage Continues
Last year, I created a little video montage of my Prydden Brook Falls shots. So I happily decided to update it with my newer and moodier clips.

Weather Conditions are Irrelevant
As our Zoar trail hike has become an annual event, I’ll plan on capturing and adding more clips to my little video montage in the future.

Nature’s beauty displays itself in countless ways… through sunny or cloudy conditions. The next time, I’ll try to remember that and simply show up to appreciate the unique magic that’s on display that particular day.

June 5, 2022

Can You Hear the Song of the Sirens in this Waterfall Video?

If you should come upon a waterfall during a hike and feel drawn to it, you’re not alone. Here’s what happened to me.

My wife, son and I regularly go on hikes in Connecticut with two other families. I’ve found this group weekend activity to be particularly stabilizing during the pandemic. Plus, we really enjoy hiking.

I always take a camera if just to capture a group selfie in the forest. I originally relied on my GoPro with its wide angle lens, but more recently I’ve simply been using my iPhone along with my Apple Watch’s ‘Camera Remote’ app.

This pairing allows me to walk away from my iPhone that I’ve mounted on my little Joby tripod. I can then join the group shot and look at the frame from my wrist. Finally, I remotely snap the photo by simply tapping my Apple Watch (with a 3 second countdown).

Of course, there are any number of other forest photos to capture, ranging from the macro to the panoramic. Nature is always there for you. So if you miss a shot, you’ll get another chance the next time.

The Lure of a Waterfall
That said, there are not that many waterfalls. So if you pass one, you probably should spend some time with it. And yes, that includes framing a few shots or video clips. Not that you’ll need to force yourself to do this. Waterfalls have a magical quality. I find it hard to look away.

The movement of the water
The power of its flow
That mesmerizing sound
(There must be invisible creatures singing within the water streams.)

Usually, I see people taking shots of the complete vista. But for me, that’s not enough. Waterfalls are sirens. They call to me…

“Come closer… closer. Step on that slippery, wet rock. Stretch your camera next to my mist. Forget the danger.”

And so I do. It’s intoxicating. I want to touch that magic and somehow capture it all with my camera.

But I can’t. Not really.

To do the job right, you need to really take your time. (That can extend beyond the patience of your hiking mates.) And if you’re going to put your gear in harm’s way, you should have some waterproofing to protect against the spray.

My Encounter with the Prydden Brook Falls
Recently, our little hiking pod was back on the Zoar Trail in the Paugussett State Forest in Newtown, Connecticut.

And into the back half of our 7.8 mile hike, we came upon the Prydden Brook Falls.

This waterfall is stunning, especially in the afternoon as the sun highlights all of the droplets dancing in the air. I’ve taken pictures of this enchanted space before, and explored slower shutter speeds to create a silkier water effect.

Editing Together the Songs of the Falls
This time, I needed to get even closer. Everyone else snapped away from afar, and I waited until they got their shots. Then I almost blindly stepped in. I had my little DJI Osmo Pocket camera with me, and I began shooting video clips from different angles.

It was an entirely imperfect exercise. I didn’t have the right ND filter to prevent the brights from blowing out. I could barely see what I was shooting as I stretched in as far as I dared. (I hadn’t entirely lost my mind.)

When I returned home and reviewed the footage, I saw that my twenty-minute shoot (or was it longer?) had yielded some interesting clips, but they were far from perfect. That said, my Osmo Pocket had successfully captured the amazing sounds of that waterfall.

And based on that variable, I decided to edit together the video clips into this short sequence:

It’s hard to properly record the majesty of any waterfall, but happily, I did successfully capture the different songs from this little water beast. And that carried the day for me.

It’s just another example of how audio is often the unsung hero behind any successful video.

The Sirens Still Sing
In hindsight, I should have brought my waterproof GoPro. But happily, I didn’t destroy my DJI Osmo Pocket. Nor did I fall to my doom on the slippery rocks. My family and friends indulged my waterfall encounter, and we eventually continued on our glorious hike.

I’d call that a good day.

Yes, both my camera and I escaped the lure intact. But this waterfall still calls to me. I can still hear its music.

I’ll be back…

Category: video

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: