Cold Snap in Seattle

Seattle, United States, Washington State

It’s been chilly in Seattle the last few weeks with temperatures in the mid-twenties. Cold days mean glorious morning light so I’ve been bundling up and heading out.

Ice on a puddle.

Seward Park

Still water

Brilliant sunrise

Golden

Too early to play.

Cracked ice

Walks Toward Mt. Baker Beach

Seattle, United States, Washington State

Once the sun has risen I like to take a morning walk going west along the Lake Washington shore path; catching the light coming through the trees and reflecting off the water.

Fall

Sun breaking through the fog.

Mist blurring the edge of water and sky.

Still water at Mt. Baker Beach.

Morning crows

Walks Toward Seward Park

Seattle, United States, Washington State

Walking before dawn is like opening a geode; you never know whether the sky will burst into glowing color or a steel grey sky will simply slowly change to a lighter hue.

Time permitting, my favorite thing to do is head east along the Lake Washington path towards Seward Park and catch the sun rising over Mt. Rainier and a glowing lake.

Here are some morning walk photos.

Lights cut through the mist next to the lake.

Rowers near the Mt. Baker boating center.

This tree is now gone but graced the curve for years.

Sunrise on a foggy morning.

Walking the inner old-growth path.

Near the marina.

Glowing lake on the morning of the winter solstice.

A rare snowy morning.

Sun through the mist on a fall morning walking the loop around Seward.

A crow against the rising sun.

Receding trees

Spain Trip Photo Gear

Spain, United States

In keeping with our goal to do this Spain trip as light as possible I am just taking my iPhone for photos and leaving the bigger camera home.

Here’s the hardware I’m bringing.

The hama tripod is great for uneven surfaces and the legs can be wrapped around things for greater stability.
The jellyfish clamps easily and tightly around most external phone cases then screws on to the tripod.
The leef is for external memory storage so I can take a lot of photos then easily upload them onto a computer when one is available.
The ztylus lenses I’m not totally sold on. They do screw into the special phone case which means cleaner edges but so far I haven’t been super impressed with the optical quality of the images. I’m going to bring them to give a bit wider range of options but this is an area where there hopefully will be some improvement.

In addition to the hardware I’m also using several different photo apps. These are great for pushing the camera to do a little more and for quick post-processing.

Camera +, Snapseed, SKWRT, Longexpo

Camera + has a nice macro feature as well as ISO, exposure speed, white balance and photo processing tools.
Snapseed is great for quick post-processing. I especially like the “drama” filter for black and white city scenes. I use the healing tool and the dodge and burn brush tool a lot too for increased image control.
SKRWT is a way to get building lines straightened out and to correct for some of the distortion with the iPhone native lens. I’m looking forward to trying this out more.
Longexpo easily extends exposure times. I like using it for water and city motion shots. You definitely need to use a tripod with this app. I usually use headphones for a remote shutter too.

I’ll post periodically during the trip and let you know how the gear is working out. I’d love to hear from you if you have favorite apps or tips on getting the most from your iPhone camera.

Discovery Park

United States, Washington State

A former military base the park is now heaven for photographers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Lighthouse

Political commentary

Shore trail

Spencer Island

United States, Washington State

Spencer Island is part of the Snohomish River estuary. The walk starts near the sewage plant but it rapidly improves once you get deeper into the park.