I shot the senior portraits for Layla at Empire Mine State Park using the Fujifilm X-T3. Below are a few of my favorites.
Pictures were shot with off camera flash in a softbox using High Speed Sync.
Red White and Blue
I have always loved shooting rusty things and Empire Mine State Park is the motherload for rusty history. Add some snow and everything changes. I went out early on Sunday morning to try and see if I could capture the snow mixed in with the gold mining equipment, before the snow melted.
The park was closed when I first arrived, but i was able to shoot this over the fence from the parking lot. The sky was pretty dark still at this time of the morning.
When I returned 2 hours later, much of the snow had already melted.
Shooting in the snow is new to me, and the biggest challenge has been to keep the white balance as close as possible, without the snow turning blue or the highlights being blown out.
Cabin in the Woods
If you like old shacks and cabins, then check out the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park in Nevada City, California. The park is the location of an 1800's gold mining town and what is left is a mini ghost town.
My first trip to this park was last year in the middle of summer. When I decided to make my 2nd trip to the Malakoff Diggins park, I didn't realize it would be 1 to 2 feet deep in snow, but that really made for some interesting images.
If you visit the park, you will find an old cemetery, historic church, lake, hiking locations and you can take guided tours of some old general stores.
Winter in the Foothills
It took a really long time for winter to finally happen in Northern California. Between storms and bad driving conditions, I managed to find time for a few photos before the rain returned to melt the snow. These are my favorites.
The biggest challenge about winter in Nevada City is how fast the snow melts. I want to shoot the snow in 3 or 4 different locations, but I seem to run out of time before the snow is gone.
Broad Street, Nevada City
Broad Street, Nevada City
Deer Creek in Nevada City
Nevada City
Empire Mine State Park, Grass Valley
Empire Mine State Park, Grass Valley
Nikon vs Fujifilm
Yesterday I returned to the Empire Mine State Park in Grass Valley, California to test out my new Fuji 18-55mm lens. I wanted to see what a Nikon D810 image (shot last year) looks like vs a Fuji X-T2 image from the same location.
Shot with a Fuji X-T2 with the Fujifilm 18-55mm lens. Handheld with a high ISO. Edited in Silver Efex Pro. f2.8, ISO 5000, 1/60th. (testing the OIS).
Shot with the Nikon D810 with the Nikon 24-70mm lens. Tripod. Edited with Silver Efex Pro. f18, ISO 400. 15 second exposure.
While the composition and editing are a little different, I think this is an interesting comparison of these systems. I prefer the high contrast found in the Fuji image. Which image do you prefer?