When I went Bow lake mentioned in my previous blog, it was snowing, but next day, I could see stars in the morning. I woke up at 04:30 AM and drove up to the location I had found the day before. I wanted to try a new location in Banff. In Banff, Vermilion lake is the most photographed location by photographers. But I have found that many other places have potentials. Banff may be my hit this year.

Swamp in Banff by Hiroaki Kobayashi

Please click the image for larger size.

This photo is HDR image.  It looks still natural, doesn’t it? I used Oloneo HDRengine for this image.

I visited Banff, Alberta at the end of May. Unfortunately, I had a very cloudy morning, which is considered to be not ideal for landscape photography. But I believed I still can capture something. Then while I was driving to Lake Louise, snow started hitting the window shield of my car. When I reached to Icefield park way, I found a sign saying “The load is winter condition”. Again it was the end of MAY. Anyway, I decided driving up to Bow Lake, about 30 min drive from Lake, Louise. Snow was getting harder and actually trees covered by snow were pretty beautiful.

When I get to Bow Lake, the lake was re-frozen. obviously, I could not expect big shots. I was walking around the lake shore and looking for something to come to eyes. This photo is the one I found interesting.

Please click the image for the larger size.

I used TrueGrain for B&W convertion and added structure and toning by Nik Silverefex. I would like to talk about my waorflow for B&W process in the future.

I really think my landscape photos are getting more subtle. How does this photo appeal to you?

When long winter eventually ended, season for landscape photography begins. As a kind of  my ritual, I usually go to Johnston canyon as a starter of my season. It is short and easy hikeon paved trail from small hiking to  caniyign. So it can’t be even training but somehow,  I start the season from the trail.   The second water fall on the Johnston Canyon is iconic location and so msny similar photos are around. I really do nit like photographing iconic spots. But this time time, I had had plan which was using only pinhole camera on hiking. Also I had a particular image of the second water falls in my head, taken by the pinhole camera. This is the one.

The 2nd water fall – Pin hole by Hiroaki Kobayashi

As I mentioned in my last post, this purpose of this photo session was taking Leya’s portraits for her to use the photos for her photographic bissiness. She is stunning photographer, so why not asking her to pause with her camera.

Untitled by Hiroaki Kobayashi

In my last blog post, I shared an photo which I tried something creative in the camera at the location. This time, I tried digitally in my computer. The wall was a kind of bold and white part 0ccupied the frame to muach so I added some texture and color to the wall. Also the image was a little too sharp so I added soft-focus effect by the same technique applied to the wall.

Please click the images for larger size.

Related post: Leya in her attic

Leya Russell is painting artist as well as a photographer. The main purpose of this photo session is some fellow photographers take pictures of her portraits and she can use the photos for her website or Facebook.

When I visited her place, I quickly noticed “this is artist’s home”. Her attic is full of her paintings and drawings. I wanted to do something with her interesting works. So this is the one.

My art by Hiroaki Kobayashi

Even though it is portrait session for Leya but I felt trying something interesting since I am an artist as well. After some conversation with her, I found she still used film so I got an idea using my 4×5 large format camera for portraiture. Can you figure out how this photo was taken?

Related posts:

• Leya on the Peace Bridge taken with old telephoto lens
• Kinetic Portrait?? – Leya Russell on Peace Bridge

Last time, I posted portraits of Leya Russell on the Peace Bridge in Calgary taken with a wide-angle lens. This time, I share the photo taken with long focal lens (telephoto). This lens was disigned in 1960′s. I like this lens since the images are something I can’t get from modern zoom lenses but they are still so sharp.

Related post: Kinetic Portrait?? – Leya Russell on Peace Bridge

A new pedestrian bridge was  opened on March 24th last year. The bridge was designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava. The bridge is definitely intriguing design.

I had a chance to photograph Leya Russell, also a photographer from Calgary, in the bridge. For the portrait in the relatively large and patterns by frames. …wide-angle lens was good to start. Please tell me what kind of adverbs, you can think of? Energetic? Dynamic? or Kinetic?

Please click the photos for the larger sizes.