Sir John Carling Building Demolition

Built in the late 1960's the Sir John Carling building was reduced to rubble in less than 20 seconds today. It's not every day that you get to see a controlled building implosion, so along with hundreds of other people in Ottawa I woke up early and headed down to Dow's lake to capture the show. It was pretty interesting to see a building just disappear from the skyline that quickly. The rain started up about 10 minutes before the implosion, but thankfully I brought along my Kata Rain cover to keep my gear dry. Check it out in the video below, and I've slowed it down for you in the replay starting at the 50 second mark.



Exif Data
Camera: Canon 5D mkII
Aperture: f/6.3
Exposure: 1/125
Focal Length: 200mm
Flash: Not-Fired
ISO: 800
RODE VideoMic
Kata E-702 Rain Cover
Post processing included some video editing including slowing it down to 25% normal speed

Website Down

-=UPDATE: My website is currently back up and running. I expect that there may still be some drop outs now and then untill everything gets put back into place so if it is please use my email below if you are trying to contact me. Thanks!=-

Unfortunately, my host for the main website is experiencing some DDOS attacks and as such they have currently been taken offline. My website is therefore also currently down until they can fix these issues and bring it all back to life. I apologize for the inconvenience, and I expect the website to return shortly. If you have any issues and need to contact me while this issue is being resolved please email me directly at fernmatias@gmail.com I will update this post as soon as they get us back up and running. Thanks for your patience.

Great Blue Heron

I've always been a bit of a birding kind of guy. I tend to notice them and point them out to my daughter or anyone nearby. It was one of the main reasons why a few years ago I bought my 2X teleconverter to make my Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens into a 140-400mm f5.6 lens. The 400mm zoom really helps fill the frame without needing to get so close that you scare them away, and although you do loose two stops of light (f2.8 becomes f5.6) I find that the depth of field at 400mm is so thin that it's best to stop down to about f8 or f10 anyway. The teleconverter does also add much more noticeable chromatic aberrations and the shots tend to come out a little softer then without it, but from a cost benefit perspective (since I already had the 70-200 f2.8 lens) getting the Canon 2X II Extender was a no brainer compared to dishing out big bucks for a dedicated 400mm lens. These two wildlife shots of a Great Blue Heron were taken with this lens combo on the Ottawa River very recently. What a lovely bird.

Exif Data
Camera: Canon 5D mkII
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure: 1/2000, 1/2500
Focal Length: 200mm with 2X TC (400mm)
Flash: Not-Fired
ISO: 640
Post processing included conversion from RAW, levels adjustment, and high pass filter

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Locked Up

I love these types of photos because it showcases the little things in life. The stuff you probably walk by every day but have never even noticed. Whether it's during a hired event or just on my typical photowalk I am always on the lookout for the little details around us. Not only do they have a simple beauty, but they can be a powerful reminder of how many little details in life we don't tend to see. This one was found on a more recent walk, and it's called Locked Up

Exif Data
Camera: Canon 5D mkII
Aperture: f/1.6
Exposure: 1/640
Focal Length: 85mm
Flash: Not-Fired
ISO: 50
Post processing included conversion from RAW, levels adjustment, and unsharp-mask

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Cherry Blossoms

I've always loved these trees because of all the beautiful blossoms it gives every year. The problem is all the little red "cherries" that fall at the end of the year and cover the place. This was taken earlier this spring while everything was in bloom.

Exif Data
Camera: Canon 5D mkII
Aperture: f/1.6
Exposure: 1/2000
Focal Length: 85mm
Flash: Not-Fired
ISO: 50
Post processing included conversion from RAW, and unsharp-mask

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Cold, Wet and Alone

It's been a while since I've posted anything new, but I do have a quick shot for today called Cold, Wet and Alone. It was taken a few weeks ago, before this nice heat wave we're having. Yes, I said nice! I'll take the heat over the cold any day! Anyway, it may have been a cold day when I took this but the lighting was so nice with all the rain clouds, and all the rain was making the grass so lush and green!

Exif Data
Camera: Canon 5D mkII
Aperture: f/1.4
Exposure: 1/2500
Focal Length: 50mm
Flash: Not-Fired
ISO: 320
Post processing included conversion from RAW, rotation adjustment, levels adjustment, and contrast adjustment

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