Archive For The “Alpha 77” Category

On Monday August 5, friends invited me along for a trip to Trapline Mountain to photograph the alpine. Trapline Mountain is about 30 kilometres east of Terrace, BC. You get to the mountain first by driving along the road that follows the Copper River and then taking a rough access road to the peak. At the peak is a BC Hydro microwave communications tower. The area is popular with photographers, ATV enthusiasts and the occasional campers in the summer and snowmobilers in the winter.
Black and white images
I have converted most of the images to black and white. Depending on the image I either used Photoshop or SilverEfx.

Flowers and reeds at the shore of a lake a little lower on the mountain. If you look carefully you will see a swarm of flies. (Possibly mayflies?) (Robin Rowland)
Colour images
The peak of Trapline Mountain is absolutely beautiful. So I have included some colour images.
Haaland Ave. Waterfall
Haaland Ave. Waterfall tumbles off a cliff into the Copper River.

A crow mobs a bald eagle at the mouth of Wahtl Creek, MK Bay marina, Kitimat, BC. I was out shooting for fun along the Kitimat/Kitamaat Village waterfront when I captured the story of a fiesty crow that demanded a bald eagle get off an old log in the Wahtl Creek estuary. The crow apparently thought it was its perch, not the eagle’s.

The eagle circles around, flying right past me, so I was able to capture this magnificent close shot.
Cameras, Sony RX10iii and Sony Alpha 77 with Minolta 500mm mirror lens.
Trumpeter swans, signets and canvasback ducks in the Kitimat River estuary, Dec.15, 2018. (Robin Rowland)
My portion of the Christmas Bird Count in the Kitimat River Estuary (courtesy Rio Tinto) was in an afternoon blizzard which cut visibility by up to about 80 per cent at times and was no help to the cameras, whether or on auto focus or manual.

The moon and Mars rise over Minette Bay, Kitimat, BC, as a meteor streaks over head. You can see Saturn on the far right (Robin Rowland)
This week is a stargazer’s delight. Mars is at its closest approach to Earth, and that means the Red Planet is the brightest it will be from July 27 to July 31 (the latter date is when Mars is actually the closest). Although North America missed the solar eclipse earlier this week, the moon is actually at its smallest, sometimes called a Buck Moon. The giant planets Saturn and Jupiter are high in the southern sky this week. Earlier in the month, Venus was visible as the Evening Star and for those with the proper gear it was possible to get a glance of Mercury.
Kitimat is in the midst of the summer heat wave that is gripping most of North America. Nights are mostly clear although there is some high haze from smoke in the atmosphere stemming from the forest fires in both Siberia and North America.
With all that I drove out to the Kitimat Viewpoint late Saturday July 28, to capture it all.
Gear
Apps (for Android)
The Photographer’s Emphemeris
– told me when the moon will rise and the angle of location. Note: TPE gives moonrise at sea level. That means moonrise in Kitimat is usually between 50 and 70 minutes later depending on where it comes up over the mountains.
A compass app. To check the compass direction of the moonrise as predicted by TPE.
Sky Map. Android app originally developed by Google. Hold up you phone and see location of stars, planets, nebulae, satellite etc.
Camera
Heavy duty Manfrotto tripod
with
Sony Alpha 77, Minolta 17 to 35mm wide angle lens
Mounted with Cokin P121L Neutral density filter (to reduce the glare from the moon)
Handheld
Sony RX10iii
Jupiter and Saturn over Douglas Channel

Jupiter over the Rio Tinto aluminum plant (right) and Saturn (left) over the mountains above Kitamaat Village, about an hour after sunset (Robin Rowland)
The late summer dusk lingers for more than hour after sunset, so even the distant mountains of Douglas Channel can be seen. Jupiter is bright over the Rio Tinto plant at 10:50:33
Sony Alpha 77 ISO 4000 F2.8 1/2.5 of a second
Moonrise
The first arc of the moon peeked over the mountaintop at about 10:57:40.
The first image in the photoblog was taken at 11:00:23 and the second at 11::02:27
Sony RX10iii, handheld, ISO 4000 f4 1/1000 of a second
The RX1oiii is a high-end carry everywhere point and shoot. Moon was shot at 600mm on manual focus.
Same settings on the RX10iii at 11:06:50.
Mars rises
Mars rose to the west of the moon at 11:17:08 This image showing the moon, Mars and Minette Bay Lodge was taken 11:18:35.
Sony Alpha 77, manual focus, ISO 2500, f5 at 2.5 seconds
At 11:23:31 same settings
I was bracketing shots, working with different shutter speeds and other settings, still on manual focus. The meteor streak is in just two frames. This was taken at 11:37:05. (The other at 11:36:58 by 11:37:00 the next frame it was gone. I did not notice the meteor streak until I got home.
Alpha 77 ISO 1600, f3.2 at 2.5 seconds
A last look at Jupiter
At 11:34:02 Jupiter is setting over the mountains behind the Rio Tinto aluminum plant.
Sony Alpha 77 ISO 1600 f2.8 2.5 seconds
On May 4, the Haisla Nation and the District of Kitimat raised a totem pole to mark the growing friendship between “township” and Kitamaat Village. Planning for the pole began a couple of years ago when the Haisla Nation and the people of the Kitimat township held a reconciliation forum at Riverlodge. The pole was carved over the past year under the supervision of carver Gary Wilson (‘Nagamo’o). Funding for the project came from the Canada 150 fund, the District of Kitimat and the Haisla Nation.
Before the ceremony
Haisla Nation hereditary chiefs and elders gather for the pole raising ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
Skeena Bulkley NDP MP Nathan Cullen speaks to Haisla Nation hereditary chiefs and elders before the pole raising ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
Eagle chief Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid) speaks to carver and master of ceremonies Gary Wilson (‘Nagamo’o) and Kitimat mayor Phil Germuth before the ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
Aiden Robinson speaking to her Ma’ma’o (grandmother) Rose Robinson, Sammy Robinson (He’mas C’esi) amd Basil Grant (He’mas Legaix) (Robin Rowland)
Unveiling and blessing the friendship pole
Carver Gary Wilson unveils the friendship pole. (Robin Rowland)
Sammy Robinson begins to bless the new pole, along with Gary Wilson (‘Nagamo’o), Allan Williams (He’mas Wakas), Verlie Nelson (C’esi’s spokesperson) Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid) as Harvey Grant, MP Nathan Cullen and Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth watch. (Robin Rowland)
Cedar boughs are used to cleanse the totem pole. (Robin Rowland)
Sammy Robinson He’mas C’esi and Verlie Nelson prepare the eagle down to cleanse and bless the pole. (Robin Rowland)
Cleansing and blessing the pole. (Robin Rowland)
At the pole blessing, Harvey Grant (He’mas Wiiseks), Sammy Robinson (He’mas C’esi), Nathan Cullen, Cyril Grant Jr. (He’mas Sanaxaid), Phil Germuth and Eugene Stewart (Dlaxwdlaxwaligisc Hai’mas). (Robin Rowland)
Raising the pole
Hereditary chiefs and construction workers prepare to raise the friendship pole. (Robin Rowland)
The construction workers prepare to secure the pole. (Robin Rowland)
Simon Hall (Hai’mac Gax) helps put the totem pole in place. (Robin Rowland)
Carver Gary Wilson explains the meaning of the pole. At the bottom is the snowflake, the District of Kitimat’s official symbol. The face in the middle represents the people of Kitimat with four multi-ethnic faces above it. At the top of the pole are representations of the clans of the Haisla Nation, with the eagle, the beaver in the middle, (Robin Rowland)
Dancing
Eugene Stewart (Dlaxwdlaxwaligisc Hai’mas) speaks to Gary Wilson speaks as the dancing begins. (Robin Rowland)
Cyril Grant Jr. (He’mas Sanaxaid) leads the Eagle Clan dance after the pole was secured. (Robin Rowland)
People join in the dancing. (Robin Rowland)
Children from the Haisla Community School participate with drumming and dancing. (Robin Rowland)