Friday, 17 January 2014
night walk about
Got to spend the evening out with my wife whilst my daughter was off doing other things. Coffee commenced, as did a short walk about with the camera. This is what came of it.
Brooks B-17 Narrow : let's give them something to smug about
Yet another useful bike part review from me, a useful bike part user (as opposed to useful bike part sales person). The usual caveats apply:
Like always, I like to start my bike part reviews with a bit of history explaining why I am using the bike part in question. Currently, I have six bicycles in my collection. Two of them are old approaching vintage race bikes which do not really get ridden. One is my old hard tail mountain bike which gets some use. One is my old cyclocross bicycle which has been reborn, well after the fad was over, as a single speed (that is ok, I was riding a cyclocross bike on gravel and around the city long before the cyclocross bike fad started, so it cancels out...). One is my brand new cyclocross bicycle. And one is my inexpensive mountain bike commuter bike.
While I do like pretty bicycles, I tend to prefer my equipment to be very practical and not to cost the earth. This is particularly so for my commuter bicycles. They end up getting ridden by me more than all of my other bicycles combined, and cost the least amount of money by a fairly large margin. This is because I do a lot of riding around the city where I am going to be locking the bicycle up outside. I refuse to feed thieves, so I won't leave expensive bicycles locked up outside. This means that my commuter bicycles tend to be low end mountain bikes or hybrids. The current one is a mountain bike. All I ask from a commuter bike is that it be inexpensive, comfortable, reliable, and relatively unattractive to a thief.
Sadly, all mountain bikes tend to come with narrow racing saddles. I actually like this since I have an iron ass and don't mind a real (tm) bicycle seat on all my bicycles. However, for commuting, the cut of the cheap (and expensive for that matter) racing saddles brings the crotch of street clothing into conflict with the top of the seat post.
Take note of the exposed part of the front of the seat post / seat rail on this archive photograph of my current commuter bicycle:
So what, you might ask, does this have to do with anything?
Well, it started me on a search for a bicycle seat which would cover that part of the seat post and reduce wear on the clothing. The cost did not matter too much since I would more than make up for it in clothing that lasted longer (my job requires me to have decent clothing - not perfect, but decent - and I figured it would not take long to pay for a new seat if my clothing lasted longer. I wanted something not racy, but nice.
The search ended with a Brooks B-17 saddle.
Now, I have to explain a bit of my bias here. I am anti-smug. I know I just made those who know me well laugh and blow coffee out of their nose, but I really am anti-smug. I don't care about buying my lock them and leave them bicycles based on their aesthetic merit. I love gorgeous lug work on a frame, but really don't care for a lock it and leave it bike. The smug attitudes I see in various bike forums and blogs where the prevailing attitude is "but of course the bicycle has a Brooks saddle and gorgeous lug work, could there be any other kind?!?" makes me want to vomit a little.
And yet, I bought a Brooks saddle.
But I did not buy it for reasons to do with smug.
I bought it to cover the top of the seat post where it joins the seat rails.
That's it.
So here is what I think of it.
It came in a lovely cardboard box with a thick paper sleeve on it. Jolly good show and all that. Included in the package was some Brooks propaganda printed up like an old style newspaper, and the saddle with its packaging.
It really was very well presented.
Two thinks sort of bop you on the nose when opening the saddle. The first is the smell of the thing. This is real leather and has that smell that is usually only found in the better class of Jaguars. Yummy. The second is how hard the saddle is. Brooks says that it is one of their stiffer saddles and I find that easy to believe. The leather is thick enough and stiff enough to serve quite well, if shaped differently of course, as leather armor. Yummy again, although it did raise some concern in my mind about comfort.
As can be seen by the above picture, the saddle comes with a wrench for adjusting the saddle tension. Over time, the saddle will sag, and the tensioning nut in the nose of the saddle can be tightened should this become a problem. Do not tension a wet saddle as the leather could tear.
Brooks sells a saddle treatment called proofide. Buy it. Just do it. Do not use saddle soap or other leather treatments as it could cause the leather to over soften and collapse.
Before using the saddle, put a thick layer of proofide on the underside of the saddle and just leave it. I used a Q-tip to get underneath all the bits and pieces on the underside of the saddle. This helps to soften it a bit, and will protect it somewhat from the elements. The saddle will soak it up. Lightly coat the top of the saddle and allow the proofide to dry. Once it does, buff the saddle to a shine.
Once I did this, I noticed something. The deep brown leather I picked for the colour took on a real glow. The saddle started to almost, er, come alive. It became apparent that the fit and finish of the saddle was top notch. The Brooks badge on the back was a nice touch. The lugs for hanging a saddle bag from the seat are a part of the saddle frame itself. I could feel a bit of smug threatening to overtake me. I quashed it.
Once on the bicycle, and adjusted up, I went for a ride. A good set up tip would be to set the saddle parallel with the ground and then tip the nose up a bit. When I say a bit, I mean a little bit. This makes for a more comfortable ride. Failing to do that results in sliding forward too much on the saddle. Bring some tools on your first outing if you get one of these so you can muck about with it and get it just right.
What I discovered when the seat was set up just right is that damn it if the smug ones were not correct. This seat, even not broken in yet, is very very comfortable. Very much so. It makes me look forward to when the leather moulds itself to my butt and fits even better! Incidentally, when using one of these, you want your seat bones to be forward of the line of rivets holding the rear of the saddle to the frame. When I was last measured on an assometer, my sit bones came to about 143mm apart give or take. The B-17 Narrow is 151mm wide but fits really well because of the give in the materials. If your seat bones are wider than mine, you would be advised to go with the standard B-17 instead.
On the subject of maintenance, here are a few things to keep in mind. Don't store a bicycle with a leather saddle in a damp or overly dry place (as much as possible) as this can cause the leather to fail. This is true of all leather products and should not be news. Every three months or so, apply some proofide to the saddle to keep it from cracking. If it is left outside in the rain or snow, use some sort of rain cover for the seat.
The rain cover pictured above fits (go figure) and does not cost much. I paid about $16 for mine.
Here are a couple of pictures of the bike in its current configuration with the saddle mounted:
My verdict:
As much as I hate to admit it, the smug ones have a point. This is a very well made saddle. It is comfortable. It costs less and is more suited for what I am using it for than many other options (I paid $116 for mine). It is (in theory) more durable than any other bicycle seat I have ever owned. I tend to ruin seats somehow - my wife says I have a kung-fu ass... - but people have reported getting decades of use out of these saddles. Time will tell. The saddle smells nice, looks nice, feels nice. I promises to be less hard on my street clothing.
I only ask one thing of you. If you buy one, buy it for any of the above reasons and leave the smug at the door.
- I am not employed by Brooks
- I bought this with my own money
- I ride bikes for fun, fitness, and transport
- I feel free to say what I like and what I don't like about something
- I don't care what anyone else thinks (that is a good thing in a review...)
Like always, I like to start my bike part reviews with a bit of history explaining why I am using the bike part in question. Currently, I have six bicycles in my collection. Two of them are old approaching vintage race bikes which do not really get ridden. One is my old hard tail mountain bike which gets some use. One is my old cyclocross bicycle which has been reborn, well after the fad was over, as a single speed (that is ok, I was riding a cyclocross bike on gravel and around the city long before the cyclocross bike fad started, so it cancels out...). One is my brand new cyclocross bicycle. And one is my inexpensive mountain bike commuter bike.
While I do like pretty bicycles, I tend to prefer my equipment to be very practical and not to cost the earth. This is particularly so for my commuter bicycles. They end up getting ridden by me more than all of my other bicycles combined, and cost the least amount of money by a fairly large margin. This is because I do a lot of riding around the city where I am going to be locking the bicycle up outside. I refuse to feed thieves, so I won't leave expensive bicycles locked up outside. This means that my commuter bicycles tend to be low end mountain bikes or hybrids. The current one is a mountain bike. All I ask from a commuter bike is that it be inexpensive, comfortable, reliable, and relatively unattractive to a thief.
Sadly, all mountain bikes tend to come with narrow racing saddles. I actually like this since I have an iron ass and don't mind a real (tm) bicycle seat on all my bicycles. However, for commuting, the cut of the cheap (and expensive for that matter) racing saddles brings the crotch of street clothing into conflict with the top of the seat post.
Take note of the exposed part of the front of the seat post / seat rail on this archive photograph of my current commuter bicycle:
 | |
| While it may be hard to see from this picture, the inner thigh area of a pair of normal "street clothing" pants will rub on the top of the seat post where it clamps to the seat rail. This results in excessive wear on the pants and the potential for pants failure *grin*. While really only embarrassing and not a big deal, it is a design flaw for the use I am putting the bicycle to. I would rather not wear out my clothing faster than I have to given a choice. |
Well, it started me on a search for a bicycle seat which would cover that part of the seat post and reduce wear on the clothing. The cost did not matter too much since I would more than make up for it in clothing that lasted longer (my job requires me to have decent clothing - not perfect, but decent - and I figured it would not take long to pay for a new seat if my clothing lasted longer. I wanted something not racy, but nice.
The search ended with a Brooks B-17 saddle.
Now, I have to explain a bit of my bias here. I am anti-smug. I know I just made those who know me well laugh and blow coffee out of their nose, but I really am anti-smug. I don't care about buying my lock them and leave them bicycles based on their aesthetic merit. I love gorgeous lug work on a frame, but really don't care for a lock it and leave it bike. The smug attitudes I see in various bike forums and blogs where the prevailing attitude is "but of course the bicycle has a Brooks saddle and gorgeous lug work, could there be any other kind?!?" makes me want to vomit a little.
And yet, I bought a Brooks saddle.
But I did not buy it for reasons to do with smug.
I bought it to cover the top of the seat post where it joins the seat rails.
That's it.
So here is what I think of it.
It came in a lovely cardboard box with a thick paper sleeve on it. Jolly good show and all that. Included in the package was some Brooks propaganda printed up like an old style newspaper, and the saddle with its packaging.
It really was very well presented.
Two thinks sort of bop you on the nose when opening the saddle. The first is the smell of the thing. This is real leather and has that smell that is usually only found in the better class of Jaguars. Yummy. The second is how hard the saddle is. Brooks says that it is one of their stiffer saddles and I find that easy to believe. The leather is thick enough and stiff enough to serve quite well, if shaped differently of course, as leather armor. Yummy again, although it did raise some concern in my mind about comfort.
As can be seen by the above picture, the saddle comes with a wrench for adjusting the saddle tension. Over time, the saddle will sag, and the tensioning nut in the nose of the saddle can be tightened should this become a problem. Do not tension a wet saddle as the leather could tear.
Brooks sells a saddle treatment called proofide. Buy it. Just do it. Do not use saddle soap or other leather treatments as it could cause the leather to over soften and collapse.
Before using the saddle, put a thick layer of proofide on the underside of the saddle and just leave it. I used a Q-tip to get underneath all the bits and pieces on the underside of the saddle. This helps to soften it a bit, and will protect it somewhat from the elements. The saddle will soak it up. Lightly coat the top of the saddle and allow the proofide to dry. Once it does, buff the saddle to a shine.
Once I did this, I noticed something. The deep brown leather I picked for the colour took on a real glow. The saddle started to almost, er, come alive. It became apparent that the fit and finish of the saddle was top notch. The Brooks badge on the back was a nice touch. The lugs for hanging a saddle bag from the seat are a part of the saddle frame itself. I could feel a bit of smug threatening to overtake me. I quashed it.
Once on the bicycle, and adjusted up, I went for a ride. A good set up tip would be to set the saddle parallel with the ground and then tip the nose up a bit. When I say a bit, I mean a little bit. This makes for a more comfortable ride. Failing to do that results in sliding forward too much on the saddle. Bring some tools on your first outing if you get one of these so you can muck about with it and get it just right.
 | |
| Here is the saddle set up just wrong. While the stock post on the bicycle is offset to the rear, it is not offset enough. The perfectly parallel parts of the seat rails are fairly short and since I am mounting it on a slightly too small for me mountain bike, I could not slide the seat back far enough on the rails for comfort. If I did, I would have to clamp on the tapering part of the rails just a bit which would cause the seat to work loose in about three minutes. Annoying, but I think unavoidable. Bear this in mind though if you buy one. You MIGHT have to do what I did to solve it. Oh, and isn't this a lovely colour of brown? |
 |
| Here is the seat set up just right. Notice that it took a new seat post for me to get it just right. Hint - a new seat post on a bike like this costs almost nothing. Just be aware that you might need one depending on the bicycle you are using. However, it was worth it because I discovered something about this seat that I will explain below. Take note how the clamp area is completely covered by the "skirt" of leather on the side of the seat. This is why I bought it. The creeping smug which I will hold off with a cricket bat came later... |
 |
| This picture shows the adjustment bolt at the front of the saddle. DO NOT USE IT MUCH as turning it too far will ruin the saddle. The front rivets shown here gave rise to that traditional expression in bike racing "on the rivet" describing the posture on a saddle of someone giving all that they had in a time trial. For the first time, this can be a literal thing for me... |
 |
| What do you know? Brooks sells rain covers! |
Here are a couple of pictures of the bike in its current configuration with the saddle mounted:
My verdict:
As much as I hate to admit it, the smug ones have a point. This is a very well made saddle. It is comfortable. It costs less and is more suited for what I am using it for than many other options (I paid $116 for mine). It is (in theory) more durable than any other bicycle seat I have ever owned. I tend to ruin seats somehow - my wife says I have a kung-fu ass... - but people have reported getting decades of use out of these saddles. Time will tell. The saddle smells nice, looks nice, feels nice. I promises to be less hard on my street clothing.
I only ask one thing of you. If you buy one, buy it for any of the above reasons and leave the smug at the door.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
smells like spring
We are at the part of the winter when it smells like spring outside.
In Southern Ontario, every winter, sometime in January, we get a thaw. Birds sing. Snow and ice melt like mad. People run around in light weight clothing. Temperatures soar to two or three degrees above freezing. Ice peels off of the sidewalk with ease.
There is hope.
Real hope.
A looking forward to spring.
I don't mean that winter is a time of depression and what not, but I will say that for those of us that live outside once the temperature gets above freezing and the days lengthen, the smell of spring which comes during a mid winter thaw is a sign of hope for warmer days to come.
Sadly, this will be short lived.
I count at least eight more weeks of winter before the smell of spring becomes the real deal.
Until then, I will breathe deep, and enjoy the smell.
In Southern Ontario, every winter, sometime in January, we get a thaw. Birds sing. Snow and ice melt like mad. People run around in light weight clothing. Temperatures soar to two or three degrees above freezing. Ice peels off of the sidewalk with ease.
There is hope.
Real hope.
A looking forward to spring.
I don't mean that winter is a time of depression and what not, but I will say that for those of us that live outside once the temperature gets above freezing and the days lengthen, the smell of spring which comes during a mid winter thaw is a sign of hope for warmer days to come.
Sadly, this will be short lived.
I count at least eight more weeks of winter before the smell of spring becomes the real deal.
Until then, I will breathe deep, and enjoy the smell.
Sunday, 12 January 2014
in memory of rides gone by
On of the things that come to mind at this time of year, this time of year when bicycles slip, slide, and clatter their way down the road, studs pinging off of asphalt, are memories.
Memories of rides gone by.
One of my favourite quite rides takes me south through the city on a mix of MUPs and quiet roads and culminates on a gravel rail trail in Cambridge. Following this can take me further, to Paris, Brantford, or even Hamilton. The run from home to Brantford and back is approximately 136km, and makes a nice traffic light ride.
The rail trail from Cambridge south towards Paris and beyond largely follows the Grand River. It is quite a bit higher than the river for most of its journey, and provides some spectacular views over the water.
Places to rest abound. Benches dot the place should the need to rest arise. Usually, I don't bother to stop and sit, but will if an urge to be lazy overcomes me, or if I want a picture or two.
The setting is ideal for a cyclocross bicycle, or any bicycle which can be ridden in comfort over rough roads for a long stretch. It would be interesting to ride in this context on a bicycle designed for races like the Paris-Roubaix with their inherent ability to absorb road shock. But is it needed? No.
Once Paris is cleared, the MUP ceases to be a rail trail proper and becomes a regular MUP, following the contours of the land. This means hills as the trail climbs in and out of the river valley and over landscapes sculpted by glaciers long ago.
But always, views are worth looking at. Especially in early fall when this ride happened.
And always, ever, the trail system stays near the Grand. This particular bit is very pretty, with nicer shaded places to rest should the need arise.
In the new year, or rather later this year, I will ensure that the phone comes with me on more rides and that more rides get documented.
All of these pictures were taken with a BlackBerry Z10.
Memories of rides gone by.
One of my favourite quite rides takes me south through the city on a mix of MUPs and quiet roads and culminates on a gravel rail trail in Cambridge. Following this can take me further, to Paris, Brantford, or even Hamilton. The run from home to Brantford and back is approximately 136km, and makes a nice traffic light ride.
The rail trail from Cambridge south towards Paris and beyond largely follows the Grand River. It is quite a bit higher than the river for most of its journey, and provides some spectacular views over the water.
Places to rest abound. Benches dot the place should the need to rest arise. Usually, I don't bother to stop and sit, but will if an urge to be lazy overcomes me, or if I want a picture or two.
The setting is ideal for a cyclocross bicycle, or any bicycle which can be ridden in comfort over rough roads for a long stretch. It would be interesting to ride in this context on a bicycle designed for races like the Paris-Roubaix with their inherent ability to absorb road shock. But is it needed? No.
Once Paris is cleared, the MUP ceases to be a rail trail proper and becomes a regular MUP, following the contours of the land. This means hills as the trail climbs in and out of the river valley and over landscapes sculpted by glaciers long ago.
But always, views are worth looking at. Especially in early fall when this ride happened.
And always, ever, the trail system stays near the Grand. This particular bit is very pretty, with nicer shaded places to rest should the need arise.
In the new year, or rather later this year, I will ensure that the phone comes with me on more rides and that more rides get documented.
All of these pictures were taken with a BlackBerry Z10.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
50 shades of happiness
Get your mind out of the gutter!
I was messing around in the workshop, hunting through boxes of spare parts.
A discovery was made.
One of benefit to me.
50 kinds of benefit.
One less pair of pedals to buy for my pedal system swap.
They are loose, sloppy, but still grab cleats OK. I just need a decent pair of walk about cycling shoes to go with the round town single speed.
Perhaps these shoes from Giro would do the trick. I have seen them, or similar ones, before and really like the way they look. My proper cycling shoes are made by Giro, and I love them.
I was messing around in the workshop, hunting through boxes of spare parts.
A discovery was made.
One of benefit to me.
50 kinds of benefit.
One less pair of pedals to buy for my pedal system swap.
They are loose, sloppy, but still grab cleats OK. I just need a decent pair of walk about cycling shoes to go with the round town single speed.
Perhaps these shoes from Giro would do the trick. I have seen them, or similar ones, before and really like the way they look. My proper cycling shoes are made by Giro, and I love them.
and there arose an exultant sound
Winter!
We are getting a real one this year.
I have tried to make it through the winter on my bicycle as I have in the past. Due to the nature of my job, with its variable and far flung work locations, bicycle commuting is a challenge at best, and impossible at worst. Be that as it may, when the fates conspire to give me a location for the day close to home, I take my bike.
Which brings us to winter!
Winter!
We are getting a real one this year.
Thus far, we have had a lot of snow, a lot of ice, and a lot of thawing (with the extra special glare ice which comes with rain and a thaw on packed snow). And so naturally it was this year, as opposed to two years ago when winter gave Southern Ontario a miss, I tried to use as my primary winter tire on the bicycle a non-studded tire set.
This was not a mistake as they perform well, but it does make for some unnecessarily interesting rides to work. Slippy kinds of rides. The combination of huge snowbanks, packed down MUPS, and narrower lanes and ice have made me come to the conclusion that perhaps those Schwalbe Ice Spikers I have sitting there on the basement floor would serve me better if they were on the rims of my bicycle.
Now I used these tires all last winter, and loved them, but since then I have swapped out my frankenfenders for a stock set of unmodified planet bike mountain bike fenders with honking big mud flaps. I was somewhat concerned that the rear Ice Spiker would not fit and would pick away at the fenders.
However, after fighting with the Continentals that were on the bike (why are they so hard to remove?!?), cleaning up the wheels and bike and slathering the frame and all but the brakes with rust proofing solution, and putting on the Ice Spikers, and reinstalling the wheels on the bike...
... there arose an exultant sound.
They fit. With huge clearance. And no need to screw around with the fender adjustments.
We are getting a real one this year.
I have tried to make it through the winter on my bicycle as I have in the past. Due to the nature of my job, with its variable and far flung work locations, bicycle commuting is a challenge at best, and impossible at worst. Be that as it may, when the fates conspire to give me a location for the day close to home, I take my bike.
Which brings us to winter!
Winter!
We are getting a real one this year.
Thus far, we have had a lot of snow, a lot of ice, and a lot of thawing (with the extra special glare ice which comes with rain and a thaw on packed snow). And so naturally it was this year, as opposed to two years ago when winter gave Southern Ontario a miss, I tried to use as my primary winter tire on the bicycle a non-studded tire set.
This was not a mistake as they perform well, but it does make for some unnecessarily interesting rides to work. Slippy kinds of rides. The combination of huge snowbanks, packed down MUPS, and narrower lanes and ice have made me come to the conclusion that perhaps those Schwalbe Ice Spikers I have sitting there on the basement floor would serve me better if they were on the rims of my bicycle.
Now I used these tires all last winter, and loved them, but since then I have swapped out my frankenfenders for a stock set of unmodified planet bike mountain bike fenders with honking big mud flaps. I was somewhat concerned that the rear Ice Spiker would not fit and would pick away at the fenders.
However, after fighting with the Continentals that were on the bike (why are they so hard to remove?!?), cleaning up the wheels and bike and slathering the frame and all but the brakes with rust proofing solution, and putting on the Ice Spikers, and reinstalling the wheels on the bike...
... there arose an exultant sound.
They fit. With huge clearance. And no need to screw around with the fender adjustments.
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
keeping the shiny side up
There are times when being Canadian is a real treat. One of those is the winter time. Many people who live here, myself included at times, despise the winter but the trick is to find something to do in the winter that is fun and then do it.
I call the realization that this is the case the "Well duh!" moment.
Enjoy the winter, and have fun, or be miserable. Decide. Well duh.
Which brings me to the subject of today's post.
Our employer (my wife and I work for the same employer) decided that it was too nasty out to come to work and closed for the day. The wind chills locally are reaching to -40 Celsius. Kind of chilly. This left us with a day to use for our own amusement.
So naturally, we went on a date.
And then, we went drift surfing in a winder wonderland.
Definitely a good day to keep the shiny side up. Mind you, aren't most days?
I call the realization that this is the case the "Well duh!" moment.
Enjoy the winter, and have fun, or be miserable. Decide. Well duh.
Which brings me to the subject of today's post.
Our employer (my wife and I work for the same employer) decided that it was too nasty out to come to work and closed for the day. The wind chills locally are reaching to -40 Celsius. Kind of chilly. This left us with a day to use for our own amusement.
So naturally, we went on a date.
And then, we went drift surfing in a winder wonderland.
Definitely a good day to keep the shiny side up. Mind you, aren't most days?
Saturday, 4 January 2014
photographing winter landscapes - let's break some rules
There are certain truisms in photography. Or, rather, there are certain things that many photographers take to be truisms. Rules that should be used and broken at your own risk. Or at least at the risk of making a "poor" photograph and being mocked or otherwise criticized by the know it alls on certain Internet fora.
Some of these truisms, or rules, have to do with composition. For instance, it is suggested that a photograph, like any other work of art, have a focus of some sort. There are various planes in a picture where the focus should be located (thinking rule of thirds, etc here) in order for the eye to naturally fall into place and draw people into the picture.
Some of these have to do with light. Make sure your subject is well lit, don't shoot into the light, don't shoot in harsh mid-day light, avoid "bad" weather, always use the "golden hour" light, etc.
The problem is, if these rules are slavishly followed, the world seen in pictures becomes incredibly boring and dull. Pictures take on a certain sameness (to use a cursed "ness" word, but one which fits in its blandness - hah! - of the subject I am discussing, namely generic-yawn-I-think-I-saw-that-picture-before-somewhere pictures).
So why do we have these rules then? Because they work. They create a working picture. One which hits the check boxes of those obsessed with check list based accomplishments. A picture which fits into the continuum of the development of pictures as art. These rules are a great thing to learn and use when learning how to frame and build a picture.
However, for something to really resonate, things need to be shaken up.
So here is what I suggest you do if you want to shake up your photography in winter.
First, figure out what it is that you are going to photograph before you leave the house. A directionless approach to picture taking often results in good pictures happening by mistake or not happening at all. Pictures end up being lifeless and dull and lacking in focus. For me, personally, it becomes very important to think about what my goal is in the winter when I head out to shoot since winter can be seen to be a dull time for taking pictures. That idea could not be further from the truth. My goal for the pictures I am sharing today, and for this blog entry, was to capture the essence of a rural winter. I want you to feel cold. This dictates what lenses I will use, what apertures I will use, where I will go, and what, broadly speaking, my subject matter will be.
Second, choose your lenses with care. I break with some common wisdom when I take landscape pictures. I use the Olympus/Panasonic micro 4/3 system and have lenses ranging from 12 to 75mm in my personal lens stock. For those not familiar with m4/3, this gives a field of view similar to 24 to 150mm in "full frame" (35mm film) terms.
I primarily shoot landscapes using my 45mm or 75mm prime lenses. This series uses the 75mm exclusively.
Why use tele lenses for landscape work? This has primarily to do with where I live. It is fairly built up, and since my goal is to shoot a rural winter, and I want to largely avoid human made things, I need a tele lens to isolate my subject matter. This is a personal choice for the project I have given myself this winter and one that works for me. Also, I tend to prefer landscapes which drill down a bit and focus in on one aspect of what is in front of the photographer. If a landscape is very broad, I may be impressed with it, but a connection with the place as a place falls away.
Third, give your picture some sort of focal point. The series I am working on this winter has to do largely with isolated trees in a rural farm setting. I am trying, when I can, to create depth by having big sky, stark fields, and isolated trees as focal points. The sky should be textured, and the ground work in layers. Shot on a diagonal, farm fields will often give a zig zag effect which draws the eyes deep into the picture. Force of habit sees me making much use of the rule of thirds, but I am working on breaking this in my own work.
Fourth, break the lighting rules. Beat on them. Shoot into the sun at mid day. Just do it. Some of the best light can be had when this is done. This is particularly true if your area has been blessed with an ice storm, heavy snow afterwards, and big wind. We have been so blessed.
Fifth, post process your work. Snow is not white. Not really. Often, it comes across as blue or gray due to the highly reflective nature of snow and what the sky of the day gives. Play with the blues!!! I often up contrast, and deepen the blacks when faced with a seemingly featureless landscape. Sometimes, the most dramatic pictures are pictures of nothing that have been processed in a way to draw your eyes into what is really there.
Some of these truisms, or rules, have to do with composition. For instance, it is suggested that a photograph, like any other work of art, have a focus of some sort. There are various planes in a picture where the focus should be located (thinking rule of thirds, etc here) in order for the eye to naturally fall into place and draw people into the picture.
Some of these have to do with light. Make sure your subject is well lit, don't shoot into the light, don't shoot in harsh mid-day light, avoid "bad" weather, always use the "golden hour" light, etc.
The problem is, if these rules are slavishly followed, the world seen in pictures becomes incredibly boring and dull. Pictures take on a certain sameness (to use a cursed "ness" word, but one which fits in its blandness - hah! - of the subject I am discussing, namely generic-yawn-I-think-I-saw-that-picture-before-somewhere pictures).
So why do we have these rules then? Because they work. They create a working picture. One which hits the check boxes of those obsessed with check list based accomplishments. A picture which fits into the continuum of the development of pictures as art. These rules are a great thing to learn and use when learning how to frame and build a picture.
However, for something to really resonate, things need to be shaken up.
So here is what I suggest you do if you want to shake up your photography in winter.
First, figure out what it is that you are going to photograph before you leave the house. A directionless approach to picture taking often results in good pictures happening by mistake or not happening at all. Pictures end up being lifeless and dull and lacking in focus. For me, personally, it becomes very important to think about what my goal is in the winter when I head out to shoot since winter can be seen to be a dull time for taking pictures. That idea could not be further from the truth. My goal for the pictures I am sharing today, and for this blog entry, was to capture the essence of a rural winter. I want you to feel cold. This dictates what lenses I will use, what apertures I will use, where I will go, and what, broadly speaking, my subject matter will be.
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| cold and alone |
Second, choose your lenses with care. I break with some common wisdom when I take landscape pictures. I use the Olympus/Panasonic micro 4/3 system and have lenses ranging from 12 to 75mm in my personal lens stock. For those not familiar with m4/3, this gives a field of view similar to 24 to 150mm in "full frame" (35mm film) terms.
I primarily shoot landscapes using my 45mm or 75mm prime lenses. This series uses the 75mm exclusively.
Why use tele lenses for landscape work? This has primarily to do with where I live. It is fairly built up, and since my goal is to shoot a rural winter, and I want to largely avoid human made things, I need a tele lens to isolate my subject matter. This is a personal choice for the project I have given myself this winter and one that works for me. Also, I tend to prefer landscapes which drill down a bit and focus in on one aspect of what is in front of the photographer. If a landscape is very broad, I may be impressed with it, but a connection with the place as a place falls away.
Third, give your picture some sort of focal point. The series I am working on this winter has to do largely with isolated trees in a rural farm setting. I am trying, when I can, to create depth by having big sky, stark fields, and isolated trees as focal points. The sky should be textured, and the ground work in layers. Shot on a diagonal, farm fields will often give a zig zag effect which draws the eyes deep into the picture. Force of habit sees me making much use of the rule of thirds, but I am working on breaking this in my own work.
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| The focal point here are the twin trees picture right. Between them, they split the viewer's focus sending the eye out of the picture, and deeper into it along the line of trees into the distance. |
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| Harsh glare, big textured sky, obvious rolling hills, and a lightly treed fence line make this work for me. |
Fifth, post process your work. Snow is not white. Not really. Often, it comes across as blue or gray due to the highly reflective nature of snow and what the sky of the day gives. Play with the blues!!! I often up contrast, and deepen the blacks when faced with a seemingly featureless landscape. Sometimes, the most dramatic pictures are pictures of nothing that have been processed in a way to draw your eyes into what is really there.
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| Was this really this blue? No. Was it close? Very. By pumping up the darks a bit, layers appeared which add depth to a landscape that at first glance was completely featureless. |
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| Again, to draw out the texture, processing was used. Remember, your focal point does not have to be in your face for it to work. |
Friday, 3 January 2014
detroit bicycles
This looks like a bicycle I could get into for around town use. I love the simplicity, and the fact that it is being built in Detroit after all that city has and is going through is particularly appealing.
Go get 'em guys and gals!
Putting this on my seriously think about it list for when my current commuter becomes the pure winter bike. It appeals to me for what it is, and for what they stand for.
Linkie: Detroit Bikes
Go get 'em guys and gals!
Putting this on my seriously think about it list for when my current commuter becomes the pure winter bike. It appeals to me for what it is, and for what they stand for.
Linkie: Detroit Bikes
Thursday, 2 January 2014
12 (11) of '13
Blog
About bicycles (check)
About cameras (check)
Do both at once (check)
About bicycles (check)
About cameras (check)
Do both at once (check)
I present to you 12 (11) of '13
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| January |
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| February |
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| March |
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| April |
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| May |
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| June |
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| July |
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| August |
 |
| September |
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| October |
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| November |
December sucked...
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
well done waterloo
Waterloo did a cool thing.
A very cool thing.
Really.
We are blessed (no sarcasm) with improving parking in the Uptown for bicycles. In fact, as I have mentioned before in this blog, part of the parking structure for cars is given over to bicycle parking. This is a new thing for our area (we are not Amsterdam...). The part that is for bicycles has clear signage, is easy to get to from the street, sidewalk, and a path, and has this nifty cool thing there now:
Yep, you guessed it, the city has installed a work stand.
Tools are on aircraft cable and located inside the tower tube, there is a spot to hang the bike, and an air pump.
Colour me impressed.
Keep up the good work Waterloo (all we need is some action on the street redesign that puts the proposed bicycle infrastructure between the sidewalk and the parked cars, not between the parked cars and the moving cars as was officially proposed.)
As an aside, men's clothing is boring. Can I have a men's version of this sweet tankie?
And one last thing. My 2014, a year of my bike page has started to get its updates. Check back daily if you are interested as updates will be frequent.
A very cool thing.
Really.
We are blessed (no sarcasm) with improving parking in the Uptown for bicycles. In fact, as I have mentioned before in this blog, part of the parking structure for cars is given over to bicycle parking. This is a new thing for our area (we are not Amsterdam...). The part that is for bicycles has clear signage, is easy to get to from the street, sidewalk, and a path, and has this nifty cool thing there now:
Yep, you guessed it, the city has installed a work stand.
Tools are on aircraft cable and located inside the tower tube, there is a spot to hang the bike, and an air pump.
Colour me impressed.
Keep up the good work Waterloo (all we need is some action on the street redesign that puts the proposed bicycle infrastructure between the sidewalk and the parked cars, not between the parked cars and the moving cars as was officially proposed.)
As an aside, men's clothing is boring. Can I have a men's version of this sweet tankie?
And one last thing. My 2014, a year of my bike page has started to get its updates. Check back daily if you are interested as updates will be frequent.
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