The Andy Aupperlee Explosion 5000

The George Washington Memorial Bridge is not in this picture. My camera, a Nikon D300, is hanging over the edge of the aforementioned structure, better known as the Aurora Bridge. I bolted the camera to a tripod, tilted it against the rail, and extended the center post so that the camera hovered some 160 feet above the ground. With a remote shutter release clenched tightly in my fist, I fired off frame after frame. The result is the latest addition to my “Scene from 99” series. In this entry, I captured the George Washington Memorial Bridge from the air (above), land and sea (below).

“Scene from 99” is an ongoing series exclusive to the Andy Aupperlee Explosion 5000 that features images and commentary about Seattle’s iconic Highway 99.

(continue reading…)

Windows.
Georgetown. Washington, DC. EXIF.
This photo was featured in the DCist.

Last Saturday I hauled out the Marin, packed up my camera gear, and cruised the streets of Washington DC. I was excited to use my new Lowepro CompuTrekker photo backpack, and I stupidly packed it full of everything I could.

Nikon D300, Nikon 18-200mm VR lens, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens. Nikon SB-600 flash. Check.

MacBook Pro and Bose headphones. Check.

Manfrotto tripod and ball head. Check.

All kinds of other random photog accessories. Check.

I think I used less gear when I climbed Mount Rainier in 2001. Oh well. (continue reading…)

The United States Capitol from The George Washington Monument.
October 17, 2008. 8:13 PM.
Nikon D300. Nikon 18-200mm VR lens @ 90mm.
Aperture Priority. 30 seconds @ f/22. ISO 200. -1/3 EV.

Next month I am moving to Washington DC. For the past few days I have been visiting “The District” to make preparations for the move. Last night I wandered around the city with my camera. While I expect to find all kinds of new things to photograph over the coming months, here are a few DC classics.

I setup the above photo at the George Washington Monument. I used a little Joby tripod (from Cambodia fame) and set the camera on one of the giant stone benches surrounding the monument. After selecting aperture priority, I dialed in f/22 to get plenty depth-of-field and ensure a long exposure. ISO was to 200 and I turned down the exposure compensation by 1/3 of a stop. Since I did not have my cable shutter release, I used the timer release on the D300. The camera chose to leave the shutter open for 30 seconds which captured the movement of the flags blowing in the wind.

(continue reading…)

(continue reading…)

(continue reading…)

(continue reading…)

Portage Bay, Seattle, WA. April 9, 2008. 8:43 PM.
Nikon D300. Nikon 18-200mm VR lens @ 22mm.
20 seconds @ f/9. ISO 400

(continue reading…)