Tag Archives: LX5

Clouds over Thamserku

Near the end of a month long trek in Nepal from Jiri to Kala Patthar and Everest Base Camp by way of two high passes, Renjo La and Cho La, and Gokyo, we set off one morning for a walk to Namche, “the Sherpa capital”, before carrying on to Monjo. Before even leaving “our” Danfe Lodge in Khumjung, we noticed some interesting and beautiful clouds forming in the distance to the south. But our trail took us downhill and for about an hour our view to the south was blocked.

When Thamserku (21,729 ft) finally came into view we were amazed that the clouds were not only still there, but they were more dramatic. They seemed to change shape every time we looked up. The show lasted for over an hour, but once we reached Namche our view was again largely blocked.

My 18-200 mm lens had basically died a week or so earlier, so I was left with a 50 mm lens on a Nikon D300s plus a Panasonic LX5, a great little camera. The images in the slide show that follows were taken with both, and many of the images are “panoramas” with between 2 and 17 individual photos stitched together to provide a single image.

The slide show that follows shows some of the formations we witnessed. Following the slide show is an image you can zoom into and pan around and explore.

01  NPL-58815-Clouds-along-Thamserku-Ridge--Pan-(3).jpg02  NPL-58832--Clound-and-Thamserku--Pan-(2).jpg03  NPL-58834.jpg04  NPL-58840.jpg05  NPL-58845.jpg06  NPL-58850-Big-Cloud-over-Thamserku--Pan-(6).jpg07  NPL-58849-Clouds-and-Color-over-Thamserku--Pan-(10)-.jpg08  NPL-58895-Kusum-Kanguru-behind-Thamserku-with-Clouds--Pan-(14).jpg09  NPL-58873-View-to-Thamserku--Pan-(6).jpg10  NPL-58878-Trail-to-Namche-with-Clouds--Pan-(4).jpg11  NPL-58864-Sun-and-Clouds-over-Thamserku--Pan-(4).jpg12  NPL-58897-Sun-and-Dramatic-Clouds-above-Thamserku--Pan-(4).jpg13  NPL-58890-Thamserku,--Kusum-Khanguru,-and-Clouds.jpg14  NPL-58894-Dramatic-Clouds-above-Thamserku--Pan-(4 ).jpg15  NPL-58898-Thamserku,-Kusum-Kanguru,-sun,-and-clouds--Pan-(3).jpg16  NPL-58872--Light-Show-over-Thamserku--Pan-(2).jpg

You may explore the panoramic image below in detail. It is composed of 17 individual photos. You can double click to zoom way in then pan around. Please wait for the resolution to download. You can also use the + and – keys to zoom and the arrow keys to scroll. Or use the left mouse clicker to drag. Thamserku is to the left and the snow-covered range to the right is Kusum Kanguru (20,889 ft).

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Training for the Prouty

Heck of a way to train for the Prouty Century Ride—ride 100 miles.

On July 9th I will ride in my first Prouty. This 30th Prouty is a charity bike ride to support the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. I’ll be doing the Century ride with a friend. Although I enjoyed biking with my family 30 years ago, I’ve only had a decent road bike for a bit over a year. Friends have given me tips on how to prepare. One sent a document on training for a century that included:

• Ride 5-6 times a week for at least 5 weeks before the century, gradually increasing your mileage as you get closer to the century, increasing no more than 10% at a time.
• Plan a 50- or 60-mile ride at least two weeks before the century
• Taper your mileage a week before the century.

Another friend suggested doing a 75-80 mile ride a week before and then a few short rides the week of the century. Both emphasized and described the proper diet.

I took the advice to heart, but sometimes things get in the way—like a rainy spring. So I’ve only been able to ride about once a week. Last Sunday I did an 80 mile ride (see previous blog post). Yesterday I planned to do a short hilly ride. I got a late start because I had to relocate a raccoon that had been stealing out cats’ food. Plus I rode for two miles from Burkehaven in Sunapee before I decided where I would head. I knew I wanted to challenge the hills of Springfield, NH but rather than head there directly as I first thought I would, I turned west to Newport then north to Grantham. Seems the decision was driven by not wanting to get to the apple fritter stop at the Blackwater Irving Station in Andover too soon after breakfast.

The ride was going well and the fritter energized me.  I headed south on Rt. 11 crossing the Blackwater River and, after a quick loop through downtown Wilmot, took Kearsarge Valley Road. I knew that soon after I reached North Road and crossed under the interstate at Exit 10 I would need to make a decision: west up Hominy Pot Road then through New London and back to the start or south through Sutton to Bradford. Bradford it was and then another decision point: west toward Newport or east to a second SAG, the St. George Cafe (pictured in previous blog post) and a bagel. I turned east and decided to ride enough past Henniker so when I got the bagel I would have already ridden 70 miles. Henniker is about 30 miles from Burkehaven again so I would have no choice  but to complete a hundred miles on my “training ride” for a century ride.

After a hot bagel with blue cream cheese the wind was in my face for most of the mostly uphill last 30 miles. But I pressed on (little choice at this point) stopping only to take a few photos and catch my breath. I made good time (best ever) doing the 100.2 miles in  7 hours of riding and 8 hours of elapsed time.  Here are two photos I took near the end of the ride. Both are three shot panoramas taken with the Panasonic LX5.

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Bike Ride Simplified

Sometimes simple is nice. Photographers buy expensive lenses, high megapixel cameras, and some even use tripods (horrors!) to get sharp, highly detailed images. But sometimes a photo looks better without  so many details. I find this especially true where the composition is strong. There are many ways to remove or hide details in images; I used one such technique here.

I headed out early from Sunapee for a training ride for the Prouty. I didn’t have a specific plan for distance, but I wanted the ride to be longish. Turns out it was 80 miles. Early in the ride, before the fog burned off, I stopped to take this photo of Newbury Harbor. Although the fog simplified the scene and obscured some details, I found I liked the image better with more of the details removed. I did this on a separate layer in Photoshop then “painted” back some of the detail locally with a layer mask.

I don’t make many photos of cemeteries, but this one is very uniquely situated. I’m sure most of the people in the Upper Valley have driven within 50 yards of it many times but have never seen it. The first person to identify it and describe its unique location will get a 50% reduction in the cost of any of my classes. If you just have to know where it is, send me an email.

My ride took me through Dunbarton where I turned back west. In Weare I stopped briefly to photograph this house.

Then I headed to Henniker and the St. George Cafe for a bagel. Here is a photo of the cafe.

From Henniker it is a long slog back into Newbury. Half way up the hill I stopped to make a four-shot panoramic image with my trusty LX5 of Andrews Brook as it flows east as part of the Merrimack River Watershed. A mile ahead I will crest the hill and enter a completely different watershed—Lake Sunapee is in the Connecticut River Watershed.

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Lunch up North

Jann and I had lunch today with some dear friends who also happen to be great photographers. Every time I enter their home I dream of spending a few days photographing the many interesting details there. Today I carried my LX5 and shot a few photos handheld. Its f/2 lens is great for low light. All the photos were at ISO 100 which is almost all I ever use with any small camera. Here are some heavily edited and some not so edited photos from our visit.

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