I'm on a two-month journey in Newfoundland. My goal here is to post some highlights, both in words and pictures, and to try to include some tips if you're planning to make the trek to the Rock.
You can click on any picture in the blog to blow it up. Most of the pictures are available as large format prints at very reasonable cost. Contact me.
This blog post is a little late. I just didn't feel like sitting down and writing, especially after Amin came back and days were filled with hiking and driving and making pictures.We'd get home and upload our photos to computer, then I'd find myself falling asleep in front of the screen, go to bed and do it all over again the next day. It might also be partly due to working on a 15" screen instead of my 27" at home. I don't really have an excuse for the two weeks I was in Torbay before he got back... except days were also filled with exploring and doing things, I didn't want to waste my days.
So I'm going to cover most of the Torbay portion of the trip in this post, then do one more about the closing days there and before we left our "Island in the Sun" to wend our way home.
...just before we get started, here's some exciting news for my photography friends.
Topaz Labs has REALLY done it this time.
Want to print an image but you've cropped it too much and it's too small to print well? Need to upsize an image?
Topaz A.I. Gigapixel is a standalone application only (it does not work as a plugin or Topaz Studio adjustment) made for batch resizing your images. It uses the power of Topaz's proprietary Artistic Intelligence engine to make sharper and clearer upscaled images than traditional upscaling tools.
They gave me a beta version to try. I did. It works. This is a gamechanger, folks. There's a 30-day free trial, try it for yourself.
Note: check if your computer can handle it before you buy it. And watch your colour space if you're upscaling a RAW file.
I could tell you more but Topaz can tell you better. Here's the link:
Update: There were indeed some colour space issues and a few others that were corrected between the Beta and the next release (v. 1.0.2, I think). Also this program requires some heavy duty hardware. There's a list of minimum requirements on their website, but I read a comment from Heath (from Topaz) who basically said, "try it". The 30-day trial is free. If it works, it works. Well.
Sharing some 'random musings'...
I'm not perfect (imagine that!). Sometimes I get a little curmudgeonly, like the other day when I went into a Royal Bank because I had some $100 bills that I wanted to change into $20s because stores don't always have change. They gave me a hard time: a Canadian Chartered Bank didn't want to accept legal Canadian tender, negotiable currency unless I logged in with my RBC client card. I refused on principle (I do have one...) and ended up in a fight with the manager before they would simply exchange my Canadian currency for other Canadian currency. A bank. By the way, the teller made a mistake and almost gave me $100 too much. I shouldn't have said anything.
But that's not what I'm writing about here. As I age, with increasing arthritis and so on, I've been having some issues walking, especially on uneven surfaces and downhill. Stepping down is really hard for me and I've grudgingly started using a cane in some circumstances. Somehow that makes me operate at half-speed.
Keep reading, I'm getting there.
The other day, I went to Cape Spear before dawn, to capture the first sunrise in North America (Cape Spear is the easternmost point on the Continent). I'm driving there at 5 am and already seeing lightening skies and the beginnings of a beautiful red glow. I'm late, and to get to where I want to shoot, I have to climb a million steps (another issue. You try it carrying as much extra weight as I do!). Then I have to walk out a meandering path between the rocks, up, and down.
"Screw it. I'm doing this". And without any difficulty whatsoever, I did.
Do I really have trouble stepping down? Or is it in my head? Thing is, if I can't be sure of a secure foot placement, I'm afraid that I won't be able to quickly take the extra steps to keep my balance and not fall. I've rolled over on my ankle too often.
Not only did I venture up there at speed, but I wandered the rocks for a better shooting spot, carrying, by the way, two cameras, a bag and a tripod. Then afterwards, I walked DOWN the thousand steps back to the parking lot without hesitation. Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe I'm not as old as I feel sometimes.
I'm in Torbay.
I told you that I found this great house. And as advertised, Linsey and Peter have not omitted anything in making this place a 5-star accommodation. I did a little iPhone video the day I got here: Click here to watch. Opens in Quicktime player.
My only suggestion was to go outside and chop down the power, phone and fibre optic lines interfering with the view! LOL
I'm here until August 25th. Amin arrives on the 17th, he has his choice of 3 bedrooms. I've appropriated the loft!
From this location, we can access everything as far away as Cape St. Mary's in a day trip. We might even go back to Bonavista to visit the puffins again. I'm 10 minutes from St. John's airport and only about 15 - 20 minutes from downtown St. John's, depending on traffic.
Quidi Vidi is a quaint little area (read: 'touristy'!) of St. John's nestled in the hills just northeast of the downtown. Old buildings, fishing stages, and the Quidi Vidi brewery where they make Iceberg Beer among others.
Signal Hill is an exceptional place to photograph from. And you meet neat people there!
At the foot of the hill in the above photo is an area called "The Battery". It sits just at the entrance to the Harbour and the streets are narrow and cluttered with cars and people. But the view from across the harbour is breathtaking.
St. John's is known for its "jellybean houses", each one painted a different vibrant colour.
I'd like to render them differently so that they stand out more. Here's one attempt...
As I said, from Torbay I was able to explore other places. Here are a few shots
Topaz Labs has REALLY done it this time.
Want to print an image but you've cropped it too much and it's too small to print well? Need to upsize an image?
Topaz A.I. Gigapixel is a standalone application only (it does not work as a plugin or Topaz Studio adjustment) made for batch resizing your images. It uses the power of Topaz's proprietary Artistic Intelligence engine to make sharper and clearer upscaled images than traditional upscaling tools.
They gave me a beta version to try. I did. It works. This is a gamechanger, folks. There's a 30-day free trial, try it for yourself.
 |
Upsized 200% to 3000x2000 Mp |
Note: check if your computer can handle it before you buy it. And watch your colour space if you're upscaling a RAW file.
I could tell you more but Topaz can tell you better. Here's the link:
Update: There were indeed some colour space issues and a few others that were corrected between the Beta and the next release (v. 1.0.2, I think). Also this program requires some heavy duty hardware. There's a list of minimum requirements on their website, but I read a comment from Heath (from Topaz) who basically said, "try it". The 30-day trial is free. If it works, it works. Well.
Sharing some 'random musings'...
I'm not perfect (imagine that!). Sometimes I get a little curmudgeonly, like the other day when I went into a Royal Bank because I had some $100 bills that I wanted to change into $20s because stores don't always have change. They gave me a hard time: a Canadian Chartered Bank didn't want to accept legal Canadian tender, negotiable currency unless I logged in with my RBC client card. I refused on principle (I do have one...) and ended up in a fight with the manager before they would simply exchange my Canadian currency for other Canadian currency. A bank. By the way, the teller made a mistake and almost gave me $100 too much. I shouldn't have said anything.
But that's not what I'm writing about here. As I age, with increasing arthritis and so on, I've been having some issues walking, especially on uneven surfaces and downhill. Stepping down is really hard for me and I've grudgingly started using a cane in some circumstances. Somehow that makes me operate at half-speed.
Keep reading, I'm getting there.
The other day, I went to Cape Spear before dawn, to capture the first sunrise in North America (Cape Spear is the easternmost point on the Continent). I'm driving there at 5 am and already seeing lightening skies and the beginnings of a beautiful red glow. I'm late, and to get to where I want to shoot, I have to climb a million steps (another issue. You try it carrying as much extra weight as I do!). Then I have to walk out a meandering path between the rocks, up, and down.
 |
This was about half an hour before the actual dawn |
"Screw it. I'm doing this". And without any difficulty whatsoever, I did.
Do I really have trouble stepping down? Or is it in my head? Thing is, if I can't be sure of a secure foot placement, I'm afraid that I won't be able to quickly take the extra steps to keep my balance and not fall. I've rolled over on my ankle too often.
Not only did I venture up there at speed, but I wandered the rocks for a better shooting spot, carrying, by the way, two cameras, a bag and a tripod. Then afterwards, I walked DOWN the thousand steps back to the parking lot without hesitation. Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe I'm not as old as I feel sometimes.
 |
Was it worth getting there for dawn? You tell me. |
 |
Here's an abstract I did in Topaz Impression from the same sunrise. |
I'm in Torbay.
I told you that I found this great house. And as advertised, Linsey and Peter have not omitted anything in making this place a 5-star accommodation. I did a little iPhone video the day I got here: Click here to watch. Opens in Quicktime player.
 |
This is the amazing house I rented for the month. |
My only suggestion was to go outside and chop down the power, phone and fibre optic lines interfering with the view! LOL
 |
This is the view from the house (minus the power lines, of course!) |
I'm here until August 25th. Amin arrives on the 17th, he has his choice of 3 bedrooms. I've appropriated the loft!
From this location, we can access everything as far away as Cape St. Mary's in a day trip. We might even go back to Bonavista to visit the puffins again. I'm 10 minutes from St. John's airport and only about 15 - 20 minutes from downtown St. John's, depending on traffic.
 |
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Signal Hill is an exceptional place to photograph from. And you meet neat people there!
 |
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There are a variety of places to shoot from. Another one is behind those buildings on the right, halfway up the hill. There are trails everywhere to take you out to great spots. |
At the foot of the hill in the above photo is an area called "The Battery". It sits just at the entrance to the Harbour and the streets are narrow and cluttered with cars and people. But the view from across the harbour is breathtaking.
 |
I shot this last year too and I'm not sure which image I like better. Timing is critical — the light in the sky and the light from the buildings have to balance and they only do that for a short time! |
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If you turn to the right, you see the exit from the harbour. This large boat was exiting at the time I shot it. |
St. John's is known for its "jellybean houses", each one painted a different vibrant colour.
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I did this quickly for the blog. Be warned... I ain't done yet! LOL |
As I said, from Torbay I was able to explore other places. Here are a few shots
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On the beach at St. Phillips. By the way, there's a highly regarded fish-and-chips shop there, "By the Beach", and yes, it's great! |
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Same spot. Some people do other things with rocks! |
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Portugal Cove is where you get the ferry to Bell Island. It was too busy, so I didn't go, but I did get this shot from the ferry dock |
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One night I did get out to shoot some star trails. I went up to Pouch Cove (pronounced "Pooch Cove") because it looked like the perfect dark skies spot. Not bad, but the night was a little hazy. I added some "Georgia O'Keeffe" to make it a bit different. |
As I said, Amin came back on the 17th. We went out to "By the Beach" for dinner, then went to a spot Ray Mackey told us about:
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On the way to St. Phillips, we saw these dragon boat racers practicing. I split it into a tryptich |
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This is the spot Ray told us about. Shooting down on Conception Bay South from the Topsail Bluff. |
To be continued!
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