When I arrived in Bayeux, the weather was overcast. From the train station, it was a short walk to the hotel. The skies cleared up later in the afternoon as I experimented with some HDR photography.

Unlike its cousin in Paris, this Notre Dame had no crowds or lines. I could walk right in without waiting for an hour. I found a gothic-style vaulted ceiling above the aisle.

The interior of cathedrals are ideal for HDR. These are almost always unevenly lit with dark, cavernous interiors contrasted with the bright stained glass windows.

The San Mateo County History Museum offers fascinating glimpse into the history of the San Francisco Bay region. Inside the rotunda, the magnificent dome dominates over the the Great Seal of the State of California.

With the 28-300mm lens, I’m pretty much limited to to the dome itself.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 180, 28mm, f/8, 1/30s

The 14-24mm bring in the second floor balcony for some perspective.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 14mm, -1 EV, f/8, 1/20s

A tile mosaic of the Great Seal of California appears on the floor of the rotunda.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 2200, 16mm, f/5.6, 1/100s

Life before the iPhone…

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 42mm, f/8, 1/40s

When riding coach was really first-class.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 28mm, f/8, 1/20s

Of course, the Rock-ola jukebox came from a different era, but it is just as antiquated as a stagecoach for today’s children.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 28mm, f/4, 1/100s

The museum had a Chevy Imperial to show how the rise of the interstate changed the Bay Area.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 65mm, f/5.6, 1/100s

These exhibits are only a small part of the museum’s collection. I hope to return soon to see and learn more.

Made a return visit to Shoreline Lake, but minus the excitement of Fourth of July fireworks.

Took the first shot on a tripod with the 14-24mm lens.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 24mm, f/8, 1/50s

Not that interesting. I wanted to experiment with a longer shutter speed to smooth the water. Using the no filter 14-24mm lens, it was much too light outside to do anything about that. So, I switched to the love/hate 28-300mm.

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
ISO: 80
Focal Length: 28 mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Shutter: 0.5s

I also added an ND filter and set the camera to bracket 5 shots by 1 EV, which I combined using Photomatix Pro. The HDR version has a lot more detail in the sky. I also like the reflections off the smooth, glassy lake. So, ethereal.

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
ISO: 80
Focal Length: 28 mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Shutter: 1/2s, 1/4s, 1/8s, 1.0s, and 2.0s

Taking photos is the fun part. But, the real learning comes from the post-game analysis. Before heading to Italy, I wondered which lens to bring. The 24-70mm f/2.8 was the main lens. However, I did have occasion to use the 14-24mm lens, particular indoors in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 400, 24mm, 0 EV, f/3.2, 1/40s

Now, I’m trying to determine whether any of the indoor photos could have been taken with a 28-300mm lens. I know that outdoors, the 28-300mm lens is great, particularly in good light. It struggles indoors, and I might run some tests next week to figure out at which ISO the noise becomes noticeable. I was a bit too wedded to shooting at ISO 100. Outdoors with a tripod, it makes no difference. But indoors, I would have been better served with a higher ISO and a faster shutter speed.

Headed to the Stanford Dish by the dawn’s early light.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 70mm, -1 EV, f/16, 1/15s

A lot of cloud cover. So much for the glorious morning light. So, I plodded up the hill. Higher up, I could see over the trees and all the way to the Palo Alto Baylands, which the morning sun had transformed into a sepia monochrome.

^ Click for larger image.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 200mm, -1 EV, f/16, 1/125s

I ascended up some more and could see Hanger One at Moffett Federal Airfield. At this point, I was glad I brought along the tripod to steady the camera since I was out of breath. No amount of VR is going to help after a steep hill climb.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 70mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/100s

There is ample opportunity to photograph the Dish along the way from various vantage points. While the skies were a bit dreary, the hike was also comfortably cool. Tradeoffs.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 200mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/100s

I finally reached the Dish and head up for a closer view. About this time, the sun was starting to break through the clouds.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 26mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/640s

I did see a lot of squirrels. Pretty amazing to capture a sharp photo of a squirrel at 1/40s.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 200mm, 0 EV, f/16, 1/40s

Instead of continuing down the trail, I headed back. Here’s the other dish.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 185mm, 0 EV, f/16, 1/60s

Every once in a while, I would look back and see if I should photograph the Dish again. By now, the skies were bluer.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 82mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/320s

On the descent, there’s a hazy view of the Stanford campus.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 70mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/250s

The fallen. Love the golden grass and blue skies.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 70mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/320s

One last glance at the Dish.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 70mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/320s

The King of the Hill. Oops, dirty sensor.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 145mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/250s

And a pretty bluebird waiting by the exit to bid farewell.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 145mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/200s

Disneyland is a man-made theme park in Anaheim, CA. Not the type of destination where you should spend much time pondering the one lens question. For fun, I brought along the 28-300mm and took some photos just to see how the camera and lens would perform.

In good light, the 28-300mm had no problems. For that matter, an iPhone could do the job for outside snapshots. Indoors, it’s all about trade-offs. The first task is finding the slowest acceptable shutter speed. The French can-can girls look acceptable when cropped and reduced. At 100%, the noise is quite noticeable.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 65mm, f/4.8, 1/50s

It’s a Small World-version of Cinderella.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 28mm, f/3.5, 1/50s

Disney waterfall in Toon Town. Would have been more fun with an ND filter and tripod. I did try to slow down the shutter speed as much as possible.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, 32mm, f/25, 1/5s

Construction crane towering above Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which was closed.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, 45mm, f/5.6, 1/640s

During each ride, there’s a series of initial adjustments. I wanted the shutter fast enough to stop movement. The boat was moving. The characters were moving. However, I didn’t want the shutter to be so fast that the resulting photo would end up completely underexposed. Pirates of the Caribbean was particularly challenging because the entire ride was dimly lit. I started the shutter speed at 1/100s, increased it to 1/50s, and again to 1/25s.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 28mm, f/3.5, 1/25s

While waiting in line for the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride, I saw the parade pass by.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 180, 300mm, f/5.6, 1/500s

At Innoventions, I sat through the Honda ASIMO robot presentation while waiting for my Autopia FASTPASS time to arrive. I was impressed by the mobility of ASIMO. However, I was underwhelmed when the host was video conferencing with his family. Facetime is already here. Video conferencing is the technology of today, not tomorrow. And, using Facetime certainly doesn’t trigger a ridiculous video and audio special effect. I guess the swirling effect was to make video conferencing appear futuristic.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 5600, 116mm, f/5.6, 1/500s

Sleeping Beauty’s Castle during that wonderful moment after the lights are turned on but before the sky has gone dark.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, 105mm, f/5.6, 1/125s

Next time, I’ll bring a prime lens for fun.

Nikon D7000, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 G II ED, ISO 100, 75mm, -2 EV, f/5, 1/40s

After visiting the Desert View Watchtower in the late afternoon, we headed back to the Kachina Lodge. On the return trip, we pulled over as often as we could to see the Grand Canyon at sunset. As the sun dipped down, the bright sky transformed into a rich pink and purple palette. Absolutely gorgeous.

The Lawrence Hall of Science is a children’s science museum in Berkeley, California. Located in the Berkeley Hills, it offers a beautiful panoramic view of the San Francisco bay. Used an ND filter to smooth out the spray of the fountain.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 48mm, f/22, 13.0s

At 4:22 PM, the view was nothing spectacular, especially with the atmospheric haze.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 35mm, f/22, 1/400s, -2 EV

By 5:38 PM, the sun dropped right behind the Golden Gate bridge and rendered the cityscape into a sepia-toned monochrome.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 66mm, f/18, 1/500s, -2 EV

By 5:52 PM, the sun was going, going, gone…

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 66mm, f/8, 1/100s

Then began the long wait for the city lights to flicker on. Since this was over President’s Day weekend, I wasn’t sure if the office buildings would be lit at night. However, by 6:35 PM, Bay Area was aglow. From my vantage point, it was hard to tell whether the lights in San Francisco were on or not because they were so faint.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 40mm, f/2.8, 4.0s

One problem I experienced while trip planning was trying to figure out the scale of Rome. How walkable was it? From Hotel Smeraldo, near Camp de’ Fiori, the Pantheon was really close by. Just continuing down the path, we then came across Trevi Fountain. Further down, we reached the Spanish Steps.

From the hotel, if we headed in a different direction, we could easily reach the Colosseum. However, walkable means different things to different people. Per Fitbit, I was logging 20,000-30,000 steps a day in Rome.

Anyways, on to the Trevi Fountain.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 31mm, f/6.3, 1/160s

In the winter, the Trevi Fountain was not as crowded as I had anticipated. Access to the fountain was not completely blocked off by other tourists. Still, I had to selectively frame the shot to avoid the other people enjoying the view.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 24mm, f/11, 10.0s

Of course, I returned during an early morning expedition. I saw one small group of tourists just off to the side.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 26mm, f/18, 13.0s

Other than that, we had the entire fountain to ourselves. The fountain was nicely lit, so don’t be shy about stopping by during off hours.

I cropped the second photo (above) so that you can see some of the details of the fountain.