Pacific - David Mathre Photography

Two-Years Ago (18-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 13: Crossing the Pacific Ocean From Hawaii to Japan.

It was a long day. I got up well before dawn, and got a silhouette image of the forward deck statue. Then a so, so sunrise image. In my cabin on the 8th deck was an oil painting, with a brass label and signature on the painting of Claude Monet. I asked one of the art history students if she could identify the painting and if it was the original or a copy? I didn’t really believe that it was the original, but the ship (MV Deutschland) when Semester at Sea wasn’t leasing it as the MV World Odyssey did have a lot of art work (paintings, statues, gold chandeliers, exotic woods, brass fittings, china dining ware, etc). When I got back home, I was able to do a Google image search, and found that it was indeed a painting by Claude Monet “Path Through the Corn at Pourville“. The original is listed as being in a private collection. For sunset, I set up a camera to do a time-lapse sequence on the forward upper deck, which I made into a video. There was a 1980’s disco for the faculty, staff, and life-long-learners (students not invited) in the faculty lounge/bar. To end the day I got an image of the constellation Orion while standing on a moving ship. The sensors on the new cameras are amazing, and can capture images in very low light situations. In the past, I would have had to use a much longer exposure where you would see the stars as jagged lines.

Individual images in the slide show can be viewed here.

The constellation Orion in the night sky from the aft deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 6400, 35 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Two-Years Ago (17-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 12: Crossing the Pacific Ocean From Hawaii to Japan.

This was the day that magic happened. We lost a day, 16-Jan-16 never happened. Look at the images carefully to find the alien pretending to be a student on the voyage, and when gravity was suspended. Too bad if anyone on the ship had their birthday on the missing day.

Individual images in this slide show can be viewed here.

Individual images in the slide show can be viewed here.

Outdoor breakfast after shooting dawn and sunrise on the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/7, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)

Individual images in the slide show can be viewed here.

First Quarter Moon from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon One V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). Field of View equivalent to an 810 mm lens on a 35 mm sensor camera. (David J Mathre)

We crossed the International Date Line (180 degrees) east or west (or half way around the planet) from the zero degree line going through Greenwich, England. We actually, didn’t cross the line until 13:19 but the Captain of the ship gets to select which day we cross datelines so as not to confuse things in the middle of the day.

Two-Years Ago (15-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 11: Crossing the Pacific Ocean From Hawaii to Japan.

There were lots of storm clouds in the morning. The sun rose under the clouds producing some interesting electric orange colors. Later in the morning we had some rain squalls, but when the sun reappeared the conditions were right for some rainbows. Later that evening a Masked Booby decided to spend the night on the forward deck. Actually, I think after the bird landed, it found out that there was not enough room to take-off again. It is actually a pretty big bird. Before the students could harass it, or try to feed it bread some members of the crew came out with a blanket to cover the bird. They then took it to an aft deck where there was room for it take-off and fly away.

Individual images in the slide-show can be viewed here.

Two-Years Ago (14-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 10: Crossing the Pacific Ocean From Hawaii to Japan.

There were a few folks out to work-out, photograph, or meditate for sunrise. The Masked and Brown Boobies continue to follow the ship. I think they are using the thermals created by our motion as they search for fish. I managed to get an image of a Brown Booby just after it caught a Flying Fish. Later on at sunset, the conditions were just right for us to see a “Green Flash” as the sun disappeared into the Pacific Ocean.

Brown Booby with a Flying Fish for Lunch. Image taken from the deck of the MV World Odyssey while crossing the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to Japan. Semester at Sea -- Spring 2016 Voyage -- Day 10. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (147 mm, ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre) — Brown Booby with a Flying Fish for Lunch. Image taken from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (147 mm, ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Individual images from the slide-show can be viewed here.

Two-Years Ago (13-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 9: Crossing the Pacific Ocean From Hawaii to Japan.

Images from dawn to sunset from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. One thing that I noted on this voyage was the very red color of the sun at sunrise and sunset as we crossed the Pacific ocean. I wasn’t expecting smog in the middle of the ocean. The closer we got to Asia, it became even more pronounced. I normally do not try to take pictures of the sun without a very dark filter, especially through a telephoto lens. However, on this voyage the atmosphere near the horizon became that filter. For the two panorama images there are a few artifacts where the images were stitched together. The image was dark and the ship was moving, and rocking due to the waves and wind.

Orange colored sky and clouds over the Pacific Ocean just after sunrise. Composite of 10 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and stitched together with AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre) — Orange colored sky and clouds over the Pacific Ocean just after sunrise. Composite of 10 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and stitched together with AutoPano Giga Pro. Click on the image for a wider view. (David J Mathre)

Individual images in the slide-show can be viewed here.