Ethan Meleg - Nature Photography Blog

Algonquin Park winter - follow-up

2012-02-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

Just a quick follow-up to my last post with a few more images from Alqonquin Provincial Park. I'm still in awe at how incredible that trip was.... I ended up with my best photos of moose and pine marten, as well as plenty of birds. Here are a few:

This is the context for the photos of the moose in the previous post. Canon 1D mk IV, Sigma 70-200/2.8.

Pine Marten peaking over snowy ridge. Canon 1D mk IV, EF 500mm f/4 IS lens & 1.4x teleconverter.

Black-capped Chickadee launching off perch. Canon 1D mk IV, EF 500mm f/4 IS lens & 1.4x teleconverter.

Winter moose - Algonquin Provincial Park

2012-01-21T21:13:00.001-05:00

I'm up shooting in Algonquin Provincial Park for a couple of days. My targets were winter birds and landscapes, but the unexpected surprise of the day was a pair of bull moose on a frozen lake just before dusk. I stood in awe of the scene, then frantically flipped between lenses to capture the unique situation. I've never had luck with moose in winter before, let alone two of them out in the open! Tipping a glass of wine back now after a hell of a great day!
Techs: Canon EOS 5D mk II, 500/4IS lens.

The Barnegat Jetty in New Jersey - Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers

2011-12-29T17:40:00.000-05:00

Harlequin Duck (male), Barnegat Jetty, New Jersey

I'm shooting on the New Jersey coast for a few days at the Barnegat Jetty, renowned as one of the very best places to photograph Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers (during winter). I've wanted to shoot here for years and it finally came together to conveniently piggy back a few days onto a holiday trip visiting relatives in Virginia.

Barnegat has not disappointed - there have been plenty of Harlequin Ducks, often very close. Shooting here is highly dynamic, influenced by the tides and wind conditions. You have to put your time in and be persistent, making many arduous treks out the rock jetty, to get the shots. Here are a few from yesterday and today. These were shot with a Canon 1D mk IV and 500mm f/4 IS lens sometimes with a 1.4x teleconverter.

Harlequin Duck (male), Barnegat Jetty, New Jersey

Purple Sandpiper, Barnegat Jetty, New Jersey

Great Falls National Park, Virginia

2011-12-24T11:05:00.001-05:00

I'm in Virginia visiting relatives for the holidays and made a quick jaunt over to Great Falls National Park this morning at daybreak. Here are a couple of quickly processed images on my laptop. Hope they look ok!

Both images taken with a Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer and 2-stop hard edge ND grad.

Christmas Cards - Photographer's Edge

2011-12-07T21:29:00.001-05:00

Each year for the holidays I send my clients Christmas cards to thank them for supporting my business during the past year. I used to make the cards from scratch, by going to a local print shop and having them produce branded card blanks for me. A few years ago I stumbled across a company called the Photographer's Edge who sell bulk card blanks ready and I have used them ever since. All you have to do is stick your own print (I use 4x6") in, remove 4 strips revealing double-sided tape and fold it over.... voila, you have a very professional card! To make them seem even more professional, I slap a label with my logo on the back. Since I started using the Photographer's Edge cards, it's been way easier, more cost-effective, and my cards look much better.

This year my card is using an image of frosty trees I photographed last March in Algonquin Park. It was an incredible morning with a thick hoar frost and I was out shooting with a series of Sigma lenses I had recently received through a sponsorship deal with them. This image was taken with a Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and Singh-Ray 3 stop hard edge ND grad. It's one of my favorite images of the year, and will soon be arriving in the mailboxes of my clients.

Chilling out and shooting around home - Halfway Log Dump, Bruce Peninsula

2011-11-21T20:22:00.001-05:00

This summer and fall I was extremely busy shooting assignments and running the stock photo business. Things have finally slowed down a bit, so I've taken a break to catch up on other important things in life: drinking good wine, socializing and cooking (and as you've probably figured by now, doing anything but feeding this blog). As I write this, I'm watching BBC's series 'Human Planet' which is getting me stoked for an exciting trip or two this winter.

During my down time, I make regular outings to shoot photos locally. Living in central Ontario, especially here on the edge of the Bruce Peninsula, there's plenty to photograph. One of my favorite subjects is the Georgian Bay shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park. Here are a few recent photos from Halfway Log Dump, which I consider to be one of the premier landscape photography locations in the entire province.

On a typical landscape outing, I'll shoot between 50 and 200 images in a morning or evening. I aim for a diverse array of images: compressed landscapes with a medium telephoto, wide-angle shots and of course a variety of horizontal and vertical compositions. I also try to vary exposures to create dramatic effects. In the case of the two bottom photos below, you'll see that I chose slow shutter speeds (1/4 - 1/2s) to show subtle motion blurs of the waves crashing over the boulder. Check out the captions for specifics about each image.

Niagara Escarpment/Georgian Bay shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park.

Canon 1D mk IV; EF 70-200/4 lens. ISO 200, 1/1000 @ f/5.6

Bruce Peninsula National Park. Canon 5D mk 2,

Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB polarizer &

2 stop hard edge ND grad. ISO 50, 1/2s @ f/22

HalBruce Peninsula National Park. Canon 5D mk 2, Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens,

Singh-Ray LB polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad. ISO 50, 1/4s @ f/22

Live Polar Bear and Tundra cam from Chuchill, Manitoba

2011-11-15T15:14:00.001-05:00

Tundra Buggy Cam - Pearls of the Planet - Polar Bears - explore

Explore.org has live video cameras streaming from a Tundra Buggy up in Churchill, Manitoba. Watch carefully to spot wild polar bears in the tundra. It should go without saying, you need to watch during daylight hours (in Churchill - approx 8am-4pm Central Time).
I haven't made it up to Churchill yet to photograph polar bears, but it's on my bucket list. This just makes me want to go even more!

2011-10-14T08:17:00.001-04:00

http://mountainlifegeorgianbay.flipzine.ca/2011-fall/#/the-magicians-eye/

Mountain Life magazine just did a feature on my photography in the latest issue. Check out the link above. It's fun doing these kinds of features, they offer more liberty compared to typical magazine articles. Let me know what you think!

Sigma Canada contest

2011-10-07T09:21:00.002-04:00

Be sure to check out this contest from Sigma Canada. Since joining as a sponosored pro with them over a year ago, I've been shooting with Sigma lenses regularly and have been impressed with their gear!

Tourism photos from around Ontario

2011-09-05T19:43:00.000-04:00

It's a cold, drizzly Labour Day and I'm sitting here in a pair of blue jeans and a sweatshirt in disbelief that it's already September and summer seems to be on the way out. It's been one of the busiest summers I've ever had, which explains the sparsity of blog posts. The past month I've been working on photo shoots for tourism clients, traveling around Ontario with minimal sleep, but fueled by grand ideas for photos and, of course, plenty of medium roast coffee.

One of my favorite parts in the process of photography is conceptualizing the images. After discussing the key elements and objectives with my clients, I think about locations, lighting/time of day, perspectives, props, etc and begin to previsualize potential images. When I lock onto an idea for a shot, I often draw rough conceptual sketches on a note pad (my skill level at drawing is limited to stick people!). Once all of the planning and leg work is done, then it's time for the best part.... shooting the photos!

Here are a few of the tourism images I've been working on over the past month from some of my favorite parks:

Point Pelee National Park marsh at sunrise. Canon 5D mk II, Sigma 24-70/2.8,

Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop hard edge ND grad.

Bruce Peninsula National Park - hikers along Georgian Bay shoreline.

Canon 5D mk II, EF 17-40/4, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer.

Rondeau Provincial Park beach at sunset. Canon 5D mk II, Sigma 24-70/2.8,

Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad.

Point Pelee National Park tip at sunrise. Canon 5D mk II, EF 17-40/4,

Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad.

Bruce Peninsula National Park - hikers along Georgian Bay shoreline, sunrise.

Canon 5D mk II, EF 17-40/4, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop

hard edge ND grad.

Park Dreams Contest

2011-08-14T21:53:00.000-04:00

I have been very fortunate to visit a number of Canada’s National Parks. As a photographer I enjoy being able to capture the stunning views or wildlife that make their home there. There are still many parks I would like to get to and add to my collection!

In celebration of the 100^th birthday of Parks Canada, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), is inviting Canadians to join in building Canada’s first national parks bucket

list. The “Park Dreams Contest: What’s on your bucket list?”, will run until August 24^th. Grand prize for this Facebook-based contest is a dream trip for two to Nahanni National Park Reserve.

The “Park Dreams Contest” simply asks people to share in 50 words or less a dream experience they’ve already had or wish for in any one of Canada’s 42 national parks. The topic is wide, and CPAWS is looking for dreams ranging from the wildest excursion to the most stunning view, wildlife sighting, paddling haven or hiking thrill. There will be a two-week voting period after the closing date to help determine which 100 dreams will make it onto Canada’s first national parks bucket list.

Check out www.parkdreams.ca for more contest details.

Sunrise on Flowerpot Island, Tobermory, Ontario

2011-07-28T20:26:00.000-04:00

With the sweltering heat in Ontario this summer, I've been out on my boat every chance I can get! My friend and I recently made an early morning trip out to Flowerpot Island in Fathom Five National Marine Park near Tobermory, Ontario. We were rewarded with the best sunrise I've ever had from the island. The clouds lit up dramatically at daybreak and we shot pictures like crazy!

I was very pleased with the first image below, but knew that having a person in the shot would provide scale for the large "flowerpot" rock pillar. My buddy Don Wilkes obliged by running up onto the adjacent rock ledge and striking the pose you see in photo 2.

Later in the morning when the sun was much higher in the sky, we searched for interesting foregrounds for the flowerpots. I composed photo 3 with a tourism guide cover in mind. It was a fun shoot and I'm already planning my photo excursion over to the island!

Photo 1: Flowerpot Island at sunrise. Canon 5D mk II and 17-40mm lens.

Photo 2: Flowerpot Island at sunrise with person for scale. Canon 5D mk II and 17-40mm lens.

Photo 3: Flowerpot Island with puffy clouds. Canon 5D mk II, Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens and Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer.

New Photography Software for Mac Users

2011-07-14T15:22:00.000-04:00

PC versus Mac - there is a debate between the users. I am personally a PC user and although I have been tempted by the dark side (Mac people are pushers!), I remain a loyal PC user. A large part of this has to do with the software I use for my photography work is either already bought or not available for Mac. One program that I use is BreezeBrowser for navigating my photo collection and for initial editing after a shoot. There has never been a version of this software for Mac, until now, a friend of mine Bhupendra has developed a similar program to fill the gap.

I would like to introduce to you a new image download and editing software for Mac -- FirstPass. Written by a photographer, for photographers!

FirstPass is a lightweight and intuitive program to do a "first pass" editing of photos -- download, thumbnail view, view at 100%, rate, filter, rename, delete and more.

Some of the main features of FirstPass:

- Accelerates your digital imaging workflow

- Lightweight, stand-alone image browser

- Allows automatic download from multiple sources to multiple destinations

- Fast and intuitive interface to sort, rate and view images

- Allows image download over the network

- View images in a slideshow

- Supports all RAW file formats

Available at the Mac AppStore for a limited time introductory price -- $9.99!

For more information, please visit http://firstpass.lightoncanvas.com. Bhupendra will be glad to answer any questions here, or by email firstpass@lightoncanvas.com.

Granite bedrock patterns - Eastern Georgian Bay

2011-06-25T16:15:00.002-04:00

I spent a few days last week shooting on eastern Georgian Bay at a remote location with some of the most exquisite granite rock patterning I know of on the Great Lakes. My friend, Halifax area photographer Dale Wilson, joined me for the trip and was blown away by the scenic Canadian Shield islands. Our excursion was an adventure. The good ship "ViewFinder" was fully loaded with camping and camera gear. Navigating the gauntlet of shoals to reach the best islands was stressful; thankfully Dale contributed better chart reading skills than I have. At one point while en route to an evening shoot location, I looked back only to notice the stern of the boat filling with water and my camera pack partly submerged. The plug had fallen out! After rescuing the gear and beaching the boat on a nearby island, I jumped in the water with all of my clothes on and put in a spare plug before activating the bilge pump. We were dry and back shooting in 15 minutes, just in time for a great sunset!

Now safely back on land, I'm editing through the hundreds of photos from the trip. Below are a few of my favorites. These were photographed with a Canon 5D mark II body, either Canon EF 17-40 lens or Sigma 24-70mm lenses, and Singh-Ray filters. I'm already planning the next trip out there and will certainly be packing another spare boat plug!

Blue-winged Warbler

2011-06-14T14:37:00.000-04:00

Blue-winged Warbler has been on my most-wanted warbler photo list for a long time. I've never lucked into a cooperative one during migration at any of the migrant hotspots like Point Pelee National Park. There are quite a few blue-wingeds nesting in the region around the area where I live (Owen Sound) so this past week I spent some time shooting them here on their breeding territories. Here are a couple of shot I'm pleased to finally get! I also had a very obliging Bobolink pose for me while I was on my way to shoot the warblers.

Over the next couple weeks I'll be working on Golden-winged Warbler, which also nests in this region. Golden-winged is the elusive prize that I'm lusting over; they taunt me from high up in the treetops. Check back in a week or two to see if I have any luck shooting them!

Blue-winged Warbler. Canon 1D mk IV; 500/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor

Blue-winged Warbler. Canon 1D mk IV; 500/4 lens & 2x teleconvertor

Bobolink. Canon 1D mk IV; 500/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor

Lakeside Daisy - shooting the best of what's around you

2011-06-10T12:59:00.001-04:00

Above photos: Lakeside Daisy blooming in a globally rare alvar habitat

I live on the edge of Bruce Peninsula, an area that is famous for wildflowers including 42 species of wild orchids and several species that are endemic (only found here). One of my favorite species is the Lakeside Daisy, a plant endemic to the Great Lakes region and found primarily in globally rare alvar habitats (characterized by shallow soil overlaying limestone bedrock and a unique assortment of plants).

When I photograph around home, or on distant travels, I always seek to photograph things that are unique to a place. I do advance homework, researching the unique species, ecosystems, landforms or cultural icons of a particular area. With that, I develop a shot list that helps me hone in on the essence of a place.

Birders Gone Wild

2011-05-17T18:23:00.000-04:00

Starting at 2am on May 20^th myself along with John Haselmayer and Mark Weircinski will be partipting in the annual Baillie Birdathon. Yes, this may sound a bit crazy to some of you, but this is a birding geeks Olympics. Aside from wanting to break our record of 174 species (which we would love to break), this birdathon supports the conservation of Canada’s birds. Our funds will support both Bird Sutdies Canada (BSC) and the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory (BPBO).

This 24 hour bridathon day includes a crazy day of driving all over the Bruce Peninsula searching forests, fields, and wetlands for migrants and breeding birds. We won’t be sleeping and won’t be eating healthy – it will be a day full of junk food and caffeine drinks. And for me personally a lot of oreos! Any bets in how many I will consume?

For those who are really interested in how this crazy day ends, please join the three of us on Saturady May 28^th for our ‘Birders Gone Wild on the Bruce’ presentation – apart of the Huron Fringe Birding Festival (http://bit.ly/iTdIVb). In addition to our adventures the presentation will also include my bird photography. That’s one downside to this birdathon, there won’t be time for photos – which is hard as a bird photographer!

Don’t worry if you can’t make it I will be sure to post our results on here!

Please support our Team Bruce Peninsula on our crazy adventure and raise funds for our Canadian Birds. It’s easy to do! You can make a pledge by clicking here, which will direct you to the birdathon website.

It’s on the Newsstands!!

2011-05-13T12:54:00.000-04:00

Be sure to pick up the Canadian Geographic Collector’s Edition – Best National Parks Pictures 2011. This is the issue that features my photo of Banff National Park, Moraine Lake on the cover – once again thank you to all who voted! This issue is full of great photographs of our National parks, marine areas and historic sites by many talented photographers.

Spring migrants photographed from my car

2011-05-08T23:10:00.000-04:00

Many spring migrants are arriving back in Ontario to take up seasonal residence in their breeding territories. To say that I'm elated is an understatement! All year I dream about spring and summer. It's my favorite time of year with endless things to photograph and never enough time to fit it all in.

One of my spring rituals is to cruise up and down the backroads of the Bruce Peninsula, photographing birds in the meadows and wet fields. I keep my telephoto lens setup ready on the passenger seat and use a beanbag to shoot directly from the car window. Beanbags are a rock solid platform to shoot from. If you turn your car off (to prevent engine vibrations) and use good technique, it's fairly easy to get sharp photos even at high magnifications.

Birds and animals are often less afraid of a vehicle than a person on foot, so by driving slowly and being patient you can get quite close for frame-filling photos. Here are a couple photos taken by this method in the past week.

Upland Sandpiper. Canon EOS 1D mk IV, EF 500/4 lens & 2x teleconvertor.

Northern Shoveler. Canon EOS 1D mk IV, EF 500/4 lens and 2x teleconvertor.

Shooting from my van with a 300mm lens supported by a "Blubb" beanbag.

more Great Smoky Mountains National Park landscapes....

2011-04-24T17:08:00.001-04:00

Here are a few images from yesterday and today in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I've processed these on my new laptop and am just getting used to the monitor nuances, let me know if they look OK!

Blogger is giving me trouble with captions, so here are the location and tech details in order the photos appear.

Photo 1: Clingman's Dome, Canon EOS 1D mk IV, Sigma 70-200/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 2: Clingman's Dome, Canon EOS 5D mk II, Sigma 70-200/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 3: Roaring Fork, Canon EOS 5D mk II, Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer

Photo 4: Roaring Fork, Canon EOS 5D mk II, Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

2011-04-22T23:58:00.000-04:00

Photo: Middle Prong Little River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Canon EOS 5D mark II, Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer

I'm down in the Smoky Mountains for a few days of shooting... this is one of my favorite locations during spring! It was a long drive down so I'm quite tired, but here's a quick shot I just processed from today. Lots more to come! This is the first photo I've processed on my new laptop, so hopefully I've got all the settings ok and it looks decent. Let me know!

I'm shooting almost exclusively with Sigma lenses this trip, with images in mind for my presentation this week in London, Ontario (thanks to Sigma Canada for their sponsorship!).
cheers,
Ethan

Upcoming Presentation in London, Ontario

2011-04-13T20:29:00.000-04:00

I will be doing a presentation in London for Sigma Canada and Forest City Image Centre on “Top Tips for Outdoor Photography”. It’s on a Wednesday so if you are looking to break up your long work week come on out and get some ideas on outdoor photography. There are still tickets available.

The presentation is April 27^th at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn & Conference Center. For more information or tickets, see poster above for details or visit http://www.sigmacanada.ca/2011/04/tips-for-outdoor-photography-with-ethan-meleg/ or call 519-661-0325 to register (Forest City Image Centre).

Hope to see you there!

Help! Please vote for my photo for a Canadian Geographic collector's cover

2011-03-30T19:44:00.000-04:00

Help! My photo of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park has been shorlisted for the cover of an upcoming collector's issue of Canadian Geographic. The final decision comes down to a public vote. Please help get the cover by voting here (mine is the one on the left, see mock-up below)!

http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/contests/coverVotes/SIP2011_natparks/default.asp

Spread the word. Thanks!!

Magnificent Frigatebirds - Belize

2011-03-27T12:29:00.000-04:00

While leisurely cruising around Caye Caulker in a golf cart in search of cold beer, I stumbled across a couple of local fisherman cleaning their fish on a dock. They were tossing the fish guts out, which attracted a group of Magnificent Frigatebirds to within point-blank range. This was the best opportunity I'd ever had to shoot frigatebirds and my photo mojo kicked in like wildfire! Aside from a quick trip back to the hotel to get more gear and memory cards, I shot the frigatebirds continuosly until all the fish were cleaned and the birds soared off. When there's a good photo opportunity before me, I stick with it as long as it lasts (thankfully, there was plenty of cold beer to be found afterwards)!

With the blazingly fast motor drive on the Canon 1D mark IV, I blasted about 1200 photos of the frigatebirds in an hour or so. This was a great test of the new lenses that Sigma had sent me.... and I was impressed with the AF capabilities. The only problem now is that I have so many photos to edit!

Photo 1 (above): Magnificent Frigatebird in flight, Caye Caulker, Belize

Canon 1D mark IV, Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; 580EX II flash at +1 1/3

Exposure: ISO 400, 1/400s @ f/6.3

Photo 2 (above): Magnificent Frigatebird in flight, Caye Caulker, Belize

Canon 1D mark IV, Sigma 70-200mm f.2.8 lens, 580EX II flash at +2/3

Exposure: ISO 400, 1/2000s @ f/5.6

Photo 3 (above): Fisherman clean their catch on Caye Caulker, Belize.

Canon 1D mark IV, Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB polarizer

Belize photos

2011-03-14T23:43:00.000-04:00

I just returned today from a week in Belize that was a great mix of photography and vacationing (I don't like winter, it was a great break from the snow!). I'm tired and have barely sorted my photos, but here are a few initial photos. I'll add captions and more info when I catch up on my sleep.

All these were shot with Canon bodies and Sigma lenses. First 2 photos are shoreline scenes on Caye Caulker, the last two photos are Black Howler Monkeys (captive) at the Belize Zoo.

Algonquin Park winter scenes

2011-03-05T10:14:00.000-05:00

I'm off to Belize tomorrow for a short escape from winter to do some tropical shooting. In sharp contrast of weather, I was in Algonquin Park this past week and one morning checked my themometer which read a rather frigid -24C (but it was a beautifully sunny and calm morning!). A friend called me on my cellphone and my cheeks were so numb I could barely speak!

I don't have much time to process the files (I'm packing) but couldn't resist posting a few inital shots:

Photo 1 (above): Hoar frost along Opeongo Lake Road, Algonquin Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray 3 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 2 (above): Sunset over Lake of Two Rivers, Algonquin Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 3 (above): Sunset over Spruce Bog, Algonquin Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 3 stop soft edge ND grad

Photo 4 (above): Common Redpoll on spruce crown, Algonquin Provincial Park

Canon EOS 1D mark IV; Sigma 300mm f/2.8 lens

Photo Exhibition & Presentation, Kingsville (Ontario) -upcoming

2011-02-26T08:23:00.001-05:00

I hail from the small town of Kingsville in the southernmost part of Ontario, Canada (about 45 minutes from Windsor/Detroit). For the first time ever, I'll be doing an exhibition of my photos and presentation back in my home town.

During the month of March, drop by the Kingsville Public Library (during business hours) to see 12 of my favourite photos on display. The library is located at 40 Main Street West in Kingsville, Ontario and the hours are:

Monday, Tuesday - 1:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday - 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The exhibition is a prelude to my presentation "Confessions of a Crazed Photographer"on April 9 at the Pelee Island Winery. For more info or tickets (limited numbers, get them quickly), see poster above for details. Or visit Shooters Photography Club website: http://shootersclub.wordpress.com/ethan-meleg-event/

If you make it to see the exhibition or presentation, let me know what you think!

SOLD. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens

2011-02-20T19:35:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: SOLD (in 15mins on FredMiranda.com)

For sale: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens
Price $1100 includes shipping (within continental North America) and paypal fees.
Will ship insured via CanadaPost Xpresspost as soon as payment is received.

Serial # 1023864 [date code is UV]

The lens is in excellent condition with very minor cosmetic scuffs (you'll have to look hard for them).
Comes with all original stuff like new: box, hood, fabric lens bag, lens caps, instruction manual.
I bought this lens for a specific assignment and have used it only rarely (probably less than 20 times).

Email me if interested: info@ethanmeleg.com

Here are some photos:

Algonquin Park - Boreal Chickadee, marten, redpolls and snow angels....

2011-02-14T14:37:00.000-05:00

Photo 1 (above): Boreal Chickadee, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Canon EOS 1D mark IV; 500mm/4 lens & 1.4x; 580EX fill flash at -1 2/3; ISO 800, 1/125s @ f/5.6

Boreal Chickadee has been on my photo wish-list for more than a decade. I've tried to call the shy and secretive species in for photos, but my best efforts had only resulted in shots of blurry blobs hidden behind branches. So when I read a bird report last week about several Boreal Chickadees coming in to a new suet feeder in Algonquin Provincial Park, I packed my gear and headed to the park. The birds were more cooperative than I ever could have hoped for. Over the past two days, I shot hundreds and hundreds of photos of the chickadees. Bird photography bliss!

To make things even more exciting, an American Marten dropped in for a visit to the suet. It's not often that I end up shooting two new species for my collection in one day.... well worth standing around in a cold, damp spruce bog!

Photo 2 (above) American (Pine) Marten, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Canon EOS 1D mark IV; 500mm/4 lens; ISO 640, 1/250s @ f/4

There were a few flocks of Common Repolls coming to birdseed at other locations in the park, so I put up a platform feeder setup (on a spare tripod) with a snowy spruce branch as a perch and enjoyed some great finch shooting! The birds were so close and approachable, I was shooting full framers with a Sigma 300/2.8 lens.

Photo 3 (above): Common Redpoll on spruce, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Canon EOS 1D mark IV, Sigma 300/2.8 lens; 580EXII flash at - 2 1/3; ISO 400; 1/250s @ f/4

I always try to end my day at a scenic spot to photograph sunset. Thankfully picturesque lakes are in abundance along Highway 60 in Algonquin Park. In the last light of day, I ran onto the snowy lake and made a snow angel for the photo. Using a Canon TC-80N3 remote time, I set it to shoot an image every 10 seconds, allowing me to be my own snowy supermodel. What fun!

Photo 4 (above): Self-portrait making snow angel, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer and 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 400; 1/10s @ f/20; Canon TC-80N3 remote timer

F-stop camera pack - my latest love!

2011-02-07T21:06:00.017-05:00

Photo 1 (above): A ravishing model (self portrait) sporting my F-stop Tilopa camera backpack on the shoreline of Georgian Bay in Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario.

When the guys at F-stop Gear contacted me to see if I wanted to try one of their packs, I initially brushed them off. I already had a gear room full of camera packs, at least a dozen, and I didn’t really think another would add anything but more clutter.

A few days later, curiosity lead me to the F-stop website and I was pleasantly surprised to see that their packs didn’t look at all like the traditional camera packs I already owned. Intrigued, I called them back and they sent me their Tilopa pack to test drive. That was nearly a year ago and I’ve been using it ever since. In fact, the F-Stop Tilopa has become my every-day camera pack. I’m hoping they don’t call and ask for it back, I’m not giving it up without a fight!

F-Stop’s packs are designed for outdoor adventure-nature type photographers who hike (or ski, snowshoe, dogsled, mountain climb, etc) with their gear. The packs look and fit like a typical hiker’s daypack or small backpack but are fitted with a removable ICU (Internal Camera Unit) to securely hold camera gear. All of my other pro-quality camera packs are bulky and rectangular-ish, which makes them top heavy and clunky for hiking. F-stop is a refreshing new approach to camera pack design. As a photographer who hikes often, and sometimes long distances to get to my shooting locations, I'm shocked to now know what I was missing before owning (hoarding?) an F-stop pack!

Photo 2 (above): The F-stop pack in action, that's me on a recent winter photo hike.

What I like most about the F-stop pack:
1. It’s comfortable on long hikes due to an excellent harness system, padding and weight distribution. In my opinion, this is the very best camera pack on the market for hiking.

2. It doesn’t look like a camera pack so potential thieves won’t suspect that it’s full of expensive gear. It also doubles as a great prop in hiking photos, which is why I chose a red one. They refer to this color as "Cranberry". I wish they'd butch-up and rename it "kick-ass red".

3. There’s room in the pack for other gear (clothing, food, etc). Several secure zippered compartments are perfect for small accessories like car keys, a GPS or cellphone.

4. Interchangeable ICUs of various sizes make it easy to customize the pack according to the gear you need to carry. I have both a large and extra-large ICU. They fit plenty of gear and are deep enough to fit pro bodies. See photo 4 at bottom.

5. The ICUs are great on their own for shooting out of a car or in a studio.

6. You can access your gear in the ICU through a zippered hatch on the back of the pack. With the pack on the ground (or snow, see photo 3 below) your gear and the camera harness stays clean and dry.

7. Outer side pouches and quick-release straps make it easy to attach a tripod to the pack.

8. The pack is high quality; mine has stood up to months of heavy use and it's still in great condition.

9. Take the ICU out and you have a great backpack for carrying groceries or smuggling souvenirs across the border, if that's what you're into.

Ideas for improvement:
[Note: the guys at F-stop told me these have already been fixed in updates to the pack since I received mine]
1. The dividers in the ICU need Velcro on both sides for greater customization.
2. The ICU needs to fit the pack better when accessing it from the rear hatch (the frame gets in the way a bit).

So what's the bottom line?
There's no better camera pack for an outdoor/nature photographer who hikes with their gear. I love the Tilopa and just ordered the smaller "Loka" as an additional pack for short treks and around-the-town shooting.

If you bump into me in the field, be sure to check out my "Cranberry" Tilopa. If you're the folks from F-stop and you want your pack back, I'll already be around the next bend!
Photo 3 (above): The back hatch of pack opens for easy access to camera gear in the ICU.

Photo 4 (above): The interchangeable ICUs (Internal Camera Unit) loaded with gear. That's a large on the left and extra-large on the right. I often use them just like this if I'm shooting from my car or in studio.

Ice + sunshine = a great winter photo shoot!

2011-01-31T13:00:00.009-05:00

I hiked out to the Georgian Bay shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park yesterday with photo buddies Ian "Flash" Brooks, Roy Ramsay (publisher of Outdoor Photography Canada magazine) and David Topping (website to come). It was a beautifully sunny and cold day - perfect conditions for a winter photo shoot!

Ian was wearing a bright red jacket and felt like being a supermodel, so I took advantage of his willingness to pose. Having a person in the photos adds depth and perspective to the landscape.

All of these photos were shot with:
Canon EOS 5D mark II, EF 17-40mm lens; some using a Singh-Ray LB polarizer and/or 580EX flash

Icy shoreline of Georgian Bay

2011-01-23T21:23:00.006-05:00

Above photo: Self-portrait this morning; bundled up in many layers to stay warm!

-23C (before the windhcill). That's the balmy temp my friend and I set out in this morning for our trek to shoot the Georgian Bay shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park. We picked the coldest day of the winter so far, and could easily have rescheduled for any other day, but we were both too proud to be beaten by the weather (or to admit it).

The frigid wind blew fiercely off the water and created a mist that was at times so thick it was impossible to shoot. But every now and then the sun would peak out and burn off the mist for enough time to snap a few photos.

I'm wiped out tonight from the chill and hiking through snow drifts but couldn't resist processing a few shots from today. I'll be going back again later this week... and crossing my fingers for warmer weather!

Below photos:
Indian Head Cove, Bruce Peninsula National Park
Canon EOS 5D mark II, EF 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB polarizer & ND grads.

Ethan vs winter

2011-01-21T22:25:00.002-05:00

Georgian Bay shoreline at sunrise, Bruce Peninsula
Canon EOS 1N, EF 17-40 lens; Singh-Ray Gold-n-Blue polarizer & 2 stop soft edge ND grad

I'm sitting in my cozy apartment planning an upcoming photo shoot out to the Georgian Bay shoreline, which is amazingly decorated with ice right now. Many of my friends have been out there snapping great shots with their point & shoot cameras, but I haven't had a chance to get out there myself yet. It's probably the best ice of the past decade and I'm dying to shoot it!

My friend and I have just made plans to do the 1 hr hike out there early this Sunday morning with an array of props (skis, snowshoes, etc) for photo setups. As I sit here tonight checking the weather forecast, it's calling for a painfully cold -31C windchill.

I struggle to find the motivation to venture out photographing in such frigid temps, especially when there's no guarantee of good light. But sometimes the result is well worth it! I'll never forget the morning a few winters ago when I shot the above photo. The windchill was -35C and I was dressed in so many layers that I could barely move. Thinking back, I can still feel the biting wind in my face! Although it was one of the coldest days that winter, it was also one of the most magical winter scenes I've ever seen. As I brace for the cold temps this week, I'll be thinking warm thoughts about the potential photos!

Announcing.... a new logo!

2011-01-14T17:59:00.001-05:00

I'm pleased to present my new logo, designed by Carve creative studio in London, Ontario. I've been in serious need of a professional logo to sharpen up my marketing materials in a consistent fashion. Carve designer Jason Recker did a great job of translating my ideas into a series of prototypes, leading to this final version. Thanks Jason!

Let me know what you think of it....
thanks,
Ethan

Winter scene in Harrison Park, Owen Sound

2011-01-09T21:33:00.007-05:00

Harrison Park, Owen Sound - Snowy Day
EOS 5D mark II, EF 24-70mm; Singh-Ray LB polarizer; ISO 50; 1 second @ f/22; converted to black-and-white in photoshop.

It's been snowing often during the past week and while I don't care for all of the shoveling, I do love the photo opportunities!

There's a beatiful city park near my place called Harrison Park. After a fresh snowfall the other day, I took a stroll through the park and found this snow-covered tree along the creek. I shot several images filling the frame just with the tree, then composed this one with the rock counterbalancing the tree... it turned out to be my favorite from the day.

Cold weather camera gear tips

2011-01-05T22:59:00.006-05:00

Photo 1 (above): Forest shadows in winter, Bruce Peninsula.

Photo 2 (above): A very old photo of me (10 years ago, or so?) photographing ground birds near a feeder in winter.

A few people have emailed me this week asking how to deal with the effects of cold weather on camera gear. Here are the two most important things I've learned from plenty of days photographing in chilly temps:

1. Keep spare batteries (for your camera or flash) in you inner jacket/fleece pocket so they're close to your body heat. Swap your batteries periodically to ensure you have enough juice to keep photographing!

2. To prevent condensation (fogging up) of your gear when you come in from the cold, keep the gear in your camera pack and put the whole thing in a plastic bag. Leave it for a few hours so the gear acclimatizes slowly and there's no sudden contact with warm air to cause condensation. There's no problem when you go from warm to cold, it's only when you come back in!

I'm fairly particular about keeping my camera gear at a relatively stable temperature when I'm on outdoor photo shoots. It's not good to have it continually fluctuating in temperature - which can cause condensation - so I usually keep my gear (batteries excluded) in the trunk of the car.

In a future tip, I'll tell you all about tips for dressing for cold weather - including specific things geared towards photography.... this is something that we Canadian photographers know well!

Happy New Year's Eve!

2010-12-31T17:52:00.003-05:00

It's New Year's Eve.... so let me start by saying Happy New Years! I'm hanging out with my best friends... we're drinking unbelievably great wine and eating spectacular food. Bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin lusciously cooked via fondue. Life is good!

Today I bought a new camera, which doesn't happen very often. (about once every 3 years). I don't tend to get excited about gear, I'm the guy who preaches "It's not about the gear...". However, after my trip to Kenya, where my buddy Craig (www.canonrumors.com) dusted me with his 1D4 body, I have had a new camera on my mind ever since.

So I stolled down to Downtown Camera in Toronto today and picked up a brand-spanking new Canon EOS 1D mark IV. First off, let me give a kudos to that store.... co-owner Harry dealt with me personally and gave me a very good deal. I like smaller indie stores with personal service.

I'm sitting here on New Year's eve, several glasses of good wine down the hatch, playing with the 1D4. It's a wild camera with a frame rate that puts machine guns to shame. The next few days I'll be chasing birds to work out the AF.... more to follow!

I'm

Use your Mom as a model

2010-12-28T21:39:00.008-05:00

I'm catching up on editing photos from the past year and stumbled across a folder from a photo shoot with my mom last fall. Let me start by saying that my mom is a hell-of-a-good sport. Whenever I visit her, she agrees to go out for jaunts in the woods, where I "happen" to carry a camera with me. Often there are props such as binoculars or bicycles along. And these mother-and-son bonding excursions tend to occur when the light is good. I think she may be catching on that these are photo shoots and she's the model!

What's the point of this? Time is precious, so I try to make the most of every situation... essentially to kill many birds with one stone. Hanging out with my mom or my friends also presents a great photo opportunity. Friends and family are some of your best models!

Photo 1 (above): Birdwatcher (my mom) at Wheatley Provincial Park, Ontario. Canon EOS 5D mark II, Canon EF 70-200/4 IS lens (handheld), Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer. Exposure: 1/160s @ f/5.6, ISO 400.

Photo 2 (above): Bicyclist (my mom) at Wheatley Provincial Park, Ontario. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, Canon EF 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer. Exposure: 1/10s @ f/10, ISO 400.

SOLD: Canon EOS 1Ds mark III body

2010-12-27T21:40:00.005-05:00

Camera has sold quickly through the FredMiranda buy & sell forum.... a great place to deal in camera gear!

For Sale: Canon 1Ds mark III camera body.
Serial # 610054

This is a great camera body in very good condition; it has only been lightly used. Comes with all original stuff (box, manuals, charger, battery, cables, neck strap). I'm selling it to make some room for new gear in my camera bag.

Price: $3600
Includes shipping (within continental North America) and paypal fees.
Email me if interested: info@ethanmeleg.com

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T08:33:00.004-05:00

Happy holidays! Wishing everyone a stocking full of camera gear and great photos!

I'm finally caught up on the jetlag from my recent Kenya trip, so you can expect to see some new photos coming soon to this blog.

And here's a tip.... after recent storms, the Georgian Bay shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park is coated with ice.... the best I've seen in many years. I'll be going out there shooting as soon as I'm back from visiting family for the holidays. If you can get up there to shoot, the photo opportunity is amazing!

Kenya various

2010-12-12T13:35:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting on the shore of Lake Baringo, a world famous birding location. It's my last night in Kenya, so I'm bracing myself for the return to cold and snow! I've been having trouble posting to the blog during the trip due to poor cellular internet connections. It's been easier to post to facebook, so click on the link to the right to check out a few more updates from the past couple of weeks.

Here's a few random shots for the trip....

Photo 1 is a Hamerkop attempting to choke back a large toad in Lake Nakuru National Park.
Photo 2 is a Giraffe feeding on acacia trees on Crescent Island.
Photo 3 is a Hippo with flamingos in the background, Lake Nakuru National Park.
More details and photos once I get back home to my desktop computer and speedy internet!

Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

2010-12-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

Photo 1 (above): Lions playing before the evening hunt, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor

We departed from Masai Mara National Reserve this morning after several days of shooting in the park. To say that it was awesome is an understatement. There were lions and giraffes and hippos and wildebeast and so much more!! If you dream of photographing wildlife in plentiful quantities, of many species, and very close, then book yourself a trip to Kenya right now and go to the Mara.

There are three of us photographing together - myself, Craig Blair aka "the Canon Rumors guy" and friend Mike Gaudaur who lives in Kenya and is most generously hosting us. In the Mara you have to stay in your vehicle (there are lions to eat you and cape buffalo to charge you), so we had Mike's Toyota Prado SUV jam packed with camera gear.... there were big lenses bouncing all over on the bumpy roads.

Photo 2 (above): Lions relaxing before the evening hunt, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 2x teleconvertor. We saw lions every day in the Mara; I likely have hundreds of photos of them to edit.

Photo 3 (above): Vervet Monkey, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor. We ate a boxed lunch at the Mara River after photographing hippos for a couple of hours. A group of Vervet Monkeys quickly swarmed us and picked through the remains of our lunch boxes.

Photo 4 (above): Caracal, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor. We lucked into this cat, an elusive and rarely seen species. We each managed to fire a handful of photos before it took off to start hunting for the evening.

Photo 5 (above): Giraffe and Zebra, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor. The Mara has magnificent vistas of the African savannah ecosystem, all the better when there are animals posing in the frame!

Masai Mara: zebra and lion

2010-12-05T04:14:00.000-05:00

Hi all, cellular internet connection is very slow here in Masai Mara, so this is a quick post of a couple of shots from our first day in the reserve. The wildlife photography is incredible here, best I've ever experienced. We can barely keep up with the downloading and backing up each day. Will post more once I get a decent internet connection. Shot about a thousand images of lions yesterday.... yawns, cubs playing... and an adult male only 2m away from me.... wow!

Amboseli National Park, Kenya - part 1

2010-12-02T15:08:00.000-05:00

I just spent two awesome days shooting in Amboseli National Park. There were so many different species of mammals and birds that it was completely overwhelming, especially since it's my first trip to Africa. I probably shot a hundred gigabytes of photos and video and I've barely had a chance to review the images, let alone edit any. I'm completely exhausted but couldn't resist posting a couple early favorites. Tomorrow we're off to Masai Mara National Park for four days... really looking forward to it!

Photo 1 (above): Yellow (Chacma) Baboon, Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III; EF 500/4 lens. This baboon sat next to our van for about a half hour and stared at me (apparently wanting a handout of food). I nicknamed it "Bob-boon" and came to the realisation that I'm a baboonatic. Sorry, the lack of sleep causes me to make bad puns.

Photo 2 (above): Crowned Cranes, Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III; EF 500/4 lens. Crowned Cranes were all over Amboseli and we had great chances to shoot a range of photos of them, but my favorites were of pairs together.

Kenya bound...

2010-11-28T12:29:00.001-05:00

My bags are packed and off to the airport in a half hour en route to Kenya for a couple weeks of photography. Here's what I travel with (above)....

Bag 1 (left) Carry-on is a Gura Kiboko bag with all the really expensive, fragile stuff (bodies, lenses, filters). Gura is the best bag for traveling with a ton of gear! I've got a 500/4, 300/2.8, 70-200/4, 24-70/2.8, 24TSE, 17-40/4, 1DS mark III and 5D mark II in there... amazing that it all fits!

2) Personal item (second carry-on) has laptop, documents, point and shoot, etc.

3) Checked bag is a large MEC duffle bag (very little weight in the bag iteself) with tripods, heads, reflectors, chargers all padded with underwear, t-shirts, pants, etc!

Dust is always a problem for me on photo shoots and I expect it to be bad in the dry African savannah ecosystems. Dust is especially problematic for shooting video with tee 5D mark II.... it's a serious pain to remove dust spots from HD video! To save me the agony, I'm now using a product called Dust-Shield, which is an optical quality thin plastic film that seals the camera chamber and prevents dust from getting on the sensor. I just had my camera cleaned and put a fresh dust shield on... see next two photos. It works great and makes life so much easier!

The next photo is the most important item I'll be traveling... Imodium! In foreign countries, you're exposed to a range of 'bugs' that will inevitably result in gastro-intestinal distress. Imodium has saved me on many trips, so I could keep photographing and spent less time in agony in third-world washrooms!

Be sure to follow the blog and my facebook page over the next couple weeks to see the photos and hear the stories from the trip!

Backroads near Thornbury, Ontario - subtle morning landscape

2010-11-22T22:29:00.001-05:00

November is a drab time of year for photographing landscapes in this part of the world (central Ontario). The leaves are off the trees and everything is more-or-less a shade of brown. I find it difficult to be inspired to get out and shoot. On the plus side however, sunrise happens fairly late, so it's easy to get up and catch morning light.

Last week I was cruising around the backrounds near my place when I stumbled across this scene. The dawn colors were subtle so I used a Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer to enhance the scene. And of course, I used an ND grad (Singh-Ray 2 stop hard edge, 4"x6" size) to balance the exposure and add drama to the sky while properly exposing the foreground. Without filters there wouldn't have been much of a photo here.... the sky would have washed out to dull.

On a lacklustre morning I pulled off a decent shot.... I'm glad that I didn't sleep in!

Must read book: VisionMongers by David duChemin

2010-11-14T08:29:00.001-05:00

Every now and then I stumble across a book that truly inspires me. "VisionMongers: Making a Life and Living in Photography" by David duChemin is one such book! I'm about half way through it and has inspired me enough to plug it here on the blog.
The book is full of practical advice about how and why to pursue a living in photography. All aspiring pros should consider this the definitive must-read (in addition to John Shaw's Business of Nature Photography). Seasoned pros will enjoy the philosophy behind the book and pick up plenty of tips to sharpen their business skills.

Here's a link to David's blog, from which you'll find Amazon links to purchase the book.
http://www.pixelatedimage.com/blog/2009/07/visionmongers-making-a-life-and-a-living-in-photography/

If you get a chance to read it, let me know what you think.
Happy shooting!
Ethan

Moved to Owen Sound & great luck with Coyotes this morning

2010-11-03T19:00:00.000-04:00

Coyote photographed near Owen Sound this morning.

I've been incredibly busy lately which accounts for the lack of blog posts over the past couple of weeks. First and foremost, I've moved to the town of Owen Sound in a great apartment close to downtown. I'm finally settled in but it was no small task moving my stuff (second floor apartment). I have way too much photography gear; one room is completely jammed with everything from blinds and waders to camera packs and tripods.

My trip to Kenya is coming up in a few weeks so I'm starting to get organized for that. Traveling by plane with tons of camera gear is always a pain in the ass. I'll be fine-tuning the packing of camera gear right up until the last minute.

This morning I went out for a quick photo shoot on the outskits of Owen Sound with my buddy Craig (the guy behind http://www.canonrumors.com/). In early morning light, we stumbled across a pair of coyotes in a farm field close to the road. One of the animals was very pale/tawny in appearance and obliging for the camera. We shot from the van and it was certainly the best opportunity I've had photographing wild coyotes. Immediately afterwards, I locked the keys in the vehicle. The excitement of the coyotes helped to offset the wait for a tow truck driver who was able to unlock the van in a couple of seconds.

Both of these photos were shot with a Canon EOS 1Ds mark III and 500mm/4 lens at ISO 400 from a tripod set up in my van.

Hazardous Road - sign graffiti & Skinner's Bluff photo shoot

2010-10-26T21:40:00.001-04:00

I'm always on the watch for funny signs or interesting graffiti to shoot a quick photo of (it's one of the reasons I carry a point & shoot). I found this one the other day near the parking lot for the very scenic Skinner's Bluff overlook near Wiarton, Ontario. Read the message written on the bottom with marker. And for what it's worth, the sign is correct... the road past here is bad!

Photographed with a Canon G11.

And here's a behind-the-scenes photo of the actual photo shoot I was doing for a tourism client that morning at Skinner's Bluff... a great lookout on the Niagara Escarpment.

Great video shot with Canon's new 8-15mm f/4L fisheye

2010-10-24T10:01:00.000-04:00

Check out this aweseome video shot with the new Canon EF8-15mm f/4L fisheye, a 5D mark II and a 7D. I want one of those remote control helicpoters!

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/ef/samples/ef8-15_f4l_f_usm/

Great sunset over Lake Huron tonight!

2010-10-19T21:54:00.000-04:00

The skies were shaping up nicely so I raced down to the beach for an hour of magical light. The location is Dorcas Bay in Bruce Peninsula National Park on the Lake Huron shoreline. Both photos were taken with an EOS 1Ds mark III, 24-70mm f/2,8 lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer and 3 stop hard edge ND grad. ISO 200, f/22, 0.8 and 1.3 seconds respectively.

Backyard bird photography setup & surprise

2010-10-18T20:43:00.000-04:00

.
Photo 1 (above): Swainson's Thrush in my backyard, Tobermory, Ontario. EOS 1Ds mark III, Sigma 300/2.8 lens & Canon 2x teleconverter; ISO 800, 1/80s @ f/5.6

I was sitting out in my blind the other day photographing White-crowned Sparrows, when I was pleasantly surprised to have a Swainson's Thrush drop in on my perch settup for a few moments.

Photo 2 (above): Here's the view of my blind (with me in it) from the old stump that I have scattered seed around to attract sparrows. I triggered this photo remotely from inside the blind using Pocket Wizard radio remotes. I wanted to get a photo with a bird on the perch, but they wouldn't come in with the remote camera setup so close to the stump.

Photo 3 (above): White-crowned Sparrow (immature) in my backyard, Tobermory, Ontario. EOS 1Ds mark III, Sigma 300/2.8 lens & Canon 2x teleconverter; ISO 640, 1/80s @ f/5.6

White-crowned Sparrows have been migration through the Bruce Peninsula by the thousands over the past two weeks!

Fall colors, Sigma Canada, chipmunks and dropping lenses into rivers....

2010-10-12T22:52:00.004-04:00

Photo 1 (above): Algonquin Park fall colors detail. Canon EOS 5D mark II, Sigma 300/2.8 lens & drop-in polarizer, ISO 200, 1/80s @ f/8; mirror lock-up and cable release.

Sorry for the delay in posting, I've been on the road visiting family for Canadian Thanksgiving and had some internet issues... the server would not let me upload photos to blogger. All better now that I am back home and I can share more photos from my recent shoot in Algonquin Park.

Sigma Canada (distributed by Gentec International) has recently added me as one of their pro shooters and hooked me up with some great lenses. Check out their brand new website http://www.sigmacanada.ca/ and be sure to click on the Pro Gallery to see me along with fellow Canadian photographers Darwin Wiggett and Crombie McNeil.

So far, I've got two Sigma lenses in my bag: the 12-24mm wide-angle zoom and the 300mm f/2.8 telephoto. Actually, let me clarify that.... I accidentally dropped the 12-24mm into Oxtongue River Rapids during my recent fall colors shoot. It completedly submerged for a few minutes before I perilously fished it out and sent it back to see if it can be salvaged... cross your fingers for me! In case you're counting (I am), that's two lenses I've dropped this summer/fall..... damn!

A 300/2.8 lens has been on my must-get list for some time, so this is a welcome addition to my system (in good time for my upcoming Africa trip). The Sigma 300/2.8 is razor sharp and has very fast autofocus. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it comes standard with a drop-in polarizer (and the design is better than Canon's drop in filter system). I'll be calling Singh-Ray soon to see if they have an LB warming polarizer that will fit!

And now to some photos.....

Photo 2 (above): Algonquin Park fall colors forest edge. Canon EOS 5D mark II, Sigma 300/2.8 lens & drop-in polarizer, ISO 200, 1/15s @ f/11; mirror lock-up and cable release. I like compressed landscapes with telephoto lenses. This is a classic situation to use a polarizer... to help improve contrast and saturation in the misty conditions.

Photo 3: Algonquin Park fall colors. Canon EOS 5D mark II, Sigma 300/2.8 lens & drop-in polarizer, ISO 400, 1/640s @ f/7.1; mirror lock-up and cable release. Even in very dull, overcast light I was pleased with the rich contrast of this lens.

While I was in the Algonquin area, I dropped in to visit my friend Gary Schultz, owner of the Algonquin Lakeside Inn (just west of the park). The feeders at the Inn were busy with activity so Gary and I caught up while shooting. I highly recommend a trip to stay at the Inn and enjoy the great shooting at the blind/feeders!

Photo 4 (above): The photo blind at Algonquin Lakeside Inn, with ower Gary Schultz on the right.

Photo 5 (above): Rusty Blackbird. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor. ISO 640, 1/125s @ f/5.6. Rusty Blackbird is an elusive and rarely photographed species... this was only my second time photographing them.

Photo 6 (above): Eastern Chipmunk with cheeks full of seeds.Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor. ISO 640, 1/400s @ f/5.6.

Algonquin Park fall colors

2010-10-03T22:20:00.001-04:00

I'm way behind in editing photos at the moment but couldn't resist processing a few from last week in the Algonquin Provincial Park area. I've been given some Sigma lenses to test out from Gentec International (Canadian distributor for Sigma) and I'm having a blast with them... especially the 300/2.8, which I took the bottom photo with. This is my first 300/2.8 and it is so amazingly sharp... expect to see me shooting a ton more photos with it!

Photo 1 (above): Maple leaves along Oxtongue River Rapids. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer. ISO 100, 0.6s at f/22. [By the way, the leaves were placed there by an oreo-eating mammal.]

Photo 2 (above): Autumn colors in mist along Opeongo Lake Road, Algonquin Provincial Park. EOS 1Ds mark III, Canon EF 500mm f/4 lens. ISO 400, 1/50s at f/8.

Photo 3 (above): Autumn colors along Highway 60 in Algonquin Provincial Park. EOS 1Ds mark III, Sigma 300/2.8 lens. ISO 200, 1/160s at f/8.

Best of the Bruce - photo workshop results

2010-09-28T22:18:00.002-04:00

I am procrastinating right now. Though I should be writing my next column for Outdoor Photography Canada magazine (it's due Oct 1), I find myself nearing the bottom of a great bottle of Spanish red wine and surfing YouTube for live music (it has been a crazy busy couple of weeks, this is my first night off). I am also playing catch up on my blog, hence this post. I've just returned from the peak of fall colors in Algonquin Park... shot some great photos which you'll see in a couple of days. But first, here are photos from a workshop "Best of the Bruce" that I hosted last weekend in partnership with the amazing E'Terra ecolodge.

First, a huge thanks to participants Trina, Tom, Rick, Bruce, Gary and Anne. Thanks also to the sponsors who joined together to make a great contest (that Trina won) for a spot on the tour and an awesome prize package: Canadian Geographic, Ontario Tourism, E'Terra, Sigma, Lens Rentals Canada, Blue Heron Cruises, Bruce Peninsula Helicopters, Lowepro, Coleman and Velbon. [original contest page with links to sponsors here: http://photoclub.canadiangeographic.ca/cg/Contests/otmp2010/default.aspx ]. And lastly a really huge thanks to my friend Canon Rumors Craig, who was supposed to co-lead the workshop and got married instead... but generously promoted the workshop to his audience and instantly filled the remaining spots. Thanks Craig, I owe you a very good bottle of wine in Africa!

Of all the workshops I've ever hosted, we had the best photography weather on this one (so far)! A brief but dramatic sunrise started us off at Halfway Log Dump on Saturday morning, followed by a mind-blowing sunset on Cove Island. Sunday was sunny skies for sunrise at Flowerpot Island and sunset at the Grotto and Indian Head Cove in Bruce Peninsula National Park.

I don't shoot much on my workshops, but couldn't resist a few here and there....

Photo 1 (above): Moon next to Cove Island Lighthouse at sunset. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, 70-200/4 lens, Singh-Ray LB polarizer ISO 400; 1/400s @ f/8; mirror lock-up & cable release

Photo 2 (above): Pink afterglow behind the Cove Island Lighthouse. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 24-70/2.8lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer; ISO 200; 0.8s @ f/16; mirror lock-up & cable release

Photo 3 (above): Self-portrait, Flowerpot Island sunrise. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray Gold-n-Blue polarizer; ISO 200; 2s @ f/16; mirror lock-up & cable release

Photo 4 (above): Georgian Bay lapping at the shoreline of Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer; ISO 50; 1/3s @ f/22
More and more I find myself chosing slight water blurs that evoke water movement, using shutter speeds just less than a second.

Photo 5 (above): Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer; ISO 200; 1/10s @ f/22; mirror lock-up & cable release

Photo 5 (above): Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park plus a bit of Ethan for tourist effect. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer; ISO 200; 1/13s @ f/22; mirror lock-up & cablerelease

Georgian Bay shoreline - Niagara Escarpment

2010-09-21T08:20:00.001-04:00

After many wavy days, calm conditions yesterday afternoon motivated me to get out for a great photo shoot along the Georgian Bay shoreline near where I live. In about 2 hours I shot 1200 photos..... there's no reason to shoot conservatively when you're bouncing around in a boat!

Note that I am now testing out some Sigma lenses, which they have generously provided. A couple of the below photos were taken with their 12-24mm, which is an awesome focal length for mega-wide angle shots.

Photo 1(above): The clear blue waters of Indian Head Cove in Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 12-24mm lens (at 12mm); ISO 400; 1/400s @ f/8; handheld from the front of my boat

Photo 2(above): Trees and boulders on the Georgian Bay shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 1Ds mark III; Canon 70-200mm/4 lens (at 155mm); ISO 640; 1/125s @ f/4; handheld from boat

Photo 3(above): Boulders fron the Niagara Escarpment cliffs on the Georgian Bay shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 12-24mm lens (at 19mm); ISO 400; 1/100s @ f/5.6; handheld from the front of my boat

Don't ask a nature photographer....

2010-09-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

... to shoot a wedding! However, I have been known to make rare exceptions for good friends, like my buddies Scott and Melissa (pictured below) who married last weekend. If rainy, horribly shitty weather on your wedding day is an omen for good luck, they can be assured eternal bliss!

If you're reading this and considering asking me to shoot your wedding, don't even think about it... I'm much more comfortable with birds, salamanders and shorelines!

Public presentations this week....

2010-09-07T19:46:00.000-04:00

This is a busy week for photo presentations. If you're in the neighbourhood, come on out to catch one of these!

Wednesday, Sept 8 - Southampton, Ontario
"Confessions of a Crazed Photographer"
Saugeen Shores Camera Club
Details here: http://www.saugeenshores.ca/event_full.php?EventID=1936

Thursday, Sept 9 - Owen Sound, Ontario
"Freedom 35: A Photographer's Adventure"
Owen Sound Field Naturalists Club
Details here: http://owensoundfieldnaturalists.ca/activities/freedom-35a-photographers-adventure/

Sunday, Sept 12 - Toronto, Ontario
PMA Canada Photo Expo @ Toronto Congress Centre

1) Pro Session (10am-12pm): "Outdoor Photography - Business on the Run!"
2) Consumer Session (3:30pm-4:00pm) "Top 10 Tips for Awesome Vacation & Travel Photos!"
Sponsored by Amplis Foto Inc.
Details here: http://www.pmai.org/PMA_CanadaExpo_English.aspx?id=20113

Adventures on eastern Georgian Bay

2010-08-28T23:54:00.000-04:00

Photo 1 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay at sunset. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200; 3.2s @ f/20

This was an adventurous week! I spent a few days photographing and exploring remote islands in eastern Georgian Bay with my friend Ian "nikonIAN" Brooks (http://www.ianbrooks.net/). We loaded my boat with gear and set out to camp on a remote chain of small islands sporting amazing granite folds that form elaborate patterns. I'd first spied these geologic formations in a tv documentary and they have been on my mind ever since!

The great challenge/stress of our trip was navigating the boat through a rocky labyrinth of shoals. The combonation of Ian's advanced GPS navigating skills and my inability to follow instructions, landed us on our first shoal within hours. I hit it hard enough to break the skeg of the bottom of the boat motor, but thankfully there was minimal damage to the prop. Onward we cruised (although much slower).

We managed to make a couple trips to the best islands for magic hour light, but couldn't stay as long as we wanted because of the danger in boating back in forth in low light (you can't see the shoals). Next trip I'm going to drag a kayak out with me.

The most expensive part of the weekend was when I dropped my almost brand new 70-200mm f/4 IS lens on the bedrock and literally snapped the lens body in half. I took it into Canon yesterday and they tell me it will be fixed in 4 days (and a reasonable price). This will be my first test of the new CPS program!

Here are a few shots from the trip. More to follow as I catch up on processing the raw files.

Photo 2 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 24mmTSE II tilt shift lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer & 2 hard edge ND grad; ISO 200; 1/13s @ f/20

Photo 3 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad; ISO 200; 0.4s @ f/18

Photo 4 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay at sunset. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200; 6s @ f/20

Photo 5 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB polarizer; ISO 100; 1/30s @ f/18

Photo 6 (above): Northern Watersnake eating fish (Round Goby?); Canon G11 point & shoot
It pays to have a point & shoot camera handy for unexpected moments like when this watersnake came up with dinner! I didn't have time to grab my SLR system.

Vote for the boat name...

2010-08-22T22:27:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone for the many great suggestions for a boat name! I've picked my 6 favorites and put a poll here on the blog to decide the final choice (it's on the top right of the page). Please vote for the one you like the best. Whichever name gets the most votes is what I'll go with!

I'm making good use of the boat and spent all of today out on eastern Georgian Bay touring with geologist Nick Culshaw. He showed me locations (and provided geologic explanations) for some of the most remarkable rock formations and patterns I've ever seen. For the next few days, I'll be camping out on remote islands to shoot the formations in dawn/dusk light.

Here's the boat out today (dreary light) on Georgian Bay. My friends came along, hence all of the clothing and gear.

Help me name my boat !

2010-08-14T10:49:00.000-04:00

Here's my latest photo accessory... 16' and 50HP of boat-awesomeness to shuttle myself around to faraway shorelines. A boat needs a name and I need your help to come up with something clever! The name should be photo related and it can't be too long (it's a small boat so the name has to fit!). So far my friends have given me some good suggestions:
Shutter Speed
Over-Exposed
F-Stop
I wanted to call it "EthanMeleg.com Corporate Yacht" but my friends said that was lame.

Please post your best suggestions! If I pick your name, you can either have 1) a boat trip (if you live nearby) or 2) an 11x16 print of your choice from my entire collection.

My Mom is up for a visit and the boating conditions were perfect yesterday, so I took her out for a tour along the spectacular shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park. That's Georgian Bay in the background.... love that Caribbean-blue water! Below are a few photos from our excursion.

Photo 1(above): That's me with the boat on the shoreline of Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer; photo shot by my Mom

Photo 2 (above): The cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment in Bruce Peninsula National Park plunge into the clear blue-green waters of Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer

Photo 3 (above): Framed by a shoreline cave, my Mom looks out at the blue waters of Georgian Bay from Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer;

Photo 4 (above): That's me at the helm. Photo shot by my Mom with a Canon G11.

Lake Superior Provincial Park camping trip

2010-08-10T23:56:00.000-04:00

I've just returned from a trip to Lake Superior Provincial Park, which ranks on the shortlist of my very favorite places in the world. The landscape is grand, the shorelines wild and the potential for dramatic skies over Lake Superior keeps luring me back there time and again. During a lakeside dinner of fajitas on Saturday evening, I studied the clouds and predicted a wash out sunset. A half hour later I was sprinting down the beach with my camera gear to shoot the most dramatic skies and kick ass sunset I've ever hit on Superior. That's the way it works in landscape photography - the best skies often materialize when you least expect them. Here are some of the photos from the trip.

Photo 1 (above): Sunset and dramatic clouds over Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200, 3.2s @ f/20; mirror lock up & cable release

Photo 2 (above): Sunset and dramatic clouds over Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200, 2.5s @ f/20; mirror lock up & cable release

Photo 3 (above): Afterglow over Lake Superior cobble rock shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200, 20s @ f/22; mirror lock up & cable release

Photo 4 (above): A shoreline campfire and playing guitar after sunset on the Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray 2 stop hard edge ND grad; ISO 640, 13s @ f/13; self timer (that's me on the right)

Photo 5 (above): Long exposure of clouds (streaking) after sunet on the Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray 2 stop hard edge ND grad; ISO 200, 247s @ f/11; mirror lock-up & cable release

Photo 6 (above): Evening light over sand ripples on the Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop soft edge ND grad; ISO 200, 0.6s @ f/22; mirror lock-up and cable release

Sunrise boat trip to Flowerpot Island

2010-08-02T18:53:00.000-04:00

Many great photo locations are most accessible by water. Though I have been paddling canoes and kayaks since I was a kid, it can be a heck lot of work - and logistically challenging - to get to places when the light is best. I finally broke down and bought a small boat last week (16' aluminum with a 50HP engine) to open up a new world of photo possibilities. My first photo shoot with the boat was out to nearby Flowerpot Island:

Photo 1 (above): Self-portrait at sunrise, Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park, Tobermory, Ontario. Canon EOS 5d mark II, EF 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 3 stop soft edge ND grad, ISO 200, 1/6s @ f/14

Photo 2 (above): Getting air next to the flowerpot, Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park, Tobermory, Ontario. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, 24mm TSE II tilt shift lens, ISO 800, 1/500s @ f/4.5.

The great sunrise was short-lived because of overcast skies, so I decided to mess around with my tilt-shift lens. One of the great benefits of the lens is the ability to achieve depth of field at fairly wide-open apertures. By tilting the lens I was able to shoot this at f/4.5 yet have plenty of depth-of-field and a fast enough shutter speed to stop motion in air. That's me jumping... my friend Cainan machine-gunned the the shutter release for me.

CPS (Canon Pro Services) swag package arrives today

2010-07-26T22:01:00.000-04:00

Here's the goodie bag from Canon that arrived at my house today:

Canon Canada recently launched a revamped professional services program "CPS" with a tiered, paid membership system (www.canon.ca/cps). I joined the Platinum plan which offers a number of features, most important to me being speedy service on gear. As a side bonus, they sent a package of Canon swag which arrived at my house today. The goodies include an EF lens book, Canon magazine, lens cloth, lens cap, USB data stick, pen, notebook, camera neck straps and a stack of pre-addressed courier waybills for shipping gear.
Although I joined the program for the repair & loaner servcie benefits alone, the swag is pretty cool. I've long wondered why Canon didn't better connect with pros in Canada and this seems to be a leap forward. The revamped program is supposed to result in much faster repair times, which thankfully I haven't had to test out yet!

Photo Van conversion - phase 1 (screens)

2010-07-18T21:38:00.000-04:00

I had been contemplating a new vehicle for a long time, something that could meet all of my needs - short distance travel (grocery store, etc), plenty of room for photo gear and ability to live out of it on extended road trips. I settled on a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan, with tons of space and the magical stow-and-go seating system. Never thought I'd be a mini-van owner.... this is an image killer for my bachelor lifestyle!

I'm in the process of customizing the van and the first step was to have screens made for the windows and doors. Good ventilation is critical to camping out in a vehicle, both to prevent moisture buildup and to stay cool in hot weather. But most importantly, screens keep out the bugs!

I had a local upholstery shop (Grey Bruce Upholstery in Wiarton, Ontario) custom make screens for the back hatch, side doors and front windows. The screens attach by velcro and/or sleeves that fit over the door frame. The cost was about $625 plus tax.... well worth it for good sleeps!

Stay tuned to the blog for more details as I continue to trick out the van for photo travel....

Black Tern chicks

2010-06-29T00:35:00.003-04:00

A quick post here as I'm well behind on sleep! Black Tern chicks have hatched in the past few days and parents are busy feeding. This is one of my favorite bird species!

EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500/4IS lens amp; 1.4x TC. ISO 640; 1/800s @ f/5.6

A few days in Algonquin Provincial Park

2010-06-22T00:03:00.001-04:00

I'm back from a week on the road including a few days of shooting in the Algonquin Provincial Park area. It was a productive trip with some fantastic photo opportunities! Hope these look ok, I'm processing them in a weary-eyed state.

A highlight of the trip was an unusually tame moose, which walked right up to me within a meter (I was safely tucked in behind my van). At one point, I was able to lie down on the ground to shoot low level perspectives with a group of people standing behind it. What amazed me the most, however, was how foolish some people were - walking right up to it with their point & shoot cameras. The moose wasn't acting aggressively, but passing cars could easily have spooked it causing it to plough into (through? over?) the tourists. Getting run over by a moose can't be good for you. Rest assured that I would have captured the exclusive photos of 'natural selection' in progress!

Photo 1 (above): Young moose and onlookers along Highway 60 in Algonquin Park.
EOS 1Ds mark III; EF 70-200/4 lens; handheld

Photo 2 (above): Highway 60 through Algonquin Provincial Park
EOS 5D mark II; EF 70-200/4 lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 3 (above): Sunset clouds over Lake of Two Rivers with Oxeye Dasies in foreground.
EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer & 3 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 4 (above): Common Loon portrait (photographed from a canoe).
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4 IS lens & 1.4x TC; Gitzo tripod & Wimberly head sitting on canoe bottom.

For my travels in the Algonquin Park front country, I base out of the Algonquin Lakeside Inn motel just west of the park along Highway 60 at Oxtongue Lake. It's the most convenient place to stay with comfortable ammenities and great access to the park. Over the years I've gotten to know the owner Gary Schultz, who is a budding (and pretty damn good) nature photography. The Inn's property is a magnet for birds, so last fall I suggested that Gary put up a photo blind and some strategically located feeders with perches. He's done a fantastic job setting up the yard for bird photography and attracting various bird species throughout the seasons. I shot Purple Finches this week - it's the best shooting I've ever had for them... unfortunately I accidentally erased my best shots because of lack-of-sleep induced stupidity. I'll be back soon to reshoot them!

Here's the best part... stay at the Inn and you have free use of the photo blind. Gary is very obliging and you can fine-tune the perches to your needs. Don't miss out on this - it's a great bird setup with tons of activity!

Photo 5 (above): Male Purple Finch at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn feeders.
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4IS lens & 1.4x TC

Photo 6 (above): The blind and one of the feeder setups at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn.
Shot with a Canon G11, which I keep handy to capture the behind-the-scenes photos.

Random photo tip: label your camera gear

2010-06-13T22:16:00.000-04:00

I've lost plenty of camera accessories over the years, surely amounting to hundreds of dollars worth of lens caps, hoods, cable releases, etc. Sometimes I accidentally leave them on location, especially when I'm out in the dark. Other times the gear simply gets mixed up when I'm shooting with friends (interestingly, I never seem to end up with their stuff in my bag!!).

I finally smartened up a while ago and bought a label maker from an office supply store for about $40. I spit out dozens of labels with my website address and stuck them on every piece of gear I own. It's a cheap insurance policy that pays for itself quickly!

Bruce Peninsula Wildflower Workshop - great results!

2010-06-06T22:40:00.002-04:00

Just finished hosting my annual "Wildflowers of the Bruce Peninsula" photo workshop in the Tobermory area. Several species of orchids were in peak condition, making for a great weekend and the participants filling their memory cards with fantastic photos! We focused on practical field techniques for creating dramatic wildflower photos. The overcast, drizzly conditions were perfect for rich color saturation!

A huge thanks to Richard, Dave, Steve, Barb and my co-leader Ian "Mr. Nikon" Brooks for making it a fun and productive weekend!

Photo 1(above): Showy (Queen) Lady's Slipper, Bruce Peninsula.
Techs: Canon EOS 5D mark II, 70-200/4 IS lens & 25mm extension tube; lighting controlled by 1 diffusor overhead and two gold-toned side reflectors. Exposure: ISO 400, 1/250s @ f/10

Photo 2 (above): Spotted Coralroot orchid (closeup of tiny individual flower) in Bruce Peninsula National Park. This is the first time I've shot this species... very exciting! Thanks to Ian for sharing his expert flash technique with the group. Techs: Canon EOS 5D mark II, 100mm 2.8 macro & 25mm extension tube; 580EX flash off camera triggered with Pocket Wizards and diffused through an umbrella. Exposure: ISO 640, 1/30s @ f/16

Photo 3 (above): Ian photographing the Spotted Coralroot.
I carry a Canon G11 point & shoot everywhere with me to capture candid shots or photos that illustrate technique. The articulating screen made it easy for me to hold the camera up to the flower (without being too close to trample the surroundings) and still compose the photo with the LCD screen.

Photo 4 (above): It was raining so hard this morning when we left the hotel, there were ducks in the parking lot!!! Thankfully the rain subsided so we could get shooting.

Photo 5 (above): Richard sets a new fashion trend for photographers - actually storing the shower cap on his head when not using it to protect his camera from the drizzle!

Photo 6 (above): Our group after a fantastic farewell lunch at "A Mermaid's Secret" cafe - the best place to eat in Tobermory.

Bruce Peninsula wildflowers & landscapes

2010-06-02T22:46:00.003-04:00

A quick post with a few photos from this week....

Photo 1 (above): Stretching out at sunset on the Georgian Bay shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer

Photo 2 (above): Canoeing on Georgian Bay in Fathom Five National Marine Park, Tobermory. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer

Photo 3 (above): My friend photographing a clump of Yellow Lady's Slippers in Bruce Peninsula National Park, Tobermory. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 3 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 4 (above): Ram's Head Lady's Slipper in Bruce Peninsula National Park. This was the last fresh Ram's Head I shot this year.... they were finished early because of the hot, sunny weather. EOS 5D mark II; 70-200 f/4 lens with 2x teleconvertor & 25mm extension tube; mirror lock-up & cable release; 2 reflectors used (one on each side of flower).

The pinnacle of peak photo season!

2010-05-28T00:03:00.004-04:00

I live on the Bruce Peninsula - an incredible place for nature photography! From mid May through late June, my life is turned upside down as I try to photograph the plethora of subjects that are at their best. This brief window of time is the peak for breeding birds, plants (wildflowers & ferns) and landscapes with fresh green foliage. On any given day I'm off in many directions and forced to make hard decisions about what to shoot. I don't get to sleep much at this time of year!

These three photos, which I've photographed in the last few days, exemplify that wonderful dilemna! The first is a landscape from one of my favorite spots in Bruce Peninsula National Park. The second is a Bobolink in full song. And the third is an Ostrich fern, backlit by by evening light.

Photo 1 (above): Self portait at sunset in Bruce Peninsula National Park.
EOS 5D mark II, TSE 24mm tilt shift lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer & 2 stop soft edge ND grad (Z-pro sprocket setrup), Canon TC-80N3; horizontal flip in photoshop for optimal cover composition.The Canon TC-80N3 timer remote controller is ideal for shooting self portraits. I set it to expose every 10 seconds, which gives me plenty of time to pose for the next photo.

Photo 2 (above): Bobolink singing, Bruce Peninsula. EOS 1Ds mark III, 500/4 IS lens & 2x teleconvertor.
Photographed from my van window with the lens/camera resting on a Blubb beanbag. Bobolinks are a grassland bird species facing serious declines in many part of their range. I'm lucky to have many in the fields near my place!

Photo 3 (above): Ostrich Fern, Bruce Peninsula
EOS 5D mark II, 70-200/4 IS, 25mm extension tube; cable release & mirror lock up.
In the evening, these ferns are beautifully backlit and the distant forestedge becomes a dramatic black background.

Great Opportunity on Georgian Bay (stay in an amazing photo location!)

2010-05-24T22:43:00.000-04:00

The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory, through its Monitoring Station near the Cabot Head Lightstation, tracks the migration of birds on the Bruce Peninsula. I was a founding board member and the organization has now been operating for 10 years.

For 8 weeks from June 12th to August 7th, when banding and monitoring are not taking place, the non-profit organization invites conservation-minded people "stewards" to stay at Wingfield Cottage for weekly sessions. This helps to pay for the spring and fall migration bird banding activities. At this time, the weeks open are: June 12-19 (ideal for wildflowers), June 26-July 3, July 3-10, Aug 7-14.

The one-week visits, Saturday to Friday, cost $550.

Stewards usually do small maintenance projects and have a wonderful experience.

The location is majestic and the rustic cottage has Georgian Bay on one side and Wingfield Basin on the other. It's a dream spot for landscape and wildlife photography!

The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory is located in a provincial nature reserve on the edge of Wingfield Basin on the side opposite the Cabot Head Lightstation. Cabot Head is on the northeast side of the Bruce Peninsula just past the cottage village of Dyers Bay.

Check out the website http://www.bpbo.ca/ and if you are interested call or email Ron Baker at (519) 795-7652 or ronbakerbpbo@sympatico.ca

Enjoy a spectacular location on Georgian Bay and support conservation at the same time.

Birders gone Wild !!!

2010-05-16T18:06:00.000-04:00

It's the calm before the storm... the countdown to the start of my annual birding marathon! At 1:30am, I'll be heading out to join my buddies (and fellow birding geeks) Mark Weircinski and John Haselmayer for about 18 hours of fast-paced birding all over the Bruce Peninsula region. Our goal is to identify (by seeing or hearing) as many different species of birds as possible. We do this every year and our long-standing record is 174 species. Conditions are looking good this year for a shot at a fairly high total. This year we have a cameraman joining us to film the adventure... with any luck you'll be able to watch a short documentary "Birders Gone Wild" at some point in the future!

Our day that starts in darkness listening for owls and other birds that call only at night. Shortly before sunrise we visit wetlands to find a variety of marsh birds that are most active in early morning. We then race (with me at the wheel, driving like mad) to MacGregor Point Provincial Park for dawn chorus. The first 2 hours right after sunrise are critical - that's when bird activity is the highest. We'll be ticking off species at a fast rate and should be left with a good sense of how successful our day is likely to be by 8am. The rest of the day we'll meander our way north towards Tobermory, stopping at various habitats and locations which we select to target specific birds. Sometime around 8-10pm we'll drink a celebratory beer before collapsing in exhaustion.

I have the cooler packed with a grossly unhealthy selection of junk food and caffeine drinks to fuel us through the day. The van is loaded with binoculars, scopes and field guides. Now it's time to chill out before the adventure begins... wish us luck!

I'll try to post a few updates throughout the day on Twitter... follow them at www.twitter.com/outdoorphotos

The bird at the top of the post is a Virginia Rail.... an elusive marsh bird that we'll hear calling early in the morning.

Presentation in Toronto area (Henry's show) this Saturday

2010-05-12T22:57:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, I'll be presenting a photo show "The Passion of Nature Photography" at the Henry's Photographic, Video & Digital Imaging Show in the Toronto area.

The presentation is sponsored by Outdoor Photography Canada (OPC) magazine and is a fun and inspiring look at what it takes to be successful in nature photography. I'll share my best photos, stories and tips! After the presentation I'll be hanging out at the OPC booth (#6 across from Nikon) for a meet & greet. I'll also be in the booth on Sunday morning from 11am to noon.

Here are the details:
When: Presentation at 4:45pm on Saturday, May 15
Where: International Centre, 6900 Airport Road (Hall 5)

Hope to see you there. If you make it out, be sure to say hi!
cheers,
Ethan

Outdoor Photography Canada - Spring Contest

2010-05-11T17:54:00.000-04:00

Want a shot at winning some great camera gear? The Outdoor Photography Canada 2010 Spring Photo Contest is underway with the theme "Human Impact on the Environment". Contest details can be found by clicking here. The number of entries has been lower than usual, so hurry up and enter!

Here's the grand prize list to tempt you:
•Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM Wide-Angle Lens (Canon, Nikon, Sony or Pentax mount)
•Velbon Sherpa PRO CF-535 Carbon Fibre Tripod and QHD-61Q Magnesium Ball Head
•Niagara School of Imaging tuition to attend Mike Grandmaison’s course on “Making a Living as a Nature Photographer”
•Lowepro Stealth Reporter D200
• Flight Logistics Photographer’s Sun Position Compass
•One-year subscription to OPC magazine and publication of winning image in OPC

Good luck!

Red Fox kits (cute warning!)

2010-05-09T20:56:00.002-04:00

Acting on a tip (thanks Steph!) about a Red Fox den, I've made several visits to track them down and finally lucked out this morning. The den is under a shed, which doesn't make for a great background, but I'm banking on the cute factor of the kits to help carry the photos!

These were photographed out of the window of my new mini van (first shots taken from it) with my lens resting on a "Blubb" beanbag. All shot with a Canon EOS 1Ds mark III and 500mm f/4 IS lens; the tightly framed shots were using teleconvertors. In the bright morning light I was able to stop down the aperture to achieve enough depth of field so both animals were in focus and still have a fast enough shutter speed for sharpness. You can bet I'll be making many more visits to try to get similar images with a better background!

Presentation in Cornwall, Ontario - Wednesday night

2010-05-01T16:18:00.001-04:00

I'll be doing a presentation in Cornwall, Ontario next Wednesday night (May 5). I don't make it to eastern Ontario often, so if you're in the area be sure to come on out and say hi!
Here's the info:

"Confessions of a Crazed Photographer" [a humorous and inspiring show about what it takes to be a nature photographer].
St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences
17th Annual International Conference

7:30pm presentation in Aultsville Theatre
Details at: http://www.riverinstitute.com/events/Conference%202010/Guest_speakers2010.html

Or phone for tickets: (613) 936-6620

Spring Wildlife: Black Bear, American Woodcock, Varying Hare

2010-04-28T23:08:00.000-04:00

It's an early, warm spring and I've been enjoying the head start on my peak photography season. Leaves are almost out, wildflowers are 2-3 weeks ahead of time and many birds are already on nesting territories. It's an exciting and busy time of year!

Tonight I was following up on a tip about a red fox den, when I saw this black bear on the roadside. In 10 years of living on the Bruce Peninsula, I've only twice before captured reasonably close shots of these typically shy bears... I was excited!

Photo 1: Black Bear, Dyers Bay, Bruce Peninsula
Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor.
Photographed from car window with lens resting on mirror.

My friend found this well-camouflaged American Woodcock sitting on a nest. Although it's a fairly common bird, stumbling across a nest is like finding a needle in a haystack. I've made a few brief visits to capture photos, without distubing the bird.

Photo 2: American Woodcock, near Tobermory, Bruce Peninsula

Canon EOS 5D mark II; 70-200mm f/4 lens

My bird feeders have been packed with all kinds of action - from the expected species of birds, to a pair of Mallards (strange to see ducks on your lawn) and two Varying Hares (aka Snowshoe Hares).

Photo 3: Varying Hare, Tobermory, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

EOS 1Ds mark III; 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor.

Photographed while lying on the ground using a "Skimmer" ground pod and Wimberley Head.

My face on a Singh-Ray filter (with Canon G11)

2010-04-21T07:50:00.002-04:00

I carry a point & shoot camera with me pretty much everywhere I go and find it especially useful for capturing behind-the-scenes shots when I'm out photographing. My latest p&s is a Canon G11, which has surprisingly good file quality for a compact camera. I've only had it for a few weeks and already love it.

The other morning I was out photographing the shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park to test out a new Singh-Ray Z-pro sized sprocket LB polarizer (it's fantastic!). While getting a few images of the filter setup, I noticed the reflection of my face on the ND grad. I quickly passed the camera to my friend who caught this creative portrait of me!

Local landscapes and playing with the Canon 800mm f/5.6

2010-04-12T21:35:00.001-04:00

I've been shooting a grab bag of images over the last week. First, I received a new Singh-Ray filter... an LB warming polarizer sprocket type to fit a Z-pro holder. This filter is very welcome in my camera bag. It allows me to shoot wide angle photos using a Z-pro filter holder which is large enough to avoid vignetting, yet still fits my Singh-Ray 4x6" ND grads (rather than hand-holding them). The first photo below is a teaser with this combo; expect to see a full report soon.

Photo 1 (below): Sunrise at Halfway Log Dump in Bruce Peninsula National Park
Canon EOS 5D mark II; 24mm TSE II lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2-stop "Daryl Benson" Reverse ND grad; I love how sharp the new 24 tilt-shift is.... razor sharp, corner to corner.

My friends have just opened a lens rental business called Lens Rentals Canada. They have an incredible selection of pro lenses (mostly Canon, but a few Nikon too) ranging from super-telephotos and medium-telephotos, to tilt-shifts and wide-angle. They ship them all across the country. I'm lucky to close by (the business is based out of FotoArt camera store in Owen Sound, Ontario - the place I buy most of my camera gear). I couldn't resist picking up the new Canon 800mm f/5.6 supertelephoto for a few days. Holy cow, it is the mother of all lenses... a dreamy piece of glass!!!

Photo 2 (below): That's me shooting with the Canon 800mm f/5.6 lens. I set up the photo, sucked in my gut and my friend Craig Blair (of http://www.canonrumors.com/ notoriety) clicked the shutter.

Canon EOS 5D mark II; EF 70-200mm f/4 lens

Photo 3 (below): Sandhill Crane, Dyers Bay, Bruce Peninsula

Canon EOS 1Ds mark III; EF 800mm f/5.6 lens & 1.4x teleconverter

I shot this from my car window with the lens supported on a "Blubb" beanbag.

Photo 4 (below): Lesser Scaup at sewage pond, Bruce Peninsula.

Canon EOS 1Ds mark III; EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconverter

I was hanging at the local sewage pond (no kidding, isn't nature photography glamorous?) and was frustrated that these scaup were on the opposite side of the pond. Just for fun I decided to try calling them in with my iPod (playing their call) and they instantly flew over to me. I photographed them full frame out of my car window, with my lens resting on the Blubb beanbag.

Need help - your favourite photography websites?

2010-04-09T22:48:00.000-04:00

I'm about to have my website redesigned... big bucks, professional designer and all. My goal is simple... to have one of the best, most kick ass photography sites on the net!

I've been searching out other sites for inspiration. What are your favourite websites? And why? Please share them here. Productive tips will lead to gratuitous praise and good karma!

Thanks!
Ethan

Used Carbon Fiber Tripods for Sale

2010-04-07T21:35:00.001-04:00

My friend in Ottawa (Ontario, Canada) has two used tripods for sale... both have been well cared for. Contact him directly if you are interested. His name is Bhupendra and his email is bvsingh@lightoncanvas.com

If you don't own a carbon fiber tripod, you don't know what you're missing! This is a chance to upgrade at a really good deal, so contact him quickly before someone beats you to it. Here's the info he sent me about them:

Tripod 1: Gitzo 1548
Known for its stiffness and weight carrying capacity. This is a big tripod, rock solid, even in a strong wind, ideal for your Supertelephoto. This is the one I left my Wimberley II on full time. Comes with wrench to dis-assemble it. All legs were always covered with padding for ease of carrying, and therefore are in good condition. Price $300 cdn. Buyer pays for shipping.

Tripod 2: Benro c-458n6
Nearly new tripod, very rarely used. This tripod had a small compass, which fell off and there is a minor scratch on the top metal part, happened when two tripods were put together in the trunk. Bought it for travel. Price $350 cdn. Also have additional small central column for using it with long lenses, asking $50 for it. Buyer pays shipping. Comes with carrying case, rubber & spike legs and tools.

Sunrise through Icicles

2010-04-05T22:35:00.000-04:00

After my previous icicle shoot (see last blog post), I went back a couple days later to photograph the last of them before they had melted. I hiked out in the dark to be on location and setup for the sunrise-through-icicles photos I had in my mind. In the first photo (below) the sun was barely up, so I used a splash of fill-flash to light up the icicles. A few minutes later when the sun was higher, there was plenty of warm light shining through the icicles to reveal the detail of their texture.

Both photos were taken with an EOS 5D mark II, EF 24-70/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray L ColorCombo polarizer.

I can't get enough icicles!

2010-03-28T23:14:00.004-04:00

Photo 1 (above): EOS 5D mark II, EF 14mm/2.8 L lens (from http://www.lensrentalscanada.com/)

What do you get when you add a soaked hiking shoe in freezing temps, a wipe out that almost costs you a brand new 24mm tilt-shift lens and a couple of hours laying beneath a ridge of ice that weighs about a ton and could collapse on you at any time? A great morning photo shoot!!

While hiking yesterday with friends, I found a few lingering ridges of ice that had the best concentration of icicles I've ever seen. The light was dull and the time was ticking - they would melt within a couple of days. I scouted out potential photos and plotted the return trip.

I invited my friend Craig along (he's the mastermind behind the popular website http://www.canonrumors.com/) and we hit the trail in predawn darkness this morning. Mostly overcast conditions crushed the dream photo I had pre-visualized, but even in dull light the icicles were great. Soon the clouds parted to reveal some blue sky. Nothing beats the contrast of sparkling icicles against a blue sky!

Photo 2 (below): Canon EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40 L lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer

Photo 3 (below): EOS 5D mark II, EF 14mm/2.8 L lens (from http://www.lensrentalscanada.com/)

Photo 4 (below): Canon EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40 L lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer

Photo 5 (below): That's me. The wide-angle distortion stretched out my torso, making me look skinner than I really am. Excellent! Canon EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40 L lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer; Canon 580EX II for fill flash

Photographing waterfalls & moving water

2010-03-27T09:12:00.000-04:00

It's an in-between season right now where I live in central Ontario..... the snow has melted but the lush green vegetation is still a month or so away. It can be difficult to find inspiring scenes to shoot so I look for great light or smaller details to focus on. When my friend and I went out to photograph the other day, I knew this small waterfall would be perfect in the overcast conditions.

These are some of my first photos with the Canon 70-200 f/4 IS L lens that I recently picked up. I finally traded in the f/2.8 version to save considerable weight and space in my camera pack. Since I'm almost always shooting on a tripod, the faster f/2.8 lens isn't really necessary. And the f/4 lens is reputedly sharper. Sounds good to me!

It's a breeze to shoot blurred water scenes like this. Compose your scene, use a tripod and slow the shutter speed down to 1/15s or slower. Really simple, eh! There are many ways to achieve a slow shutter speed: use a small aperture (which I like for the depth-of-field anyway), set your ISO speed lower, shoot in low light or use an ND filter (I have the Singh-Ray Vari- N-Duo). Of course, a tripod is needed to keep everything steady during the slow exposure. And be sure to check the histogram to make sure the white water is not blown out.

For this series of photos, all I had to do was use low ISO, dial in a small aperture... and voila, perfect shutter speeds for blurred water. I shot these with a Canon EOS 5D mark II, EF 70-200 f/4 L lens at ISO 100; Exposure was 1/4s at f/32.

Happy spring!
Ethan-

Inspiration... In memory of my sister Karla

2010-03-22T21:39:00.001-04:00

Of all the things that have inspired me in life... to pursue photography, to travel, to never leave anything unsaid, to eat oreos instead of salad..... it was the loss of my sister Karla when I was 20 years old that had the greatest impact. She was three years older than I and would have turned 40 this past Saturday. There's nothing like losing someone close to you to give you a kick in the ass to live life fully!

My cousin Tonya writes a family blog and just told the story about Karla in the post linked below. It's a very personal read, but it gives you a sense of who she was and the impact she had on others.
http://paulinescookbook.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/no-justice-to-karla-on-her-40th-birthday/

Coincidentally, I'd received my first SLR camera (a hand-me-down) about the same time that Karla was killed. I became hooked on photography and in hindsight realize that it provided the positive outlet to get through those tough times. Even today, many years later, the memory of Karla still inspires me everytime I take a photo.

Last of the Icicles on the Georgian Bay shoreline

2010-03-15T21:52:00.001-04:00

Unseasonably warm weather put a quick end to the great icicles along the Georgian Bay shoreline that I'd been photographing last week. I made it out for only one more shoot before they had melted away... see photos below (taken with an EOS 5D mark II, EF 70-200/2.8 L IS lens and Singh-Ray LB polarizer). Thanks to my friend Don Wilkes for clicking the shutter on the second one while I smiled!

Today I finally traded in my trusty 70-200/2.8 IS lens for the lighter and reputedly sharper f/4 version of the lens. I'm looking forward to the significant weight savings (my camera pack is heavy!). I'll be hitting the trails over the next while to test it out.

Icicles on cliffs near Tobermory, Ontario

2010-03-07T23:51:00.000-05:00

Georgian Bay sunset through icicles, near Tobermory, Ontario.
EOS 1Ds mark III; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer; ISO 200; 0.4s @ f/22. Mirror lock-up & cable release.

It was a warm & sunny day, so after being stuck inside cleaning the house and working on photo submissions, I was dying to get out for a shoot. There's a scenic, rocky cove about 10 minutes from my place with great access to the shoreline. I trekked out along the waters edge and found incredible icicles hanging from a small, rocky overhang. There was just enough room to scramble under the overhang to get behind the icicles and shoot out towards the bay. The rocks were completely coated in wet ice, making it extremely slick and treacherous (I'd forgotten my ice cleats). I had to brace both myself and the tripod against the rocky crevice to stop from sliding all over the place. It was well-worth it to get this unusual perspective!

Warm days and cold nights are ideal conditions for making icicles... so you can bet I'll be going out there often over the next couple of weeks! Here's a shot of me in behind the icicles - a self-portrat taken with my point & shoot camera.

Darwin Wiggett article on filters for landscape photography

2010-03-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

Top landscape photographer, and fellow Canadian Darwin Wiggett, has just contributed a great article about filters for landscape/outdoor photography to the Singh-Ray blog. Darwin's use of polarizers and ND grads is the same technique I use for virtually every landscape photo I shoot. This article is a must-read if you're an outdoor photographer... check it out here:
http://singhray.blogspot.com/2010/03/essential-filters-for-controlling.html

WIN A SPOT - Best of the Bruce Landscape Photography Workshop

2010-02-22T23:34:00.000-05:00

I'm leading the "Best of the Bruce" landscape photography workshop this fall on the Bruce Peninsula, based out of the incredible E'Terra luxury ecolodge and featuring gourmet meals. Details about the workshop are coming soon, but in a nutshell the 3-day workshop will be Sept 17-20, 2010 (this fall) and the price will be approx $2500. This is the ultimate landscape photo workshop with custom charted boat excursions to photograph sunrise and sunset at amazing landscapes only reachable by boat!

Here's the best part.... you can enter to win a spot on the workshop plus a fantastic prize package (total value is $6164 CD). The contest is open to members of the Canadian Geographic Photo Club. If you're not a member, it's easy and free to join. Click here for contest details: Best of the Bruce - Contest.

And while you're on the CG Photo Club site, be sure to check out the interview with me in their Close-ups section.

If you're at the Outdoor Adventure Show in Toronto this weekend (Feb 26-28) drop by one of my "Best of the Bruce" presentations (see previous blog post for details) to get a taste of the photo opps we'll have on the workshop. You can also get details about the workshop in the "E'Terra" booth.

Upcoming Presentations including Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show

2010-02-16T07:54:00.001-05:00

I'll be presenting a number of photo shows over the next few months at various locations in Ontario. A full listing, regularly updated, is posted on my website here: http://www.ethanmeleg.com/inpublic.htm

Or here's a sample of what is upcoming. If you make it out to one of the show, be sure to say hello!

February 27 (Saturday) - Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show
"Photographing the Best of the Bruce Peninsula"
sponsored by Canadian Geographic & Ontario Tourism
3:45pm in The Great Ontario Outdoor Adventure Theatre
http://www.outdooradventureshow.ca/toronto/

February 28 (Sunday) - Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show
"Photographing the Best of the Bruce Peninsula"
sponsored by Canadian Geographic & Ontario Tourism
12:00pm in The Great Ontario Outdoor Adventure Theatre
http://www.outdooradventureshow.ca/toronto/

March 2 (Tuesday) - Barrie, Ontario
"Freedom 35 - A Photographer's Adventure"
Barrie Users Group
7:30pm at Eastview High School
For details, visit: http://www.barrieusersgroup.org

March 4 (Thursday) - Midland, Ontario
"Freedom 35 - A Photographer's Adventure"
Midland District Camera Club
7:00pm at Len Self Blvd., Midland Ontario (North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre)
For details, visit: http://www.midlandcameraclub.com/

May 5 (Wednesday) - Cornwall, Ontario
TBD but likely "The Passion of Nature Photography"
St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences
17th Annual International Conference
7:00pm at Aultsville Theatre
Details to be posted here:
http://www.riverinstitute.com/events/Conference%202010/index2010.html

June 1 (Tuesday) - Southampton, Ontario
"The Best of the Bruce Peninsula"
Chantry Institute Lecture Series
7:00pm at Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre
details to be posted.

June 8 (Tuesday) - Hamilton, Ontario
Bell *Arte Camera - Customer Appreciation Day
details TBD

Win 7 Days on Georgian Bay - The Great Ontario Outdoor Adventure of a Lifetime

2010-02-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

Click here to enter a contest to win a 7 day trip on Georgian Bay for you and three guests! The prize value is about $20,000 and includes cameras, binoculars, return airfare from anywhere in Canada or the Continental US... and more (see the link for details)!

I shot some of the photography for the campaign and will be guiding parts of the adventure on the Bruce Peninsula. The trip would be great for photographers..... visiting some of the most scenic spots in eastern Canada.

More Panama photos: Tanager, Bat Falcon, Soberania National Park sunrise

2010-02-11T22:31:00.002-05:00

I'm still alive and back safely in Ontario after a fantastic trip to Panama! Sorry for the gap in posts, I was en route to home and then buried with photo business upon arrival.

I have so many photos from Panama to share.... here are a few more. Will post more as I catch up on processing of the raw files. Check back soon!

Photo 1: Bat Falcon, Soberania National Park, Gamboa, Panama
Canon EOS 1Ds mark III; 500mm f/4 lens & 2x teleconvertor
A pair of Bat Falcons were roosting in the town of Gamboa and obliged for this photo at sunrise, shortly before taking off to hunt.

Photo 2: Lemon-rumped Tanager at Canopy Lodge, Panama
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor
The fruit feeders at Canopy Lodge are one of the best places I've ever photographed birds... it was a constant stream of tanagers and other colorful birds!

Photo 3: Sunrise over Soberania National Park from the Canopy Tower, Gamboa, Panama
EOS 5D mark II; 70-200mm f/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad

Panama - part 3 (Pacas, Aracaris, Euphonias, Motmots... life is good!)

2010-02-03T09:07:00.000-05:00

Having a great time down here... with some outstanding photo opps! First three photos are from the Soberania National Park area in Gamboa. The mammal is a Paca - a rarely photographed jungle animal. It was coming into the grounds of the research station where I was staying at night to feed. I laid down on the ground to get this eye level portrait and had someone shine a flashlight on it so there was enough light to focus.

Fruit Loops is my favorite cereal, so I was determined to get photos of toucan-family birds on this trip. This Chestnut-collared Aracari (below) was an unexpected bonus - it landed on the perch above the fruit feeder!

There's a National Geogrpahic assignment photographer shooting nocturnal mammals in the forest canopy - so he's rigged a tall scaffolding setup with a platform on top. I climbed up there in early morning to photograph canopy birds, but couldn't resist the beautiful sunrise over the forest.

I'm now staying at the beautiful Canopy Lodge (http://www.canopylodge.com/) in El Valle de Anton, and having incredible success with birds coming into the banana feeders. This is one of the best feeder spots I've ever seen and I'm definitely going to bring a bird photography workshop here in the future. Here are a couple from my first afternoon at the lodge yesterday. I'm tweaking the setup this morning and today's results will be even better!

There are abot a dozen male Thick-billed Euphonias (below) coming to the feeder!

A Rufous Motmot (below) hangs around the lodge and periodically comes into the feeders. It was so close I couldn't fit the whole bird into the frame, so I opted for a head portrait.

All of these photos have been taken with an EOS 1Ds III; 500/4 IS lens [the Paca was shot with a 70-200/2.8 lens], usually with a 1.4x or 2x teleconvertor. A 580EX II flash has been used for fill light on all of the birds.

Gotta run..... many more birds to photograph!

Panama birds - part 2

2010-01-31T21:35:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of photos I shot today..... common birds that are coming into fruit feeders at the lodge where I'm staying. I put the stick over the feeder and the birds started using it almost immediately.

Both photos were taken with an EOS 1Ds III; 500/4 IS & 2X teleconvertor; 580EX fill flash

Need sleep.... I'm baked from the heat!

Top photo: Red-legged Honeycreeper
Bottom photo: Blue-gray Tanager

Panama jungle birds!

2010-01-30T23:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick post from the small town of Gamboa in the Soberania National Park area of central Panama. I've been having a great time photographing tropical birds including a mix of common and difficult to shoot species. My body is still adjusting to the persecuting heat and humidity - especially on the long daily walks in the jungle carring 40lbs of camera gear. The "Balboa" beers at lunch are well-earned and an aspirin after dinner helps to dull the pain in my back and shoulders!

I'm being hosted/guided by Advantage Tours Panama and my guide Rey is finding lots of cool things to point my lens at. Check back for more photos soon... I have tons to share!

Photo 1 (below): Common Potoo, Metropolitan Park, Panama City
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500mm f/4 IS lens; 580 EX II flash (fill at - 1 2/3); Exposure: ISO 500; 1/80s @ f/7.1
A huge thanks to guide Roberto for leading us to this incredible and well-camouflaged bird!

Photo 2 (below): Red-rumped Cacique in Metropolitan Park, Panama City

EOS 1Ds mark III; 500mm f/4 IS lens with 1.4x TC; 580EX II fill flash at -1 2/3; Exposure: ISO 640; 1/160s @ f/5.6

Photo 3 (below): Spectacled Owl, Gamboa, Panama
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500mm f/4 IS lens & 1.4x TC; 580EX II fill flash at -1 2/3; Exposure: ISO 640; 1/40s @ f/5.6

Countdown to Panama!

2010-01-27T22:17:00.000-05:00

I'm packed and ready to catch a few hours sleep before my early morning flight to Panama. It's stressful traveling as a photographer these days.... so much gear to worry about with new security procedures and baggage regulations. Here's what's going with me:

In the first photo....
The large black dufflebag on the left is my checked luggage which contains clothing, tripod & heads, some camera accessories. The bag is durable, light and fully packed I'm able to just squeeze in under the weight restriction! I use clothes and spare shoes as padding to protect the tripod & other gear.

The black camera pack on the right is my carry-on containing all of my lenses, bodies, binoculars, etc. This is a new pack I just bought this past week - a Gura Gear "Kiboko" bag, which is large enough to fit all of my basic camera gear (including my 500/4 lens) yet extremely light so the pack doesn't add much weight. I love this bag! See second and third photos below for closeups of how the camera gear is packed in it.

The third bag (blue daypack) contains my laptop and a few basic travel items(chewing gum, magazine, Blackberry). This my 'personal item' allowed for carry-on.

I'm off to bed for a short sleep. Check back in a couple of days to see some photos of Panama birds, wildlife and landscapes!