Tourism photos from around Ontario

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.  

Sunrise on Flowerpot Island, Tobermory, Ontario

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. 

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

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

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. 

Ethan vs winter

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!

Happy Holidays!

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!

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

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.  

Georgian Bay shoreline - Niagara Escarpment

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

Bruce Peninsula Wildflower Workshop - great results!

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

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!

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!)

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 !!!

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.

Spring Wildlife: Black Bear, American Woodcock, Varying Hare

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. 

I can't get enough icicles!

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

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-

WIN A SPOT - Best of the Bruce Landscape Photography Workshop

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.

Varied Thrush in Tobermory !!!!

Varied Thrush, Tobermory - December 16, 2009
EOS 1Ds mark III, 500/4 IS lens & 2x teleconvertor; ISO 800; 1/125s @ f/8
Gitzo tripod with Wimberley II gimbal head

My neighbours called me a couple of days ago to report this rare bird visiting their feeder. The bird has continued to hang around for a couple of days and was seen today on the annual Christmas Bird Count. This is just a record shot to confirm the ID.... I'll be going back to get more photos for my collection (I need to use a flash to improve detail on the dark face)! Although only about 100m from my yard, I can't seem to lure the bird over to my feeders!

By the way, sorry for the lack of posts lately. The hard-drive on my main business computer crashed a few days ago, and although I have backups of everything.... it's been a pain having to restore all the files. Aside from this, I've been out socializing lately more than blogging.... tis the season!

Check back soon for some bird photos and winter landscapes!

Lion's Head Lighthouse, Bruce Peninsula

Lion's Head lighthouse, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

EOS 1Ds mark III, TS-E 24mm II tilt-shift lens (shifted slightly to keep the lighthouse straight); Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer; mirror lock-up and cable release; Exposure: ISO 100; 1/30s at f/11

The town of Lion's Head boasts one of the most scenic harbours I've found on the Great Lakes. The lighthouse, blue water of Georgian Bay and distant Niagara Escarpment cliffs make an excellent combo for photos. Only a half hour from my place, I often drop in to shoot if the afternoon light is right.... as I did today.

Having photographed this lighthouse many times, I'm always looking for fresh perspectives and elements. I knew that having a person in the scene would add scale, but I was solo. No problem! With a remote/timer cable release set to shoot a frame every 10 seconds, I simply walked into the scene and posed myself for a series of photos. OK, so I'm not a supermodel... just a temporary fill in for the occasional outdoor photo!

Happy shooting!

Yes, more sand ripples!

Sand ripples and clouds, Dorcas Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park


I couldn't resist the dramatic clouds that rolled in a couple nights ago! I shot this from a slightly higher perspective than the photo in the previous post..... and managed to stay dry for a change!

EOS 1Ds mark III, TS-E 24mm II tilt-shift lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad (4x6" size, handheld in front of lens); mirror lock-up and cable release; Exposure: ISO 100; 2.5s at f/18