Use your Mom as a model

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.

Wood Ducks in autumn colors

I'm in Cleveland, Ohio for the weekend at the North Chagrin Reservation pond, considered the premier location to photograph Wood Ducks with fall color reflections. I arrived at the pond (next to the Nature Centre) around lunch time and by the time I stopped photographing at dusk, I'd shot 973 images. The pond has many tame wood ducks, beautiful reflections and gets bathed in soft evening light. What more could you ask for?

I've been back in the hotel room all evening editing the photos... my eyes are bugging out from staring at the laptop.

Here's a travel tip: I stay in hotels often and save a pile of cash by booking them through discount sites such as hotwire or priceline. Tonight's room (in a 3.5 star hotel) cost about half the usual price.

Here are a few quick picks. All shot with an EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4 IS lens (first two with a 1.4x teleconverter). More coming in the next post.

Algonquin finale

Just finished a great weekend photo workshop with a keen gang of photographers in Algonquin Provincial Park. A huge thanks to all the participants, my co-leader Ian "Mooseman" Brooks (see your call on YouTube soon!), workshop host Outdoor Photography Canada magazine, and Gary & Tina Schultz of the Algonquin Lakeside Inn. We had an incredible sunrise on Saturday morning and vibrant autumn colours to fill our memory cards!



Photo 1: The workshop group at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn.

Photo 2: Autumn river colours, digital "Orton" effect. EOS 5D mark II; 24-70/2.8; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer; Exposure: ISO 100; 8 seconds at f/16

I knew this scene was perfect to create an "Orton" image, merging an out-of-focus photo with a sharp version of the same scene (once done by combining two exposures, now easily accomplished digitally from a single image). Here's the link to instructions on how to do it: Orton Imagery

Photo 3: Algonquin Park wetland; EOS 5D mark II; 17-40/4 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad (4x6" size, handheld in front of lens). Exposure: ISO 200; 0.8 seconds at F/20. Mirror lock-up & cable release.

I put on hip waders and carefully trudged into this pond to get a low perspective on the lilypads for this wide-angle landscape photo.

Photo 4: Moose; EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4 IS lens; Exposure: ISO 400; 1/40 second at f/4

During the workshop we showed the group where and how to find moose, but explained that wildlife photography is usually most productive when you're out shooting by yourself. After the workshop ended, co-leader Ian and I were out searching for moose when we found this bull along Opeongo Lake Road. Ready to shoot, we had only a few moments before the moose ran off into the woods. I shot this image from the car window using a Blubb beanbag.

Algonquin Park fall colours - part 2

Fall colours are progressing well in the Algonquin Park region. I've been having a great time roaming around the park in search of the best pockets of colour, in prep for leading the Outdoor Photography Canada magazine photo workshop here this weekend.

Photos taken with Canon EOS 1DsIII or 5D mark II bodies; 24-70/2.8 lens and 17-40/4 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer

Algonquin Fall colours begin

I arrived in Algonquin Park yesterday to photograph fall colours and scout for the upcoming workshop this weekend. There are many places in the park along the Highway 60 corridor where fall colours are already vibrant - approaching 50% of the canopy. It should build towards peak in about a week - around the last few days of September and first days of October. This is my favourite time of year here..... great colours and no bugs!


Photo 1: Leaf detail; Canon EOS 1DsIII; 24-70/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer; Exposure: ISO 200; 1.3 seconds @ f/11; mirror lock-up & cable release

Photo 2: A photographer admires the fall colours. EOS 1DsIII; 17-40/4 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer; Exposure: ISO 200; 5 seconds @ f/16; mirror lock-up & cable release

Photo 3: Leaf on rock in flowing river. EOS 1DsIII; 17-40/4 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer; Exposure: ISO 200; 30 seconds @ f/22; mirror lock-up & cable release

Algonquin Park - fall colours photo workshop

Autumn in Algonquin Photo Workshop
September 25-27, 2009

Please join myself and fellow pro photographer Mike Grandmasion for a fall colour photo workshop we're coleading in Algonquin Park. The workshop is sponsored by Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine and is timed to coincide with the peak season of fall colours.

For more information, or to register, visit:
http://www.outdoorphotographycanada.com/workshop.html

Check out Mike's website: http://www.grandmaison.mb.ca/

Accommodations are at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn, my favourite base for shooting Algonquin Park: http://www.algonquininn.com/

Hope to see you there!

Aerial Photos - Fall Colors and 30,000 Islands

I’m all packed and ready to depart tomorrow morning for the big trip with my mind set on making it to southern Utah in a few days.

Since I’m going to be away for a long time, I thought it fitting to get a classic Ontario shoot in before leaving. So I chartered a small plane out of Parry Sound a few days ago to photograph fall colors and the 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay. We took off right at sunrise and had idyllic weather and vibrant foliage. Here are some of the results.

All taken with EOS 1Ds mark III; 70-200/2.8 IS; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer.

Check back later this week for some pics from the southwest!
cheers,

Algonquin Park - fall photo workshop results

I've finally caught up on sleep after hosting my photo workshop in Algonquin Park this past weekend. The colors were the best I've ever seen and we hit the peak bang-on. The group was enthusiastic and everybody ended up with some great photos! I managed to sneak in time for a few photos in between working with the participants. Here are some of the results.

Photo 1: Here is our group at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn. Thanks to owner Gary Schultz for accommodating us so well. This is the best place to stay as a base for photographing the park. Photo by Gary with my Canon G9.


Photo 2: Canoeists paddle through morning mist on Lake of Two Rivers.
EOS 1Ds Mark III; 70-200/2.8 + 1.4x TC; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer


Photo 3: Forest canopy of fall colors.
EOS 1Ds Mark III; 17-40mm; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer


Photo 4: Maple leaf and fall colors on the Oxtongue River.
EOS 1Ds Mark III; 17-40mm; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop soft edge ND grad.


Photo 5: Fall colors along the Oxtongue River.
EOS 1Ds Mark III; 24-700mm/2.8; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer