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

Bruce Peninsula National Park - shoreline photos

I just returned from camping and photographing with some friends in Bruce Peninsula National Park. We had perfect fall weather and some excellent light for shooting. Here is the first batch of photos I've had a chance to prep.

All shot with EOS 1Ds mark III and either 24-70/2.8 or 17-40/4 lens.

Cyprus Lake Sunset
(with Singh-Ray Blue/Gold polarizer & 3 stop hard edge ND grad)


Halfway Log Dump sunrise
(with Singh-Ray Blue/Gold polarizer & 3 stop hard edge ND grad)


Cave Point sunrise
(with Singh-Ray Blue/Gold polarizer & 2 stop edge ND grad)


Indian Head Cove sunset
(with Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer & 2 stop soft edge ND grad)

SOLD - Sea kayak for sale - Current Designs "Storm"

KAYAK HAS BEEN SOLD



I've decided to sell my kayak since I won't be able to use it for almost a couple of years while I'm on my upcoming trip. This is a great boat - stable to shoot from, lots of room for gear while tripping and the perfect colour to use as a photo prop! This boat has been in thousands of my photos and I've used it for photographing waterbirds and remote shorelines.

Price: $1000 - includes a paddle, spray skirt, bailing pump, throw bag (safety rope)
The boat is located in Midland, Ontario and can be seen by appointment (before I leave in mid October). If interested, send me an email: info@ethanmeleg.com

Here are the boat specs:
Make/Model: Current Designs "Storm"
Length: 17' (5.18m)
Width: 24" (61cm)
plastic boat (best material for landing on rocky shorelines)
2 gear hatches
rudder controlled by pedals in cocpit

New humour column in Outdoor Photography Canada

Hello friends,
I'm pleased to announce that I've joined the team at Outdoor Photography Canada magazine as a regular columnist. Watch for my humour column called "Out of Focus" in each issue. The latest issue, which features my first column, is just hitting the newstands now - so check it out and let me know what you think.
Thanks and happy shooting!
Ethan-

my VW Van (my soon-to-be home)

The countdown is on.... only 38 days until I depart on my big photo trip around the continent for the next year and a half.
Here's a photo taken a couple days ago of me with my soon-to-be home, a 1990 Volkswagen Westfalia camper van. I bought it mid summer from the east coast - flew to Halifax and drove it back. Since then, I've been outfitting it for long-term travel: extra power to charge camera batteries and run laptops, cooking & basic survival gear, and most importantly an array of security features to prevent getting robbed.

I love the van, it's the ideal photo vehicle: small enough to drive most places and fully equipped to camp comfortably and conveniently anywhere. It sure beats sleeping in my car, or going through all the pain to setup/takedown a tent on demanding photoshoot schedules.

As soon as my trip starts, I promise regular updates to the blog. I've been so busy lately preparing for the trip, I haven't been able to post as much as I'd like. More coming soon!

Happy shooting!
Ethan-

Upcoming Presentation - CORRECTION

Hi all,
Just corrected an error on my website about an upcoming presentation for the Richmond Hill Camera Club.

The date is MONDAY Sept 8 (not Tue Sept 8 as I had noted - that day doesn't exist!). Time 7:30pm
Also note the location is: Lake Wilcox Community Centre (81 Wildwood Ave,Richmond Hill, Ontario) not the Oak Ridges Community Centre as had previously been noted.

Sorry about the confusion!
cheers,
Ethan-

Massasauga Provincial Park

Hello friends,
Yes I have to apologize for my utter inadequacy at updating this blog of late. The weather has been great and the last thing I've wanted to do is spend more time at my computer. That's what winter is for!

I've been crazy busy this summer... shooting a ton of new photos to take advantage of my last stint in Ontario before departing on my big expedition. In the past week I had back-to-back photo assignments (will share photos soon) and I just got back from a canoe trip in Massasauga Provincial Park. The trip was a great chance to relax with my girlfriend and get some photos of my brand new red canoe. Here are a few of the resulting photos. BTW, Massasauga is a fantastic park - this was my first trip there and I'll certainly be going back again!

First three photos:
EOS 1DSmIII; 24-70 or 17-40 lens; Singh-Ray Gold'n'Blue Polarizer & 4x6" ND grads




Clouds encroaching on starry night sky:
EOS 1DSmIII; 24-70/2.8; ISO 800; 133seconds @ f 2.8 (camera set to bulb)


Life's too short to take seriously, so we set up this next shot for fun. Don't laugh too much, this has happened to every camper at least once!



All of these photos were taken on a Gitzo 3540LS tripod with a cable release.
More photos to come soon.
Happy shooting!
Ethan-

Selling my car: 2006 Mazda 3

2006 Mazda 3 GS for sale. $12,500 cdn.

I've bought my VW camper van and am getting it set up to leave on a 1.5 year photo road trip this fall all over north & central America (this is why the shortage of blog posts lately).

So my beloved car is for sale. This sporty, but economical Mazda 3 has hauled me and my camera gear around the continent. Here are the details:

Great on gas! Well maintained - excellent shape. Manual Transmission. 128,000 highway kilometers. Carbon grey exterior and black interior. Features include aluminum wheels, Panasonic stereo with MP3 input; Yakima roof rack. Spare set of winter tires included.

Located in Midland (1/2 hr from Barrie; or 1.5 hrs north of Toronto).

Contact me for more info or to see the car:
email: info@ethanmeleg.com

French River trip

I spent a few days at a cabin on the French River this past week with my girlfriend and best friends. Although the weather was highly variable, the trip was relaxing and there were a few excellent photo opportunities. Outdoor recreation photos are the money-makers in my collection. I owe my friends a huge thanks for their generosity and patience in modelling for me. Sometimes it takes many trials to get the shot just right! The tan canoe color is not the best for photos, so we just ordered a shiny red canoe which arrives next week. You'll be seeing photos of it soon!

All photos taken with EOS 1Ds mark III; 24-70/2.8 or 70-200/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer.

Hope you're having a great summer!
Ethan-

Update - SOLD - Tripod Heads (Wimberley & Kirk BH1)

Update: BOTH HEADS ARE SOLD
I'm selling two of my ballheads which have given me years of great use: 1) a Wimberley version 1 gimbal head and 2) a Kirk BH1 ballhead. Here are details of each. Send me an email if interested (info@ethanmeleg.com).

1) Wimerley Head (v1). Asking $450 cdn plus shipping. I've used this head for all my bird and wildlife photography for the past 5 years. The gimbal style head is ideal for 500mm or 600mm lenses, making it effortless to track moving subjects.
This head is in perfect working condition and has moderate cosmetic wear (scuffs) from regular use. The new version currently sells for $720 + tax at Vistek; or approx $595 US + tax & shipping direct from Wimberley). Has quick release platform, but you'll need to get your own Arca-style plate to match your lens. These plates are readily available from companies such as Really Right Stuff, Kirk Enterprises or Wimberley.




2) Kirk BH1 ball head. Asking $250 cdn plus shipping. This is a classic ball head used by many nature photographers - I use it everyday as my standard head for landscape, macro, etc.... with all my lenses. It's rated to support fairly heavy camera systems (I think approx 50lbs) and I have often used it with my 500mm and 600mm lenses. Mine is in perfect working condition and has minor cosmetic wear. New from Kirk, these are selling for $355US (+tax & shipping). This head has a quick release platform for Arca-style plates - you'll need to get one to match your lens or camera body. The plates are readily available from companies such as Really Right Stuff or Kirk Enterprises.

Incredible luck (pileated woodpecker, black bears)

The photo gods were smiling upon me yesterday. I was planning to wake up at 2:30am (seriously) to drive up to Killarney Provincial Park for sunrise, but when my alarm clock went off I could not drag myself out of bed... so I slept in and left around 7:30am. My laziness paid off. While leisurely driving northwards, I stopped for a break en route and stumbled across a Pileated Woodpecker nest right in the parking lot at the rest stop! I've been wanting to shoot a natural Pileated nest with chicks for a decade (have shot them in hydro polls before). This was a good start to the day!

After a couple hours with the woodpeckers, I continued up to Killarney. On the highway into the park, I found a black bear with 4 cubs feeding right along the road. This was my first-time photographing wild black bear cubs - so you can imagine how ecstatic I was to spend about 5 minutes with them at close range before a "bear jam" of traffic scared them away.

Photographing Pileated Woodpeckers and Black Bears in the same day ranks as a wildlife grand slam for me. And to top off the weekend, I spent the rest of my weekend along spectacular stretches of the Georgian Bay shoreline shooting landscapes. I'm too tired to post those photos now (have been up since 4:30 this morning) so check back soon - I'll get them up when I catch up on my sleep!
Ethan-

Pileated Woodpeckers at nest
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/5 IS with 1.4x or 2x TC. Fill flash at -2 1/3




Black Bear cubs, Killarney Provincial Park
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/5 IS

Meadow birds

I woke up early this morning to focus on breeding birds (central Ontario is a great place to live because of the diversity of breeding birds). At about 6:30am it started raining, so I killed time by driving around checking out other future potential photo locations. As soon as the rain stopped, bird activity picked up significantly and I photographed these meadow species.

Clay-colored Sparrow
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/4IS + 2x TC; fill flash at -2 1/3


Indigo Bunting
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/4IS + 1.4x TC; fill flash at -2

Carden Challenge - we won!

This past weekend I competed in the 'Carden Challenge', a 24hr birding marathon (objective to identify as many bird species as possible in a defined area during the 24 hr period). The event raised approx $15,500 which will go directly to conservation efforts to protect the Carden plains area.

Our team consisted of myself, Mark Weircinski (absent from photo) and Greg Stroud. The weather during the challenge was crappy - it rained a ton and then became windy. But thanks to an unbelievable amount of junk food, we maintained an aggressive pace and won the event by identifying 119 species - edging out the next team by only 2 species.

I'm still catching up on my sleep and my blood sugar levels (from all the junk food) are returning to normal.

Thanks to all the people who generously sponsored me for the event - it was a great success!

Ethan-

Wetland birds

The evening light was sweet yesterday, but I was struggling to escape the gravitational pull of my couch. Thankfully my photo mojo won out and I drove to a nearby wetland to see what I could find. To my pleasant surprise, there was an unusually cooperative Spotted Sandpiper - a species that has alluded my camera lens for about a decade (I've seen tons, but they always take off before I can get a photo). This bird stayed put for 10 minutes for me. I shot about 120 photos as it walked around the open weed mats in great evening light.

To finish the night off there were several Marsh Wrens engaged in a territorial battle - singing back and forth to each other. They too obliged for my camera lens.

It pays to get out - there's always something to shoot!

All taken with EOS 1DsmIII, 500/4 IS and 1.4x or 2x teleconvertors.
ISO 400.

Latest pictures - Algonquin Park, Carden Plain, Oastler Lake

This is a crazy time of year for me - there are so many photo opportunities everywhere, everyday. Sometimes I get stressed out trying to decide what to shoot!
I've been all over central Ontario in the past week and am just starting to edit the thousands of photos. Here are a few early favorites.
Happy shooting!
Ethan-

Sunrise near Algonquin Park.
EOS 1DSmIII; 24-70/2.8 L; Singh-Ray Gold'n' Blue Polarizer and 3 stop hard edge ND grad


Prairie Smoke wildflower on the Carden Plain
EOS 1DSmIII; 24-70/2.8 L; Singh-Ray 2 stop hard edge ND grad


Common Yellowthroat warbler, near Kirkfield
EOS 1DSmIII; 500/4 IS; 2x teleconvertor


Kayaker at Oastler Lake Provincial Park
EOS 1DSmIII; 24-70/2.8 L; Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer


Kayaker at Oastler Lake Provincial Park
EOS 1DSmIII; 24-70/2.8 L; Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer

Autumn in Algonquin Photo Workshop - Oct 4-5

Hello friends,
Just a heads up that I am hosting a photo workshop "Autumn in Algonquin Park" on October 4-5. This is prime season for fall colours in Algonquin Park, one of the most majestic and cherished parks in Canada.
For full details, please visit: http://www.ethanmeleg.com/tour-Algonquin--fall-2008.htm
The tour is already half full, so book quickly to reserve a spot!

Also, please note I am currently planning a number of photo workshops/tours over the next couple years. As details are confirmed, they will be posted here: http://www.ethanmeleg.com/programs.htm

Thanks and hope you're having a great spring!
cheers,
Ethan-

Point Pelee National Park - songbirds

Greetings!
Sorry for the lag in posts lately. I'm recovering from what must be the worst cold/flu I've ever had. I was literally incapacitated for several days, half wasted on cough syrup and stuck on my couch watching crappy day-time television during the rare moments when I wasn't in a deep, medicated sleep. I was so bagged, I didn't even have the energy to move the 3 feet from my couch to the computer to process my RAW files from Pelee last week. Being sick during prime spring season isn't easy for a nature photographer!

I've got my photo mojo back now, so here are some of the results from last week. I had a couple productive days at Pelee with of a pocket of low, cooperative warblers. This was my first spring using the 500IS lens for warblers, and with the full-frame sensor camera I was worried that the 1.4x TC would not yield enough magnification. My good friend Chris Dodds (www.chrisdoddsphoto.com) assured me that sharp results were possible with the 2x teleconvertor, even in shaded situations with relatively slow shutter speeds (using IS and good long-lens technique). He was indeed correct and I was pleasantly surprised by the high ratio of sharp shots.

I'm off to shoot spring vegetation and rivers on this drab and wet weekend - so check back in a couple days for some more photos.
Hope you're having a great spring!

Magnolia Warbler
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/4IS; 2x TC
ISO 400; 1/125s at f/8; fill flash at -2 1/3


Black-throated Green Warbler
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/4IS; 2x TC
ISO 400; 1/125s at f/8; fill flash at -2 1/3


Black-throated Blue Warbler
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/4IS; 2x TC
ISO 400; 1/160s at f/8; fill flash at -2 1/3


Carolina Wren
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/4IS; 1.4x TC
ISO 400; 1/200s at f/5.6; fill flash at -2 1/3


Veery (cropped from horizontal)
EOS 1DsmIII; 500/4IS; 1.4x TC
ISO 640; 1/20s at f/5.6; fill flash at -2 1/3

Sponsor Ethan for the Carden Challenge (Birdathon)

Hello friends!
On May 30 at 6pm, I'll be starting a 24hour birdathon to identify as many species of birds as possible in the Carden region of central Ontario. I'll be joined by teammates Mark Wiercinski, John Haselmayer and Greg Stroud - they are all serious bird geeks. We'll be competing against a bunch of other teams and our plan is simple: we're going to kick some birding butt!

The birdathon is a fundraiser to support conservation of the Carden Alvar, a highly significant ecosystem, which also happens to be one of the top locations in Ontario for birding and bird photography.

So what am I asking from you? Please support this worthy conservation cause by sponsoring me for the event. You can pledge a fixed amount or on a per-species basis. To make a pledge, simply send an email to the Couchiching Conservancy at: nature@couchconservancy.ca and tell them the pledge amount and your contact info (ie. mailing address). They'll heckle you for the cash later.

If you're still skeptical and want to know more, check out the following webpage:
http://www.cardenguide.com/Festival/carden_challenge.htm

Thanks on behalf of the birds!
cheers,
Ethan-