"The Subway" in Zion National Park

Yesterday I photographed the famous "Subway" slot canyon in Zion National Park (scroll down to see photos). Let me describe the hike for you. [please note that I am out of shape and carry far too much camera gear with me]

You start the hike by going down an extremely steep trail (the surface is loose rock) which basically plunges into a canyon. Apparently at least one person has strayed from the trail and fallen to their death. Once you get to the bottom, you have to walk a few miles up a river. Sometimes there is a small trail, sometimes you walk in the water, sometimes you are clambering over boulders. Then you reach a slippery cascading waterfalls (which you climb up) and shortly thereafter you arrive at the star attraction - a small slot canyon called the Subway. The rocks around the Subway are slicker than a wet ice rink. The more expensive the camera gear you have, the more slippery the rocks are.

I spent hours in the Subway, much of that time standing in cold, ankle deep water. The light kept improving later in the day and I had a hard time dragging myself away, but alas I needed to make the long hike out before it got too dark. Interestingly, somehow the trail had become longer and more rugged throughout the day. I ended up trekked out with another photographer who must have been an Olympic hiker.

By the time I got back to the spot where you climb up to the top of the canyon, I was already physically wasted. Going back up that canyon trail can only be described as sadistic punishment. I could manage maybe 50-100m up at a time before having to stop, pant like I had just run a marathon and spend a few moments wishing that I was dead. Alas, words cannot describe the sheer pleasure I felt upon reaching the parking lot at the top.

All in all, hiking to the Subway was a fun adventure and I'm happy with the photographic results. Having said this, I am enjoying a very lazy day today sitting drinking coffee in the town of Springdale at the Pioneer Lodge Cafe (great spot!).

Photo 1: EOS 1Ds mIII; 17-40mm lens (at 17mm); Singh-Ray LB Colorcombo polarizer
Exposure: ISO 200; 13s @ f/22; mirror lock-up & cable release


Photo 2: EOS 1Ds mIII; 17-40mm lens (at 17mm); Singh-Ray LB Colorcombo polarizer Exposure: ISO 200; 13s @ f/22; mirror lock-up & cable release


Photo 3: EOS 1Ds mIII; 17-40mm lens (at 17mm); Singh-Ray LB Colorcombo polarizer Exposure: ISO 200; 13s @ f/22; mirror lock-up & cable release
Yes, I placed the leaf there!

The famous Watchman shoot in Zion

The last couple days have been pretty dull for photography. It's been overcast with some rain and a thunderstorm even blew through this morning. Thankfully the skies broke after it and the rest of the day was sunny. Late this afternoon it started clouding over again and I was worried there would be no evening shoot. Even though I was tempted to pack it in for the day (was thinking about cold beer), I decided to go to 'the bridge' famed for it's vantage point to shoot sunset on The Watchman over the Virgin River. Am I ever glad I did - it turned out to be a spectacular sunset. I shot hundreds of images and stayed until well after dark. Here are a couple of the results.
Tomorrow I'm making a full day trip to the Subway slot canyon. I can't wait!

Photo 1: The photographers start lining up to get the best spot (I had it). See the black tripod with no camera on it and no person - that's where I was.


Photo 2: EOS 1Ds mIII; 24-70mm lens (at 42mm); Singh-Ray Gold n Blue polarizer and 4x6" 3 stop ND grad handheld in front of the lens. ISO 100; 2.5s @ f/20

Photo 3: EOS 1Ds mIII; 24-70mm (at 24mm); Singh-Ray LB Colorcombo polarizer and 4x6" 3 stop ND grad handheld in front of the lens. ISO 200; 13s @ f/22

Zion National Park

I landed in Zion National Park a couple days ago and have decided to stay here for at least a week. The park is large and diverse.... I've barely scratched the surface.

One of the hallmark images in the park is the Watchman peaks with the Virgin River in the foreground. I've worked this a couple times and found some great vantage points.

Today was mostly cloudy so I decided to do some scouting and birding. By freak luck while calling songbirds, a very curious Grey Fox walked right up to me. I ran back to the car, grabbed the 500mm and went back to the same spot. I was able to call the fox back in for a few moments. This was my first time photographing the species. You can bet I'll be going back to try to get more photos of it!

All photos with EOS 1Ds mIII

Photo 1: Watchman and Virgin River
17-40mm; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer and 2 stop hard edge ND grad;
ISO 200; 1s @ f/22


Photo 2: Watchman and Virgin River
17-40mm; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer and a 4x6" 2 stop hard edge ND grad (handheld);
ISO 100; 8s @ f/22
Note: to get a subtle edge with the ND grad, I gently move it around in front of the lens during the exposure.


Photo 3: Grey Fox
500mm; ISO 400; 1/200s @ f/5.6; full-frame

Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park

Yesterday morning I photographed the famous Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. This was a fairly challenging scene to photograph because of the high contrast. I spent about 2 1/2 hours shooting the arch and had a particularly enjoyable time. Must be because I'm starting to settle into the trip and relax!

There were some other photographers there and one guy in particular cracked me up.... he was running around with his camera like a chicken with his head cut off. I half expected him to trip and fall into the canyon. Ironically he - and a couple other photographers - left before the light got really good. After that there were just two of us left photographing... me and a very nice guy (and good photographer) from northern Utah named Bob Hills. Be sure to check out his website www.bobhillsphotography.com .

Here are a few of the hundreds of photos I took at the arch.
All taken with EOS 1Ds mIII

Photo 1: Sunbeams through the arch.
24-70mm; Singh-Ray Gold n Blue polarizer & ND grad (can't remember which one)
ISo 200; Aperture Priority mode + 2/3 stops comp; 1/15s at f/18


Photo 2: Wide angle of the arch.
17-40mm; Singh-Ray Gold n Blue polarizer
ISO 200; Aperture Priority mode + 2/3 stops comp; 1/3s at f/22


Photo 3: Self portrait under the arch.
70-200mm; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer; Canon remote cable release/timer
ISO 200; Aperture Priority mode + 1 1/3 stops comp; 1/8s at f/18


Stay tuned for more photos.... I'm in Bryce Canyon NP now and it looks awesome.
Happy shooting!
Ethan-

Freedom 35

I nicknamed this trip "Freedom 35" (yesterday was my 35th birthday).... a takeoff from the Canadian sitcom Trailer Park Boys which you'd have to watch to get the reference. [no drug deals financing my trip, however]

I'm in Canyonlands NP now and just had a chance to catch up on processing some photos from the last 2 days to kill time during the harsh midday light.

Photo 1: Star trails near Canyonlands NP.
A 45 minute exposure using that fancy (albeit expensive) Canon cable release that has the timer, etc built in. Makes shooting long exposures a breeze!
EOS 1Ds mIII; 24-70mm @ 24mm; ISO 800; f4; 45 minutes


Photo 2: Sunrise from Gooseneck Overlook.
This is what I woke up to yesterday morning for my 35th birthday! I hope it looks ok... it was tough to do the post processing in my van.
EOS 1Ds mIII; 70-200 + 1.4x TC (shot at 280mm); ISO 200; 1/15s @ f16; Singh-Ray warming polarizer plus 3 stop hard edge ND grad (4x6") handheld in front of the lens


Photo 3: As I was looking for a campsite last night in the La Sal Mountains near Moab, I stumbled across this big desert scene bathed in surreal light.
EOS 1Ds m III; 70-200mm (at 95mm); ISO 200; 2.5s @ f18; Singh-Ray Gold n Blue polarizer and 2 stop hard edge ND grad

Getting lost pays off!

Arches was packed full of people this morning so I thought I'd work my way up to check out Canyonlands NP this afternoon. I decided on backroads route that I thought was passable and would connect me with the park. It turned out to be an extremely rugged road that seemed to go on forever. As luck would have it, I ended up here... at an amazing overlook of the Colorado River. Instead of backtracking (the road is too rough and steep to continue) I decided to stay and shoot at dusk. It was one of the most spectacular evenings I've ever had shooting landscapes, and there was not another person anywhere around. Life is good!



EOS 1Ds mark III; 17-40mm or 24-70mm
Singh-Ray Gold n Blue polarizer. long exposures after the sun had set!

Delicate Arch

I went to one of the most famous photography locations tonight - the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It was a fairly strenuous hike to get up there and I was surprised at how many people were there waiting for sunset. Every now and then a tourist would walk under the arch for a snapshot, much to the dismay of the large photographer mob. I was pleased when someone would walk under the arch - it added a human element for scale and improved the marketability of the photo. Immediately after sunset, most photographers took off and missed the fantastic afterglow light. I was glad that a couple of other photographers stayed later, so I had someone to hike back down with. It was pitch black and we had a tough time following the path!

I hope these look ok... I've prepped them on my laptop, weary eyed in my poorly lit van.
Let me know.

EOS 1Ds mark III
Photo 1: 17-40mm with Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer


Photo 2: 24-70mm; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer


Photo 3: 17-40mm; Singh-Ray Gold n Blue polarizer with 2 stop hard edge ND grad;
30 second exposure at f/14
The best light for landscapes is often after sunset (or before sunrise).

Welcome to Utah

After 2600km of driving through a range of hellish weather conditions, I arrived in Utah this evening. I was barely across the state line when I was welcomed by some of the finest scenery on the continent and incredible evening light!

Here are a couple shots I grabbed quickly while on my way to find a campsite for the night.
Both taken along Scenic Byway 128 just north of Moab.

EOS 1Ds mark III; 70-200/2.8; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer and a 2 stop ND grad to hold back the sky on the first shot.

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-