How I store/backup my photos.

I'm gearing up to leave this week for a month of shooting in the Atlantic Provinces (PEI, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland). The original plan was to spend August in the Yukon, but the mishap with the van (see earlier post "van vs tree") and subsequent time to have the body work done ended up pushing back my departure date. Facing a 5 day drive (each way) and reduced window of time for the trip, I've decided to go to the much-closer east coast.

This past week I did a marathon of office work (processing raw files) to be caught up before hitting the road in a few days. Over the duration of my travels since last October, I've added a huge number of photos to my collection. The importance of properly storing and backing up the collection is always on my mind. Several people have asked me how I do this, so here's the scoop.
For years, my approach has been to have 4 copies of my collection as follows:

1) Primary drives in my desktop computer that I use as the current working copy of my photo collection.
2) A second set of drives in my desktop computer setup as a "Raid 1" configuration. These automatically mirror the primary drives so there's an up-to-date backup copy in case of a primary drive failure.
3) A backup copy of the entire collection on external hard-drives that I keep offsite at a friend's house in case of fire or flood at my house.
4) Another backup copy of the photo collection on external hard drive that travels with me so I always have access to my photos.

It should go without saying that you need to backup regularly!

My photo collection has grown so large that it has become difficult to manage storing it on individual hard drives. Last week I bought a Drobo storage system and a set of new drives (Western Digital Caviar Green drives which are rated as some of the most reliable drives) which will replace the function of #1 and #2 above. I'm not a technology expert so I won't try to explain how the Drobo works, but you can google it for more info. After I get back from the Atlantic trip, I'll be migrating my files to the Drobo and look forward to the new system.

Happy shooting!

More Georgian Bay

It's been a very productive week on assignment shooting outdoor tourism photos in the Georgian Bay area. The weather has been great and the models were excellent to work with. Thanks Karen, Lauren, Scott P, Jenn, Scott C, Melissa, Vera, Freeman and Pat for your tireless patience! Check out the initial previews below.

I'm en route to Manitoulin Island for a few days of shooting up there. My van is finally in the shop getting the body work done on the back end, so I'm cruising in a stylish new rental car. In a couple of weeks I'll have the van back in top shape ready for the next leg of my trip!

If you're interested in a trip to the Georgian Bay area, here's a link to a website with lots of great info: http://www.visitgeorgianbay.com


Photo 1: Kayakers paddle by Flowerpot Island. EOS 1DsIII; 70-200/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer


Photo 2: That's me floating in Georgian Bay to shoot water level photos of the kayakers. A semi-dry suit kept me warm in the frigid waters and the lifejacket is for buoyancy to keep the camera above water. I shot handheld the 5DII, 17-40mm lens and a Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer.


Photo 3: Hikers stand on a Georgian Bay overlook in Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 1DsIII; 24-70/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2-stop soft edge ND grad


Photo 4: Me on the overlook. Here's why I always carry a point & shoot camera... to get images of me in the field.


Photo 5: Mountain bikers stop for a break on the trail. EOS 5DII; 17-40mm lens; 580EX II flash for fill; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer

Georgian Bay

Photo 1: A touboat passes a Georgian Bay vista in Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 1DsIII; 24-70/2.8; Singh-Ray 2 stop hard edge ND grad (4x6" size)

I'm currently up in the Georgian Bay area shooting a tourism assignment and having fun visiting my favourite photo locations and connecting with old friends. It's been a busy week taking care of all the logistics for the assignment.... coordinating models, locations, support, etc... but the photos are starting to come together.

I just bought a Canon EOS 5D mark II for a secondary/backup body..... my initial impression after a couple days is that it's an amazing camera. More about it later. I also replaced my waterlogged Canon G9 with a new point & shoot. The G10 was high on my mind until a friend at the FotoArt camera store in Owen Sound put a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 in my hands. I became enamoured with it. Why? It's shockproof, waterproof, easy to use, 12MP and bright blue. It should be fairly difficult for me to lose or destroy, at least that's what I'm hoping. Why do I carry a point & shoot? To capture shots of me in the field, and to spare the risk of pulling out an expensive SLR after a couple bottles of wine at a party.


Photo 2: Photographer on Georgian Bay shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 1DSIII; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB Colorcombo polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad (4x6")


Photo 3: Photographer silhouette at sunset. EOS 1DsIII; 70-200/2.8 lens


Photo 4: Friends admiring a Georgian Bay sunset. EOS 1DSIII; 24-70/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad (4x6")


Photo 5: Using my new point & shoot camera to photograph the best-patch of Showy Lady's Slippers I've ever seen. [don't ask where, I'm sworn to secrecy on these]. EOS 1DSIII; 24-70mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer

Cliffs & Caves: Bruce Peninsula Photo Workshop

Photo: Halfway Log Dump in Bruce Peninsula National Park
[image taken during previous workshop]

Photo Workshop Announcement
Cliffs and Caves: The Bruce Peninsula Landscape
September 12-13, 2009

Join Ethan on the Bruce Peninsula for some of the most spectacular scenery in Canada. Learn pro tips and techniques for making dramatic landscape photos.

Click here for more information or to register.

Book now to ensure a spot, this workshop is expected to fill quickly!

SOLD: Canon 50D - like new

SOLD
Canon 50D body with accessory BG-E2N battery grip and spare battery. Price: $1400 Cdn takes all. Will include shipping within Canada. This will save you a few hundred bucks if you were to buy new in Canada now (with taxes).

Details:
The camera is in brand-new condition (purchased in February), in the original box with all the standard items (CDs, cables, strap). Still under Canon warranty.

This is one of my backup bodies and has barely been used Am selling because I just bought other backup bodies and no longer need the 50D.

The 50D is an excellent camera that impressed me with its lightening fast autofocus and fast frame rate.. ideal for bird or wildlife photography. Full details, reviews and photos of the 50D are widely available on the web.

Payment (cheque, money order, cash, e-transfer) necessary before shipping. I'll guarantee the condition of the camera as stated.... full money back if not satisfied.

I've shot some nice photos with this body including the Red-throated Loon in the previous post, and this American White Pelican photo:

Duct Tape, Beaver Ponds & Mosquitoes - Northern Ontario

Photo 1: The peace symbol failed to ward off an aggressive tree, which attacked the back of my van. A sheet of plastic and roll of duct tape salvaged the rest of the photo tour.
-----

I just did a 10 day loop through northern Ontario, heading west along the north shore of Lake Superior and then cutting back east/south along Hwy 11 through myriad of small northern towns. This was not a great trip, for several reasons:

1) The weather was crappy for much of my time along the north shore of Superior, an area with some of the finest scenery in Canada.

2) Costly mishap with the van (see photo above).

3) The mosquitoes were unbelievably bad, perhaps the worst I've experienced in Ontario (due to the cool, wet spring). I considered drinking bug spray.

3) My Canon G9 point & shoot camera was sacrificed to appease the photo gods [it fell into beaver pond]. It is now a photo "prop".



Photo 2: Red-throated Loon in Cochrane, Ontario.
I was surprised to see and get my first photos of this species.
EOS 50D & 500/4IS



Photo 3: Early morning in the Temagami area (after a night with only 2 hours sleep, due to mosquitoes which found their way into my camper).
EOS 1DsIII, 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad


Photo 4: Beaver swimming in the same pond where my Canon G9 learned to swim.
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4 IS lens & 1.4x teleconvertor


Photo 5: Snapping Turtle laying eggs on roadside.
EOS 1DsIII, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer

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!

Trek to the Peregrine Falcon nest

Photo 1: That's me on the edge of a high cliff photographing a peregrine nest. Thanks to Christine Vance for getting this shot of me with my Canon G9.

Last night I joined some biologist friends to check the status of a Peregrine Falcon nest on the north shore of Superior. The trek to the nest site was fairly brutal... steep bushwacking with lots of places to clamber over boulders and dropoffs. It wouldn't have been so bad, but of course I was carring camera gear which included a 500/4 lens and tripod. Perhaps I'm just a bit out of shape too!

We found our way to an overlook with a good view of the nest (peregrines nest on cliff-face rock ledges). I used my 500/4 lens with a 2x teleconvertor to get enough magnification for a decent shot. The nest was in shadow, making it very tough to get sharp photos at slow shutter speeds with the high magnification and moving chicks. Although these are by no means great photos, it was an incredible experience to see the nest and enjoy the stunning views of the Lake Superior shoreline.


Photo 2: Three Peregrine Falcon chicks in a nest on Lake Superior.
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 2X teleconvertor

Lake Superior Provincial Park

Photo 1: Lake Superior Provincial Park at sunset
EOS 1DsIII; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer & 2 stop soft edge ND grad (4x6" size, handheld in front of lens); mirror lock-up & cable release
Exposure: ISO 200; 1.6s @ f/22


Photo 2: Lake Superior Provincial Park at sunset
EOS 1DsIII; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray Gold'n'Blue polarizer & 3 stop hard edge Reverse ND Grad (4x6" size, handheld in front of lens); mirror lock-up & cable release
Exposure: ISO 200; 2.5s @ f/18


I'm up on the north shore of Lake Superior - one of my favorite places in Ontario. I arrived yesterday and had a great shoot last night in Lake Superior Provincial Park. The blackflies and mosquitoes are ferocious, but worth enduring for the amazing scenery.

It feels good to be back in the field for some intense shooting and camping out. For the past few weeks I've been tied up with office work & domestic duties which included preparing the van for the next leg of the trip, and getting my camera gear all in order. [that's why blog posts have been scarce]

Will post as often as I'm able to.... though it's difficult to find cellular/internet service up here!

Wildflower Workshop successful

Photo 1: Indian Paintbrush in Bruce Peninsula National Park
EOS 1DsIII; 70-200/2.8 lens; ISO 400; 1/20s @ f/8; mirror lock-up & cable release.

I just finished hosting a wildflower photography workshop this weekend in Tobermory, Ontario. This was the best year for wildflowers I've seen in a decade - the early species were hanging on in pristine condition due to the cool, wet spring... and the expected species popped out with the warm weather in the two days leading up to the workshop. The white variant Calypso Orchid and the dense patches of Indian Paintbrush were highlights for me.

Thanks to the group members - Al & Cathey, Janice, Carolyn, Joseph and Lily... who shared great enthusiasm for the blooms and early mornings. And a huge thanks to my friend and co-leader "111 mile" Ian Brooks (http://www.ianbrooks.net/) , whose knowledge of the Nikon system and penchance for gear is surpassed by few. Thanks Ian!


Photo 2: The workshop gang after a great lunch at "A Mermaid's Secret" cafe in Tobermory.



Photo 3: Co-leader Ian Brooks sports the latest style in black-fly protection.



Photo 4: Yellow Lady's Slippers were prime for photo ops.



Photo 5: Ram's Head Lady's Slippers (the first flower we photographed on the workshop).
EOS 1DsIII; 100/2.8 macro

I am alive in Ontario!

I am still alive and can explain the lack of blog posts:

1) Work - I hate to admit it, but I actually had to sit down at a computer and work over the past couple of weeks. I processed hundreds of photos from the trip and prepared several presentations. You know what I think of work? It's overrated!

2) Van - I spent the better part of 3 days this week sitting in VW mechanic shops trying to fix a mysterious sputtering problem with the van. It seems to be working now, but I fully expect someting else to go wrong with it shortly... that's what they do. If I can offer one key piece of advice to you.... don't buy a VW camper van unless you enjoy spending money on repairs or are a master VW mechanic yourself. They are high maintanence vehicles!

3) Wildflowers - I've been scouting and shooting in the Tobermory area in prep for my wildflower photo workshop this weekend. It's an unusually late year for wildflowers.... lots of early species are still out, and the expected species are just starting to bloom. The mix of species are perfect for the workshop!

Here's a couple photos from this week...

Photo 1: Proof I am still alive... that's me this morning at Halfway Log Dump in Bruce Peninsula National Park. My trek out there was good 'photo-therapy' after dumping far too much money on van repairs this week!

Photo 2: Calypso Orchid (white variant), Tobemory

EOS 1DSIII; 100mm/f2.8 macro lens

Photo 3: Early Coralroot, Tobermory

My first photos of this unusual orchid species.

EOS 1DSIII; 100mm/f2.8 macro lens

Photo 4: Indian Paintbrush

EOS 1DSIII; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer & 3 stop hard edge ND grad

I've been shooting alot of wildflower scenes this spring, to diversify from my existing collection of closeup flowerp portraits.

Upcoming Presentations & blog stats

I have three upcoming public presentations over the next few weeks. The first takes place this Thursday night (May 28) in Brampton Ontario.... and it's the premier presentation about my ongoing travel/photo adventure, with tons of never-before seen photos and the stories behind them. If you're interested, check out this link on my website for more information:
http://www.ethanmeleg.com/inpublic.htm

If you make it to one of the presentations, be sure to say hi!

In other news, I'm pleased (actually amazed) to have had over 11,000 different visitors to this blog in the past 6 months. I never dreamed that so many people would visit! I promise lots more posts & new photos to come as my journey continues. Thanks for following!

Survived the Birdathon!

Weary eyed from too little sleep, we began our birdathon at 2:07am on Thursday morning. The wind was howling, tempering our expectations and enthusiasm. Since we find most of our birds by sound, wind is a serious problem. Fewer birds sing in windy conditions and it's hard to hear them anyway. For the first several hours, we struggled in the darkness to find night birds - they just weren't calling.

Dawn is the critical time on a birdathon - you get the majority of your species in a short window of time because that's when birds are most actively singing. The forecast for Thursday was windy and record hot, so our success at dawn chorus would make or break our day. As it turned out we did well... finding most of the target breeding birds around MacGregor Point Provincial Park. We also lucked into a bunch of birds that are easy to miss. Our mid-morning tally surprised us, we had a chance of breaking our record of 174 species.

I would like to tell you that our luck continued through the afternoon, but the truth is that we hit a complete roadblock mid-day. Battling the high winds, we struggled to find any new birds. All the migrants that had been around earlier in the week had totally cleared out. There were no diving ducks or grebes - or perhaps we missed them in the choppy waters. Our enthusiasm sunk!

Late in the day, the wind dropped (the blackflies became horrific!) which salvaged our day. We picked up a steady stream of new birds in the final few hours. At 10pm, nearly hallucinating from exhaustion (catastrophic sugar crash), we called it a day. Our total was 161 species, which is is our fourth best total from many years of doing the birdathon. Given the hot & windy conditions, we were ecstatic to reach 161. This took 20 hours and 575km of driving.

There were a number of highlights during the day.... watching a red fox catch and kill a watersnake, finding a loggerhead shrike (endangered in Ontario) in an unexpected spot, seeing nesting piping plovers and watching a black bear feeding at dusk.

The most interesting facet of our birdathon is not the birds at all, but my diet. This is my one day a year to put aside all common food sense and eat with reckless abandon. To maintain my uber-birding pace in the absence of sleep, requires a truly foolish diet. Here's what I consumed during the 20 hour marathon: at least 27 mini-powdered donuts, 14 pepperoni sticks, slabs of beef jerky, an entire bag of chocolate peanut butter cups, two dozen cookies, a large bag of chips, half a bag of licorice, 4 cans of pop (sugar-free?!) and two mugs of coffees. How do I avoid sugar crash, you ask? Never stop eating until it's over.

Thanks to my birding buddies Mark Weircinski and John Haselmayer for making the day so much fun and for continually feeding me while I drove. And a huge thanks to all the people who sponsored the birdathon with pledges to Bird Studies Canada!

Spring Migrants - Point Pelee & Pelee Island

When there are songbirds around, I find it difficult to photograph anything else! The past week has been quite good for migrants in the Pelee area... and yesterday was one of my all-time best birding days for warblers..... there were tons hanging out on the north end of Pelee Island. Within only an hour or so, I'd found 22 warbler species.

Warblers are my favorite birds to shoot and getting a good photo is no easy task. If I end up with one publishable warbler photo from a day of shooting I consider it a success. This year I have been lucky to find a few cooperative birds.

Photo 1: Canada Warbler, Point Pelee
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 2x teleconvertor; 580EX flash (fill flash)

Photo 2: Black-throated Blue Warbler, Point Pelee
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x teleconvertor; 580EX flash (fill flash)


Photo 3: Least Flycatcher, Pelee Island
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x teleconvertor; 580EX flash (fill flash)


Photo 4: Blackpoll Warbler, Pelee Island
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x teleconvertor; 580EX flash (fill flash)

Photo 5: Purple Martin, Pelee Island

EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS teleconvertor; handheld near nest house

Birdathon Fundraiser - please sponsor (see bonus!!)

Next Thursday (May 21) I'll be doing an annual Baillie Birdathon fundraising day with my birding buddies Mark Weircinski and John Haselmayer. The day goes like this: we start at around 2am, spend approx 20 straight hours searching for every possible bird species we can find on the Bruce Peninsula, then nearly collapse from exhaustion. Why do we do this, you ask?
1) To raise money for conservation - specifically Bird Studies Canada.
2) We are serious bird geeks.
3) To attempt to break our previous record of 174 species.

How can you help? Please sponsor me for the birdathon with a pledge to Bird Studies Canada. You'll be helping to support research and conservation of birds. Making a pledge is very easy - you can do it all online with a credit card by CLICKING HERE for the birdathon website.

BONUS!!!!! Anyone who pledges $100 or more, can tag along with me on a photo shoot at a mutually convenient time. That's a cheap way of getting some personalized instruction in photography!

After the birdathon, I'll share details of the day here on the blog... including highlights, statistics and funny stories (there are always some!).

Wildflower Workshop & latest bird photos

There are two spots left for my upcoming wildflower photography workshop in early June on the Bruce Peninsula. This is one of the best places and times to shoot wildflowers in Ontario! The workshop is a chance to learn techniques for making sharp, well-lit and artistic wildflower photos... and to find out where the best spots are! Photos 1 & 2 were taken during my last wildflower workshop - same place, same time of year. Send me a note if you're interested.

Photo 1: Yellow Lady's Slippers (wide angle cluster)
The tour is timed to coincide with the peak blooming period for Yellow Lady Slipper orchids.... we should have a chance to photograph lots of them.... some years there are thousands!

Photo 2: Striped Coralroot

This is one of the more unique-looking orchid species. I used flash and reflectors to create dramatic lighting and isolate the flower from the background.

This week I've been focused on shooting backyard bird species at my parents' house in the Pelee area. We developed a great feeder setup with blinds and strategically placed perches. I'm hoping for a good wave of orioles, grosbeaks and buntings to keep me busy!

Photo 3: American Goldfinch on apple blossom branch

Photo 4: Blue Jay on stump

Photo 5: Blue Jay on stump with peanut

I smeared peanut butter on the inside of the stump and stuck peanuts in it, which the Blue Jays love!

Back in Ontario & more Texas photos

Photo 1: That's me yesterday.

I've been back in Ontario for the past week, mostly hanging out with family & friends as well as catching up on some work. After 6 months of photographing every day, this is a great break - I've barely picked up my camera all week.

The top photo is me at my best-friends place yesterday in Penetanguishene. We stood around the BBQ for a long time and I ended up having to put on a parka to stay warm in the evening. My body has definitely acclimitized to the hotter temps of the southern US! I suppose the liberal amounts of wine we drank may also have contributed by thinning my blood!

Below are a few photos I've caught up on procesing from my last week in Texas. This season is birds, birds, birds.... so I'm well practiced for the arriving migrants here in Ontario.

Photo 2: "Bubbaville" eastern Texas

I carry a Canon G9 point & shoot with me pretty much everywhere I go, to quickly capture priceless scenes like this one.

Photo 3: Northern Parula warbler, eastern Texas

I was able to 'better' my shots of this species from a few days earlier (previous blog posting).

Photo 4: Gray-cheeked Thrush, High Island, TX

This forest-floor skulker is a species I've wanted to shoot this species for a long time!

Photo 5: Black-and-white Warbler, Port Aransas, Texas

This is a much better photo than anything I've ever managed to catch in the past. They hardly ever sit still!

All bird photos with the 1DsIII, 500/4IS & 1.4x TC

Songbird Extravaganza !

My stepfather Tom and I are currently photographing birds together in northern Texas. Today started out a bust. We were up at 5:30am and on location at dawn, but the birds were not cooperating. Our luck began changing mid-morning once we figured out the best shooting techniques. The rest of the day was exceptional - it turnd out to be one of the most productive days of songbird photography of my life.

Tom is a videographer and when we're out together we alternate shooting because the fill flash from my camera ruins his video. I typically get on a bird before him and fire off a few shots. He needs 7 seconds footage and tells me when he's about to film, so I stop flashing. I was so excited about the composition on the gnatchatcher (first photo below) that when he said "don't shoot' my brain heard "go shoot". I fired away, captured the image, and ended up flushing the bird. As a result, he mised the shot. Sorry Tom!

Photo 1: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x teleconvertor; 580EX fill flash


Photo 2: Northern Parula warbler
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x teleconvertor; 580EX fill flash

Photo 3: Prothonotary Warbler

EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x teleconvertor; 580EX fill flash

Photo 4: Prothonotary Warbler
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x teleconvertor; 580EX fill flash