Best of the Bruce - photo workshop results

I am procrastinating right now. Though I should be writing my next column for Outdoor Photography Canada magazine (it's due Oct 1), I find myself nearing the bottom of a great bottle of Spanish red wine and surfing YouTube for live music (it has been a crazy busy couple of weeks, this is my first night off). I am also playing catch up on my blog, hence this post. I've just returned from the peak of fall colors in Algonquin Park... shot some great photos which you'll see in a couple of days. But first, here are photos from a workshop "Best of the Bruce" that I hosted last weekend in partnership with the amazing E'Terra ecolodge.

First, a huge thanks to participants Trina, Tom, Rick, Bruce, Gary and Anne. Thanks also to the sponsors who joined together to make a great contest (that Trina won) for a spot on the tour and an awesome prize package: Canadian Geographic, Ontario Tourism, E'Terra, Sigma, Lens Rentals Canada, Blue Heron Cruises, Bruce Peninsula Helicopters, Lowepro, Coleman and Velbon. [original contest page with links to sponsors here: http://photoclub.canadiangeographic.ca/cg/Contests/otmp2010/default.aspx ]. And lastly a really huge thanks to my friend Canon Rumors Craig, who was supposed to co-lead the workshop and got married instead... but generously promoted the workshop to his audience and instantly filled the remaining spots. Thanks Craig, I owe you a very good bottle of wine in Africa!

Of all the workshops I've ever hosted, we had the best photography weather on this one (so far)! A brief but dramatic sunrise started us off at Halfway Log Dump on Saturday morning, followed by a mind-blowing sunset on Cove Island. Sunday was sunny skies for sunrise at Flowerpot Island and sunset at the Grotto and Indian Head Cove in Bruce Peninsula National Park.

I don't shoot much on my workshops, but couldn't resist a few here and there....


Photo 1 (above): Moon next to Cove Island Lighthouse at sunset. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, 70-200/4 lens, Singh-Ray LB polarizer ISO 400; 1/400s @ f/8; mirror lock-up & cable release


Photo 2 (above): Pink afterglow behind the Cove Island Lighthouse. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 24-70/2.8lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer; ISO 200; 0.8s @ f/16; mirror lock-up & cable release


Photo 3 (above): Self-portrait, Flowerpot Island sunrise. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray Gold-n-Blue polarizer; ISO 200; 2s @ f/16; mirror lock-up & cable release


Photo 4 (above): Georgian Bay lapping at the shoreline of Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer; ISO 50; 1/3s @ f/22
More and more I find myself chosing slight water blurs that evoke water movement, using shutter speeds just less than a second.


Photo 5 (above): Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer; ISO 200; 1/10s @ f/22; mirror lock-up & cable release


Photo 5 (above): Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park plus a bit of Ethan for tourist effect. Canon EOS 5D mark II, 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer; ISO 200; 1/13s @ f/22; mirror lock-up & cablerelease

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

Don't ask a nature photographer....

... to shoot a wedding! However, I have been known to make rare exceptions for good friends, like my buddies Scott and Melissa (pictured below) who married last weekend. If rainy, horribly shitty weather on your wedding day is an omen for good luck, they can be assured eternal bliss!

If you're reading this and considering asking me to shoot your wedding, don't even think about it... I'm much more comfortable with birds, salamanders and shorelines!

Public presentations this week....

This is a busy week for photo presentations. If you're in the neighbourhood, come on out to catch one of these!

Wednesday, Sept 8 - Southampton, Ontario
"Confessions of a Crazed Photographer"
Saugeen Shores Camera Club
Details here: http://www.saugeenshores.ca/event_full.php?EventID=1936

Thursday, Sept 9 - Owen Sound, Ontario
"Freedom 35: A Photographer's Adventure"
Owen Sound Field Naturalists Club
Details here: http://owensoundfieldnaturalists.ca/activities/freedom-35a-photographers-adventure/

Sunday, Sept 12 - Toronto, Ontario
PMA Canada Photo Expo @ Toronto Congress Centre

1) Pro Session (10am-12pm): "Outdoor Photography - Business on the Run!"
2) Consumer Session (3:30pm-4:00pm) "Top 10 Tips for Awesome Vacation & Travel Photos!"
Sponsored by Amplis Foto Inc.
Details here: http://www.pmai.org/PMA_CanadaExpo_English.aspx?id=20113

Adventures on eastern Georgian Bay

Photo 1 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay at sunset. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200; 3.2s @ f/20

This was an adventurous week! I spent a few days photographing and exploring remote islands in eastern Georgian Bay with my friend Ian "nikonIAN" Brooks (http://www.ianbrooks.net/). We loaded my boat with gear and set out to camp on a remote chain of small islands sporting amazing granite folds that form elaborate patterns. I'd first spied these geologic formations in a tv documentary and they have been on my mind ever since!

The great challenge/stress of our trip was navigating the boat through a rocky labyrinth of shoals. The combonation of Ian's advanced GPS navigating skills and my inability to follow instructions, landed us on our first shoal within hours. I hit it hard enough to break the skeg of the bottom of the boat motor, but thankfully there was minimal damage to the prop. Onward we cruised (although much slower).

We managed to make a couple trips to the best islands for magic hour light, but couldn't stay as long as we wanted because of the danger in boating back in forth in low light (you can't see the shoals). Next trip I'm going to drag a kayak out with me.

The most expensive part of the weekend was when I dropped my almost brand new 70-200mm f/4 IS lens on the bedrock and literally snapped the lens body in half. I took it into Canon yesterday and they tell me it will be fixed in 4 days (and a reasonable price). This will be my first test of the new CPS program!

Here are a few shots from the trip. More to follow as I catch up on processing the raw files. 


Photo 2 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 24mmTSE II tilt shift lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer & 2 hard edge ND grad; ISO 200; 1/13s @ f/20


Photo 3 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad; ISO 200; 0.4s @ f/18



Photo 4 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay at sunset. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200; 6s @ f/20


Photo 5 (above): Grantic rock patterns in eastern Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB polarizer; ISO 100; 1/30s @ f/18


Photo 6 (above): Northern Watersnake eating fish (Round Goby?); Canon G11 point & shoot
It pays to have a point & shoot camera handy for unexpected moments like when this watersnake came up with dinner! I didn't have time to grab my SLR system.

Vote for the boat name...

Thanks to everyone for the many great suggestions for a boat name! I've picked my 6 favorites and put a poll here on the blog to decide the final choice (it's on the top right of the page). Please vote for the one you like the best. Whichever name gets the most votes is what I'll go with!

I'm making good use of the boat and spent all of today out on eastern Georgian Bay touring with geologist  Nick Culshaw. He showed me locations (and provided geologic explanations) for some of the most remarkable rock formations and patterns I've ever seen. For the next few days, I'll be camping out on remote islands to shoot the formations in dawn/dusk light.  

Here's the boat out today (dreary light) on Georgian Bay. My friends came along, hence all of the clothing and gear.

Help me name my boat !

Here's my latest photo accessory... 16' and 50HP of boat-awesomeness to shuttle myself around to faraway shorelines. A boat needs a name and I need your help to come up with something clever! The name should be photo related and it can't be too long (it's a small boat so the name has to fit!). So far my friends have given me some good suggestions:
Shutter Speed
Over-Exposed
F-Stop
I wanted to call it "EthanMeleg.com Corporate Yacht" but my friends said that was lame.

Please post your best suggestions! If I pick your name, you can either have 1) a boat trip (if you live nearby) or 2) an 11x16 print of your choice from my entire collection.

My Mom is up for a visit and the boating conditions were perfect yesterday, so I took her out for a tour along the spectacular shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park. That's Georgian Bay in the background.... love that Caribbean-blue water! Below are a few photos from our excursion.


Photo 1(above): That's me with the boat on the shoreline of Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer; photo shot by my Mom


Photo 2 (above): The cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment in Bruce Peninsula National Park plunge into the clear blue-green waters of Georgian Bay. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer


Photo 3 (above): Framed by a shoreline cave, my Mom looks out at the blue waters of Georgian Bay from Bruce Peninsula National Park. EOS 5D mark II; 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer;


Photo 4 (above): That's me at the helm. Photo shot by my Mom with a Canon G11.

Lake Superior Provincial Park camping trip

I've just returned from a trip to Lake Superior Provincial Park, which ranks on the shortlist of my very favorite places in the world. The landscape is grand, the shorelines wild and the potential for dramatic skies over Lake Superior keeps luring me back there time and again. During a lakeside dinner of fajitas on Saturday evening, I studied the clouds and predicted a wash out sunset. A half hour later I was sprinting  down the beach with my camera gear to shoot the most dramatic skies and kick ass sunset I've ever hit on Superior. That's the way it works in landscape photography - the best skies often materialize when you least expect them. Here are some of the photos from the trip.


Photo 1 (above): Sunset and dramatic clouds over Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200, 3.2s @ f/20; mirror lock up & cable release


Photo 2 (above): Sunset and dramatic clouds over Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200, 2.5s @ f/20; mirror lock up & cable release


Photo 3 (above): Afterglow over Lake Superior cobble rock shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer & 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 200, 20s @ f/22; mirror lock up & cable release


Photo 4 (above): A shoreline campfire and playing guitar after sunset on the Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray 2 stop hard edge ND grad; ISO 640, 13s @ f/13; self timer (that's me on the right)


Photo 5 (above): Long exposure of clouds (streaking) after sunet on the Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray 2 stop hard edge ND grad; ISO 200, 247s @ f/11; mirror lock-up & cable release


Photo 6 (above): Evening light over sand ripples on the Lake Superior shoreline in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5d mark II, 24-70/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop soft edge ND grad; ISO 200, 0.6s @ f/22; mirror lock-up and cable release

Sunrise boat trip to Flowerpot Island

Many great photo locations are most accessible by water. Though I have been paddling canoes and kayaks since I was a kid, it can be a heck lot of work - and logistically challenging - to get to places when the light is best. I finally broke down and bought a small boat last week (16' aluminum with a 50HP engine) to open up a new world of photo possibilities. My first photo shoot with the boat was out to nearby Flowerpot Island:

 

Photo 1 (above): Self-portrait at sunrise, Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park, Tobermory, Ontario. Canon EOS 5d mark II, EF 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 3 stop soft edge ND grad, ISO 200, 1/6s @ f/14

Photo 2 (above): Getting air next to the flowerpot, Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park, Tobermory, Ontario. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, 24mm TSE II tilt shift lens, ISO 800, 1/500s @ f/4.5.

The great sunrise was short-lived because of overcast skies, so I decided to mess around with my tilt-shift lens. One of the great benefits of the lens is the ability to achieve depth of field at fairly wide-open apertures. By tilting the lens I was able to shoot this at f/4.5 yet have plenty of depth-of-field and a fast enough shutter speed to stop motion in air. That's me jumping... my friend Cainan machine-gunned the the shutter release for me.

CPS (Canon Pro Services) swag package arrives today

Here's the goodie bag from Canon that arrived at my house today:

Canon Canada recently launched a revamped professional services program "CPS" with a tiered, paid membership system (www.canon.ca/cps). I joined the Platinum plan which offers a number of features, most important to me being speedy service on gear. As a side bonus, they sent a package of Canon swag which arrived at my house today. The goodies include an EF lens book, Canon magazine, lens cloth, lens cap, USB data stick, pen, notebook, camera neck straps and a stack of pre-addressed courier waybills for shipping gear. 
Although I joined the program for the repair & loaner servcie benefits alone, the swag is pretty cool. I've long wondered why Canon didn't better connect with pros in Canada and this seems to be a leap forward. The revamped program is supposed to result in much faster repair times, which thankfully I haven't had to test out yet!

Photo Van conversion - phase 1 (screens)

I had been contemplating a new vehicle for a long time, something that could meet all of my needs -  short distance travel (grocery store, etc), plenty of room for photo gear and ability to live out of it on  extended road trips. I settled on a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan, with tons of space and the magical stow-and-go seating system. Never thought I'd be a mini-van owner.... this is an image killer for my bachelor lifestyle!

I'm in the process of customizing the van and the first step was to have screens made for the windows and doors. Good ventilation is critical to camping out in a vehicle, both to prevent moisture buildup and to stay cool in hot weather. But most importantly, screens keep out the bugs!

I had a local upholstery shop (Grey Bruce Upholstery in Wiarton, Ontario) custom make screens for the back hatch, side doors and front windows. The screens attach by velcro and/or sleeves that fit over the door frame. The cost was about $625 plus tax.... well worth it for good sleeps!

Stay tuned to the blog for more details as I continue to trick out the van for photo travel....  

Black Tern chicks

A quick post here as I'm well behind on sleep! Black Tern chicks have hatched in the past few days and parents are busy feeding. This is one of my favorite bird species!

EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500/4IS lens amp; 1.4x TC. ISO 640; 1/800s @ f/5.6

A few days in Algonquin Provincial Park

I'm back from a week on the road including a few days of shooting in the Algonquin Provincial Park area. It was a productive trip with some fantastic photo opportunities! Hope these look ok, I'm processing them in a weary-eyed state.

A highlight of the trip was an unusually tame moose, which walked right up to me within a meter (I was safely tucked in behind my van). At one point, I was able to lie down on the ground to shoot low level perspectives with a group of people standing behind it. What amazed me the most, however, was how foolish some people were - walking right up to it with their point & shoot cameras. The moose wasn't acting aggressively, but passing cars could easily have spooked it causing it to plough into (through? over?) the tourists. Getting run over by a moose can't be good for you. Rest assured that I would have captured the exclusive photos of 'natural selection' in progress!


Photo 1 (above): Young moose and onlookers along Highway 60 in Algonquin Park.
EOS 1Ds mark III; EF 70-200/4 lens; handheld


Photo 2 (above): Highway 60 through Algonquin Provincial Park
EOS 5D mark II; EF 70-200/4 lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad


Photo 3 (above): Sunset clouds over Lake of Two Rivers with Oxeye Dasies in foreground.
EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer & 3 stop hard edge ND grad


Photo 4 (above): Common Loon portrait (photographed from a canoe).
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4 IS lens & 1.4x TC; Gitzo tripod & Wimberly head sitting on canoe bottom.

For my travels in the Algonquin Park front country, I base out of the Algonquin Lakeside Inn motel just west of the park along Highway 60 at Oxtongue Lake. It's the most convenient place to stay with comfortable ammenities and great access to the park. Over the years I've gotten to know the owner Gary Schultz, who is a budding (and pretty damn good) nature photography. The Inn's property is a magnet for birds, so last fall I suggested that Gary put up a photo blind and some strategically located feeders with perches. He's done a fantastic job setting up the yard for bird photography and attracting various bird species throughout the seasons. I shot Purple Finches this week - it's the best shooting I've ever had for them... unfortunately I accidentally erased my best shots because of lack-of-sleep induced stupidity. I'll be back soon to reshoot them!

Here's the best part... stay at the Inn and you have free use of the photo blind. Gary is very obliging and you can fine-tune the perches to your needs. Don't miss out on this - it's a great bird setup with tons of activity!


Photo 5 (above): Male Purple Finch at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn feeders.
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4IS lens & 1.4x TC


Photo 6 (above): The blind and one of the feeder setups at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn.
Shot with a Canon G11, which I keep handy to capture the behind-the-scenes photos.

Random photo tip: label your camera gear

I've lost plenty of camera accessories over the years, surely amounting to hundreds of dollars worth of lens caps, hoods, cable releases, etc. Sometimes I accidentally leave them on location, especially when I'm out in the dark. Other times the gear simply gets mixed up when I'm shooting with friends (interestingly, I never seem to end up with their stuff in my bag!!).

I finally smartened up a while ago and bought a label maker from an office supply store for about $40. I spit out dozens of labels with my website address and stuck them on every piece of gear I own.  It's a cheap insurance policy that pays for itself quickly!

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).