Help! Please vote for my photo for a Canadian Geographic collector's cover

Help! My photo of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park has been shorlisted for the cover of an upcoming collector's issue of Canadian Geographic. The final decision comes down to a public vote. Please help get the cover by voting here (mine is the one on the left, see mock-up below)!

http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/contests/coverVotes/SIP2011_natparks/default.asp


Spread the word. Thanks!!



Magnificent Frigatebirds - Belize

While leisurely cruising around Caye Caulker in a golf cart in search of cold beer, I stumbled across a couple of local fisherman cleaning their fish on a dock. They were tossing the fish guts out, which attracted a group of Magnificent Frigatebirds to within point-blank range. This was the best opportunity I'd ever had to shoot frigatebirds and my photo mojo kicked in like wildfire! Aside from a quick trip back to the hotel to get more gear and memory cards, I shot the frigatebirds continuosly until all the fish were cleaned and the birds soared off. When there's a good photo opportunity before me, I stick with it as long as it lasts (thankfully, there was plenty of cold beer to be found afterwards)!

With the blazingly fast motor drive on the Canon 1D mark IV, I blasted about 1200 photos of the frigatebirds in an hour or so. This was a great test of the new lenses that Sigma had sent me.... and I was impressed with the AF capabilities. The only problem now is that I have so many photos to edit!


Photo 1 (above): Magnificent Frigatebird in flight, Caye Caulker, Belize

Canon 1D mark IV, Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; 580EX II flash at +1 1/3

Exposure: ISO 400, 1/400s @ f/6.3





Photo 2 (above): Magnificent Frigatebird in flight, Caye Caulker, Belize

Canon 1D mark IV, Sigma 70-200mm f.2.8 lens, 580EX II flash at +2/3

Exposure: ISO 400, 1/2000s @ f/5.6



Photo 3 (above): Fisherman clean their catch on Caye Caulker, Belize.

Canon 1D mark IV, Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, Singh-Ray LB polarizer



Belize photos

I just returned today from a week in Belize that was a great mix of photography and vacationing (I don't like winter, it was a great break from the snow!). I'm tired and have barely sorted my photos, but here are a few initial photos. I'll add captions and more info when I catch up on my sleep.

All these were shot with Canon bodies and Sigma lenses. First 2 photos are shoreline scenes on Caye Caulker, the last two photos are Black Howler Monkeys (captive) at the Belize Zoo.

Algonquin Park winter scenes

I'm off to Belize tomorrow for a short escape from winter to do some tropical shooting. In sharp contrast of weather, I was in Algonquin Park this past week and one morning checked my themometer which read a rather frigid -24C (but it was a beautifully sunny and calm morning!). A friend called me on my cellphone and my cheeks were so numb I could barely speak! 

I don't have much time to process the files (I'm packing) but couldn't resist posting a few inital shots: 

 

Photo 1 (above): Hoar frost along Opeongo Lake Road, Algonquin Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray 3 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 2 (above): Sunset over Lake of Two Rivers, Algonquin Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 3 (above): Sunset over Spruce Bog, Algonquin Provincial Park. Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 3 stop soft edge ND grad

Photo 4 (above): Common Redpoll on spruce crown, Algonquin Provincial Park

Canon EOS 1D mark IV; Sigma 300mm f/2.8 lens

Photo Exhibition & Presentation, Kingsville (Ontario) -upcoming

I hail from the small town of Kingsville in the southernmost part of Ontario, Canada (about 45 minutes from Windsor/Detroit). For the first time ever, I'll be doing an exhibition of my photos and presentation back in my home town. 

During the month of March, drop by the Kingsville Public Library (during business hours) to see 12 of my favourite photos on display. The library is located at 40 Main Street West in Kingsville, Ontario and the hours are:

Monday, Tuesday - 1:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday - 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.


The exhibition is a prelude to my presentation "Confessions of a Crazed Photographer"on April 9 at the Pelee Island Winery. For more info or tickets (limited numbers, get them quickly), see poster above for details. Or visit Shooters Photography Club website: http://shootersclub.wordpress.com/ethan-meleg-event/


If you make it to see the exhibition or presentation, let me know what you think!

Algonquin Park - Boreal Chickadee, marten, redpolls and snow angels....

Photo 1 (above): Boreal Chickadee, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Canon EOS 1D mark IV;  500mm/4 lens & 1.4x; 580EX fill flash at -1 2/3; ISO 800, 1/125s @ f/5.6

Boreal Chickadee has been on my photo wish-list for more than a decade. I've tried to call the shy and secretive species in for photos, but my best efforts had only resulted in shots of blurry blobs hidden behind branches. So when I read a bird report last week about several Boreal Chickadees coming in to a new suet feeder in Algonquin Provincial Park, I packed my gear and headed to the park. The birds were more cooperative than I ever could have hoped for. Over the past two days, I shot hundreds and hundreds of photos of the chickadees. Bird photography bliss!   

To make things even more exciting, an American Marten dropped in for a visit to the suet. It's not often that I end up shooting two new species for my collection in one day.... well worth standing around in a cold, damp spruce bog!

Photo 2 (above) American (Pine) Marten, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Canon EOS 1D mark IV; 500mm/4 lens; ISO 640, 1/250s @ f/4

There were a few flocks of Common Repolls coming to birdseed at other locations in the park, so I put up a platform feeder setup (on a spare tripod) with a snowy spruce branch as a perch and enjoyed some great finch shooting! The birds were so close and approachable, I was shooting full framers with a Sigma 300/2.8 lens. 

Photo 3 (above): Common Redpoll on spruce, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Canon EOS 1D mark IV, Sigma 300/2.8 lens; 580EXII flash at - 2 1/3; ISO 400; 1/250s @ f/4

I always try to end my day at a scenic spot to photograph sunset. Thankfully picturesque lakes are in abundance along Highway 60 in Algonquin Park. In the last light of day, I ran onto the snowy lake and made a snow angel for the photo. Using a Canon TC-80N3 remote time, I set it to shoot an image every 10 seconds, allowing me to be my own snowy supermodel.  What fun!

Photo 4 (above): Self-portrait making snow angel, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer and 3 stop reverse ND grad; ISO 400; 1/10s @ f/20; Canon TC-80N3 remote timer

F-stop camera pack - my latest love!

Photo 1 (above): A ravishing model (self portrait) sporting my F-stop Tilopa camera backpack on the shoreline of Georgian Bay in Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario.

When the guys at F-stop Gear contacted me to see if I wanted to try one of their packs, I initially brushed them off. I already had a gear room full of camera packs, at least a dozen, and I didn’t really think another would add anything but more clutter.

A few days later, curiosity lead me to the F-stop website and I was pleasantly surprised to see that their packs didn’t look at all like the traditional camera packs I already owned. Intrigued, I called them back and they sent me their Tilopa pack to test drive. That was nearly a year ago and I’ve been using it ever since. In fact, the F-Stop Tilopa has become my every-day camera pack. I’m hoping they don’t call and ask for it back, I’m not giving it up without a fight!

F-Stop’s packs are designed for outdoor adventure-nature type photographers who hike (or ski, snowshoe, dogsled, mountain climb, etc) with their gear. The packs look and fit like a typical hiker’s daypack or small backpack but are fitted with a removable ICU (Internal Camera Unit) to securely hold camera gear. All of my other pro-quality camera packs are bulky and rectangular-ish, which makes them top heavy and clunky for hiking. F-stop is a refreshing new approach to camera pack design. As a photographer who hikes often, and sometimes long distances to get to my shooting locations, I'm shocked to now know what I was missing before owning (hoarding?) an F-stop pack!


Photo 2 (above): The F-stop pack in action, that's me on a recent winter photo hike.

What I like most about the F-stop pack:
1. It’s comfortable on long hikes due to an excellent harness system, padding and weight distribution. In my opinion, this is the very best camera pack on the market for hiking.

2. It doesn’t look like a camera pack so potential thieves won’t suspect that it’s full of expensive gear. It also doubles as a great prop in hiking photos, which is why I chose a red one. They refer to this color as "Cranberry". I wish they'd butch-up and rename it "kick-ass red".

3. There’s room in the pack for other gear (clothing, food, etc). Several secure zippered compartments are perfect for small accessories like car keys, a GPS or cellphone.

4. Interchangeable ICUs of various sizes make it easy to customize the pack according to the gear you need to carry. I have both a large and extra-large ICU. They fit plenty of gear and are deep enough to fit pro bodies. See photo 4 at bottom.

5. The ICUs are great on their own for shooting out of a car or in a studio.

6. You can access your gear in the ICU through a zippered hatch on the back of the pack. With the pack on the ground (or snow, see photo 3 below) your gear and the camera harness stays clean and dry.

7. Outer side pouches and quick-release straps make it easy to attach a tripod to the pack.

8. The pack is high quality; mine has stood up to months of heavy use and it's still in great condition.

9. Take the ICU out and you have a great backpack for carrying groceries or smuggling souvenirs across the border, if that's what you're into.

Ideas for improvement:
[Note: the guys at F-stop told me these have already been fixed in updates to the pack since I received mine]
1. The dividers in the ICU need Velcro on both sides for greater customization.
2. The ICU needs to fit the pack better when accessing it from the rear hatch (the frame gets in the way a bit).

So what's the bottom line?
There's no better camera pack for an outdoor/nature photographer who hikes with their gear. I love the Tilopa and just ordered the smaller "Loka" as an additional pack for short treks and around-the-town shooting.

If you bump into me in the field, be sure to check out my "Cranberry" Tilopa. If you're the folks from F-stop and you want your pack back, I'll already be around the next bend!
Photo 3 (above): The back hatch of pack opens for easy access to camera gear in the ICU.


Photo 4 (above): The interchangeable ICUs (Internal Camera Unit) loaded with gear. That's a large on the left and extra-large on the right. I often use them just like this if I'm shooting from my car or in studio.

Ice + sunshine = a great winter photo shoot!

I hiked out to the Georgian Bay shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park yesterday with photo buddies Ian "Flash" Brooks, Roy Ramsay (publisher of Outdoor Photography Canada magazine) and David Topping (website to come). It was a beautifully sunny and cold day - perfect conditions for a winter photo shoot!

Ian was wearing a bright red jacket and felt like being a supermodel, so I took advantage of his willingness to pose. Having a person in the photos adds depth and perspective to the landscape.

All of these photos were shot with:
Canon EOS 5D mark II, EF 17-40mm lens; some using a Singh-Ray LB polarizer and/or 580EX flash

Icy shoreline of Georgian Bay

Above photo: Self-portrait this morning; bundled up in many layers to stay warm!

-23C (before the windhcill). That's the balmy temp my friend and I set out in this morning for our trek to shoot the Georgian Bay shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park. We picked the coldest day of the winter so far, and could easily have rescheduled for any other day, but we were both too proud to be beaten by the weather (or to admit it).

The frigid wind blew fiercely off the water and created a mist that was at times so thick it was impossible to shoot. But every now and then the sun would peak out and burn off the mist for enough time to snap a few photos.

I'm wiped out tonight from the chill and hiking through snow drifts but couldn't resist processing a few shots from today. I'll be going back again later this week... and crossing my fingers for warmer weather!

Below photos:
Indian Head Cove, Bruce Peninsula National Park
Canon EOS 5D mark II, EF 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB polarizer & ND grads.

Ethan vs winter

Georgian Bay shoreline at sunrise, Bruce Peninsula
Canon EOS 1N, EF 17-40 lens; Singh-Ray Gold-n-Blue polarizer & 2 stop soft edge ND grad

I'm sitting in my cozy apartment planning an upcoming photo shoot out to the Georgian Bay shoreline, which is amazingly decorated with ice right now. Many of my friends have been out there snapping great shots with their point & shoot cameras, but I haven't had a chance to get out there myself yet. It's probably the best ice of the past decade and I'm dying to shoot it!

My friend and I have just made plans to do the 1 hr hike out there early this Sunday morning with an array of props (skis, snowshoes, etc) for photo setups. As I sit here tonight checking the weather forecast, it's calling for a painfully cold -31C windchill.

I struggle to find the motivation to venture out photographing in such frigid temps, especially when there's no guarantee of good light. But sometimes the result is well worth it! I'll never forget the morning a few winters ago when I shot the above photo. The windchill was -35C and I was dressed in so many layers that I could barely move. Thinking back, I can still feel the biting wind in my face! Although it was one of the coldest days that winter, it was also one of the most magical winter scenes I've ever seen. As I brace for the cold temps this week, I'll be thinking warm thoughts about the potential photos!

Announcing.... a new logo!

I'm pleased to present my new logo, designed by Carve creative studio in London, Ontario. I've been in serious need of a professional logo to sharpen up my marketing materials in a consistent fashion. Carve designer Jason Recker did a great job of translating my ideas into a series of prototypes, leading to this final version. Thanks Jason!

Let me know what you think of it....
thanks,
Ethan

Winter scene in Harrison Park, Owen Sound

Harrison Park, Owen Sound - Snowy Day
EOS 5D mark II, EF 24-70mm; Singh-Ray LB polarizer; ISO 50; 1 second @ f/22; converted to black-and-white in photoshop.

It's been snowing often during the past week and while I don't care for all of the shoveling, I do love the photo opportunities!

There's a beatiful city park near my place called Harrison Park. After a fresh snowfall the other day, I took a stroll through the park and found this snow-covered tree along the creek. I shot several images filling the frame just with the tree, then composed this one with the rock counterbalancing the tree... it turned out to be my favorite from the day.

Cold weather camera gear tips

Photo 1 (above): Forest shadows in winter, Bruce Peninsula.

















Photo 2 (above): A very old photo of me (10 years ago, or so?) photographing ground birds near a feeder in winter.

A few people have emailed me this week asking how to deal with the effects of cold weather on camera gear. Here are the two most important things I've learned from plenty of days photographing in chilly temps:

1. Keep spare batteries (for your camera or flash) in you inner jacket/fleece pocket so they're close to your body heat. Swap your batteries periodically to ensure you have enough juice to keep photographing!

2. To prevent condensation (fogging up) of your gear when you come in from the cold, keep the gear in your camera pack and put the whole thing in a plastic bag. Leave it for a few hours so the gear acclimatizes slowly and there's no sudden contact with warm air to cause condensation. There's no problem when you go from warm to cold, it's only when you come back in!

I'm fairly particular about keeping my camera gear at a relatively stable temperature when I'm on outdoor photo shoots. It's not good to have it continually fluctuating in temperature - which can cause condensation - so I usually keep my gear (batteries excluded) in the trunk of the car.

In a future tip, I'll tell you all about tips for dressing for cold weather - including specific things geared towards photography.... this is something that we Canadian photographers know well!

Happy New Year's Eve!

It's New Year's Eve.... so let me start by saying Happy New Years! I'm hanging out with my best friends... we're drinking unbelievably great wine and eating spectacular food. Bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin lusciously cooked via fondue. Life is good!

Today I bought a new camera, which doesn't happen very often. (about once every 3 years). I don't tend to get excited about gear, I'm the guy who preaches "It's not about the gear...". However, after my trip to Kenya, where my buddy Craig (www.canonrumors.com) dusted me with his 1D4 body, I have had a new camera on my mind ever since.

So I stolled down to Downtown Camera in Toronto today and picked up a brand-spanking new Canon EOS 1D mark IV. First off, let me give a kudos to that store.... co-owner Harry dealt with me personally and gave me a very good deal. I like smaller indie stores with personal service.

I'm sitting here on New Year's eve, several glasses of good wine down the hatch, playing with the 1D4. It's a wild camera with a frame rate that puts machine guns to shame. The next few days I'll be chasing birds to work out the AF.... more to follow!

I'm

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.

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays! Wishing everyone a stocking full of camera gear and great photos!

I'm finally caught up on the jetlag from my recent Kenya trip, so you can expect to see some new photos coming soon to this blog.

And here's a tip.... after recent storms, the Georgian Bay shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park is coated with ice.... the best I've seen in many years. I'll be going out there shooting as soon as I'm back from visiting family for the holidays. If you can get up there to shoot, the photo opportunity is amazing!

Kenya various

I'm sitting on the shore of Lake Baringo, a world famous birding location. It's my last night in Kenya, so I'm bracing myself for the return to cold and snow! I've been having trouble posting to the blog during the trip due to poor cellular internet connections. It's been easier to post to facebook, so click on the link to the right to check out a few more updates from the past couple of weeks. 

Here's a few random shots for the trip....

Photo 1 is a Hamerkop attempting to choke back a large toad in Lake Nakuru National Park.
Photo 2 is a Giraffe feeding on acacia trees on Crescent Island.
Photo 3 is a Hippo with flamingos in the background, Lake Nakuru National Park.
More details and photos once I get back home to my desktop computer and speedy internet!

Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya



Photo 1 (above): Lions playing before the evening hunt, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor

We departed from Masai Mara National Reserve this morning after several days of shooting in the park. To say that it was awesome is an understatement. There were lions and giraffes and hippos and wildebeast and so much more!! If you dream of photographing wildlife in plentiful quantities, of many species, and very close, then book yourself a trip to Kenya right now and go to the Mara.

There are three of us photographing together - myself, Craig Blair aka "the Canon Rumors guy" and friend Mike Gaudaur who lives in Kenya and is most generously hosting us. In the Mara you have to stay in your vehicle (there are lions to eat you and cape buffalo to charge you), so we had Mike's Toyota Prado SUV jam packed with camera gear.... there were big lenses bouncing all over on the bumpy roads.


Photo 2 (above): Lions relaxing before the evening hunt, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 2x teleconvertor. We saw lions every day in the Mara; I likely have hundreds of photos of them to edit.


Photo 3 (above): Vervet Monkey, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor. We ate a boxed lunch at the Mara River after photographing hippos for a couple of hours. A group of Vervet Monkeys quickly swarmed us and picked through the remains of our lunch boxes.


Photo 4 (above): Caracal, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor. We lucked into this cat, an elusive and rarely seen species. We each managed to fire a handful of photos before it took off to start hunting for the evening.


Photo 5 (above): Giraffe and Zebra, Masai Mara, Kenya. Canon EOS 1Ds mark III, EF 500mm f/4 lens & 1.4x teleconvertor. The Mara has magnificent vistas of the African savannah ecosystem, all the better when there are animals posing in the frame!