Shooting the Spectacular Shoreline Scenery of Ontario

One of the best things about being an outdoor photographer in Ontario is that there is water just about everywhere. Point your camera in any direction and chances are there is a pond, creek, river, marsh, bay, small lake, big lake or a Great Lake nearby!  It’s a core part of our human biology to be drawn to water, so is it any wonder that we go to the shoreline to play, relax or simply be inspired?

The magic of shorelines has a firm grasp on my brain, to the extent that I spend more time photographing shorelines than any other subject. Seriously, how could I possibly resist with so many great opportunities nearby?!

I’ve travelled all over Ontario with my camera in search of inspiring scenery and there are three locations that make my all-time favourite list because of their utterly awesome, world-class scenery.

Lake Superior Provincial Park

Lake Superior Provincial Park claims the top spot, hands down. This park has spectacular shoreline scenery (ancient granite + Lake Superior = wow) and fairly easy access. That’s a winning combination for landscape photography, which is best in the rich light at sunrise and sunset.

Bruce Peninsula National Park

Bruce Peninsula National Park, in my own backyard, claims number two. The rugged cliffs, boulders, caves and overhangs along this stretch of Niagara Escarpment are stunning on their own, but when you add the topaz waters of Georgian Bay to the mix, it’s over the top for scenic photography.

Killarney Provincial Park

Killarney Provincial Park ranks as a close third and has great vistas on both Georgian Bay and the granite-rimmed interior lakes. The classic scene that comes to mind in Killarney is of white pine trees on stark granite over a crystalline lake. That’s a quintessential Canadian landscape to me!

Click here for exciting Ontario Arts in the Wild adventures. 

My foray into HDR images - Bruce Peninsula National Park

I'm a luddite when it comes to new digital technologies and I've been particularly slow in adopting HDR as a way to achieve a wide tonal range in my images. Most of the HDRs that I see are grossly over-processed to the point of looking unnatural, so I've steered clear until recently. 

In most cases, I simply prefer to use ND grad filters to bag the photo in-camera rather than rely on post processing (I hate spending more time at my computer). However, there are some situations when this isn't possible, including when the composition is complex and a grad won't fit the scene, or when I'm shooting with an ultra-wide lens that has a curved front element that cannot be easily filtered.

In these situations, I've been relying on HDR lately. I shoot 5 images of the scene bracketed at various exposures (- 0, -1,. -2, +1, +2) and use PhotoMatix Pro software to combine them into single HDR image. It took me a while to get the hang of the adjustments (there are lots of sliders and it's easy to make the image look very fake!) but I'm finally getting ok at it. 

Here are a couple HDR images that I've shot recently in Bruce Peninsula National Park, near my home. Let me know how they look to you.

Thanks and happy shooting!

Ethan

The Grotto. Techs: Canon 5d mk II, Sigma 12-24mm. 

Halfway Rock. Techs: Canon 1d mk IV, Sigma 12-24mm.

Top 10 Spots to Shoot Photos of Georgian Bay

Thought I'd share this article I recently wrote about Georgian Bay. What are your favourite spots to shoot photos around the bay?
cheers,
Ethan-


Halfway Log Dump in Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario.


You could spend a lifetime photographing scenic vistas around Georgian Bay and never shoot the same place twice. The Bay has some incredible scenery - from the limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment plunging into Caribbean-blue waters, to granite islands dotted with wind-swept white pines. This makes it incredibly difficult to come up with a top 10 list. It’s probably more accurate to call this “My 10 Favourite Places to Shoot the Georgian Bay Shoreline… so far!” Why “so far”? Because I’m continually finding new locations and never know what amazing scene awaits me around that next bend.

I’ve deliberately picked locations that have fairly easy access, either by a short hike or boat ride with a commercial operator. But I’ve also included a couple that require a bit of adventure to get to! Enjoy exploring and adding your own personal favourite places to the list! For more information about touring around Georgian Bay, visit: www.visitgeorgianbay.com .

1. Bruce Peninsula National Park
I’m slightly biased since this is my backyard, but the stretch of Georgian Bay shoreline between Halfway Log Dump and the famous Grotto is one of the most scenic shorelines in all of Canada. Reach Halfway Log Dump (sunrise shoot) from Emmett Lake Road plus a 15 minute easy hike. To reach the Grotto and adjacent Indian Head Cove (best in afternoon light), take Cyprus Lake Road and hike the Georgian Bay Trail (20 minutes). If you’re up for a rugged hike, the Bruce Trail follows this shoreline and offers numerous extraordinary lookouts for the adventure photographer.

2. Flowerpot Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park, Tobermory
The two rock pillars on the shoreline of Flowerpot Island are marvels of geomorphology and icons of Fathom Five National Marine Park. Catch a tour boat from the town of Tobermory for the short cruise over to the island, followed by a 10 minute hike to the flowerpot rock stacks. This is a morning shoot, so take the first boat of the day, or better yet book one of the 6 campsites on the island and get over there the night before so you’re ready for first light.

3. Lion's Head harbour, Bruce Peninsula
I’d bet my hiking boots that you can’t find a prettier harbour on Georgian Bay than Lion’s Head. There’s a sand beach and quaint marina, but the real beauty is the small lighthouse marking entrance to the clear blue harbour and the backdrop of huge cliffs. Shoot from the public beach in the evening with a telephoto lens to catch the light illuminating the lighthouse and distant cliffs.

4. Craigleith Provincial Park
There’s no easier place to bag a panoramic photo of Georgian Bay than Craigleith. This spot is literally right along Highway 26 as you drive around the southern part of the Bay between Collingwood and Thornbury. I like to catch a stormy sky over the flat rocky shoreline, but you might prefer to search for fossil Trilobites in the bedrock.

5. Georgian Bay Islands National Park
The 63 islands of this park stretch from the hardwood forests on the south end of Beausoleil Island northwards up to the granite islands near the mouth of Twelve Mile Bay. If you’re a boater, you’ll have access to many great spots in this park. Most visitors, however, take the park’s DayTripper boat service to reach Beausoleil Island where you can camp, or better yet – stay in a cabin. Hike up to the north end of the island and spend your time shooting the beautiful scenes around Fairy Lake (either sunrise or sunset).

6. The Massasauga Provincial Park
You’re going to have to work a bit harder to shoot this park, but it is well worth it. Plan a multi-day canoe or kayak trip to explore the myriad islands that comprise Massasauga. The closer you paddle to the barrier islands on the edge of open Georgian Bay, the better the scenery gets. The white pines on granite rock around Wreck Island are iconic Georgian Bay scenes.

7. Killbear Provincial Park
Located just west of Parry Sound, Killbear Provincial Park is a popular camping park with 881 campsites. Killbear is one of the few places where you have easy access to the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay. There are several trails to hike, each offering classic views of the Bay. The definitive Killbear photo however, and a truly iconic Georgian Bay image, is the lonely windswept white pine located at Sunset Rock.

8. French River Provincial Park
Most people catch the classic shot of the French at the bridge where Highway 69 crosses the river, but for an awesome Georgian Bay experience, book a few days at one of the fishing lodges down the river. Most of the lodges have reasonably priced rustic cabins and rental canoes, so you can explore the mouth of the river at Georgian Bay.

9. Killarney Provincial Park

Mouth of Chickanishing Creek in Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario.

Killarney boasts some of the best scenery in Ontario with its granite ridges, towering white pines, wilderness lakes and stunning Georgian Bay shoreline. My favourite location to photograph in the park, which also gets my vote as the single most iconic Georgian Bay scene, is at the mouth of the Chickanishing River. Just east of the town of Killarney, take the Chickanishing Road to the end, then walk the 20 minute Chickanishing Trail until it ends at Georgian Bay. The island just off the mouth of the creek is the perfect backdrop and lights up the best at sunrise.

10. Manitoulin Island
The world’s largest freshwater island, Manitoulin is a rural paradise where you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Largely undeveloped, the island has many quaint shoreline locations to be discovered. One of the best panoramic views on all of Georgian Bay is Ten Mile Point, located right along Highway 6 between Little Current and Manitowaning. Bring a telephoto lens for this photo, so you’re able to zoom in on the myriad distant islands.

When you’re on the island, be sure to lace up your hiking boots for a trek on the famous Cup and Saucer Trail. Make the short, but steep trek at sunrise, to a spectacular overlook. The trailhead is located 18km west of Little Current at the junction of Highway 540 and Bidwell Road.

The Grotto in Bruce Peninsula National Park and Stand up Paddlers in Tobermory

The Grotto in Bruce Peninsula National Park

It's the busiest time of year for me - June is that magical month that keeps me close to home, yet pulls me in so many directions. On any given day I could be shooting birds, wildflowers, landscapes with lush green forests or outdoor recreation photos. I have been avoiding my computer and the blog for a while, so thought I should post a couple favorite images from the past week.

The top photo is the famous Grotto cave near Cyprus Lake in Bruce Peninsula National Park. At this time of year, the sun angle perfectly illuminates the Grotto at dusk.

The bottom photo is of my friends stand-up-paddling on a beautifully calm morning on Georgian Bay. We set the photo up to have the iconic Big Tub Lighthouse as a backdrop. I shot this from my small motor boat. To get a high enough angle so their heads wouldn't be merging with the distant shoreline, I got up as high as I could standing on the bow of the boat.

Happy shooting!

Stand up Paddlers near the Big Tub Lighthouse in Tobermory, Ontario.

Georgian Bay shoreline - first boat trip of year

I made my first boat trip of the year last night down the shoreline of Bruce Peninsula National Park. Georgian Bay was flat calm and the light was great! Handheld image of Halfway Rock with a Canon 1D mk IV and Sigma 12-24mm lens.

Many more boat excursions to come!

Wildflower Photography using Medium Telephoto lenses with Extension Tubes

One of the first lenses I bought almost 20 years ago was a macro so I could photograph small things in nature such as wildflowers and salamanders. Although I still love to photograph small subjects, I rarely ever use or carry a macro lens with me any more. Instead, I use my 70-200mm medium telelphoto zoom lens (which I always have in my camera bag anyway) with a 25mm extension tube to achieve close focus. An extension tube is just a spacer that goes between your lens and body that changes the ability to close focus. There is no glass in the extension tube, but there are electrical contacts so your camera and lens can still talk to each other.

It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of using an extension tube on a medium telephoto lens and it requires that you still use the same methodical and precise technique as you would shooting with a macro lens. But the beauty of this combination is that if you already carry a medium telephoto lens (as many outdoor photographers do) you don't need to lug around an additional macro lens.... only a light weight extension tube. Virtually every close-up wildflower photo I've taken in the last 5 years has been shot with this combination. Here are some spring wildflowers I've shot with a Sigma 70-200/2.8 lens and Canon 25mm extension tube over the past few weeks. 

Bloodroot

25mm extension tube with Sigma 70-200/2.8 lens

White Trillium

My typical  wildflower photo gear - shooting the flowers below. 

Spring Beauties

Western Tanager on the Bruce Peninsula

Amazing to see this Western Tanager yesterday at a friends' feeder here on the Bruce Peninsula. A western species, they rarely show up this far east. This bird was likely blown off course during migration, due to high winds a few days ago. The bird geek in me was excited just to see it, but I couldn't resist hanging out to get a few photos. I shot the photo with a Canon 1D mk IV, 500/4 IS lens and 1.4x tele-converter.

Wide-angle White-tailed Deer - Behind the Scenes

White-tailed Deer. Gear: Canon 1D mk IV, Sigma 12-24 lens

I have never spent much time, or had much luck for that matter, photographing White-tailed Deer. So when my friend Dave Gignac started posting great photos of tame deer he was photographing in a city park near his home, I jumped at the chance to join him for a morning. The cool thing about this situation is that the deer were being regularly fed by people and had become extraordinarily approachable at times. This was an opportunity to do things a bit differently, so I opted for wide-angle and medium telephoto lenses instead of the usual super-telephotos typically used for wildlife photography.

When I met Dave before sunrise for our photo shoot, I had high expectations - and they were far exceeded. The deer came in as predicted and at times were within minimum focusing distance of my ultra-wide angle lens. It's so much fun to be this close to animals. Here's a short behind the scenes video of that photo shoot, taken with a GoPro HD Hero video camera that I usually have along with me just for these kinds of moments:

Ever since being awestruck by Jim Brandenburg's famous photo of a wolf peeking from behind a tree, I always get excited by opportunities to capture this style of photo.  

White-tailed Deer. Gear: Canon 1D mk IV, Sigma 70-200/2.8

Upcoming Nature Photography Seminar - May 5 @ Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

Come on out to an all day seminar I'm leading about nature photography at the Welland Camera Club in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario on Saturday, May 5. There will be sessions about bird, wildlife, landscape and travel photography. I'll be sharing all of the secrets! Click the link for details.

http://wellandcameraclub.com/wcc-calendar/wcc-spring-seminar/

And there are some great prizes at the event, including a Sigma macro lens!

Monkey business in the Amazon Jungle, Ecuador

During my recent trip to Ecuador, I spent a few days at the beautiful Sacha Lodge, which is located in lowland tropical rainforest (Amazon jungle). I'd done my homework and knew that Sacha was a good place for monkeys, but I had no idea just how good! During my short time there, I saw 5 species and had extraordinary opportunities to photograph 3 species: Squirrel Monkey, Black-mantled Tamarin and Pygmy Marmoset (the world's smallest monkey). Even the guides who'd worked at the lodge for years were raving about how unusually obliging the monkeys were. That's exactly the kind of luck that a nature photographer dreams about!

My guides must have thought I was crazy... although the divesity of life in the area is staggeringly huge (it's a famous spot for birding), I simply could not drag myself away from the monkeys. Here are a few early favorites that I've managed to process from the thousands of images. These were taken with a Canon 1Dmk IV and 500/4IS lens, sometimes with teleconvertors.

A trip into Ecuador's Amazon basin is something I highly recommend on your nature photography bucket list!

Squirrel Monkey baby on mother, primary Amazon rainforest, Ecuador, South America

Black-mantled Tamarin monkey, primary Amazon rainforest, Ecuador, South America

Pygmy Marmoset, primary Amazon rainforest, Ecuador, South America

Ecuador - Tandayapa Valley birds

Here's a quick post with a few photos from down here in Ecuador. I spent the the past few days between the Tandayapa Valley (cloud forest) and Milpe (rainforest). The fruit feeders at Tandayapa were unbeliveably productive..... some of the best tropical bird photography I've ever had! Tomorrow I cross over to the east side of the Andes for a few days before descending down into the Amazonia lowlands. Not sure how good the internet access will be for the rest of the trip, but I'll try to post more photos if I can!

The photos below were all taken with a Canon 1D mk IV and 500mm f/4 IS lens often with a 1.4x teleconvertor.

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Ecaudor

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Ecuador

Red-headed Barbet, Ecuador

Silver-throated Tanager, Ecuador

Silver-throated Tanager, Ecuador

Golden Tanager, Ecuador

Algonquin Park winter - follow-up

Just a quick follow-up to my last post with a few more images from Alqonquin Provincial Park. I'm still in awe at how incredible that trip was.... I ended up with my best photos of moose and pine marten, as well as plenty of birds. Here are a few:

This is the context for the photos of the moose in the previous post. Canon 1D mk IV, Sigma 70-200/2.8. 

Pine Marten peaking over snowy ridge. Canon 1D mk IV, EF 500mm f/4 IS lens & 1.4x teleconverter.

Black-capped Chickadee launching off perch. Canon 1D mk IV, EF 500mm f/4 IS lens & 1.4x teleconverter.

Winter moose - Algonquin Provincial Park

I'm up shooting in Algonquin Provincial Park for a couple of days. My targets were winter birds and landscapes, but the unexpected surprise of the day was a pair of bull moose on a frozen lake just before dusk. I stood in awe of the scene, then frantically flipped between lenses to capture the unique situation. I've never had luck with moose in winter before, let alone two of them out in the open! Tipping a glass of wine back now after a hell of a great day!
Techs: Canon EOS 5D mk II, 500/4IS lens.

The Barnegat Jetty in New Jersey - Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers

Harlequin Duck (male), Barnegat Jetty, New Jersey

I'm shooting on the New Jersey coast for a few days at the Barnegat Jetty, renowned as one of the very best places to photograph Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers (during winter). I've wanted to shoot here for years and it finally came together to conveniently piggy back a few days onto a holiday trip visiting relatives in Virginia.

Barnegat has not disappointed - there have been plenty of Harlequin Ducks, often very close. Shooting here is highly dynamic, influenced by the tides and wind conditions. You have to put your time in and be persistent, making many arduous treks out the rock jetty, to get the shots. Here are a few from yesterday and today. These were shot with a Canon 1D mk IV and 500mm f/4 IS lens sometimes with a 1.4x teleconverter.

Harlequin Duck (male), Barnegat Jetty, New Jersey

Harlequin Duck (male), Barnegat Jetty, New Jersey

Purple Sandpiper, Barnegat Jetty, New Jersey

Great Falls National Park, Virginia

I'm in Virginia visiting relatives for the holidays and made a quick jaunt over to Great Falls National Park this morning at daybreak. Here are a couple of  quickly processed images on my laptop. Hope they look ok!

Both images taken with a Canon EOS 5d mark II, 17-40mm lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer and 2-stop hard edge ND grad.

Christmas Cards - Photographer's Edge

Each year for the holidays I send my clients Christmas cards to thank them for supporting my business during the past year. I used to make the cards from scratch, by going to a local print shop and having them produce branded card blanks for me. A few years ago I stumbled across a company called the Photographer's Edge who sell bulk card blanks ready and I have used them ever since. All you have to do is stick your own print (I use 4x6") in, remove 4 strips revealing double-sided tape and fold it over.... voila, you have a very professional card! To make them seem even more professional, I slap a label with my logo on the back. Since I started using the Photographer's Edge cards, it's been way easier, more cost-effective, and my cards look much better.

This year my card is using an image of frosty trees I photographed last March in Algonquin Park. It was an incredible morning with a thick hoar frost and I was out shooting with a series of Sigma lenses I had recently received through a sponsorship deal with them. This image was taken with a Canon EOS 5D mark II; Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and Singh-Ray 3 stop hard edge ND grad. It's one of my favorite images of the year, and will soon be arriving in the mailboxes of my clients.

Chilling out and shooting around home - Halfway Log Dump, Bruce Peninsula

This summer and fall I was extremely busy shooting assignments and running the stock photo business. Things have finally slowed down a bit, so I've taken a break to catch up on other important things in life: drinking good wine, socializing and cooking (and as you've probably figured by now, doing anything but feeding this blog). As I write this, I'm watching BBC's series 'Human Planet' which is getting me stoked for an exciting trip or two this winter.

During  my down time, I make regular outings to shoot photos locally. Living in central Ontario, especially here on the edge of the Bruce Peninsula, there's plenty to photograph. One of my favorite subjects is the Georgian Bay shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park. Here are a few recent photos from Halfway Log Dump, which I consider to be one of the premier landscape photography locations in the entire province.

On a typical landscape outing, I'll shoot between 50 and 200 images in a morning or evening. I aim for a diverse array of images: compressed landscapes with a medium telephoto, wide-angle shots and of course a variety of horizontal and vertical compositions. I also try to vary exposures to create dramatic effects. In the case of the two bottom photos below, you'll see that I chose slow shutter speeds (1/4 - 1/2s) to show subtle motion blurs of the waves crashing over the boulder. Check out the captions for specifics about each image.

Niagara Escarpment/Georgian Bay shoreline in Bruce Peninsula National Park.

Canon 1D mk IV; EF 70-200/4 lens. ISO 200, 1/1000 @ f/5.6

Bruce Peninsula National Park. Canon 5D mk 2,

Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens,  Singh-Ray LB polarizer &

2 stop hard edge ND grad. ISO 50, 1/2s @ f/22

HalBruce Peninsula National Park. Canon 5D mk 2, Sigma 24-70/2.8 lens,

Singh-Ray LB polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad.  ISO 50, 1/4s @ f/22

Live Polar Bear and Tundra cam from Chuchill, Manitoba

Tundra Buggy Cam - Pearls of the Planet - Polar Bears - explore


Explore.org has live video cameras streaming from a Tundra Buggy up in Churchill, Manitoba. Watch carefully to spot wild polar bears in the tundra. It should go without saying, you need to watch during daylight hours (in Churchill - approx 8am-4pm Central Time).
I haven't made it up to Churchill yet to photograph polar bears, but it's on my bucket list. This just makes me want to go even more!

http://mountainlifegeorgianbay.flipzine.ca/2011-fall/#/the-magicians-eye/

Mountain Life magazine just did a feature on my photography in the latest issue. Check out the link above. It's fun doing these kinds of features, they offer more liberty compared to typical magazine articles. Let me know what you think!

Sigma Canada contest

Be sure to check out this contest from Sigma Canada. Since joining as a sponosored pro with them over a year ago, I've been shooting with Sigma lenses regularly and have been impressed with their gear!