Exploration in Photography

Another upgrade...

2011-11-30T17:00:00.001-04:00

I usually save my money up before spending it on something. This time I had only accounted for about half before I made the purchase. I have a number of shoots lined up and would prefer to use the new lens instead of the old lens. So I just went for it!

I am upgrading my Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens to a Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. The new lens is quite a bit bigger. One nice detail is that it shares the 77mm filter size with 2 other lenses that I own.

I thought about it for quite a while, and decided that I do enough low light shooting that the image stabilization would be an asset. Other features I like are the extra reach and the improved sharpness.

Tonight I will be shooting a theater production, and will put the lens through its paces. I can't wait!

It’s coming!

2011-11-13T21:37:00.001-04:00

My wonderful Tokina 12-24mm f/4 wide angle lens has been giving me problems – the Error 01 on my Canon 50D and 40D - a few times now. A little research indicated that this was not uncommon. Luckily I bought the lens (in 2006) with a 7 year Mack warranty from B&H !

I have initiated the warranty proceedings online, so we will see how that goes….

In the mean time I figured I could not be without a lens – right? I mean I have houses to shoot! This is a good an excuse for an upgrade as any…

It is on its way! After a bit of research I decided on another Tokina Lens – the much praised 11-16mm f/2.8. Faster, Wider, Sharper!

Same filter size – so I saved money there – me smart! I will sell the Tokina 12-24mm after it is fixed…can’t wait!

Family Foto Fun!

2011-11-06T22:03:00.001-04:00

That title is for my wife who HATES it when people spell things wrong for a gimmick or a name!

This year I did another family and friends photo shoot, but it was better! Better because it was earlier (in time to use the photos for Christmas, and better because I asked people to ‘pay what you want’ instead of free – so better for me! And better because I have another year experience, and everything was more comfortable and went more smoothly.

I think the results were great, and I had great feedback. Here is one photo from each family that came over.

What a good looking group!

A few years ago in my web roaming for photographic know-how, I frequently came across advice about confidence and talking with your subjects/clients. I am realizing the power of having confidence, and interacting with the people you shoot. I am by no means excellent at it yet, but it is coming. It makes a difference for the clients and for the photographer. Planning is also important. I feel I am weak at posing – I have learned to think more about what I want to do, and what the subjects want. I have learned to plan my poses – search the web for ideas, and talk to other photographers before a shoot. Even write the ideas down on recipe cards and shove them in your pocket – works wonders and reminds you of your ideas when you are nervous and forget.

New photographers will get the same advice over and over, and I am learning through experience that it is correct, even if it sounds odd sometimes. Know your equipment well and make sure it works. The last thing you need when you want to implement a pose or idea, is to try to figure out how to change a flash setting, or be fiddling with your cameras menu or buttons. Have quality equipment and/or backup equipment for when it fails (or acts up). Have spare batteries. The list goes on, but as I venture through my photographic journey I am realizing the value of information and advice that has been presented to me – there is just so much that it takes a while to sink in. What fun!

Cheers!

39 Steps–TNB

2011-10-12T22:09:00.001-03:00

Just back from shooting another dress rehearsal for TNB. This was the 39 Steps by Alfred Hitchcock.

It was a fast paced show and a fantastic one! I cannot wait to sit and enjoy it without my camera.

I shoot with 2 cameras, cropped sensor and a 17-50mm 2.8 lens and a 70-200mm 2.8 lens. It give me great flexibility to document the performance from wide to tight. This one ranged in lighting from what I would consider normal lighting, to dark. Lots at ISO 3200 f/2.8 1/250 sec., lots at 1/125th sec. and lots at less than 1/80th sec. That is pushing it for me, but I cannot wait to see the shots!

It is always fun to work with TNB – they are so passionate about their works, and it is amazing to see the effort they put into make the audience have a memorable experience!

I am not a wedding photographer.

2011-10-11T00:20:00.001-03:00

I keep telling myself that! I did decide a few years ago to try and make a little money to help pay for my photographic hobby. I haven’t done all that bad either. I usually undervalue myself but I don’t think that is abnormal.

Recently I have found I am doing more work and less hobby – the ebb and flow I guess.

Back to weddings. I have shot a couple, first for a cousin – at my cost, and at his request. Then for a friend, again at my cost, and at their request. I like the emotion and the special day, but I don’t particularly like the long hours and the stress involved.

I shot a wedding recently for a coworker, I only agreed because she indicated that she wanted mainly candids and would take the RAW files – I didn’t have to do any editing! My kind of wedding! Things changed a bit from the original plan – and I was nervous the day of, but I was happy with the results.

Details: Nice brick wall in the shade, beautiful couple, ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/250 sec., fill flash from 580ex (probably –1.3 FEC), Canon 40D, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS, 153mm focal length, shooting distance 7.9 meters, Aperture priority.

School Music Poster

2011-10-10T22:11:00.001-03:00

The music teacher at my kids public school got his own room this year after teaching out of the library last year – he is so happy, and cannot wait to make it his own. He needs to decorate, so I took this photo I had shot of my wife’s henna on a djembe, and made a poster for the room.

In case you are wondering what ‘Zaatmosphere’ is, the music teacher’s name is Mr. Zaat, and that is the term he is using to describe his room. He is partial to world music paraphernalia, and I am sure the room will be looking musical in no time!

World Wide Photo Walk

2011-10-03T00:11:00.001-03:00

‘I’m shooting in the rain, just shooting in the rain – what a glorious feeling, I’m happy again….’

What a wonderful wet walk we had. A great way to get some fresh air, and meet people – actually I am not to upset it was raining. Good way to force yourself to shoot in inclement weather.

I wasn’t planning on editing photos so fast, but here are my favs from the walk – mostly macros, as I was toting my Canon 40D + Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS. ISO 800 and a lot of f/2.8.

Night, Night…..

-André

Club Contest Winner

2011-10-02T21:24:00.001-03:00

It was the last official outing for my Nikon Micro-Nikkor AIS 105mm f/2.8 (manual) lens. I have officially replaced it with a brand new Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS lens. Yay!

There is nothing wrong with the Nikon lens, in fact it is awesome, and performed superbly on my Canon with a basic adaptor. It was just time to go AF and IS.

As A last hurrah, I would like to share with you a photo I took at the end of June in St. Andrews at the Kingsbrae Gardens. It was a rainy field trip outing with the club –many cancelled, with Sat. being especially bad. But the water drops and lighting were fantastic on a cloudy Sunday after the rain.

Shot on a Canon 50D, ISO 200, 1/160th second, probably f/2.8 (could be f/4) and most likely on a tripod (pretty sure).

Thanks!

Testing, testing, 123!

2011-05-16T21:16:00.001-03:00

This is a test post using Blogaway from my new android phone and speech recognition.

Smoke Update!

2011-04-27T22:19:00.002-03:00

My smoke photos won 1st and 2nd place in our photo club's web competition.

Yay!

The last shipment is in! Light Tent and Battery Pack!

2011-04-25T12:06:00.004-03:00

First item is the light tent - got it for e-bay product listings, and more specifically to help my sister shoot some of her homemade jewlery. For $30 it is not bad - the only thing I noticed so far is that the 'backdrops' are nylon and therefore shiny and creased. I may try some bristol board (paper) cut to fit and make a sweep. Here is a shot of the setup with 3 flashes: sides are Nikon SB-24's @ about 1/16th, and the top is a Canon 580ex at about 1/16th as well. The camera was shooting at ISO 200 and about f/8.

I will have to play with flash position, but it does provide nice even light! The next shot is of a stuffed animal, and even after some tweaking and adding contrast, you can still see the backdrop creases. It has 2 loop inside at the top mid-way back, so I can loop some thread and hang earrings, etc.

The other item is a PIXEL TD-381 battery pack for my Canon 580ex series flash. I got it as I am shooting a wedding at the end of the summer, and it was a good excuse. Initial tests seem fine, but the suggested mount to the bottom of the camera is just a waste of time - you cannot porperly hold you camera when it is installed. I will have to see how I will carry it when I am shooting.

Another Nikon SB-24 and an SLR Rain jacket!

2011-04-25T10:30:00.003-03:00

OK... still spending..

I currently have a number of different flashes, and I decided it would make my life easier if I downsized and streamlined. I just picked up another Nikon SB-24 from e-bay – came in at about $100 all said and done. These are great flashes! Powerful (guide number approx. 120), excellent brand, and they tilt and swivel, have a low trigger voltage, take 4xAA batteries, have manual power adjustments from full to 1/16th, and have a PC socket. I usually use them off camera, but I can put them on my Canon 40D / 50D in auto mode.

My flash kit is now setup in pairs. I have a Canon 580ex II, a Canon 580ex, 2x Nikon SB-24’s, and 2x Nikon SB-20’s. The rest is gone or going – now I can match up the flashes, and better predict and control the light coming out of them.

I also picked up a package of OP/TECH SLR Rainsleeve covers – I am shooting a marathon (rain or shine) and heading on Vacation this summer and wanted to be prepared for the weather!

Here are some stock shots:

NEW STUFF!

2011-04-06T23:31:00.001-03:00

I have been working hard the last few months, and putting away some of my photo money. Now it is time to spend it!

I recently acquired a Canon 2x Teleconverter (version II) and a set of Kenko extension tubes. The teleconverter will give my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 a boost to 140-400 f/5.6 (with the crop factor - a 224-640mm f/5.6). I borrowed a friends TC last year to see if would be in my future - and found it great at f/8 while shooting the birds and squirrels on the deck.

The Kenko extension tube set will give a boost to my macro adventures, and coupled with the teleconverter, could provide for some interesting shots.

Here are some stock shots of what they look like...

Smokey

2011-03-27T21:52:00.005-03:00

Finally carved out some time to shoot for me and not for a client or the Photo Club. Quick and dirty - smoke.

Details
Equipment: Canon 40D, Nikon Micro Nikkor AI 105mm f2.8 lens, Nikon SB-20, Cactus V4 trigger.
Method:
- clip black sheet to curtain rod
- put incense on stool 3 feet from black sheet
- put flash to the right of stool about 2-3 feet away
- use gobo front and back to prevent light from getting in camera or on background
- set flash to about 1/2 power
- set camera to f/11 and 1/250th - ISO 400
- light incense
- sit on the floor abour 5-6 feet from smoke (focus) and shoot!

My Canon 20D got 2x better!

2011-03-27T21:44:00.003-03:00

I saw a decent deal on a used Canon 40D and decided to upgrade my second/backup camera, my Canon 20D.

The Canon 40D is a great camera and goes well with my Canon 50D. I was particularly interested in it because of the quieter shutter sound and the larger, 3 inch screen. Much easier to see in dim theater light!

Now that I have used it on a few shoots, I would highly recommend the 40D! It is a good balance or price, features and performance.

I chose the gripped stock photo shot, as I picked up a 3rd party grip online from Phottix - works great so far! Now both cameras are gripped and ready for action!

Testing a Teleconverter….and a Bluejay!

2010-10-30T21:51:00.001-03:00

I am thinking of purchasing a Canon 2x teleconverter, and was able to borrow a friend’s to test. I would only be able to use it on my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens due to the design. For about $350 it would give me a 140-400mm f/5.6 lens. The closest Canon lens to that is the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS which sells for about $1700. this makes the 2x teleconverter pretty attractive for a non-pro on a budget! The friend who lent me the T.C. said he did thought it was soft, but he mainly shot it wide open – at f/5.6, and handheld. This would be about the worst setting for the lens. I chose to take that into account, and made sure I tried it at f/8 and f/11 as well. My testing was not very scientific, but my conclusion is that it would be worthwhile for my purposes.

A squirrel in the backyard provided a great target! First shot, f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 400, 235mm on a monopod (cropped from original). Second shot, f/8, 1/60, ISO 400, 400mm on a monopod. Along with another test I did earlier, I have to say I may get this in the near future – especially when compared to the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS for $1350.00 more!

Later this morning after the squirrel left the deck, a bluejay came by to wrestle with a peanut my daughter left out for him. I have not seen many bluejays around so it was a treat! These were take with my Tamron 1.4 teleconverter on the same Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L IS lens. That made it a 98-280mm f/4 lens. The first shot was taken at f/5.6 and 1/640, ISO 640, at 280mm. The second was taken at f/5.6 and 1/800, ISO 640 at 280mm – both shots were handheld (and cropped a little).

I think if you have good technique, and/or a ‘pod of some sort, and you do not shoot wide open, then teleconverters can do a good job to get photos you may not otherwise get. They can also save you money!

Night photography

2010-10-30T21:27:00.001-03:00

Our photo club had a night photography excursion the other evening, we just went downtown, but we had a great time!

I love helping other people, but sometimes I don’t spend any time on my own photography – that evening had a great balance of both!

You can get some great blues in the sky after the sun goes down…

This was taken at f/5.6 for 2 seconds at ISO 400. Tripod mounted, and a focal length of 17mm on my Canon 50D.

You can get some interesting colour casts when shooting at night. One way to deal with them is to simply go to black and white.

This was taken at f/22 for 10 seconds at ISO 100. Tripod mounted again, and at 44mm focal length. The small aperture give the star effect to the lights.

Here is another in black and white; f/11 for 13 seconds, ISO 100 and 21mm.

Bang a drum.

2010-10-04T21:54:00.001-03:00

As you may or may not know, my wife is an excellent Henna Artist. She has been talking for a while now, about applying henna to a drum head. She finally found a willing participant!

It turned out really well, and she asked me to take photos – I had some time, so I put some extra effort into the task.

She was happy with the photos, and so was I.

Note: The glowing of the drum head came from putting a flash inside the drum.

Equipment:

Camera: Canon 50D

Lenses: Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, Nikon Micro-Nikkor AI 105mm f/2.8 with EOS adaptor

Flashes: Canon 580EX II, Canon 580EX, Nikon SB-24, Cactus v4 radio triggers, optical slave

Other: Background stand with black backdrop, light stands, Manfrotto 190D tripod

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

2010-09-01T21:55:00.001-03:00

Just arrived today! I cannot wait to try it out! Now you may be wondering why the heck I would buy an inexpensive ‘kit’ lens when I have the BOLD and beautiful 70-200mm 2.8 IS ?

Do you know how heavy that thing is? No, really!?

I went out the other day with the kids and a friend, and thought I just want a camera in a small bag to take some snapshots if the occasion arose. I did not want to lug ALL the gear for a couple of snaps….so I brought my Canon 20D and my newly acquired 18-55mm IS ‘kit’ lens, and my old Canon EF 70-210mm f/3.5-4.5 USM. But the 70-210 gave me a bunch of err99 messages – hmph. At home I tried it on my 50D and I got err01 – about 1/2 the time….. Oh, well it was a good lens in its day – but I needed a replacement. My first thought was a Canon EF 75-300mm. I knew these were not the best, but I already owned the best, and wanted something cheap and light. Things have changed over the last few years – my research taught me that the Canon 55-250mm IS is now the best of the bottom of the barrel :) Suits me fine – so I saved a few $$ by finding a refurbished one at Adorama!

I now have both kit lenses – the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, and the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS.

Pair those with my Canon 20D and I have a lightweight and flexible snapshot kit that will go anywhere is a small shoulder bag!

Dry summer = little water

2010-08-31T22:26:00.001-03:00

Here is another detail shot of a waterfall – details are about all you can get when the summer has been as dry as it has. This waterfall is but a shadow of its former self.

Lower Henderson Brook (Shaw) Falls

This was not with my normal gear setup…I shot this with my newly acquired kit lens (18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS), resting on a beanbag and my camera bag, using the 2 sec. timer and live view. I haven’t really used live view before, oh, and my wife had my tripod…

Details: Canon 50D, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, @ 55mm, f/22, ISO 500, 1 sec., and circular polarizer

more birds

2010-08-29T00:18:00.001-03:00

Here is another – the action shots are very challenging with the little birds. Here is a poor go at it, but it illustrates what we typically see. Here are a male and female Goldfinch on the feeder with a Black-capped Chickadee coming for a snack….

Canon 50D, Tamron 1.4TC, Canon 70-200 f2.8 L IS @ 120mm, f3.5 (f4), ISO 400, 1/640th sec. about 60% cropped.

Birding…in the backyard

2010-08-29T00:04:00.001-03:00

We have 4 feeders going and ton of birds. We have Goldfinches, Mourning Doves, Grackles, Sparrows, Chickadees, and we actually saw a regular pigeon the other day, oh and don’t forget the Squirrels hanging off the feeders. I have posted a few shots before, but I could not resist adding some more. We got some hooks and moved the feeders to the edge of the deck instead of near the house – much better shooting angle. Here is shot of a female Goldfinch.

The gear: Canon 50D, Tamron 1.4TC, Canon EF 70-200 2.8L IS.

The settings: f2.8 (really f4 due to the TC), 200mm (effectively 448mm with the TC and cropped sensor), IS on, 1/400th sec., –2 EC, center weighted average metering.

Editing: Set cloudy WB in ACR, cropped about 40% from the original photo. Increased exposure by 1/3 stop, toned down highlight on perch, +5 on Recovery, Clarity, Vibrance and Saturation in ACR. Sharpened with Scott Kelby’s ‘portrait’ sharpening settings in PS and used Bicubic Sharper when reducing size for web.

I have a few more to post when I get another ‘round tuit…..

Hayes Falls

2010-08-25T22:55:00.001-03:00

Canon EOS 20D, Canon 70-200mm f2.8 @ f/11, 70mm, 2 sec., ISO-100.

Save money while carrying your Gear!

2010-08-20T13:53:00.003-03:00

I have been buying things recently, and shopping all over (online) for gear, gadgets, and stuff - call them accessories. I know that when I start shopping, am thinking that the items I buy will help me take more and better photos. The truth is, and it took me a while to figure this out, is that I just need to get out and shoot more - I have all the gear I really need (oops - did I say that?).

This time I decided it would be justified if the price tag stayed low, and the items were useful. :)

What did I get?
I recently purchased a large telephoto lens that was pretty expensive. I wanted to make sure it was well protected, so I ordered a Lowepro LC4 padded lens case for about $45 taxes in - reasonable, right? (Henry's on EBAY)

I also ordered another set of Cactus v4 flash trigger/reiceivers. I have one set, and I dropped the trasmitter once (whoops), and it opened up, but it still worked fine after I put it all together. I should have a backup, right? $50 US (shipping in) - Reasonable, and I got a second reciever so I can trigger 2 flashes at once!. (Gadget Infinity)

The cables that come with the Cactus have a PC connector at one end, but it is not a screw lock type, so it could be more secure, so they don't come off unexpectedly and get damaged - reasonable, right?. Couple of cables....$25 or so. (Flash Zebra)

I was surfing around and thinking about the Lens case I ordered, and I have a few other cases which belong to Lowepro's slip-lock system. These can attatch to a special belt, and loops on their backpacks, etc. I looked up the Deluxe Padded Belt....$53 - ouch... I am not saying it is not worth it, I have never tried one, but at this point it was too rich for me. You are probably wondering about the title of the post now, after I listed all the money I spent...I found a padded tool belt that works with the slip-lock system at Canadian Tire for $14.99 (57-0006-4) !!!!

I will try it out this weekend :)

....I am also eying a $20 USD Remote Timer for my Camera from LinkDelight.....hmmmmm (did I mention that the Canon version is $150 USD?)

AUG. 21 Update...I just bought the above mentioned timer remote. :)
...and I forgot to mention that I picked a cheap tripod carrying strap on e-bay and...I cannot forget the $2 lens hood for my new 'backup' lens - the Canon EF-S 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 IS - which I picked up on Kijiji for $40. :)

I think I should stop.

Beautiful Prince Edward Island

2010-08-11T21:45:00.001-03:00

I was lucky enough this past July to have 2 separate trips to PEI. The first was a working trip for my wife, and we (the rest of the family) tagged along and went adventuring. The second trip was an organized vacation with 3 other families to a rented ‘Villa’ for a week. We had an awesome time!

I did not make much time for photography – as I was having way too much fun with friends and family - but I did get a few scenic shot of the areas we visited. What a great place!

Jones Mill Falls

2010-08-09T20:43:00.001-03:00

I love my little New Brunswick Waterfall book! Thank you Nicholas Guitard!

My Plug: Waterfalls of New Brunswick: A Guide – get it at Westminster Books!

Anyway – I looked up a new spot that seemed easy to get to, and called up a friend and said “Let’s go!”.

What a little adventure we had! First, we left a little late, and grabbed some Tim Horton’s breakfast one the way. After driving for about 45 min., we thought we were probably getting close, and we pulled off for a water, and a snack to take with us, my friend also picked up some sunglasses as he lost his last pair. The falls were a little farther than we thought, and after a few circles we realized that the road indicated in the guide was incorrect and we needed to start to try a few to find the right one…It was about this time that my friend decided the jerky he recently ate was not agreeing with him, and we needed to pull over soon so he could leave it in the bushes. Back in the car, and off to find the falls, 2 min later my friend declared he left his sunglasses with the jerky. We decided to get them on the way back, and found the path to the falls minutes later. On the way down the path we saw 2-3 piles of scat, which I was told was from a bear – great. We spend about an hour shooting the falls, picked up the sunglasses on the way home, got back about an hour after we planned, and had a great morning in the end.

Vomit, Driving, Sunglasses, and Bear Poop. What an adventure!

Oh yeah, the falls…..

In the Paper!

2010-08-09T20:05:00.001-03:00

I have been shooting dress rehearsals for Theater New Brunswick for over a year now, and I had one of my photos in the Telegraph Journal!

Theater New Brunswick is running this awesome commissioned work for 24 shows (I believe).

This time, I was only able to shoot during a preview performance (like a dress rehearsal with audience), and was limited to where I could shoot from. (normally I move where I want to in the seating area during a dress rehearsal) I stood behind the audience for the first half, and to the left of the audience for the second half.

This photo was taken with my Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 @ 50mm and f/4 @ 1/250th sec. ISO 2000 on my 50D – and run through Neat Image to reduce noise.

I was shooting with the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 on my 50D and the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 L IS on my 20D. Halfway through (when I moved closer to the front) and switched the 70-200mm for the Canon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5. My ISO was 1600+ on both cameras, and I generally kept the aperture between 2.8 and 5.6, and the shutter speed at 1/focal length or higher.

I like candids, and the actors invariably have great expressions to capture – but I am there to get a good record of the show, stage, lighting, etc for documentary purposes (and maybe a little advertising). I have to push myself to go for the wider shots more and more.

What fun!

Lumberjacks at Summerfest in PEI

2010-08-06T12:45:00.003-03:00

Also during our first trip to PEI we got to see the West Coast Lumberjacks Show at Summerfest. I had seen them before in Alberta, and they are always fun to watch - great skills and funny too!

Here are some more photos.

Mostly shot with my Canon 70-200mm 2.8.

Canada Day Fireworks

2010-08-06T12:39:00.003-03:00

We were in PEI for Canada and took in some fireworks at Summerfest. It was a great show - and while I was not properly equipped for shooting fireworks (read - no tripod), I did get some photos using a high ISO....

I was using my Canon 50D and my Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 at about f4 and 1/100th sec. @ ISO 800+.

Canada Day Fireworks!

I got a ‘round tuit!

2010-07-25T11:35:00.002-03:00

Well, my time and dedication to editing my hobby and snapshot photos changes like the tide. Which is appropriate as I spent 2 weeks in July in PEI! The first trip was with my own family (my wife was working at Summerfest during the Canada Day week). The second (a week later) was in a luxury rental property with 3 other families – it was great!

My first post is a link to a small collections of BMX stunt shots – these guys were great! and Crazy! Enjoy…

BMX show at Summerfest in PEI 2010

All the shots were taken with a Canon 50D and Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L.

Birds

2010-06-16T00:51:00.001-03:00

A couple of recent examples of birds, and some more exercise of my new lens…

My wife and I went to the Fundy Trail a few weeks ago, just outside of St. Martins, NB. We found a wonderful fruit tree (apple?) with much buzzing – turns out that there were about 5 hummingbirds (ruby throated) having a feast. Out came the lens, those are small birds – would have been nice to have the 1.4x TC! I am glad for the 15MP of my 50D – the following photo is about a 50% crop of the original.

I also returned for more Osprey photos, and got another good one – looks similar to the first – oh well – nice birds!

I also had a few issues with my LowePro Compu-Trekker AW, and LowePro was great about replacing it – I now have a Pro Runner 350 Aw – in my opinion it is a more refined version of what I had – a little smaller, but I think they learned from their previous product and made it better – go LowePro!

Birds and Water

2010-05-07T19:53:00.001-03:00

An acquaintance guided myself and a few others for a couple of outings last weekend. It was nice to go with a small group for some shooting time, and a chance to try and tame the beast! (see previous post).

Last Saturday we went to Howland Falls near Bear Island. A nice falls just off the road, about 45 km west of Fredericton. I can see myself going back on a cloudy day for some long shutter shots!

Howland Falls - Bear Island Area

On Sunday we headed out in the other direction to look for Osprey! About 60km east gets you to the Gagetown Ferry Road in Jemseg, where a number of platforms have been erected to keep the Osprey from building nests on the real power poles. I will be going back soon when the chicks have hatched – apparently you can catch much more fishing action!

The new lens performed well, and for my first time with the lens, and shooting birds – I was happy with the results. I was mainly shooting at 640 ISO, and an aperture of f/5.6 or f/8, and a shutter speed around 1/800th sec. I also had my Tamron 1.4x teleconverter attached to give me an equivalent view on my Canon 50D of a 157-

Osprey - Along the Ferry Road

448mm f/4 IS lens. I was shooting in Evaluative metering mode, with AI Servo autofocus mode, and 3 frames per second drive mode, in aperture priority mode.

My main lenses now are the Tokina 12-24mm f/4, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS. I now realize that I have no large diameter ND filters…..oh well back to E -Bay!

The Beast has arrived!

2010-04-30T16:38:00.001-03:00

Yes I finally saved up, broke down, or what ever you call it – I purchased a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L Image Stabilized lens! For a measly $1,900 US (ouch) I get one of the most highly rated Canon lenses, and my first “L” glass (a.k.a. professional lens).

Yay!!!!!!

Recent chatter…

2010-04-23T23:10:00.001-03:00

OK – no post for a while :(

Let’s start with a photo…

Here is a warm toned black and white conversion of Garden Creek Falls. This is a great and close place with hundreds of photo opportunities!

The photo details: Canon 20D, Tokina 12-24mm lens @ f/16 and 0.6 seconds, at 12mm with a Polarizing filter. Tripod mounted. ISO 100

I just bought a wonderful New Brunswick Waterfall guide written by fellow photo club member Nicholas Guitard. While some waterfalls take some effort to get to, others, like this one, are literally steps off the highway. And this one is minutes outside of Fredericton! I cannot wait to get to some others, and go back to this one!

Canon service – what a fantastic experience! I was a little upset when I noticed the * button (exposure lock) on my Canon 50D was only working about 20% of the time. I contacted Canon service and filled out their online process and shipped my Camera to Ontario – I think I had it back in a week! Luckily I have a backup (my 20D). Great service, now if only I did not have to pay to ship it to them……

New lens… no, I don’t have it yet, but I am specifically saving up for a Canon EF 70-200 L f/2.8 IS version I. I am 3/4 of the way there and cannot wait! My first L glass :)

That’s all for now – have fun taking photos!

-André

Last minute

2010-02-24T07:38:00.003-04:00

Our latest competition theme for the club was 'Saint John River'. I had no photos, and was considering letting this month pass by without entering. But I changed my mind, and went out with a friend at 10pm monday night to see what I could do. I was quite happy with the results, and played with some off camera lighting. Here are the 2 photos I entered:

While I didn't place, my second image got very close, and elicited a booing from the audience when the score was read. :)

What to shoot on a cold day?

2010-02-01T17:43:00.001-04:00

Frost on the storm door! What else? But be quick before it melts!

Shot with a Canon 50D and a Nikon Micro-Nikkor AI 105mm f2.8 lens (set at f16 I believe, maybe f8), with mirror lockup and remote cable release on my Manfrotto 190D tripod, with a ball head (can’t remember the model right now). White balance was Sunny (Daylight), ISO 100, and a shutter of about 1 second. A little tweaking in RAW and PS (but not much)

BRRRR!!!!!

Christmas Present – A Scott Kelby Book on CS4!

2010-01-10T21:05:00.001-04:00

For Christmas I got Scott Kelby’s book “The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers”. I have the same book for CS2, and this one is just as great! I have started thumbing through it and trying some of the techniques.

Here is something I did up today – you like?

I also did a little learning about Bridge (file renaming and keyword manipulation) I can’t wait to try some other topics as well!

Forgotten shot

2009-12-31T17:02:00.001-04:00

Odd title I know, but last month we had an intense Photo Club workshop on portrait photography and lighting, and then portrait-centric photo editing. I never posted my shot. I didn’t have many as I was giving the workshop – but I learned a little as well – bonus!

Here is my favourite shot, after post processing – I think it turned out well!

Here is a little before and after – now Michelle is already an attractive woman, but a little editing put on the polish! The left is the JPG file straight from the camera, and the right is after my work on the RAW file.

(I am still playing with Windows Live Writer – so far so good!)

Windows Live Writer

2009-12-30T20:57:00.001-04:00

I came across this little MS utility that is part of the Windows Live suite – a local blog composer. Now I thought it was pretty easy to post online, but, well – I will give this a whirl!

Here is a link to ePhotozine , a spot where I found a few good tips – you may want to check it out!

Hmm – now for a photo, how about a shot of some beautiful Henna created by my wife Larissa!

Wow! There are some neat photo effects! Let’s try another…

The first was Reflection, and the second was Drop Shadow – nice!

Ohhh! Maps! Here is Fredericton New Brunswick where I am located, specifically, City Hall.

City Hall, Fredericton New Brunswick, Canada

Well that’s it – now to post and see how it looks!

Holiday Portrait Sessions

2009-12-29T09:53:00.008-04:00

On the Sunday before Christmas, I decided to have an open house/photo session for friends and family. (This was a direct copy of what a friend of mine did, but she was charging for her photos.) The intent was to provide a disc to each family of selected and edited prints that they could print themselves. We had some treats out, and had six families come out over the course of the day to get family photos done. Some were formal, and some casual. I think people had varying expectations - one friend said she was surprised to see the 10x20 foot back drop and all the lights, as Larissa just suggested they come over for a family photo so André could practice a little!

It was a fun day - I learned a few things. Shoot less tight to accomodate for different prints - namely 8x10! (Thank goodness for Content Aware Scaling on the background!) Also, glasses are a pain - I think the best solution is to remove the lenses, but a slight tilt helps a lot (put the end of the arms above the ears up about half and inch). Lastly - remove distractions! There were lots of the photos of kids looking at other things in the room (namely other kids) and not the camera!

Oh Well - I guess they day was productive as I learned something, had a good time, and gave a gift to some friends.

Here are a few examples...

...and my sister!

Self Portrait

2009-11-25T09:41:00.004-04:00

I recently had a project through the photo club to create a self portrait. We saw many examples exhibited - they ranged from the mundane to excellent images that obviously required much thought and skill in their execution.

I am posting this because, as a photographer I rarely get to the other side of the camera. Here is my example of what I consider an average entry into the topic of self portrait.

This image was created by cutting a circular image out of a photo of me, and copying it as a layer over the image of the camera - positioning it right over the lens. I selected the portrait layer and softened the edges a bit so the edge was not hard. I also used the distort > lens tool to slightly alter the portrait so it bulged out in the middle - as it was on a curved surface. I then adjusted the opacity of the portrait layer to 60% so the natural lens reflections would show through. (I darkened the highlights of the lens reflections as well) The last step was to merge the layers.

A friend of mine (and awesome photographer), John MacLean, has a great photo which he created for the assignment, he has given me permission to show it here.

I love this!!!

3 Light setup

2009-11-14T22:29:00.004-04:00

In the process of taking the previously posted photos, I shot a few 'setup' shots. Here are the three lights , one at a time to show each effect, and how the final setup comes together.

...and here is a basic diagram of the above (or close to it)...

Faces of Alex

2009-11-14T17:50:00.004-04:00

When I was shooting the kids 'school' photos the other day - I had to promise Alex that he could make faces for some of the photos. He made a lot of faces - they were awesome! We got the requisite portraits, and some funny faces as an added bonus. We just had to make a composite of a few!

I sampled the colours of the backdrop and shirt to make the background.

My own School photos!

2009-11-11T22:23:00.004-04:00

A day off afforded me some time to shoot my own kids 'school' photos - they turned out well. Hope's shot is straight out of the camera!

And this one of Alex had only a minor exposure adjustment.

These were shot with my Canon 50D, with 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 lens. I had 2 umbrellas - one main and one fill (with flashes in them), and a flash on the background.

I'm number 1 !

2009-10-28T22:19:00.004-03:00

Just tooting my own horn - this month my images were chosen for first place in our photo club's web and projected competitions. Here they are:

Projected Competition

Web Competition

YAY!!

New Camera Story

2009-10-25T10:06:00.002-03:00

Recently I did a photo shoot where I was using both of my digital cameras...the Canon Digital Rebel XT and the Canon 20D. A couple of times I fumbled with the settings on the XT as it is more finicky when handling exposure compensation and exposure lock (and different to the 20D).

I decided that it was smarter to have another body that was the same. My options were anything in the 20D-50D line. I scratched out the 20D/30D as I was not comfortable buying something used that was that old (although mine works fine). That left the 40D and 50D. The 50D was a little more $ than I wanted to spend, and after some research I felt that the additional benefits that the 50D offered over the 40D was not work the price, especially when comparing the price of a new 50D to a used 40D.

To my delight I found a Factory refurbished 40D - I thought great! Some peace of mind as it is factory refurbished, and a good price! After receiving it in the mail, a quick test showed it was defective...

I called the store and they had no other that I could exchange it with. I returned it.

After some searching, the only other 40Ds that I found were $100+ more than the first one, and at that price, I started looking at the 50D again.

In the end I got a 50D, and I am happy as I have the latest technology, a NEW camera, with warranty, and it matches my 20D perfectly. There are still debates on the quality of the high ISO performance, but I am satisfied with what I have seen so far.

The XT is already sold - with the money going to fund the 50D purchase - now I just have to sell a few more things....

Photo Fredericton Field Trip to the Moncton Zoo

2009-10-18T16:15:00.005-03:00

Our Photography Club went to the zoo in Moncton yesterday - it was better than I expected! They had Halloween happenings for the kids, and the weather cooperated for the most part.
I just got my new (refurb.) Canon 40D the day before, and brought it along to try it out. Too bad it had issues out of the box, so I switch to my trusty 20D, and shot all my photos with my Canon EF 70-210mm f3.5-4.5 USM lens.
In record time, I have selected and edited a number of my fav photos from the trip.

-André

Photo Club Summer Experience Show

2009-09-07T19:22:00.006-03:00

Our first club meeting will be showing members photos on the theme 'What I experienced this summer...'

Here are my entries...
(a few are repeats from earlier posts)

Bouctouche!

2009-07-28T20:14:00.006-03:00

At the end of June, Photo Fredericton went on a weekend trip to Bouctouche, which is about 30 min. north of Moncton.

We went to a variety of locations to take photos, and while I thought the area was better suited to a week long family camping trip than to an abundance of photographic opportunities, I enjoyed the time out of the city to talk photography and focus on picture taking.

We went to a variety of location and I will share some photos from each. I usually used my Digital Camera - the Canon 20D, but also shot a roll of medium format film on my Zeiss Ikon folding camera, using Ilford FP4+ developed and scanned at home. These were taken at the Irving Park - The Dunes.

We stayed in a wonderful place called Auberge Le Vieux Presbytère de Bouctouche. It was located across from an old Convent, now museum, and next to a cemetery. I guess it was the Priest's residence originally, but the church had burned down some time ago. Here are a couple of photos from the environs...

Our first sight was the lighthouse at Cap Lumiere, while not a real light house, it did offer a number of photographic opportunities.

More to come....

-André

Spring in New Brunswick means Lupines!

2009-07-05T11:33:00.007-03:00

There are tons and tons of lupines here in New Brunswick, and while they are common, they are varied in their colour and size. They provide many opportunities for exploration in composition and experimentation.

Click here for Wikipedia info on Lupine.

They are only out in their prime for a few weeks, so you need to act if you want to photograph them.

I am a little behind in my editing and blogging, but these were taken June 14, 2009 at midday in a buggy farmer's field about 15 min from my home. I love the one with the bumble bee - it was a huge bee and its legs were covered in pollen as you can see in the photo. I was practicing the technique of having blurry foreground elements present to help place and frame the subject.

There were a few daisys out as well...

Most of these photos were taken on a Canon 20D, with Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens set on aperture priority at f/2.8 and zoomed to 50mm, and using a polarizing filter.

All RAW files were tweaked in post production, but mainly just a slight colour balance, and exposure correction. The first daisy photo was a horizontal crop from a vertical photo, and vignetting was added.

-André

Photo Collage Workshop

2009-05-28T11:01:00.004-03:00

Originally, the idea of a photo collage did not really appeal to me. I think it was partly because I did not know how to do it effectively, and partly because I thought they were a little cheesy.

Our photoclub had a workshop on the weekend, and I had a great time learning and building photo collages!

Here are the collages I created during the session:

The trick is making an effective border so the images pop off the background. These were done using a large paintbrush tool, and then going around each photo so only the edge of the brush affected the photo. Also the background is usually made from a photo in the theme you have selected - do the colours are similar - and then the photo is blurred to create a background. I dound it was also effective to choose the photo, and invert it. This way you get colours which are literally complementary to the colours in the photos you have selected (like in the haircut photo collage).

I will be building more, I am sure!

1930's Ansco Box Camera

2009-05-28T09:38:00.004-03:00

I just felt drawn to Value Village about a week and a half ago - wasn't sure why...but here is the reason!

I picked up a box camera for $9.99! It is an Ansco brand, and from my research, it looks like it was made in the 30's. Two big bonuses here - a) It works!, and b) It takes 120 film (which I have). It could have taken 116 or 127 or 620, etc... which I don't have, and you can't readily get any more.

From what I read, it has an aperture of about f/8-f/11 and a shutter of about 1/30 sec. The inside of the camera says to use Ansco Plenachrome film...?
Most sites suggest using a 100 speed film for sunny days. The sunny 16 rule would indicate that a 30 ASA film would be good for a 1/30 sec. shutter at f/16. This would mean 60 ASA at f/11, or 125 ASA at f/8 (assuming the given aperture and shutter speed are correct).

I took it for a test run at the park on a very overcast day. I probably should have used 400 ASA film, but I used 100 and pushed it to 200 in development. Here are a couple of the images:

The shots were scanned on my Epson 4490, and given a contrast boost and some sharpening in post production.

Spring is on the way.

2009-04-13T13:36:00.005-03:00

I have titled this post 'Spring is on the way', because it is about flowers. However I struggle with this as it is Easter weekend and it has been snowing for two days. Oh well.

My brother-in-law is a managing partner at a green house - I have not taken advantage of this fact enough. Yesterday morning I went in an hour before the store opened, and spent some time shooting. I set a custom white balance on my Canon 20D and, using an adaptor, I mounted an old Nikon M extension tube (27.5mm extension) and then put on a Nikkor 135mm f/3.5 (AI mount). I found this combination pretty good for getting a half decent magnification while providing some working distance. On my first trip out, I chose to use the M extension tube with my Micro Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 (Non-AI), for life size magnification. Unfortunately the tripod to table display distance was too great for me to get close enough. A little research shows me this:

Total extension used / Focal length used = Magnification
for my setup this was...
27.5mm / 135mm = ~ 1/5
However the 135mm lens does extend about 10mm when focused to its closest setting, so the maximum magnification may be up to ~1/4
While 1/4 life size is not great for 'Macro' work, I do get a lot of working room, and fairly close up. Compare this to the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 which has a max magnification of 0.13x (or about 1/8th)

Here are the photos!

Playhouse Entries

2009-03-09T23:41:00.002-03:00

I know I have been slow to post recently - but just a quick update. I am planning to enter these 2 photos to be shown at the Playhouse next month!

The Pinhole is still collecting light!

2008-11-24T22:06:00.002-04:00

Another shot from my contraption:

What fun!

Agfa APX 100 4"x5" Sheet film, approx. f/280, 1 minute exposure, developed in HC-110 for 7 min.

Linhof Technika III Pinhole!

2008-11-23T16:15:00.004-04:00

A while ago I acquired a Linhof Technika III Large Format 4x5 camera - without a lens. I wanted to try LF but also was looking to resell the Camera for a profit. I had no film, and no lens- not a good start for testing out how light tight the bellows are...

I had the bright idea of taking the lens mount board and attaching a pinhole to it. This way I could accomplish my goals and try Pinhole at the same time. A little searching around got me a few sheets of donated film. I did a little research and fashioned myself a .5mm pinhole 'lens'.

When mounted on the camera, and the bellows are pulled out to about 5 1/2 inches from the film plane, it gives me an aperture of about f/280, and a field of view roughly equivalent to a 40mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Here is the camera:

and here is the negative on my small light box - a one minute exposure:

and here is the inverted image:

I shot the negative with my Canon Digital Rebel XT.

I have a couple more sheets of film, and will post those as well when they are ready - then the camera goes up for auction.

I may still make or buy a medium format pinhole - what fun!

King's Landing - 1951 Zeiss Ikon Nettar 6x6 folding camera (517/16)

2008-10-21T08:49:00.002-03:00

Shot on very expired, but frozen TMAX.

More from King's Landing - Ilford PanF+

2008-10-21T08:42:00.004-03:00

Here are the shots on the PanF+, also from the Canon Elan 7N...same lenses as before. There was little filtering - maybe yellow, and ND on the waterfalls. most were shot with a tripod.

I loved the shot with the 2 ladies interacting with the horse - it just begged for sepia!

King's Landing

2008-10-20T12:58:00.003-03:00

Another Photo Club field trip - this time out to the historical village of King's Landing. I ended up shooting digital (Canon 20D), and black and white film (Canon Elan 7N - Ilford SFX200 and Ilford PanF+, Zeiss Ikon Folding Camera - really old Tri-X)

Here are the shots from the Ilford SFX200. I bought this film slightly expired about 3 years ago (I had never tried it before), and shot about half of it in Calgary. I finally got around to finishing it off - YAY!! All the photos were with a RED #25 filter and shot using either the Canon EF 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 USM, or the Canon EF 70-210mm f3.5-4.5 USM. For some photos it gives a nice efect.

Yard Swap!

2008-09-29T22:50:00.004-03:00

Our local photo club - Photo Fredericton - recently did a Yard Swap as a field trip. I had never heard of it before - but essentially, you put your name and address into a hat and pick someone else's yard to go and photograph. We are meeting tomorrow night - and I just finished selecting and editing the ones I will be sharing. Here they are!

For these fun outings - I like to play around a little with some photo editing. It gives me an opportunity to learn! All in all, it was a fun outing.

M42 to EOS

2008-09-25T21:50:00.003-03:00

What does M42 to EOS mean? Well they are both lens mounts - the M42 is an older screwmount and EOS (or more appropriately Canon EF) is the new Canon autofocus lens mount. I just got an adaptor so I can use the M42 Screwmount type lenses on my Canon EOS camera bodies (Elan 7N, 20D, and XT).

Why? Why not? I (somewhat) recently got an inexpensive screwmount camera and lens. The lens is a Russion Zenit Helios-44-2 58mm f/2. I got some nice photos on the film camera - and thought it would be fun to mount the Helios on my 20D.

Well I took the combo out with me to the park with the kids - I got a few photos of leaves as they are beginning to turn.

So far I like this combination. The photos were in the f/2-f/4 range - and ISO 400. The only post processing I did was to correct the colour balance, and exposure. There was also a minimal amount of sharpening.

Blurry Trees!

2008-09-06T23:14:00.003-03:00

I really like blurry trees, but have never tried my own images - until recently. I am inspired to practice more. Here is my favourite from a walk with the kids. I took about 30 shots - this one stood out. I present it here in sepia and in colour - I can't decide which I like better.

Details: Canon Digital Rebel XT, Canon EF 85mm f1.8 Lens @ f/22, ISO 100, 0.6 Sec. exposure, -.3 EC. Panning up and down.

Photosensitive Cancer Connections

2008-09-04T22:08:00.003-03:00

Last year I sumbitted a photo to this organization who was using photography to bring awareness to cancer.

If you go here and click Images and then Niece - the third image down on the left is of my aunt Geraldine holding my neice Aylish.

Incidentally, my mother died from colon cancer when I was 25...just about 11 years ago now.

Before my mother died - I didn't know anyone with cancer. After she died, you talk to people, and realize that everyone knows someone who has/had it. Amazing.

Speaking of the trip...

2008-09-01T09:48:00.003-03:00

Here are 2 shots from my recent trip that don't fit the snapshot category....

The first was taken out the plane window sometime around 6am on my flight out. Details: Canon DRebel XT, Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 @ 17mm & f/4, ISO 1600, 1/40th sec. Straightened and noise reduced in post processing.

The first day we were at a park by the Lake Ontario, in Port Credit (west of Toronto), here is a shot of some boats in the marina. Details: Canon DRebel XT, Canon 70-210mm f3.5-4.5 @ 200mm & f/8, ISO 100, 1/320th sec. Converted to BW, and added contrast in post processing.

Found - Again?

2008-09-01T09:41:00.002-03:00

I was putting up a small personal web site of photos from a recent trip, and found a lost website of mine! What times we live in, eh? I have 3 e-mail addresses that I use, and probably 2-3 more I don't, if I really looked for them. I have a Business based website, and a family based blog, and a hobby based blog (this one) and about 5 small 'photo' page websites to share photos I have taken at various events. No wonder I lost one!

It is an unfinished project to scan a whole box of negatives my grandfather gave me - I have about 2/3 (I think) done here: http://oldphotos.50webs.com/

Not a pretty layout by any means, but you can get to the photos! I don't know the negative size but I would guess the closest would be about a 6x9 cm format, although they are a little wider than 120 film.

Henna is her Passion

2008-08-29T22:39:00.008-03:00

My wonderful wife Larissa is an accomplished Henna Artist. I get many requests to photograph her work for her portfolio. I think our skills compliment each other....

Details: Canon EOS 20D, Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 lens at 40mm, and f/8. 1/200th sec., and ISO 400. 580ex flash bounced on a steep angle off the wall to the right. In the b/w conversion I heavily weighted the red channel (2/3) to give it the high contrast look, I also added some sharpening for the stark crisp look. The background was a dark blue, which during b/w conversion went darker due to the use of the red channel.

Lily pads and clouds

2008-08-19T23:31:00.007-03:00

While heading up to Dunbar Falls, I passed this pond of lily pads in bloom. I made a note and returned with a friend for some shooting time. It was raining off and on - so we chatted in the car when the rain increased, and shot when it let up.

This was shot on Canon 20D, Canon EF 70-200mm f3.5-f4.5 lens + Tamron 1.4x Teleconverter, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/500th sec., -1 exposure compensation, at 200mm (well 200 x 1.4TC x 1.6 crop factor = 448mm effective field of view), and a circular polarizing filter.

We also had some dramatic cloud formations in front of the house a few weeks ago - I couldn't resist!

This one was taken with my Canon Digital Rebel XT, Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens at 33mm, ISO 100, f/16, and 1/100th sec., +1/3 exposure compensation.

Dunbar Falls

2008-08-11T22:58:00.007-03:00

I think you will be seeing a lot of Dunbar falls. It is close and a nice walk - with lot of interesting things to look at and photograph. This is from my first trip out. I went with a friend of mine - John. I was shooting my Canon Elan 7N with Canon EF 28-105mm f3.5-f4.5mm lens. These were mostly multisecond exposures - with the aid of a ND filter. I also brought along my Mamiyaflex C TLR (but have not posted any shots so far from this camera on this trip). I loaded the camera with Ilford PanF+, 50 speed film, which I developed in HC-110 for about 4 min.

Here is a shot of John...

Some of the `steps` leading up to the main falls.

Getting closer

Dunbar falls

Details

Ideas

2008-08-11T11:53:00.002-03:00

I figured I would post (out in the open) some ideas for self-assignments. Maybe I will actually do them - then I can post the results here. One can hope....

Double Exposures, Reflections, Multiple exposures,

Pinhole, University Campus, Shapes and Patterns,

Silhouettes, Motion, People, Abstract,

Details, Long exposures, Night-time photos,

Star trails, Waterfalls, 'Along the path',

Doors, Steps, High or Low Perspective

Dixon Falls, Fundy National Park

2008-08-08T22:07:00.004-03:00

Short, easy hike. Amazing photo opportunities. I will go back with my tripod. I NEED to go back with my tripod.

Shot on my Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens. Settings: 17mm, f/11, 0.5 seconds, ISO 100. I steadied the camera on the railing of the boardwalk to get the slow shutter speed, and thus the soft water effect. Also, I set the camera to -1.3 exposure compensation, as the forest was dark, and a normal setting would have blown out the highlights of the water.

Here is another image - Hope found this fern at the side of the trail for me. Settings: Canon Digital Rebel XT, Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens at f/8, 1/80 sec., ISO 400, -0.7 exposure compensation, 50mm focal length.

I love this photo.

2008-08-06T00:18:00.011-03:00

My daughter at my cousins' wedding.

Canon Elan 7N, Canon EF 85mm f1.8

Ilford HP5+ @ E.I. 800

HC-110 Dilution B for 7.5 min. @ 20 degrees C

Convert.

2008-08-05T12:32:00.000-03:00

Well here we go - a new start. Last year I decided to throw out the traditional Website for our family happenings, in favour of the much easier to manage BLOG.

Time to do the same for my photography interests. I had decided to make the Family Blog a hybrid Photo/Family site, but that is not fair to the family ;)

Here is a link to the website I started: http://photoshare.50webs.com/

I may move the info here - or I may not...we'll see.

I look forward to sharing in a more conducive spot!