Aston Martin’s Supercar

With several on-offs and other supercars gracing the lawn at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Aston Martin One-77 stood out. Looking mean, nasty and incredibly wide, it was on show as the culmination of Aston’s long history of beautiful and capable grand touring cars. Aston martin was the honoured marque at this year’s Mar-a-Lago charity breakfast and Classic Sports Sunday, this past 23 January 2012.

While I didn’t get introduced to ‘the Donald’, I hobnobbed in sports-coat and tie and the 80 degree and lunched with the 699 other guests. Talk about feeling out of place.

Ferrari FXX

One supercar that you will never see on the road is the Ferrari FXX. Derived from the Ferrari Enzo, it is a rolling test-bed that Ferrari uses to gather telemetry and help develop the next round of Ferrari road and race cars. The major difference with the FXX program, that no other manufacturer does, is involve the owners in the process. With the FXX program, Ferrari sells the FXX cars to a very select group of clients, then works with them to test, gather, analyze, improve and develop the cars over time and for the next iteration of the program. One surprise caveat that you might not guess, is that the owners usually do not get to take the cars home. Ferrari maintains and transports the cars to six or seven race tracks around the world and the testing takes place in conjunction with the organized Ferrari Challenge series, itself co-scheduled with the Formula1 races, or other high profile race series.

These series of photos are from the XXI Cavalino Classic just this past week (15-23 Jan 2012) in Palm beach, Florida. By the time I got to the FXX, there were so many people around, I spent almost 10 minutes sitting on the grass waiting to capture the head-on shot with the doors open: a classic and iconic shot of these cars. To get away from the crowds, and to break-away from the ‘iconic’ shot, I then moved in closer to capture the muscle and bones of the car, the same as you might with a fine-art nude.

Palm Beach Zoo

After 3 days of photographing cars, I was a tad burned out and needed a break. So what did we do? Visit the West Palm beach Zoo and take more photographs of course. I won’t get into the whole ‘zoo or not to zoo’ debate. Most of the pens at the West Palm Beach Zoo are fair sized enclosures with natural surroundings and plant-life, and some weren’t. From a photographic perspective, try to capture your subject in a natural setting or pose, so that it doesn’t scream zoo! At the same time, when describing the photo, be honest about where you captured the photo: do not represent it as a wild animal.

So when you are out photographing wildlife, or not-so-wildlife in your backyard, try to capture and portray your subject away from man-made objects like feeders etc.

And remember, food-baiting of wildlife is illegal in most provinces and states; even for photographic purposes.

The Faces Have It

The front of a car is the most relate-able part of a car design. Because of this, many car designers incorporate elements of a face into their designs. By choosing to accentuate the front of the car, I’ve exaggerated the features that we recognize as a ‘face’. I think it makes for a series of great images: the ultra-wide lens has distorted the car beyond what we normally see, yet it is still recognizable.

So next time you are out, look at the cars around you and see what facial features they have included in their designs. Then think how it expresses the intent or character of that car. Did the designer succeed? An aggressive face on a minivan just doesn’t cut it, while a goofy grin on a Mazda 3 says ‘fun’.

If you find yourself drawn to a car in a parking lot, on a bright sunny day, try shooting a different perspective. getting down low or on your knees can remove distracting elements from the background, such as other cars, lamp posts or people. If you know you’ll be shooting shiny cars on a bright day, you might also consider investing in a circular polarizing filter to cut down or eliminate glare and control reflections.

Ballet in the Streets

Mercedes Déziel-Hupé, a fellow photog is showing her art and photography here in Ottawa. The show entitled Ballet In The Streets: Dance Photography as Seen by a Dancer, is being held at Avant Garde Bar and Gallery, 135 Besserer Street, Ottawa. The show runs for three weeks starting with the vernisage and opening party which is tomorrow (Thursday 12 Jan 2012) at 7:00 pm. Visit Mercedes’ swing blog for the full announcement.

Mercedes, herself a long-time dancer, has a keen eye for juxtaposing dance in the city where you would normally encounter the homeless, business folk or just people going about their everyday lives.

In addition to supporting Mercedes’ first show, she hired me to print her entire show and post-process select images.

Hope to see you there!

Setting a Style

A specific style can establish or banish a photographer. But more importantly, a style is a reflection on the creative frame of mind or even the personality behind the eye.

I have not yet settled on a style, but currently prefer to explore what I see and feel, at that moment, with as little ‘filtering’ as possible. Still, as an exercise, going out and shooting a specific type of subject or a specific style is excellent practice for training the brain behind the eye.

A cold, overcast winter day at Pauley’s Cove in Nova Scotia, provided just such an opportunity.

So next time you are out on a photo walk-about, try perceiving the world in a different way: a specific aperture, black & white or even a special filter or post-processing.

CSRA Snowcross Racing at Calabogie

The CSRA Snowcross racing season started at Calabogie this past weekend. Held at the foot of the Calabogie Peaks Ski resort, a rather small circuit was built on manmade snow. Still, with the smaller circuit, there was more action for the spectators: they could see the entire course. Equipped with a press pass, John Rathwell and myself  armoured up in the mandatory body armour and went stalking snowmobile racers. It wasn’t hard as we could stand so close to the track, we were pelted with snow chunks and starved for oxygen in the exhaust fumes.

As a photographer, the real challenge was to turn away from the spectacular jumps along the front straight, and look for the exciting racing in corners 1 and 2. Corner 2 in particular had some great passing: the racers streamed up hill from the start, dove into the corner fighting for position, a clear route and to stay on their sleds as they then rocketed back down the hill into a right-hander.

The 2012 Canadian Snowcross Championship circuit starts in Calabogie and runs through Ontario and Quebec towns finishing in Kitchener on the 24-25 march weekend.

Sponsored by Amsoil, Royal Distributing, Rockstar, Yamaha, Polaris, Ski-doo, Arctic Cat, OSM, Dayco, Ontario, Pioneer and Choko Design, the races are fast-paced and thrilling to watch. And with 32 distinct classes spread across 8 different races, the competition is fierce.

Easy steps to producing a long exposure night shot

I love shooting long exposures: you get a very dreamy feel to the resulting images. The easiest times to shoot very long exposures is at sunrise and sunset when the light is still fairly faint. A simple long exposure will get you the shot. And, appropriately enough, you also get the best light.

So what do you need and how do you do it? Here’s a bit of a recipe for a sunset shoot:

1. Gear: 1 camera, fav lens (size really doesn’t matter), 1 tripod, one flashlight and one remote trigger. Cold weather clothes and a chair are also non-essentials that you will appreciate if you brought them.
2. Getting ready: Arrive about 60 minutes before sunset, find your subject, perspective and a comfortable seat, as you’ll be here for 2 hours.
3. Camera set-up: manual, anti-vibration off, autofocus off, set your white balance to the colour of the flashlight (another lesson at another time – just use auto white balance for the first few times), aperture on 13-19 depending on the amount of Depth of Field you want, ISO 100.
4. The best time(s): the ‘golden light’ of sunset only lasts about 15 minutes right before sunset. There is a second slot about 45 minutes after sunset when the sky can be filled with blues, purples and deep reds (if the clouds are with you).
5. The shot: Take the photo several times as the light changes to get different compositions with any moving clouds, as well as different lighting and colours: there is a lot of colour after dark, that we can’t see. Very quickly, you’ll need a remote trigger of some kind as the ‘bulb’ setting on your shutter speed comes very quickly. This photo was exposed for 195 seconds (and yes, I had forgotten my remote trigger, so that is finger on the shutter button the whole time). After that, the duration of the shot doubles with every stop of darkness, so the shutter stays open for very long periods, very quickly. My next shot, just 3 minutes later was 300 seconds of finger on the shutter button.

In the seed-pod photo, you can see some dark edges on the right side of the pods. That is not an artifact of sharpening, or jpg compression. It is actually the blur of the pods moving. I didn’t feel any breeze, but there you go: once I started taking photos, it quickly became apparent that the milkweed was moving. The milkweed itself appears sharp because the flashlight ‘froze’ it for a second.

Backgrounds add Character

Looking for punch in your images? You may have heard the guidance that you should find an interesting location and wait for someone to pass into the frame. Well, what if no one is around? Hire someone or find friends or partner/collaborate with someone who can benefit from your photography.
I did just that with a group os dancers and two photographer friends: Lou Truss and Barb McKenzie.

Many thanks to Ben Jammin, Josee, Rafic and Caroline for posing and dancing for us. If you want to know more about them, they all teach at Dance With Alana, an Ottawa-based dance studio and school.

Ferraris in the Fall

I recently attended the local ferrari club Fall Colours cruise to Westport. And as the event organizer, I had taken the opportunity to build some photo ops into the route. Ostensibly they were explained to the group as ‘rest breaks’, or ‘scenic vistas’. Everyone was happy, and that’s all that counts. We really had great weather for the cruise: tops were down everywhere. Convertible roof tops; what were YOU thinking.

I had decided to experiment with overexposed imagery and I’ve included a few here. Overexposing or high-key photography is tough in that you could go overboard and effectively have no image. but sometimes, out there at the extreme of overexposure, you find great abstract images of shape, colour and form. So get out there and experiment!

Glorious Jaguar E-Type

One of the cars participating in the Chappell Challenge Rally was a 1967 Jaguar E-Type. I just couldn’t take my eyes off of it. Which would explain the higher number of photos of that classic car when compared to the remainder of the cars at the event.

The car, owned by a long-time jaguar club enthusiast, has been well maintained, but has also been driven. The patina of use over the years may detract from the details, but to the people who admire these cars, as they were meant to be admired (driven), they are a badge of respect.

With the Chappell Challenge Rally starting at a Canadian Tire store, the clutter of other cars in the parking lot, ugly signs and buildings and more, do not a pretty photo make. I hope to get more time with this car so I can step back from it and admire it in more controlled circumstances.

Chappell Challenge Rally

Marcus Chappell was a keen Canadian rally competitor. He passed away before he was able to organize a rally for his local Ottawa Jaguar Car Club. In his honour, 6 local clubs came together to run the rally he had planned: BMW Car Club of Ottawa, Ottawa Jaguar Club, Ottawa Valley Triumph Club, Ottawa Mini Club, Ottawa section of the Mercedes Benz Club of North America and the Ottawa MG Club.

Despite, or perhaps because of the weather forecasts, it wound up spitting and drizzling the whole day instead of the partially cloudy forecast. Many of the competitors started out with tops down, but finally gave in and hoisted the lids at some point during the ling cruise way out into the boonies of Ontario. In scoping out potential photo locations, I’d driven the route the week before, so I can attest to the great roads that Marcus had chosen. The route started in Carleton Place, passed through Perth and headed out via Balderson, Elphin, Snow Road Station and Ompah to Plevna and back via a different Route.

And while the rally revolves around cars and driving, it’s really the friends and new people we get to meet, swap stories and get to know that make these events the success they are.

I’ve created a gallery for the participants to review and select images from. It is password protected. The password will be distributed, along with the link, later this week when all the images are posted. In the interim, the link to the gallery is here. For those who did compete, the password is the same as where the awards were handed out. The password uses no capital letters or numbers.

Dragon Boat Races

The 10th annual Carleton Place dragon boat races drew over 30 teams. The crowd of competitors was so large, it wasn’t immediately obvious if there were any spectators. There were: they were just over by the water watching the almost non-stop racing, and on-water shenanigans.

I had originally gone with two purposes: support my wife and her band, the Barley Shakers, and wander around looking for photographic opportunities.

Gorgeous weather, fun and eager competitors and lots of action are  good ingredients for an observant photographer.

Camp Quality Charity Drive

Storm Skies

The best skies are just before, or right after a storm. The best light is at sunrise or sunset. But the rare storm skies at sunset produce the most amazing backdrops: purples, reds, oranges and yellows. Add in an exotic sports car, a heart stopping motorcycle or a classic.

I’ll let the images do the talking.

Garden Compositions

An anchor in an image is vital to provide a reference and to encourage the eye to see depth. Without it some reference to depth an image is a flat, two-dimensional photo that does not capture the eye and stir the emotions. Just as in the best landscape photography, you need an anchor in the foreground to draw the eye and start the user’s path through the image.

An anchor can be as simple as a in-focus blossom or plant; without that anchor, the eye is lost and your viewer moves on. A shovel, a casually dropped pair of gloves, a wrought iron table and chairs also have the benefit of hinting at ‘people’. People are always more relatable, and that makes for more powerful imagery.  You can tap into that human reaction by adding a ‘touch of man’.

So if you are heading out to photograph the landscapes of a garden, take along some garden tools.

Why doesn’t my image fit when printed?

More and more people are consuming art through a computer screen: monitor, laptop, iPad and TV. In one way, this frees you, the artist, to crop and compose an image to suite your aesthetic vision. But when you (or your client) discovers the richness and tangibility of a print, it can be a struggle to translate that vision into common print sizes. Why even bother? You’ve given a really nice 8×14 print to Aunt Selma for her birthday. Maybe of her wee Scottie dog. She goes to Walmart or Michaels to grab a nice frame off the shelf. Oops. No 8×14 frames. Now you’re not Aunt Selma’s favourite anymore. Aunt Selma does not want to be bothered with the complexity and ‘expense’ of custom matting and framing.

So. What is an aspect ratio and what does this have to do with my photography? Or, why can’t I print an 8×14 of this photo? And what do I do about it?

I’ll just jump to the essence of the problem (besides, there is this wonderful internet thingy I keep hearing about, so look it up yourself. Okay okay, I’ve provided links). Your camera sensor (assuming a digital cam), has the same dimensions of a 35mm, but different dimensions than that sheet film from the 1950s. Despite the long history of 35mm and digitals, photo paper and commercial frames are still heavily biased towards these sizes: 4×5, 5×7 and 8×10 (thanks to Harry Nowell for the info).

I’ve taken an 8×12 image printed and framed on 8×10: the first shows the image shrunk to fit, and the second cropped to fit. I’ve also marked up some other compositions with the aspect ratios of common print sizes to highlight the composition challenges you face in capturing your vision.

Last stop: canvas wraps. With a canvas wrap, you need to leave 3-4 inches of an image to wrap over the edge of the frame. You can also have a white or black border make up the 4 inches instead of image. The last photo above, highlights both: the portion outlined in red shows the amount of image that would wrap around the frame. The right side shows that you could show the whole image, with the black portion wrapped around the frame.

So what can you do? Take print size into consideration when creating your composition ‘in-camera’. What, more? I’m already busy enough trying to remember everything else I need to get right. Yes, true. I hate to say it; practice makes most of those automatic, but it’s true. You can do it afterwards, but there is a strong chance that you can’t. Then what will Aunt Selma say when you’ve chopped her beloved Scottie’s nose off?

But wait, there’s more: as digital continues it’s popularity, more and more off-the-shelf frames are coming in those sizes.

Persective

I’ve just gone back over my previous blogs and discovered 11 separate references to perspective. It must be important. At least I think so. A different perspective on a common subject can create a very intriguing image. Of course it doesn’t always work: take a portrait of a woman from below, and she will not be pleased. But step behind a flower and you may have an image that most people do not see. You’ll still need all your vision and craft to create a truly stunning image: perspective is a tool in your kit, just as that nifty lens.

I’ve included three examples of the same or very similar flower, with roughly the same composition, but different perspectives.

Got an opinion? Drop a comment with your thoughts or suggestions.

Photographing a LOT of Clients at Once

I had a recent job photographing the students at the most recent BMW Car Club of Ottawa Advanced Driving School at Calabogie Motorsport Park: 181 students, instructors and racers.

So how do you handle 181 clients who’ve got their own completely full schedule? Pre-visualized shots: for each student at the school, I had decided that I wanted three types of shots: a ‘portrait’; a static shot on the track; and a panning shot while at speed. The next step is to pick the location(s) to shoot from. The final piece of the puzzle is the school schedule telling you where and when each driver will be.

Taking the photos in 34 degree heat (43 c relative and 50 c with reflected heat from the pavement), is the fun part. The real slog takes place in the evenings and after the shoot. Over the three days, between the 4 of us, we’d shot well over 9000 images. But wait, you might be thinking how on earth did they shoot 9000 images; there’s just no way unless they were blasting off hoping to get something. Nothing is farther from the truth: each car is on the track 12 times over a weekend. Each of these sessions is 25 minutes long. In that 25 minutes, each of the cars will have gone past you at least 5 times. If you are panning, you’ll shoot 6 frames for each 1-2 keepers (I’m at about 60% keepers when panning). Multiply that by 181 students and four photographers, and it adds up quick. My final published tally is 1851 images, providing an average of just over 10 images per car/driver.

If you want to try the challenge, there is a driving related event every day at CMP. On most days, anyone is more than welcome to watch from the public viewing areas.

Intentional Camera Movement

Have you ever pressed the shutter on a longish exposure and been unable to stand perfectly still, or even worse, been jostled? And then, looked at the image and thought: wow, I couldn’t'a done that if I tried. I know, because I usually tried. And failed.

I’ve always been fascinated by the images you can create by deliberately moving the camera. I’m not talking about panning, where the camera follows a subject. I’m talking about shooting a stationary object or scene, and while the shutter is open, moving the camera. Up until recently, I’d always forgotten about this technique: too wrapped up in the ‘standard’ shoot-em as a static or moving subject mode.

To push myself, I challenged a group of photographers to step outside their comfort zone and give it a whirl with photos shared by 21 August. Since then, I’ve been practicing. And it’s not easy: you need a suitable subject or scene, and then the motion depends on the subject, how long you’ll have the shutter open and any lighting that’s around.

A lot of my first attempts were blurred nightmares. Well, okay I exaggerate: I didn’t have nightmares. They had a tendency to be either completely boring with no discernible subject or scene. Others left me less than thrilled; not devastated, but eager to figure it out.

I think the trickiest part is to find a suitable subject. Practicing the technique helps you figure out what works and what doesn’t, so when you’ve got your scene or subject, start shaking that camera. Well, steady motions: circular, diagonal, vertical or jiggled.

In the past few days, though, I seem to have crossed a rubicon (is that even the right word?). I’ve had several turn out very well, producing other-wordly images that evoke very different emotions. Have a look at a few.

I’d been keen on seeing any images you have to share, so add a comment with a link to your image; facebook, flickr, your site, or any image hosting program.

For some more info and examples, check out this article intentional_camera_movement_photography.

Photographing moving cars for the first time

Barbara Mckenzie, Lou Truss and Sandra Finner joined me at the recent BMW Car Club of Ottawa Advanced Driving School at Calabogie Motorsports Park. After they’d had time at home, away from the 33+ degree heat, they all still reported having a great time and learned lots about car photography and panning in particular.

Many people think panning is pretty easy: just click the shutter and follow the subject. It is that technically simple, however it is a bit more complicated than that when it comes to execution as Barb, Sandra and Lou learned. Judging by their images, they started out with a near zero success rate: in other words, for every pan they did, they didn’t get one clear image. Someone (no names, no pack drill) even expressed dismay. However by the end of the day, they were easily getting a clear, crisp shot from each pan. A pretty good improvement; after all, you only need one good shot.

They’ve given me permission to share some of their images here. I’d also strongly recommend you visit their home sites and blogs. You won’t find too many car photos there, but you will find some stunning and creative imagery.

Come back for the next blog post: I’ll detail some of the challenges of working with 181 clients at the BMW Club driving school photo shoot, and share some images.

Where are they now: 2Hphotography Update

Harry Nowell has been, and continues to be a mentor for myself and other local photographers: he offers many photography workshops. For those curious about, or interested in a career, he has a proprogram designed to guide and assist you in entering the rarified (and busy) field of pro photography.

In any venture taking time, it is always a good idea to stop, take a break and look back at the progress you’ve made: you will be amazed at your successes. To that end, Harry recently showcased me and 2Hphotography in his blog: http://www.harrynowell.com/blog/2011/07/14/646-where-are-they-now/

And since it’s always about the photography, here’s a few recent event at Calabogie Motorsport Park.

Plans don’t always turn out

The guys at Martin Farms Mechanic (the last place I was photographing abandoned cars), suggested I head up to a field north of Renfrew. Being local boys, I figured they had a good grasp on what was up there. While preparing for the trip, I checked the route in Googlemaps and zoomed in for a satellite view: wow, lots of wrecks at the site.

But! Yes, isn’t there always a but? Some time in the last 30 years, a fellow moved in. He lived in a trailer in the field next door, and had spread out: gardens of vegetables, coops home to chickens, turkeys, rabbits and a racoon filled the gaps between the abandoned farm trucks and equipment. And the gear that was still there? Filled with boxes and other junk. Pretty much a bust for full-scale car photography.

So what do you do when your hopes and dreams are dashed by a cruel, cruel world? Well, for me, gruel is right out. Not even an option. If you can’t find some suitable subjects, try looking in close: narrow your field of view and look for shapes, textures and eye-catching contrasts.

Didn’t bring other lenses to help you capture these closer images? No? Doesn’t matter: use what ya brung: the exercise will help you get more familiar with the gear you’ve got, as well as force you into different perspectives.

Paul Nelson Photo Walk-about

Paul Nelson, owner of Photo Source, was a long-time member of the Carleton Place, Ottawa Valley, and Canadian photographic communities. His photographic influence and inspiration is carried on by the many customers, fans and friends who are a still active in the Lanark County arts.

Paul’s imagery was often based in his local town: Carleton Place, so a few fans from the Photography Matters group, held a walk-about photo-shoot in his honour. Not having met Paul, I do not know his photography, so I focused on my own exploration of subjects that would capture Carleton place: skylines, flowers, and architectural details. Thankfully, there is a splash pool down by the beach: that helped knock some of the heat out of my sun-scorched brain.

Images in the details

When you’re at a car show, it is usually very difficult to get a complete car in an image without tons of distracting ‘other stuff’: people, other cars and backgrounds.

You can still find that captivating photo if you look close. Move in closer to your subject and you’ll find loads of details and compelling compositions. They might not have been what you were hoping for, but, they can still be very beautiful or arresting. I know for me, I usually get a bigger kick out of a whole car, than just a piece. Same as a strawberry & rhubarb pie, I suppose.

To get these close shots, you’ll need a wider angle lens typically in the shorter focal lengths less than 50mm. Macro lenses won’t work. While they let you get close, they still have a very narrow field of view. Prime lenses (that stay at a fixed focal length and do not zoom) also provide an extra advantage: shallow depths of field when shot ‘wide open’ or at apertures under f1/2.8. You can use these wider apertures to minimize distracting aspects of the cars or bikes themselves and create a pleasing smooth backdrop to your subject.

Sunshine does not make the best backdrops

My morale is definitely higher when the sun is up and the skies are clear. Clear skies though, play havoc when it comes to photography: harsh shadows, severe reflections, blown out highlights and those plain, boring blue skies. Don’t get me wrong, I love a nice blue sky: great for top-down motoring, sunbathing and sunbather-watching. All of those are hard to do when it’s raining. Well, not necessarily hard to do, just beside the point when you are getting soaked.

Ah, but overcast or even better, just before or right after a storm, the skies are often filled with dramatic cloud formations. Now we’re talking fantastic photographic opportunities: you get interesting skies full of shapes and often great colours if you’re out at dawn or dusk.

I recently had the opportunity to photograph some great derelict cars in the middle of a thundering rainstorm. Sure I had to dodge under cover when the rain pounded so hard it was jumping back up a foot, and I needed to take care covering my gear, but the variable light and details in the clouds sure make up for it.

The wrecks here are on private property just outside Burnstown, Ontario. Many thanks to Martin Farms for access and support.

Remember, be polite, introduce yourself, ask permission and thank them afterwards: you’d like to go to places, others may have been before right? Plus, getting shot while trespassing is no fun.

At Speed

There are many ways to provide the sense of motion in an image: blur via panning, implied motion and actually capturing a vehicle in motion. The later is my favourite and what I plan on spending more time perfecting. It does require some investment in time and gear, but there is nothing like it when comparing the end results.

Earlier last week, Dave Smith and I got together late on Sunday night. My goal was to capture Dave and his M3 driving through the lit downtown core of Ottawa. It turns out that even at 11:30 pm on a Sunday night, there are a lot of other cars around. On the hunt for emptier, and smoother roads (the downtown core is incredibly bumpy), we wound up on Sussex: beautifully smooth roads, 4 lanes wide and empty of other traffic. Well, empty except for the RCMP who were curious why we kept passing the Prime Ministers residence. Nice gentlemen, who were truly curious.

Even though we’d tightened the camera and rig down as much as possible, the bumpy downtown streets still shook both my car and Dave’s car. As a result, the majority of the downtown shots had undesirable shake or blur. Sometimes it made for an interesting shot, but I tossed the majority as not acceptable. The last shot in this trio was shot in the downtown core. Sussex on the other hand, resulted in the majority of keepers.

So, what can I do to make even better motion shots? The downtown and sussex shots were done at 40-50 km/h requiring shutter speeds as slow as 1 second. That’s a lot of time to bounce over pot holes, veer around parked cars, spread out as far as possible, maintain a constant speed and distance from Dave all while ensuring that the camera was taking photos: I use a remote trigger to activate the shutter, but you still need to control when the photo is taken. Our next steps will be on smoother and wider roads at higher speeds: that will allow for shorter shutter speeds or longer blur. Keeping it all within the speed limits is not really a challenge, as there is quite the variety of roads in and around Ottawa. I’ll also be experimenting with a flash or two to help highlight the subject. Should be fun.

Oh and the next shoot will be really early in the morning too. Sigh.

Wildlife Photography with J David Andrews

Last weekend, I attended a wildlife workshop with J David Andrews. David is a published local photographer, who’s often seen in Canadian Geographic and Explore Magazine. The workshop organized through HarryNowell.com was spread over 2 days and 2 evenings. I was only able to attend the Parc Omega portion. I’ve been past Parc Omega many time, on my way to the race track at Mont Tremblant, but I’d never been into the park itself.

David had organized a late afternoon/evening visit; we were allowed to stay after close, and get out of our vehicles in normally restricted areas. Those privileges were primarily as a result of David’s experience guiding in the Canadian North and many wildlife expeditions.

Not withstanding the sub par weather, the workshop was a great opportunity to photograph gorgeous animals, that you would need many weeks of patience and travel, to experience in the wild.

One of the main learning points, was capturing the subject in a pose or composition that said ‘in the wild’. Many of the animals at Parc Omega, and any publicly accessible wildlife preserve, are conditioned to humans and have often come to expect food. So finding that moment where your subject looked more ‘wild’ than domesticated becomes the challenge.

And no one got eaten by a beaver. Or bison with laser beams for eyes.

Photo of the Month

One of my photos has been chosen as Reader’s Photo of the Month over at HarryNowell.com. Harry is a great supporter of the local photographic community and each month Harry showcases local talent.

Thanks Harry!

I’ve included 3 more photos from that shoot. To see the winning photo, follow the link

IMSA Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup Comes to Canada

Calabogie Motorsport Park (CMP) landed an impressive first: the IMSA Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup series held its first race in Canada, this past weekend. While the weather was poor, the attendance sparse and the fields of competitors small, next year’s event should be better as word spreads through the IMSA community.

The races were an excellent venue for many of Ottawa’s own to shine: Jim Hoddinott driving his green #59 SpeedMerchants/Fiorano Racing Porsche GT3 Cup car to third place, Perry Bortolotti taking first place in his #84 SpeedMerchants/Fiorano Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, and Mark Steenbakker driving #68 Ford Mustang, to name just a few who took part.

Racing is all about control and speed. To capture the essence of the race then, is all about capturing the speed. Panning is the main photographic technique to portray speed: the subject(s) are clear while the background is blurred. Panning sounds easy: just keep the subject in the frame while you follow with a slow shutter speed. The challenges come in when there are more than one subject, the subject(s) are not perpendicular to you, variable speed, and what distractions are in the background. Practice sure helps, and so does being aware of your surroundings: will there be passing here, how will the cars show against that line of tires or barrier and what will changeable weather mean for switching camera settings.

I’ve a great deal of familiarity with CMP, so my main challenges narrowed to finding a good spot in the restricted access allowed to spectators and setting up my camera. To handle the variable weather conditions and shooting locations, I had set three different sets of camera settings, allowing for a quick switch between them without taking the camera down and looking at them. I had one set to freeze motion with a very fast shutter speed, medium ISO and a shallow depth of field, a second for distant subjects where I wanted motion blur and a third for near motion blur. An example of when these three settings came in handy, occurred right at the start of the headline GT3  Cup race in the morning: rain and a lot of standing water meant a great opportunity for rooster tails of water. When the race started, I had the camera set to freeze the motion as the cars crossed the start line in a spray of water. A few rapid shots later, I switched to capture blur while the cars were still 200 feet away, and then switched to my near motion blur setting as the cars passed me. All in the space of 10 seconds, I had changed shutter, aperture, ISO, focus method, focus point selection and frame rate; all with the switch of one dial.

How can you prepare to photograph a race? Learn where you can go, get there early so you can watch the practices and decide which vantage points you like best, talk to the racers and get to know the guys (and gals) you’ll see out on the track and use the practice and qualifying sessions to work out the necessary camera settings in advance.

BMW Advanced Driving School

It’s been 2 years since I last attended a performance driving school, and it was good to get behind the wheel: a very rusty wheel, but, never the less, back on the horse. Or some such appropriate analogy. When not driving on the track, I took the opportunity to work for the BMW Club, photographing the event, drivers and action. Scott Martin and Joerg Bran also helped with the photography. Klaus Willroider, Don Anderson, Derek Lamoureux and Dave Smith also helped by lending their time and cars for some on-track motion photography: thanks guys, your cheque is in the mail.

My favourite style of automotive photography is panning. Motion is a very strong characteristic for cars and bikes: they were built to move. While some enthusiasts are keenly interested in displaying their cars, competing at concours d’elegance and other shows, many owners love to drive. Capturing the essence of the car in motion, can be achieved through implied motion (a single instance frozen in time) or panning (an extended duration where the camera follows the subject). The Digital Photography School has had a recent article and ‘how-to’ pan.

While you are photographing the cars, do not forget the owners and enthusiasts behind these beauties. They pour countless hours and passion into maintaining, showing and enjoying their chosen ride. The car is more than an appliance, or even a hobby, for them, is an extension of who they are.

Even though we were restricted to the public areas at Calabogie Motorsport Park, there are still some good spots to shoot from.

If you are curious about an Advanced Driving School, visitors are more than welcome to come to the BMW Club’s driving schools, see what is going on, talk to the organizers and go for rides with the instructors. So stop by. Or better yet, treat your spouse, partner or loved one with a registration as a birthday present: a BMW is most definitely NOT required.

Preparing for a Car Photo Shoot

Over the next several weeks, I will be spending a number of days at Calabogie Motorsport Park (CMP), just 45 minutes from Ottawa, Ontario. I’ll be there photographing the BMW Car Club of Ottawa’s Advanced Driving School, the BMW Motorcycle Club rider’s day, and the IMSA Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup weekend. SpeedMerchants, one of our local businesses will be competing in the Porsche GT3 Challenge cup race.

While preparing for the shoots, I thought I would share some of the things that need to be ironed out before going.

My first major action is to check and test the on-car camera mounts and equipment for stability, re-familiarize myself with the set-up and check the components for cracks and wear.

After that comes the packing lists. I won’t go into too much detail, just give you an idea of some of the things required in spending 12+ hours at a race track shooting cars, competitors, crowds and the general atmosphere:

Polarizers, Neutral Density filters (ND), bug spray (but not the rub on kind: it gets on the camera), lots of water, clothes for sunshine, rain, wind, hot and cold, wet weather camera protection, batteries, chargers, ladder, notepad, car cleaning supplies, screwdrivers and wrenches to remove licence plates and lunch money.

And that is all in addition to lenses, cameras, camera bags and the other usual paraphernalia of the photographer. At least I don’t need to bring any lights, diffusers or reflectors. Overall, it adds up to more than a trunk-full.

Simplicity in Shapes

Shooting abstract images can be as simple as reducing an object down to different shapes or colours. Our eyes take in a huge amount of detail from the world around us. From the photographer’s perspective, this often leads to cluttered and uninteresting images. One way of simplifying an image is to reduce the amount of distracting detail by focusing in on a subject. Another way is to completely ignore the usual rule about positioning and isolating a subject. Abstracts are non-representational  views of an object: you can’t tell what it is by looking at the photo. Abstracts can be simple shapes, colours, curves or lines, empty portions of the image balanced against texture or colour in unlimited numbers of compositions.

The April photo-challenge for my photography club is ‘abstract’. The only requirement of the abstract, is that you can not tell what is the source or subject of the image. The two images are up for votes. Take a guess by adding a comment. At the end of April, I’ll let everyone know what the images are.

My mother did guess the object in the second image, so it doesn’t appear to be too abstract.

Photographing abstracts can teach you how to see shapes and form from all the clutter that our eye sees. This is particularly helpful in car photography when you are trying to capture a small portion of the car: a fender, a sweeping line or colour transitions.

Canadian Auto Museum

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a great collection of automobilia from the early years of automobile manufacturing in Ontario and Canada. The Canadian Automotive Museum is located in Oshawa, Ontario, and occupies an original 1920 car dealership. Much of the building remains unchanged, which helps add to the atmosphere and places the vehicles in context. The museum contains a car or motorcycle manufactured from almost every year between 1898 and 1940, and a variety on up to the 1970s, that you are unlikely to have seen – or even heard of. A significant portion of the museum comes from the McLaughlin family: a Canadian auto manufacturer from 1905 to the early 1930s when Sam McLaughlin went on to become the president of Buick, then the president of GM.

The biggest challenges to photographing the cars in a museum setting range from low and difficult lighting, to very tightly packed cars. I hadn’t brought large backdrops or sheets to help isolate the cars, so I used a combination of image stitching and lighting to highlight the car or aspect that I wanted. Jorg Braun, a friend from the BMW Club, helped with the set-up, prep, tidy-up and provided suggestions on composition: I’m totally spoiled now and have to make sure I take along some keen and eager help next time I go shooting. Thanks Jorg.

After working out some of the techniques at the Canadian Automotive Museum, I plan on heading to RM Auctions, Legendary Motorcars, and a few other places where you can tour and see exotics, classics and legendary motor cars.

Many thanks to Jack Innes and Kim for access, and the time to photograph the cars.

Backyard Wildlife

Nature photographers often spend hours familiarizing themselves with behaviour, habitats, and where animals can best be found. And then you can get lucky, and they come to you. The Barred owl and Pileated woodpecker were in the backyard at the same time, and pretty much ignored each other; not so the other critters, I was surprised to see that after a while, the Chickadees and Downy woodpeckers started to ignore the owl as well. Can’t say the same about the jays and crows: what a racket. Of course that all changed when dusk arrived and the owl went on the hunt.

Both birds allowed me to get within 15 feet: neither birds were disturbed, as I didn’t try to get any closer.

Cars In The Studio

A typical photo studio gives you the ability to control your lighting and environment. There are some differences between portrait and car photography: you do run out of room really quickly when the subject is a car, as you need space for the car, space to step back for the shot and space to move the lights back from the car. And you probably don’t have enough lights. Lighting for a car is similar to lighting for a portrait, with some significant differences that I’ll mention below. I recently spent some time working out lighting set-ups with a fantastic black Ferrari 348, and learned a lot.

Main and fill lights work the same to provide the illumination on the main surface, and reduce shadows in the opposite ‘side’ such as the car’s nose in a three-quarter view. The major challenge involves watching for the reflections of the lights: a large enough diffuser combined with the light some distance away from the car, will help smooth and spread the light evenly over the whole surface.

Traditionally, separating the subject from the background can be accomplished with either a light shining down onto the top of the subject (hair light), or onto the background (kicker light). For most car colours, this works as expected. With a black car, on a black background, the light is soaked up, so you need to be able to position the light with the reflection seen by the camera. An easier way is to use a kicker light that will silhouette the outline of the car. You may also need several low-power kicker lights under the car to reduce shadow edges, to outline wheels, and to provide additional separation from the backdrop under the car.

Highlights: this is where you need lots of lights. The major difference from portrait photography is in illuminating the characteristics, lines and shapes. You will need to use spot highlights to bring out key aspects of the car: logos, wheels and other features. You wouldn’t shine a light onto a rather large nose: the client may not appreciate the generous nature of their nose. Finally, strip lighting will illuminate curves and provide accents through light reflections. And all of this while ensuring there are no reflections of light stands, you, equipment and surroundings in the car’s paint.

But when you get that all worked out (and you may need to do it in pieces and stitch it all together later), you’ll have re-created those automotive and motorcycle magazine shots we all see and drool over.

In the images here, the car is in a space the size of a two-car garage, and I am using a 45mm lens, positioned as much as 30 feet away. Warehouses make the best indoor automotive photography studio locations.

Winterlude in Ottawa

Ottawa’s annual Winterlude is underway down at Confederation park, Dows Lake and Jacques-Cartier Park in Hull, Quebec. In addition to the world’s longest skating ring on the Rideau Canal, Winterlude is also well known for it’s snow and ice sculpture competitions. Tuesday night, Alain Simard, Barbara Mckenzie and I spent a couple of hours ‘freezing our batteries off’ as we photographed the ice sculptures. Yes, it was the coldest night this year as temperatures and the windchill drove down to -30 celsius. At that temperatures, camera batteries last no longer than 90 minutes. Putting them into an inner pocket warms them up again, and they are ready to go for another 90 minutes. Another major concern is moisture: when you leave a warm building, any moisture on or in the camera, needs to cool down to the exterior temperatures before you can shoot.

Regardless, we were prepared and I snagged some great shots. The sculptures were illuminated with lights cycling through 5 different colours. Each colour set off the highlights of the sculptures in different ways. In other words, you had to stand there for upwards of 5 minutes waiting to see which light would work best with your current composition.

Low-key Automotive Photography

High-lighting the character of your subject is just as true with a car. What aspect, shape or line best defines the character of the car? What angle do most people find appealing or powerful or fun?

For the Ferrari 348, it is the sensuous rear flank: a gentle rising of the shoulder, curving and tapering into a small integral spoiler.

Working in the studio with a car requires lots of room, however I will go into that in my next post. You do get the opportunity to control the lighting completely. You’ll just wish you had more lights.

Surreal Water & Sacrificing the Body

Slowing down your photography is usually used to suggest that time taken crafting an image, results in a better image. Slowing down can also refer to longer exposures. As I mentioned in my recent post, I had a pond staked out as a great winter photo opportunity; there are also several small streams coming through the beaver dam. While not your rushing cascade of white-water, there are opportunities for some long-exposure imagery of water tumbling over rocks and ice. Add in the simplifying character of a blanket of snow, and you have lots of great potential.

I always come back to two of my major influences: Younes Bounhar and Harry Nowell. Harry has been instrumental in helping me slow down and craft the shot. Younes’ contribution to this post is two-fold: shapes, form and simplification, in addition to ‘sacrifice the body’. Well, he didn’t exactly say that. He implied that if you are not willing to get wet, you are missing a lot of opportunity. As with the ladder on the iced pond in my last post, leaning over and perching across a winter brook, certainly qualify.

The pond and stream of these two posts, just on the Carp Ridge, outside Ottawa, Ontario, has provided several great opportunities to practise my craft, train the eye and risk the body. One thing it does not provide is sunrise and sunset photography: the surrounding wood is just too close and thick to let light through it, and during the height of the day, it is hard to get a long exposure without blowing out the image. While that might be your goal, mine was to blur water to such as degree that it didn’t even look like water. That requires a very long exposure. This first image here, was a 45-second exposure, while the second was a 3-minute exposure. To get these during the day, I had a thick overcast sky to help, as well as 8-stop and 2-stop neutral density (ND) filters. Add in the required tripod, some warm weather gear, a willingness to fall into the stream, and a supporting and understanding wife on standby with a warm car, and all that remains is something to photograph. That’s where taking the time comes in. I spent about 45 minutes looking at different angles, tromping through brush, sliding on icy stones, taking a few test snaps, then over the next 30 minutes, I only took 8 photos at two locations; mainly getting the exposure and focus right where I wanted them.

Next time you are out there, start to think  about what you might be missing by not getting in the stream, up the lamp post or on a ladder on a frozen beaver dam.

Winter – A Great Simplifier

Winter is a great opportunity to craft some simple, yet compelling images. All of the complexity of nature is hidden under a blanket of gleaming white snow: no ragged grasses, sticks, twigs or other visual distractions. And possibly the best advantage, if you are a landscape photographer: sunrise and sunset, those moments of glorious light, are at more reasonable hours. Well, I think that 6:00 in the morning is better than 4:00. Snow and winter also bring their own challenges: glare, exposure, white balance, and of course, the cold.

While looking for a nice, stark tree to complete a commission, I was also keeping my eye out for potential locations for simple compositions. A simple composition sounds easy, but it turns out to be very hard to find. You want very little clutter, strong lines, good contrast, an obvious subject, suggestive shapes, and a nice play between shadow and light. Oh and a perspective that allows you to get as much of that as possible.

I had found a site with great potential: a small beaver pond with a few dead trees. My goal was to capture tension between trunks and shadows. My first visit, just after a fresh snowfall, was a bit of a wash, as the pond had been crisscrossed by several deer tracks: so much for no distracting elements. Another challenge I discovered on that first recce: there was no perspective that allowed me to avoid the cluttered pond shore. To get away from the complicating wood-line, I already had a solution: height. Harry Nowell had captured a compelling cross country ski race, by lugging a ladder along the course.

To get away from animal tracks, I needed to get back after a snowfall, but before the critters. I also needed the shadows to fall in a pleasing direction. After several trips, at different times of the day, I managed to get the two shots here. Of course, lugging the ladder across a semi-frozen swamp, through trees, across running streams, onto a beaver dam and into position, all at -10 degrees is a fun and entertaining story in itself.

The lesson? Once you find a spot with potential, visit it regularly through the season: as weather, circumstances, snowfall and a whole host of other variables change, you may get completely different images from the very same location. And my favourite lesson? I’ll be documenting the results of that, in the next blog.

How To Photograph Oil In Water

Or “Attention to Detail”. This is my first ‘how to’ post. Hopefully someone gets some value out of it, or at least a few clues to encourage them to give it a try. I look forward to seeing your results (and then learning from your experiences).

I had just finished reading Younes Bounhar’s article on how to photograph waves. You can find it in the latest edition of PhotoLife, which is a really nice (and Canadian) photo magazine. Taking some of his tips into my next project, I felt ready to attempt to tackle photographing oil and other liquids poured into water.

Liquid Gold

Tools: You can use as little as one light source that throws a decent amount of light. The more light, the more glow you get from the oil. My main source of light was the sunlight streaming in the living room window. I used 2 reflectors to bounce more light from different angles to create highlights and shadows. I also used my only flash to blow out parts of the background. To help simplify the background, I used a large piece of Bristol board. Experiment with different colours: fun for the whole family!

Water: The bigger the container, the fewer distortions and reflections. I used a square jam jar and had to be careful to rotate it, so there are no reflections of yourself or the lights. I also needed to wipe away bubbles that formed on the imperfections on the glass (you can see them in the test photo using dish soap at the bottom of the post. You can reduce these by smearing the insides with soap before filling.

Use lots of towels: If you knock something over, it will not only spill, but will also shoot out onto the nearest vertical surfaces that you don’t want covered in oil or food colouring. Lucky for me, food colouring dabs up nicely, but it still takes a lot longer than you want it to.

The set-up

One method of pouring the oil: my helpful spouse stepped in when I moved too far from the water to do it myself. I found I definitely needed to stay behind the camera for the shooting and slight focus adjusting during the pour. Optionally, if you have the ability, tether the camera to a laptop, you can see what the camera sees while you pour.

Tips: 1. Focusing ‘stick’; 2. Use a  DoF calculator to determine the camera distance for a given aperture; 3. Practise pouring before you shoot: I learned how much to pour, how many pours before needing to clean up, etc; 4. Place some coloured objects on or near the jar to reflect coloured highlights into the oil; 5. You want oil that floats, so that the poured oil fights to get back to the surface; motor oil will just zoom right to the bottom; 6. Olive oil has a great golden glow under strong sunlight.

The steps: 1. After you’re all set-up and have practised, manually set the focus: I used a stick to focus on before placing the water and oil. 2. Lock down your camera settings: white balance (I used sunlight), exposure (1/250 or faster to freeze the motion) and aperture (f16), fastest shutter speed (I used 3 frames per second) to make sure you get that ‘shot’. If you have a point&shoot, the sports setting is probably your best bet. Reviewing a histogram is the best way to ensure an even exposure, 3. Check your lighting with a test shot or live view: no reflections, no distracting shadows, bubbles, blemishes etc, 4. Have your pouring assistant pour while you snap away, adjusting focus as necessary. Repeat and repeat. It may take a while to get a good shot: I used about 1/2 cup of olive oil over a number of pours.

You can do this with just about anything. I experimented with dish soap for some wild and crazy strings, or food colouring for some great smoke-like shapes. Just as I’m finishing this post, I watched a great video tutorial over at Learn my Shot. This next shot is a test shot using dish soap: I ultimately didn’t use dish soap for the final shots as it was pretty hard to get a simple, clean image, as you can see:

Dish soap - Test Shoot

I’m keen to hear how your experiments went, and to learn any lessons or tips you may have. Have fun!

Novel Perspectives

I’ve mentioned before about wandering around looking at all angles and directions for ‘the shot’. You also want to try to find a perspective that people do not normally see.

Strive To See The Ordinary

We are awed by things we’ve never seen: foreign lands, strange cultures and unique peoples. We immediately think that we’d love to have an opportunity to create a photo like that. Then the next thought is: too bad there is nothing like that around here. Seeing the extraordinary is only a short step from what is in front of us: we just don’t see it because it is commonplace. The people, plants and animals we have right here are exotic to someone who lives in a distant land or culture. If we can learn to see the ordinary, we can create exotic and compelling images. Robert Hall said: “Art helps us see with new eyes what we knew was there but never really recognized”.

I was reminded of this lesson, in a round about way, while attempting to craft an image of balls of oil seen through a glass jar. While cleaning up, I saw the oil balls from above: the lines and light created smooth organic shapes. I quickly reset everything for this perspective. The moral of the story? Always look at your subject and what is around you, from more than just the “standard way”.

Another perspective that’s important to the photographer is to “turn around”: there may be a more compelling image right behind you, or on the way to your planned location. I shared an example back in the summer. Younes Bounhar is very good at seeing both the ordinary and the stunning. I highly recommend you visit him and enjoy his photography.

2011 Wallpapers and Calendars

I’ve posted 4 wallpapers that are free to download. Gardeners and car enthusiasts should find something classy and simple. Each one is also a 2011 calendar, so please help yourself. I plan on adding a few more over the coming weeks.

Please help yourself and feel free to make suggestions or requests.

How To Photograph Your Car

I had the opportunity to share some techniques and pitfalls when photographing your car. I’ve been a member of the BMW Car Club of Ottawa since 1997 and gotten to know many auto enthusiasts and amateur snappers, so it was a great opportunity to share vision, creativity and tips and tricks.

What exactly are some of the things to watch for? There are the usuals such as background distractions, dissecting lines and poles or trees sticking out of rooflines. Other gotchas related to cars are unwanted reflections, including your own, windows overly reflective or not as the desire may be and distracting stuff on the car: stickers, license plates, holes, dirt and more.

Making a car photo compelling requires a few considerations: shoot no lower than the lowest part of the body, or shoot from headlight/wheel hub height or driver height. If none of these provide a compelling shot, then go high. Simply put: do not do the ‘walk-up’ shot.

With permission of the authors, I’ve included a few photos of the great stuff that came out of that morning shoot.

I also have to thank Chris and John of WCD and the Carp Airport for the use of their facilities, hanger and sticky buns. Chris Wilton supplied the aircraft.

Stay On Top of Local Photographers

If you have a desire to know what is going on in the local photography community, Ottawa Studio Works provides a weekly roundup of the past week’s activities and presents them in a consolidated and direct format. My activities have been highlighted there, but so have many other local photogs; established and new to the business. OSW compiles the list every Friday, so check it out. They also offer studio rentals that can used for photo shoots, social events and client meetings. Check them out. OSW is run by Harry Nowell Inc, who is quite active in promoting local arts and businesses through his highly recommended photographic workshops, and the Working Creatives Group run out of Chelsea.

Harry Nowell teaching during his Natural Lights workshop

Award Winner – Man’s Impact on Nature

Well, it’s official, I can announce that one of my images won 3rd place in the Outdoor Photography Canada Spring Photo competition. It is published in the latest edition which should be on the shelves now: both published and an award winner in one fell swoop. Please note that the edition is the Fall/Winter edition. It has a gorgeous canoe and lake image on it by Wayne Simpson.

I am very impressed with the quality and content of the magazine that I am going to let my Outdoor Photography subscription lapse, and start Outdoor Photography Canada. The two magazines are not related, despite the similarity in names. An added benefit is that the magazine is Canadian.

If you want to maximize your chances of winning a competition, there are judging guidelines from the Canadian Association of Photographic Arts (CAPA). I’m not going to list them all. Instead I’m going to provide a super simple list of things to consider. Keep in mind that judges may have as little as 10 seconds to view your submitted image: it pays to keep it simple.

1. Wow factor – 4 points

2. composition – 3 points

3. technical – 3 points

The judge’s first impression is ‘wow’. Given the 10 second limitation, they need to get the impact right away. If you don’t have this, you’ve probably lost. After that, they then quickly assess composition factors: clear subject, colour, negative space etc. Finally they look at the technical aspects of the image: exposure, focus etc. All in 10 seconds, so they do not dwell on any factor, nor do they look at a lot of the factors in composition or technical.

Finally, different judges will view the same image differently. If a competition has more than 1 judge, then the system above can balance things out.

The last thing to keep in mind? Judging is a very hard task, so cut the judges some slack and appreciate the final winners on their own merits. Final, last thing? Keep submitting! And good luck.

Enjoying the Light Pollution - 3rd Place winner OPC competition: Man's Impact on Nature

Compelling Images Capture Emotions

The majority of compelling imagery are usually documentary style photos depicting human emotion. We all appreciate beautiful landscapes, stunning cars or well-crafted artistic artworks, however we will always respond the strongest, to images that capture human emotion. We relate or respond to emotion, so all great photographs tend to stir an emotional response.

By temperament, I’m more of an opportunistic photographer: I’m not yet so bold, as to be able to interact with complete strangers. I need to have a relationship established, or a suitable scenario before I feel comfortable. My most recent shoot with the Carp Airport and West Capital Development gave me an opportunity to be comfortable photographing firemen, police, paramedics and other emergency responders while they ran an exercise, drills and training. In addition to my primary role as documenter, I had the flexibility to seek out and record the human perspective.

Looking at these images, I am continuously impressed with the commitment of our emergency responders. As I mentioned in the previous blog, the teams are dedicated, skilled and calm. So I was surprised by how much care the teams displayed during an exercise.

The next time, you interact with these folks, keep some of these thoughts in mind and help them out. They care a lot, despite ugly, difficult jobs. Again, thank you to the men and women of the Carp and Ottawa paramedics, volunteer fire departments and police forces, as well as WDC and Carp Airport for the opportunity.

Emergency Responders Exercise – Carp Airport

We are in safe hands. Yesterday, I worked with West Capital Development and the Carp Airport in documenting their emergency preparedness and response exercise. Comprised of airport staff, local fire departments, police and paramedics from the Ottawa Valley and representatives from the local press, the exercise allowed the teams to practice together, iron out any potential issues and train the junior members of the teams.

My impressions? There is no rushing, only competence and deliberate action. These are the men and women who will respond if we are in an emergency situation, whether it be fire, crash, or medical. We are in safe hands.

The other thing I learned? I do not want to be a newspaper reporter/photographer. I spent some time with Nevil Hunt of ORMG who reports for the West Carleton Review and Tiffany Lepack reporting for the EMC. We talking shop and I watched them interact, interview and discuss the most recent local current events with the emergency teams and Eli El-chantiry, Ottawa Ward 5 Councillor who was recently re-elected. My preference for documentary photography, is spending an extended period with teams, getting to know them, their personalities and what fills their days on that team. That’s no surprise: having spent 10 years in the army, I know team dynamics and personalities well.

Oh, photography, yes, another great learning opportunity: variable lighting from deep-darkest night to high powered stadium floods run off generators. From flash to low-light hand-held long exposures. Overall, I still prefer available light, but I am getting more comfortable with the abilities and shortfalls of flash. For example, flash and emergency teams equipment do not mix: everything and everyone is covered in highly reflective tape which fools the flash-equipped camera into a lower flash power output.

Keeping to the spirit of documentary photography, I’ve not altered the images in any way: raw, gritty and serious.

Please keep in mind that the photos here are of an exercise. There were no injuries and all the actors washed up and went home.

Many thanks to Ray Kucharik, Airport Manager and John Phillips, WCD owner and principle.

Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake GT500 photo shoot

Roger and I met at the Carp Airport for the first shoot location with his beautiful GT500. I’d chosen the site for several reasons: I wanted a location with a clear and unobstructed sunrise, an industrial feel to accentuate the grey of the car and to scope out a large location where I can run a “how to photograph your car” tech session with the BMW Car Club of Ottawa. The day started perfectly if a bit cold and at 5:30 am. by getting there 90 minutes before sunrise, I was able to spend enough time to find my angles, that when Roger arrived, I was able to get  the shots I wanted without worrying about finding angles before the 15 minutes of light passed by. Even still, the sweetest light lasted only 3 minutes and 6 of the 12 shots failed. As Roger has a personalized plate which is as much about the car, I left it on the car. I’ve removed it from some of the shots on the web for privacy reasons.

The goal of the second shoot location was to find a natural setting along with a sunset. Well, the weather didn’t cooperate as much: the sun disappeared behind a weather front about 30 minutes before sunset. Luckily, we again had arranged to be there early and I got a couple of images with the last of the available light.

Overall, the shoots went very well and are prime examples of plan ahead, be early, get ready. I hope you enjoy the images here and in the main web and gallery pages.

Many thanks to John Phillips of West Capital Developments for access to the airport and their hangers.

Ferrari 348 Sunset Photoshoot

Mario and I recently spent a few hours with his gorgeous rosso corsa Ferrari 348 ts. As many know, sunset has glorious light: both soft and golden in hue. Many don’t realize that there are many other available colours if you stay behind: violet, indigo and others. We arrived at the selected location along the Ottawa River parkway an hour in advance. Arriving early gives you time to find a suitable pose, clean up the site, position the car, experiment with different lens and perspective combinations and balance the tripod on the picnic table you relocated for the purpose. And the changing nature of the light wrecks havoc with the white balance.

As the sun sets, you have a 15 minute window with the golden light. You then have another 30 minute wait for the sun to drop below the horizon and the deeper blues of the early night sky. Of course, none of this may occur as clouds may roll in and block any available light or clouds may roll out removing any interesting sky and colours.

We had a great couple of hours chatting, comparing hi-tech employment stories (it turns out we both work in the same field), and becoming friends. We also shared our mutual enthusiasm for the Ferrari 348, the history of Mario’s 348 and cars in general.

Capturing the Excitement of the Fair

To me, the fair has always meant fun and a whirlwind of motion, smells and sound. I’m only a short distance to the Carp Fair which turned 147 this year. Billed as Canada’s Biggest Little Fair, it’s stuffed with everything you could want: midway, mini donuts, tractor pulls, horse shows, exotic animals, RCMP Musical Ride and 18 hours of music each day. This year’s fair saw Colin James and Chilliwack as big name talent. Well, of the bands I recognize.

Best laid plans and all, I had planned to spend the majority of Thursday night at the fair, looking to capture the essence of the midway. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard and without the patrons, the midway shut down at 9:30 instead of the scheduled 11 pm. That left me with 15 minutes of shooting and wiping the lens. I have an Optic rain guard to keep the lens dry, but that doesn’t keep the front glass dry when shooting upwards.

A Day in the Life of your Mechanic

One of my long term dreams in photography is to be able to capture the essence of an organization or team: what they are about, what they do and achieve and the enjoyment they get. Prasad, A fellow photographic traveller captured the courtesy that needs to be inherent in photojournalism: “My journey through photojournalism will begin with a smile and a hand shake, not the sound of a shutter”. A great piece of advice for anyone looking to photojournalism that I’ll work hard to live up to.

I spent half a day with the boys at Autovation; a business run by Derek Lamoureaux, located in Stittsville, Ontario. I take my cars to Derek, as a result, I’m familiar with Derek and his crew. That makes it easier to blend in and be less of a distraction.

I had a very definite look and feel that I wanted to achieve with the images from this shoot: grunge, dirty and oily. Derek’s shop is far from that, so don’t let these images fool you into thunking his is not a professional shop: it is and Derek’s honesty (and competency) is why he has a loyal customer base.

Simple Household Subjects

Following on from my Expand Your Horizons post, I’ve been prowling the house looking for more subject material.

‘Fred the fish’ here, is a souvenir of our recent trip to Newfoundland. When I look for interesting subjects, I look for backgrounds that are very simple or plain: supporting colours are also important for the composition. ‘Fred’ makes a great high-key subject, so using the available light and a white base and background and a small reflector to brighten his face, I’ve got a good macro subject.

Look for shapes that stand on their own: ignore the colours, tune out the backgrounds and get down close.

Expand Your Horizons

There are a lot of artists that I find inspiring. You can find many of them on the right side in the ‘blogroll’. I try to explore the photography, art and design  of others on a regular basis. Not only do they provide opportunities to see the world differently, or suggest new compositions to try, but they also can be absolutely mind blowing.

Recently I found the art of David Trautrimas. A Canadian located in Toronto, David’s recent imagery is made up of common items found in the kitchen. With this inspiration in mind, I went looking for some of my own ‘kitchen scenes’.

Black & White Prints Falling Short?

Creating a Black & White image that excites me has been very hard to date: I feel I have not yet gotten the hang of seeing in ‘tones’. Darwin Wiggett recently interviewed Cole Thompson on his B&W imagery. Cole’s images absolutely floored me. I have subsequently signed up to Cole’s blog and while reading through his recent posts, came across this one that talks about pitfalls in getting to a B&W print compared to what we see on a computer or camera screen. Visit his site for stunning photography and the post for the complete text. The messages I’m taking away are:

1. Your camera screen and computer monitor are backlit while a print is reflected light.

2. Contrasts within the photo are the life blood of B&W

3. Whether it be in-camera or post production, always watch your luminance histogram for a good spread across the whole range

4.  Getting the contrast you see on screen to the printer will require more blacks, whites and contrasts. and

5. Experience and experimentation as always so shoot shoot shoot.

Gaining experience is as simple as shooting more. It sounds pedantic and you probably feel the same way I did when I first heard it: “what the heck are they talking about” was my thought. Well, the more images I take, the more I learn what I like, what the scene looked like when I took that shot and which ones worked and didn’t work. For B&W, I’ve learned (several times), to convert a bunch of photos into B&W and see how they look. After a while you get an idea what tonal values are hidden in the colours, and you’ll start to train your eye to see contrasts. Also, keep your eye out for people like Cole Thompson or Younes Bounhar who you can learn from: either via workshops or through their imagery. From there, the step to B&W prints that meet your expectation is another short hop requiring more practice.

I have a long road to travel and am excited about the journey itself. See you out there.

Silver M3 Photoshoot

Dave and I spent a few hours on the weekend shooting his ride. Dave takes a lot of pride in his ride and so he should: he’s built it up to maximize the performance and style of his car. To me, Dave’s M3 presents menace, power, capability and thrill without being ‘over the top’ or the derogatory ‘ricer’.

We started with an abandoned road works gravel “shed”, then moved on to Fitzroy Harbour and their fire station. Thank you to the fire hall for the use of their space.

The day was overcast so didn’t need to worry about harsh light, however the clouds did create a lot of reflection in the windshield. Most of the time the polarizer worked well. Other times I was positioned with the sun in line with the shot. Taking more time to wait for the sun to move (I couldn’t rearrange the walls and other compositional aspects) would create an even better image. The lesson is that the location of the sun is just as important as the type of sky> Ideally, dawn or dusk and the 45 minutes before and after is the best light for just about anything photography related.

Have you got a ride you are passionate about? Immortalize it.

Finding Inspiration in Newfoundland – Viking Trail

We spent the previous week touring up the west coast of Newfoundland. While the main purpose of the trip was to sight see and explore with my wife and mother, I managed to squeeze some ‘photography time’. Since I had lugged 40 lbs of camera gear, I was determined to spend it photographing the sights, people and sounds of Newfoundland.

One of my dilemmas was whether I should bring my tripod or not. For landscape, especially sunset shooting, a tripod is an essential tool. So I knew I needed one. My dilemma comes from the fact that I have an old Manfrotto 055. It’s a monster of a tripod and is too long to fit into my luggage. I didn’t want it getting damaged either. My compromise? I left it behind, and went straight to a store when we arrived. As luck would have it, I had messed up the rental car booking and we had to get to Corner Brook to rent a car. So a trip to Walmart and a $30 tripod later, we are on our way and I’m happy: a tripod I can loose, wreck and generally not care about. That lack of worry came in handy when I was knee deep in salt water and waves during the long exposure shooting at The Arches. The funny thing was it cost me $20 in shipping to send it home.

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I do. For more, you are invited to visit my facebook page

Anchors Aweigh

Anchors Aweigh is by far, my fondest memory of our trip to Newfoundland. At the heart of it, they are entertainers who just happen to play Newfoundland music. Their show lasted for over three hours, and truly made the audience feel at home and a part of the event. They also took a chance and played a song with my wife. She played the Irish whistle and led the group to fantastic approval by the audience.

The ‘house band’ at the Ocean View Hotel, Anchors Aweigh play three nights a week over the summer. The shows sell out several days in advance, and I highly recommend you spend a evening with them.

Shooting a live band is very challenging: very low light (most of the images here are at ISO1600), tough locations and angles, bright spots and coloured light. I used automatic white balance during the shoot and then used ‘spot colour’ to designate a true white in one image. I then stamped the white balance adjustment across the other images.

Experimenting with Art

While at the BMW Car Club of Ottawa’s Advanced Driving School last week, I was inspired to create some art based around the images I was capturing. The event was held at Calabogie Motorsport Park (CMP) and is an annual affair that I’ve been involved in since the track opened in 2003. I’ve logged a lot of miles on this track as both an instructor and a driver. However this past school was the first time I was a spectator with the explicit goal of automotive photography.

With all the exotics, high horsepower sports cars, nimble little 2 seaters and family cars, I started to relate to the vehicles in simple, single word concepts: power, speed, fun, control, traction, roar, and many others. Associating those cars with the experience of owning and driving them, the concept for the series leapt into my eye almost fully formed.

These are the first two images in the ‘Power Word Series’. They are my initial foray into the art beyond the plain image and I’m pretty excited with the results. I hope you find them intriguing enough to comment and make suggestions for future ideas.

Adding a Human Touch To Your Photos

One way to help draw your viewer into an otherwise “plain” image, is to add a human touch. A plain garden shot will be empty of live and of little interest to anyone except the gardener. Add a prop and you suggest there is a story element. In this garden photo, the chairs in the foreground, anchor the image, but it is just a record of the scene.

An un-engaging photo

If a glass of cool drink were on the table, it could suggest that someone has just stepped away. Our viewer would be intrigued and wonder who was there or where did they go?  If you are like me and recognize this after you have visited a place, go back and do it again. The light may be different, you can add touches of life and you can get a completely different image. For the sake of this blog, I’ve added the bottle in post-production. When I have returned to the scene, I’ll take another image with glasses and a jug and perhaps other “props”.

A composite "test" image

Next time, when you are composing an image, look for objects that need to be removed (the lamp I removed in the lower left), also think about what could be added to strengthen a scene.

Adding Impact to Your Image

A challenge with any photo is bringing a sense of impact to the composition; whether it’s a gorgeous palette of colours (as Younes Bounhar has shown here) or emphasizing a particular aspect of a subject (as shown by Richard Thompson here), a simple image with a strong subject, is always more powerful.

Of course, as photographers, that is our main challenge. Practice and study are the two main ways to build your “eye”. With that in mind, I’ve been out building my portfolio and practicing.

Coming Storm

With this photo I wanted to emphasis the power of the monster motor in the Dodge Viper. I think the overcast day and a very low perspective impart that sense of menace.

Spaces of Wonder

While celebrating our 11th anniversary, I stumbled across an amazing space. It has been almost a decade since I visited the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum. As a result, I had no idea this space existed: The Royal Canadian Air Force memorial, located inside the main hall of the museum. Originally at the museum for a biplane tour of the Gatineau Hills, Laura and I had just finished wandering around viewing the exhibits that caught our eye, when I noticed a curved wall ending with a glimpse into a silver walled space.

As very few people seemed to know about the space, I was able to spend a mostly interruption free half-hour soaking up the peaceful space. The memorial also has meaning for me as my dad had served in the RCAF until he passed away. I’ve only encountered two other places (so far), that had the same feeling of serenity: early morning at Pulguksa (or Bulguska) Temple in South Korea and a drizzly spring afternoon on Parker Ridge in Banff National Park. I’ve been in wilderness and lots of places, and while they can be empty, peaceful, remote, quite, contemplative and more, they often lack simplicity.

I had taken along my ultra wide angle lens which fit the space perfectly as you can see in these images.

I would recommend a visit to see and feel this space and craft some memorable abstracts and architecture imagery. While there, you can discover much of Canada’s aviation history for free: the only fees are for tours of the displays. Go for the biplane ride: flying in the 70 year old craft, you’ll get a sense of adventure from a long gone era in aviation.

This Photography Passion

For those like myself who hope to, are or struggling to make a living with this passion of ours, the world of low cost competition has arrived. Whether it be the hobbyist with no other ambition to make a few bucks on the side, or customers who cannot perceive the value of “you”, the photography business is under pressure again.

Here are my thoughts and response to a post by ANDREA JOKI on her blog Ajaton Joki. Visit her site: her photography is stunning.

This is a critical issue for those of us photographers making, trying and hoping to make a living in photography. It’s a question of perceived value. The average person will always choose price. That’s why the majority of the stuff we buy is made in China. What do we do about it?

First, we recognize that this trend will never change. Digital has brought this trend to photography. It’s already doomed the small mom & pop stores (box chains sell cheaper and have it all in one spot).

Second, we accept that the people who cannot see the value we provide in our product or service, will never be convinced otherwise. And this is especially true if they feel, or even can imagine they can do it themselves.

And thirdly we accept that there will be hobbyists who will sell their stuff for less than market value. I disagree with Andrea here: these people will never go out of business: they are not in a business to go out of. It’s a hobby, extra cash in the pocket and the thrill of selling something. Many of them are very good.

So what do we do? Examine our services, products, branding and markets. Are we in the right spot? Is there a market consisting of people who see our value? Is our value a significant differentiator? Are we maintaining a relationship with our clients?

All these factors need to be examined with a critical eye and adjusted accordingly. It is hard and will require a great deal of work. In the tech business, there is a phrase: innovate or die.

We need to innovate or evolve our product, value and markets. We need to stay on top of the “care and feeding” of our clients, new and old.

And since we can’t have a post with some imagery, here is a recent image capturing one of my favourite themes: colour.

Car Dealership Photos?

Do you have photos of your car or bike that look like they came from an auto dealer: flat, blah “walk-up” pictures? You can add some spice by changing up the perspective, adding motion or emphasizing an attribute that represents your ride. Adding context can also go a long way to adding emotion into an image. I believe a great image inspires emotion in the viewer: feelings of pride and passion, memories or events. I’m always on the lookout for settings that will emphasis the car or bike: a long winding grass-lined driveway through trees would  suit a gorgeous candy apple red Corvette. Or picture a Dodge Viper surrounded by massive earth movers: both powerhouses of torque capable of shredding the earth; a Bentley down by the docks of a sailing club; a Chevy Silverado at a construction site or in a field of mud. Of course, you’ll not have access to many of the places, but sometimes a polite request will get you a long way. If not, it’s always possible to ask forgiveness and promise not to do it again.

You can also make your images and photos standout by exaggerating some aspect of the image: exposure, colour or special effects like sepia or duo-tone to name a few.

Play, experiment and try new things: as long as you get away from those stereo typical “seen that a million times” car photo and create a “wow” picture.

Getting To Print

Many times, we’re wrapped up in achieving the perfect image: composition, colours, lines, subject, background and more. Printing has just as much complexity: monitor and printer colour spaces, print profiles for media, calibration, coatings, viewing distances and more. I’m currently working my way towards a journeyman’s understanding to maximize the quality of my prints.

I’ve chosen this photo as one of my baseline prints because it has an incredible transition from yellow through orange, blue and purple. The photo was taken from Constance Bay, looking towards the city of Ottawa. Time was about 9:30pm in early April. Returning from a sunset shoot that petered out, I noticed the city lights reflecting off low cloud. I could barely see the umbrella, and could not see the blues and purples at all. A 3 minute exposure brought out the rich colours and lightened up the sandy beach nicely.

I particularly love the juxtaposition of the umbrella and beach chair. We would normally associate this idyllic scene with a beach in the Florida Keys or a Caribbean island. Instead we find it on a river, looking not towards a gorgeous tropical sunset, but towards light pollution.

Hazeldean Cruise Night

Car and bike enthusiasts of all types gather every Tuesday evening at the Hazeldean Mall in Kanata, Ontario. Running all through the summer, a good, warm and clear day will see over 150 cars, bikes and trucks. Most of those taking part have been coming for years, however they are still very approachable. I got to chatting with several of the owners as well as Eddie, who was manning the vehicle entrance to the lot.

Barley Shaker Gig

The Barley Shakers recently performed at the Almonte Old Town Hall in aid of the Danny O’Connell Memorial Fund.

The Barley Shakers, specializing in Irish and Scottish music, have been playing gigs and concerts across West Carleton, Lanark County and extended Ottawa city for the past 5 years. Organized as pool of musicians, any event may see a wide-ranging line-up, since the musicians attend concerts as their schedules permit. You can find more information on the Barley Shakers and news on their concert schedule on their web site.

Crumbs of Value

Marketing isn’t always the straight forward tempt/bully/selling of/to a potential demographic. Sometimes it’s better to leave little “crumbs” behind that then intrigue people to call. And if it is always in their sight or they come across it at appropriate times…an association with you or your services/product can be established. Robin Andrews of Unposed first put the idea into my head.

It can be as simple as a business card left behind or on a bulletin board or as complex as a photo book left at a company that their customers may see and browse. I’ve chosen several initial ways that add value to the potential customer:

Fridge magnet calendars. I’ve included high resolution images for you to download: click on the image and a new window will open.  Click here for more free stuff

I’ll may also leave/selling packets of 5 cards with envelopes at senior’s residences and local gardening stores, and photo books at nurseries. For the car clubs, I’ll be creating “hero cards”: cards of their marque that show off a car and have details on the reverse side.

Pastels

Spring is itching to burst onto us. I just know it. My gardens are peeking out with only a few hardy tulips blooming…. Until then, I’ll continue to exercise my passion

Pastel Tulips

Working with the cut flowers also gave me the opportunity to try out some techniques for controlling stray flowers and petals. Some ideas worked – small bendable wires. Some ideas didn’t – string.

What is in a Name?

While preparing my canvases for the 11 April 2010 Naked In The House show, an epiphany occurred to me: should a photograph have a title? If a photograph is intended to generate an emotion or just document an event, should that message not be clear and unambiguous and generated by the interaction of viewer and photograph? That certainly is the position of the purist camp.

Backing up a bit, what exactly can a title bring to the viewer? A title can expand on the message within the photo. It can illuminate or focus the viewer on an initial focal point. A title can also provide an insight into what the photographer was thinking and feeling while experiencing the moment captured. And isn’t that the main goal of the photograph?

Ultimately, naming or titling an image is another tool a photographer can use to support their vision. It is up to the photographer to decide what a title will bring to a viewer’s experience and if it will hinder or support that experience.

Does this image stand on it’s own? I feel it is best left untitled: the image leaves the viewer to pursue their own thoughts and emotions while a title would constrain to viewer.

Without a title, this next image is interesting but quickly looses the viewer as it has no real or implied subject. I’ve entitled it Raku as I feel that sets the viewer’s frame of reference. The viewer now has a starting point and can marvel at the detail of the paint and the mystery of what thoughts guided the potter. If the viewer is unfamiliar with Raku pottery, perhaps they are enticed to investigate, further involving them in the image.

Raku

Thanks to Alan Mirabelli for the opportunity to experience to grow as a photographer and artist.

For me, it will come down to the crafting of each image on this photographic journey of mine.

First Crocus of Spring

The favourably warm temperatures have not only gotten us out walking without jackets again, it has also brought the early flowers to bloom. The start of my photography season is here.

I spent most of yesterday afternoon on my belly in the mulch. At one point I was digging holes into the garden to make sure I could get the camera as low as I needed.

The Inner Image

In my last post I mentioned “seeing through to the image”. This example was taken during the same architecture workshop as the previous posts. It started as a non-representational photo of the side of a sculpture from fairly close. The curves caught my eye as they flow into each other and suggested a mouth; albeit with several extra lips. The upper curves are from the eye lid of the sculpture which is just off the top centre of the image. The bottom portion blends very smoothly as there are no sharp angles: the hard edges serving as a counterpoint to the smooth blended edges. I knew there was an image there and I had an inkling of what it looked like. By focusing in tight, two competing images come to mind: a face and dunes. After some adjustments I found my reached “through to the image”. I’ll let you decide if it’s a face or sand dunes.

In the future, this image will be in the back of my mind as I explore the world looking through for my next opportunity.

Architecture as a Path to Landscape

One of the major take-aways that I got from working with Younes Bounhar was that architecture photography is a fantastic path to developing your eye for composition. Artificial structures provide an opportunity to strip away what can be extraneous, and focus right down to bare essentials in a way that a landscape may not allow. This might result in only a few components remaining or all the way to an abstract image. This act of focusing down to the essentials is applicable to any type of photography: a leading line is a leading line. When you start out trying to photograph a landscape, seeing those leading lines may be difficult: the forest for the trees.

Simplifying an image may be as simple as removing colour or boosting exposure, or using a telephoto lens to compress depth of field into a perceived single layer or focusing in on a smaller area.

or motion bluring a forest to hide the leaves leaving the tree trunks.

So look beyond what your eye sees and look through to your image. Look for the leading lines, curves and shapes. Play with settings on-site and in post-processing. Take those resulting images and try to visualize them during your next outing.

Good shooting!

Architecture with Younes Bounhar

I’m halfway through a 2 day workshop with Younes Bounhar. Focused on patterns in architecture, there are many opportunities for amazing imagery in the shapes, patterns, textures and contrasts in the buildings we pass on a daily basis: if we take the time to train our eyes to see them. Younes has been doing just that: sharing his eye for detail, pattern and inspiration. I must admit that there is as much amazement and wonder in the fine details in an edifice as there is in a flower. Turning your camera towards man-made artifices has a direct benefit to your “eye” for landscapes and other types of photography: choosing a subject, composition and pattern all relate to any type of photography.

Many photography greats recommend getting outside of your comfort zone or preferred subject. I’d suggest architecture if you hadn’t thought of it before.

Some preparation may be required though: some places may require permissions (many times as asking for permission), some places do not allow tripods inside (especially in high traffic areas, and familiarity with local laws (given the more stringent security) and rights (check into Canadian, US and UK). If stopped, be polite and realize that not all officers may be familiar with your rights.

Oh, I highly recommend Younes’ workshops. He tailors them to your needs and desires, is very approachable, very knowledgeable and has an eye for stunning imagery.

Happy shooting!

Fog and Low Clouds

Always be open to see the unexpected. While visiting the Biodome in Montreal, the snow and cloud wreathed Olympic Stadium caught my eye. Both during the day and night, the tower had many different moods. We trudged all the way around it looking for perspectives (as well as the Insectarium and Botanical Gardens). Be prepared not only to see with an open mind, but prepared for the weather. While the snow and rain were no problem, the steam and humidity of the rain forest portion of the Biodome required 30 minutes of patient waiting for the the camera and lens to defog. If you can’t wait, Nik Software’s Colour Efex Pro plug-in has a module called Pro Contrast that cuts through fog with the click of a button.

Winterlude

Ottawa and Hull have a fantastic Winterlude spread over 3 weekends in February. Not only is the longest skating rink available, but many other attractions including ice and snow sculptures, ice slides, and many more. But there is a lot of opportunity for a photographer. This particular trip out was with France Rivet, another photographer from Harry Nowell’s ProProgram.

We had a great couple of hours wandering around Jacques Cartier park in Gatineau. Lighting was a challenge: while it was a bright day, it was very overcast and everything was either all white or very contrasty. To deal with the flat light I set up a custom white balance using a snow bank. Worked out perfectly as the final photos required little to no editing.

For more info on the unicyclist, his web page is at vjongleur.com

Insight into Yourself is insight into your Art

I have to share a recent post that Younes Bounhar guest blogged for Art Wolfe. It renewed my faith for finding a vision of my own. Having recently decided to give photography a serious direction, I alternate between excitement at seeing, creating and capturing something I really enjoy and being bewildered by the amount of “stuff” all ready out there.

So back to shooting what I enjoy (pretty much everything) and refining what really inspires me: colour, contrast, shapes and life.

I highly recommend watching Younes.

Valentine Bouquet

Flowers inspire me on many levels: colour, shape, scent and life. They also happen to host another realm that I enjoy: “the world of the tiny”. I treated myself (okay us) to a bouquet of flowers again this year and found more inspiration in there miraculous forms.

Colours and Shapes

What drives me the most is a fascination with colours and shapes. Probably the simplest concepts and the ones we learn the earliest in our lives, colours, shapes and contrasts never become tired or boring. While I love the complexity of life and the stories they capture, I think I’ll always be drawn to the richness of simple subjects.

In the Spirit of Winter

Well, the main theme of this winter has been variable weather. I used to like winter. Once you got set at a temperature, you could get used to it. Now with global warming (and I’m not getting into whether it’s man made or not), the weather patterns are just too changeable to get used to anything. So in the spirit of winters past, I shot some “chilling” frost during the most recent deep freeze.

Ice Pines

In photography, lighting is king

Getting your light right is the key to adding snap into your images. Practice obviously helps and so does renting a studio where you have some control over all the aspects of lighting. Lou and I worked with Harry Nowell at Le Studio Huit Dalpé a great little studio in Hull, Quebec. Harry had arranged for some friends and friends of friends to be models. We had a lot of fun and the time to experiment with different lighting.

Many thanks to our patient models and Alex for the use of his studio.

Photography practice

I spent some time today at Carleton Growers photographing their winter stock. With the brilliant sunshine and the controlled atmosphere in the green houses it was a very pleasant way to practice. The green house paneling and piping has a tendency to be in the background from almost every perspective and you don’t have a lot of room between the boxed beds to manoeuvre. As a result I found myself in some contorted positions while using the shutter timer, live view and a hand held flash. A tripod with a swing post would be an asset trying to reach out into the centre of a flower bed. I hope to go back regularly and build a portfolio as their season comes on line.

National Art gallery and Natural Light

On Saturday, I had a lot of fun learning with a small group of like-minded students of photography. We were at the National Art Gallery of Canada as part of the Harry Nowell workshop that I mentioned in my last post. The goal of the workshop was to learn how to deal with and control natural lighting. This included flash as well as exposure. Harry had also arranged for volunteer models. For me, working with models is a personal stretch: some people and environments I’m okay, others I need to pour a lot of energy into. I’ve included some examples of the types of lighting and subjects we had.

Exclusion

Composition is critical in all types of photography. Deciding what to exclude is just as important as what to include: a simple image is more likely to generate a strong message.

After a challenging and very fun workshop at the National Art Gallery with Harry Nowell, I stepped away from the camera until the next day. Also recommended by Peter Cox, this separation allows you to review your images with a fresh eye. You may see elements in a photo you may have discarded during a hectic shoot: a busy photo may pair down to a single subject.

It may be as simple as cropping the image or removing the colour.

Or it may involve removing distracting elements such as a branch or stump.

Either way, exclusion is a powerful tool in the crafting of an image.

Thanks to Sandra Finnes for modelling for the above images. And thanks to all those who participated and shared in the Natural Light workshop.

Arrive Early

Arriving early not only allows you to scope the location, adjust for obstructions and find the best vantage point, it also gives you the flexibility to capture the unplanned shot. Especially when the planned shot never appears due to weather or another factor outside our control.

While scoping different vantage points around the lighthouse, I noticed that the sun’s path would be eclipsed by the lighthouse. I then had to hunt for the best place to shoot from. To capture the first photo below, I was perched on the top of a rock and a trash can borrowed for the purpose.

In the end, after another 30 minutes, the sunset never happened thanks to clouds that rolled in. Arriving early, I left with a great shot and did not leave empty handed.

Planning Planning Planning

In addition to location location location, planning is a vital component in crafting an image or sustaining a business. Being prepared allows you the ability to react successfully when an image opportunity flashes by. You may only have a few seconds to get “the” shot. I’ve detailed my shoot preparation “checklist”. While it may seem cumbersome on something that is a creative endeavour, it helps ensure you arrive ready for that moment, contingency or that client. And with practice comes speed.

site scoping and evaluation part 1
proposal prep time
proposal investigation (client interviews, client expectations)
contract negotiations
draft contract
contract sign-off and expectation management
shoot design plan
equipment and lighting plan

Shoot phase

set-up, lighting, evaluation part 2 (changes, details, further shot ideas, composition checks)
interview model(s)
shoot
adjustments to plan
manage client expectations

Asset/File management phase

download
copy/backup
meta data
sorting/naming
selection/trimming

Image management phase

selection of product
adjustment of images
update meta data

backup

prepare any portfolio material
review contract (manage expectations) with client
review portfolio/product with client
reach agreement/acceptance of product/job/service
follow up on satisfaction and suggested improvements
ask if they would pursue opportunities with you in the future (and if not, why not – if they are willing to discuss)

Overhead phase

training (you keeping up with an evolving market as well as techniques, tools etc)
future product development/market watch/analysis/opportunity identification
marketing (web presence, blogging, monitoring metrics: to see if you are on track for your goals – you did set goals for your accomplishments right?)
networking (a variety of social internet tools as well as face to face, phone calls, email)
business administration, goal setting and planning
equipment & computer investigation/identification/depreciation/replacement

Personal phase

personal time (vacation/exercise/downtime) – forgetting to take care of yourself is always a bad idea: a personal weakness

The Difference Between a “Shot” and an “Image”

Ian Plant said: “See beyond the literal”. Ansel Adams said: “To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces and record the qualities of nature and humanity”.

A typical photograph taken while on holiday or of the kids as they play is a record of an action, an event, a place or a memory. They usually invoke emotion or a memory only in the people related to the photographer or the subject(s). An image that is crafted tries to instil an emotion, memory or response in any viewer.

There are many sources of guidance/learning/opinion on the internet. The one I return to more than any others is the Luminous Landscape. One such essay on LL is Learning To See

A lifetime’s Journey

Learning is a never ending journey. If you close your mind, you stop learning and you stop growing as a person and member of society. Like anything in life, the learning involved in photography can never end. No one ever learns it all: a master will learn from the novice who questions “the way we’ve always done it”.

I’m not at the start of my journey through photography, nor through life. In fact, I’m closer to the start than I am the finish. I hope that you will join me on my journeys and I promise to learn something from everyone.