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• CAPA Photo Expo 2015 • Member's Portfolio • CAPA 2014 Annual Digital Competition Winners • Adventures in Wildlife Photography • Botanical and Hummingbird Photography • Creating a Great AV Show • Competitions Results
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Vol. 15, No. 4 • Winter 2014
Contents
Sheena Wilkie
Editor-in-chief 14220 71 Ave. Surrey BC V3W 2L1 E-mail: editor-in-chief@capacanada.ca
Rick Shapka
Publishing Editor
Jozef VanVeenen
Art Director E-mail: information@tikit.ca
Kevin McMillan
Advertising Manager E-mail: advertising@capacanada.ca CANADIAN CAMERA (ISSN1206-3401) is published quarterly by the Canadian Association for Photographic Art, Box 357, Logan Lake BC V0K 1W0. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission of the publisher and author. All photographic rights remain with the photographer. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors. Contributions are welcomed from all CAPA members. Story ideas and low resolution photographs may be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief at editor-inchief@capacanada.ca. CANADIAN CAMERA reserves the unrestricted right to edit, crop and and comment editorially on all submitted material. SUBSCRIPTIONS: CANADIAN CAMERA is distributed automatically to CAPA members. Individual copies are available for $9.95. Library subscriptions cost $35.00 for four issues.
Rick Shapka
2
Message from the President
Sheena Wilkie 4 Phototalk 4 Letter to the Editor 5 CAPA Photo Expo 2015 6 CAPA/Club News 8 10th Anniversary CAPA 2014 Annual Digital Competition Winners 9 CAPA New Members 12 Product Review - Print Tao 8 13 Member's Portfolio 14 CAPA Competitions Results Frederic Hore 16 Off the Beaten Track - Adventures in Wildlife Photography Don Corby 22 Botanical Photography Henrik Nilsson 26 Wildlife Photography Paul Sparrow 32 Creating a Great AV Show Donna Christie 34 Hummingbird Photography and Rick Shapka at the Bull River Guest Ranch
For further information, contact CAPA National Headquarters, Box 357, Logan Lake BC V0K 1W0. Tel.: 1-250-523-2378 E-mail: capa@capacanada.ca Canadian Mail Publication Agreement #1665081 All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. Copyright of photographs remain with photographer.
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theCOVER
Alaska Brown Bear by Hendrik Nilsson CANADIAN CAMERA - 1
Message from the president Rick Shapka
CAPA Officers & National Council Members
Founded in 1968, CAPA is a nonprofit organization for photographers, including amateurs, professionals, camera clubs, and anyone interested in photography. The aims of CAPA are to promote good photography as an art form in Canada, and to provide useful information for photographers. CAPA accomplishes this through interaction with individuals and member camera clubs and by distributing slide sets, evaluating photographs, running competitions, and publishing the quarterly Canadian Camera. CAPA also sponsors Canadian Camera Conference, a bi-annual summer weekend of field trips and seminars held in a different city every other year. CAPA is a member of the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (FIAP).
CAPA OFFICERS PRESIDENT Rick Shapka, FCAPA VICE PRESIDENT Volunteer Opportunity SECRETARY Michael Breakey, FCAPA TREASURER Len Suchan, FCAPA PAST PRESIDENT Jacques S. Mailloux, Hon. FCAPA
CAPA DIRECTORS ATLANTIC ZONE Leo Allain, MCAPA QUEBEC ZONE Jean-Marc Beaudoin ONTARIO ZONE Rod Trider PRAIRIE ZONE Harvey Brink PACIFIC ZONE Larry Breitkreutz, FCAPA DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGING Dr. Bob Ito, Hon. FCAPA DIRECTOR OF COMPETITIONS Virginia Stranaghan, FCAPA
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR CAPA Membership phone 1.250.523.2378 c/o Lee Smith Box 357, Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0 E-mail: membership@capacanada.ca Website: www.capacanada.ca
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Photo by Doug Gibbons
It seems early to be writing my message to our members for the winter edition, having recently returned from a fall color photography trip in Ontario. The trip was planned, and led by CAPA, District Rep Dan Bryer, from North Bay. Len Suchan, CAPA Treasurer and dedicated volunteer, and I traveled with the North Bay ‘Photo Enthusiasts’; all CAPA members. We were concentrating on nature; mostly landscape photography, traveling as far west as Marathon, going as far east as Algonquin Park, chasing the fantastic color of the fall season. It has been a great trip. You can see some of the ‘Enthusiast’s images under club news and our website. The fellows from North Bay are a great group; we appreciated the camaraderie and their hospitality on the trip. Our theme for this edition of Canadian Camera is natural environment photography, with specific articles on wildlife, botany and hummingbirds. We have chosen articles from members whose great images you may not have viewed previously. As most photography is, the best of natural environment photography is a combination of both good light and opportunity. Many fantastic images are made because one planned carefully to be at the right place, with light at its best for the subject. However when traveling, or waiting for an animal to arrive or bird of prey to hunt, the light may
not provide the opportunity for optimal results. Of course, one takes the shot anyway! I was fortunate to travel to the Great Bear Rain Forest, late September a year ago. The opportunity provided for photographing whales, seals, grizzlies and black bears was fantastic. The light; was sometimes not so great. One very wet, late afternoon when a ‘spirit bear’ finally made its entrance following the stream to begin to fish for supper, up went the ISO to get the shot of the trip! When planning the issues of Canadian Camera, editor-in-chief Sheena Wilkie, and I often return to our two most recent member surveys for guidance. Members responded that one of the issues of importance to them is that of learning about making better photographs. Many of our members belong to clubs for that reason, read Canadian Camera, and attend our conferences to learn from the presenters. This issue of your magazine is full of information about learning more about
I thank all those members who entered this Annual Digital Competition, and especially to Jacques Mailloux for managing the event for 10 years. Thanks Jacques! And thanks to the tremendous support of our sponsors for their participation with some special prize products for the winning entries. As always, please enjoy this edition of Canadian Camera. If you have any comments or suggestion for Sheena or me, please contact us at editor-inchief@capacanada.ca or president@ capacanada.ca Have a great Christmas and holiday season! g Sincerely, Rick Shapka, FCAPA President
capa@capacanada.ca www.capacanada.ca Tel.(250) 523-2333
NEW!
Image © ZachandJody.com, 2011
being an improved photographer. Read some suggestions for making great animal images from Henrik Nilsen, how to make the most of local knowledge for potential opportunities from Frederic Hore, about a fantastic place to shoot hummingbirds in the Canadian Rockies, and an excellent new software product for a printing your images with PrinTao 8. Larry Breitkreutz, Pacific Zone Director, reveals more details of the CAPA Photo Expo, our biannual conference to be held the ver y beginning of August 2015. The Photo Expo volunteer committee is working to insure that you will enjoy the event and the fantastic photographic opportunities of the west coast. Please check out the website at http:// capaphotoexpo.ca/. I invite you to make your plans to attend this fantastic learning event. In this edition the winning and honorable mentions for the 2014 CAPA Annual Digital Competition are announced. It is the 10th anniversary of this important CAPA competition.
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SUBMISSION OF STORY IDEAS, PORTFOLIOS AND NEWS ITEMS CAPA Members… We need submissions for upcoming issues. Canadian Camera is YOUR magazine! We welcome your story ideas, news items, portfolios and reviews. We do reserve the right to accept or reject material as we see fit. We make every effort to achieve a balance of views, subject matter and geographical representation of our members.
How to send material
When to send it
• Please write your story idea as a paragraph or outline of what you would like to write an article about and send it with several low res photos to editor-in-chief@capacanada.ca; • Photos must be JPG format; • If photos are scanned CMYK is preferable to RGB; • Photos must have simple descriptive filenames and include the photographer's name, e.g. Susan_ Brown_barn_swallow.jpg; • Please include your phone number, e-mail address and CAPA membership number.
You may submit a story idea any time but for time sensitive material our submissions deadlines are:
• Spring Issue Jan. 10 • Summer Issue April 10 • Fall Issue July 10 • Winter Issue Oct. 1st
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Lens Adapters Have a mirrorless camera and a bunch of great old glass? We have the adapters for you. Many options available, see web for details!
Where to send it Canadian Camera c/o Sheena Wilkie, Editor-in-Chief E-mail: editor-in-chief@capacanada.ca
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phototalk Sheena Wilkie, Editor-in-chief
Our winter issue holds a wealth of information for those wanting to improve their photography of nature and wildlife. I am a bit of an armchair wildlife photographer. I love looking at photographs of animals that I am unlikely to see in my own backyard. However, my own backyard has now expanded to include an acre on a lake in the Cariboo in British Columbia. While bears have not visited us (thank goodness) the area is plentiful with woodland creatures. We are regularly treated to the sight of eagles fishing in the lake and deer munching their breakfast at the lake's edge. I've learned by experience that taking great photos of these visitors is not as easy as one would think. I have a lot of blurry - too far away - eagle/ deer/fox shots to prove that. As you'll read, knowledge, patience and equipment all play a part in getting the kind of awesome photos you're going to see in this issue of Canadian Camera. I'm looking forward to putting this issue to use next season at the lake. I hope you're inspired too!
The rest is up to you.
Sheena Wilkie, FCAPA Editor-in-Chief Canadian Camera Magazine, www.phototalk.ca
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Dear Editor, I would like to take this opportunity follow up on the President's message in the fall issue on photographing architecture where he touched on Greenwood, B.C. My husband and I drove across Canada in 2006. We were on the road for two months. We drove through Greenwood but didn’t stay long because we had hotel reservations over an hour’s drive further on. The next morning, I asked my husband if he would be willing to go back to Greenwood. I had to go back. So we did. We spent the entire day there. We had tea with the locals where we met 93 year old Marge who gave us the most valuable history lesson one could ask for. After our tea, she escorted us to their museum where we were given a private tour. We were so touched by Greenwood’s history and soul. The film “Snow falling on Cedars” was filmed in Greenwood and touches on the Canadian Japanese Internment. Marge was an extra in this film and proud of it! We rented it as soon as we returned from our trip. The trial scenes were filmed in Greenwood’s courthouse or City Hall. This smallest city in Canada was by far the highlight of our trip across Canada. g Cheers, Phyllis
Our roster of presenters includes: Dave Brosha MASTERING CREATIVE LIGHT www.davebrosha.com Joel Grimes THE ART OF CREATING www.joelgrimes.com Teri Lou Dantzler MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY www.teriloublog.com
Exploring Photography Sea to Sky
Chris Harris EXPRESSING EMOTION THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY www.chrisharris.com
AUGUST 1-3, 2015
Andrea Siriois USING PHOTO IMPRESSIONISM TO ACHIEVE YOUR VISION www.andreasirois.com Sharon Tenenbaum THE IMPORTANCE OF VISION IN YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY www.sharontenenbaum.com
Join us as the Canadian Association for Photographic Art will create a vibrant arts community of photographers during CAPA Photo Expo in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia. CAPA Photo Expo will attract amateur and professional photographers as well as photography enthusiasts from the Pacific Northwest, across Canada, the US and internationally. CAPA Photo Expo will feature interactive workshops, photo tours, print displays, presentations, competitions, a trade show and most of all photographic exploration. CPX 2015 is a work in progress but we wanted to give you a sneak peek behind the scenes to see what we are planning for you.
Brenda Tharp EXTRAORDINARY EVERYDAY PHOTOGRAPHY www.brendatharp.com John Lehmann PHOTOJOURNALISM AND STORYTELLING www.lehmann.ca Rick Hulbert PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION WITH AN ARCHITECTURAL ATTITUDE www.rickhulbertphotography.com
Photo credits to Dennis Ducklow
See you in Vancouver in 2015!
Mark your calendar and plan now to join us at CAPA Photo Expo on August 1-3, 2015
For more information on CPX 2015, visit www.capaphotoexpo.ca CANADIAN CAMERA - 5
CAPA/Club News
CAPA Photo Expo - August 1-3, 2015
for its eclectic neighbourhoods and great shopping opportunities. We haven’t even begun to talk about the excellent keynote speakers and workshop leaders that are coming to the Expo. You can expect engaging presentations by some of North America’s best photographers and speakers. On the Expo website you will find their bios and background information, as well as links to their professional websites and YouTube videos. Here you will also find registration and other details. We’d love to see you, and to share these many exciting opportunities with you at CAPA Photo Expo 2015. www.capaphotoexpo.ca
Exploring Photography – Sea to Sky One of the benefits of attending a photographic gathering like a conference, seminar or workshop is the camaraderie that develops among like-minded individuals. To meet other photographers with the same love for creating images is very inspiring and rewarding. Often new friendships are made, and email addresses are exchanged, with a promise to stay in touch and share images in the future. The exchange of information, ideas and techniques among friends enhances what is gained from the keynote speakers and the workshops. It’s a great time to learn from one another, as well as in the more formal settings. In planning for this Expo we intentionally allowed space for these kinds of spontaneous interactions. With extended workshops and shooting opportunities it will be possible for you to engage directly with other photographers.
What kind of opportunities can you expect? The UBC campus is located on the western tip of the Point Grey Peninsula. Spread over 400 hectares, this stunning campus is surrounded by forest on three sides, and ocean on the fourth. This awesome natural setting is also home to several beautiful gardens, such as; the Rose Garden, the UBC Botanical Garden, and the Nitobe Memorial Garden – considered one of the top five Japanese Gardens outside of Japan. The architecture of the campus buildings represents various time periods of the university’s growth, and also provides many photographic opportunities. For those whose passion is cityscapes or street photography, a short ride by vehicle or public transit will take you to the heart of one of Canada’s most vibrant and dynamic cities. Vancouver is known
Larry Breitkreutz, FCAPA Chair – CAPA Photo Expo 2015
capa@capacanada.ca www.capacanada.ca Tel.(250) 523-2333
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CAPA/Club News Appointment of Quebec Zone Director It gives me great pleasure to join a dynamic team that has the vision for the promotion of photography in the country. Those who know me know already know that and I am a person of action who takes pleasure in wanting to do more and always wanting to seek further. My goal is that the Quebec zone becomes an example of dynamism in the Canadian association for photographic art. Former member of the board of the Longueuil photo club (ALPA) where I served for several years, being the founder of the “Artistes photographes associés de la Rive-Sud (APARS) and helped to start the photography club of the city of Chambly (Chambly Iris) my sincere hope that my experience and skills can be put to profit as much as possible for the zone I represent and for the whole nation. Having over 30 years of professional computer experience under my belt, it is now up to the CAPA to keep me busy. Aware that the "langue de Molière" represents a minority within the association, I wish to break down this barrier by offering members of Québec and the whole association to be a good ambassador. We're all united by the same passion… photography. My deepest wish is that all CAPA members can get to know each other, communicate and share their photographic experiences. As for the Québec zone, I intend to “light on” the participation of all. Regards, Jean-Marc Beaudoin
Il me fait très plaisir de me joindre à une équipe dynamique qui a comme vision la promotion de la photographie au pays. Ceux qui me connaissent savent dors et déjà que je suis une personne d’action qui prend plaisir à vouloir en faire plus et de toujours vouloir aller plus loin. Je compte bien faire de la zone du Québec un exemple de dynamisme au sein de l’association canadienne d’art photographique. Ayant été membre du conseil d’administration du club de photo de la ville de Longueuil (ALPA) pendant plusieurs années, ayant fondé le regroupement des Artistes photographes de la Rive-Sud (APARS) et ayant contribué activement à démarrer le club de photographie de la ville de Chambly (Iris de Chambly) mon souhait sincère est que mon expérience et compétences puissent être mis au profit autant pour ma zone que pour toute la nation. Ayant plus de 30 années d’expérience en informatique derrière la cravate, il ne reste plus qu’à l’association de me tenir occupé. Conscient que la « langue de Molière » est minoritaire au sein de l’association, je compte bien faire tomber cette barrière en offrant aux membres du Québec ainsi qu’à l’association toute entière d’être un bon ambassadeur pour que nous soyons tous unis par une même passion…la photographie. Mon souhait profond est que tous les membres de l’ACPA puissent se connaître, communiquer entre eux et partager leurs expériences photographiques. Pour ce qui de la zone dont je représente, je compte bien allumer la participation de tous. Au plaisir, Jean-Marc Beaudoin
AS A MEMBER YOU GET MORE. THEN YOU GET MORE.
A valuable resource that Foothills Camera Club (www.foothillscameraclub.ab.ca) has utilized is the CAPA Library. This collection of audiovisual files showcases both entries from CAPA Competitions as well as The Four Nations Competitions (Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa and Canada). These presentations, created by Heather Bashow and previously by Judy Higham, can be obtained from the CAPA Librarian, Joyce DeMeester (library@capacanada.ca). Our members have found the presentations to be both educational and inspiring with the result that more members are submitting images for entry into CAPA club competitions. I highly encourage you to contact Joyce to preview what is available to show at your club meetings. Foothills Camera Club is located in Calgary, Alberta, celebrating 60 plus years. We meet the first and third Tuesdays from September to May. Inspirational and educational guest speakers, theme presentations of member images, challenging club digital and print competitions as well as interaction with other photographers are the key components to our meetings.
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Dave Dearborn Club Representative CANADIAN CAMERA - 7
CAPA/Club News
10th Anniversary CAPA Annual Digital 2014 Competition Misty Water Our most sincere congratulations go to all the winners. Many thanks to all of you who participated and for making our judging event so interesting and challenging! Thanks to our judges, Glenn Bloodworth, long-time member of the RA Photo Club, Ottawa, Pierre Gauthier, long-time nature out-
ings leader with the RA Photo Club and Rod Trider, Ontario Zone Director. All judges are CAPA certified. Thanks to John Elliott for the online submission system. The winning entries, including the Honour Awards recipients, will be posted on the CAPA website by the end of October 2014. To get view your competition results, you need to login to the members only area of www.capacanada.ca
AND THE WINNERS ARE!
st 1 PRIZE
nd 2 PRIZE
rd 3 PRIZE
Peter Ferguson, of Fonthill, ON
Victoria Low, of North Vancouver, BC
Candice Gordon, of Winnipeg, MB
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• Sony Cybershot RX100 II Digital Camera 20.2MP w/1” Exmor CMOS Sensor • Lowepro Passport Messenger Camera Bag (black) • Aurora 34” White Shoot-Thru Umbrella • Epson Stylus Photo R2000 Inkjet Printer • $100 Gift Certificate towards a Blurb Print Product • Adobe One-Year Creative Cloud Membership
• Sony a5000 Mirrorless Camera (ILCE5000LB) w/16-50 Zoom Lens • Lowepro Nova Sport 7L AW Camera Bag (pepper red) • Epson Artisan 1430 Inkjet Printer • 2 packs of Hahnemühle Bamboo 290 gsm 8-1/2 x 11” Paper • $75 Gift Certificate towards a Blurb Print Product • Adobe One-Year Creative Cloud Membership
Peter Ferguson - Morning Paddler
Victoria Low - Hytecliff Sunset
Candice Gordon - Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Iceland
In addition to a $50 gift certificate towards their own Blurb Photo Book, ten participants will also receive a CAPA Honour Award Certificate. Jacques S. Mailloux CAPA Past President and Chair • Léo Allain, Atlantic Zone Director and Co-Chair EVENT SPONSORS
Our thanks and appreciation goes to John Elliott of the Ottawa RA Photo Club for the creation and integration of the online submission system to the CAPA Website.
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CAPA/Club News 10th Anniversary CAPA Annual Digital 2014 Competition Honourable Mentions Honourable Mention for Misty Morning Haydn B. Eugene North Vancouver, BC Honourable Mention for Turners Muse Fiona Green Coldstream, BC Honourable Mention for Island Sunrise Peter Ferguson Fonthill, ON Honourable Mention for Iceberg In The Mist David Laronde North Vancouver, BC Honourable Mention for Ice and water Julia Lio Oakville, ON Honourable Mention for Misty morning in Iceland Julia Lio Oakville, ON Honourable Mention for City In The Mist Lauren Nicholl North Vancouver, BC Honourable Mention for Misty water 2 Bill Young Kanata, ON Honourable Mention for Jagged Sun Pat Bourque Stittsville, ON Honourable Mention for Early Morning Rower Geoffrey Shuen West Vancouver, BC
facebook.com/TheCanadian AssociationForPhotographicArt
The North Shore Photographic Society The 31st Annual North Shore Photographic Challenge — described as “the premier photographic event in Western Canada”— will take place March 7th, 2015. Following the new format introduced last year, the 2015 competition will again be open to individuals as well as to clubs. Individual photographers are able to submit entries to the Challenge by registering on-line for a nominal fee and uploading 1– 3 images. A panel of qualified judges will pre-screen these entries and select at most one image from each photographer to be entered in the Challenge. Up to 120 photographs from individual photographers will be chosen as Challenge entries, to compete for prestigious CAPA medals awarded to the top three images in the show. CAPA-member photo clubs from BC and the Yukon will also participate in the Challenge as always, each club able to submit 6 images under the new format introduced last year. Approximately 180 images submitted by clubs will be includ-
ed in the competition. The Challenge, hosted by the North Shore Photographic Society, will take place March 7, 2015 at West Vancouver’s Kay Meek Centre for the Performing Arts. Watch for details about Challenge 2015 to be posted on the NSPS website at www.nsps.ca.
CAPA Members
PUT YOUR AD IN THIS SPACE You can reach new customers with your ad in Canadian Camera. Your message will be seen by serious photographers across Canada at a reduced ‘Members Only’ price of $50.00 (B&W) per issue.
Contact: capa@capacanada.ca
Winter 2014 CAPA NEW MEMBERS Atlantic Zone Anne Babin NB Shelia Chapman NB Phyllis Holmes NB Peter Zwicker NS Quebec Zone Ivan Cohene QC Martin Gaudreault QC Quang Xuan Le QC Tran Huu Quyen QC Yannick Tremblay QC Ontario Zone Joe Aragona ON Dean Askin ON Linda Bosch ON Alexa Coupland ON Roger Crysler ON Dave De La Plante ON Vince Ellery ON Doug Gibbons ON
Pat Hemphill ON Russ Hemphill ON David Low ON Missy Mandel ON Leonard Modderman ON Nellie Montgomery ON Jason Nadon ON Kieron Nelson ON Lorrine Peruzzo ON Anna Pisemskaya ON Vlodek Tydor ON Marcel Vintan ON David Wray ON Sunchie Yang ON Prairie Zone Devon Dorchak AB Gabriele Ehnes-Lilly AB David Lilly AB Billi-Jean Miller AB Grande Prairie Photography Club AB
Pacific Zone Howard Armstrong BC Ray Barnard BC Vi Brown BC Maureen Fatin BC Natalya Gunde BC David Guscott BC Marc Koegel BC Elham Masoumi BC Patricia Mccairen BC Linda Quon BC Tracy Riddell BC David Skelhon BC Chris Stanley BC Susan Stanley BC DONATIONS G. Harry Brown Lynn McCaslin membership@capacanada.ca www.capacanada.ca
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CAPA/Club News North Bay Photo Enthusiasts: Northern Ontario Fall Color Trip 2. J ohn W traveled all of the parks with us, developing his ability to see and understand the changing light. John is constantly looking to learn from the others, to experiment and then put into practice a new technique. Influenced by the friendships, John is most curious about the next photo stop, unless we are driving into the unknown, on the back roads around the treeless badlands of Wawa. 3. D ave E is the serious student of photography on the trip. Dave looks for the unusual, moving away from the group to find some different images. Sometimes Dave comes back pleased with his images. Unlike some of us, he is the best critic of his own images. Dave provides special thanks to Dan for organizing the trip.
Fall Colour, Kirk Elliot
Len Suchan, CAPA Treasurer of 8 years and I, recently traveled with the North Bay Photo Enthusiasts on a trip in northern and central Ontario, photographing the changing color. First the Enthusiasts visited the areas around Marathon and Wawa, then east to Killarney Provincial Park, finishing the parks tour at Algonquin, which is noted for its many lakes and rivers. All CAPA members, the North Bay Photo Enthusiasts consist of people who have become friends through both business association and photography. They are serious photographers, choosing to show and sometimes sell their images, rather than enter photo competitions. Why not compete? The first answer is that competition is not as much fun as the making of a good photograph, then printing it for discussion amongst the group, says Dan Bryer. Dan is the group leader of the Enthusiasts, and is constantly improving his landscape photography. As with most photo clubs, each individual brings strength with their own knowledge of photography, which is shared frequently 10 - CANADIAN CAMERA
with each other. A beer or two over a fantastic steak at Dan’s home always facilitates some interesting photo discussion. Although organized by Dan, each of the Enthusiasts participates with ideas and photographs on this trip. 1. J ohn M is a free spirit with his photography, as well as the first to find the places where superb food is served. John has driven many of these routes before, and has a good deal of local knowledge about some great photographic options. The bonus with John is that if there are cabbage rolls and perogies on a local menu, he will find them.
4. Kirk E worked hard to explore the many waterfalls, and walked the streams for that one great water shot for his highlight of the trip. Kirk, a very thoughtful photographer, is able to see some humor of most every situation; including the pounding and thumping of our return boat ride on the great lake they call Gitche Gumee. Kirk enjoyed the ride all the way back to our departure cove. 5. H oward E is the member who takes the simple images that he sees. Howard never over works a photographic opportunity, moving from one place to the next with the ease of a pro. Some worldly travel experience, from his interests in wine, cycling, sailing and kayaking, shapes the intuitive choices he makes for his image making. 6. D an B, the leader of the Enthusiasts and this tour, is comfortable making photos of many different subjects. Although Dan had scouted some of this geography last year, the powerful beauty of the Precambrian Shield at Pukaskaw National Park provided special meaning for many images. Dan speaks of the friendship and camaraderie of the trip, and specially the gourmet dining at the Kinniwabi Pines Restaurant just outside Wawa. Yes, that is true!
CAPA/Club News
Mink Falls, Dave Euler
Hiway Waterfall, Mr Len
Lonely Pine, John Minkowskyj
Tree Down, Howard Eckler
Sand Dunes, John Wallace
Pukaskwa Park, Dan Bryer
7. L en S fits easily with the Enthusiasts as if a member for some time. At Marathon, Len enjoyed the table discussion with Karen at the Family Diner, including a joke and a laugh about the saturated color of her green coleslaw, and the improved softness of the poached eggs over 3 breakfasts. With
the exceptionally warm fall weather, Len enjoyed the photography at Pebble Beach, Mink Falls and the Sand Dunes around Superior. 8. R ick S reports this is one of the important benefits of his CAPA membership. That is, the travel, cama-
raderie and friendships made being a member. Travel with the North Bay Photo Enthusiasts has been another great experience. From all of us, thanks Dan! g
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Product Review Product Test Review: PrinTao 8 by LaserSoft Imaging • E ach of us compared the images printed, using the two different workflows. • We met to compare, and discuss the image results printed with the different workflows. • We then asked some other CAPA members to compare and discuss their print preferences, and reasons for their choices. • All our print comparisons were based upon visual acuity, in light conditions that approximated 5500 degrees Kelvin. Occasionally we review a book, or product that we think CAPA members may have some significant interest in exploring further. This product review is about PrinTao 8, which is a relatively new software product for printing your images very professionally, provided you are a user of a Mac computer. You need to print using either a Canon or Epson printer. Dan Bryer, D R from North Bay, and Rick Shapka from North Vancouver, conducted the review. Dan prints from an Epson 7900 using Image Print 9, and Rick prints from an Epson Pro 3880 using Photoshop. For this review, both were provided with a full working version of PrinTao 8 software from LaserSoft Imaging from the USA office. Neither Dan nor Rick are professional printmakers, but are quite comfortable producing a high quality print image from a digital file. What we did to test PrinTao 8: • We used color-calibrated monitors (a NEC PA272W, and a LaCie 324i respectively), and each person exchanged digital files for the prints to be made. We printed exactly from the digital files exchanged; no changes to each other’s file. • We each printed our own images, and then the other person’s images, using our own normal print workflow. Next we printed using the print workflow of PrinTao 8 software. 12 - CANADIAN CAMERA
Use of PrinTao 8 Software: • The software is relatively easy to load and navigate. There are very understandable tutorials available on how to use the software. Just Google PrinTao8. • The screen shot shows the settings, and is a step-by-step process to follow to load an image for print. PrinTao 8 has made available 100s of ICC paper profiles from which you can choose or you can choose to load your own custom profile. This is one significant advantage of using the software. Most popular paper profiles come preloaded with the PrinTao 8 software. Results of the Print Tests: • With any software there is a learning curve, but if you have some knowledge of working from your own computer and printer, you will learn this software fairly quickly. This is not to imply you will not have some questions, to which the PrinTao 8 representative Darren Vena responded quickly. • When comparing the color prints from the 7900, using Image Print and PrinTao 8, there was a just noticeable difference between the test prints. PrinTao 8 prints were slightly less saturated, with somewhat less contrast. Dan prefers the subtle differences of Image Print, but says considering the difference in software cost, others may not appreciate the difference.
• When comparing the color prints from the 3880, using Photoshop as the print manager rather than PrinTao8, the preferred print was the PrinTao 8 result. The prints seemed to be slightly lighter in overall tone. The colors are very realistic, and closely match the calibrated monitor screen, the first time. Rick attributes this to the ICC profiles that are built into the PrinTao 8 software. • The CAPA members who viewed the (blind test) prints pretty much agreed with the comments above. There was overall agreement that PrinTao 8 produced a preferred print result to using Photoshop as the print driver. • We primarily compared color prints, although Rick did a test with a black and white image. PrinTao8 produced a very nice print from the 3880. However there was a very slight yellow colorcast in the sky clouds that required an additional adjustment to obtain the final satisfactory print. Overall Dan and Rick were pleased with the results from PrinTao 8. If you are looking to learn more about producing better prints, or move to the next step with your printing, we encourage to experiment and download a trial version of this product from LaserSoft Imaging. **Neither Dan nor Rick received any compensation from LaserSoft Imaging for doing this PrinTao 8 product review. They used their own computers, printers, ink and papers for this print test. g
MEMBER’S PORTFOLIO
Garry Kirsch
My interest in wild birds started in 2007 as a result of a wedding gift from my wife's sister. She bought us a bird feeder, pole, and enough seed for several months. Elaine and I fell in love with the feathered visitors that came to our garden, and we started to photograph them. When my pocket camera just wasn't good enough anymore, I got my first "serious" point-and-shoot, a Canon S5. Since then my love of birding and photography has grown and grown. I now have two Canon 60Ds for my still photography, and a Canon sx40 for doing videography. I am out in the parks and wildlife areas year-round, at least once a week, and I take thousands of images each year. May is my favourite month, and the Spring Birding Festival at Prince Edward Point when the warblers first arrive is the highpoint of my photography year.
I originally aspired to capturing close-ups with great feather detail and bokeh backgrounds. I bought better cameras, longer lenses, and setup blinds. That approach focused on the technical aspects more than revealing anything special about the birds that I loved, so I soon found it less than satisfying. Since then I have tried to evolve my style towards the kind of shots that Robert Bateman depicts in his paintings. I want the bird's environment to hold equal weight in my photographs. I hope for interesting behaviours and images that show the birds in their natural habitat. Through my photography I'm always hoping to reveal something of the natural world in ways that will surprise, charm, and hopefully spark that innate love of nature that is in each of us. g
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CAPA Competitions 2014 Note Card and Greeting Card Competition
CAPA had a total of 83 cards submitted to the Card Competition this year. They were of all styles and subject and it was very hard for judges to pick winners from the many excellent photographs submitted. Judges were Betty Andres, Dr. Robert Ito, Carolyn Angus. There was a winner and 4 Honourable Mentions in each category and 1 Overall Winner who was awarded a copy of DxO Optics Software. Overall Winner “Best of Show” was Les Raskewicz of Maple Ridge BC for his image “Snowfall” Les was awarded a software package DxO Optics Pro 9
Winner of the Note Card Competition:
Les Raskewicz of Maple Ridge, BC for his image “Snowfall” HM’s (in no particular order) Theodore Lo, of London, ON for his image “Chase” Lynda Miller of Kelowna, BC for her image “Evening Light” Les Raskewicz of Maple Ridge, BC for his image “Window Dressing” Les Raskewicz of Maple Ridge, BC for him image “A Fascination of Fishes”
Snowfall-Les Raskewicz
A Fascination of Fishes-Les Raskewicz
Chase-Theodore Lo Evening Light-Lynda Miller
I would like to thank all of the CAPA members who submitted their cards to this competition. There were many lovely images to enjoy and the judges did have a hard time to make the final selection. Hopefully, you will all consider entering the Post Card competition in May and the Card Competition next Fall. Thank you all. Carol Coleman, Exhibition-Standards, CAPA Window Dressing-Les Raskewicz
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CAPA Competitions Winner of the Greeting Card Competition: Kas Stone of LaHavre, Dublin Shore, NS for her image “Storm Watch” HM’s (in no particular order) Jason Duncan, Vancouver, BC for his image “Tulip Fields” Lauren Nicholl, North Vancouver, BC for her image “Hummingbird Moth” Kas Stone, LaHavre, Dublin Shore, NS for her image “Sail Away” Kas Stone, LaHavre, Dublin shore, NS for her image “Memory Lane”
Storm Watch-Kas Stone
Hummingbird Moth-Lauren Nicholl
Memory Lanel-Kas Stone
Tulip Fields-Jason Duncan
Sail Away-Kas Stone
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Off the Beaten Track Adventures in Wildlife Photography By Frederic Hore
A juvenile Barbary Macaque rest in his mother’s arms, on a rocky outcrop atop the Rock of Gibraltar. Nikon F100, Nikkor 80-200 @ 200mm, Fuji Velvia 50 film, ISO 50
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“Don’t drive at night!”
The Sydney car rental agent was emphatic. With millions of wild kangaroos roaming through much of Australia, it seemed like an apt warning.
An Arctic Wolf listens for rodents at Omega Park, Montebello, Quebec. Nikon F100, Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 AIS MF + 2x teleconverter. Fui Provia 100F, ISO 100, Tripod mounted.
Despite the admonishments, a good part of my 2,200km journey from Sydney to Adelaide, was driven after sunset or before sunrise, to reach my next destination. To my surprise and good health, I never once ran into, nor saw… a kangaroo! The only way to find them, it turned out was to ask local residents. Try the Nowra Wildlife Park some said. After considerable hiking through the park, the largest of its kind on Australia’s South Coast, it took another appeal to a park officer, to finally feast my eyes on a large herd, grazing peacefully in a small meadow. Quietly, I setup my tripod with the camera low to the ground, with a 300mm lens and 2x teleconverter attached. The aperture was set wide open, to create a soft, out of focus background. At first, the tall, Eastern gray kangaroos were skittish.
I approached slowly, one step at a time. Twenty minutes later, they returned to their grazing. I started composing and taking photos. Suddenly, a large female started grooming her youngster, licking it profusely with her large pink tongue. Click! This same scenario would be repeated frequently in my travels. In Gibraltar, before boarding a cable car, I asked the operators where might I find their famous Barbary Macaques on the infamous Rock of Gibraltar? Look around some of the numerous caves, they suggested, though more than likely, the tailless monkeys would find me, in their quest for food! Hiking quietly along a ridge, I came upon a small juvenile ape, his eyes closed, resting peacefully in his mother’s arms. In the soft, late afternoon light, I captured this idyllic scene.
On a trip to Jordan, a six-day visit to the famous Nabataean ruins at Petra, brought surprising discovery. At the High Place of Sacrifice on a mountain summit, I was talking to Berber artisans for a couple of hours after a sunrise shoot, when they mentioned their resident blue lizards. “Blue lizards?” I asked. “Yes! They appear when it’s sunny and hot,” said a young artist. “But don’t get too close… they bite!” Following her directions, I stumbled on a lovely specimen a half hour later, sunning on a large boulder. Indicative of mating season, the agamid lizard’s textured, scaly skin was indeed a deep sky blue - designed to attract females! Using a 28-70mm zoom lens, I focused on its elongated snout, framing its slender body and long tail in a diagonal composition. Maintaining a respectful CANADIAN CAMERA - 17
Chilean Corralero horses with a young foal in tow in Patagonia, Argentina. This hardy, 500 year old breed comes from Peru. Nikon D800, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8G AF-S + TC20 EII 2x teleconverter (400mm effective) 1/800 sec @ f/8, ISO 400, Exp comp +0.3, Aperture priority, hand held.
distance, the reptile nonetheless watched me warily, as I slowly created different compositions. Five photos later, it was gone. With research, practice, the right gear, patience, and yes, some luck, one can come away with stunning imagery. And sometimes, this can be done, from inside your car! Last December, while driving west on the high arid pampas of Patagonia in Argentina, small herds of grazing, fur-covered, brown guanacos would appear beside the rutted and gravel covered Routa 9. Several attempts to stop the car, grab my camera and take a snap, were epic flops. As soon as the door was ajar, they were gone, galloping madly into fields of scrub brush. I was ready to give up. Yet, the guanacos were conditioned to vehicle noise. I could drive by on the bumpy track, and they would stay put, feeding on those choice grassy morsels by the road. 18 - CANADIAN CAMERA
I decided to refine my tactics. I rolled the windows down, placing my Nikon D800 with a 70-200 zoom and 2x teleconverter attached, plus a D700 with a 24-70 zoom, on the vacant passenger seat. Scanning the open road ahead, on the next few approaches, I put the car in neutral and let it coast to a stop. Sometimes I would sit in the car for five minutes or more without moving a muscle. Then, slowly reaching for my camera, I would point it out the open windows and start shooting. It worked! Small clusters of guanacos stood still. I was rewarded with relaxed images of the long-necked adults, protectively guarding their young. On a return trip on the same route, a group of roaming, Chilean Corralero horses came into view, with a young foal nuzzling its parents. A wonderful portrait ensued, of this hardy, 500 yearold breed from Peru. While it was a tough drive that meandering and jarring 195 km road,
it produced some of the most endearing wildlife imagery, in my 32 days in Argentina!
Camera Gear Travelling light, is not in my vocabulary. I am a mule! A long time Nikon user, I always bring two, and sometimes three camera bodies, planning for the worst-case scenario. The past, is a great teacher! During a seven-week expedition to Peru in 2005, two cameras with attached lenses were separately stolen. I had to buy another body in Lima. Currently, I use a D800 and two D700’s. The D800’s huge, 36mp sensor provides incredible sharpness, but even better, the ability to substantially crop an image with superb results, when your telephoto lens doesn’t quite have the reach. For wildlife work, a 70-200 f/2.8 AF-S VRII zoom lens, delivers truly tack sharp images. Coupled with a
Agamid lizard emerges in the mid-day heat at the High Place of Sacrifice at Petra, Jordan. Nikon D200, Nikkor 28-70 f/2.8 at 70mm, 1/160sec @ f/8, ISO 100, Manual mode.
TC-20 EIII teleconverter, the maximum effective focal length is doubled to 400mm. This practical combo reduces my travel weight, providing a variable zoom range, a maximum aperture of f/5.6, while retaining full auto-focus and metering functionality. My kit consists of various Nikon optics, the main workhorse being a 24-70 f/2.8 AF-S zoom, and a 105 f/2.8 macro. Two and three stop Singh-ray graduated neutral density filters are for landscape imagery, a polarizer to reduce reflections and increase saturation, plus an SB-800 flash for fill light, and a shutter release cable when my camera is tripod mounted, to minimize vibrations. My travel tripod of choice, is a robust, light-weight Manfrotto 190CX3 carbon A young coatis near the Iguazu Falls, Argentina. Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G AF-S @70mm, 1/125 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 1600, Exp comp -0.7, Aperture priority. Noise reduction was applied in the Raw converter of CS6.
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A herd of guanacos graze on the arid pampas of Patagonia, Argentina. Nikon D800, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8G AF-S + TC20 EII 2x teleconverter (400mm effective) 1/640 sec @ f/9, ISO 400, Exp comp 0, Aperture priority, hand held
fibre and a well engineered US made, Acratech GV2 quick-release ballhead. A P5, Arca-Swiss style universal camera plate made by Wimberley, are fitted to my cameras. Since 2006, I’ve used Lacie’s durable, “Rugged” series of portable hard drives, to backup my images on the road. Available in 500gb, 1 and 2 Terrabyte capacities, working on both Mac and PC computers.
Exposure Techniques Depth of Field is very important in my photography; consequently 80 percent
A female Alpine ibex, its young kid at its side, climbs the mountainous terrain of Parc National du Mercantour, France. Nikon FE, Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8D AF @ 200mm, Fuji Velvia 50 film, ISO 50. Tripod mounted
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A female Eastern Gray kangaroo grooms her youngster in a pasture at the Nowra Wildlife Park, North Nowra, NSW, Australia. Nikon FE, Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 AIS MF + 2x teleconverter, 1/500sec @ f/5.6, Fui Provia 100F, ISO 100, Tripod mounted.
of my imagery is in Aperture priority mode, (AV mode for Canon shooters). Either Matrix (Evaluative for Canon) or center weight metering modes are used, depending upon the subject and overall scene brightness. Exposure Compensation is utilized to fine tune the meter reading to get the image exposure correct. Consulting the histogram, I’ve found a setting of - 0.3 to - 0.7 stops consistently provides the best exposure. For more challenging shooting conditions, Manual mode is employed. I often use the in-camera spot meter to take readings of a scene, to establish a base exposure. Focusing is either single point selectable, or continuous, depending on whether the subject is static or moving. ISO is kept low, for superior dynamic range and noise free images. This means using a tripod where possible. The ISO is only raised for hand held operation or if a higher shutter speed is required.
Shooting exclusively in the RAW format, uncompressed, provides maximum dynamic range, and postproduction flexibility.
Image processing A Photoshop software user since 1999, I currently use Photoshop CS6, adjusting and processing my images in its RAW converter, before final retouching, colour adjustments and sharpening. Finished files are usually saved as TIFF masters, for maximum quality without compression loss. Initial selection, colour coding, tagging and key-wording of images is performed in Photo Mechanic 5, a superb image browser and editing software that allows me to FTP finished projects direct to newspapers and magazines. I’ve just started using Lightroom 5, to take advantage of the many available plug-ins, and its proprietary index
referencing system, to reduce hard drive space taken up by all those massive TIFF files! For travel, Fast Stone Viewer, is a userfriendly, image browser and editor, that works smoothly to review images of the day on my compact Acer Netbook. A free download on the internet, this PC based software handles all camera RAW files. Resizing and uploading images to share on social media, is a snap! g About the Author Montrealer, Frederic Hore is an awardwinning freelance photographer, writer, lecturer and workshop instructor. His images and stories have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. He has lived or worked in virtually every major city in Canada and traveled to 44 countries on all seven continents, including Antarctica. An outdoor enthusiast, he is an avid hiker, canoeist, cyclist and certified scuba diver. His imagery and complete bio can be viewed at RemarkableImages.ca
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Botanical Photography By Don Corby
Pure botanical photography is a true to life 足representation of the subject that typically depicts the plant in its environment. The image will show the 足general structure of the plant and its unique qualities will be apparent. However my photography is not truly representative of pure botanical photography.
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I positioned the tulip in the frame so that other tulips in the background filled in most of the rest of the space. I left a bit of green in the top left corner to balance the green stem. nicely backlit, the tulip has great flow and glows from the backlighting. California poppy - I vignetted at the base of the flower to simplify the image. the shorter stems at the bottom would have been distracting had they remained sharp. the background is nicely out of focus isolating the subjects.
I started macro photography in the late 70's. I took a long break when I studied industrial engineering and consequently started a full time career. I got back into it in the early 90's and have been going strong since. Starting in 1990 I took several workshops with macro photographer Maria Zorn and those workshops helped develop the habit of getting out and shooting every week. After years of practice and honing the skill set, I now host my own macro workshops. Botanical photography is part of nature photography. Although it has a slow pace compared to many other forms of nature photography. My bird photographer friends find their photography quite intense, almost like sports photography. I find photographing plants to be very relaxing. Where the bird photographers may shoot hundreds of images in a few minutes, I will do the exact opposite, I may shoot 20 images in an hour. Part of that may be due to my continued use of transparency film. I still use my vintage 1970 Nikon F2AS at almost $1 per shot, I make sure every shot counts. A great botanical photograph will have technical and aesthetic attributes that make it successful. Technically, the image must be sharp only where it counts, just enough to highlight your subject and keep it separated from the clutter behind it. The background should be nicely out of focus, this highlights your subject against a nice, unobtrusive, yet interesting background. The background will be a harmonious colour to the subject. This will happen naturally in the field. Creating this soft
Shooting star - lots of dof required to get the plant all in focus. with the camera parallel to the ground, the background is forced to be far away, creating the soft background.
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Tulip petal - a single petal and a pair of stems creat a story. simple subject against a soft, harmonious background.
Hepatica with frost - the shape of the flower almost creates a feeling that it is being burdened by the cold frost on it. slight vignetting at the bottom emphasizes the curved stem and the frost.
background while having your subject sharp requires perfect control and understanding of depth of field and point of focus. That's the most critical aspect of botanical/macro photography. This requires lots of practice using your depth of field preview button along with understanding where to focus on the subject. Esthetically, an image must be interesting to look at with a sense of flow created in the frame. Look for a unique shape or twist that creates flow in the image. A static image is not as interesting as one that pulls you in and makes your eye move around the entire frame and back again. Interaction with the environment or with other plants is one of the first things I look for in a subject. Then the subject must be composed properly in the frame. A strong composition will create good negative spaces and will emphasize flow and the other attributes that are in the subject. I never crop after the fact. All of my cropping is done in-camera. Take your time, look for an interesting subject and work with the composition and background before taking the photograph. I will frequently spend half an hour with a subject that I see has potential before I release the shutter.
Lighting must be soft and shadows minimal. my best time of day is the first 2 hours after sunrise. The light is nice and soft and the air is still. Other great times for lighting are during a very light rain or just after the rain, when it's still overcast. Botanical/macro photography requires a few fundamental instruments. Your camera must be equipped with a depth of field preview button. A tripod is mandatory, not only for composition, but for the slower shutter speeds. I typically use 50 and 100 ASA film. The subjects I shoot are in the woods and in shaded areas, so I am always shooting at shutter speeds of 1/2 second or slower. even with newer digital cameras, a slightly higher shutter speed can be achieved by altering the ISO, but you will still be shooting too slow to hand hold. More importantly, the tripod allows the photographer to control composition. The tripod should also be able to hold the camera at ground level on a good, strong ball head. use a remote/cable release to avoid shaking the camera when the shutter is depressed. To effectively blur the background, a long macro lens works best. Get the longest that you can
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Aven - very delicate flower. nice interaction between the 2 plants. isolated nicely against the background, slight vignetting at the base and soft lighting.
Yellow lady slipper bud - I carefully composed this image cropping the subject to create some interesting negative spaces in the background. positioning myself parallel to the subject allows for maximizing dof and creating the soft background. one of my favourite images.
afford. I use a 200mm macro. a set of extension tubes will help the situation if using shorter lenses. Most subjects are close to the ground, so a right angle viewfinder that attaches to your eyepiece enables you to see through the camera when it's close to the ground. Last but not least is a polarizing filter, mine is almost never off the camera. The polarizing filter will remove the glare and pop the colour. it is a must. My interpretation of botanical photography involves much more than simply photographing a plant in its environment. I look for unique characteristics in the subject. attributes like a uniquely curved shape, interaction with other plants, subjects past their prime or in seed and plants that may have some damage from insects or animal. Those unique characteristics, when captured effectively, always make for an interesting image that tells a story. g You can see more of Don's photos at www. corbyframing.ca/dons-photography Bloodroot - beautiful lighting. the flower is just emerging thus creating very soft shapes and great flow in the frame.
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Wildlife Photography By Henrik Nilsson 26 - CANADIAN CAMERA
I want to tell you a true story. It began on a late afternoon during November in Yellowstone National Park. I was photographing ravens and magpies near the remains of an elk kill. I found the spot a few days earlier and I was hoping for some four-legged predators to show. With the light fading, it was time to pack up. It was getting cold, below freezing and the drive back to town would take at least 45 minutes. Two other photographers had joined me earlier but since I took my time getting back to my vehicle, I soon found myself alone in this area of Yellowstone. Just as I was about to leave, a dark shape on a hillside caught my eye. I grabbed my binoculars to take a closer look. It was a wolf. Many thoughts ran through my mind. How long has it
been there? Are there others? Will the wolf head to the kill site? Is it too dark for photos? No matter, the decision to turn around and head back to the kill site was an easy one. Besides, the kill
could be seen from the road (barely), so if there wasn’t an animal near, I could just turn around. And sure enough, on the first pass, nothing. It would be another 200m before I could turn the vehicle. Second pass. Oh, look, a coyote. Wait! That’s not a coyote. That’s a wolf! And not the black wolf I saw on the hill mere minutes before. Normally I’d photograph from the vehicle but there was sufficient distance to the elk carcass that I felt safe enough to get out. So I took a few steps up a small knoll behind which I could hide. Or so I thought – who hides from wolves? Lying on the ground, I used a flat rock for camera support. CANADIAN CAMERA - 27
ISO 1250 became 1600 very quickly. That became ISO 2500 even quicker. Pretty soon I knew there were no more useable shots to be had. So I stood up just to enjoy looking at the wolf eating dinner. The animal had known I was there the whole time. I was at the right distance and it wasn’t disturbed. My heart skipped a beat. Another creature walked out of a bush. At first I thought it was another wolf. It turned out to be a coyote. It kept walking. Towards me. Since I could 28 - CANADIAN CAMERA
see it, I knew it could see me. It kept coming closer. Closer still. Until it stopped. Less than three meters from me. I couldn’t take a photograph since the coyote was within the minimum focusing limit of my 500mm lens. The coyote and I stood side by side watching the wolf finish dinner. Sure it glanced at me. But that was all. Just a glance. To make sure I remained where I was. Which I did. After another 10 minutes, the wolf decided it had enough. The kill was
old and there weren’t many morsels of food to be had. The coyote headed to see what slim pickings remained. I went back to my vehicle and sat quietly in the driver’s seat for quite a while – trying to comprehend it all. There is no doubt the coyote purposely sought me out. But why? Why would it choose to stand right next to me? I could only come up with one reason: protection. I shook my head repeatedly, started the vehicle and headed back to the motel.
I was fortunate. In more ways than one. Yet it is experiences like this that draws me to wildlife photography. In case this is something which also appeals to you, here are a few factors that may help improve your odds of finding wildlife: 1. Talk to people. Often when I head to places like Yellowstone, I talk to people to get information. But who? Well, the lady who checks you into your motel. She probably chats
with other guests staying there. Talk to the fellow serving you pizza at dinner. Chances are he lives in town. Talk to the old timer around town. He’s probably seen it all (careful, you may have to budget an hour or more for this conversation). I’ve even gotten great tips from the park rangers in Yellowstone – although if you’re there in the summer, they’ll be busy. 2. Observe. I found the elk kill in the story above by looking carefully
at what is going on around me. Two eagles were sitting in a tree above the kill along with several ravens. There was a reason for that. Hence I investigated. And of course, if you see other vehicles pulled off the road in places like national parks, there’s often a wildlife reason for that too. 3. Be ready. From a photographic point of view, nothing is worse than realizing you left that spare battery or memory card at home. And watch the CANADIAN CAMERA - 29
distractions – I’ve found out the hard way why it’s best to keep your phone out of reach. 4. Tracking. This takes a fair bit of skill and practise. Some animals, like cougars, are extremely elusive and their tracks will probably be the only thing you ever see of them in the wild. But learn the track pattern of various animals and at least you’ll know what’s around. 5. Hire a guide. I’ve done this before in places like Africa and Alaska. A good guide is often worth the cost, particularly if you’re able to hire one privately so you’re not subject to the whims of others. 6. Hide in plain sight. Often I don’t try to hide at all. Hiding makes you look like a predator or a threat. Well, if you get discovered that is. So I usually ‘hide’ in the open. What does that mean? Well, if I’m approaching an eagle for example, I slowly make my way closer. I try to look disinterested. 30 - CANADIAN CAMERA
Walk in a zig zag pattern and never direct. Pretend you interested in something else. Sit occasionally and move slowly. This strategy seems to work really well for me. But you have to be able to read your subject and know when to back off. Patience is key. 7. The internet. Photo forums are very helpful. I’ve built a good network with other photographers. So we bounce information back and forth. Admittedly it’s important to be careful with whom you share information. And how much you share. So share but be selective. And understand that
there are going to be times when others may not tell you of that super secret location. The bottom line is that wildlife photography can be incredibly rewarding. It’s not just based on what you capture on your memory cards. Get outside, explore, respect and enjoy what nature has to offer. And if you’re fortunate, you’ll have memories and images to last a lifetime. g
Some of his favorite places for wildlife photography include Yellowstone, Banff and Jasper, Katmai in Alaska, Chobe and Moremi in Botswana, and Serengeti in Tanzania. In addition, living in BC provides him with many local opportunities. Henrik's work has been published online by National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, Outdoor Photographer and others. More of his photographs can be see at PhotographyByHenrik.com
Henrik's day job is in the investment business. Much of his spare time is spent on back country roads or in national parks. CANADIAN CAMERA - 31
Creating a
Great AV Show By Paul Sparrow
The visual medium of photography has always lent itself to telling stories. From simple documentary photos of family and friends to an single image that sums up a dramatic situation or a comic take on a subject, to a much broader view that brings a larger understanding of our world, photographs by themselves are a powerful means of communication. But it was discovered long ago that when visual media is combined with music it can create in the viewer an emotional response to the imagery beyond what is there. Images and music have been used together for centuries… from theatrical performances, to the enjoyment of artwork, to the modern mediums of motion pictures & television and the more recent digital media of today. All have one thing in common… to use music to heighten the "experience" of the viewer to the visuals presented. My first encounter that made a lasting impression with how the visual medium can use music to “heighten” the visual experience was seeing the film 2001 A Space Odyssey. Director Stanley Kubrick used the Strauss waltz “Blue Danube” to accompany an unforgettable sequence of a spaceship docking with a giant rotating space station. It created such beautiful 32 - CANADIAN CAMERA
co-ordination between the music and the film sequence that it had the appearance of visual “ballet”. Unlike the mediums of motion pictures and video the AV slide show at its heart uses still photographs. But the same possibility exists, to bring more meaning to the images than would be possible with the photographs alone. This is why some photographers like myself gravitate towards the medium of the audio-visual slide show… to create a presentation that elevates the photographs beyond just “looking” at the images. When creating an AV slide show it’s important to consider how that interplay between the two components is integrated. Today the technology allows for so many possibilities that sometimes that overall connection between the images and the audio gets lost in the translation.
First it’s important to have a structure for your show and an order for the images that makes sense for the overall presentation. A series of great individual photographs that goes back and forth between different subjects without any thought for how they work together can seem disjointed. Think of the images like links in a chain... one following another connected together in a sequence rather than just individual images that stand on their own. You can avoid “image fatigue” that happens when using the same viewpoint over and over by mixing up the visual approach with different types of sequences (wide shots, medium shots, close-ups etc.). This will keep your audience visually interested in what’s coming up next rather than boring them with repetitive imagery. Half the “experience” of an audiovisual show is the soundtrack that goes along with the images. It’s just as important that the audio work with the images as it is that the images work with each other. What music you select and how the images are placed in relation to it will affect the emotional response to the images and how the audience will “see” them. Music can add emotional weight and impact to the images as well as add
structure to them that would not be evident with the images alone. Music can be used to link sequences together and can dictate the pacing of the images from one to another. So it’s necessary to put in just as much effort into music selection and how the soundtrack is constructed as you’ve put into taking and creating the photos. There are many musical styles that can be used (classical, jazz, electronic, rock, new age, contemporary orchestral... just to name a few) but the key to remember is what music you put to your images will make a huge impact on how the audience will respond to those images. Although music selection is a very personal process (just like what photos you take and what
composition you use) using a piece of music that doesn’t have the right “feel” or one that might be a mismatch for the kind of images presented can be harmful to your overall show. Choosing music that’s appropriate for your images is important but how those images go to that music (the timing) is central to the overall cohesiveness. Many slide show programs today can be told to “automate” the timing between the images and music but this is like using the “auto” features in Photoshop to process your image files, it might be faster but you never get the best result. When constructing the soundtrack think of how the images will flow to the music. People always ask me “how long should
a slide sit on the screen?” and my answer is “it depends on the rhythm and flow of the music”. Generally it’s best to use the music’s rhythm to determine how fast to change the slides... fast changes with fast music, slow changes with slow music. Use the changes within a piece of music as a way to go from one image sequence to another and think about using different pieces of music to divide the show up into different sections. Creating synchronization between images and music brings a much better harmony between the two. Also today most slide show programs allow for countless transitional effects, image movements and animation. These are a great way to add dynamic points within the show that draw attention to a specific image or heighten the impact of a sequence. But the use of unusual transition effects can draw attention to the transitions themselves and sometimes overpower the images. Using those transitional effects arbitrarily without any thought of how they’ll be perceived in the show’s overall structure will again create a disjointed presentation. So finally creating a great AV show is more than just showing a bunch of impressive images with some background music. When images and music are paired together they affect each other (good or bad) with their interplay. And this interplay ultimately dictates how successful the show works and how good that final “experience” will be for the audience. g For examples of my AV work visit: http://vimeo.com/paulsparrow/videos
CANADIAN CAMERA - 33
Hummingbird Photography
at the Bull River Guest Ranch By Donna Christie and Rick Shapka Leave some for me, Rick Shapka
Calliope at purple flower, Donna Christie
Two years ago we attended the Abbotsford Photo Arts Club (APAC) seminar, which featured John and Barbara Gerlach. John and Barbara presented practical information with o utstanding photographs about how to improve one’s skills to make images about animals, landscapes, flowers, insects and specially hummingbirds. Specially hummingbirds! 34 - CANADIAN CAMERA
When John and Barbara showed their hummingbird images, then spoke about the opportunity to learn how to photograph these amazing creatures at the Bull River Guest Ranch, west of Cranbrook B C, we were intrigued. Initially we were skeptical, when they spoke about the large numbers of Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned hummingbirds that migrate to the Cranbrook area each year to breed and feed. You may know what it is like to find a single nest, or wait by feeder at home to photograph a single fast moving hummingbird. Good luck. The Gerlach’s have been photo graphing hummingbirds since 2000, developing their skills and teaching techniques with a strong emphasis on using flash, to get the best hummingbird pictures possible. Donna and I decided to take Gerlach’s “The Art of Hummingbird Photography” Workshop this past May 2014. Upon arriving at the Bull River Guest Ranch, we were amazed by the fantastic location scenery, our
great accommodation, and the literally 100s and 100s of hummingbirds feeding at the deck of our cabin! John and Barbara were on hand to greet us, show us to our cabin for the week, and introduce us to our Guest Ranch Hosts, Greg and Gina. Our ranch hosts invited us to visit their own deck where we saw the first of the natural light photography and hummingbird feeding stations. During introductions we met C J, our gourmet chef, for the week. Although the food was great, the venison stew was outstanding. What did we learn during the week? 1) P hotography of hummingbirds making use of feeders with flowers, making a background and using flash is a very productive way to capture exquisite images of hummingbird activity. 2) How to set up both a natural light, and speed light system stations for optimal photographic results. How to set your camera for flash and synch speed. You do not need to photograph from a blind.
Black-chinned H B, Donna Christie
3) Hummingbirds are neither afraid of, nor affected by flash photography. They keep coming back to feed, and with our ‘hands on’ experience with the annual banding program in the area, the birds return year after year to feed, breed and be photographed. We were able to hold a bird on our hands, and feel its heart beat! 4) How hummingbirds interact with each other, some of their habits, characteristics (the male Rufous birds with its occasionally disruptive red baron attacks), and their favorite plant hiding/waiting and feeding environments. Caragana and lilac are favored bushes in which to rest, wait and feed as they bide their time for the next sugar water flight. 5) Take many, many images, waiting for the hummingbird to back away from the feeder leaving space between
Rufous Approach, Rick Shapka
it and the flowers. Flash freezes the action so you want images that show the whole of the bird with wings on display. The best bird images show activity, the throat patch or gorget, and the hummingbird wings
generally frozen. The birds are so quick; one never knows what an image will show. Alternatively one can turn off the flashes to make interesting silhouettes of the birds in flight. CANADIAN CAMERA - 35
My Turn Now, Donna Christie
Gerlach Nature Photography (http://www.gerlachnaturephoto. com/) provides everything one needs to learn about photographing the hummingbirds. Bull River Guest Ranch (http:// bullriver.bcresorts.com/) provides great accommodation just north of Cranbrook, BC. Sign into the CAPA members area of our website (capacanada. ca) to view the expanded article on photographing hummingbirds. g
Three for dinner, Rick Shapka
Having attended a number of photo足 graphy workshops, we can say the Gerlach Hummingbird Workshop provided a tremendous photography and learning experience, excellent accommodation and food at a world36 - CANADIAN CAMERA
class location in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. Abbotsford Photo Arts Club (http:// apac.bc.ca/ ) is a great, active CAPA club.
facebook.com/TheCanadian AssociationForPhotographicArt
awe is in the details Fireworks crackling mid-air. Thousands celebrating together. A night to remember – down to the last detail. That’s why the size of your camera’s sensor matters so much. A larger sensor means more detail and with a Sony 5000 you’ll capture every last detail – from the subtle colours of the light show above to the joy on people’s faces as they celebrate the night away. The Sony
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Photo courtesy of Purvesh Trivedi, purveshtrivediphotography.com
Prayers have been answered. For a lot of photographers, particularly those of the Canon persuasion, the 7D Mark II is exactly the camera they’ve been hoping for. That is, a lightweight DSLR that performs like a heavyweight. Crammed into the EOS 7D Mark II is an updated 20.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, a brand new 65-point autofocus system, unbelievable low-light shooting capabilities, burst shooting to a maximum 10 frames per second, and other performance-enhanced features such as dual DIGIC 6 image processors for faster processing and Full HD video recording at 60p.
and SD cards, USB 3.0 connectivity, a built-in Speedlite transmitter for controlling off-camera flash, and even built-in GPS for automatic location tagging. And because it’s a Canon, it’s compatible with an ever-expanding collection of EF and EF-S lenses plus a host of EOS accessories. There’s so much more to learn. Your best bet is to come in to one of our showrooms and listen to a Vistek camera specialist sing its praises. But chances are, it won’t take them much to convince you. Because once you get your hands on a 7D Mark II, they’ll be preaching to the choir.
Undoubtedly, the 7D Mark II will make a believer out of you – especially with a litany of features that includes dual card slots for both CF
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