• CAPA Photo Expo 2015 • Member`s Portfolio • CAPA 2014 Annual

O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E C A N A D I A N A S S O C I AT I O N F O R P H O T O G R A P H I C A RT
WINTER 2014 • $9.95
• 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: [email protected]
Rick Shapka
Publishing Editor
Jozef VanVeenen
Art Director
E-mail: [email protected]
Kevin McMillan
Advertising Manager
E-mail: [email protected]
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 [email protected]. 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 Shapkaat 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: [email protected]
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.
Printed in Canada by
CAPA is a FIAP-affiliated
organization.
www.capacanada.ca
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: [email protected]
Website: www.capacanada.ca
2 - CANADIAN CAMERA
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 [email protected] or president@
capacanada.ca
Have a great Christmas and holiday
season! g
Sincerely,
Rick Shapka, FCAPA
President
[email protected]
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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We offer great gear…
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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
­­[email protected];
• 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
NEW!
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Have a mirrorless camera and a bunch of
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Where to send it
Canadian Camera
c/o Sheena Wilkie, Editor-in-Chief
E-mail:
[email protected]
Inspiring Tools
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CANADIAN CAMERA - 3
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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
TRIGGERSMART
Letter to the Editor
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4 - CANADIAN CAMERA
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
[email protected]
www.capacanada.ca
Tel.(250) 523-2333
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6 - CANADIAN CAMERA
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Email orders to [email protected]
Or via mail to
CAPA, Box 357, Logan Lake, BC, V0K 1W0
Tel: 1-250-523-2378
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 ([email protected]).
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
• Sony a6000 Mirrorless Camera
(ILCE6000LB) w/16-50 Zoom Lens
• Lowepro Photo Sport Shoulder 12L
Camera Bag
• Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB Tripod Kit
• Epson Stylus Photo R3000 Inkjet Printer
• $150 Gift Certificate towards a Blurb Print
Product
• Adobe One-Year Creative Cloud
Membership
• 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.
8 - CANADIAN CAMERA
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
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Contact:
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Winter 2014
CAPA NEW MEMBERS
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Prairie Zone
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Grande Prairie
Photography Club AB
Pacific Zone
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CANADIAN CAMERA - 9
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
CANADIAN CAMERA - 11
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
CANADIAN CAMERA - 13
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
14 - CANADIAN CAMERA
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
CANADIAN CAMERA - 15
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
16 - CANADIAN CAMERA
“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.
CANADIAN CAMERA - 19
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
20 - CANADIAN CAMERA
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
CANADIAN CAMERA - 21
Botanical
Photography
By Don Corby
Pure botanical photography is a true to life
­representation of the subject that typically depicts
the plant in its environment. The image will show the
­general structure of the plant and its unique qualities
will be apparent. However my photography is not truly
representative of pure botanical photography.
22 - CANADIAN CAMERA
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.
CANADIAN CAMERA - 23
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
24 - CANADIAN CAMERA
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.
CANADIAN CAMERA - 25
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
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
5000. Extraordinary sensor size. Ultra compact body.
BE MOVED
www.store.sony.ca/a5000
Sony and
®
are registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. Screen images are simulated. A.E. & O.E.
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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TOR ON TO • M ISSI SSAUGA • OTTAWA • CALGARY • E DMONT ON
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