Behind The Shot

Behind the Shot: Fire Crane Flight

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Gear used for this shot The key to this shot was preparation and pre-visualization of the final image. I was driving back down through the Yukon on the Dempster Highway, returning from a trip to the Arctic Ocean. On trips like this I often adjust my sleep schedule so that I don’t miss the best hours of the day, and in this case, I had slept through the middle of the day and then hit the road in the evening. Not only does that mean I’m driving during the nice evening and morning light, but also at the best time …

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Be Prepared to Focus Manually!

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For this Behind the Shot post I wanted to discuss a recent situation that I think everyone needs to be prepared for. Autofocus performance varies from brand to brand, but even the best – at this time that is certainly any Sony camera with their Real Time Eye AF system – can get caught out by complex situations with a lot of foreground clutter. Equipment Used For This Shot It’s therefore important to understand your camera system and lenses well enough to be able to switch to manual focusing at the drop of a hat. For some lenses and cameras …

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This Photo Is so Simple

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Last week I spent a couple of days in Kluane National Park. It wasn’t specifically a photographic trip and much of the time was spent hanging out with friends, but I did duck out a few times to grab some photos when the opportunity arose. One such opportunity arose when the sun did the same thing. The lovely little Airbnb place we rented for the weekend had a stunning panoramic mountain views from the window. On the first morning I was a little lazy and shot the view at sunrise from the deck of the house. The photos are ok, …

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Behind the Shot: Diving with Sea Lions

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I went diving with sea lions off the coast of Vancouver Island! In this post I’ll tell you everything about how this image was shot, and share some stories from my trip.

Behind the Shot: Dawn in Kluane National Park

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Kluane National Park is undoubtedly one of the gems of the Yukon, and on this cold winter morning we were treated to some beautiful calm weather and clear views across Kathleen Lake. After spending a little time photographing some of the hoar frost covered trees that surround the lake, I walked around the corner and was greeted with this wonderfully expansive view. Gear Used for This Shot Nikon Z 7 (full-frame mirrorless) Nikkor 24-70mm f/4 S Lens Breakthrough Photography 6-Stop Dark CPL Really Right Stuff TVC-24L tripod Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ballhead. MindShift Backlight 36 Backpack With the mountains as a …

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Behind The Shot: Frozen Forest in the Yukon

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It’s definitely winter in Canada now so the BTS posts are likely to be snowy ones for a while! This is a recent shot from a hidden valley near Whitehorse in the Canadian Yukon Territory.

BTS: Black Tusk + Polarizer

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This shot is a pretty classic view of Black Tusk in Whistler, British Columbia. You can get this view at the top of the Peak Chair on the ski hill, but the dramatic lighting in this one is courtesy of sunrise light while we were filming the Choose To Be Bold film about my work. I love the dramatic contrast between the white peak and the dark clouds, but this was hugely enhanced by the use of my Breakthrough Photography X4 circular polarizer filter. CPL filters have the largest effect on images when the sunlight is coming from 90 degrees …

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Behind the Shot: Coyote Closeup

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How do you find wildlife to photograph? That’s a good question, and one that is often asked. Everyone has their secret spots, but sometimes you just have to put the miles in. You’ve just got to get in the car and drive!

Behind The Shot: Yukon Ice Cave

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On a recent trip to the Yukon I captured this photo of a gigantic ice cave that exists year round near Haines Junction. Local photographer Matt Jacques and I set off on this little adventure, expecting a relatively easy hike, but mother nature had other plans! The trail gradient was relatively shallow, but in the second half of the hike we were blasted in the face by incredible arctic winds that had the gusting strength to knock you off your feet. Sometimes you had to really lean into the wind to keep moving forwards! Once we reached the cave I …

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Sometimes I Forget That I Have This Power in My Pocket

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Last week my partner and I were walking our dogs around the local lake in the evening, when we spotted this wonderful patch of floating vegetation. A rain shower had just passed through and droplets of water still clung to many of the leaves. Despite the flat light from an overcast sky, the colours were vibrant and the whole scene stopped us both in our tracks. Not having my DSLR with me, I decided to grab my iPhone instead. I took three of fours shots, then opened my favourite one in Lightroom Mobile and processed it right away before posting …

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