Behind the Shot: Moraine Lake Sunrise

March 6, 2023July 27, 2016 by Dan Carr

Moraine Lake is one of the most photographed lakes in the world, but this was actually my first time visiting it when I took this shot. Despite the remote looking landscape, there’s easy vehicle access in the summer months, and that means that it’s teeming with people during the day. There are nice shots to be had at night and in the evening, but sunrise is the quietest time, and you get to watch the first light of the day creep its way along the famous peaks at the far end of the lake. Equipment Used for This Shot The …

Behind the Shot: Aurora Insanity in Banff

March 6, 2023June 7, 2016 by Dan Carr

Every photographer wants a shot at shooting the Northern Lights at some point, and this was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. It was taken at Vermillion Lakes in Banff, Alberta, Canada. A G3 geomagnetic storm rolled in on a night with a clear sky and a new moon that was setting early. You can’t hope for better conditions than that, for them all to align like that is a real rarity and I heard several comments from locals that this was the best storm they had seen in decades. Talk about being in the right place at …

Behind the Shot: Space Canvas Star Trail

March 6, 2023February 25, 2016 by Dan Carr

This week we’re taking a closer look at this start trail image that I took in the Callaghan Valley near my home of Whistler in British Columbia. Find out how you can make this kind of photo, too!

Behind the Shot: Diamond Head Sunset

June 8, 2019January 17, 2016 by Dan Carr

This week’s Behind the Shot article looks at a sunset photo of Diamond Head Mountain that I shot just a few days ago. I love using longer focal lengths for landscape photos and this was a perfect situation for this technique.

Behind the Shot: Blood Moon Rising

March 6, 2023September 28, 2015 by Dan Carr

Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 200-400 f/4 A Blood Moon is the name given to a specific type of lunar eclipse where The Moon turns a dramatic orange colour at the point of total eclipse. A so-called Super Moon is a full moon that occurs at the point in The Moon’s orbit where it is closest to The Earth. In 2015, these two events coincided with each other to produce a “Blood Super Moon”, something which won’t happen again until 2033! I’ve previously shared a tutorial I created on how to shoot a lunar eclipse, and I set out again this …

Stay Out There With Adobe & The Creative Cloud

March 6, 2023June 10, 2015 by Dan Carr

Today, I’m pleased to announce a new partnership with Adobe and their Creative Cloud Photography plan. I’ve been a subscriber to the Photography plan since its inception a few years ago, and as mobility has become increasingly important to my business, the Creative Cloud has been right there with me. The Photography Plan gives me access to Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC and Lightroom mobile, as well as added benefits in mobile apps such as Adobe Slate and Voice. As far as I’m concerned, the less time I can spend in my office, the better! Tools like Lightroom mobile, allow me …

Behind the Shot: The Tip of a Snowflake

March 6, 2023February 22, 2013 by Dan Carr

This image was shot using the very special Canon MP-E 65mm Macro lens which can magnify objects up to 5X size relative to the cameras sensor. It was mounted to a Canon 5D Mark III which in turn was mounted onto a Really Right Stuff B150-B Macro rail , the whole setup was atop a Really Right Stuff BH-40 on my trusty carbon fibre Really Right Stuff TVC-24L tripod legs. Now, I also own the Canon 100mm IS macro but that only goes to 1x magnification which would have shown the whole crystal. I wanted to get in even closer, and …

Behind the Shot: Aurora In Whistler

March 6, 2023October 15, 2012 by Dan Carr

From time to time, geomagnetic storms occur with such strength that fabled northern lights, or aurora, can be seen at much lower latitudes than you might expect. Whilst I live in Canada, I’m not that far north so this is a relatively rare occurrence. Not only do you need to get a solid storm, but it also needs to coincide with a near cloudless night, and also a night with a new moon, or one that has set very early. As with all nighttime photography, your star gazing success will be hampered if you are fighting with the light from …

Behind the Shot: Milky Way and Meteors

December 3, 2016August 13, 2012 by Dan Carr

Some of you might know that every August the earth passes through the trail of a comet and we experience a meteor shower know as Perseids. This image of a meteor streaking through the sky was shot during an August Perseid storm and with the help of a little luck, I really like how it turned out. Whenever you’re shooting the night sky, you need to find something else to include in the shot to help ground the whole scene and give things some scale. This can be something in the near foreground like the trees in this shot, or …

Behind the Shot: Lake Wakatipu Long Lens

March 6, 2023January 30, 2009 by Dan Carr

An instantly recognizable scene for anyone that happens to have driven this road south of Queenstown in New Zealand. As landscape photography locations go, it’s an easy one to get to since it’s right on the side of the highway. The main reason I wanted to include this photo is to share a side-by-side comparison with this main photo, and another that was taken in the exact same location using a wide angle lens. I find that a lot of people tend to gravitate towards wide angle shots for landscape images, and whilst it’s true that they work best for …