Photos of my kayak photography setup always draw a lot of attention and result in a lot of questions. In order to answer these definitively, I’ve added a new “Photography from a Kayak” section to my Gear Guide that explains which kayak I use, why I chose it, and what other accessories are needed to complete the whole setup. PS. Did you check out the Photography EDC kit section that I also added recently?
This image is a little unusual for me because it involves fairly heavy usage of Photoshop which is not something I typically do. I wanted to improve some of my Photoshop knowledge, and there’s no better way to do that than rolling up your sleeves and jumping right in. In particular, I wanted to experiment with creating a composite image – one which was created by combing two or more photos into a single, final shot. As an avid mountain biker, sometimes I have daydreamed about riding around in the incredible trees that grow in by home province of British …
In this example we’re looking at a 9-shot panoramic photo that was created at an alpine lake in British Columbia. Read on to find out which of the big “rules” I broke when I was shooting this…
I took this photo of my dog on an overnight camping trip to Cirque Lake near Whistler, British Columbia. I thought I’d include it in the Behind The Shot series because it gives me an opportunity to discuss backpacking with photography gear, specifically when you’re also carrying a tent, sleeping bag and other overnight kit. Equipment Used for This Shot To access this camping spot above Cirque Lake requires a kayak to cross nearby Callaghan Lake, and then a hard scramble up a boulder field into the alpine. There are occasional ropes along the trail in the woods, so that gives …
Continuing my coverage of the Canon 5D Mark IV, today we’re taking a first look at the BG-E20 battery grip for this exciting new camera. A battery grip serves two main purposes: firstly it allows you to use two batteries simultaneously, thus prolonging the period between needing to actually swap batteries, and secondly it mimics the main camera controls when it’s held in a vertical orientation. If you find yourself shooting with the camera in portrait orientation a lot, there’s no denying that a battery grip is a heck of a lot more comfortable, and it gives you a sturdier …
The Canon 5D Mark IV began shipping this week and I was able to pick mine up immediately. As has become traditional, I recorded a short video for those that want to live vicariously and see what comes in the box. You can find the video a little further down the page. The video also contains a side-by-side comparison with the 5D Mark III. The first thing I noticed about the camera after unboxing it was that the 10% weight saving from the Mark III is noticeable. I’m pretty pleased about this, and I think it’s a great achievement when …
I wanted to write more about this camera a few days ago when it was first announced, but I’ve simply been swamped with work this week! Canon finally announced the 5D Mark IV and from my perspective, it really didn’t disappoint me apart from the fact that is uses the old CF cards when everyone, including Canon with the 1DX Mark II, is moving to CFast cards. I ordered my new 5D Mark IV the second I was able to, and it should be here in the first half of September. I’m also going to check out the newly announced 24-105 …
This is a little off-topic from my usual blog posts, but I strive to provide useful information to you guys, and I genuinely feel this is worth knowing about. Last week I noticed that one of my Lexar Professional 1000x SD cards was broken. Part of the plastic casing had come apart, and I could no longer insert it safely into a camera. I’ve never had to warranty a memory card before, and I think in general I get filled with a sense of dread at the thought of fighting long wait times in online chat support centres, or even …
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 …
Extension tubes are a great little lens accessory, and I almost always have at least one of the Canon ones in my bag these days. At first glance they look like small, black extenders (sometimes called teleconverters), but actually they don’t have any optics inside them at all. It can be a bit confusing because extenders and extension tubes look similar, so let’s be clear from the start which is which, and what they do: Extension Tubes (what we’re talking about today) These sit between the lens and the camera body and act as a spacer to move the lens …
Today I’m really excited to announce the completion of my brand new Gear Guide. Historically this part of my site has been one of the most popular, but I knew it needed a facelift and I also wanted to make it easier to update in the future. The Gear Guide homepage contains a simple list of all the gear that I use – both photographic and non-photographic – but it now includes an index to a much more in-depth look at different sets of gear. I’ve spent well over 150 hours working on this new guide and I’m sure it …
Not too long ago, my website was featured by the makers of my favourite WordPress themes, Elegant Themes, as one of the top 25 sites using the Divi framework. For those that don’t know, WordPress is a powerful website platform that’s free to use, but it requires a “Theme” to be used to take care of the look of the site. That’s why not all WordPress sites look the same. I use a theme from Elegant Themes called Extra, and it’s built on their incredible Divi framework that allows massive amounts of customizations to be carried out by regular Joes like …