Night Sky on Christmas Eve

I came home late from a family dinner on Christmas Eve, and of course I had my camera with me, when I stopped in my driveway to admire the midwinter sky. Everything is so crisp and clear.

But here's what I saw!

Merry Christmas!

Last Updated: 12/23/2006 11:11:11

Need an inspiration injection?

Tired of the same old Christmas music - and worse, the cheesy Christmas elevator music in every shop, restaurant and public building?

Try these not so famous Christmas tunes for a change of pace. They should remind us all that we are very fortunate for what we have and what we are, and that not everyone is joyous at Christmas. I had to take the files down for copyright reasons. Please email me if you want to know how to get the tunes.

Fairy Tale of New York - The Pogues
Listen all the way to the end...

Father Christmas - The Kinks
A more realistic take on the season...

Same Old Lang Syne - Dan Foglegerg
An old and schmaltzy lament, but it still makes me go for the kleenex!

So Much Wine - The Handsome Family
These two put the fun in dysfunctional!

Happy Festivus!

Last Updated: 12/21/2006 06:11:11

Every Girl wants a Ring for Christmas!

Yes, it's true...but many guys want one too. I'm talking about a ring flash. Oh, the images you get with a ring flash are amazing!

And I should know better than to tease you with promises of "more later..." All those e-mails telling me how mean it was to keep you in suspense about my new toy - ok, I've learned. :-)

So here's just a bit about that new toy - the NEW Alien Bees Ring Flash. It is creating quite a buzz on the Internet, and in studios around the world.

But this unit is lightweight, portable (as long as you have power) and makes the most glorious photographs. I'm still looking for an unsuspecting model - the Rottweiler doesn't like the nasty lights in his beady little eyes!

But there will be images and a review after the holidays, promise. Now that your curiosity is a little satisfied, get creative and start taking some holiday photos. Send then to me, and I'll post the best ones here in the new year.

So much to do...so much stuff to play with!

With one week away till the "big day," the photo industry is going MAD with new products, new technology and new ideas. It's better marketing than Nintendo Wii!

I'm going crazy this way too - too much - I have an ultra cool new toy that I will be describing and reviewing here before the New Year - it's been creating quite a buzzzz - you'll want one so bad (evil grin)! ...Learned a few new techniques as a result of this, that I MUST master so I can show you better, AND somewhere in between all this I have to plan a dinner menu and buy wine (did I ever mention that I love wine!) for the big feast on December 25th.

It's my turn to cook so I'm planning on turning my entire kitchen and dining room into a "food stock" photo set. Fortunatly the dinner party will be small (a grand total of 4! not including the Rottweiler - who probably counts for at least another 2). But a small group makes for much better photos. :-)

Any ways, let's get on with it...Here's the latest photo news this week:

Adobe released a public beta of Photoshop CS3. Yep, just when you thought it was getting easier to manage your workflow, Adobe comes out with an entirely revammped application. And according to the feedback so far - this is a major upgrade.

Download your free beta version of CS3 here.

And check out NAPPs dedicated CS3 site full of high-powered details, including videos and CS3 Podcasts!

BUT a small warning: if possible I suggest installing CS3 on a machine not used for production. There have been reports of CS2 behaving badly when the beta is also installed.

I have not installed or tried it yet, but it's on my this of things to do in 2007 - but by the time I get around to it the produciton version of CS4 will probably be shipping! ha ha.

In another "great for photographers" announcement Getty Images, who now owns istock photo (a Canadian company in Calgary , AB)announced that all istock shooters with diamond status (the mumber of downloads and a few other criterial, I believe) will have a "free pass" into Getty's image library.

This means big bucks certainly for some of istock's best shooters, and a huge incentive for the rest to get better and start taking the craft and business of professional photogrpahy seriously.

Here's the press release on istock.com

Inspiring, isn't it?

ciao for now and happy clicking...

Last Updated: 12/15/2006 09:03:44

New Gallery Show in the works

I'm so excited!!! I just got confirmation of dates for my new exhibition. Mark your calendars! October 2007, maybe November. Yes, you have a whole year to clear your other appointments and make sure you book yourself for the grand opening on my next show.

The exact dates will be confirmed next week, so be sure to check back.

This show will not be "nature" photography as you know it. I've teamed up with a colleague an outstanding photographer of the human form. With his knowledge of the human body as an art form, and my award winning infrared technique, we are mounting a RED HOT show of ...hmmmmm...how to describe this? ...erotic abstracts?

The weather may be cold 11 months from now but the show will be HOT HOT HOT! (wink)

More later,

ciao for now!

Last Updated: 12/12/2006 18:04:11

Walking around in a fog

Back to more constructive topics! (and thanks for putting up with my childish whining in my last post!) Glad you came back

****************

I was walking around in a fog this morning - once I got outdoors! The entire world it seemed, was draped in a veil of fog from sun up till about noon.

Some warm weather moved in overnight and the interplay of hot moist air with the cold dry stuff of last week created this most excellent weather event. It's so perfect for photography. No shadows, plus the fog adds depth and perspective to a scene, not to mention mood and drama. Perfect story-telling components.

The problem with this mornings fog though was that above the fog, was another layer of clouds so the sun wasn't able to penetrate even just a tiny bit, to add yet another dimension - colour - to the landscape.

I had to be content with the monochromatic, austere looking landscape of bleak winter trees, a never ending carpet of snow, and dangerous white skies. Dangerous in the photographic sense - if you don't manage your exposure, you'll end up with a blown out sky (no data) - like when you overexpose a slide all you see is clear film.

Photographing foggy scenes does take a bit of practice. Remember that your camera sensor reads everying as 18% grey. So a high contrast scene like dark trees in fog, will turn out rather underexposed - all tones will tend towards average grey.

Depending on your digital camera you may have to adjust your exposure by +1/3 to +1 EV to compensate for this. You want the whites to be white (but not blown put, and your shadows should contain good detail, not just black pixels).

Bracket a few shots to make sure you have one that is right on. I know, you can fix it in Photoshop after, but you then become the vicitm of additional noise that's hiding in those underexposed shadows. When you adjust your levels, or curves, that ugly noise will start to appear and ruin an otherwise stunning shot. Especially if your goal is to print it large.

Best to get it right the first time!

Tomorrow I'll post one of the foggy pics and you will see what I'm talking about...stay tuned.

Last Updated: 12/08/2006 17:24:10

Why CIBC Visa Sucks!
Warning: non-photography rant ahead
Extra warning: it’s long!
Extra extra warning – If you like Big Banks, do not read this.

I’m distraught! I believed the hype from my credit card company, CIBC Visa, about their online fraud protection for their cardholders.

On July 28, 2006 someone thousands of miles away from here, went to the website of a multinational computer seller and bought several thousands of dollars worth of computers and electronics – with MY credit card number!

When I saw this on my statement I called the merchant (who will remain nameless for now as they seem to be sincere in their attempts to try to resolve this) who after a bit of investigation told me that they were aware of this fraud and also told me to let my credit card company know and that the credit card company would take care of it.

Then I called CIBC Visa. However because my inquiry to CIBC Visa was made after some nonsensical and arbitrary 30 day “dispute period,” I was told there was nothing they could do except send me the transaction slips. I guess at that time I was naïve enough to believe that since this was clearly an online fraud and that the details would soon be made evident, I didn’t worry too much. After all I have online fraud protection – the one CIBC Visa boasts about in all its advertising. I thought once I received the transaction slips from the merchant and CIBC Visa saw what had happened, the process of crediting my account would be automatic.

WRONG! Yesterday I received the transaction receipts along with official written notification (in very patronizing language, might add!) from CIBC Visa of their position – that basically I was responsible to make the payment despite the fact that both me and the merchant were in agreement about the situation and wanted to rectify it. In fact, the merchant, me and CIBC Visa had a conference call to discuss this. So why was CIBC Visa preventing both their merchant and their customer from resolving an issue the facts of which, no one disputes?

One of the best ways to uncover a mystery is to ask “who benefits?” So I ask myself, who benefits here? Not the merchant, they are taking the loss. Certainly it is not me – my credit rating is damaged, I’m being charged exorbitant interest on a transaction I did not make. So...who benefits? Besides the scammer, who got "free computers" who’s collecting all that interest? Yep, CIBC Visa. The beneficiaries of this transaction are a criminal and...

Since what’s happened here is quite plainly criminal activity, and CIBC Visa is quite plainly content to continue to earn interest from the dirty work of fraudsters (almost seems like they are in it together?), at the expense of law abiding consumers. Isn’t profiting from a crime a crime in and of itself? Is CIBC Visa party to a crime?

Book ‘em Dano!

Last Updated: 12/05/2006 23:55:17

Getting “Board” yet?

Now that the snow is here it got me wondering what the skateboarders do in winter. Snowboard? Ski? Curl up by a warm fire and hibernate?

I’m going to check it out though – I suspect if it’s any one of the first two there will be tremendous photo ops available. Here’s my plan…

It all started out a month or two ago when Dr. Carla a fellow photo buddy and (unlike me) a successful academic, decided to skip out of work one afternoon and do some team shooting. It was one of those glorious autumn days so we headed over to the new skateboard park at the Forks – a (the?) Winnipeg Tourist hotspot.

There are 2 skateboard areas at the Forks each of which offers a great set for fantastic photography. We were fortunate that there were several very good boarders hanging out at the Bowl that day and all were eager to show us what they could do.

We got to chatting with them and got the ok to take their photos – got their e-mails to so we could share the shots. (I’ve always found that giving people the photos that have them in them makes it so much easier the next time someone wants to photograph them, but anyway…)

Words can’t explain the moves, it’s like figure skating but 100% more aggressive: like acrobatic skiing with a concrete landing. Who ever coined the phrase “poetry in motion” must have been talking about skateboarders!

So now I’m wondering now that the snow is on the ground, if the boarders turn it into a winter sport.

Because I bet it will be wild! Wild to watch and to photograph.

As soon as the temp gets a bit warmer (if you believe the weather guys – the end of the week will be nice) I’m going to check it out again. By Friday I will be ready for some outdoor activity!

I used two lenses for these skateboard shots, the Nikon 70-200 VR, and shot using shutter priority to freeze the action. My big complaint (and I don’t have too many) about the new digital lenses is that the aperture markings are missing making it difficult to calculate the hyperfocal distance – which is critical when capturing moving subjects such as the skateboarders. I used my best guess and missed often, and the autofocus was not quite fast enough for some of the compositions I wanted.

I’m still practicing with some of the D2x’s funky focus options and as soon as I get my engineering diploma I’m sure I’ll figure it all out!

The other lens which was too cool was my favourite Nikon 10.5 mm fisheye. But you have to be a bit of a daredevil yourself, if you want to use it at a skateboard park. I had to be within 12 inches of the subject to get these shots! Thanks to Carla for this one!

With a little luck, the weather will cooperate this week and I’ll post the winter pics of skateboarders here. (Wonder if they drink rum and eggnog?)

“I’m ready for my close up Mr. DeMille”

Last week, on Wednesday, November 22, Winnipeg broke a temperature record with a high of + 12 C. Two days later, Friday the 24th was also a grand day, with lots of sunny great photography skies!

So what happened on Thursday, the 23rd? Glad you asked. For starters, it was brutally cold – with a bitter biting north wind, and dark brooding skies that bellowed “winter is coming – you fools” as Mother Nature mocked the previous day’s smugness. Certainly not a day to be outdoors, (unlike the previous day when I shot off 2 2GB cards around the downtown neighbourhoods.)

But the second and most cool thing that happened on Thursday: Yes, Thursday I WAS certainly outdoors (and freezing) with a film crew from CBC Television. (For those of you not from Canada, CBC is Canada’s national public TV broadcaster). CBC is producing a new show to be aired in January 2007 and had contacted me to be part of a feature on nature photography.

In the show, I’m the photography expert helping Jaeny with her camera technique. Fun, eh? I must say we had a blast! We ended up having a great time out there in the woods at my favourite haunt - Bird’s Hill Park. Jaeny, the reporter and Andrew, the camera man (Hi Andrew in Asia) were a hoot, and I can honestly say I haven’t had that much fun chillin’ my a** in a long time! Within a few minutes we all forgot about the cold (except for our batteries freezing – poor Andrew had to lug a mega pack of video batteries around).

We poked around and saw lots of weird things in the dead grass of autumn; studied the mystical angularity of naked trees; chatted about life the universe and everything; and hopefully educated the future viewers about the first steps in taking good photos.

I’m sure with all the digital cameras that will be opened on Christmas day, the January airing of this show can’t come too soon.

So watch for me on CBC TV! I’ll post the time and date here once I know more!

Here are few pics of the shoot!

Last Updated: 11/27/2006 02:11:22

Two out of Three Wise Men Recommend...

Looking for corporate Christmas gifts for your boss, staff, clients and colleages?

Want to invigourate your workspace with something a bit more vibrant than those cliched motivational posters?

How about something "one-of-a-kind" for your sweetie?

Don't wait - take a look at our limited edition framed prints. We have only ONE of each print available, signed, framed and ready to wrap! Ho Ho Ho!

Framed Prints

Last Updated: 11/25/2006 22:45:13

Taking Stock

Like most dedicated photographers, you probably would love the chance to make (more) money with your images.

Ever considered stock photography? Stock photos are “generic” images companies buy to use in advertising, on Websites, and in newspapers and other editorial publications. The process of “shooting stock” can be very lucrative and rewarding.

Several weeks back I was accepted as a contributor to another stock photo library, one of the ones that some stock purists would consider to be “more professional.” But the type of images they most often require are not my usual type of shots. But I didn’t want to have to start all over – making their type of images from scratch - I was anxious to get my photos up and selling!

But having been taking photos since my university days, I had lots of slides and negatives in boxes scattered all over the place, and it occurred to me that I should take another look at all these – with the idea that some of them MAY be suitable for a stock photo submission to this firm. Perhaps there would even be some hidden treasures in there!

When I got into the old boxes, the images they contained were what most of us would consider snapshots - pictures of fun times; parties, ski trips, days at the beach, trips to exotic places; and of good friends long since moved on. I didn’t find too many that would be suitable as stock photos. But I did find some that were “keepers” in that trip down memory lane. Hidden treasures indeed! (Maybe that’s why I had kept them all these years!)

Anyway, if the idea of making some money with your photos appeals to you, why not visit some of the big stock photo websites to see what types of images they are looking for, then dig through the images you have collected over the years before commencing your stock shots and submissions. Not only may it save you some time, it will help develop a more critical eye, as you learn the fine art of “culling” your images and the strength to edit severely. And who knows, you, too, may find the process more rewarding than you thought.

Stock photo resources to get you started:

StockPhoto Talk

DP Challenge – Stock Photos

Stock Artists Alliance

Yahoo Groups also has several stock photo related forums. Go to Yahoo to check it out and sign up.

Last Updated: 11/19/2006 16:31;01

I'm in the dark here...?

Here in the great white north, we're strangely positioned on the Earth so that in summer our daylight hours are ridiculously long - 6 am till about 10:30 at night. But we pay in the winter with stupidly short days - from November till April we are basically "always" in the dark. (OK, I'm always in the dark but not cos of the hours!)

And as all good photographers know, the only times it worth your energy to make photographs is at the dawn's early light and the magic hour of sweet light at dusk.

So if you live on the Canadian prairies, AND want to be an outstanding photographer, you won't be getting much sleep in the summer months. Up at 4:30 am and hanging around till 11:00 pm to shoot in the best light causes all sorts of social angst, as you might imagine.

So it's not so much that I like the winter, but I do appreciate that dawn and dusk happily occur at much more sane hours of the day - right now around 7:00 am and 4:30 pm, respectively.

So what to shoot with all this darkness available?

One good shooting opp came up this weekend: This weekend was a big weekend for footbal fans as the national championships - The Grey Cup was held in my city. Now, I'm no sports photographer at all, but "everyone loves a parade" (yeah, right)! And with the weather being freakishly warm here for this time of year, I went to the grey Cup Parade to practice my evening and night shooting technique (and to see Santa Clause - who apparently is football fan, as he and the reindeer hitched a ride on a float at the tail end of this slow moving freakshow!).

The "festivities" began around 3:00 and ended after 6:00pm. It was DARK (and at 6:00 pm, COLD). As well as meeting up with a few of my photog colleagues (who also appreciate the darkness), I managed to get several unusual shots - mostly with the Nikon 10.5 mm fisheye lens that I really haven't used a lot lately. I have to say it is brilliant for low light shooting. Handheld at ISO 400 with either the D70 or D2x produced really crazy shots - but sharp and with accurate colour. See them below.

If you haven't done any night shooting lately, you really should push yourself to try it. If it's warm where you are you have no excuse! I wouldn't push your ISO any higher than ISO 400 though - noise really does start to creep - no push - it's way into the image in a quite discernable way. For small prints or the web it may be ok, but forget about enlargements, unless you do some serious noise reduction in post (Neat Image or Noise Ninja are my favs).

A friend and I have a date to do some night time "drive by shooting" before the end of the year. These urban shots will be the total opposite of my usual light bright and happy nature stuff. These will be DARK, DARKER and DARKEST. ooooohhh!

A Special Treat

I made a special screensaver for you! :-) best of nature screensaver here. get the (12 MB zip file, sorry 'bout the size)

Winnipeg Word Cloud!?

I've seen word clouds before on the Web, but this one is for my own city! If you're from Winnipeg, or anywhere in Manitoba, take a look. It's pretty cool. Find my link to nature-photography-central.com! Tell your friends - I have a goal of getting 700 unique visitors in one day.

Then add a link to your business - it's all for a good cause!

Winnipeg's Best 1000...

Last Updated: 11/09/2006 16:07;21

Look Ma, No Hands!

Ever heard of CLS? As in Creative Lighting System? As in Nikon's creative lighting system? I thought so...I hadn't heard of it either till a few months ago when I was invited to a seminar by two of my fellow photographer colleagues.

So what it amounts to is this: Your Nikon D70(s), or D200 (and D2X but it's a little different) has a super cool hands-free way to take professional flash photos with its built-in wireless flash capability that enables you to use multiple SB800s as automatic lighting from amywhere! The pop up flash acts as a main flash controller and the computer inside the camera adjusts the output of all the other flashes you have set up in your array.

BUT! If you want more control of the light from the remote flashes you simply dial in the correct output/exposure from your camera!

I'll be writing more about this and posting the article over the weekend. It's truly the coolest thing, even for us outdoor photographers - I'll show you why.

***********************Oh, and for any creative women who wants a bit more ZAP in her photos, or is just learning the digital photography craft, I'm teaching a workshop starting January 5th, 2007, in Winnipeg.

E-mail me for more details or check out http://www.studiosintheexchange.com/Calendar.html

Last Updated: 11/04/2006 10:24;43

MORE INFRARED IMAGES!

I have spsent the last few months experementing with some new digital infrared photography techniques, using my dedicated infrared Nikon D70 - the one I got converted this summer.

Expoloration is a wonderful thing! Playing around in Photoshop, I discovered a few new ways to process digital infrared images. By now you've all seen the channel swapper method, so I wanted to create a "new" look :-).

Here are the images I made using the converted Nikon D70, and my new Photoshop post processing techniques. I am trying to create an action for this effect, but it relies of lots of variables and "artistic judgement" but once I get it where I'm confident I can get it to work consistently I'll make it available.

Off to work!!!

Happy clicking...

Last Updated: 10/31/2006 10:53;02

Something different

With the holiday season bearing down upon us (more about that later!), I came across a site that you might adore, IF you are a dog lover as deep into all things canine as I am!!!

Handmade designer dog collars! Well, Buzz the paripatetic pooch will have none of it - being the big tough Rottie that he is. But if your little man or lady deserves only something that truly displays all your love for them, go here, Castlehound Designs.

These collars are brilliant! I want some for me, since the "Buzzard" isn't gracious to accept one for himself. :-)

Your pooch will become a glamerous subject for all your pet portraits adorned with one of these. I just love 'em!

You will too!

Till next time,

Happy clicking,

Last updated: 07/16/2006 07:59:04

My converted D70 dedicated digital infrared camera arrived from Lifepixel Conversions earlier this week! And thankfully the has weather cooperated. It's been hot and sunny here - perfect IR photography weather.

And yes, the jury is in on the newly convered d70 as a dedicated infrared camera!

As a digital infrared photography enthusiast as many of you know, and after winning awards for my IR photos, I can confidently and enthusiasticaly report that converting your D70 is the best thing you'll ever do as an IR photographer.

For many reasons, which I will describe in more detail in the IR section of the site. Just let it be known that these images frpm my convered Nikon D70 are out of this world.

One thing to note, though, there are a few more techniques for surreal photographic effects if you use one of these cameras - it really does OPEN up an entirely new world. Look for more tutorials for digital IR with the D70 conversion soon!

Here are some examples. These are NOT award winning images to be sure - but more like infrared snapshots, just so I could get a feel for the mechanics of shooting this way, and how the camera handles.

You can see the way skin turns to "wax" or alabaster, it's so smooth looking and flawless. Except the feet - playing around as usual, I shot my feet and I included the ghastly IR image just for "fun!?" I supposed you can create some truly macabre dark art this way...

But I'll save that for another posting :-)

Check it out: Digital infrared images from a converted Nikon D70.

Last updated: 06/12/2006 07:24:24

For Digital Infrared Photography Fans! The D70 Conversion Saga Begins (sorta)

I finally took the plunge and got the D70 converted to a dedicated IR camera. It's on its way back from Lifepixel via USPS. (More on this after I test it out) I hope good old Canada Customs doesn't hold up its delivery. There's only 2 months of good IR shooting left up here. (no, really!!!)

The conversion project took a while for several reasons: I still LOVE my D70 - the D2x is a great camera, but the D70 is still awesome and I was not ready to do without it. So I had to find a used one to be the "conversion guinea pig."

I had placed an ad in the PPOC MB newsletter and somehow a fellow photographer in Ontario saw it and replied. And most generously sent it to me - no strings attached - to try out for a few days before I bought it. However there were a few glitches and I didn't feel confident with it, so alas, I sent it back. But still I had no camera and no options!

Well, I ended up finding a factory refub D70 from a reputable place on eBAY, and despite the insane shipping costs to Canada, I made the bid and won. The D70 arrived in 2 days - it was sooo nice to have it in my hands. I almost didn't want to immediatelty send it away again.

Then as it happened, I was away for a few weeks, got busy with some big projects while the D70 sat on my desk all packaged and waiting to be shipped.

So I finally got back to it, but the conversion company was not resonding to one of my e-mail inquiries. Ack! It seemed like this digital infrared camera conversion was just not to be. I needed some info from them before could ship it.

But after a week or so I did get my reply - sent the darn thing off and hoped for a quick turn around - which I got. It was shipped back to me yesterday tracking number and all. So it should arrive in my hot little hands early next week.

Yipeeee! Stay tuned as I prepare an all weekend IR shoot with the newly converted camera. (Finally the freedom from filters, heavy tripods, and blurry humans!)

Last updated: 06/12/2006 07:24:24

Where does the time go!!!???

I can't believe the time warp I've been in! I got back from my annual pilgimage to the Okanagan, in BC and in a spark of panic I realize that I have done NOTHING here on the site for 2 months. Sure, all the field trips and image making do take time but man I have been lazy here.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing hapening. At the National Professional Photographers of Canada Print Salon in May, I won Best in Class (Free Style) for a "multimedia" print that I'll post soon; it was also selected among the top 40 images in Canada and was selected to part of the Loan Collection. I'm happy! Marketing one's self is the most critical key to being a successful photographer and this is one great way to gain a solid following.

I'm also waiting for the digital infrared conversion on my D70. The company I've selected to do this is taking longer than I thought but I will keep you posted with a full review of both the process AND the results!

Speaking of digital infrared with the Nikon D70, here is the latest of my IR images:

This was shot in the southern BC interior town of Penticton with the Nikon D70, a circular polarizing filter and the Cokin IR filter.

What's the technique, you ask? I used the same steps as I mention in the IR tutorial section, but in this image, I ovelaid a "normal" non-IR image and reduced the opacity of that layer down to 30%. Last updated: 04/21/2006 23:56:24

More Courses and Wilderness Photo Opps

We've just added three new field trips to our summer roster of photo activities - if you're a flower photographer you'll LOVE this. Day trips into the mysterious habitat of the rare and endangered wild orchids of Manitoba! AND a flower Photo Techniques class thrown in to make sure this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will have you making those images that deserve a double take!

Check it out here: Orchid Photo classes and field trips

........................................

There are also only a few more spots left for the Spring Digital Photography and Photoshop Weekend at Delta Marsh. If you are seriously thinking about attending, now's the time to DO IT!

Find out more here Delta Marsh Photoshop and Songbird Photogrpahy Weekend

........................................

Oh yeah! I almost forgot... I'm looking to BUY another Nikon D70 - Body only. It must be in good working order but I don't mind a few exterior scratches. If you have one that you want to go to a good home, or perhaps you want the D200 and don't want 2 bodies? If your selling price is reasonable, I'm interested!

Or maybe you'd consider a trade? Scroll down and look at the Sony Picturebook I'm selling (I got messed around by a couple of deadbeat bidders on eBay - so I decided to put off selling it for a while) But now that spring is here I do need to try to sell or trade it again. e-mail me if you're interesed in buying it or trading for a D70.

..........................................

And finally, if you're in Manitoba (or anywhere else in fact!), I'd like to invite you to my upcoming photographic exhibition begining on May 23rd, 2006. The opening is May 25th for my special guests only. Refreshments (wine, wine and more wine!!!) will be served, along with gourmet munchies, so get your free invitation, and get to mingle with the local artsey-fartsey crowd, as well as seeing what I've been up to creatively this past year. Drop me a line if you'd like an invite. I'd love to see you there! Oh, and did I mention there will be wine?!

That's my news for now. Happy clicking!

Valentine's Day! Share the Love!!!

I have to say that I'm not a big fan of Valentiene's Day. And it's not because I didn't get my share of cards in school as a kid! But it seems to me that the idea of Valentine's Day is kinda like your Mom making you apologise to your kid sister for throwing her Barbie down the sewer... If you REALLY were sorry you wouldn't need your mom to tell you to do it.

So I think, despite the huge opportunity for exchanging cards with your wonderful photographs on them, Valentine's Day is too forced and not quite "sincere."

If you really want to show your affection, appreciation, love, and all those other emotions, why not make it spontaneous - when you're overwhelmed with the emotion; flooded with feelings, THEN buy flowers, or chocolates or a silk scarf, or tickets to the Mets...and present this to your sweetie - when it's LEAST expected. It's then that it truly comes from the heart.

But what does this have to do with photography? Right!

Nothing really. I started out by acknowledging the day but what I really wanted to do is to give you a link to my new portfolio web site, with a new gallery of new images. There's a bit of "sales" stuff on it too - I have to keep earning a living - but please check it out and I'd love your feedback.

I know there are a few typos which are in the process of being fixed, and I also have to warn you that the "more" links (you'll see them when you get there) open a new window, which is also going to be changed.

Here's the link to Circadia Images

Happy New Year!

Yes, it's a few minutes before midnight here on the prairies (and surprisingly warm for once!).

Just before the stroke of 12 the Rottwieler, my sweetie, and I are going out into to the wilderness that is our "backyard" to bring in the new year, with all the promise and potential it offers.

For all of you who come to my site and to all those of you who e-mail and subscribe and come to the workshops, and to all our clients, and even to you if it's your first time here, I wish only the best that the Universe can provide, and I'm looking forward to sharing my photographic journey through 2006 with all of you.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!

(2005 posts will be archived and you'll be able to access them via a link on the new 2006 page)

Trading old for NEW!

For the last few years, I've been using a Sony Vaio Picturebook laptop computer for all my "portable" photography projects. and I love it.

As you know, I'm a bit of a lazy slug and I hate to carry a lot of stuff (although I have been referred to as the Bag Lady of Albert Street because I'm always schlepping 3 or 4 bags or various purpose and size, as well as pounds of camera gear!), but this does not mean that I like this situation. And so that's why I love the picturebook - it's only 2.2 pounds!

But the sad fact of life is that my work has outgrown it. Like Puff the Magic Dragon (sniff) I must move on to a bigger (and hopefully better) laptop computer. All the workshops that I do, have been developed to use Photoshop live, and alas, my little friend is just not powerful enough for the new CS editions of Photoshop. :-(

Maybe you can help?

So why am I telling you all this? Well, because i still love the little machine, and it is still fully functional (and it comes with a lot of toys - you know how much I also love toys) I'd rather sell it to a good home than junk it. So if you are looking for a super portable laptop, it's great for

• presentations,
• powerpoint,
• wordprocessing,
• basic photo editing (comes with PS Elements),
• CD burning of your cards to CD while away from your office or studio,
• it even has a little camera built in (we used to use it to discreetly take captures of whiteboard notes at meetings!!!)
• and lots more.

I take care of my stuff - it's in perfect condition - the keyboard doesn't even show any signs of wear, that's how little it really got used. :-)

Anyway, please e-mail me if you want to provide a home for this great little computer or if you want know more before you decide.

Ok, its official! Digital Infrared Photography is a HUGE hit. Maybe it's just because I've been playing it with it so much, or maybe because it's still kinda new, but digital IR and it's surreal appeal are gaining fans fast.

Last weekend at the PPOC Manitoba Convention, I submitted three prints for the Print Salon competition. Now this is THE professional association for working photographers accross Canada, and the Manitoba division is known for its leading edge thiniking and creativity. So I was blown away when my infrared image won not only a Merit in the Salon, but a Judge's Choice ribbon and Best in it's Class. Not only that but it was recognized by Nikon for best digital capture!

I owe a lot to my friend, Bruce Hendricks at Impact Photographic Design who helped me select the prints to submit- his knowledge is outstanding :-) , and to Gregg at Technicare who printed and mounted my images.

But you read about it here first - digital infrared photography with the Nikon D70 - and now it's breaking into the professional world. See what you think, take a look at the winner

The Digital Nature Photography Immersion Workshop wrapped up on Sunday afternoon, and from everyone's enthusiastic comments, it was another success.

The weather was unbelievable - plus 21 degrees C! Highly unusual for this time of year...but I've always known that Mother Nature loves natue photographers. ;-)

We had 11 participants who were highly talened and eager to expand their capabilities, by both learning their tools, masterng the correct techniques, and bringing it all together in Photoshop. What amazed me is that everyone knew what they wanted their images to turn out like, and all that was missing was a bit of knowlwedge and a few dedicated hours to explore the possibilities. I think with nature photography one has to get into the right frame of mind, and being in a wild and super-natural place really helped us all to focus on how to best capture those images we seek to find.

The venue was the most engaging place on the planet and it was what got everyone extra pummped about the potential of photographic extravagences. Our photographic opportunities ranged from the unusual to the rare; from fossilized bison teeth and bones on the beach, to having saw-whet owls released from the palm of your hand, the experience will not soon be forgotten.

The staff at the Delta Marsh Research Station where we conducted the workshop are truly amazing. The food was divine, the lodge was warm and inviting, and all the services were better than any "main stream" hotel could ever hope to offer.

We'll be having the next workshop back at Delta tentatively in the Spring of 2006, as well as conducting this immersion weekend again on the same weekend next year.

I'll be also posting the photos from the weekend very soon, so you can see firsthand what you missed :-).

For those of you who were unable to make the trip, I've decided to bow to your many requests to make the workbook and tutorial CD available on-line. I have a limited number available. You can download the Table of Contents and the first lesson for free, here.

Stay tuned for the complete 2006 Workshop Schedule.

The day my Nikon D2X Digital SLR Camera arrived, I had agreed to help my friend Patty shoot a large rural wedding. And it's been 2 weeks since that event (the wedding) and I still have not recovered! (I still have not recovered from the shock of actually owning a D2X either, but that's for tomorrow's blog)!!!

I have not only an entirely more appreciateive understanding of wedding photographers; but I learned more than I could have imagined by being her assistant at that wedding.

First, I've NEVER wanted to take pictures of people, in that formal wedding-type way. And even with the popularity of "photojournalistic" wedding photographers, it's just not my thing. I was more than surprised that Patty would accept my offer to help - but as she said, she was desperate! :-)

I knew I'd learn lots since that human aspect of my photo activities is basically non-existant. But I never imagined that learning about it (even only during an 8 hour shoot - prairie country wedding eh?!)would have a far reaching impact on how I view nature scenes now.

People are a part of nature - no doubt about that. But the idea of adding the human form, as an artistic element, into a photo, for the shape, the shadow, the justaposition between HUMAN and NATURE, the texture of the skin, the tone and colour - all these things, were until then, unpercieved to me, until Patty told me to "start shooting" at that wedding.

With absolutely no knowledge of HOW to shoot people - how to pose, how to make the photographer chit chat - "1,2,3, Smile!" I did what came "naturally" and used the happy couple and their friends and family as any other graphic elements in a scene. I know that that's not what wedding photos should be, but I had to really extend my creative processes - to ISO 1500 as it were - (got a lot of noice in the process !!!) to add people to the picture and have it make sense; to ME.

For a good wedding photographer, like Patty, I'm sure this is what they do all the time and that's what makes them truly creative, and not just mobile Wal Mart studio. And yet it's SO more though - to capture the emotion of the day and all that a wedding encompasses.

And all I could do was "use" people like soft pink beanbags, nicely arranged on a landscape! and I call my self a photographer - soooo much more to lesarn.

But Patty forced me to confront these skill gaps and deal with it NOW. If I didn't I'd not be doing my job as a dutiful assistant and whatever images I'd shoot would be of no use to her and her happy clients. So to not let her down, I forced myself to learn on the spot. To seize the energy of the moment; to let Patty's knowledge permeate and by osmosis or some other supernatural force, just KNOW how to do it.

It took a spectacular effort, physically, emotionally and creatively, but she was happy with the photos that came from this nature photographer. I have lots to learn yet, in the realm of the photography of humans, but I have to tell you that because of that wedding, I know I am now a way better photographer as a result.

I was totally exhausted they day after - felt like I'd been hit by a train. So I still have not been able to out the D2X to the test...

Anyway... if you know any photographers who work OUTSIDE your sphere of knowledge or compfort zone, if they ever need help volunteer immediately. If they have faith in you, like Patty had in me, you'll be vastly changed by the experience.

It all reminds me of that Carl Jung quote:

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed

Last updated: 08/01/2005 21:44:24

News Flash! Four announcements in one

1) A Nikon D2X is on order! Can't wait...

2) The digital infrared tutorial kit is almost ready to go...

3) a brand new website gallery is on its way. I've launched it as a companion site to this one but more as a professional portfolio. ETA should be the end of August.

and

4) check out Google Earth!

My friend Kevin at Serious News (he's making my DVD) told me about this ultra cool site by Google, just google Google Earth to get it. As an additional feature if I pay $20.00 I can get those GPS breadcrumb trails on a real nice map that I can print.

Very nice!

Lost in Place?

Have you ever been out in the wilds, content to capture the splendor of nature as it presented itself, but realizing that one day you’d like to get back to this location and shoot it again?

Or you stumble across a patch or rare wildflowers and really have no idea WHERE they are? Or happen upon an old abandoned house, with no landmarks anywhere to give you a point of reference later on?

This happens to me all the time – well, not finding rare flowers, but wanting to know exactly where I am so I can return one day and revisit the place that so moved me.

So I've been studying my new Garmin GPS unit that fits in my hand, (a very cool little device indeed!) and draws cute little breadcrumb trails of where I’ve been. I'm slowly figuring out how that georeferencing stuff works. It IS very amazing.

I download this breadcrumb trail to my computer and a digital base map.

Next, I link that breadcrumb trail with the EXIF data automatically stored in my image from the D70 camera, and (almost) PRESTO! My photo is placed exactly on the digital map, in just the precise spot it was taken.

I haven’t yet figured out how to get these onto the Web, but I’m working on it. Check out these cute handheld GPS units though. Even if you aren’t into mapping your photos, it’s great to have while out in the bush, or in the wilderness. You’ll never get lost and you’ll never lose your perspective! These are almost as addictive as the D70. :-) More to come...

Last updated: 06/10/2005 Where in the world!?

I’ve just arrived back from my annual “pilgrimage” to the Okanagan Valley in BC. What a trip – it’s a dream for photo locations and with such a dramatic change of landscapes from the Prairies, for me it’s a powerfully inspirational place to be.

It got me thinking about locations in general and what types of places make good photographic images.

There are the ubiquitous locational clichés, of course; but even these can be appreciated for their photographic skill. What doesn’t move me about them, though is the originality is often missing.

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that my fav pet peeve in this regard is Antelope Canyon. Photographs of this location abound everywhere! Sure the first few times you see one of these images, you DO invoke the WOW! But now there are so many photographers displaying their Antelope images that it’s become just another calendar-type image.

Credit really must go to the FIRST photographer to capture the essence of this location, and for all the rest who followed, at least they know a dramatic scene when they see it. :-)

But as a photographer, what I really want is to be that pioneer – the first person to recognize a NEW perspective on a place. So I’m compiling a list of off-the-beaten-path photogenic locations so you too can fire up your inspiration, and embark on the quest of making the world’s first image of the next photographic cliché! Imitation is afterall, the most sincere form of flattery.

AND, I'm now armed with a handheld GPS (yeah, I love my gadgets!) and will attempt some geolocational experements with EXIF data and on-line mapping of photogrpahic images.

Anyway, back to me (isn’t it all about me!!!), I took about 1000 digital images on this road trip which I have to sort through and will update on the Galley Pages shortly. From Ghost towns of the Canadian Prairies (a whole other story) to the mystical landscapes of Southern Alberta, there will be a few surprise photos to get you thinking.

Stay tuned for more – I’m back in the Blog mode and do I have lot’s to say these days.

Last updated: 04/17/2005 I'm so grateful to be a Nature Freak

I allows me to see things that few people ever see and may never see at all. :-(

A sure sign of spring here on the prairies in the emergence of the Prairie Crocus. This little plant is becoming exceedingly rare (although I’m not sure if it’s on any endangered species list).

Its main habitat was the tall grass and mixed grass prairie of North America, but now only 1/2 of 1% of this ecosystem still remains. These fragile and ephmeral flowers blanketed this part of the world at this time of the year as recently as 90 years ago. Now it's rare to find ANYONE who as actually seen one.

Fortunately there’s a spot just outside the city limits where these beauties still bloom. They don’t last long, and you have no “warning” that they are ready to pop out of the ground because the flower appears first – then the leaves. So an eager nature photographer (like me!) has to make a few trips to check to see if the flowers have started emerging.

On Friday afternoon (a glorious spring day here) I took the chance and headed out to my spot. Sure enough, I was rewarded with several blooms in full flower, and a few buds just barely visible above the grassy litter of the fall.

However, to my total disappointment, much of the field has been destroyed by a dump, and a construction road. So where a few years ago I would have been treated to a vast expanse of mauve sea, today I get a hand full of fragile little flowers and a garbage dump.

So much for taking care of our land. So, you can imagine, I spent several hours taking shots of what may be the last year that these tiny prairie sentinels bloom in this special spot.

No, I didn't really GO anywhere but a few cool projects have been keeping me toooo busy. But it's better now. :-)

In this part of the world, the winter is starting (barely) to be displaced by the rejuvenating spring. And in preparation for all the great photo ops that brings (rmember the ROTTEN series...?), I’ve been rewriting some of my photo seminars to include the newest digital photography gear.

I’ve also been adding a few new seminars – for sunrises, sunsets and a weekend-long field camp to Canada’s most mysterious and spiritual place – the Spirit Sands. It looks just like the Sahara Desert. In fact it used to be known as the Carberry Desert. (more about this remarkable place later!)

Anyway, in assimilating all the info I’ve collected this past year, I came across the sun, and moon locator tool, called Heavenly Opportunities – the same one I mention in the Landscape Photography section of this site. And I began playing with it again.

It’s a really great tool for finding out where the best sunrises, most romantic sunsets and spookiest moon positions will be in any location on the planet. I’m going to offer a workshop on using this tool because it really deserves to be a part of every nature photographer’s toolkit.

Unfortunately, its library of places is limited to the U.S., BUT you can look up the latitude and longitude on any place on earth and enter it into the application to discover when your “heavenly opportunities” will occur.

If you’re in Canada you can get lat/long info from the federal government’s site.

For Canada and other parts of the world, you can get your lat/long details from maporama.

For places in the US that aren’t built-in to Heavenly Opportunities go to the TerraServer.

Then you can access a listing of all the celestial events that occur at that location in a given timeframe. And not only can you view them you can search too.

SO if I want to find out when the full moon hits the horizon in Twin Peaks National Park, and is setting behind the Hoodoos Monument, I can find exactly WHEN this will occur.

No more wasted trips, or disappointments – well, not unless the weather turns bad!

Now, you do have to know the basics of a compass, to figure out what some of all this info relates, but HO manual is pretty thorough so if you can work your digital camera, I know you can work a compass!

Give it a try. Besides, you should record your locations for your photo diary - next time you want to get those WOW! shots, you'll have a ready-to-go list of hot locations!

There are some beautiful images to be had when it's -40 outside, IF you can keep your (figurative AND literal) batteries from freezing!!!

Once my fingers thaw out, i'll post my cold weather photography hints here. In the meantime, here's how our friend Mother Nature rewared me last week.

My Three Suns

Ok, I admit it…I do complain about the weather. Lately this has become more of a weather blog than a photo blog. You know how it’s been wet here for months. You know it’s now hellishly cold (so cold that we keep our water in the refrigerator to keep it from freezing!)

But really, weather is what gives us, as photographers, the unexpected, the dramatic and the original that we all seek to capture.

So after a week of blizzards, 2 storms in 3 days, and now bitterly cold (but sunny) weather, I gingerly peeked out side to see what today’s weather was shaping up to be.

Well, I was rewarded with a view of a spectacular climatic event! Three suns in the early morning sky! Yep, three blazing sun’s trying their best to penetrate the cold and to radiate a little heat back on our world.

The result is a kind of mirage, a mirror image reflection of the sun, thanks to the highly reflective ice.

But this morning’s display was truly phenomenal! Each dog was just as brilliant as the parent sun. And then I looked up.

Way up...a rainbow of ice high had formed high into the atmosphere! I wonder what the ancient people of the world must have thought about these? Was it an omen of good things to come? (like summer!?)

Happy New Year to you, and here’s to many more celestial events for your photographic escapades.

Because you might be dying to know - these last 2 images were tken with the new Nikon 10.5 full-frame fisheye lens, in NEF mode. Resmapled for the Web, with only minor exposure adjustments and a bit of sharpening. It's a very sweet little lens.

Hey, It’s Christmas.

I know not everyone celebrates what is reportedly a “Christian” holy day. But that’s ok, because I believe that no matter what your faith, you can’t argue with the intent of Christmas – peace on earth, goodwill towards man.

The opportunity to give gifts unabashedly, and to express gratitude to your friends and family openly and freely is a wonderful thing, as well. In our culture, the cynics among us look at praise and thanks and gifts as manipulations if they just appear out of the blue. But Christmas makes hugs, and good will, and exchanging presents all ok.

So everyone, everyone can get into the spirit and feel joy for all the great things we have. As a nature photographer, I’m surrounded by the glory of Nature every single day. Whether in the midst of a downtown metropolis or out in my own yard “in the bush,” life never ceases to astound me. But others never have this expericnece except at this time of year.

So, it’s Christmas. A photographer’s dream: joy, laughter, maybe sadness and pain for some, but pure emotion most every where; and the opportunity to capture it. Maybe even with some new gadgets!

And if you live on the Canadian prairies bone cracking mind numbing COLD!!!! My D70 lasted 10 minutes till the batteries froze this morning! But certainly a great time for snow scenes, night shots with thousands of lights, and maybe, if you have a very powerful telephoto, a candid shot of that guy in his sleigh, far up in the sky.

Peace on Earth.

Here's Buzz the roaming Rottie surveying his domain in -30 C degree temps on Christmas Eve morning.

November 24, 2004 22:25:12

Cameras soon to be declared illegal? (Yep, this is a long rant you may want to print it instead!)

Ok, this may seem a little out of character...ranting so wildly and all, but… For all us serious photographers out there, and anyone who enjoys preserving the memories of special times, here’s something for us all to think about.

Maybe I’m paranoid, but despite that I live in Canada where we so delight in regulations to the point that it’s our country’s motto (for you non-historical types, that would be “Peace, Order & Good Government - not as inspirational as Life Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness perhaps, but hey, good government is a great oxymoron isn’t it? ), I feel uneasy.

And I have been thinking about my uneasyness for a while now: “How long will it be before photographers of all kinds will need a license to buy photographic equipment, including cameras?”

Will this become the only way we all can really be assured that our personal privacy and national security is protected?. This thought has slowly been fermenting, fueled by a couple of personal incidents, and now a fairly monumental one, instigated by the City Council here in Winnipeg, my fair city, where it is now illegal to take photographs in any city owned public facility.

My first inkling that photography is a nefarious activity: Two years ago, I was making a short art film, called Rapid Transit, about a guy who can only experience real life while riding on a city transit bus. Off the bus, he lives in a fog, kinda spaced out, not able to connect with people, or form relationships, or even have a creative thought. (OK, I’m getting off track – you can e-mail me if you want the screenplay!)

But once scene called for fast cut away views of buses coming and going – all in super fast motion, Koyaanisqatsi-like. I was filming the street through the open window of my car, which was parked in a shopping mall parking lot right beside a bus bay – because it was minus 38 degrees Celsius out side. I was well aware that I couldn’t show any faces or identifying features of any people.

Within minutes a burly security guard literally came up to my car, after writing down my license plate number, and grabbed my video camera out of my hands. He told me I needed a permit to film anything while on their property. OK, not wanting trouble, I drove away to rethink my plan. No, I did not let him keep the camera!

"But," I thought, "what about all the kids' birthday parties that take place at the McDonald’s right there in the mall barely 100 feet from my '"crime?"' I’ve seen hundreds of snapshots and miles of video footage of friends’ kids, having a wild time in McDonald’s party room. "What’s the difference," I wondered.

The second inkling: What’s the difference? Well, apparently there’s none. Since my city just made photographing your kid on skates for the first time a criminal act – from playgrounds to ice rinks, no cameras allowed.

I’ve heard some people say it was in response to the cell phone cameras that can legitimately invade our privacy – in the most devious ways. But others insist it’s to stop child molesters from “capturing” a child’s image and using photo editing software to negatively alter the image. All very laudable reasons, I completely agree.

But where will this all take us…?

Because of the global fear of terrorist attacks, and the purported use of photographs in the modus operandi of terrorists’ planning, it’s becoming harder and harder to take a photograph of any human-made structure, scene, streetscape or place.

Most every time I reveal my camera in a public place, I have a security person, business owner or police officer who all of a sudden has an intense interest in the finer details of artistic expression, inquiring as to my motives. And, I'm a fairly harmless looking white female - how are male photographers treated? It's the whole "profiling thing."

But how lame must these safety-conscious protectors of the public think my explanations! "I like the texture of the old bricks." "See the way the window reflects in the puddle?...If I change the angle, like this, to capture that shadow, it will look like..." "SURE," they're probably thinking..."you just want to blow up something." And he doesn’t mean into an 11 X 14! It could be that I AM paranoid!

But being suspected of something just because I have a camera seems a little over the top. NOW who’s paranoid!?

Well, at the very least I know if I’m in REAL trouble, the camera will attract more cops than the doughnuts ever did!

But back to my real rant...Will national monuments be off limits to photos? If not, how will we know that the images are only going to be used for good, artistic and creative uses – not for evil? How will we know if the photographer is legit? How will we define a good purpose for a photo?

As more and more people become wary of technology, as with cell phone cameras & the Internet’s potential for evil, will photographers become the smokers of the 21st century? Cultural lepers, outcast to the nether regions far from any human person or artifact? Will we be forced to acquire some kind of security credentials, complete with background checks, to assure society that we mean no harm?

With the rise in the accessibility of photographic technology (which I have always felt is a great liberating and democratizing development – no pun intended) will we as a society be compelled to pinch off the other end, making photography socially accessible only for those with money, power, connections, and a pristine life story, rather than economically inaccessible - the way it has been till now?

Technology makes it available for everyone, will a frightned society take the access away?

Am I out to lunch? Seriously – if you have an opinion, or a thought to throw into this diatribe of mine, I’m all ears.

What’s the scoop with camera and photography laws where you live?

Last updated: November 20, 2004 02:52:22

More and Less?

Once again, I realize it’s been a while since I posted my news.

A couple of reasons: 1) I just bought 2 more new lenses! Yes, MORE!!! I’ve been busy playing and testing. And I will be updating my gallery with the results and photos from both the new Nikon 10.5mm full-frame fisheye all digital lens; AND my new Sigma 70-300 APO telephoto zoom.

OK. Reason #2 that my rants have been slow in coming is I’m also transitioning my blog to something NEW. A new blog system with RSS functionality is on its way. Very soon.

So one day soon, you’ll drop in to see what kinds of digital anarchy are spewing from my twisted brain, only to see a bit of a new look. Don’t be alarmed (as if…!). :-)

I’m hoping that the RSS feed will make it more simple for me to get blogging more often, as well and more importantly, help you to get the current scoop on all things “nature photography.”

So bear with me, please!

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