Project 52
As a personal challenge for the 2015/16 new year I decided to undertake a 52 week project to improve my photographic skills and knowledge. For the uninitiated a 52 project is a common thing in photography, the aim being to produce a photo you (the photographer) is satisfied with at least once per week, every week for a year. That may sound fairly easy but it shouldn't be, it's important to be critical and to push yourself rather than just pick the best of the hiking photos for the week. I won't be sticking to any particular theme through the 52 shots but I hope to find some new techniques and to sharpen those previously used and most of all I hope to force myself to take the time to chase an image rather than simply capturing what I see as I go along.
You can click the first small image below for a larger gallery and scroll through, if you want to know more about an image scroll down the page below this gallery to the corresponding week where more information is available. All of the images are shot in landscape mode rather than portrait but it's worth noting that in almost all of the shoots I used both portrait and landscape modes. The choice of landscape images for the 52 is entirely for aesthetics of the layout, on many occasions the portrait shots were actually preferred.
You can click the first small image below for a larger gallery and scroll through, if you want to know more about an image scroll down the page below this gallery to the corresponding week where more information is available. All of the images are shot in landscape mode rather than portrait but it's worth noting that in almost all of the shoots I used both portrait and landscape modes. The choice of landscape images for the 52 is entirely for aesthetics of the layout, on many occasions the portrait shots were actually preferred.
Week 1 : Calgary Skyline Monday 4th January 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF24mm f/1.4 II USM f/10 - 20 sec - ISO 100
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I've thought about this shot for quite some time but needed a push to motivate me, my 52 project was a great excuse to try and capture the Calgary skyline. I spent the day scouting locations and finally decided on this one as it allowed a number of vantage points. I arrived around 4pm and found a position as the sun began to set. I messed around with varying exposure lengths as the light changed. Ultimately I had a great 4 hour session moving around the area and made a number of shots that could have been chosen for week 1.
I chose this shot (which is a stitched panorama of 5 separate photos) because of the artificial orange of the sodium street lamps mirroring the last of the sunset on the horizon. |
Week 2 : Vermillion Lake Sunset Monday 11th January 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF17-40mm f/4 USM f/16 - 0.8 sec - ISO 100
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Another Monday outing for my 52 project (purely coincidental) saw me heading out to Banff National Park where Vermilion Lakes promises at least a little open water courtesy of the hot springs dotted around the area. The idea was to capture a nice reflected sunset which I ultimately achieved but it was a little disappointing that such a promising sunset died away soon after this shot of the various summits of Mt Rundle bathed in evening light.
Again I captured a number of shots that I was happy with but chose this one because it perfectly represents the image I had envisioned before starting out today. Nice foreground elements lead the eye across the dark water and ice to the wonderful glowing summits of Mt Rundle. There's a nice symmetry between the light and dark areas and just enough interest in the sky to complete the image. |
Week 3 : Lunch on a Lightbox Tuesday 19th January 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF180mm f/3.5 USM f/5 - 1/50 sec - ISO 400
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My 52 takes a turn away from landscape this week (for the sake of change if nothing else). I don't have any kind of photo studio in the house so decided to try and make a lightbox and attempt to create an interesting shot using it. The box was easy enough to create using standard household items. I lined a large clear plastic box with foil and on the inside of the lid I sellotaped a sheet of white paper. I then placed a Canon 580EX flash unit in the box set to 'slave' mode (this means it will trigger exactly when the camera triggers the other flash unit) I hand held a second 580EX in 'slave' mode and used a camera mounted trigger to fire both. I had trouble getting as much light as I wanted from the single unit below but sneaked the ISO up a little to compensate.
Ultimately I got the shot I was trying to make which is not as interesting as I anticipated but is still a success in terms of the project. |
Week 4 : Ice & Indefatigable Wednesday 27th January 2016
Sony A7R II - FE 24 - 240 f/3.5 - 6.3 OSS f/11 - 1/320 sec - ISO 200
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When I set out today I was intending to enjoy a nice hike in a favourite place, and in fairness I did just that. However, on the return leg of the hike I noticed some great looking ice at the base of Sarrail Creek Falls which feeds the upper lake in Kananaskis, and soon realised that I should take the time to make some shots there (rather than grabbing a few in passing as would be the norm when hiking)
Ultimately I wish I'd had my 5DIII and 16-35mm Canon gear but I feel today I made the best of the gear I had with me to grab this beautiful shot. The ruptured ice makes a dramatic foreground for Mt Indefatigable beyond and all beneath wonderful tubular cloud formations. If I had put off the shot in favor of returning with my Canon gear I would have lost that wonderful sky. |
Week 5 : Always Beautiful Saturday 2nd February 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII- EF 70-200mm f/2.8 USM f/2.8 - 1/80 sec-ISO 100
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Portraits have always been an area I've avoided, I'm not really sure why as I do like the idea of 'making' an image of someone. Perhaps it's because you actually need the time, and an amount of planning to get the look you're after, whatever the reason for my avoidance of the topic it made an obvious choice for my 52 project.
I didn't want to just grab a shot of Sarah as that just wouldn't do it for the project so I decided to try something a little different. Covering a face for a portrait may seem to be a strange choice but I feel it adds an element of mystery and really focuses your attention on the eyes. Poor Sarah was messing around with several scarves back and forth until I found the shot I wanted but I'm sure she is happy with the final image. I think this is my favourite of the images I've made for the project so far, it really does capture exactly what I was going for. |
Week 6 : Oil on Water Saturday 13th February 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF180mm f/3.5 USM f/3.5 - 1/160 sec - ISO 640
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I returned to my homemade lightbox today to continue the 52 project. I saw an 'oil on water' image a long time ago and thought I might try it sometime so why not now. My lightbox is a straightforward item described in week 3 of this project, but I made one change. I took the coloured separators from an A4 binder and cut a few strips off them to make a varied colour background which I taped to the top of the box directly below a clear glass bowl filled with water. It is then just a matter of dripping cooking oil into the bowl and shooting straight down onto it. The camera was set on a tripod directly over the bowl and a remote trigger used to prevent movement. I had a speedlight below the coloured 'gels' and one in my hand directing light as required.
I had quite a few shots to choose from in the end but the two in the top corner of this one undertaking 'cellular division' made them my pick for this week. |
Week 7 : Valentine Tuesday 16th February 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF50mm f/1.2 USM f/1.4 - 1/4 sec - ISO 100
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I started out at lunchtime on February 13th with an idea to make an image for Sarah for the forthcoming Valentines day. A quick run around the local craft store bagged me some small LED lights, black card, paper rose petals and a craft knife. The set up is easy, cut a small heart shaped hole in a piece of black card and affix it to the lens, manual focus to blur the lights into shape and away you go. The difficulty is having a blur for the lights but keeping the main rose in focus. There are 5 other roses in the image but all blurred into oblivion, the falling petals also blurred nicely and added splashes of red to the empty black areas. The first one or two were terrible and it really did take a good amount of trial and error to make this final image (which was done 2 days later)
Sarah got an image on the day but I wanted to make a better attempt at it before calling it a success for the 52 project. |
Week 8 : Fire in the Falls Sunday 22nd February 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF16-35 f2.8 II USM f/6.3 - 20 sec - ISO 200
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This week I finally got to undertake a shoot I've planned for many weeks. I've been waiting for the right conditions and tonight they were close to perfect. I left home at 9pm to make the short drive to Elbow Falls where I stuffed a whisk with wire wool (making the whisk a 'basket' for the wool) I then lit it on fire and swung it around my head on a steel cable for 20 seconds as the camera shot a long exposure (triggered by my remote once the burning wool was rotating). It was a bit of a juggling act to do alone but I got the hang of it after a couple of attempts. It is not the most enjoyable thing to do as the sparks get everywhere and I came home with tiny little burns all over and a couple of bigger 'skin off' ones too. So, if you're thinking of doing this wear gloves and a hat, and I would strongly suggest some goggles too.
Having said all that I can't wait to do this again at another suitable location because the photos really are spectacular. |
Week 9 : Ice Embrace Friday 4th March 2016
Sony A7R II - FE 24 - 240 f/3.5 - 6.3 OSS f/16 - 1/400 sec - ISO 200
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I had plans to make a small beach image this week but with Sarah wanting to head out to the mountains this afternoon I decided I would try and make another nice landscape. I love landscapes, if I had to shoot only one genre it would be this.
Fresh snow meant a trip to our favourite haunt (Upper Kananaskis Lake) was in order. We were aiming for a long day with about 10 miles of trudging through snow so the A7R was the weapon of choice again. I quickly found the area with the most promise in terms of making a good landscape in 'daylight' conditions and though I kept Sarah waiting quite a while as I clambered about on the ice, I finally found the image. I did make another image that I could easily have selected for the 52 as there was nothing between them but a choice had to be made and this image won out, the 'close second' is posted on the blog. |
Week 10 : Life's a Beach Friday 11th March 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII- EF 70-200mm f/2.8 USM f/5 - 1/800 sec-ISO 400
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Last week my intended beach image was put off in favour of another landscape but a local hike and a chance conversation with a German immigrant to Canada had me thinking about the sea once more.
There's no chance of getting the sea in the 52 project this week but the beach is easy enough. A bag of shells from the local craft store and a little coarse sand on a baking tray is enough to allow me to bring a bit of 'seaside' to Alberta.The shot is obviously very easy to make, simply level the sand on the tray and spend a little time arranging the shells into a pattern, shoot a few differing patterns and pick out your best. I'm still enjoying the challenge and I think the first 10 shots in the 52 project have gone well, I just need to keep it up for another 42 and it will have been a success. |
Week 11 : Spring Fractals Friday 18th March 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF180mm f/3.5 USM f/3.5 - 1/3200 sec - ISO 400
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With winter drawing to a close for the year it was nice to see some clear ice crystals on the balcony glass this morning, suddenly my planned shot for week 11 was cast aside for this opportunity. My plan was another night shot in the forest with lights but that can wait, these wonderful ice crystals however, will not. While I was shooting, my breath was melting the ice I was trying to photograph which became a real annoyance as I had to keep moving to a new spot holding my breath and grabbing a few images before backing off to breathe.
Ultimately I got the shot I was hoping for (and a few more like it) The background in the image is the sky which I overexposed by 1 stop to 'burn out' as much of the dirt on the glass that I could, then I used photoshop to clear up the rest....note to self: clean the balcony glass! |
Week 12 : Colour Tuesday 22nd March 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200mm f/2.8 USM f/8 - 1/4 sec - ISO 200
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The project this week was all about colour, I don't have enough of it in the first 11 weeks of the project and colour is something I really love in images. I'd intended to bounce these beads off a mirror and create a 'rainbow' of blurred colour with a long shutter speed, but the results were not as pleasing as I had hoped. The blur reduced the colour output too much as a result of its transparency in movement.
When I'd finished messing with long shutter speeds and looked at the pile of beads it struck me that the shot I was seeking was right there in front of me. I did take some time to fill in the 'holes' so the mirror was covered but then just shot it as is. So, a fairly easy image in the end for this week, but I did learn that solid colour objects make much better targets for slow shutter images so it was still a very useful exercise. |
Week 13 : Matching Colours Tuesday 29th March 2016
Canon EOS5DIII-EF28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 USM- f/5.6-1/400 sec-ISO 500
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This weeks shot was taken at Calgary zoo during a visit with our little grandson. I had actually planned to make a shot at the zoo so what better time could there be. I had a few images in mind with close up shots being top of the list but ultimately I didn't want to mess around with a bunch of different lenses and waiting around for the right shot when I would be holding up the family.
After some deliberation I took the trusted 28-300mm catch all lens, it may not be the sharpest nor the fastest but it is incredibly versatile. Even though I grabbed a number of potential shots for the 52 project including feeding time for the lions, I opted for this simple butterfly on a leaf, the matching colour of the wing tips with the leaf was the clincher and his pose certainly helped. All in all another lovely simple shot this week that shows it really doesn't have to be hard work. |
Week 14 : Light Wave Thursday 7th April 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - 150 - 600 Di VC USD f/5-6.3 f/5 - 2 sec - ISO 200
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For my project this week I have returned to night photography once more. Modern cameras are so good in low light that it is only the 'pixel peepers' who have anything to say about digital noise or image quality, for me modern cameras have opened up a whole new world of photography and it's one I will be returning to again and again. This shot was made by using a telephoto lens freehand and panning (left to right) whilst moving the lens very slightly up and down.
The scene being photographed was the town of Cochrane at 22:00hrs, all natural light was exhausted and only the street lighting and passing vehicles remained. By keeping my movements fairly even I managed to create this 'tube' of light. I did try about 25 shots to get this one and in all honesty the other 24 were terrible, but that is the way with this technique; for me this is one of the best yet. |
Week 15 : Spring Sunshine Friday 15th April 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200mm f/2.8 USM f/10 -1/160 sec - ISO 200
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Week 15 really was a bonus for me, I hardly had to think about it as I sat lazily watching TV in the living room when the spring sunshine burst through the clouds and illuminated Sarahs household decor. I did make just a few alterations to the layout before taking the shot, by moving one more 'pom-pom' type thing into the frame I got the odd number required to make a more appealing image. I love the dark and light contrast between the two complimentary colours of black and green.
Whilst I make it sound very straightforward, it still takes a little effort in terms of composition to make the shot work. An understanding of colour balance and opposing colour contrast along with the rule of thirds and recognising the need for odd numbers to help balance the shot, I guess there's always more to a thing than you think after all. |
Week 16 : Shooting Stars Wednesday 20th April 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70 - 200mm f/2.8 USM f/5 - 2 sec - ISO 200
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It's back to the darkness for week 16 with another movement oriented image. At the very last of the sunset with the blue hour rolling in above Cochrane I spent a short time on the balcony chasing a 'shooting stars' image. At first this might appear very easy to accomplish, simply use a telephoto lens and zoom whilst the shutter is open causing streaks of light. In fairness it is quite easy but still a little frustrating. You need to start zooming out before pressing the shutter button and have the shutter close before you stop zooming. You also need to maintain a very steady hand to prevent wibble-wobble streaks.
I used a tripod and a two second exposure to make this shot, using the lights of Cochrane below our home. Lastly and perhaps most importantly is to find a balanced look, or a shape within the lights to make a nice image overall, I took about 15 before getting this one. |
Week 17 : Bear Necessities Thursday 28th April 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII-SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 USD f/5.6 -1/800 sec - ISO 2000
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It has been a great week photographically speaking as I have been on a nice short road trip covering western Alberta and Eastern British Columbia. The whole purpose of the trip was to shoot anything and everything along the way and particularly to make use of my new 6 and 10 stop neutral density filters. I had a great time with the filters and grabbed some nice long exposures of rivers and waterfalls, and additionally gained some really effective understanding of their use. One of those long exposures would have been the choice for the project this week until this attention grabber posed by the roadside for me. This lovely black bear was in Kootenay National Park and really made the trip.
It was still a bit of a rush job, scrambling around in the truck with the 600mm handheld I opened the aperture to f/5.6 and increased the ISO to 2000 in order to gain shutter speed and get a sharp image |
Week 18 : Welcome Relief Thursday 5th May 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200mm f/2.8 USM f/4 -1/80 sec - ISO 100
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My shot this week is another 'opportunist' moment, the recent prolonged hot/dry spell came to an end with a long cooling shower. With my truck in for servicing I was confined to the house for the day anyway and looking out at the rain streaks racing down the glass gave me some hope that the huge forest fire that is currently raging through the town of Fort McMurray in Northern Alberta might be slowed by the downpour.
Even if it's not raining further north the cooling temperatures might help a little. The fire is the largest ever recorded in Alberta and has consumed over 100 sq km of forest and 1600 structures, mostly residential homes. The shot itself is an easy shot to make though finding a pleasing pattern in the rain streaks and the right blur in the background is not as straightforward as it might first appear. |
Week 19 : Nitrogen & Oxygen Sunday 8th May 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 16-35 f2.8 II USM f/2.8 - 8 sec - ISO 1000
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Week 19 was not one of those things you can plan for, but is definitely one you can hope for. Those who follow our blog will know that we do get to see the aurora quite frequently so my hope and/or expectation that I would manage to get one in the 52 project should always have been realised at some point. But on Saturday night/Sunday morning this week the sky lit up with one of the very best displays we've seen.
Charged particles of solar radiation drawn into our atmosphere are pulled toward the polar regions by our protective magnetic field. The charged particles from the sun then collide with gaseous particles within our atmosphere resulting in this wonderful display. The purple light is caused by nitrogen atoms and the green by oxygen atoms, the aurora comes in many colours, the most common being green and pink, so the purple is an additional bonus. |
Week 20 : Storms Approach Wednesday 18th May 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 16-35 f2.8 II USM f/10 - 1/500 sec - ISO 100
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I have always had a fascination for lighthouses, my fascination with them came before my love of photography so that's not the reason but whatever the reason for my interest I was never going to pass up the opportunity to visit Fisgard Lighthouse just west of Victoria BC when Sarah and I decided to take a week long break on Vancouver Island. You can only visit between 10:00 and 17:30 as it is located on Fort Rodd historic site so there'll be no 'sunset at Fisgard' shot in the summertime.
For that reason it was nice to have some dark clouds overhead to give a little character to the place. I chose this shot because it shows the whole site, I actually worked harder for other shots on the day, some of which are arguably better. For me this was about working the scene, I took over an hour circling and capturing shots from all angles, I got wet feet and loved every minute of it. How fantastic it would be to shoot here in a massive storm, for now moody clouds will have to suffice. |
Week 21 : Incandescence Saturday 28th May 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/2.8 - 1/1250 sec - ISO 400
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I found myself wandering the house seeking an image for week 21. After a road trip to Vancouver Island I thought I had a little more time to get my shot for the 52 but instead found myself a few hours from the end of the week. As usual I turned to my immediate surroundings seeking inspiration and found it in a kitchen light (of all things). It's something I'd never really paid much attention to until today.
The large globe with wire discs holding small crystal pieces around an incandescent bulb suddenly looked very different and, with the light on, it looked different again. Ultimately I managed to make what I feel is a good strong image right here in the house just by looking at the usual things in a different way. This was a really useful point for me as it showed how even the most mundane thing can be shot in such a way it becomes interesting. It also taught me that a week passes very quickly sometimes ;) |
Week 22 : Prairie Sky Friday 4th June 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/5.6- 1/40 sec - ISO 100
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Week 22 was something I have been waiting for since I started the project. We are so fortunate to see the most incredible sunsets fairly frequently and occasionally we get something almost unbelievable, tonight was one of those occasions. I was actually planning a very different shot this week involving a lace shadow but that had to take a back seat when tonights sunset began. It was obvious from the cloud that there was real potential and as the sun dipped beneath the horizon I already had a bunch of shots in the bag which allowed me to take a moment to seek out that one image. The silhouette of the gas plant so far away on the horizon was perfect. I just needed to wait for the cloud to drift closer and hope that the light remained, as you can see, it did.
Underexposing by two thirds really darkened the blacks and left the image I wanted with the wonderful yellow, red and blue prairie sky. |
Week 23 : Presentation Practice Saturday 11th June 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/5 - 1/250 sec - ISO 400
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For the project this week I thought I would try my hand at some product photography. I confess the 'product' is my two year old watch that, in that time, has picked up a few battle scars. I took the image outdoors using the smoked glass top of the table on our deck as a reflective surface. I had noticed the reflection of our drinks on there a few days ago which gave me the idea. The darkened green reflection of the surrounding shrubs made for a great background when blurred out using a long focal length (200mm) and an aperture of f/5. I used a polarizer on the lens to prevent reflections on the watch and to cut down very bright highlights. I also had Sarah stand in a position to cast a shadow across the whole set up.
Whilst this is by no means usable as a commercial image I learned a lot about what it takes to make one and I also learned once more just how little you need to make a nice image. |
Week 24 : Scattered Sunset Monday 13th June 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/4.5 - 1/100 sec - ISO 200
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Week 24 was another opportunistic shot with sunset at the heart of it. This time I was drawn to the layers within the storm clouds, stacked one behind the other they seemed almost endless. I was actually just shooting those layers when the lowest wisps of cloud became illuminated by the setting sun, obviously they became the focus of my attention very quickly. I managed just a few shots of those fleeting wisps of cloud before the light was gone and that particular part of the show was over. As always I sat it out and made several more shots, some of which rivalled this one. But there's something about those splashes of orange against the black and blue sky that made this a favourite overall.
The lesson learned this week is to keep your eye out for the changing conditions when shooting, and take advantage of those small windows of time that open up however briefly. |
Week 25 : Double Exposure Wednesday 23rd June 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/4.5 - 1/60 sec - ISO 100
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This week saw me attempting a double exposure for the first time in many years. Before digital cameras I tried to make a double exposure in camera and was, let's say "less than impressed" with the result. As my 5DIII has a specific menu function to make double exposures easier I decided to give it another try. I used my muse out on the balcony watching sunset for the first image and the sunset itself for the second blended image. I found the 'in camera' shot worked out pretty well but the intentionally blown out background was a little too white for my liking so I imported the shot to photoshop to change up the background a little.
I can't help but think 1980's album cover when I look at the finished image, which is coincidently the decade in which I last tried this technique. I like the finished output and I'm confident I'll be trying some more of this technique and experimenting with different backgrounds very soon. |
Week 26 : Canada Day Friday 1st July 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/2.8 - 1/2500 sec - ISO 200
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Week 26 was always going to be a Canada Day shot, both Sarah and I enjoy Canada Day and we always go out to see what's going on in either Cochrane or Calgary. This year we chose Calgary and I sought out something for the 52 as we walked through the busy streets watching the festivities.
As usual I found quite a few shots I like, but the simplicity of this one is what did it for me. The streets are a sea of red so the tight framing kept a lot of the distraction out of the shot. Use of a wide aperture to blur the background further reduced the impact and helped make the intended subject stand out. The dark hair of the crowd encircle the hat and compliment the dark hair beneath it making a nice round frame overall. Very often (for me at least) the 'simple' shots are the best and in truth they are often far from simple. |
Week 27 : Stripes Friday 8th July 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/2.8 - 1/640 sec - ISO 200
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It should be noted that Week 27 was made with a very reluctant model under some duress, the sun through the blind was too strong and there was washing to do (apparently)
Anyway, the idea was about capturing the shade as much as the light and seeing the whole of a person even though only a part is actually visible. It would have been nice to try some more angles and see if I could get the stripes curving around the model a little more but that wasn't going to happen. The idea works well and is easy to reproduce, it might better be achieved in a studio with more control over the light rather than in a standard bedroom with very harsh sunlight streaming in. All in all it worked out very well and I'm happy enough with the outcome and more so with the knowledge of another very useful way to capture an image, less is more and all that. |
Week 28 : Anniversary Thursday 14th July 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/2.8 - 1/60 sec - ISO 400
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This weeks shot is a straightforward grab of the roses I bought for Sarah for our anniversary, I couldn't think of a better reason for a 52 than that.
I picked out the roses individually from the local florist and had them add the greenery to finish them off. I couldn't really rearrange them for the shot as they were bound and I didn't want to 'free' them and spoil the look. I simply stood them in a vase by a glass door for light, then on the shadow side I placed a piece of white paper to bounce just a little light back onto dark areas. I stood directly above the bouquet looking downward and used a wide aperture to concentrate the focus toward the off centre red rose. More of a memory maker than anything it will keep Sarahs roses fresh beyond their anticipated lifespan. |
Week 29 : Midnight at Home Tuesday 19th July 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/8 - 25 sec - ISO 640
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Week 29 is a shot I've been chasing for quite a while. I have actually made the image a few times on separate nights attempting to get the lighting just right. Unfortunately it was always either too dark or too cloudy and was sent to the recycle bin every time. However, tonight the full moon is illuminating the house (and those beautiful clouds) perfectly. It is also still very low in the sky backlighting the house and helping to balance the strong internal lights. I only made 4 shots from the corner of the lawn but knew it was enough. If I wanted to be ultra critical, perhaps the only thing I am not 100% happy with is the movement in the clouds and stars which are slightly streaked due to the 25 second exposure.
Ultimately what I wanted to capture was the warmth of home and the welcoming light drawing you in, for me this is almost perfect and certainly achieves the goal. |
Week 30 : Elbow Lake Friday 29th July 2016
Sony A7R II - FE 24 - 240 f/3.5 - 6.3 OSS f/14 - 1/125 sec - ISO 200
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Week 30 is a straightforward shot of Elbow Lake with the huge grey walls of Elpoca Mountain falling in on the left side of the frame, finished perfectly with some lovely purple flowers in the foreground.
Landscapes are something I really like to shoot and to be honest I think I would have made a much better job with my canon gear and wide angle lens but I didn't have those I had the sony so that was the tool of choice. With family visiting there's less time to be messing about with photography so I thought I would just go for making a nice landscape while we are looking around the beauty of the Canadian Rockies. This simple shot is made more by the location than anything but there's still a number of photographic techniques in play. |
Week 31 : Stripes Tuesday 2nd August 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/2.8 - 1/800 sec - ISO 200
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The shot this week comes from a visit to Calgary Zoo. There are obviously plenty of targets for the camera at a zoo but a straight shot of an animal wasn't what I was looking for today.
'Less is more' is often a valuable approach in photography. Not only does it gives you a way to find a different perspective on a common topic, it forces the viewer to 'imagine' the remaining portion of the image. You can also combine this with 'filling the frame' to add more drama to the shot. Here I've maintained some of the mane and all of the ear of the zebra so we know we are at the neck. The long raking lines down the left of shot show the depth of the neck, the warped narrow lines toward and around the ear show the shape of the head and the light on the left of the mane shows the sun on his back which gives us all the information we need to complete the picture ourselves. This technique could make an interesting series of animal shots. |
Week 32 : Ordinary Things Wednesday 10th August 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 28-300 f3.5-5.6 IS USM f/5.6 - 1/400 sec - ISO 400
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Very often as a photographer I find myself trying to chase the spectacular, the 'bear fishing for salmon' shot that we can't help but dream about. In truth those moments are few and far between and very often 'ordinary things' are what make the best images. For this weeks shot we took a walk in a place we have walked often, a place not known for the spectacular but I took the camera intending to make a shot for the project if possible.
My chosen topic was a female Mallard standing on a rock in the river preening. The joy of the image for me is the movement and shape of the bird. It is no longer just a duck in the river, it has personality, is it preening or sad? I took a number of shots including the standard duck on water image which is on the blog page for this date but this one captured it for me. It seems once again that the search for the spectacular is not necessary, it's enjoyable and great to do but an 'ordinary' topic can still produce a less than ordinary image and photographic satisfaction. |
Week 33 : Small World Monday 15th August 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF180mm f/3.5 USM f/13 - 1/60 sec - ISO 1000
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Week 33 saw me taking out the macro lens again. I went to local woodland with only the macro to force me to look at the forest differently and to find shots where previously I might walk by. To be honest it's not a difficult task in a forest as there are numerous opportunities but you can still challenge yourself with composition and framing. It can be a really useful exercise to take one lens and work with it, even more so when that lens is one of the more specialised varieties such as macro and has a fixed focal length. Doing this really does help you 'see' new images. I chose this shot because it shows a nice contrast between the freshly fallen leaf and the decomposing forest floor. The veins of the leaf encircling the raindrop and the treetops and sky reflected in the droplet work to stack layers of interest. Tightly framed with the tip of the leaf pointing to the corner and the remainder filling the frame, finished with the water drop in the ideal rule of thirds position to complete the composition.
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Week 34 : Nutty Thursday 25th August 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 28-300 f3.5-5.6 IS USM f/5.6 - 1/200 sec - ISO 200
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I find myself turning to the bird feeder in the garden for my effort this week. After watching this beautifully coloured Nuthatch come and go to the feeder I decided to get the camera out and try to capture an interesting pose. It's true to say that birds on feeders are a relatively easy target for photography but often the poses that result are dull, and worse still the feeder itself makes an ugly addition to the frame. To photograph birds successfully they really need to be caught doing something. It can be a take off, landing or flight if you are in a position to predict the path or it can be a tilt of the head as in this case that brings interest to the shot. Birds that are simply standing still frequently lack the dynamism required to make a really good shot, the reason for this is because we know how energetic they are, so a static image always seems to be lacking something. I've got more work to do to make truly great bird photos but this one certainly qualifies as good enough for the project and learning purposes.
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Week 35 : A Last Taste of Summer Thursday 1st September 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF180mm f/3.5 USM f/5.6 - 1/2500 sec - ISO 1000
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Week 35 sees me returning to the macro lens and a walk in local woodland (very similar to week 33 I hear you shout). You are right, because I really did enjoy hiking the woods with the macro lens, it forces you to look at your surroundings in a different way, to seek out the tiny interesting moments that bring so much to any hike.
You might note the very high ISO again, this is pretty standard for me when hand holding the 180mm macro as the slightest breath will result in blur but the tripod just doesn't leave any time at all for spontaneous shots. This beautiful pollen covered bee drinking the last of summer through his extended proboscis wouldn't have sat around while I set up the tripod. It is fantastic that modern camera equipment can produce such clean,usable shots at high ISO's. It is incredible to think what the next leap in camera technology will be and I for one can't wait to see it. |
Week 36 : Labour Day Monday 5th September 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/5.6 - 1/1250 sec - ISO 200
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What better excuse to get the camera out than a Labour Day Parade. Obviously it would be a perfect opportunity to continue the project and capture a little something different again. The day before the parade I spent some time looking over the parade route through our home town and deciding where to best position myself for shooting. As any self respecting parade in Alberta was clearly going to involve horses and wagons, I positioned myself in the historic downtown area of Cochrane, not directly across from the old Rockyview Hotel but at an angle so I could get the diagonal of the parade and the hotel as a backdrop, now all I needed was the perfect target. The Corrections Service soon obliged by coming through with a beautiful pair of horses pulling an old prison wagon, all of which were wearing different shades of the background brown from the hotel. Whilst I was fortunate with the colours the shot clearly shows the benefit of scouting a position and planning ahead.
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Week 37 : Forest Fire Saturday 17th September 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 16-35 f2.8 II USM f/5.6 - 1/160 sec - ISO 200
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Week 37 is a 'back to nature' image, simple in it's composition but still holding enough interest to make you wonder what is behind those incredible deep red leaves. I wanted to capture some of the autumn colours that we are currently seeing from the window at home so I ventured out into the garden to shoot the view down to the river where the bright yellow leaves of the birch trees lit up the bank in waves. I made a number of nice shots but when I turned to go back indoors I noticed the bright red of our own garden shrubs against the textured grey of the decorative driftwood behind. Rather than use a small aperture to sharpen the image front to back I opted for a wider aperture to bring the texture of the driftwood to the fore while still capturing the autumnal feel via those beautiful dark leaves. It makes for a lovely 'peek-a-boo' shot that draws you through the foreground to the texture beyond. The image still captures autumn nicely and leaves the viewer wanting to see more.
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Week 38 : Blue Jay Thursday 22nd September 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/3.2 - 1/250 sec - ISO 200
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It's back to the bird feeder this week with a tale of patience. It may appear that such images can be gained by simply waiting by a feeder and shooting and for some species this is the case, for the Blue Jay however, it is not. These guys arrive, grab a sunflower seed and depart quickly, the taking of a seed from the feeder does not interest me at all, it is the pose I'm seeking. I have sat with the camera held firmly, my elbows resting on the back of a chair (a tripod would be too static) lens cradled in my left hand, my right hand on the shutter control waiting, and waiting, and waiting for this bird. Today must have been at least the tenth time I've waited for him and in that time I have managed only 3 images, one was not sharp, and one was only his head peeking over the stump, but today for just one fleeting moment he stood proudly showing off his perfect plumage and in that tiny fraction of a second he was mine. The lesson this week: patience is a virtue all photographers need, me especially.
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Week 39 : Nightlights Wednesday 28th September 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/5 - 20 sec - ISO 640
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This week I was aiming for a light trail shot of vehicles climbing the hill opposite my home. I've considered making this shot for a while but was waiting for a clear night to get the stars above the highway. But tonight as I set up the tripod the faint glow of a weak aurora appeared above the low cloud, I thought it would be great to include it with my light trails and street lights below so I hurried to make the shot. On reviewing the image up close (zoomed in camera playback) it was clear there was movement occurring somewhere. It turns out in my haste to grab the shot I had left the image stabilisation on. IS will often cause movement when the lens is firmly on a tripod. I quickly turned it off, waited for some traffic and shot again, fortunately the aurora remained and the vehicle light trails worked out perfectly. I think the light trails are a little too distant for it to be a great image but it is as planned.The lesson this week is 'make use of the review screen' and zoom in to ensure you've actually got the shot.
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Week 40 : The Cannery Friday 7th October 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/29 - 4 sec - ISO 100
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I think this is one of the real 'stand out' shots of my 52 project. I was in Astoria, Oregon on the harbour footpath when I saw this old cannery. I had my camera on my shoulder (as always) but realised there was more to this scene than a quick snap and move on. I had to return to the truck and get my other lens, filters and tripod to do justice to this beautiful old relic. Framing was a real issue due to boat traffic behind the building, the light was poor but changing constantly so I set up the tripod and composed to cut out the boat traffic, I set up high so I could look down on the posts in the water rather than across them then waited for a little light. I had grabbed a couple of test shots at 4 seconds when the cloud moved aside just enough to allow a beautiful burst of light to hit the building (and nowhere else). It was spectacular and I quickly set the 2 second timer to avoid movement (caused by pressing the shutter button) and this beauty was the result exactly as I had envisioned.
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Week 41 : Pacific Dunes Sunday 9th October 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/11 - 1/180 sec - ISO 100
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This week I found myself on the wonderful pacific coast in Oregon and was able to make this moody image of an empty beach in Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The weather was not the best to the north and dark clouds and heavy mist on the horizon gave the dunes an almost infinite reach, they don't end they just disappear into the mist. The slate grey sky was a marked contrast to the bright empty sands beneath and the hint of the waves in the far left of shot just brings enough to suggest an ocean. I love the light here, where I'm standing in the sun shooting north into the cloud and mist gives me a lovely bright foreground that grabs the attention and focuses it on the sweeping grasses of the dune causing the eye to naturally follow the dune to the distant vanishing point. Perhaps I could have tried harder with the location but I was also balancing my photographic journey with a long weekend with Sarah and this was certainly a good enough shot for the project this week.
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Week 42 : Messing with mirrors Thursday 20th October 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 70-200 f2.8 II USM f/16 - 1/3 sec - ISO 640
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Let me start by saying that you should ignore the black border around this image, I had to put it on because the frame disappeared into the background of the site, the original shot is displayed in the gallery at the top of the page. This week I came back indoors to try out something with mirrors. The basis of the idea was to scatter mirrors on the floor and shoot the reflection of a person standing adjacent. As it turns out I didn't have as many mirrored tiles as I thought I had so the 'scattering' became an alignment instead. I think the concept is a good one which would make for a nice image with the right model (and more tiles). Obviously the whole thing could be done in photoshop easily but that was never the point. Broken mirrors would be even better. Overall I think this shows there's some merit in the concept and maybe it's one I'll revisit in the future. For now the attempt has served its purpose, I've learned a little more and tried another concept so for that reason I see it as a success.
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Week 43 : Cochrane Spiral Wednesday 26th October 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/4 - 2 sec - ISO 2500
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It's been quite some time since I posted an abstract as part of the 52 project. Abstract images using simple light and movement are something I really like, so last night while waiting on my balcony for an aurora to show I played with a few shutter speeds and motions in an attempt to make something for the 52. The final image I chose from a whole bunch of attempts is the one you see here. Though it is not as smooth as some of the others (you can see hard lines where I stopped and started during the rotation of the camera) I achieved this by rotating the camera while hand held making both the wave and the spiral at the same time. I had to shoot about 20 images to get one that actually looked OK. It's important to recognise that this will always happen when trying to create abstract images with camera movement so don't give up if you don't see something you like immediately. I think I will make a greater effort to shoot at night this winter and abstracts will be a part of that effort.
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Week 44 : Feeding Frenzy Saturday 5th November 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/5 - 1/640 sec - ISO 200
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This week I didn't need to venture far from home yet again, isn't it surprising just how many images can be made at, or very close to home. Today I waited patiently for a break in the cloud to bring enough sunshine to illuminate the bird feeder outside our dining room window. I set my camera outside on the tripod keeping it low and shooting upward to give me a fairly clean background. I selected f5 and manually focussed on the centre of the old tree stump that serves as the feeding station and attached my remote trigger. Once set I returned to the house and sat with a nice hot cuppa looking out of the window at the coming and going of the feeding birds and triggering a shot as they did. I had hoped for some of the larger species of bird to join in and for one of the frequent squirrel visitors to make an appearance too, but neither was forthcoming. Ultimately when stacked in photoshop the image was still as I'd intended and I was happy with the result, it's something I will be doing more of.
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Week 45 : Moon Boots Friday 11th November 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 16-35 f2.8 II USM f/11 - 1/60 sec - ISO 200
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A road trip to Saskatchewan provided ample supply of good images for the 52 this week. I had no excuses, I had taken along a good amount of kit including various lenses, remote triggers, filters, tripod etc. I was set to grab some good shots if the weather stayed true to predictions. My first stop ended up as a tremendous rush as I had planned to arrive at the Great Sand Dunes Provincial Park an hour before sunset, unfortunately they don't use daylight savings time in Saskatchewan so I arrived at the park directly at sunset instead. I had no time at all to scout locations and carefully choose composition and instead had to run around with a heavy backpack full of kit finding shots on the fly. Ultimately I did get some really nice shots in the short time available, but I do feel the rush meant I had to leave some shots out there however, that just means I have an excuse to go back. This weeks lesson is definitely one about planning, I'd thought of everything but missed that time difference...lesson learned.
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Week 46 : Prairie Snow Sunday 13th November 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII-SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 USD f/6.7 -1/1000 sec - ISO 400
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This weeks choice was probably the easiest I've ever made, still on the Saskatchewan road trip I saw this beautiful snowy owl by the side of the highway, when I stopped to get a shot he flew away. I watched where he went and saw him land in a field on the opposite side of the road. In no time at all I fitted my 150-600mm lens and set out after him. I drove into the field he was in for a little way then got out of the truck and sneaked up on him very carefully. I considered the tripod but thought the clanking about with a 3 legged monster might be too much for him so I upped the ISO to 400 to allow me to boost the shutter speed to 1/1000 sec and relied on the image stabilisation in the lens to help me out a little. The wind was moving the grass quite a bit and I have a number of shots with grass right in the face of the owl, and a few from greater distance with no grass in the foreground but this one is just perfect. The grass moved out of the eye line and left one of my best ever photographs, I love it.
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Week 47 : Cochrane Lights Sunday 20th November 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 16-35 f2.8 II USM f/16 - 20 sec - ISO 100
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This week saw me lighting the streets of Cochrane Alberta with my home made light stick. Comprised of a battery powered self adhesive LED strip, about a metre long, stuck to an aluminium strip with a bit of pipe insulation attached for use as a hand grip.
This was only my second time out with the 'light stick' but it certainly won't be my last. I'm already working on a double version that can get two colours going at once and hopefully will rotate to provide a 'DNA' type light streak, even if it doesn't rotate it will provide a double strip and more night light fun. This image was made by standing in the doorway, then (once the camera is triggered) turning on the light stick and walking along while waving it up, down and around. The reason I don't show up in the shot is that I'm moving and the camera needs a little time to absorb enough light from dark objects to show them. You don't have to move fast just keep moving. It's great fun and will help make some really strong images with a little more thought. |
Week 48 : Milky Clouds Monday 28th November 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 16-35 f2.8 II USM f/2.8 - 25 sec - ISO 2500
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Another night shot this week, and with the 52 nearing the end it was fantastic to get this image as part of the project. I went out to shoot a sunset, stayed a while messing around with some more lightpainting and noticed the milky way rising as darkness closed in. After finding the right location where I could get this magnificent phenomenon directly over a mountain I set the aperture as wide as possible (f2.8 in this case) and upped the ISO to 2500. It was my first time shooting the milky way and though I have done a few night shots now, including some with stars as a feature, it was still a challenge. Finding focus was not easy but a few 'trial and error' attempts saw me hit it close enough. Initially I was annoyed by the cloud moving in as it was going to close out my opportunity to shoot the milky way but I had a few shots in the bag already and the cloud really did add to the image by giving some depth to the skies. I think this might be my favourite of the 52 so far...but there's still 4 weeks to go.
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Week 49: Still Life Friday 9th December 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/2.8 - 1/8 sec - ISO 200
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Continuing my intention to stretch myself and try something new as part of the 52 I decided to try a still life shot today. Strange that it has taken so long for me to try this, but I guess it's easy to understand why I tried it this week when you see the local temperature hitting -26 every day. So, staying in the basement throwing black sheets around seemed like a good idea for the day. A still life image is actually very difficult to do well, the topic has to be right and here I think it is, the colours need to be complimentary and again I'm Ok on that front, composition should work and I believe this does, the wine in the glass just short of spilling and the red grapes draped over the stem really do work I think. The lighting and reflections also need to work and I know that I failed on that front, but in fairness I failed through lack of equipment (I needed another black sheet) I enjoyed the process and learned a little more and I'm happy with this final image as a first 'still life' shot, I think I did Ok.
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Week 50: Hot & Cold Wednesday 14th December 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 16-35 f2.8 II USM f/11 - 1/25 sec - ISO 200
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It's back to the landscape shots this week with a warm and cool capture from a frozen creek close to Banff National Park. I'd set out to check the location for other reasons but knew I should take along the wide angle lens and make a few images along the way because the location has a habit of throwing up some spectacular ice formations. The time of day is always difficult here as winter sun hardly reaches into the steep sided canyon and you need to be here around 11am to 2pm this time of year, fortunately our low winter sun gives a warm pleasing light even in the middle of the day (one of the few benefits of living so far north) To make the shot I sat on the frozen creek and shuffled around to find a nice composition. Here there are obvious leading lines of the creek and ice formation and together they cover one diagonal half of the image in cool blue while the low sun and sandstone canyon walls fill the other half with a warm yellow, a perfect colour combination and a nice shot overall.
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Week 51: Whiteout Friday 23rd December 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/5.6 - 1/180 sec - ISO 200
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My penultimate week sees a return to the portrait shot. It's not something I have done very often in the 52 and is something I would like to do more of but this one is personal. My little grandson is spending Christmas in Canada with us this year and just being here is enough to make our Christmas very special.
This shot was made during a 'mad half hour' of sledging in the back garden. In all honesty it is an easy shot to achieve in snowy conditions, simply ensure the background is entirely free of distraction and have the subject wearing bright colours. The bounce light from the snow ensures nice even lighting and the contrast between subject and background makes the image 'pop' without further effort. You can achieve the same effect using any background, or by using a wide aperture to seperate the subject from the background, the important bit is to achieve a good contrast between the two; the obvious additional benefit of a white background is the elimination of all distractions. |
Week 52: A Picture for Ethan Friday 30th December 2016
Canon EOS 5DIII - EF 24-70 f2.8 II USM f/5.6 - 3 sec - ISO 200
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Back in week 1 of this project I shot the Calgary skyline from the north and it's an image I still enjoy today. At that time I had intentions to shoot more of the city but I moved on and shot other things. As I came to the very last image for the project I thought a nice tie in would be the Calgary skyline again and I had the best of reasons to do it. My little grandson loves ice hockey and the Calgary Flames are his team. The home stadium makes for a fantastic sight after sunset so after dropping off little Ethan at the airport with his mum and dad I told him I was going to make a shot of the Saddledome for him. I had scouted the location using google and was pretty satisfied that I had found the spot, 20 minutes after leaving the airport I knew I was right. What a perfect way to close out the project taking us right back to the start and getting the shot I wanted for Ethan.
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