Outdoor

Upper Sackville River Falls, Nova Scotia

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After a busy couple of weeks of photo assignments, teaching classes and sitting in front of my computer editing photos & writing emails,  it sure feels good to connect with nature again.

Not all your photo adventures have to be far distant lands.  Sometimes in the constant hustle & shuffle of life you are only allowed time for local adventures.

It is better to get outside & explore even if it is within your city limits.  I think you will be amazed at what natural wonders you can discover in your own “backyard”.

I have a thing for waterfalls in the winter and I have been seeking local waterfalls for a few months now.  The Upper Sackville River falls fit that bill.

I found this location via website searches and following local adventure blogs and youtube channels.  I discussed this method of finding new places in more detail in a previous blog article; How to find new Outdoor Locations to Photograph.

The falls are not as big as I was hoping, however there still are many interesting features to photograph.  I will be coming back to the falls during a high water Spring run and probably bring my fly rod as well as my camera. :)

This was a 1st for me,  I think these are otter tracks sliding into the river.  

Playing around with my Heliopan 12 stop Neutral density filter for some long exposure goodness. I love this filter. It is a little pricey but it has very little imperfection, almost no added color cast and works really well with a digital camera sensor.

One of the many advantages of winter hiking,  you can always follow your tracks back to the car.

From Tiny Landscapes to Big Landscapes, winter hikes have it all.  :)

Sometimes you just need to stop and take in the natural environment around you.  From me that means  setting up my trusty hammock and breathing in the space around me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article, if you have any questions or comments please free feel to leave a comment below.

Cheers and keep making photos :)
Mike

Gear

  • Nikon D800
  • Nikon 12-14 f2.8
  • Nikon 24-70 f2.8
  • Nikon 70-200 f2.8
  • Manfrotto tripod
  • Heliopaan 12 stop Neutral density filter

 

Bell Let's talk day #bellLetsTalk

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Bell Let's talk day #bellLetsTalk

As a child growing up, I was very fortunate to have a parent who worked in the Mental Health field. My Mom, retired now, worked as a mental health practitioner in many communities in Nova Scotia. Growing up, she instilled the importance of understanding that anyone can suffer from mental health issues and the importance of removing that stigma of mental illness so everyone can feel confident in seeking support when needed.  

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Boxing Day Hike on Micou's Island

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My Boxing day hike with the kids at Micou's Island, St.Margaret's Bay Nova Scotia.

Micou's Island,  St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia.

My little ones love this place, they get such a kick out of crossing the sandbar to explore the island.

Crossing the sandbar to the Micou's Island

It may not be a long hike but it has everything in one place; forest, beaches, hiking trails and of course lots of salt water.

This is what I call a kitchen with a view.  :)

There is lots to see and explore on the island and of course time to stop for the kids favourite winter hiking lunch time snack;  KD & hot chocolate. 

My little one loves to pose for the camera. 

My little one loves to pose for the camera. 

To find out more about Micou's Island visit the St. Margaret's Bay Stewardship Association website.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, if you have any questions or comments free feel to leave a comment below.

Cheers and keep making photos :)
Mike

What to see and photograph in Kejimkujik National Park

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I have been exploring Kejimkujik National Park since I was a kid.  It is a place that has calm meandering streams, fast flowing waterfalls, snapping turtles, whitetail dear and a lakeside sunset view over Kejimkujik Lake that is simply amazing to see and photograph.

Mill Falls, Kejimkujik National Park

Recently, I was organizing my Kejimkujik National Park photos for an upcoming project and I thought I would share some of my favourite photos from my collection.

Every time I photographing in this area, I am always struck by the sheer beauty of the light and how it seems to cascade through the trees and over the water.  If you don't believe me about the light, I suggest hiking the Mersry River trail in the morning and you will see the effect of the light in the trees. http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik/activ/activ5.aspx

Mersey River hiking trail,  morning sunrise

There are numerous places to photograph; hiking trail, paths for biking and waterways to paddle.  Check out the  Kejimkujik National Park and the Friends of Keji Cooperating Association websites for all the possible activities. 

Biking and hiking trails

If you are looking for more detail about the park and the Backcountry camping and paddling,  Paul Illsley has a amazing site full of detailed topo maps & photos of the park. http://www.paulillsley.com/kejimkujik/

Mersey River panoramic image.

Another spectacular feature of the park is of course the water. This park has so many lakes, ponds and rivers.  All have different moods of light at particular times of day and season.

This region is also rich with Mi’kmaw history and of course many opportunities for camping and enjoying the natural world around you.

My hope for this blog post is simple, maybe one of these images will spark an interest for you to go and experience the park for the first-time or encourage you to revisit a past campsite in the new year.

If you have any questions about places to photograph in the park please free feel to drop me a email or leave a comment.

Cheers and keep taking photos :)
Mike

Using a Flash with your Outdoor Photography

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Don't be afraid to use your flash outdoors. As a commercial photographer I am always thinking about how I can light my subject in my own style of photography. That need doesn't stop when my commercial photo assignment ends. This process continues with all my work: macros, landscapes, underwater and even just simple snapshots of my kids. 

With the sun facing me, I added an off-camera Fill Flash to add a little texture and detail to the trees.

As I stated in a previous blog post, photography is about the study of light and how that light interacts with your subject.  Lighting adds drama, style, emotion and shape to your subject. Lighting is the thing that truly separates one photographer’s style from another.

When I go for a hike, I always bring a flash with me because I want to sculpt the photograph that I see in my mind. Sometimes the ambient light works for my subject and sometimes it does not tell the story I want to express. 

For a painter, every motion of the brush is their decision. Think of the flash as a photographer’s paint brush. It gives you the creative control so you can make the photograph you see in your mind’s eye.

Using a flash does not mean you have to use huge elaborate flash systems attached to a big DSLR.  Sometimes all you need is just a “puff of light” from your Point & Shoot or Compact Camera. Just a little bit of light can make all the difference between taking a snapshot or making a photograph. “Snapshots you take, photographs you make.”

On any camera that has a flash is “daylight balanced’, meaning it is the colour temperature of bright sunlight.  When you use a flash in your photograph, it doesn't just add light to your subject it actually bring back all the colours tone on your subject.

Just a "puff of light" to add color to the face and clothes.

Just a "puff of light" to add color to the face and clothes.

When photographing something outside in the shade, you are losing the saturated warm tones of the reds, yellows, orange tones in the photograph.  It Is not that you won't have the warm tones, but they will be muted in colour. By turning on a flash when you are outdoors and letting your subject be partially lit by the flash, you can add those warm tones back into your photograph. 

The common term for this is called “Fill Flash”. Essentially, you are combining two photos in one picture,  the background that is lit by the ambient light and the foreground (subject) that is partially lit with the flash.

The next time you are at a family gathering, or out for a hike and you have a camera that has a flash; think about turning on the flash and see what happens. Try the same photo with the flash on and with the flash off, you might be amazed by the results you see.

The big trick to using a Fill Flash is controlling the intensity or direction of the flash and trying your best to blend flash lighting with the already existing natural light in the photo.  The goal is to make make the flash exposure look natural and not obviously lit with a flash. 

Currently my favourite “carry all” camera is my Sony RX100 II.  It is small enough to be always with me,  1” sensor (good image quality), Wi-Fi for instant photo sharing and of course if has a great pop-up flash and even a hot-shoe if I want to add a larger flash too the camera.

Note; if you have a small pop-up flash or a compact camera with a flash you probably need to get a little closer to your intended subject when using the flash outdoors.  The smaller flashes don't have as much power as the large cousins that attach to the top of your camera by the Hot-shoe.

A simple pop-up Fill Flash can brighten the shadows when the sun is behind your subject.

A simple pop-up Fill Flash can brighten the shadows when the sun is behind your subject.

This blog discusses the value of using a flash outdoors or in places you would not normally think too use a flash. In later blogs posts I'll be discussing how to operate your flash on and off the camera and how you can create your style and the photograph you see in your minds eye.

Remember, if you already own any digital camera with a flash it does not cost anything to practice taking digital photos, pixels are free. So why not try seeing what happens when you use your flash the next time you are outdoors exploring with your camera.

Cheers & keep making photos.  :)
Mike