Nature

What to see and photograph in Kejimkujik National Park

in , , , , ,

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

The Importance of knowing Sun & Moon position in your Photography

in , , , , ,

Photographing Fall sunsets & supermoon over Halifax Harbour,

I have been planning to make these photos for almost 5 months now. At this time of year the sun sets almost directly behind the Halifax Citadel and the supermoon (Nov 14th) moon sets almost directly behind the Halifax McDonald Bridge.

Why is knowing my sun and moon position important for me?  At this time of year the sun sets directly behind the city. In the summer the sun sets to the far right of our downtown waterfront. 

By having the sun set behind the city skyline, I have the glow of twilight and shadow that adds shape and dimension to the buildings. 

Without this glow I would lose the implied shapes of the buildings and of course the saturated colours of twilight.

For the supermoon that just took place on Nov 14th, 2016.  I wanted to have a large foreground element of the bridge and city that adds scale to the moon and emphasize the effects of the supermoon phenomenon.

There is a secondary reason why this time of year is important for me.  As the temperature gets colder there is less moisture in the air, especially over Halifax Harbour.  With less moisture in the air I can achieve a much clearer image when photographing over water and vast distances. If you have a lot of moisture in the air this will create a haze in your photo and this haze will reduce the sharpness and colours in your image.

By planning out your photo in advance, a bit of luck with the weather and lots of patience you will create the image you want.

There are many resources to plan your photos in advance. I use The Photographer's Ephemeri app on my iPhone and desktop app to determine my sun and moon position. 

It is a really powerful app that has so many functions and features. It works on almost all mobile and desktop platforms.  Here is a link to the The Photographer's Ephemeri app (Link).

Thank you for taking the time read my post. Remember photography is not just about the subject matter but more about how we photograph the light and how that light interacts with our subject.

Cheers & keep taking photos. :)

Mike

Gear

  • Nikon D800
  • Nikon D7100
  • Nikon 12-14 f2.8
  • Nikon 24-70 f2.8
  • Nikon 70-200 f2.8
  • Nikon 200-500mm f5.6
  • Manfrotto tripods
  • warm gloves ;)

Baxter State Park, Maine USA

in , , ,

#TBT - I am updating my media library with a new Digital Asset Management system and I came across photos I have never shared from a past hiking trip to Baxter State Park, Maine USA. It is an amazing park to explore and has a very healthy moose population. I was there in June 2009 and the moose were in full swing, of course so where the black flies, mosquitoes, and horse flies. ha :)

LOTS of MOOSE and widelife to see !!

This trail is on my bucket list of "todo's".

Gear:

  • Nikon D700
  • Nikon 24-70mm 2.8
  • Nikon 80mm-200mm 2.8
  • Nikon 10.5mm fisheye
  • Olympus Waterproof camera