Category: Tips

When you were busy changing all your clocks back to Eastern Standard Time, did you remember to change the clock in your camera?

Here are some videos with tips on photography in cold weather presented at the November 3rd meeting.

• Cold Weather Shooting by Rick Madonik from The Toronto Star
• Photography In Extreme Cold by Neil Fisher
• Photography in Winter – 3 Mistakes You Should Avoid by Benjamin Jaworskyj
• Cold Weather Photography Tips from SLR Lounge. Don’t try this at home, as they say, but here is a scary video about thawing out some VERY frozen cameras

 Phil Tughan

Find the right time and place to view fall’s beautiful colours using these helpful guides.

Ontario Parks Fall Report

The Ontario Parks Fall Report is updated weekly and conveniently provides a map and other visual aids to help leaf peepers figure out what the fall foliage conditions are at Ontario Provincial Parks and the surrounding areas.

Anywhere in Ontario from the end of September to mid-October offers up fall color, but some of Ontario’s more popular fall foliage viewing spots are Algonquin Park, the Bruce Peninsula,

Ontario Fall Colour Progress Report

Like the Ontario Parks Fall Colour Report, this report also tracks the changing fall colours across Ontario. Take a road trip and see the vibrant leaves in the northern, northeastern, and northwestern parts of the province.

Quebec Fall Foliage Report

This tourism website provides foliage updates for the province starting mid-September and is   updated every Friday. Just about anywhere in Quebec will reward leaf-peepers with fall colour in late September to mid-October, but some of the most popular places to see fall foliage are the Laurentian Mountains, the ​Eastern Townships, Gatineau Park, and Charlevoix.

Courtesy Tripsavvy – Canada Fall Foliage Reports

Frank Knor

Here are four videos that show some simple ways to improve your photography:

• Sharp Images – Top 5 Tips by Mike Browne from photographycourses.biz
• 7 Powerful Photography Tips for Amazing Photos by Joshua Cripps with Professional Photography Tips
• Photography Mistakes: Stop Screwing Up Your Shots! by Joshua Cripps with Professional Photography Tips
• 5 Photography Beginner Mistakes by Benjamin Jaworskyj

and one to get your mind thinking about next month’s challenge …

SIMPLICITY …

• Simplify the Photographic Canvas by Ray Scott from Visual Art Photography

 Phil Tughan

[Click on images to enlarge]

Recently my sister, Anne Jones, and I have been enjoying many trips to the drainage ponds near the corner of Eagleson Road and Hope Side Road to photograph birds. These ponds have been recently redeveloped and have reverted to a very mature and natural habitat surprisingly quickly.

We regularly see and photograph a wide variety of interesting birds there, such as Blue Herons, Green Herons (I think), Night Herons, Egrets, Cormorants, Ducks and Kingfishers, to name a few. There are hundreds of geese there during the migration season. Although it is best in early morning or evening, it is rare to visit any time and not see something. Although not shown on maps, there is now a paved path all the way around the perimeter of the ponds. This makes for a nice walk (almost a 2km loop) with many benches for resting on along the way. A bridge also cuts across the middle for shorter loops. There is lots of civilization around, but also great spots to stop and shoot with good backdrops for in-flight shots.

There is a great spot to stand (where the path dips down) near the south west corner. Parking is easy. I prefer to park on Emerald Meadows Drive just past where the creek passes under the road and walk clockwise around the ponds. Don’t forget to look at the pond on the north side of Emerald Meadows Drive too while you’re walking by. Parking is also available on Coldwater Crescent and other nearby streets. Unofficial parking is limited off Hope Side Road. A good long lens is always nice to have, but you can often get pretty close to the birds here with pleasing results. Happy hunting.

Phil Tughan

Here are some videos on neutral density (ND) filters to go with Phil Tughan’s presentation at the September 1st meeting.

The first is by Joshua Cripps of Joshua Cripps Photography:

• How To Use a 10 Stop Neutral Density Filter For Long Exposure Photography

Larry Becker put together a very comprehensive 3 part series on ND Filters for B&H Photo – Video in association with Kelby One:

• Part 1- The Basics – Introduction to ND Filters
• Part 2 – Beyond the Basics – How to use ND Filters
• Part 3 – How to Use ND Filters: Tips, Tricks and Special Effects

Can’t forget a video from my favourite instructor Mike Browne:

• Photography Tips – How to Use an ND Filter

There are iPhone apps and Android apps available for free download to help you calculate what shutter speeds to use with the ND filters.
You can do a search for one the works best for you.

These are fun tools to have available.
Experiment and have fun with it.

by Phil Tughan

Club member and AV coordinator Stu Moxley came up with MosaïCanada as an interesting subject for our summer project: Canada 150. Here’s an article from the Ottawa Citizen describing it.

Thanks for sharing Stu.

I encourage you to view these and many more videos on ISO and Noise Reduction:

Mike Browne from photographycourses.biz on ISO Speed Explained

Tom Greenwood from Sydney Portraits What is ISO? Photography for DSLR Beginners

Marlene Hielema from imagemaven.com Camera ISO: When to use AUTO ISO

Tony Northrup from Northrup Photography “ISO: The Ultimate Guide”

• A VERY detailed and well done presentation which even explains where the term ISO comes from

Matt Golowczynski from Wex Photographic How to Master Noise Reduction in Your Camera

Lynda.com tutorials explains using software Lightroom 4: Reducing Digital Noise

Phil Tughan

Nothing Has Impact Like A Print.

If you really want to make an impression on people, make a print.  I know it sounds simple, but a printed piece, especially today, is one of the most powerful, impact things you can do for your photography, and the bigger the print, the more powerful the impact.(Scott Kelby personally thinks the impact size starts at 13 x 9″, but if you can go bigger, like 17 x 22″, it really adds impact.  This is a case where bigger is better).

1. Prints are real.  The rest of the time we are looking at images inside a glass screen on a computer.  We can’t hold them.  We can’t touch them.  They are “inside” a box of some sort.  When you make a print, your image is no longer a bunch of Is and Os and a bunch of digital code.  It’s real.
2. When you make a print, watch the person’s hands right after you hand them the print.  They start feeling the paper.  Touch is one of our five senses, and when you add touch to your visual sense, your image connects with the viewer on a different level.
3. There is a certain legitimacy to having prints of your work.  It says something about you, about how serious you take your work, and it’s an investment in your photographic journey.
4. Prints open doors.  If you want to shoot in a particular location (let’s say it’s a restaurant interior), and you take a large print in to show the restaurant owner the type of work you do, my guess is they will welcome you to shoot in their restaurant. It tactically says, “I’m legit – it’s okay to let me do this”.  Believe me it works wonders.
5. Prints make an amazing gift.  Think of it this way:How much impact does it have when you mail an image to a friend?  Now, make a nice print, sign it, roll it in a tube, and mail it to them the old fashioned way.  You’ll be amazed at the reaction you get.

There’s power in a print.  Try it once, and you’ll see.

Marg Jackman