Simple ways to improve your photography

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

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

SIMPLICITY …

 Phil Tughan

Monthly Meeting October 6th

The next Camera Club meeting with be held on Friday, October 6th at 9:15 AM.

Our meeting will include:

  • Slide show of Member Images from the “It’s a Small World” Assignment
  • Phil’s Tips of the Day “Simple Ways to Improve Your Photography” and Tips for Next Month’s “Simplicity” Photo Challenge
  • Presentation on Creativity by Janice Street
  • Slideshow on Camera Conference by David Haggarty
  • Review of Chosen Photos
  • Announcements and Closing Remarks

The Mentors will be available before the meeting to help you with any technical or creative questions you have about photography.

Your images for the “It’s a Small World” assignment must be emailed by noon on Friday, September 29th to be included in the slide show. For details on how to submit photos including formats and titles go to our Galleries page.

The next assignment is  “Simplicity” and pictures from this assignment will be shown at the November 3rd meeting.

See you on October 6th.

Your Camera Club Executive

Bird Photography at the Monahan Ponds in Bridlewood

[Click on images to enlarge]

Skim by Phil Tughan
Skim by Phil Tughan

 

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.

Spear Fishing by Phil Tughan
Spear Fishing by Phil Tughan

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.

Overhead by Phil Tughan
Overhead by Phil Tughan

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.

 

Gulp by Phil Tughan
Gulp by Phil Tughan

 

 

Phil Tughan

Birds of the Ottawa Region

On Tuesday September 12th, Bruce Di Labio will be giving a presentation on Birds of the Ottawa Region as part of the Probus Club of Western Ottawa monthly speaker series.

Bruce W/His Faves.

For our first meeting in the fall we are delighted to have renowned birding expert Bruce Di Labio talk to us about the birds we can find in the Ottawa region.

A native of Ottawa, Bruce Di Labio formerly wrote a weekly column on birding in the Ottawa Citizen. His passion for birds and birding began at the young age of 7, and he has had a life-long passion and career in the field of birding. The early 1970s was an exciting time in Ottawa birding. There was lots of friendly competition and weekend birding, which was quickly replaced by birding seven days a week! It was during this time that Bruce began leading field trips for the Ottawa Field-Naturalist’s Club.

During the 1980’s he worked for the Canadian Museum of Nature in ornithology, and then The Canadian Nature Federation as Staff Naturalist. After leaving this post, Bruce began environmental consulting and branched out in his role as teacher and tour leader for beginning birders. Locally he regularly gives presentations at schools, Nature organizations, and birding conventions.

Bruce specializes in birding tours to many Canadian destinations, including the Alberta Rockies, Yukon, Churchill, Point Pelee National Park, Moosonee and James Bay. Internationally he has lead birding tours to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Australia, South Africa and a number of Caribbean destinations.

In addition, over the decades Bruce has authored numerous articles for Nature Canada, Ontario Birds, OFNC’s Trail and Landscape, Canadian Field-Naturalist, Birders Journal, ABA’s Birding, and Ontario Birding News. Bruce has been a member of many successful international championship birding teams.

Click here, for more information about Probus and about Bruce’s presentation.

Amy Lo and Marilyn Martin

Tour with Dr. Peter Dang

If you enjoyed Dr. Peter Dang’s presentation at our September meeting, here’s a chance to see him again in his environment and to meet some of the “critters” he was talking about:

Robber Fly Antlion Tour 2017-09-10

 

Neutral Density Filter Tutorials

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:

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

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

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

Dr. P.T. (Pete) Dang, Ph.D

The featured presenter at our meeting on September 1st will be Dr. P.T. (Pete) Dang, Ph.D

  • President and Founder of Biodiversity Conservancy International
  • Director, National Capital Sand Dune Conservation Project
  • Founder of the internationally renowned quarterly scientific journal “Biodiversity”
  • Research Scientist (Entomologist), specializing in Microlepidoptera specifically the leafrollers, budworms and budmoths, mosquitoes and other biting flies, and ladybird beetles
  • Former scientific staff of the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
  • Former Chair of the Curatorial Committee for the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes (AAFC)

Monthly Meeting September 1st

We hope you all had a great summer and really enjoyed all the Canada 150 activities and other opportunities to take lots of photos.

Join us for our next Camera Club meeting which with be held on Friday, September 1st at 9:15 AM.

Our meeting will include:

  • Slide show of Member Images from the Canada 150th Assignment
  • Phil’s Tip of the Day on Lens Filters
  • Presentation on Insect Photography by Dr. Dang
  • Review of Chosen Photos
  • Announcements and Closing Remarks

The Mentors will be available before the meeting to help you with any technical or creative questions you have about photography.

Your images for the assignment must be emailed by noon on Friday, August 25th to be included in the slide show. For details on how to submit photos including formats and titles go to our Galleries page.

The next assignment is:

  • It’s a Small World
  • For the meeting on October 6th
  • Submit by noon on September 29th
  • Macro or small-scale photography of any subject.

See you on September 1st.

Your Camera Club Executive