O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E C A N A D I A N A S S O C I AT I O N F O R P H O T O G R A P H I C A RT
CAPA 2013 Digital Competition Winners Club News • Winter Photography in Southern Ontario Cape Breton Island Photography Rock Star Wedding • Capturing Grizzlies WINTER 2013 • $9.95
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Vol. 14, No. 4 • Winter 2013
Sheena Wilkie
Contents
Editor-in-chief 14220 71 Ave. Surrey BC V3W 2L1 E-mail: editor-in-chief@capacanada.ca
Rick Shapka
Publishing Editor
Jozef VanVeenen
Art Director E-mail: info@tikit.ca
Roger Partington
Advertising Manager E-mail: advertising@capacanada.ca
CANADIAN CAMERA (ISSN1206-3401) is published quarterly by the Canadian Association for Photographic Art, Box 357, Logan Lake BC V0K 1W0. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission of the publisher and author. All photographic rights remain with the photographer. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors. Articles and photographic portfolios are welcomed from all CAPA members. All articles and low resolution photographs should be submitted to CANADIAN CAMERA, c/o the Editor-in-Chief at editor-in-chief@ capacanada.ca.CANADIAN CAMERA reserves the unrestricted right to edit, crop and comment editorially on all submitted material. SUBSCRIPTIONS: CANADIAN CAMERA is distributed automatically to CAPA members. Individual copies are available for $9.95. Library subscriptions cost $35.00 for four issues.
Rick Shapka
Sheena Wilkie
Bob Walling
Karen Pidskalny
Murray O'Neill
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4 6 10 12 16 22 28 32 36
Message from the President Phototalk CAPA News Club News CAPA 2013 Annual Digital Competition Winners Winter Photography in Southern Ontario Cape Breton Island Photography Rock Star Wedding Capturing Grizzlies! CAPA New Members
theCOVER Vines and Ice By Robert Walling
CAPA is a FIAP-affiliated organization.
For further information, contact CAPA National Headquarters, Box 357, Logan Lake BC V0K 1W0. Tel.: 1-250-523-2378 E-mail: capa@capacanada.ca Canadian Mail Publication Agreement #1665081
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Message from the president Rick Shapka
CAPA Officers & National Founded in 1968, CAPA is a nonprofit organization for photographers, including amateurs, professionals, camera clubs, and anyone interested in photography. The aims of CAPA are to promote good photography as an art form in Canada, and to provide useful information for photographers. CAPA accomplishes this through interaction with individuals and member camera clubs and by distributing slide sets, evaluating photographs, running competitions, and publishing the quarterly Canadian Camera. CAPA also sponsors Canadian Camera Conference, a bi-annual summer weekend of field trips and seminars held in a different city every other year. CAPA is a member of the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (FIAP).
CAPA OFFICERS PRESIDENT Rick Shapka, FCAPA VICE PRESIDENT Sheena Wilkie, FCAPA SECRETARY Michael Breakey, FCAPA TREASURER Len Suchan, FCAPA PAST PRESIDENT Jacques S. Mailloux, Hon. FCAPA
CAPA DIRECTORS ATLANTIC ZONE Leo Allain QUEBEC ZONE Albert Limoges ONTARIO ZONE Rod Trider PRAIRIE ZONE Harvey Brink PACIFIC ZONE Larry Breitkreutz, FCAPA DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGING Dr. Bob Ito, Hon. FCAPA DIRECTOR, EDUCATION AND MEMBERSHIP Allen Bargen, Hon. FCAPA DIRECTOR OF COMPETITIONS Virginia Stranaghan
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR CAPA Membership phone 1.250.523.2378 c/o Lee Smith Box 357, Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0 E-mail: membership@capacanada.ca Website: www.capacanada.ca 2 - CANADIAN CAMERA
Rob Martell Photo
Council Members
I always look forward to fall changing into the winter photography season. It is a time to renew old acquaintances at our photo club, and to meet the new members. There is an opportunity to visit other clubs, to discuss the benefits of CAPA membership, and to learn what makes each club unique. It is a time to continue learning more about making better photographs.
Each club I visit provides an opportunity to see some wonderful images, to engage with fellow photographers and understand some of the visual thinking behind their images. Over time each club has developed its unique personality, hopefully a composite of member’s evolving photographic interests. Is the club’s emphasis on the social aspects of photography, traveling to take images, educating members, entering images for competition, print images, or an emphasis on some specific genre of photography? Perhaps it is a mix of a few of these. One of the most common club interests seems to be the improvement of member’s skills. With the continuously changing digital photographic scene, the learning required by each of us to keep current with this artistic medium is stimulating and constant. As an assist to producing our own interesting and satisfying images, we enjoy the images of other photographers. Perhaps that is the reason many club nights include the showing and sharing of member photographs. Sometimes a CAPA trained judge is invited to evaluate the images. A critique of an image by a respectful and qualified person should be a positive learning experience. Thoughtful commentary about an image should be considered an aid to our photography. I have visited numerous clubs where guest photographers or other visual artists such as architects, painters, or printers made presentations about their work. This is a
positive method for a club to add value to their members learning experience. A recent example included a visit to a club where one of Canada’s most significant Olympic photographers presented his images and then spoke about where the future of ‘still versus video’ images, using modern 35mm cameras, might be trending. Are you doing much video these days with your camera? Many clubs have enthusiastic members who conduct field trips to interesting shooting locations. This is always a great opportunity to move away from your comfort zone to try something new. You meet other members who can provide photographic tips about a new activity, or sport to shoot. One club recently did the photography for the Canadian Lawn Bowling Championships. I invited myself to join them, to meet some different photographers, and was provided with an opportunity to learn something new about how to shoot the ‘action’ sport of lawn bowling! Today, an important part of photographic learning is meeting and talking with other photographers. That may seem self-evident to many, but photography can be a very solitary experience, and at times it should be. You need to be alone with your thoughts to read the light, and visualize the lines, shapes and colors of the image you intend while you compose your shot. But how do you learn about improving your skill and therefore your images without speaking with, and listening to other photographers
about making your unique image. Most photographers like to share their knowledge about making images. This winter think about the learning you might do by engaging with a fellow club photographer whose images you enjoy and hold some interest for you. My best wishes for the holidays. Have a wonderful winter season filled with great photography, fellowship and fun! g
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SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES, PORTFOLIOS AND NEWS ITEMS CAPA Members… We need submissions for upcoming issues. Canadian Camera is YOUR magazine! We welcome your articles, news items, portfolios and reviews. We do reserve the right to accept or reject material as we see fit. We will make every effort to achieve a balance of views, subject matter and geographical representation of our members. So please, submit an article about that last photo trip you took or that last nice lens you purchased. You never know, you might just get your name in print.
How to send material • Please write your article in MS Word format, plain or rich text; • You may send your article and low res photos by email to editor-in-chief@ capacanada.ca; • High resolution photos can also be submitted by FTP (instructions available upon request); • Please don’t format the text of your article. No bold, underline, bullets, indenting, or special characters; • Photos must be JPG format; • Do not resize, final photos must be full resolution; • If photos are scanned CMYK is preferable to RGB; • Photos must have simple descriptive filenames and include the photographer's name, e.g. Susan_ Brown_barn_swallow.jpg; • We may not use all of the photos you submit; • Your article should not contain notes about where to place a photo; • Your article should not contain wording specific to a photo;
• You may list your files and suggested captions after the text of your article; • Please include your phone number, e-mail address and CAPA membership number.
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When to send it You may submit an article any time but for time sensitive material our submissions deadlines are:
• Spring Issue Jan. 10 • Summer Issue April 10 • Fall Issue July 10 • Winter Issue Oct. 1st Submitting an article and having it accepted does not mean it will come out in the next issue.
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We truly are a national photographic art organization with members in pretty much every province in the country! And that is something to celebrate! Actually there is much to celebrate about CAPA these days. In April 2014 in BC and Alberta we’re inviting you to be INSPIRED by Andre Gallant. We’re following that up by bringing OPAW back in August 2014. And on the heels of an extremely successful conference in Fredericton NB we are already full steam ahead planning a photography exposition in Vancouver - CAPA Photo Expo 2015. We’ve been providing judging courses across the country, and hosting competitions for both clubs and individual members. And there is a lot more coming! It is an exciting time to be a CAPA member. With Christmas and the holiday season fast upon us consider sharing the CAPA excitement with your photographer friends by purchasing a CAPA gift membership. You won’t just be giving them the gift of photography; you’ll be giving them the gift of friendship as well. g Sheena Wilkie, FCAPA www.phototalk.ca
Don’t forget to keep your email and mailing address up to date! We wouldn’t want you to miss your Canadian Camera magazine! You can login to your member account at capacanada.ca and update your personal information there. MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR CAPA Membership phone 1.250.523.2378 c/o Lee Smith Box 357, Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0 E-mail: membership@capacanada.ca Website: www.capacanada.ca
Scan QR Code to visit Web site
bebyinspired Canada’s
André Gallant I N V I C TO R I A , VA N C O U V E R , C A LG A R Y
Inspiration – April 2014 CAPA brings to you renowned fine art photographer and popular p resenter André Gallant. André will be presenting imagery and concepts from his latest book “Inspiration: Creative Photography Projects”, as well as m aterial from his book “Photographing People at Home”. Gallant will be providing public presentations and small group photography workshops. Victoria
Friday April 4 – Shoot with André Gallant
Saturday April 5 – Public presentation
Vancouver
Sunday April 6 – Public presentation
Monday April 7 – Shoot with André Gallant
Calgary
Saturday April 12 – Public presentation
Sunday April 13 – Shoot with André Gallant
André’s creative and engaging teaching style will help you grow your own c reative photographic vision and inspire you to make the photographs you have always dreamed of.
More information online at capacanada.ca/presentingandregallant/ or by emailing andregallantevent@capacanada.ca
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CAPA News With excitement I look forward to my recently appointed position as
Director of Competitions.
Although there may be some challenges to over come and much to learn regarding the position, with the support from both Leonie Holmes and Judy Higham who preceded me I feel confident that I will be able to meet the needs of the CAPA membership.
rapher has attained a placing of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in this Digital Novice Open competition they will move on to any of the Fall, Winter or Spring competitions of their choice. We have also changed the way in which you will submit your images to digital competitions. Images for digital will be submitted via a link on the competitions webpage at www.capacanada. ca. Once the deadline has passed clubs hosting each competition will be able to retrieve the images for judging. CAPA is always looking for ways to enhance the competition experience for our members. Looking forward to seeing your entries in the competitions this year. Anticipating a great year ahead for CAPA Competitions.
We have added a NEW competition to the roster. DIGITAL NOVICE OPEN
Virginia Stranaghan Director of Competitions
This competition was created to provide Novice photographers the opportunity to enter into a competition designed specifically for members who are new to photography and competition. We hope that they will feel more comfortable entering a competition without seasoned photographers and the skill levels of those seasoned photographer to compete with. Once a new photog-
www.capacanada.ca Tel.(250) 523-2333
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Email orders to capa@capacanada.ca Or via mail to CAPA, Box 357, Logan Lake, BC, V0K 1W0 Tel: 1-250-523-2378
CAPA News Education and Membership Hello everyone, I have a new(er) job in CAPA these days. Recently we asked, and you told us what things are essential to you if we wanted to keep you as a member. At the top of the list, you asked for more member services and more photographic educational programs. Recognizing what we do for you is critical to our success. At the 2013 CAPA Annual General Meeting in Fredericton, the national executive created a new board position to be focused on our members, membership growth and their photographic learning. In the coming months, my mandate is to develop and recommend new educational offerings, that offer knowledge and value. We want to enhance your overall membership experience with CAPA. Let’s talk via social media, direct e-mail of course and face to face as we meet across the country. I want to hear your ideas about the future and what’s important to you. You will soon start to receive via email, and on our website, information about new educational initiatives, new CAPA Sponsored courses, and information on the things we now offer that you may be unaware of. We are working on an expanded
We’re bringing OPAW back! August 8, 9 and 10, 2014
two day judging course, new courses offered by our members, and a much expanded use of our website to deliver value to you. I’d love to hear from you about your observations and ideas, reach me here, education@capacanada.ca. CAPA Membership has its benefits. Write to me and ask for the new CAPA Members Handbook if you don’t have it now, I’ll happily send it to you via email. Allen Bargen, FCAPA, Hon FCAPA Director, Education and Membership
Latow’s 35th Annual PHOTOGRAPHY WEEKEND
April 5-6, 2014, in Burlington, ON Featured Speakers Jay & Varina Patel Full-day seminar • Choice of mini-seminars AV Festival • Juried Print Exhibition
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Exciting outdoor photo opportunities, acclaimed presenters, master photographers, illustrated presentations, hands-on workshops hosted in the always sunny
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Okanagan Photographic Art Workshops UBC Okanagan – Kelowna BC
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CAPA News
Member Survey Feedback By Rick Shapka On behalf of the CAPA Board, I conducted our second Member Survey in June. The objective of the survey was to gather some benchmark information from our members about our current offering of services, and to use this information to assist with CAPA’s planning for future services. We wanted to determine how member’s views might have changed since the member survey of 2012. CAPA has to provide a strong sense of photographic interest and value to each member. Whether it is the friendships developed by volunteering, your ability to publish in Canadian Camera magazine, your submission of photographs to competitions etc., our board wants to make your membership experience of significant value to you.
Member survey feedback provides us with an opportunity to improve our photographic relationship with you. Two hundred and seventy (270) survey questionnaires were emailed to a random sample of members. One hundred and forty four (144) members responded to the survey. Thank you for the fifty three percent (53%) response rate! The following is a summary of the results. I encourage you to check the detailed summary on the CAPA website. This can be found by logging into the Members Section. If you have any questions about the survey, or other comments you would like to share with the Board, please email me at president@capacanada.ca. Thank you for taking the time to give us your thoughts!
Some Survey Highlights 1) Membership: Forty nine (49) percent of participants have been CAPA members for 3 years or less. 2) Why Join CAPA:
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CAPA News 3) Camera Club Membership: Seventy six (76) percent of our members belong to a camera club, and fifty nine (59) percent of members have submitted images to a CAPA competition either directly, or through their local club.
5) CAPA’s Website: More members are accessing the CAPA website more often, with sixty six (66) percent responding that it is relatively easy to use and navigate. Thirty two (32) percent have used the website to view the Member’s albums.
4) Canadian Camera Magazine: Fifty three (53) percent of members have read the latest magazine from cover to cover, while another thirty five (35) percent have read more than two articles. Members say they really like the magazine, however suggest including more “How to do” articles, and fine art image content. Forty one (41) percent indicated they would prefer to receive an e copy of Canadian Camera. This is up significantly from a year ago.
6) Future Services: Ninety five (95) percent of members are interested in more educational programs. Eighty nine (89) percent are interested in different image competitions. Seventy three (73) percent are interested in discount travel program offerings. Eighty seven (87) percent are interested in CAPA photo tours, and ninety four (94) percent are interested in CAPA sponsored photo workshops.
7) Value of Membership: Overall, what value do you place on your CAPA membership?
www.capacanada.ca Tel.(250) 523-2333
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Club News
Canadian Camera Conference
2013 PHOTO Fredericton The dedicated committee members from PHOTO Fredericton, inspirationally led by Michiko Nishijima, ‘composed and presented’ a most successful CAPA conference, June 28th – 30th. A beautiful city of Fredericton, in the picturesque province of New Brunswick, proved to be a winning location for those CAPA members traveling to the wonderful east coast to attend the conference. Attendees from across Canada, with some of our American friends made the trip to listen, learn and photograph with a dozen accomplished presenters
that included keynote presentations by David duChemin and Freeman Patterson. Conference activities included 8 wellplanned, photographically intriguing field
trips to locations such as Grand Manan, St. Martins, Shampers Bluff, and the Bay of Fundy. Conference organization was superb, with many opportunities to exchange ideas, learn new, or refresh some photographic techniques and make some new acquaintances with the social activities. Fun, friendships, with photography and some fine east coast seafood formed part of a wonderful conference experience for the 200 participants. A great CAPA conference!
Some CAPA Members Comment:
By Kasandra Sponson
Carol Coleman: My first trip to New Brunswick with field trips included, took me to Grand Manan and Michas Seal Islands to photograph the puffins, razorbills and murres from the blinds. The closeness of the blind made for some new friendships. Low tides and rain provided an exciting opportunity to be transferred from tender, to dingy to dry ground! Many memories and laughs now for me, thinking back about how the photo gear was transported over some waves during our Perfect Storm. I enjoyed the whole of the conference, specially the inspirational Freeman Patterson presentation, and subsequent discussions with Freeman. Mufty Mathewson: It was a great treat to be back in Fredericton for CCC’13. Not only did I love reconnecting with Freeman Patterson and seeing two of his wonderful presentations but I enjoyed meeting new photographers whose work is exciting and fresh. Louise Tanquay had two shows, one of Capturing Splendor; photographing Plants and Gardens and another: Beyond Nice. The social life after the presentations is always great, as well getting to know other photographers to appreciate how they express themselves though their art.
By Carol Coleman
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Club News Donna and Bob Wells: We had a wonderful time on the tour of the Kings Landing Historical Settlement, which is a living museum of life in the 1800's in Canada. It is a valuable piece of history and culture of significance to Fredericton, New Brunswick and Canada. Despite the fog and early time of day, we had many giggles with our terrific guides and fellow photographers on the tour. Thanks again to the organizers of the tours, and of the superb conference. John-Paul Boudreau: I went to the Fredericton Canadian Camera Conference with no specific expectations and opened mindedness. I developed a much better appreciation of Lightroom thanks to Kurt Budliger, who is also a very fine landscape photographer. I was influenced by some of the presenter’s philosophies, which are gradually influencing my outlook on the medium in a very positive way. To top it all, I made a new friend. This conference was well worth my time and money. Thumbs up to the organizers! Kasandra Spronson: Attending my first CAPA conference in Fredericton, I was amazed at how so many of the other attendees were willing to share their passion and knowledge of photography. Friendships that were easily formed created a spirit of camaraderie that I’m sure will last through to the next time we meet. Touring New Brunswick, I met a number of local people and was charmed by how welcoming and positive they were despite the harsh and moody environment in which many earn their living. It was definitely a 5 star experience!
By Carol Coleman
By Marion McCristal
Marion McCristall: I was impressed with the warm welcome I received when I picked up my registration package at the CAPA conference in Fredericton. The friendliness didn’t stop there. I met so many enthusiastic photographers who were eager to be inspired and learn more about photographic styles and techniques. On the field trip to Shamper’s Bluff, we chatted about our wonderful conference experiences and the incredible opportunity we had to make photographs at the home of Freeman Patterson. Those moments at Shamper’s Bluff created a bond and I still keep in touch with the lovely people I shared that special day. Field Trip CCC2013
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CAPA Competitions
CAPA 2013 Annual Digital Competition Artistic Portrait – Organic Architecture
We handed out a tough assignment to our members this year, where they could choose between Artistic Portrait and Organic Architecture. Why in the world would we do that? Simple, we ARE the Canadian Association for Photographic Art, and we are looking for ART. This year, we again used a high-end calibrated projector, including a state-of-the-art Windows-based judging apparatus, which included a special program written by John Elliott, a professional programming wizard and member of the RA Photo Club. The event ran without a glitch.
Our first judge was William McElligott, a practicing architectural photographer based in Chelsea, QC, who conducts visual design workshops and tours in North America, Mexico and Croatia. Our second judge was Harry Turner, a scientific and portrait photographer for the National Research Council, who has won numerous awards and recognitions. Our third judge was Yannis Souris, one of only three members at the RA Photo Club in Ottawa, to achieve the level of Master Photographer.
AND THE WINNERS ARE!
st 1 PRIZE
nd 2 PRIZE
rd 3 PRIZE
Keith Graham, of Chilliwack, BC
Theodore Lo, of London, ON
Toni Wallachy, of Toronto, ON
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• Adobe One-Year Creative Cloud Membership • $ 100 Gift Certificate towards your own Blurb Photo Book
The winning entries, including the Honour Awards recipients are posted on the CAPA Website and will be shown at all major CAPA events in Canada and by Sony of Canada and Adobe Canada. In addition to a $25 Gift Certificate towards their own Blurb Photo Book, ten participants will also receive an Honour Award Certificate from Director of Competitions, Virginia Stranaghan, who was on hand to witness the judging event in Ottawa, on October 12th. 12 - CANADIAN CAMERA
CAPA Competitions t
Graham Keith, Double Take, 1st Place
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Toni Wallachy, Fantasy Cinderella, 3rd Place
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Theodore Lo, Taking a break, 2nd Place
EVENT SPONSORS
www.capacanada.ca/capa-2013-annual-digital-competition CANADIAN CAMERA - 13
CAPA Competitions
CAPA 2013 Annual Digital Competition Artistic Portrait – Organic Architecture HONORABLE MENTIONS
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David Laronde, Frozen Rope, HM
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Bill Hall, Hallgrimskirkja Church, HM
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The CAPA Annual Digital Competition ran for the first time in 2005, and was the first major digital event CAPA hosted. The rest is history as our photographic world has now changed forever. CAPA will expect you to push your boundaries and submit excellence. You have it in you, and we want to see it. Our most sincere congratulations to the all the winners! And thank you to all those who took the time and interest to enter our competition - your participation made the judging interesting and challenging! 14 - CANADIAN CAMERA
Sandra Fiedler, Innocence, HM
Derek Galon, Anatomy Lesson (homage to Rembrandt), HM
See the announcement for the 2014 Annual Digital Competition in the Spring 2014 issue of your magazine! Jacques S. Mailloux, FCAPA, Hon. FCAPA CAPA Past President and Chair, CAPA 2013 Annual Digital Competition A very special thank you to Jacques from the CAPA President and Board of Directors for his creation and tireless work on this major photographic competition.
CAPA Competitions
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Derek Galon, Bacchus, Pan, and Ceres, HM
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Jason Duncan, Iceland Icon, HM
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David Wray, Alone in Darkness, HM
Godofredo Baylon, Ligth Reading in the Rain, HM
Sharon Shales, Guggenheim Contract, HM
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Godofredo Baylon, One Last Shot This Hobby is Killing Me, HM
www.capacanada.ca/capa-2013-annual-digital-competition CANADIAN CAMERA - 15
Winter Photography in Southern Ontario By Bob Walling
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Southern Ontario winters are very changeable; they vary from freezing rain to heavy snowstorms, from overnight thaws to a -20 C deep freeze. This weather variety provides for a multitude of photographic opportunities. Although not my favorite season weather-wise, it’s certainly one of my favorite times of the year for photography.
Occasionally we will get a freezing rain or a strong hoar frost followed by a sunny day. The world is turned into a crystalline fairy land. I look forward to these infrequent events as opportunities for making dynamic photographs. Exposure is tricky because of the sparkling sun on ice. I try to side light where I can and employ bracketing if possible. Spot metering on the snow is also a technique that I often employ to ensure correct exposure of the snow. Unfortunately this technique may cause underexposure of shadow areas. I find today’s software of great help in controlling the extreme range of brightness which can occur. The Topaz Labs plugins, Adjust and Clarity, are most valuable in providing tools which allow a seeming extension to the dynamic range in these sometimes contrasty photographs.I find that Topaz Adjust’s Adaptive Exposure tool is invaluable in dealing with contrasty snow scenes. It has excellent capabilities in opening up shadows without blowing out highlights. The standard exposure controls in most digital editing software CANADIAN CAMERA - 17
can only do this if one goes to extremes with layers and blends. These plugins run with most digital editors and are available in both Windows and Mac versions. The reflected light from freshly fallen snow is usually scattered due to the crystalline nature of snow thus I find a polarizing filter of limited effect on snow, although it certainly improves skies and enhances shadows. I use one on sunny days for its effects on shadows and skies. Photographing on overcast days can also lead to exposure problems. Although the light is usually very soft leading to pleasant results, the relative brightness of snow can lead to underexposure. I find that it is usually necessary to deliberately overexpose on overcast days to maintain detail in darker areas. Again careful post processing can lead to stunning images. I often wonder how we managed with the limited capabilities of colour transparency film. The Southern Ontario landscape abounds with trees. Careful placement 18 - CANADIAN CAMERA
of trees in the frame can lead to dynamic compositions. I always try to use trees to aid my landscape compositions. In fact at times they are the primary features of my compositions. The blending of tree trunks and their shadows on the snow often results in excellent abstract
compositions. One does not have to go very far on a sunny winter’s day after a fresh snowfall to create interesting abstract images. One of my favorite places for unusual winter landscapes is the Cheltenham badlands near Caledon Ontario. This
is an area of eroded clay hillocks, which after a fresh snowfall is transformed into a magic area of light and shadow as the hillocks are covered in seeming mounds of snow. As this is a popular area you must get there as soon as possible after a fresh snowfall before
it’s covered with footprints. It’s a must to be photographed area on my list of winter spots. (To digress, this area also lendsitself to colorful autumn photography.) The combination of water, snow and ice can produce excellent winter
compositions. A sunny winter day, a running stream and snow often leads to an interesting composition and image. A favorite location for this is the Apps Mills conservation area near BrantfordParis Ontario. Here we have an area of trees, their shadows, running water and ice. On sunny winter days this area is also a photographer’s paradise. Another favorite location of mine is Niagara Falls (as a photographer, not a tourist.) As any visitor to Niagara Falls will attest, there is always a spray from the falls pouring over the Niagara escarpment. In the winter this spray freezes on everything downwind from the falls creating interesting water and ice abstracts. In order to get photographs of these abstracts you need time for the ice to build up. This means at least 10 days of subfreezing weather. Due to the variability of Southern Ontario winters we often go through a winter without much ice buildup at Niagara Falls, so whenever the conditions are correct and the day is sunny I head for the falls. For a special treat cross the Canada-USA border via the Rainbow CANADIAN CAMERA - 19
bridge into Niagara Falls, New York and go to Goat Island (an island in the Niagara River not far from the Rainbow Bridge) where the ice buildup leads to a winter fantasy land. There are also many smaller waterfalls along the Niagara escarpment providing interesting water and ice opportunities, (Tews Falls above Dundas Ontario is one of the more picturesque) although none are as spectacular as Niagara Falls. Although macro photography opportunities are limited in the winter, such opportunities do exist. Be on the lookout for snow and ice on twigs, leaves, berries and seed pods. These items often provide many opportunities for winter photos. I find the snow and ice on teezels and mountain ash berries can produce interesting winter photos. So don’t get lost in the trees, look around. I don’t do much urban photography in the winter; however I do find that older buildings do blend in with the winter landscape nicely. Their more traditional architecture seems to suit a landscape dominated by snow and ice. To my eye contemporary architecture doesn’t blend in with the winter landscape. Instead it stands out and wants to dominate its winter surroundings. I find that the structures in the smaller Ontario communities seem to fit into a winter landscape, making one think of the old paintings of winter scenes depicting horses and sleighs and old farm houses. I have several favorite photographic times and locations; spring wild flowers, summer in my own garden, urban photography, autumn, the Rocky mountains and winter. Of all of these I enjoy winter the most, whether it is in Ontario or the Alberta Rockies or wherever. g 20 - CANADIAN CAMERA
Bob Walling is a member of CAPA. He is also a member of the Trillium Photographic club and the Latow Photographers Guild both of Burlington ON. He facilitates a digital imaging circuit for CAPA as well as participating in these circuits. He also shows his photography on several internet sites. His favorite is an Australian site called “Passion for Pixels”. His personal site is found at http://www.gallerydir.com/robertwalling Bob’s chief areas of interest are architecture, botany (both cultivated and wild) and landscapes. He also photographs sports and portraiture. Bob works with monochrome images, a very interesting area in which to work with current software.
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Cape Breton Island
Photography
What makes a great recipe for a July photography trip along the Cabot Trail? You mix five good CAPA friends together and stir with humour and their love of photography.
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Dan Bryer Photo
We attend the CAPA Photo Fredericton, Canadian Camera Conference to become primed. We make a side trip to Quispamsis, N B for a day of photography, then a fantastic evening lobster boil. After loading the camera gear, we drive to Nova Scotia, then across the Canso Causeway. Il y est, le début! During the summer season, the whole of Cape Breton Island referred to by many as ‘the Celtic Heart of North America’ comes alive for its visitors. The island delivers local musicians to the many ceilidhs, the very best of seafood, (It is lobster season!) and the wonderful, friendly people. We are thrilled to be traveling and photographing one of Canada’s scenic hot spots.
We drive along the Cabot Trail each searching for that next best image. Telling our stories …
Len Suchan Photo
Rob Martell from Quispamsis reports: When I found out that the trip was coming together after the CAPA conference in Fredericton I was excited for many reasons. Spending time with like-minded people who
enjoy photography and fellowship is a treat. In addition, it provided me with an opportunity to show off Cape Breton where my Dad’s family is from, with specific focus on the Cabot Trail. As many times as I have traveled there CANADIAN CAMERA - 23
Sheena Wilkie Photo
I have not really photographed this beautiful part of the country. To ensure we would all enjoy the trip another local CAPA member, Karl Maskos, and I did a scouting trip in the spring. We discovered a number of great and diverse possibilities to show the group. When the actual trip began, it was exciting to see the plans come together. Then as we made the journey together it amazed me to see the reactions and interpretations of the scenery and action through their own eyes. Although just having met three of the four people for the first time, we had many laughs and made many great images. Best of all when I left the group at Neil’s Harbour to make my way home; I truly believed I made some new friends. That is what this trip was all about – for sure. Dan Bryer of North Bay writes: Spending time with fellow photographers in many a bucolic setting certainly gets the creative juices flowing, which in turn creates learning and teaching 24 - CANADIAN CAMERA
Rick Shapka Photo
Rob Martell Photo
Sheena Wilkie Photo
opportunities for all involved. We had just such an experience this past July when five of us toured several beautiful locales of New Brunswick. Creative inspiration surrounded us as we took in the unique characteristics
of Henderson Falls, Worden Creek and Shamper’s Bluff. In Quispamsis, an especially delicious treat waited, and we indulged in a fabulous lobster feast hosted by Rob and Mary. Our adventure continued the next day as we headed out
to circumnavigate the Cabot Trail for 4 days, with stops at the Normaway Lodge and Neil’s Harbour. Spectacular sunrises, quaint harbors, old churches, a Scotch distillery, a ceilidh, the Keltic Lodge drive and grounds, and of course, fantastic seafood proved to be a magical combination resulting in many photographic opportunities. The reason I take photographs is not about the desire to capture that one perfect image, it is as much about friendships made and renewed. Cape Breton certainly delivered and we had a wonderful journey! Len Suchan in Saskatoon says: It was exciting to plan and join with four other photographers from across Canada for a weeklong adventure on Cape Breton Island. Our leader Rob from ‘Quispam’ in New Brunswick made the arrangements, having scouted the route with its many stops along the way for an enjoyable photographic trip. To begin, Rob and his wife Mary invited us into their home for CANADIAN CAMERA - 25
Dan Bryer Photo
a traditional lobster boil. We enjoyed their July 1st Canada Day hospitality and friendship. The five photographers shared two vehicles with an opportunity each of us to travel with Rob, our host, to enjoy his Maritime humour and knowledge. The trip provided us with an opportunity to photograph sunrises, sunsets, lobster boats fishing, wild flowers and many interesting places along the way. The highlight for me was the capture of various sunrise images at Neil’s Harbour, along the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island, NS. One such image was a fisherman and his lobster boat entering the rays of the early morning light shining upon the water – also the capture of rocks near the shore with water swirling over them in early morning light and then later that morning, the wild flowers. This was my third visit to the Maritimes, my first trip solely with CAPA photographers. The place is truly 26 - CANADIAN CAMERA
Rick Shapka Photo
a photographic enjoyment and a new experience each time I visit. Rick Shapka from North Vancouver reports: It is exciting to visit new places
with old friends. I knew each of these fine people, as photographers prior to the trip, thinking each would enjoy the other’s company. It worked! We made
Len Suchan Photo
Rob Martell Photos
images of the rugged coastline, the people making music, the architecture and some of ourselves. During each meal or coffee stop, we recounted stories about other photographic adventures. We shared tips on picture making; we learned from each other. Best of all when we shared a glass of beer or wine, we enjoyed each other’s company. We encouraged each other to look at a view differently, to try an
alternative viewpoint. That is what being a CAPA member is all about. If there is ever a place to enjoy the best of east coast music and fish cakes, it is Cape Breton Island along the Cabot Trail. This recipe is perfect to make. Sheena Wilkie of Surrey shares: Well it makes sense that I should follow up in the rear in this article, as I did that most of the trip–with the biggest suitcase of all. You can see all of the wonderful places we
visited, the beauty of Cape Breton from the photographs we’ve shared. What you can’t see, the intangible part of this recipe, is the friendship that we’ve forged. I laughed so hard at Rob’s jokes my ribs hurt, he is one funny guy – but he is a serious photographer, you can tell by his dedication to his craft. Dan, I think of him as the intrepid photographer, he’s in the middle of the river, hanging off the side of a rock, whatever it takes; Dan is going to get his shot. Len is the quiet contemplative photographer, often seeing what the rest of us have missed. Rick, he’s a great teacher, with his help I experimented with intentional camera movement for the first time. It was an awesome trip, I got to eat lobster (thanks Mary and Rob!), I drank a few glasses of wine, I laughed, I got to know four great guys who feel like brothers now. And I learned more about my photography through them. So thanks CAPA for putting this great recipe together. g CANADIAN CAMERA - 27
Rock Star
Wedding By Karen Pidskalny
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Jennifer Sproull and Azriel St. Michael’s wedding was spectacular. It had a rock star mood with a touch of Hollywood glam. Attention to detail was what made their wedding so amazing. Jennifer looked fabulous in her custom designed wedding gown and Azriel was a sharply dressed groom in a unique tailored jacket with leather pants. I was their photographer. Azriel and I are friends and we’ve done previous projects together. When he became engaged to Jennifer, I knew their wedding would be magical. Azriel is a musician who plays in two bands. Jennifer owns a bridal store and has helped many brides create their dream wedding. Now she was planning her own dream wedding. My wedding package includes an engagement session, two photographers for the day, a wedding keepsake album, a slideshow from the wedding highlights and the best digital images. I have
streamlined many aspects of my business so I can concentrate on being creative and having relationships with wedding couples as this is important to me. It allows me to get to know them and create a distinctive experience with me. The engagement photo session is a significant occasion the wedding couple spends with their photographer. This is where the collaboration of ideas begins. At the engagement session couples get to see how I am behind the camera—which can be anything from very professional to a bit crazy and fun. I work on posing CANADIAN CAMERA - 29
with them, where to place their hands, how to stand and to become accustomed to taking directions. When I am in a session, I have a tendency to speak this language I call ‘Karen’. The engagement session allows me to see how they interact as a couple which tells me more about what they will want their wedding images to look like. This is when our relationship begins to build. After all, I am the trusted person who will capture their wedding day. I also have a second photographer for the wedding day. Sometimes they watch my gear, hold the reflector, do lighting and shoot a second camera. Presently my daughter is my second photographer. When I meet with couples for consultations, they meet her as well. She is a natural photographer and totally understands when I speak ‘Karen’. We shot the engagement images in my studio and spent four hours working through the four different sets each with different lighting set ups.
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Karen Pidskalny lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She has been doing wedding photography for over five years. Karen has been a CAPA member for about five years and loves the diversity of photographers in the association. She is also a CAPA certified judge and puts her judging skills to the test regularly at her local camera club. You can see more of Karen’s portfolio at kmpfoto.com.
Jennifer was a glamorous bride and Azriel a rock star groom. I wanted both their engagement and wedding images to be creative, unique and reflect who they are as individuals and as a couple. They both love rock music; it is a big part of their life and his career. Jennifer loves crystals, bling and sparkle which she wears well. They were fantastic to work with. I was allowed a lot of freedom to be creative from poses, to lighting and props. I photographed with bounced speed lights, gelled lighting, reflection of natural light, stage lighting, and candle lighting, and then video lights to straight natural lighting. Their wedding was held at an events centre. Jennifer and her Mom planned and decorated the whole venue from the foyer, the reception area to the theatre stage they were married on. There was plenty of time allowed for my crew and me to take their photos. We also had the opportunity to use the dressing rooms and a grand piano. I had a great day with Jennifer and Azriel at their wedding. I’m not only a technical photographer but a photographer who enjoys being creative, edgy and bold while having a whole lot of fun. It is important to me to have a great working relationship with my couples. It is about trust, my passionate style and doing what I love. g
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Capturing
Grizzlies! By Murray O'Neill
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t
Male Grizzly Panorama This panorama of a male grizzly bear swimming across the Khutzeymateen Estuary in the Great Bear Rainforest is the product of combining almost three horizontal images.
I have been photographing wildlife since the midseventies, but for the past ten to fifteen years I have been mainly focussing on bears, particularly grizzly bears. Grizzlies are THE iconic species of the wilderness and are intelligent, resourceful, and incredibly dextrous with their claws. Because of their potential to be dangerous they are both exciting and interesting to photograph and observe. I photograph behaviour and “magic” light, both requiring long periods of observation, or waiting, with frantic short periods of photography. I also enjoy doing animal portraits where the subject is relaxed, or not paying direct attention to me. The grizzlies’ commonly held reputation for ferocity and aggression greatly exceeds the reality of their tolerant and sometimes relaxed disposition, particularly in the National and Provincial parks. Here are some tips for following the tracks of the great bear.
p Mating Behaviour Most grizzly bear mating behaviour appears quite violent, but there are apparent “tender” moments.
Locations:
Guided workshops or photo tours for grizzly bear viewing/photography are the most productive for inexperienced bear photographers and there are some excellent operators (see sidebar) This does not mean that they are the only good ones, these are either ones I have used or am quite familiar with and am therefore confident in recommending them to others. t
Female Grizzly Bear Standing Grizzlies stand to get a better view of their surroundings, and their standing height is impressive at better than seven feet tall.
p Female Grizzly Feeding on Grass Female grizzly bear feeds on new grass in an alpine meadow in the Rocky Mountains.
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Self-guided trips to photograph these bears are far more challenging in that you need to choose a location, a time frame, and know how to locate them. Success is usually gained by years of experience. But finding them on your own can be rewarding, not just from the satisfaction of being successful, but also from the standpoint of not having others shooting with you shoulder to shoulder. The Rocky Mountain Parks are the most productive areas for inland grizzlies. Banff and Jasper National Parks as well as Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country are good locations. For coastal grizzlies the Khutzeymateen Provincial Park and Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park in British Columbia are quite productive.The large coastal area containing these parks is called “The Great Bear Rainforest”
p Grizzly with Pink Salmon After catching a salmon in deeper water on a coastal river this bear is carrying it prize on shore to feed.
Time:
Mid-May through mid-June is the most productive time for photographing both inland and Coastal Grizzly bears, with late August through to mid-October being best for Coastal Grizzlies. Interior grizzlies tend to be widely dispersed in the Fall and also tend to feed in the higher alpine areas which are not easily accessible to photographers.
Finding your Subject:
The answer to this problem is knowing what the food source is, when and where you will be photographing. Grizzly bears are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders. The largest part of their diet is plant matter. Cleared roadsides are the first areas to green-up in the Spring With snow still on the ground back in the trees and higher alpine areas, feeding near the roads will be where you will find bears. Grasses and Equisetum, or horsetail plant, are favoured alpine plants for inland grizzly bears in the Spring, as is Hedysarum root which is a shallow rooted alpine plant. Grizzly bears will dig it up and eat these roots, leaving an area that looks like someone has used a rototiller. Dandelion is lesser favoured, but can be an important food source. Dandelion is usually more of a prime attractant for spring black bears. 34 - CANADIAN CAMERA
p Mating Behaviour Mating behaviour can appear quite violent with the male biting the female’s neck as he attempts to subdue her. Mating can include wrestling, shoving, biting, swatting and is quite “physical”. As with Hollywood “fights” they look serious, but no-one gets hurt.
For coastal grizzly bears their main early spring food source is sedge grass (Lyngbye’s Sedge) in the river estuaries and seepages as well as early vegetation such as skunk cabbage. In the fall, salmon streams will be most productive for coastal grizzly bears and there are a number of locations where viewing platforms have been erected for this purpose.
Equipment:
500mm and 600mm lenses are the most used lenses for photographing
potentially dangerous animals.Shorter lenses, such as 300mm and 400mm can also be used effectively when photographing in “controlled” situations such as viewing platforms, from boats or from your car. With ‘crop factor” camera bodies, a 400mm lens can also be an important focal length and both Canon and Nikon make relatively inexpensive ones with F5.6 maximum apertures. This will probably mean doing most of your shooting at ISO 800, but the “pro” camera bodies and most of the
Canadian Wildlife Photography Tours & Workshops: John E. Marriott www.canwildphototours.com Ocean Light II Adventures (604) 328-5339 www.oceanlight2.bc.ca Note: The Khutzeymateen Grizzly bear Sanctuary is not accessible by road and is a restricted entry area. Only two Tour/Guide Operators are licenced to provide limited access.www.env. gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/ khutzeymateen
p Scruffy Twins These two coastal grizzly bear cubs are as scruffy looking as they come, unusually long stringy hair and covered with burrs from bedding down in the thick bush beside a salmon stream.
p Reassurance A yearling Rocky Mountain grizzly cub nuzzles its mother for reassurance and comfort.
newer “prosumer” bodies are quite capable of this.
Technique:
Depending on the ambient lighting and location, exposures for grizzly bears can be one half to as much as one full stop darker than the environment and some bears can even be much lighter than their backgrounds. Alpine areas in the spring have mixed light brown winterkilled grass with bright green new growth, causing a problem for camera exposure meters.
For years I have used an incident light meter to alleviate this metering problem. With digital photography I still use one, shooting in manual exposure mode, and exposing toward the right of my histogram being careful not to blow the whites, while making sure the optimum exposure is for the subject. Being aware of this potential exposure problem clearly shows the advantages to shooting in a RAW file format. I typically will make as many as four or five localized exposure adjustments during RAW conversion before I bring the
Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park has a free electric-fenced grizzly bear viewing station supervised by Park Wardens on the Atnarko River in the Bella Coola Valley.www.env.gov.bc.ca/ bcparks/explore/parkpgs/tweeds_s
image into the balance of my workflow for image optimization. Adobe Camera RAW, which is the same process in both Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom makes this a relatively easy process with their “Adjustment Brush”. Working with low light and active animals is quite challenging as you need to be shooting with as wide open an aperture as possible to allow sufficient shutter speed to stop action and achieve sharp images while at the same time having enough of the subject in the sharp focus zone. The distance between the tip of a grizzly bear’s nose to the back of the ears is roughly 45cm (17 inches). At 90 meters (300 feet) the depth of field of a 500mm F4.0 lens, wide open, is approximately 5.16 meters (17 feet), but at 30 meters (100 feet) it is only .57 meters (22 inches) Depth of field is important due to the size of this animal, but never sacrifice shutter speed for depth of field as it is far easier to go through a group of sharp images looking for adequate depth of field than to desperately look through a group of images looking for at least one that is sharp. Shutter speeds lower than 250/sec will seldom be enough to consistently freeze head movement on grizzlies or black bears. Continued next page CANADIAN CAMERA - 35
Continued from previous page
In the spring bears seem to constantly have their heads down eating and only occasionally put their head up to look around, and then only for a few seconds.This requires you to have your eye to the camera for long periods of time, waiting for them to look up or to exhibit some other behaviour. This is easiest when the camera is on a tripod or solid support from a vehicle such as a good bean bag or solid window mount such as the excellent Kirk product. On salmon streams in the fall there is a lot of follow focussing waiting for a fish to be taken or for the bear to move into a position where a pleasing environmental photograph can be taken without obstructions. Shooting from a boat is much more easily done using a monopod to avoid the fatigue of constantly holding the camera up and ready. If you choose to photograph these majestic animals, be warned; photographing and observing grizzly bears can be addictive. g Murray O'Neill is a Stock Photographer specializing in wildlife images. His work has appeared in publications of National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, BC Magazine, tourism brochures of British Columbia, Yukon Territories and Alaska and his images have graced the covers of more than 40 magazines. Post cards, books and paper products in many tourism locations in the Canadian Rockies contain his images. www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/murrayo'neill
Winter 2013CAPA NEW MEMBERS Atlantic Zone Rebecca Baxter NS Gail Comeau NS Isabelle Levesque NB Alex Mcinnis NL Quebec Zone Club C/O Gilles Desjardins Lakeshore Camera Club Ontario Zone Thom Bree Bill Browning Toni Browning Margaret Frazer Lynn Fulton Debbie Garbe Bob Gibbon Chris Gillespie Jim Hall Shiree Jetha Mark Kannegiesser Larry Keeley Dawn Knudsen Dirk Landing Alma Larocque Rose Norman Richard Pickering Norm Pietila Ken Powell Priyanka Stellinga Michael Thibault Prairie Zone Mary Armstrong AB Jaqueline Bampi SK Don Berthman MB Judy Berthman MB Victoria Dillen SK Ana Feher AB
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