Morning Walk in Fort William - Canon EOS R
Knowing that winter can hit at any moment, I have been trying to get out on photo walks a few times during the week after I drop my wife off at work. It helps wake me up and also gets my creative juices flowing, and prepares me to sit in front of a computer. Well, almost. I decided to venture down to Fort William and make my way through some of the side streets. I had no route planned or even a final destination.
Knowing that winter can hit at any moment, I have been trying to get out on photo walks a few times during the week after I drop my wife off at work. It helps wake me up and also gets my creative juices flowing, and prepares me to sit in front of a computer. Well, almost. I decided to venture down to Fort William and make my way through some of the side streets. I had no route planned or even a final destination.
I did know that I wanted to check out some of old McKellar Hospital and perhaps the old FWCI building too. I managed to make it to both. These are areas I have photographed many times before so I do challenge myself to come up with different compositions. It’s not always easy, but sometimes all you need to do is turn around or even get lower to the ground.
I even made my way down some back alleys, which I absolutely love doing. I know it sounds strange, but some of my best photos have resulted from treks down alleyways. I’m not talking seedy dangerous ones, just neighbourhood ones.
There were some keepers from the walk. Some were better than others, but I figured I would share some of them here, for anyone interested in seeing a little peice of Thunder Bay from a different perspective.
Kam River Park - Last Days of Summer
I’ve been trying to get out more and more first thing in the morning when the sun is low. The one thing about Fall that is great for photography is that the days are shorter, which means you don’t have to get up as early to get potentially good light. When living in a place like Thunder Bay, it’s easy to get bored of taking photos because it is a smaller city and there are only so many things to photograph. That has never stopped me from going to the same location many, many times over.
I’ve been trying to get out more and more first thing in the morning when the sun is low. The one thing about Fall that is great for photography is that the days are shorter, which means you don’t have to get up as early to get potentially good light. When living in a place like Thunder Bay, it’s easy to get bored of taking photos because it is a smaller city and there are only so many things to photograph. That has never stopped me from going to the same location many, many times over.
The time of day, the camera you use, the way you walk a scene; all can change the way you shoot a place you have been to before. Honestly, this was probably my 20th time taking photos at Kam River Park. I just had my Canon EOS R and 50mm 1.2. One camera and one lens. When doing personal photography, that’s all I ever bring, 90 percent of the time. I do try to switch up lenses every now and again. But, 50mm has always been my favourite focal length.
It was an over cast day down at Kam Park which is my favourite type of weather. As always, I didn’t really have a goal in mind. I just walked around and captured things that looked interesting to me. I worked different angles and looked for interesting light, even though it was cloudy. There were a ton of seagulls out that day and I tried to get some photos of them in flight. I think I ended up getting a couple keepers.
I’m sure I’ll be back again before winter hits us, and even then, it’s a totally different look and feel in winter as well. Happy shooting!
A Walk Down Memory Lane
Admittedly I have been doing a lot of video lately, both paid and practice, so my personal photography has taken a bit of back seat. Well, I finally got outside and walked around, with no goal other than to photograph whatever caught my eye.
Admittedly I have been doing a lot of video lately, both paid and practice, so my personal photography has taken a bit of back seat. I find it a little hard to do both at the same time, unless of course it’s a paid gig. The thing with video is that it’s a completely different way of thinking, at least for me. Well, I finally got outside and walked around, with no goal other than to photograph whatever caught my eye.
My camera of choice was my beloved Canon EOS R. Man, what a fantastic camera. I do not understand the initial hate that camera got. Especially for my professional work, the ability to quickly switch from photos to videos has been priceless. For this walk, I paired it with my favourite Canon lens, the 50mm 1.2. I am sucker for almost always shooting wide open so you can guess what aperture I’m using 90 percent of the time. That, and it renders beautifully. I can only imagine what the RF mount version looks like. But I digress.
Up until this past spring I worked around my Mazda dealership and used to always go for walks around the area on my lunch break. Seeing as how I have been fully home-based for the past 4 months, it had been a while since I did my route. So, after dropping off my car for a check up, I went off exploring. The first stop was the garden area right beside the police station. I had driven past it various times over the last few weeks and noticed how tall all the plants were so it was the perfect opportunity to go there and see how it looks.
It would have been nice to have a macro lens but I still managed to get some nice flower photos and other interesting shots as well. The grass was wet so my feet were kind of water logged after a while but it was worth it. From there I started to make my way through Lakehead University. Instead of the paved path I took the side dirt trail that runs along the river. I brought my ND filter with me just in case and I’m super happy I did as I got a couple long exposure photos of the stream.
Since I didn’t want to carry my coffee with me when I left the house, I made my way to the Starbucks in the University and treated myself to a flat white. Super tasty. I soon got the phone call that the car was ready, so I made my way back and that was that. It felt really good to be out walking again. I truly do find it therapeutic.
Exploring the Streets of Toronto
Toronto on ‘business’ which meant I didn’t really have much time at all to actually get out and do any personal photography. When I did though, I made the most of it. All in all, I would estimate I spent about 2 hours total. In Toronto, that’s not a lot of time, but luckily my creative juices were flowing in that timeframe because and I think I came away with at least a few keepers.
I have said it in a couple previous posts but Toronto is just a completely different universe regarding photography compared to Thunder Bay. It’s night and day. Not just the amount of people either, even the buildings and architecture and of course the energy. I could have easily set up shot on one street corner and spent an entire day.
Admittedly the title of this blog post is a bit misleading. It probably sounds like I made my way all around Toronto when in fact it was really about a 5 block radius. The reason being I was in Toronto on ‘business’ which meant I didn’t really have much time at all to actually get out and do any personal photography. When I did though, I made the most of it. All in all, I would estimate I spent about 2 hours total. In Toronto, that’s not a lot of time, but luckily my creative juices were flowing in that timeframe because and I think I came away with at least a few keepers.
I have said it in a couple previous posts but Toronto is just a completely different universe regarding photography compared to Thunder Bay. It’s night and day. Not just the amount of people either, even the buildings and architecture and of course the energy. I could have easily set up shot on one street corner and spent an entire day.
I used to live in Toronto for quite a number of years but at that time, I wasn’t really into photography as I am now. That didn’t happen until about 10 years ago when I moved back to Thunder Bay. Go figure! In any case, it’s always nice to get back to Toronto and capture a completely different city.
For these photos I used my Sony A6300 paired with the 35mm 1.8 and then eventually my Nikon D750 with a couple different primes. What I tried to do a lot with Sony was shoot from the hip and use face detection. There weren’t too many keepers but I did get a few that really turned out great. Most of them however, I took the time to set up and compose or frame properly.
I was tempted to just process all of the min black and white but I figured I would leave some in colour. There is just something about black and white that gives photos I different feel and mood. Maybe it’s just me though.
I really wish I had a full day of just walking around but time just didn’t allow it. Perhaps the next trip I will try and do so. For now, these photos will have tide me over. Thanks for stopping by!
An October Escape to Mine Centre
To be honest, I didn't really know what to call this post. Technically, Anne and I travelled to Mine Centre at the beginning of October because I had a wedding to photograph. But, seeing as how we were driving that far, we decided to make it a bit of a vacation as well, even though I had to work. I will be following this post up with another one in the next day or so showcasing all the wonderful images from Alexa and Shawn's wedding. In the meantime, I figured I would put up a few of the random photos of our adventures in between working.
To be honest, I didn't really know what to call this post. Technically, Anne and I travelled to Mine Centre at the beginning of October because I had a wedding to photograph. But, seeing as how we were driving that far, we decided to make it a bit of a vacation as well, even though I had to work. I will be following this post up with another one in the next day or so showcasing all the wonderful images from Alexa and Shawn's wedding. In the meantime, I figured I would put up a few of the random photos of our adventures in between working.
On the way to Mine Centre, which is about 40 minutes outside of Fort Frances we only stopped once and that was at a rest stop. It was a quick break where we used the not too smelly washrooms and I inhaled a sandwich Anne made for me.
Our next stop was where the wedding eventually took place and where Alexa and Shawn lived, Mine Centre. I don't think I actually told Alexa this but upon turning off the highway we drove right past the first road that led to their house. About 8 minutes later as we made our way down a progressively sketchier dirt road we realized we had gone to far. In the end, we found it ok.
We were quickly greeted by Shawn's family and his mom drove with us to our cabin which was about 5 minutes away just off the highway. As soon as we saw it, we were both amazed at how beautiful it was. It was so nice out, so after we settled in, we hung out on the dock for a little bit, and then relaxed inside the cabin.
It was then time to head out to Fort Frances for the the pre wedding dinner. While we were making our way to the venue we ran into some crazy fog. Luckily I had my camera with me so we drove further down the road and got some amazing photos in the fog, which changed on a dime. We moved pretty quick though and managed to even get some 'creepy' photos with Anne and her hair.
I'll discuss all the details from the wedding day itself in my next post, but the next chance I got to take some personal photos was on the way home. I had noticed that there were a few areas on the highway just before Mine Centre that had some bare trees among the fall colours. I thought it would make a good photo so I made sure to stop on the highway and quickly snap a few.
And that was pretty much it. We drove home after that and still made it back in the early afternoon and proceeded to have a very busy day of even more photos.
I can't wait to post all the photos from the wedding!
Boulevard Lake
I'm just getting around to posting this from last week but better late then never. Even since a week ago it seems like winter is closer then ever but I did manage to find some colour last week. Most of the leaves are gone now so I'm glad I got out when I did. It was also a very foggy day as well, so that helped create a nice mood to some of the photos, especially the ones by the river.
I'm just getting around to posting this from last week but better late then never. Even since a week ago it seems like winter is closer then ever but I did manage to find some colour last week. Most of the leaves are gone now so I'm glad I got out when I did. It was also a very foggy day as well, so that helped create a nice mood to some of the photos, especially the ones by the river.
The first few photos in this series are actually around Grandview Arena. Before meeting Anne for lunch, I walked around there for about 20 minutes. There is a really nice trail there and I came away with some great shots. After lunch, I then headed down to Boulevard Lake. I started by the park off Arundel Street and walked under the bridge along the water for a bit. Not being the sharpest tool in the shed I was wearing my dressier shoes the whole time so they ended up getting soaked by the end of it. Ah well.
I eventually headed back to the car and then drove down to the main area by the mini put course. I spent some time around the run down tennis court which I used to play tennis at back in the day. There were some great reflections due to the puddles on the court. I ended the walk by the playground. For the whole shoot I used my D610 combined with the 85mm 1.8. Such a great light combo and the colours that come from that lens are outstanding, especially for a lens that really isn't that expensive. Now I'm just waiting for the weather to get a bit better before I head out again this week...
Kam Park Portraits with Anne
This past Friday, after we had some great food and a drink at ExCuria in downtown Fort William, I decided to drag my wife Anne for a quick photoshoot in the rain over at Kam Park. It has been so long since I did this with her that I figured we could walk off some calories and get some nice photos in the process.
This past Friday, after we had some great food and a drink at ExCuria in downtown Fort William, I decided to drag my wife Anne for a quick photoshoot in the rain over at Kam Park. It has been so long since I did this with her that I figured we could walk off some calories and get some nice photos in the process.
I chose to go to Kam Park because I thought it would be a nice atmosphere with the boardwalk and the rain. It wasn't raining to hard but enough where it was kind of cold, so we only spent about 15 minutes walking around and taking photos. She was such a great sport and even though it was raining, we both had a great time. Of course she is a pro by now when I take photos of her since I pretty much do it every day.
We came away with some fun photos but one of my faves was the where I got her to run down the boardwalk, making some of the seagulls fly away. All the photos were shot with my Fuji X-T1 and the 35mm 1.4.
East End
The other week I managed to walk around East End a bit and below are some of my favourite photos from the day. I even got some Halloween decorations in there as well. I just love all the old homes in this area as well as the train yard. It was a cloudy day so as you can see everything is kind of muted but I actually like it. It tells you that winter is definitely on it's way.
The other week I managed to walk around East End a bit and below are some of my favourite photos from the day. I even got some Halloween decorations in there as well. I just love all the old homes in this area as well as the train yard. It was a cloudy day so as you can see everything is kind of muted but I actually like it. It tells you that winter is definitely on it's way.
I also was able to walk to the overpass and get some great shots of the not only the bridge, but the view from the bridge. It's the first time I actually walked on the bridge and it's amazing what you can see when you actually stop to look. Every other time I have been on the overpass it's been in a car so obviously it is a bit hard to appreciate the view.
My camera of choice this time around was my Fuji X-T1 paired with the 35mm. All of the photos were shot as jpg's and edited in Lightroom. Thanks for viewing.
Sunday Afternoon at Chippewa Park
It was a busy weekend with portrait shoots but I actually managed to find about 20 minutes to take some personal photos. One of my sessions took place at Chippewa Park so I decided to get there a bit early and walk around. With me I had my Nikon D610 and the 70-200mm 2.8 and 50mm 1.8. I usually don't walk around with these lenses as they are a bit on the heavier side. Anyone who has seen some of my previous posts know that I tend to favour the Fuji X-T1.
It was a busy weekend with portrait shoots but I actually managed to find about 20 minutes to take some personal photos. One of my sessions took place at Chippewa Park so I decided to get there a bit early and walk around. With me I had my Nikon D610 and the 70-200mm 2.8 and 50mm 1.8. I usually don't walk around with these lenses as they are a bit on the heavier side. Anyone who has seen some of my previous posts know that I tend to favour the Fuji X-T1.
For the photos of the sleeping giant I pulled out my trusty 70-200 2.8. I obviously use this lens a lot for all my weddings and portrait sessions but it has been a while since I used it for personal photos like landscapes. The Nikon D610 isn't the highest end full frame camera by Nikon but it did an amazing job with sharpness and detail as well as retaining the highlights and shadows. One of these days I'm going to upgrade to the D750 and use the D700 solely as a backup camera but for now I'm more then fine with the D610.
For all the other photos I used the 50mm 1.8. To be honest I just started using this lens again and I have forgotten how much I truly love it, especially when paired with the D610. I used it for the first time on portrait session this past weekend and I came away with some fantastic photos. The bokeh produced by this lens along with the rich colours are amazing.
As with most of my photography I rarely set the lens past it's 1.8 setting unless I'm taking photos of groups of people. But when I am just walking around taking abstract photos I always try and pick out small details as you can see from the photos below.
As for procession, I worked with the native RAW files converted to DNG in Lightroom 6. From there I always start by using my favourite preset. Then I play with the contrast and clarity and colour enhancements. To be honest, the files don't need much work. Then I'll usually sharpen the images using NIK Effects along with a few tweaks in Viveza. It seems like a lot of post processing but I'm usually only spending about 1-2 minutes per final image tops.
Thanks for viewing!
Friendship Gardens
Once again I managed to walk around the other day after a very filling lunch. I figured I would burn off some calories and have some fun doing so. So, I grabbed my X-T1 and 35mm 1.4, and headed off to the Friendship Gardens. To be honest, after all these years, I really haven't explored this area too much. Sure, I have done some portraits and portions of weddings here but it would usually be in just one section. Well, this time around, I made sure to walk all around and I was actually quite surprised at the amount of statues and monuments located at the park.
Once again I managed to walk around the other day after a very filling lunch. I figured I would burn off some calories and have some fun doing so. So, I grabbed my X-T1 and 35mm 1.4, and headed off to the Friendship Gardens. To be honest, after all these years, I really haven't explored this area too much. Sure, I have done some portraits and portions of weddings here but it would usually be in just one section. Well, this time around, I made sure to walk all around and I was actually quite surprised at the amount of statues and monuments located at the park.
Before I headed to the Friendship Gardens, I did manage to snap a few photos at Cronos Cafe which has really good greek food. If you haven't been there yet, you should really go check it out. Anyway, just a few random shots there, of course one of my wife Anne and a couple other ones.
Then it was off to the Friendship Gardens. I started around the back part of the stadium and just made my way all the way around. As I mentioned before, there are a lot of great statues and monuments at the park which I did capture a few photos of, but the majority of the photos below are simply my randomness. I tried to find colour and unique textures and shadows.
And that's it, not much else to say. Thanks for viewing.
