Kakabeka Falls on a Warm Winter Day

Anne and I had been looking forward to today pretty all week because the weather was supposed to be very nice. Well, today came, and it was just as expected. So, after a nice big breakfast and some fresh air on the deck we headed off to Kakabeka Falls for a long overdue walk. Once we arrived, Anne made sure she was dressed appropriately and I made sure my camera was ready to go. I decided to go with the very light and portable combo of the X-T1 and 35mm. It ended up being the perfect choice.

It was quite snowy out there but luckily the paths, for the most part, were walkable. After crossing the bride and checking out the views from the other side of the Falls, we headed into the trail that runs through the forest. There was a bit more snow in there but it was nothing we couldn't handle. Actually, it was quite beautiful and peaceful. 

Of course, along the way, I got Anne to pose for me and I got some great photos of here. Then again, she is very photogenic so it doesn't take much. I was also able to get some good photos of the Falls from the lookouts along the way. 

Near the end of our walk I actually tried a few in camera double exposures. One of them turned out to be pretty interesting so I included it in these photos. We ended our little excursion to Kakabeka with a quick bite to eat the local lunch spot, The Metropolitan Moose. If you haven't been, they have really good food there, especially the sandwiches and quesadillas. 

Before we knew it, out bellies were full and we were driving home. Having such a beautiful day like today really made us miss spring and summer but hopefully they aren't too far around the corner. In the meantime, we will just have to wait for the nice day here and there to get out there and explore. 

Niagara Falls + Hamilton + Toronto with the Fuji XE-1 + 16mm 1.4

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently travelled to Southern Ontario with my Fiancé Anne to attend a wedding. In that post I mentioned I only brought one camera with me during the trip and that was the XE-1 and the 16mm 1.4. Well, I put it to good use during the rest of our trip which took is through Toronto, Niagara, Hamilton and eventually back to Toronto. 

One of the things I was looking forward to purchasing while in Toronto was the grip for the XE-1, but surprisingly 3 camera stores didn't have it in stock. Either way I always attach my small strap so it easy to carry around. With the 16mm attached it wasn't heavy by any means but the grip would have definitely made it a bit more comfortable. 

This was our first time flying Porter and we definitely liked it. Flying into the new airport was actually kind of exciting. It was overcast that day so photos upon landing of the skyline weren't really feasible but I was able to get one decent one. Going on 3 hours sleep wasn't ideal but once we arrived in Toronto we just kept going. Breakfast was first and then as I mentioned above, I tried a few camera stores. No luck there. We decided to head on over to the St. Lawrence Market as Anne had never been there before. Although the XE-1 isn't the fast camera, I had absolutely no problems quickly turning it on and focusing on a given subject. Whether it was a window cleaner dangling from above or a skittish pigeon on a ledge, it did amazing. It also helps that the 16mm is a fantastic lens. It really is a nice combo.

One of the things I wanted to practice a bit on this trip was 'street photography'. My definition of street photography, at least for me, is mainly taking photos of people on the street and moments. I was able to capture a few in Toronto and some more again in Niagara. For each of them, I actually used auto focus for the most part, with a few being capture by way of zone focusing, which I am still trying to practice. My favourite of the bunch was the one of the lady sitting on the bench with people passing her by.

Niagara provided endless opportunities for photos, especially with the Falls. Along with the standard photos of the Falls while walking around, we were able to hop on the ferris wheel and capture some great expansive views. 

We then had one full day in Hamilton for the wedding. If you haven't seen my previous post, head on over to see how the XE-1 and 16mm performed! The last day of our trip was briefly spent in Toronto. Our destination before taking off was the Distillery District. Sadly it was raining, but we decided to purchase a very overpriced umbrella which allowed us to walk around a bit. (I highly recommend you bring your own umbrella when going to the Distillery District, we couldn't find one under $35. Yikes)

The good news was that the rain provided some awesome photo moments. I was able to capture some more street photos which I think turned out pretty good. Then it was off to the airport. We took advantage of the free snacks and coffee and left shortly thereafter. Please enjoy some of my favourite photos from the trip. As usual, all of them are processed in Lightroom. 

Trip to Kakabeka

With some slightly better weather finally here me and my Fiancé Anne, managed to drive to Kakabeka. As we have done before during visits there, we grabbed a bit to eat at the Metropolitan Moose. It's a wonderful Cafe that has some really good food. My camera of choice today was a Nikon D610 and my Nikon 50mm 1.8. It's a relatively light combo and paired with my Black Rapid strap, it's very easy to carry around. 

Before heading out on our trip I set it to Auto ISO and kept it on Aperture Priority mode. Every once in a while I would use Manual but it was really needed. All the photos in this post were also taken with natural light, no flash. A lot of the indoor shots were actually right around the 6400 ISO mark and they came out really good. I did use a bit of noise reduction in Lightroom but I actually don't mind the noise produced by the D610. I don't know if I would go any higher then 6400 ISO, but I'm sure it's manageable. 

Before leaving the cafe, I got a couple quick photos of some of the vintage objects around the property, including a bicycle and car. I could probably spend a good 2 hours there but we didn't exactly have the time. Plus, Anne is very patient when I take photos, but that would be drawing the line.

It was then off to Kakabeka Falls. As usual, Anne was my personal model. I'm always taking photos of her. Not only is it good practice, as I am always trying new things, but it's also fun as she is the prettiest girl I know! Plus, she's a good sport. 

All the outdoor shots were shot at low apertures. That's just my preference, especially for portraits. Even with a relatively cheap lens like the 50mm 1.8, you can get some fantastic photos with it. That's probably why I use it a lot during my wedding and portrait sessions. That, and it's very light.

I was amazed that the Falls were still frozen. I managed to get a couple shots so you can get a general idea of what it looks like. I do wish I brought my wide angle lens, perhaps next time. 

Anybody looking to learn more about photography reading this post, the best advice I can give you is that you really don't need much to take good photos. Even though I am using a full frame camera, you can get similar photos on any one of the lower end models, in any camera system.

Of course, all the photos below have been processed to my style in Lightroom. I tend to lean towards a bluer tone and a lot of times I actually add a bit of noise to give my photos a bit more character. That's just a personal preference though. Stay tuned for my future post which will show how I edit photos in Lightroom. I might even start testing out the waters on offering some free and paid presets. 

Any comments or questions are always welcome. Enjoy!