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.

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. 

County Fair + Cumberland Street

Since it is my birthday today, I figured I would treat myself to a little photowalk. Since I had just met my wife Anne for lunch on Eddy Lee's, I decided to go down the street and walk around County Fair. There used to be a Canadian Tire there but it has long since shut down. Instead, they opened up a Walmart a few years ago. I always remember going to that Canadian Tire when I was younger to go get some tennis balls or other random things that kids need. It was always a trek to ride my bike all the way there. As you can tell from the photos, it is now just an abandoned building, but you can still see some of the signage. 

Well, me being a fan of run down buildings and anything old, I simply walked around the building looking for things that caught my eye. It is actually attached to the mall which I later checked out. The mall itself, is almost empty as well, with just a few random stores here and there. I'm not sure what is going to come of it but it's really strange seeing it so baron. 

Once I finished walking around at County Fair, I trekked down to the end of Cumberland Street. For those of you who aren't familiar, it is another street with a lot of motels and older buildings. Again, I just looked for random scenes, paying attention to colour and composition. 

For the County Fair photos I used the X-TI with the 16mm and for the Cumberland Street photos I used the X-T1 paired with the 35mm. Both lenses are fantastically sharp and quick to focus. I am just taking photos of stationary objects, but still, the colour rendition is superb with this camera and lenses. Each image, I used the jpg version, with the exception of some of the landscape photos where I need to bring out the sky a bit more. All processing was what I always do. I boost the contrast, selective colour here and there to make it pop and overall sharpness.

Thanks for viewing!

Kam Park + Westfort

I decided to take some time to walk around Kam Park and eventually Westfort the other day to take some photos. I brought my XT-1 with the 16mm. I'm still somewhat getting used to this focal length because I'm so used to using 35mm and beyond. It's really forcing me out of my comfort zone a bit and making me see different angles. As a photographer, I think it's important to use different lenses as it really opens up your eyes and it obviously lets you capture images that you might not of been able to before with a different lens.

So, the first stop was Kam Park. After taking a few photos of the boardwalk I concentrated on the old Via Rail Train. What I like to do sometimes is just focus on one subject, in this case it was a large one, and document it. Just like I would do with a wedding couple. If anyone was actually watching me they would see me walking around the train, studying it, looking up and down, and eventually taking photos here and there. It probably looked a little strange. But, I'm well past that point. Hell, I even get down on my stomach sometimes just to get different angles. Although, with the Fuji XT-1 it isn't really necessary any more due to the tilting screen.

With the train, I looked for colours, details, angles and I even stepped back a bit and had some fun with the train tracks. I almost treat it as an exercise, seeing how many unique photos I can get of one single object. 

The next stop were the elevators off in Westfort. I've been here many times before but I figured I would visit them again and see what I could come up with. With the 16mm, which ends up being about 23mm it was wide enough to allow me to get some nice wide angle photos. I just came away with a few photos here but I spent about 30 minutes there. A train ended up coming and I tried to get some shots of the motion with the elevators in the background but it just wasn't working. An ND filter would have helped immensely and of course a tripod. But I rarely bring either of those things with me. Ah well. 

I finished off my photo walk drifting around Westfort. Instead of studying a single object or place for a while, here I just did my usual walking around, taking photo and moving on. All the time looking for interesting things or moments. 

The last few photos are around the downtown area, as I had to drive Noah to his dentist appointment. So while I waited, I walked around outside for a few minutes. And that's it. more random goodness. All photos in this case were shot in RAW and processed in Lightroom using my usual style. Thanks for viewing!

To the Marina and Back

Last week Anne and I managed to go for a walk to the Marina. It was so nice out and actually still is so we definitely like to take advantage of this weather when we can because who knows when it's going to suddenly get cold. Instead of walking the main streets we decided to take some of the alleyways and side roads we don't usually walk down. It always amazes me how much there is to see when you just head off the beaten path a bit. Plus, you often get to see some backyards of houses as well which I always find kind of interesting. 

Like most walks, I decided to bring along my XT-1 with the 35mm. I just love the fact I can carry it with me using the wrist strap and I hardly notice it's there. Plus, because of the flip screen it allows me to easily get down low without getting dirty. I'm constantly amazed at just how good the colours are straight out of the camera. The photos below are still processed a bit but nothing out of the ordinary. 

Hopefully this good weather continues and we are able to keep going on these walks. When I'm driving I always see certain neighbourhoods I want to explore. 

Honeymoon in Montreal

Anne and I decided to go to Montreal for our Honeymoon. We had been there once before, but only got to spend a couple days on our way to the East Coast. When we were trying to decide what a good destination would be for our Honeymoon, Montreal was always at the top of the list. So we went with it. We decided to just fly in, stay by the hotel and rent a car. That way we could pretty much do whatever we wanted. Seeing as how I don’t mind driving in the larger cities and Anne being an expert navigator, it was a match made in heaven.

Upon arriving at our hotel, we were amazed. It had to be one of the nicest hotels we had ever stayed at. We joked throughout the trip that we didn’t really even need to leave as it almost felt like a resort. Obviously we ended up exploring a lot of Montreal but it was always nice to come back to such a beautiful home base. 

The day we arrived we settled in, took a bit of a break, and then ended up going downtown for a bit. We found a great pub on the main stretch and quenched our thirst and hunger. Seeing as it was extremely hot and humid the whole time there, lets just say that any excuse to stop in for a drink somewhere was welcome. 

Our next day there revolved around the outlet mall just outside of Montreal. We must a couple turnoffs along the way but Anne made sure we got there. There was no way we weren’t going to make to the outlet mall that day. Once we arrived I was amazed how large it was. It was all outdoors and there were a ton of stores. One of Anne’s favourites was the Coach store. It was very cute watching her hum and haw about getting this purse she really wanted. In the end, before leaving, she ended up getting two things from there and was extremely happy. I imagine it was the equivalent of watching me in a camera store. 

We walked around there for a few hours, grabbed a bit to eat at the food court and did a bit more shopping after that. Then it was time to go back to our hotel. We ended up going down to Old Montreal that evening to search for a bite to eat. We got much then we bargained for. After eating we headed back to the main square and watched a really street performance. We were 2 of the first people there and Anne immediately gave the performer some change as he was setting up. He joked that he hadn’t even did anything yet but promised he would give us a good show. The funny part of the whole performance was that he didn’t really do all that much with fire, it was just a ploy to get people to come watch. By the end of it, there was a huge group of people and he put on one of the funniest and entertaining shows we have seen in a long long time. 

The next day was also full of a few surprises. We grabbed some breakfast again and another local diner and then we headed back down to Old Montreal. We wanted to make sure we saw it during the day. This time around I really had a chance to take a lot of photos. As you can see from the images below, Anne was once again my model of choice. How could anyone not want to photograph here. There was a lot of cool things to see down in Old Montreal. One of the highlights was the zip line they had going at the Pier. It was another scorching day so it was nice to walk around. Not sure what to do next we made the choice to go to the island across the water to explore. Once we got there, we decided to do a drive around first to see what there was. As we pulled into one of the parking areas, we paid the steep price of $25 for parking and then saw La Ronde in the distance. So.. instead of parking and walking around the island, we drove straight to the amusement park and spent the next 6 hours getting whipped around on rides. The first ride I took Anne on was the biggest and fasted rollercoaster at the park. She tends to get a bit nervous for the larger rides, so what better way to get those nerves out of the way then to do the scariest ride.

It was smooth sailing after that and we had a ton of fun. We ended the day with some food from the local ‘Saloon’. One of the things we found strange was that you could basically walk around with your beer in hand anywhere in the park. That’s Quebec for you I guess. We weren’t complaining. The last rides we went on, which didn’t make sense, were the water rides where we got completely soaked. In hindsight, we should have done them at the beginning but it all worked out. 

If my memory serves me correctly, once we got back to the hotel, this was the night we met some very interesting people at the bar. There was the pilot beside us that Anne befriended over the mutual love of wine. Supposedly he was flying out later the next day so his ‘consumption’ of wine was not out of the norm at all. Then there was the older couple beside us. They were so much fun and the fact that the husband would routinely get up, stand up beside us, and test out some of his comedic material was priceless. Almost as priceless as the way his wife would bury her head in her hands each time he did so. I laughed at all his jokes though and it certainly made for a memorable evening. I knew it was time to head back to our room when Anne and said pilot considered purchasing a bottle of wine. For fear of the passengers the next day and Anne potentially passing out, I grabbed her by the arm and took her back. 

After a good nights sleep we decided to head to the waterfront area just on the way to Montreal. We rented a bike and rode around the small little inlet and some of the town area. It was a really nice bike ride and I wish we could have done a bit more but we wanted to still do more that day. Plus, Anne was anxiously awaiting her call from the Lakehead Board to see if she got a full time position. Once we finished up there, we eventually decided to make our way to the water park north of Montreal. I was actually really looking forward to it. So we hopped on the highway and drove the 40 minutes it took to get there. Just after purchasing our tickets and entering the park, Anne got the ‘call’. She found out she got a full time position. Yay. That only made the rest of the day that much more relaxed and fun. Overall the water park was a lot of fun. I just wish we had more time there but it all worked out.

By the time we got back to our hotel we were wiped. But that didn’t stop us from treating ourselves to a nice dinner at the Keg. We took a cab there and back so I could have a couple drinks. The meal was fantastic and the biggest surprise of the night was me pretty much eating a whole cheesecake. Anne had a a few bites but otherwise it was all me. Very rare indeed for anyone that knows me. But if there is one weaknessI have it’s Keg cheesecake.

Our final day in Montreal was actually still pretty action packed. We checked out of the hotel and still headed to the gay district. We had accidentally ended up there briefly a previous night and it looked really cool so I wanted to head back during the day to take some photos. We walked that street and then eventually headed back to downtown Montreal. Anne attempted to do some shopping and then we eventually found a great Irish Pub for some food and drink. After that, it was time to head back. It was a bit rough with traffic heading back and I almost got side swiped by a transport on a merge but other then almost getting killed it was fun! 

We headed to the airport, dropped off the rental car and then made our way to our gate. We had time to kill so we walked the entire airport, checking to see what kind of places there were to eat. We ended up going to one of the restaurants closest to our gate. I got a $11 beer, but Anne declined to pay $13 for a small glass of wine. I can’t get over just how much they were charging for food and drinks. All the places were like that by the way. We finished off with a drink at other bar just across the way. The bartender there was just plain awesome. He told us a few stories and was super friendly. Plus, Anne was able finally have her glass of wine. 

The last stop was Toronto. We definitely like flying through Toronto because the Porter lounge is fantastic. Unfortunately we had a very fast layover so we didn’t really get a chance to enjoy it as much as we wanted to. And then we were back in Thunder Bay. The whole way thorough we upgraded each flight so we had the front seats and it was heaven. Lots of leg room and first off the plane could not be beat. All in all it was a great trip. Spending 5 days in Montreal with my beautiful wife Anne was something I will remember the rest of my life. I can’t wait until our next trip. Plus I was able to capture some great photos along the way. Although, probably more food photos then I would normally include. But that’s what happened when you spend a lot of your time eating and drinking!

Exploring Victoriaville

It has been a while since I've had the chance to walk (wander) around myself and take some photos. Well, after meeting my beautiful wife for lunch in Victoriaville, I decided to venture into the abyss that is called Victoriaville. Now technically, Victoriaville is the mall, so in reality, I walked around the area. Anne can attest to this, but instead of walking on the main streets, I always try and find the off beaten paths. Well, lucky for her, she wasn't forced to follow me on my excursion and I pretty much ventured down every back alley I could find. 

Now, those of you not familiar with this area of town, it can be a bit rough around the edges. But, as I have said before, I love looking for old, run down, or even vintage things to photograph. That's not to say all the photos are of dilapidated walls, I did mix in some other random things, but for the most part, I wanted to capture the overall feel of the area. At least, according to me. 

This time around, I brought my wonderful Fuji XT-1, paired with the 35mm 1.4. It is one of the oldest lenses for the Fuji system, but it has become one of my favourites. It's just so sharp, and paired with the XT-1, the colours are amazing. Most importantly, it's extremely fun to shoot with. Plus, not being the safest neighbourhood to walk in, especially the back alleys, it's a little bit more discreet. Although, I do constantly get compliments on how pretty it is. That is, when people aren't complimenting my wife. In regards to that, I've lost track how many times I have been standing beside Anne and someone simply came up to us and gave her a compliment as I stand in the shadows. Just once, I want one. Some day. But I digress. 

So I didn't really have any set destination in hand, I just gave myself about an hour to walk around. I did try and got to areas I haven't ventured before and it definitely paid off. Most of the photos below you simply could not see from the main path. Whenever I walk around like this, looking for things to photograph, I always remind myself to look up and constantly behind as well. Not just for photos opportunities, but also for someone looking to attack me. I kid, it's not that dangerous. 

One of the things I really dig about the XT-1 is the tilt screen. Honestly, it allows me to get certain photos that I just wouldn't even attempt with my big DLSR's. Sometimes, you just shouldn't lie on the ground. All the photos below were shot as jpg's and using the chrome filter on the XT-1. As usual, I used my standard preset that I love but tweaked each photo, enhancing colours here, desaturating there. I also added a bit of sharpness using Nik Effects. For those of you who don't own the package, I highly encourage you to at least try the trial. I constantly use the RAW Pre Sharpener, Silver Effex Pro and Viveza. Thanks for reading, and remember, there are opportunities for great photos no matter where you live, you just have to know where to look!

Day Before The Wedding

Well.. it's officially the day we are getting married. Wow. Today was a fun day getting everything set up and it's actually still going. At least, I should say, the girls are still going. I decided to let them do their thing and focus on some of the photos I captured from the day. 

The day started at Rooster's Bistro, such a great breakfast. If you haven't been, definitely check it out. After some eggs, sausage, potatoes, toast and a couple cups of coffee we were ready to tackle the day. It was then off to Walmart for some odds and ends, and eventually arriving at Cora's house, where the wedding is eventually taking place. Luckily we ended up getting a great deal on a big tent for the backyard which was set up by A to Z Rentals who did a fantastic job. Jamie, Cora's grandson, was the boss the whole time. He helped carry poles and ultimately told the workers what was on his mind the entire time.

Once the tent was set up, Anne, Cora and Jordan worked on the wedding arch. The final touches need to be added tomorrow but I think it looks stunning. I can't wait to stand underneath it with Anne tomorrow. The next stop was a few more odds and ends around town and then home. We only had a quick break before we headed off to the hall to set up as much as we could. The whole room really came together, and with a few things left to do today, I think it's going to turn out perfect. 

For the whole day I decided to use my X-T1 paired with the 16mm and 35mm. Just so simple and fun to use with so many keeper images. It will be extremely painful to not be able to take photos of my own wedding today but I'm sure I will find a way to snap a few of the beautiful bride. Either way I'm sure Tony and Chris will do an amazing job taking photographs and video for us. 

I simply cannot to wait to marry Anne. I'm a lucky guy to have ended with such a wonderful woman. Plus, this means, I have a model to photograph for the rest of my life. :)

Stay tuned for photos of the wedding in the coming weeks!

4th Annual Fat Guys Auto Show 2015

On my way to a wedding I was photographing today I quickly stopped at the Annual Auto Show at Fat Guys Auto Parts. I went last year and really enjoyed myself so I wanted to at least make an appearance this year to take a few photos. I literally only had about 10 minutes so I walked around quickly and just snapped a few things that caught my eye. I could have easily spent a couple hours there but I simply didn't have the time this year. 

All photos were taken with the Fuji X-T1 paired with the 16mm 1.4. 

In Search of a Cold Beer

Anne and I finally found the time to go for a good walk today. Our goal, as per usual, was to find a bar stool and a drink, preferably with some alcohol in it. Along the way, we figured we could get some exercise. We decided about halfway through the walk to make our way to the marina to grab some food and drinks at the Breakwater Taphouse. We had only be there once before and we liked it so it was time to give it another try.

Part of the problem with going to restaurants and pubs these days is the overwhelming choice of beers. Luckily, the bartender at the the Taphouse was kind of enough to give us some samples. Some were good and some were not really my cup of tea but it was great to taste test beers I wouldn't normally try. I was impressed with Anne for actually trying some of the beers as well. That's not to say she didn't make some faces along the way but it was a good effort.

After some fantastic nachos and a refreshing drink we left and quickly checked out the summer in the park. It was our first time attending one of these this year and I was amazed at the amount of people there. We probably would have stayed and watched some of the live music but we weren't really dressed for it. And so the walk continued back home with one more stop along the way. The Madhouse was our final destination for one more drink. Anne got to vent on me a little about our wedding planning, or should I say, my lack thereof. 

During the whole walk I did what I always do, and that is, picking out little moments along to capture. Some included Anne and others were my usual random and spontaneous photos.

For this walk around I brought my Fuji X-T1 paired with the 35mm 1.4. 

Canada Day at Chippewa Park + Downtown Port Arthur

Canada Day has come and gone but I finally got a chance to go through all the photos from that day. We started off by going to Old Fort William which I could honestly spend a whole day photographing. We ended up only going for a couple hours but it was plenty of time to walk around take lots of great photos. Not only were there a lot of people walking around, there are endless buildings to go into, each having there own unique personality. I would say my favourite moment there was in the stables. There were goats, roosters, sheep and a few other types of animals. I came away with some fun shots, one of the best ones being a sheep getting sheared. 

Before we knew it, it was time to go. After dropping off the kids we decided to head downtown. It was still early in the afternoon but there was actually a huge car show going on which we knew nothing about until our friend Cora let us know. We just caught the last few minutes of it but I was still able to come away some good shots. 

After working up quite the thirst and appetite we headed on over to Gargoyles, a local restaurant. The meal was great and I actually captured a few more good photos there, particularly the Gargoyle wearing a red tie. Once we were done we headed home to rest up a bit before going back downtown for the fireworks. My goal this year for the fireworks was to try and do a time-lapse. This was my first one and I have yet to process it but we will see how it turns out. I ended up getting a little gorilla pod which actually worked quite well with the Fuji X-T1 and 16mm combo. Perhaps I will do another post with that time-lapse if it actually turns out. 

One thing I did try since I had my little tripod out was a long exposure of the people leaving the fireworks. I don't usually do long exposure photography but I think it actually turned out kind of cool. For all these photos the Fuji X-T1 performed admirably. The lenses I used were the 16mm and 35mm. As usual, I think for almost all of them I just used the jpg's with the Chrome preset and processed them a bit with Lightroom. Thanks for viewing!

Last Minute Camping at Trow Bridge

It's been a busy week so I am just now getting to photos from the previous weekend. What a great weekend it was too! Anne and I decided to go for breakfast at the Hoito for some pancakes and were trying to figure out what to do for the weekend. Well, just like that we decided to go camping at Trow Bridge. It would be only our second time camping this year, the first being at our usual place, Happyland. 

So we quickly got some supplies from the grocery store, headed home, packed up and before we knew it, we were at Trow Bridge. Our usual campsite wasn't available so we 'settled' for a nice spot right next to the river. For the trip I brought my X100s and X-TI with the 16mm. Most of the photos below used the classic chrome setting with a few tweaks. They were then processed in Lightroom like I always do. But, they didn't need much work at all. The colours from the Fuji cameras never cease to amaze me. 

Just like most of my posts, these are all random photos. If something catches my eye, I photograph it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The photos below are my favourites. Of course, it helps to have some wonderful models. Both dogs and girls. 

I did have big plans to get some long exposure of the rapids, I even brought a tripod (gasp). I haven't used one in a long time. As I got ready to head down to the rapids around sunset I realized I forgot the plate for the tripod. So instead, I just propped the camera up on rocks and such. It wasn't ideal, but I managed to get a couple keepers. 

Until the next camping trip... 

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. 

Walking the East End with the Fuji XE-1 + 16mm 1.4

It was starting to get late last night when I got the urge to just get out and walk around and take some photos. Although it may not be generally known as the nicest part of town, I'm usually drawn to the East Side when taking photos. I guess I just love the atmosphere. The rain was slowly creeping in but luckily it held off long enough for me to really put the Fuji 16mm lens to the test. My camera of choice was a simple one, since it is currently the only once I can mount the lens to, the Fuji XE-1. For a while I was trying to sell it but I figured I would give pull it out of hibernation and start using it again. It may not be the fastest camera but over the past week of using it, it has taken some of my favourite photos of the year. 

So I set off into the East End with that combo and wandered around aimlessly, like I usually do. The first stop was the East End bridge to get a few expansive shots of the neighbourhood. The 16mm is probably becoming one of my favourite lenses, not only for landscapes, but just for general use. It is sharp all the way through, focuses extremely fast (even on the XE-1) and produces great tones. With a lens this wide, it's hard not to play with the angles a bit as you can see from the first image. 

After walking in and out of some of the streets I decided to drive on over to the long path that overlooks the Sleeping Giant. With the clouds rolling in and a hint of the sunset it made for some nice dramatic photos. All in all it was a fun walk around. It goes to show you that even if it is raining out, there are always opportunities to just get out there and create some good photos. Of course, make sure your camera is waterproof.

(The last image is of our dog Willow. I couldn't help but take a photo of her all curled up outside in the rain when I got home... such a hard life.)

All images shot with the XE-1 and 16mm 1.4. Enjoy!

More Fun With the Fuji X100s

I just wanted to take a moment to share some more randomness with the Fuji X100s. As usual, there was no specific thing I set out to take photos of, rather, I just photographed what caught my eye. Some of the photos were shot indoors and some outdoors. Regardless of whether they were done inside or outside the X100s performed great. Honestly, I just keep it on the same setting all the time, which is auto ISO. When I'm outside, the only thing I really need to do is turn on the built in ND Filter. 

In good light I really don't have any problems focusing or exposure. The X100s, locks on quick and almost always nails colour and exposure. If i'm looking to adjust the exposure I just use the compensation dial. Unless I'm shooting something professionally I just use JPG's and not RAW. There just really isn't any point since the it does such a fantastic job with the JPG's. 

As I mentioned in previous post's, I use custom presets that I have built or start with a VSCO filter and then adapt it to fit my needs. Each photo has it's own tweaks and fine tuning. That's what I love most about processing the images. Once in a while, for black and white photos, I'll use Nik Silver Effex Pro 2. Thanks for viewing!

Enjoying the Warm Weather ... while it lasted

We finally got some warm weather this past week so I here are some photos from those days. It's a random mix of Kakabeka Falls, hanging outside around the house, my Mother's Birthday and of course, enjoying a fire in the backyard. 

I used a few different cameras this time around. Most of them were shot with the D610, but a bunch were also taken with the Fuji x100s and my trusty D700. The lenses of choice were the 50mm 1.8 and the 85mm 1.8. Just when I think the 85mm is my new favourite lens, the 50mm still blows me away with the quality it produces for such a inexpensive lens. 

All the photos were edited in Lightroom using my adjustments, combined with various VSCO presets. Basically I like to build form the VSCO presets and make my own unique combinations. Sometimes I will take the BW images into Silver Effex Pro 2, but this time around I just used Lightroom which does a great job on its own. Thanks for viewing!

It's almost spring!

I had the chance to get for a little bit this past weekend and enjoy the brisk spring weather. It was mid afternoon which meant bright sunny conditions. Instead of looking for low contrast and subtle photos I focused on finding nice shadows and strong bold images. 

My combo of choice this time around was my D610 and 85mm 1.8. The 85mm might be my new favourite lens. I love how light it is and the colours it produces are just amazing. Plus, for me, it's a great focal length, at least when walking around. 

The ultimate destination for this walk was to meet up with my Fiance Anne at our friend Raven's house. It was to be our first bon fire of the year. It was still a pretty chilly day but sitting on the deck in the backyard with the fire blazing and the sun beating down was really nice. It reminded us how much we are looking forward to camping this year.

It was a pretty relaxing afternoon and evening but that didn't mean I put the camera way. While hanging out on the deck I decided to practice and explore the continuous focusing abilities on the D610. I have always known how to use them but I really wanted hone my skills. What better way to do so then to follow and track to hyper dogs, Daisy and Jack. The camera locked on very well and almost always held focus. I was often using a very large aperture as well. Suffice it to say I was very impressed. 

In the end I had to leave the fire around 10:00pm. I'm just not as tough as the girls, I was freezing by then. With that being said, I can't wait for warmer evenings around the fire. I will of course have my camera by my side the entire summer capturing every moment.

It's a Port Arthur Thing

Friday finally arrived and I was all done work so I figured I would take advantage of the longer days and sunlight and go take some photos. I was to meet my Fiance Anne, and her friend Raven at The Madhouse, so I bundled up, grabbed my D610 and 85mm 1.8, and headed out into the cold.

Whenever I walk around with the camera I always try and take routes that I wouldn't normally follow. This usually involves a lot of back alleys and side roads. I'll even cut through parking lots or in behind businesses. Without really knowing what I'm looking for I just keep my eyes open and basically look for anything catches my eye. There are always the usual 'landmarks' or buildings which I just love photographing. But, as with the first image above, I waited patiently for about 30 seconds for the seagull to take off and caught that exact moment. 

Other times, I will just snap a quick photo and be on my way. I have gotten a lot of great shots that way too. Things that catch my eye are bold colours, contrast or even patterns. When seeing something I want to photograph I almost always ask myself if there is a better angle to explore or perhaps the option to shoot through something and incorporate some framing. 

If a different photographer walked the exact same route I did, I can guarantee you that he wouldn't come away any of the same photos. That's not saying that I am better, it's just that everyone sees things differently. That is what I love about photography. 

Downtown Port Arthur with the Fuji X100s

It was another chilly day out yesterday but I figured I would walk around still and get some fresh air. This time around I brought my Fuji X100s. It's a such a fantastic little camera. It's a different experience shooting with the Fuji then it is with my slightly larger D610 full frame camera. The main difference I find between the two, is the use of EVF. In direct sunlight I did find myself using the OVF but most of the time I just held the camera up and looked at the screen. If the exposure was good, I took the photos. If it wasn't perfect, I simply changed the exposure compensation dial. I just find it a bit faster in certain ways. 

As with Simpson Street in Fort William, Cumberland street and Downtown in Port Arthur has it's share of some run down buildings. But there is also a lot of great character as well. Each part of town has it's good and bad. 

My settings for the X100s were simple. Auto ISO, Neutral Density filter applied, the Pro Negative Standard jpg setting and I was off to the races. Even with the jpg's in Lightroom, I really didn't have any problems with the Dynamic Range, especially seeing as how the afternoon was bright sunlight. I was able to pull back the highlights in almost any photo that needed it. I'm always impressed how well the X100s performs in this regard. As usual, I used a combination of VSCO filters combined with my own tweaking.

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!