Tag Archive for: photography

Magazines

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Not sure why this is the case but I see a profound difference in the content of magazines between Canada, U.S. and the U.K.

I typically read 20 or more magazines each month. Magazines focused on recording, cycling, photography, technology, golf, and audio. In each area, the U.K. magazines are far more comprehensive in content.

Take photography as an example. A new Canadian magazine on outdoor photography was just launched, Outdoor Photography Canada. A typically Canadian production: sparse content, limited advertising and inexpensive paper stock. Even the website design is a bit iffy. The U.S. magazines, like Popular Photography, Shutterbug and Outdoor Photographer, are better in content and production, yet very heavy on ads.

The U.K. magazines, like Digital Camera and Practical Photography, present a high ad content but the editorial content is substantially richer. Their magazines offer significantly more print pages, comprehensive articles and reviews, and substantive coverage of topics.

Does this imply a different focus on literacy between the three countries? 

Super Wide

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Having collected an unusually high number of points, I redeemed some of them for a set of Henry’s gift cards.

The gift cards arrived last night. And somehow, a brand new Nikon 12-24mm wide angle lens, found its way on my camera.

Nikon 1224

Landscape Photography

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I picked up an issue of Digital SLR Photography yesterday. They had a piece on the magic hour where a panel of experts share their insights on gear and technique for shooting landscapes at dawn and dusk.

There were three expert photographers interviewed for the piece. And I decided to search for them online to get a better sense of their talent.

Helen Dixon’s website and portfolio is stunning. Her photography is amazing.

Tim Gartside? I was not as impressed with Tim’s website. Perhaps it was due to the massive copyright symbol on his photos or perhaps it was because his landscapes did not create the same level of impact as Helen Dixon’s photography.

Mark Bauer was the third expert and his website is excellent. Some outstanding images.

I learned quite a lot from reviewing Helen and Mark’s work. By the way, Helen prefers early morning light and Mark prefers late in the day light.

Home Again

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Back in Toronto today. A few more photos from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. By way of interest, all of these photos were taken during the last hour or so of sunlight just after 7:30pm. I wandered into the river beds to get close to the river and so I had to exercise due care not to slip and fall. The currents in some areas of the various rivers get quite intense.

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On Top Of Old Smoky

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We make our way back to Toronto today. Parting is always such sweet sorrow. The Great Smoky Mountains has been a wonderful place to tour and to photograph. The photos below include a shot of our cabin, Sink Falls, and Laurel Falls.

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Smoky Mountains

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Yesterday was another day spent touring the Smoky Mountains by car. At different pull-offs and trailheads, we would walk a little ways off the road and come across some stunning scenery.

I did receive emails asking me how I achieve the silky effect on the waterfalls. Most of the waterfall and river shots were taken very late in the day. At this time of year, I would shoot these types of frames between 7:00pm and 8:45pm. The camera is set to aperture priority. I select a high f-stop, often f22. This means that the exposure can be anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds. A tripod is an absolute requirement. I will also trigger the shutter with a remote release with the mirror up.

Here are a few photos from yesterday’s journey into the park.

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Great Smoky Mountain

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We arrived to a wonderful cottage in the mountains. You can see some pictures of the cottage here. We drove out to Cades Cove around 5pm yesterday and I was able to capture some wonderful images inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. And, unlike the artificial indoor waterfall shots at the Opryland Hotel, these shots are taken in the great outdoors. I’m glad I did not slip into the fast running river!

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Opryland Hotel

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Today is the last day for the conference. Then it is off to the Smoky Mountains for the week-end. Quite looking forward to the photography opportunities that await in the Great Smoky Mountain Range. The weather forecast is excellent. And unlike the pictures of the Opryland Hotel, I will be outdoor shooting. Below are some more pictures of the hotel.

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