Roadside Wildlife

I made this image of Bighorn Mountain Sheep clinging to a rock face along side Westside Road near Kelowna, B.C, on Sunday morning, I made the picture with a 50mm lens ( no cropping ) and a Nikon D90 camera. I was about 7 meters from the animals who were amazingly tame, notice the one of the right with the radio collar.

My Camera Gear ( Part Three )

I have gone partially digital with some of my camera gear and I like it. Along with the large format gear I had been using a medium format camera, at one time I owned a Hassleblad system, which got sold, after that I bought a Fuji GSW 690 rangefinder camera ( 6 x 9 cm images on 120 film ) with a non interchangeable 90 mm lens, it was like a giant Leica with range finder focusing, the focus was very accurate, I thought it was a very nice camera. After seeing how good the image quality was from the Nikon D300 I use at work, I sold the Fuji last year, was mainly using the Fuji to take pictures of family and friends, I have now replaced that with a Nikon digital D90 camera, with that for lenses I have a couple of lenses, a 24mm and a 50mm prime lens, I like the combo. The image quality from the D90 is as good as anything I was getting from my medium format Fuji, but keep in mind that I don't have a high end scanner to scan medium format negatives beyond a 5 or 6X enlargement. I much as I like the quick response of the digital, I still find the large format more inspiring to use when it comes to making my more serious landscape images, all in all what ever camera I am using I am having fun!

The above picture was taken near Keremeos, B.C., in October of 2009, Nikon D90 and a 18-70 mm lens at the 55mm setting.

My Camera Gear ( Part Two )

I had been using Tachihara view cameras pretty well since I started shooting with large format view cameras, about twenty years, last year I decided that it was getting to the point where I needed a new camera, the Tachihara was starting to show its age and I wanted something a little newer, I looked around and I chose to buy an Ebony, although more expensive than the Tachihara, I thought the quality and fit and finish were well worth the extra money, I ended up with the entry level Ebony RW45, its a very well made camera, with Mahogany wood, and Titanium fittings, the focusing track is smooth and the various controls knobs all work with fine precision, I think its a wonderfully made camera.

For lenses I am using the compact Schneider 120mm f5.6 lens which I use for about 90 percent of my images, I also have a Schneider 300mm f5.6 lens which mainly use on my 8 x 10 I find its kinda big and chunky to use on my 4 x 5, instead I use the more compact Schneider 270 f 9 lens, its very sharp and it also covers my 8 x 10. The other lens that I like to use sometimes is a Rodenstock 180 mm f5.6 lens. I have one antique lens, an old brass "Beck" lens, it has no aperture blades, I had a machine shop make an adapter ring so I could mount it on a Copal 3 shutter.

For tripods, I have a Gitzo carbon fibre tripod and a couple of wood tripods, both types are good, although, the Gitzo is lighter to carry and I feel functions better while working in the field, there is no doubt in my mind though that the wood tripod looks a lot nicer.

The above picture was made at Florencia Bay, October 2009, Pacific Rim National Park, Ebony RW45 view camera, 120mm lens.

My Camera Gear ( Part One )

I have recently made some changes in the camera gear that I use to make my photographs, so I thought I would write a few blog entries to let folks know out there what is inspiring me in terms of camera gear. First of although I don't think that camera gear is the be all and the end all of making a good photograph, I think good gear can help inspire in terms of a certain "karma" one feels while working with a nice camera, I think every artist has their favourite tools.

For the most part I use a 4 x 5 view camera for almost all of my work you see on this blog and on my website. This work is all done on my days off and holiday from my day job ( on my evil side, I am a newspaper photographer ) I know it sounds strange in this day and age of digital wonders, but I really like using the view camera, which uses film, and yes I have to process it and scan it, and despite the bulk, weight and clumsy operation of the camera, I love using it, one of the things that really appeals to me is looking at the my composed image on the ground glass screen, to me there is something very captivating about the image which seems like its a movie being played on the ground glass screen, I seems so simplistic and beautiful.

The above picture was taken in Canmore Alberta, September 2009, Ebony RW45 view camera, 270mm lens.

My Favourite Vancouver Olympic Images

Now that the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are over, many will go home with fond memories from a historic event that I'm sure they will never forget including myself, so with that I am posting a number of my favourite images that I made while visiting Vancouver from February 19 to the 22nd, I took in the festivities on the street but also was able to take in one sporting event, the mood on the street was electrifying , it was the best party in town and with Canada's hockey team winning gold against the USA it was a story booking ending for Canadians. For most of these images I traveled light carrying a Nikon D90 with two lenses a 24mm and a 50mm lens, I also used a 28-70mm zoom.


















The pictures from top to bottom (with links):
1. Fans cheer during a hockey game between Norway and Switzerland.
2. Two boys look out towards Vancouver while aboard the sea bus.
3. The Russian tall ship, Krusenshtern at port in North Vancouver.
4. People wait in line to enter the Canada's Northern House.
5. Swiss and Norwegian hockey players during pre-game warm up at Canada's Hockey House
6. People lined up against a security fence to take pictures of the Olympic cauldron.
7. A military helicopter flies past the Olympic cauldron.
8. Laser light show and fire works show at Robson Square.
9. Dancing to the big band music of Dal Richards at the Livecity venue, Yaletown.
10. People walk through steam coming through a vent along Canada Place.