March Theme Challenge – Monochrome

For this month, March 2023, it’s a great time to think about creating “Monochrome” images when in general there is a lack of colour in the landscape.

There are many opportunities for monochrome images such as using dramatic clouds to complement your subject. Remember to compose the subject so that it stands out in your image.

Even during harsh daylight, it’s a great time to consider choosing monochrome to capture images. However, remember to consider your best position for the light in relation to your subject when shooting portraits in harsh daylight conditions.

You can also use longer shutter speeds with the appropriate light, usually earlier in the morning, later in the day, or on an overcast day, to create dreamy soothing water fall images. Note you may also require the use of an ND filter to slow the shutter speed down to the desired value. As the temperatures increase and the snow begins to melt as well as some rain, there will be lots of waterfall action to experience.

Get out there and practice by slowing down and looking for some interesting subjects. Then make them stand out by giving more attention to composition.

Although you can use post-processing software to convert your colour images to monochrome, but, If you haven’t been doing much shooting in monochrome, it’s a good idea to be able to preview your images on the camera in “monochrome” to help you visualize the result as you are shooting. To see the your image in “monochrome” on the camera LCD it requires you to change a camera setting, typically under your camera’s picture style menu.

The examples below are two procedures to show you how to change the Camera settings to shoot in monochrome:

• As an example, to change the “Picture Style” setting on a Canon T6i to “M” (monochrome), (see the manual starting on pg 125), press the down arrow (picture style) button, on the back of the camera, and then press the right/left arrow buttons, on the back of the camera, to pick the “M” (monochrome) and then press “set” to choose the selected picture style. Before pressing “set”, you can also press the “info” button to change the sharpness, contrast, filter effect and tone effect (example sepia) as well. (Warning: It is important to know that when shooting in “Jpeg”, with the picture style set to monochrome, the captured image will not contain any colour information, therefore, remember to change the “Picture Style” option back to the previous setting such as “S” (standard) when done shooting monochrome images to allow capturing any new images in colour.) Note when shooting in “RAW” the colour information is retained.
• As an example, to change the “My Colors” setting on a Canon SX30, (see the manual pg 79); press the “func/set”, on the back of the camera, then use the up/down arrow buttons to choose the “My Colors” option. Then press the right/left arrow buttons to pick the “Se” (sepia) or “BW” (black&white) option and then press “func/set” to choose the selected option. (Warning: It is important to know that when shooting in “Jpeg”, with the My Colors option set to Se or BW, the captured image will not have any colour, remember to change the “My Color” option back to “OFF” when done shooting monochrome images to allow capturing any new images in colour.)

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

As always with our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out additional instructional resources. Below are some YouTube video links to give you more hints and ideas.
■ The Secret to Black and White photography success By: Nigen Danson (16min 33sec)
■ Black and White Photography in the Digital Era B&H Event Space Speaker: Harold Davis (38min 15sec)

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

February Theme Challenge – “Water Drop Photography”

With the weather being much colder outside this month, I encourage you to try playing with water drop photography. This can be time consuming, but lots of fun at the same time and you can try this initially without any fancy gear. Just use some containers you have kicking around, a plastic bag, clamp, needle, your tripod and you can give this a try.

I realize we cannot all be specialists in every genre of photography so for this month’s challenge I hope you will take the time to watch a talented UK professional photographer Adam Karnacz who does water drop photography as one of his specialties. Below you’ll find the link to his free Water Drop Master Class available from his website. Adam is unbelievably kind and provides this master class for free. If you enjoy what you learn please consider thanking him by making a donation.

Hopefully you’ll have lots of fun and enjoy something a bit different while wondering what to photograph staying out of the cold weather. Let’s see what images you create this month.

Although you can pull out a lot of gear to create amazing images, these two initial images shown below were created with minimal gear; Canon 50D, 50mm lens, tripod, and a wired remote, and natural light from my kitchen windows. It’s all about timing and a bit of post processing, mainly white balance for the blue colour and some cropping. The settings used were; f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 200, @50mm. If you have an f/4 lens then use ISO 400. You may need to tweak your settings a bit to suit your lighting conditions. The most important thing is a fast shutter speed which you may want to increase to 1/1000 or even 1/2000 making the necessary ISO adjustments to obtain a properly exposed image.

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

As always with our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out an instructional resource, and in this case here is a link to help you excel at water drop photography:
■ Water Drop Photography Master Class by: First Man Photography (Adam Karnacz)

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

January Theme Challenge – “Winter”

For this month, January 2023, the theme challenge is “Winter”. It’s that time of year when it’s cold outside but if you do decide to brave the environment you will have the opportunity to see how the snow and ice can be your subject or how the effects of snow and ice can complement your subject. Now there are some days that it may be too cold to take your gear outside, in such cases look to see if there is frost on your windows, you’ll see some possibilities for interesting images.

Taking photographs in the cold weather has it’s challenges; your digital gear may not work if the temperatures are extreme (keep your spare batteries in a pocket close to your body to keep them warm), keeping yourself warm and comfortable, be careful not to fall, as well as keeping your gear free from condensation. After your photo shoot, if you want to load your images on your computer as soon as you arrive home, remove your memory cards from your camera before you go inside so you don’t have to expose your camera to the inside warm air.

Protecting your gear; Taking your camera gear from a warm environment to the outside usually does not cause any issues, however when going from the cold back into a warm environment is where condensation can quickly form on your camera/lens and this is where it can be harmful to your gear, eventually causing spots on your external and more seriously the internal lens elements which eventually causes mold to form. Before going in to a warm environment from the cold, place your camera/lens back inside your camera bag (your bag needs to be padded with zipper closed) this will allow your gear to raise in temperature slowly and therefore condensation will not happen. An additional protection tip is to put your camera/lens in a double zipper x-large Zipper Seal (Dollarama 33cmx39.6cm / 12.9″x15.5″) bag, this will allow the condensation to form on the outside of the bag and not on your camera/lens.

When the temperatures are bordering the freezing mark there is always a chance of freezing rain, this creates magical conditions and depending on the light you can create some interesting images. Be careful, it can be very slippery so use the proper footwear with cleats or crampons so you don’t fall.

You can have fun taking images inside as well, if there is frost on a window. Frost forms on windows if there is a bit of humidity inside when it is very cold outside. Usually you’ll see it early in the morning before the sunlight directly hits the window causing it to warm up which melts the frost. Consider your position in relation to the outside which will be your background to get the best composition. Remember about minimum focus distance of your lens, you may have to be a little further away to be able to auto-focus.

Snow can help remove distractions in the landscape to create a more minimalistic image and also so how resilient subject elements in your image can be. Depending on the overall conditions and camera colour temperature setting used an image can project a cold and remote feeling to the viewer.

With ice it’s a matter of catching the right light and angle to make your images more interesting. Look for interesting conditions such as changes in water level which can cause ice to appear elevated or rocks that push the ice up creating interesting shapes.

Keep warm; To enjoy your time out in the cold dress in layers with thermal socks for your feet and gloves that allow you to operate your camera and keep your hands warm. If you are in icy conditions use crampons or cleats on your boots, they will keep you from falling so you don’t get hurt or break your gear.

White balance; Set the white balance to match the weather condition; use sunny, cloudy or custom. If you are not sure use auto but the result may not be as good (depending on your camera) as my previous suggestions.

Exposure; The challenge in taking a photograph with snow, frost or ice conditions is getting the right exposure. If you let your camera automatically pick the exposure you will immediately see that the snow, frost and ice is more gray than white. This is because the camera’s auto exposure is based on 18% gray, which is the amount of light reflected from a 50% gray surface. To solve gray looking snow, frost and ice, set your “exposure compensation” at +2. If you see the “highlight alert” on your display then back off the exposure compensation by -1/3 at a time until you no longer see the “highlight alert”. You will then have the proper exposure for shooting with snow or ice conditions.

The same exposure technique goes for manual mode, set your exposure until your camera meter shows +2. Then take a photo and see if you see any highlight alerts, if you do then back off the exposure by -1/3 increments until you no longer see any highlight alerts. Your final best exposure for auto or manual exposure is usually closer to +2 than +1. You can review the blog articles on exposure compensation and highlight alert if you need help.

If you want to share your image there is no facility to upload your image here, however just paste your social media link to the image in your comment and we’ll be able to see your image. Please note comments are moderated so it will not show up right away, however we do get a notification when any comment is posted so it won’t take long to get approved and subsequently show up. By posting your social media link of your image in your comment, it gives everyone visiting the bog a chance to not only see your image for the challenge but also the ability to look at your other work as well by visiting your social media through your link. We want sharing to be a positive experience and we hope you have fun this month with this challenge.

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

As always with our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out an instructional resource, below are a number of YouTube video links to help with some hints and ideas.

Winter Photography instructional aids:
■ How to take amazing photos in the snow: by Gavin Hoey (3min 53sec)
■ Landscape Photography Tips & Techniques, Winter Freeze: by Thomas Heaton (15min 55sec)
■ Snow Landscape Photography Tips: by Micael Widell (10min 17sec)
■ Landscape Photography in the Snow, Winter in North Yorkshire by: First Man Photography (11min 5sec)

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

November Theme Challenge – “Waterfalls Again”

This month I encourage you to create an image using slower shutter speeds to show motion in water. Now that we are getting some rain the streams and rivers are starting to show signs of water again, so it’s a great time to get out and try taking waterfall images. Spend the time creating a good composition, you will be rewarded with not only great images but a nice relaxing adventure listening to the water.

Choosing the right weather conditions is important when to go out shooting waterfalls, overcast conditions or early morning as well as late in the day when there is dappled light works very well. Even on damp days just before it starts to rain or just after, the colours appear more saturated especially in the fall adding even more to your final image.

f/16, 1.6sec, ISO 100, @24mm

Shutter speed is typically chosen in relation to the amount of water that is flowing. If there is a lot of water the shutter speed does not have to be as slow. With less water the shutter speed needs to be a bit slower to show the motion. Some like the slow shutter speed effect because it gives the viewer a calming feeling. In the images below you can see the water appears smooth but still shows detail, this adds the dimension of motion to the image. Remember you want the water to appear white but not over exposed, so watch your histogram and highlight alert.

f/11, 1.3 sec, ISO 100, @24mm

The use of a circular polarizer filter will help take the sheen off the water as well as the shine off the rocks, and also prove a bit more color saturation. Think about your shutter speed to create the look you are going for, if you use too long of a shutter speed your water may no longer show any detail and just be complete white mist. The more water which would typically cause the water to move faster you would not use too slow of a shutter speed. Using a circular polarizer also reduces the light by 1 to 1 1/2 stops of light helping to get a slower shutter speed.

Don’t limit yourself to one composition or wide angle lens, use a longer focal length (zoom lens) and even vertical compositions to isolate the scene to reach places you are not able to physically get closer to. Spend time working the location, these simple techniques will help you create a different image such as the one shown below.

f/11, 0.6 sec, ISO 50, @110mm

When using slower shutter speeds, you will need to stabilize your camera typically using a tripod, gorilla pod, or platypod. Even setting your camera on a solid surface works if it provides an acceptable composition. In any case use caution at waterfall locations, wear good rubber boots so you don’t slip and fall on the wet rocks especially with wet leaves in the fall.

As far as camera settings go start with your lowest ISO, typically 100, set your Aperture somewhere between f/8 – f/16 to obtain a shutter somewhere between 1/4 sec to 2 sec. Your ideal shutter speed is dictated by how much water and how fast the water is moving. Check your images to make sure your images have the right balance between silky smooth and detail.

Your focus point is determined by the depth of field required to ideally have a sharp image from front to back. In general if you are using a wide angle lens the hyperfocal distance should be close to 1/3 into the scene. Please refer to my blog posts on focusing Depth of Field and hyperfocal distance. If you are using a longer focal length, focus on the main subject and take into consideration the depth of field when choosing your aperture, focal length and how close you are to the subject.

If possible clean up any debris that would distract from the image. However, sometimes this is not possible as seen in the image below. The small branch that was on the rock to the upper left I was not able to reach to remove it.

f/16, 1/8 sec, ISO 100, @24mm

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

As always with our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out an instructional resource, below are some YouTube video links to help with some important tips, hints and ideas.
Waterfall Photography instructional aids:
■ Photographing waterfalls with landscape photographer Sarah Howard of Image Seen: by Sarah Howard (10min 28sec)
■ How to Photograph Waterfalls – Landscape Photography Waterfall Tutorial: by David Johnston (15min 3sec)

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

October 2022 Theme Challenge – “Fall Colour”

This month I encourage you get outdoors to experience the fresh cool air and create an image taking advantage of the Fall Colour. Spend the time to enjoy nature, be patient and you will be rewarded with not only great images but exciting experiences.

When shooting Fall Colour consider your shutter speed in relation to the amount of wind because the leaves move with the wind. In the images below you can see the water is calm providing reflections because there was not much wind, therefore your shutter speed can be a bit slower allowing for a lower ISO for a higher quality result.

Watch your RGB histogram, it’s easy to over expose the Red channel because of the vivid colour. An overcast damp day provides perfect conditions, use a circular polarizer to minimize the reflection from the leaves to get a more saturated colour with better contrast.

Don’t limit yourself by just using a wide angle lens, use a longer focal length (zoom lens) to isolate the scene and reach places you are not able to physically get closer to.

Fall is a great time to photograph waterfalls as well. Use your polarizing filter to minimize reflections and select a shutter speed that smooths the water but still maintains texture in the water. To get slower shutter speeds, go earlier in the morning or later in the day when there is less light, or try using a 2 stop or 3 stop neutral density filter. Take the wide angle shots but also get those intimate shots as well by using a longer focal length or getting closer to the subject.

If the opportunity arises, capture a portrait. Remember if you are taking a portrait of someone you don’t know ask them if it’s ok, and you may also want to get their email address so you can send them the photo.

As always check the result on the camera display by zooming in and around the image to make sure it’s sharp, review the RGB histogram, and check the composition for minimal distractions to make sure everything is just right before you consider being finished taking your image(s).

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

As always with our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out an instructional resource, below are some YouTube video links to help with some important tips, hints and ideas.
Fall Colour Photography instructional aids:
■ 7 Photo Ideas to instantly Improve your Autumn photography: by Nigel Danson (15min 17sec)
■ 5 photography Tips to ensure your Autumn Photos are Amazing: by Nigel Danson (10min 44sec)
■ Photography in the Woods | Autumn Colour: by Thomas Heaton (21min 16sec)
■ Autumn Landscape Photography Tips and Techniques: by Landscape Photography iQ (5min 36sec)

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

August Theme Challenge – “Summer Fun”

Sorry for the late post this month. The theme challenge for August 2022 is “Summer Fun“. This month the assignment is to go out and enjoy summer and while you are out capture what’s going on around you. We’ll show some examples below but you are certainly not limited to just these ideas, it’s just to get you thinking. Let’s see what images you create this month.

If you want to share your image there is no facility to upload your image here, however just paste your social media link to the image in your comment and we’ll be able to see your image. Please note comments are moderated so it will not show up right away, however we do get a notification when any comment is posted so it won’t take long to get approved and subsequently show up. By posting your social media link of your image in your comment, it gives everyone visiting the bog a chance to not only see your image for the challenge but also the ability to look at your other work as well by visiting your social media through your link. We want sharing to be a positive experience and we hope you have fun this month with this challenge.

As you are out and about this month observe what is going on around you and capture what you see you think would be fun or someone having fun. The first image of the girl on the beach would be a great subject to represent someone having fun. However, let’s be clear here this was my grandchild so it was no problem to photograph her because I had her parents permission, but please do not take images of children unless they are yours or related and still make sure you have permission to photograph them by their parents and leave the sharing online to them unless they have hired you to take the photos and you have a signed model release, even then keep the safety of the child in mind at all times. The second image of the dog was taken at a local beach and who was enjoying playing fetch with it’s owner. Introduce yourself and ask if the owner minds if you take photos of their dog, and remember to get their email so you can offer to send them a photo or two as a thank you, they will appreciate it.

Looking at the next image, when was the last time you flew a kite? They can be very interesting and colourful and if there are some clouds with blue sky for a great background your image will be even better. There are so many flowers this time of year, flowers are a difficult subject but take your time and you’ll have a lot of fun. Think about composition, perspective, and a clean background and you’ll come away with some great images.

The shorebirds such as sandpipers and piping plovers should be migrating soon and you’ll be able to go to a beach and get an opportunity to spend time with them and capture some great images. Have some fun yourself and remember do not chance the birds, observe them to see what they are doing and go sit where you think they are going to go. Wait for them to come to you. They will come very close if you stay still and wait. Be patient and you will be rewarded. Remember to get low as possible, sit kneel or even lie down on a sheet of plastic or blanket.

With our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out an instructional resource, below are a few YouTube video links to help with some hints and ideas.

This Month’s Photography instructional aids:
■ How To Photograph Shorebirds: by Simon d’Entremont (12min 7sec)
■ My 8 Best Tips for Flower Photography: by Micael Widell (8min 9sec)

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

July Theme Challenge – “Boats or Cars”

The theme challenge for July 2022 is “Boats or Cars“. This month the assignment is to go out and take images of “Boats” and/or “Cars”, whatever you have access to, and at the same time you’ll enjoy some exercise while out for a walk around your local town. The best time to take these types of images is not in the middle of the day as the light is too harsh unless your subject is in the shade. The best time is early in the morning or later in the day and even better if there is some type of atmospheric condition that will enhance your image. Let’s see what images you create this month.

If you want to share your image there is no facility to upload your image here, however just paste your social media link to the image in your comment and we’ll be able to see your image. Please note comments are moderated so it will not show up right away, however we do get a notification when any comment is posted so it won’t take long to get approved and subsequently show up. By posting your social media link of your image in your comment, it gives everyone visiting the bog a chance to not only see your image for the challenge but also the ability to look at your other work as well by visiting your social media through your link. We want sharing to be a positive experience and we hope you have fun this month with this challenge.

The first image of a the boats in the fog creates a nice clean background and with no wind allows us to see the reflections in the water as well. The second image of the sail boat was taken as the sun was setting and the moon was rising. In this case the timing of this type of shot requires a bit of planning and it only happens once a month where the moon is rising about 15-20 min before the sun is setting. remember the earth is moving so the moon will appear to be moving in the sky on a vertical angle left to right, so your composition may be changing slightly as you take multiple shots. In this case you also need an adequate smaller aperture (larger Fstop number) and focus on the island to get the boat and the moon within acceptable focus. In addition capture at lest one or two images while focusing on the moon as well just in case you choose an incorrect aperture.

You can take images of boats at a wharf after dark if there is enough artificial light. The first image the artificial light is included with a star burst created by using a small enough aperture between f8 and f16. The tricky part is getting the right exposure, so make sure you take enough images as you are adjusting your exposure to ensure you get the shot. You also need to consider the movement of the water which will blur the boats if the shutter speed is slow, (greater than 2-5 seconds), you may require to use a higher ISO to allow an increased shutter speed and then use noise reduction in post processing. The second image not only had artificial light but also the moon was rising within the clouds which adds more mood to the image and with a single exposure the moon is a bit over exposed however I decided to maintain this exposure because its was what I experienced while taking the image.

The images of the blue and maroon cars shown below were taken with a DSLR with different lenses. The first image of the blue car was taken with a zoom lens at 180mm from across the street to get a better composition than what I could attain than being close with a wide angle lens. The second image of the 1948 Willys Jeep Overland Station Wagon was taken again with a zoom lens at 120mm to limit the view of the subject as the background outside of the composition was too busy to include in the image. Take time with your compositions to exclude anything in the background that is distracting as much as possible.

The next set of car images were taken with a iPhone 11 promax. The first image of the 1948 Willys Jeep was taken using the 2x lens which is equivalent to 52mm to again isolate the subject as much as possible to minimize the distracting elements from the composition. The image of the 1943 International KB-1 half ton truck was taken using the 2x lens to again isolate the subject as much as possible. The next image with the reflection of the three vehicles was also taken using the 2x lens to again isolate the subject as much as possible. If you do not have a 2x lens you can always use your 1x lens and then crop the image accordingly to remove distracting elements, but remember to try many different compositions to achieve the best image possible and also keep in mind the tilt of the camera phone to minimize the perspective distortion which is exaggerated the closer you get to the subject.

If you are struggling with composition trying to remove distractions or people you can always get close and take detailed images by finding ornamental objects or patterns such as the following images shown below.

With our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out an instructional resource, below are a few YouTube video links to help with some hints and ideas.

This Month’s Photography instructional aids:
■ Car Show Photography Tips: by Tony & Chelsea Northrup (6min 35sec)
■ Photography Tips: How to find the right camera settings – think like a photographer: by Mike Browne (11min 30sec)

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

June Theme Challenge – “Golden Hour”

The theme challenge for June 2022 is “Golden Hour“. This month the assignment is to go out during the “Golden Hour” and enjoy capturing some images when there is amazing light.

The “Golden Hour” is the time of day that is the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset. This is when the sun is closer to the horizon and is casting warm light on the landscape and your subject. You determine how you want the landscape or subject in the light depending on the angle of light cast on the landscape or subject to your camera. This is also the time of day where you can make use of the shadows to add depth to your images.

Below we’ll talk through some examples of golden light images, which will hopefully give you some ideas for this month’s challenge. Although the examples shown below are of landscapes and wildlife you can also shoot portraits in this type of light as well, especially side or back-lit portraits. The concept is to use the warm light to enhance your subject so consider your camera position in relation to the subject and the light.

Let’s see what Golden Hour images you create this month. If you want to share your image there is no facility to upload your image here, however just paste your social media link to the image in your comment and we’ll be able to see your image. Please note comments are moderated so it will not show up right away, however we do get a notification when any comment is posted so it won’t take long to get approved and subsequently show up.
As an example; take a look at the sample comments for an Instagram image and Facebook image at the bottom of the September 2021 Monthly Theme – Water blog post. By posting your social media link of your image in your comment, it gives us, or anyone visiting the bog, a chance to not only see your image for the challenge but also the ability to look at your other work as well by visiting your social media through your link. Again the comments here are moderated, we want sharing to be a positive experience. We hope you have fun this month with this challenge.

The first image of a Willet perched on top of a damaged lobster trap, that had washed ashore, was taken at a low angle to get the subject in a clean background. This time of day with the warm light gives an orange colour to the feathers which during normal daylight would be brownish gray with white. The warm light also provides a great background colour. Remember to focus on the bird’s eye. This was shot with a longer focal length, 600mm, and with an aperture of f/7.1 creating the creamy blurred background in the image.

We don’t see American Robin’s very often at the beach close by where we live unless there is some seaweed on the sand where they can forage for insects. In the golden hour light it enhances the rusty red colour of the Robin’s breast feathers and also casts a long shadow which enhances the dimension of the bird. The background slight blue colour of the water is a complementary colour to the bird and the warm sand colour so the background also blends in well with this image.

The image of the Great Blue Heron, is in silhouette due to the Golden Hour back light. It’s not always necessary to see detail in your subject as seen here you can still recognize the bird because of it’s shape which is also enhanced by the reflection in the water. The subject was placed in the bottom center to provide some symmetry for the golden water above and surrounding the bird.

The grass shown below is in part of a local swampy area in Blandford Nova Scotia, known as the dipper pond, which can be beautiful with golden light. You can also see the various shadows cast by the grass creating areas of interest due to the light being closer to the horizon. Taking this image was intended to be more about the colour and shadow. Also shot with a 1/15s shutter speed to get a slight sense of movement on some of the grass as the wind was blowing it around, which can be seen in a few areas. The wood post is the only remaining part of the fence, which has been deteriorating for quite some time, in that area of the swamp.

If you happen to be out in a boat in the early morning or early evening you might get a chance to capture the golden light on the waves from the wake created behind the boat as you’re streaming to your destination. This image makes use of selective focus to have the middle part of the image the sharpest.

This next image shows golden light hitting Percé Rock at the end of day taken from The View Point of Percé Rock on Cape Mont Joli which can be a peaceful spectacular sight, taking in the Northern Gannets as they are flying around the rock and diving in the bay. The shadows on the rock are created as the sun gets even closer to the horizon, during sunset as the sun is dropping behind Mont Saint-Anne. Percé Rock is located in the town of Percé on the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec, Canada.

With our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out an instructional resource, below are a few YouTube video links to help with some hints and ideas.

Golden Hour Photography instructional aids:
■ Landscape Photography Tips and Techniques – Capturing Light During The Golden Hour: Visual Art Photography Tutorials (9min 14sec)
■ Landscape Photography In Golden Hour: by Steven Hanna – Landscape Photography (7min 44sec)

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

May Theme Challenge – “Your Local Zoo”

The theme challenge for May 2022 is “Your Local Zoo“. This month the assignment is to go to a zoo near you and enjoy capturing some animals that you may not have had the chance to photograph before. You’ll contribute to supporting the work they do at your local zoo when you pay admission and you’ll get an opportunity to photograph various types of animals up close.

Two well known Zoo’s in Nova Scotia are the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park and Interpretive Centre located in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia known for it’s variety of animals and birds native to North America and the Oaklawn Farm Zoo located in Millville Nova Scotia known for it’s various exotic and native breeds of animals, birds and reptiles.

There are many challenges to getting good images while at a zoo and we’ll discuss some techniques that will help through showing sample images which will re-enforce the tips presented. The main problem we face as photographers at a zoo is the wire fencing to make it disappear from our images. There are a number of key elements that will help make better images:
■ overcast weather minimizes the glare on the fencing, or find a spot where the fence is in the shade
■ get as close to the fence as possible
■ wait for the subject to be further away from you
■ use a longer focal length lens such as 100mm – 500mm with a wider aperture such as f/4 – f/8 this will blur out the fence that is between you and the subject, pick the aperture that blurs out the fence but also has enough depth of focus to have the subject sharp
■ use a single continuous focus point and focus in a clear spot of the fence, if your having trouble you may need to switch to manual focus, remember to focus on the subjects eye
■ wait until your subject is away from the fence to the subjects left or right so its out of the image frame
■ also wait until the fence behind the subject is further away too so the fence will be blurred out in the background
■ a tighter crop will also help with removing fencing and other distractions from your images
■ Photoshop may be required to cleanup the fencing that was not removed with in camera techniques as described above, you also may want to completely replace the background depending on the in camera result

Let’s see what Local Zoo images you create this month. If you want to share your image there is no facility to upload your image here, however just paste your social media link to the image in your comment and we’ll be able to see your image. Please note comments are moderated so it will not show up right away, however we do get a notification when any comment is posted so it won’t take long to get approved and subsequently show up.
As an example; take a look at the sample comments for an Instagram image and Facebook image at the bottom of the September 2021 Monthly Theme – Water blog post. By posting your social media link of your image in your comment, it gives us, or anyone visiting the bog, a chance to not only see your image for the challenge but also the ability to look at your other work as well by visiting your social media through your link. Again the comments here are moderated, we want sharing to be a positive experience. We hope you have fun this month with this challenge.

The first image of the Siberian Tiger, Zarina, was taken at a low angle, remember its important to get to eye level so the viewer feels connected to the subject. This image was taken at Oaklawn Farm Zoo as the Tiger was pacing around the pen. I used a longer focal length, 400mm, to isolate the head and neck of the subject removing the fencing from the right side of the subject and minimizing the background which is also out of focus due to the focal length, aperture and position of the subject away from the camera and background.

f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 400, @400mm

The image of the female African Lion, taken at Oaklawn Farm Zoo, below is a composite image meaning I replaced the background using Photoshop with an image of a field because the Lion did not move a way from the fence background. As in this case if the need arises to replace the background keep an eye out for background image possibilities at the zoo or surrounding area with the same light and colour so the composite will look as natural as possible. Always keep an eye out for possible scenes to use as backgrounds just in case the in camera image did not work as hoped. If you do not have access to Photoshop checkout a free online web browser based alternative called Photopea which will allow you to achieve background replacements.

f/5.6, 1/800, ISO 640, @400mm

The horses shown below, taken at Oaklawn Farm Zoo, were composed tightly to remove the surrounding distractions

The next four images shown below were taken at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park. This image of the Cougar was using a longer focal length to blur out the fence close to the camera and a tight composition to remove the fence on the right side, however the Cougar did not move a way from the fence in the background, so I used Photoshop to remove the fence.

f/8, 1/200, ISO 1250, @500mm

The image of the Arctic Wolf with the reflection was taken with a longer focal length and composed tightly to remove the fence for the left of the Wolf, however the background was his wooden den and as a result I replaced the background using Photoshop.

f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 640, @200mm

The image of the Timber Wolf was taken as the Wolf was pacing around it’s pen and I waited until the Wolf was in a position that gave a clean more natural background before I captured the image. The Timber wolf was in the optimum position in the pen, being far enough away to blur out the fence, a great background, and in good light.

f/5.6, 1/2000, ISO 400, @200mm

The Red Fox image is a composite replacing the background because the pen just did not have any angles that I could position myself to get a good background. The background for the Fox image was shot at the zoo and used to replace the background using Photoshop.

f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 400, @200mm

As you can see from the examples above that it’s challenging to get all of your images successfully in camera, and may require some Photoshop work to get a final image. In any case you can see it’s possible to create successful images. It’s well worth the experience, to get out for some fresh air, exercise, as well as support your local zoo.

With our monthly theme challenges we try to seek out an instructional resource, below are a few YouTube video links to help with some hints and ideas.

Zoo Photography instructional aids:
■ 5 Tips For Taking Great Photos At The Zoo with Laurie Rubin: by Laurie Rubin [ViewBug] (14min 13sec)
■ No Fences Ep 137: Take and Make Great Photos with Gavin Hoey: by Gavin Hoey [Adorama] (12min 2sec)
■ How to Remove Fence Lines: Photoshop Tutorial #49: by Glyn Dewis (16min 5sec)
■ Remove Fence with 3 Simple Steps in Photoshop: by PiXimperfect (15min 33sec)

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.

April Theme Challenge – “The Moon”

Although a bit late, for this month, April 2022, the theme challenge is “The Moon”. This month the assignment is more challenging from a technical perspective and it requires a bit of planning as well as some specific gear. Your goal is to shoot a single image of the moon either on it’s own or in a landscape.

The moon varies in brightness due to the amount of ambient light from the sun. The colour of the moon is determined by the reflected light from the sun including the angle of the sun in relation to the moon and the atmospheric conditions. The best time of day is when the moon is rising as the sun is setting or when the moon is setting just before the sun is rising.

For images of the moon, go out at the edge of twilight. From last month’s challenge we learned that Civil twilight is the most favourable time within the “Blue Hour” to take photos when we observe the most beautiful colourful light.

Here are some specific tips that will help getting a great image:

The location of the moon in relation to the landscape. It is important to pick a landscape that is further away so that you can achieve a sharp landscape and sharp moon.

Choose a longer focal length such as 200mm or longer so the moon will look larger in your image similar to what your eyes see. Also choose a smaller aperture f/8 – f/11.

Adjust your exposure for the highlights which is the moon, the landscape may be slightly darker but if exposed correctly you will be able to increase the shadows in post processing to bring out enough detail in the landscape. Carefully consider your shutter speed because the earth is moving and as a result the moon will appear to be moving so choose a faster shutter speed say 1/60 to 1/125. It may require a higher ISO setting to get the correct exposure.

Shooting in low light and at longer focal lengths such as 200mm etc… it’s important to use a tripod to ensure sharp images. It’s a good idea to turn off image stabilization, however this depends on your gear as some equipment with newer technology may not be required this step so it’s important to know your gear.

Post processing is typically required to adjust the brightness of the shadows to bring out the detail in the landscape.

Let’s look at some image examples.

First we start with closeup images of the moon with no landscape taken with a longer focal length. The first image is taken when the moon is higher in the sky and as a result there is no colour. The second image is an image of the moon that was not at the horizon and a bit higher in the sky but the colour was influenced by the atmosphere due to the smoke dust from the forest fires across Canada that year. The third image is more dramatic due to the clouds and the light off the moon and clouds creating a more dramatic image. Remember to keep an eye on the news and the weather to determine when it is a good time to go out and capture your image.

When choosing a location to include the landscape it’s important to pick a landscape subject that is further away so you can use a longer focal length to have the moon appear larger in your image. You can use the PhotoPills app or the TPE app to help plan. Remember to watch the moon rise/set in conjunction with the sun set/rise during the month to pick the right time to get the best image possible. Each of these images are a single shot and enhanced using post processing to bring out the landscape detail.

Even if you only have a mobile phone and do not have a longer focal length you can get an image where the moon can enhance your image. It just takes timing. In this image I saw the clouds moving and the moon’s position changing in relation to the clouds and was hoping the moon would appear as an eye in what I called the dragon cloud. I took a number of shots so I would not miss the exact moment with the moon in the right position. Although more challenging just be observant while you are out taking images, you never know what you’ll see and capture.

Let’s see what images you create of the moon this month

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles.

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.