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Photographer’s Tip: Remember What Inspires You

Photographer's Tip, Photography No Responses »

Mar 042013

To start, let me tell you a story…. An excerpt from my 2009 book – Hong Kong

October 2009. I woke up with an enthusiasm and childish spirit that I haven’t had in a long time. There was an excitement to the proceedings; showering as quick as possible, throwing clothes on in a hurry, checking camera batteries, memory, cleaning all the lenses and bringing every accessory to ensure that not a moment would be forgotten. My breakfast was devoured, my shoes were barely tied and I was already trying to make my way to the trains. For all of the MTR system’s efficiency and speed, today it just wasn’t fast enough. We made our way towards Central where we could pick up our park passes and boarded the appropriate shuttle. 15 minutes said the travel guide. More like 15 hours. Even in a crowded bus full of tourists, children and families, I put my spectacular line-avoiding skills on display. Disembarking with my camera bags acting as bumpers, I managed to squeeze my way out before anyone else could.

Presenting our passes at the front gates and making our way through the colorful entrance, I was reminded of the times at Disneyland with my dad. I grab the park map and quickly scan the list of attractions while taking in the ascending hot air balloons and colorful mascots. The cotton candy, hot dog, popcorn filled the air with a fun aroma, while the brightly colored performers, souvenir stalls all add to the experience and building excitement. As we made our way through the opening promenade, the habitat became visible. A few snaps with the cartoon statues and we were on our way up the ramps and through the lines. As we neared the entrance, I got the camera ready. Lots of memory? Check. High speed burst mode? Check. Fast lens? Check. Continuous focus? Check. We walked through the turnstiles and saw the first one. We walked up, he sat quietly eating his breakfast. I smiled, it was a fat teddy just 6ft away. I brought the camera up to my eye and pressed the button. That was it, I didn’t let go of that button for the next hour. Today was my birthday, and I got to see a panda.

Prior to the visit with the fat teddy bears, photography was purely about capturing what stepped in front of the lens. The first number of years was spent learning the technicalities and building the arsenal of toys and gadgets. Next, it was about finding subjects and practicing the theory until it became second nature. For the most part, the process was professional, robotic and simply targeted at delivering an image. Photographic passion was about mastering the technicalities, all the compositional rules and putting into play the numbers and settings against a real world setting.

I got to the top of the peaks in the Canadian Rockies, witnessed the beauty of countless sunrises and sunsets and had the opportunity to immortalize life events for friends and family. Through it all, emotion took a back seat to the drive to learn and understand how to control the camera. Finally the light bulb moment came when I was able to spend time with the fat teddy bears. The moment a much greater inspiration for being behind the camera makes itself known – the moment you become emotionally star struck at the subject you’re capturing. The Panda bears represent my lightbulb moment – when my photographic world shifted and it became more important to enjoy the moment you’re in and appreciate the special opportunities we have as photographers to experience and document the unique moments in the world.

This was one of those situations in life that let you focus on what makes your world valuable. From the life threatening moments while caught in the middle of a typhoon, the fun memories of being a kid walking through the gates of Disney or the quiet moments spent with a loved one watching a sunset, these moments form the foundation of our valued memories. The moments combine to define our trajectory and more importantly, they allow us to develop the experiences that we can be grateful for. A reminder of the adventures, trials and triumphs that I come across and those that I have the privilege of documenting for others.

Almost 4 years on, the wonder and happiness of that first Panda day is still a very vivid memory. I got the chance to make a return visit in June 2012. I had learned a lot about being behind the camera in those intervening years. I learned how to control my cameras better, the impact of lighting, the emotional impact of capturing the right moment and for the most part, I thought I knew everything I needed to in order to deliver a better technical image. I walked into the enclosure again – better gear, more experience and a swagger that I was going to get a spectacular image. Well, sometimes you just have to let yourself be a kid again. I smiled from ear to ear when I saw them again. I put my camera down, took a seat and simply enjoyed my time with them. I had an hour with the bears. I knew that I could get the photo, but I knew that since it would likely be my last visit, it was more important to simply enjoy the experience this time.

I was reminded that you should let yourself be a participant and not always a documentarian. I was reminded that you have to take the opportunities to enjoy what’s before you because you might not get another chance. And I was reminded that part of what makes being behind the camera so special is to enjoy and cherish the experiences that are unfolding in front of it. These are the images from that return trip. My reminder that no matter how far you’ve come and what you might know, there’s still something out there that will step in front of your camera that will make you stop, stare and remember that for all the negatives in the world, the challenges we face in our daily lives, the world can be a beautiful place.

panda01 panda02 panda03

A Year in Review and a Renewal for the New Year

Photographer's Tip, Photography No Responses »

Nov 202012

2012 proved to be an exciting and challenging year behind the camera. A number of successful workshops made new friends, experienced new shooting locations and further developed experience and confidence in shooting the Canadian Wilds. From the familiar peaks of Banff National Park to a few excursions into Jasper National Park, conducting the workshops offered me an opportunity to test new things behind the camera, test my own determination to be in the middle of nowhere in the winter and most importantly, allowed me to start following through on my New Years resolution of helping others learn and exposing them to the photographic world around us. Spring brought new opportunities to further developing and teaching interested students as the flower blossoms and warm winds filled the city and mountains with color. A number of successful zoo days, cityscape workshops and meet & greets continued to develop the techniques as well as allowing me to pass on more information to those around me. The accelerated learning that comes from working with others cannot be understated. I set out this year to become fluid and masterful in being behind the camera. I never intended for the positive side benefit that it would also allow me to better see the world and deliver ever more refined captures.

In preparation for a summer of travel, I spent spring focusing on increasing my confidence at shooting animals, perfecting panorama shooting, new cityscape techniques and refining the little intricacies of camera operation. Side projects in timelapse sequences, graduation photos for clients and the occasional mountain excursions made time fly by. Confidence levels increased with every passing week as the new gear became more comfortable and second nature to operate. The files coming off the camera were getting better with every outing and I was mentally better prepared for the coming trip than I had been for previous ones. Up until this point, I’d made great progress in fulfilling my photography resolutions for the year. I knew my gear inside and out better than ever, I was shooting more for myself and not just for commissions, I had greater patience and calmness when facing adverse weather and most importantly, I was growing better as a mentor and instructor with better feedback from participants and doing a better job of reaching out to a community eager to learn. Can’t go wrong right? I was on top of my mental world and ready to take on whatever Asia threw at me.

Well, that’s where things escalate to a new level of unprecedented gong show. A summer return to Asia broke the will, determination and confidence of all that I’d worked on in the first half of the year. The mental shot lists I had been putting together for months, the sites I’d planned to visit and the experiences I intended to capture were all unavailable, unwilling to cooperate and generally just out of photographic reach. From logistics, time constraints and most importantly, weather, Asia taught me a lesson in humility. Day after day of trying to get preset shots delivered me memory cards of inadequate light & drama, poor framing and general feelings of defeat. By the time I was standing on top of Elephant mountain in Taipei, I wasn’t really sure what I’d gone up for since I almost lost my lunch in the climb and had to stop numerous times along the way to rest a broken self. I took the photos I needed to and for the first time realized that I wasn’t sure if I had anything. Not that it wasn’t publishable or technically well done, but rather whether I had met my own expectations of what I had set out on this trip to do. The small mountain was exposing a crack in my plans for photographic glory. I had prepared myself technically and exposed myself to the different disciplines I wanted to capture, but I never accounted for how large a part the environment and the circumstances of the day would wreck havoc on the photographic checklist I had. Unlike other trips where I was close to home base or could easily make a return trip, I was at the mercy of schedules, commitments and weather that wasn’t very agreeable to sitting on top of a mountain for hours waiting for the perfect light. I got a very good photo of the Taipei cityscape, I just wasn’t sure if it measured up to what I had in mind. Flying out of Taiwan left a feeling of dread to look at the memory cards full of images that I’m not sure is what I wanted or, worse yet, needed to prove to myself that I was a better photographer this year.

Check out the Taiwan Excursion collection

Hong Kong then. A return to a familiar second home and a chance at redemption. This time I had all the gear, this time it was going to be different. From temples, cityscapes, and majestic sights, I can’t lose. Friends abound, support directly from Canon and a knowledge of the city inside and out. Here is where summer went photographically right and I could make up for an unfulfilled Taiwan. I had some early successes and small triumphs to get my footing back. I did test runs for my Gigapan project and got favourable results. I ate nonstop to the happiness of my belly. Ok, let’s go. Well things have a mighty fine way of going sideways right when you’re ready to do the victory dance. You can check out the gruesome details here of what happened when it came time to finish the timelapse & Gigapan of Hong Kong. While winter and spring were fruitful, encouraging and rewarding, summer is where the wheels came off. The expectation I set for myself were lofty but it wasn’t anything that I knew I physically couldn’t do, but the world around me got in the way of accomplishing what seemed like a perfectly easy, conquerable photo assignment. I’d never up to this point walked away from a shooting experience with a gut wrenching feeling of being empty handed. I had memory cards and hard drives full of images, but I couldn’t tell you that I was proud of any of them at that point.

Compared to all the other trips that came before, this was the first I went headstrong into with such a predefined set of images to capture, a delivery of a magical vista and landscape that’s eluded me for years. I didn’t know how high my expectations of myself were going into Asia this year were and worse, I didn’t realize how badly it would break me and grind to a halt all the progress I had made so far. It took me a month to unpack my camera gear after returning. The salt water, spray, dirt and debris caked on as a gruesome reminder from the final night of defeat at Victoria Peak. I didn’t shoot for almost two months. Not a commission, not a personal project, not even testing. For a while, I secluded myself from the photographic community I’d worked extensively with earlier in the year. I deferred teaching workshops for the remainder of summer to other instructors and I didn’t find an inspiration to shoot for myself. I hid in the corporate world, familiar, simple and comfortable. There was a lingering dissatisfaction with myself that I wasn’t good enough to get the job done after so much enthusiasm and preparation.

Slowly as summer came to a close, the little voice started to come back. Timely events and a combination of friends having recently picked up the camera gave a Day One start. Slowly but surely with small excursions and little confidence builders, mental confidence started to come back. Mini projects began to build up again, workshops became a regular occurrence and most importantly, friends were there to support a return with encouragement and camaraderie. I found a renewed sense of personal development and more importantly, a better mindset to face adverse shooting conditions. Successes in the mountains, under starlight and the peace of capturing the rising sun gave me situations that I’d faced before but only now appreciated for not just the photo but the journey that accompanied the capture. From the workshops under the stars to sunrise in Waterton, a commission for a models calendar, furthering new techniques in environmental portraiture and having my friends along for the rediscovery of a passion, the end of summer gave me a renewed focus to shoot, enthusiasm to learn and a returning inspiration to become better with every project.

Months removed from the experience of defeat in Asia, I was able to finally face all the images and muster courage to review and begin preparing them for publication. I slowly began to sift through images from Asia a little bit at a time. I went through my goals and my shot lists that I’d prepared prior to the trip and worked tirelessly through the files I captured hoping to check off some victory and regain a measure of composure and confidence. Slowly but surely images started to present themselves. Photos of the micro transactions and images of the world in simple, direct visuals. I went to Taiwan and Hong Kong to capture a landscape and present architecture and cityscape on a grand scale. Although I managed just a few of those compared to what I had in mind, I realized that subconsciously, I was shooting away at a far more interesting story. A story of the human experience and the interaction of the people that inhabited those cities, the cultures that permeate and characterize the architecture and most importantly, that unlike a tour-book like collection of sites and landmarks, I had a complete visual narrative to share about my journey, the places I visited and most importantly, the people that made the journey unique. Looking back on it now, The Hong Kong Diaries gave me what I didn’t know I wanted – a personal project that showed me what it meant to capture life and the world that surrounds it. It’s not the most comprehensive of works due to the challenges discussed, but it is a defining moment in learning to see the world around me and breaking away from just the commercial ready fine art landscapes.

Check out The Hong Kong Diaries

I don’t think I became a better photographer this year. Smashed gear, missed captures and circumstances beyond my control took away the most dramatic of planned shots. In hindsight though, I think 2012 was the year that I finally became a more complete photographer. Complete in the varied disciplines I’d strived for so long to learn, the reinforcing confidence that comes with teaching and most importantly, the experiences of success and defeat. In some ways, 2012 was a long year with very hard lessons and experiences, in others, it was too quick and not enough time to enjoy the small successes that came with progressive lessons. As it draws to a close though, 2012 proves to be the most personally rewarding yet behind the camera. I set out with some resolutions, generally fulfilled them, experienced a deflating and defeating trip after setting such lofty goals and eventually found the energy and inspiration to get back behind the lens.

I look back on 2012 and I’m thankful for being able to assemble a body of work throughout the year that I’m proud of. The year didn’t go according to the plan I had in my head. But at the end of it, I learned more and came to value more about being behind the camera than I had in years past. More importantly, I learned what it takes to push through the difficulties of uncontrollable circumstances and come through with a new appreciation for the opportunities we have every day.

For all the friends and supporters who continue to frequent this site and share the content, this past year marks a new beginning. I look forward to compiling a new set of resolutions for the coming year which I’ll share with you all. Until then, happy shooting and thank you for the support and encouragement.

Photographer’s Tip: Remind Yourself of the Journey

Photographer's Tip, Photography No Responses »

Nov 142012

Being a gearhead aside, one of the most compelling intrinsic reasons to take up the camera is to document a human experience or adventure that you go through as an individual. Through personal projects in landscapes, adventure and people or comissioned work such as weddings and travel, photography offers a method to documents the world as it unfolds before you. A critical step in ensuring your continued growth and understanding of your skills is dependent upon recognizing the development you’ve undertaken in your journey over the course of time.

Some of the images you’re about to see are from the earliest of my archives. Some are really really bad. In the end, it’s about evaluating where you started, what led you to take those images and most importantly, be able to compare it to where you are today and finitely define where your skills have developed. We are going to go through a mini journey through time to evaluate some examples of the importance of looking back on your personal body of work. It is a critical part of your journey to remind yourself how important it is to recognize the development and growth of your photography. Today’s lesson is about setting an expectation for yourself to learn from how you’ve documented the past, how it affects your current shooting and how to use those experiences to push your capture in the future and allow your style to evolve as a result.

Our first collage demonstrates the scenic views of Victoria Harbour, HK captured in the summer of 2008. These images show the wonderful skyline and have a basic sense of scale with the boats and ferrys in the image. One thing they don’t deliver however is drama and mood to better showcase the vibrace and business of the harbour.

Flash forward to 2012 and we have a vastly different collection of the harbour. The photographs have become more focused with the skyline gaining better attention and framed with more movement, a better perspective on scale and more life. The intervening years taught me a lesson in integrating the environment that your subjects (the skyline) are in so as to better present them as teeming with life. For a long time I saw Hong Kong as a place of wonderful architecture and tall buildings. While that thought is still true and relevant, taking the images a step further but better integrating their scale to the people and vehicles that busily hop through the city and including motion and dynamic lighting has allowed me to showcase a more “alive” image and one that allows people to better relate to the hustle and bustle this metropolis offers.

Next up, Lake Moraine Canada. One of the most photographed places in the Canadian Rockies, Moraine offers a stunning mountain scape, crystal clear water and a view that reminds you of the beauty of nature. All well and good, except it took me about 2 years to figure out that although it was an easy escape to get to, it was a difficult journey to master. The first photo, taken in 2005, is an example of what I considered good enough at the time. It was framed decently well, the horizon was actually somewhat level and I thought for a long time that it had drama. Well it didn’t, at least not the drama and scale that this wonderful place offered visitors. A return in 2006 showed a slight evolution in composition and marked improvement in mood as the late sunset offered a different color palette. I was more careful to step back and frame a wider shot, but it still didn’t give the impact that I had seen on so many others capture.

In 2009 I challenged myself to deliver the images that made Moraine an incredible place to visit. I knew how to get there, I knew what settings were required for a sharp photo, but I didn’t recognize until this trip that the pain and suffering of landscape stems from the need to go when others won’t, get up when it’s not natural and get to the site when the light accents the subject. Now we had the drama of the red light hitting the peaks, the vibrant colors of summer and most importantly, I finally started to learn and appreciate that good photos require great effort in not just the technical side of things, but also the environment to cooperate and allow you an opportunity to capture what is in your head. A progressive photo the following year allowed me to show a dramatically different, snow covered, Moraine Lake. It was an image that although didn’t have as much visual impact as a beautiful sunrise, offered a unique image that wasn’t seen very often. Cold feet and frosty fingers be damned, I was on a mission to learn from past mistakes and strived to deliver something that wasn’t as common as sunrise anymore.

And that brings us to Moraine by Starlight – you’ve seen the previous post here – This was the end of the Moraine journey – it was a culmination of the lessons of grand composition, exceptional lighting and pure effort and determination to stay awake as well as not get eaten by an unseen cougar or bear under the moon & starlight. From the first lesson in 2005 to this effort in late 2012, Moraine has provided a consistent challenge that demands attention to detail while pushing you to capture something unique of such a well documented space. Light, sunrise, stars and the season – these are the variables which, applied to all fields of photography, defined the learning curve that I’m grateful to have undertaken. Had I an opportunity to accelerate this lesson instead of taking 7 years to go through it, I definitely would have, but at the same time, I’m not entirely sure I’d have gotten as much out of it without the downtime in between.

Revisitng the same locations or subjects is a theme of this lesson. It’s about reminding yourself of what you’ve been able to accomplish there before and pushing yourself to getting something better the next time. Photography is not just about capturing the scene before you, but to become better at finding those scenes, you have to invest time and energy into analyzing the past. Your own work and the ones that inspire you help to define where you want to be and also act as a constant reminder of what little details are required to get there.

7 years on, am I done with Moraine? No, I have a few more trips left on the list to conquer this little place and maybe one day deliver the image I know is still left uncaptured.

I’m not going to beat to death the lesson of reviewing your past work and comparing it to what you have now, but I am going to share a few more then and now examples of how things have evolved over the years – here’s a travel photo of cabs in Hong Kong – 2008 vs 2012 – it’s become about mood and lighting. Colors pop, the scene gains drama and it’s gone from a simple snap shot to something that is more telling of the busy city that these cabs operate in.

Calgary Alberta Canada – 2006 vs 2011 – understanding the interplay of sunset, downtown lights and making the best use of the blue hour. Dramatic sky exists in the first with storm clouds but no dramatic lighting gives it a very flat look. Fast forward a few years and patience and a little luck pays off with a much more vibrant color palette and attention to detail with cars filling the parking lot and bringing needed life to frame the city.

That’s it for this round of examples. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a line at francis@fymphoto.com. Also don’t forget to stop by my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fymphoto and show your support by hitting the “Like” button. Til next time – don’t forget that photography is a journey and more importantly, don’t forget to keep shooting!

The Challenges That Make The Difference

Landscape, Photographer's Tip, Photography 1 Response »

Jun 242012

I have had on my bucket list since my first go-round that I wanted to capture the Hong Kong skyline from Victoria Peak one more time. Another attempt to deliver the drama, depth, grandeur and scale of a magnificient city that never stops filling the eyes with imagery and is the source of a lot of my inspiration and lessons in photography. Hong Kong is my city of dreams. It’s a modern city full of tradition that delivers a visual assault and is a photographer’s dream. Whether you’re into street, landscape, architectural or people photography, Hong Kong delivers variation and challenges in spades. Above the hustle and bustle of the city though is a viewpoint offering a peace from the organized chaos below, Victoria Peak stands high above the city offering the tallest vantage point, spectacular scenery and a wonderful photography challenge in how to present such a massive city and preserve its scale.

Over the course of the last few years, I have to be honest in every cityscape and landscape shot has been taken partially as a mental exercise in preparing for another run at The Peak. Exposure, sharpness, light metering – every technical detail poured over in every shot to maximize quality, refine technique and mentally note how to push harder and be better so that when the opportunity presented itself, I would be ready. Even the gear has changed – upgraded to withstand the weather, offer steadier support systems and most importantly, deliver a cleaner and more detailed image. Hundreds of hours of practice, thousands of dollars in upgrades all for a personal project that has both excited me and tormented me every time I think about it. It’s been 3 years since I lugged my gear up that mountain and me oh my was I ready, besides, what could go wrong? Well, apparently, a lot…

Bumming around Taiwan & Hong Kong for a few weeks already helped to acclimate to the heat and humidity of summer – 32 deg Celsius and 85% humidity were the order of most days and by the time The Peak presented itself, I had already survived the grueling, not to mention vomit inducing climb of Elephant mountain in Taipei. Elephant mountain was the practice round on this trip – a few weeks before my Victoria Peak attempt, it provided many similarities and familiar challenges. The heat of the day lead to the consumption of almost 3L of water on the 300m ascent and more than a few breaks along the way as 50lbs of gear takes its toll much faster on the body in the heat & humidity of Taipei compared to the refreshing cool of the Canadian Rockies. “Photo breaks” along the way were my excuse of keeling over trying to catch my breath and downing water just to keep temperatures down. Not gonna lie, there were more than a few times the thought of turning around popped into my head.

The trek up to here sucked- I would put it in my top 5 worst physical experiences and above breaking my thumb golfing, but there was a rewarding feeling now that I stood above it all. The winds gave their blessing upon reaching the summit as they stuck around to cool and dry me off while subsiding to a light breeze once the camera equipment got unpacked. A few hours later and a number of shots snapped off and I walked away quite happy to present a panoramic view of Taipei, Taiwan with Taipei 101 proudly standing against the setting sun;

Mental Confidence Level: 10. Physical ability level: 10 (ok maybe an 8 since I had to stop so many times). Equipment confidence level: 10. Bring on Victoria Peak! Well, they say you pay for it when you get cocky….

Unlike the last photo from 2009, this Peak photo was going to be made away from the creature comforts and stable platforms offered by The Peak Tower and Dragon’s Lookout. This time, the vantage point was a 2km walk around the mountain side to an outcropping offering a more open view of the buildings below, the surrounding harbours and deep into Kowloon & the New Territories. Epic was the challenge and so was the vision. I knew this project was going to involve more challenging conditions the moment I stepped out of the comfort of the nicely air conditioned car. Unlike Taipei where the height above the city gave a cool & refreshing breeze, The Peak had some other ideas and quickly delivered the message “I don’t want you here”. The humidity was so dense that clothes, my backpack and certainly all my gear were damp to the touch. The wind was hot and the resulting heat haze hid most of the Kowloon peninsula behind a layer of horror movie mist.

Did I mention the 2km hike? Well, that’s also out of a friggin horror movie – dense jungle, sporadic lighting, random gated & heavily guarded private properties. Yep, not fun when you’re alone and far away from the tourists, lights and sense of safety. I didn’t care about being mugged or murdered actually, I was worried of running into a random evil monkey, or worse yet, a Japanese girl with long black hair (Ring 3D is playing here in HK).

So half an hour of walking (even more stops and more water than the Elephant mountain trek) and I haven’t been killed by evil Japanese school girl or beat up by mr evil monkey. I get to my spot, setup and pray for the best due to the mist. As tonight is a scouting trip (it’s 1030pm) and far too late for the Golden Hour for sunset drama & blue hour detail, my goal is simply to find the right spot, determine the angles and then head back home to compile it and plan for the full multi-hour timelapse, panorama, every last bit of memory card I have with me assault on The Peak. Night successful.

Mental Confidence Level: 9 (getting a little scared of the task before me). Physical ability level: 9 (boy I thought I was in good enough shape…) Equipment confidence level: 10. Excitement over this successful scouting trip is tempered by my personal pressure to deliver something which has consumed me for the last 3 years. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy to finally get this chance, but by golly was I ever worried about disappointing myself, even if it was beyond my control…

The sun rose and excitement and anxiety grew with every passing minute. The schedule was set – ascend to The Peak at 4pm, grab an afternoon snack, setup at 5pm and capture through the blue hour until it was time to meet Ms Maegan for dinner at 8. Straight forward I thought. 3 years of learning, refinement, new gadgets and every technical preparation I could do led to this. Autopilot time – batteries? Yep, 4 fully charged sets. Lenses cleaned? Check. Tripod & Ballheads tightened? Check. Weight ballast to help keep everything firmly in place? Check. Everything was going to plan for the first 2 hours. The timelapse was going well with a nice dramatic sky moving towards me, lots of activity in the harbor and a dancing light moving across the city and highlighting the different buildings of Central. I was getting giddy and ready to do the happy dance. So far so good and now the countdown to golden hour & blue hour begins. And so does a physical experience worse than climbing Elephant mountain. You see, in my enthusiasm for the good clear weather and lack of heat mist today, I didn’t really bother to check the weather forecast – the one that said a typhoon was moving in around dinner time…. here’s the shot from a previous post – the clouds had come in so low that they were obscuring the top 2/3 of International Commerce Center seen in the left hand of the frame.

These two frames above are separated by 30 seconds according to the time stamps.

Well, just as the lights started to turn on and the sunlight faded behind the horizon, I got walloped by a wall of wind and water that I have never experienced before. My tripod (with my camera still attached as there was no time to react), blew over even with a 30lb ballast suspended to keep it from doing just that. My camera back was soaked faster than I could pull out the rain cover, and me? Well it was summer right? T-shirt and shorts for me. I was soaking wet from head to toe in a matter of seconds. The wind was so fierce and the water like shards of glass that I contemplated leaving the equipment out and making a run back to the safety of The Peak Tower. Stupidity prevailed though and I went to retrieve my camera and tripod which had moved the better part of 15ft from where I was and held on for dear life against the iron rails of the lookout. The only thing that helped to reduce the onslaught of wind & water was an umbrella I picked up the previous day from the Heritage Museum (worth a visit btw). I thought to myself that it wouldn’t last very long and that I would get a reprieve soon enough so that I can make my way back to The Peak Tower. Nope. Not tonight. It wasn’t a few minutes, it was an hour and a half until the weather broke and the rain & wind slowed to a drizzle that I could safely open my camera bag to start packing my equipment up. This wasn’t simply about getting wet – it was the possibility of destroyed equipment, high potential for physical injury if I stood up and got caught in the wind, or worse yet, if this didn’t let up before I mentally broke. I honestly wasn’t sure for that hour and a half if I was getting off the mountain with my sanity intact. This was 3 years of buildup brought down by a torrent of wind and rain to remind me that it’s not the things you control which makes the difference, it’s the things that you have to compromise with the environment so that it allows you to take your picture.

I walked out to the outcropping with about 50lbs of gear between the lenses, cameras, tripods and supports. I brought all of that back plus whatever water weight all my gear bags and clothes could bring with it. I’ll be honest in saying that part of me was worried I was going to meet Ms Maegan for dinner looking less than presentable, but moreso I was gutted that this perfect opportunity with no smog, relatively low humidity and a wonderfully clear view of Kowloon and the New Territories was stopped dead in its tracks by the fierce weather. Such clear conditions are becoming less frequent and I wasn’t sure if I had enough frames to put together the panorama I wanted. Worse yet, I didn’t know if I’d get the opportunity to get up here again on this trip with such (until the typhoon part) clear conditions available.

Having a number of missed and out of focused shots with Mr Teddy didn’t bother me as I had hours in a relatively controlled environment to try again and I was successful in navigating the settings and the enclosure to get the shots I wanted. Taipei was a physical challenge to get to the vantage point but once I got to the top, things ran like clockwork. Even sunrise and winter photography although presenting unique environmental challenges, were shooting opportunities which I was able to overcome and deliver the images I wanted. Tonight at The Peak however, was a challenge that presented an insurmountable obstacle. As time passed over dinner and I started to review what frames I did have. I became sad. Not because I didn’t have a panorama that I could be proud of, but because in the end, the image that I’d dreamed of with the city powering up during the blue hour and the lights extending far into the horizon was actually before me and I didn’t get the opportunity to capture it. Weather presented a challenge to me that I couldn’t get past – it took too long for things to die down and by then, the details in the buildings began to fade into the night. The lingering storm front also began to obscure the distant lights of Kowloon & the New Territories. I was soaking wet from head to toe and I wasn’t really sure if my gear was still in working order after it smacked the rocks and took chucks of paint off (not to mention gallons of water falling on it for such a continuous period).

Somewhere behind that water on the lens is Hong Kong….

Mental confidence 4. Physical confidence 5. Equipment confidence 5 (I don’t know if anything is damaged).

Over the next few days, I moved on to complete other work in the city and tried to distance myself from the sadness of that evening on The Peak. It was hard and it did take some of the heart & enthusiasm out of an otherwise very successful photography trip. Even as I write this, I dwell on that evening as a failure of my ability to overcome the weather and get the photo. Logically, I understand that it would not have been possible. Physically it would have been incredibly dangerous to try again. Personally however, it was a defeat of the spirit more than anything else. 3 years of anticipation and buildup, an hour and a half of getting knocked off your totem pole hanging onto an iron fence like a helpless kid.

It’s been a week now and I’ve finally had a chance to start looking at the images and begin production of the panoramas. What I set out to do on timelapse and the daytime GigaPan came out a roaring success. My nightscape of the city didn’t turn out as I planned, but now that I’ve assembled it, I’m happy to have captured the drama of the storm front moving in. This personal project provided me with both the greatest technical and physical challenge Ive yet faced. Although I’m still saddened by the opportunity taken away from me by the weather, I’ve finally come to be grateful for the lesson I received on that outcropping – never give up. It’s the challenges and difficulties that form the stories and backdrop for the images we deliver. The images we share are born of the experiences we endure behind the camera and it’s these experiences which bring meaning and depth to our images. It’s a lesson that I’ll bring back with me to The Peak when I’ve recovered, learned a little more, gotten a little better and perhaps be a little more prepared so that I can capture my dream photo when I’m ready and the mountain is willing.

Until next time, I present Hong Kong 2012 – two gigapans from the clear afternoon skies and the calm before the massive storm on the horizon;

Please take a moment to stop by our facebook page and leave your comments on what you’d like to see and Like our page to get the latest wanderings and adventures. Thanks for stopping by & for your continued support. Happy shooting!

Photographer’s Tip – Round Two for the Zoo!

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May 152012

I’d like to thank the readers for their awesome support and crazy sharing of the last few articles – please continue spreading the word and practicing your photography!

The Calgary Zoo is offering an exceptional opportunity on June 9th, 2012 to participate in the “FOCUSED” photography event. Doors open early and help enthusiasts of all skill levels to explore the zoo without the hustle and bustle of kids running around while offering more opportune moments to capture the animals in their more active states. Unfortunately due to some prior commitments with awesome Giant Pandas in Asia, I will not be able to make an appearance at this June event. I wish you all the best at this excellent event and let’s all work towards spreading the word and ensuring a successful event so that we can get more of these opportunities!

By popular demand, here’s round 2 of Zoo Photography Tips

Patience Patience Patience - Observing other visitors on multiple occasions leads me to believe a number of people stop, read the sign, peek to find the animal and then move on in pretty short order. If you’re trying to capture a moment with your favorite furry friend, patience and the art of slowing down will pay huge dividends. As mentioned in the last article, it took the better part of a few visits due to weather and circumstances beyond my control before I finally had the opportunity to capture the Siberian Tiger in the pose I’d imagined. Alternatively, the Giant Panda pictures below took almost two hours of waiting in the enclosure before they finally positioned themselves and undertook activities that gave an interesting capture. Pick the animal which you’d like to photograph, and carefully walk around the enclosure to find an interesting angle. Then wait. And wait some more. Or heck, visit another fur ball and come back again. But be mentally patient and wait for them to give you the photo instead of just taking a snap shot. Exercise patience and don’t forget – Keep your eye on the ball!
Invest in and use a support system – Tripods are simply too bulky and cumbersome to setup given the fences you butt up against as well as the potential hazards of other guests tripping over them or worse yet, knocking over your camera (I’m a photographer not a humanitarian ). Invest in a monopod to help stabilize your camera and minimize the physical tasks that could otherwise distract you from getting a sharp shot. Monopods can help stabilize shaky hands, balance the weight of long lenses, combat slow shutter speeds and even double up as a walking stick. Check out my previous photographer’s tip to see what gear I bring with me to the field and adjust accordingly to suit your needs.
Get down low (or at least eye level) – Eye level shots just like portraits of people help delivers an emotional connection. We talked about focusing on the eyes in the previous zoo article, this tip is more about adjusting your perspective to shoot from the same level as the animal’s face instead of shooting down and shooting up. It’s a subtle difference, but the finished image can deliver greater impact and intimacy by removing the ‘snap shot’ perspective normally associated with non-eye-level shooting. The mental association that your viewer makes with an eye level shot is that they’re participating in your subject’s world instead of just looking into a world on the other side of the fence which is the feeling zoo photos can give off when we’re shooting from above or below.
Watch the background – Trash can, fence, zoo signs can all detract from the experience of your viewers getting lost in your photos. Part of the patience exercise should be evaluating not just the right angle for your animal shots you want, but also making sure any distractions in the background that doesn’t fit with the animals’ environment is not present. Animal photos work best when we subconsciously view the background as an integral part of their natural environment. A washroom sign in the background or a kid with his face pressed against the fence detracts from the depth of your photo and highlights the captive environment of the animal. Keep an eye out and aim for the cleanest backgrounds you can. Note – for those paying attention from the last article, a long lens and large aperture will help to diffuse your background. Know your camera equipment!
Watch out for reflections – If you’re attempting to shoot through fences, get your front element as close to if not through the openings but be mindful of the sun. If the front of your lens is too large to fit in the gaps of chain link, choose to shoot from a shaded area to minimize reflections from the fencing which can appear on your images and fuzzy lines and ruin your perfect shot. If you’re shooting through glass, as inopportune as it might be for your framing, shooting directly against the glass and try to avoid shooting at an angle against it. This will cause both distortion as well as a loss in image quality due to the light diffraction as the glass can act as a prism reducing the quality of light hitting your camera.
Charge your batteries, bring an extra one and don’t be embarrassed to bring your charger – If you have to, be that person sitting by a power plug waiting to get a small charge on your camera. Whatever you do, don’t be the person stuck walking around with a useless camera and never ending missed opportunities because your battery doesn’t hold enough of a charge. Going with the entire Photographer’s Tip theme of knowing your gear, knowing the shooting endurance of your camera’s batteries is crucial. As we covered before, when it comes to animal photography – shoot shoot shoot. This takes a massive toll on your batteries especially if you’re the type to continuously review your shots as you go. Pack extra batteries, bring your charger and don’t get left out. As a side note, find out from your camera manual where your battery charge indicator is, how to read it and if possible, find out what the rough lifespan of shots you should get our of it are. Make a mental note of this number and be conscious to look at your charge indicator regularly so you’re not in the middle of the lion finally walking into your frame after you’ve patiently waited for 30 mins and your camera gently powers off. It’s happened to me before. Profanity ensues.

Thanks for stopping by – good luck to the Calgary shooters participating in FOCUSED and a big thank you to everyone who has shared and supported this site. Remember to stop by our Facebook page and show your support by liking our page. As always, feel free to drop me a line via e-mail at francis@fymphoto.com or write on the Facebook wall for what you’d like to see, what we’ve done well or share some of your shots!

Finally – A Tiger Sequence

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May 132012

The Siberian Tiger. Strong. Majestic. Elusive. Sleepy. Boring?!?!??! Well yea, it’s always siesta time at The Calgary Zoo. This is one of the few sequences that I’ve been wanting to capture over the little while. Between the new tiger cubs being born and generally lethargic early spring for these wonderful animals, it’s been painful to try to get a full shot of them in motion instead of what we showed in the earlier article. Multiple trips and hours of waiting later, we’re finally rewarded today for a short period as one of the male tigers paced around and explored the enclosure giving an excellent opportunity to practice our techniques from the last “Photographer’s Tip“. Thanks again Calgary Zoo – awesome time – but still no cotton candy

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