Category: Equipment

Photographic Equipment

Packing for Iceland and the Arctic Summer 2013

Posted in Arctic, Equipment, Iceland, News and Updates, Travel PhotographyLeave a comment

In a weeks time I will be making the long trek back to Iceland for my 2013 summer Highlands Workshop (with a love of the Polar regions I really lucked out being born in Australia when it comes to travel time). Iceland in summer is a magical destination for photography and I always look forward to returning. I particularly love the summer months as it allows access into the normally inaccessible highland regions and the midnight sun provides hours of golden light for photography. Although the hours for photography are long the rewards are always worth while and I look forward to watching the sun rise and set over the primordial Icelandic landscape. I am particularly looking forward to this trip as some of the participants I have previously travelled with in Antarctica and they are a fabulous group of people and have become friends. I am looking forward to reuniting with them in Reykjavik and starting our trip. There are only a couple of places remaining on my Summer Iceland workshops next year if you missed out this year.

After our Iceland workshop I will be spending a few days in Reykjavik to rest after the long hours of midnight sun photography. Weather permitting I will take the opportunity to do some aerial photography over the glacial rivers and the highland region of Landmannalaugar. Aerial photography in Iceland is something I have wanted to undertake for many years now and I am very much looking forward to this opportunity. There are spectacular patterns and colours over the glacial rivers and highlands and the aerial perspective should provide some unique imagery.

After we finish in Iceland my friend Daniel Bergmann and I will head to Longyearbyen (via Oslo) in Svalbard for an expedition with nine other photographers to photograph Polar Bears aboard MS Origo. I am packing the new Canon 200-400mm F4L IS with its inbuilt 1.4 Teleconverter on the 1DX as the ideal weapon for Polar Bear photography and am looking forward to putting this new optic through its paces in the Arctic. After our Polar Bear trip we will dock back in Longyearbyen and board the ice hardened expedition ship Polar Pioneer to co-lead the exciting Jewels of the Arctic expedition from Svalbard to Greenland and Iceland. We are looking forward to some spectacular landscape and wildlife opportunities on this trip. Spitsbergen’s rugged northwest coast comprises mountains, tundra and fjords and Greenland’s remote east coast shows off the immensity of the icecap, fantastic icebergs and massive granite spires rising over 1000 metres above the fjords. The arctic landscape is one of untold splendour and beauty and this expedition has been designed to maximise the photography opportunities. This expedition offers a complete Arctic experience for photography: tundra walks amidst reindeer and exquisite dwarf vegetation, zodiac cruises near icebergs and calving glacier fronts, hikes to breathtaking mountain vistas and warm welcomes into indigenous communities. We will likely see and photograph reindeer, Arctic fox, musk ox, countless sea and land birds, walrus, seals, whales and polar bears amongst the breathtaking arctic landscapes. We will have nearly 24 hours of daylight with hours and hours of golden light. At our most northerly position we will be only 600 miles from the North Pole. This expedition is sold out; however I will be co-leading another expedition in 2014 to the Arctic (The Jewels of the Arctic) and bookings are now open. Please contact me if you would like more information or visit the workshop page on my website to download a detailed itinerary.

I will farewell my friend Daniel when we dock in Iceland and hook up with my co-leader Peter Eastway and friend Antony Watson for the return Jewels of the Arctic Expedition (I must remind them both to pack some vegemite). Joining us on this trip will be Abraham Joffe from Untitled Film works. Abraham and his company will be filming and producing a short film of our adventures and experiences and it is our hope to provide a glimpse into what life is like aboard ship during a photography expedition. These photography expeditions and workshops are huge amount of fun as well as a fabulous learning opportunity and we hope to capture the experience of joining such a trip in a short video that will be freely available toward the end of this year. I won’t list the full spectrum of equipment Abraham and his film company are bringing on this expedition as the list is extensive – suffice to say he will be shooting with a RED Epic as well as several Canon 1DC Cameras. Untitled Film works were selected from a large number of applicants for this project due to their exceptionally high quality work, passion for their craft and desire to continually raise the standards of production. I want to thank them for taking on the project and look forward to working with them. To get an idea of the calibre of their productions please visit their website at www.untitledfilmworks.com.au and stay tuned on our return for a glimpse into our expedition.If you have been following my blog you will know that I am taking the Gura Gear Monarch Bataflae camera bag on this two month trip to Iceland and the Arctic. Andy Biggs kick started The Monarch’s adventures about a month ago on safari in the wilds of Africa and I am pleased to pick up the torch and carry on it’s travels. This time it is headed to Iceland, the Svalbard Archipelago and Greenland as above. I am going to be away for two months and as well as teaching workshop in the field will also be photographing alongside the participants. We will be shooting everything from Icelandic and Arctic landscapes including mountains, glaciers, icebergs, waterfalls and geothermal regions to wildlife including grazing reindeer, Walrus, Sea Birds and with a little luck some Polar Bears so the Monarch is leaving Australia chock full of equipment.

Gura Gear Monarch Bataflae 32L: (carry on luggage)

  • Canon EOS 1DX Pro Body Camera
  • Canon EOS 1DS MK3 Pro Body Camera
  • Sigma 15mm Fish Eye Lens (I have some specific shots in mind for this specialist lens)
  • Canon 17mm F4L TSE Lens
  • Canon 24mm F3.5L TSE Lens
  • Canon 24-70mm F2.8L MKII Lens (The MKII version of this lens is an amazing piece of glass)
  • Canon 70-200mm F2.8L IS Lens
  • Canon 200-400mm F4L IS Lens with inbuilt 1.4 TC (Yes! It has arrived! Watch the Unboxing Video)
  • 4 x Spare Batteries for the Canon Cameras
  • 1 x Macro Extension Tube
  • 1 x 2X TC Teleconverter
  • Cable Release and Bubble Level
  • Assorted CF and SD Cards totalling around 100 Gigabytes
  • Rocket Blower and Dust Cleaning paraphernalia
  • Complete LEE Foundation and Filter Kit with Soft and Hard ND Graduated filters – includes a custom made adapter for the Canon 17mm TSE Lens
  • Rode Portable Microphone and Dead Cat (for recording small bits of audio in the field)

Gura Gear Chobe Bag: (carry on luggage)

  • 15″ Macbook Pro with Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6 with the Nik Plugin suite
  • MacBook Power Adapter
  • 2 x 1TB iOmega dual firewire 800 Hard Drives (for dual in the field image back up)
  • Various Power Adapters / Chargers and Associated Cables
  • Canon 1DX / 1DS MK3 Battery  Charger
  • iPad Mini (e-books and movies for the long flights)
  • Firewire 800 CF Reader
  • Passport / iPhone / Wallet
  • A lot of these items I store inside Gura Gear Etcetera cases inside the Chobe. (These cases are fabulous for organising accessories)

North Face Thunder Rolling Duffle: (checked luggage)

  • Arctic Sport Muck Boots (For use in the zodiacs in the Arctic)
  • 66º North Wet and Cold Weather Outer Shells
  • Base Layers
  • Mid Layers – Trekking Pants and Tops
  • Gloves and Hat
  • Miscellaneous clothes
  • Personal items and toiletries – including Sunscreen (The Ozone layer is extremely thin in the Poles and it is very easy to get sun burned in minutes)

Tripod: (checked luggage)

  • Really Right TVC24L Tripod
  • Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head
  • Really Right Stuff Tripod Spikes (For mossy ground and rock claws for ice and rock)
  • Wimberley Side Kick (For use with the 200-400 Lens)

What Camera Gear is being left at home?

As someone who prefers to carry it and not need it, rather than need it and not have it, I always find myself in a bit of quandary when it comes to deciding what to leave at home when packing for a workshop or expedition. This is not to say I am indecisive; rather, my imagination often runs away with the possibilities of when and where I might use a given lens or piece of equipment.  Despite my intentions, I often find a lens I planned to leave at home sneaks its way into my bag at the last minute as the fear of wanting it outweighs the thought of the extra weight in the camera bag. On this occasion however, I feel quite confident in my lens selection. I have all the major focal lengths covered and although some of my favourite glass is staying at home (The Canon 300mm F2.8L IS and 85mm F1.2L MKII) I do have these focal lengths covered in the 70-200 F2.8L IS and Canon’s new 200-400 F4L IS Lens. I am particularly looking forward to putting this later lens through its paces in the Arctic. In case you missed it, I reviewed an early prototype of this lens late last year and found its performance to be staggeringly good (the video of the review was featured over at the Luminous Landscape). Just for giggles I also did a short Unboxing Video.

The Bitter Sweet

It is always somewhat bitter sweet for me to be heading overseas on a photography workshop. On the one hand I love spending time in the outdoor polar regions with other photographers who are passionate about their craft. I am fortunate to meet and travel with some fabulous people who are not only talented photographers in their own right but also a source of continual inspiration. Many of these participants have become friends and I just want to take a moment to acknowledge their photography and thank them for their participation and input. The breadth of talent I see on workshops and expeditions is always a source of inspiration for my own photography. I am particularly looking forward to hooking up with my good friend Martyn Lucas with whom I have travelled in both Iceland and Antarctica. This time Martyn is joining me for the Jewels of the Arctic expedition and it will be great to have him onboard. The bitter for me is that I am leaving my wife and two young kids for an extended period of time. The drudgery of the daily school drop offs and pick ups always seems a distant memory when I step onto the plane and it is the smiling faces I remember. Thank goodness for technology and Skype.

Canon 200-400mm F4L IS w/ 1.4TC Unboxing

Posted in Arctic, Equipment, Travel Photography3 Comments

I am not normally into ‘unboxing videos’ but I could not help myself this afternoon when I found myself with a few minutes to spare and a large cardboard box containing the new ‘Canon 200-400mm F4L IS USM Lens’. I field tested a prototype of this lens late last year (You can see the Video HERE) and have been eagerly awaiting its official announcement and release in the hopes it would arrive in time for my Arctic workshops this July and August. Thankfully, it was delivered today which gives me a week to test it before I take it to Svalbard and Greenland in search of Polar Bears. So, just for giggles, HERE is my first (and probably last) unboxing video of the new and hotly anticipated Canon 200-400 Lens. In keeping with what seems traditional with unboxing videos – its faceless.

Gura Gear – Bataflae Around the World

Posted in Arctic, Equipment, Iceland, News and Updates4 Comments

As the cool fall air breaks free of the summer heat, thousands of cocooned Monarch butterflies begin to hatch and ready themselves for their migration journey of roughly 3000 miles (4,828 km). Monarch butterflies are said to have the most highly evolved migration pattern of any species of butterfly on the planet. Every year the Monarchs that are born in the fall set off from as far north as Canada on a long journey to Mexico. Monarchs are truly a butterfly built for traveling. Since its inception, Gura Gear has focused its efforts on photography backpacks for the traveling photographer. The original bag featured a butterfly style opening and after many phases of design, the bag has evolved into what is now the Bataflae. The 26 and 32 litre Bataflae bags still retain the same butterfly style opening capability and are my camera bags of choice for all my photographic needs.

This shouldn’t be news to most of you. So what is the point?

In honor of the obvious influence butterflies have had on the Gura Gear bags, the folks at Gura Gear are sending one camera bag on a Monarch style adventure to as many corners of the globe as possible. A brand new grey 32L Bataflae which has been appropriately named “The Monarch Bataflae“, recently completed its maiden journey in the deserts of Africa with my friend and  professional African wildlife photographer, Andy Biggs. You can follow his travels with the bag on his Google+ page. After an exciting few weeks with Andy, the same bag returned to the Gura Gear head office before winging its way to me down under in preperation for my summer workshops to Iceland, Svalbard and Greenland. In a few days time I will start the long trek to Iceland with The Monarch Bataflae. It will take three flights and over 24 hours of travel to reach Iceland from Australia. Over the next two months it will travel across the Icelandic landscape during my midnight sun summer highlands workshop. I will carry it from the city of Reykjavik to the spectacular Jokulsarlon lagoon, onto the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and into the stunning multi-coloured geothermal highlands of Landmannalaugar. After its sojourn through Iceland the bag will travel with me to Longyearbyen in the Svalbard Archipelago (via Oslo) where I will take it aboard the expedition ship M.S Origo to cruise the Arctic waters around Svalbard in search of Polar Bears and dramatic Arctic landscapes.  It will then board the ice hardened expedition ship Polar Pioneer and cruise the Arctic waters to Greenland to photograph giant icebergs, polar bears, reindeer and carving glaciers. At it’s northerly most point The Monarch Bataflae will be only 600 miles from the North Pole. On my return home in September The Monarch Bataflae will be shipped back to Gura Gear in the USA where a couple more pro photographers will be waiting to take the bag onto more exotic destinations – each one signing the inside of the bag to track it’s journey across the planet. This Monarch Bataflae is going to rack up some serious miles over the coming year and reach some truly wondrous destinations for photography.

Then its Your Turn!

Gura Gear want your help to get the bag to as many places in the world as possible and you are invited to submit an application to participate (applications are now open! Click here to apply.) You will also be able to sign your name inside the bag alongside those pro photographers who have travelled before you and help The Monarch Bataflae complete a truly worldwide migration.

Keep an eye on the Gura Gear blog and their social channels to see when it’s your turn to have a chance to take the bag. Also follow along as each photographer and destination will be highlighted with stories and images from their travels.

Stay tuned for a list of equipment The Monarch Bataflae will be carrying on my two month journey to the Arctic.

Of course, if you can’t wait and need a new camera bag for your next adventure you can order one now from Gura Gear.

Expert Shield – Screen Protectors Review

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Screen protectors for phones, tablets and cameras are a very large business these days (in fact IOS device accessories alone are a multi billion dollar industry) and there are a great many possible options from which to choose. Up until now I have avoided these accessories as I have found they often do not adhere properly, bubble, are too opaque or otherwise fail to deliver on their promises. Some camera manufacturers have actually taken to shipping their cameras with screen protectors. The problem with these plastic devices is they are often opaque or only slightly translucent. They often dull the LCD screen or adversely affect the colour appearance. I have always discarded these devices when I have found them shipped with my camera or touch screen device and simply lived with the resultant scratches that inevitably occur through general wear and tear.

I came across a product a few weeks ago that I think is worth sharing and that I have been trialling for the last week on my iPhone, iPad Mini and 1DX camera. These screen protectors made by ‘Expert Shield‘ who are based in the United Kingdom claim a level of transparency and resistance to scratching that sets them above the other offerings on the market (You may already be aware of these Shields and I could just be late to the party).

Applying the shield to your device is a straightforward three step process as documented on the back of the product:

Step 1: Using the supplied lint cloth you just wipe the surface of the screen to remove any finger prints, dust or skin oil. This step is best done in a dust free environment and the key to a perfect application is to ensure you do not get any dust trapped between the screen and the protector. Once you have cleaned the screen you need to be careful not to touch it before applying the shield.

Step 2: You peel back the edge of the side labelled Step One on the shield and lay it on the screen corner of your device. Once aligned, you simply lay it down removing the protective cover as you go. If you misalign the shield you can easily lift it off and reapply. This step is simply about accurately positioning the shield and it can be a bit of an iterative process to get it perfect. The Shield is not fully adhered to the device until you remove the top layer in step three. So if you get any dust under the shield you can still lift it and clean it away easily.Step 3: Simply pull back the top cover using the tag provided. You just pull this back tightly on itself to be sure to separate the top cover. The remaining shield is adhered to the screen. The first time I did this I thought I had accidentally peeled back both layers as the finished shield is ultra transparent and effectively invisible.

The above steps are perhaps best demonstrated by video and there are a number of different You Tube videos online that accurately demonstrate the process if you do a search. The real key to a great clean installation is to ensure the screen surface is completely free of contaminants. I recommend cleaning your screen with a lens cleaning solution and not just a micro-fibre cloth. This will be sure to remove any residue that a cloth might simply smear around. Be sure to work in a clean dust free environment. A bathroom where there has recently been steam from a shower is an excellent place to do a Screen Shield installation as the steam will have settled any dust in the air. Take your time to properly prepare your work area and screen before you start the installation and you will get a great clean result.

I spend a lot time travelling in the field and my iPhone, tablet and cameras are always taking a beating so was quite keen to put these protectors to the test. After a week of general use I can see no wear on any of the Shields and I look forward to taking them to Iceland and the Arctic for two months in a few weeks time. I am forever scratching screens on my cameras and devices so am very pleased to have finally come across a product that is virtually invisible, but offers a good level of protection from scratches. Expert Shield won’t save you if you drop your camera or phone, but it will likely save you the next time you would have scratched your screen. Ten bucks to help protect an $8000 camera or a $800 iPhone with no impact on the appearance – thats a no brainer in my book. If you are wondering how much scratch protection these nearly invisible shields confer on your screen then check out this video of a belt sander doing its worst on an iPhone fitted with Expert Shield.

Expert Shield protectors are available for a wide variety of cameras and touch screen devices and there is a good chance they have one to fit your camera. These inexpensive shields are I believe well worth the small investment to protect your devices from scratches in the field. My initial impressions after a week are very promising and I will no doubt have more to add when I get back from Iceland and the Arctic in September.

By way of full disclosure – I was not aware of Expert Shield until I was contacted by their head office and invited to try their product. I was somewhat hesitant due to my current travel schedule but agreed it would be a great opportunity to field test the Shield in Iceland and the Arctic. Expert Shield kindly sent me some samples to test and the above are the results of my trial to date. I do not endorse or review products for which I have not purchased so have contacted Expert Shield and have offered to pay for the samples they sent me.

Adobe Releases Lightroom 5 – More Price Discrepancies

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In case you missed the news today, Adobe has just released the master version of its very popular RAW image editor and DAM (Digital Asset Management) software, Lightroom 5. Whilst I have no issue paying my usual Adobe tax for the latest version I do object to Adobe’s continual pricing policy of charging more for those of us who live outside of the continental United States. For no reason that I can fathom if you are fortunate to live in North America you can purchase the Lightroom 5 upgrade for a paltry $79. However, if you are unfortunate enough to live in Australia you will be asked to cough up $99 for the exact same software. Perhaps even more insulting is that there is no GST applicable on the purchase as the software is delivered out of the USA via download (possibly via Australian servers or via local cache). I have no idea how Adobe can continue to justify increased pricing in Australia for the same products it sells for 20% less in the United States.  The Australian federal government is supposed to be investigating both Adobe and Apple’s continual price gouging in the Australian marketplace. I eagerly await the results of their enquiry. Lightroom 5 can be ordered online from B&H.