Landscape Photography Magazine – Raw and Unedited Interview

Posted in Media, News and Updates, Travel PhotographyLeave a comment

Landscape Photography Magazine have just published a new Really Right Stuff Sponsored Interview in their latest (no. #68) October issue. The interview was a great opportunity to talk a little bit about how I transitioned into a full time professional Nature Photographer and also my own ethics and thoughts on Nature Photography. Interview Excerpt Below:

In your opinion, how vital is integrity in the field of landscape photography?

Integrity is critical if we are to be honest with the viewers and honest with ourselves. When we look at a photograph we expect – or at least hope – it is real and not a digital creation. I personally believe in rewarding the skill of the photographer in the field and not the skill of the retoucher in front of a computer. Nowadays, literally anything is possible with digital manipulation in post-production. Multi-image composites are commonplace and are frequently presented to the viewer – often through social media – as ‘captures of nature’. Whilst it is fine to do this sort of manipulation I find it disingenuous not to disclose it. Nature photography should be about capturing what we find in the field, and not creating it on a computer. The latter is digital art in my book.

When I see images that are clearly composites being used to market workshops to exotic locations, that really irks me. Participants on those trips are going to expect to see that scene and are unaware that it is a fabrication. Our integrity as photographers is all we have to stand behind. That’s not something I wish to compromise.

The full interview is available for free on the Landscape Photography Magazine website.RRS-Interview

Canon 600mm F4L IS DO Lens in Development

Posted in Equipment, News and UpdatesLeave a comment

Camera and lens rumours don’t often make news on my blog; but I wan to make an exception in this case as I believe the development of the Canon 600mm F4L IS DO lens will be a real game changer and one of the most exciting lenses to be expected in recent times. A 600mm F4 DO lens will absolutely change the game for wildlife photographers who (wedded to the sublime bokeh of 600mm F4 lenses) have traditionally had to schlep large, bulky and heavy telephoto lenses around the globe in search of wildlife. As a photographer who regularly travels with a 600mm F4L IS MKII lens I can tell you that its no easy task getting such a large piece of glass on location on the the other side of the world. A 600mm F4L IS DO lens would be manna from heaven. I think I’ll make some space for this one in my lens cupboard now….

From Canon Rumours

We’re told that the Canon EF 600mm f/4 DO IS that was shown in prototype form at Canon EXPO in September of 2015 is currently scheduled to be launched in the second half of 2017.canon600do-728x403

 

Iceland the Highlands Workshop Reports 2016

Posted in Iceland, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Workshops and Expeditions1 Comment

In August and September of 2016 Daniel Bergmann and I lead two back-to-back workshops into the spectacular Highlands of Iceland. The first of these two workshops focused on the Highlands and northern areas of Iceland and the second on the Highlands and Southern region. We chose late August and September for our workshops due to the large increase in tourism in recent times in Iceland during the summer period. In truth, tourism is actually out of control now in Iceland and you absolutely must get off the beaten track if you want to get solitude in the wilderness. Part of our planning was to spend a large portion of our time in the more remote areas of the highlands in order to make sure we were well away from the masses.  This proved most fruitful with spectacular landscape free from throngs of tourists._MG_6396-EditAs many of you know who follow my blog, the highlands are in my opinion the real jewel in the crown of Iceland. The area offers incredible photographic opportunities and is in comparison to the rest of the island rarely visited by tourists. The Highlands of Iceland actually cover most of the island’s interior. Inaccessible in winter, they rise 400–500 meters above sea level and are an untamed mingling of uninhabitable volcanic desert, jagged mountains, glaciers and hot springs. A few oasis like areas, such as Herðubreiðarlindir near Askja, are found only in proximity to rivers. From a first time photographers perspective the highlands can be a challenging location to work and photograph. Some walking and hiking is really required to get the best compositions and the area is subject to highly variable weather. All of this makes for really interesting photographs that in my opinion are far more evocative than the usual sort of cliché images from Iceland that seem to dominate social media today (more on this later).

We began our workshops with an early departure on the 14th of August and drove to our Hrauneyjar highland base, where we were located for three nights. From Hrauneyjar we explored the magnificent Fjallabak Nature Reserve, which included the Landmannalaugar area and other lesser known highland pearls, such as the Veidivotn region (one of my absolute favourite locations in Iceland). Exploring and photographing the highlands of Iceland from super jeep we were able to stop when we wished and take full advantage of weather and light as conditions permitted. It also meant we were able to take the most rugged and remote mountain passes and really explore the best of the highlands. The weather is highly variable in the highlands and we did experience everything from sunshine to pouring rain and fog during our stay in this area. Although this sort of weather can prove challenging, I personally find these conditions the most interesting to work and photograph in._MG_6397-EditOn August 17th we traveled across the Sprengisandur route that crosses the interior of the island and found our way to Lake Myvatn in the north, where we spent the next three nights. The Sprengisandur route took us right up the middle of the island through some of the most desolate lunar landscape to be found anywhere on earth. We photographed the waterfalls of the Skjalfandi river (Godafoss and Aldeyjarfoss), plus Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls in the Jokulsa river. We also explored the geothermal areas close to Myvatn. The geothermals of Myvatn continue to provide unlimited opportunities for photography and remain one of my favourite areas to visit and photograph in the north. This area is extremely dynamic and is in a constant state of flux. The landscape is alive with mud pits and fumoroles and steaming sulphur creates an otherworldly landscape. At sunrise and sunset we had the entire area to ourselves and some fabulous images were created.IcelandHighlands2016-6243Once we had concluded our stay at Myvatn we travelled west along the northern coast and overnighted near the Vatnsnes Peninsula. Hvitserkur sea stack was one of our main subjects at Vatnsnes, along with other coastal features. The following day we travelled to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, where we spent the last two days of our trip. At Snaefellsnes we photographed the iconic Kirkjufell mountain and the spectacular coast at Arnarstapi and Hellnar, on the southern tip of the peninsula. We concluded our trip on the 23rd of August at Keflavik international airport.

IcelandHighlands2016-6168 Our second workshop commenced early in the morning on the 28th of August with a drive to the Kjolur highland route towards Kerlingarfjoll mountains, where stayed overnight in mountain cabins. Our main photographic objective was the incredible Hveradalir geothermal valleys, above our lodging. We photographed the area at both sunset and shortly after sunrise and some really unique images resulted from our time in this area. This was actually only the second time I had visited this area of Iceland and it did not fail to disappoint. The geothermals in this area are extremely active and the entire landscape is alive with sulphurous fumaroles and boiling mud pots. It would be easy to spend a week in this area just exploring and photographing the many features to be found. The area is (thankfully) not on most tourists radar and as such is usually frequented only by hikers and campers. _MG_6290-EditAfter our stay at Kerlingarfjoll we drove to the Hrauneyjar highland base, where we were located for three nights. From Hrauneyjar we again explored the magnificent Fjallabak Nature Reserve. The weather proved fickle during our time in this area and we again had a real mix of rain and sunshine. 

On September 1st we travelled across the highlands on our way south. It was a day of travel through some of the most incredible landscape in Iceland. We were blessed with some really dramatic cloud and light and some fabulous photography resulted from our journey through this remote part of Iceland._MG_6453-EditOnce out of the highlands we overnighted at the town of Hella before traveling further east along the coast to the Vatnajokull region, where we stayed at Gerdi for three nights. Once at Gerdi we were in the proximity of the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon and the many outlet glaciers from the Vatnajokull ice cap. This was our grounds to explore for the coming days and we photographed at the black sand beach, the glacial lagoon, Stokksness as well as several other lesser known locations off the tourist radar. After our stay in the southeast we traveled back west and spent a night on the southern coast. On our departure day we headed off towards the Keflavik airport._MG_6697With tourism increasing exponentially in Iceland in recent times it was ideal timing for us to get up into the Highlands on both these workshops and find solitude and peace in the wilderness. Until tourism tapers off in Iceland I will be unlikely to run future landscape trips in the peak summer season (June, July and August) as it has just become far too crowded for serious photography at many of Iceland’s best known natural attractions. Instead, I will be focusing on more remote winter trips and more specialised workshops (such as the Puffin workshop next year) that take us into more remote wilderness locations, well away from the tourist crowds.

New Zealand South Island Masterclass 2017 Sold Out

Posted in Landscape Photographs, New Zealand, News and Updates, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Workshops and ExpeditionsLeave a comment

I had been planning for some time to formally announce my New Zealand South Island Masterclass workshop for next year (2017) here on my blog; but realised yesterday the trip is actually already sold out. _MG_5661If you are interested in travelling to New Zealand and photographing in the spectacular South Island you can still register your interest to be put onto the wait list. Like the 2015, and 2016 workshops, the 2017 Masterclass workshop also includes extensive use of helicopters for accessing some of the most remote and spectacular country as well as aerial photography of the spectacular Southern Alps and glaciers. Full details of the workshop are available on my website as a PDF HERE.

NewZealand-1988I will be announcing dates soon for the 2018 New Zealand South Island Masterclass. If you would like to get the jump and be one of the first to be notified when dates are confirmed you can register your interest now by dropping me an email. No obligation at this point. You can read a trip report from the 2016 Masterclass HERE.

CamFi Remote Camera Controller Product Review

Posted in Equipment, News and Updates, Reviews1 Comment

Over the last couple of years I have been investigating different options for remotely triggering cameras for wildlife photography (mostly for my project with the Arctic Fox). One of the solutions I settled on after much research was the Camptraptions camera trap system which I reviewed here (Read the REVIEW) some months ago now (and have subsequently used to photograph Arctic Fox). More recently I came across an alternate (but different) solution from a company called CamFi that utilises a smart phone for remote camera control. Now, I know that smart phone control of a DSLR is nothing new. There are a number of different products on the market that offer varying levels of camera control from smart devices. Just being totally upfront, I have historically not really been a fan of camera control from smart phones. Mostly because I find it cumbersome to use a smart phone in the sort of cold weather environments I am often shooting (plus iPhone battery life in the cold is really appalling). However, the CamFi system is so feature rich and the control is so slick that I believe the system could work reasonably well even in quite hostile conditions.  Of course, much depends on your smart phone device in these sort of environments. So with the Caveat that I have not as yet had a chance to test this in either the Arctic or Antarctica you can read on…camfiCamFi is at its most basic, a way for photographers to control their Nikon or Canon DSLR wirelessly. The list of cameras supported by CamFi is steadily growing and a complete list of currently supported cameras can be found on CamFi’s website HERE). The device mounts on the hot shoe of compatible DSLRs and creates a Wi-Fi network that you can connect to using a PC or Mac as well as Android and iOS mobile devices. The wifi network created by the CamFi trigger is by default unsecured and open (it needs to be so you can connect to it). Once you have connected to the device from your phone you can access the settings in the application and quickly and easily secure the network. Anyone using the device in dense urban areas should probably keep this in mind and secure the network as a first order of business. Wireless range is more than reasonable and will I imagine be more than sufficient for the majority of applications.CamFi_sliderWith dedicated apps CamFi will allow for Live View on a mobile device, as well as capturing images and controlling camera settings such as AF points, metering mode, exposure compensation, aperture, shutter speed and ISO (so it can do a lot more than a pair of pocket wizards for example). You can also configure CamFi to automatically display images as they are taken and connect to an Amazon Fire Stick for viewing on TV sets (a bit gimmicky, but might be of use in a studio environment). Additionally you can browse, delete and view images, including EXIF data on your camera from your mobile device or computer, and a robust built-in time-lapse feature is included. I wont go into detail on every feature of the CamFi as that would require a lot of explanation. Suffice to say, there are some explanatory videos on the CamFi website that outline the many features of the product and these are worth investing some time in if you have an interest in remote control of your DSLR Camera.1-bigscreenAccording to the manufacturer, CamFi has a six hour battery life. In my own initial testing I found battery life to be +/- an hour or so from manufactures specified time. I suspect battery life in cold environments to be radically reduced (although I have not as yet had time or the opportunity to test this). I suspect battery life is also going to be heavily dependant on how much you are using the device; but I have not really had time to do extensive testing to date. Given the size of the device and the requirement for it to create and communicate via a wireless network I find the battery life to be more than acceptable.

In my testing with the Canon EOS 1DX MKII and EOS 5DSR to date I have found the CamFi to be simple, responsive and intuitive to use. One might gripe that the unit that mounts on the hot shoe is bigger than it needs to be; but it would be a quibble and given the unit weighs almost nothing I don’t find the size objectionable (its not much larger than a Pocket Wizard). The unit is charged via a micro usb port and so can be plugged into any computer to charge. The CamFi is supplied with a cable appropriate to your camera at time of order and the unit itself also includes a LAN Port (LAN cable not included).

The application to control CamFi  is also available for the Mac / PC. So you can control the camera from a computer as well as from a smart phone. The Camfi software is compatible with devices and computers running at least iOS 7.0, Android 4.0, Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.10.  CamFi is currently listed at $130 USD on Amazon and at this price is well below manufacturer-provided options for high-end DSLRs. I find it cheap for the features and functionality it offers.

Conclusion: I have to admit that when I first received the CamFi I thought it was a bit of a gimmick and not really a serious tool for photography. However, the application offers just about every level of control you could possibly want from your camera (even live view!) and is simple and easy to operate. In real world use the software is slick, robust and quick to use. There really isn’t much to dislike about the product and I expect it will prove useful in a number of different circumstances. I can envisage a situation where I might use it to photograph Aurora Borealis at night from the comfort and warmth of my vehicle. Simply set up the camera, retreat to the warmth of the vehicle and do the rest from inside the truck!

There are a few things I would like to see in a future generation of the product. First and foremost it would be beneficial to have a battery indicator to show how much charge is remaining in the CamFi.  I would also like to see the product incorporate some robust weather sealing for use in hostile environments and inclement weather. As it currently stands, the LAN port and USB ports are fully exposed, so I am not sure I would be comfortable using this device in pouring rain.

I would also very much like the ability to see a live histogram on the controlling device before I take a photograph (this feature is currently missing). You can see a full RGB histogram after you take a photograph (along with all other relevant metadata) so the lack of live histogram isn’t exactly a deal breaker; it would just be nice to have.

Summing up, CamFi is a pretty cool hardware and software system that enables remote WiFi control of many Canon and Nikon DSLR models. The CamFi iPhone App has a better interface and is more feature rich than the Canon and Nikon equivalent software. Critically, it allows you to change exposure settings as well as other key camera settings like ISO and metering. For the many DSLRs that do not have WiFi capability, it could be an important tool for remote shooting and quickly sharing photos to social media. In my own photography it will no doubt find various uses as I continue to experiment with the device.