Soccer Action

One sport that I enjoy to photograph is soccer.  The intense action, the ball position and most of all the facial expressions on the players, makes for many interesting images.  However I do find this game to be technically challenging from a photographing point of view.  Shooting soccer does requires a little knowledge about the game which helps develop a sense of predicting where the ball and play is going. This allows one to simply frame and prefocus the shot in that location.  I discovered that the more practice one has shooting soccer the better one becomes producing usable images.  Bright overcast and cloudy conditions I find are ideal to photograph soccer.  This combined with the lowest possible ISO to allow a fast shutter speed to freeze the action and a mid-range aperture to allow the best possible depth of field, are key.  This image was shot at 1/1000 sec, f 7.1, ISO 800 at a focal length (DX) of 200 mm.  This particular meeting between two very competitive teams was the final championship game of the tournament, was not decided until the tenth and final sudden death shoot out kick.

Summer Passage

Driving along a regional road in the Huntsville area of central Ontario, I came across this old farm building which had obviously seen better days. The autumn colors, overgrown brush,  the patina reflected in the old barn's siding material, all attracted me to stop and record this location. Interesting enough I photographed this building from all angles and locations but the first image I took is my favourite.  Taken at 1/500 sec. f 5.0, using a prime f1.8, 35mm (DX format) standard lens under overcast conditions, this image gives me the feeling of the passage of time.  The autumn colours in combination with the structure's state of disrepair, certainly indicate that this building has reached the end of it's useful life with the exception of course being a photographic subject.

Turtle Lake Sunset

For those photographers who are interested in selling stock photography work, the last thing stock agencies need is more sunset images.  Regardless of this most avid shutter bugs have their interpretation of the most perfect sunset.  This happens to be one of mine.  Shot early evening several years ago while on a cottage vacation, this picture was recorded as a large file fine jpeg image.  I might add that I took this image in a period of time before I fully understood the advantages of shooting in camera RAW.  Taken with my original Nikon D70s, this image was shot at 1/20 sec, f3.5, ISO 400 with a focal length of 18mm.  The camera was mounted on a tripod for stability.  What makes this image one of my favourites is burning sunset glow combined with the reflection on the glassy surface of the lake.  The placement of the canoe in the foreground also adds interest to the image. To me this shot is a reminder of a great summer day coming to an end in a spectacular fashon.

NOTL - Lazy Afternoon

Another favourite shot of mine taken in the town of Niagara on the Lake one early summer afternoon.  This image overlooking Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Niagara River gives me the feeling of the slow passage of time on a hot lazy day.  Shot at f/11, 1/60 sec,  at ISO 200.  Utilizing a circular polarizing filter enabled me to capture the wispy cloud formations as well as the ability to darken the blue sky.  The empty gazebo along with the sailboat and the two couples in the background,  substantiates that lazy day feeling given by this photograph.

So You Think GTA Traffic is Bad

I captured this moment one afternoon in August 2010 in New York City.  Although NYC is as everyone knows a very busy traffic congested city, I was amazed at the number of yellow cabs present on city streets.  Obviously I was the only one impressed judging by the gentleman who was too busy checking his phone.  Shot at 1/2500 sec, f/8, ISO 800.

NOTL Apothecary

Probably one of the most photographed buildings in the town of Niagara on the Lake, Ontario is the Niagara Apothecary.  This 18th century drugstore and museum located on the main downtown street attracts many visitors and onlookers who for the most part peer into the front window. ( It is closed most of the time).  I have been trying to tastefully photograph this location for several years and have not been successful until now.  My goal was to get a image devoid of distractions which are always present in a very touristy area.  With this photo I managed  to find the right location, which allowed me to record the image without meandering people, facility wires and other distractions.  I shot this at f/ 5.0, 1/500 sec at ISO 200, and a focal length of 62mm (Nikon DX sensor).  Although taken midday under sunny conditions,  the harsh lighting provided the much needed fill for the shady areas.  This is one of my favourite shots of the day.

The Hunt Camp

Nestled away in northern Ontario is this idyllic setting of a red cabin cottage on an remote island in the Lake Nipissing area.  Taken in early November several years ago, you would not have believed there was several inches of snow on the ground days earlier.  Shot at 1/200 sec, f/10, ISO 400, the early morning light through the trees gives this image an almost whimsical look.  I was fortunate to capture this scene because as a rule I do not pack my good camera equipment due to unavoidable weather and trail conditions encountered during the fall hunt.