2023 Photography A review of the year's Activity

I also experimented with colourful backgrounds and water reversals in glassware.

One of the workshops that I attended the previous year dealt with dark field and bright field lighting, so I naturally spent considerable time experimenting with both of those. Dark field lighting involves lighting something, like glassware, against a black background. Conversely, with bright field lighting, the background is lit, for instance with coloured lights. Together with water reversal effects, this can make some striking images. Along the way, I also experimented with colouring water in glassware with food dyes, and worked with lighting translucent glassware of various shapes.

I shifted my attention to tulips as Winter was drawing to a close, perhaps revealing a longing for Spring. Drawing on knowledge gained in 2022, I tried using an infrared camera in the studio for the first time, along with my conventional visible-light camera. I also made use of techniques to add background textures and light rays in post production.

Spring

After being constrained to be at home I was eager to get outside again. So as Spring arrived I put my studio work largely aside and spent most of the balance of the year outdoors.

Downtown Ottawa

My first Spring outing was a walk around the downtown area with a friend. A highlight was a visit to the Senate of Canada building.

Limerick Forest

Next was a visit to Limerick Forest with another friend. The forest is about a 45 minute drive south of Ottawa and is a favourite location that I've been to many times. This was perhaps the earliest in the Spring that I've visited and there was little evidence yet of new growth.

Ottawa River and Bate Island

It was time to pick up my infrared camera again. From my home it's a short walk to the Ottawa river and I decided to include Bate Island as well. The high water levels during the Spring are a boon for the adventurous. I couldn't resist taking a few shots of them although the lens I had isn't nearly long enough to do the kayakers justice. Bear in mind that these are 6 MP captures on an 18-year-old camera.

Ottawa River

Shortly afterward I took another walk along the Ottawa river but headed east instead of west. Again, I used my infrared camera. For anyone interested, this camera was converted to use a 590 nm filter. That means that the camera now only sees oranges, reds, and the near-infrared part of the spectrum. That gives me a lot of latitude to play with false colour as well as a lot of control should I wish to convert images to black and white.

Morris Island Conservation Area

Next was a trip to Morris Island Conservation Area with a friend. This venue is about a 50 minute drive west of Ottawa. I had only previously photographed this area using a normal visible light camera. So I took my infrared camera this time to see what I could do.

Shirley's Bay Greenbelt

My last outing with the infrared camera was to a greenbelt area south of Shirley's Bay at the western end of Ottawa.

Iron Butt

After a 6 1/2-year hiatus, in part due to the pandemic, the RA Photo Club organized an Iron Butt outing. "Iron Butt" is a motorcycling term, where it refers to a long-distance (and endurance-testing) excursion. Our outings aren't nearly so lengthy or exhausting, so we've appropriated the term tongue-in-cheek. The idea is that photographers form small groups, spend the day photographing, and meet for a meal at a chosen location. Each group follows its own route, the more obscure the better, and looks for interesting photos. The destination for this year's Iron Butt was a restaurant in Smith's Falls.

I went with a friend and we had a great day driving around and exploring. I've always enjoyed the Iron Butt outings and I hope the club resumes holding them annually.

Summer

The Summer was when I finally switched over to mirrorless camera technology after a long planning period. That meant a new camera, three new lenses, and a bunch of new accessories. It also meant a significant learning curve.

Ottawa River

For my first outing with the new camera I again went for a walk along the Ottawa river close to my home. I took my mid-range zoom lens.

Ottawa River and Bate Island

A short while later, I took another walk along the river and headed west this time. Like the last time I went that way, I included Bate Island. I again used my mid-range zoom lens.

Experimental Farm

Next, I wanted to try out my wide-angle zoom. The Experimental Farm gave me subject matter to work with.

Upper Canada Village

It's a semi-tradition that a friend and I go to Upper Canada Village each year. We missed a few years due to the pandemic and otherwise, but it's something we both enjoy and try to do.

I can set my mirrorless camera to give me a monochrome image in the viewfinder, which is something I couldn't do before. I was eager to try it out and Upper Canada Village was the perfect place. I shot the entire outing with black and white in mind.

Lindsay and Environs

I'm normally limited to day trips from home but I made arrangements to spend a couple of days away in September. While I was away I was based in Lindsay and had the chance to take a few photos in and around that area.

Havelock Rail Yard

On the way home from Lindsay, I made a short stop in Havelock to photograph the rail yard. I'd wanted to do that for years and finally had the chance.

Portrait Essentials Workshop

I've shied away from taking portraits of people. But sometimes you have to try new things. So I started taking portraiture workshops offered by my photo club. This first workshop concentrated on classical posing and was also my first time working with a professional model (who was great by the way).

Fall

CFB Rockcliff

The RA Photo Club held an outing to the former Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Rockcliff. The base has been shut down for years and the buildings have long been demolished. Nature is progressively reclaiming the land. I used this outing as my opportunity to try out my telephoto zoom lens.

Carleton University Butterfly Show

Ottawa's Carleton University holds an annual butterfly show each Fall. The RA Photo Club arranged for some members to have access for a short period before the public was admitted. I was one of those and had a marvellous time trying butterfly shooting for the first time. It gave my telephoto zoom lens a real workout.

Morris Island Conservation Area

I had been to Morris Island Conservation Area in the Spring with my infrared camera but the RA Photo Club also held an outing there in the Fall. The outing was the annual Fall Challenge. This time I used my new mirrorless camera and telephoto zoom lens.

Bruce Pit

Bruce Pit is located in western Ottawa and the "pit" refers to a disused sand pit that is now a pond that provides a habitat for birds and other wildlife. Adjacent to this is a 3.2 km loop trail and many side trails through a forest. The RA Photo Club held an outing there to photograph mushrooms and other fungi.

This was an opportunity for me to try the built-in focus-shift-shooting capability of my new camera. The issue with photographing things up close is that it's difficult to get everything in focus. One solution is to take many photos, with the focus point shifted ever so slightly from one photo to the next. These can then be combined in software later to manufacture a photo with a deeper depth of focus. It's hard to get good results by doing this focus shifting manually. I've previously used an add-on piece of equipment to automate this, but it's really (really!) nice having this capability built right into a camera.

White Background Workshop

The second portraiture workshop that I attended dealt with photographing a subject against a white background. This is more involved than you might expect. We were fortunate to have the same model as the previous workshop.

Bruce Pit

The first outing to Bruce Pit was such a success that the RA Photo Club repeated it a week later. But while the weather for the previous outing was beautiful, this time we had rain and snow showers. I went to this outing with a friend and despite the weather had a great time.

Limerick Forest

I had been to Limerick Forest in the very early spring and returned in the Fall. One friend organized the outing and I brought another one along who hadn't been there previously. I always find interesting things to photograph there.

Portrait Styles Workshop

The last of the portraiture workshops that I attended in 2023 taught various common lighting styles such as butterfly lighting, clamshell lighting, rim lighting and several others. I came away with photographs demonstrating these various styles. We had the same great model as for the previous workshops.

Hintonburg Photowalk

My last photo outing of the year was again organized by the RA Photo Club. The topic was Found Still Life and the venue was Ottawa's Hintonburg neighbourhood. This is an old and diverse area to the west of the downtown core. There is an eclectic mix of old, new, and oddball in this neighborhood that made it a perfect choice.