Lincoln Cathedral Panorama
Photo of the Day
In the past few months, I’ve been through Lincoln twice now and this is one of the many shots I’ve taken of its towering cathedral. I kept gravitating towards this particular view of the great building from a spot between the cathedral and the castle.
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The Hoodoos near Drumheller
Photo of the Day
One of my favourite day trips from Calgary when I was growing up was a visit to the Alberta Badlands. It’s dinosaur country after all – what kid isn’t going to get excited at the idea of hunting for T-Rex bones?
And of course, one of my favourite spots there is the hoodoos. This area shaped by eons of erosion always resembled an alien landscape and captured my imagination.
When I visited a couple months ago, I was a bit disappointed to find that construction had begun on a stairway and path leading around the hoodoos. I understand the need for protecting the fragile formations from the erosion that tourists can cause, it’s just sad to see that it’s necessary.
So, a shot like today’s photo of the day is a bit special in that it captures the hoodoos before the view changes.
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Above Dovestones Reservoir
Photo of the Day
Last Saturday evening, I took a walk along the edges high above the Dovestones Reservoir and got this shot as the sun nestled up against the horizon.
This is one of those shots that I probably made more complicated than it needed to be by composing it of multiple stitched images (to get a wider field of view) and multiple bracketed exposures (to get more tonal range out of the scene). After some post process tinkering, I’m pleased with the result, so here it is!
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Landscape Photographer of the Year Shortlisted
I received an email this morning telling me that four of my photos had been shortlisted for the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. How nice of them!
Interestingly, the images selected are all outside the bounds of what you would call ‘traditional’ landscape photography. Three of them were created using the technique of lighting the subject in multiple shots then compositing the shots together. The fourth shot is of a rather unusual modern art installation. Given the contest’s previous winners, I wouldn’t have expected these images to be the ones that made it through, but I guess the judges might be looking for something a bit different this year.
I’ve had requests to see the images that made it to the next round of judging, and this blog post is here to grant that wish. Click the images to see larger versions.
Bruges from Above
Photo of the Day
Today’s photo of the day is the last one from Bruges for now. This time we’re high above the canals and looking down on the medieval-style city from the belfry of the town hall. The Church of Our Lady is on the left and St. Salvator’s Cathedral is on the right.
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The Canals of Bruges #12
Photo of the Day
Number 12 in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
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The Canals of Bruges #11
Photo of the Day
Number 11 in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
Click to see the image on a black background:
JR’s Inside Out Project
French photographer JR, the winner of the 2011 TED Prize, is spearheading a global, collaborative art project focussed on celebrating humanity around the world.
Head to the Inside Out Project to start participating. The steps are simple: create a portait, upload it and when it is printed and sent back to you, post it in your community. From the site:
People can participate as an individual or in a group; posters can be placed anywhere, from a solitary image in an office window to a wall of portraits on an abandoned building or a full stadium. These exhibitions will be documented, archived and viewable virtually.
The project already has plenty of life as you can see from the uploaded photos already posted.
Worth watching to learn more about the project is the following video that follows Inside Out as it takes shape in Tunisia:
Follow the Inside Out Youtube channel to see more about the project as it progresses.
The Canals of Bruges #10
Photo of the Day
Number ten in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
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The Canals of Bruges #9
Photo of the Day
Number nine in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
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The Canals of Bruges #8
Photo of the Day
Number eight in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
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Photographic Rube Goldberg Machine
I’m a sucker for a Rube Goldberg machine, but when it comes with a photographic theme to it, even better.
The Canals of Bruges #7
Photo of the Day
Number seven in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
Click to see the image on a black background:
A Year in the Life of a Remote Camera
It’s amazing all the critters you can spot with a remote camera in Banff National Park in Canada. This video shows the animal and human traffic through a clearing for 365 days in under five minutes.
The Canals of Bruges #6
Photo of the Day
Number six in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
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The Canals of Bruges #5
Photo of the Day
Number five in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
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The Canals of Bruges #4
Photo of the Day
Number four in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
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The Canals of Bruges #3
Photo of the Day
Number three in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium. This one features the town hall rising in the background.
Click to see the image on a black background:
What It’s Like to Work for National Geographic
If you’ve ever had any notion of making a career out of travel photography, at some point, you’ve probably wistfully stared into the distance and fantasized about working for National Geographic. That fantasy might have carried with it notions of endless travel to exotic locations full of interesting locals who are all too willing to have you point you camera in their direction. That was my naive fantasy anyway. I couldn’t have been the only one, can I? Anyone?
Celebrated NG photographer, John Stanmeyer, is here to dispel any illusions you might have about the prestigious publication. In his new blog series, he discusses what’s involved in producing a National Geographic article from start to finish from the perspective of a photographer. In this, the first of the series, he writes about the genesis of stories and how those ideas start to take shape via extensive research and planning.
It’s a good window into the process used by some of the world’s best photojournalists and I’ll be sure to keep up with the rest of the series.
Northern Lights Time Lapse
A bit of time-lapse eye candy from Agust Ingvarsson:
AURORA ISLANDICA – a Northern Lights Timelapse from Agust Ingvarsson on Vimeo.
The Canals of Bruges #2
Photo of the Day
Number two in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.
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How Eric Kim Shoots Street Photos
Street photographer Eric Kim has posted the following video showing his point of view when he hits the streets with his camera.
It’s an interesting glimpse at how he works: spot a subject, walk confidently and purposefully toward desired vantage point, snap, move along (brief small talk optional). It’s fast and generally not too intrusive and the results are not too bad. See the photos on Eric’s blog.
I’ve rarely used this kind of approach myself – I prefer to ask permission and that has its good and bad sides. On the one hand, well, you’ve asked permission. People appreciate that and some people are decidedly unwilling to allow photos – asking permission avoids trouble. Another big bonus is that you often get a chance to get to know someone you would have normally just passed by. That can lead additional photo ops or even better, friendships.
On the bad side, you’ll often miss shots and the shots you do get after asking for permission can sometimes look posed and stilted.
Either way, I suppose it’s good to be able to work both ways: slowly cozy up to a subject until you can call each other pals or try Eric’s way and be a stealthy photo ninja that has left the scene before they even know a picture was taken.
Mitch Dobrowner’s Storm Photography
Just found this interview with Mitch Dobrowner at F-Stop Magazine. Mitch is a fine-art storm photographer and in this interview he discusses how he got into the field, his process, and how he has made a name for himself. It’s a good little read, but if you want a quick photo fix, skim through the little slideshow of his images for some stunning work.
And if that’s not enough for you, check out his portfolio for plenty more ominous clouds filled with darkness, evil, and tortured souls. Or maybe just darkness.
The Canals of Bruges #1
Photo of the Day
Starting today and going on for a dozen or so posts, I’ll be showing off some of my photos from a recent trip to Bruges, Belgium. Frequently dubbed the ‘Venice of the North,’ I couldn’t help but capture a few shots of the canals that criss cross the city. This series focuses on those waterways. Enjoy.
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Darby Sawchuk is a Canadian-born photographer who currently resides in Manchester, England. He has travelled to over 40 countries and is always adding more to the list. He creates stock for multiple agencies and is available for assignments.
+44 0790 992 8932
