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Canada: Wonders of Whistler

By on Sep 20, 2018 in Getting the Shot, Photography, Theory Thursday, Where to Shoot | 0 comments

  Our time in the prairies was filled with lots of great memories and the realization that we have been gone too long. Being home has this funny way of lulling you into such a state of comfortableness that you could easily be home for a month and not even realize it. Sadly, we only had a week this time and we had to get moving. The next stop was Whistler, BC. This place has a lot of history for me. It was a place where I had lived while I was a broke student and where I first explored photography with my Father’s Pentax Spotmatic F. The last time I was there was with my late friend Dave Harvey. So it it has a special place in my heart for many reasons. I could easily retire there… if I had a few million dollars to throw around. Heading up to Whistler, I had a lot of expectations for what I wanted to shoot. I had done my research and made a shot list of what I wanted. I had...

The Flixel Walk Seoul

By on Apr 6, 2018 in Getting the Shot, Korea, Photography, Theory Thursday | 0 comments

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting the first international Flixel Walk. This is essentially a photowalk with the intent of making cinemagraphs using Flixel’s cinemagraph pro. The timing for this event could not have been better as it is spring now in Korea and the beautiful cherry blossoms were out in full force. The location that I chose for this event was the beautiful Deoksugung Palace in central Seoul. This palace is right across the street from the Seoul City Hall. In my opinion this was a great location and one that I typically find myself in when I head up to Seoul. I felt that the palace also fit well with the theme of “old and new” really well. Like most weekends in Seoul, there was a large protest going on. Sadly, this particular protest occurred directly in front of the palace gates. It was a minor set back with some amusing instances. Most of the...

Planning Out Your Shots: Why This Should be The First Thing You Should Do Before Taking Any Shots

By on Jun 10, 2017 in Getting the Shot, Korea, Photography, Theory Thursday | 0 comments

There are many photographers out there that love shooting from the hip. I used to be one. I used to get lucky with the shots that I got but sometimes I would miss the mark. Sure, I got some decent shots but they seemed just off. The reason was that I was merely shooting from the hip and hoping that if I was at the right place at the right time with the right lens, I would walk away with a winning shot. The trouble is that I was never really sure of what I wanted. I knew the kind of shot that I wanted to get beforehand or even simply the location but I never really had a clear vision of what short I wanted or the story that I wanted to tell. Once I started planning my shots, I had a better idea of what I wanted to say with them. That later lead to, in my opinion, much better shots. The What and the How? The biggest questions are basically what to do and how to do it. One is a little...

Does Having Better Gear Make You a Better Photographer?

By on Apr 18, 2017 in Getting the Shot, Photography, Theory Thursday | 0 comments

*** Update #1: This article is not really for the pro or advanced “semi-pro” photographer but rather the new photographer who has the mindset that a brand new and more advanced camera will somehow make them a famous photographer. If you are a working professional or even a hobbyist that has years of experience,  you probably know more about your style and what you need than I do. That being said, this article is not really targeted at you. It is more for those considering purchasing the latest 1D X mk ii when the 6D or even 70D would do just fine.  At some point in our journey through photography we find ourselves lusting after the latest and greatest gear. We suddenly want to go “full frame” or “mirrorless” without fully understanding the camera that we currently own. We fall for celebrity photographer ads talking about the latest camera or gear...

How to Shoot Cherry Blossoms

By on Mar 15, 2017 in Getting the Shot, Photography, Technique Tuesday, Tutorials | 0 comments

  This is one of my favourite times of the year. I know it sounds strange and I should really be talking about “grinding out photos” [insert macho voice] of nightclubs or showing the gritty side of photography by shooting a plate of spaghetti or a stop sign in black and white. This is a time of year that I really do enjoy getting and and just shooting nature. There is a sense of renewal this time of year and I love it. The hardest thing is to try and capture this period of renewal to show other people the beauty. The blossoms are tricky things to shoot because to our eyes everything is beautiful and evenly lit. However, once you click the shutter everything can change. The reason is that often your camera will expose the image differently depending on how it is metering for the light. Blossoms sometimes trick your camera’s meter because they simply scatter the light...

Introduction to Cityscapes

By on Mar 7, 2017 in Getting the Shot, Photography, Technique Tuesday, Tutorials | 0 comments

In my last post I showed you how to make the best out of the Blue Hour and I mentioned how cityscapes. In this post, we are going to step a little further into one of my favourite subjects to shoot, cityscapes. The reason that I love cityscapes so much is the fact that you get to see all the shapes, lines, lights and movement of a manufactured landscape. From below or above, this intrigues me. I think partly because I grew up in a small city in the middle of Canada and I grew old in South Korea, which is quite the contrast. Look at the World Around You You don’t have to be in a place like Seoul or Hong Kong to take great cityscapes. It is all about finding the right angle and telling the story. Many new photographers think that they have to get onto a rooftop to make a proper cityscape. While that might help in changing your perspective, it is not the be all and end all of...

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