Well everyone we are finally getting some time to add a new entry as life has been a bit of a whirlwind as of late. What's new...what's exciting since we last blogged you ask? Well, in a nutshell there was a quick trip to Mexico, a few workshops and a Winterscapes fieldtrip among a billion other things!

Let's start this blog by having a brief discussion on the weather. In my furthest memories (which as aging takes hold granted are only a few years at best sometimes) I cannot recall ever having almost a month of hoar frost and fog filled days. One would think that out of all of them there would have been ample opportunity to get out and shoot at least one photo of such wierd meteorological events right? Wrong. Oh well, moving forward there is always next year. The one thing that did become abundantly clear throughout the gloom was that sunshine is my friend and I would have a really really hard time living somewhere like Vancouver!

Well...enough idle chit chat about weather and gloom. Let's move on to some pictures. We will begin with a trip that was taken with my cousins to sunny Mexico... this was a different kind of trip as normally my bag would be absolutely stuffed with at least one if not two digital slr's as well as a wide variety of lenses but this time my photography equipment consisted of a Canon Powershot G9 and a Gorillapod (fancy mini tripod)...yep, that's it folks. There is something to be said on rare occasion for just taking a break away from everything and that is exactly what happened... lot's of reading, walking on the beach and sitting by the pool. {Yep - this girl is learning from the best - remember me, damn near a month in Costa Rica with a stinkin point and shoot - Yes, I will once again provide semi-useless, strangely bracketed comments - RW}

ISO - 200, F 7.1, Shutter Speed - 1/100th Nothing beats taking long walks along the beach to destress!{Where exactly is the walking in this photo? - RW}

A shot with my cousin Rachel... what you don't know is that this took several takes as we were trying to look casual in between getting pelted from behind by the waves. {I thought I recognized the enema smiles}

 

Rachel's re-enactment of what must have happened to the windshield on this golf cart.{Speaking of which, at first glance I thought this was another enema pic but alas, I noticed the comment about the windsheild}

 

ISO- 400, F 4.5, Shutter Speed - 1/30th

The above shot was in the back of the resort. Very cool architecture and very "Italian" like. As you can see by the EXIF data a tripod was used for this shot as the shutter speed of 1/30th sec was too slow to be handheld... the image was also converted to black and white in Photoshop.

 

It is impossible to go to Mexico and not sample some of the tequila. This picture is indicative of two things... 1)  This was definitely not my favorite sample of the day. 2) Without a shadow of a doubt this proves that I do not always have to look like a supermodel (if that were possible) to be in the blog...

 

If you ever find yourself in Puerto Vallarta going to Pipi's and ordering one of their margaritas is an absolute must! Another must is hailing a cab within roughly half an hour after consuming such a beast to go back to your resort for a short siesta lol...

 

ISO- 200, F 3.2, Shutter Speed - 1/320th sec.

The above image was shot while lying on my lounge chair by the back pool. 

 

We had the opportunity to go whale watching one day. {and all you got was a piece of tail}

 

The best part of the whale watching excursion was coming across a huge pod of dolphins {and a time share pitch I'm sure}. There must have been at least a few hundred of them and they surrounded our boat.

 

Men with machine guns and smiles on their faces... interesting.

 

ISO- 200, F 2.8, Shutter Speed - 3 seconds.

These buildings were right outside our balcony and I loved the way that the light hit them at night. This image was shot at about 9:00 PM

Cocktails at the pool bar...for the record most of them were not mine {anymore}... we were there with a big group who just weren't in the picture!

 

ISO - 50, F 4.2, Shutter Speed - 1/400th sec.

The crab above was more than a little bit creepy. Everytime that the shutter was about to be pressed he would either do this little twitch thing or jump. He (or is it she??) was actually about 6" long and the image was shot about 2" away.

Okay... back home from Mexico and onto some more local pics!

A good friend of mine is starting up a new comapny called Vino Tapederas so I wandered over there one day and shot some pictures for her. Check out the website especially if you love having the odd drink in the great outdoors! {We would love to but you failed to provide a link right folks}

Rob and I were out with a great group yesterday as we conducted our Winterscapes 2010 fieldtrip and had a fantastic time! Below are a few images from the day.

 

Holy paparazzi !!!

 

Artsy fartsy chain link.

 

ISO- 160, F 4.5, Shutter Speed - 1/5000th sec.

 

Same shot in essence but converted to black and white.

 

A few images of the participants.

 

ISO - 160, F 5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/160th sec

 

This image has some special significance as it was none other than Shane (pictured above) who went through the ice in our Winterscapes fieldtrip last year... go figure.

 

My version of "footprints".

I have found that sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. The first image below was shot when Rob and I were out at Buffalo Pound a few years back and the one following was shot yesterday. 

 

_________________________________

Now for my two bits - RW

Four days last weekend were spent in semi-sunny Lloydminster, AB where we gave a bunch of mini seminars. We had fun and they were very well received. Chances are we will head back there at some point. Being the driver of a rather large half ton this should not likely come from my mouth but my god there are a lot of large trucks in Lloydminster. Not often anymore that I'm stricken with truck envy but admittedly was on a few occassions. That said, that town needs to enlarge its parking spots accordingly.

On the trip we had a couple of spottings, the first being a bald eagle sittting on the ground just outside of Hanley, SK. We drove about a mile past it before looking at each other and saying "What the hell was that, a bald eagle?" with neither of us wanting to sound like an ass. After another mile decided to turn around. Upon approach we had convinced ourselves that the sighting was more likely an oil barrel with a bit of snow left on it. Well damned if that oil barrell didn't fly off into the air when hassled by a couple of ravens snacking on a deer carcas. You know how the rest of this story goes.... wind chill below freezing and Rob in a t-shirt and cowboy boots standing on an ice patch trying to mount a body on a 400mm and get some form of shot of this. I should really know better.

Closer to Lloyd we had a bit more success however I was still unable to stand up in the damn boots so just grabbed my 70-200 and blew off a couple frames. Hardly a show stopper when it comes to semi-wildlife but I just wanted you to note a couple of things compositionally speaking. Said subject matter (Elk) are composed on the bottom 1/3 horizontal line. The close crop on the animal on the left and the space on the right side of the frame make for "room to move". 

As for "ass vision" which is my own term for hindsight, I should have grabbed a bit more depth of field by increasing my aperture value. This was shot at F3.5 at 1/800 so had some room to move.

Tripped over a little more wildlife hanging from the trees in Bud Miller Park.

 
A little bit of fill flash here to soften the shadows in the face and if you look close added some nice catch light to her eyes.

The rest of the month has been fairly quiet as far as shooting for fun goes... sometimes I wish photography was a hobby as hobbyists tend to have more time to shoot.

1/500 @ F2.8 - +1EV - ISO3200
I know you have heard it said before but eye contact is everything. Not necesarily with the camera but with the activity yrou subject is engaged in

Changed it up a little with the Future STARS portraits this time as the typical portrait was getting a bit old. Went for the single light low-key in an attempt to do something a little more adult with the little guys. Who would have thunk that the biggest challenge would be getting them standing.

Make sure that you get out there and enjoy springtime with your camera in hand!

As always, thanks for visiting and your interest in our blog. Comments, questions, concerns and credit cards are always welcome. For convenience, please subscribe by clicking on the "Subscribe" Button on the Main Page of this blog. This is a mechanism that will provide you with notification each time we publish a new blog. For information on photo workshops and field trips please visit http://www.thosetwophotographers.com/Classes.html

Our Services can be explored here and our Portfolios here.

You are also more than welcome to subscribe to our podcast by searching for thosetwophotographers in iTunes. Industry news, tips, and interviews with photographers are just a few of the things your ears will tune into.

Cheers!

 

Till next time,

 

Devona & Rob

 

First off, for those of you who are not privy to our facebook group (join us by the way - just search for ThoseTwoPhotographers on facebook) we had a wee bit of a Snow Day in Regina, SK on the 25th of January. We thought we would take a couple of photos. Nothing earth shattering here photographically speaking but know there are a few subscribers to this blog living in places that snow is not an issue:

My parking lot. (If you look closely you can see me inside the car begging for a morsel of food and a glass of water -DH).


My filthy truck beside my parking lot.

My still filthy truck in alley north of parking lot. As it turns out, we have nothing on the state of Washington.

______________________________________

Chapter Two

The idea of making sausage had never once crossed my mind. Sausages are something found in a grocery store or sitting on a fence post because a neighbor was being neighborly. We've all come to grips with the fact that animals comprise a significant part of most of our diets and some people actually hunt. I'm not one of those hunters. I've damn near killed myself trying to avoid hitting rodents on the highway. Yes, there was a time as a child that a gopher's life was taken for my entertainment and that still bothers me. Hunting with a camera is the only hunting you will ever find me doing. That said, no amount of modifications will turn a Canon 50D and a 400mm F2.8 lens into a meat grinder so when approached by my neighbor to take part in a sausage making gathering and reap the spoils I could not turn him down. I love sausage made form wild meat, just had no idea how much manual labour could be put forth to make it. Eight hours of hand cranking a meat grinder and hand mixing a few spiecies of dead animals into a variety of spices, three of us had damn sore shoulders and a good glow on from the hydration products one must consume when in attendance at such an event. Only mid way through the exhaustive process did we start talking of the availability of more automated devices for the tasks. The following are a few images created during this experience - most of them with my trusty old 50mm 1.4.

(To add to Rob's story all that will be said here is that when told about this upcoming "boy's sausage making day" what continually ran through my mind was the blue satin-suited stud in the Bud commercial informing everyone that "there will be no sausage party tonight boys". For those of you who have not had the pleasure of seeing this yet just follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkzfDr6Bv9w. - DH)

"The Grinder" - Pentax K7 - 50mm
1/160 @ F2.8 ISO400 EV-0.3

"The Outcome"
1/60 @ F4.5 ISO400 EV-0.7

These next three images are more about the expression on the sausage makers face that anything else. It kinda takes me back to my preteen days. (There is so much that I am forcing myself not to say right now - DH).

"Fascination"

"Pride"

"40 Something"

1/30 @ F4.5 ISO400

1/40 @ F4.5 ISO400

1/25 @ F4.5 ISO400

1/40 @ F3.5 ISO500 EV-0.7

So much for this weeks food photography. On to sports.

The University of Regina Cougar Athletics Basketball program recently added some new interest in the form of Mr. Jimmy Scroggins. Jimmy hails from Phoenix, Arizona where he attended and played a little ball for North High. He was born on August 8th (just like my little bro), 1988 and eventually attended Mount Mercy College in Des Moines, Iowa before coming to the U of R. He last played at Bakersfield College, where he was a two-year member of the Renegades and averaged 5.7 points per game during the 2006-07 season, as Bakersfield went 30-3 overall and won the Western State Conference South Division co-championship with an 11-1 conference record. Jimmy also scored 5.6 points per game in 2007-08 with the Renegades.

What? No Ball? - Eyes, Emotion, Peak Action - One of or more of these three things need to play a part in any sports image or else it hits the proverbial cutting room floor. Some people get hung up on the requirement to see the object of an athletes focus as in the ball, the puck, the horseshoe or... you get the point. You need not hang yourself on such a notion if you can find an alternative interest in an image. The above image is about the intensity and you see that through Jimmy's eyes and the fact that the guy who he just beat has a look on his face that totally speaks to where that elbow was a split second before. If you don't know this is a basketball image without the ball given the garb of the day and the body position then you should probably go back to reading your romance novel and grooming yourself with those knitting needles as you are obviously not into sports. Compositionally Jimmy (the primary subject) is in the top right interscetion of that grid you keep hearing us rant about and those are the reasons this image works without a ball.


This would be Jimmy making a sweet over-under-over move to the basket. The eyes are just as important in this shot as the ball. Note the body position taking up the area on the right hand vertical third line and his eyes on the top horizontal. He is on the right because his attention is turning back to the left side of the frame where the basket was.

Canon 50D w/ 70-200mm 2.8L @ 165mm
1/250 @ F2.8 ISO1000 EV-0.3
Not usually a big fan of the free throw photo because they are usually a little boring. Not to mention the fact that some guys (fool inconsiderate photogs) will jump right under the basket right in the face of the player to get this overdone shot. Yes, this is ignorant. Think about it, the player has enough to deal with given the fans in the stands working over their concentration, they don't need some little peon with his camera jumping in his face just prior to putting it up. Even worse is when it is done right in front of a blank wall so the only thing there is the basket and the photog. So take a tip, shoot this shot from the side somewhere a little away from direct line-of-site and then challenge yourself to compose it proper (thirds) and keep the player sharp while getting some movement in the hands and ball

Not all emphasis should be placed on Jimmy as the women and those other athletic teams who are important to us all should also get their due.

A good drive to the hoop by Polish born University of Texas at Elpaso Guard Joanna Zalesiak.

and a little sport art of our own Gabrielle Gheyssen

and a little hockey "no ball" if you will shot in an arena with no light and no strobes and what light exists is six different colours - ask me if I am bitter. Go Ahead! Am I pumped about a new arena next year? U better believe it!
Canon 50D w/ 70-200mm 2.8L @ 125mm
1/800 @ F2.8 ISO6400 EV+1.0
Forward Ryan Sawka - Note eye position relative to top horizontal third and body position on right moving into space on left.

Gilbert Musonza laid a licken on a few guys in the 57KG category to pick up the win at the Cougar Invitational. The following images are here to display a few interesting portrait compositions. I challenge you to work on these poses the next time you can get two people to model naked for you ;o)

If you are not now smiling you should go check your pulse.

For more sports images visit www.sportsshooter.ca and challenge yourself by going through galleries and for each image take note of how the rule of thirds was applied. Eventually it will just start to happen.

This issues final image was captured just outside of the supermodels igloo where I found her fashionably clad in a fur (fake) headdress and complimenting Helly Hansen jacket. (Apparently I am a really REALLY good sport as when this headdress was purchased a vow was made that no human eyes would view it while being worn - DH).

_____________________________________________
Devona Start - So that is more or less the end of Rob's comings and goings and now I will post the few images that I have as unfortunately life has been way too busy as of late to do much shooting The first few images will take you WAY back to Christmas when we had a chance to do some shooting at our friend Normiiin's place.

 
The above is shot with a macro lens as the actual object is only about 1 or 2" in total.

Lens (mm): 100
ISO: 100
Aperture: 5
Shutter: 5
Exp. Comp.: -1.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

 

Lens (mm): 100
ISO: 100
Aperture: 4.5
Shutter: 2.5
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority


The above photo shows the effect of the shallow depth of field when using a macro lens with your aperture set wide open.

Lens (mm): 100
ISO: 100
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/6
Exp. Comp.: -0.3
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

My daughter Brooke was in a tournament last weekend in Saskatoon with her team the RVC's Voltage. They went undefeated all the way through to win their 14U division In the images below you can see the effect that occurs when shooting at extremely high ISO's. Unfotunately due to the extremely dim lighting in the gym there was no way around this as shooting at a lower ISO would have rendered too slow of a shutter speed resulting in blurry images.

 
Lens (mm): 70
ISO: 6400
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/640
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

and a little more Sport Art.

ISO: 6400
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/1000
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

Devona End
________________________________________

And now for a reach into our mailbag. We are going to do our best to address your mail as it comes in and when we feel it of value to our readers, we will respond to that mail publicly (last names withheld of course) via this blog or our podcast. If you include photos we will include those as well when we can.

Rob & Devona,

Just a short note to say thanks so much for last night! (this opening sentence leaves a lot to the imagination...) It should be classified a small miracle that I took ANY decent photos prior to attending your workshop.
 
One question for you regarding AV setting: if you're taking a photo of more than one person, how do you focus on multiple subjects when selecting the red light? This is where I've struggled a lot when attempting to capture my two little darlings in a photo....unless they're lined up perfectly (ha!), one of them is usually out of focus so I often revert back to automatic just to be safe.
Thanks again - you rock!

Sincerely,

Janita

~~~~~

Janita,

Thanks for the positive feedback. The situation you face is not all that easy and "Auto", although it may work on occasion, is not the answer. The direct answer to "how do you focus on multiple subjects when selecting the red light" or single point of focus is you can't. Fact is, focus, as you have figured out, works based on distance of the subject from the camera so unless both your subjects are parallel to the camera, one will be out of focus. Increasing aperture, which is all that Auto is doing, will increase your depth of field and your chances of having both in focus but you may have to up your ISO to ensure a fast enough shutter speed to handhold (you probably don't want to go beyond 800 with a Rebel). That is the technical answer.

Now the real answer, even though you are photographing two children, rarely is the image going to actually be about both of them. One must be "The subject", as one is usually doing something with or to the other and that child which is the primary must be the most in focus. If the image truly is about both of them and they are interacting with each other, then your positioning relative to their activity is what needs to change. There is almost always a way to position yourself so they are both (facially) approximately the same distance from your camera but not always is this easy.

If you just want the shot and could care less about it looking natural, then "A-Dep" (if on your camera's dial) and multipoint auto focus, or "P" on combined with your on-camera flash will give more depth of field.

Stay in touch and let us know how else we can be of assistance.

Rob & Devona

________________________________________

A special thanks to our readers and subscribers for their support. Our WinterScapes '10 Field Trip sold out in a record day and a half. Given the response to this event we probably could have filled two or three of these but our schedules just don't allow for it. Our plan is to have another sometime in May so if you want to guarantee a spot just get in touch and let us know. 

As always, thanks for visiting and your interest in our blog. Comments, questions, concerns and credit cards are always welcome. For convenience, please subscribe by clicking on the "Subscribe" Button on the Main Page of this blog. This is a mechanism that will provide you with notification each time we publish a new blog. For information on photo workshops and field trips please visit http://www.thosetwophotographers.com/Classes.html

Our Services can be explored here and our Portfolios here.

You are also more than welcome to subscribe to our podcast by searching for thosetwophotographers in iTunes. Industry news, tips, and interviews with photographers are just a few of the things your ears will tune into.

Cheers!

First off, for those of you who are not privy to our facebook group (join us by the way - just search for ThoseTwoPhotographers on facebook) we had a wee bit of a Snow Day in Regina, SK on the 25th of January. We thought we would take a couple of photos. Nothing earth shattering here photographically speaking but know there are a few subscribers to this blog living in places that snow is not an issue:

My parking lot. (If you look closely you can see me inside the car begging for a morsel of food and a glass of water -DH).


My filthy truck beside my parking lot.

My still filthy truck in alley north of parking lot. As it turns out, we have nothing on the state of Washington.

______________________________________

Chapter Two

The idea of making sausage had never once crossed my mind. Sausages are something found in a grocery store or sitting on a fence post because a neighbor was being neighborly. We've all come to grips with the fact that animals comprise a significant part of most of our diets and some people actually hunt. I'm not one of those hunters. I've damn near killed myself trying to avoid hitting rodents on the highway. Yes, there was a time as a child that a gopher's life was taken for my entertainment and that still bothers me. Hunting with a camera is the only hunting you will ever find me doing. That said, no amount of modifications will turn a Canon 50D and a 400mm F2.8 lens into a meat grinder so when approached by my neighbor to take part in a sausage making gathering and reap the spoils I could not turn him down. I love sausage made form wild meat, just had no idea how much manual labour could be put forth to make it. Eight hours of hand cranking a meat grinder and hand mixing a few spiecies of dead animals into a variety of spices, three of us had damn sore shoulders and a good glow on from the hydration products one must consume when in attendance at such an event. Only mid way through the exhaustive process did we start talking of the availability of more automated devices for the tasks. The following are a few images created during this experience - most of them with my trusty old 50mm 1.4.

(To add to Rob's story all that will be said here is that when told about this upcoming "boy's sausage making day" what continually ran through my mind was the blue satin-suited stud in the Bud commercial informing everyone that "there will be no sausage party tonight boys". For those of you who have not had the pleasure of seeing this yet just follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkzfDr6Bv9w. - DH)

"The Grinder" - Pentax K7 - 50mm
1/160 @ F2.8 ISO400 EV-0.3

"The Outcome"
1/60 @ F4.5 ISO400 EV-0.7

These next three images are more about the expression on the sausage makers face that anything else. It kinda takes me back to my preteen days. (There is so much that I am forcing myself not to say right now - DH).

"Fascination"

"Pride"

"40 Something"

1/30 @ F4.5 ISO400

1/40 @ F4.5 ISO400

1/25 @ F4.5 ISO400

1/40 @ F3.5 ISO500 EV-0.7

So much for this weeks food photography. On to sports.

The University of Regina Cougar Athletics Basketball program recently added some new interest in the form of Mr. Jimmy Scroggins. Jimmy hails from Phoenix, Arizona where he attended and played a little ball for North High. He was born on August 8th (just like my little bro), 1988 and eventually attended Mount Mercy College in Des Moines, Iowa before coming to the U of R. He last played at Bakersfield College, where he was a two-year member of the Renegades and averaged 5.7 points per game during the 2006-07 season, as Bakersfield went 30-3 overall and won the Western State Conference South Division co-championship with an 11-1 conference record. Jimmy also scored 5.6 points per game in 2007-08 with the Renegades.

What? No Ball? - Eyes, Emotion, Peak Action - One of or more of these three things need to play a part in any sports image or else it hits the proverbial cutting room floor. Some people get hung up on the requirement to see the object of an athletes focus as in the ball, the puck, the horseshoe or... you get the point. You need not hang yourself on such a notion if you can find an alternative interest in an image. The above image is about the intensity and you see that through Jimmy's eyes and the fact that the guy who he just beat has a look on his face that totally speaks to where that elbow was a split second before. If you don't know this is a basketball image without the ball given the garb of the day and the body position then you should probably go back to reading your romance novel and grooming yourself with those knitting needles as you are obviously not into sports. Compositionally Jimmy (the primary subject) is in the top right interscetion of that grid you keep hearing us rant about and those are the reasons this image works without a ball.


This would be Jimmy making a sweet over-under-over move to the basket. The eyes are just as important in this shot as the ball. Note the body position taking up the area on the right hand vertical third line and his eyes on the top horizontal. He is on the right because his attention is turning back to the left side of the frame where the basket was.

Canon 50D w/ 70-200mm 2.8L @ 165mm
1/250 @ F2.8 ISO1000 EV-0.3
Not usually a big fan of the free throw photo because they are usually a little boring. Not to mention the fact that some guys (fool inconsiderate photogs) will jump right under the basket right in the face of the player to get this overdone shot. Yes, this is ignorant. Think about it, the player has enough to deal with given the fans in the stands working over their concentration, they don't need some little peon with his camera jumping in his face just prior to putting it up. Even worse is when it is done right in front of a blank wall so the only thing there is the basket and the photog. So take a tip, shoot this shot from the side somewhere a little away from direct line-of-site and then challenge yourself to compose it proper (thirds) and keep the player sharp while getting some movement in the hands and ball

Not all emphasis should be placed on Jimmy as the women and those other athletic teams who are important to us all should also get their due.

A good drive to the hoop by Polish born University of Texas at Elpaso Guard Joanna Zalesiak.

and a little sport art of our own Gabrielle Gheyssen

and a little hockey "no ball" if you will shot in an arena with no light and no strobes and what light exists is six different colours - ask me if I am bitter. Go Ahead! Am I pumped about a new arena next year? U better believe it!
Canon 50D w/ 70-200mm 2.8L @ 125mm
1/800 @ F2.8 ISO6400 EV+1.0
Forward Ryan Sawka - Note eye position relative to top horizontal third and body position on right moving into space on left.

Gilbert Musonza laid a licken on a few guys in the 57KG category to pick up the win at the Cougar Invitational. The following images are here to display a few interesting portrait compositions. I challenge you to work on these poses the next time you can get two people to model naked for you ;o)

If you are not now smiling you should go check your pulse.

For more sports images visit www.sportsshooter.ca and challenge yourself by going through galleries and for each image take note of how the rule of thirds was applied. Eventually it will just start to happen.

This issues final image was captured just outside of the supermodels igloo where I found her fashionably clad in a fur (fake) headdress and complimenting Helly Hansen jacket. (Apparently I am a really REALLY good sport as when this headdress was purchased a vow was made that no human eyes would view it while being worn - DH).

_____________________________________________
Devona Start - So that is more or less the end of Rob's comings and goings and now I will post the few images that I have as unfortunately life has been way too busy as of late to do much shooting The first few images will take you WAY back to Christmas when we had a chance to do some shooting at our friend Normiiin's place.

 
The above is shot with a macro lens as the actual object is only about 1 or 2" in total.

Lens (mm): 100
ISO: 100
Aperture: 5
Shutter: 5
Exp. Comp.: -1.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

 

Lens (mm): 100
ISO: 100
Aperture: 4.5
Shutter: 2.5
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority


The above photo shows the effect of the shallow depth of field when using a macro lens with your aperture set wide open.

Lens (mm): 100
ISO: 100
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/6
Exp. Comp.: -0.3
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

My daughter Brooke was in a tournament last weekend in Saskatoon with her team the RVC's Voltage. They went undefeated all the way through to win their 14U division In the images below you can see the effect that occurs when shooting at extremely high ISO's. Unfotunately due to the extremely dim lighting in the gym there was no way around this as shooting at a lower ISO would have rendered too slow of a shutter speed resulting in blurry images.

 
Lens (mm): 70
ISO: 6400
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/640
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

and a little more Sport Art.

ISO: 6400
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/1000
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

Devona End
________________________________________

And now for a reach into our mailbag. We are going to do our best to address your mail as it comes in and when we feel it of value to our readers, we will respond to that mail publicly (last names withheld of course) via this blog or our podcast. If you include photos we will include those as well when we can.

Rob & Devona,

Just a short note to say thanks so much for last night! (this opening sentence leaves a lot to the imagination...) It should be classified a small miracle that I took ANY decent photos prior to attending your workshop.
 
One question for you regarding AV setting: if you're taking a photo of more than one person, how do you focus on multiple subjects when selecting the red light? This is where I've struggled a lot when attempting to capture my two little darlings in a photo....unless they're lined up perfectly (ha!), one of them is usually out of focus so I often revert back to automatic just to be safe.
Thanks again - you rock!

Sincerely,

Janita

~~~~~

Janita,

Thanks for the positive feedback. The situation you face is not all that easy and "Auto", although it may work on occasion, is not the answer. The direct answer to "how do you focus on multiple subjects when selecting the red light" or single point of focus is you can't. Fact is, focus, as you have figured out, works based on distance of the subject from the camera so unless both your subjects are parallel to the camera, one will be out of focus. Increasing aperture, which is all that Auto is doing, will increase your depth of field and your chances of having both in focus but you may have to up your ISO to ensure a fast enough shutter speed to handhold (you probably don't want to go beyond 800 with a Rebel). That is the technical answer.

Now the real answer, even though you are photographing two children, rarely is the image going to actually be about both of them. One must be "The subject", as one is usually doing something with or to the other and that child which is the primary must be the most in focus. If the image truly is about both of them and they are interacting with each other, then your positioning relative to their activity is what needs to change. There is almost always a way to position yourself so they are both (facially) approximately the same distance from your camera but not always is this easy.

If you just want the shot and could care less about it looking natural, then "A-Dep" (if on your camera's dial) and multipoint auto focus, or "P" on combined with your on-camera flash will give more depth of field.

Stay in touch and let us know how else we can be of assistance.

Rob & Devona

________________________________________

A special thanks to our readers and subscribers for their support. Our WinterScapes '10 Field Trip sold out in a record day and a half. Given the response to this event we probably could have filled two or three of these but our schedules just don't allow for it. Our plan is to have another sometime in May so if you want to guarantee a spot just get in touch and let us know. 

As always, thanks for visiting and your interest in our blog. Comments, questions, concerns and credit cards are always welcome. For convenience, please subscribe by clicking on the "Subscribe" Button on the Main Page of this blog. This is a mechanism that will provide you with notification each time we publish a new blog. For information on photo workshops and field trips please visit http://www.thosetwophotographers.com/Classes.html

Our Services can be explored here and our Portfolios here.

You are also more than welcome to subscribe to our podcast by searching for thosetwophotographers in iTunes. Industry news, tips, and interviews with photographers are just a few of the things your ears will tune into.

Cheers!

Update: This was originally posted well before Christmas and was creatively titled "Is it Cold Enough for You???" but we ran into trouble with our blog so it just sat in space until now. That said Devona occassionally gets trapped in a time warp so you probably are not surprised at all. Now that I have managed to rectify some of these issues perhaps we can even get back to regular podcasts as well. (RW)

What is it about that saying anyway?? Not sure what it is but it has always bothered me even though it is well known that all that they are doing is using it as a conversation ice breaker. It is effectively -34 C outside right now BEFORE the windchill add the windchill in and we are hovering at a balmy -50 C ... what kind of answer am I supposed to give?? Nope...not quite cold enough for me yet as I was hoping that I could bear witness to a -75 C day !!??? Seriously for those of you in the know you no longer have to feel compelled to ask that question as from now on I am going to just let you in on a secret to let you know that anytime the temperature dips below +20 C it is cold enough for me!

Onward and upward and onto some pictures of what we have been up to for the past month. Even though time has been short for both Rob and myself we have still managed to get out on a couple of fun excursions. Here are a few images that were shot back in November of the Cougar Sports teams. Rob shot the volleyball and I shot the soccer...very hard to imagine that almost exactly a month ago when the soccer was shot outside there wasn't a trace of snow on the ground!

Lens (mm): 160
ISO: 3200
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/500
Exp. Comp.: +0.3

 

Lens (mm): 100
ISO: 3200
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/500
Exp. Comp.: 0.0

Now onto the soccer... 

Lens (mm): 200
ISO: 250
Aperture: 4
Shutter: 1/2000
Exp. Comp.: 0.0

 

Lens (mm): 200
ISO: 250
Aperture: 4
Shutter: 1/2000
Exp. Comp.: 0.0

A Group of Investment Advisors Rob shot in late fall:

An image captured during my annual Labour Day trip to Red Deer. Looking at the exif data at the bottom of the pic you will see indication of a very long exposure shot at night ... the orange glow to the trees was from a fire that was about 20 yards away...

Lens (mm): 33
ISO: 200
Aperture: 4.5
Shutter: 278
Exp. Comp.: 0.0

Below display the effect of different shutter speeds on moving water in a photo... the first image as shown is shot with a much faster shutter speed than the second: 

ISO: 125
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/640
Exp. Comp.: 0.0

 

Lens (mm): 55
ISO: 125
Aperture: 4
Shutter: 8
Exp. Comp.: 0.0

Jim who was kind enough to move some of the cattails out of the way for a shot of mine... actually, now that I think about it I'm sure that he was moving them out of the way for a shot that he was taking and I just took advantage of it...

My daughter Brooke just finished playing in the city finals wit her volleyball team and I am very proud of her as they are second in the city! Here are a few pictures of the season:

Lens (mm): 135
ISO: 1600
Aperture: 2
Shutter: 1/800
Exp. Comp.: 0.0

 

Lens (mm): 70
ISO: 3200
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/800
Exp. Comp.: 0.0

 Here is an image that Rob shot of the Regina Cougars women's basketball team:

Lens (mm): 78
ISO: 6400
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/1250
Exp. Comp.: +0.3

A few weekends ago my daughter and I spent the day at my sisters house making gingerbread houses... very hard to get the houses done when my neice and nephew were just wanting to eat all of the decorations!

Yummy gingerbread...

For some reason Brooke seemed to think that she was better off without my help... no idea why? And seeing how I can already hear all of the comments...it was a Sunday and I was in my comfy clothes without any make-up on or my hair done... 

I am certain Devona had some witty closing comment to add here so I will close this off for her.

Stay Tuned and Keep your Stick on the Ice.

Dear Readers / Subscribers,

We are unfortunately running into some serious problems with our blog. Problems that range from server errors to unintentional comment updates to subscribers generated by nasty spam_bots. We are doing research into how we can migrate our content to a new blog without losing all the hard work put in (mostly by Devona). If any of you have suggestions, they would be appreciated. We hope once we find a way to do this migration we will be able to integrate our Podcast which has also fallen to the wayside due to a very busy Christmas season. Thanks again to those of you who submitted photos to the Christmas Challenge, hopefully we will be able to address them soon.

New Class Dates are posted here and the Podcast here.

Happy New Year - Please stay in touch.

 

Dennis is a menace, anyone for tennis?
Oh Maud, I'm so terribly bored.

Yes, the world is a confusing place. That said, if you are older than 35 there is a good chance you know from where the aforementioned and the title of this weeks blog came from.

Confusing in particular to me as I sit here and type this with one hand due to a terribly sore and pretty much useless left wrist, yet my famed business associate has somehow left me to write this blog entry. I'm sure she is in bed right now being productive like most teens who have to sleep right up until the absolute last minute leaving them just enough time to get to their weekend job or high school. Does it sound like my wrist is throbbing and making me irritable?

{Alright everyone... we are going to do this in reverse this time as Rob is writing the blog so all of my comments will be in these funky brackets.  For the record I did not sleep in until the last possible minute to get to work as my phone started ringing at exactly 8:00AM.  Had it not then yes, I would have slept as long as possible - Devona}.

I guess she could also be at home studying new photo editing techniques which would be cool if only I could find a real world application for said techniques that would save us time or make us more money. Yes, I am a utilitarian and my wrist hurts.

Devona claims she knows not where to go to find a man yet there seems a constant barrage of those who go beyond stealing a quick glance. She sometimes seems completely oblivious to the obvious. Thomas here may be looking for a threesome but judging by the look on his face he means no real harm.

{And sometimes in regards to Rob's statement above there is really nothing that I can say as I can't even begin to fathom where he gets some of his material! - DH}

Thomas found and fell for Devona at a recent model train show held at the Moose Jaw Western Development Museum. Events such as these offer a grand number of photo opportunities providing you have some fast glass with which to shoot it. I personally shot (again) with my manual focus 50mm F1.4 - The one that no one thought I would ever use. {In this casewhere Rob refers to "no one" he is in fact making a direct reference to me - DH}

Quite often the scenes surrounding the trains are of as much photographic interest as the trains themselves.
1/50th @ F1.4 +0.7 - ISO 400


Finding an uncluttered background even at 1.4 was often a challenge but could be done if you looked hard enough.

 

On the other hand sometimes all the bussle was part of the appeal.

and finally an actual photo of a train.
Leading lines and an "S" curve make this image stand out.
F1.4 @ 1/80th +0.3 - ISO 400

Lounging by the pool.


Your typical donut shop. Perhaps more attention should have been paid to extending an idling lineup out into the middle
of the street where traffic is backed up dangerously and people walking can't breath for exhaust. They did get the squad car thing right though.

F2.8 @ 1/40th - ISO 400 - A little more aperture here to ensure sharpness from the front right corner of the mini refinery
to the back left corner of the red building which also keeps the train behind it semi-sharp.

Logging Operation

Train Yard

 
These people were very detail oriented to say the least. A working girl approached by a guy who looks like he hangs in the park
during wee hours of the morning less the pants under the checkered coat.

Admittedly I am a fan of bugs.

There proves to be more than one way to skin a cat proven by Devona's images from the day posted below. I will try and provide a commentary equal
in hilarity to that which her heiness would have written. {Please note that he said that he would try in which case it may not be a great idea to hold your breath in anticipation -DH}

 

Devona finally gets her photo of the illusive black bear with lunch. {For those of you in"the know" regarding wildlife... this is a grizzly and was far more dangerous for me to shoot than a mere black bear -DH}

 

Mr. Fireman prepares to hold the ladder for the young girl to go up and "get her own damn cat". 

It is believed that Devona thought she was capturing an image of the future here. Foreshadowing when I finally get around
to taking up my father's favorite sport. Horseshoes. I may be 80 but I'll get there dad.

After eluding the ever-persuant Thomas, Devona planted herself by this sign. Seems she is not only willing to pay a man but is also willing to house one.

Stay tuned people. Rumour has it Devona spent all day hiding in a blind waiting for a man and all she has to show for it are some rare photos of dancing grouse. {For the record, it was thought the other day that a use for a man had been found when I was having a horrible time trying to open a jar, but then, after a couple more attempts I managed to open it myself - DH}

Realizing that you are all perched on the edge of your photo stools waiting for part two of this I thought it best to get on it prior to your development of some form of bottom fungus.

Day three of our trip was most enjoyable. As mentioned in part one there was yet another photo challenge issued. Said challenge encompassed a few categories. A black and White Scape, self-portrait, seeds, clubhouse and a photo of your shooting partner. 

I found the countless number of frozen over bogs with their barren trees, some of which seem to be growing up from the snow, particularly well served by black and white.
1/100th @ F6.3 + 1.7 - ISO 100

A shot of my shooting partner for the day, Gil, on the way back from our stroll
to the garbage dump. We seemed to have shown up about a half hour late
as what wildlife had left fresh tracks there was gone by the time we showed up. I'm certain
the venue would have paid off had we been there at sunrise. As you can tell from Gil's attire, it was not
a very warm morning.

Now this would be my self portrait and those of you who have attended a class or are regular visitors to this blog will attest to the fact that the image suits me well. About 15 minutes was spent trying to shoot these shadows and get the exposure just right while keeping the snow white and detailed as well as trying to hold the contrast in the shadows. With the camera on a tripod I would trigger the release and then run from the frame. Eventually it dawned on me that I could get the shot and my self portrait submission done all in one frame. When I originally found the scene I thought it would work well in black and white but in the end decided the colour version was best.

The image of this conversationalist was chosen not only for his posing ability and the fact that he did not shut up, but also for his diet... "seeds".


This little character, a white breasted nuthatch was hanging atop his "clubhouse".
1/1000 @ F2.8 +0.3 - ISO 200 (70-200mm F2.8 @ extension)

This image was Devona's submission for the black & white scenic. She calls the above print "Cat Tails In Black & White" .... not really but she thinks it might fit :)
ISO - 100, F 7, Shutter Speed - 1/50th sec, Focal Length - 100mm

Now I know there was a seed photo that Devona shot, oh yeah, she took that pic the day before said challenge was issued so it was published in the last blog. Not entirely sure what Jim and her did all that morning other than drive around as I have not received any further submissions from her for the other categories or for that matter anything from GIL OR JIM. HELLO, PEOPLE! Whats going on here

I went for a wee hike in the bush and at times all I could see were the trees and the sky.
1/5th @ F22 +0.3 - ISO 100

And as proof to Devona that she is not the only one that knows there is a time and a place for a polarizing filter.

Now I know that deer are pretty much as common place as flies in these parts but sometimes I can't hold back. Peak-a-boo

and then this well fed little fart sneaks out from under her wing. He's gonna struggle with running from those with rifles. That said, if he sticks to the national park system he won't have to worry about that now will he.

The afternoon of day three was spent with Gil on the couch suffering some from some form of stomach issue although I am not sure why. It's not like Devona really cooked anything all week. The three of us, Devona Jim and I found ourselves out with the dogs. An excellent experience and hosted by Bradley Muir of Sundogs Sled Excursions. He and Tyler towed our weighty asses (speak for yourself Mr. Weitzel - D) for like 8 miles and we had a blast. We would highly recommend that you consider a winter visit to these guys as they offer a broad range of outings from partial day trips to overnighters and it is more than apparent that not only do they care about the environment they work in but also the wellbeing of their dogs. In addition to the fun you will come away with an education, one that can only be provided by those who are constantly surrounded by this beautiful wilderness.

Below are a few of Devona's pics from the sled ride.

Here's Rob and our co-host Tyler getting ready for the dogsled run.

(The above image is a shot that our buddy Jim took.  I really wish that I had a bullwhip for this shot :) - Devo)
I can't believe the things I do for these people but I thought showing her as the driver would allow you all to quit thinking that I'm the boss.

Rob in his chariot videotaping as he flew by. (By the way people, that is not a beer belly. I have my 70-200 tucked into my coat so a to try and keep it dry from the spray created by the dogs. They create some other stuff too but we'll leave that for you to experience - Rob)

ISO- 400, F 5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/4000th sec, Focal length - 55mm

I even got to mush!  I can now cross this off of my bucket list as it is something that I have always wanted to do.  Wow... the puppy looks a wee bit upset in this photo... I think that he was just being a bit protective of me :)  Photo courtesy of Mr. Jim Kroshus. (Had I know they were going to let her drive the damn things I would never have played the part of the dog earlier. Did I mention she crashed shortly after a road rage incident that saw 5 dogs and two grown men sent to the vet, the dogs were fine but the men needed their heads examined - Rob - Okay, I'm only joking

Below are a few of my (Rob's) photos from the ride. Yes, I know it is difficult to keep track of who is writing this and when but that is part of the charm RIGHT? RIGHT? Thank you.

Tyler putting a harness on the quietest of all the hounds. Sweet eyes. I mean the dog people although rumour has that Devona was quiet fond of the other eyes in this photo.

Below are two very similar photos both with a unique reason for making the cut as noted.

A good photo of Brad and the the backs of the two photogs who just shot him

and check out the third dog's eyes and the expression on his face. Now that is determined not to mention eye catching. (yes, that was a bad attempt at a pun)

Tyler with his team. A guy who claims to have never had a good photo of himself taken while mushing but apparently still lost track of my business card.

For those of you who may never have this experience, this is the back seat view. Yup, again, sorry.

On that note, I'll leave you with this. Another photo of the always fashionable in camoflauge Devona M. Hill hard at work and a pic that she took of the roads on the way back home which believe it or not were a great improvement from the conditions on the way there.




Stay tuned ya'll but until next time get your asses out there and shoot!

Cheers!

Hello again everyone!  Well... I realize that this is a wee bit later than most blogs but there is a very legitimate reason behind it which we will let you in on at the end of this blog :)  What have we been up to as of late?  Well, we went up to Anglin lake with some friends for a photo retreat and had a blast.  The weather left a little bit to be desired as right after we left P.A we ran into a mixture of rain, hail, snow and if you can believe it...lightning!  No, I'm not kidding... needless to say we ended up driving the rest of the way at about 70K and it made for some challenging driving throughout the rest of the trip.  [As with always, I (Rob) will be inserting my two cents worth in these little brackets. Upon our arrival after traversing the treacherous roads we were greeted with the sound of thunder. We figured that we had seen a couple of lightning strikes while we were driving but were not sure as seeing through the hail was a little difficult. The thunder served to confirm what we saw. Yes, a thunder storm with snow, hail and rain in mid march in Northern Saskatchewan]

Rob this is where you can input what else we have been doing as I am suddenly suffering from writer's block :( [Hopefully I can do us justice]

Onto some trip pics...
[The first morning was essentially a free-for-all with Devona heading out with Jim, apparently they found some open water. Myself and Gil hung back and shot around the community we based ourselves from]

ISO - 100, F 16, Shutter Speed - 1/3 sec, Focal length - 21mm

[I found the "Lonesome Dove Saloon - Damn place was closed :o( 1/15th @ F11 +1.0 ISO 10]

Our buddy Jim is my "all things wildlife and plant related" educator so he took it upon himself to walk through waist deep snow to grab part of a tree to show me the difference between them... yep, he takes his job very seriously :) [By the looks of the left side of this frame it appears you were once again shooting from inside the vehicle

[Over lunch a bit of a challenge was issued. "One Camera, One Lens, One Afternoon.". I've yet to receive submissions from the other participants. My images are below - Lens of choice was a 105mm F2.8 Macro.
A circular polarizer was used to add detail and reduce reflection from ice crystals etc.]

0.6 sec. @ F14 +1.7 ISO100

1/8th @ F13 +1.3 - ISO 100

1/5th @ F10 +2 - ISO 100

Still the same lens. No one said anything about photoshop. :o)

Resort Sign

Not exactly the Joshua Tree - 1/20th @ F10 - ISO 100

This has got me a little confused in that the following two photos were shot by Devona during our One Lens challenge but she has referred to them as part of the next days activities which encompassed a self portrait and a photo of seeds. There were other categories as well which I'll get to. I just wanted to point out the importance of (even with your friends) ensuring submission accuracy by checking the EXIF data. You see these photos were both taken during the One Lens challenge and not the next day when she was supposed to shoot these categories... sneeky dog.]

Here is my entry for self portrait.  I found this axe along my travels so it was really hard to resist the temptation to play the role of axe murderer ... [yeah right, "the role". Glad Mildred from next door did not witness this madness, we would have been trying to break Devona out of an institution the next day... or on second thought perhaps we would have preferred some quiet]



ISO - 100, F 4, Shutter Speed - 1/100th sec, Focal Length - 100mm
One of the categories was "seeds" so this is what I decided to shoot with my macro lens.

We stayed at the Land of the Loon resort and when we were walking by the sign I had to get Rob to stop and point at it.  For those of you who know Rob you will know that he is anal...scratch that...meticulous.  Whenever we go shooting I have shot everything that I can fathom to shoot and he is on photo number 5...  


Here is a shot of the cabin... this would be a great location in the summer as it overlooks Anglin Lake ...

Yes... if you look closely enough you will see that Rob is indeed posing on the deck ...
[So are you saying the guns don't show up unless a person looks close? :o( - Fact is people I am straightening my hat]

Here is another one of the many bogs that we passed along the way..

ISO - 100, F 14, Shutter Speed - 1/50th sec, Focal Length - 70mm

[After a long day shooting Gil put together a scrumptious Rib dinner for Jim, Devona and Haida (aka the K-9 vaccuum pictured below]

1/5th @ F1.4 -0.3 ISO 400 - Yes, it was handheld and yes it was sharp... do as I say, not as I do Grasshopper :o)

[Part two will follow shortly as soon as I can sort out Devona's stuff - She said she was tired when she sent me her files but I think she meant that she had just drank two bottles of Deserona]

ScotiaMcLeod and the University of Regina Rams are pleased to present
the 1st Annual Tackle Behind the Vines - an evening of wine and
delectables. This event will feature over 50 different wines from 12
different vendors and food from Regina's hottest restaurants.  

Date: Thursday, November 6, 2008
Time: 7:00 PM to 10:00PM
Location: The Terrace Rotunda at Innovation Place, 10 Research Dr.
(adjacent to the University of Regina)
Entertainment: Jack and Tara Semple (Rhythmic Guitar and the Flute)
Ticket Price: $75 (All proceeds from this event will go to the
University of Regina Rams Scholarship Fund).  

For more information on how you can be a part of this event, please
visit www.reginarams.com or call 585-5480.

Just so that you all don't think that I never actually raise my camera to my eye anymore I thought I would quickly post a pic / link hopefully prompting you to get off the couch and go partake in some Haggis and single malt at the 2008 Mosaic Scottish Pavillion located at the Tartan Curling Club. I was only there for a few minutes but the music seriously got me jumpin... to bad I had so much work to do. Yeah work, on the pictures I take that pay the bills.