Nature Photography Canada

You have Only 5 days left to register to the 2010 Arizona workshop and reserve your spot for this wonderful experience. We will have the opportunity to photograph the most beautiful landscapes in the american south west. So make sure you have your seat for this adventure.

Best of light !

Jean-Daniel (JD)

I still have 4 spots for this fall Arizona workshop ( see Workshop section). This workshop is quite a photographic experience with best places to see and shoot at the best time of the year. So hurry before July 15th to get your place in the group.

Some of the subjects reviewed in the workshop will be: composition, using filters(polarizer, neutral density) and when, using a light meter, using hyperfocal for best results, optimizing photo quality...

To register or for questions, please send an email to : nature@jdgagne.com

Best of light

Jean-Daniel(JD)

I will be using(testing) the iPad to review the daily shots and make my various posts on the blog.

That is why I am moving my travel blog to the following address: jdgagne-e.blogspot.com

Cheers and best of light !

JD

Yes, in a month or so, I will be shooting grizzlies; I mean photographing naturally. This means long lenses and this is where it gets complicated. Why? Because of the transports.

The destination is Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.  The gear: a 600mm f/4L IS, a 300mm f/2.8L IS, 70-200 f/2.8L IS II as well as 2 TS-Es and an ultra wide lens for landscapes. Total weight with backpack: approximatly 43 pounds including chargers and batteries. The problem is both the weight of the gear and the size of the super teles...

Because there is a connection flight in Vancouver and the second flight to Prince Rupert is onboard a Dash 8; not a plane with enough space to slip in the overhead compartment, a backpack the size of one that could carry a 600mm. The choises are then: everything goes in a Pelican case, or a part goes in one or I keep everything inside. The Pelican case is cool and solide but there is a connection flight...what happens if it does not make it to the second flight... The necessary gear required for the purpose of your trip might not be there... So I choose inside the plane.

Logistic: one large backpack inside the checked luggages and one small enough backpack that carries the smaller gear (300mm, 70-200 and the rest)to go inside the Dash-8 with a light nylon bag to carry the 600mm rolled into some bublle wrap. When in Prince Rupert, we swap the backpacks to get all the gear inside the larger one and the smaller goes inside the checking luggages.

But there is a third plane ! A float plane ! With a 60 pounds max load per person. This is where you get your small compacted duffle bag which was inside the checked luggages as well. I am allowed 17 pounds for clothing and all the other stuff...guess I will do some clothes washing at night...

Here are the bags I will be using:

1. large backpack...a Thintank Addicted 2: it's light and get all the gear(or almost) inside.

2. smaller backpack...a Thinktank Antidote (they can slip inside a CRJ)

3. nylon bag to carry the 600mm(hood in checked luggages)... an Arcterix Axios 33

4. duffle bag... an Eaglecreek large duffle bag (goes flat as half a centimeter in the luggages)

Stay tuned for the rest

JD

5 Photographers with or without travel companions will be able to get onboard our 8 days photography pilgrimage in Arizona !

For all details, please follow this link:    ARIZONA WORKSHOP 2010

JD.