Thomas Stirr is an author, executive coach, and photographer/videographer based in Grimsby Ontario Canada. He specializes in industrial photography, safety and corporate videos. His work also includes landscape and nature photography, and experimentation with photo art. Nikon Canada has featured Tom's work numerous times on Facebook and Twitter. To follow Thomas, please visit his website and his YouTube channel
Many of us can remember the famous scene in the movie Forrest Gump where life is compared to a box of chocolates. The phrase was used to describe the unpredictability of life… you never know what you’re going to get. Those of us who enjoy bird and nature photography have a box of chocolates moment every time we go out with our camera gear.
I was out at LaSalle Park in Burlington Ontario yesterday and was treated to a couple of wonderful box of chocolates moments. This posting provides some background on those moments and shares a selection of new photographs.
Well… I’m already missing summer. All it took was our first snowfall of the season that stayed on the ground. Unlike many of my fellow Canadians I’m really not a winter person. I don’t skate, ski or play hockey. There’s precious little that I enjoy about winter, other than being out with my camera… and spending time with family and friends.
This article discusses using 60 FPS (frames per second) to photograph BIF (birds-in-flight) and shares an extensive collection of handheld images captured a few days ago.
I should apologize in advance for the overall quality of the images in this article. These photographs were captured under very dull, overcast and windy conditions. Not the best for image quality… but very good test conditions if one is inclined to push their camera gear hard as I’m apt to do. 🙂
This article discusses using teleconverters for BIF and some of the practical considerations that come into play with this type of photography. Many people love to photograph birds and really enjoy capturing images of birds-in-flight (BIF). Using long telephoto lenses can be a challenge. This is compounded when teleconverters are added to the mix.
All of the photographs featured in this article were captured handheld in about 2 hours and 15 minutes during a visit to the lift bridge in Burlington Ontario on Tuesday of this week.
On Sunday I went to the lift bridge in Burlington Ontario to photograph longtail ducks and was treated to a bonanza of merganser ducks. Mergansers usually visit this location in mid to late November and stay for 6 to 8 weeks… and sometimes longer.
The longtails usually outnumber the mergansers by a ratio of about 20 to 1, making it difficult to spot the mergansers. Typically there are only a handful mixed in with the longtails. I was pleasantly surprised that there were several dozen mergansers in the area.
Measuring background blur can be an important tool when using M4/3 and other smaller sensor cameras, especially for photographers who previously used full frame gear. As humans we often fall into patterns of behaviour, some of which can be counterproductive if we have not adapted to a new situation.
This article discusses the focus stacking compatibility of various Olympus/OM System cameras and lenses and provides a current gear listing. A selection of new in-camera focus stacked images recently captured handheld at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory are featured.
This article discusses macro style choices as they apply to some specific photographs recently created at the Floral Showhouse in Niagara Falls. Our photographic style begins with how each of us see the world around us. What attracts our eye. What intrigues us. Where we find visual meaning in our experience of life. Then we make decisions on how to bring the images that we see in our minds to life through our photography.
This article discusses an approach I use for BIF (birds-in-flight) practice at 1600 mm equivalent field-of-view. While I don’t usually photograph birds-in-flight using this long focal length, I do find it beneficial to periodically practice my handheld technique and eye/hand coordination at this very long focal length.
This article, Focus Stacking at RBG, shares a selection of handheld focus stacked macro images captured yesterday at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington Ontario. I used the in-camera focus stacking function in my E-M1X to create all of the photographs in this article. All images displayed are out-of-camera jpegs that were tweaked a bit in post.
This website celebrates the joy of photography and features a wide range of photographic subject matter. The content is designed to appeal to a wide range of people interested in photography. The website also demonstrates the image capability of small sensor cameras including micro four thirds (18 x 13.5 mm), 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm), and 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) cameras.
