Category Archives: Photo Walks

May 20, 2013

Little Adventures

On this weekends adventure to Washington State, even though it was just a day trip, it was fun to just engage in the energy of travelling, even if only for the short time.

One of the things I love about getting out of town is the unexpected, the in between moments. The bits of time in between plans where you can just look up at where you are and take a little self-care photo walk.

Just wandering around a town I don’t know makes me seriously happy (with my camera of course). Something about being in a place I don’t know brings up the energy of acutely noticing, of just seeing with new eyes. I especially love taking these little photo walks because while being in a car is a much easier way to travel, just getting feet to ground in a new place makes me really feel like I’m experiencing a place, not just seeing it rush by the car window. I had 2 little bits of adventuring at the start and end of saturday’s photo adventure and in each of those short stretches of time I went on a little wander just to see what might catch my eye.

In Bellingham, just after getting off the bus I spotted it, this patch of tall grass with yellow flowers across the street. I wandered over there and couldn’t resist putting down my iPhone and using the Gorillacam app…stepping into the frame to capture some photos of this day of adventure.

Then, off on the grand adventure away from the rain, through the mountains to the sunny forest that I shared a bit about in yesterday’s post. At the end of that beautiful day I ended up needing to change my travel plans and found myself taking the train home from a town I had never been to: Everett Washington.

After getting my train ticket I had some time to spare and while the town looked pretty industrial in that area, I felt drawn to wander around a bit on a photo walk. I headed up the hill and there it was, this gorgeous mural. It was kind of the last thing I expected to find in that moment. This week in Be Your Own Beloved we had been seeking out messages of love (hearts, words, notes) as reminders to cultivate self-love and I smiled big when I saw that there at the bottom it was…the words ‘You are Loved’. It was a beautiful reminder that wherever you are, there is indeed love. Here are a few more iPhone captures of that sweet little one city block photo walk in Everett!

Have you found that too, that sometimes it is the little in between moments, the unexpected explorations that really add something special to a trip?

May 6, 2013

New Wheels & a Lesson in Confidence

On Saturday I was heading home from ‘The Drive’, the main street in my neighbourhood and I stumbled across a yard sale.

There she was, shiny and red, cute and vintage. Unlike any other bike I’ve seen.

I asked the price, sure that once I heard it I would easily be able to pick up my groceries and walk home without it.

But then she said it, and it was wicked cheap. So I put down my groceries and gave her a spin.

3 gears,

pedal brakes

big tires

and she’s a folding bike

She rode like a dream and after that trial ride she became mine. I was smitten.

I went home, got my helmet and then headed out to the seawall, a bike path that weaves around the waters edge of this coastal city. I was worried at first that something was wrong, that there was a reason she was so affordable and that I’d need to do repairs but it was such a beautiful ride.

It reminded me of my bike at my parents house that I ride when I’m visiting for cottage time in the summer. Somehow pedal brakes and minimal gears just feels like summer to me, when you just can’t help but coast more and feel happy.

And then my gremlins a.k.a. my inner critic appeared.

Now, my gremlins and I have a long history and after lots and lots of work (and putting them in their place) we’ve kind of been at peace lately.

But there they were rearing their meanie selves again.

I’d bike past store windows and look at my reflection, much like I used to and judge how wide I looked from the side walking by a store window. Did I look like a fool on this bike? As I big girl, do I look silly riding this little bike? Is this bike too funky for me?

This went on for about 5 minutes and my gremlins ranted and raved and sucked the pleasure out of the moment. I remembered how icky it felt to have my gremlins taking over. So I had a conversation with myself that went something like this:

“Do you feel a sense of freedom on this bike?”

Yes.

“Does this bike make you happy”

Yes.

“Does this bike feel really comfortable to ride”

Yes.

“Will this bike allow you to be more free in getting around the city?

Yes.

“Will this bike be able to come on travel adventures with you because it is foldable?”

Yes

“Does this bike make you want to put on vintage dresses and ride it with style?”

Heck yes.

Then this bike is meant for you, and you have to honour it by rockin’ it with confidence.

And I looked up.

Towards me were biking two guys on tall bikes, then a couple on a flourescent pink tandem bike. A few minutes later a recumbant bike and then yes, even a unicycle. Then more and more, people of all body types and ages riding bikes by me. As each of them passed me I had to smile as it felt like the universe was listening and reminding me of this.

You can rock anything if you gather up the confidence to.

But when we get so caught up in our inward chatter, we miss the opportunity to feel really a part of a community that celebrates uniqueness if we just open up to noticing them.

So I let my shoulders relax.

And smiled the rest of the way home. People smiled widely back at me, not because I was riding a funky bike but because I was riding it with a gigantic happy smile on my face.

I wanted to share this with you in case you happen to adventure outside your comfort zone today and have an unexpected visit from your own inner critic. Look up, look outwards and see the beautiful brave diverse world around you and let yourself shine within it.

P.S. A new session of Be Your Own Beloved starts very soon…and is totally an experience where we get the opportunity to say NO to our inner critic, choose our own path and look up and see an amazing community of women ready to encourage & support us!

April 17, 2013

Evening Wanderings

I love a good photo walk something fierce.

In this season especially.

It is:

the unknown, not knowing what you will find.

seeing things anew, even though I usually wander the same neighbourhood.

the late in the day light and the fast moving, ever changing, golden glow and beauty of it.

the noticing of community: friends having a beer on a back porch, family dinner with the windows open, a bonfire.

the re-energizing and transformative power of just making the space for self-care through these wanderings and the way I always come back feeling better than when I went out on the photo walk.

Have you gone on any evening photo wanderings lately? Please share a link…I’d love to see a glimpse of your world!

April 4, 2013

Lets talk about Gear!

Photo by Andrea Scher

I often get emails asking about what gear I’d recommend, so I thought today was the perfect day to share what I use and why!

Cameras

Canon EOS Rebel

I started my photo journey by buying a Canon Rebel, as it seemed like the camera that many photographers I admire used at the time. It was a really good choice and definitely a camera I’d recommend for anyone wanting to explore photography further, beyond a point and shoot. The newer versions are far more advanced than my camera was with way more options in terms of the photo timer (which is oh so important for selfies of course) and they usually also have video now days which is a big bonus.

I used this camera up until 2011, so it was the one I’ve used for so much of my photography. I only upgraded because I was starting to shoot weddings and needed to be able to take higher quality photos than a 4 year old camera could provide. I also felt like I was ready for a full-frame camera.

In a way, I felt proud that I didn’t upgrade my gear until then. It allowed me to see that my creative expression could be done with any camera, any gear, even an old one. Getting new gear was helpful but I didn’t feel like it made me a ‘better photographer’ and I’m glad I stuck with my old gear for so long so I could learn that. Plus, this photography thing is pricey! I think making your gear last as long as possible is pretty darn smart!

Canon 6D

My jump from the Rebel to a new camera was a pretty big jump. My defining reason for switching to this camera rather than any other model was that I wanted to be able to shoot full-frame. Essentially what that means is that it has a bigger sensor so it makes more use of the lenses that I’ve got.

My first switch to a full-frame camera was to the Canon 5D Mark II and then a few years later I switched to the Canon 6D. There were a few reasons I made the switch, some technical issues with the Mark II, but also the 6D had much better video and wifi. Plus, the Canon 6D is much more affordable but is still an incredibly high quality full-frame professional camera. I’m beyond happy with the 6D and would choose it again over a the other full-frame options. There is now a Canon 5D Mark III available but I’d still choose the 6D. I’m that in love with this camera, it has everything I need out of this genre of camera.

Plus, the camera body is only one element of gear. The lenses are equally, if not more important!

Lenses

Oh lenses. Choosing the right lens for you is an incredible way to make your visual voice sing loudly. I use 3 lenses in particular for all of my photography needs. I feel like I have found the triad of lenses that really works for me. I also usually rent lenses if I have needs beyond what I can do with my gear.

Canon 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Lens

My love of photography and finding beauty really started with a love for shooting Macro. I think its part of the cycle of seasons here (as it is just now spring) where when the flowers start appearing after a grey winter, I just want to stop and photograph each and every one. The macro lens I use is the Canon 50mm 2.5 Macro lens. Another big reason for getting this lens was that it was the one recommended for doing TTV photography. This lens allowed me to take wonderful portraits and I still use it to this day. It is also pretty affordable (compared to the wild and crazy expensiveness that lenses can be) and not too heavy.

Canon 50mm f/1.4 Lens

A few years ago I added a new lens to my crew, the 50mm 1.4 Lens, with the intention of using it as a portrait lens. I knew there was a slightly more affordable version (the 50mm 1.8) and a super expensive one (the 50mm 1.2) and this felt like the right fit for me. It allows you to take portraits with really beautiful bokeh as it has that wide openness.

This lens is definitely my every day lens. The next lens I’m going to share with you is the most versitile one and the one I use almost completely for photo shoots, but that lens is, well, fricken’ gigantic and super heavy. The 1.4 is really small and so beautiful so it most often is the one that accompanies me on photo walks.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L Zoom Lens

This is my new love. I knew when I bought it that it would be my last lens purchase for a while (its a mighty expensive one) but that it would meet so many of my photo needs that I wouldn’t be looking at any others for a long while.

As I mentioned, this is the lens I primarily use for photoshoots. It is wide (especially on a full-frame camera), has beautiful bokeh (which is obviously a big thing for me) and is a zoom lens so it has much versitility. I tend to say “its one gorgeous piece of glass” and it is. It allows me to get more of the setting into a portrait but still have beautiful bokeh and clarity. It is seriously heavy (especially on a pretty big camera) so I only tend to bring it on photo walks when I know I’ll be taking self-portraits, as it allows, like with the portraits, to get more of the setting into the photo. I only got it a year and a half ago so many of the more recent self-portraits (and all of the recent portraits) are taken with this lens.

I’ve had the 3 lenses for years and haven’t felt the need to get any other lenses as they meet all my needs!

Renting Lenses

I’m a big fan of renting lenses (and it is way more affordable than you might think!

One lens that I don’t own, but that plenty of my photos are taken with is the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens. It is a beautiful and even more gigantic lens that allows you to take really dreamy photos from pretty far away. I adore this camera for concerts or for folk fest. I still get really close to the stage to get photos like these, but it allows me to focus in on the musicians hand and take really lovely closeups. That said, I haven’t felt the need to buy this lens as I use it only for folk fest or for a wedding.

In Vancouver we are lucky to have the fabulous Beau Photo, which has a great rental department. What rocks about Beau (along with being really kind and not intimidating or snooty like some camera stores can be….especially to women photographers) is that they are closed for the weekend, so when you rent a lens you get it for the entire weekend (Friday-Monday) for the cost of one day. That means most of the lenses I have rented are in the $20-50 range for the whole weekend which is really amazing. Paying this once or twice a year is absolutely worth it to me, rather than buying a super heavy lens that I’ll only use occasionally! I definitely recommend finding out if your local camera store has a rental department and you might be surprised by the affordability of renting lenses. I definitely tried out the 24-70 before buying it and lots of other lenses that I thought I wanted but once I tried them, realized they weren’t the right fit for my needs.

For those of you in the states, I also hear good things about BorrowLens, but being in Canada, I haven’t tried them myself!

Other Cameras

I actually have cameras all over my house, some inhereted vintage ones and a wide variety of simply cute thrifted ones that don’t work! I thought I’d share a bit about the ones that I do actually use, namely the polaroids.

Polaroid SX-70

You’ve probably heard of the wonders of the Polariod SX-70. It is such a beautiful camera, both aesthetically and in the photos it takes! Unlike any other polaroid cameras, it allows you to shoot with manual focus and create a beautiful depth of field in your photos. This camera truly makes me swoon. They can be pricey though (as in $150+) so keep your eyes open for garage sale and thrift store scores! I use the SX-70 for a variety of photos but it is by far the best polaroid to take portraits with so I always have it alongside my digital gear for Weddings.

Polaroid Spectra

The Spectra camera is a bit of a funny looking camera, but its misguiding as it is truly an incredible camera. The 2 factors that make it so amazing are that it has a timer and that it allows you to double expose. It also takes these gorgeous rectangular polaroids which are so much fun to shoot. The camera itself can be scored for way cheaper online or in thrift stores. I have only had one of these cameras (unlike SX-70’s which are really finicky and I’ve gone through a few of them). I primarily use the Spectra for self-portraits, double exposures and for street photography style photos.

Polaroid Land Camera

This camera is a bit less used in my world than the other 2 Polaroids, but not out of any lack of love for it. It takes Pack Film, which is oh so incredible. The version that I have is a bit less pretty than the other foldable versions but I chose it intentionally as it takes AA batteries. I know myself and that tracking down an old battery for one of the other versions of the Land Camera is just unlikely to happen, so to have contemporary batteries felt important. This version doesn’t fold and is more plastic based but it really does take lovely pictures, especially street photography style photos.

iPhone Camera

When I first got an iPhone a few years ago it swiftly became my point and shoot camera…having it with me at almost all times, ready to be taken out to capture the unplanned moments of photo-goodness. My first iPhone was a 3Gs and like my first DSLR, I used that one until I could no longer and then just a couple months ago upgraded to the iPhone 5. The camera is undeniably better (especially with such a big jump between models) and I feel like I’m still learning things about how to make the most use of it. Between the way it allows you to shoot macro or do a fixed focus, as well as shoot panoramas and HDR (which I usually don’t like the look of, but am having fun experimenting with)!

Within the iPhone, the gear or apps I use the most these days are:

Gorillacam (free and allows you to set a customized timer)

PicTapGo (loving this new app and the ways it allows you to process your photos)

Instagram (of course)

Hipstamatic (their new lenses and double exposure options have me hooked)

Flickr (loving how easy the new version of this app makes it to add my photos to my flickr account)

Point and Shoot Cameras

You might notice this category has been left out so far! That is because I don’t actually have a point and shoot. That is absolutely what I started exploring photography with and think they are the bees knees. I fell in love with Macro shooting with a point and shoot and was amazed at the quality of shooting macro with them (a big plus). That first camera got stolen in one of my unfortunate robbery experiences and I never replaced it. I feel like at this point my iPhone has become my point and shoot. They also have the potential to shoot video of course, with is a big bonus.

Other Photo Gear I use:

Gorillapod

I love the gorillapod! What a brilliant invention. Its easy enough to carry around on a photo walk and is pretty sturdy. I love that you can get them in all sorts of sizes (for different cameras).

Manfroto Tripod

I actually have 2 Manfroto Tripods. The first I bought years ago when just starting to take photography classes at the college nearby. I invested and bought a gorgeous tripod. Truth be told, its gigantic and heavy and I don’t use it as much as I’d like to (in terms of use vs cost). This year I did buy a much lighter and much cheaper version at Target. I love how I can actually put it in my backpack when travelling and it is sturdy enough for what I need it for (taking selfies and shooting video). I’m glad I have both and buying a tripod is much like buying a camera or lens…you really need to figure out what your intended use is to buy the right gear.

Lyric Camera Bag by Epiphanie

Ever since the trend of stylish camera bags has appeared, I’ve been hooked and have tried out a number of them, but my absolute favourite and most used one has been the Lyric Bag made by Epiphanie. So many of these camera bags (even some from Epiphanie) are, well…frickin’ gigantic and not really ideal for everyday use.

The Lyric is dreamy and I will often just take out the padding and use it as a full purse (or even put my computer in it) and then can easily put the padding back in and make it back into a camera bag again. It will definitely fit my usual photo walk gear which is often my camera (which is big) and both the 50mm 1.4 and the 24-70 lenses. There is usually still room in there for a water bottle (for when my photowalk is actually a big hike), my wallet or even adding my SX-70 in there!

I also have another older Epiphanie bag (that they no longer sell) that is much bigger but works well for travelling!

The best camera is the one that’s with you – Chase Jarvis

I do truly believe this quote…that the best camera is the one that you have with you and that gear doesn’t make you an amazing photographer, you do! So lets get out there and playfully capture the world around us with whatever gear we’ve got!

I do hope that has been helpful though! I’d love to hear about your favourite lens or gear and I absolutely welcome any questions you might have!

March 21, 2013

Why Photo Walks Feel like Self-Care

Yesterday pouring rain broke open to wide open blue skies and I knew this was the moment to put down the computer and work and get outside.

I had a new prompt I wanted to try for the upcoming session of Be Your Own Beloved but I didn’t know exactly where my feet would take me.

That’s the wonder of photo walks for me (and it likely is or could be for you too). I may go to the same place I went the week before but the light will be different, something I never saw before will catch my eye and new flowers will be bursting up from the ground or on the end of branches.

I headed down to the community garden that has become my new favourite spot. It is about a 10 minute walk from home and is on the edge of a park. It is most definitely urban, with trucks zooming by on the street nearby, dogs barking at the SPCA across the street (and lots of cute ones being taken for walks by volunteers) and plenty of folks working on their garden plots. Yet at the same time it is a really lovely patch of nature within the city.

On days like this, photo walks feel like a bit of a luxury, that I can put down my work and follow the lead of the light, but in a way they aren’t a luxury at all. They are a self-care tool I’ve learned along the way.

I remember the days when I first fell in love with photography. I was working night shifts, only getting to sleep in the morning and much of the year having only a few hours of light to experience before the darkness came again and I had to go back to work. It was a lifeline in those days, a way to deeply experience those few hours of light I have and to feel in some way….alive and a part of the world.

I notice if I don’t get out even for a walk around the block every so often I feel it. Yes, it is fun. But is is also self-care, making space to just put one foot in front of the other and go seeking some beauty. For me these walks began as self-care and now that photography is my work, I try to keep the same energy…not having it be about getting a certain shot or result. Actually I usually come home with at least a few photos that I love, often something that I couldn’t have planned out but found from engaging in that sense of wonder of just going out and being witness to the beauty around me.

I definitely find that it isn’t just a self-care took I need on days when it is bright and sunny and I feel energized. It is actually something I need to do on days when I don’t feel like it, as it has a way of shifting the energy, sending me home with a camera full of unexpected energy and beauty captured in my camera. It isn’t just about getting content for blog posts, by any means. It is about:

Engaging with the world around me

Making discoveries

Savouring light

Clearing my head

Moving my body

Slowing down

Being open to the unexpected

Do you find photo walks are self-care too? Or could it be something you could try to create for yourself?