Mike

Mike Paterson started in the photo industry in 1985. Since then he has been involved in all aspects of photography and today is enjoying getting back to his roots of nature and wildlife photography. If Mike is not out shooting you can find him at his office in Lethbridge printing or teaching.

Winter blues

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Even with it being not a bad winter I still have the winter blues. I really have not minded this past winter for cold temperatures, so far only one really bad week of horrible temperatures. The problem has been the changes in the weather. One day it is cool and snowy and a day later the winds are shaking everything and the temperature is rising. If it just stayed cool with snow it would not be so bad.

I have been out shooting a few times in the past couple of months but overall shooting outside has not been that great. Only so many sunsets and bridge pictures with snow that one person can take and still be interested in it. Staying at the studio is only so much fun when most of my customers are staying at home to avoid the winds so I have made up some projects to do over the past couple of months to beat the winter blues!

First project!

First project was to run some tests on the printers to make sure that the colors were as good as they could be. Was happy to see that things were looking great and that the systems that I tested were no better then what I was doing. Always scary thinking that I may not be using the best printing settings, but after tests I am happy with what I am printing.

Beating the winter blues project 1, testing colors on the printers.

Beat the winter blues – Project 2

I grabbed my camera and big lens, put them in a backpack and went out for a hike. This would not seem like a big thing to most people but for someone that has been dealing with lung issues this was a HUGE event. I have not been able to hike for years. I took the wildlife camera just in case and found one cooperative subject.

Project 3

I have been working on this project for YEARS!!! I wanted to get some affordable postcards for not only my printing clients but for selling my own work as well. Problem has been either the price is crazy high or the quality s low. So this winter I tried some tests and I am happy to say that I now have a printing company to do my postcard printing for me!!

Postcard back - high level bridge Lethbridge
4″x6″ Post Card Template

I still have a few more projects but I am hoping that it gets nice so I can shelve the projects. Like I tell everyone “artists are the biggest procrastinators” and I would like to be able to put a few things off to enjoy some really warm and not windy weather!!

Morning Frost

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Morning Frost

I love frost on just about anything. When I went out for my late night walk last night the fog was slowly rolling into town. I figured that the next day would bring some morning frost and I was right. On my morning walk it was amazing. As soon as I got home I grabbed a camera and headed out to my front yard.

Just as I was starting to shoot the winds started to come up and the frost was starting to blow off the trees and plants. It stayed around long enough fr me to get my pictures. Four hundred pictures later and I am happy 🙂 Here are a few of the pictures. Has been a while since the weather and my schedule worked out.

Camera – Canon 5D MkIV, 100 2.8 Macro, 400 ISO – various shutter speeds and aperture

The morning frost was accenting these Wild Rose plants
The morning frost was accenting these Wild Rose plants
Dry leaves and morning frost
Dry leaves and morning frost

Read moreMorning Frost

Paterson Photography Changes

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People have been asking why the changes here at Paterson Photography? Well it is simple, I am trying to stay organized and that is a HUGE project in itself. Over the past years several of my businesses and hobbies have merged into one HUGE mess.

People that are looking for my nature prints find my woodworking or my teaching information but cannot find my nature prints. People that want to follow the happenings with my van find my nature prints, etc, etc.

So I have been slowly separating things to make it easier for me and for my friends and clients. Well to be blunt it is like separating an omelette, it has not been easy. I am glad that I am doing it but it will take a lot of work to clean things up.

So be patient and someday I may have things all organized. You may see posts overlapping for a while but slowly things will split completely, or at least that is how I plan it 🙂

So some of my sites if you are interested are below…

Read morePaterson Photography Changes

On the hunt

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The hunt!

I was in Waterton on the hunt for some birds. So far the day was pretty productive but there was still a lot of daylight remaining and I wanted to get some more pictures. I decided that I would stop at one of my favorite spots. Maskinonge is located just outside the Waterton Park gates and I find a lot of birds pass through here. I parked my van the White Turtle II in my favorite spot. I came across the usual birds as soon as I arrived, a mix of song birds, a Heron, a couple Trumpeter swans and a number of ducks.

I cam e across a couple Trumpeter Swans on my bird hunt
Trumpeter Swans

The hunter becomes the hunted

I was enjoying taking their pictures but the birds seemed nervous. I spotted a couple hawks and an eagle across the lake and even they seemed nervous. Then the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I heard a noise a ways away, but close enough that I turned towards the noise. It was like I was being watched. I reached down to make sure that the pepper spray was still on my belt and wondered if I needed it if it would still work. I looked around but could not see anything but I felt it, then I spotted it.

Hidden on the ground behind some trees it could survey the entire lake. It was not close enough to pounce on me but it wasn’t that far away. I tried to get a better angle to get a picture but it was well hidden in the trees. I did not want to approach to close as the closer I got the worse the angle would be to get a picture. Also the closer I got the more chance that I would get injured should it get spooked.

A good perch for the hunt!

I finally found a spot that I was in the open but a ways away. I watched it for a while but it did not seem like it was in any hurry. By its size I could only imagine what it was like when dinosaurs roamed this area. It was HUGE!!!! I also realized what it must have been like to be hunted by a Pterodactyl.

After watching it for several minutes I figured that it must be asleep as it had not moved since i spotted it. I then took some pictures of the birds in the area that were also confused by this massive invader in their wetlands. They would go about their routine but they were keeping a close eye on it.

It moves!!

After about 20 minutes of photographing the birds I heard another noise. It was getting ready to move. Before I could turn my body it was starting to rise behind the trees. Then without warning it put it’s nose down and started coming towards me. I had fortunately left enough space so that I had time to react. I swung my camera around and grabbed a few shots, not even thinking about the bear spay on my belt.

Before I knew it it was looming over me. As it went past I noticed that all the birds in the area were taking off and seeking cover. It headed west towards the river then it turned to the north. As fast as all that happened it was again quiet. The lake was now empty of birds but it would only be a short time till they came out from hiding and flew back from their hiding places.

I survived

Well they say that any time you survive an adventure it is a good one. I had survived!! I realized that I was now getting hungry and it was getting late so I decided that I would head to the campground for supper. A good day it was, a number of great images and an experience that I have not had in Waterton before!!

Mom & hungry baby
Heron on the hunt
Heron

Preparing for the hunt

Preparing for the hunt!
Hidden behind the trees
It rises, the hunt is on!!
Here it comes!!
On the hunt!
There it goes…….

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What print size won’t crop your image

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Why does that print size crop my image?

So what print size will I be able to print without loosing any of the image? The question is almost daily. “Why is it when I get a 5×7, 8×10, 11×14 or 16×20 print made of my digital file I have some of the image cut off”?

The answer

A digital camera sensor is NOT the same proportions as the print sizes mentioned above.

Why are those print sizes so popular? According to history the sizes that we have come to know as normal where used by photographers that shot 645 medium format. These sizes fit this format perfectly.  35mm Film and most sensors in digital cameras are proportioned to 4×6, 8×12, 11×16, 12×18, 16×24. Only these sizes will give you the full image file without cropping any of your image.

Cropping can be a good thing if you plan for it. It can allow you to get closer to the subject and eliminate “extra” parts of the picture.  For some pictures it is a killer.  Imagine a picture of a large family and the people are from one edge of the image to the other.  Then the client asks for a 16×20.  Well you now have to choose who in the family that you are going to cut out. Or you will have to do a lot of editing to add sky or foreground to the image.

Full print size
The full digital image
Cropped print size
When you ask for a cropped print size

So what should you do?

When shooting images imagine that you have crop lines in your viewfinder. Or do like many did in years past and draw the crop lines in – if you so dare or are crazy enough to try.  Then leave space around your images for the cropping to the common sizes. 

If you want to do something artistic like shooting a image to print to 24″x8″ make sure that you let your client know first. That way they won’t try and order a 8×10 from that image. Or maybe do one that is more artistic in posing then do some that will fit the common format sizes.

If you do mess up and crop too tight for the print size, add some space using Photoshop. Unsure of how to add space ask when ordering and I will help you with it.

Slow Down!!

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What you see when you slow down!! I was out for a walk the other night at Belly River Campground in Waterton Lakes National Park. I have to walk slowly with my lung condition and this night was no different with the heat and humidity. As I stopped to catch my breath I could hear something in the tree beside me. It was a gentle noise like a light breeze but I could hear something in the tree. I stood still for a minute then this little guy appeared in front of my face, He had been checking me out as I stood there and had decided that I was no danger. Probably because of my wheezing he figured he could outrun me 🙂 🙂 . So he continued with his feeding. I was able to shoot a pile of images, the only thing that caused me to stop shooting was the horde of mosquitoes that showed up and the fact I left the bug spray in the van.

What you see when you slow down

So the next time you are out shooting, don’t be in a rush. Slow down and see all the things that you would miss if you were rushing past.

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