At the end of September I spent 5 days exploring the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park. I  stayed at a campsite at Rampart Creek which was near a shallow pond beside the North Saskatchewan River. When returning from a walk one day I came across a toadlet, a juvenile Boreal or Western Toad, Bufo boreas, hopping across the path. It was a bit late in the season for toad activity, but I took advantage of its tardiness and took a few minutes to take some portraits in the white studio.

Boreal Toad, Bufo boreas.

My white studios were meant for bugs, but this particular toad was of such a small size (about 35mm/1.5″  in length), that I had no qualms placing it inside the white studio.  It was a cool day and the toad-ling was not overly concerned when it was picked up and brought over to the picnic table where I was doing my ’studio’ work. I  took a few picture in a white bowl first and then placed it in the larger white box for a ground level picture (in center, above). The color differences in the above collage are a result of the angle of the flash when the photograph was taken, but they are similar to the actual variation of color that can be found in the wild, running from a mottled green to dark brown.  I returned it to where I found it, off the path and near the pond, where it moved off into the water.  He had been a most co-operative subject.

The Boreal Toad is a one of the few amphibians found in alpine areas. It ranges down the length of western North America, from Alaska and the Yukon down to California. As adults they can reach a size of 12.5 cm (5″) from snout to vent, with the females being the largest. I plan to do a futrue article at Evolving Complexity with more details on this toad, but for those curious a backgrounder can be found at the Parks Canada site.

(Five photographs placed in a collage with Picasa. Taken with the Nikon D80 with a Tamron 90mm macro lens. Lighting was with a Nikon SB-600 flash equiped with a Lumiquest softbox)

Peyto Lake

This was my second subject for the morning, and the sun had already climbed to a point where the warmth began to be noticed. I headed to Bow Summit, a popular tourist location because of the spectacular views of the turquoise waters of Peyto Lake. I was still early enough to beat the first bus load of visitors, but at the same time that meant that the lake would still be partly in shadow. I wanted to photograph something different from the typical post-card shot, but the odds were against me – clear blue sky, not a cloud to be seen and the lake partly shaded. I moved away from the viewpoint and headed up the trail in the direction of the Peyto Glacier. A brief walk through alpine forest brought me to a boulder covered slope that provided what I needed – foreground interest and a means to hide the shadowed shore of the lake.

(Nikon D80, Nikon 18 – 200mm VR  with graduated neutral density filter. Processed in Lightroom, resized in Picasa. ISO 200, f18, 1/60 sec.)

This was the view from my campsite on the Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park. Well after sundown, dusk… Mountains by Moonlight…

Over the North Saskatchewan River

(Nikon D80 with 18 – 200mm VR lens set at 18mm. 30 sec exposure, f16 at ISO 100. Processed in Lightroom 2.5)

This last trip to the mountains gave me the opportunity to compare two systems for carrying my photographic gear – one, an older LowePro backpack, the Nature Trekker AW II and a newer LowePro sling bag, the SlingShot 300 AW. I used information from the LowePro website to make the following comparison table:

Hardworking backpack can be customized for multiple systems. Includes ergonomic harness, quick-adjust waist belt, All Weather Cover™ and water-resistant zippers. Trekker Tripod Mount™ positions down the center or on either side, attachment loops made from the tough Hypalon® you see in river rafts hold optional SlipLock™ accessories wherever they’re most convenient.	The SlingShot 300 AW uses a unique sling design to go from “carry mode” to “ready mode” in just seconds. Carried comfortably on the back, it easily rotates to the front so you can get to your camera quickly. The SlingShot 300 AW has a full access lid to make loading it a snap. This feature-rich bag also includes a built-in memory card pouch, micro fiber LCD cloth and two generous organizer pockets. It also has water-resistant zippers and All Weather Cover™
Capacity: Pro SLR; 4–5 lenses (up to a 400mm f/2.8); flash and accessories; or compact medium format system (like the Mamiya® 645); or small field camera system	Capacity: Pro SLR with attached 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens, 5-6 extra lenses or flash unit and cables and accessories.
Size(Interior): 11.4W X 5.9D X 16.7H in./ 29 X 15 X 42.5 cm	Size(Interior): 11.8W X 6.5D X 11.8H in./ 30 X 16.5 X 30 cm
Size(Exterior): 14.6W X 15D X 19.1H in./ 37 X 38 X 48.5 cm	Size(Exterior): 13W X 9.1D X 17.3H in./ 33 X 23 X 44 cm
Outer fabric: water-resistant 600D ripstop nylon and 600D Endura™ nylon	Outer fabric: water-resistant micro fiber, ripstop nylon and 600D TXP™
Weight: 6.39lbs/2.9kg	Weight: 3.09lbs/1.4kg

The table provides the manufacturer’s details on the packs, but it does not tell you how these bags perform in the field. You may notice from the above comparison is that the sling bag, although smaller in two of its outside dimensions has actually larger inside dimensions. That is due to the thickness of the padding for the backpack, which adds up to more protection, but limits interior capacity. That is also reflected in the weight differences, with the backpack more than twice as heavy as the sling bag! While the backpack can hold a longer telephoto lens mounted on the camera, it does not have the capacity to carry more lenses. It also has only one main compartment, so accessing any accessories or lenses requires the complete removal of the pack. You will also need to  find a spot to lay it down safely to open the single compartment. However, the backpack does have numerous SlipLock attachment points, a tripod holder and cord tie downs which make it very adaptable indeed. Notable is that the SlipLock straps on the hip belt are set further back than is convenient (especially for those of a taller/heavier dimension), meaning that accessory pouches in these locations can be hard to access.

The sling bag has three compartments – the main for camera and lenses, a top compartment for accessories and a pouch suitable for flat items such as memory cards, filters and adapter rings. At least part of the main pouch is accessable without taking the pack off -  a definite advantage. With a bit of a struggle, the other two compartments can also be accessed without putting the bag down.( The designers at LowePro could quite easily have made these two compartments easier to access, however they  have been designed them for use when the pack is removed). The sling bag is lighter and it is limited – although it does have 3 SlipLock attachment points, due to the nature of the bag (i.e. a single strap and the pull-to-the-front access) these will have limited use. For the same reason you will not be attaching a tripod to this bag. And the padding is thinner, so greater care is needed in handling.

Conclusion

By nature I am a someone who appreciates the journey as well as the destination. On a typical photographic outing I will be walking slowly, on the look out for any photographic opportunity which can range from macro to landscapes. On this last trip, where most of my hikes were short half-day hikes and I walked with my tripod and camera in hand, I found the SlingShot 300 AW the most convenient and comfortable. It proved to be the most adaptable to my equipment carrying needs.

On the other hand, if you are destination oriented and hiking for longer periods of time (especially if you choose to keep your tripod on your backpack rather than in hand – for instance when you are scrambling or climbing) than the backpack would be preferable. It is rugged, well made  and adaptable – you can add a variety of extra pouches by means of the SlipLock straps should you wish to expand your capacity. The hip belt is well padded (almost too well padded!) and also has attachment points for accessory pouches. The extra padding makes the bag more resistant to bumps and scrapes, but at the same time it can feel overly stiff and unwieldy. For travellers this may be great to transport your equipment, but you may wish to have a smaller, lighter bag for everyday use.

One thing to keep in mind is that inaccessible gear often tends to be unused gear. The backpack has the potential to carry a lot of equipment, but accessing gear will require you to set the pack down and unzip that main compartment. In the long run, having your equipment easily accessible will mean more photographic opportunities and more photographs taken.

Alternatives for the nature photographer?  Harnesses, vests, belts and shoulder bags…but that will be another post!

(Please see my disclaimer in the side bar. Images and chart information from the LowePro website)

I have recently returned from a trip to the Banff National Park section of the Icefields Parkway. I based myself at the Rampart Creek Campground, 88 km north of the tourist haven of Lake Louise and explored the area for 5 days. Each morning I would be up before sunrise, trembling in the near freezing temperatures. I would make my way to a roadside pull-over, mix a luke-warm instant chocolate (my thermos ain’t what it used to be…) and coffee mix, recline my seat and watch the stars until the first light of dawn showed itself. I would then cruise down the highway in search of scenery that had the potential of catching the first rays of the early morning sun.

First Light - Icefields Parkway

Now landscape  photographers defer from ordinary folk. If someone were to ask me how the weather was on my trip, I would have replied, “Terrible! Four days of clear sunny skies and only one with clouds!”

It can ruin a trip, having too much ‘good’ weather. Flat blue skies are good for postcards, but I was hoping to go a bit beyond that on this trip. I had to rely on a selection of filters – split-field neutral density, neutral density and very early morning light with long exposures to make some images that I am happy with. In the first blue sky days I also resorted to a bit of stock photography of the RV-going-down-a-highway type, but my memory card seems to have been repelled by the idea, because I can find no trace of them – not on the card, and not on the computer or the back-up. Go figure.

So now I don’t trust my SanDisk Extreme III SDHC 8 GB card at all (this is the second time this has happened), and I still have no way of knowing if it is actually the card’s fault or the camera’s. When I discovered the problem I looked for solutions – there doesn’t seem to be a known issue with the card or the camera. I have updated the firmware on the D80, but I don’t know if that was the problem. Is there any way to test an SD card? I would not want to use this card again until I have some way of determining where the fault is.

More on this mountain trip later, as the panoramas are assembled…

(Panorama made with Nikon D80 and the Nikon VR 18 – 200mm zoom lens set at 18mm and vertical. ISO 200, f16, 1/20 sec exposure with white balance set to cloudy. Image assembled with Microsoft ICE, adjusted and cropped in Adobe Lightroom)

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The winners of the first annual British Wildlife Photography Awards have been announced, and can be viewed at Winners 2009.

Some great photography here, and even though the winning photograph, a dew spangled damsel fly is  somewhat clichéd, it is technically excellent.

And it is great to see that there is a youth category to encourage young photographers.

(Pictured, the winner of the Urban Wildlife category: The Ultimate Flock by Lorne Gill)

Fairy Bells

The Amisk Wuche  (Cree for “Beaver Hills”) trail in Elk Island National Park used to be favorite  of mine. It was a short trail, but it led through a variety of habitats that made it particularly interesting for a photographer. It begins in typical parkland forest and then after a short walk you would reach the wetland area where boardwalks would lead across  a series of  kettle ponds before entering the forest again. At this point the trail would begin its return loop to the trail head, passing through more parkland forest before entering a small area of old growth spruce trees and a paper birch grove. The final section of the trail moved through deciduous forest again with few more short board walks over wet areas prior to returning to the parking area.

Common Snowberry

But time changes all things. A combination of regional droughts and natural succession has left the water levels of the ponds low or non-existant. The boardwalk, some of it meant to be floating, fell into disrepair and became impassable. The solution for Parks Canada was to rebuild a short section over the first pond, scrap most of the rest of the boardwalk and reroute the trail. There is now less diversity in the loop and less interest for me as a photographer, but it still has its photographic opportunities.

Branched Hericium

My first walk on this new loop was about two weeks ago. The first signs of autumn were visible along the trail, with a wealth of ripening berries and many leaves already showing of rust and gold in the undergrowth. The hi-lite of the walk, however, was the diversity of fungi – a subject that used to draw me a long time ago but that I have neglected lately.

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As with insects, this is usually a style of photography that often requires you to work on your knees. Unlike insects, however, mushrooms don’t move, and they can therefore be photographed in natural light.  Because they are often in shaded areas under trees and shrubs and in the hollows of fallen logs, they can benefit from some additional light which is best provided by a collapsible  reflector. Small fungi in dark areas may need some fill flash, but be sure to diffuse it so that the light does not appear artificially harsh. A tripod is essential if you want to avoid boosting the ISO to account for the low light levels, and it should certainly be of a type that allows the legs to be spread at different angles. I use the Manfrotto 190 or the 055, with the center-column removed, which allows the tripod to settle into the lowest position possible. A ball-head is most convenient, and on the 190 I use the Manfrotto 488RC2 Ball Head which has a quick-release plate.

Mushrooms can vary in size from the microscopic to soccer-ball size, but most of the ones that attract the eye are of a size that can be photographed with a macro† capable zoom lens. A set of extension tubes or a dual element close-up attachment could be added in those cases where more magnification is needed.

No labels on these fungi photos: I hope an enterprising mycologist or mushroom enthusiast will help me out with identifications!

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† Macro is a misnomer in the case of zoom lenses. True macro begins at life-size and higher magnifications, while most zoom lenses rarely rate better than one-third life-size.

I photographed these on the Amisk Wuche trail in Elk Island National Park last weekend. They don’t quite match with anything in my mushroom books – is there someone out there who can help identify these fungi?

Order Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)

Honey Mushroom Trio