Ohio State Reformatory

 

Join Sherry Butts and Andrew McLachlan at The Ohio State Reformatory on Saturday, April 13, 2019 for an exclusive photographic workshop from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Originally built in 1834 the reformatory’s hauntingly beautiful architecture housed many famous and infamous criminals. It is also the same location where the Morgan Freeman movie “The Shawshank Redemption” was filmed.

At the Ohio State Reformatory doors open to the public at 11:00 a.m., however, this exclusive workshop opportunity will allow early access at 7:00 a.m. That equates to 4 full hours of exploring the prison by ourselves prior to the doors opening to the public. What a fantastic opportunity to explore creative perspectives! We have also arranged the use of tripods inside the prison at no additional fee. After the workshop concludes you are welcome to remain on site until closing time at 4:00 p.m.

Maximum number of participants is 16

The workshop group will be provided with a complimentary dinner at a nearby restaurant after the Ohio State Reformatory closes.

What’s Included:

• Entrance fee to Ohio State Reformatory

• Photographic instruction

• On site LCD image review

• Complimentary dinner at nearby restaurant on April 13, 2019

What’s Not Inlcuded:

• Transportation to and from Ohio State Reformatory

• Overnight accommodation for out of town participants

• Breakfast and lunch

• Alcoholic beverages during complimentary dinner

Workshop Fee:

$275.00 CDN plus taxes is due now to register for this unique and exclusive workshop opportunity.

Payment can be made via email transfer or by cheque made payable to Andrew McLachlan. Participants must return a signed Waiver of Liability Form prior to the workshop date. The Waiver of Liability Form will be provided to you at time of registration.

To reserve your spot for the Ohio State Reformatory Photographic Workshop please contact me by clicking here.

Cancellation Policy:

61 days prior to workshop full refund less a $25 administration fee

60 days prior to workshop No Refund.

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Peru 2019 – Photograph the Landscapes and Micro Fauna of the Cordillera Escalera with Andrew McLachlan

Join Andrew McLachlan and Mark Pepper (Understory Enterprises) for an exclusive photography retreat within the Cordillera Escalera, near Tarapoto, Peru. This location is situated within the foothills of the Andes Mountains, in Amazonian Rainforest. The dates for this event are October 19 – October 26, 2019 (6 ½ days of photography). Maximum number of participants is 6 / 8 depending on participants attending (if two couples are attending the tour we can extend the capacity to 8). The minimum number of participants for this tour is 3. The photo tour fee is $3800.00 US Currency. We need to arrive in Tarapoto, Peru on October 19, 2019 and we will depart for home on October 26, 2019. Depending on everybody’s departure time on October 26, 2019, we may be able to fit in one additional half day of photography.

The focus of this photo tour will be landscapes and micro fauna of the Cordillera Escalera. There is nothing quite like watching the sun rise over the foothills of the Andes Mountains as each new day awakens, standing in awe at towering waterfalls, photographing dart frogs in their natural habitat, or venturing out to explore the night life of the Amazon rainforest. One highlight of the night-time excursions will be photographing the endangered Cochran Frog, which has a very limited range in the Cordillera Escalera. We will also be photographing many species of insects endemic to this region. The biodiversity of the Cordillera Escalera leaves no shortage of subjects to photograph.

For more info or to register, please contact Andrew via e-mail.

Mark Pepper

We could not ask for a more friendly and knowledgeable guide. Mark Pepper has been exploring this rainforest environment for over 15 years. Mark has even worked with BBC film crews filming in the area. Using his extensive knowledge and keen eye he will locate several species of dart frogs for us to photograph, not to mention some very fascinating insects!

Some locations during this tour will require the ability of being able to walk several kilometres over uneven terrain in a humid environment. If you have any concerns regarding this please do not hesitate to inquire for additional information.

Our accommodations will be at the luxurious Understory House, which is also equipped with a gorgeous infinity pool over-looking the Cordillera Escalera, within the foothills of the Andes Mountains and Amazonian rainforest. There are two rooms with one queen bed each and one room with two sets of adult bunkbeds. Many of our morning sunrise sessions will be conducted on site, as we have an outstanding view of the sun rising over the mountain range.

Itinerary:

Daily excursions will be determined based on the current weather conditions.
Image review sessions will be conducted both in the field via LCD and at the Understory House via laptop computers.
Breakfast – at the Understory House
Lunch – at various locations during the tour based on each day’s travel plans
Dinner – in the town of Tarapoto at one of the many fine restaurants

What’s Included:

In-depth Photographic instruction
Accommodation at the Understory House
Transportation to and from Understory House and to all photographic destinations
Pick-up and drop-off at the Tarapoto airport for your arrival and departure
Free Wifi at the Understory House
All meals

What’s Not Included:

Your airfare to and from Tarapoto, Peru (via Lima).

Alcoholic beverages
Travel insurance
Medical insurance

The Details

Photo Tour Fee: $3800.00 US per person.

To secure your spot a non-refundable deposit of $1,200 US is due now. The balance of the fee, $2600.00 US, is due no later than March 31, 2019. A signed Waiver of Liability form must accompany the non-refundable deposit. Waiver of Liability forms will be emailed to those wishing to register.

Travel Insurance: Participants are encouraged to purchase their own medical, travel, and trip cancellation insurance.

The Cancellation Policy:

Full refund less $1200 US non-refundable deposit up to 91 days prior to Photo Tour date.

No refunds 90 days prior to the date.

If fewer than three folks sign up you will receive a complete refund that will include your non-refundable deposit.

More Over-Under Bullfrog-scapes from Horseshoe Lake

Bullfrog in wetland on Horseshoe Lake, Parry Sound, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Wide Angle Macro Lens
Ewa Marine Underwater Housing

After spending several additional days on Horseshoe Lake near Parry Sound, Ontario in the provinces Muskoka District I experimented with some additional techniques to creating over/under or split shots of Bullfrogs within their wetland habitat on the lake. During my first attempts at creating these images I was a little frustrated by the amount of time I had to wipe water droplets off the front element of the Ewa Marine housing. This time around I decided to try an old underwater photography trick whereby rubbing a thin film of parafin wax over the element to help repell water droplets. Using an unscented, parafin wax votive candle to rub some wax onto the element and a dedicated micro fibre cleaning cloth that will be reserved for this purpose only I buffed the wax until it was well distributed and no longer visible, however, a very thin film of wax remained. This techinque did help to repell much of the water droplets that I found annoying during my first attempts. I did however, need to perform some minor cleaning of the housing’s element with the micro fibre cleaning cloth to eliminate droplets that would have been problematic for subsequent captures. The best technique still seems to be pre-planning the look of the image and slowly sink the camera below the water’s surface creating images as you to capture that perfect moment. If you raise the camera out of the water to create additional frames, after sinking it, it is most likely that water droplets will become problematic.

As with the previous post each of today’s featured images were created using the Nikon D500 with the Laowa 15mm 1:1 Wide Angle Macro Lens in an Ewa Marine Underwtaer Housing. Utilizing the Nikon D500’s Live View feature was indispensible to composing and focusing each of the scenes.

 

Bullfrog in wetland on Horseshoe Lake, Parry Sound, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Wide Angle Macro Lens
Ewa Marine Underwater Housing

 

Bullfrog in wetland on Horseshoe Lake, Parry Sound, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Wide Angle Macro Lens
Ewa Marine Underwater Housing

 

Bullfrog in wetland on Horseshoe Lake, Parry Sound, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Wide Angle Macro Lens
Ewa Marine Underwater Housing

 

Bullfrog in wetland on Horseshoe Lake, Parry Sound, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Wide Angle Macro Lens
Ewa Marine Underwater Housing

 

Bullfrog in wetland on Horseshoe Lake, Parry Sound, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Wide Angle Macro Lens
Ewa Marine Underwater Housing

 

 

New Post Falls / Abitibi Canyon Photo Tour 2019

 

Join Andrew McLachlan and Rick Isaacson on July 9^th & 10^th, 2019 for an exclusive, breathtaking journey to one of Ontario’s most spectacular waterfalls hidden deep within the remote boreal forest of the Abitibi Canyon. We will travel by freighter canoe, for 21 kilometres, along the same route used by the Coureurs De Bois and Voyageurs in the 1800’s. We will have the opportunity for a short photo session at a Hudson Bay gravesite found along the banks of the Abitibi River that is over 120 years old. This gravesite is only accessible by canoe. We will explore New Post Falls from below and make our way up the side of the gorge to photograph the falls from above too. The timing of this tour has been arranged when water levels are typically lower, which may allow for the opportunity to photograph the waterfall from within the river gorge itself.

This exclusive opportunity is available to only 4 participants!

After a full and exhilarating first day we will camp at the base of New Post Falls. As we gather around the campfire Rick Isaacson will explain the history and tell us stories of life on the river.  Afterwards, if skies are clear we will enjoy a night-scape photo session and perhaps the Aurora Borealis as well. We will rise early the next morning to photograph New Post Falls at sunrise and continue to photograph the surrounding area until it is time to paddle upstream to our take out location at Abitibi Canyon.

Do note this is not a photo tour for the faint of heart. We will be camping over-night in very remote boreal forest. Our guide, Rick Isaacson is a seasoned woodsman, with 35 years of river tripping experience. He has made countless trips down the Abitibi River to New Post Falls and is well experienced in remote wilderness travel, not to mention very knowledgeable in the history of the area. Safety will be a top priority during this trip and we will follow Rick’s direction in that regard.

Itinerary:

• Meet in Smooth Rock Falls on the morning of July 9^th 2019 for a hearty breakfast
• Travel as a group to the Abitibi Canyon to launch the freighter canoe at 8:30 am
• Travel 21 kilometres to New Post Falls where we will spend the day photographing the area and where we will camp over-night.
• On the morning of July 10^th we will photograph New Post Falls at sunrise and explore other photo opportunities in the surrounding area. The exposed river bed is a great place to find fossils.
• Launch the freighter canoe to return to Abitibi Canyon at 3:30 pm on July 10^th (there may be opportunity to extend our time a couple of hours depending on the current weather conditions at the time.
• On route, just before we launch there will be opportunities to photograph the very scenic Abitibi Canyon gorge.

What’s Included:

• Tent
• In-depth photographic instruction with on-site LCD review to ensure that you are capturing the best possible imagery
• Breakfast, Snacks, Dinner, & Beverages on Wednesday July 9^th
• Breakfast & Snacks, & Beverages on Wednesday July 10th

What’s Not Included:

• Dry Bags for camera gear and clothing
• Sleeping Bag

Maximum Number of Participants:

• 4

Workshop Fee:

• $850.00 CDN plus taxes
• Payment can be made via email transfer or by cheque.
• A signed Waiver of Liability must accompany your payment. Waiver of Liability forms will be provided via email to those who wish to register for this event.

 To reserve your spot in this once in a life-time opportunity a non-refundale retainer of $400 is due now. The balance of the payment is due on March 1^st, 2019. Please contact me by clicking here to arrange payment.

This photo tour will run rain or shine.

Cancellation Policy:

Payment balance refunded 61 days prior to photo tour

No refund 60 days prior to photo tour

The Over-Under Frog-Scape

Bullfrog in wetland, Horseshoe Lake, Muskoka, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Macro Lens
ISO 1000
f16 @ 1/50 sec

I have long wanted to experiment with over-under, or also known as split shots, of Bullfrogs in their watery worlds. Several days ago I gave it a whirl for the first time and cannot wait to get back up to Horseshoe Lake to create more of these images. Each of these over-under images was created handheld from the canoe using the Nikon D500 and the Laowa 15mm 1:1 Macro Lens in an Ewa Marine Housing. Why did I use a crop sensor camera to create these images with the Laowa 15mm Wide Angle Macro, quite simply because the 15mm focal length will vignette horribly with a full frame camera inside the Ewa Marine bag. The 15mm focal length on a crop sensor camera works perfectly though. The Live View feature was activated to assist with composing and focusing each of the scenes. I was unsure how the Laowa lens would perform inside the Ewa Marine housing, but was more than pleased with the results, considering that the Laowa lens is a fully manual lens. The easiest was I found to capture these photos was to place the camera and lens inside the Ewa Marine housing but to not use the rail clamp to close the housing. This allows the top of the housing to remain open allowing my hand to easily focus the manual lens. The easiest way to ensure sharp focus while using the Laowa lens and Live View is to enlarge the view to 100% on the LCD screen and focus on the frog’s eyeball. To quickly enlarge the view to 100% over the frog’s eyeball I pre-position the Live View focusing sensor over where I want the frog’s eye to be positioned within the composition. I then press the center button on the Nikon D500’s multi selector to immediately attain a 100% view, allowing me to accurately focus on the frog’s eyeball and capture the intended frame.

I am often asked “How do I get so close to these frogs?” The answer – large bullfrogs tend to be more tolerant than the juveniles. A slow approach works best as do slow movements inside the canoe. Any sudden movement triggers a flight response. Once the canoe is in position beside a chosen subject I kneel down in the canoe and slowly move the camera into position. For many of these images the front of the lens is only about 2-3 inches away from the subject.

Bullfrog in wetland, Horseshoe Lake, Muskoka, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Macro Lens
ISO 500
f16 @ 1/320 sec

 

Bullfrog in wetland, Horseshoe Lake, Muskoka, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Macro Lens
ISO 500
f16 @ 1/640 sec

 

Bullfrog in wetland, Horseshoe Lake, Muskoka, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Macro Lens
ISO 500
f16 @ 1/640 sec

 

Bullfrog in wetland at dusk, Horseshoe Lake, Muskoka, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Macro Lens
ISO 320
f16 @ 1/50 sec

 

Bullfrog in wetland, Horseshoe Lake, Muskoka, Ontario
Nikon D500, Laowa 15mm 1:1 Macro Lens
ISO 800
f16 @ 1/500 sec

Bruce Peninsula Photographic Workshop

 

Join Andrew McLachlan on Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula this September 18th, 19th, & 20th 2018 for 2 ½ days of in-depth photographic exploration. During this landscape photography workshop we will visit some of the finest landscapes that the Georgian Bay coast has to offer. Embrace the beauty of turquoise waters and rugged limestone cliffs along the Niagara Escarpment – an UNESCO World Biosphere. Maximum number of participants is 8. This workshop has been scheduled mid-week to avoid the crowds that are present during weekends.

Do note that there will be some walking involved on woodland trails and rocky shorelines, with uneven terrain. The longest walk will be roughly 20 – 30 minutes in length. Please do not hesitate to inquire should you have any concerns regarding physical limitations that may affect your ability to attend this event. It is also recommended that you purchase your vehicle day pass for each day in advance at www.reservations.pc.gc.ca

Itinerary:

Tuesday, September 18th:

• Meet in the parking lot of Halfway Log Dump for sunrise / daybreak photo session at 6:00 a.m.
• Stop for lunch (on your own) as a group at 1:00 p.m.
• 20-30 minute walk to Indian Head Cove / The Grotto for afternoon photo session
• Dinner (on your own) as a group before or after sunset based on group decision
• Sunset photo session at Singing Sands at 6:00 p.m.
• Get some rested for early start on Wednesday

Wednesday, September 19th:

• Meet at 6:00 a.m. at Little Cove for sunrise photo session
• Stop for lunch (on your own) as a group at 1:00 p.m.
• Afternoon photo session  – location to be determined
• 20-30 minute walk to sunset photo session at Indian Head Cove for 6:00 p.m. arrival
• Complimentary dinner at local restaurant

Thursday, September 20th:

• Indian Head Cove / The Grotto for sunrise photo session – 20 – 30 minute walk
• Depart for home 12:00 p.m.

What’s Included:

• In-depth photographic instruction during each photo session with LCD review to ensure you are capturing the best possible images given the conditions of the day
• Dinner at restaurant in Tobermory on Wednesday, September 19th

What’s Not Included:

• Accommodations (numerous options available in Tobermory… I will be staying in the park at the Poplars Campground)
• Day use vehicle passes for each day. These can be purchased in advance at www.reservations.pc.gc.ca
• Transportation
• Car pooling of participants is encouraged for each photo session
• Breakfast and lunch
• Alcoholic Beverages

Workshop Fee:

$325.00 CDN plus taxes

Payment can be made via email transfer or by cheque.

To reserve your spot in the Bruce Peninsula Workshop please contact me by clicking here to arrange payment.

Cancellation Policy:

No Refunds. Check your schedule carefully prior to booking.

Muskoka Autumn Colour Spectacular Photographic Workshop

 

Join Andrew McLachlan in Ontario’s Muskoka District on October 1st, 2nd, & 3rd 2018 for 2 ½ days of in-depth photographic exploration of the finest waterfalls and rivers, forests and wetlands of the region. Embrace the beauty of Muskoka and learn the skills of landscape photography amid the palette of autumn. If we are lucky enough to have clear night skies we will add on a starry night-scape session too. Maximum number of participants is 8.

Do note that there will be some walking involved, through woodland trails with uneven ground. The longest walk will be roughly 1 kilometre in length. Please do not hesitate to inquire should you have any concerns regarding physical limitations that may affect your ability to attend this event.

Itinerary:

Tuesday, October 1st:

• Meet in the parking lot of Brooks Falls (Huntsville area) at 7:00 a.m. for waterfall photo session
• Stop for lunch (on your own) at 1:00 p.m.
• Oxtongue Rapids (Huntsville area) photo session
• Dinner (on your own) at local restaurant at 7:00 p.m.
• Get some rested for early start on Wednesday

Wednesday, October 2nd:

• Meet at 6:00 a.m. at pre-determined location in Bracebridge and carpool to waterfall for photo sessions
• Stop for lunch (on your own) at 1:00 p.m.
• Additional waterfall / river sessions
• Sunset photo session
• Complimentary dinner at local restaurant

Thursday, October 3rd:

• Meet at 6:00 a.m. at pre-determined location in Bracebridge and carpool to Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Reserve for sunrise and morning photo session
• Depart for home 12:00 p.m.

What’s Included:

• In-depth photographic instruction during each photo sessions with LCD review
• Dinner at nearby restaurant on Wednesday October 2nd

What’s Not Included:

• Accommodations (numerous options available… I will be staying at the Sleep Inn in Bracebridge – they serve a continental style breakfast)
• Transportation
• Car pooling of participants is encouraged to arrive at each location
• Breakfast and lunch
• Alcoholic Beverages

Workshop Fee:

$325.00 CDN plus taxes

Payment can be made via email transfer or by cheque.

 

To reserve your spot in the Muskoka Autumn Colour Spectacular please contact me by clicking here to arrange payment. Please do not delay in booking your accommodations as hotels / motels in the area will fill up quickly.

 

Cancellation Policy:

No Refunds. Check your schedule carefully prior to booking.