Announcing: Killarney Wild & Scenic Photography Retreat

Join award winning photographer Andrew McLachlan in Killarney, Ontario May 4th, 5th & 6th 2020 for 2 ½ days of in-depth photographic exploration. This early spring workshop will avoid black fly season. During this workshop we will visit some of the finest landscapes along the Georgian Bay coast as well as iconic vistas within Killarney Provincial Park. You will be walking among the magnificent landscapes that once inspired the legendary Group of Seven, creating your own masterpieces. Marvel at the pink granite outcrops along Georgian Bay and the ancient white quartzite ridges of the La Cloche Mountain Range, while exploring the ‘crown jewel’ of the Ontario park system in Killarney Provincial Park.

The Killarney Wild & Scenic Photography Retreat will require the ability to walk along trails with uneven terrain that are rated as easy to moderate trails. Please do not hesitate to inquire should you have any concerns regarding your abilities.

Our photography retreats are geared towards creating dramatic imagery throughout the entire day, to provide you with extensive opportunities for photographic instruction. For folks that arrive in the Killarney area on the afternoon of Sunday May 2nd there will be the added bonus of a Sunday evening photo shoot near the town of Killarney.

I will be staying at The Sportsman Inn and do recommend that participants book their own accommodations here as well. However, you are welcome to explore other options for accommodations in Killarney, which may include AirBnBs or camping in Killarney Provincial Park.

I am also pleased to announce that Singh Ray Filters have graciously provided me with filters to use as teaching tools for registrants attending my photography retreats.

Dates: May 4, 5, & 6, 2020

Maximum number of participants is 8

Itinerary:

Day 1:

• Sunrise photo session

• Breakfast (on your own)

• Mid-morning photo shoot

• Lunch (on your own)

• Afternoon & Sunset photo sessions

• Dinner (on your own)

Day 2:

• Sunrise photo session

• Breakfast (on your own)

• Mid-morning photo shoot

• Lunch (on your own)

• Afternoon & Sunset photo sessions

• Dinner (on your own)

Day 3:

• morning photo session

• breakfast (on your own)

• participants depart for home at 11:00 a.m.

What’s Included:

• In-depth photographic instruction during each of the photo sessions with LCD review

• Image review and casual Lightroom / Photoshop sessions on Monday and Tuesday evening

What’s Not Included:

• Transportation (car pooling of participants is encouraged)

• Accommodations and meals

• Daily passes for entry into Killarney Provincial Park (unnecessary if you have the annual park pass)

• Snacks such as protein bars are excellent choices while out photographing.

• Alcoholic Beverages

Workshop Fee:

$325 CDN plus taxes

To reserve your spot in the Killarney Wild & Scenic Photography Retreat payment in full is due now.

Please contact me by clicking here to register for this event

Cancellation Policy:

91 days prior to the workshop date 50% of workshop fee is refunded.

90 days prior to the workshop date or less no refunds.

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Creating The Long Exposure Look for Water Blurs

Red Rock Point on Georgian Bat in Killarney, Ontario
Nikon D800, Nikon 80-400mm VR lens @ 80mm
ISO 50, f32 @ 1/5 sec
(Nikon Polarizing Filter)

 

I recently was reading about an interesting technique for creating water blurs on Moose Peterson’s blog. This technique works wonderfully for river scenes, waterfalls, and along lake shores or oceans. In the image above of beautiful Red Rock Point on Georgian Bay the waves were crashing quite nicely and I was able to create a nice scene with the waves rolling in. I did want to create an image with a much longer exposure, however, the time of day would not permit such an exposure and my 10-stop Neutral Density filter was back in the car. Since I was suffering from nagging lower back pain I was not about to make the trek back to the car to get the filter. Then I remembered the article that I read about utilizing the camera’s multiple Exposure feature to create the blurred look to water imagery. I set my Nikon D800 to the Multiple Exposure feature and dialed in a six frame exposure. Below you can see the effect of this technique. Do note that due to very blustery conditions there is some blurring to the trees as a result of the wind.

 

Multiple Exposure of Red Rock Point on Georgian Bay in Killarney, Ontario
Nikon D800, Nikon 80-400mm VR lens @ 80mm
ISO 50, f32 @ 1/5 sec (Nikon Polarizing Filter)
6 Frame Multiple Exposure (each frame has the same f-stop and shutter speed)

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Killarney Provincial Park

Killarney Lake, The Crack, Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 18mm
ISO 200, f22 @ 1/20 sec

I was recently up in the Killarney region of Ontario and most specifically to hike the strenuous trail up to The Crack. I made the trek to the summit despite being plagued with lower back pain from my back, which liked to irritate me several times throughout any given year, but these occurrences have lessened significantly since starting regular visits to my chiropractor. A few times during the hike I felt a sharp twinge in the lower back, but a quick rest and a couple of stretches had me ready to proceeded onward in a few minutes. The view over Killarney Lake and the surrounding terrain from The Crack is epic to say the least, and well worth the roughly two hour hike to the summit – the last half hour of the hike is the hardest section of the trail. One of the most impressive features of this area is the abundance of the white quartzite of the LaCloche Mountain Range scene from this location in Killarney Provincial Park.

Below are several other images created during my visit to this region made famous by the Group of Seven. Please note the captions for the whereabouts of each image featured below. To read about more awesome locations throughout Northeastern Ontario please click here to read my roadtrip blog post that was written for Northern Ontario Tourism.

A.Y. Jackson Lake in Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario
Nikon D800, Nikon 80-400mm lens @ 130mm
ISO 100, f16 @ 1/50 sec
Nikon Polarizing Filter

 

White Quartzite Details, The Crack, Killarney Provincial Park
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 24mm
ISO 200, f22 @ 1/25 sec.

 

The LaCloche Mountains in Killarney Provincial Park.
Nikon D800, Sigma 15mm f2.8 EX DG Fisheye Lens
ISO 200, f16 @ 1/125 sec

 

George Lake, Killarney Provincial Park.
Nikon D800, Nion 200-500mm lens @ 320mm
ISO 50, f16 @ 1.3 sec.

 

Rusty Old Wreck, Granite Ridge Trail
Killarney Provincial Park
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 24mm
ISO 100, f16 @ 0.8 sec.
In-Camera HDR

 

Sunset at Red Rock Point in Killarney, Ontario
Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 18mm
ISO 50, f22 @ 5 seconds
Singh-Ray 3-Stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter

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Detailed and Desaturated

Little Abitibi River in Ontario’s remote Abitibi Canyon

Since downloading Topaz Labs B&W Effects, I have been experimenting with the various presets and sliders, to fine tune the treatment of each individual photograph. I absolutely love the detail and detail boost sliders for creating a HDR-ish, grunge-like effect. I am also becoming rather fond of the transparency slider for revealing a touch of colour from the original capture, for a desaturated appearance. While I am still experimenting with the program, here are a few recent images that I have applied Topaz B&W Effects too.

George Lake, Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario

Abandoned Truck near Parry Sound, Ontario

Muskoka River, Bracebridge, Ontario

Lady Ferns, Parry Sound, Ontario

Kakabeka Falls, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Old Car, Granite Ridge Trail, Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario

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