I took a look at my Google Analytics and thought I would show what my three most popular posts of 2012 have been.   Not surprising that they are all photo gear related. Nikon D7000 vs D600 vs D800 : A Quick Comparison - Three cameras that photo enthusiasts are buying.  Different price ranges, and performance but all fantastic cameras. Nikon D600 Vs Canon 6D – Entry Level Full Frame Scrap - Nikon and Canon both released entry level full frame cameras.  Both will sell well, and nice to see that full frame is now becoming more affordable. Nikon D800 Contrast and Phase Detect Autofocus Testing - My early release D800 had the left side...

When needed, I try to help out at the local animal shelter (Vancouver Animal Control) by taking photos of their dogs available for adoption.  I believe the quality of the photos makes a difference in the dogs adoption so I’m happy to help out when I can.  It helps me and helps the dogs.  You can see the animals they have available at PetFinder.com (not just dogs but rabbits, lizards, and at times even more strange things).  You can also see previous shelter dogs I photographed here. Yesterday, I went to the shelter to photograph a litter of puppies.  They look like little polar bears, so damn...

On November 30th, my wife and I left rainy Vancouver to visit Belize for the first time.  Belize is a tiny country in Central America with a population of about 320,000.   It is 290km long and 110km wide, you can literally drive around the whole country in one day if you wanted to.  English is the official language which makes getting around very easy. Due to our last minute booking we had to take four flights (Vancouver -> San Francisco -> Houston -> Belize City -> Dangriga) and a boat ride to reach our final destination, Coco Plum Island Resort.  The last flight is on a small plane which lands on a tiny runway in Dangriga,...

Today I got my Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR lens back from a friend who borrowed it.   Since I haven’t used it for a while I decided to bring it with me on my beach walk at Acadia Beach in Vancouver.  It was a cold morning and I was hoping to get some interesting macro shots of frost but I didn’t find any.  I did take a few photos but I’ll have to try another day to get some frost. All shots hand-held, ISO800, processed in...

We had a small break in the rain tonight so I decided to head out to catch the last bit of daylight. I visited CRAB Park at Portside (Create A Real Available Beach), which is close to Canada Place and the Vanterm TSI Container Terminal.  I didn’t have much time but did get a few shots before heading home. It is certainly a place I will visit again soon.   One of my first shots when I arrived. Unfortunately in my haste I didn’t check my settings and shot this image at ISO 3200. I had to apply a lot of noise reduction so it’s softer than I would want. Still, the sky was very dramatic and I’m happy I got the shot....

When needed, I try to help out at the local animal shelter (Vancouver Animal Control) by taking photos of their dogs available for adoption.  I believe the quality of the photos makes a difference in the dogs adoption so I’m happy to help out when I can.  It helps me and helps the dogs.  You can see the animals they have available at PetFinder.com (not just dogs but rabbits, lizards, and at times even more strange things).  You can also see previous shelter dogs I...

In early October my wife and I decided to visit Ucluelet, BC. It had been too many years since I made a visit to the ‘real’ west coast of BC. I forgot how beautiful and how close it is. From Vancouver it is only 200Km plus a 1.5 hour ferry ride. The weather was truly amazing, it was unseasonably warm for October and we made the most of it. At night it got quite cold but during the day it was in the mid 20′s and sunny. I wore shorts, t shirt, and sandals, we couldn’t ask for better weather. On the way to Ucluelet, we stopped at a river to let the dogs have a break and enjoy some time out of the truck. Cedric...

Last night, I went out for a few sunset and night time shots with my friend Scott. Sunset was a bust, but we did get a few shots of Science World and the Vancouver skyline. Overall, a fun night out and made better as we finished up with a pint at the new tap...

Just as I did last year, I took a short walk through Queen Elizabeth Park to view and photograph the fall colours.  The weather forecast said rain, and lots of it, for the next week so I knew it was my last chance before things got really wet.  I hope to go back in a week or so, weather permitting.   The conditions were not ideal, it was a bit foggy and I could not get a good shot of the whole garden without losing a lot of contrast in the background.  I used a polarizing filter to cut some of the glare but some shots just didn’t turn out that well.  It was still nice to get out, the colours are really great right now.   This was...

Coming back from hiking the Chief near Squamish, I decided to stop at Shannon Falls for one more quick photo opportunity. Shannon Falls is a beautiful waterfall outside of Squamish (between Vancouver and Whistler). It is the third highest waterfall in BC, and well worth a stop if you are in the area. I had my Nikon D800 with me and was using the Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 lens with a polarizing filter. I also decided to shoot the same scene with my iPhone 4S. Yes, not a fair test but just presented for fun. The iPhone fared much better this time compared to my previous attempt. Here is the iPhone shot, edited on the device with Nik Software’s...

Photographers should be happy, both Nikon and Canon have released ‘affordable’ full frame cameras into their lineup. Nikon is already shipping theirs while Canon simply announced a camera with availability in a few months. Nothing like a ‘me too’ announcement when the competition gets the jump on you. Nikon is first to market with the D600, a $2100 USD, 24 megapixel camera. Canon follows up with the 6D, a $2100, 20 megapixel camera. This year, there seems to be a shift towards Nikon in terms of technical camera performance. Before the latest models were released, Canon had a highly successful offering in the 5D Mark...

Last week, I decided to head up to Squamish to hike the south peak of the Stawamus Chief. As with the Lions hike, I’m not going to go into how to get to the trail, etc. There are plenty of sites that can give you good info about the trail: Vancouver Trails, Club Tread, Trail Peak, Live Trails. I wish I had got a better shot of the rock face, I’ll have to do that next time.   This is a very popular hike in the area, expect to see at least a few people on the trail and on all of the peaks. The south peak is the most popular and the shortest hike as well. Middle and north peaks are less popular but still see their fair share...