Photography Tag | What was one of your earliest cameras? Favourite lens? Inspiration? Travel?

Note: Any links in this post are not affiliate or sponsored.

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While I’m stuck at home I thought we would do an old-style tag video. I used to love watching tag videos on YouTube so I thought we would do one!

Q1: What got you started in photography?

Travel is what got me started in photography. I have been a Pinterest user way longer than I have been on Instagram and my longest used board is my travel board where I pin all the wonderful places I want to travel to someday.

I wanted to be able to capture amazing photos just like the one’s I see on Pinterest and Instagram so I started learning more about photography to do just that!

Q2: What photography do you like to do?

I love travel and nature/outdoor photography. Those are my loves and what I pursue.

I’ve dabbled in food photography, product and even did a toddler birthday session but travel and nature photography is my passion.

Q3: What was one of your earliest cameras?

One of my earliest camera’s was a Sony Purple Cybershot. It was the second camera I ever owned and it was a christmas gift from my grandparents a long time ago.

It was also the camera I took with me on my first International trip to Mexico in 2016.

Q4: If you could go on any photography trip anywhere in the world where would you go?

This is such a difficult question! There are so many places on my bucketlist that I want to travel to one day:

• Italy, for the Dolomites, the Coast and the historical places

• Africa, to do an African Safari

• Japan, Hawaii, Iceland for the landscape

However, if I had to choose only one my current pick is Italy!

Q5: What is your favourite lens?

My favourite lens varies depending on what I am doing. However, my most reached-for lens is the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO.

Q6: Is there someone out there that has played an influential role in your photography?

There are two people that have played a consistent influential role in my photography. I say ‘consistent’ because there are a ton of people that capture my attention and inspire a project or a piece but there are two people that have consistently inspired and influenced my work, month-in and month-out.

The Wandering Lens

Lisa from The Wandering Lens first inspired me to pursue this passion and she has continued to inspire and influence my photography.

David Duchemin

David is a recent influence in my photography. I bought his book The Heart of the Photograph a couple months ago, then I started reading his webstie articles, and listening to his podcast episodes.

His thoughts on creativity just really resonate with me.

Q7: How would you define your photography style?

My photography style is something I am still trying to develop. However, I have noticed certain themes have begun emerging.

Bright and Colorful

I love bright and colorful. Those are the photos that I love to capture and edit. I’ve tried doing pastel, light and airy but it’s just not me.

Creative Element

Out of my favourite photos that I’ve taken another consistent element is the added creativity - reflection, foreground interest, sun star. I gravitate towards capturing images with a creative edge.

Q8: What inspires your photography?

I have come to notice that the weather really influences my photography. I love getting outdoors during the spring, summer and fall because it’s nice weather. However, when the winter came I hit this wall and I couldn’t get inspired to get outside and do some photography.

Hand-in-hand with the weather is the seasons. I find the transition and colour of the seasons also inspire my work.

Lastly, I have found working in collections or bodies of work inspire me - Chasing Arrowleaves, Hello Spring, Summer in the Okanagan. I think its because it gives my work focus which I’ve always struggled with.

Q9: On the daily, what’s in your camera bag?

I still use the BagSmart camera backpack from Amazon that I purchased last year. On the daily, I carry the following gear:

• Olympus EM1 Mark II

• M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 Lens

• M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO Lens

• M.Zuiko 40-150mm F2.8 PRO lens

• M.Zuiko 7-14mm F2.8 PRO Lens

If I am to leave anything behind my 7-14mm probably gets left behind the most.

Q10: What’s your favourite part about photography?

Creativity and Expression

I love the creativity and expression part of photography - finding the best way to express your subject that aligns with my photography style.

Capturing a Moment

James Popsys once said in one of his videos that other than his memory his photograph is the only thing remaining of a moment. It reminds me to capture the small moments - anniversaries, birthdays, time with family.

Exploration and Adventure

Photography has made me more of an explorer, has made me more adventurous and has generally made my life richer.

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Feel free to participate in this photography tag! Leave a comment on my channel, post a video to YouTube, answer over on Instagram, however you choose!

Have fun with this!

Summer in the Okanagan | Seasonal Photography Activity

Let’s chat about how Tim Hortons gave me the best idea the other day!

Previous Seasonal Collections

I love photographing the seasons - the transition from one to the next, the different things that nature provides depending on that season and I’ve been bundling these photos into seasonal collections.

So last Autumn I did Chasing Fall and the main purpose was to chase the changing of the fall foliage at various locations in Kelowna and I only uploaded these photos to my Instagram.

My most recent collection that I finished was Hello Spring and I documented the transition from winter to spring - the weather changing, the plants and trees budding and the wildlife coming out.

The Seasonal Puzzle

Sometimes it’s tricky organizing the seasonal puzzle before the seasons hits - the story, the name, the idea. I’m not going to lie often times the seasonal puzzle hits me when I am out photographing. However, this summer’s seasonal puzzle hit me when I was at Tim Hortons and I’m calling it Summer in the Okanagan.

Summer in the Okanagan - Idea, Layout, Goals

While I was getting my Dad and I Tim Hortons the other day I was waiting in line for my Iced Capps and I was admiring this photo they had on the wall. It was a bunch of kayakers on the lake, with this lush green forest in the back and a partially cloudy sky and I thought what a wonderful photo to depict summer. It then hit me like a lightening bolt in that moment to document what summer is like here in the Okanagan.

So from June to August I am going to work on Summer in the Okanagan.

The goals for this collection is to:

1. Document what it’s like here in the summer from my perspective and experience

2. In the companion article for this collection talk and reflect more about using Olympus for this body of work, features and lenses that I favored, and how I got my favourite shots

Seasonal Photography Activity

I want to encourage you to join me in this collection!

I understand that depending on where you live we experience the seasons at different times so if you are experiencing Winter instead of Summer maybe we call it - Winter in Sydney.

I will be uploading the occasional photo to my Instagram account and if you are too then let’s use the hashtag #seasonswhereilive.

As well, if you are interested in joining me in this collection give me a shout (my email is at the bottom of this post) because maybe we can cook up a way to showcase the photos afterward.

At the end of the season I’ll put all my photos under my Collections and write a companion article on the blog.

Final Thoughts

I’m really excited to work on this collection and share with everyone what summer is like in the Okanagan through my perspective and experience and I really hope some of you will join me!

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Happy Photographing!

Beautifully Wander | Robynne Ikesaka

Email: hello@beautifullywander.com

5 Reasons on Why I've Been Loving Bird Photography

I’ve been in love, obsessed and curious about wildlife photography. In particular, bird photography. In this video we’re going to chat about bird photography and 5 reasons on why I’ve been in love with it.

1. Birds are Incredibly Beautiful and Diverse

A couple weeks ago I photographed this beautiful European Starling. It had these incredible white speckles on its back, gold stripes lining its feathers, and this iridescent blue, green and purple colouring on its chest. In short, its plumage was spectacular.

Birds are also incredibly diverse! I’m always amazed when I visit different parks the different kinds of birds I see and the different kinds of DUCKS! Yes, they all belong to the “duck” family but they’re all different. The one on the left is a Common Merganser, the one in the middle is a Gadwall Duck, and the last one on the right is a Hooded Merganser.

2. It’s Incredibly Challenging

Birds are extremely challenging to photograph because they are fast and unpredictable. I find big birds like Osprey have been easier to predict their movement and flight pattern, however, small birds are crazy - they fly in every direction and don’t tend to perch for very long time. Thus, you have to be fast, silent and creative.

Big birds fly in a more set pattern.

Small birds like this are a little more unpredictable, unless they perch.

3. Extremely Fun

It’s fun pursuing different kinds of birds, exploring different marshes, wetlands and creeks that I previously wouldn’t have explored under landscape photography. It’s also fun to come home, edit the photos, and identify and learn more about them - what kind of bird they are, their gender, their behaviour, mating rituals, habits, etc.,

4. Birds Helped me Reconnect with Nature

Back in the winter I was feeling extremely uninspired to get outdoors and in nature. I knew I needed to just get outdoors so I went to the beach with my camera. At one moment I heard these Geese flying overhead and because the water was so calm they reflected in the water and something triggered in me to try out more bird photography so I went to a different beach later that week to photograph some more birds that didn’t travel south.

Since then I’ve been able to get outdoors again, birds in that moment helped me re-connect with nature.

5. Birds Introduced Me to the Broader World of Wildlife Photography

I have some pretty strong personal limiting beliefs when it comes to wildlife photography. I would tell myself that I couldn’t ever pursue wildlife photography because I didn’t know anything about them, I didn’t know their behaviours, I didn’t know where to find them, I didn’t know how to photograph them.

It wasn’t until I started going out for bird photography that those limiting beliefs started to crack, every time I go out I chip away at the wall that divides me.

Bird photography has started to give me permission to adventure into the world of wildlife photography.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been obsessed with birds…and other kinds of animals like Beavers. I’ve watched 101 nature documentaries on Netflix and Disney+. I’m in a wildlife, bird, animal photography zone.

If you’ve been loving bird photography leave a comment on the video on your reason why!

Exercise I'm Doing to Improve my Photography

If you signed up for my monthly newsletter you will know that I loved and raved about this book that I read in April called The Heart of the Photograph by David Duchemin. It’s an amazing book and I highly recommend if you haven’t read it yet, to!

However, I realized shortly after beginning this book that I knew I wanted to take this slow and really implement what I was learning into my photography. So I started doing this photography exercise that allowed me to reflect what I was learning and improve my photography, bit by bit.

I have read articles, books, watched YouTube videos, listened to podcasts and done online photography courses all around taking more impactful, intentional and meaningful photos but nothing has resonated with me like David’s book.

Overview of The Heart of the Photograph

In order for this exercise to make any sense I’m going to give you a brief overview of what this book is about that I love so much. The premise behind David’s book is to venture away from asking if a photo is good or bad and instead ask better questions. He sets this book up into chapters that delve into different photography elements - subject, colour, contrast, shadows and lines, point of view, etc.,

David does this amazing job of taking you through what your subject is and things to consider in giving it it’s best expression.

The Exercise

The exercise that I started doing shortly after beginning this book and something I continue to do is a reflection and analysis of my own work framed around David’s teachings.

In Milanote (you can use any note taking software or paper and pen) I do the following:

1. Pull my photo onto the board

2. Write a short description about the photoshoot (what I was doing, why, where I was at, etc.,)

3. Reflect on what my subject was?

4. Reflect on what I was trying to say/express?

5. Reflect on what elements of the photograph give it it’s best expression and what I missed?

I keep this reflection and exercise fairly brief in order to keep it sustainable as a practice. I also don’t worry about if it flows, if it’s well written, if it will make sense to others because this is for my own personal development in photography so it doesn’t matter as long as it makes sense to me.

Example #1 - “Yee, I am the one that connects”

To give you a better idea on how this exercise works for me here is two examples. The first one is a landscape photography example.

“Exploration: Ever since we've entered into Spring in the Okanagan I've loved going on hikes. On this day Max and I did an evening hike to Knox Mountain for sunset. He hiked the whole Knox Mountain while I meandered up the hill. At several points throughout the hike we were granted beautiful views of the valley beneath. I of course stopped at every viewpoint to photograph the view. In this scene I noticed the land masses - Kelowna, West Kelowna and the bridge that connects the two. All I could think about when I looked out was the bridge - yee, I am the one that connects.

Subject: The main subject in this photo is actually the bridge that spans over the lake and connects the two lands - Kelowna and West Kelowna.

What was I trying to express? In this photo I was trying to express the meaning of the bridge - yee, I am the one that connects.

What does this photo need to give my subject (the bridge) it's best expression? I think the element that gives the bridge its best expression is the land masses within the image. I had tried different focal lengths and when I took away some of the land mass on either side the bridge, even though became more of the frame lost its power. The bridge connects the land and so the land masses I felt was important here. The light and colour does help contribute to the mood of the photo for the season we are in but I think this photo could operate very well in black and white. The POV of being far away helps as well emphasize the power and importance of the bridge connecting the land. I chose a horizontal orientation because I needed the land masses on either side and the bridge spans horizontal so to the eye horizontal flowed better.”

Exercise #2 - “You shall not pass…”

Example #2 is a wildlife/bird photography example.

“Exploration: On this day I had gone out again for a sunrise morning session. I had visited a different park at sunrise but not much bird activity was happening so I left and came to this park. After about an hour of waiting the park exploded with activity - one of which was I got to see my first set of goslings of the season! They were so yellow, fluffy and cute. I followed them as best as I could as they went up the river and at one point the one started going crazy - flapping its wings, being really loud. I couldn't tell you if it was the male or female. But the parent started flapping its wings, getting really loud and you can see it's wings are stretched out before the other parent with the goslings in the back...I was trying to figure out what was wrong. I then realized that they were being on the defensive from two raccoons that were in the park earlier.

Subject: The subject in this photo was the mystery behind what is the parent goose defending its family against.

What was I trying to express: In this photo I was trying to capture the commotion of what I was seeing and hearing - the one Goose had this aggressive posture and was being really loud and looked like it was defending its family against something.

What does this photo need to give my subject it's best expression: I took a number of photos of this encounter and this one (far right) stood out to me as my favourite and the best expression of what was happening. In the previous photo the set up was off - the goslings were still on the shore, the one parent was starting to take its stance but it just didn't feel right. In the photo after I had taken an horizontal that included the threat to the goslings but the parents had gotten into the water, dividing the threat from the goslings, still being loud and I liked this photo too but the first one just had more of the jigsaw that I was after - the mystery of what the geese were reacting to, the aggressive stance of one of the parent protecting its babies, the goslings in the back separated and as far away from the threat. I would have loved to get a lower POV but I was limited by where I was standing, it would have been better if I had a horizontal orientation but in the moment I hadn't thought to switch my orientation direction.”

Final Thoughts

The purpose of this photography exercise was to really take the lessons and teaching in David’s book and really implement it in my photography to improve my photography. The idea is that through this micro-habit, through this consistent practice of analyzing my own photography, recognizing what expresses a subject well and what I missed will help through time really improve my photography.

If you read David’s book then you know that good and bad is very subjective - what is good to the audience might differ to the photographer. What is good or bad to one person might be completely different to another because so much of photography is subjective.

I have found that being really intentional, impactful and meaningful with my photography is much easier with still subjects like flowers, trees, plants, landscapes where I can take my time to figure out what my subject is, what my camera settings should be, how to frame my subject, what I should do, etc., However, I have found since doing a lot more wildlife/bird photography that this process is much harder because you need to be so quick to capture the fleeting moment.

Hopefully with practice and time I will get better!

I really hope you found this reflection on my photography exercise helpful and maybe give it a try at home!

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Happy Photographing!

Beautifully Wander | Robynne Ikesaka

"Magic Milk" Photography Experiment | Abstract Photography | Create with Me

In todays photography experiment we are playing with “magic milk” or other times referred to as “marble milk”! It’s basically milk, food dye and dish soap but photographers edition.

While scrolling through TikTok one evening (when I should have been sleeping or trying to sleep) I came across a video by @juzmorgan and it featured creating patterns with milk and food dye. I was intrigued at the idea and searched up “milk and food dye” and ‘magic milk/marble milk’ popped up.

I thought what a fun photography experiment to try if you’re stuck at home, you’re not inspired to go outside, or you just want to try something new and fun!

Supplies

For this ‘magic milk/marble milk’ experiment you will need:

• Container/plate/bowl

• Milk

• Food dye

• Dish soap

• Que tips

• Tripod

• Camera

From what I’ve heard the dish soap reacts to the fat in the milk so I purchased different kinds of milk - 1%, 2% and Heavy Cream (33%). I figured with the different fat content in the milk it might yield different results.

Magic Milk/Marble Milk Process

Step 1: Pour a thin layer of milk onto your container/plate/bowl.

Step 2: Add food dye

Step 3: Grab your que tip, dip it into some dish soap and dap it where you’ve placed your dye.

For this experiment I am using my Olympus EM1 Mark II with the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO lens. I am also using my Manfrotto tripod and my Neewer Softboxes.

First Attempt - 1% Milk

My first attempt was with 1% milk. I laid my milk down on the plate and dropped a mixture of food dye - red, green and yellow. They swirled together and created this beautiful mosaic of color and pattern.

Second Attempt - 2% Milk

My second attempt was with 2% milk. I started with just the red food dye then added the yellow, then the green. I was able to create some really unique patterns.

Third Attempt - Heavy Cream (33%)

My last attempt was with my Heavy Cream (33%). The heavy cream was quite a bit thicker than the 1% or 2% milk and when I went to dip the soap in the food dye drops it created these snowflake looking patterns. I played around with the food dye snowflakes, then started swirling the mixture, and adding my additional dyes.

Mix of 2% Milk and Heavy Cream

I also thought I’d try doing a mix of 2% milk and heavy cream. The mixture again yielded some different results. I loved the bubbles and the patterns that formed in this one .

Final Thoughts

After cleaning up my mess here are my final thoughts from this Create with Me experiment.

1. Definitely experiment - play with the mixture of food dye, swirling the dye, mixing the milk, letting it sit, etc.,

2. Have paper towel handy - I ended up spilling a plate of milk so have lots of paper towel/cloth ready.

3. Do this in your kitchen/have a bucket handy

4. 2% Milk and Heavy Cream was my favourite

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Happy Photographing!

Beautifully Wander | Robynne Ikesaka

One Year on YouTube | History, Why I Started this Photography Channel, Benefits, and Challenges I've Had

It’s been one year on YouTube! In this episode I share with you the history of my channel, why I started this photography channel, benefits, and challenges I’ve encountered.

History

I started this channel last April (April 2020) and the first video I published was on April 25th and it was an Unboxing of my Olympus EM1 Mark II.

Why I Started this Photography Channel

I have been an audience member on YouTube for a long time - watching videos since I was in middle school. Back then the videos I mostly watched were makeup tutorials, beauty and fashion hauls, what’s in my bag, etc., As I got older the content I started watching on YouTube changed, I started watching videos orientated around planning and organization, business, travel, photography.

In the last 2-3 years a part of me had wanted to start a YouTube channel but personally there were a few things holding me back:

1. I didn’t think I lived a very interesting life. I worked all the time and my life really revolved around my career and so I had no idea what I would post videos about.

2. I was awkward and uncomfortable with the fact that maybe friends or family would find out or watch my videos (me being self-conscious)

3. I was not comfortable being in front of the camera (why do you think my first video didn’t have my face in it)

What changed, what pushed me to creating this channel and pushed these concerns aside was when I decided to pursue photography.

Now, I build this YouTube channel to provide some sort of value to you, to create and share and connect with all of you!

Benefits to Starting this Channel

In unexpected ways, YouTube has had a huge life impact on me!

1. I am way more confident being in front of the camera. Before YouTube I was self-conscious and uncomfortable being in front of the camera. However, through filming weekly videos I get more and more comfortable. I’m still not comfortable to film in front of other people or in crowds but maybe I’ll get there.

2. It’s a great creative outlet for me every week. Every week I have the challenge of creating on this platform. Out of the three processes - writing the outline, filming the video and editing. The final stage of editing is my favourite (even if I’m not that great at it yet).

3. I mentioned before but I love to travel and even though I’m not travelling right now, I get to virtually meet people from all over the world which is amazing and super cool to me!

Challenges I’ve Had (+ Solutions)

Challenge #1 - Consistency

Along the past year I’ve had challenges with building and creating on this platform. The first challenge I had was consistency. For the first 6-7 months I wasn’t consistent on this platform. I would sometimes post a video on Saturday and sometimes wouldn’t. Sometimes I would get busy, sometimes I wouldn’t have a video idea, and sometimes I would record or edit a video and would scrap it because I didn’t like it. All resulting in no video that week.

It wasn’t until the end of November of last year that I made this commitment to myself to be consistent - to post one video a week (no more excuses). This small internal gesture of making a commitment to myself was a game changer because since then I’ve been able to stay consistent on my channel. However, it hasn’t all been easy, which leads to my second challenge.

Challenge #2 - Finding Balance Between Videos ‘Viewers/Subscribers Want to Watch’, ‘I Want to Create’, and ‘Revolve Around a Specific Niche’

The biggest challenge with remaining consistent on this platform and posting one video a week is finding balance in video topics that my viewers/subscribers want to watch, I want to create and revolve around a specific niche.

I still struggle with this challenge to this day. But what made it slightly easier was when I watched a couple videos by Gary Vee and Sunny Lenarduzzi that talked about and rephrased the concept of ‘niching’ - you are your niche, be as broad as possible but fully you.

So instead of trying to create videos that revolve around a specific niche, I create videos through an inverted pyramid (this concept I watched in one of Sunny’s videos).

At the top of the inverted pyramid is my broad category - photography. At the middle is the medium or more specific content and the bottom is very specific/niched.

I don’t know what my middle or specific is yet, so I have mostly created in the broad category.

This rephrasing and re-working changed a lot for me!

Final Thoughts

Overall my year on YouTube has been great. I’m very excited to see where this channel goes and changes. A huge thank you to all of you that watch and subscribe to the videos, tune in every week and comment!

Cheers, to wherever the future takes this channel!

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Happy Photographing

Beautifully Wander | Robynne Ikesaka

One Year | My Adventure with the Olympus EM1 Mark II

I can’t believe it’s been a year! Last April I invested $2100 into buying my Olympus EM1 Mark II with the 12-40mm lens. I remember receiving that package slip and running to the post office because I had 15-minutes to pick up the box or else I would have to wait until Monday. I’ve explored a lot with my Olympus and I’m excited to share how the journey has been in this first year.

When I went to outline this video I had this central question “how has my last year been with my Olympus?” and I ended up with a series of additional questions that I’m going to answer in todays post!

Where has my Olympus taken me?

While reading David duChemin’s The Heart of the Photograph he said in one chapter that photography is not only a means of expression but exploration. So I plotted on a map all of the places that I have travelled with my Olympus! I’ve explored Fort McMurray, Kelowna, Banff and Vancouver. I’ve significantly travelled around the Kelowna area and I do believe that I have only explored as much I have because of my camera and photography.

What have I explored with my Olympus?

I don’t believe exploration is refined only to physical exploration but also exploration into different photography genres and techniques. Over the past year I’ve experimented with landscape photography, wildlife, timelapses, stop motion, refraction and more!

Exploring landscape photography!

Exploring wildlife/bird photography, taken at Rotary Beach in winter of a goose.

Exploring wildlife/bird photography, taken at Rotary Beach in winter of a duck.

Exploring refraction photography, taken inside my home using a laptop with my age, some glass and water droplets!

Is there anything I want to explore next?

Reviewing the map that plotted all of the locations I’ve visited I do want to explore more of the North and South Okanagan.

I also want to explore some prism photography, playing with shutter speed (movement) and creative portraits.

Do I have any regrets?

There were times throughout the year that I did regret not purchasing the Mark III when I bought my Mark II. However, at the time the Mark III was more expensive and didn’t align with where I was with my photography. Overall, I love my Mark II and I don’t regret the purchase.

Would I upgrade or do I have plans to upgrade?

At some points throughout the past year I have thought about upgrading to the Mark III or the EM1X. However, I do not have any solid plans to upgrade. I’m in the middle of a mindset shift that focuses more on creative vision/eye. Investing more money and resources into refining my eye as a photographer.

Is there anything I would buy to assist with my photography goals?

There are some items on my shopping list that I would like to one day buy.

1) Olympus MC-20 Converter: This would be for my M.Zuiko 40-150mm. I would buy it to do more wildlife photography!

2) M.Zuiko 30mm or 60mm Macro Lens: I also have an interest in buying a macro lens so I could explore more macro photography.

3) Olympus Pen: I love bringing my camera everywhere with me. However, sometimes whipping out the EM1 Mark II with the M.Zuiko 12-40mm is a bit much for the environment I am in. Which is why I have debated purchasing the Olympus Pen for situations like this.

4) Olympus Film Camera: I haven’t researched this a ton as of yet. But ever since I inherited my grandfather’s old film camera I have had this interest in film camera’s - learning more about them, learning to take film photos, etc.,

5) New Camera Bag & Tripod: I also really want to buy a new camera bag for hiking. The one I have currently does the job but it’s not perfect. As well, a new tripod that is even lighter and compacter than the one I have now.

These are all items on my shopping list but I rarely now ever impulsively buy. I used to have a really bad shopping habit when I was younger and I would buy and buy and buy. Now, I maintain a list on my phone and when there is an item I want to buy I let it sit on the list to understand if its actually a need or just a temporary want.

Would I ever consider switching (camera brands)?

No, at least not right now. I can’t tell you what I might be feeling or the direction of my photography 10 or 20 years from now. However, at the moment I love my Mark II, I love the glass on the Olympus lenses, and I love the Olympus community.

Do I have a favourite lens?

My favourite lens switches from what I am interested in photographing at the time. When I was doing a lot of bird photography I always had the M.Zuiko 40-150 on my camera body and never left the house without it. Now that I am doing more hiking I absolutely love the M.Zuiko 12-40mm because it’s so versatile for me to get landscape photos then switch to get photos of the flowers on the mountain or self-portraits of us hiking.

Has my customization changed?

If you don’t own an Olympus you should know that it’s extremely customizable! Almost every button on this camera can get mapped to serve a specific function for you. I have had the following customizations for the past year:

1) Back dial: Changes my aperture

2) Front dial: Changes my shutter speed

3) FN1 button: Focuses

4) FN2 button: Switches the view from my screen to my EVF

Every other button on my camera I haven’t really touched to change in the last year.

Is there a feature on the Olympus EM1 Mark II that I can’t live without?

There are so many wonderful features on the Mark II that I wouldn’t want to live without:

1) Image Stabilization: The Olympus camera/s have amazing image stabilization. I for the most part don’t need to bring my tripod unless I’m doing timelapse photography because you can capture stunning crisp photos without one.

2) Articulating Screen: If you read my Which Camera for Travel Photography post you’ll know the camera I purchased a year ago needed to have an articulating screen. I love the flexibility of having an articulating screen especially for ground or awkward shots.

3) Interval Shooting: I love the interval shooting feature of the Mark II when I’m doing self-portraits or taking photos of me and Max or my family. I can setup my camera, change the number of frames and how often it will take the photos and it will take a series of photos instead of just one (giving you plenty of time to get into position or change positions).

There are so many other wonderful features of the Mark II - sequential high/pro capture, manual focus assist, internal timelapse, weather sealing, etc., the list could go on!

Olympus EM1 Mark II toughing the rain.

Olympus EM1 Mark II toughing the snow and winter.

Olympus EM1 Mark Ii enjoying spring.

Final Thoughts

I’ve really enjoyed my last year with my Olympus EM1 Mark II and I can’t wait for all the future adventures and explorations I’ll have with it!

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Happy Photographing!

Beautifully Wander | Robynne Ikesaka

Why I Love Photography | Creativity and Instagram | Questions I Have for You

Earlier this week I visited Dilworth Mountain Park for some spring photography. While at home when I was editing the photos two photos specifically spoke to me - one about why I love photography and the other about creativity and Instagram.

Why I Love Photography

When I was walking along the trail I kept coming across these bushes that sometimes when the light hit it, it would make these buds glow golden and green. I stopped to take a photo of the bud and I just loved how it backlit the leaf, how you can see all of the veins and the pattern on the leaf.

This photo and moment was a beautiful reminder of why I love photography.

Photography gave me a whole new world, a whole new outlook on life and my environment. Before photography I didn’t admire the changing of the seasons, I might have noticed or loved the change but I never stood still and admired the change - how the landscape changes colour, how the weather changes, all the details that makeup the transition.

Question: You can answer over on my Instagram post or YouTube video but is there a photo (recent or not) that reminds you of why you love photography or got started?

Instagram and Creativity

This was another favourite image from my trip to Dilworth Mountain Park. My intention was ‘Goodnight Kelowna’ - with the sun setting behind the mountain range and the Kelowna valley underneath. But when I was editing this image I had it in a horizontal format and a vertical. In the past I would have chosen the vertical to edit because, it’s vertical for Instagram. However, about a month ago I watched a video by Chris Hau on how Instagram was killing creativity and how in his Lightroom Catalogue majority of his photos were vertical.

Vertical is suppose to “do best” in Instagram and with the algorithm but I decided to edit and publish the horizontal. Why? It fits better. It conveys and aligns with more of what I am trying to express and capture.

Yes, making these decisions could potentially hinder my growth or favor me less in the algorithm. But for the sake of my creativity and my photography I am choosing differently.

Final Thoughts

Feel free to respond to these questions over on my Instagram post or YouTube video but:

Question: Why do you love photography?

My Answer: I love photography for its world of possibility. For its creativity. For its gift to me that showed me a new perspective of life and my

environment. I love photography for its power to explore and express.

Question: Is there something specific that drives or inspires you?

My Answer: To explore the world. To capture a feeling, moment in time, or idea.

Question: Do you prefer working in a series or collection?

My Answer: I prefer working in a series or collection. For example, Chasing Fall, Characteristics of Kelowna, Hello Spring…I find working in a series gives

my photography focus.

Question: Do you feel social media influences your creative flow?

My Answer: Yes! Instagram, YouTube, social media does influence my creative flow. Sometimes for the better because it fuels me with ideas, inspiration,

value. Sometimes its for the worst because I compare, I get overwhelmed, I lose myself in the algorithm.

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Happy Photographing!

Beautifully Wander | Robynne Ikesaka

Water Droplet Refraction Photography | Fun, Creative, At Home Photography Idea | Create with Me

Welcome back to another Create with Me! Last week I was live with Olympus and three other amazing photographers chatting about what we like to photograph and how we got certain photos and I was inspired by Emilie Talpin to try doing some refraction photography!

Refraction Photography

I have no idea how to define refraction photography. All I have for you is refraction is the “bending of light”… if that even makes sense. The best I have for you is images as an example.

The Concept

The concept I was going for was refracting an image on my laptop screen onto some water droplets that I have made on a sheet of glass. However, after setting up for the shot I ran into two issues:

1. When I sprayed my glass with some water it didn’t actually form water droplets

2. I couldn’t manually focus on a water droplet, hold my camera, and hold the glass at the same time to take the shot

I was tempted to give up…I continued to spray my glass, dot the glass with water, even tried it on my patio door…nothing. I couldn’t create water droplets on my glass.

These are how they were turning out:

I Almost Gave Up…Adjustments I Made

After almost admitting defeat I found an article that suggested I cover my glass with plastic wrap…and…BINGO! After covering my glass with some plastic wrap it actually created water droplets that stayed!

This was the first shot I got!

Final Thoughts

• If you’re having issues using glass and creating water droplets on the glass try placing plastic wrap on the glass and then spraying the water (it will actually form better droplets). The only issue here is getting a nice clean placement of the plastic wrap (without any lines or bubbles).

• Try shooting top-down. Use a larger piece of glass and prop it up, place your photo underneath, spray the glass and shoot top down. This will help your water droplets stay uniformed. I didn’t have a large enough sheet of glass to do this with so I worked with what I had.

Try to place your plastic wrap on your glass as cleanly and tightly as you can.

By spraying water on the plastic vs. straight on the glass it will form better droplets (based on my experience)

If you shoot top-down rather than my vertical shot your droplets will have a better chance of staying uniformed and clean.

• Use manual focus to get clear focus on a water droplet (if you enable Manual Focus Assist (MF Assist) it will help magnify your screen to 3x while adjusting your focus so you can clearly see if you are in focus)

  • To set this up go into your Olympus Menu -> Scroll down to the gear icon -> Head down to A3 -> Scroll over to MF Assist and make sure “Magnify” is on (when Magnify is ON it will automatically magnify the image when the focus rig is rotated in MF mode)

When you turn ‘Manual Focus Assist’ on and you are manually focusing the screen will go to 3x so you can see better if you’re in focus.

• Play around:

  • Play with the size of your glass. I used a 4x6 frame glass but you could play with smaller and larger pieces.

  • Play with your subject (you could try using real photos or different kinds of photos on your screen)

  • Play with your settings (at first I had my aperture setting at F2.8 so the actual photo was pretty blurred out in the background, but when I pushed it to F16 the background photo popped more.

  • Play with colour (I found darker images popped more than bright, light and airy photos).

• Be careful handling the glass. I ended up cutting myself at some point during the experiment. So after it was over I taped some cardboard to the side so I can hold it better without cutting my hand.

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I really hoped you enjoyed todays Create with Me and you try it out at home. Huge thank you to Emilie Talpin for the inspiration!

Organizing and Planning with Milanote | How I Use Milanote to Plan My YouTube and Projects

Welcome back to Beautifully Wander! I’ve used all kinds of note taking softwares - OneNote, Evernote, Notion, Trello and right now I use Milanote every single day to plan my YouTube content and various projects. In today’s video let me tell you why Milanote is great for photographers and creatives!

This video was not sponsored I just personally love and have used Milanote since last September and I genuinely hope you find this post useful!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

What is Milanote?

Milanote is an online tool that you can use to organize your tasks, projects, business, travel, life.

The best part of Milanote and why I think it’s great for photographers and creatives is it’s flexibility. I can lay out my content how I want it. I’m not confined to particular boundaries or formatting like I am with other note-taking apps.

I can structure it so it’s text blocks only, I can create a mindmap mood board for a photography shoot, or use it to plan my next adventure.

In my mind Milanote is like a mashup of the other softwares and Pinterest.

Here are a couple of examples of how I use Milanote.

How I Use Milanote

Example #1 - Planning my YouTube Content

I use Milanote every week to plan my YouTube content for the month and coming months. I create a series of columns and label them according to the month. Under each month I have blank template boards that I use as placeholders that correlate to a Saturday of the month. If I have a video idea I’ll change the name of the board but if I don’t I’ll leave it as Template.

Beneath my monthly columns I have more columns, text blocks and boards with video ideas and inspiration.

Within a board I can create note blocks, add links, create to-do lists, create a board within a board, create columns, add images and files.

I can also bold text, italicize text, change text color, highlight text, and change the card color.

As well, I can continue to work vertically or move horizontally if I need more space.

Example #2 - Planning my Gallery Wall

Another example I wanted to show you was how I use Milanote to plan a project. A personal project I have for my home is a huge gallery wall. With Milanote I can add a bunch of images to a board and organize them how I want. For this project board I have inspirational photos for how I want to layout my gallery wall, I have a column with photos that I want to purchase, a to-do list of items that I need to complete the gallery wall, photos that I have taken of what I currently have for the gallery wall and photos of my own that I want to print and add.

You can do a variety with Milanote and depending on the type of project the layout varies - this project board was picture heavy with lots of visuals.

Milanote Save Function

Another great feature of Milanote that I love having is the save button function that you can install and enable on your internet browser. If I find an article, quote, video that I want to save for future reference I can save it to a board on Milanote by selecting the icon on my browser.

It will come up as ‘Unsorted’ on my board and then I can drag it to where I would like.

Cost

At first when I started using Milanote I used the free version but with how heavily I was using it to plan and organize my YouTube content and my photography projects I opted to upgrade to the next version which was $9.99/month billed annually. With how much I use it the cost was worth it for me.

Final Thoughts

I love Milanote because I can layout in a more organized fashion the chaos that is in my head. I’m a very visual person so Milanote is perfect for me! If you need more inspiration on how others use Milanote check out their website and select ‘How People Use Milanote.’

Let me know over on the channel if you use any online tools to help you plan.

Thank you for reading and I hope you found this post useful!

Develop Your Skills Now | Filming on the Olympus EM1 Mark II | Mill Creek Regional Park

Welcome back! A few months ago I read this article on National Geographic about mastering travel skills now for smarter trips later.

In the coming months and year I have big plans for travel - I want to visit the Yamnuska Wolf Dog Sanctuary in Calgary, Alberta. I want to visit the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver, British Columbia. I want to do a winery trip down to Osoyoos and if travel really opens up - visit Japan! In the meantime I am developing my skills now so when we can travel I’m ready!

Wander with Me - Mill Creek Regional Park

Todays video features Mill Creek Regional Park. This wonderful park is located in the Ellison area of Kelowna, just east of the airport. It’s a light and easy hiking trail that is fairly flat and only has one staircase.

If you continue on the hiking trail, following the creek you’ll come across a fork in the path where you can either visit the top of the waterfall or the bottom.

Skills I’m Developing Now

This weeks episode, this mini-trip out was a test, an experiment to practice a couple skills that I’m trying to get better at. One of them is filming and making better videos. I tried in this video to play around with using the Olympus EM1 Mark II, as well including a different intro, b-roll, music and sounds.

The second skill I was practicing on this trip was taking self-portraits. I want to capture us, as much as I want to capture the places so I practice self-portraits now so I can better create them when we’re travelling.

I’m also trying to be a lot more comfortable in front of the camera (specifically filming/taking photos with other people around).

Let me know over on the YouTube channel if you are working on anything right now!

I Attempted to Clone Myself! | Create with Me

Welcome back! I was so intrigued with creating this clone-yourself self-portrait that I attempted one this past week to pair with my re-introduction post on Instagram. In this episode I take your through how I created it!

The Setup

For this clone self-portrait I used my Olympus EM1 Mark II with the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO lens. I also for this self-portrait used the Olympus OI.Share app to remote control the camera.

To do this on your Olympus camera hit the WiFi button on your camera screen, after pull up the Olympus OI.Share app on your phone and hit ‘Remote Control’.

Taking the Photos & Light Post-Processing

To take the photos I positioned myself using my phone to see and then set the camera to timer so when I clicked the shutter I had 12 seconds to put the phone down and re-compose myself.

I originally wanted to do 5 photos but I did not have enough room in my living room for the 5 so I ended up with 3.

The final photos I got was after my third attempt - I did two wardrobe changes because I wasn’t 100% happy with what I was wearing and how it was turning out.

After I got the photos I lightly post-processed in Lightroom Classic.

Cloning Myself

To actually clone myself I used Snapseed. I created double exposures and changed the opacity to achieve the three clones of myself.

Open up your first image in Snapseed.

Under ‘Tools’ select ‘Double Exposure’

After click the add image button and add your second image.

Select the second last icon from the right and increase the opacity all the way to the right.

Select the icon on the top right of the screen and select ‘View Edits’.

Click on your ‘Double Exposure’.

Select the middle icon with the paint brush.

Brush over where you are on the second image (be careful not to go over where you are in the first image).

Keep repeating the steps above for every clone you want to make.

You can also use Photoshop for this or other apps/softwares but Snapseed was free and easy to use.

I would be interested in learning how to do this in Photoshop for more editing freedom.

Final Thoughts

Tip #1: Try to have an idea of how you want to pose yourself and the props you might need to make the process easier and faster for you!

Tip #2: Depending on your vision for your clone self-portrait try utilizing a larger space or get outdoors.

Tip #3: If you want more creative control over your poses and editing process you might want to consider using Photoshop instead of Snapseed.

Tip #4: Get totally creative with this! If you are a baker you could clone yourself putting the dry ingredients together, preparing the pie crust, filling the inside with your fruit, cutting the finished pie, eating the pie!

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If you try cloning yourself be sure to share on Instagram and tag @beautifullywander so I can see your creation! Happy cloning!

How I Edited this Photo in Lightroom Classic | Edit with Me

Welcome back! In todays episode we do something a little different. I’ve never taken you through my editing workflow before so today I thought I would show you how I edited a recent photo you might have seen on my Instagram of a Canadian Goose on Okanagan Lake fluttering its wings.

The photo on the left you see below is an unedited version of the photo we’re going to edit and the photo on the right is the final version.

Unedited version of the Canadian Goose on the partially frozen Okanagan Lake in Kelowna, BC.

Final edited version of the Goose with some basic and refined edits done in Lightroom Classic to make the details and Goose pop.

Basic Edits

I always start with some basic edits - exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, tone curve, detail, etc.,

Refined Edits - Adjustment Brush

After I’ve finished with my basic edits I go into any refined edits I need to make. Because of the nature of this photo and that it’s a wildlife photo of a Canadian Goose I wanted to make the bird pop by using the adjustment brush.

I brushed over the goose and made some additional edits to exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, etc.,

Refined Edits - Spot Removal

Depending on the photo I might also go in with the spot removal tool to get rid of any distractions. In this particular photo the goose was standing on the partially frozen Okanagan Lake with some buoys in the back. To me, it added an element of distraction so I removed it using the spot removal tool.

Refined Edits - Crop

After I am happy with my edits I’ll go in and crop my image. For this particular photo I wanted to place my Goose more on the thirds of the photo (I try to nail this in-camera, however, this proved difficult when trying to catch one of the Geese fluttering its wings).

Export

The last step is exporting the photo. I haven’t found the perfect exporting settings. I’ve watched many videos about exporting in Lightroom and experimented with a few but the one that seems to work the best for me is when the Width and Height is 1080 x 1350 pixels.

Final Thoughts

On certain photos I will use the Graduated Filter function in Lightroom but in this particular photo I opted not to.

For the most part I edit in Lightroom Classic but there is the occasion that I take the photo into Photoshop when I need to remove an element of the photo to clean it up (see below for some examples).

Editing like photography is also very personal - some photographers like to edit on the light and airy side, some photographers prefer dark and moody. I like to keep my edits fairly natural but slightly amplified.

Now you know how I edited my Goose photo! I hope you found a part of this post helpful and happy editing!

Winter Clothing for Photography & Trying Bird Photography | Getting Back Outdoors

In todays episode we chat quite a bit about my absence from nature photography and some items that have helped me get back outdoors all while I do some bird photography at Gyro Beach and Rotary Beach in Kelowna, BC!

December 16th, 2020

The last time I intentionally went out for outdoor photography was December 16, 2020. On that day I went out to do my festive bokeh but it slushy-rained. By the time I was finished my camera, my clothes, my bag were all soaked. It took me over 3 hours to warm up at home (even after a hot shower and 5 blankets). I remembered telling my fiance that I didn’t like winter photography.

However, six weeks later from that day I finally got back out. The weather in Kelowna, BC can be very dull and grey but I had this itch to photograph at Gyro Beach so I packed up my camera and took a walk.

I ended up falling in love with the details of the landscape again.

Due to the recent snowfall bird tracks could be found all over the beach.

Okanagan lake was very calm so it reflected all the details surrounding the lake.

Every now and then you can hear geese in the distance.

Winter Clothing for Photography

Over the past week I’ve gotten out three times which feels great and there are a few items that have made coming out to do winter photography slightly more okay and enjoyable.

Winter Boots

Prior to the end of December I was wearing a pair of old pink sneakers I had when I would go out to do outdoor photography. In the summer they’re fine shoes to wear but come the Fall and Winter when puddles form, the air is colder and there’s snow on the ground they are not the best.

At Christmas I was personally gifted a pair of TOM boots that were water-proof, had a high-traction outsole and a comfortable insole. The best part is they keep my feet warm, comfortable and dry when I’m outside.

The brand of boot doesn’t matter just make sure you get yourself a pair of boots that will serve your feet well to whether the elements outdoors.

Winter Jacket

Also prior to December I was wearing a thin sports jacket for photography. It’s not the most appropriate piece for winter photography so at Christmas I was also personally gifted a Patagonia Down Sweater Jacket that keeps me warm outside.

Just like the shoes it doesn’t matter what brand you buy just make sure you have something that will keep you warm and dry outside.

Gloves

It seems silly but I didn’t like wearing gloves when out doing photography because I have a hard time using my phone with them on and I have limited mobility over my camera. I would usually withstand having cold hands which added to my discomfort outside.

However, recently I’ve decided even if its a little above 0 right now I will wear gloves for the experience. If my experience outdoors is uncomfortable then the likeliness of wanting to get back out is less.

So I should do whatever small thing to make the experience the best for me.

Getting Back Outdoors

Back in December I didn’t cater to curating a good experience when I went out and I should have. I’m excited to get back outdoors to do photograph and birds like Donald (left photo) have helped me get back outdoors!

Food Dye in Water Photography + Photography Challenge | Create with Me

Come create with me! In this episode we play around with food dye in water photography and we add the extra challenge of photographing one subject 10 different ways.

Storytime

Earlier in the week I was feeling a creative itch to create something so I played around with water and oil photography when I had this moment to add food dye drops and it created such a cool effect that I quickly became obsessed to see what kind of pattern I create.

The Photography Challenge

This time I decided to take it a step further and add the creative challenge of one subject 10 different ways.

I started struggling after the fifth image to figure out other compositions and what to do with the food dye in water.

This is a classic challenge/exercise to develop your eye and stretch your creativity. It’s fair to say it did the job for me.

Final Thoughts

Here are some of my final thoughts from this create with me session:

1) Give your glasses a nice wipe before you photograph them to make sure theres no finger prints on them

2) Experiment with the tools you have! I just used the food dye out of the bottle but if you had a syringe like tool available to inject the food dye at a greater speed and precision into the water it would create a cooler and cleaner aesthetic

3) Use a surface that cleans up nicely. This doesn’t create as much of a mess than the splash photography but the dye can get everywhere so make sure you are using a surface that wipes clean or you’re okay with throwing away after if it gets all messy

4) Don’t be afraid to experiment, use different pain, glasses, tools, and colours!

My Photography Setup | Food Photography & Stop Motion

In this episode I take you behind-the-scenes on my photography setup for food photography and stop motion!

Old Setup

Before I purchased surfaces and lighting for my food photography and stop motion kit I used natural light from my kitchen window, some kitchen boards to act as surfaces, and an old desk part to create a backdrop.

I’m a huge believer in using what you have to start and build what you need slowly.

New Setup

Surfaces

After a month of using this setup and loving stop motions I decided to spend a little money to level up my game. The first item I bought was some surfaces and clamps.

Previously when I was taking photos I was taking notes on what I could have done better or if anything hindered my process and the surface of my kitchen counter was a problem for me - it was really reflective so it reflected my kitchen window, the overhead light in my kitchen, the door when my camera sat at a certain angle.

Thus, I decided to purchase some surfaces from Amazon. I originally wanted to buy some Ink & Elm surfaces but I had issues at checkout shipping to Canada so I bought these affordable surfaces that came in a pack of 4 for $50.

I also bought these clamps from Amazon so I could firmly attach the surfaces to either my kitchen table or other surfaces.

Lighting

After I did my Highlights from Athens stop motion I decided to purchase some lighting for my food photography, stop motion and my YouTube videos. It’s really important for stop motion you use even lighting because you’re taking several photos over a course of a long time (maybe hours!).

Buying some lighting has been on the list for me for quite some time - all of my YouTube videos up to this point has been with natural light but with being in winter the day is much shorter. Because of the shorter days I was having a hard time creating when I wanted to create so it was time to buy some lights.

I did look into purchasing a Godox off-camera flash or a continuous light from Godox but I ultimately decided to purchase a more affordable softbox set by Neewer on Amazon for $150.

Images Taken Using the New Surfaces & Neewer Softboxes

Final Thoughts

The only larger item that is on the horizon for me to buy is a new tripod that is better suited for food photography and stop motion. The current tripod I have is great for travel and landscape photography but it poses its challenges when doing food photography and stop motion in that I can’t position the camera to do a flat lay.

Thank you for joining me today in a behind-the-scenes of my photography setup for food photography and stop motion!

Personal Photography Projects | Benefits, Planning & Sharing

In this episode we discuss personal photography projects what are they, their benefits, how I find inspiration and plan the project and what I do with the product afterward!

Whether you are a hobby photographer, professional or aspiring professional…whether you do landscape, travel, food, portrait…personal photography projects hold benefit and value for you!

What are Personal Photography Projects?

Personal photography projects are any kind of photography projects you do for yourself and for your own reasons! These projects can vary in length and complexity - they could be short and sweet that takes an afternoon to complete or they could be long and extensive taking months to months to finish.

These projects can also stand alone as a single photography project or they could be strung together as part of a series or collection.

When I was doing a lot of landscape photography in the summer some of my photography projects were visiting and documenting new locations around the Okanagan - this was a long and extensive photography project that strung together to create a collection.

Currently, I’ve been doing a lot of food-related photography projects involving stop motion. These have been short and sweet photography projects that stand alone.

Benefits

Create Your Own Opportunities

There are two main benefits to personal photography projects - the first is it creates your own opportunities. I am a huge believer in creating your own opportunities and through personal photography projects it could lead to being featured, a job offer, a future or bigger idea or project.

You never know who is watching you, following your work, etc.,

Practice, Learn and Grow

The second benefit is it allows you to practice your skill, learn and grow!

A few weeks ago I made my first ever stop motion animation with marshmallows forming the word 2021…it wasn’t the greatest. In-between then and now I have done a few more stop motions to practice and I created another one this week featuring a yogurt parfait.

Personally, when it comes to working on a personal photography project I want to make sure its fun for me, it interests me and if possible it can benefit another person.

Planning

Finding Inspiration

To find inspiration for a personal photography project I like to peruse on Instagram and Pinterest. If I’m on Instagram and I see something that interests me and want to refer back to later I’ll bookmark it. If I’m on Pinterest I’ll pin it to my photography board.

Inspiration is one of those things that sometimes I’ll look for directly and other times it will come to be in another way from another idea.

Tracking Ideas

I also like to keep a physical copy of my ideas and check them off as I complete them. If I’m on the go when an idea comes to me I’ll jot it down in my notes app and transfer it to my physical notebooks later.

Planning the Project

Once I have an idea for a personal project I like to flesh out the idea in my notebook - the supplies I’ll need, the concept for the shoot, composition ideas and tasks.

Sharing Afterward

After I’ve executed on the project I like to share behind-the-scenes on my Instagram stories and with the final product I’ll either create a post on Instagram, create a blog post or make a YouTube video on it (or a combination of the 3).

Back in December when I was reviewing my plans for 2021 I decided I wanted to not only create but document and share what I create (good or bad). On Instagram you see so often these perfectly curated feeds of branded colours, perfect images and I love seeing them but I also knew that it wasn’t me. So I decided to take a different direction. Posting my creations is a way for me to document my journey and my development as a photographer.

Final Thoughts

Personal photography projects are so important and valuable to me. It keeps my creativity alive and whenever possible it provides value to others.

Let me know on the YouTube video or Instagram if you’re working on any personal photography projects and what!

Volcanic Hills Estate Winery | West Kelowna Winery

Volcanic Hills Estate Winery is a local winery in the Okanagan situated in West Kelowna on 2845 Boucherie Road. It sits on the southeast slope of an old dormant volcano - Mount Boucherie which inspired their name for the winery.

I travelled to this local winery in the fall to celebrate my 25th birthday and did a wine tasting with my family. When we visited the atmosphere was cozy, the service was great, they had a good wine selection and we walked away with this wonderful bottle of rose!

At my local Starbucks they were selling these heart-shaped sugar cookies so I picked up a few of those to further style and set the tone for a sweet and romantic session.

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Drink Photography Info:

Wine: Volcanic Hills Estate Winery 2018 Rose // @volcanichillswi

Sugar Cookies: Starbucks (Seasonal) // @starbuckscanada

Wood Charcuterie Board: Home Sense Canada // @homesensecanada

Pink Marble Board: Home Sense Canada // @homesensecanada

Pink Heart Fabric: Home Sense Canada // @homesensecanada

Splash Photography on the Olympus EM1 Mark II | Create with Me

I tried splash photography for the first time!

Before Christmas I was perusing the aisles of Home Sense when I came across these clear glass mugs and I knew they were perfect for some splash photography!

In this episode we discuss what is splash photography, how to setup Pro Capture on your Olympus camera, and what I learned from this experiment!

Splash Photography

Splash Photography is in the name - you create splashes involving a secondary object and capture them.

You can do splash photography like I did with some liquid in a mug or glass or you can involve a product - let your imagination go wild.

For my first time I wanted to keep the concept simple so I used a clear glass mug, some coffee and some ice cubes/carrots to drop and create the splashes.

Pro Capture & Sequential High

On the Olympus you can capture movement like this via Pro Capture or Sequential High.

Pro Capture is a feature on some of the Olympus cameras that capture moments that last really briefly - by enabling Pro Capture your camera starts recording images when you half-press the shutter but doesn’t write until you fully click the shutter.

To enable Pro Capture go to your Super Control Menu (for me I click the center “OK” button on my camera) and where it usually shows a single frame you can scroll and change it to Pro Capture - High or Low.

If you want to adjust the settings within Pro Capture you can by going into your Menu -> Settings -> C1.

Here you can adjust your Maximum FPS, your Pre-Shutter Count, and your Total Frame Count.

An alternative to using Pro Capture is enabling Sequential High on your camera. You can get to Sequential High by going back into the Super Control Menu and selecting Sequential High.

Learnings from this Experiment

1. Play with your liquid level: I wanted a real messy splash of liquid spilling from the glass when I did my splashes so I found by filling the glass almost completely to the top I ensured I would get that super messy splash. If you have a glass with less liquid then you won’t get as much spillage unless you play with your drop height, object, and post-processing.

2. Play with your drop height: I found that if I dropped by object from a greater height then it allowed for greater height and volume of the splash. The issue with going higher with your drop height becomes…aim.

3. Play with the object you drop: At the beginning I used ice cubes as my object to drop because it would disappear into the glass, however, I did want to experiment with the object (shape and size) that would get dropped so I started dropping baby carrots into my glass. I found that the shape of the object did contribute to different looking splashes! See below, for the image on the left I used a carrot and dropped it pretty horizontally and you can tell by the splash that is created. For the image on the right I used two ice cubes stacked.

4. Play around with Pro Capture & Sequential High: I played around with my settings within Pro Capture and I found it tricky to time myself - when to half-press the shutter, drop the object, fully-press the shutter. I found by switching to sequential high I had an easier time catching my shot because of the feedback I received from the camera.

5. Splash photography is really messy so have towels/paper towel handy: Splash photography can be really messy (especially if you want real messy splashes like I did) so make sure you have lots of towel or paper towel handy to clean up the mess and you’re using a surface that is forgiving (cleans up nicely vs. leaving a stain or mark).

Stop Motion with the Olympus EM1 Mark II | Create with Me

To start 2021 off I thought I would try a really fun photography project - stop motion!

I was introduced to the idea of stop motion by Joanie Simon at The Bite Shot and I thought it was so cool that I had to give it a try and that’s what we do in todays episode!

After watching a lot of tutorials and reading blog articles these are some tips that I heard and were recommended:

Tip #1 - Create a Story Board

A story board lays out what you envision for your stop motion - it doesn’t have to be fancy just sketch out your idea.

When I sketched out my story board for this stop motion I originally wanted the objects to start scattered and form the word “2021” but then after I shot and edited the frames together I liked the other way around.

The more complicated your stop motion the longer and more complex your story board will be!

Tip #2 - Create Even Lighting

You’ll want to create even lighting so every frame is the same. I don’t own any studio lighting so I had to make do with what I had so I used my phone to cast a light source.

Yes, the light was too harsh. I tried diffusing it with some parchment paper but I didn’t like the effect.

If you have studio lights, great! If not, use what you have or try it with natural light to see what happens (I’ll be experimenting with that in the future).

Tip #3 - Use a Tripod

You’ll also want to use a tripod or find a way to keep your camera super steady and still.

You don’t want your frame moving every time you take a picture and the only movement should be the intentional movement you are making in the animation.

Tip #4 - Start with the Final

A tip that I heard was to start with your final product and work backwards - I’m not sure if this works for every stop motion animation but in many ways it makes sense.

I wanted the final product to be the word “2021” formed so I started with that.

Tip #5 - Make Small Changes

With stop motion animation you want to make very small changes to your movement, you don’t want a drastic shift.

This does however make the whole process very long and tedious.

Editing in Lightroom and iMovie

After I took all the photos I imported them all into Lightroom and did some light editing - playing with exposure, shadows, highlights, contrast, etc.,

I then took all the photos into iMovie and strung them together. You can do this with any video editing software or an online tool but I use iMovie to edit all my videos with so that’s what I tried.

At first I made each clip as short as possible (.10 seconds), I then ordered the photos how I wanted the clip to play out. After, I exported it as one clip and re-imported. I then played with the speed of the entire clip started at 120 speed and ended with 130 speed.

In each software you use this process will be different so experiment with what works for you!

Final Thoughts - What I Would do Differently Next Time

1. I would shoot in my kitchen the next time. The flooring in my living room is unstable and it can shift when you walk on it so every time I approached the tripod it did shift underneath slightly - slightly enough that it moved the frame every time.

2. I would use the Olympus Share app on my phone to remote control the camera. The above problem with my floors could have been mitigated if I had controlled my camera with my phone but I was using it to create a light source.

3. I would get better lighting or experiment with natural light. Using my phone light casted a sharp light and created harsh shadows so investing in a different light set up or experimenting with natural light is on my list.

4. I would test out a more complex idea. I was originally going to use an assortment of fruit to create the 2021 effect but the morning I was going to pick up the fruit, film and shoot the stop motion my car battery died so I couldn’t make it to the grocery story. So I made due with what I had! I would love to experiment with cupcakes and stop motion!

I hope you enjoyed todays episode making a stop motion animation! If you create a stop motion animation be sure to share your creation on Instagram and tag @beautifullywander in it so I can see what you create!

Happy Creating!