15 Minute Photography Challenge ft. Intimate Landscapes

Last week I posted a video about intimate landscape photography! In this week’s episode I thought we would try a 15-minute photography challenge also focusing on the topic of intimate landscape photography:

The Challenge

The idea here is to visit a new location (or one that you’ve been to many times) and give yourself 15-minutes to photograph anything.

With intimate landscape photography you don’t need sprawling landscapes you can photograph any beauty within a landscape - line, shape, colour, texture, light, etc.,

Look for details within a scene that you love, are interesting, catches your eye or tells a story about the characteristics of the land.

Why this Challenge?

An exercise like this I believe can help you train your eye and your mind to hunt for details within a scene - an activity that is good if you are trying to practice more intimate landscape photography!

The Photos

From afar this area doesn’t look like much! But let’s look at what details we can find when we get closer!

I loved this lone tree off to the side of the beach. To make it more interesting I positioned the camera behind some leaves and used it as foreground blur.

On this day at the beach it was extremely windy so it was causing ripples in the lake.

On the side of the beach was this fallen tree. It had rough wood texture on the bottom of the tree and smoothe texture on the top that was interesting.

On the other end of the log you it had this marble like pattern that was a detail I loved!

All the tree’s on the side of the beach were slanted which I thought was interesting. To make the photo more creative I used some leaves that had fallen on the ground to add some foreground blur and further frame the slanted tree.

This was the last photo I took in the 15-minute challenge. This view was from the beach and I liked the shading of the land masses and the clouds in the horizon. If I had a tighter zoom I would have used it but I only had my 12-40mm to work with.

Let me know over on the YouTube video if you’re going to try the 15-minute photography challenge!

Intimate Landscape Photography | Why I Love Photographing Intimate Landscapes

For a few months now I have been practicing intimate landscape photography (sometimes referred to or related to minimalism in photography).

In todays episode we delve into what is intimate landscape photography, why I love it, and how to practice it!

What is Intimate Landscape Photography?

Intimate Landscape Photography in a nutshell is when you don’t try to cram everything of the scene into the frame.

You focus on a specific element of the scene - line, shape, colour, texture, light, etc.,

Why I Love Intimate Landscape Photography?

I find with intimate landscape photography it forces me to slow down, focus and see the landscape differently.

Instead of trying to see everything I can pin point something specific about the scene that I love or catches my eye and focus on that.

You can also practice intimate landscape photography anywhere and anytime. I would love to photograph the epic sprawling landscapes of Iceland but with intimate landscape photography I can capture beautiful moments in my own backyard or hometown.

How to Practice Intimate Landscape Photography?

The next time you go out for a walk, visit a local park, or explore a new location try to pick out details that you love about that place and focus on that.

For example, a few times a week I go for an evening walk along Lakeshore Road and on my evening walks I always pass these houses that I especially love in the fall because the trees are this vibrant orange colour.

It’s the colour of the trees that catch my eye and make this scene beautiful to me so I’ve focused my frame on that.

Here are some more examples:

I took this photo at Gyro Beach in autumn. I wanted to focus on the juxtaposition of the beach hut against the autumn leaves.

This photo was taken at Okanagan Mountain Park the site of the 2003 fire. Here I wanted to focus on the contrast between the regrowth and the charred tree stump.

The following leaf photo I took at Mission Creek Park in Kelowna. I wanted to focus on the bleeding of the autumn colours from orange to yellow to green.

This photo was also taken at Gyro Beach and I loved the spherical bubbles that would sometimes form and the line that was drawn in the sand when the wave would come in.

Lastly, this photo was taken at Kasugai Gardens in Kelowna, BC! A common feature in Japanese gardens are these stone lanterns so I decided to focus on this beautiful stone lantern for the photo.

Intimate Landscape Photography can be really fun and creative!

I would love to hear if you ever tried intimate landscape photography and if you liked it or not - so comment on the YouTube video!

PHOTOGRAPHING FALL IN KELOWNA, BC

It’s fall here in the Okanagan! At the start of October the leaves were starting to change colour but every week it gets a bit cooler and the fall foliage appears even more!

In this episode I take you with me as I photograph fall foliage in a number of locations in Kelowna, BC!

Check out the photos from each location!

Gyro Beach

For this photo I collected a bunch of leaves that had fallen on the beach and sprinkled them in front of the camera. I like the blurred effect of the leaves so I kept my aperture to f/2.8 but I wanted to capture the placement of the leaves in the frame so my shutter speed stayed between 1/1000 and 1/2000 sec.

I think adding the falling leaves adds a creative element to the photo and I loved the juxtaposition of the beach hut against the fall foliage (photo on the right).

Tugboat Beach/Waterfront Park/Downtown Kelowna Area

I had a pleasant fall stroll from Tugboat Beach to Downtown Kelowna capturing all those autumn colours!

For this picture below I framed the dolphin statue with an orange leaf I found on the ground and the trees above. When you park in the parking lot this is the first picture-spot you’re going to want to capture!

A little further down Waterfront Park is your second picture-spot! If you cross the pond you’ll see a gorgeous set of autumn coloured trees. To make the photo more interesting I used my phone to create a reflection!

When you continue walking down the boardwalk to downtown Kelowna you’ll see more beautifully coloured fall trees! I just can’t get over how vibrant they look when the sun hits them!

I was looking for a perfect way to capture these fall trees and I’m so glad I found it! I loved these little boats in front of the fall trees and to capture it more interestingly I used my phone to create a reflection shot where the water was.

Of course I couldn’t resist trying to get one double exposure shot! For this (photo on the right) I took a photo of the dolphins, then in my Olympus EM1 Mark II I went into Menu -> Camera 2 -> Multiple Exposures -> Set ‘Number of Frames’ to 2f -> Set ‘Overlay’ to ‘On’ -> Selected a photo from the library -> Took a close-up photo of a leaf.

Mission Creek Greenway

Mission Creek Greenway is suppose to turn this gorgeous yellow colour along the river and I was a bit too early to capture this. When I visited a couple weeks ago it was primarily green, about 40% of the trees have turned but I will visit again in a couple weeks (end of October) to see how the fall foliage is progressing!

I hope you liked the vlog about chasing fall foliage in Kelowna! If you haven’t already please consider subscribing to Beautifully Wander on YouTube and following on Instagram!

Cheers to chasing fall foliage!

OCTOBER DIARIES: VISITING DAVISON ORCHARDS

For the first weekend of October we decided to make the drive up to Davison Orchards in Vernon, BC! It had been years since we had been here so it was the perfect fall activity for the sunny weather we’ve been having.

Our first stop was to the Davison Country Village, where you can pick up your pumpkin, go shopping at the gift shop, or stop at Davison Cafe for some snacks, lunch or a pumpkin latte!

I’ve never seen so many different kinds of pumpkins before!

I was in love with these little odd-shaped pumpkins!

After we walked around the orchard and checked out the pumpkins we visited Davison Farmhouse Cafe! I tried the Pumpkin Latte and Max tried the Applelanche.

It was a nice little cafe to stop and have something light.

It also had this adorable front display!

Our last stop was through the shop. It’s a cute place to pick up gifts for family and friends or treat yourself to some tasty treats like kettle corn!

We came to pick up an apple pie! Ever since fall has hit the Okanagan I have been OBSESSED with eating pie!

We don’t have kids yet but we would love when the day comes to bring them here for some family fun!

HOW TO ENJOY BAD WEATHER PHOTOGRAPHY

NOTE: Please at all times consider your own health and safety + practice at your own discretion.

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Now that we're getting into fall in the Okanagan the weather is going to start changing.

About a week ago smoke covered the valley for 7-10 days, and now cloudy, overcast skies might start dominating.

The other day we had this storm pass through (there wasn't thunder or lightning) but there was some rain and high winds.

It gave me the idea to film a video about bad weather photography!

In today's episode I cover how I enjoy bad weather photography and provide 3 tips that might be able to help you!

Tip #1: Find some inspiration -> go out and try to recreate it -> and new ideas will come!

I was really loving these cool atmospheric shots of fog in the forest so when we had smoke fill the valley I thought it was perfect to try and get some atmospheric shots.

I had the intent that I would capture a line up of trees with the smoke atmosphere fading each tree but then when I went out I had the idea to do some comparison photos of what the valley looked liked before the smoke in the summer and now.

I posted these photos to my Instagram stories.

On the stormy day I thought I would go out and get some choppy waves photos. I ended up being interested/inspired by the clouds in the sky - the different shapes, lines and shadows. As well, the lonely trees that I've recently been obsessed with.

I often times get inspired by an image, go to recreate it with my own twist but then find other ideas to create!

Tip #2: Consider getting close/intimate with a part of the scene

For the past couple weeks I have been interested in intimate landscape photography. Getting close and personal with a part of the scene (focusing on a shape, line, texture, color of the scene).

Earlier this week I went to Cedar Creek Park in southeast Kelowna to hopefully get a stunning sunset.

By the time the sun was getting low in the sky some weird clouds had rolled in that added distraction to the image more than anything.

I switched focus and instead did some intimate landscape photography - this is one of my favourite images from the trip:

Yes, its of a rock! But I loved how the waves were crashing against the rock causing water droplets to spew upwards.

This is another image I like that I produced when the sky was super smoky - I liked how the water created lines in the sand and the little bubbles that would form.

When the weather is bad it's good to consider getting close to the subject and focusing more on lines, textures and color.

Tip #3: Try out abstract photography

Abstract photography isn't for everyone but it's fun to try - especially when the weather is bad!

Here's a photo that I posted a few weeks ago on my Instagram which was a camera pan of the sunset. I used a long shutter speed and swung the camera side to side.

I did it again when I visited Cedar Creek Park.

Here are some abstract photos that I haven't posted yet - the first one is at Cedar Creek Park of the lake and the second is the clouds on that stormy day at Gyro.

Your Camera System

It can be tricky to do bad weather photography if your camera can't handle it.

I use an Olympus EM1 Mark II which is dust-proof, splash-proof and freeze-proof so I don't worry too much if the weather is bad.

This however, is completely up to your own discretion and what you feel comfortable doing with your gear.

Niche & Voice

I have also found that narrowing down on my photography niche, finding my photography voice and doing photography more for myself and what I'm interested in has also helped in my creativity and motivation.

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I hope you were able to take something away from this post on bad weather photography and I'll see you in the next time!

Robynne | Beautifully Wander

5 LESSONS I LEARNED THIS SUMMER IN PHOTOGRAPHY

In this episode I share 5 lessons I learned this summer in photography.

This episode doesn't discuss learning composition, learning fine camera details like shutter speed, aperture or ISO, it doesn't discuss camera tech.

This episode takes a deep dive into the other side of photography.

Lesson #1: Action Brings Clarity

When I was contemplating leaving Fort McMurray in the Spring and pursuing photography I was unsure about it. So for the months I was there I pursued photography on the side (in the evenings and weekends). When it came actually time to make a decision I decided to go for it because I knew I would never find out if this was the right path unless I TRIED IT!

Then in the summer when I was trying to figure out which niche I wanted to focus on action continued to help bring clarity. I tried portrait photography, pet photography, product photography. I trialed any niche that peaked my interest.

Now I knew from the beginning there were some niche's that didn't interest me - newborn photography, maternity photography, birthing photography, wedding photography.

The one thing that has always brought me joy, that I have always loved doing - travel and landscape photography.

It was through action that I found clarity in what I really wanted to do.

Lesson #2: Every Photographer is Unique

One of the limiting beliefs I had when I started and sometimes still fight with is that there is no room for me in photography, I couldn't produce a different image, I can't be unique when the market is this saturated.

I picked this up from Marie Forleo but anytime I have a limiting belief like this I...

1. Take out my journal and write what the belief is

2. Draw a line through what I had just written

3. Write b******* next to it

4. Below it write why they are b******

To give an example this is an actual limiting beliefs I wrote down on February 22, 2020.

"It's already been done/there's tons out there so nobody would be interested" B******

Every human is different. Every person has a different story to tell. Every soul has a different perspective. because of our differences there is always room for us in the creative world.

YOUR different perspective, YOUR different life story, how YOU interact with the world, how YOU interact with your subject is going to be completely different than how someone else does. YOU are different. YOU are unique.

Lesson #3: Build Community Over Competition

Similar to the limiting belief about the saturated market of photography is competition.

I would scroll on Instagram and think to myself "there is no way I could produce a beautiful image like that".

I would compare my photos to other photographers that have been doing this for years and I would get stressed.

I would think how am I suppose to compete, be unique and be seen?

How do I get from this "bloody red ocean to a clean blue ocean"?

It wasn't until I started seeing photography through the lens of community and showing up to social media and the world as authentically me that everything changed.

Now I strive every day and every week to put the community first over myself, be part of the community, help build each other up, and provide inspiration.

Lesson #4: Understanding Why I Click the Shutter and Why I Compose

In photography there are tons of rules...

• Rule of Thirds

• Balance out your elements

• Direct the eye with leading lines

• Offset the subject

However, when was the last time you stopped and emotionally thought why you clicked the shutter?

I clicked the shutter in this photo for a couple of reasons:

1. I loved the setting sun in the background

2. I loved the orange, pink and purple colors in the sky

3. I loved the little waves the Lake was creating

When I click the shutter it has to look and feel right to me, I need to be in tune with my emotion and feelings and feel my most creative.

I think that is why this last session at the beach was the best session I have felt in a long time! I was overwhelmed with happiness and emotion.

At the beginning I used to point my camera at whatever caught my eye. Eventually I started to photograph more what I thought people would want to see and like.

I've recently started to gravitate towards photographing with my emotion first.

Lesson #5: Importance of Creating your own Photography Values

What values do you have as a photographer? Do you have them written down somewhere? Do you try to embody those values in your work?

Earlier in the summer I started drafting what values I want to embody as a photographer.

• What is important to me?

• What do I want my work to stand for?

• What guides my photography?

• What attracts me to other photographers?

• What drives me on how and why I do things?

Coming up with these values has helped provide clarification on my content and who I want to be as a photographer.

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If you learned any lessons about photography this past summer leave a comment on the YouTube video!

Thanks everyone for reading and have yourself an amazing day!

xoxo

Robynne | Beautifully Wander

ONA BOWERY CAMERA BAG | FIRST IMPRESSION

When we were in Vancouver, Canada a couple weekends ago I bought the Ona Bowery Camera Bag! In this episode I’ll show you up-close what the bag looks like and give you my first impressions!

Regularly on the Ona website the bag is $259 US. I bought this jewel at Broadway Camera in Vancouver for $309 CAD (before taxes).

The Ona bag has 2 front pockets, 2 side pockets, 1 large back pocket, and 1 main compartment with 1 re-adjustable insert.

My First Impressions:

• The material of the bag feels good and high-quality, however, the bag seems to scratch easily (I do find this adds to the texture and style of the bag)

• The leather will feel stiff at first but after a couple weeks of use it’s softened

• The push clasp is nice for securing the bag instead of a magnet, however, it can be tricky opening and closing the bag with one hand

• The bag is roomy in that it can carry all of my essentials, however, it can probably carry at most a camera body and 2 lenses

• Sometimes I wished it had a top handle for easy picking up and putting it in the car

• You can “make shift” carry a tripod by inserting the camera bag strap in-between the tripod legs and resting it horizontally on the bag, however, doing this makes it hard to access the bag

P.s. this post is not sponsored by Ona! I have wanted this bag personally for a long time and bought it with my own money when my fiance and I visited Vancouver, Canada.

OLYMPUS 12-40MM F2.8 PRO - AWESOME VERSATILE LENS

NOTE: These are my own thoughts. This not a sponsored post. I just love my Olympus!

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In this episode we discuss why the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 is a great overall lens! I love this lens for food, street, landscape and portrait photography! 

Technical Details

• 12-40mm (24-80mm equivalent)

• Weather resistant 

• Durable

• Made from high quality material

• Maximum aperture is f/2.8

• Constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the zoom range

• Minimum aperture of f/22

• Approx. $1350 CAD (before taxes)

• 382 grams 

If you want more technical details on the lens go check out Olympus website! 

Travel Friendly!

The Olympus M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO is extremely lightweight weighing at 382 grams. Due to its lightweight and compact size it makes the camera pretty discreet for travelling around the city and eating in restaurants. 

I’ve taken this camera lens (and body) everywhere with me! 

Versatile Lens!

The 12-40mm focal length makes it also super versatile. I can easily capture delicious food shots, streets, landscapes, portraits and close ups!

Food Photography:

Street Photography:

Landscape Photography:

Portrait Photography:

Close-up:

If you enjoyed this post, please be sure to subscribe to Beautifully Wander on YouTube and follow on Instagram! 

QUICK INTRODUCTION | Beautifully Wander

In this episode I give a quick introduction into who I am, my story, how I’m learning photography and my plans for the future!

My name is Robynne Ikesaka. When I started Beautifully Wander I was living in Northern Alberta and at the end of June I moved to the beautiful and sunny Okanagan! 

I did not go to school for photography or for business, I have a Bachelors degree in Emergency and Security Management but when I was unhappy in Fort McMurray I turned to photography as a creative outlet. 

I loved how a photo can evoke strong raw emotions and feelings, almost like you were just there!

In the Spring of 2020 I started to explore pursuing photography professionally and left my full-time job to do it. 

Since I’ve been back in the Okanagan I’ve been working on creating a photography business! 

If you enjoyed this post and want to follow along on my journey, please be sure to subscribe to Beautifully Wander on YouTube and follow on Instagram!

CREATIVE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY | VLOG IN SHUSWAP, BC

In this episode I take you along with me to do some creative travel photography in Shuswap, BC. 

Being more creative with my photography is a huge goal of mine so I research constantly how to take more creative travel images!

Here I go to a familiar place, Shuswap BC and I hunt for details that through consistency it will hopefully train my eye to see details more naturally. 

It’s all in this episode today!

Lines & Angles

I’m trying to distinguish lines and angles better - railing of the boat, natural walking path, lines on the road, lines of the dock, etc.

Lines draw your eye towards something.

Drawing your eye to the mountain in the distance.

Drawing your eye to the dock.

Drawing your eye to the other end of the road with the wildflowers lining the side.

Drawing your eye to the picnic table at the top.

Drawing your eye to the water.

Drawing your eye to the mountain and lake.

Depth of Field + Foreground Interest/Blur

I say '“shooting through something” because it’s faster to say than “depth of field and foreground interest/blur”. But I love this technique.

I shoot at a wide aperture and find things to shoot through with the actual subject in focus.

Shot through a bed of flowers with the sign as the focus point.

Shot through some leaves from a tree with the picnic table as the focus point.

Shot through some plants and trees with the boat as the focus point.

Shot through some plants with the floating dock and trees as the focus point.

Shot through some reeds with the floating dock and trees as the focus point.

Shot through some reeds with the turtle as the focus point.

Reflections

Reflections are a relatively new obsession I have. I try to hunt for natural reflections in the lake or water but sometimes there isn’t any.

If there isn’t any natural reflectors then I will use my phone to create a reflection by shooting at a wide aperture and holding my phone up to the lens.

Natural reflection of the sky in the lake

Phone reflection of the sky

Phone reflection of the sky

Phone reflection of the dock and boats

Patterns & Textures

Because the Shuswap area is so lush and green I found I gravitated towards the texture the wood would offer against lush green plants and forests.

Wood and metal shack amidst a bed of greens

Lines, texture and shadows from the lilly pads.

Cute bird house against the lake and trees.

All images were taken by Robynne Ikesaka (creator of Beautifully Wander) around White Lake, Shuswap BC on the Olympus EM1 Mark II + 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO.

If you enjoyed this post, please be sure to subscribe to Beautifully Wander on YouTube and check out Beautifully Wander on Instagram!

BIRDS EYE VIEW OF KELOWNA || DILWORTH MOUNTAIN PARK

Do you want a beautiful birds eye view of Kelowna but don’t want to hike or have the time? Visit Dilworth Mountain Park!

Dilworth Mountain Park is about 15 minutes from downtown Kelowna.

You will need a vehicle to get to the park because if you don’t you could be looking at a 1.5 hour walk uphill.

It has a small parking lot, playground, a few trails and benches spread out. It’s a light “hike” compared to Knox Mountain.

It’s a perfect spot for a picnic date!

• Grab takeout from White Spot at the base of Dilworth Mountain (I love getting the Legendary Burger with fries and a side of mayo to dip)

• Drive to Dilworth Mountain Park (5 min drive)

• Walk to one of the many view points (a nice one is to the far left of the park)

If you’re a photographer the view point to the far left of the park is nice. There is another trail that leads to an even higher peak (if you’re interested in a little more of a hike). The right side of the park has a nice view of the golf course below.

KASUGAI GARDENS, KELOWNA BC - A STROLL THROUGH A JAPANESE GARDEN

Kasugai Gardens is a beautiful, peaceful and serene location in downtown Kelowna. It features lush plants, a koi pond, stone lanterns and a waterfall.

It was created to demonstrate the friendship between Kelowna and its sister city in Kasugai, Japan.

In the summer months The Garden is open from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

It’s a wonderful place to get away from the bustle of a city and relax.

When you first walk into the garden and follow the signs one of the first little bridges you cross has this little creek running underneath it. To get this shot I got the camera real low to the water.

ISO 2000 / 1/1600 sec f/2.8

Throughout the garden you will find these stone lanterns that is a traditional element found in Japanese Gardens.

ISO 640 / 1/320 sec / f/2.8

The largest bridge in the garden is found in the center and overlooks the Koi Pond. On the left side of the bridge you have the gazebo that also overlooks the Koi Pond and on the right the waterfall.

ISO 640 / 1/800 sec / f/2.8

Because the garden is full of plants and flowers it was the perfect location to play with depth of field and foreground blur!

ISO 640 / 1/400 sec / f/2.8

At one point during the evening this beautiful reflection of the gazebo showed. Because I love foreground blur I combined this with a reflection!

ISO 640 / 1/400 sec / f.2,8

Here is another stone structure in the garden creatively composed with foreground blur to make it more interesting.

ISO 640 / 1/400 sec / f/2.8

To get this shot I setup my Manfrotto Tripod at the end of the bridge and set my Olympus EM1 Mark II to continuous. It was set to 10 frames every .5 seconds but I could have bumped it down to 5 frames.

ISO 640 / 1/640 sec / f/2.8

Tips for visiting Kasugai Gardens:

• It is not pet-friendly

• Come early in the morning when it opens or right before it closes (Kasugai Gardens is located in downtown Kelowna so even though the garden isn’t overwhelmed with people the downtown core can be)

• Respect all signage before entering the garden and inside

FAVOURITE CAMERA FEATURES FOR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY | OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MARK II

Recently when I would talk to people about photography they would ask my why I chose Olympus. I’ve had my Olympus EM1 Mark II for almost 3 months now and if you haven’t watched already I have 3 other videos about my Olympus camera - unboxing my Olympus, choosing a camera and my setup and customization. 

I bought the EM1 Mark II over the Mark III because of the cost of the camera compared to where I was with photography. 

I know the EM1 Mark III has some new features that are amazing but when I was looking for what camera to buy I found comfort and inspiration when photographers I followed on Instagram wouldn’t use the top line camera or the most expensive equipment and yet they were able to produce absolutely beautiful, stunning images because of how they worked with their camera and their creative eye. 

I found that inspiring!

Here are 6 of my favourite features about the Olympus EM1 Mark II:

#1 - Continuous Shooting 

If your camera has continuous shooting you can set the camera to take x number of frames, every so many seconds so I have mine set for 10 frames, timed at 5 seconds and an interval length of .5 seconds. 

So when my fiancé and I travel I can setup my tripod up, my camera to continuous and get self-portraits of us that are more professional and better than “selfies”.

Here’s a comparison of when we were using a selfie-stick in Greece with my iPhone (when I didn’t have this camera) to when we were in Banff (when I had the Olympus EM1 Mark II and a Manfrotto Tripod). 

#2 - The Grip

My second favourite feature is the grip. I don’t have large hands so this experience might differ for you but I find the camera grip quite comfortable.

I don’t tend to carry the camera off my neck anymore with a camera strap so having a comfortable grip is important so I don’t drop the camera and I can freehand with it. 

#3 - Articulating Screen

When I was looking for a camera a mandatory feature it needed to have was a fully articulating screen. 

With the screen I can get low, get high and still be able to see and not bend in an uncomfortable position just to see. 

Here are some shots I took where I required an articulating screen. 

#4 - Weather Sealing

According to the Olympus website the EM1 Mark II is splash proof, dust proof and freeze proof. 

I haven’t experienced it with dust proof or freeze proof setting yet but I did take it out in the rain several weeks ago and it held up nicely.

When you travel you never know what the weather will be like. When we were in Greece there was one particular day that it hailed like crazy for an hour. 

Having a camera that can stand up to the different kinds of weather is super important. 

#5 - Lightweight & Compact

If you compare the EM1 Mark II to a Canon M100, SL1 or SL2 or the Rebel series it is probably heavier. However, I love how compact the camera is. 

My biggest fear when I was searching for a camera was that it would be too bulky or heavy that I wouldn’t take it out for small trips - eating out, going for coffee, etc., and I would leave it at home or the hotel room. 

Having a selection of bags that I can carry my camera in and having certain accessories has helped with that. You can check out the post What’s in My Camera Bag for a full description of what I carry and what I use. 

#6 - Customization

The Olympus EM1 Mark II is super customizable! 

One of the customizations I have changed since my original video is back-button focusing. 

My AEL/AFL button still enables my ISO and White Balance but instead of pressing the shutter button half-way to focus I have moved it now to the FN1 button. 

Thus, when I go to shoot I first press the FN1 button to focus then the shutter to capture. 

I love travel photography so a lot of my favourite features make travel photography easier. These are my 6 favourite features of the Olympus EM1 Mark II that I suggest you think about if you are looking for a camera for travel photography. 

TUGBOAT BEACH & ROTARY MARSH PARK // Beautiful Location for Sunsets by the Water

Last week I visited Tugboat Beach a few times to relax, photograph Pepsi on the boardwalk and capture sunset images by the water.

It’s a beautiful location with many different spaces - you have Rotary Marsh Park, Tugboat Beach, the Boardwalk, and the Waterfront Park.

I love coming for picnics here. We typically do take out at one of our favourite restaurants and sit on the boardwalk, enjoying the lake!

Earlier in the week I took my pup Pepsi to the boardwalk for a dog photoshoot!

Later in the week I went by myself to capture some sunset images by the water! On this day the sunset left behind these beautiful pastels in the sky.

5 TIPS on GETTING BUY-IN FOR YOUR BUSINESS CRISIS PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM | FOR CREATORS & SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

My name is Robynne Ikesaka, I have a Bachelors of Emergency and Security Management from the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) and until recently I have been working for a municipality in northern Alberta as an emergency coordinator. I wanted to be more creative but keep my roots in Emergency Management and finally build the program that I have dreamed of for years! 

My goal to you is to break building.a crisis preparedness program into manageable chunks and help you small business owners and creators create a more resilient business so you can continue doing what you love and the disasters of today impact you a little less!

Tune in every Wednesday on YouTube for some tips on building your business crisis preparedness program. 

Checkout my last video about why you need a business crisis preparedness program! 

One of the most important steps you can take early on in building your crisis preparedness program is getting buy-in from key people in your business. 

If you are the entire business (photographer, freelance web developer or graphic designer, videographer, etc.,) then you need to see the importance of having a crisis preparedness program and make it a priority. 

If you are part of a team, have a boss or work for a business that has owners, managers and supervisors then they need to see the importance of having a crisis preparedness program and make it a priority. 

The risk of not having buy-in from key people in your business before starting is that you will likely run into problems later in the process - you might have to constantly re-explain concepts or re-do some or worst all the work you have done because they didn’t know, they didn’t like it, or they wanted to be part of the process. 

It’s really important you get the appropriate buy-in from key people before you start!

Here are 5 tips that can help you achieve that buy-in:

#1 - Honest Reflection or Open Conversation

If you are the entire business you need to have an honest reflection with yourself about crisis preparedness.

If you are a small business have an open conversation with someone key in that organization about the risks to the business, the impacts and if they know what you would do in different situations. 

For example:

• If you are a restaurant owner what impact would a Boil Water Advisory have on your business?

• If you are a photographer what would the impact of a community-wide curfew be?

• If you are a small retail owner that relies on in-person sales what would the impact be if your area was evacuated for an extended period of time?

• If you run a small online business what would the impact be if there was an extended utility failure?

#2 - The Benefits

Come up the with benefits of getting the businesses prepared specifically tailored for your business before entering the conversation. 

One of the broad benefits of getting your business prepared ahead of the emergency is finances. 

If you’re prepared financially for the risks you have identified then you will feel less of the impacts when it does hit. 

Another benefit is the continuity of your business operations. If you are prepared for the risks you have identified then you are prepared to continue operation during and after the emergency. 

#3 - Find Your Champion

This applies more to people that have to convince their boss or other supervisors of creating a crisis preparedness program but find the right person to talk to and get involved.

In Emergency Management we would call them ‘champions’ and they basically champion the idea, the project or the initiative. 

It can take time finding who those champions are but it is worth the time to find that right person then to struggle and convince someone that doesn’t care or understand the importance or purpose. 

#4 - Use Recent Emergencies or Incidents as Examples For Your Case

It’s unfortunate but a lot of times you can’t convince people, businesses or communities that planning and preparedness is important, that we need to do XYZ or that these are the risks and the impacts and we need to do something about it. 

It’s not until they come face-to-face with the incident that their mindset and perspective shift enough that an opportunity is created to try again. 

Speaking from experience, I have worked with people that for years I could not get them to buy into the planning process and it wasn’t until a major emergency hit that they finally turned their head, started paying attention and engaged back in the conversation. 

#5 - Keep the Momentum Going 

If you capture the attention of the person that needs buy-in, keep that momentum going!

Keep the topic on the radar, set deadlines for the next meeting, the next deliverable and keep that momentum going. 

If you are the entire business then continue doing the research on the importance of business preparedness, look for resources and have conversations with others. 

Next Wednesday’s video is about conducting a Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (HRVA) for your business so make sure you tune in next Wednesday!

WHITE LAKE WITH THE FAMILY | GRANDMA'S 90TH BIRTHDAY AND CAMPING WITH THE FAM IN OVER 10 YEARS!

When I was a child my family would go on these salmon fishing trips every summer. We went to Poett Nook, Bamfield, and Tofino!

On one of the trips we forgot Grandma’s purse at the diner, got a flat tire, played “Extreme Dime Racing”, had coffee for the first time and ended up across the U.S border by accident!

Extreme Dime Racing was an activity we played when the road trip got extremely boring - we each chose a coin on the dash and because the road was incredibly rocky we would race and see whose coin got to the finish line first. It was a silly game we played to pass the time.

We salmon fished early in the morning, had family dinners together, and played Gaji in the evening.

I have so many fond memories of these trips! Tofino was the last trip we took before my grandfather died who was the hardcore fishermen. We haven’t done a trip since then…until last weekend.

My grandma turned 90 in April but we opted to delay her birthday celebration. Last weekend we all went up to White Lake, BC! It was the first time in over 10 years that we’ve been on a trip all together!

It was a short weekend, we went up Friday evening and came back Sunday morning but it was nice to relive part of my childhood! :)

WHY YOU NEED A CRISIS PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM FOR YOUR BUSINESS | FOR CREATORS & SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

My name is Robynne Ikesaka, I have a Bachelors of Emergency and Security Management from the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) and until recently I have been working for a municipality in northern Alberta as an emergency coordinator. I left to pursue a more creative career but I wanted to infuse my love and passion for emergency management into Beautifully Wander.

My goal here is to break down building.a crisis preparedness program into manageable chunks and help you small business owners and creators create a more resilient business so you can continue doing what you love and the disasters of today impact you a little less!

Tune in every Wednesday on YouTube for some tips on building your business crisis preparedness program. 

Just as you have a business plan, marketing strategy, projects to improve your business, and thought-out processes for booking clients, invoicing clients, balancing the books, you should have plans, projects and thought-out processes for your business crisis preparedness program. 

The program designed to help you prevent and mitigate risks to your business and navigate the impacts when they do hit - no matter what your business is and what size your business is! 

• Local Retail Owner (sell soaps, candles, mugs, clothes, etc.,)

• Small Restaurant 

• Photographer

• Videographer

• Graphic Designer

• Etc.

COVID-19 has likely inserted some sort of personal or professional challenge in your life. For small business owners you might have experienced:

• Employment loss and retention

• Store closures

• Financial loss

• Lost clients

• Reputation damage

Every business is subjected to some hazards and risks:

There are three very broad categories of hazards - natural, technological and human-caused:

Now, there are many beliefs that people hold on to on why they don’t have a crisis preparedness program. However, getting prepared, taking the steps, thinking ahead, and having these conversations will help your business survive and maybe thrive during and after. 

Here are 3 examples that emphasize the importance of having a crisis preparedness program for your business!

Example #1

When I was living in Fort McMurray there was a local camera store that was located in Lower Townsite. Lower Townsite in Fort McMurray is in a flood plain (located between the Athabasca River and the Clearwater River) so they have a high likelihood of flooding. 

Like any retail store they had camera inventory everywhere.

A common recommendation that a municipality will give to residents that live in a flood plain is to raise their belongings (don’t keep things on the floor or the bottom shelves). This recommendation can apply for businesses as well - raise your inventory. 

A couple months ago some areas of Fort McMurray experienced a really bad flood and this shop had lost thousands of dollars of inventory because a lot of their inventory was on the floor and the bottom shelves. 

Takeaway: If they had planned, budgeted and invested in a mitigation project (re-organizing the store, or buying/building new shelves) for their business they would have reduced their risk to flooding (a known risk for that location) and they wouldn’t have experienced as much of a financial loss then they did.

Example #2

During COVID-19 I was following how the pandemic was affecting small businesses and I read about how a store-front jewellery store was struggling to make it through because they couldn’t allow customers to shop. Thus, during COVID-19 the owner was working on a website so she could sell her inventory online. 

A potential project for that businesses crisis preparedness program could have been developing the website ahead of time. They are not only expanding how they do business but if based on their hazards and risks it would have created a redundant system that helped them maintain businesses during times like this. 

Takeaway: Understand the risks to your business, always have a Plan A, B and C, figure out what you can mitigate, identify what you need to do to prepare for when it happens, and figure out how you can create redundancy for your business. 

Example #3

For many people and businesses COVID-19 has caused some financial strain. 

A common recommendation municipalities will give to their residents is to have an 3-6 month emergency fund or rainy day fund. 

Basically, if you were out of work for 3-6 months or if you had unexpected emergencies pop up the emergency fund will help cover you. 

This recommendation can apply to businesses as well. 

Figure out what your expenses are and come up with a plan to create a nest egg that will help cover you during emergencies. 

Photographers, if you have $1000 worth of business expenses and $2000 worth of personal expenses a month you need to consider saving $9,000 - $18, 000. 

Takeaway: Coming up with the money isn’t going to be immediate and how much and how you come up with the money is entirely up to you and is different for everyone but build a cushion that will help save you during emergencies. 

These are three examples of how investing in a business crisis preparedness program is important and can save you time, stress and financial loss. 

WHAT'S IN MY CAMERA BAG (JULY 2020) | Bagsmart Camera Bag

NOTE: These are not affiliate links to products or paid promotion. I don’t get paid to include or promote these products. These are my genuine thoughts that I like to share and make easy for you.

‘What’s in my Camera Bag’ are some of my favourite videos to watch on YouTube! I love seeing what camera bag other people have, what accessories they’re carrying, and if there is anything I should buy (because I have a shopping habit).

I knew after I received my Olympus EM1 Mark II I wanted to purchase a professional camera bag. I needed something that:

• Didn’t look like a camera bag

• Had room for non-camera essentials (glasses, wallet, miscellaneous bag, re-useable bag, snacks, etc.,)

• Could carry my tripod

• Had easy access into the bag but had security as well

• Customizable inside

• Can carry my 13” Macbook Air

I found this Bagsmart Camera Backpack on Amazon for $80 CAD and it’s been a great purchase! I took it on my road trip to Banff and Lake Louise and it was nice to have all my camera gear and essentials in one place. I don’t like travelling with several bags, I like to keep it to 1-2 bags (3 if I am travelling with Pepsi).

Two of my favourite features about this bag is one, it has a simple security deterrent on the bag that makes pick pocketing the inside contents challenging - it clasps the 3 zips together. The second feature I really like that was a bonus was that it can slide onto my rolling carry-on if I’m travelling with it.

I like to use this camera bag to store all my equipment in, take on road trips, or take hiking.

It can get significantly heavy when you load it with your camera gear, laptop and tripod. However, it’s only that heavy if I’m travelling to a destination. If I’m out exploring I’ll leave behind some equipment so it’s not terribly heavy on my back.

If I am travelling into the city to try a new cafe or restaurant and I want to bring my camera equipment but I don’t want the large backpack with the tripod I’ll take the inserts from my main camera bag and I’ll insert it into my everyday backpack (also from Amazon) which is lighter and more compact.

It can fit my Olympus EM1 Mark II with the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens, my miscellaneous bag that I keep odd bits and ends in, my glasses, a small tripod, and my wallet.

It also has two side pockets that I can keep my phone in, a water bottle, or some sanitization material. It has a front pocket that zips that I will keep my phone battery packs in. As well, it zips in the back (so again it makes it challenging for pick pocketers).

Photo from MY TRAVEL ESSENTIALS .

I don’t have a ton of photography equipment but its nice that I can grow with the bag.

Even though these bags have been great so far I do have my eye on the Lo & Sons Claremont or the Ona Bowery Camera Bag (but again, I have a bit of a shopping habit).

I hope you enjoyed and I’ll see you next time :)

MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING ME HOME || Exciting News, New Chapter, and Returning Home

Note: Throughout this post are photos that I took on my last trip down to Kelowna 

I’ve been keeping this news to myself pretty closely until we got closer but for a few months now we have been working on how to move back to Kelowna, BC and it’s finally happening! June 26th, 2020 is my last day at work, on June 28th the movers are coming and on June 29th we will be making the 16-hour drive back to Kelowna. 

In April 2020 I decided that I wanted to move back to Kelowna, BC but the timing wasn’t right. For 3 months I have slowly worked on getting my “ducks in a row” and waited for certain conditions to be met before I made the leap. Although there are some boxes not met in my plan to move back, the decision was right and both my fiancé and I agreed that our time in Fort McMurray was up.

I don’t regret the move to Fort McMurray, Alberta. I have made many friends, I have experienced many things and I’ve grown a lot as a person here.

There are many reasons why we are moving back to Kelowna, BC but the main reason is that Fort McMurray doesn’t suit the life that we both want. 

COVID-19 did spark some of this change. I realized what was important to me, the benefit I’ve gained by living here but also the loss that I’ve received since moving here so we truly are heading into a new chapter of our life.

Come July you’ll be seeing more content about the Okanagan and photography so stay tuned here for informations and tips. You can also find more daily updates over at my Instagram. 

I look forward to bringing you along on this new journey! 

Take care!

5 TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING IN BORING PLACES | How I Find Inspiration

I am a huge believer that your eyes are the most valuable part of your kit and it’s about how you compose a shot and not how fancy or techy your camera is.

I mentioned this in my previous post but I love travel photography - food, landscapes, architecture, bodies of water and color.

However, I currently live in northern Alberta (Fort McMurray) and this place doesn’t quite jive with my photography style.

So, in this episode I shed some light on 5 tips that has helped me and will hopefully help you photograph in boring locations!

Tip #1 - Details, Patterns & Textures

Look for any details, pattern or textures. This can be the centre of a flower, the texture of a tree, the lines in an object. It could be any bump or groove.

ISO 200 / 1/250 / f/2.8

Tip #2 - Lines

Look for any leading lines.

I love the the lines in this picture. The green trees and dark brown wood on the left and the pink trees and green grass on the right with the paved path right down the middle.

ISO 200 / 1/500 / f/2.8

Tip #3 - Color

I like to look for any pops of color that I can fill the frame with. Some of the flowers right now are this beautiful vibrant pink (probably because of all the rain we're getting).

ISO 200 / 1/80 / f/2.8

ISO 200 / 1/160 / f/2.8

Tip #4 - Perspective

Change your perspective. Get low, get high and change your angle.

If there is any texture on the ground like rocks, grass, or wood I love to get low and incorporate more foreground elements.

The image on the left was shot at eye level. The image on the right was shot low from a different perspective with the rocks more in the foreground. Same setting but different composition.

ISO 200 / 1/320 / f/2.8

ISO 200 / 1/400 / f/3.2

Tip #5 - Subject + Foreground Blur

This is my absolute, hands down, go-to favorite composition technique. Framing your subject with foreground blur. You shoot with a really wide aperture and through something. Every time I go out I look for a plant, tree or flower to do this with.

ISO 200 / 1/250 / f/2.8

ISO 200 / 1/250 / f/2.8

ISO 200 / 1/250 / f/2.8

Thanks for tuning into todays episode! Please be sure to follow Beautifully Wander on Instagram and YouTube!