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!

Unboxing & First Impression: Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm F2.8 PRO

Welcome back! In todays episode I take you through one of my favourite kinds of videos to watch an unboxing of a new lens, as well my first impressions of the lens and what I hope to get out of it.

Full disclaimer, this post/video is not sponsored, this is not a paid promotion, I was not asked to make this video but I did receive this lens as part of collaborations with Olympus.

Basic Details

This is the M.Zuiko 7-14mm F2.8 PRO lens which in full-frame terms is a 14-28mm. This lens’s maximum aperture is F2.8 and its minimum is F22. It sits at 4.17 inches long and 3.11 inches wide and weighs in at 1.18 pounds.

If you want more technical aspects of the lens check out Olympus’s website!

First Impressions

Size

The Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm lens is a very familiar size to the M.Zuiko 12-40mm in length and width. The lens might fit a little longer but but it’s a nice compact size.

Weight

When I first held this lens I was surprised at its weight, in that it felt heavier than what I was expecting. However, given the quality of the lens - it’s made of sturdy material that doesn’t feel “plasticy” which indicates to me that its going to age well and whether the elements well.

Zoom Feature

The M.Zuiko 7-14mm is similar to the 40-150mm in that the length of the lens doesn’t get longer when you go from it’s one focal length to the other. For example, if you zoom from 12mm to 40mm on the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO lens the mid-section gets longer. On the 40-150mm F2.8 PRO it doesn’t get any longer. However, with the 7-14mm the length doesn’t get longer but the lens part does move up and down.

Lens Cap

I really love the lens cap on the 7-14mm. The lens cap goes over and snuggly fits on the lens which in my opinion makes attaching and detaching the cap much easier.

Tight Zoom

At first I was concerned about the surface area of the 7-14mm and that it was a tight zoom when holding. However, once you get it on the body it was completely fine.

Protecting the Lens

I am also concerned on how I am going to protect this lens. On my other lenses I have a screw-on UV filter, however, with the 7-14mm and the dome-shape to the lens it cannot fit a screw-on filter.

Test Photos

Of course, you have to take it for a spin and test the new lens. My first trip out with it was to Cedar Creek Park in Kelowna, BC.

The second spot I took the new lens out for a spin was Bluebird Beach along Okanagan Lake on a particularly cloudy and stormy day.

I also wanted to test it out around Downtown Kelowna. While we were walking around downtown we came across this little pig and his owner going for a walk!

What I Hope to Get out of this Lens

There is a few things I want to get out of this lens.

Creative Distortion

The first thing I hope to play and experiment with is creative distortion. It’s not new that a wide angle lens can create a sense of distortion in your images but I have been particularly drawn to the distortion it creates so I want to create and experiment with this in my outdoor nature images.

Indoor Locations

The second thing I hope to to play with is photographing indoor places. I love taking my camera to new restaurants with me but I find the 12mm on my 12-40mm F2.8 PRO isn’t enough to really get a sense of a place or environment.

Self-portraits and Filming

The last thing I hope to experiment with is taking self-portraits with a wide angle lens and filming videos with it.

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I’ve only had this lens for about two weeks so I haven’t used it enough to give a full-depth review, but I wanted to give my first impressions of this lens and what I hope to get out of this lens!

Happy photographing!

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!

Which Camera for Travel Photography? Why I Chose Olympus | UPDATED

In this episode we chat about the hunt for the perfect camera for travel photography and why I personally chose Olympus (OM Digital Solutions). But before we get into it, I was not sponsored by Olympus to make this video I personally love the brand.

Considerations for a Travel Camera

I think it’s important to recognize that investing in a camera is a personal choice and what I find important in a travel camera might not be important to you and vice versa.

Here are some items I found important in a travel camera when I was searching:

1) Compactness and Weight

I prefer when I travel to travel carry-on only because I don’t like lugging around a lot of stuff (both when I’m travelling to a destination and when I’m travelling around that destination).

Thus, the size and weight of the camera was a HUGE factor that I considered in my decision. Which is why I knew I was in the market for a mirrorless camera system because they tend to be on the lighter and more compact side than a DSLR.

2) Lens Selection

I wasn’t just buying a camera and a lens, I was buying into my future so I also knew that whatever camera system I was buying it had to have a good variety of lenses.

I knew beforehand that I didn’t want to be a photographer that accumulates and accumulates gear that uses once and never again so it wasn’t about having this endless quantity of lenses but amazing, versatile, lightweight, lenses.

3) Budget

How much can you afford, what is your budget for your camera and its lenses? For me personally I had a budget of $2000 to buy a body and lens to start with and any subsequent lenses had to be affordable to me.

Something I did consider into my decision making was the capability of buying an older model of body, investing in the lenses and upgrading the body when I need to.

4) Articulating Screen

An important feature the camera needed to have was an articulating screen. It was a deal breaker if the camera system did not have an articulating screen because I knew I would want to use it for making travel videos, taking travel self-portraits, etc.,

It’s also proven to be extremely useful for photography in instances when I need to get close to the ground or position the camera in odd angles to get the shot.

5) WiFi Connection

Lastly, I wanted the ability to control the camera with my phone if I wanted to for those travel self-portraits or wirelessly send photos to my phone without having to connect to my laptop for on-the-go editing and publishing.

With local and domestic travel I typically travel with my laptop. However, for international trips (depending on the length) I don’t always and so the capability of editing and publishing off my phone is important.

Other Items

There are numerous other times you may want to consider - battery life, dual slot memory cards, mirrorless vs. DSLR, Full-Frame vs. Micro-Four-Thirds, etc.,

Therefore, my biggest suggestion on what camera to buy for travel is to make a list of all the things you find important and the camera NEEDS to have to help narrow your search.

Why I Chose Olympus

After quite a bit of time and research I decided to purchase into Olympus (OM Digital Solutions).

More specifically I purchased the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO lens.

Why? It had everything that I was looking for in a camera system:

• Compact and lightweight

• Solid lens selection

• Capability to buy into an older model and upgrade later when I was ready

• Within my budget

• Had an articulating screen

• Had WiFi capability

From my experience its had great battery life when travelling, it contains dual slot memory cards, and it’s very customizable.

An added bonus is that it’s got amazing weather proofing - it’s freeze-proof, dust-proof and splash-proof. Which means that I can take the camera out in any weather condition that travel and seasons throw at me.

If I was to boil down the three main reasons why I chose Olympus it’s because of:

1) Their camera design (it’s one of the best adventure/outdoor camera’s out there)

2) Their amazing lens quality and selection

3) Their supportive and encouraging community of photographers

It’s worth mentioning that at the time I purchased my OM-D E-M1 Mark II the Mark III was available, however, my budget for a camera and lens was $2000 and the Mark III with a lens would have pushed me far past that and where I was with my photography so I opted to invest in the Mark II then and upgrade when I was ready.

Final Thoughts

It ultimately comes down to personal choice.

What matters to you, what you need, and what you want. Olympus checks the boxes for me, however, a different camera brand such as Sony, Canon, Fujifilm, etc., might suit you better because like I said earlier what I find important to me might be different than what you find important.

I hope you found this post helpful in your search for your perfect travel camera!

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Posts you Might Enjoy:

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Unboxing

Choosing a Camera

Olympus EM1 Mark II | My Setup + Customization

Favourite Camera Features for Travel Photography | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 PRO - Awesome Versatile Lens

Olympus 40-150 F2.8 PRO | Introducing My New Lens

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!

Making Shaped Bokeh | Holiday Edition with the Olympus EM1 Mark II

Have you ever seen photos with the beautiful bokeh in the background in shapes like hearts?

That’s what we make in todays episode, however, holiday edition!

How to Make

To make these DIY lens filters you need some paper or cardboard, and either a pair of scissors or exacto knife (depending on what you are cutting).

Step 1: Take your lens cap and trace a circle that you will eventually tape onto the outside of your lens

Step 2: Outline the shape that you’re going to cut

Step 3: Cut (if you’re using cardboard you might want to use an exacto knife instead)

I’ve seen other variations where people create sleeves to go on the outside of the lens then attach their shape cut-out, I’ve also seen people create legs that get taped to the outside of the lens. I went super simple and just taped the DIY filter to the outside of the lens.

Putting your Filter in Action

Before I went out to the Tree of Hope I did do some test shots at home in front of my Christmas tree. I discovered that it took a number of attempts before I got the right SIZE of shape for my lens.

Once I fiddled around with the filters/stencils I finally found the size that worked for the M.Zuiko 40-150 F2.8 PRO.

I did a mix of shots - manually focus and putting a subject in focus.

The following are manual focus shots where I didn’t put a subject in focus:

I then brought this toy Christmas decor with me to get some sample photos of putting an object in focus!

I then wanted to try finding a location where I can elevate the subject and get an unobstructed view of the tree but there was fencing everywhere so the best I could find was this post:

It was pouring at the Tree of Hope so I decided to come back home and do some more test shoots in front of the Christmas tree:

Today we went from regular bokeh to shaped!

Final Thoughts

The concept of making these DIY filters is quite simple, however, the tricky part is getting the SIZE of the shape right for the focal length and lens you are using.

You can definitely get creative and try some different shapes - letters, numbers, icons, etc.,

Have fun with this and if you do your own creation and share on Instagram tag @beautifulywander so I can see your creation - I would love to see them!

Christmas Food Photography with the Olympus EM1 Mark II and the iPhone | Photography Experiment

Lets experiment with some festive food photography and Christmas baking!

Right now over on Instagram Olympus has been releasing a series called the 12 Days of Christmas and one of the days was a video with Gavin Hoey featuring festive food photography and I was so inspired to try it out!

So in todays episode we made Christmas Bark and experimented with 5 tips in food photography on both my Olympus EM1 Mark II and the 12-40 F2.8 PRO lens and my iPhone XR!

After I photographed the Christmas Bark I edited all images in Lightroom (both EM1 Mark II and the iPhone).

Tip #1 : Lighting

In the video they discuss the concept of lighting (flat light vs. adding intentional shadow). Thus, I decided to do this photoshoot by my kitchen window primarily using natural light.

With the placement of my tray and the window it created a natural shadow to the left, adding more dimension and interest to the photo.

Olympus EM1 Mark II // M.Zuiko 12-40 F2.8 PRO// ISO 500 f/8 1/15

Edited: Lightroom

Taken on the iPhone XR

Edited: Lightroom

Tip #2 : Styling

They also discuss in the video the concept of styling your food with festive props that add interest to the overall image. In my photo I used what I had in my home and styled the bark with some leftover red and green M&M and crushed candy canes.

Olympus EM1 Mark II // 12-40 F2.8 PRO // ISO 500 F2.8 1/100

Edited: Lightroom

Taken on iPhone XR

Edited: Lightroom

Tip #3 : Continuity in Shape but Different Sizes

My intention was to create star shapes with the Christmas Bark but due to their thickness and fragility I wasn’t able to, so I selected like-shapes with different toppings.

This would have been better had I worked with cookies in different sizes with different patterns and colour (but when I made cookies last year they were hard to make and turned out really ugly!)

Olympus EM1 Mark II // 12-40 F2.8 PRO // ISO 500 F8 1/20

Edited: Lightroom

Taken on iPhone XR

Edited: Lightroom

Tip #4 : Use a Container

Another tip that I found about photographing baked treats was putting them into a container (while also creating layers). I had this old gingerbread house Christmas tin from last year and I put all my Christmas Bark inside and styled the lid to the side.

Olympus EM1 Mark II // 12-40 F2.8 PRO // iSO 800 F8 1/20

Edited: Lightroom

Taken on iPhone XR
Edited: Lightroom

Tip #5 : Incorporate a Person

For this I set my Olympus EM1 Mark II on a tripod and set it to continuous shooting at 5 frames with 5 seconds in between. I picked up the tray and held it in front of the camera and chose my favourite.

***Unfortunately, I did not have a way to capture this version of the photo with my iPhone XR. This does require you either have a tripod for your phone or another person to take the photo for you.

Final Thoughts

In todays experiment we tried 5 different techniques when photographing food. Out of the 5 I would say my favourite was just styling the food, incorporating a person takes it a step farther and the runner up would be putting your items in a container.

I’ll be carrying out this conversation about which was your favourite over on my Instagram!

If you try out some festive food photography tag @beautifullywander! I would love to see your creations!

Olympus 40-150 F2.8 PRO | Introducing My New Lens!

NOTE: Please note that I did receive this lens from Olympus from a collaboration I did with them previously, but this post/video itself is not a paid promotion, I was not asked to make this post/video, the photos and thoughts are my own.

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A few weeks ago I collaborated with Olympus to write an article for their Olympus Learn Centre about Intimate Landscape Photography! From that collaboration I received the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO.

In todays short episode we look at the basic details of the lens, the benefit of zoom lenses, and why I chose the 40-150 f/2.8 PRO!

Basic Details

The Olympus 40-150 f/2.8 PRO weights in at 1.67 pounds, and has a focal length of 40-150mm (80-300mm full frame equivalent).

The maximum aperture is f/2.8 and the minimum is f/22. The length of the lens without the lens hood is 6.30” and 3.13” wide.

The lens is splashproof, dustproof and freezeproof! It also has a retractable lens hood and internal zoom so no matter if you use it at 40mm or 150mm the length of the lens does not get any longer.

Benefit of Zoom Lenses

I know there are many die hard prime lens users out there, however, I found with my photography and what I want to create investing in zoom lenses was better for me - I prefer to focus on intimate frames and landscapes.

With zoom lenses like the 40-150 you have a wide array of focal lengths at your disposal.

And due to this it allows you to have a lightweight and compact setup - the power of this lens and the size of it is one of the reasons why I invested in Olympus in the first place!

Why I Chose the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO

When I was deciding which lens to receive I knew deep down that it was going to be the 40-150mm f/2.8 even though I did have my eye on the 7-14mm as well.

I gravitated towards the 40-150mm because of the photography I was doing and saw the benefit over the long term. There were so many times before I got this lens that I wished I had it for its extra reach.

So far it’s been an AMAZING lens! It produces really sharp images, but it is a little heavier than what I am used to with my 12-40mm.

I’ve struggled finding a comfortable way to carry the lens - my Ona Bowery Bag can fit both my 12-40 and the 40-150 with the camera body but it gets tricky. It fits better if the 12-40 is on my EM1 Mark II body and the 40-150 is off to the side, but it doesn’t fit as nicely if the 40-150mm is on my camera body. I have a camera backpack but I find my stuff rolls a lot in the compartments which I don’t like.

I like using this lens when I am trying to capture something specifically far away and I can’t physically get any closer. For example, if the clouds over the mountains are doing something cool across the Okanagan Lake.

Or when I am trying to capture something in the distance at a longer focal length so it fills the frame quite nicely but I still want to incorporate some foreground interest

Photos Taken on the 40-150 F2.8 PRO

This is a photo of the Kelowna Firehall Downtown - to frame it creatively I used the light post to create some foreground interest.

ISO 200 | f/2.8 | 1/200

This is a photo of the gondola’s at Big White going up and down - on this day it was particularly foggy so it added interesting dimension and atmosphere to the photo!

ISO 250 | f/3.5 | 1/400

In this photo I created a reflection of the Dolphin Statue at Rhapsody Plaza in Kelowna by using a puddle that was in the middle of the parking lot!

ISO 250 | f/2.8 | 1/400

In this photo I fell in love with the light, shadows, and lines of the golden sand at the beach so I decided to get my camera really low to capture the golden peaks!

ISO 64 | f/8 | 1/50

Final Thoughts

The M.Zuiko 40-150mm F/2.8 PRO has been a great lens so far! I can’t wait to take it on many more adventures!

Tripod vs. Handheld Photography | Why I DON'T Like Using a Tripod

I shoot 90% of the time handheld on my Olympus EM1 Mark II!

In this episode we chat about tripod vs. handheld photography:

• Pro’s and con’s of using a tripod

• Pro’s and con’s of going handheld

• Why I don’t like using a tripod

• 5 things to consider before purchasing a tripod

My Current Tripod

The current tripod I use is the Manfrotto Element Traveller Tripod Big. I purchased it when I was in Fort McMurray from Foto Source for about $130.

What I like about the tripod is it’s light and compact - it weights on average 2 pounds and when compact it’s only about 15-inches long. I can easily carry it around or I can slip it onto my backpack or onto my purse if I want to be hands free.

The main thing I dislike about the tripod is the clasps. This tripod has rotating clasps so you have to rotate the clasp to unlock and rotate again to lock and you have to do this for every single extension for every leg.

This setup makes it extremely cumbersome and time-consuming to setup, takedown or move.

Pro’s and Con’s of Using a Tripod

In my experience of using the tripod there has been three main benefits:

The first benefit is for long exposure photography. I find with the image stabilization in the Olympus I can go up to 2 seconds before camera shake becomes an obvious problem so having a tripod handy for moments that require a longer shutter speed is great!

The second benefit is for low-light photography. I don’t tend to do a lot of low light photography - the latest I am typically out photographing is 30-45 minutes after sunset and there is still some light in the sky. However, if you do a lot of low-light photography then a tripod is a must!

The third benefit is for capturing motion or movement. When I captured the picture below at Gyro Beach I used a tripod - I was on the beach for over an hour, sprinkling leaves in front of the camera so the tripod made the process easier than trying to do it handheld.

The biggest con I have experienced in using a tripod is its restriction on my movement and creativity. I find with a tripod I get anchored to one spot, and due to the fact that its cumbersome to setup and takedown I don’t like moving it a lot so I find I become very static with the use of the tripod and I’m the kind of photographer that likes to get low to the ground, get behind bushes and tree’s and really do some photography yoga to get the shot!

For this photo I stood at corner across from the Paramount Theatre sign in Kelowna. I wanted to get a motion shot of cars passing by - this was shot handheld at 1.3 seconds!

In this photo I opted to use a tripod - I positioned my tripod on the beach and sprinkled leaves in front of the camera until I got the shot. Because I was positioned there for over an hour using a tripod made better sense than going handheld.

Pro’s and Con’s of Going Handheld

The biggest benefit of going handheld with my photography is it’s impact on my movement and creativity - like I said earlier I like to get low to the ground, change up my composition, get behind bushes and tree’s and using a tripod doesn’t work well for that. Without a tripod I can move around a lot more and get creative with my photos!

With this photo (bottom left) I had to get my camera extremely low to the ground (almost touching) and that would have been very difficult had I been trying to use a tripod.

The second benefit with going handheld is you’re carrying less equipment. I greatly despise carrying tons of equipment and I like feeling light so I can quickly move around. So if I don’t have to carry a tripod I won’t!

The biggest con I have experienced not having a tripod is the moments when I need one and I don’t have one. For this photo (bottom right) I used the park bench to stabilize my EM1 Mark II when its shutter was open past 2 seconds.

The restriction of a tripod on my movement and creativity is the biggest reason why I don’t like using a tripod.

Other times when I went handheld with my photography:

5 Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Tripod

Here are 5 things to consider before purchasing a tripod:

1. Size and Weight: If you’re backpacking around Europe then you’ll want to invest in a lightweight, compact tripod that can fit nicely on your backpack. If you are mostly photographing in a stationary place without too much movement then you can probably go for a heavier and larger tripod.

2. Height: How tall do you NEED your tripod to be? When I purchased my tripod I thought I wanted the big version that had the extra height, however, I’ve actually never required it so I could have gone with the smaller version.

3. Clasps: The tripod I use has rotating clasps that require me to rotate each extension to extend the leg and then rotate again to lock which makes setting up time-consuming and cumbersome. I have found since using my dads tripod which is also by Manfrotto that having the pop-up clasps makes setup so much easier.

4. Sturdyness: Depending on your camera equipment you’ll want to consider the weight-bearing capacity of the tripod - can the tripod you are looking at hold your current setup and any future equipment you might purchase?

5. Cost: What is the budget for your tripod? There are some expensive tripods on the market so really consider what your budget is for your tripod.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed todays article about tripod vs. handheld photography.

90% of the time I do handheld photography because I don’t like the restriction on my movement and creativity that a tripod imposes on me but of course, there are times that using a tripod makes my workflow easier.

Photography Books for Beginners | FAVOURITES

NOTE: None of the links in this blog post are affiliate links.

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When I started my photography journey I scoured the internet for everything and anything photography related - I read blog posts, listened to podcasts and watched SO MANY YouTube videos!

In this episode I show you three photography books that are my favourite which I used to start my photography journey - the first two books are great for beginners and the last is a photo book that pumps me full of travel inspiration.

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs - Henry Carroll

The first book I ever picked up in my photography journey was Henry Carroll's Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs. It's a short read at 125 pages but its packed with great information, quotes and 'photography philosophy'.

The books takes you through basic composition, exposure, working with light, the different kinds of lenses, and seeing not looking.

I was able to finish this book in one evening but it's a great read if you're a beginner photographer or you're looking to add to your photography book collection.

What I liked about the book was that it touches on photography composition and the technicals (i.e. Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines, Framing, etc.) but it focuses more on YOU.

Creative Vision - Lisa Michele Burns (The Wandering Lens)

The second book that I picked up in the summer was Lisa Michele Burns (The Wandering Lens) Creative Vision ebook. This book is also a short read at 60 pages but its full of great advice, journal prompts and exercises that you can try. I was able to read in a morning but it took me a couple days to complete some journaling and exercises.

Lisa also focuses more on your creativity and your creative eye than the technicalities.

It's a great book if you're a beginner to photography or you're looking to get serious into your photography career.

Dame Traveler: Live the Spirit of Adventure - Nastasia Yakoub

The last book that I want to show you is Dame Traveler's Live the Spirit of Adventure photo book.

This is a beautiful photo book full of travel photos from several different women travelers. It's split into four sections: Architecture, Water, Culture and Nature.

Along with absolutely beautiful photos you'll also read stories from these different women.

During the early parts of COVID-19 when it was just beginning to hit Canada I picked up this book because I couldn't travel but I wanted to consume travel inspiration. To this day I still flip through it when I need some travel inspo!

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Final Thoughts

I bought the first and last book on Amazon (see the titles for links) and the second one off Lisa's website.

Other books on the horizon for me is Thomas Heatons Landscape Photography Photo Book and Renee and Matthew Hahnel Roaming Ameirca: Exploring All the National Parks.

As well, I wouldn't mind reading Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs and Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs of Places.

EXPLORING LOCAL | How I Find Photography Locations & Tips on Exploring Local

With COVID-19 in its current state and international travel even domestic being suspended for the unforeseeable future we all have to turn to more local travel.

In todays episode I wanted to shed some light on a section of the website I don’t talk about very often ‘The Okanagan’ where I document photography locations around the Okanagan, with details and photos! I also wanted to show you how I discover places to photograph and give some tips on how I became a tourist in my own city!

The Okanagan

I created The Okanagan section of my website because when I travel anywhere I always look for things to do but also great photography locations. I wanted to help serve other photographers or visitors to the Okanagan by giving them ideas on where to photograph.

The idea is that you can filter by what you are looking for - beach, park, viewpoint or garden. As I explore the Okanagan more I hope to add a city filter so you can toggle between Kelowna, Vernon, Lake Country, Penticton, etc.,

I’ve gone in and tweaked each post to add further details to each location such as the type of location, address, parking available, direction it faces, amenities and difficulty level.

I’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to exploring locations but it’s definitely a start.

How I Find Photography Locations

I find most of my photography locations on Google Maps. If I am looking to explore a particular area of Kelowna like Southeast Kelowna, Mission, etc., then I will spend more time in those areas but I am generally looking for beaches, parks and light hikes that I can do.

If I want a different perspective I will turn on ‘Satellite’ or open up Google Earth.

I also like to open up the photos that people take and add on Google Maps to get an understanding of the area and if it interests me.

Other ways I will find photography locations is through Instagram or Pinterest.

Tips on Exploring Locally

Here are a couple tips that have helped me become a tourist in my own city:

Commit to Yourself (Make a Promise)

Before I moved away I didn’t appreciate Kelowna as I do now. I didn’t explore that often and I often said I was going to visit somewhere or do something and wouldn’t. So when I moved back to Kelowna, BC I made a promise to myself that I was going to explore more and live life more fully and so every week I try to explore a new location in Kelowna and do something new.

Make a List

I made a list of everything I wanted to do or explore in the Okanagan back in the Spring when I moved back. From there I just slowly tackled items on that list - being very specific in carving out time for myself and Max to spend time together and get out of the house!

Some of those items on my list were:

• Visit the Kelowna Art Gallery

• Visit Okanagan Wineries

• Go to a Pumpkin Patch (I went to Davison Orchards and McMillans)

• Get outside of Kelowna and visit other areas of the Okanagan

Create a Project

Make a project out of exploring so you can have a tangible end product that you can work towards!

I love my Instagram, my blog, my YouTube channel, and my photography as creative outlets to share what I discover and learn.

Final Thoughts

Documenting and sharing more local travel related content is something I would like to include more here, on my Instagram and YouTube.

Subscribe to Beautifully Wander on YouTube to get notified of my weekly videos and follow over on Instagram for regular updates!

Adding CREATIVITY to your Intimate Landscape Photography

Yay! We’re at my favourite part in intimate landscape photography - getting creative!

In today’s episode I share 3 ways that I like to add creativity to my photos.

If you haven’t seen already I have two previous blog posts about Intimate Landscape Photography:

• What is Intimate Landscape Photography and Why I Love It

• 15-Minute Photography Challenge that will help train your eye and mind to hunt for details

Reflections

One of my first tips for adding creativity to your photos is utilizing reflections.

Often people look for reflections in water - a puddle after it rains or a calm lake. However, I don’t often have access to these calm waters all the time so I use my phone to create a reflection!

It can be time consuming and tricky because depending on the subject you are photographing you need to be the right distance away and achieve the right angle with the phone.

When creating reflections with your phone it is important to blend that phone line! I like to zoom in with my Olympus M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens and use a wide aperture of f/2.8 to blend the edge of the phone line.

Foreground Blur

The second way that I always use to add creativity to my photos (if you follow me on Instagram you know I use this technique all the time) but it is incorporating foreground elements.

I use a variety of objects to create this effect - branches, leaves, man-man structures, tree’s, bushes, etc.,

All you do is frame yourself/your camera behind your object (tree, leaf, branch, etc.,) and shoot with a wide aperture.

Double Exposures

Creating double exposures is a relatively new technique that I have added to my photography workflow.

I have an Instagram Reel over at Beautifully Wander on how I do a double exposure but increasingly I gravitate towards capturing these on two occasions - when I photograph a mountain range and when I overlay a pattern on another object.

On the Olympus Camera it’s called ‘Multiexposures’ under Camera 2.

Motion

Adding motion to my photos is not something I do often but it is something I want to incorporate more of!

For the photos you see below I slowed my shutter speed down and waited for vehicles to pass - the vehicle on the right had lights on the top which added a cool effect!

I’ve always been intimidated about adding motion to my photos but it was a lot of fun to see the results!

Sun Stars

If I am photographing at sunset I will always try to get a sun star! For this I change my aperture to anywhere between f/14 and f/22.

Sometimes I will try to create a sun star on the horizon when the sun is setting, sometimes I will create it by looking for an object like a tree to diffuse the light ray but still create the effect.

Final Thoughts

There you have it! Those are 3 ways (+2 extra’s) that I like to do to add creativity to my photos!

When I started photography I didn’t try tackling all these techniques at the same time. I focused on one technique at a time until I was comfortable with all in my workflow.