Every Third Wave

Yesterday I had the pleasure to attend my very first photography workshop (!) hosted by photographer Mark Unrau of The Photography School of the Rockies. As you can see from this photo, the workshop was held in a most spectacular location, the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff, Alberta. Let me tell you a bit about my day.

Yes, it was THIS SNOWY! My early morning drive from Cochrane was a white knuckler along the Trans Canada Highway. I passed many cars in the ditch and about halfway to Banff I thought I might turn back, but I’m so glad I didn’t!! Once I hit Canmore the sun peeked through the thick clouds and by the time I reached Banff, a brilliant, if snowy morning greeted me. I wound my way up through beautiful Banff to the base of Sulphur Mountain where I would take the Banff Gondola to the top for my workshop. Can you imagine a more inspiring way to get to a photography workshop? Once I reached the top, I took this shot just as more snow clouds descended to provide the perfect backdrop for atmospheric snapping.

Our workshop was held in the stunning Panorama Restaurant on the summit of Sulphur. I was joined by 15 keen photographers looking to be filled up with tips and tricks of the trade by our fantastic host, Mark Unrau. Mark is a local Banff photographer who has traveled the world taking stunning shots and building up a repertoire of work both in photography and videography. You can see more of his work here.

Most of my regular followers may wonder why I might take a photography course as it likely seems like I’ve been at this hobby for quite some time. While that’s true, I have never taken a course and I am admitting here that I have, until now, taken most of my shots on instinct alone. Since moving here to Alberta, I MUST take advantage of all the opportunities that come my way to grow as a photographer and I now appreciate the chance to learn why some photos are good and why some are not. I have a sense when I’m shooting what will make a good image but, believe it or not, when I get home to do post-snapping work on my MacBook Pro, I find that not all are worthy of sharing (gasp, I know!). But why???

In logical steps Mark, who, through story-telling and analogy, walked our group through the basic elements that, when used appropriately, make up a good image. From ISO to shutter speed and aperture, to depth of field, histograms and the science and art of composition, Mark showed us examples from his work that illustrated each element in a way that made photography both fascinating and fun. I learned that each of these elements help to tell a story in an image. I loved learning that by experimenting with shutter speed, you are really attempting to tell a story about time. Think of images you have seen of birds caught mid-flight, or athletes frozen right at the moment they are about to spike a volleyball, save a goal or shoot the perfect jump shot. Or images where objects seem to move like the milky blur of a waterfall. That is shutter speed at work. I learned that the human mind perceives colour differently than your camera, making white balance very important. And, I learned about composition theories such as The Rule of Thirds, The Golden Mean and Leading Lines that help a photographer understand what makes a compelling shot worth taking and sharing.

By the end of our session, I was intrigued by the idea, as someone who lives and breathes education, that photography is the ultimate cross-curricular activity. Most would agree that photography is an art, especially when done well. But the elements that make up a good image tap into not only Math and Science but also Psychology. And who wouldn’t want to take a camera apart to see how and why it works? The tinkerer in me is itching to do that now. Yet, I am still glad to hear that practicing photography helps build an instinct for what makes a great shot too. As Malcolm Gladwell would say, practice makes perfect…lots and lots of practice! Perhaps Mark’s best story that resonated with me was his story of shooting crashing waves in my favourite place on earth, Tofino. He talked about waiting for the perfect wave shot when a local bluntly told him that everyone knows that you get that perfect shot “every third wave.” Instinct and experience at work!

Thanks so much to Mark Unrau for an engaging, thought-provoking workshop well worth attending! If you are in the Banff area, I would highly recommend Mark’s workshops and you can find more from Mark here. Thanks also to the folks at Explore Rockies for providing such a spectacular venue and Banff Heritage Tourism for hosting this workshop! If you would like to see some of the in-the-moment snaps I took yesterday from my intrepid iPhone, please visit my Instagram site here. And if you would like to see some of my summit shots, and other recent Alberta Adventure photos, please come on over to my photo website here. For those of you who enjoy learning about photography as much as I do, you might also be interested in a Photography Magazine I am curating over at Flipboard. You can find lots of tips, tricks and examples of divine photography here.

Thanks as always for visiting!