A high pressure system has the Jasper night sky locked in permanent clarity. I’ve been working through the day and searching for new images each night. Unsurprisingly, my planned shoots never turn out as well as the found images. Last night was a perfect example. I planned to shoot at Athabasca Falls but I never even made it that far down the Icefields Parkway. Instead, I found a quiet section of road that heads towards Jasper and made this image. Definitely a road for a winter road trip.

Far from a complaint, but there haven’t been many starry nights in Jasper National Park lately. In fact, it’s been snowing non-stop and Marmot Basin has it’s third deepest November snowpack Definitely a great thing for the enthusiastic skier (which I am) but not good for night photography (who really cares when you’re skiing powder). Anyways, I am off to bed early tonight to get some rest before my first ski tour of the season tomorrow. Stay tuned for photos soon.

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I’ve written about many of the Craft & Vision books in the past, so I needn’t say much about their quality. For their price, there isn’t a better way to improve your photography. Follow this link for individual Craft and Vision eBook reviews.

It’s also packed with information about ignoring the rules, following intuition, and trying new styles that will benefit the seasoned vet.

It’s Not All About the Rule of Thirds?

After opening with the somewhat cliche rule of thirds, Andrew S Gibson takes us through a series of examples that follow more intuition than rule, like balance, dynamic depth of field, shapes & lines, color, and black and white. He even mentions post-process cropping in a way that immediately discredits its sacrilegious reputation.

After reading Beyond Thirds – A Photographer’s Introduction to Creative Composition, I instantly realized their were a number of ways I could use his suggestions to improve my photography. His approach to simplicity and subtlety really hit home. I spend too much time looking for contrast and bright colors, instead of subtle scenes that leave the viewer in thought.

In the end, the most important message from this eBook is to learn, understand, and study these compositional techniques. After that, we can go out and trust our instincts to break them.

An easier way to put this is the age old saying: If you want to break the rules, learn them first.

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How Cheap Is It and How Can I Buy It?

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We’ve been in Jasper for a month. What a fantastic place to live. In fact, its so much fun having a huge array of mountain bike trails, climbing routes, and hikes just moments from my back door, it has been hard to get much work done. I’m starting to find the balance though as my new day job – ski patrol at Marmot Basin – settles into a regular routine. Last night it cleared off for the first time in a couple weeks, so I decided to check out Pyramid Lake. I hope you enjoy the stars.

Paul hit the mainstream last year with his snowflake imagery. It’s popularity soared after a spot on CTV’s Canada AM. When the show ended, his phone started ringing. It’s also one of his favorite image series because he managed to make something simple into a beautiful artistic collection.

He was enthusiastic about participating in this interview series and really belongs on the list along side the other Canadian-based outdoor photographers I have interviewed: Daryl Benson, Jordan Manley, and Darwin Wiggett. Here is what Paul had to say:

10 Questions with Wildlife Photographer Paul Burwell

1. I’d like to start out with that “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

I’ve been into cameras since I was five and my mom gave me her Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera.  When I was a teen I purchased my first SLR (a Pentax K-1000) and started photographing for the high school newspaper.  At the end of high school I had to decide whether to pursue a career in photography, or my other passion, computers.  Computers won out because I thought I could make more money at it; I was right.  By 2004 I was the President of an Internet Service Provider and we sold the company.  As often happens when a company changes hands, the boss gets the boot and that’s what happened to me.  I had to find something else to do with my life and started working on business plans to start a new Internet business.  However, I soon found I was spending more and more time outside photographing and less and less time working on business plans.  It occurred to me that it might be possible to make a living as a nature/wildlife/outdoor photographer so I contacted a bunch of pros who were very quick to assure me that it was impossible, the market was saturated and there was little chance to become a pro.  They advised me that my best bet was to remain an amateur.  Naturally I ignored their advice, jumped in with both feet and have never been happier.  I guess my “ah” moment was one morning at Elk Island National Park and I was the only human being around.  I suddenly noticed how I was enjoying the sound of silence and the wildlife all around.  That’s when it clicked (no pun intended).

2. You began with a career in computers before moving onto photography. What skills were you able to bring with you that help your current business plan?

I’d built a business from the ground up into a business genrating over $4,000,000 in sales a year.  All the skills that go into that sort of a venture along with my computer background have helped me execute my business plan. I run into students all the time who are struggling with digital photography because of the incredible learning curve for people who aren’t comfortable with computers.  I strongly encourage anyone serious about their photography to get a good handle on the computer skills they’ll require to really enjoy their photography.

3. What is the most difficult part of being a nature photographer based in Edmonton, Alberta?

I wouldn’t say there is anything difficult about being a nature photographer in Edmonton.  I used to think that winter was a problem, but if one sets their mind to it, it is all just opportunity.  We’re situated between the Great Plains to the south and east, the Boreal Forest to the north and the Rocky Mountains to the west.  What could be better?

4. Last winter, you were on Canada AM to show off your very popular snowflake images. How does that kind of publicity help your photography business?

It is very hard to buy that type of publicity.  My phone and email were literally ringing off the hook.  It helps in all sorts of aspects related to business and opportunity and it certainly gives a person some instant credibility.

5.Other than staring on national morning TV, what do you think is the best way for a new/young photographer to market their work to perspective wildlife photography buyers?

My advice to those starting out as a new aspiring pro is to realize that it is extremely unlikely that you’ll be able to make a living off of selling your photographs to magazines.  You need to learn to write.  You need to find a way to leverage your photography along with your other skills into some sort of marketable package.   Long gone are the days of living off one’s stock photography library.

6. What other business advice can you give to new/young photographers that you wish you’d learned earlier in your own career?

Stay close to home.  It’s cheaper and easier.  Chasing all over the world after wildlife images seems glamourous but it is extremely difficult to make it pay for itself.

7. As an instructor, you run many workshops out of The Triple D Game Farm in Montana. Why do you use a game farm instead of shooting wildlife in non-controlled environments? What is the biggest benefit? The biggest drawback?

The workshops at the Triple “D” Game Farm offer a tremendous way for photographers to build a portfolio of wildlife images that are simply impossible to get in the wild.  It is also an excellent envrironment to practice using the skills that one will require when they encounter wildlife “in the wild”.  With captive wildlife you might have an opportunity for a “redo” if you miss a shot; that rarely happens with wild animals.  I never hide the fact when an image was made of a captive animal and all such pictures on my site/blog are labelled as such with a “-CA” at the end of the caption to indicate the animals was a captive animal.  I think that photographing and teaching at Triple “D” has definitely helped my “wild” animal photography.

The biggest advantage of shooting under controlled conditions is that you know the wildlife is going to be there and you’re going to get to photograph them.  With wild animals being, well, wild, they are often a lot less predictable.  My Spirit Bear photography tour in 2010 only saw one white bear for a grand total of five minutes.  That’s the chance you take when you go to photograph in the wild.

8.  Do you have a single image or collection that stands out as a career highlight? What makes it more special than your other work?

I’m quite happy with my image of a Kermode “Spirit” Bear walking down a moss covered log in the Great Bear Rainforest on the west coast of Canada.  I’m also very happy with my collection of snowflake images.  The Kermode Bear image is special to me because it was extremely difficult to get and it was a shot I’d envisioned ahead of time.  I’m happy about my snowflake images because I’ve found a way to make them artful.

9.  What three photographers provide your greatest source of inspiration?

Snowflake Bentley; early pioneer of snowflake photography
David Middleton; an excellent nature photographer and teacher and is someone I try to model myself after
Wayne Lynch; what more needs to be said about Canada’s king of wildlife photography?

10.  It’s similar to the first question, but instead of the “ah moment”, can you tell me simply why? Why do you make photographs?

I find that photography is an excellent way for me to express my passion for the natural world and maybe try to influence a few people into having a bit more consideration for the wild and natural aspects of the world we live in.

Final Thoughts:

As always, I owe a huge thanks to Paul Burwell for taking the time to answer this interview. I appreciate the honesty and openness shared by each interviewee this year and you are certainly no exception. I do apologize for how long it took me to post this on the site!

For those who haven’t, please take the time to check out Paul’s website and blog.

* All Images in this post are protected by Paul Burwell’s copyright *

I know I’ve been harping on this whole “moving back to Canada” thing for a few months, but its finally over. We arrived in Canada just over a month ago and stayed with my parents up in Fort St John, British Columbia. We knew it was very temporary, as we were determined to move to Jasper, Alberta. We’ve talked about living in Jasper for the past year while waiting for Romina’s immigration to come through. As of October 10, 2011, we’re official residents of this little National Park town.

It’s the first time since I decided to pursue writing and photography that I’ve lived in a town completely surrounded by an environment conducive to my desired subject matter: stunning landscapes, adventure sports, and mountain culture. Expect lots of new and exciting work in the next 12 months. This weekend Jasper is celebrating the night sky with its first annual Dark Sky festival, so I felt a star-filled image was the perfect way to begin my Jasper photography. This images features the Jasper Townsite in its glowing orange glory and its only a 5-minute bike ride from my door to the shooting location.

This week, I’m featuring Sofia Lopez Mañan. She is an editorial photographer based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I met her during the foundry photojournalism workshop. Her project Monoblock was recently exhibited in Espacio Itau in Buenos Aires. She’s also taken part in three other solo exhibitions and 13 group shows.

11 Questions with Editorial Photographer Sofia Lopez Mañan

1. I’d like to start out with that “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

Since kindergarten, I spent my time drawing. When I had the opportunity to choose what to do with my life I chose art. That is why I was never able to sustain a tangible career, even if this choice would have given me a more secure and stable economic life.

2. Before you decided to become a photographer, what did you want to do?

I ended my fine arts degree and I didn’t want to become an art teacher. I was lost and thought of many things I wanted to do: from being a mountain guide to landscape designer.

3. What’s the best part and worst part of being a photojournalist based in Argentina?

Sometimes it’s difficult to think about the best part of being a photojournalist in Argentina; It’s not an easy country to work in as a photographer. The good part is there are many themes to explore, but unfortunately, very few places to sell them. We live very far away from the rest of the world and it’s very difficult to promote your work from this distance.

4. Photographers in Latin America often struggle to find viable markets for their work. Newspapers and magazines simply do not have the same budgets as North American or European publications. How have you managed to deal with this situation and where/how do you market your work?

Today there are other reliable markets besides the classic magazines and newspapers. I move my personal work through an art gallery in Buenos Aires and my plan is to present it to other galleries abroad.

5. Where do you see your work going in the next 2-3 years? Will you remain in Argentina or are you looking overseas?

Photography is a career that requires you to adapt to new markets and technologies all the time. It is difficult to see where I will be in 3 years because it isn’t a lineal profession. What I would like is to work more and open new doors within the Argentinean Artist scene. I also need to be receptive to whatever opportunities come along.

6. What single project, portfolio, or image stands out as your favorite or best? Why?

I don’t have personal favorites, when I did all of my projects; they made perfect sense why I was doing them. Today I would say that my favorite is my last project Anonymous. It’s a series of self-portraits using others as me. It’s a personal story and I see myself in all those pictures.

7. You’ve been a part of a number of group exhibitions and independent shows. What is it like seeing your work hanging in a gallery?

Once you show a work you feel there is some kind of closure.  It’s important to interact with your own work from another angle. See how the images relate not only amongst themselves but in the place they are being exhibited. Exhibiting gives you the opportunity to see your work from a new point of view and consider it as a spectator.

8. I met you at the Foundry Workshop in Buenos Aires. How was the workshop experience and how much did you learn in such a short time?

I don’t thing you learn anything in a workshop. In some ways, it’s good to feel able to make a story in such a short time, but just as important, is showing your portfolio to the instructors you think are reliable to show it to. It is a great way to show your work.

9. What three photographers provide your greatest source of inspiration?

They always change. Today I think of Taryn Simon, Gordon Matta Clark (although he is not a photographer) and Nadav Kander.

10. And finally, take this one and run with it: Why do you make photographs?

PASSION! This is the thing I know how to do and I am able to say all those things with an image that I couldn’t find words to say. I think in pictures and I even draw photographs that I have in my mind. I choose it because I love the way it makes me feel, it makes you stop thinking of everything that was worrying you before. I found a way to say all those things that I cannot say in word.

11. Any final thoughts you’d like to add?

Persistence. I say that to myself everyday. It’s a tough career but in the end, we are doing what we most love to do.

Final Thoughts

I owe a big thank you to Sofia for taking the time to answer this interview in English. It’s her second language, so I can imagine the answers don’t flow off the keyboard as easily as a Spanish interview might. Muchas Gracias Sofia!

* All images in this post are protected under Sofia Lopez Mañan’s copyright *

British Columbia isn’t Vancouver. It’s almost 1 million square kilometers of outdoor playground. It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s very green.

Northern British Columbia is a pretty special place. Last weekend, we went for a short quad trip near Duhu Lake Recreation Site, located along the Alaska Highway just south of the Sikanni River. The result: 9 caribou, 3 grizzly bears, 1 wolf, and countless mule deer. And this wasn’t at ideal times, it was in the middle of the day. Not a bad place to play!