Digital Photography in Elk Island National Park

By Bob Scott

It's January 11th. and I've already taken 556 digital photos in Elk Island this year. How many of you film camera buffs, could afford to do that?

I'm not saying they are all good pictures; in fact I could delete half of them, as soon as I looked at them when I got home. That still leaves 250 to chose from. Apply the law of averages, and I should still have a few dozen I don't mind showing to the world, even if they're not prize winners.

Why would I want to take 566 digital photographs, especially in January, when everything is brown and dead!

The first, obvious answer is I like taking photos, any time, of anything, just about any where . With my digital camera I can do that. I don't need a second reason.

I also have the freedom to experiment:

I put the camera in ridiculous positions, snap the shutter and immediately see what it looks like - inside the culvert where I saw the porcupine go. Not bad. It needs more flash. Try another from a slightly different angle.

There's a neat pattern in the ice. Click, click, click.

Snow is tricky to photograph. Five shots on automatic bracketing should cover the light settings. May as well leave it on auto bracket for a while, while I'm out here on the lake.

Look at that twig, almost a foot deep in the ice. It looks like a fossil. Click, click, click. One of them may be exposed just right.

The books say to frame your photos for better composition. Lets try something here for a picture of High Island.

I'm stalking the Elk. They haven't spooked yet, but they will soon. It's time to use sequential shooting - that's expensive motor drive to you film people. There they go! Click, click ... Twenty five photos taken on auto focus should get me one or two good ones. Maybe I can capture them on video before they all disappear?

There goes the sun for today. This is where I am. Let's take a few to see what I get.

Five hundred and fifty-six photos is not nearly enough. There's so much more to take in Elk Island National Park. I'll be back before January is over. Today is Saturday, my batteries are recharged. See you there. — Bob

PS: On Saturday I took another 86 photos. It was -20°C.  I also met a lady photographer, who had been out since seven in the morning to be able to capture some sunrise photos. She was unfortunate, in that her roll of film broke inside her camera due to the cold.. She still had the whole day ahead of her to take pictures, and was forced to open the camera and remove the exposed roll, and lost her early morning's work.

With my 128MB digital card, I can take about 130 photos, and don't have to change cards very often.

My Elk Island Home Page

Visit the Friends of Elk Island Society

View an Elk Island in January slide presentation, of these and many more photos.