World Photography Day: Amazing Canadian Outdoor Photographers
Today is World Photography Day. To celebrate, we’re sharing some amazing images by Canadian outdoor photographers. Each photographer selected their favourite photos shot with the camera that is always in their pocket on every hike, paddle, camping trip… their phone! Scroll through these epic iPhone shots and read the photographer’s tips for creating your own artistic vision of the outdoors.
Paul Zizka
Paul Zizka | Bow Lake, Banff National Park
Tip #1:
“Hanging out at Bow Lake, Banff National Park, Canada”
Allow time in your workflow to be curious and try odd perspectives.
Paul Zizka | Crowfoot Mountain, Banff National Park
Tip #2
“In the Shadow of Crowfoot Mountain. Banff National Park, Canada”
Consider shooting low to make distant objects loom and to exaggerate the size of your foregrounds.
Bio
A prolific adventurer, Paul Zizka’s explorations have taken him to all seven continents, as well as to each of Canada’s provinces and territories. In the Canadian Rockies, Paul has hiked extensively in the backcountry and photographed from the summits of countless peaks.
Whether it’s wading waist-deep into a glacier-fed lake or chasing auroras from dusk til dawn, Paul is known for an adventurous spirit that draws him to the extraordinary. Highlighting his collection are his signature self-portraits, epic mountaineering moments, dreamy astrophotography images, as well as a window into some of the most remote corners of the planet.
Paul lives in Banff, Alberta, with his wife and their two daughters.
Emmett Sparling
Emmett Sparling | Whistler, BC
Tip #1:
The two things that draw my eye to a photograph are composition and light. A natural composition will make the photo jump out at you in the moment. It could be something like a leading line that draws your eye through the frame towards the subject, or a simple rule of thirds.
Emmett Sparling | Whistler, BC
Tip #2:
Light is the key to getting that magical element in your photos. I look for dramatic skies and interesting shadows that make a landscape look almost three dimensional. I always try to shoot into the light, and shoot at sunrise or sunset because that is when the light is the most dramatic.
Tip #3:
While ski touring in remote areas, I want to keep my equipment as light as possible. In these moments, iPhone becomes your best friend because of the ability to capture high quality RAW images without carrying the weight of a big camera.
Bio
Over the past seven years travelling as a photographer and filmmaker, Emmett Sparling has captured the Earth’s natural landscapes, cultures and wildlife in some of the furthest corners of the world—focusing on meaningful storytelling along the way.
Angela Liguori
Angela Liguori | Golden Ears Provincial Park, Maple Ridge, BC
Tip #1:
Having a grid on your iPhone screen is really helpful with composing photos. This will make it easier for you to position your subject—especially if you are shooting the subject in the centre or on the third of a frame. To put a grid on your screen, go to Settings > Camera and under Composition select Grid.
Angela Liguori | Columbia Mountains, BC
Tip #2:
Shoot in RAW, both on your iPhone and digital camera. This gives you more flexibility when the time comes to edit. With RAW photos, you are able to manipulate them more and end up with a higher-resolution image. Go to Settings > Camera > Formats, then turn on Apple ProRAW under Photo Capture. To take a Raw image, you can then tap RAW in the Camera app, then take the shot.
Bio
Angela Ligouri is a BC-born and raised freelance photographer and creator with a deep-rooted love for hiking, travel, and adventure. Her love for the outdoors began at an early age and has grown into a lifelong passion. She has a collective audience of over 1.6 million adventure-loving humans who she is thrilled to help get outside, educate and spark inspiration to go outside.
Mark Bone
Mark Bone | Sarnia Grand Bend, Ontario
The Sarnia/Grand Bend area is known for some of the most stunning sunsets in the world. We were out paddle boarding one summer evening enjoying the setting sun and I was snapping some pics both above and below the water line with the iPhone and just happened to time this photo with some folks wakeboarding in the background.
Photography Tip:
For best results when shooting in low light or late in the day, commit to silhouette as your main subject and expose your photo for the brightest part of the image, typically the sky. This tends to be a more dramatic photo and helps get the deepest, richest blacks out of your shadows. The cameras on iPhone 14 Pro help me take better quality low light photos in these moments.
Bio
Mark Bone is an award-winning documentary and commercial director based in Toronto, Canada. Mark was first inspired to pursue documentary filmmaking when he spent time as an aid worker during the Darfur war helping refugees who were fleeing into Egypt. Since that time, he has directed numerous documentaries. Mark has worked on sets in over 35 countries in various capacities and directed commercial campaigns for global brands.
Christine Flynn
Christine Flynn | Whale tail in ocean, Quebec
Tip #1:
I don’t always have my medium format with me but I’m never without my phone. The best camera is the one that’s with you, which is always my iPhone 14 Pro. Being able to shoot in raw is a huge advantage with this device.
Tip #2:
Don’t be afraid to use negative space—it can allow your subject matter to become the hero.
Bio
Christine Flynn is a Toronto artist living in Prince Edward County working in photography and mixed media. Flynn is known for her landscape photography imbued with abstract elements, creating works of art that exist in between two mediums. Flynn’s art pushes against the genre of travel photography whose purpose is to create envy and instead allows the viewer to access a feeling of recognition or belonging in a place they’ve never been. She presents photographs that embody the memory of a place, rather than a straight-forward depiction.
Flynn’s work has been widely exhibited in North America at art fairs such as Context Art Miami, Scope, New York, Art Hamptons as well as solo shows in Boston, New York and Toronto galleries. Internationally, her work has been shown at major art fairs in London, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Hamburg.
