James MacKenzie is another long time Yellowknifer I have come to know over the years. He is still early in his photography carear but if you look at any of his photos you know he will do great things.
One weekend in February 2012 we both ended up at a mutual friends cabin out on Hidden Lake. The skies were clear and the aurora were promising to be good, so naturally I brought along my camera. Of course James did as well. I don’t think he strays more than 5 feet without his.
It was the first time I had gone out and shot the aurora with another photographer and I was thrilled. It is one thing I read up information on the Internet, it is another to be able to bounce ideas and information off another phtotog who is right beside you.
We have many conversations that weekend about photography, which is what was happening when I took the below portrait. My settings for this shot were: 1/200sec, f/1.8, ISO 200, 50mm and -2/3EV.
I used the natural light coming in the window to the right of me to brighten up James’ face but also had to compensate for it as I wanted to show what was around James as well. That is why I have the Exposure Compensation at -2/3 and even still it didn’t seem like enough.
In addition to the settings of the above shot I think it displays who James is. Smiling while reviewing his photos from earlier that day.
Here is another shot of James in action at the Long John Jamboree:
