Technology Archives - Page 9 of 42

9 Tips for Taking Better Photos on Vacation

Got a summer vacation planned? Don’t forget to pack your camera! Your travels will no doubt provide all kinds of unique photo opportunities you won’t find at home. It’s easy enough to point and shoot, but if you really want to take your vacation photos to the next level, we recommend you follow these travel photography tips from our LDExperts in the Photolab.

Choose your Camera Wisely

While they certainly take great photos, carrying around a large DSLR camera on vacation can be bulky and cumbersome. In some cases, it can also make you a target for pickpockets. Or if you’re into candid street photography, a large camera can make it difficult to capture your subjects in their natural state without them spotting you. For any or all of these reasons, you may want to consider taking a mirrorless camera on your travels instead. Mirrorless cameras are far smaller in size than their DSLR counterparts, meaning they are more portable, lighter and less obvious when carrying them on vacation – yet they will still help you take high-quality shots.

If you find those still too large, you can always opt for a compact point-and-shoot camera, or even just use your phone! If you decide on using the latter, you’ll also be able to order prints of your photos on-the-go using our London Drugs Photolab App (for iOS and Android): a nice added bonus!

Carry a Tripod & Timer

If you do want to take some posed pictures on your vacation, our LDExperts recommend taking along a small tripod and self-timer. This way, everyone on your trip can be in the photo! This works great for groups or if you’re travelling alone. Selfie sticks are a favourite amongst lots of travellers, but they often can’t capture as much of the scene, as you’re limited by the length of your arms and the length of the stick. With a small tripod like these flexible ones from Joby, you can wrap the tripod’s legs around something nearby like a fence post or street sign to stabilize your camera. Then just use your camera’s self timer or a remote to activate the shutter!

Create your Vacation Story

Rather than capturing a random smattering of photos while on your vacation, try to tell the story of your trip with photos. For instance, start with capturing your journey to your destination (did you take a plane? Train? Automobile?). It could be as simple as a shot of the plane’s wing from your window seat, or a photo with your suitcase, ready to catch the train. Once you’re at your vacation destination, make sure to capture photos of each of the places you visit, and the people you meet, to help tell your story. After your trip, you’ll be able to piece together your vacation story in the form of a high-quality photo book.

Notate Your Favourite Places

Sometimes it can be hard to recall the names of streets, towns, shops and restaurants you encountered on vacation once you return home. To avoid that, make a point of taking photos of street signs and storefronts so that you can easily recall the names. These can also be important parts of your photographic storytelling! In fact, if you’re planning on creating a photo book with your vacation photos, you’ll be able to notate those details using our customizable photo book templates.

Compose Your Shots

While the advent of digital photography has been a blessing in many ways, it can also be to our detriment. Unlike film photography, which forces us to be more intentional with our shots, with digital photography, there is sometimes less time spent on composing one good photo – after all, you can take 100 more in the blink of an eye! Try to slow down and think about your shot. See if there is anything interesting to use as a focal point: a bright pop of colour, an interesting person, or a unique object. It will help elevate your shot from an average photo to something of beauty.

Once you get home, you’ll be able to showcase those well-composed shots with some beautiful fine art prints – choose from bamboo, canvas, metallic paper, glossy or pearl.

Think Big…and Small

While wide, establishing shots of your surroundings are important to help tell the story of your vacation, it’s also worth thinking about capturing the smaller details too. It could be anything from small souvenirs in a market, to sizzling skewers at a street food stall.

Get Photos of your Food

While we’re not encouraging you to spend so long taking photos of your food that it gets cold, taking snapshots of your culinary adventures while vacationing can make for some great photos. Not only will they make your mouth water long after you’ve arrived back home, but you’ll also have a visual diary of all the incredible dishes you tried on your trip. In fact, if you capture enough foodie shots, you could create a whole foodie photo book by the end of your trip!

Opt for Candids

There is a place for posed photos in your vacation album, but if we’re being honest, it’s the candid shots that are usually our favourites. It’s those shots that truly showcase the fun, experiential moments you’ve had on vacation. If you’re travelling with friends, family or a significant other, try capturing them in the element. It could be something as simple as a photo of them enjoying some R&R at the beach, or it could be a more complex action shot of them parasailing. Best case scenario, you’re travelling with people who are willing to snap some candids of you too!

Try a Different Perspective

We’ve all seen the same photo of the world’s most iconic buildings and landscapes over and over again. Why not capture them from a different perspective – like this photo of the Eiffel Tower in Paris? It shows a unique aspect of the building’s intricate structure, and creates a far more intriguing shot than the standard landscape photo of the well-known tower. Imagine how incredible a shot like this would look like as an enlargement!

Stroll around the area and pinpoint some unique spots to shoot from before deciding on what perspective you want to capture – it could be right below your subject, or far, far above it. Even a reflection in a puddle could offer a unique perspective.

Follow these pro tips while on vacation, and you’ll definitely be proud of your photos when you return home! If you need a little help with how to best showcase your vacation photos, come visit our LDExperts in the Photolab. Or if you already know exactly how you want to showcase your vacation photos, you can submit your order online, or using our London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android.

Most Stunning Beaches to Take Photos in Western Canada

From the West Coast to the scenic lakes sprinkled across Western Canada, there are plenty of stunning beaches to visit on your summer adventures. Our LDExperts in the Photolab have curated a list of the best beaches in Western Canada to photograph, featuring images captured by some truly talented Canadian photographers. Just keep on scrolling below to see them all! Once you know which of these beaches you want to visit this summer, head on over to our blog post on Summer Photography Tips for Capturing Beautiful Beach Views, to get some pointers for achieving even better photos.

Cox Bay Beach, Tofino BC

Photo by @jonahswferguson

Where Vancouver Island meets the Pacific Ocean. Cox Bay is a stunning spot to take in the naturally majestic views of the West Coast. If you’re looking for some subjects to photograph from the beach, there’s always plenty of surfers catching a wave! Or you can perch high above the beach, like photographer Jonah Ferguson did here, to get a great shot of Cox Bay from a different perspective.

English Bay, Vancouver BC

Photo by @chrisvanedig

Nestled right at the edge of downtown Vancouver, there’s no doubt English Bay has one of the best sunset beach views in the city. Meander along the scenic Sea Wall which passes through the area, or simply have a seat on one of the many logs perched on the beach to enjoy the view. We love how Vancouver-based photographer Chris van Edig used some nearby rocks as a focal point in this stunning sunset shot.

Devonshire Beach, Slave Lake AB

Photo by @rayoflightedm

Devonshire beach sits on Lesser Slave Lake, in Slave Lake National Park. Considered one of the few naturally occurring beaches in Alberta, Devonshire Beach features a 1.5km of white sandy beach with shallow waters. If you’re looking for a unique photo op, the beach also hosts an annual sand castle building competition! For a panoramic view from above, check out the Marten Mountain Viewpoint, which is 983 metres high.

Good Spirit Lake, Canora SK

Photo by @herry.with.an.e

Good Spirit Lake National Park is home to one of the best beaches in Saskatchewan, on Good Spirit Lake. Sandy beaches, and clear shallow water make this spot a favourite for families. The sand dunes on the south end of the lake also offer a unique place to snap some photos – some are as high as 50 feet! Regina-based photographer Herry captured this great shot of the Canada Day fireworks on the beach.

Lower Fishing Lake, Smeaton SK

Photo by @demophoto

Backing on a beautiful jack pine forest, Lower Fishing Lake in Narrow Hills Provincial Park is a perfect spot to set up camp and get some great scenic photos. The beach on Lower Fishing Lake is well-maintained and has plenty of sand for fun in the sun. For photographer Jocelyn de Moissac, it made for the perfect photo op with her son!

Grand Beach, Grand Marais MB

Photo by @riley.anderson.photo

Grand Beach and Provincial Park stretches along the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg – Canada’s sixth largest lake. The beach features 3kms of powdery white sand and sand dunes up to 12 metres high that line the edge of the beach. When the tide is out, the pools of water make for some great reflection photos. Add a subject and a beautiful sunset, and you’ve got a great snapshot like the one Riley Anderson captured above.

Winnipeg Beach, MB

Photo by @withlove__kate

Winnipeg Beach also sits along the edge of Lake Winnipeg, and is a part of the Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park. Its long stretch of fine white sand beach is an excellent spot to enjoy the sun and snap some summer photos. Lake Winnipeg is so large, that the other side of the lake isn’t visible from the beach – making it look like an ocean rather than a lake. This can give your photos a unique perspective, considering Manitoba is land-locked! The beach also has a picturesque red and white lighthouse perched right by the water, that would make a great focal point for your photos!

Are any of these beaches on your must-visit list this summer? After you’ve snapped some great shots at the beach, our Photolab can help you preserve and share those summer memories. Order prints or enlargements of your favourite shots, or turn them into wall décor with our canvas gallery wraps, aluminum metal panels, and posters and collages. We can even print your beach photos on a beach bag, beach blanket, or water bottle. To make it as convenient as possible, you can order through our Photolab online, London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android, or at our in-store kiosks.

We’d love to see your best beach photos too! Share them with us on Instagram using the hashtag #LDPhotolab, and your photo could be featured on our page.

6 Summer Photography Tips for Capturing Beautiful Beach Views

Whether you’re hitting the beach close to home, or vacationing somewhere abroad this summer, one thing you’ll want to take with you is your camera. Beaches are a place of so much natural beauty, from their seemingly endless horizons and stunning sunrises to their abundance of sea life and dramatic crashing waves. To help you capture even better photos at the beach this summer, our LDExperts in the Photolab have compiled the best beach photography tips – keep on reading below to learn more!

Take Advantage of Golden Hour

Shooting at sunrise is your best bet to give your photos that beautiful golden glow. With the light coming from a low angle at that early time of day, you’ll be able to avoid those harsh shadows (‘raccoon eyes’) that usually occur at midday. Golden hour is also a great chance to play with silhouettes. The warmer colours also give a certain ‘magical’ quality to photos – hence why this time of day is also referred to as ‘magic hour’!

Capture the Details

While you might usually think of wide-angle shots when it comes to beach photography, don’t forget about close-ups. There are plenty of opportunities to capture small details at the beach: everything from textured seashells to clumps of seaweed and little crabs. Experiment with the depth of field to really emphasize them.

Experiment with Long Exposure

The combination of beach waves and long exposure photography can make for some truly stunning shots. Consider playing with your shutter speed to achieve different effects. A long exposure of greater than 10 seconds will turn the moving tides into smooth serene waters. Or you can try a medium length exposure, of about 2 to 9 seconds, that will show a bit more movement to the water. You’ll need to adjust your ISO and aperture accordingly, once you’ve decided on your shutter speed – likely a low ISO around 100, and a smaller aperture of around f/10 or f/11. A good tripod and a remote shutter are important accessories for getting the shot, too. As is an ND filter.

Look for a Focal Point

While the sheer vastness of ocean beaches is stunning in person, they can make for rather empty and boring photos…until something is introduced into the foreground. Search for interesting focal points like lifeguard towers, large rock clusters, a wooden stump, a sandcastle or even a pair of sunglasses.

Keep Your Eye on the Horizon

If you’re capturing the horizon in your shot, the most important thing is to keep the horizon as square to the framing as possible. While the horizon should be straight across the frame, there’s no need for it to be perfectly centered. Experiment with the placement of the horizon, either above or below the centre of the frame.

Use Fill Flash to Avoid Shadows

One of the biggest issues when shooting at the beach midday is the dark shadows that often fall on your subjects’ faces. One way to avoid that is to use your flash. The flash will fill those shadowy places on the face, like around the eyes and nose. This can also be used when shooting into the sun to avoid your subject from turning into a silhouette (unless that’s what you were hoping to achieve). The flash can sometimes be a bit too bright, however – if that’s the case, you may need to step a bit further away from your subject, and zoom in if you can.

Capturing a beautiful shot at the beach is just the first step – the next is deciding how best to showcase it! Our London Drugs Photolab is here to help, with a large variety of print options. For a vibrant sunrise or sunset shot, consider ordering an aluminum metal panel, which will make those vivid colours really pop. Or, choose a canvas gallery wrap, canvas print or bamboo print to give your sandy beach photos some added texture. Or, if you’d like to frame your masterpiece, choose an enlargement up to 44”x96” in size. Your beach photos would also be a great addition to a personalized calendar.

You can even order your prints right from the beach – simply download our London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android, or use our Photolab website. Or if you’d like to chat with one of our LDExperts, just visit us in the Photolab to get some extra help and use our in-store Photolab kiosks.

E3 Updates – LD@E3 2019

June 12th, 2019 2:00pm

Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Announced For Switch

More images to come from the show floor!

—

June 11th, 2019 11:00am

Nintendo Direct E3 2019’s presentation focused entirely on brand new software and titles coming in 2019. No news regarding the rumored new console – so far.

Nintendo’s 2019 lineup includes Super Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Astral Chain, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age — Definitive Edition, Animal Crossing for Nintendo Switch, Daemon X Machina, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Pokémon Sword and Shield, and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

Photo’s below – from the Nintendo presentation area. Credit: R.Mohagen

More to Come! Stay tuned to this blog post, which we will update throughout the conference.

Win two tickets to see Andrea Bocelli in concert in Vancouver!

Win 2 tickets to see Andrea Bocelli in concert June 13^th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. Travel is not included.

Get ready for the concert and listen to Andrea Bocelli’s most recent release Si. This album celebrates “love, family, faith and hope” and features duets with Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Josh Groban and soprano Aida Garifullina.

For more Andrea Bocelli CD’s check out the full selection here.

Andrea Bocelli Facebook Contest Terms & Conditions

To enter: Share with us your favourite Andrea Bocelli song. Andrea Bocelli Contest Facebook post.

Contest is open to all residents of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba who, as of the date the prize draw is made: (i) have not won a London Drugs contest since May 30, 2018; (ii) have reached the age of majority in the province in which they reside as of May 30, 2019; (iii) are not employees of London Drugs, their respective advertising and promotional agencies, the independent judging organization (if any), or any family member living with any such employee.

No purchase necessary. Limit one (1) entry per person. Entries must be received no later than 11:59 PM Pacific Time on June 6th, 2019. London Drugs is not responsible for entries that become lost or misdirected. All entries become the property of London Drugs Limited and will not be returned.

One (1) winner will be randomly chosen (see dates below) in Richmond, British Columbia, from all eligible entries received per contest. To win, selected entrants must correctly answer a skill-testing mathematical question and must sign London Drugs’ declaration and release confirming compliance with the contest rules and acceptance of the prize(s) as awarded, releasing London Drugs from liability in association with the contest and prize and consenting to the use of their name, photograph, voice and statements for promotional and publicity purposes.

There will be one prize consisting of two (2) concert tickets to see Andrea Bocelli at Rogers Arena June 13, 2019. Travel not included. Approximate total prize value $550.

See details and contest date below. Prizes must be accepted as awarded, are non-transferable and no substitutions are permitted. Prizes will be awarded at the closest London Drugs location to contest winners.

Contest dates – Thursday, May 30, 2019 – Thursday, June 6, 2019, 11:59 PM Pacific Time

Draw date – Friday, June 7, 2019

Only one prize may be won by any one person and household. In the event that any selected entrant incorrectly answers the skill-testing question or is otherwise unwilling or unable to comply in full with these rules, a new entry will be drawn.

Selected winners will be contacted by Facebook Messenger. No correspondence will be entered into except with selected entrants. If the winners do not respond then they will be notified for the second time, 3 (three) days after the first notification. If the winners still do not respond within 3 days of the second notification, a new winner will be chosen in the same manner until a winner is successfully contacted.

The chances of winning a prize will depend on the number of eligible entries received. Decisions of the judges in respect of all aspects of this contest including, but not limited to, eligibility of entries and correctness of answers given to the skill-testing question, are final.

London Drugs and their respective advertising and promotional agencies, the independent judging organization, and their respective agents are not liable to an entrant in any manner relating to the contest or the awarding and use of the prize(s).

This contest is subject to all federal, provincial, and municipal laws and regulations. By entering the entrant consents to the collection of all personal information included on their entry and agrees to the use and disclosure of such information by and between London Drugs, an independent judging organization, and their agents. The winner(s) also agrees to the collection, use, and disclosure of their name, entry, photographs, voice, and statements for London Drugs’ publicity purposes without further compensation. All personal information collected from entrants will be used only for the purposes of administering the contest and for marketing and promotional purposes as contemplated by these rules; under no circumstances will any personal information be sold or rented to third parties. All personal information collected by London Drugs will be kept in accordance with the privacy policy of London Drugs, which can be viewed at www.londondrugs.com, and in accordance with all applicable privacy laws.

The right is reserved by London Drugs to terminate this contest, in whole or in part, and/or modify, amend or suspend the contest, and/or these rules in any way, should any cause beyond the reasonable control of London Drugs or its agents affect the proper administration thereof.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook.

Father’s Day Gift Ideas: Take Dad Down Memory Lane

Dads are notoriously tough to buy gifts for. Something about them having everything they need already? So this Father’s Day, why not surprise dad with the gift of memories – something we’re sure he’ll be happy to receive. Give him the gift of memories of his childhood, memories of his first years as a father, memories of his worldly travels…whatever you think will resonate best with your dad! Here, our Photolab Experts will show you how to compile your own Father’s Day gift using throwback photos of dad.

Dust Off the Shoeboxes & Photo Albums

First, you’ll need to find some old photos of dad to work with. That means digging through old photo albums and dusty shoeboxes full of old photos to find some treasures. If they’re not in plain sight, you may need to check the basement, attic or storage unit. Be very careful when handling the old photographs you find. After being exposed to light, dust, heat and other elements over the decades, they are likely to be quite fragile.

Dad thought all evidence of that bowl cut was gone…little does he know it was just buried in a shoebox, waiting to be uncovered! You know it’ll give him (and everyone else) a good laugh.

Give Damaged Photos some TLC

If you come across some great oldies while sorting through the shoeboxes of photographs, but they’re a bit worse for wear, we may be able to help. Our Photolab offers digital restoration services to help restore your photos to their former glory. Simply bring the photos into the Photolab and our LDExperts can digitally edit each individual image to bring back a little colour worn by dust and heat, fill in scratches, or restore parts of an image that was destroyed by water damage. You’d be amazed at what we’re able to restore!

Digitize Dad’s Old Photographs

Once you’ve picked some real gems of dad ‘back in the day’, you’ll want to digitize those original photographs so that you can turn them into a unique Father’s Day gift. You can do this yourself with an at-home scanner, but if you’re looking to digitize a large selection of photos (it’s hard to choose, we know!), we recommend using our Photo Scanning Box service.

Just pick up a free box in-store and fill it with up to 800 photos (and other precious documents). Then return the box to your local London Drugs Photolab and we’ll digitize your photos for only $179.99. Once finished, your photos will be returned to you, along with all the digital files on a USB drive.

We also offer a Slide Scanning Box service, if you dug up some great slides of dad and want to get those digitized too.

You might even consider digitizing all of dad’s old photos and slides a Father’s Day gift, while you’re at it! After all, those are precious memories worth protecting in the form of digital files. He’ll thank you later, if anything ever happens to the originals!

Create Your Father’s Day Throwback Gift

Now that you have all the digital files of dad’s photos at your fingertips, you can get creative with how you want to gift them! One of our favourite ways to showcase photos as a gift, especially if you have quite a few, is with a photo book. Our high quality photo paper and exceptional inks will give the images new life – and you know dad will love flipping through them all and reminiscing. Our photo collages are another great way to showcase a whole selection of your dad’s best snapshots from over the years. Both our photo books and collages also have themed Father’s Day templates!

We also have lots of unique keepsakes that we can customize with your chosen throwback photo of dad. Add his ‘mug’ to a Father’s Day themed mug, or put an image of him on a photo box.

Then, finish off your gift with a thoughtful, personalized card which you can also add your own photo to and customize with text. We have Father’s Day templates for those too.

Happy Father’s Day!

6 Summer Photography Tips for Better Photos at the Lake

We might be slightly biased, but Canada really does have the best summers. The beaches are basking in sun, patios are buzzing, campsites are aplenty, and lakes are prime for a dip. In Part 1 of our Summer Photography Tips series, our LDExperts in the Photolab are sharing their expertise for capturing the perfect photos lakeside. If you’re planning to visit Canada’s lake country this summer, make sure to check out these tips before you go, so you can capture even better summer photos!

Adjust Your Exposure

The number one issue when shooting in the middle of a sunny summer day is managing the brightness in your photos. Rather than shooting in Auto mode, our LDExperts recommend switching to Manual mode if you have it, and trying out some of the different exposure levels. If your camera has spot metering, even better. Using spot metering, you can essentially let your camera know which part of the image you want to be well exposed. If you notice your subjects are squinting due to the bright sunlight, face them away from the direct sun and simply meter on their face to ensure it’s well exposed. Of course, having your subject throw on a pair of sunglasses helps avoid the squinting issue entirely.

Be the Early Bird

If you’re taking your camera along to shoot iconic lakes like Moraine Lake or Lake Louise in Banff, being the early bird certainly means you’ll get the worm. The early start will ensure you capture the most pristine lake photos, unencumbered by tourists walking in and around your shot. Photographer Garrett Parker snapped this one of Moraine Lake at sunrise; look at how still that lake water is!

Use a Polarizing Filter

When shooting at the lake, where there is likely an ample amount of blue sky and blue water present in your photos, a polarizing filter will be extra handy. Essentially a polarizing filter filters out some of the light that is polarized, reducing reflections while also boosting contrasts. It will make those skies and lakes a deeper, richer hue. In a pinch and don’t have a polarizing filter? Try shooting through your polarized sunglasses!

Experiment with Reflections

Trees, mountains and structures can add a unique look to your photos in the form of reflections on the lake’s surface. James Wheeler snapped this shot in Field, BC with the canoe platform perfectly reflecting on the untouched lake.

Boats Make for Great Subjects

On a lake, boats make the best subjects. Whether they’re bobbing gently on the water, or racing across creating energetic waves, there’s lots of opportunities for unique boat shots. Depending on the lighting, you can experiment with reflections of the boat on the water, or even silhouettes like in the shot above.

Use Leading Lines

The viewer’s eye will be drawn to strong lines like a lake’s wharf, so try composing your shot around similar structures. Add a subject at the end of the wharf for added effect. A path leading to the lake or stepping stones would also make for compelling shots.

Shoot from Above

Have a drone in your photography arsenal? The lake is a perfect place to experiment with some unique aerial photos (within Transport Canada’s regulations, of course)! Just make sure you have enough battery power to get your drone out over the water and then back to shore before it runs out of juice.

Of course, great photos don’t deserve to just sit on your camera or phone – they deserve to be shared and displayed! Compile your favourite lakeside snapshots into a photo book, or take the best of the best and have them printed as a fine art prints, like an aluminum metal panel or enlargement. We also have all kinds of customizable novelties we can print your summer photos on – like a water bottle or even a beach blanket!

To get started, either download our London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android, or upload your photos to our Photolab website. If you’d like a little extra guidance from our LDExperts, come visit us in-store in the Photolab!