My wife, son, and I started what was intended to be an annual vacation to the eastern provinces of Canada a few years back...just before covid. My mother's side of the family hail from here so I'd like to think it feels familiar. Bonus is we really enjoy the area and people.
The pandemic and other priorities put things on hold until this year, when we were able to pick the tradition back up, and travelled from Maine to Rothesay NB, Lunenburg NS, Indian Harbor NS, Halifax NS, back to Rothesay and home.
As different as the towns and settings were, there was really no favorite in the bunch. It was more of a smorgasbord of experiences, each one successful in its own way. A little car trouble along the way spiced things up, as did some torrential rain...apparently the new normal for parts of the world this spring/summer.
As for kit, I just realize that I was still hauling around full size DSLR gear last time. One afternoon in particular comes to mind. We'd been walking all morning in Charlottetown, PEI. It was hot, and we collapsed at a small outdoor table hoping for refreshments.
Even then, hauling a big Canon body with multiple L zooms around in a bag was just too much like work. So instead the camera and one lens sat strapped across me, heavy and at risk of whacking into tables, chairs, and passersby. But where to set it down safely amongst all the bustle? How uncomfortable.
Was it then and there that my later decision to sell it all and switch to a smaller, lighter system was born? I suspect that to some degree it was.
This year, my walkabout kit was the Lumix G9 body and one lens...usually the Leica DG 9mm or 8-18mm ASPH, while the 50-200mm sat at home in the sling bag. This system did not weigh me down, nor seem likely to hit and injure itself or others. The one change for next time will be to take the 15mm f1.7 instead of the 9mm. Just a preference.
At the end of the day, the wet conditions added punch to the already brilliant colors of the area. I did not have any goals in mind while shooting. It was just a family vacation, and mostly I was simply recording whatever caught my eye. But I seem to have captured the flavor of the different towns, and truly enjoyed the process. Success.
The pandemic and other priorities put things on hold until this year, when we were able to pick the tradition back up, and travelled from Maine to Rothesay NB, Lunenburg NS, Indian Harbor NS, Halifax NS, back to Rothesay and home.
As different as the towns and settings were, there was really no favorite in the bunch. It was more of a smorgasbord of experiences, each one successful in its own way. A little car trouble along the way spiced things up, as did some torrential rain...apparently the new normal for parts of the world this spring/summer.
As for kit, I just realize that I was still hauling around full size DSLR gear last time. One afternoon in particular comes to mind. We'd been walking all morning in Charlottetown, PEI. It was hot, and we collapsed at a small outdoor table hoping for refreshments.
Even then, hauling a big Canon body with multiple L zooms around in a bag was just too much like work. So instead the camera and one lens sat strapped across me, heavy and at risk of whacking into tables, chairs, and passersby. But where to set it down safely amongst all the bustle? How uncomfortable.
Was it then and there that my later decision to sell it all and switch to a smaller, lighter system was born? I suspect that to some degree it was.
This year, my walkabout kit was the Lumix G9 body and one lens...usually the Leica DG 9mm or 8-18mm ASPH, while the 50-200mm sat at home in the sling bag. This system did not weigh me down, nor seem likely to hit and injure itself or others. The one change for next time will be to take the 15mm f1.7 instead of the 9mm. Just a preference.
At the end of the day, the wet conditions added punch to the already brilliant colors of the area. I did not have any goals in mind while shooting. It was just a family vacation, and mostly I was simply recording whatever caught my eye. But I seem to have captured the flavor of the different towns, and truly enjoyed the process. Success.
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