2020 Holiday Print Sale!
Our annual holiday print sale is here! We’re doing something special this year. We know it’s been a tough year for people financially-speaking, so we’re still offering 20% off. But for any full-price print sales, we’ll be donating 20% to the Alberta Children’s Hospital! Here’s why.
THANK YOU! Thanks to your print orders, we were able to donate $1,000 to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Your generosity means so much to us and families who have received care at ACH, like Jack Wilson and his family.
Our annual holiday print sale is here!
We’ve got something special this year, too.
Two options:
Save 20% off limited edition prints with checkout code HOLIDAYS20.
Pay full price and we’ll donate 20% of the print sale to the Alberta Children’s Hospital!
Place your orders ASAP for timely delivery for the holidays!
Email us with any questions at inquiries@zizka.ca
Why the Alberta Children’s Hospital?
Photo by @lauralouphoto.
Seven years ago, our little pal Jack began to have seizures. He was diagnosed with polymicrogyria (PMG), a rare structural malformation that makes his brain prone to these seizures. In the past few years, this brave warrior has undergone three brain surgeries at the Alberta Children’s Hospital to help him live seizure-free. These surgeries involve removing parts of the brain and result in some side effects, such as weaknesses with muscle control, but each time he amazes us with his bold spirit and desire to relearn how to things like bike and ski. His most recent surgery was just this month, and we have been watching in awe as he’s adapting to new challenges. Go, Jack!
This holiday season, we have chosen to give 20% of the sales from full-price prints to the Alberta Children’s Hospital as a tribute to Jack and his incredible family.
Jack and his family; parents Brooke and Rob and siblings Laila and Nash.
Conference + Chill: Outdoor Adventure Photography Edition!
I am thrilled to be hosting the Outdoor Adventure edition of Conference + Chill, a virtual photo gathering connecting creatives around the globe.
Hang out with me on November 15, 2020! 9am -8pm PST.
I am thrilled to be hosting the Outdoor Adventure edition of Conference + Chill, a virtual photo gathering connecting creatives around the globe. I'll also be co-hosting the event with my partner Meghan J. Ward, a woman of many talents you might also know as the lady in the red dress!
Conference + Chill: Outdoor Edition is an all-day virtual event stacked (a project of Pepper) with top-notch guest speakers sharing their talent, knowledge, and general good vibes!
Tickets for full-day access cost only $59 and include a coveted Swag Bag, access to replay each presentation, and the opportunity to win fantastic prizes throughout the day.
Speakers
A friend and co-founder of OFFBEAT, Dave will be presenting The Life, Adventure, a collection of travel and adventure images from around the world that address the ethics of travel photography and the reasons we explore. He'll also dive into creating images that aren't only pretty, but also tell stories.
Cliford Mervil
Presenting My Path to Becoming an Outdoor & Commercial Photographer, Cliford will walk us through the ups, downs, twists, and turns he faced on his journey to become a full-time creative.
Angela Percival
Senior Outdoor Photographer for Arc'teryx for more than a decade, Angela Percival has masterminded wild expeditions to some of the world's most remote places. Angela will share images and stories about pushing the limits of outdoor photography.
Peter Mather
Peter Mather is an established photographer focused on northern wildlife and culture. He will present How to Try and Fail at Becoming a National Geographic Wildlife Photographer. You're guaranteed to laugh and learn from the story of his futile attempt to. live every wildlife photographer's dream.
Irene Yee
A successful climbing photographer based in Las Vegas, Irene's unique perspective shines a light on the social and community aspects of climbing.
Follow @CONFERENCEANDCHILL on Instagram for updates!
LightMATTERS Conference Coming Up Oct. 23-25!
I'm excited to be speaking at this year's LightMATTERS conference, an annual educational event that brings professional photographers and passionate creatives together in Alberta.
I'm excited to be speaking at this year's LightMATTERS conference, an annual educational event that brings professional photographers and passionate creatives together in Alberta.
I’ll be talking about one of my favourite subjects: Shooting Stars: The Amazing World of Astro-Photography.
Taking place from October 23 - 25, 2020, LightMATTERS is an opportunity to connect with knowledgable educators, develop your skills, and expand your professional network. The talented lineup of guest speakers also features Andrew & Arlene Simpson, Katherine Calnan, Cole Thompson, Sophia Katherine, Mike Hoffman, Doreen Vanderhart, and Kelly Robitaille.
Register for the event and get 20% off with my discount code: Paul20.
*Discount code applicable to non-members of the PPOC.
Visit lightmatters.ca for full details!
Visit the LightMATTERS event on Facebook.
Giveaway: Win a Manfrotto Tripod + Lowepro Camera Backpack!
If you’re looking to gear up with the latest and greatest, don’t miss this giveaway! I’ve teamed up with Manfrotto and Lowepro to give you the chance to win a Befree Advanced Carbon Fibre Travel Tripod and a Protactic camera backpack (valued at $460 USD).
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
If you’re looking to gear up with the latest and greatest, don’t miss this giveaway! I’ve teamed up with Manfrotto and Lowepro to give you the chance to win a Befree Advanced Carbon Fibre Travel Tripod and a Protactic camera backpack (valued at $460 USD).
See all entry options below! Enter in as many ways as you like. Each option counts as an entry!
Contest closes August 16, 2020, at 11:59pm MT.
→ Open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) and the United States (except Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and other United States territories and possessions). See full Contest Rules here.
Prize package includes:
Befree Advanced Carbon Fibre Travel Tripod twist, ball head
Advanced Travel Tripod kit Carbon
Superior performance with maximum lightness
Center Ball Head with three independent ergonomic controls
Side pull selector ensures quick setup with both hands
Unique premium design, 100% Made in Italy
3-point access Pro Mirrorless/Standard DSLR cameras and lenses
ActivZone™ for comfort with structured back panel
50/50 storage split of camera gear to personal belongings
Removable molded EVA QuickShelf™ divider system
CradleFit™ compartment safeguards up to 15-inch laptop
Entry Options
Follow Paul Zizka Photography, Manfrotto and Lowepro on Facebook and leave a comment below to let us know you have done so.
Follow @PaulZizkaPhoto, @manfrottoimaginemore and @loweprobags on Instagram and leave a comment below to let us know you have done so.
Follow @PaulZizkaPhoto, @manfrotto_uk, @Lowepro and tweet the following message:
Win a @manfrotto_uk Tripod + @Lowepro Camera Backpack via @PaulZizkaPhoto! To enter, RT this tweet and find more entry options at zizka.ca/blog/summer20giveaway.
Newsletter
You may unsubscribe at any time after the contest winner is announced. If you are already on the Paul Zizka newsletter, you may fill out the form and we will be notified of your entry.
The Wilder Side of Malta: Gozo
I had the chance to visit Malta with my family back in December and take in its wild coastlines, dramatic rock structures, and rugged seascapes. We also toured the old city of Valletta, which was a sight to behold, but I did not take out the camera much during that portion. Naturally, I’m drawn to the sea and landscapes, and here is the best I shot while in Malta. In fact, all of these images were taken on the Maltese island of Gozo.
The Republic of Malta is a country that defies description. Its history is as multi-layered and complex as its towering cliffs that hang over the sea. Located 80 km south of Italy and 333 km north of Libya, smack in the middle of the Mediterranean, Malta has been used as a naval base for centuries. It’s culture today possesses remnants of all those that came before, from the Phoenicians and Carthaginians to Romans and Greeks, Arabs and Normans, French and British. Remarkably, the habitation of the island goes back to 5900 BC and some of the oldest man-made structures on the planet can still be found there.
I had the chance to visit Malta with my family back in December and take in its wild coastlines, dramatic rock structures, and rugged seascapes. We also toured the old city of Valletta, which was a sight to behold, but I did not take out the camera much during that portion. Naturally, I’m drawn to the sea and landscapes, and here is the best I shot while in Malta. In fact, all of these images were taken on the Maltese island of Gozo.
All of these images are available as Limited Edition Prints in a variety of sizes and formats, as well as stock image licensing.
Dwejra Bay. Photo by Paul Zizka.
Dwejra Bay. Photo by Paul Zizka.
Wied Il-Mielaħ. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
Xlendi Bay. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
Xlendi Bay. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
Xlendi Bay. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
Sanap Cliffs. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
The Inland Sea at Dwejra Bay. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
Xlendi Bay. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
The Inland Sea at Dwejra Bay. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
To the Ends of the Earth: An Evening with Paul Zizka
Take a journey to remote landscapes around the world, from the icebergs of Antarctica to the crystal waters of Polynesia, the eerie deserts of Mongolia to forgotten corners of the Canadian Rockies. Join us for an evening of storytelling and photography with award-winning photographer, Paul Zizka.
Take a journey to remote landscapes around the world, from the icebergs of Antarctica to the crystal waters of Polynesia, the eerie deserts of Mongolia to forgotten corners of the Canadian Rockies. Join us for an evening of storytelling and photography with award-winning photographer, Paul Zizka.
Register to attend this live event or watch a replay afterwards!
June 5, 2020 - 6pm-7:30pm Mountain Time
Tickets are just $10. 10% of ticket sales will go to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Paul Zizka Now on Patreon!
I finally have the opportunity to offer more in-depth material, online, to those who are seeking it. So, I’m excited to announce that you can now join me over on Patreon for Live Q+As, photo tips and advice, stories behind the images and photo critiques! I’ll let you into my home, my world, and give you a window into my process and my journey as a photographer.
I often get asked about the story behind my images and how they were created. I also get questions about all aspects of photography and frequently fall short on time to answer them because of my travels and workshop teaching.
Well, I’m home now, for a while. I finally have the opportunity to offer more in-depth material, online, to those who are seeking it. So, I’m excited to announce that you can now join me over on Patreon for Live Q+As, photo tips and advice, stories behind the images and photo critiques! I’ll let you into my home, my world, and give you a window into my process and my journey as a photographer.
I invite you to watch the introductory video below check out the details on Patreon!
Two tiers are available:
The first – Behind the Images with Paul Zizka – is just the price of a latte ($5 USD) per month and gives you access to weekly Patreon-exclusive content.
The second is something I’m particularly excited about – a 1-on-1 Mentorship Program with five spots only. Five students snagged the spots in just the first two hours of my launching. For all those of you who are interested, I am considering adding some spots. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, I highly recommend you sign up for Behind the Images with Paul Zizka, as there will be plenty of opportunities to learn there. I will also post there any time a student is off again on their own trajectory and making room for someone new.
The Frozen Bubbles
The lakes are starting to freeze in the Canadian Rockies, and the bubble craze (and skating season!) are just around the corner. I get a lot of emails in the winter about the methane bubbles that form under the ice, so I thought I’d provide a bit of info so more people can learn more about them.
The lakes are starting to freeze in the Canadian Rockies, and the bubble craze (and skating season!) are just around the corner. I get a lot of emails in the winter about the methane bubbles that form under the ice, so I thought I'd provide a bit of info so more people can learn more about them.
These bubbles can occur in many different lakes, and I have even shot the bubbles in 10-12 lakes in and around Banff National Park. However, the lakes eventually get snow-covered, and the majority of them will not show ice again until the spring when the bubbles are gone.
The bubble phenomenon occurs when the lakes are exposed to the warm Chinook winds causing some of the lakes to shed their snow to reveal the bubbles mid-winter. Some of the bigger lakes that come to mind are Abraham Lake, Lake Minnewanka, and Vermilion Lakes.
Locations:
Bubbles at the far end of Lake Minnewanka. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
Abraham Lake is by far the most popular location to document the phenomenon as its surface is very easily accessible, and it gets far less snow than other parts of the Rockies. It's a busy place, though, when the bubbles do occur - people come from all over the world to shoot here, but if you're willing to walk/skate a little, you can find solitude still.
The Vermilion Lakes sometimes offer very short windows where the winds will blow the lakes free of snow and reveal small pockets of methane bubbles. Don't expect wide vast swaths of them, though.
Lake Minnewanka has the best bubbles I've ever seen, but they're often best at the far end of the lake, 20+ km from the road. For that reason, I expect it'll always be quiet there. If you are lucky, there are sometimes pockets of bubbles near the road too.
When to Shoot:
As far as when to shoot them, I've found that it can really depend. The window of opportunity is usually short, a few weeks at best. When we get a warm weather spell, like essentially all of last winter, then that window can narrow down to just a few days. Warm weather creates a film of water on the lakes, and the bubbles get "buried" deeper in the ice. I've found overall that the best time of the year to shoot them is mid-January to late February. Having said that, I got this image in November…
It goes without saying: Be safe, and always test the ice before getting into it!
Happy shooting out there, everyone. Might see you on the lakes this winter! More bubble photos are below!
Behind the Image: Audience of One
This time around, play time meant finding ourselves camping on the Greenland ice sheet for three nights, about 50 kilometres away from the closest settlement, Kangerlussuaq. Our main purpose over those few days was to document supraglacial lakes, these surreal, turquoise bodies of water that have proliferated along the edge of the ice cap recently.
Earlier this month, I was fortunate to return to beautiful Greenland to lead a group with fellow photographers Stephen DesRoches and Curtis Jones. Through OFFBEAT, the company I co-founded with my friend Dave Brosha, we do a number of these epic photography trips every year. They are always rewarding journeys; it is such a privilege to be able to introduce fellow photographers to these wild corners of the planet, and to help guide them along their creative journey. Between the demands on the logistical side, and the fact that our priority is to assist participants with their own photographs, there really isn't much time for leaders to create images of their own. That's why we always make a point to add a few days to any international trip we do for pure creative time. "Play time," as we call it.
This time around, play time meant finding ourselves camping on the Greenland ice sheet for three nights, about 50 kilometres away from the closest settlement, Kangerlussuaq. Our main purpose over those few days was to document supraglacial lakes, these surreal, turquoise bodies of water that have proliferated along the edge of the ice cap recently. Unfortunately, shortly after setting foot on the ice and sending up a reconnaissance drone, we realized we were too late. Winter had arrived early in Greenland and once up on the ice, there was barely any open water to be found. We reluctantly reset our objectives, set up a base camp and focused on finding some other features to photograph. As an avid astrophotographer, my main concern during the day was locating compositions that could be recreated under the stars and, hopefully, the aurora. All of the forecasts agreed that our first two nights would be overcast, but our very last night in the area looked hopeful.
This image is available as a limited-edition print in a variety of sizes and format. See our online store for details!
Despite the blizzard that set in shortly after setting up camp, we made good use of the next 48 hours by locating stunning ice caves and canyons within a kilometre of our tents. By the time the clear night came around, I had 4 or 5 shots I was after. I had a plan and a vision. Nightfall came cloudy, however, and we started getting concerned that our astrophotography plans would fall through. At midnight, we were still fighting the cloud cover despite all forecasts still calling for crystal clear conditions (I had re-checked with the InReach). Behind the veil, one could tell that the aurora was dancing. It was one of those situations where the images still looked great on the back of the cameras (due to the ice features being so photogenic), but every time we'd meet in the dark, one of us would say "Oh man, can you imagine if the clouds weren't there?!" Eventually, Stephen and Curtis decided to make their way back to camp and would shoot there if the skies cleared up. I opted to stick it out a little longer. After all, sunlight wouldn't come for another five hours and I had come all this way. Finally, at around 1 a.m., the cloud cover started dissipating quickly, revealing a bright ribbon of green.
I frantically ran around, crampons on, to re-create the four compositions I had scouted, and was able to frame the aurora borealis in all four. I've always felt I've had more than my share of luck with the aurora over the years. But that night was something else. This particular image was shot from the middle of a bend at the bottom of an ice canyon. The cold may have meant our blue lakes were gone, but it had enabled us to travel along the bottom of such canyons, thus opening up incredible compositions. I set up the tripod, went with settings of f/2.8, ISO 1600 and 10 seconds, manually focus on the rim of the canyon (where I would be standing), got the 5DIV to shoot continuously and then proceeded up the canyon, to a less steep section nearby and then up to the rim for the self-portrait. I placed my Lupine headlamp on the ground behind me to cast a bit of rim light on myself. I took about eight similar images and selected this one because it's the one where the aurora looked best.
Aurora and ice on the Greenland ice sheet. Photo by Paul Zizka Photography.
I hope you like the stories behind the images! I very much look forward to sharing a few more shots from that incredible night!
This image is available as a limited-edition print in a variety of sizes and format. See our online store for details!
Join me on Patreon for more “Behind the Image” video posts, which go into more detail and feature behind-the-scenes footage and my editing process from raw to final.
The Business of Photography
The Business of Photography is for everyone wanting to monetize their images, whether it is to pay for the occasional piece of gear or go full-time. It's for everyone wanting an honest window into the current state of the industry and what it takes to make it work, not just for the coming year, but in a way that is sustainable.
I'm so excited to finally launch our Business of Photography program!
Doing photography for a living has always been romanticized. It's really not what most people think. The industry is extremely volatile and plagued by misinformation and sweeping statements. Along the journey, we photographers are constantly pressured to sell out creatively, give our work away, and abandon our initial intentions.
Despite the ups and downs, and all of the less glamorous aspects that the public doesn't see, I wouldn't trade my job for any other in the world. Granted, it's not for everyone. But I know how much it has done for my life. And if I can help others make the leap, feel less overwhelmed, chase a creative life and share their view of the world, then I find that most rewarding.
The Business of Photography is for everyone wanting to monetize their images, whether it is to pay for the occasional piece of gear or go full-time. It's for everyone wanting an honest window into the current state of the industry and what it takes to make it work, not just for the coming year, but in a way that is sustainable. It's for fellow photographers who have the drive but don't know where to start, who are concerned about juggling photography and the other priorities in their lives.
I want to thank all the people who poured heart and soul into this. The feedback we have received so far has been incredible.
From L-R: Viktoria Haack, Dave Brosha, Lanny Mann, Erika Jensen-Mann, John E. Marriott, and Paul Zizka.
I'm looking forward to helping others go where they want to go with their photography.
If you're curious about the program, go to the Business of Photography site!