DEEP COVE
Shot on Canon C200
North Shores, British Columbia
Although featured in several travel guides, it was sheer luck that brought me to Deep Cove. As I was dropping someone off in North Vancouver, I continued down the road East on Dollarton Highway instead of heading back to the bridge. I soon reached the end of the road that sloped down a gentle hill towards the shores—a wooden sign with golden carved letters spelled Deep Cove.
A light rain flickered on the last leaves. Across the small bay, the fog-shrouded the quiet cove. Dauntless kayakers still paddled away, and despite their bright, colourful crafts, they disappeared in the misty horizon. Through the thick foggy curtain, I could guess the surrounding mountains, and even so briefly, their snowed peaks sometimes emerged from the clouds.
I returned many times to Deep Cove in every season, by night and by day. Every time, it looked different.
In the early fall of 2019, I was lucky to try out the Canon EOS C200 for about two weeks on personal and professional projects. I was always fond of Canon cameras for their straightforward user interface and quality output. Picking up a Canon for the first time is relatively easy, and it doesn’t require much time to be familiar with the EOS system. But what I loved the most about Canon is the idea of “ready to shoot.” I didn’t spend much time setting up the camera as it did what I wanted pretty much out of the box.
And this is probably one of the many reasons why so many documentary filmmakers are using the EOS cinema system.
And so on one afternoon, I packed the C200; the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens; a monopod and headed north across the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, took the first exit and followed the end of the Dollarton highway towards the beloved Deep Cove. On the single-lane road, I was surrounded by kayaks mounted on cars and heading down to the calm waters. Meanwhile, others were renting the crafts from Deep Cove Kayak Centre, which provided all the necessary gear to explore -by water- the numerous coves hidden along the Indian Arm.
But it always was the sailboat fleet moored in the bay that drew my attention. I would often sit down in a quiet place and gaze at the vessels slowly spinning on the gentle current - pushed by the winds - and wonder about a nomadic life on a floating wooden house.
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Follow All Your Dreams Tonight by Paddy Conn & Angelina Dove
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Canon EOS C200 at 3840x2160px - 60fps - Wide DR profile
EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS
EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II
Edited in Premiere Pro.
Ratio Set to 2:39.1 in post-production.
Graded with Film convert Nitrate.
Sound Design & Audio Mix in Audition.
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The combination of the IS lens and the monopod’s weight allowed me to mimic minimal Steadicam movements without excessive camera shakes.
The histogram helped me keep my highlights with the help of the built-in variable ND filters.
The electronic eyepiece became quite useful and addictive under the sunlight.
I bet on the Autofocus of the camera and was not disappointed. I didn’t have a single out-of-focus shot (although most of it was shot at infinite)
I only had a single battery, which limited my time on location. The battery was not brand new and drained quite fast.
