The "Charge" Of The Flight Brigade

Yes, You Could Call It A Power Struggle

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Until a couple of years ago, I’d used quite a few camera brands. Then in mid-2006 I used a Pentax for the first time when I had to review the performance of a K100D. I liked the camera so much that I bought it. I liked the way it handled, I liked its balance, I liked the feel of the camera, I liked the weather-proofing of the body. But more than anything else, I liked the fact that it was powered by simple AA batteries.

For more than a decade, I had become accustomed to sealed battery units, but with the Pentax and its 18-125mm lens, I suddenly realised there was much greater freedom. It’s the perfect lens if you’re travelling. And it’s the perfect power source - crucially - if you’re on the road. Hey, have you ever come across a place, even a remote town, where you can’t buy AA batteries?

In the two years that I’ve had the Pentax, I’ve always used rechargeable batteries, but I’ve always carried backup with me. In my camera bag, I always have one set of AA batteries. A few months ago, I made assurance doubly sure and slipped in a second set.

It was a simple decision that saved me from what could have potentially been my greatest embarrassment. Last month, I was privileged to be invited by Yukon Tourism aboard a Fireweed chopper flight over the snowy peaks of Tombstone Territorial Park. It was my second day in the Yukon and because I was using a Pentax K200D along with the K100D, I had charged both sets of rechargeable batteries overnight.

The chopper had barely taken off and I started shooting immediately. We took off from Dawson City and had been flying for about ten minutes when the battery indicator on the K100D showed I had no power. I was puzzled, but I knew I had backup in my bag.

Mate, if you’re six foot three, never try this in the cockpit of a helicopter. I emptied the battery compartment and, scrabbling around by feel only, found four spare AA cells in my camera bag. Praying that I wouldn’t drop one (or more) I put the fresh batteries into the camera. No worries at all.

About ten minutes later, the same thing happened on my other camera, which had my 70-300mm lens on it. Again I had to repeat the process in the cramped confines of the left-hand seat.

Yes, I had two sets of spare rechargeable batteries, but they were in my hotel room. Now I had to work out why my batteries had died so quickly and unexpectedly. The answer slowly dawned on me. I was using a 240-volt Australian charger - in Canada, where the voltage is significantly lower.

Immediately after the flight, during which I shot almost 1000 frames, I headed into Dawson and bought a set of lithium batteries and a Canadian-voltage charger. From that point on, I had no worries.

Certainly, my decisions to a) buy Pentax and b) always carry two sets of spare Energisers in my camera bag had paid rich dividends.

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Big Blue

Have You Ever Seen Anything Quite Like This?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I was privileged to share in many great experiences during my week in the Yukon, but a helicopter ride over Tombstone Territorial Park was the highlight of my time in Dawson City. Like everything else during my time here, this exceptional experience was organised by Yukon Tourism.

Our pilot was Brent from Fireweed, the well-known chopper company - and did he ever give us an experience to remember. You can see other photographs of the mountains, taken from the cockpit of the helicopter during that flight, on my post titled Climb Every Mountain. But I'd like to share these photographs as well.

It was Brent's first day flying out of Dawson City, but shortly after we took off, he mentioned that he'd heard the other pilots talk about an amazing blue lake among the mountains. Let me tell you, they weren't kidding.

I shot the first three images with my 300mm lens, to give you an idea of the unique colour. It was almost like looking at a coral reef, because the blue was so striking.

I took the first shot to capture the gentle ripples across the surface of the lake, while the second shot (below) is an interesting contrast between the deep blue of the water and the soft yellow-green colour of the surrounds.

Then I realised that despite the gentle breeze causing the surface of the water to pucker, there was a very interesting reflection to be seen. Take a look at the picture below and tell me if you can figure out the object that is reflected in the water.


Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Superman, perhaps? Put on your thinking cap, because I've given you a couple of clues already.

However, if you're ready to give up and you want the answer, here it is. I shot this final frame with my 18-125 mm lens.

Climb Every Mountain

Or Maybe Take A Fireweed Chopper Instead

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes when you're fortunate enough to be invited to a place like the Yukon, it's hard to pick one solitary highlight from an itinerary that includes many phenomenal experiences. But when Yukon Tourism organised a chopper ride out of Dawson City, I knew I was going to have a couple of hours I would never forget.

At this point, I'd just like to point out that snow-capped mountains have always been a part of my life, because I went to a boarding school in the Himalayan town of Darjeeling. But a chopper ride over the mountains is something else.

How often do you get to fly over mountains and photograph them, looking down from above? I was given the front seat, alongside the pilot - and I have to say I have never shot so many images in such a short space of time.

Give a man two cameras, two Sigma lenses, a chopper, a great pilot and a mountain range - and there's not much else that Nature can do to top that.

I was also extremely lucky with the weather. As all the locals told me, it was the first weekend all summer that the weather had been so clear right through. There were a couple of wispy clouds around the highest peaks, but they disappeared quickly into the clear blue sky.

Here's something interesting to ponder. I took both these shots with my 300mm lens, and when I reviewed the photos at the end of a very long day, I was intrigued by the very deep blue in the background of both images. The sky had indeed been blue - but it had not been the dark cobalt that you can see in the background.

Gradually, in the next few minutes, I began to realise what the answer was. We had been flying so high that I had actually been shooting downwards, onto the peak in the first shot and onto the ridge in the second.

You see, the dark blue (almost a midnight blue, if you ask me) was actually the foothills of the surrounding peaks.

That's what happens when you train your lens down on a mountain, instead of up towards it. Have a look at this final shot and you'll see what I mean about the varying shades of blue.