The Halifax Citadel dates back to the 1700s and is maintained as a living historical site, complete with people to re-create earlier days. You’re allowed to chat with them, so I asked this young man if he’d mind turning to his left a bit so I’d have some light in his face. Nikon Z 9, Manual exposure, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 100, 1/320 at f/10 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 19mm.

I wanted to show people plugging their ears during the musket demonstration, but didn’t want to ruin their photos by standing directly across from them. So I chose a spot off to the side, using a cannon as a framing device. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 125, 1/320 at f/10 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 101mm.

A ceremonial cannon is fired at noon, and the only angle that clearly shows it is from the opposite wall, far across the parade ground. My longest lens was only 200mm, but with 45-megapixels of resolution from the Z 9, I had plenty of pixels to crop in. And using the Nikon Z 9’s Pre-release feature I was able to capture both the ignition and firing before I flinched from the loud blast. Nikon Z 9, Manual, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 160, 1/500 at f/9 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 200mm.

Since our visit to the Halifax Public Gardens was the only time I expected to shoot close-ups, I brought along extension tubes (lightweight and compact) to use with my regular lenses instead of a macro lens. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 800, 1/250 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 71mm with Meike extension tubes.

Another photo from the gardens, there was a sprinkler watering this bed of flowers so I stood on the far side and used a relatively slow shutter speed to show the water droplets against the out of focus background. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 200, 1/320 at f/8 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 200mm.

The lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove is a “must-see” destination, but heavy cloud cover made it a little challenging to photograph while we were there. That just means we needed to find other ways to make pictures of it, like this bridal couple posing for photos nearby. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 640, 1/125 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 140mm.

After sunset, those same heavy clouds would make for a nice blurry background during our night shots. The light on the foreground rocks is coming from a parking lot and restaurant nearby. Nikon Z 9, Manual exposure, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 20 at f/8 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 24mm.

Rene Bastien, who ran the trip, discovered Coveside Stables during his planning and called to see if we could stop by. They said “yes”, so we photographed young women preparing for an equestrian competition the next day. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 1000, 1/1600 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 125mm.

Near those same stables is a small church at the top of a hill. With a grey sky, I suggested to everyone that black-and-white might make a more interesting picture than color, and the fence could be a nice framing device. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural auto white balance, ISO 100, 1/160 at f/11 in Matrix metering, +0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 24mm.

The waterfront village of Lunenberg is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a delight to wander through with a camera. Since I’d been there once before, I decided to look for something less classical. This works. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural auto white balance, ISO 160, 1/100 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 15mm.

One of the more interesting places we visited was the Historical Acadian Village. There we had the opportunity to photograph men and women practicing trades and crafts from the 1800s, as well as learn how they lived back then. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 400, 1/50 at f/1.8 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G lens.

We timed our visit to the Historical Acadian Village well, as it rained most of the time we were there, but were mostly inside. That meant a grey day, which  made this boy’s umbrella really stand out. I then desaturated the rest of the scene to help it “pop” even more. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 400, 1/1250 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 51mm.

We stopped at the historic Argyle Township Courthouse to photograph the building, but were offered an impromptu tour. In the courtroom I chose black-and-white to complement the old look of the scene. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 1000, 1/40 at f/4.5 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.

The small settlement of Blue Rocks made for a great 30-minute stop. Getting low with a very wide-angle lens, I was able to show the slabs of rock underwater as well as the fishing shack and sky above. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Natural Auto white balance, ISO 100, 1/200 at f/16 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.

We had a beautiful afternoon on the Bay of Fundy during a whale watching excursion. In addition to humpbacks and some dolphins, we were treated to occasional birds like this Puffin. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 720, 1/2000 at f/8 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens with Nikkor TC-14e III teleconverter for 700mm.

I always marvel that barnacles can grow on the tails of whales, as you can see on this humpback who’s diving. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, white balance, ISO 1100, 1/2000 at f/8 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens with Nikkor TC-14e III teleconverter for 700mm.

Point Prim Lighthouse, a cement block building with the lighthouse on top, isn’t the most beautiful of lighthouses, so I tried to keep it small and work with the surrounding plants and the sky. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 500, 1/200 at f/9 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 24mm.

We returned early the next morning to Point Prim Lighthouse to work the nice rocks and tidal pools nearby. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 125, 1/100 at f/16 in Matrix metering, -2.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 15mm.

Hall’s Harbour has an interesting history, named after a pirate who operated out of there in the 1700s. For us, it was a good place to stop for lunch and spend a little time making pictures. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 100, 1/160 at f/10 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.

Just outside of Hall’s Harbour we were able to explore a beach along the Bay of Fundy. This time I opted for black-and-white to emphasize the weathered wood and dramatic sky. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 100, 1/400 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.

We stumbled across Bad Chad’s Garage on our trip a few years ago, and discovered that he builds custom cars and is the face of a reality TV show. He graciously allowed us to wander the property then, and once again this year. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 100, 1/200 at f/13 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.

The final stop on our tour was at the Dartmouth Cove Murals, outside Halifax. Another place we found back in 2018, it’s a great location to have some fun with the paintings, and I thought this stop sign at a RR crossing fit the sc nicely. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, SUNNY white balance, ISO 200, 1/640 at f/11 in multi-segment metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 15mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.