The Camera Store Blog

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Now is the perfect time to upgrade your gear or find the perfect gift with Canon's Rediscover Canada Sales Event! Whether capturing the vast Canadian landscape, documenting the hustle of the soccer field, family chapters, or the city’s pulse, Canon's purpose-built cameras and printers help you turn “remember whens” into something permanent. Until June 11th, 2026, save up to $400 on Canon cameras, lenses, printers and more! Canon is also helping you level up your creativity with exclusive bonus rewards when you purchase any eligible Canon camera during the Rediscover Canada Sales Event!

Upgrade your Sony kit and save big when you bundle a Sony camera and a lens or multiple lenses! Until March 21, 2027, when you purchase an eligible Sony Alpha camera body at The Camera Store, you'll receive $300 off a qualifying Sony lens! Better yet, the savings stack, purchase one qualifying camera body and all five eligible lenses, and each lens gets its own $300 discount! It's the perfect opportunity to build your dream Sony setup while taking advantage of some incredible savings.

We got the chance to interview Mark Vitaris, an incredibly talented photographer, accomplished photo book creator and dear friend of The Camera Store. Over the years, Mark's career has included everything from commercial and report photography to personal documentary projects. That variety has helped shape his understanding of photography and his appreciation for the ways people can engage with photographic work. From his involvement in The Camera Store's 30th Anniversary Exhibition during the 2026 Exposure Photography Festival to his most recent photo book, Áísínai'pi: A Visual Quest, Mark's enthusiasm for the craft is inspirational.

Sony Artisan, sports photographer and dad Jermaine Horton brings his field experience, sharing the two lenses he trusts when photographing his son's youth baseball team. Jermaine leans on a simple two‑lens setup – a fast, flexible zoom for plate‑to‑dugout coverage and a lightweight telephoto for crisp reach and separation. Jermaine shares more on those lenses and some of his baseball imagery in the article below.

Relive the excitement of your summer sports adventures with Ilford's exceptional black and white films, Ilford XP2 Super 35mm and Ilford HP5 Plus 35mm now available in the exclusive limited-edition Football packaging. Perfect for capturing the energy and thrill of the moment, these films bring professional-level quality to your photography while keeping the energy of the upcoming FIFA World Cup alive! 

During the 2026 Exposure Photography Festival, The Camera Store hosted the Brian Henson Memorial Exhibition to commemorate Brian Henson, a renowned fine art photographer and beloved friend. In accordance with the wishes of his estate, Brian’s pieces were made available for purchase throughout the festival, with all proceeds being donated to the RESET Society of Calgary. We are overjoyed to share that we raised $8,600 in Brian's honour! A huge thank you to everyone who bought one of Brian’s prints, contributing to a meaningful cause and celebrating Brian’s extraordinary legacy.

Who said a telephoto lens can't be a great choice for landscape photography? Joshua Saltsman is challenging this common perception with the Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f2.8 R LM OIS WR lens. This versatile, high-performance telephoto zoom lens can bring a unique perspective to expansive scenes. Joshua explores how focal length can create compression and improve your composition, so you can expand your creativity and capture stunning landscapes.

We are thrilled to share the exciting news that Alberta landscape photographer, Matt Melnyk, won the "Weather, Seasons and Skies" category in the 2025 Canadian Photos of the Year Competition! The Canadian Photos of the Year competition honours the Canadian photographers who captured some of the best pictures of the year. 

Sticking to one style can be effective because it attracts people who appreciate that particular aesthetic. However, it often confines you to a specific category, making it difficult to explore beyond your usual approach. Personally, I prefer to take photos in bright and sunny conditions, especially during the golden light of early morning and late evening. This lighting works well for the cheerful and dramatic images I enjoy creating. Unfortunately, when the sun isn't shining, I feel compelled to adopt a more subdued mood in my photography. I was reminded of this during a recent shoot, where the weather was consistently dreary, rainy, and windy, leaving me longing for that golden, crepuscular light.

Chris Laracy is a wildlife photographer based in the NY/NJ area. “I spend a lot of time in the field chasing clean light, clean backgrounds, and real wildlife behavior, especially the moments that happen fast and never repeat,” he explains. “Outside of shooting, I make my living teaching what I’ve learned through online lessons and mentorships, plus field workshops for photographers who want to build real skills in real conditions. I genuinely love what I do, and I feel lucky to be able to create and share this kind of work.” We came across some of Chris’ recent winter bird photography and reached out to learn more. Keep reading as he shares the story behind these shots, taken with his Alpha 1 II and 600mm f/4 G Master.