Free Desktop Background: The Face of Rock and Snow

This picture is taken north of Jasper from a place called Crowfoot Glades, which is a popular ski spot. I always like how the face of mountains and peaks change with snow clinging to their surfaces. The snow adds a contrast to the dark rock and it smooths out even the gnarliest of features.

Free Desktop Background: The Web of Steel

It’s not often that buildings or architecture can look like a kind of art. Most seem to be built to be functional and practical, and look like every other building. But every now and then, a building will make you stop and stare like it’s some sort of giant sculpture or piece of art. The Bow Tower in Calgary is one of those buildings that is super impressive with it’s curving beams and patterns.

Free Desktop Background: Alpenglow on the Peaks

I’d love to tell you how peaceful and quiet the morning was when I took this picture but, unfortunately I’d be lying. I remember trying to hold my camera and tripod down as the wind was howling and cutting through everything that I was wearing so that soon I was numb from the cold. But hopefully there is some peace and serenity within the photo that I didn’t quite feel while taking it. 

Free Desktop Background: Bee in the Lavender

If you’re ever in Wanaka, New Zealand, make sure to stop by the lavender farm just outside of town. You can buy all sorts of cool lavender soaps, oils, teas, and other crazy things in the shop. But the real highlight is wandering around the gardens and fields which is super peaceful and relaxing. It’s no wonder the bees love lavender so much.

Free Desktop Background: On Top of the Mountain

There’s a mountain in Switzerland that sits above the town of Lucerne called Mount Pilatus. You can take a gondola or cog-wheel train to the top and then explore a bunch of different trails and area. If you look close in this picture, you can see the town far below, a church on the shoulder of the mountain, paths far down below on either side of the mountain, and if you have a really keen eye, you can see parts of a military base that sits inside the peak of the mountain.

Free Desktop Background: The Road Ahead

This photo was taken in New Zealand on the drive to Milford Sound. The native beech forests in New Zealand are really amazing and are always a vibrant green. When you’re driving in some places, the trees on either side of the road have spread their branches together, closing in the space above the road which forms a sort of tunnel.

Free Desktop Background: Blue Hour in Moeraki

Just north of Dunedin, New Zealand is a small town called Moeraki which has become quite famous for the Moeraki Boulders. They are a bunch of perfectly round rocks along the beech that look like gigantic marbles. This was taken one winter morning as the sun was breaking over the horizon.

Free Desktop Background: Peaks in the Clouds

One rainy day in Wanaka I decided to do an epic bike ride along the Glen Dene Ridge Track. The day ended up being a little bit more foggy and miserable than I had expected, but after enduring all of the damp and cold, the clouds slowly began to break up and I was greeted by some really cool views of the surrounding peaks and ridges emerging from a blanket of clouds.

Free Desktop Background: Rippon Winery Sunrise

I always struggle to wake up for sunrise, but when I do, it’s always worth it. This was taken one morning on a vineyard just outside of Wanaka called Rippon. It wasn’t open to the public yet, so I had to jump a few fences, but I knew that you wanted a picture for your new desktop background so I couldn’t let that sort of thing stop me.

Free Desktop Background: Misty Mountains

One of my favourite places in New Zealand is called Glenorchy. There isn’t much to do there except go on hikes and walks as it is literally at the end of the road. But the mountains and scenery surrounding Glenorchy is unbelievable (it’s also the filming location for Isengard in the Lord of the Rings movies). These mountains are directly above the town and I took this one day as a rain story was rolling in over the mountains.

Free Desktop Background: Lake Louise from Above

Surprisingly, this one wasn’t taken with a drone or out of any sort of plane or helicopter. There’s a hike above Lake Louise called the Devil’s Thumb and there is a lookout where you get a really good view down to the lake. I zoomed in and took a picture of the head of the lake where all of the glacial silt and debris flows in and the sun was hitting it perfectly to make the colours in the lake glow.

Free Desktop Background: Island Lake Reflection

A few minutes from Fernie on a rough gravel road is a place called Island Lake. There’s a lodge there where you can stay overnight and have lunch or supper. But the main attraction at Island Lake is the abundance of walking and hiking trails. You can walk all of the way around the lake, and on a calm day the trees along the edge reflect perfectly in the water.

Free Desktop Background: Light at the end of the Tunnel

The Karanghake Gorge is an abandoned mining settlement on the North Island of New Zealand. There are a bunch of walking trails through the gorge that you can explore and you can even see the old mining tunnels built into the sides of the gorge. This particular tunnel was a kilometre long straight through the corner of a mountain. The light is from a head torch that I was playing around with to make light trails.

Free Desktop Background: Green as the Skye

By far my favourite place in Scotland was the Isle of Skye. Unfortunately this is true for a lot of people and it ends up being quite a busy place. But, on this particular day, I woke up early to drive out to the Quirang (I think that’s how you spell it, don’t ask me to say it though) and had the entire place to myself. The view is absolutely incredible and I could hear the waves of the ocean far below to my left, I could see a storm coming in from the distance, and the sounds of the sheep in the fields below were like the relaxing sounds of a wind chime.

Free Desktop Background: The Orchard

Even though autumn in New Zealand seems backwards as it happens through April and May, the colours and the feeling are just like at home. One day, when Hilary and I were driving through Cromwell, we saw this orchard on the side of the row with the leaves turning colours. Not being able to pass it up, we stopped and bought some fresh apples and had a wander through the rows of the orchard.

Free Desktop Background: The Deathstars

In a town called Moeraki, there are a bunch of round rocks on a beach and I couldn’t help but think that they looked like a bunch of deathstars. I then took a picture of a group of them with the tide swirling all around them and it looked like planets floating in a distant galaxy, or a galaxy far, far, away as Star Wars fans would say.

Free Lightroom Preset: Who’s That Lady?

This preset is a bit of the promiscuous type. You know the type. She might not make the best of friends and she’s definitely not employable…or ever on time for that matter. But if you want to turn heads and make them stare then this might be the ticket. With some junk in the trunk and luscious locks to make Troy Polamalu jealous this preset will give you that look that is nothing but “Instagrammable.” The secret sauce is in the tone curve, but there’s more to the story than that. You’ll have to try it to see for yourself.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Poppin’ Them Thangs

As 50 Cent and the rest of the G-Unit crew likes to say, “Every hood that we go through, all the gangsters around know my whole crew.” I think we can all relate to that it give it a “word, brother.” I’ll spare you from some unnecessary profanity and won’t write down the rest of the lyrics, but I’m sure you get the point. This preset has the street cred and swagger that you might need to give your photos an extra kick with all sorts of funky stuff going on under the hood. You feel me dawg?

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Free Lightroom Preset: Let’s Get it Started

This preset is that motivation that you need to get out of bed sometimes in the morning (correction: I think that’s every morning). Or that friend that you turn to when you’re trying something new and you need some encouragement or motivation to take that first step. It’s solid as bedrock and always there when you need it. This preset makes a great first adjustment for 90% of photos which can be tweaked further, or it can be used to process a batch of photos if you want to get the job done quick. It’s like a multi-tool that you can keep handy in your back pocket for anything that comes your way. Just don’t forget to take it out of that pocket when you put your pants into the wash, or god knows what will happen.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Faded Jeans

You can keep this little number tucked away at the bottom of a drawer or at the back of your closet where you’ll always know where it is. You don’t know where it came from, or how long you’ve had it, but every time you slip into it, it’s like the world transforms around you. Like a blanket of reassurance, a halo of confidence, or a surge of good times remembered, it’s like you’re suddenly taller, your waist is narrower, and your butt…well…don’t even get me started on that. You walk out the door and everyone is looking at you so much that you have to double check that your shirt isn’t inside out. With a hop of vibrance, some massive toning and clarity, and some vignetting, these babies are great for lounging around the house, business meetings, running marathons, walking on water, climbing mountains, slack lining, swimming in the lake, or just for wearing to your sister’s wedding.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Party Mix

We’ve all been to the parties where it feel likes the life has been sucked out of it by a gigantic fun-sucking vacuum. Everyone is quietly asking themselves what they’re doing there. Who’s birthday is it again? Am I at the wrong house? Is it Halloween, or does everyone just look like zombies due to boredom? And most importantly, how can I sneak out of here without anyone noticing? No one wants to address the hypothetical elephant in the room (I have to say “hypothetical” because obviously a real elephant in the room would mitigate this whole problem) but then you suddenly spot the problem. From the corner of the room you hear the soft tinkling of Beethoven from a cute little speaker. So you head for the vehicle and grab your boom box (everyone is always asking you why you take that thing everywhere with you, but now they’ll know) and walk into the room with it on your shoulder like LL Cool J blasting your favourite party mix that you put together just for these occasions. With a bit of this and a bit of that (mostly some split toning, a blast of exposure, some extra reds and yellows, a temperature change, and some toning) soon everyone is mooving (no, that’s not a typo, “moving” spelled with two “O’s” takes it to a whole new level) and grooving. All thanks to this little number and some good preparation, you’re off to saving the world, one party at a time.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Feel da Paua

James Bond thought that he was cool and dangerous, until he met this preset. With looks to kill, a deadly serious dress code, a walk that can only mean business, and an accent from…well we don’t actually know where he’s from…but it sounds like music to the ears…specifically Christmas music played during the month of December (you know, if you’re into Christmas music, otherwise insert your favourite genre of music above and continue reading). So if you’re looking to dress up a certain photo and can’t get the words “elegant,” “sexy-as-heck,” or “cool-as-a-cucumber,” out of your mind, then throw a bit of this one out there and watch the magic of the Black and White, contrast adjustments, and a wee bit of tinting, unfold before your eyes. Just a word of caution, however, that as well as “dressing things up,” this preset also excels at “dressing things down,” so keep it at a safe distance from your significant other or you might find yourself quickly replaced. Consider yourself warned.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Toasty Oats

This preset will give the photo an aged sepia look and add some darkened corners. It’s like putting your photo into a warm toaster oven and letting the cheese melt. Best used on a cold winter evening.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Down the Hobbit Hole

This preset is a special blend that is only made possible by New Zealand magic (the same magic that Hobbits use to make the hair on their feet grow in thicker). It darkens the corners of the image which adds a dose of tunnel vision and adds extra zip to the rest of the image. Use with precaution, and always follow proper safety protocol when applying.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Stage Fright

Not as well known as his friends, this preset tends to lurk in the shadows while everyone else is out enjoying themselves, but when it’s time, he’ll regretfully take his turn. He’s not really good at anything, but also bad at nothing. With a bit of fading, contrast adjustments, and some other weird stuff that he’d rather not talk about, he’s shy, but always there when you need him.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Kablammer

You know those days when you wake up in the morning and realize that you have to go to a friends birthday party that evening, even though it’s the last thing you want to do? You’ve known about it for weeks, but you pushed it to the back of your mind and forgot about until just now. Do you bring a gift or not? Can you show up late or should you be there early? And let’s not even get into what you should wear! Not that you care about any of these things, but you’ll have to pretend to. Well, it’s for these occasions that I created Kablammer. A sip of this, and you’ll be ready for that party. You can even tuck a flask of this in your pocket so that you’re ready for anything. With some kick, some zing, a healthy dose of caffeine, and hint of mint, and a sprinkling of moose urine, this preset is ready to kick some ass and take you along for the ride. Consult your doctor before using, don’t drink if pregnant, and don’t panic when the room starts to spin. 

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Free Lightroom Preset: White Out

You’re in the middle of nowhere when the wind picks up. It starts as a small rustle in the trees, but quickly the snow begins swirling around you and before you know it, you’re engulfed in a white wall. Do you start to panic? No. But you do start to think that you should have asked for a GPS watch for Christmas instead of that stupid remote control helicopter that crashed into the kitchen cupboards moments into its first flight, and was soon picked up in the teeth of your neighbours dog who pounced on it like it was made of KFC chicken. What was your neighbour doing at your house anyways? But when your thoughts return, you realize that you’re still surrounded by wind, snow and cold. The dappled sunlight pierces the wall of snow and seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. That’s what this preset is. Bleeched, blanched, subtle, cold, contrasty, and confused.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Threat Level Midnight

This preset does its best work after the sun sets. Moving through the darkness like a cat…or maybe an owl…actually, let’s go with a panther. That’s definitely the coolest night prowler, and this preset is nothing, if not cool. Made with two parts stardust, one part milky way elixer, and a dash of coconut oil (for the health benefits obviously), it’s safe to say that there is something magic going on inside of this one. The Threat Level Midnight preset (or TLM as the cool kids will quickly be calling it) is great for night shots and astrophotography and is sure to brighten, tint, and shine up anything that you put in its path.

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Free Lightroom Preset: Solid All Rounder

Have you ever met those people that are frustratingly good at everything? Always picked first in gym class…you know the type. But even as much as you don’t want to like them, you can’t help it. They’ve got more friends than you knew was possible, they’re better than you at your favourite sport (even though they’ve only tried it once), and your parents like him more than they do you. Well, that’s this preset. With some heavy vignetting, some punch in the centre and dark heavy shadows, this preset is a real ringer. It’ll make anything pop, isn’t afraid of much and as much as you want to hate it, it’ll soon be your best friend. Just don’t introduce it to your parents or it’ll be over at your house for supper far more than you would like, even when you don’t invite it yourself.

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