Autumn

Well wouldn't you know it, autumn has arrived in full fury. What was with the snow this morning!! Granted the colours are spectacular now and honestly autumn is my favourite season. The smells, colours, and change are about the most dramatic of them all. I especially like to capture the change of seasons - not quite autumn, not really summer anymore either. You know, a little green is still around, it's raining(mostly, except for last night!), not snowing yet, but definitely a chill about. Makes for a rather cool ride to work on my bike, and what better way to observe the seasons than to ride the trails in Red Deer 5km to work from April to November(if that snow stays away - how can you tell I think winter should wait a while?).

This image was made in a light rain at the Chikakoo Lakes Recreation Area just north and west a bit from Spruce Grove, Alberta. When this image is enlarged, thousands of tiny raindrops can be seen hanging from all the branches and leaves.
[Anba Ikeda 4x5, Fujinon 300mm C, Fuji Velvia 100F]

Abstracts in Geen and Blue

A bit of a departure from the regular for me, but what a riot!
[Panasonic LX2]

Abstract Diptych

I found some interesting shapes and lines while on one of my lunch break walks during the summer. Presented this way they make a nice diptych.
[Panasonic LX2]

Frank O. Gehry - EMP

It has been awhile since I last entered anything here and being that I was just in Seattle lately, I thought it might be appropriate to include some images from there. These images are of the EMP (Experience Music Project) designed by architect Frank O. Gehry. He is from Toronto originally but now resides in Los Angeles. He uses warped forms that are so original it is hard to keep your eyes from them. Check out the link I've provided as there is an abundance of information about the man and his world famous designs.
[Panasonic LX2]

Athabasca Falls

My wife and I travelled to Jasper some years ago in January for a weekend of cross-country skiing and sightseeing, including a stop at Athabasca Falls. This image was made in pouring rain which was a bit difficult, but the effort seemed worth it. I have seen these falls many times(OK a few times) previously, but hadn't seen them with the natural ice bridge. The colour of the water added a beautiful contrast to the ice.
[Pentax 6x7, 105mm, Fuji RDP]

Big Hill Springs Provincial Park

Big Hill Springs Provincial Park is a short drive, to the northeast, from Cochrane, Alberta. The park is located between parkland and foothills natural regions; the main attraction is a series of small waterfalls that flow year-round over rocky terraces covered with a lush growth of shrubs and grasses; the park is also the site of an historic fish hatchery and Alberta's first commercial creamery. There are many hiking trails leading through this small park making for some great site seeing opportunities. Because of a constant breeze and the need for quite a long exposure it took great patience and the better part of a complete roll of film to get one image where the grass is still.
[Mamiya 7II, 50mm, Fuji Provia]

This second image was made a different visit the fall previous from 5 individual images and stitched together creating a panorama which encompasses close to 180 degrees vertically. My feet are just outside the image at the bottom and you are looking nearly straight up at the top. This was the first digital camera back I owned, in 1999, with a whopping 1.3 MP sensor!
[Canon A50]

Trees 6

Staying with the theme of trees - again, I have this image I made back in January in Calgary along the Bow River. Carburn Park is a wonderful place for a hike any time of year and lucky for me, it's close to my brother's place, so virtually every time we're there for a visit, time is taken for a stroll in the park. Our family had been together for New Year's celebrations this past year in Calgary and my brother-in-law Dave and myself went for a walk and discovered this gorgeous cottonwood growing only a few metres from the river. All I had with me was a little digital point and shoot which actually did a pretty decent job. We did go back down and I hauled the 8x10 camera down and set up a shot, but unfortunately it's still a bit new to me and I didn't allow a small enough aperture to cover the depth of field required for the image. next time I'm down there you can bet I'll be re-shooting this image on a rather large piece of film! I made the image in colour and converted it in Photoshop to a B&W. The quite like the colour image but feel the forms presented work better in B&W.

This second image is another one from the same day which is very representative of Carburn Park and lets you know what you can expect to see there, in winter at least.
[Panasonic LX-2]

Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park

One of my longtime dreams was to photograph using an 8x10 camera with transparencies. I purchased a Wehman 8x10 camera and some boxes of Fuji Velvia 50 film. Using a camera this large requires a concerted effort and takes far longer to set-up than any camera I've ever used. This can be good and bad. Good, because it forces me to slow down and really examine the scene in front of me , and it's worthiness of making an image. Many times I have gone through the ritual of setting the camera up and making all the adjustments necessary, only to discover that the scene doesn't cut it for me, or the light has disappeared. With a digital, 35mm, or medium format, I would likely make the image anyway, but when looking at the expense involved with 8x10 transparencies and development costs, I sometimes think that pressing the cable release isn't worth it. The size of the camera can be bad too, as transient light doesn't wait for me to get set-up, and I miss the image only because I am still fiddling with the camera. Practice is helping me speed my times and I'm sure I will become more proficient with more experience.
[Wehman 8x10, Schneider 240mm G-Claron, Fuji Velvia]

Looking at an 8x10 transparency on my light table is amazing, and the level of detail stunning. The image presented here is a 4x10 crop from an 8x10 and the smaller detail below is what a print would like at 60". This small detail is taken from the mid left side of the image. Remember, you can click on any photo on this blog to make it larger.

Abstract

Abstract paintings have always grabbed my attention, and I am gradually starting to see this way myself. It is my aim with this type of image to alienate the viewer a bit, almost making them uncomfortable, because they can't identify immediately what it is they are looking at. Many abstracts grab our eyes simply due to interesting patterns and colours and it doesn't have to be anything, or it can mean anything we want it to.

Dogrib Creek Burn was a massive forest fire back in 2003 along the Forestry Trunk Road west of Sundre, Alberta. Gerard(good friend) and myself were out exploring as many small forestry roads as we could without getting stuck and after travelling maybe 10km along one particular road happened on a dead-end. We got out and hiked up to the nearest ridge to explore a bit and here was this amazing pattern created from a devastating fire. I zoomed in to eliminate all the surroundings that helped make this an easy interpretation.
[Canon 10D, 100-400mm]

Leach Lake

Leach Lake along highway 93A in Jasper National Park is so small it doesn't show up on any but the largest scale maps, but what a gem! A perfectly calm evening with loons calling and a beautiful sunset, you think you are in a dream. Whirlpool Mountain is reflected perfectly and thankfully a few clouds joined in. A perfectly blue sky would make for a rather bland sky. This image is made from three images which were stitched together in Photoshop(Thank-you Dan)
[Hasselblad 501C/M, 50mm, Fuji Provia 100F]

Cool temperatures

I thought I would dig up an image of cooler days. I am writing this about 9:00 pm and the humidex(the opposite of wind chill) is around 36 C. The image presented was made on a day trip with my friend Gerard along the forestry trunk road(734) near Seven Mile Flats after traversing Corkscrew Mountain. It was quite a trip and one we both fully expected to be digging snow after getting stuck, but Gerard managed to keep the vehicle on the two hard packed tire tracks and thankfully no one came along driving in the opposite direction. The image was originally made in colour and converted to a B&W.
[Pentax 67II, 55mm, Fuji Provia]

Snow Dome

Located on the continental divide on the Columbia Icefield between Dome Glacier(centre) and Athabasca Glacier(off left side of image). The mountain's summit is entirely covered by the Columbia Icefield. The glacier is about 30 m thick.

Norman Collie named the mountain "The Dome" in 1898. In 1919 the name was modified to "Snow Dome."

The day after climbing Mount Athabasca, Norman Collie and his party ascended the right side of the Athabasca Glacier and bivouacked for the night. Setting off at 1:30 the next morning they headed for the chisel shaped, glacier draped mountain (Mount Columbia) they had seen towering above the opposite side of the icefield. At noon, when they seemed no closer to their goal, they turned back, more aware now of the size of the icefield they had discovered.

Collie and Hugh Stutfield later wrote, "To the eastward of where we stood, and almost on our way home, rose a great white dome, and we determined to ascend it. After a hot and very tiring climb through snow that broke under our feet at every step, we finally reached the summit at 3:15. We have named this peak The Dome."

The broad, smooth summit of what is now called the Snow Dome is the hydrographic apex of North America. This means that water from this point flows to three oceans; through the Saskatchewan and Nelson Rivers to the Atlantic, through the Columbia to the Pacific, and through the Athabasca, and eventually the Mackenzie to the Arctic.
[Olympus E410, 14-42mm]

William A. Switzer Provincial Park

I found this unique view of the small lake called Kelley's Bathtub in William A. Switzer Park. At first glance it appears to be the sky behind the trees until you realize you are looking down. Really it is the reflection of the sky on the lakes surface.
[Olympus E410, 14-42mm]




Another image from William A. Switzer Park showing the complexity and beautiful subtle colouring of nature. What really grabbed my eye was the strong circular motion of the branches working their way up the trunk of the foreground tree .
[Olympus E410, 14-42mm]

Lakeview

It's been a few weeks since my last post simply because I was on a holiday through Jasper National Park as well as a few other destinations. This image was made in William A. Switzer Provincial Park just north of Hinton, Alberta at a place called Kelley's Bathtub.
[Olympus E410, 14-42mm]

Bald Eagle

Otherwise known as Haliaeetus leucocephalus, this eagle was photographed along the Nicola Valley, in the grasslands of British Columbia. There is an interesting story to go along with this image. We watched an eagle snag a fish from a small lake, but unfortunately for it, by only one claw. As the eagle climbed in flight, the fish, obviously, was squirming to get away. When the eagle was 50 meters or so in height, the fish finally squirmed loose, and with a bittersweet turn in the story, it fell the 50 meters to the ground. This story doesn't end here though. Prowling around on the ground was a coyote who saw the fish fall, ran a short distance to it, and had lunch.
[Nikon F4, 600mm, Fuji Provia]

Rockies

A view of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta along the Icefields Parkway. The highway parallels the continental divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies. It is within Banff and Jasper National Parks, linking Lake Louise and Jasper. You pretty much can't go wrong on this highway if you love mountain scenery. I would rate it near the top, maybe even at the top, of my list for scenic road trips. The beauty here can be overwhelming and the possibilities are endless for making beautiful images. There really isn't a "must see" along the highway, it's all fantastic!
[Zone VI 4x5, Schneider 210mm, Kodak VPS]

New York City

Staying with the New York City theme - including some, you guessed it - trees! Now, a combination of trees and another favourite of mine - architecture, and you have my ingredients for some fun. The first two images were made of one of my all time favourite buildings, built in 1902, at 175 Fifth Avenue, the Flatiron.

The second two images were made at the Trinity Church Cemetery located at 74 Trinity Place at Wall Street and Broadway. The burial grounds have been the final resting place for many historic figures since the Churchyard cemetery opened in 1697. A non-denominational cemetery, it is listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places and is the only remaining active cemetery in Manhattan. The last image here was made looking east down Wall Street.
Flatiron - [Nikon D2Xs, 18-200mm]
Cemetary - [Fuji Finepix F10]

Liberty

These two images go back a bit more than a year ago when I visited New York City. Of course when one hasn't been there before, a visit to the Statue of Liberty is in order. Neither of these images were made from on the island, instead one from the southern tip of Manhattan Island, and the other from just under the Brooklyn Bridge looking towards New Jersey. Interestingly enough, you must go through likely the most rigorous security checks I have ever been through, in a couple of tents set up on Manhattan Island, before you can get on the small boats for the short ride to the Island. The statue arrived in New York City 122 years ago this month.
[Nikon D2Xs, Nikkor 18-200mm]

Clouds 2

Zoom, zoom, zoom. Our skies are filled with airplanes. So many, in fact, that the contrails they leave behind are affecting our climate.
[Pentax Optio 750Z]

Rock / Ice / Water

Another image that is almost hard to believe is made in colour, save for some quite subtle blues in the water and some greens and yellows on the moss. This is a good example of using a digital camera to discover what I am trying to convey to my viewer. I made quite a few images at different shutter speeds to see which would render the water the way I was seeing it. I'm sure you've seen many a waterfall or stream photo that looks like silk because of a very long exposure. In this case I decided the ripples were worth capturing to echo the many similar patterns in the ice. Waskasoo Ceek, Red Deer, Alberta
[Olympus SP350]

Badlands 2

One thing that I absolutely love to search for is the subtle colours which may be found in nature. Yes, bright saturated colour have their place, but a good image using only subtle colours, almost to the point of being a monochrome image can be very satisfying. These images were made near Drumheller, Alberta.
[Olympus C-5060]

Lines and Shapes

Exercising our artistic eyes whenever possible, by constantly looking and searching out compositions, greatly benefits us when we are in urgent need of making a quick image. I am constantly doing this both with and without a camera to my eye. Many times when I am without a camera, I consciously blink when I feel I have made the composition work for me and think "Got it!" When at work, as in these images, I will go for a short walk with my camera during my lunch break to see what I can find. Many times my mood isn't right or the lighting isn't working for me, but other times I make an image or two that holds up to what I feel works. [Panasonic LX2]

Architecture

While attending a conference in Las Vegas a few months ago, I made a few images of the Wynn Las Vegas hotel which I felt worked out nicely. The buildings scale, even when standing next to it, is quite deceiving. They are now erecting a $1.74 billion twin (Encore)to this building next to it, which will make the Wynn Las Vegas the fifth largest hotel in the world with 4760 rooms.
[Panasonic LX2]

Storms

'Tis the season! We just haven't had any thunderstorms yet, but you know they are coming. One of my favourite things to do is chase after big thunderstorms. To see nature's raw power displayed in a big prairie thunderstorm is really an amazing experience and making an image that conveys this experience can be quite a challenge! These two images were both made last summer near Red Deer. This close image of lightning was made late in the afternoon just south of town. The lightning kept striking in virtually the same spot, next to field of canola, over and over, but my reaction time was just too slow, even though I had lots of caffeine from two or three coffees, and as it was still light out I couldn't simply leave the shutter open and wait for a strike as you can at night when a long exposure captures nothing until a strike lights up the neighbourhood. I had missed 6 or 7 strikes and was about to give up when I recalled a program on Discovery Channel about one of the NASA Space Shuttle missions that flew over the Amazon rain forest at night studying thunderstorm lightning patterns from a few hundred miles up. They discovered that a strike in one thunderstorm would trigger a chain reaction of lightning strikes through many storm clouds along a chain of storms stretching as far as 400km. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying the same as there was a second storm approximately 10 km north of the one I was watching that was quite active with lightning. So I kept my camera aimed at the spot where the strikes had been hitting but kept my eyes glued to the storm to the north. First strike I saw, I hit the shutter as quick as I could and WHAM!! I captured this image.
[Pentax OPTIO 43WR]



This storm was exactly what I have been hoping for for years! I wanted to capture the strike, sure, but I also wanted to show the clouds and it's movements using a long exposure. The strike was just to finish off the image. The only problem in finding the right storm to capture my idea was that I needed a storm that was quite a distance away, with nothing(rain, other clouds, etc) between myself and the storm, and with lightning coming out of the back of the storm. I also wanted the clear sky behind and above the storm and it had to be late enough in the day to allow the approximately 1-5 minute exposures I felt I would need to show the clouds movements. This storm showed up and I used up every frame of film in the camera bag!!
[Hasselblad 501CM, 50mm, Fuji Velvia 100F]