Alberta - Canmore, Banff and Jasper; Part II

May 17, 2014

Continuing on with my story, I need to add a note that I missed earlier.

Along the drive up the Icefields Parkway, there is no big rig traffic allowed. This means the largest vehicles you will see are motorhomes or pickups towing a trailer. When I began my trip up, I made one stop in a scenic spot and was amazed that with the lack of car traffic, it was silent. Absolutely silent. No road noise, no activity in the distance, no birds singing, no water, no wind. Nothing. I don't know if it was a moment of paradise or a lead in to insanity. It was hard for my senses to process. It was one of those moments where you are forced to think about what life might have been like before industrialization.

Moving on (quite literally), I had just returned to my car at the Icefield and got on my way when the few cars on the road ahead of me immediately slowed. Out here, this can mean only one thing. Animal spotted.

Two bighorn sheep lazily wander the side of the road, deciding how to spend their morning.

In this case, two bighorn sheep were wandering on the road without a care in the world. They held no interest in the cars which slowed and in many cases, stopped to look or take photos.

I don't know why, but I didn't stop. I quickly flipped to a higher shutter speed, slowed and reached out with my camera to shoot these guys out my passenger window. I am very lucky to have managed to get a couple of great shots of them as I slowly moved past.

Over the next several days, I explored many more trails, many of which have a lot of elevation change. These changes can really change the view ahead, but it can be challenging when carrying a bulky camera and a lens or two. The good thing about it though is it forced me to slow down and take in what I was seeing, rather than plowing through to just 'get there' as I often do.

An overhang of trees catches my eye during a hike in a gorge.

As I tend to move quickly from start to finish, this slowing down and actually taking in what's around me seems to have its rewards. I suppose not everything in life is meant to be done quickly and on to the next thing. This shot above is taken in a gorge where the beginning of the trail is at the highest elevation and continues down to the rocky water bed below a couple of kilometers away. At this time of year, there is very little movement of water and the water has turned to ice. Evidently (and probably now), the water moves at a roar as the spring turns to summer and the rest of the snow melts away.

Other trail locations however are in quiet (yet still somewhat hilly) terrains. Valley of the Five Lakes offers the hiker the ability to meander between five small lakes over a 9 kilometer trail. I have to say though, I deviated off the trail (as I sometimes do) and found this little nook.

A push through thick brush rewarded me with a beautiful view of one of the 5 lakes.

It took some effort to push through the brush (complete with thorny vines) but once past, the view was spectacular. I made a mental note in my head to come back first thing in the morning for the glassy water reflection, but I never did. Another time, my friend.

The town of Jasper is quite a busy place. A lot of hard-working people busily working on the railway or spring maintenance in town. This didn't deter the elk from visiting fairly deep into town as they grazed on the dead grass and whatever else. The town became my home base for a few days as I explored ever deeper into the surrounding mountains. Over those days, I saw plenty of wildlife, tons of breathtaking mountains and a lot of snow. I also followed more footprints than I could mention (from the safety of my car) as they meandered along rivers, creeks and streams.

One one of my days, I decided I would explore to the north and east as the mountains gave way to rolling hills with the city of Edmonton, Alberta in the distance.

A small stream offers beautiful reflection of the mountains, trees and sky.

Along the 2 lane highway was a river on one side and numerous small lakes and ponds on the other. Mountains surround on both sides and once again, the views were stunning. One of the larger challenges of driving solo in a place like this is making frequent decisions of, "do I stop here?"

It sounds easily, but there are so many places that might offer a beautiful shot that it can often mean being in and out of the car a hundred times. These decisions need to happen when there are minimal cars behind as well. For this reason, I would often slow and pull off the road as cars approach from behind. This gave me plenty of buffer for those split-second decisions.

Above is a shot that resulted from one of those decisions. In this case, I did not stop, but did make a mental note of where it was by using mile markers, then on the way back I pulled over. The view here was beautiful and while the ground was still chilly, I had no problem with doing my thing and relaxing in the long grass for a bit and enjoying the sights and sounds.

Now, as you probably know from my trip to Alaska, I am also very interested in the Northern Lights. As I lay in bed one early evening, relaxing after a long day of hiking, I signed up for an email service which would send an alert if the northern lights are expected to happen in Jasper. It wasn't more than a few hours later that I received an alert!

While I was in Alberta, there were not many clear, blue sky days. By that, I mean none. Sure there were pockets of clear sky but that's it. I immediately checked my weather app which announced a cloudy evening and overnight. Still, I decided that it was worth taking a shot.

Northern Lights over the town of Jasper, Alberta.

Having been in town for several days, I knew I needed to find a place with higher elevation, otherwise I would only see mountains with a hint of colour. Earlier in the day, I visited a camera shop in town and an employee mentioned some nice shots could be taken from the base of the Jasper SkyTram. Of course, he was referring to daytime scenery, but I thought it was worth a try. Up, up, up the winding road I went. At about 3000 feet is the base of the tram and this is where I set up my camera. I admit I was a bit nervous though as I frequently set off their motion-activated floodlight on those occasions where I went back to my car to warm up.

The lights didn't disappoint though. For about three hours I watched them dance back and forth across the sky as thin clouds lazily made their way by. I was also mildly entertained by RCMP pulling over car after car on the highway below. Good job folks!

By now, it was time to start thinking about heading back down. I could have stayed here forever, but I had to make sure I didn't get snowed in and cut off from my route back to Calgary for my conference.

I took my time on the drive back down and enjoyed the views in every direction and made several videos for myself for later. Photos are fantastic, but video helps to give more perspective as the scenery flows past.

Once back in Banff, I took another trip down the Bow Valley Parkway in hopes of spotting my grizzly friend. He stayed hidden from me though.

During my drive down, I recognized a trail area called Muleshoe. As I drew nearer, I noticed a cave near the top of Mount Cory. A few Google searches quickly revealed it to be known as "Hole in the Wall". This cave is at about 3000 feet and is a scramble" to reach. Not something I am prepared to do by any means without any gear. This shot is taken from the ground, mabe 1 mile away. I am actually impressed that it turned out as well as it did at 1000mm. My Sigma 150-500mm lens doesn't produce razor sharp images at the best of times, and adding my 2x teleconverter doesn't help either, but in this case, I will take it quite happily.

The final shot I will leave you with was taken on my second last day in town. The wind was down, the clouds cooperated, the sun was in the right place and the light wasn't too harsh.

The reflection of a mountain in Vermillion Lakes was a thrilling shot for me.

I had seen plenty of photographs from other photographers who captured stunning images of mountains reflected in ponds and lakes but I hadn't had the greatest luck myself. Snow, ice or wind had sabotaged me so often. Finally though I took one of my many drives past Vermillion Lakes and was rewarded with this shot. Without a doubt it will be on my wall along with several of the others I have shown above.

I have taken thousands of shots since I began but there are those rare occasions where you know that you have found something that will always be a special shot for you, and those moments really need to be appreciated because they don't happen often enough.

I hope you enjoyed the words and the shots. I welcome all comments!

Alberta - Canmore, Banff and Jasper; Part I

May 16, 2014

First of all I want to say that if it weren't for my job, this trip and post would not have happened. I am lucky to work where I do and I appreciate it very much.

A few weeks ago I flew out to Calgary, Alberta for a conference. I am lucky enough in my work that there is quite a bit of flexibility in when I take my vacation time. Because of this, I took off my set of night shifts in advance of the conference and was able to enjoy 9 days surrounded by nature before I had to return to town for work.

I don't remember if I've said it before or not, but I have a funny way of being lucky and this trip continued the trend. Right at the Toronto Airport (which is actually in Mississauga!), upon boarding the plane, I was told that there was an entire row open and I was free to use it, rather than sit in a full row. Don't mind if I do!

Landing in Calgary, I quickly found myself a rental car and began the trek out to the Rocky Mountains on the western side of Alberta. You can easily see them from the city so it was a fairly short drive.

On arrival in a town called Canmore, I quickly did an internet search for cheap hotel to put me up for the night. No need for fancy, no need for frills, just a roof and a bed. The Econolodge did the job quite nicely. More than nicely actually.

Over the next few days, I revisited old memories of driving down the Trans Canada Highway with my parents when I was just a kid as we explored everything interesting along the way between Toronto and Vancouver. One of my best memories really.

A deer bounds effortlessly up the side of a mountain as I accidentally get his attention with the sound of the click of my shutter.

The town of Canmore is well known for hosting the nordic events of the 1988 Olympics. There is plenty of evidence of that today - This is an incredible recreational mecca for outdoor activity. Along with the obvious skiing possibilities, there is a fantastic bike/foot path that runs from Canmore into the town of Banff. Round trip is roughly 50km I believe and at points, will run up to and on the Trans Canada Highway.

If there's one thing I've learned about photography, the "good" light is early in the morning and later in the day. Along with that, there are typically more animals out first thing. Because of that, I made sure to be awake, up and out as early as possible.

A grizzly bear shows some interest in me as I follow him along the tracks.

I had good feelings about the Bow Valley Parkway - a road which runs from the town of Canmore to the village of Lake Louise. Unfortunately there are travel restrictions from 8:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. for the protection of the animals within Banff National Park. That in mind, I headed to an area nearby and took in the sights and sounds of the Bow River before crossing the bridge and it was at this point that I was lucky enough to see a pair of elk and a moose. Only, it wasn't a moose. When I fitted my long lens on my camera, I realized that what I was seeing was in fact a bear a ways down the railroad tracks. I retrieved my teleconverter to double the strength of my lens and cautiously followed the big fella down the tracks. As I learned later, this big male (known as Bear #122) shuffles along the tracks, eating fallen grain which has spilled out of passing trains.

As I followed, I captured lots of shots of his back end. While it was a thrill to see a bear in the wild though, photos of his tail weren't exactly what I had in mind.

With a quick calculation of the distance from me to the bear in mind, along with the distance of me to my trusty rental car in mind, I decided to ready my camera and kick some of the gravel on the tracks. It only took a few before he turned and looked at me for several long seconds. It was quite a moment. After several shots, he lost interest in me though and continued on his way; and so did I. It wasn't until the time of writing this that I learned that #122 has quite a bit of fame to his name. He can be found easily on Google for some of his exploits.

The village of Lake Louise is a scenic drive north and is arguably one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I saw it years before in late summer and I was going to see it again.

Lake Louise in the early weeks of spring is still frozen over, allowing visitors to walk across what would normally be open water.

It is unfortunate timing that there was still snow and ice around as the crystal blue water of the lake was hidden below a thick layer of ice. The silver lining though is this allows tourists to cross the lake on paths blazed early in the winter. Views of the mountains from the middle of the lake are breathtaking and simply can't be captured in a realistic scale by a camera. Still though I'm quite happy with the shots I was able to get and share here.

Now, along the Bow River is a railroad track which follows the Trans Canada Highway. Trains pass along it quite frequently, and many are exceptionally long.

I've always had a mild fascination with trains, and while I this is the first one I've shot, the day will come where I hunt them down and create a collection in some form or another.

A freight trains makes its way east along the Trans Canada Highway

While I was in the mountains, I took plenty of opportunities to explore trails and more touristy spots. Cave and Basin National Historic Site seemed like an interesting name so I drove in.
As I found out, this place is a sulfur spring which runs out of the mountain, to a pool and then further down the mountain into the valley below. As you can guess, the smell of rotten eggs is in the air as sulfur steam rose from the water. Quite a pretty spot though with lush green plants growing in and near the stream all the way down the mountain.The cave though was quite a sight.

A pool of water deep within a cave.  This desperately high ISO shot was captured in the relative darkness, lit only from the hole in the rock ceiling above. — A pool of water deep within a cave. This desperately high ISO shot was captured in the relative darkness, lit only from the hole in the rock ceiling above.

While the cave smelled strongly of sulfur, the rewarding view at the end was well worth it. There is no taking a dip allowed here. The water is protected as the area is habitat for some sort of endangered snail.

From here, I visited the lower part of the mountain and met one of the workers. She was kind enough to look at my previous photos and identify the bear above as a grizzly bear for me, and knew him to be Bear #122. Cool!

As the days went on, I decided day-by-day that I would leave Canmore and move up to the town of Jasper. I had been warned by a couple of fellow photographers I talked to that the drive up can be quite nasty. Snow tires are mandatory and care should be taken because the mountain passes can whip up some high winds and drifting snow. Still, I decided I would give it a shot. I'm Canadian after all. I've seen snow once or twice.

The drive up the Icefields Parkway was beautiful. The first several kilometers were a test of my resolve to continue. The clear road turned slushy and then snowy as the sky changed from blue to gray to fog. Wind picked up with the amount of snow coming down and after about 15 or 20 clicks, I had slowed down to match the conditions as my Malibu made its way solidly. Then, as quickly as it started, the fog turned to gray and the gray turned to blue skies as the road cleared.

The Columbia Icefields are a fantastic break in the drive from Banff to Jasper and well worth the long hike from the road along the ice.

Not far along the road is the Columbia Icefields. This is a well-known glacier, which has unfortunately been receding for many years. It is a very popular tourist stop along the highway and as I visited, I was fortunate enough to have a clear day and an interesting cloud formation above. While I do enjoy my blue sky days, they don't add anything to a photo so I count myself lucky here.

I think I will mark this as Part I and continue the story in a second entry. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed my shots so far.

!! Coming Soon !!

April 16, 2014

I am a lucky guy. No, a very lucky guy.

A number of years ago, I was asked to participate in a project at work to replace one of one of our largest computer systems. I was hesitant at first for my own self-absorbed reasons, but in the end, I look at that time as being some of the best days I've had at work.

As a result of this project, I have been fortunate to have been allowed to stay involved to varying degrees and this has allowed me to travel on several occasions to several areas of Canada on the company bill for conferences - I am eternally appreciative of that.

This year, the conference is being hosted in Calgary, Alberta and once again, I have been approved to attend. It pays to not only be a nerd, but to be a nerd who is interested.

It is because of this approval and a healthy Vacation bank that I am excited to say that I will be taking an extra nine days, arriving in town early and will promptly rent a car and drive directly into the mountains of Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta.

I haven`t been to the area since I was a kid where I made the cross-country trek with my parents by car, but there`s one thing this dumb kid learned on that drive. Canada is beautiful. But in that beauty, places like Banff and Jasper stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Picturesque mountaintops sit above aqua blue lakes, ponds and streams. Animals (many of them extremely dangerous) are everywhere, to the extent that the authorities are parked on the road to guide cars around them because this is their land, not ours.

On April 25th, I will have my feet on the ground in Banff for the first time since I was 16 and if the weather cooperates, I hope to bring home shots that will stick with me forever.

My next blog posts will be of that trip. If anyone reads this and has specific places that must be seen, please feel free to contact me at maxwellg@rogers.com.

Alaska, 2014 (Part VI)

February 19, 2014

Don't panic, this is where the story ends. I survived an evening of -40F and after a solid 2 hours sleep, it was time to get up and get ready for a day travelling up to the Arctic Circle.

Rainer of Alaska Wildlife Guide picked us up bright and early with the promise of a beautiful drive. He did not disappoint. I took hundreds of shots along the Dalton Highway which is the setting for the Discovery show, "Ice Road Truckers".

There isn't a lot to say, so I will keep this one short and stick mostly to photos.

While it is true that we didn't make it to the sign indicating crossing over into the Arctic Circle, the drive was just beautiful. We went from early morning light into the usual everlasting sunrise, to heavy cloud and high wind, to driving snow. During the drive back though, the sky cleared, the sun was out and the clouds disappeared into perfect clear blue. What an experience!

Backlit trees with a sundog visible to the side

And here ends the story of my visit to Alaska.

I was still in town for a couple more days, but they were fairly relaxed and not a lot in the way of photography going on. I may add another part to display my Time-Lapse shots, but .. perhaps not. We shall see.

My future in photography is probably going to evolve in a different direction for a while. I still deeply enjoy landscapes but I have discovered that I enjoy building a shot as well. I don't know where that will lead but I suspect a future blog entry will contain some of those shots.

Alaska, 2014 (Part V)

February 18, 2014

Will this be the final chapter? I thought so but I just remembered something. We'll see.

Now that I'm in Fairbanks, Alaska, I have an interesting schedule.

The entire trip for me was about seeing the Northern Lights and come home with some shots. Sure, there were a million other things as well but that was key. To help, with the help of a couple of recommendations, I signed up for a Northern Lights tour with a Fairbanks local. It was scheduled to run from 9:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. No problem, I am a night owl so I can handle that. The funny thing though is the the next morning at 6:30 a.m. my friend and I were to be picked up for an adventure to the Arctic Circle. Oh well, I've lived a huge chunk of my life burning the candle at both ends.

Preparing for the night tour was a bit chaotic when it shouldn't have been. I have been out dozens of times in the night to shoot the skies, but this time I was all over the ice. I'm not used to having all of my things confined to an area the size of a bed. Getting dressed for the cold took me forever, and then once done, it took even longer to get my stuff together, all the while, my temperature rising higher and higher!

Night photography requires a few things. A sharp, clean lens, a tripod, a remote and memory cards. Easy. Night photography when it is -40F needs a few extra things. Many layers of clothes, a balaclava, a hood for the coat, snow pants, serious boots and chemical hand warmers. The camera requires extra batteries because they drain quickly, some ziplock baggies and silica gel packs.

Successful shots at night in the cold requires planning - You cannot simply take your lens and camera out of a nice, warm house or car and start shooting. Your gear needs to gradually acclimatize. If you don't, any moisture which may exist inside the lens, inside the body or outside will fog, then freeze and then they will be useless and your night is over. Further, if you accidentally breathe on your lens, your breath will condense, then freeze and once again, you're finished. This is where the balaclava comes in. To protect you from yourself.

Above, the lights were just beginning. Unfortunately a photo just doesn't convey the size of what you're seeing. We can see the Milky Way to the left, but this green curtain which fades into a magenta above covered probably 100 degrees of horizon width. So wide that my lens at it's widest could not capture it all. It was at this moment where I thought briefly of my fisheye lens at home in it's case. It would have got it all and had room to spare, but these lenses are temperamental and can create wacky shots if not done properly.

Watching the progression of the lights was quite a thing to see. Ronn Murray, our guide was great about checking up on each person, ensuring they were getting what they wanted out of a shot, and offered several times to take a shot of each person with a beautiful background.

I have to say, now that shooting the lights has proven to be quite doable, should I find myself back in Alaska or other similar high latitude area, I will do a lot of daytime research to locate some stunning foregrounds. Photographers differ on what they like in their shots, but for me, anything celestial should have something interesting in the foreground. It goes a long way to add depth and give some sense of scale to the final shot. Ronn's own site contains some really astounding shots that are very achievable if the conditions are right (and with practice!).

As the lights gradually grew in intensity, the wind in the area also increased in strength. Accidentally dropping anything on the ground likely meant disaster as it would blow along the ice on the ground until you either gave up chase, or it got snagged. There were several occasions throughout the night where I took off a glove to open a handwarmer etc and found that my glove took off, dancing across the ice.

Bright enough to light up the snow and ice

One sad thing about the lights was that the intensity turned up over the road. Being in a group, I didn't think it a good idea to go marching off down the hill into the trees and snow so I have many shots that include this road. That's how life goes sometimes.

As the night went on, we hoped the lights would slowly move over our heads. It is unfortunate that they remained as waves so close to the horizon. For me though, this made me realize that for man a few thousand years ago, seeing something like this truly must have been what gave rise to god-like beings in the heavens.

I think I'll end this one here. In a day or two I will update it to include a time lapse of the northern lights. I did create a quick one, but now that I have some experience editing, I will be able to create something much clearer and appealing to the eye. Tune in for Part VI where the Arctic Circle becomes my playground!

Alaska, 2014 (Part IV)

February 17, 2014

Wow, when I started writing this, I had no idea it would go into four parts. Needless to say, five wasn't even a glimmer. Oh well, moving forward, it is now February 1st and the next step of the journey is about to begin. The evening before I caught up with a friend who was also now in town after enjoying several days on her own in a wild adventure.

After checking out of our respective hotels, we made our way to the Alaska Railroad for our 12 hour train ride to Fairbanks where we would spend the next several days before the trip home. It was here that another strange event took place.

Over the previous months, each of us had planned several things individually but one thing that we would do together was this train ride. It only runs north on Saturdays during the winter so we each booked our ticket. What we didn't expect upon our arrival was that tickets were by assigned seating. As she had likely booked her ticket weeks before I booked my own, we visited the ticket area to request seating together. Upon retrieving our individual tickets, it turned out that by pure coincidence, we did in fact already have seats together. Very strange but a great result.

As the train left the station, we were informed by the on board tour guide that we would undoubtedly see animals along the journey and they would often be pointed out as we traveled. There was also an added perk that between the cars on either side of the train, there was a door which opened both at the top and bottom. With this, it was possible to have access to fresh air and by extension, the ability to photograph the scenery outdoors without any window obstructions. Naturally this was a feature I took full advantage of. As the trip went on, you got to know the familiar faces of those with cameras, and also who simply wanted to experience it.

Although I don't have many shots of the sun posted, this shot was taken shortly after 11:00 a.m. The sun doesn't rise too much higher than it is here. In January/February, you have to appreciate that what you are visiting is a place of a long sunrise followed by a long sunset. There is no "high noon" and long shadows are what you should expect which suits me just fine. The sky is much more beautiful during sunrise and sunset.

Every bend in the tracks revealed another beautiful place

The Alaska Railroad provides another service that is fairly rare in 2014. Flag Stops are unscheduled stops between stations, typically used for people who have built a cabin in the middle of nowhere and survive in relative seclusion. Our ride made two stops for such folks and there were times where we did see footprints in the snow either coming to the tracks or leading away. It takes a special kind of person to live this sort of life - well beyond me.

Beautiful views are everywhere. Even shot out the window of the train, there's plenty of opportunities for to cover your walls.

As the train ride drew to a close, it had been dark for well over an hour. We did see some moose in the distance on a few occasions but aside from them, it was mountains, trees, snow and vast expanse of emptiness, largely untouched by man. I highly recommend the train to anyone.

I will make a note of one thing however after having said that. Upon stepping off the train and waiting inside for luggage to be brought in, I was nearly overcome by the feeling of dizziness. I don't know if it was the 12 hours of being on a moving train that did it or having so much time sitting down in a chair. It didn't really pass until I was in bed though so if I were to do it again, maybe something for motion sickness would be a good plan.

My final installment will include shots from my trip to the Arctic Circle and some more time-lapse movies of the Northern Lights which I'm thrilled to say I did see. Until then...

Alaska, 2014 (Part III)

February 17, 2014

With yesterday's tour under my belt and a free day ahead of me, I was left with some decisions. There were plenty of things I would like to do in Anchorage, but not nearly enough time. As a photography trip, my goal was to bring home as many quality shots as possible, but not to sacrifice the experience to do it so it left me some questions.

While staying at the Westmark Hotel, I received some advice from a young staffer who suggested climbing Flat Top Mountain. It is described as the most climbed mountain in Alaska. What he didn't tell me is that it's not a walk in the park and it is also covered in ice. More on that later, but for now, I was sold on the idea.

Along with that, I also wanted to return to the Turnagain Arm to visit the site of a recent avalanche. The road was closed leading to it, so my plan was to ditch the car as close as I could and then simply hike the rest of the way. Unfortunately (or not), while on my way, I noticed a sign for the Anchorage Zoo. Here, a snap decision was made to give it a chance. I had a goal of seeing a snowy owl and an arctic fox while in Alaska and this was sure to be my best chance. If I haven't mentioned it in a previous post, I'll say it now. I rarely plan much at all because I enjoy the freedom of making decisions spontaneously. This is yet another one of those occasions.

Arriving at the Zoo, it was clear that I would have the place pretty much to myself which suited me just fine. I had several layers of clothes in case it was cold and my camera gear so I was set.

It took only minutes before I found myself face to face with one of my goals. It does frustrate me that it's home appeared completely man-made though. The owl itself is just beautiful, but sitting it on an astroturf perch with a painted background makes even the best shot useful only for the loosest definition of having seen the animal. I suppose someone skilled in Photoshop could take him and substitute in a beautiful forested background, but it's just not me. The search continues.

Spoiler Alert!

Sorry to take this in a nerdy direction for a moment, but I've been asked by those who have read the previous Parts how I managed to get so close to the bear.

Getting close is the easy part when you're at a zoo or a conservation area. The question is, is there anything between us. The answer is, "of course".

One technique that photographers use to get a shot they want without having bars or wires in front of their subject is the use of Depth of Field through the aperture setting. A DSLR camera has the ability to select which part of a shot is in focus, and how much in front and behind your subject is as well. This Northern Goshawk was in the middle of his cage on a perch, so by getting as close as I could to the bars, they became blurred completely and therefore invisible. Because I was able to get close to the bars in front of him, they disappeared, but the bars behind him were still relatively close to him, so you can still make them out. If they had been another 5 feet back, they would have likely been nearly invisible and I could have made up a story of spotting him in a tree and shot him with a long lens.

It is often said that a good shot is planned from the background forward. At a zoo, it can be very difficult to do that and often all you can control is your foreground. Since I was at the zoo virtually alone, this little guy was happy to follow me and listen to me as I spoke to get his attention. What I wasn't able to do was control what was behind him, therefore you can still see the bars. If you now go back and look at the other shots, you'll see what I mean. The bear was in a large area so by getting as close to the fence as I could, with nothing behind him that was close, I was able to shoot him, making it appear he was out in the wild.

That kind of knowledge will make you look at wildlife shots with the blindfold off now.

Moving along in the zoo was a beautiful pack of wolves. One in particular was pacing back and forth over a 30 or 40 foot path. I did my best to try to get his attention for him to stop, but it was no use. He was either working on his body heat or just agitated, perhaps by the guy with the hardware around his neck. No matter.

I stayed with the wolves for a while. Their eyes and behaviour are quite captivating. I would very much love to see one in the wild but for now, after a short walk to the other side of their area, I managed to have a quiet conversation with this male. He was just fine with staying near and listening to what I had to say.

On from the wolves, I found myself staring at this beautiful coyote. Unfortunately for him, I arrived right when he was trotting over to the corner of his area where a meaty bone was lying. It was clear that he wanted it but he simply could not bring himself to come too close.

I have never seen a coyote this close and I was quite surprised by the length of their snout and the size of their ears. His nervousness surprised me as well. Not at all what I expected after years of being raised by the Roadrunner cartoons.

There were plenty of other animals I visited throughout the morning including a beautiful Arctic Fox, however the shots I took simply aren't worth sharing. I don't enjoy bars or netting in my photos so it would have taken something quite extraordinary.

Flat Top Mountain

Earlier that morning, I consulted with the front desk of the Westmark on things worth seeing and doing and one of the suggestions was to climb Flat Top Mountain which is Alaska's most climbed mountain due to it's proximity to Anchorage and relative ease. The climb itself is 1200 feet and can apparently be done in approximately 90 minutes. Of course, what they didn't tell me is that the "ease" part is in the summer and certainly when it isn't covered in ice.

The drive up was beautiful although I do have to point out that it was quite steep in places. My poor Suzuki did make it, but it was probably putting a little pressure on it. There were moments in the drive where I looked to my side and realized that it was quite a steep drop off the road if things went bad and I started sliding back. Guardrail? What's that!?

In the parking lot I can honestly say I didn't know which one was Flat Top Mountain. I hiked the scenic trail which overlooks Anchorage and then simply followed the signs. Equipped with my heavy winter boots and a few layers, I headed down the trail. Note, a bottle of water might have been nice.

The trail was rather scenic and from what the odd passerby mentioned, is often frequented by moose, so I was to keep an eye out. I left my Canon in the car as I knew from quick research that a DSLR was not a smart item to take. My trusty little (and rugged) Nikon Coolpix joined me though and snapped a few shots.

The trail was ice covered in many spots and I found myself off the trail quite often to find surer footing. Up, up, up the trail went and slowly snaked around a smaller but still considerable hill. By the time I reached the south side, it was clear where Flat Top lived.

The shot above doesn't convey the height of this mountain. It was tall, steep and covered in ice and snow. By the time I reached the end of this trail, a signpost stood indicating much higher difficulty. I didn't get much more than 400 yards (about half way up as the trail climbs along the side) before I decided that my boots were no match for the ice. There are times in life where you realize that tumbling 100 yards down a hill just isn't what you want to do.

Eventually reaching the parking lot again, I passed two younger guys, maybe mid 20s who were gearing up for the climb. With their headlamps and chains on their boots, they told me that they were doing a night climb where the challenge would be a bit more fun. I wished them luck and retreated, defeated to my car.

Next entry will describe the Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks. If you read no further and plan to visit Alaska, I highly recommend it.

Alaska, 2014 (Part II)

February 12, 2014

The morning arrived for my Winter All-In-One with 907 Tours. Before they arrived, I had received an email advising that a part of the tour had been cancelled due to exceptionally warm weather that Anchorage had been experiencing for the past few weeks. I was somewhat disappointed at that but it really didn't bother me all that much.

The van arrived and I was pleased to see that aside from John, our guide, there were only two other folks on the tour, a very nice young couple from Thailand. They were in Alaska for only a short time before flying on to Pennsylvania to spend some time there. I learned later that I would be seeing them on the Alaska Railroad as we were all heading to Fairbanks on the same day. Small world!

The tour began in the city where John provided many details of the history of Alaska and Anchorage in particularly, including such information as the 9.2 earthquake that hit in 1964 which devastated the state. The entire city of Anchorage was flattened and sea water rushed in leaving the lowlands under water (The tsunami that hit the state was over 180 feet high!). Evidence of this quake can still easily be seen throughout the area. After visiting several other sites around the city, we were off to the Seward Highway.

Driving southeast along the Seward Highway will take you past the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet. The scenery is absolutely outstanding here with mountains on both sides of the water, low hanging clouds and a sun that didn't rise above 25 or 30 degrees over the horizon. Following the highway is the Alaska Railroad which runs from Fairbanks to the north to the town of Seward to the south. There were several stops along the way, each filled with eye-popping mountain views, but I'll share some of those elsewhere.

It was at this point where John let us know that he had a good feeling that our Tour may not have a portion cancelled, and with that said, we drove up a long winding mountain road which ultimately led us to the Alyeska Ski Resort. As you might expect, the place is beautiful and of course, set among tall mountains of beautiful white snow. The past several days of coolish weather had enabled the resort to open its runs and to our good fortune, we were able to ride the tram to the top to enjoy the views.

For me, what this meant was the opportunity to practice action shots on skiiers and snowboarders. Here, from my elevated vantage point, I caught this father and son duo on a gentle descent after they came down a couple hundred yards of steepness. Here the son worked up his courage before resuming his track and going down the rest of the slope and into the clouds ahead. More than a few people paused at this spot to take in what lay ahead. This is one lucky boy.

After a short while, it was time to return down tho the base of the mountain where a short drive would take us to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

I'm sorry to say the above shot was taken with my phone, but at the same time, I'm rather impressed it turned out so well. This sign is at the entrance to the Center and despite how unreal the shot looks, I assure you, there is no making this up. This shot is for real.

It wasn't long before we were greeted by the sights and sounds (along with smells) of the inhabitants within. The lone eagle below appeared immediately before us, almost as a watchman through the fog and gloom of the day.

The Center is a great place. Good variety of animals and in the winter, although it is closed to the public during weekdays, they have an arrangement with 907 Tours to allow groups in. Here we met a pair of moose, an injured bald eagle named Adonis who had sadly lost its left wing. This did little to diminish his regal stature though.

As we rolled through the park, we came upon an open space where John announced three bears were likely sleeping. As we exited the van, they were kind enough to come out of their little home and say hello. This fella was content to chew on a fresh moose leg which had unfortunately seen a tragic end at the hands of a truck. It is fortunate that the Center was able to obtain it to feed these bears. This big boy was very calm and paced slowly and quietly while a smaller female moved a little quicker and in the dense mist that hung over the center.

John casually pointed out that on a prior tour, a customer had pressed his luck and pushed a long lens through the fence. This proved to be a bad idea when the bear decided to extend one of his enormous paws and swatted it out of his hand, breaking the lens off and falling inside of his area, destroying it. With a grin, I told John I had no intention of making the same mistake. I had no trouble getting some nice shots of him.

Following our visit with the bears, we spent some time admiring some reindeer and elk along with a couple of ravens who patrolled above us and before long we found ourselves at a foxes den.

This fella was a bit more shy and it took the coaxing (and a pocket full of assorted fruit and meat) to coax him out to see us. This beautiful critter paced excitedly, taking fruit and meat from her hand and excitedly bounded about his cage. He was kind enough to pause for a moment or two for photos and I'm happy to have captured this shot. Quick-moving animals are always a challenge for me when the light is bad because there is just never enough light to get a good clean shot so keeping shutter speed down is a big challenge. I'm extremely pleased with this one though and it will soon be in a proud location on my wall.

My final subject here at the Center was a bald eagle. These guys are massive and have an intensity to their stare that is difficult not to admire.

With that, the tour was at an end, and it was time to head on back. You may have guessed by my providing a link to 907 Tours that I highly recommend them to anyone who visits Anchorage. The price was very reasonable and our Guide was a wealth of information combined with an amazing life story.

With that, I will call it a day and perhaps continue with the story tomorrow.

Alaska, 2014 (Part I)

February 12, 2014

So there it was. January 28th, 2014, 8:00 a.m.

As expected, my bags were not packed - only my camera gear had been organized. With the flight 7 hours away, one might have thought I would only need to tidy up a little and head to the airport. That's just not me.

Don't get me wrong though. Everything I own was clean and hanging in my closet, but I enjoy chaos for what it is. A challenge.

After a much-appreciated ride to the airport, I found myself at the airline check-in where my bag was weighed. Despite weighing it myself with a hook at home, it came in at 5 pounds overweight. I was presented with the option of paying $100.00 each way as a penalty for extra weight, or simply carry some items from my bag as a "personal item" on the plane. Not a tough call. That snag aside, I was quite pleased to be through check-in, customs and security in about 20 minutes. It wasn't long after that I was relaxing in my seat on a Delta CRJ200 awaiting take-off to Minneapolis before connecting to Anchorage.

I should pause here and make a note that I was quite nervous about this plane. It is a 50 seat plane and from all accounts from the airline, carry-on room is extremely limited. It is for that reason that I was nervous about my camera gear. It goes without saying that it is rather expensive and the thought of it needing to go below wasn't something I would look forward to. To be ready for that possibility, I researched and measured a Pelican 1500 hard, padded case for my valuables.

You'll have to forgive me this one time for including a shot from my phone. Above is my camera and the three lenses I chose for the trip. My wide angle 16-35, my kit lens 24-105 and my new 70-200. To complement, I picked up a 2x teleconverter to give me a bit of extra reach - something that would become quite useful as you will see.

The first hitch of the trip took place immediately. After boarding was complete and my camera safely stored over my head (much to my relief!), we remained silently and quite stationary at the gate. After a short while, the Captain introduced himself and announced that we were delayed due to a weight imbalance which would have to be sorted out. After some rather loud rumbling below, a second announcement informed us the weight still wasn't right and we were again treated to the sound of our carefully packed things being shuffled around again. A third announcement came soon after advising that the computers at Pearson Airport in Toronto had gone down, and air traffic was not allowed until it was remedied.

Nervously, I looked at the time and thought about the one hour layover I had, and how those minutes were melting away here in Toronto. Finally, after just under an hour at the gate, the Captain announced that were finally cleared to depart.

Nearing Minneapolis, I asked the lone Flight Attendant about my stop in Minneapolis. Incredibly, as if he had been aware that we had been delayed, he announced that we would be landing on time. This initiated much conversation among those of us in the first five or six rows. Evidently, most of us had a short layover there before we caught our next flight on to our destinations.

When our plane did finally land and safely reached the gate, I exited with my camera from my third row seat and took off at a run up the jetway to find my next gate. As one might expect, it was in another terminal which was accessible by a train. Exiting the train and at a full run, I found my gate and was immediately boarded thanks in part to spending an extra $12 to board early.

This delay and ensuing cardio workout would prove to be the only real issue of a trip where several things could have gone wrong, but came out right in the end.

Arriving at the Westmark Hotel, I learned quickly that driving in Anchorage wasn't the same as in Toronto. Despite opting for studded tires, the rental was all over the road. Salt doesn't seem to be in their inventory as it attracts animals such as moose who enjoy the taste.

The room itself was simple and nothing fancy. The usual bed, tv and bathroom - just enough to be warm and comfortable between adventures. Bring it on.

The first morning brought all of the wonder of where to go. Weather was to be fantastic, roads were wide open and I had a car. The decision was made. I'm going to find Denali, otherwise known as Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, and the fourth tallest in the world. After consulting Google Maps thanks to Data Roaming package from Bell Mobility, I was in the car and on my way. I was encouraged early by the sight of moose roaming in the distance that they would probably be the first of many.

The drive to Denali was beautiful. Although the tall mountains near Anchorage slowly gave way to low rollers, the view was still very nice, and the traffic of the morning slowly disappeared, making it a relaxing trip north and after a little over an hour, I found myself at the Southern Viewing Area.

After parking the car, the walk to the viewing area was a challenge to say the least. Between my camera bag, tripod and hard case, I had to make my way through snow that was well above my knees in some places about a hundred yards. There were several spots where the snow was ice and I could simply walk on top, but in others, I sank through. The work was worth it though. The viewing area was solid and I stood atop a two foot layer of snow and ice. Here there was a sign describing the mountains ahead with the different names of each.

I have to admit one thing, and it's a terrible thing to say. As I stood, taking in the view below, one thing kept crossing my mind, and maybe it will yours too. Look at this photo and see if you're on the same page as me....

Do you see it? Do you feel it? Perhaps not. Photos don't do justice to the sheer size of the mountain range ahead. What I was thinking was, "It's too bad these tall trees are obstructing the view!"

I know. I'm a horrible person. I shot some video of the surroundings and did contemplate the idea of staying until dark to shoot it with the stars overhead, but I didn't dress for the cold of night so far away from the car, and quite honestly, I didn't know what to expect of animals. It had taken a fair bit of time to make the trip to here from the car, I didn't want to find myself in a bad spot unprepared.

Back in the car, I decided it was worth driving further up, perhaps in to the park itself. It wasn't long before it felt like every bend in the road led to another mountain face.

Each turn led to a more beautiful view. I would love to do nothing but show more and more mountains, but I will have to find another place for that. Rest assured, I have lots.

Unfortunately, as I drew closer and closer to Denali, I realized the sun was beginning to drift back down. Already three hours from the car, it became clear that I shouldn't stray too much further. Especially without proper cold weather or overnight gear. It was at this point that my better judgement took hold and I decided it best to turn around.

Along the way back, I found myself in a small community called Trapper Creek (who knew they would have their own Wikipedia entry). I stopped in at a roadside gas station and had a sandwich and on the advice of the owner, I found myself driving slowly along an ice-covered dirt road in hopes of darkness bringing my first show of the Northern Lights. The road ended after a mile or two with a dead end at a creek which was obviously well traveled by snow machines or snowmobiles as us Canadian folk call them.

It was here that I decided to call my home for the next few hours as I waited for it to get dark.

Now, while its true I didn't have much in the way of layers on, being able to be in the relative comfort (warmth) of my rental car, a Suzuki SX4 compact, I was able to pass the time listening to the radio while my camera became acclimatized to the cold. I also had the forethought to pack some chemical hand warmers, so at least they would be toasty warm.

As the sun slowly made its way down, the starts began to present themselves one by one. I was treated to an incredible view of the constellation Orion which to my eye looked like it was lit not by stars, but by bulbs in the sky. The view was spectacular. It did become clear after a while though that the Aurora was not likely to show. I decided at that point that I would try something I hadn't done before. Time lapse movies of the overhead night sky is something I had enjoyed seeing from other photographers' work. I felt it was time I gave it a shot.

As my first time lapse movie, I'm fairly satisfied with it. It was unfortunate though that I did have to learn a lesson the hard way. As time went by and my camera worked, I would check on it to ensure it still had battery power or simply hadn't run out of memory. It appears that on one of those checks, I accidentally exhaled a breath in the vicinity of the lens. This condensed on the glass and froze and ruined roughly 200 shots which would have made up approximately 10 seconds of video. It did teach me a lesson though so I suppose I can be thankful for that.

With my lens now frozen, my night was over. There is little that can be done to a lens once this happens. It was must stored properly and dealt with later, and with that, I began the two hour drive back to the hotel to get some sleep before my guided tour the next day - here is where I will end this entry. While this blog only contains two days, rest assured that I have no intention of this trip being described over numerous entries so please check in again soon.

Pre-Vacation

January 25, 2014

Wow, I have tried to write this a few times now, but it has been a rough road.

I haven't made any mention here yet but in just a few days, I will be off to Anchorage Alaska for a few days, and then carrying on via the Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks. The goal of my trip is to come home with a hundred gigs of beautiful photos.

To keep my camera safe, on recommendation from plenty of personal friends and stellar reviews, Pelican's 1500 below. This is a hard case, very well padded, waterproof, and air tight with automatic pressure release. Sound cool? It is! And the best part is you get to carve out the spaces for your gear! Let me tell ya, I have a slight OCD side, and putting everything in an eye-pleasing way took some planning! ;)

Pictured below, I'll be taking my 5D Mark III camera, the new 70-200 f2.8 IS II lens, the 24-105 and the 16-35 lens. I was very tempted to also bring my 150-500mm lens for more reach, but instead, I've decided to add a 2x extender which will effectively give me 400mm of zoom. While it would be nice to have the 500mm (and it's 2x extender making it 1000mm), it adds a lot of weight and would have to be checked. As I already have to pack my tripod in my suitcase, I'm stretched very thin on weight (and space) already!

I have been asked plenty of times if I am excited. That really isn't the word. I'm nervous. It is entirely dependent on weather. January isn't a particularly pleasant time to be outside up there. Right now the weather is above freezing, but a lot of rain. Not really great for electronics. My plan is to shoot landscapes and animals by day, and the night sky (complete with Northern Lights) after the sun goes down.

I have several tours planned, one of which should take me to the Arctic Circle so this trip should be a memorable one. If the weather cooperates!

Stay tuned - if I am able, I will post some unprocessed shots in a blog entry while I'm on the road if I get access to a computer. If not, well... Hopefully you'll check out my blog when I'm back!

Adios!

Long Time, Cold Time

January 06, 2014

I've been off my game for the past month, maybe two. I've had a nasty cold that just doesn't seem to leave completely. Fortunately (or not), my area was faced with a pretty good "ice storm". For anyone not from around southern Ontario, this is basically a dramatic way of saying freezing rain. The catch is, when it lands, it freezes up pretty much instantly. It isn't incredibly common and the result is a pretty beautiful sight. The down side though is it usually leaves people without power and trees take a lot of damage when they either a) fall over, b) lose branches and even c) split completely in half.

This post will show the preferred result. It takes us once again to Rattray Marsh in Mississauga, Ontario. I come here often because there is potential for deer. But the day after an ice storm, trees are covered in ice and it's quite beautiful.

Critiquing my own shots, there is one thing missing. Sun. When it lights up the ice, it could be diamonds in the trees and unless you see it, you just can't imagine.

This shot itself was a hint of the beauty that lay ahead. I gave this shot the "oil paint" effect because simply wasn't outstanding. I only add an effect if it will improve the shot that would have otherwise been deleted. The bridge ahead is a good viewing area for deer which may be in the brush.

I should probably stop watermarking a link to my personal page now since this is my new home. I believe this shot was probably my favorite of this hike. Not only had ice formed on everything around, but a light layer of snow as well. I only wish it had been sunny. It may have turned it into a million dollar shot (figuratively).

Another boardwalk with some overhanging branches straining heavily from the weight of the ice. Many downed branches and trees littered the ground, in some cases blocking the paths, making them difficult to travel over. The remaining leaves on these trees still show some sign of life from before the first cold snap of the winter season.

I can admit with some degree of embarrassment that I didn't know that some ducks and geese do in fact remain in our area throughout the winter. With all the honking overhead of Canada Geese in October, I assumed they pretty much all headed for warmer climates. It turns out there are plenty of hearty beasts that can somehow stay comfortable in the frigid waters of Lake Ontario. You may find it interesting to know that what appears to be a boulder in the center/top of this image is actually a massive chunk of ice. This area of the beach is actually sand/stone covered as it gently rises from the water forming the shoreline.

I have a love/hate relationship with this shot. I love the colour in what would have otherwise been a desolate mishmash of fallen trees and branches. These berries remain frozen and edible to whatever animals eat these sorts of things thanks to the sudden drop in temperature we experienced.

The hate comes from being unable to move back far enough to make it clear that 20 or so feet behind this scene is a creek. You know what it is now that I've said, but I couldn't close down my lens enough or move back far enough to bring it into clearer focus. It's one of those shots that could have been, but isn't.

Going forward, I don't know if I have mentioned it here, but in 3 weeks today, I will be on my way to Alaska for the first time with a desperate hope to get some stunning shots of the Northern Lights and of course a beautiful landscape. In all my life, I never thought that in January, I would be thinking that I would like to travel another thousand miles further north, but I'm doing it!!

Please feel free to comment. I'm always open to hearing suggestions, critiques and even requests. I love to explore, especially if there might be a challenge to it.

New Website and the Future

November 18, 2013

Sorry folks, no photos this time, but welcome to the new website!

The goal of this site is a) to move away from my other webspace b) make that place more personal and c) ultimately turn this one into a business.

I've been asked many times what equipment I use and often I deflect the question a bit for a number of reasons. I`m currently using two different setups, but of course, one more than the other.

Canon 5D Mark III
Canon T2i
Numerous EF and EFS lenses covering the entire range including macro and fisheye
Manfroto Tripod and ball head

Indoors I use twin Bowen 400W strobes.

All of the above are going to help me take a giant leap into a new aspect of photography for me - macro and product.

I am always excited to hear suggestions (and tips) about what you like because there are plenty of times where I hit a block. Ideas of what you like will probably resonate with me and provide a spark for something I will probably enjoy as well. Feel free to use the Comment option below and tell me what you like or would like on your wall.

Plant and Animal Magnetism

October 12, 2013 in Animals, Landscape, Other Stuff

After my last experience at Algonquin, it didn't take long before the bug bit me again - so to speak. I was nearing the end of my stretch of night shifts when I received a Facebook alert from Soft Serve News that the Aurora Borealis (Northen Lights) was forecast to reach level 8. What is unfortunate is that the alert can only be predicted 30 minutes in advance so there was no hope of leaving early, taking the night off, or going anywhere to see it. But that's what planted the seed in my brain.

Knowing it was going to rain, I packed my stuff, and hoped that the clouds would hold off at least for a little while so I could at least enjoy the day and then take my chances on the night.

Right away, I wanted to get some hikes in and hopefully see new things. I armed myself with my macro lens (left) which enabled me to get this ridiculously close shot of some sort of green ground cover that was growing on the rocks along the side of the path. Further up the trail, I noticed that it was lined with this savagely evil plant (right).

As much as a terrible irritant as it is, it does have it's charms for it's velvety look. Whatever, it's still vile and evil!

Nuff said. It was time to see the falls again.

For the second time, I visited Ragged Falls. This waterfall is naturally fed (water hasn't been diverted to feed this waterfall) and even so late in the year, really is quite a raging sight.

Getting this shot meant (foolishly - don't do this) going under the fence and moving out on to an outcrop that overhangs the falls, setting up and taking a several second shot.

This chute of water makes a lot of noise which drowns out any nearby sound and is quite relaxing. What I really like about this one is the access you have to it. Hiking to the top, you have the ability to climb right out on to the rocks and if you really wanted, could dip your foot in the water as it raged past (don't do that either).

Just meters up from the brink, the flow of water that feeds the falls is very serene. There is a long path that follows the stream for quite a long way, but at one point, there were several "Inukshuk"s set up along the side of the stream. This seemed like a good time to explore a creative side and add another one to that collection. I'm sure someone has probably kicked it over by now, but this is how it looked. I have a new respect for the people who build them. Balancing rocks isn't easy!

Another hike focused on a place called Spruce Bog Boardwalk Trail. Unfortunately there is a portion that has been washed out with recent heavy rainfall so it's an "Out-And-Back" hike until they get things fixed up again. No shortage of birds and critters from this rainfall. This grasshopper on the left was.. well, I don't know what he was doing, bug he gave me a chance to get very close and click away.

Photography is still a learning process for me. I posted this shot on a forum I enjoy and got plenty of tips on how it could have been done better. There is a leaf on this post that I could have blown away, and if I had focused a bit differently, his rear right leg could have been in better focus. I never thought of that, and really appreciate those critiques.

Shooting animals (and people for that matter) is a challenge for me. Neither stay still the way landscapes do. Without a flash, it's not always a sure thing that you will get an animal in sharp focus, but this little fella stopped long enough to cooperate with me. Thanks buddy!!

Speaking of animals, did I mention something about a moose yet? No? Well, BAM!

On a final tour of Highway 60, there were several cars parked on the side of the road - A sure sign that there's something worth seeing. Slowing down and moving over, I saw 2 moose (Mooses? Meece? Pick one) in a gulley. One took off abruptly while this one could care less about the growing number of photographers 20-30 feet away. It grazed lazily in the grass and water.

It was unfortunate that I only had my 24-105 lens attached. I might have liked to get a better shot with my big boy, but it's a chance you take when you bolt on one that it'll be the wrong one. Regardless, I think this shot turned out pretty well.

Finally I leave you with my last hint of fall. I don't doubt that somebody found this leaf and placed it on this mossy rock, but it made for a heck of a beautiful, contrasty shot which obviously caught my attention.

Hope you're all finding the time to take in the fall colours. I don't know what my next blog will be yet so... until then.

Algonquin Provincial Park, 2013

October 06, 2013 in Astrophotography, Landscape, Night Photography

I don't know if this will be a story so much as a description of the photos below. We'll see. I've only been to Algonquin Provincial Park once and that was long ago, an over-nighter and on a motorcycle. The ride was long, involved a couple of gas stops (300km one way) and one seriously sore ass. Sorry, should that be butt? Nah forget it, this is my blog. Ass.

I don't know why I haven't been back in so many years as it really was a fun night, and I did see 2 or 3 moose on my ride home. Maybe it was the 300km rainy ride home. That's probably it.

Enough of that. This trip started the same way many things in my life do. Spontaneously. I'm in the parking lot at work at about 5:45am listening to the radio when the thought enters my head. As soon as I can get out of work, I'm going home, throwing a few clothes in a bag, my camera, and going north. Well.. Everything worked out well and that's just what I did.

The drive went pretty quickly. In fact, I was surprised just how fast I was there. The highway moved strangely well and before I knew it I was on Highway 60 heading east, only 50km from the park. I wasn't even in the park yet when I was blown away by how beautiful the fall colours were. Reds, yellows and oranges were everywhere. A little voice told me to take off my sunglasses and I was greeted by even brighter colours.

Passing a small lake on my right, I couldn't help but stop and take a shot. I have a thing for reflections so getting the colours of the trees reflecting in a tranquil lake seemed like a win for me. Passing cars cooperated (by not killing me) as I parked on the shoulder set up my tripod and grabbed a few shots. My critical side says it would have been much nicer if those trees and shrubs in the foreground weren't there, but I couldn't get any closer so, sometimes you have to take what you're dealt.

Continuing east to the park, I passed the visitors office. Here, you buy your park pass ($16.00 per car) and this gives you access to the sights within the next 56km of park. Well, unfortunately when I arrived it was a bit late and nobody home. My evil side didn't pay for my pass via the machine so I hopped back in my car and continued on.

My first stop was to be a place that was marked simply as "Lookout". No name, just "Lookout". Interesting. I parked, and began a gradual climb up a roughly 1.5km rooty trail. At the beginning of the trails there are typically pamphlets that tell you what each numbered post is highlighting. Unfortunately my shots are less than interesting, but I grabbed this shot of a fallen tree. There are lots. Hundreds. Thousands probably. This isn't your mama's park. Go off the path and you're going to be seriously lost as Algonquin park covers thousands of square kilometers. Anyway, nuff said.

Up, Up, Up the trail went, and after a while, I reached the top and enjoyed a beautiful view. The sun was in my face though so I didn't take any pictures, so you'll just have to trust that it was worth the climb.

By the time I got back down, it was getting darker and darker. Dusk was definitely here and it was time to get into my car before the critters and creatures come out to play. With it being my first time out there and by myself, any large creaks and cracks got my attention quickly.

As the sun set and the sky darkened, I began to look for a place to get some night sky shots. It was clear that it would be a cloudless sky and since I was miles from the lights of the Greater Toronto Area, I hoped that I would be treated. And I was. As a kid, I'd been treated to a view of the Milky Way on a road trip to Vancouver with my parents and its something that has stuck with me ever since. This night was a close second. It was spectacular. I had found a spot just off the road with a watery foreground, trees in the distance and the stars above. Just about perfect in my books. If I wasn't clicking, I was taking it in.

I took a number of shots much like this one and in some, I noticed the trees were lit up nicely by the passing cars and trucks so I thought I would play with them a bit by turning around and shooting the sky and trees.

With my bike mounted on the back of my car, I shot the sky and a piece of the Milky Way and captured the lights of the passing cars. I may have had more fun results if I could have had a bit of traffic going each way at the time, but beggars really can't be choosers. I like the result.

I was really enjoying myself when I heard the sound of a rather large splash behind me on the other side of the lake, perhaps 100 feet away. The sound of something getting in the water and swimming in my general direction was clear. It's no secret that I have a fear of bears. I'd very much like to not be eaten by one. With that in mind, I quickly grabbed my camera and tripod, folded what I could and in a near-panic fumbled with my keys to unlock my door (damn you, Auto-Locking Tucson!!!) and threw in my gear before closing the door behind me.

My flashlight refused to illuminate whatever it is that was in the water, but no matter. Something large was out there and I wasn't going to be dinner for it. Even if it was just a moose. My night was done and it was time to find a place to sleep.

By now it was about 10:30 and I found a place outside the park that looked like it would do. Ringing the doorbell, I was greeted by a nice woman in a robe who was extremely kind and helpful and gave me her last room. Spring Lake Resort took care of me for the night so I feel like I should give them a plug. The lady spoke quite excitedly about my first time there alone, the things to do and see, places to hike and bike (and not to sweat the bears).

I spent a while by their small lake taking some more shots of the sky and playing with the mist as it drifted across the water before calling it a night.

The following morning there was a good amount of fog and mist in the air. I was up long before dawn to make sure I found a spot worth shooting. Keeping in check with my desire for reflections, I found this outcrop of land in a place called Mew Lake. With the sun rising in the distance behind the trees, I liked how it was backlit on the near and far shores. It didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted and given more time, I would have re-visited there several more times if necessary to get it the way I wanted. Ideally I would have liked a somewhat cloudless morning rather than overcast skies, but sometimes you have to take what you're given.

Sometimes I wish I hadn't moved from Orangeville so places like this could be much more reachable but what can you do. If I'd known that a year after moving that I'd be spending more time north than south.. nuff said.

With a fresh day ahead and fog in the air, I thought I'd visit another lookout. Algonquin has plenty of them - unfortunately I can't remember the name of this one. It may be Hardwood Lookout, but don't quote me.

Having noticed a theme of the lookouts being accessible via a loop, I took a more direct route to the top. What I didn't realize at the time was that the direct route seems to mean a steep hike upwards. Carrying a billion pounds of camera stuff with tripod meant that it was a serious pain in the butt (there I go censoring myself now).

Still a bit spooked by animals and the fact that it was still pretty dark on this trail, the nearby cracks and crunches were punctuated by the sound of that large creature I'd heard only hours before. But still, up I climbed until I reached this lookout. There was an area very close by that offered a much more unobstructed view, but somehow I think this one works to add some depth to the shot. It gives the illusion of being above the clouds, and I like that.

With the night on my mind and wanting to find a safer place to shoot, I found myself at Lake of Two Rivers. There is a place to stop and walk to the beach so as the sun was dropping from the sky, I carried my gear to the water, dragged a picnic table near the water and enjoyed some more quiet time. There was a stretch of cloud in the sky that I had been watching for a while which I think was a contrail. It lingered in the sky for a couple of hours and slowly got wider and wider over time. I was pretty fortunate that it slowly dissipated as darkness truly set in and I was able to get this shot. The glow near the horizon is from the lights of nearby Huntsville, Ontario. Yes, I managed to work in yet another reflection as well.

The following morning I didn't get up as early. In fact I let myself wake up on my own. I would have to drive home soon and I'd been burning the candle at both ends for a while (as usual).

Heading back to Lake of Two Rivers, I had noticed this pile of rocks but didn't have a good lens with me to shoot it at the time. With a bit of mist still on the water and my 150-500mm lens set at maximum zoom, I'm pretty happy with this shot. It was probably 200 feet awaybut the lighting was pretty decent to get a contrasty shot with a nice backdrop of the changing leaves. Truth be told, I wish I could have gotten physically closer for a clearer shot but, oh well.

It was time to head back. My parents had given me a heads-up about a tower that I had to visit along the way home. It was only slightly out of the way and promised to be worthwhile.

They were right. My shots didn't really show anything spectacular (blame the photographer) but I have to tell you, if you're up there, climbing and descending that tower is an experience unto itself. The tower moves, creaks slightly and the steps are steep and small. I've never held a handrail tighter to avoid a very quick trip south from 100 feet.

Finally, along the trip home, I passed a small pond at the side of the road. I was well on my way home but something stuck in my head that I liked about it, so after a minute or two, I decided to turn around and get a second look at it. Well, since there's a shot here, you can tell I liked it. It was a bit of work to get though. I found a place to park, walked back, went over the barrier and climbed down a pretty steep and rocky embankment that led down to the water. Pushing aside the tall grass, I found a spot I liked and this is what I came up with.

The climb up wasn't any easier. I probably would have looked pretty suspicious if any cars had been passing at that moment, but I made it back to my car safely, and so ended my first solo trip to Algonquin.

I was planning on writing about both trips in a single entry but this one is already pretty long and I'm afraid I'll click something and lose it. I'd hate to throw my computer out the window.

I'm outta here! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for Algonquin #2!

It's All About the Light

August 22, 2013 in Uncategorized

I haven't written anything in the last little while because quite frankly, I've had nothing to say. Sure, I've been clicking away, but if I'm not overly thrilled with the shot or the the story that goes with it, I'll keep it to myself. The past few weeks have been busy with a few things.. Photos, biking, learning new things, travel and continuing with my photo course through NYIP.

The travel has taken me to a couple of campgrounds where I've had some chances to shoot things like bugs at the macro level such as this little fella.

Upon waking up one morning, I discovered this little guy had made a web covering part of the opening to the tent. I went to the car to retrieve my camera and miraculously he stayed put. He was even good enough to let me set up inside the tent on the tripod and get within a couple of inches. I'm not 100% thrilled with it as it is slightly out of focus. I'm going to lazily blame it on the tiny breeze that was making his web sway. I submitted this shot as part of my photo assignment. Remember, you can click on the shots to see a larger size. If you dare.

During a relatively short hike through a marsh, I kicked myself for not having my macro lens with me. I was really hoping to spot a dragonfly who would cooperate enough to allow a shot, but that just wasn't meant to be. Instead, I had my 24-105 on when this little guy presented himself, sunning on a hand rail. This lens is a great go-to lens, but isn't the best for super close-ups. This hornet/wasp/whatever did let me get to my minimum focus distance without killing me though. And because of that, I had shot #2 for my assignment. I'm pretty happy with the shot.

My third shot here was a little fun with some bubbles. Sure, it may be made with 3 year olds in mind, but they look nice on film too, and it became the subject for my third shot of my assignment.

I won't bother going into what the purpose was of each shot, I'm really only sharing them because for their own reasons, I think they turned out pretty well. As I've said in the past, I really don't have much of a creative side, so it's my attempt to change that.

Now, what would a summer trip be without some shots of the night sky. I think this one is my new favourite shot of The Milky Way. The angle of the trees is the same as our galaxy and the distant clouds make me think of the Northern Lights so I think it comes together pretty nicely.

While shooting this, a nice gentleman was kind enough to give me some pretty decent instructions on how to find the Andromeda Galaxy in the night sky. This is one of my next high-priority assignments for myself. I've made some initial attempts to capture it but they have been less than impressive - certainly nothing I would publish here, but I'm learning more about deep space photography, so expect to see it soon.

shootingstars

Now, as I was capturing the Milky Way with a big smile on my face, I should mention that the Perseid meteor shower was going on at the same time. While I was clicking away and making adjustments here and there, I was turning around to take in the "shooting stars". I had seen a few in the past, but this night was really something special.

This shot, if you zoom in very close, there are 3 contained in one 20 second exposure. That's pretty thrilling to my ever-growing nerd side. I only hope that there are more clear skies ahead that might lend themselves to more of these streaks of light.

Now, as a couple of weeks passed by, a thought crossed my mind about a shot I took that I felt could have been better. This path is along a trail that circles Island Lake in Orangeville, Ontario. In a previous blog, I took a shot of this path while it was snow-covered with a mild mist obscuring the end and I really liked it. But I think what this path is to me, is a place of mystery. This mystery will always be unsolved, and best read in a more black-and-white page.

I'm not sure I have it perfect yet, so it won't be going on my wall but I see that there is still a little more potential left to pull out. I'll be back.

This brings me to another trip - this time to Manitoulin Island, Ontario, otherwise known as Cottage Country. I don't have a lot to say about this shot. I've already revealed in another writing that I have an unhealthy fascination with waterfalls, so this one just keeps proving my need to stop and see. Sadly, I don't remember what this one is called, but when I look at it, I feel sad that man has felt the need to put a bridge directly over what could have been a beautiful scene.

It's the same sadness I felt when I found out that the pyramids in Egypt are almost entirely built up nearby with businesses, residences and infrastructure. Sad.

Yes, you'er right, this one has been "Shopped". Great eye, Detective. Well, you know what? Virtually all shots on the web have been Photoshop'd. It's for a greater good. It makes an alright shot a memorable one.

I was extremely happy with this shot untouched, but with the milky screening and white vignetting, this one gives a certain feeling to my eye and makes me quite happy to share it. I had taken other long-exposure shots where the water was turned into milky streaks, but I prefer this one much more.

This shot was particularly lucky in that there was a constant flow of people hiking down the stairs from this perch, behind the falls, and ultimately into the water.

Hopefully the next blog will have as many shots, and a slightly more interesting story :)

Printing

July 08, 2013 in Uncategorized

So the photography thing is taking more of a hold. With the shoulders being questionable and a foot that is on the mend (finally!!) I've really needed something to fill time that was spent in the gym before (and will be again soon!). With summer here, I'm biking lots on the road and on the trails, and spending lots of time on the water in my outrigger, photography gives me an excuse to go to other places.

For anyone who has been in my house, you know that I am not one to put stuff on my walls. It seems weird to buy someone else's stuff and hang it. I'm clearly in a very tiny minority on that of course. I've always been weird - I can say it. I always figured that it would be much nicer to hang my own stuff.

Over the past few months I've finally got some pictures that I'm truly happy with and have taken the step of printing them.

This first shot will be submitted to a contest in the very near future. I won't go into details, but I wanted to show it because it is the first shot I've had printed. It's a scary thing sending a shot to someone to print it. Will it look the same from my screen as it will in the store? On paper? If it doesn't, it's pretty pointless.

To make sure I get the results I want, I bought something called "Spyder 4". It is a monitor calibration tool that hangs on your screen and analyzes the colour and brightness as it goes through it's own diagnostic patterns. With it, it helps you adjust so that you're seeing what it truly is, and when you're in Photoshop, you know exactly what tweaks need to be made. Through this, I was fairly confident when I printed to paper that it would look how I wanted.

I chose Walmart to do my first ones, and I have to admit, I'm pretty happy. Paper looked just fine and made me want to take it to the next level. Canvas. It's a nail-biting experience to do that though. It's expensive. If it's wrong, you have yourself a mounted piece of garbage for pickup on Wednesday morning. Well, as luck would have it, it came out just fine as well, and this one is now the first shot I've hung on my wall. I added the black framing around it because of the wrap-around that is done . I didn't want to lose more than I wanted to.

This shot I just finally finished this morning and it is now waiting in the queue for printing. I don't remember if I've blogged about this morning or not, but when I got the series of shots that included this one, I knew I was done at this location. I was blown away when I saw it, and thrilled that I captured it. I only hope it looks nice when it's on the wall as well.

Printing has given me incentive to learn a couple of Photoshop finishing techniques as well.

Usually when I edit shots, it's to bring up (or down) the exposure level, crop, perhaps remove an undesirable duck, re size and then post here or on Facebook. Pretty quick, pretty easy. Re-sizing down will take care of plenty of imperfections. If focus wasn't quite right, re-sizing down will make it look very sharp. Printing it at 30" x 20" though, you really have to get it right. I've now learned how to selectively add/remove some blur, remove chromatic aberration and a few other things. It doesn't mean I have any skill compared to the real editors, but I can take a shot that was an "almost" and turn it into a "got it!".

My current project is still on the go as I eluded to in a previous post. More to come on that later.

PS If you're wondering why on earth I put the watermark where I did, it is to ensure that when the wrapping is done on the image, that my name shows up on the canvas in the very bottom right :)

First Light

June 17, 2013 in Landscape

It's funny how as a kid, you feel like you're being "dragged" from place to place. Like the world (otherwise known as your parents) is somehow against you, and the mention of going some places makes you cringe and even dig your heels in a bit. Of course the reality is, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, you take home memories and had lots of fun.

As an adult and growing photographer, I've found myself at one of those places plenty of times, chasing some old ghosts and creating some new ones for farther down the road. Gairloch Gardens in Oakville is a place I've been to so many times in the last six or eight months and looking back, I can see how I've grown. I think my skills are coming along, and who knows, maybe I'm finally starting to find an artsy side.

Since my first shot, I had an inkling inside that this place could offer more. If you've read my blogs or looked at some of my previous shots here or on Facebook, you've seen this place plenty of times. Leaves on the trees or off, black and white, sepia, smooth water, rough water, there's been lots of change, but yet I still haven't found what I wanted. Always left thinking there was more potential.

In seminars, reading and talking to people, one thing has become crystal clear. A good shot starts with good light. Whatever you put in front of the lens is meaningless if the light is bad. Sure, you can do lots of touching up after the fact in front of the computer, but that really isn't ideal, though it is often unavoidable.

Another thing that I seem to often lack is focus. I spend a lot of time in low light situations and because of that I spend a lot of energy thinking about getting my light right through the usual triangle of settings, but I can think of more than a few occasions where I thought I had something to be proud of when I got home, only to find that I was out of focus. There's nothing that can cure that. With an out of focus shot, your only options are to a) delete or b) turn it into something abstract. Abstract shots can look phenomenal, but again, I still lack that artsy side.

So now I find that if I can find good light, write "focus" on my hand so I can come home with something sharp, my only real challenge is to find an interesting subject and hit it from a good angle.

For the past few days, I have been working the night shift but quite honestly, I've been struggling through them. Sleep doesn't always come easy during the day. A couple of nights ago I saw some potential for a nice sunrise and as luck would have it, I was able to use some vacation time and get out early.

Madly dashing home, I had enough time to grab my camera, a fresh memory card, throw a tripod in the car and head on down to Gairloch to await the sunrise. Unfortunately day 1 didn't go quite as I hoped. The clouds were much thicker than I expected and after about 40 minutes, the first drops of a coming shower were falling. The morning gave me some practice, but nothing particularly stellar.

This morning on the other hand, everything seemed to fall into place. Out early again, time to get home and then head back down to the lake. I admit I was pretty worried as I could see the sky rapidly changing colour as the sun began to approach the horizon. Luck was on my side though and I had my time to get in, parked, set up and start clicking.

Here at the park, I have two purposes. One is to capture a long exposure to flatten out the water and soften up the clouds as they slowly move. The other is to get a faster shutter shot to get some texture on the water. Each has its own challenges, but with the help of some patience, and plenty of trial and error, I'm happy with how they turned out.

I'm excited to say that aside from removing an uncooperative duck, and straightening my horizon line, these shots are otherwise untouched and are published as they came out of the camera. That doesn't mean that I won't tinker with them later though.

Having watched some folks with far more talent than I, I've seen how surreal a photo can look and I'm finally lucky enough that I have some shots that I'm proud of that I can use to do just that.

If anyone does read this, be sure to keep an eye out. I'm very excited about my next shoot. I have a rare opportunity to do something really special (to me) and I plan to take full advantage. Next post will be in a few days or so. Thanks for reading.

Oh, and just for fun, here's an extra shot facing west towards Oakville Harbour. Not quite as dramatic as the east, but I think maybe it has it's own merits.

Full Moon at 2X

May 24, 2013 in Astrophotography, Night Photography

So there I am at work, working diligently so the taxpayers get their full value for my employment when I am excitedly approached by a friendly voice from behind. "Did you see the moon?!" That was enough. By now if you've read any of my blogs or looked at any of my pictures, you've seen the moon more times than you've had Cheerios. Maybe I should apologize. No, I don't think I will.

The night was beautiful and clear and I've been waiting to get image the moon at 1000mm. My last couple of attempts have been mediocre thanks to wind and cloud. Tonight the sky was perfect. A healthy breeze though, but still doable.

I'm not going to go into a long yack attack on this writing, but suffice is to say I'm pretty happy with how the moon turned out. Maybe tomorrow I'll get it a little clearer if the breeze dies down.

My other hope was to get a better shot of Saturn. Being at home, I can openly admit I couldn't find it at first. I had to use an app to locate it. Well, what can I say. I'm still no expert on the night sky. Android to the rescue!

In the viewfinder of my 5Dm3 at 1000mm I was able to easily see the body of the planet along with the rings standing out quite distinctly. Unfortunately, even with the mirror locked open, I wasn't able to get a stellar shot worth posting. I'll try again tomorrow if the breeze is better. It moves extremely fast at that magnification so I need to find a good balance of settings, and maybe I'll get an improved shot worth posting.

Until then, feel free to click on the moon. I haven't resized it down so you can view it full screen if you like.

Edit: Apparently my site scales it down. Pity.

Just Watch the Fireworks - Jimmy Eat World

May 21, 2013 in Night Photography

Okay, the title is only really there because I like the song. Since watching Forrest Tanaka's YouTube video on shooting fireworks, I've been waiting for an occasion to give it a shot on my own. Seems simple enough - Find a location, set to bulb, low ISO, open, close. How hard can it be??

In truth, it's not difficult at all. The location is by far the hardest part. Just because you know the park they will be at doesn't mean you can get a good spot, or that you won't be bumped and banged by obnoxious gawkers who are rank with a me-first attitude. That said, here's my experience from last night.

Here in Canada it was Victoria Day yesterday and with it came the promise of fireworks at Ashbridges Bay. Transportation proved to be a big challenge. Police and Auxiliary Police were everywhere. It seems they could have propped up some cardboard cutouts of them though because they did nothing to assist traffic flow or enable parking.

Giving up on being at the venue itself, I decided to try another location which turned out to be better. Parking on Leslie Street, I was able to carry my gear down to the Spit, set up on the edge of the lake in a slightly elevated area and had plenty of time to guess where they would be fired. A half a dozen test shots as the sky darkened, then it was all over but the waiting.

Over the course of the next half hour, folks slowly poured in, bonfires were lit and so were.. err.. other things. Yes, the air was soon filled with some slightly more exotic smoke. Whatever, I'm not judging. Unfortunately, despite my tripod, bag, myself and various things being set up in fairly close proximity to myself, it wasn't long before folks started wiggling their way in, bumping and nudging to get a better view. People around Toronto are obnoxious. Probably "me-first", silver-spoon 905'ers if I were to guess. A few slightly rough shoves back and I gained my space back. Folks, if you don't push back now and then, you'll get run over or squeezed out. People need to learn when you don't appreciate their obnoxiousness, and a harsh word just won't do it. Nuff said.

On to the show itself. No particular comment specific to each shot. The night was a learning experience. If you want to do it yourself, here's how I would describe the process. Find your location and set up with a tripod early. Get an idea of where they will appear in the night sky and if you have one, use a telephoto lens. I set mine up with the legs only slightly extended and I sat in the grass while I shot.

From here, take a few test shots, lower your ISO, set a fairly middle of the road aperture, and use Bulb. Bulb lets you decide when the shutter opens and then closes. It's all about keeping it open for a bit then closing it. A remote is a must. If you don't have one, get one. Lastly, set your focus on something near where you think they will be fired, then switch to manual focus. If you leave it on Auto, you'll never get a shot because your camera will spend too long hunting.

When the show starts, so do you. You'll hear the bang of ignition then a moment later, you'll see the light. Your goal is to time is so that the sky is mostly dark before you open the shutter, then hold it open for a second or two before closing it. You don't want to hold it open until the explosion subsides. That's too long, and the next one will already be in the air. Perhaps 10 of them.

Your first 10 shots, you should probably chimp it. Take your shot, look at the result, then adjust your timing. If you can, fine tune your focus as well.

Note, just because the first 5 all exploded in one place doesn't mean you can be complacent with your zoom. The really big ones explode higher in the air, so be prepared for that. If you can, try to capture a bit of the ground as well for some perspective. Explosions are cool and all, but without some perspective, it's just an explosion.

As the show went on, there was a substantial amount of wind coming in from the east. That wind detracted from a number of my shots because it created fairly oblong fireworks. In these shots you can really see how they trail off to the left. I do like the fact that it got the smoke cleared out though. The show finished up with one large one that filled the sky and seemed to last forever. I was able to get 5 2 second exposures on it, but I liked this next one most of all. The following ones appeared as though a curtain was being dragged across the sky. Stunning effect.

When the show was over, it was now a pushing party to get out of the park and back to the cars. Those obnoxious folks were now dazzled by the previous show and now walking like the undead in search of brains. Me, when I'm done with something, it's time to go, and I'm not particularly interested in walking like a soulless lemming. Hauling ass out of there, I was soon back in my car only to discover that Leslie Street was not moving. At all. So with my car turned around, I sat in the southbound lane facing north, waiting for cars to move for a little over half an hour before I could get in and get out.

All tolled, it was worth the trip. I learned a lot, enjoyed a nice show and came home with a story and a few pics to share and I hope you enjoyed them too :)

Nothing to See Here

May 20, 2013 in Uncategorized

You just had to click didn't you? Well, now you're going to have to read this and see nothing. That's right. Nothing. I've been in a slight rut lately when it comes to blogging. Sure, I've taken some shots. Some I liked, some, not so much. My equipment inventory has exploded lately as well, but sadly the weather hasn't cooperated to get something really interesting or eye-pleasing.

Fine, I'll show some pics. But they're not going to be great.

Normally I like any blog I write to stick to a particular point or story, but I find that my shots have been so sporadic or really didn't have any story behind them that I haven't written a thing. So I'll break that rule this time and share some random shots and you can either like them or not.

I'm pretty happy that the green space behind me has finally started to bud, bloom and show real, green signs of life. The maple trees behind me are young and healthy and thanks to running my sprinkler a bit, produced this shot.

This little fella has been a frequent visitor. Early in the year I picked up a bird feeder at the Royal Botanical Garden (supporting them more than anything). Thanks to a healthy dose of bird seed, I have frequent visitors including an elusive cardinal who is very skittish. So much so that he doesn't allow any photos. But I'll get him. Oh yes. He will be mine.

Relaxing in my lawn chair with the t2i in hand with a 500mm lens, I hard a lot of noise in the air. A sea gull was following a hawk with dinner in his talons and blood on his face. I suppose he was hoping that there might be some discussion about sharing, or perhaps leftovers, but I didn't get to find out. They both flew off but not before I managed to get a couple of shots. Sadly I wasn't quite prepared for it and didn't get a particularly sharp shot. But it's a start. Truth be told, I wish I'd had 30 extra seconds to get it right, but. Oh well.

Visiting my sister, bro in law and the little critters (who are taller than me now (*@$%(*$!!) we took a little walk to the back of the farm and my sister showed me this bed of ferns. Very prehistoric looking to see them growing wildly. I do see them occasionally when I'm mountain biking and I love how vibrantly green they are. Makes me wish I could take my camera with me when I'm on the trails, but sadly, I'm in no hurry to see it smashed to pieces so I take home only memories unless I happen to have packed my Nikon point-and-shoot.

Nearby the ferns are a collection of trilliums (the official flower of the Province of Ontario). I wish I could pick some and grow them at home, but... something about a law or something that prevents that from happening. Not that I'm always the most by-the-book kinda guy. Maybe I'll visit again with a bucket and shovel... Mwahahaha!

Oh, this is probably a good time to mention that I'm playing with Watermarks. Not that my pics are "all that" or anything, but every now and then, we all come up with that one pic we're proud of and would prefer to not have someone else take credit for it. I don't know that I've come up with that shot yet, but when I do, I'll have that watermark ready for it! Nothing huge, just a plug for the site. I wish I was a bit more creative to come up with a logo but... oh well. Maybe someone will read this stuff some day and be interested in creating one. Hint?

What can I say about this cat. Who could look at Patches' face and not love those markings. It reminds me a bit of Braveheart. I wish I'd got it just a bit sharper but, that's the breaks. I wonder if Parkinson's is in my future. I never seem to get that "tack sharp" image I'm looking for. Frustrating. Regardless, he's a great cat to work with. Very calm, doesn't seem to mind a lens in his face and no sudden movements. Good boy!! (or girl??)

skittles

You can't shoot one cat without shooting the other. This one was pure luck and probably my favourite of this blog. They say a good photo should be of something interesting. A cat about to pounce on an offending dandelion hits the mark for me. It may not be the best shot in the world either. I think what I like most is the demonstration of how aperture works. A small patch of grass is crisp and sharp and the rest is blurred. Cool stuff to a geek like me.

Finally, the moon.

Remember the inventory I mentioned above? The first thing I picked up was a new camera body. A giant leap forward as it is a full-frame camera which really opens up a new world for me as far as printing goes, so I'm really excited about that. I need to revisit some places to re-take some shots so I can frame them for myself. My walls are bare anyway, so it's a good learning thing with a reward for me!

The second thing I picked up was a 2x extender for my sigma 150-500mm lens. This effectively turns the lens into 1000mm of zoomy goodness.

It does come with some drawbacks though. Auto focus? No, it's gone now. Aperture? Nope, lose two stops. Those might be of huge importance to anyone else, but fortunately for me, my goal is mostly for shooting the skies. Perhaps the moon!

The sky was pretty hazy last night but this shot didn't turn out too badly. Sharpness isn't perfect but I'm hoping that on a clearer sky... Well, we'll see.

If we can get a cloudless night soon, I'm dying to say hello to Saturn and see if it turns out better. You'll have to stay tuned to a future blog post to find that one out.

Thanks for reading.