Of the renderings considered, this image of the one ton grain truck (or perhaps utility truck) from the fifties intrigues by way of its waxless reflection brought out by its being rain soaked. The image’s colours are late summer’s end-of-day colours. Night isn’t too far off, the shot taken within evening’s Golden Hour in Edmonton. John Grisham wrote A Painted House, a growing up novel written about a boy’s witnessing America’s move from the farm (a cotton plantation) to its cities in America’s fifties; this is the kind of truck that might have been found within Grisham’s narrative. I hadn’t thought his narrative (as autobiographical as it is) might be considered sibling narrative to Jack Kerouac’s On the Road until now.
Listening to – what is seemingly a rural truck reminds of Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.
Quote to Inspire – “The goal is not to change your subjects, but for the subject to change the photographer.” – Anonymous
Conundrum – how to manage a photo-a-day blog when away from home, computer, software and the Internet. Is it a matter of taking a computer with you? Or is it about caching photos taken during vacation for presentation later on, in look-back fashion? I’m only now sitting down at my computer to review photos, some three weeks later to discover this present gem of an image, a one-ton, late fifties truck that pops noticeably because of the wet reflective surface provided courtesy of the rain. Reflection is a neat thing for adding light to a subject and in so doing, highlighting the subject’s lines and shape. Here, an extraordinary combination of clouds, sun and rain at day’s end allows the opportunity to explore textures, shape, reflection and background. In taking this photo, there was the scramble to the scene (a reasonable distance) in order to make use of the setting, light and background. And, in this same scene while there has been that aspect of Carpe Diem, there too were the mosquitos within the wet, warm weather to contend with. But, a gem is a gem and I like each of the four renderings of this photo.
In truth, though, it has been hard to sit still at day’s end, the household asleep and to find that I’m awake without the tools for editing photos, writing a post and blogging. The issue is about workflow and what I really value doing with my/our time on vacation. Photography is intended to assist vacation recall … not what the vacation should be about. Next year, perhaps a laptop … perhaps not. Perhaps focus will remain on enjoying and capturing our vacation with my camera.
I haven’t withdrawn from my blog so much as I’ve been presented with the separation of vacation from the routines of daily life – sort of a forced withdrawal that’s likely to bring benefits with regard to energy and perspective.
Listening to – Shawn Colvin’s All Fall Down.
Quote to Inspire – “A photograph is a moral decision taken in one eighth of a second.”– Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Sunset & Plant – Fort Vermilion Turnoff, Fort Vermilion, Alberta
On lunch break between summer tasks, I play tunes my daughter has had us download in iTunes – Smash Mouth songs, Megan & Liz songs and songs from the Glee Cast. She’s had me track down the original of The Zombies – She’s Not There, a song sung on Glee. Another song from the Glee repertoire is Tears for Fears’ Mad World; we find the Michael Andrews and Gary Jules version of the song that encapsulates the theme within the Donnie Darko movie; it contains a straightforward set of lyrics about Life’s absurdity in being there but not there, almost a ghost within a world where you can be seen but not known, recognized but not affirmed, speak but not be understood. Our listen through with iTunes two nights back brought out several songs by The Who which we download – Won’t Get Fooled Again, I Can See For Miles, Behind Blue Eyes, My Generation, Pinball Wizard and Baba O’Riley. My daughter recognizes Pinball Wizard, a song she’s heard, and I wonder where she would have heard it – questions to ask. For now she’s happy to have our downloads and to have the songs loaded on her iPod.
One lingering photo is this, taken at sunset, a plant with maroon and gold stem and shoots; it sways in the breeze as I try a macro shot. I’m liking the colours despite its movement.
Quote to Inspire – “No, the camera can’t steal the soul. But it can occasionally hold it hostage.” – author unknown
Listening to – The Who andMy Generation. Also listening to Smash Mouth’s Walkin’ on the Sun and All Star.
Early morning, time to cross-off items from my ‘did-I-do-it’ list, time to muster to the morning’s endeavor – planting Saskatoon bushes in our backyard. I gather shovel, axe, wheel barrow and raise my eyes to gaze upon a dragonfly sunning itself, drinking in sun’s early morning heat. The dragonfly doesn’t move. Rapturous in sun’s warmth, it allows me time to retrieve my camera, attach macro lens and gather images. When I move to look down the fence board to the dragonfly from above, the dragonfly having had enough parts company, flying off. This intriguing moment with camera and subject was one that recalls and reinforces the joy of discovery and pursuit within photography. Taking the moment further I photographed ripening raspberries in still life.
Listening to – The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again, the Donnie Darko version of Tears for Fears’ Mad World, The Who’s Boris the Spider, Walter Trout’s Blues for the Modern Daze, Shawn Colvin’s American Jerusalem, I Don’t Know You and The Neon Lights of the Saints.
Quotes to Inspire – (1) “Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.” – Diane Arbus; and, (2) “If I were just curious, it would be very hard to say to someone, ‘I want to come to your house and have you talk to me and tell me the story of your life.’ I mean people are going to say, ‘You’re crazy.’ Plus they’re going to keep mighty guarded. But the camera is a kind of license. A lot of people, they want to be paid that much attention and that’s a reasonable kind of attention to be paid.” – Diane Arbus – remarks made in class, 1971, Diane Arbus : An Aperture Monograph by Diane Arbus, Stan Grossfeld (3) “Beauty is the illumination of your soul.” – John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
Homestead Amongst Canola 4 – Fort Vermilion, Alberta
Canola & Stacking Clouds 3 – High Level, Alberta
Homestead Amongst Canola 3 – Fort Vermilion, Alberta
Canola & Stacking Clouds 2 – High Level, Alberta
Homestead Amongst Canola 1 – Fort Vermilion, Alberta
Canola & Stacking Clouds 1 – High Level, Alberta
Homestead Amongst Canola 2 – Fort Vermilion, Alberta
One use for photography is as a means to revisit the past, to investigate the reality of former times and to hold up to scrutiny the mind’s eye view of significant events held in memory against the reality that photography reveals. Former times often become focal point for memory; we attach meaning and narrative to what has happened to us in significant events and memorable moments. Reaching back to former times with a camera allows for the investigation of visual information within scenes and settings surrounding Life events. Distances, depth, architecture, shape, colour – the visual information within a photograph allows for extrapolation, to see more of the story that was at play. Such camera investigation with editing of images has a settling aspect to it; it establishes more of the facts surrounding events and moves past glory day’s nostalgia to clearer recognition of what comprised scene and action. In doing so, photography locks in the visual information within a scene. While I tend to think of Edmonton, the home I grew up in, and, the events and happenings of years ago, the process is the same when I consider our northern seasons. The dark of winter will bring longing for warmth and breeze of summer’s blue-sky days with clouds stacking and fields in greens, yellows and gold; intensities are there, too – heat, lightning, convection, weather. The photographs here are of such summer days and for those winter days.
Listening to – Alison Krauss/Union Station’s When You Say Nothing At All.
Quotes to Inspire – (1) “Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” – Marc Riboud (2) “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” – Ansel Adams. (3) “A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.” – Eudora Welty
Water Slinging 1 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 2 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 3 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 4 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 5 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 6 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 7 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 8 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 9 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 10 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 11 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 12 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 13 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 14 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 15 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 16 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Wilson Prairie Fire – Onlookers, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 17 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 18 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 19 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 20 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 21 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 22 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 23 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 24 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 25 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Water Slinging 26 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 1 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 2 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 3 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 4 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 5 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 6 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Tanker Lead Plane 1 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Tanker Lead Plane 2 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Tanker Lead Plane 3 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Tanker Lead Plane 4 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Tanker Lead Plane 5 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Tanker Lead Plane 6 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 7 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Tanker Lead Plane 7 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 8 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Support 9 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Tanker Lead Plane 8 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 1 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 2 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 3 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 4 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 5 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 6 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 7 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 8 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 9 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 10 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 11 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 12 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 13 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 14 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 15 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 16 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 17 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 18 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 19 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Air Tanker Water Bombing 20 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta
Good day, all:
Currently, our forest region has 27 fires burning – fourteen are out of control, four are being held and nine are under control. Our temperatures have been hot this week reaching +30C and higher in our corner of Northwestern Alberta. At least two smaller communities have been evacuated, threatened by fire and smoke. One fire has a 15000 hectare involvement. The photos presented are of recent water bombing and water slinging operations in the La Crete area – the state of emergency, there, has been lifted at noon today.
Listening to – Shawn Colvin’s All Fall Down and Walter Trout’s Turn Off Your TV.
Quote to Inspire – “When I shoot a scene I often shoot a hundred frames sometimes over a few hours or days, before I begin to get a real handle on what I want in the frame and how I want it there.” – David duChemin
In My Back Pocket - Photography 
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