December, Puck & Mr. Keating

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Live View, Farm, Homestead, Journaling, Lookback Photos - One Year Ago, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Vehicle, Vehicle Restoration, Weather, Winter

Car Between Fox Creek and

December – colder temperatures, cooling the core of you; shortened days, days of the long nights; snow blankets the landscape and falling veils the atmosphere looked through diluting colour into the distance until only the grander forms can be made out. Arriving home for supper, I stumble into Mr. Keating and his students within the latter acts of Dead Poets Society – it’s winter, there, too. At the point where I pick up the story, a student challenges parents’ wishes and takes on the role of Puck within a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Neil, as Puck, opens and closes this first performance famously, an outcome that’s would surely catalyze future interest and movement within and toward drama as solid and chosen Life endeavor. His parent’s plan, though, is what it is. There is no room for deviation. Life, moving forward, is their way or not at all. To live-out the parent’s plan, dreams must die. And, dead dreams are no more than that – dead. Neil recognizes that he has known the rapture of bringing the journey of a drama from a good beginning to successful conclusion. Neil takes his Life. Much of what the movie deals with is shaping judgment and pursuing truth – uncovering the core reality of Life. And, the movie shows costs associated with such noble pursuit – ‘O’ Captain, My Captain’. A friend and colleague pointed out that Mona Lisa Smile is the inverse to this film, Dead Poets Society.

While not a December photo, the vehicle within the image is one that was certainly around during the time in which Dead Poets Society was set. In the last third of the distance from Fox Creek and Valleyview, Alberta, this vehicle resides on the north side of the highway, in a farmer’s field. The sanding and the front right quarter panel that needs to be reattached reveal the car to be a project vehicle, a vehicle that someone has had an interest in restoring … and then didn’t. Set within view of the highway, it is certain to draw the attention of another would-be car crafter. For me, I enjoy the shape and look found in this vehicle from a former time. While editing this photo today, I realized that in total I may only have ridden in a handful of these fifties vehicles, maybe only one or two … despite having photographed them so often.

Listening to – Sigur Ros’ Glosoli.

Quote to Inspire in Dead Poets Society terms – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 – University of Alberta’s motto

Quote to Inspire – “I fell in love with the process of taking pictures, with wandering around finding things. To me it feels like a kind of performance. The picture is a document of that performance.” – Alec Soth

Fencing and Furrows

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Canon Live View, Farm, Home, Homestead, Lookback Photos - One Year Ago, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Season, Still Life, Weather, Winter

Rolling Hills – Onoway Alberta

A February photo, one of the first few shots with a Canon 70-200 mm – f/2.8 IS lens, looks northwest toward Onoway, Alberta … perhaps twenty minutes away. Rolling hills of a farmer’s field add relief to landscape reminding of larger furrows found in an unmade blanketed bed. A well-tended fence running four strands of barbed wire limits livestock straying onto this range road.

Listening to – Coldplay’s Clocks, Fix You and Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.

Quote to Inspire – “I don’t believe a person has a style. What people have is a way of photographing what is inside them. What is there comes out.” – Sebastiao Salgado

Winter’s Wraith-like Wisps

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 50mm, Canon 50mm Lens, Canon 60D, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Farm, Fog, Home, Homestead, Journaling, Light Intensity, Lookback Photos - One Year Ago, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Prime Lens, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Season, Smoke, Sunset, Weather, Winter

Woodsmoke Wisps – Fort Vermilion Alberta

Late on a November Saturday afternoon, wraith-like, wisps of wood smoke drift over winter’s fallow field near Fort Vermilion. A homestead’s woodstove produces an intense dry heat, welcome warmth in the midst of a cold, Alberta winter. The day, a first opportunity to work with a new prime lens, a Canon 50mm – f/1.4 lens; my wife has encouraged me to begin my work with it. The image is one of the first images with the lens.

Listening to – Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto, In My Place, Major Minus and Yellow.

Quote to Inspire – “The photograph is completely abstracted from life, yet it looks like life. That is what has always excited me about photography.” – Richard Kalvar

To the Orthopod, Jeeves …

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 30D, Canon Camera, Fall, Journaling, Light Intensity, Lookback Photos - One Year Ago, Night, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Podcast, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Season, Still Life, Vehicle, Vehicle Restoration, Weather, Winter

The Back Road Between Manning and Fairview, Alberta

Reflection & Road - Fort Vermilion, Alberta — Reflection & Road – Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Mountains & Road Between Grande Cache and Hinton, Alberta

Mountain Pass - between Jasper and Banff, Alberta — Mountain Pass – between Jasper and Banff, Alberta

Fifties Ford Half-ton - High Level, Alberta — Fifties Ford Half-ton – High Level, Alberta

Travel is my day’s task. The orthopedic surgeon who will review my arm’s recovery and next step’s in rehabilitation is some five hours away. Instead of piloting my own vehicle with one good arm, I’m electing to travel on the Northern Express, a passenger van that will take me from High Level to Grande Prairie. Running off the road at -25C and having one weakened limb might produce an unwanted and perhaps conclusive result. So, a better idea is to leave the driving to another, today. So, with podcast-crammed iPod and point-and-shoot Canon at the ready this day will roll on.

The photos presented here convey some of what Alberta’s weather can be like; there’s also a fifties Ford from a show and shine … yes, driving is more fun that being a passenger.

Listening to – The Police, Live in Buenos Aires … Message in a Bottle, Don’t Stand So Close to Me and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.

Quote to Inspire – “Still images can be moving and moving images can be still. Both meet within soundscapes.” Chien-Chi Chang

Carpe Diem, Conundrum & Mosquitos

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Flora, Light Intensity, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Summer, Vehicle, Weather

Fifties One Ton Truck - Edmonton, Alberta 1 — Fifties One Ton Truck – Edmonton, Alberta 1

Fifties One Ton Truck - Edmonton, Alberta 3 — Fifties One Ton Truck – Edmonton, Alberta 3

Fifties One Ton Truck - Edmonton, Alberta 2 — Fifties One Ton Truck – Edmonton, Alberta 2

Fifties One Ton Truck - Edmonton, Alberta 4 — Fifties One Ton Truck – Edmonton, Alberta 4

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

Rapture – Drinking in the Sun’s Heat

Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Home, Light Intensity, Photoblog Intention, Prime Lens, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Season, Still Life, Summer, Weather

5 Dragonfly - High Level, Alberta — 5 Dragonfly – High Level, Alberta

4 Dragonfly - High Level, Alberta — 4 Dragonfly – High Level, Alberta

3 Dragonfly - High Level, Alberta — 3 Dragonfly – High Level, Alberta

2 Dragonfly - High Level, Alberta — 2 Dragonfly – High Level, Alberta

1 Dragonfly - High Level, Alberta — 1 Dragonfly – High Level, Alberta

1 Raspberries - High Level, Alberta — 1 Raspberries – High Level, Alberta

2 Raspberries - High Level, Alberta — 2 Raspberries – High Level, Alberta

3 Raspberries - High Level, Alberta — 3 Raspberries – High Level, Alberta

4 Raspberries - High Level, Alberta — 4 Raspberries – High Level, Alberta

5 Raspberries - High Level, Alberta — 5 Raspberries – High Level, Alberta

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

Keeping Moments From Running Away

Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Live View, Farm, Farmhouse, Flora, Homestead, Light Intensity, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Summer, Weather

Homestead Amongst Canola 4 – Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Canola & Stacking Clouds 3 - High Level, Alberta — Canola & Stacking Clouds 3 – High Level, Alberta

Homestead Amongst Canola 3 – Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Canola & Stacking Clouds 2 - High Level, Alberta — Canola & Stacking Clouds 2 – High Level, Alberta

Homestead Amongst Canola 1 – Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Canola & Stacking Clouds 1 - High Level, 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 Bombing & Slinging

Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Flora, Light Intensity, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Smoke, Summer, Weather

Water Slinging 1 - Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta — Water Slinging 1 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 2 - 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 3 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 4 - 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 5 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 6 - 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 7 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 8 - 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 9 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 10 - 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 11 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 12 - 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 13 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 14 - 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 15 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 16 - 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 18 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 19 - 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 20 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 21 - 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 22 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 23 - 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 24 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 25 - Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta — Water Slinging 25 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging 26 - 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 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 3 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Support 4 - 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 5 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Support 6 - 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 2 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Tanker Lead Plane 3 - 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 — Tanker Lead Plane 7 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Support 8 - 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 — 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 4 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Water Bombing 5 - 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 6 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Water Bombing 7 - 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 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 11 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Water Bombing 12 - 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 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 15 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Water Bombing 16 - 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 17 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Water Bombing 18 - 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 19 – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Air Tanker Water Bombing 20 - 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

Wilson Prairie Wildfire – Day 3

Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Farm, Farmhouse, Flora, Home, Homestead, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Season, Summer, Weather

1 Wilson Prairie Wildfire - La Crete, Alberta — 1 Wilson Prairie Wildfire – La Crete, Alberta

2 Wilson Prairie Wildfire - La Crete, Alberta — 2 Wilson Prairie Wildfire – La Crete, Alberta

3 Wilson Prairie Wildfire - La Crete, Alberta — 3 Wilson Prairie Wildfire – La Crete, Alberta

4 Wilson Prairie Wildfire - La Crete, Alberta — 4 Wilson Prairie Wildfire – La Crete, Alberta

1 Water Bomber – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

2 Water Bomber – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

3 Water Bomber - Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta — 3 Water Bomber – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

4 Water Bomber - Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta — 4 Water Bomber – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

5 Water Bomber - Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta — 5 Water Bomber – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

6 Water Bomber - Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta — 6 Water Bomber – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

7 Water Bomber – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

8 Water Bomber – Wilson Prairie Fire, La Crete, Alberta

Savage Prairie Road Granaries - La Crete, Alberta — Savage Prairie Road Granaries – La Crete, Alberta

Wilson Prairie Homestead – La Crete, Alberta

Wilson Prairie Wildfire – La Crete, Alberta

2 Wilson Prairie Homestead - La Crete, Alberta — 2 Wilson Prairie Homestead – La Crete, Alberta

3 Wilson Prairie Homestead – La Crete, Alberta

Helicopter Arrival - Slinging Water - La Crete, Alberta — Helicopter Arrival – Slinging Water – La Crete, Alberta

2 Helicopter Arrival - Slinging Water - La Crete, Alberta — 2 Helicopter Arrival – Slinging Water – La Crete, Alberta

Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

2 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 2 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

3 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 3 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

4 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 4 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

5 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 5 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

6 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 6 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

Field Opposite Wilson Prairie Wildfire - La Crete, Alberta — Field Opposite Wilson Prairie Wildfire – La Crete, Alberta

Looking On - Wilson Prairie Wildfire - La Crete, Alberta — Looking On – Wilson Prairie Wildfire – La Crete, Alberta

7 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 7 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

8 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 8 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

9 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 9 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

10 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 10 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

11 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 11 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

12 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 12 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

13 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 13 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

14 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 14 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

15 Water Slinging from Dug-outs - La Crete, Alberta — 15 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

Keeping Dust Down - Wilson Prairie Road - La Crete, Alberta — Keeping Dust Down – Wilson Prairie Road – La Crete, Alberta

2 Keeping Dust Down - Wilson Prairie Road - La Crete, Alberta — 2 Keeping Dust Down – Wilson Prairie Road – La Crete, Alberta

16 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

17 Water Slinging from Dug-outs – La Crete, Alberta

1 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) - La Crete, Alberta — 1 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) – La Crete, Alberta

2 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) - La Crete, Alberta — 2 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) – La Crete, Alberta

3 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) - La Crete, Alberta — 3 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) – La Crete, Alberta

4 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) - La Crete, Alberta — 4 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) – La Crete, Alberta

5 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) - La Crete, Alberta — 5 Wilson Prairie Fire (from the South) – La Crete, Alberta

Day 3 of the Wilson Prairie Wildfire – Friday, July 6^th, 2012. In contrast to Thursday evening in which residents were able to move freely into the fire area, Friday saw Alberta’s Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) controlling road access so that firefighting equipment could be moved around with greater ease on Wilson Prairie Road. I arrived in the early afternoon to find access to Wilson Prairie Road being controlled. I couldn’t use my vehicle on Wilson Prairie Road. But, I could walk in, staying to the ditches when equipment was being moved through. Two-and-a-half hours walking in and out allowed me to see more of what was going on and how the blaze was being controlled. Dozers were creating breaks/cut-lines and pushing piles of brush together so they’d burn more easily/quickly. Areas of intended burn and back-burn were being created. One home was in harm’s way and helicopters were being used to sling water (from local dug-outs) to saturate the area in the case that the fire’s path changed with the winds. Air tankers had been tasked to other fires within the region; but, lead planes and Martin Mars water bombers (or the like) were being used to keep a consistent supply of water on the fire. On dust-ridden, gravel roads water trucks moved slowly dribbling water to keep dust down for vehicles moving in close proximity to one another. Later, I was able to drive around behind the fire to two other points to catch the more dramatic perspective of hot, billowing smoke moving upward into the atmosphere and the water bombers flying into fire area to release water on flames below.

Listening to – Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain, a tune played throughout last year’s forest fire that consumed Slave Lake, Alberta (spring 2011).

Quote to Inspire – “I enjoy traveling and recording far-away places and people with my camera. But I also find it wonderfully rewarding to see what I can discover outside my own window. You only need to study the scene with the eyes of a photographer.” – Alfred Eisenstadt

Midnight Sun – Checkmark

Backlight, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Light Intensity, Night, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Spring, Summer, Sunset, Weather

Clouds East - High Level, Alberta — Clouds East – High Level, Alberta

Checkmark 1 - High Level, Alberta — Checkmark 1 – High Level, Alberta

Checkmark 2 - High Level, Alberta — Checkmark 2 – High Level, Alberta

Checkmark 3 - High Level, Alberta — Checkmark 3 – High Level, Alberta

Checkmark 4 - High Level, Alberta — Checkmark 4 – High Level, Alberta

Checkmark 5 - High Level, Alberta — Checkmark 5 – High Level, Alberta

Checkmark 6 - High Level, Alberta — Checkmark 6 – High Level, Alberta

Dandelions 1 - High Level, Alberta — Dandelions 1 – High Level, Alberta

Dandelions 2 - High Level, Alberta — Dandelions 2 – High Level, Alberta

18 June 2012 – 11:30 p.m.. The land of the midnight sun still lights the world in half-light in the moments before it crosses the horizon to create dusk. West – a tumultuous sky billows its clouds in heavy, obscure shapes poised to wet the earth with only a nudge. East – there’s greater interplay and drama between dark, heavy shapes and bright, bread-white clouds catching sun’s light. It’s day’s end as I gather these photographs remnants of a beautiful day. There’s a checkmark shape of lamp posts caught in parking lot puddle mirrors – too many hours being a teacher today.

Listening to – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s In Like a Rose, The Black Keys When the Lights Go Out, Radiohead’s Go to Sleep, Ryan Adams’ Starting to Hurt and Pete Yorn’s Pass Me By.

Quote to Inspire – “Which of my photographs is my favourite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.” – Imogen Cunningham