nature

Buttertown Moon

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Canon Live View, Journaling, Light Intensity, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Summer, Sunset
Buttertown Moon, Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Buttertown Moon, Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Colourful streams of cloud cluster around the moon framed by Buttertown trees – a good end to a long day, a reward for taking a couple of extraordinary tasks through their next steps. The work of the evening was to move my thoughts away from an expedient drive and to a relaxed and searching drive investigating all that was happening around me. This photo was the result of seeing what else was around me in my 360 degree survey of the landscape following a photo of a Fort Vermilion homestead cabin. The colours have been amplified somewhat and the image is an HDR image. I’m liking the result.

Listening to – U2’s Bad … and a lecture on U2’s ‘Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,’ an enigmatic idea on many levels.

Quote to Inspire – “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough” – Robert Capa

Waikiki – Dawn

Backlight, Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon Camera, Canon Live View, Flora, Light Intensity, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Sigma Lens - Wide Angle 10-20mm, Still Life, Summer, Sunrise
Morning's Walk - Honolulu, Oahu, HI 1

Morning’s Walk – Honolulu, Oahu, HI 1

Morning's Walk - Honolulu, Oahu, HI 2

Morning’s Walk – Honolulu, Oahu, HI 2

Morning's Walk - Honolulu, Oahu, HI 3

Morning’s Walk – Honolulu, Oahu, HI 3

Summer, summer break – vacation … settling into a new time zone five hours different from that of my year’s norm finds me out of our hotel with camera and tripod early in the morning, walking, gathering photos of Honolulu’s Waikiki – the day of the surfer and vacationer (from all parts of the world) prior to that day beginning. Surprisingly, even before 6:00 a.m., surfing instructors are out on the beach, with early morning animation, drumming up the day’s business, ready to take out the novice surfer. Looking from the beach to the ocean, before 6:00 a.m., finds surfers already surfing on moving and curling waves and along trails of the Waikiki strip joggers are already jogging. People conclude their sleep in city parks where they’ve been sleeping through a tropically warm summer night on the grass. Looking towards the buildings, Waikiki hotels are being restocked in daily essentials prior to the day’s formal start, Coca Cola products included. All this occurs before the sun crosses the horizon bringing us into day – fodder for photos.

Listening to – Glenn Miller’s band perform ‘Tuxedo Junction’ and Satchmo sing Happy Birthday to ‘Poppa’ Bing Crosby.

Quote to Inspire – “Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.” – Ansel Adams

Look On

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Live View, Fauna, Light Intensity, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Summer
Looking On - Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Looking On – Fort Vermilion, Alberta

A bird, high above on a transmission line, looks on. Perhaps resting, this bird recalls exhortation about living Life – “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them (Matthew 6:25-34).” The second day of summer, school almost done and enjoying summer’s warmth and light.

Listening to – Chris Whitley’s ‘Dust Radio,’ Robbie Robertson’s ‘Sweet Fire of Love’ and Lucinda Williams’ ‘Concrete and Barbed Wire.’

Quote to Inspire – “There is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a fuzzy concept.” -Ansel Adams

Boyer Bridge – Bisection

Backlight, Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Canon Live View, Journaling, Light Intensity, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Sigma Lens - Wide Angle 10-20mm, Spring, Still Life
Boyer River Bridge - Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Boyer River Bridge – Fort Vermilion, Alberta

Looking south, through the bridge crossing the Boyer River en route from High Level to Fort Vermilion, this perspective, looking through the bridge to the incline and curve on the other side becomes my first opportunity to photograph a bridge straight on, from the roadway, along a center line bisecting the road and bridge structure; the place I’ve gotten to in editing recalls impermanence of things man-made.

Listening to – Peter Himmelman’s ‘Impermanent Things,’ John Mayer’s ‘Route 66’ and Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs ‘For the Summer.’

Quote to Inspire – “A portrait is not made in the camera, but on either side of it.” – Edward Steichen

Impermeable Equation

Backlight, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Canon Live View, Light Intensity, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Prime Lens, Rail Yard, Spring, Still Life, Weather
Water & Railroad Tie - Sexsmith, Alberta 1

Water & Railroad Tie – Sexsmith, Alberta 1

Water & Railroad Tie - Sexsmith, Alberta 2

Water & Railroad Tie – Sexsmith, Alberta 2

Water & Railroad Tie - Sexsmith, Alberta 3

Water & Railroad Tie – Sexsmith, Alberta 3

Kasia Sokulska, part of the husband and wife duo that comprises MIKSMedia Photography, presents inspired macro images on her Google + profile page, outstanding and beautiful work to view. Her work inspired me to take advantage of railroad ties, made impermeable to water yesterday in Sexsmith, Alberta. With my EOS 60D, a quarter of an inch from the railroad tie, hung upside down from my Manfrotto tripod (also a never-done) I explored water droplets.

On the weekend, Dave Brosha e-mailed to highlight upcoming workshops likely in Calgary and Grande Prairie, Alberta; these would be accessed through his facebook page.

Listening to – Shawn Colvin’s ‘Change Is On The Way.’

Quote to Inspire – “Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph.” – Matt Hardy

Cattails & Snow Curves

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Canon Live View, Journaling, Light Intensity, Lookback Photos - One Year Ago, Photoblog Intention, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Spring
Cattails and Snow, High Level, Alberta 1

Cattails and Snow, High Level, Alberta 1

I’m liking these cattails and the lengthening curves of the snow in which they are set.

Listening to – Tim Reynolds fret a number from the Live at Radio City concert with Dave Matthews, ‘You Are My Sanity’; then it’s Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds with a Neil Young tune, ‘Down by the River.’

Quote to Inspire – “I really don’t have any idea about photography, but I take pictures.” – Alex Majoli

Snow – Inches at a Time

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Canon Live View, Flora, Light Intensity, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Spring, Still Life, Winter
Cattails - High Level, Alberta 1

Cattails – High Level, Alberta 1

Cattails - High Level, Alberta 2

Cattails – High Level, Alberta 2

That day – not in Church, in the first warmth of spring’s sun; snow, hip-deep … all your weight, leaning forward, shifting snow, inches at a time … to these snow-surrounded cattails. A beautiful, sunny spring Sunday with my Canon 60D.

Listening to – Alice in Chains’ ‘Heaven Beside You,’ Amiina’s ‘Rugla,’ and Angus and Julia Stone’s ‘Big Jet Plane.’

Quote to Inspire – “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” – Ansel Adams

Icicle Lens

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Canon Live View, Journaling, Light Intensity, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Spring, Winter
Icicle Lens - Tompkins Landing, Alberta 1

Icicle Lens – Tompkins Landing, Alberta 1

Icicle Lens - Tompkins Landing, Alberta 2

Icicle Lens – Tompkins Landing, Alberta 2

At Tompkins Landing on the Peace River snow on cable anchors that hold the Queen of Edmonton Ferry in place high upon the river bank has with sun’s springtime intensity begun to melt and produce icicles. With macro lens it was possible to capture colour within each icicle lens as well as elements of structure within the icicle.

Listening to – Jack Johnson and ‘Banana Pancakes.’

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

Animate Slap

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 30D, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Fauna, Flora, Journaling, Light Intensity, Lookback Photos - One Year Ago, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Summer, Sunset
Beaver and Sunset - Dixonville, Alberta

Beaver and Sunset – Dixonville, Alberta

At sunset, on a lake north from Dixonville, Alberta, on the west side of a highway’s curve, a beaver has swum towards me to determine whether or not I’m animate, part of the setting or active within its setting. When my movement becomes large and noticeable, the beaver slaps its tail on the water and dives, swimming from what had been its present location to another where line of sight on me, the potential predator, can be had.

Listening to – much of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds’ Live at Radio City Music Hall; the songs standing out this morning have been ‘Bartender’ (as possible prayer), ‘Save Me’ (for its allusion), ‘Crash into Me’ (intimate lovers’ dialogue), ‘Sister’ (I have a sister-in-law) and ‘Lie in Our Graves’ (for its shared fun).

Quote to Inspire – “A photographer is an acrobat treading the high wire of chance, trying to capture shooting stars.” – Guy Le Querrec

Dusk Rescued

Best Practices - Photography, Canon 60D, Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 IS L Series Lens, Canon Camera, Canon Lens, Canon Live View, Journaling, Light Intensity, Lookback Photos - One Year Ago, Night, Photography & Conceptualizing Beauty, Project 365 - Photo-a-day, Rail Yard, Still Life, Sunset, Winter
Sunset - Dusk - Peace River, Alberta

Sunset – Dusk – Peace River, Alberta

For a second time, a Peace River, Alberta sunset arrests my attention. This photo is an image exposed incorrectly, but one that has been shot as a RAW file; editing is able to rescue the image returning it to Life and intention – a sunset shot. Earlier this fall on a day when we (my family and me) had been to Peace River for a day’s outing, the day’s return journey began at sunset; we in our vehicle making the long five kilometre climb westward out of the Peace valley and enjoying an array, scatter and stir of cloud work – hues deepening, then diminishing. A sight to have caught as a photo, this sunset … but just as easily enjoyed by each of us for what it was; there will be other sunsets (we do live in Alberta). As an entity, the immediate follow-up to sunset is dusk, light that softens as it leaves, light that colours as it diminishes – in photographic terms it de-saturates (withdraws colour). As an entity, dusk is intermediary between the stark, factual reality of daylight and that part of Life that occurs in the unseen. As an entity, dusk seems to be a visual reminder of transience – at sunrise dusk is a part of how we enter the day; at sunset dusk moves us from our day into night. The day’s movement is a part of our forward Life movement reminding us of our impermanence.

Listening to – Snow Patrol’s ‘Please Just Take These Photos,’ The Eagles’ ‘Seven Bridges Road,’ Don Henley’s ‘Sunset Grill,’ The Cars’ ‘Good Times Roll,’ Cheap Trick’s ‘Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace,’ The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony,’ and U2’s ‘Crumbs From Your Table.’

Quote to Inspire – “It’s not how a photographer looks at the world that is important. It’s their intimate relationship with it.” – Antoine D’Agata