larger than life

My favourite type of photography to shoot is macro. It's even more interesting when you throw on some extension tubes. With a macro lens, the subject is 1:1 or life size. If extension tubes are attached, subjects look HUGE! If you were looking at ants, they'd look like they were on safari. (:

I joined a photography group on MeetUp & there is an assignment of "red" this week. I haven't been to an actual Meet Up yet but it's fun to have an assignment to focus on instead of trying to think of something to photograph on my own.

Since I had my camera out & set up, I figured I'd take a few more images too.

I like the one below because in the drip, the flower is upside down - which was my aim but I need to move it closer next time so the flower fills up the drop instead of being on one side. My television & kitchen cabinets are also clear in the drip.

This last one really showed me how much is seen with extension tubes attached. For example, I have these small jewels sitting on my coffee table & I had no idea that the larger one had a bite out of it. The small one looks likes shiny dust on my table - that's how small it is. 

shades of autumn

Today is the first full day of autumn. It arrived yesterday at 10:49 EDT in the northern hemisphere. So, it did show up yesterday but today is the first full day. I always wonder how the comity of "they" know when that happens. Doesn't matter that much to me to research it.

The leaves change in Calgary to mostly shades of yellow. It's a sorry site to see when you're from Ontario. I miss the RED! Ok, maybe I miss the water of Lake Superior too. Yes yes, the mountains are here, I get it. (:

The question also is, why do leaves change colours at all? I've known for awhile but I don't think it's common knowledge. Most people think it's mostly due to the frost. It's not. The leaves change on only a few of our deciduous trees - maples, aspens, oaks, etc. & there are a few factors which contribute to autumn colours; the main agent is light or really, the lack thereof. As the days become shorter, the reduction of light triggers chemical changes in deciduous plants causing a corky wall to form between the twig & the leaf stalk. This eventually causes the leaf to drop in the autumn breezes which we are all very familiar with. The combination of less light, lack of nutrients & no water add up to the death of chlorophyll (the reason for the green colour in plants). Ok, enough of the science. I still miss the red. Thankfully, I am going to Vancouver next weekend to hopefully get my colour fix while I'm there.

I took a few images this evening. I always look for reds or oranges.

Yes, the last one is mostly yellow but it's still very pretty!

the opposite

This post is out of order.

A couple weeks ago I drove up Sarcee Trail to catch the sunrise. In this case, I knew it was sunny since I live 5 minutes from where I wanted to shoot from. I've noticed this view often as I drive to & from Sunterra Market on Sarcee & 17 Ave SW. As I thought about shooting this scene, I wondered where to park my car or if I'd have to cycle up there (which I really didn't want to do).
All around, it worked out well. I drove north on Sarcee then turned around to head back south. The shoulder on the side of the road is quite wide so all I had to do was pull over & put my hazards on. I didn't even have to get out of my car! I rolled down the passenger's side window & had my 70-200 IS II lens on my camera & just fired away.

no sunrise

This morning, Jason & I went to Moraine Lake in Lake Louise to catch the sunrise which was not actually there. Well, it did rise but the clouds were in the way.
To make the most of it, we took a few images anyway.

Here are the ones I took:

This was taken using a neutral density filter over the clouds. It helps bring out the tones in the sky when normally they're blown out.

Moraine Lake is known for it's canoe rentals (not that I've ever rented one). The canoes are colourful & always laying on the dock.

Hopefully next time (if there is a next time), there will be sunshine! Perhaps I should have gone earlier in the year. It was quite chilly there this morning but the thought of getting up at 3a to drive 2 hours to catch the sunrise at 5:30a doesn't exactly thrill me. We left at 4:20a as it was. Early enough for today.

Cowboy games

Last week was the Centennial of the Calgary Stampede. What a week. I had something to do nearly every night. Whew. Glad I don't drink much!

It was a very fun week all around. I/we found a new party to go to next year - the Buck the Recession "Barn Burner". Easily one of my new favourite events of the week!

Here are a few more images from that night:

There are only so many images you can have with friends with cowboy hats on so here are a few more!

VERY tired feet in cowboy boots.

There were 18,000 people at Round Up this year. As far as I'm concerned, too many! I did not find a single person in the masses who I did not go there with (and even lost a few who I did go there with). Eighteen thousand people on one cel tower is not ideal for mobile communication either. Most of my texts did not go through until later on. I did find a few people in the VIP tent that I hadn't seen for awhile. That's always fun!

shit

taken in Stavanger Norway April 2012

Needless to say, I've been going through some shit lately - probably longer than I care to admit. I'm not going to get into the details here but I find it interesting that things always cross your path exactly (or nearly exactly) when you need them. 

As most of you know, I have a personal life coach. Robyn is great; I've had her in my life since 2008. She has been assisting me with my recent shit & often has new ways for me to look at my life or the struggles I feel I have in my life. She sent me a link from Werner Erhard about happiness this morning. Funny thing is, I was thinking about happiness just this morning on my way to the gym & before I got the link from her (or read Eugene's blog - see below). I was thinking about how I often think that happiness has to be this BIG thing - like I have to be "over the moon" most of the time to be happy; which is ridiculous. I recall when I was younger having this saying that "I had my cranky pants on" when I was in an off mood. I used this phrase because the analogy was that I could "take them off" anytime & be happy or just change my mood altogether to something better. This is what Werner Erhard is basically saying in his post. 

This morning I had also read Eugene's blog & found it quite fitting as to how I was feeling last night & as of late. I felt very disconnected from my friends this past weekend & was feeling sorry for myself in many ways. Eugene's blog reminded me that we are never alone & to appreciate where we are - wherever that may be - right now. (There is only now after all.)

Being happy is a choice & it is that simple. I have been choosing to be unhappy (by default of what I happen to see my life as being) & I will admit, it is tough to get out of my own head when I'm in that state. Everything that is going on is just a story anyway. I can either chose to view it as a good story or a crummy story.

It's my choice.

PS I like using the word "ridiculous". (:

telling stories

Today, my friend Eugene put up a post on his blog about photography. I'll let you read it on your own but it made me think about photography & how I see it.

The photograph he posted is one he said was inspired by me (he said this after I saw it on his Instagram post). I found it sweet but I didn't realize how I inspired the image. Since reading his post, I realize that image was a reflection & I had no idea when I saw the image initially - I just couldn't figure out how the image was taken. Prior to this Instagram post, I had shown Eugene my 60+ images from Holland & many of my reflection shots so it makes sense to me now. I am happy to inspire anyone with pretty much anything & I'm glad he found my images inspiring to see the world differently, even if only for a photo or two.

What I find about photography is that yes, now everyone thinks they are a photographer. This all came about (obviously) since the digital camera is so inexpensive & taking photos doesn't cost the same as film photography once did. I think this is fantastic in it's own right. Granted, not everyone is a GOOD photographer. Anyone can take a photograph but is it telling a story or do you care if it does? I know there are often times that I take an image then look at it later & wonder what I was thinking. I am not a professional photographer by any means but I do think I take better than average photos. There have been times when I've shown my friend Dave (a photographer) my images & he flips through them like they are a stack of playing cards with nothing of interest on them. Maybe I am reading him wrong but I did see the difference in how he looked at my images from Holland when I showed him. He paused... more than once. Cool. (: I'll take that as a compliment.

I take most of my images with my Canon 7D and with various lenses. It is certainly purposeful when I venture out with said camera to take photos. I do not have it with me at all times nor do I keep it in the car "just in case". I also do not take with me my Canon S95 for no reason aside from not thinking about it & I do not carry a handbag to keep it with me every day. I do take the occasional photo with my phone's camera but my old iPhone 3GS takes terrible images so why bother? I was out with Peter last Saturday at his golf club & I tried to take an images of his friend & it just didn't turn out like I wanted - not even close. I realize if I dug deep into my pockets & bought a new phone, I would in turn have a better phone camera. But ultimately? How many cameras does one person need? Maybe only one. Maybe only the camera phone & nothing more if you just want to capture everything in focus all the time & be able to post the second after you take the shot. What I like about an SLR is it's flexibility. Mind you with that being said, there are some pretty cool 'point & shoot' cameras out there that allow this flexibility without the cost of the SLR, lenses, flashes, etc, etc... And there's certainly the weight factor! There is none to speak of when you only have your phone.

All I think is if you take an image with any sort of camera & you are thrilled with how it turns out and who knows, even sell it, who cares what you used to capture it? It's still art in it's own right. Sometimes using your camera phone to take images can be the most challenging but the most rewarding in the end due to it's limitations. I say this as an artist & a person who loves capturing life on 'digital film' (if you'll give me this liberty).

Eugene's post made me think about art & photography as an art. Is it lost? Not if you don't let it. Tell your story how ever that may be for you since that's what art is. Story telling. At least to me.

Preikestolen

I changed my profile picture since the one I had before was just too dark. It was literally one of me looking in the mirror while I took it & was why I use it initially but since it was so dark, I changed it to the one I use everywhere else.

The following day Ryan & I hiked Preikestolen. It was a miserable morning (raining & heavy cloud cover) but I was bound & determined to hike that hike. It was the only day to do it since we were leaving for Bergen the next morning for an overnight then off to Riga. I always say: focus on sunshine & it will be. Well, I didn't focus early enough. Ryan was a trooper & took me anyway (after he worked the morning which was likely better for weather). I did check the forecast at Preikestolen before we left & it said it was to clear at 18:00 and I swear, if we had actually waited, it would have! How odd.

I love the heavy cloud cover in these shots. We were the only ones up there when we reached the cliff - quite a few others coming down when we were hiking up. It was raining but not heavily at this point & my feet were soaked! It was nice to be the only ones up there (me & my photographer!). I have to mention that I F'ed up. I gave my 7D to Ryan to take images of me up there & the dammed thing was on MANUAL focus. Dammit! Totally my fault. So the images are a bit blurry & I'm kinda annoyed but oh well! Any photos without me in them are taken by yours truly.

Looking over the edge (my S95, that is).

See? Blurry. Grrrr....

How it was once we reached the bottom. Clear!!

over the North Sea

As I mentioned, my next stop on my trip was Stavanger, Norway. Let me say this right away, Norway is expensive! Stupid expensive. Thankfully I was staying with a friend of mine while I was there. My sister arrived the same day just a bit later (she was coming from Paris via Oslo).

While we waited for Tracey to show up, Ryan & I dropped off his car then walked around "downtown" Stavanger - not downtown like you'd think in a larger centre. It was so quaint though. We walked around for a bit then went for ONE drink. Apparently, drinking on any level then getting behind the wheel is 100% unacceptable behaviour in Norway (or at least Stavanger). Let me add this, I do not condone drinking & driving on any level but having one drink & not jumping behind the wheel right away, should be ok. Perhaps we are too lax in Canada or it's just what I'm used to.

I digress...

                                   

There once was a sticker on the post with the rope above which I managed to Photoshop™ out quite well! The piece on the right was in the restaurant we went to the first night for dinner. Never do the math to convert currencies in Norway or you just won't eat!

The first full day (which was the only day we could do this) my sister & I went on a fjord tour. Funny, before we went, Ryan said that nothing compares to the Canadian Rockies & that it was all water & rocks. How true. My sister has an image of me on the return journey to Stavanger & I look pretty bored. I want her to put in a thought bubble that reads "water & rocks". (:

Needless to say,  I was pretty ruthless with my images & tossed likely more than I kept. All I was saying to myself while looking at the images was: boring, so I deleted them. No story, not keeping; well, I kept a few and here they are: (a few more on Flickr™)

At least I'm in this one.

water & rocks! 

The end of the journey was at Preikestolen before we turned around & headed back to Stavanger. It was interesting to be under the 25m x 25m cliff when I was hiking up there the next day!

                       

look closer

Before I move onto Norway and as I was editing & resizing my images from Norway, I found the crop tool on Photoshop™. Due to that, I have cropped my drip photo & this is what I got.

Pretty fun, huh?

before I moved on

My last morning in Amsterdam (before I left for the airport to go to Stavanger, Norway) I did a couple sketches. It's the same bridge in two different mediums. This canal was right outside of my hotel. I sat on the edge of the sidewalk & decided to sketch since I did have my sketchbook with me after all & I hadn't used it by this point.





I find the ink brush pen really fun to use. I did the bottom sketch pretty quick then went for a walkabout.

Here I am as I was wandering. I have other images of me which are likely better but I'm looking away from the camera (as I often do on self portraits). I'm out of practice with these type of shots; I need to start hiking again!

I wasn't done

This will be the last about Holland. I was thinking that after only 4 days (well, 5 actually) of being in Holland & with all the images I took, I'd have maybe a dozen or so images that I really like & I could pick from there. Well, clearly I was off a bit. Here are the last few that I really like.

These first few were taken in Hoorn the last day of the course (after the course was officially done).

This is the old jail converted into a hotel.

 

Broken glass & an old poster torn to bits.

I simply love the one above & it is one of my favourite shots from the whole trip. I had taken one image then moved slightly to my right & got this one. So glad I moved over!! 

This one is also pretty fun! I saw it when Jochem & I went for a drink. I did my best to stay out of the shot (I'm between his eyes - you can see my arm in the left lens). I do like that our drinks are in the left lens. (:

This is my second favourite shot. Look into the drip. What do you see?? 

I had to split the post

As I mentioned in my last post, I just put up images of the photography course I took up to the day we went to Amsterdam. I had to stop somewhere. There were just too many images that I liked! I had a day on my own in Amsterdam after the course & I have a few images from then too (only one that I love!).

The one above simply cracks me up. It says so much yet asks so many questions too. Why?

Do you think I could have brought this home with me??

I saw this possible shot from a outside the shop (we were at the market). I inspired Maria to take a similar image too. (I didn't see it though.)

This is so cool. It is a reflection of the building across yet one pane has a completely different building reflecting in it. The window appears to be open & likely why. Looks like it's Photoshoped™ in though! 

Another Nancy Stals original idea which inspired someone else to do something similar. Think outside the box! 

I love this shot. It is now my wallpaper on my iPad!

This cracked me up when Jochem brought us to see this. It's outside the Old Church near the Red Light district in Amsterdam. It was interesting to see the different reactions of the people in the group when we got there. Some people basically ignored it like it wasn't there and others (like me) took a photo of it. Why is it locked?? (see bottom right)