Natural landscapes: the gloriously rocky shore
MEDICINE LAKE, JASPER NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
This wonderfully scenic Canadian Rockies water body has ‘lake’ in the title, but according to Wikipedia, it’s not. Instead, it’s an area in which the Maligne River (flowing from Maligne Lake into the Athabasca River) backs up and suddenly disappears underground. During summer months, when meltwater runoff is high, the river overflows. Much like a bathtub that is filled too fast to drain, Medicine ‘lake’ becomes laden with water until it can slowly empty out through a vast underground drainage system.
Perhaps that’s more information that you need or want, but I find it fascinating. Indeed, scientists used biodegradable dye to discover the underground drainage system is one of the largest in the world. Very cool!
I like the colour version of this picture, but monotone nicely increases the contrast/drama. And deleting colour also removes the evidence of extensive burned trees, all the result of the 2015 Excelsior Wildfire.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter.
Click/tap on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX
Natural landscapes: the flowery viewpoint
ARROWLEAF BALSAMROOT, NEAR WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
As you approach this park, in the deep southwest of this western Canadian province, you come across this stunning view of prairie fields and forests with a backdrop of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. On this trip, the wildflowers grabbed my attention and one of my photos put everything but the flowers out of focus. This approach meant the gobsmacking vista complemented, rather than competed, with the flowers.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter and, probably, a graduated density (darkening) filter on the peaks and sky.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
Rural landscapes: under the epic sunrise sky
THE VIEW FROM HORSE CREEK ROAD, NEAR COCHRANE, ALBERTA
I was absolutely blessed with a stunning cloudscape that caused me to stop several times to try out various photo compositions. The key was simply to wait for the sun to shine between clouds. This was one of those sublime moments. Thanks, God! 🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my NEW coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
Natural landscapes: joining the river
STREAM FLOWING INTO THE BOW RIVER,
CALGARY, ALBERTA
I crossed a pedestrian bridge over the Bow River, which flows through the centre of this western Canadian city, then I looked back and saw an unnamed stream flowing into the river.
It was a precarious series of steps over and around boulders to get from the pathway above to the river’s edge but, as you can see, well worth the effort. The setting moon added nicely to the overall scene.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, two graduated density (darkening) filters on the sky.
Click/tap on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Frank King’s Southern Alberta“: http://bit.ly/1oUzd4A
Rural landscapes: the road to darkness
RANGE ROAD 13, AIRDRIE, ALBERTA
The curve of this prairie road has attracted me and my camera more than once, so when I went searching for images in murky, foggy spring weather, this scene stopped me once again. I used a filter to darken the sky and create a sense of foreboding. Turning everything but the centre lines into black-and-white emphasized the mood I was going for. (That said, you can see the full-colour version here: http://bit.ly/AirdrieRoad.)
Nikon D7100, tripod, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
Natural landscapes: where the spring flows
WATERFALL AT BIG HILL SPRINGS
PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA
One of my reliable photo locations (no matter what the weather or time of year), near my home in Calgary, has been closed for a year for rehabilitation. So I fished back into the archives and found this scene from 2014.
There are nearly a dozen waterfalls of varying sizes and shapes at Big Hill Springs; the viewpoint you see here is so close to the water that I needed a wide-angle lens to take it all in.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
Natural landscapes: the glorious spring sunrise
DAWN AT SOUTH GLENMORE PARK, CALGARY, ALBERTA
I woke up pondering potential photos locales in what was supposed to be a cloudy dawn, but when I saw there would probably be a good sunrise, I rapidly changed plans and drove to the Glenmore Reservoir (the primary source of drinking water for this western Canadian city). As you can see, it was a good decision.
The spindly tree trunk you see here was pointed at me when I arrived at this spot. That wouldn’t work for the photo, so I managed to turn it and create a stronger visual point of interest in the picture’s bottom half.
Nikon D7100, tripod, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
Click/tap on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Frank King’s Southern Alberta“: http://bit.ly/1oUzd4A
Natural landscapes: a badlands encounter
SPRING AT DINOSAUR PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA
Dinosaur Provincial Park is one of the richest fossil areas on the planet. Forty dinosaur species have been discovered at the park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site about two hours’ drive from my home – and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums around the globe.
The weather was supposed to be clear, but that didn’t happen ’til late morning so I improvised, usually keeping the dull sky out of each photo and concentrating on the fascinating badland shapes and textures.
This image is compelling because it’s difficult to tell if you’re looking at a compact section of landscape, or dozens of kilometres photographed from a plane. It’s the former. 🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book THE ALBERTA BADLANDS: A Landscape Portrait”: http://bit.ly/HtBAW6
Natural landscapes: say hello to the new day
BOW RIVER, WYNDHAM-CARSELAND PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA
As you can see, spring takes its time arriving in southern Alberta, but it’s always worth the wait. I was blessed to find a high vantage point to photograph this part of the park, which is southeast of Calgary. The lack of wind was also a rare and welcome factor. Here’s another Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park photo from the same morning: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-1iz.
Nikon D7100 tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
Click/tap on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Frank King’s Southern Alberta“: http://bit.ly/1oUzd4A
Urban landscapes: this way to the party
HALLWAY TO SKYWALKERS LOUNGE, CARIBBEAN PRINCESS
On the final day of our 2017 Ireland-UK cruise, I was up at 4 a.m. to make long-exposure pictures like this aboard the Caribbean Princess cruise ship. Skywalkers was a throbbing dance club at night, but in the day it was a silent respite from the rest of the ship.
My wife and I spent a delightful afternoon in the lounge’s comfy chairs, looking out the windows to distant North Atlantic wind turbines, reading and occasionally eavesdropping on nearby conversations.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Light and Lines: An Urban Landscape Portfolio”: http://bit.ly/LIGHTandLINES
Rural landscapes: a walk in spring glory
BUTCHART GARDENS, BRENTWOOD BAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA
This 55-acre tourist attraction, crafted out of a limestone quarry, is a National Historic Site of Canada and employs 50 full-time gardeners. It’s truly a gobsmacking place to visit (and more than a million people think so each year).
The lighting was harsh and difficult when I made this picture (cloudy conditions would have been better), but a lot of Photoshopping made the best of the situation. Nikon D90, polarizing filter.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my NEW coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
Natural landscapes: hangin’ with the boulders
STARFISH, COX BAY, VANCOUVER ISLAND,
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Starfish usually hang out together in twisted configurations, so to find one flying solo in a compelling west coast landscape was a bonus.
I spent almost a half-hour trying various compositions; I like this one best because you see the starfish in its larger setting — and what a stunning setting it is!
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, fill-flash.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my NEW coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
Rural landscapes: the red, white and blue of spring
JACK’S BARN, NEAR SYLVAN LAKE, ALBERTA
I was making pictures of this beautiful barn and fences along the roadside when the owner came along on his ATV and generously invited me onto his property to photograph wherever I like. This is a rare blessing, so I took full advantage.
The encounter turned into something else entirely when Jack asked me some photography-related questions about pictures of his wife. Turns out she had died just a few months before and Jack was struggling to keep going. The Spirit prompted me to ask if I could pray for him right then and there. He graciously agreed and the resulting prayer was as much a help to me as I hope it was to Jack.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX
Natural landscapes: the delicate spring light
FOREST GROWTH, MACMILLAN PROVINCIAL PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA
This Vancouver Island provincial park is probably better known as Cathedral Grove, referring to the drive through an incredible old-growth Pacific rainforest. That’s where my wife and I stopped and hiked along the easy trails flanking Highway 4.
During the hike, I spotted a shaft of light slipping through the trees and illuminating this growth. A shallow depth of field was important, keeping the background out of focus and helping you concentrate on the flower and leaves.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
Rural landscapes: peace on the lake
SPRING SKY REFLECTED IN SYLVAN LAKE, ALBERTA
I wasn’t able to get to this resort lake, about 90 minutes’ drive from my home in Calgary, in time to photograph sunrise. But I’m pretty happy with how these cool clouds and a surprising lack of wind resulted in several “keeper” images. The colour version is really nice (you can see it here: http://bit.ly/SylvanLakeClouds), but even as I made the picture, I knew it would also make a compelling monotone image.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
Click/tap on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Frank King’s Southern Alberta“: http://bit.ly/1oUzd4A
Urban landscapes: lighting the way over the river
LRT/PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, CALGARY, ALBERTA
I’ve lived in this western Canadian city for over a decade, yet it was only a few weeks ago that I discovered the striking illumination of this bridge over the Bow River. Fortunately, it was before sunrise on a cloudy day, so I was able to make a long exposure that turned the water silky – and that made the reflections even better.
Nikon D7100, tripod
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Light and Lines: An Urban Landscape Portfolio”: http://bit.ly/LIGHTandLINES
Rural landscapes: the astonishment of prairie minimalism
MOON OVER SPRING PRAIRIES, NEAR CROSSFIELD, ALBERTA
Wikipedia informs us that minimalist photography is distinguished by extreme, austere simplicity. It emphasizes spareness and focuses solely on the smallest number of objects in the composition process. Minimalist photographers usually focus solely on one subject, rather than an abundance of colour, patterns and information.
I think this remarkably empty spring prairie field and moon qualifies as minimalist. And I went monotone to emphasize the point, while at the same time increasing the sense of drama (colour tends to soften drama).
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
Click/tap on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Frank King’s Southern Alberta“: http://bit.ly/1oUzd4A
Urban landscapes: the downtown lights, interpreted
LIGHT INSTALLATION, 707 FIFTH, CALGARY, ALBERTA
One of the newest architectural additions to this western Canadian city features a series of light poles that change colour. I did my best to show you the curving line of these poles (you can see it the results here: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-1vU), but even as I made that photo, I knew there were abstract opportunities. So I twisted the camera to create diagonal lines, then zoomed the lens in and out during a long exposure. Kinda cool, eh? 🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod.
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Light and Lines: An Urban Landscape Portfolio”: http://bit.ly/LIGHTandLINES
Rural landscapes: reflecting the April sunrise
FENCE AND SPRING POND NEAR COCHRANE, ALBERTA
Beautiful prairie ponds, each with some ice formed during the cold overnight, flanked the road between the Trans Canada Highway and Cochrane, a charming town west of Calgary. I photographed both in the first light of day, but this might be the most compelling image because of the dramatic sky and decent reflections. Searching for photogenic ponds is my main photo mission in April and May and pictures like this make it clear what drives me. 🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my NEW coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
Natural landscapes: spring’s winter reminder
APRIL SNOW AT WEASELHEAD FLATS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT PARK, CALGARY, ALBERTA
A day earlier we were wearing T-shirts and roasting marshmallows at our backyard fire pit. Now, I was back in full winter garb and excited to capture a spring snowfall. One of the nice things about spring snow in this western Canadian province is many of the ponds and rivers are ice-free and that usually makes for better photos. This is, I hope, a good example of that and I went black-and-white because there was almost no colour in this scene.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).
Check out my coffeetable book, “Bring on the Light: Forty years of photography”: https://bit.ly/BringOnTheLight
FRANK KING PHOTOS 