Rural landscapes: into the mystical frost
FROSTY ROAD NEAR CALGARY, ALBERTA
Another picture from my amazing morning of photography amidst glorious winter frost in this western Canadian province (here’s a previous example: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-1fA). A telephoto lens was important to squeeze all the elements together and heighten the drama of this weather phenomenon. Adjusting the picture controls on my digital camera to “high contrast” also contributed to the drama.
Look carefully in the background; that’s the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies shrouded in cloud. You can see this scene in colour here: http://bit.ly/FrostyAlbertaRoad.
Nikon D7100, 70-300 mm. lens, tripod.
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Rural landscapes: in the frigid, gathering dusk
GRAIN FACILITY EAST OF CALGARY, ALBERTA
The Canadian prairies were once dotted with charming, iconic grain elevators (like these: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-12g). Most of them are gone, replaced by industrialized facilities constructed in strategic locations. I was driving home from a day’s photography when I encountered this, glowing in the gathering dusk. The combination of blue and red makes for a compelling photo, IMHO. 🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
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Urban landscapes: the grand entry
SHANE HOMES ROCKY RIDGE YMCA, CALGARY, ALBERTA
I drove past this 284,000-square-foot facility while it was under construction and quickly realized I could make some compelling pictures here. The facility sits in a natural park with views of the city and Canadian Rocky mountains. It’s tucked between an existing hill that reaches Calgary’s highest natural elevation and a reconstructed wetland. Here’s another photo of the same entry from the opposite perspective: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-13A
Nikon D7100, tripod
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Rural landscapes: the two fir trees
THE FROSTY ROAD, NEAR CALGARY, ALBERTA
For three days, I stared at gloriously frosty conditions in this western Canadian city and desperately hoped it wouldn’t warm up before the weekend. My hope came true and for an entire Saturday morning, I wandered over rural roads in the charming rolling hills south of Calgary, photographing fields, fence and groves of trees – all coated in thick white in glittering sunlight.
Finding these two fir trees, perfectly framed by a little-used road through a forest thicket, was an absolute bonus and I made several compositions from various distances.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter.
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Natural landscapes: the cold, cold sunrise
SHORELINE ICE, OTTAWA RIVER, PETAWAWA, ONTARIO
When I’m visiting family in the eastern part of this Canadian province, Petawawa is my go-to spot for photography.
The town is known for its military base, not its scenery, but I always find lots to photograph there any time of year.
In this case, I loved the ragged line of light formed by ice, and how it leads your eyes to fog over the open water.
Nikon D7100, tripod, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
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Rural landscapes: windswept in winter
FENCE AND DISTANT TREE ALONG BASIN ROAD, ALBERTA
Found this scene while driving any old road I felt like going on deep in the hills and foothills of the southern half of this western Canadian province. I carefully composed the photo to put the tree between two fence posts, then kept it out of focus so it would complement, rather than compete, with the posts. I love how this scene glows with glittering COLD.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
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Rural landscapes: the river and the bridge
OLDMAN RIVER AND HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE, LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA
The setting for this western Canadian city of almost 100,000 is quite spectacular. The Oldman River valley is truly breathtaking, especially in winter, and there are many glorious viewpoints to see it and the High Level Bridge. Completed in 1909, it’s the longest and highest steel trestle bridge in North America. I found this spot to put the bridge into a larger setting.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter and a graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
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Rural landscapes: soaring over the gorge
WHIRLPOOL AERO CAR, NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO
Niagara Parks website: “Designed by renowned Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo, the Whirlpool Aero Car has been soaring over the Niagara Gorge since 1916. The antique cable car is suspended from six sturdy cables and offers spectacular views of the swirling Niagara Whirlpool and the Class 6 whitewater rapids of the Niagara River.
“Although the Whirlpool Aero Car travels between two points on the Canadian shore, riders of this historic cable car actually cross the international border line between Ontario and New York State a total of four times each trip due to the way the river elbows.”
This photo goes back so far in time (2005), it was photographed on slide film, then transferred to CD several years later. I dug it out of the archives to give you a view of Niagara in winter.
Nikon FM2, tripod, polarizing filter
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Rural landscapes: the ski hill pilgrimage
MT. NORQUAY ROAD, BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
I drove up Mt. Norquay Road to a spectacular viewpoint of the town of Banff, hoping to capture it and the surrounding Rocky Mountains in the pre-dawn light of ‘blue hour’. Unfortunately, most of the peaks were shrouded in cloud and light snowfall. That’s when I noticed the line of vehicles going around the semi-circle on their way to the Mt. Norquay ski resort. Fortunately, my wide-angle zoom lens was just wide enough to capture the curving lights in a long exposure.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Check out my coffeetable book “BLUE SYMPHONY: Winter in the Canadian Rockies”: http://bit.ly/kFb3Xw
Urban landscapes: the saddle
ENTRY 4, CROSSIRON MILLS SHOPPING CENTRE, BALZAC, ALBERTA
All the entries to this 200-store mall just north of Calgary have artistic features. This stylized saddle, symbolizing Alberta’s ranching history, captivated me for over a half hour. So many creative, abstract ways to capture it, all in cold, pre-dawn darkness that emphasizes the strong lighting.
Check out the colour version here: http://bit.ly/CrossironEntry4
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Natural landscapes: the winter creek
LOUISE CREEK, BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
I’m not sure why, but this outflow creek from Lake Louise remains mostly ice-free no matter how bitterly cold the winter becomes — and trust me, it can easily go down to -30c at this high altitude in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
The creek was mostly a dull brown, so I tweaked the colour cast, removing much of the brown and replacing it with a slight cast of more esthetically pleasing blue. I have no problem changing pictures like this because I’m not a documentary photographer; I’m trying my imperfect best to be a fine art photographer and that means interpreting a scene, rather than simply recording it.
P.S. look carefully at the stream and you’ll see streaks of snow. It snowed the entire time I was at the creek and lake.
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Natural landscapes: the winter sunrise
GREAT LAKES SUNRISE, WHITBY, ONTARIO
This town of almost 130,000, a bedroom community for Toronto (Canada’s largest city) features a charming, little-known road of cottages along Lake Ontario. I ventured there and found elegant trees along the top of a cliff that perfectly framed a glorious winter sunrise.
Nikon D50, tripod.
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Urban landscapes: the exchange of goods
THE TRADER, EDMONTON, ALBERTA
This three-metre tall bronze sculpture was designed in 1977 by American sculptor John Weaver, who eventually moved to Canada because so much of his works were here. It sits on a three-metre tall granite base, so the entire presentation is quite striking.
The Trader was commissioned to commemorate businessman and politician John McDougall. According to the city of Edmonton website, “In following the conventions of classic heroic sculpture, the imagery and representation of McDougall as the ‘hero’ of the monument can be construed as problematic. Although both men are portrayed as equal in scale, McDougall the settler is named while the Indigenous man trading with him is not.”
What grabbed my attention was the snow and how it highlighted the curves of the trading materials. From there, I worked to ensure symmetry in the background.
Nikon D50, tripod.
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Urban landscapes: the epic silence
THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND
The exterior of this Anglican church in eastern Canada is not particularly impressive, but step inside and WOW! Glorious silence in an awe-inspiring space that can’t help but encourage worship from those of us who believe in a loving God.
I spent an hour here, all by myself, making pictures and appreciating the time available to pray. Here’s another gobsmacking cathedral scene, pointing in the opposite direction: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-1dH
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Natural landscapes: taking it all in
ALONG THE ICEFIELDS PARKWAY, BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
Every time I’ve driven this magnificent road in the Canadian Rockies and come around a corner to see this view, I’ve been stunned into silence and prayer. One morning I decided to put me into the scene then, during processing, turn everything but me into black-and-white. Kinda cool, eh? 🙂
(You can see this photo in full colour here: http://bit.ly/ParkwayView)
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
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Urban landscapes: Merry Christmas from Alberta
CHRISTMAS LIGHTING NEAR OLYMPIC PLAZA, CALGARY, ALBERTA
Olympic Plaza gained fame during the 1988 Olympic Winter Games. It was where a majority of the medal presentations took place. Today, it’s a winter skating rink and a summer gathering place where plays are often performed. The giant tower on the right is The Bow, Calgary’s second tallest skyscraper.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Natural landscapes: flowing through the cedar forest
WILMOT CREEK, NEWCASTLE, ONTARIO
It’s rare to get cold and snowy conditions in southern Ontario, so I was glad to have time to take advantage of even a little snow cover on the trees and ice in the rivers and creeks. This photo, fished out of the archives from more than a decade ago, was made from a bridge on Hwy. 115 east of Toronto.
Nikon D50, tripod, polarizing filter
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Rural landscape: abandoned under the big sky
OLD TRUCK ON THE PRAIRIES, NEAR CARMANGAY, ALBERTA
I like the colour version (you can see it here: http://bit.ly/AlbertaOldTruck), but somehow a snowless winter scene this rustic cries out for the simplicity of black-and-white. I also like the wide-angle perspective that makes the front of the truck swell (for lack of a better term).
I’m always artistically attracted to human creations that are breaking down over time. Perhaps I’m seeking to photographically echo our condition….
Nikon D90 tripod, polarizing filter, fill-flash (to illuminate the front of the truck).
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Natural landscapes: the tree in the midst of glory
WINTER AT UPPER WATERFOWL LAKE, BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
You can’t see much of the lake – it’s the bit of white behind the tree – but the setting, along the Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rockies, is among the most ridiculously sublime in the world.
I was traveling the parkway when sections were covered with new snow. Each section simply forced me to find a stopping place to record God’s glory in full winter splendour.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
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Urban landscapes: my snowprints complete the scene
DECKCHAIRS IN THE SNOW, CALGARY, ALBERTA
This western Canadian city has done a lot of work to make its riverfront as useable and attractive as possible. This is one of the charming stops along the Bow River. I encountered it before sunrise, right after a satisfyingly large snowfall, and the snow made the scene even better.
P.S. My snowprints accomplish two things: (1) they break up the empty space in the bottom right section of the scene and (2) they echo the diagonal line of the lights.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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