The snow is mostly gone, here on the prairies, but it will be some weeks before we see greenery and flowers blooming. I can’t wait! It has been a long winter and I sure could use a bit of color. Late spring or early summer images are great for it because all is fresh and green is bright and not dimmed by dust of late summer days.
We are lucky here in Alberta, because some nights are full of light show. We had a couple of gorgeous Aurora showing last fall and I have managed to capture some shots without leaving the city.
I know, I know it is winter and everybody posts winter photography, but I am not ready for it yet. I see it outside my window every day, so I want to see something warm, colorful and pretty. Hope you are in need of this as well.
It has been a while since I’ve posted anything about Elk Island National Park. So, I think, it is time for some lovely sunset from the beginning of summer, when all was green, flowers were blooming and days were warm and long.
It is so much easier to wake up for a sunrise trip out of the city this time of year. The only problem is, there is not always a good weather for photography. In Alberta, we are blessed quite often with cloudless sky and very cold weather, which, as any of you, who practice landscape photography know, does not make good conditions for interesting shots. There is also the issue of road conditions, which can be problematic at the least and the cold itself.
I have totally forgotten about this collection of pictures, shot during our little excursion outside the city last year on my birthday. It was a cold and frosty day with a beautiful blue sky. Such days make me think that I don't hate cold as much ;D Winter doesn't often give us opportunities for bright and cheerful photography, that is why I enjoy this so much. Sunny skies, frost and fresh snow on the ground make for quite lovely views, much appreciated, I think, during long and cold winters.
Photographing flat prairies presents a challenge. It's easy to take a good photo of mountains, since all you need is good light and the pictures take themselves. Rockies are just too beautiful and full of interesting views. Prairies, though, require a bit more of an effort, since one has to find something to catch one's eye, to create an interesting composition.
This time of year I seem to be missing summer with all its colors and warmth. I miss the easy travel around the countryside, long days that allow for frequent trips outside the city, even in the middle of the week. And it does not matter if we bring only one picture from such a trip. The fact is, we are out in the world, under the big Alberta sky, not closed in the city.
Another year has passed, and photographically I should be calling it, a year of experimentation. I did not travel far from home this year, like my wife did. This did not preclude me from trying different things.
I set myself a task of choosing my favorite photos of the past year. I've never done it before so, optimistically, I was hoping to pick only a few, but the deeper I went into my files the more and more I added to the collection. I, honestly, don't know how to visit a location and take one, maybe two pictures and leave. There are way too many compositions to chose from and each and every one has something unique to offer.
I've found myself bored recently, stuck at home and not willing to go anywhere with my camera. There was a very Canadian reason for it. It was freezing outside with winds bringing the cold close to -40 Centigrade and sun making almost no appearance at all. Depressing, if you ask me, so I decided to use my go to therapy for winter blues: play with color.
Located on the Trail of the Eagle's Nests, Ogrodzieniec Castle rules over the Krakow-Czestochowa Upland in southern Poland. Established first in early 12th century, destroyed and rebuilt numerous times since then it was finally abandoned at the beginning of 19th century due to extensive fire damage and remains a picturesque ruin ever since.
When I go home for a visit, pictures are the last thing on my mind, most of the time. There are, simply, too many people to see to find a moment to appreciate anything else. This time around, however, I made sure I found a few moments to go out and see some new and old places and took as many pictures as possible.
