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.
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.
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.
I think it's time for some color, don't you? It's been so long since we've seen more than whites, blues, blacks and grays, so why not go back to late summer and beginning of fall, when all the world was covered in beautiful colors? It's seems to me that Mother Nature gives us this opportunity, every year, to soak it all up in preparation for a monochromatic season that lasts too long.. Today, I would like to share photos from two trips of ours that took place just as the seasons were changing.. Last day of summer, first day of fall. Two sunsets in rural Alberta. A little bit of landscape photography, a bit of rural architecture and nature and, of course, a macro shot (one cannot admire the world without looking close at things, don't you think?) and all of it full of beautiful colors, complements of Mother Nature. I am so very glad to have seen it all and have my memories recorded so that I can look at all this splendor when I'm feeling deprived of color. Hope it is as enjoyable to you as it is to me :D Kasia
Travel photography, quite often deals with architecture. One just cannot ignore interesting buildings and not take a picture or two.. Such was the case with Victoria's Craigdarroch Castle. A beautiful place built in late 19th century, fortunately, not demolished with most of other older buildings in 1960s. Visiting it gives one a unique picture of life of that period. Such a pity there aren't very many such places available in western Canada.. If you are ever in Victoria, BC, make sure you drop by and take a tour. Learn how people used to live in the old times and take a moment to admire the craftsmanship of old. Here are a few shots from our visit. I hope, this post will encourage you to visit this little architectural pleasure.. Kasia
To be continued...
P.S. Check our previous post from Long Beach on Vancouver Island: Beautiful British Columbia - Part 6 - Travel Photography
Finally, to our dismay, the last day of our Scottish adventures arrived. Since we were all a bit tired and the weather was getting rather uncertain we decided not to venture too far away from Edinburgh, but visit one of the close by castle ruins. We have decided to go east of Edinburgh this time (since all our previous trips took us west) and visit Castle Tantallon located on the coast of Scotland close to North Berwick. It was built in mid 14th century and survived undamaged for only 300 years or so, but the ruins that are still standing give us an idea of how grand it must have been in it's time. Very tall walls and towers are still standing there surrounded by the sea from one side and vast countryside on the other. While you approach it from the road you can see the wonderful Bass Rock sticking out of the sea providing a great background to the castle on the near by cliff.
The first thing that struck me when we got to the ruins was what time and sea breeze did to the walls. The textures and colours of the eroded material were great and caused me to take a very many pictures of them. Here is a few:
The second this was the size of the structure, still easily recognizable regardless of the damage. I was constantly lost somewhere and only thanks to my older son looking after me I was able to find my way and find the rest of my family ;D
All of those little specs on and around Bass Rock are sea birds that live on the rock. There are thousands of them there!!
By the time we left the structure I was completely blown away by the wind (it was so strong that one had to hold on to the ropes hanged on the staircases otherwise one might fall down swept by it)... On the grounds my attention was caught by the walls surrounding the castle and the wild flowers that were growing out of them, planted by the birds or wind...
Of course, I had to take a closer look ;D
And that was that!! Next day we had to fly home and return to the present. I will always cherish my memories of this trip. It was absolutely wonderful!!! I still have hundreds of pictures left from the flights and both Spain and Scotland and, perhaps, if time allows I will share some more of them with you. But for now the adventure is over... Hope you've enjoyed this holiday with us. Until the next time...
Kasia
You know that I love colour. The more of it, the better!! I have shared some of the colourful Edinburgh pictures in my post The Royal Mile in Colour. Sometimes, however, a picture just asks to be processed in black and white.. There were quite a few of those ones taken around Edinburgh that required just such a treatment so here they are...
It's all in the details and mood, I think. Hope you agree. :)
Kasia
After such a long trip to Glenfinnan (see the series of my previous posts from our Scottish adventures starting with Scotland - the Road to Glenfinnan and ending with Searching for Rob Roy) we have decided to finally take a tour of the famous Royal Mile. The day started up with a lovely sunrise and no more rain and we took the trip on a double-decker bus to get us as close to it as possible..
Deciding to start with The Edinburgh Castle we have walked there from the bus stop admiring the old buildings with their interesting architectural details. Because of the amount of people waiting to be admitted to the castle we have decided to try our luck later on with Holyroodhouse Palace instead and after a short photo session from the castle hill, with a stop at Camera Obscura (a fun place to visit, whether you are a kid or not) located close by, we started our downward track towards the palace walking the length of the Royal Mile..
And finally we have reached the Holyroodplace Palace, where Her Majesty the Queen of England resides during her visits to Scotland..
Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside, since it is a current residence of the Queen, but we were told we can photograph everything outside so we have taken a full advantage of it while we visited the Holyrood Abbey and the surrounding grounds:
And from there we have started slowly back to the bus to get home. We have lost our way in the process and managed to walk the whole distance back to the Castle, only on the other side, discovering, in the process many more interesting sites and a lovely view of the Edinburgh Castle itself in the setting sun ,of which we took full advantage ;)
There are many more pictures we have taken that day.. I will share some of them in my next post. Until then..
Kasia
On our way back from Glenfinnan we have decided on a short detour to search for one of the Highland legends. We've decided to stop at the cemetery where Rob Roy was supposedly buried..(a cemetery by Balquhidder Parish Church). The rain has stopped again and we took a very narrow side road to get there. We've passed some picturesque houses and fields with wonderful old trees and sheep, even spotting a traditionally dressed fellow, going somewhere with his bodhran, perhaps for an evening of history and song..
The first time I have ever heard about Rob Roy was as a child when the book by Sir Walter Scott found it's way into my hands.. Don't remember much of the book story anymore (it was a few decades ago after all.. ;D), and whatever memory of it I did have was successfully replaced by the movie (with Liam Neeson who, I thought, did an excellent job of playing the main character) but I've always liked the character and was quite excited to find a place that was dedicated to him.. The place was charming and lit with late afternoon light, surrounded by juicy greenery seemed very picturesque. And it felt old and peaceful...
We walked around the place for a while charmed by it's atmosphere. The old, old graves, covered by lichen and moss, reminded us of the fact that time does not wait for anybody..
On the very bottom of this picture you will see the resting place of Rob Roy, his wife and son. At the time we have not noticed it.. I've learned only afterwords that we were standing right next to it and even, unknowingly, took some pictures with it. I guess it just goes to show that too often we search high and low for things that are right under our own noses... Until the next time..
Kasia
As I have mentioned in my previous post: Scotland - the Road to Glenfinnan, we went to visit the shores of Loch Shiel as a kind of a joke because of "Highlander" the movie. But that is not the only movie that has made this place famous. Some of the scenes from Harry Potter movies were filmed there as well. The movies aren't the only thing that makes Glenfinnan interesting, though... In August 1745 Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Price Charlie") has landed on the shores of Loch Shiel starting the second Jacobean Rising that has ended tragically for Scotland at Culloden in April of 1746. In 1815 the Glenfinnan Monument has been erected to commemorate the start of that event as well as in tribute to the clansmen who fought and died in the Jacobite cause. For those who would like to learn more a lot of information can be found on the web. Now, for the scenery, I am going to leave that for you to judge:
I was paying attention to the little things that surrounded us, while we were hiking to the viewing point, so here is a little macro as well ;D
I am sure you will agree with me, that it is a beautiful place, well worth hours of driving from Edinburgh. I just wish we've had more time to spend exploring this area, though we did take a little nature walk and I will share some of the pictures in my next post. Hope you enjoyed!!
Kasia
I hope you are not bored yet with our travel story. It was quite a trip full of lovely places and I hope you are still enjoying this little journal of our adventures... When our plane landed in Edinburgh I was a bit scared that our 5 days there will be miserable, because it was cold and raining cats and dogs and the forecast was calling for similar weather for almost the entire week.. Alas, we have been so very lucky during the entire trip and did not get soaked even once, thought it was raining on occasion when we were driving.. Now, driving over there... that's a whole separate adventure in itself, if you are used to the right side of the road... Needless to say, I was being a chicken and did not drive at all, thus Mac had to do all the honours... And for the first couple of days I was terrified that we'd end up loosing the side mirror on the passenger side - there is almost no shoulder on the rural road, just stone walls that are about 20cm away from the very narrow road... And some people like to drive in the middle of such a road disregarding a bit their lane.. Well... We have survived thanks to Mac being a wonderful driver and a very quick learner ;D.. But enough of that! Lets move to our first day.. The haunted Castle Manzies.. Now, there is a bit of a story with that one. We have visited it in the middle of the day, though it was dark rather due to the low hanging clouds and it was the oldest building to which my kids have ever ventured (I'm not counting the Spanish castles because they were not looking very lived in, if you know what I mean) and my husband was teasing them that it was a haunted castle... My youngest got pretty scared and did not leave my side for the entire visit.. Even my older son was a bit uneasy, though not even remotely to the extend my younger was.. After the end of our visit I've chatted with the lady that looks after the property with her husband and she said that my son was the third kid that week to behave in a strange way and that one of the really young ones apparently had had a full conversation with a lady on the stairs who was not visible to any adult... Apparently the caretaker husband, cleaning part of the castle just a few days before has heard a woman's voice singing a lullaby and the place was empty... There you have it - the ghost story.. After all you can't visit Europe and not brash on those ;D
Everything is so green there!! It was quite a change from dry Spain! Not only in terms of the greenery but the sky, was covered in heavy layer of clouds making things look more sinister..
Our short tour inside the castle started on the main floor, built in 16th century, that housed kitchens and generally servant related part of the building..
I was really impressed with the size of the fireplace, where all the castle cooking was done. It was as tall as I am! The top floors were remodelled in 19th century:
There is a bit of history related to the 1745 Stuart rising and the memorabilia are displayed in one of the larger chambers:
While we continued our tour, the sky was remaining grey and heavy..
Our tour ended in the attic where, even Mac was feeling uneasy.. I guess they must have felt the ghosts of the past.. As it happens I have managed to catch my own ghosts.. A bit more modern ones but hey! You can't have everything ;)
See you next time!!
Kasia
With a great sadness we have said our good-byes to our friends in Almerimar and undertaken the long drive back to Madrid. The views, again, were quite lovely and I have taken a few shots (again) of the lovely wind turbines that make the scenery even more picturesque..
We have chosen slightly different route this time and were hoping to be able to stop on the way in Granada and visit Alhambra.
The palace of Alhambra is rather famous for it's great Moorish architecture and rich history and I always wanted to visit it. Unfortunately we were unable to gain entry to the palace itself. To preserve it only a certain amount of visitors is allowed daily and we were just too late.. When we approached the entry they were just announcing that fact over the loud speakers.. During the high season, in order to visit the place one has to book tickets on line well in advance, otherwise there is no way to get inside... So... since we have planned to stop there anyway, we have decided to, at least, visit the grounds and took a long walk around the palace. The weather was gorgeous and everything was blooming and so green that it was a delightful break in our long drive. Of course, I was not only interested in the architecture of the place but, as usual, gave in to my fascination with plants so different than what I am used to.. And here is a few shots from there:
We were given only glimpses of the palace buildings, stolen through shrubbery and walls.. I'd love to see them closer, but, will have to wait for the next time..
Being located on top of a hill Alhambra has a wonderful view of the surrounding Granada, which we could spot also from our walk:
It was very pleasant there. Quite a restful place, where you can be surrounded with greenery and listen to the sounds of trickling water..
But, as everything, this little respite in our journey had to come to an end and we left Alhambra, promising that one day we shell be back! For now Scotland was waiting for us, with it's wonderful mountains and heavy skies and a promise of yet another adventure..
Kasia
We have decided one morning to go for a ride to Almeria and visit Alcazaba castle located on one of the hills in the middle of the city. Our friend Sandra was kind enough to be our guide and led us through the city to the castle grounds. Mac has already shared some of his pictures from that trip in his post Spanish Streets, Castle and Fuji X-PRO1. And here is what I saw that day..
Yes, I know, this is quite a pink place. The colour was so startling mids the more earthy palette of all the rest of the buildings that I had to take a picture of it ;)
The view from the castle located on top of a hill is quite remarkable. The blues of Mediterranean Sea contrast beautifully with the greens of the gardens and the pinkish rock that was used to build the castle. Unfortunately great part of it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1522. Restorations started in 1950s.
Hope you have enjoyed this short tour. If you ever are close by I heartily encourage you to go and visit this lovely place. It's too bad part of it is still in ruin, but I can imagine just how lovely it was during the time of it's glory.
Kasia
Holiday is a wonderful thing! You are free to do whatever you want, whenever you want. One morning we have decided to go for a ride in the mountains. We have chosen a road that would lead us toward Enix and Felix - two municipalities in province of Almeria in Andalusia. We encountered a series of beautiful views from the road. Hills cultivated as much as possible, where almond trees grow on man-made terraces right next to small fields and villages are settled either in the valleys or are plastered to the sides of the hills. Lovely, picturesque drive. The weather was great, the sky marvelous. Just what we needed to enjoy ourselves a lot!
We have stopped at a village called Felix for a little tour. It's a charming little town in Andalusia with narrow streets, passages going up and down and houses built very close together just to utilize the limited space.
On the way back we have made a few stops here and there just to capture some more of our surroundings...
It was a marvellous trip and we have enjoyed both the vista and the weather immensely! Sierra Nevada is simply beautiful!
Kasia
I don't know about you, but I love going for walks around my town. Even if the weather isn't very warm I'll bundle up, take my family and walk to see what's new around. Whether it is in the park or the Whyte Avenue, downtown or just closest neighbourhood there is always something new to find. Quite often I have my camera with me, 'cause you never know when the perfect opportunity arrises to take the picture. And yes, there are many a "Kodak moments" while we walk :). I thought I'd share with you a few of the pictures from around Edmonton. I hope you'll be inspired to take your family out and check out what's new in your neighbourhood as well. Who knows, maybe you'll even remember your camera and take a few pictures as well? Kasia
Please excuse me, but this post is going to be nothing else but boasting. Yup. My wife, Kasia, who is the better half of the MiKSMedia Photography duo, has been participating quietly in few online photo competitions. On April 1, she received an email from My Photo School that one of her photos took 1st place in a monthly competition. She was leaning more towards dismissing it, as an April's Fools joke, since the winners for the month of March were not posted yet. Next day, we checked the results again, and it wasn't a joke. She took the first place in Landscape & Nature category with this image:
Also in the same category two of her images were finalists. Talk about domination! These are the finalists from the Landscape & Nature category:
The best part was, when I went through all the categories just to see the winners. Low and behold, my wife took second place in the Travel & Architecture category with this image:
and..... that's not all.... she had 3 images as finalists in the Macro category!!! Talk about dominating the school competition. Oh and by the way here are the Macro category finalists:
This discovery made me very very happy. So big congratulations Kasia, on all the winners and finalists. I think you deserve it.... is that too biased? :-)
Still I think it's a great accomplishment. I'm very proud of you! (the rest, outpouring of affection has been censored from this blog)
