Nature
Kasia Sokulska
Can't Wait!

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.

Can't Wait!
Fuji X
Kasia Sokulska
Fall Aurora

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.

Fall Aurora
Nature
Kasia Sokulska
Not Ready for Winter Images Yet...

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.

Not Ready for Winter Images Yet...
Nature
Kasia Sokulska
How Summer Began

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.

How Summer Began
Nature
Kasia Sokulska
In The Woods

It’s wintery outside. With colder weather and short days I find myself thinking of summer. Summer visits to forest, here in Alberta, are one of my favorites ways to spend a weekend.

In The Woods

gardens

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A Short Trip to Butchart Gardens in Victoria - Travel Photography

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Considering that we got, yet again, a foot of snow and the temperatures are dropping, most everybody here in Edmonton, I'm sure,  is thinking of taking off to some tropical island to bask in sun and heat.. Well, since such a trip is out of the question for us, at this time, I am tempted to look at my pictures from our summer trip to BC ( to check our previous adventures on Vancouver Island see Beautiful British Columbia - Part 7), this time, from our short visit at the famous Butchart Gardens in Victoria.  Such a lovely place to explore!! So many beautifully growing, disgustingly luscious (sorry, a bit of a gardener's envy on my part, here) plants, beautifully arranged for the viewer to see.. I could spend hours with my macro lens there, surrounded by all that splendor.. Alas, we didn't have too much time and I did not take my 100mm lens, just the 200mm one and had to work with that, along with my 17mm.  Travel photography forces us to make the most of what we have (equipment and time -wise).. Lets see what I have managed to do with the two lenses I brought with me. Hope you enjoy!

Kasia

Welcome home
Welcome home
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 3
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 3
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 6
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 6
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 5
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 5
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 23
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 23
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 24
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 24
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 21
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 21
Hello, Pretty!
Hello, Pretty!
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 14
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 14
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 16
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 16
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 8
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 8
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 15
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 15
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 1
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 1
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 25
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 25
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 19
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 19
Las Vegas
Las Vegas
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 11
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 11
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 18
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 18
Patterns
Patterns
Tourists
Tourists
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 4
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 4
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 17
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 17
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 12
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 12
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 10
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC .. 10
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 2
Butchart Gatdens, Victoria, BC .. 2

The Royal Mile in colour..

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

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Almeria and Alcazaba Castle

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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