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 hard to only be able to see winter for months on end. It lasts so long, here in Alberta, that the need to turn to memories of warmer, more colorful months is often overwhelming. As much as the weather is nice right now, we still have a lot of snow on the ground and I find myself missing colors and warmth of summer months. I'm quite happy that I am able to easily indulge in seeing pictures I took during those months
It has been a few years since we have taken this ride into the rural Alberta one May evening. The weather was good, the prairies called and we went to visit one of our favorite places to see what was happening. It wasn't the most beautiful of a sunset, but we still enjoyed ourselves driving along Alberta roads,
Last summer wasn't as full of outings as I would have liked. Time, seems to be more and more a rare commodity and trying to fit a trip outside the city can be rather difficult. I treasure every one of those outings. Even, if I don't bring a lot of pictures back, it is a pleasure to just wander, letting the road take us, wherever it goes.
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.
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
I don't know about you guys, but we have seen so many photographs with canola fields over the years that we have been reluctant to shoot them ourselves. One evening, however, when we were traveling Alberta back roads we have encountered one such field, with beautiful clouds painted by setting sun that we could not resist stopping and taking pictures... I could not resist a few close ups, as well... So we have done our part to add to canola landscape photography... Shame on us! But, just look at the pictures. Wasn't it a beautiful evening?! Kasia
I don't know about you, but I miss colors during winter. I miss it so much that I try to take as many colorful images as possible before winter comes in order to be able to have tons of colorful stuff to work with when the sky is heavy and the world is very monochromatic. Today, in search of color, I've stumbled upon a collection of fall pictures I took while driving in the countryside one evening in fall. I have shared some images from that trip in my post: Yup! Fall is here… and today, it's time for some more. It was a very pleasant excursion and the evening sun with warm fall foliage palette made the world look inviting and lovely. I hope you find them as enjoyable as I do this gloomy morning! Kasia
What is the best way to celebrate New Year? Why, shooting a sunrise, of course! ;D Thus we were quite excited to get up way before dawn on January 1st and take a drive in the country. The temperatures were pretty high (considering that we've spent a month of close to -20oC, whether with windchill or not..), but the cold wind has decided to pick up and blow snow through the prairies, creating picturesque snowdrifts on the sides of the roads. At places there was a very deep snow in the shoulders (way above my knee), which I tested trying to get one particular shot of a small heard of horses in the sunrise light (below). All in all, the trip was very good, even if we have returned slightly frozen and windblown. After all, if the animals can roam the prairies in such a weather, why not us? Hope you enjoy these wintery images of rural Alberta in the light of, fist, the moon and then, the fist sunrise of this year!
Kasia
I don't know if you remember our trip in January to shoot a sunrise. We have found this wonderful abandoned farm in the middle of prairies that has served not only as a great excuse to shoot the world at dawn. A piece of Alberta's history is slowly falling apart and as sad as it makes me feel I am grateful that they are still here waiting to be photographed and, in some small way, remembered. I thought, I'd share some more shots from that trip with you today. The light was gorgeous, the temperatures not too low :) and the company excellent. What more can a person want?! Kasia
As fall is almost over, here on the Alberta prairies I decided that I needed a little break from a windowless office, and go for a little ride. Didn't have to go far. Found this little side road from the main gravel road, and ventured in. Almost right away, I found a couple of old farm buildings. I stopped and spent maybe 15-20 minutes walking around. Since there are no colours to be seen right now, and sun was hiding behind heavy clouds, I decided to make these b&w. Enjoy.
It's almost spring here in Edmonton,AB. The weather has be absolutely fabulous for the last few weeks. The snow is almost completely gone, and our tulips are already poking slowly out of the ground. I'm not counting my blessings just yet. Mother Nature is very capricious this time of year, and I would not be surprised to have a nice dump of snow before summer. So I figured, maybe if I post these memories of winter, then maybe I can avoid more snow? Wishful thinking? I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and posting this winter theme. Enjoy.
These were taken with the Panasonic GF1 micro 4/3 camera and the Olympus 14m-42mm lens. I do have to say that I'm really impressed with that little camera.
