Shuswap Falls Recreation Area, British Columbia.
[Anba Ikeda 4×5, Fujinon 300mm C, Fuji Velvia 100F]
My parents live only a five minute walk to this park. I have visited there many times over the past 16 years in all different seasons, and have never grown tired of exploring it. Mission Creek Regional Park, Kelowna, British Columbia.
[Anba Ikeda 4×5, Fujinon 125mm, Fuji Velvia 100F]
Made during a snow squall along the Bow River valley between Banff and Lake Louise this past January.
[Panasonic LX2]
My family visited the Adams River salmon run(Sockeye – Oncorhynchus nerka) again last fall and wouldn’t you know it, I found some trees to photograph. OK, I did manage one or two images of fish, as I felt it was only right that after dragging the family on yet another road trip, I should at least get a few images of them! Every four years the number of salmon in the Adams River can swell to over two million fish. Doing my math (correctly, I hope) means that 2010 should be a banner year for the Sockeye, just in time for the Olympics. These images were made in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park in British Columbia.
[Panasonic LX2]
Another from the same outing as my last post, along the West Kettle River in British Columbia.
[Zone VI 4×5, Schneider 210mm, Kodak Tri-X]
Trudging through waist deep snow for a distance allowed me to get close enough for this detail of the West Kettle River in British Columbia.
[Zone VI 4×5, Schneider 210mm, Kodak Tri-X]
The first image may be a bit difficult to decipher, although I feel that the mood of the moment is well represented. The late evening sunlight was filtering through the branches of my neighbors tree and I knew that a straight photograph wasn’t going to cut it. I used a very small aperture to increase my exposure to as long as possible and panned the camera down as I pressed the shutter.
The second image is far easier to interpret but really took a fair bit of effort to realize. I played with different focal lengths and apertures to have the in-focus and out-of-focus areas occur just right and also the be able to place the different background colours in just the right spots to enhance the leaves. This all sounds so complicated, but after many years of practice it is almost as if I don’t think about it at the time of exposure.
[Olympus E-1, 50-200mm]
So often we stay inside when the weather turns bad. Personally I love rain and especially walking in the rain. Everything is clean, colours are saturated, the air smells wonderful and because most people are indoors I usually have the trails mostly to myself. This image was made along Piper Creek In Red Deer, Alberta while a light rain was falling. It took a great deal of concentration to align my large format camera mounted on it’s tripod and avoid disturbing the blades of grass, possibly knocking the tiny droplets off their perches.
[Anba Ikeda 4×5, Fujinon 125mm, Fuji Velvia 100F]
Otherwise, and maybe in a more proper way, known as Bucephala clangula. These two have paired up on Muir Lake just north of Spruce Grove, Alberta. These are the ducks that you hear whistling as they fly past you. Actually it’s the wind whistling through their wing feathers. Many years ago, my brother and I were walking over a bridge in the dark and heard this whistling sound getting closer and closer and not being able to see anything assumed we were in for a “Close Encounter” only to see a few of these ducks flying low over the water beneath the bridge. Our hearts went back to normal, but I haven’t forgot the incident!
[Nikon F3, 600mm, Fuji Provia 100]
Have you ever noticed just how amazing our world is?! Virtually everywhere I look I am honestly in awe (Can you imagine if the moon could have snuck over to that side of the sky to play with these clouds!). My wife thinks I’m crazy sometimes when she sees me aiming my cameras at the strangest things, but every now and then I find a gem, like these clouds, that she hadn’t noticed, and when asked what she thinks of them, I might get a “They’re OK I guess.” It’s all progress and someday she will find all these amazing things on her own and grow to appreciate them.
[Olympus E-1, 7-14mm]
The badlands near Drumheller, Alberta are really quite spectacular and worth a visit! I found a small area, maybe only 100′ by 30′ and could have spent the better part of a day photographing. Of course when travelling with others, there must be some give and take, so an hour or so is all I had.
[Anba Ikeda 4×5, Fujinon 125mm, Fuji Velvia 100F]
Collin J Örthner - Photographer 