Grain Storage

When it gets thick enough, ice fog can eliminate any evidence of a horizon as it did on this day. I drove quite extensively around Red Deer County in the fog, which I find very enjoyable! Everything becomes very isolated and a feeling of loneliness pervades. Sounds become muted and whenever I stopped to have a look around or take a picture, I am sure to turn of the vehicle to enjoy the silence. Usually I’ll here a magpie, raven or maybe a distant farm dog barking. One day while out I heard a rather loud gunshot! I couldn’t see who was responsible and I’m certain whomever it was couldn’t see me, so I hightailed it out of there pretty quick!

 

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Visual Pollution

“Visual pollution is an aesthetic issue and refers to the impacts of pollution that impair one’s ability to enjoy a vista or view.”  Wikipedia

During my lunch breaks at work, I like to go for a walk around downtown Red Deer to get some fresh air and feel the sun and wind on my face. It refreshes me, but not comparing even remotely to the kind of refreshment I get when I first breath in clean, fresh, cool mountain air when I travel into the Rocky Mountains, but it is certainly refreshing compared to the air in my office! The visual stimuli leave a lot to be desired in the downtown core. Visual pollution runs rampant and can almost be called embarrassing to think that after a hundred plus years of being incorporated as a town and city, that this is all the City of Red Deer could accomplish! It is, however, an interesting challenge to myself to find “beauty” amongst it all, a composition that exhibits balance and harmony or a complete lack of it. Maybe it’s the lighting and atmospheric conditions that help the situation. Whatever it is, I like to try and find it.

 

 

These two photographs were taken only a day or two apart from each other from virtually the same spot just down the back alley from work. You can see the same post on the left of the first photo and again on the far right of the second  photo.

 

 

 

The Effect of Heat upon the Visual Acuity of Large Compression Telephoto Images

 

 

[ Olympus E-M5II, Panasonic 100-300mm ]

 

 

Graphically Speaking

I really enjoy the graphic qualities presented here. Essentially monochrome with a jolt of orange, this image has straight lines, curved lines, triangles, short lines, long lines, thick lines, thin lines, organic shapes, man-made shapes, dark tones, light tones, large blank area, and small detailed areas. It was fun to make the image even though I was being buffeted by very strong winds! I was shooting across a highway in order to get the composition I was after and got a lot of strange looks from people travelling by. It’s as if they have never seen someone with a camera on a tripod. I think they wouldn’t have even hardly glanced over my way if I had of been holding up my phone! 🙂

 

 

 

[ Olympus E-M5II, Olympus M.Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 ]

 

 

Kneehill County, Alberta

Farming, and of course the ever present oil and gas, are the main industries that Kneehill County can boast about. Farming to me is a romantic occupation where you operate by the light of the day and the changing of the seasons. You get your hands dirty and you work hard, but there would be a huge sense of accomplishment for the work done. I’m sure it’s not an easy way to make a living, but there are worse jobs out there! I grew up surrounded by grain fields and to this day love harvest season. The lights of combines and grain trucks late into the night peering through the grain dust that hovers near the ground as the humidity gets thicker. The many meals that are eaten on the tailgates of pick-ups and in general the excitement and nervousness of getting the crops safely into granaries. The smells that go along with harvest are amazing just the same as the turning of the fields in spring. The smell of fresh turned soil is amazing and then that of a field of bright yellow canola. I recall, too, the many fields of flax looking like mirages of lakes with the beautiful blue flowers. I don’t see much flax anymore, at least not around central Alberta. I can recall some years back in southern Manitoba there was a lot of flax.

This field had just finished being combined as the sun skimmed over the remaining stubble near Carbon. These tall granaries are nothing like the tiny wooden structures I remember, about the size of the small shed next to these, and they dwarf the tractor parked between them.

 

 

 

[ Plaubel Makina 67, Kodak Ektar 100 ]

 

 

Clearwater River

A few images from where the Clearwater River crosses under the bridge on Highway 40, otherwise known as the Alberta Forestry Trunk Road or Highway 734. It all depends on which segment of the road as to which road you are technically on, but most people I know simply refer to it as the Forestry Trunk Road no matter where you are travelling on it. Personally I steer clear anytime a long weekend is taking place as the road turns more or less into a racetrack of 4×4’s and fifth wheels all looking for a place to free camp and party. Unfortunately this is taking a toll on the quality of the experience unless you are into lots of noise and dust from quads and bikes and late night partying with all the garbage and junk these people leave scattered all about when they leave. Enough with being negative though. If you have the opportunity to drive anywhere along this route when camping isn’t likely to occur, it can be a fabulous experience with some spectacular scenery along the way. There are a few designated provincial campgrounds along the road that are well kept and very nice to stay in. Keep in mind there isn’t any electricity at these campgrounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ Leica M3, Zeiss ZM 50mm Planar, Fuji Superia 200 ]

 

 

I ❤️ Granaries

It was almost as much fun finding how to type a ❤️ as it was to be out and about making images! Hahaha. Actually no, being out photographing is always more fun than working on my computer, I found this granary south of town in Red Deer County with a very vibrant ❤️ adorning it’s ribs.

 

 

 

[ Leica M3, Zeiss ZM 50mm Planar, Fuji Superia 400 ]

 

 

The North and the South

While cruising around Red Deer County with my camera a few weeks ago I found the heavily re-engineered Waskasoo Creek, now frozen over, near the small town of Penhold. I got out and wandered around a bit, soaking up the quiet country scene. There was a herd of black cows and a few magpies about, but in all honesty the near silence of the scene was what grabbed my attention. As I stood on the little bridge enjoying the view I decided to have a look from both the north and the south sides of it.

 

 

Available as a print on my Etsy Store.

 

[ Leica M3, Zeiss ZM 50mm Planar, Fuji Superia 400 ]

 

On the way to Swartz Bay

The mountains of Ruckle Provincial Park on Saltspring Island loom on the horizon as we threaded our way through the gulf islands on our way between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay aboard Coastal Celebration. The light was soft and gorgeous on a bright overcast day. What a beautiful view!! I think I need to live out on the coast.

 

 

 

[ Sony RX100III ]

 

 

A Funeral, Decrepit Building, and Signs of Harvest

Last Saturday my wife, oldest son and I were in Drumheller for the funeral of the father to some good friends from back in high school days. What a fantastic man he was too!

We got into town a bit early and so we walked along main street for a couple of blocks and found the “Sports Room” entrance. Unfortunately the town feels pretty run down and almost uninviting. A real shame as the potential is huge!

 

 

Later in the evening we left before sunset as I don’t like driving central Alberta highways at night because of all the deer and moose. As we got near the small town of Carbon we found these silos glinting from the sun.

 

 

 

[Panasonic GF2, Panasonic 20mm]