Winter in Bower Woods (Trees, Trees, Trees)

Today I am posting few more images from yesterdays snow squall. I showed them to my wife, Laura Lee, last evening and she was quite honest when she said “You’ve shot these before.” in a bored sort of tone. It’s not that she doesn’t think they are competent images, it’s just that it’s more tree images. t certainly have made many images of Bower Woods and also just of trees as a subject. I thoroughly enjoy searching out character trees or dramatic lighting in the woods to make images, but then I do have a lot of them!

 

 

It’s pretty difficult for me to not do it, as I have always had a strong love of nature and here in Red Deer, I don’t find much else worthy of photographing. We don’t have much interesting architecture and our river is frozen solid for almost 6 months of the year. If I only have a few hours to make images, I can’t drive out to the mountains(2.5-3 hours one way) or the badlands(one hour – one way), so I am often either walking through Bower Woods looking at trees or I am wandering around the backroads of Red Deer County, which is mostly a lot of farming. I can’t say I don’t have quite a few interesting and nice images from around the county, but I find the area photographically lacking.

 

 

I know many an established pro will say there are pictures to be made wherever you are, and they aren’t lying. I’ve been known to say the same thing. It’s just that you can only do the same thing for so long before you start to become extremely bored with the idea. Trees, so far at least, are still working for me as a subject, but having been making images in Bower Woods for 17 years, I sincerely hope they have something left for me!

 

 

Even my oldest son, Thomas, said “You should do more abstract series. I like your nature stuff, but you have lots.”  I do love looking for abstracts and maybe that’s what I’ll go after for awhile for a change. Sorry for sounding negative! I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in a large city, out at the coast, or in the state of Oregon. The variety of subjects at your, virtually, instant access, must be very freeing and enjoyable!

 

 

Hopefully this hasn’t been too much of a downer for a post. I’m just voicing my thoughts on my own photography and it is my blog after all. If anyone wants to add their thoughts, good or bad, I’m open to hear them. Just leave me a comment.

 

[ Pentax 645Z, Pentax-D FA 55mm AL SDM, Pentax-FA 120mm Macro ]

 

 

 

 

601st

No, it isn’t 601 Street, but it is my 601st post on this blog! I had to do inventory at work today from 8 – 4:30 and my Pentax rep dropped by to lend me his demo 645Z medium format camera. Needless to say, even though I was rather tired from the work all day, I had to go for a bit of a drive before the sun went down. So, off I went to some of my favourite areas south of Red Deer. This small stand of trees will likely be torn down shortly as it is one of the last stands in the area that hasn’t been ripped out and burned. So sad, as they look beautiful and I’m pretty sure the birds enjoy them as much as I do! Cross lighting from the beautiful late day sun was really showing off all the texture of the field. The wind was howling across this open field, so I used my extra large, heavy duty tripod to keep things still. The image really doesn’t make you feel as cold as I was!!

 

 

[ Pentax 645Z, Pentax-FA 120mm f/4 Macro]