Gull Lake, AB

Going back to what was an almost unbearably cold day with a high windchill. I really was in the mood to go after some images on this day, so I headed the 30 minutes up to Gull Lake to see what I could find. Well, I almost froze my fingers off! The wind was howling over the snow and ice. I trudged through the snow along the shore until there were no distractions in the foreground and fired off a frame capturing the fishing huts out on the ice. Immediately, I thought I had found a unique image and threw my hands back in my pockets and headed straight back to the car. I had the film in the camera for a while before I finished the roll. It’s always nice to see images I almost forgot about! I think sometimes it’s more about me being able to simply get out to see, and not so much about the end result. Capturing what I found exciting to see on a piece of film is quite gratifying though, and it allows me to show others my vision of the world we are living in.

 

 

[ Leica M3, Zeiss ZM 50mm f2 Planar, Lomography 400 film ]

 

 

 

Shed, Red Deer, AB

I took a walk through a small neighbourhood I haven’t  spent much time in on my lunch break a few days ago. I came across this great old shed, and I was quite intrigued by the shadows playing on it’s walls and across the snow.

 

 

 

[ Leica M3, Zeiss ZM 50mm Planar, Lomography 400 Colour ]

 

 

 

Enveloped

Red Deer County has seen it’s share of foggy mornings this fall and winter. I was surprised that on this particular morning the wind was howling and it wasn’t warm to say the least. Windchill kept me inside my car for the most part, but I was not about to give up on a great opportunity to capture the sombre mood of the enveloping fog.

 

 

 

 

[ Leica M3, Zeiss ZM 50mm Planar, Kodak Gold 200 ]

 

 

Trails and Bales

There was scant snow in the fields of Red Deer County in mid-December. It certainly isn’t like this now that we are really in the winter season. We have had a fair bit of snow and plenty of wind that has built some impressive drifts. The fog was almost finishing clearing off when I came across these fields of bales along the hills  SE of Red Deer.

[ Leica M3, Zeiss ZM 50mm Planar, Kodak Gold 200 ]

De-Beautifying our County

While driving around Red Deer County the last few months I have noticed a large of amount of windrows being torn out. These windrows were made up of very large poplar trees and some Manitoba Maples as well as a few caragana hedges. The ones that bother me the most were some huge and healthy poplars pictured here. These windrows certainly don’t occupy much land and I can’t imagine it makes much of a difference to the farmer in regards to crop size. Not only is our countryside becoming far less beautiful to look at but so many small prairie birds won’t have the homes they had last year. I don’t know what the county regulations are regarding pulling down all these trees, but I find it disturbing and it bothers me that they don’t hold value to our farmers. I’ve made these images in b&w and rather grainy as it fits with my mood when I was out looking at this scene.

 

 

 

 

[ Leica M3, Zeiss ZM 50mm Planar, Kodak Gold 200 ]

 

 

Ice And Snow Will Break The Stone

Snow gathers on stone ledges along the Red Deer River southwest of Sundre. There are many tiny pull-offs along the roads in the foothills of Alberta and many times I enjoy stopping to wander around and have a look. This was one of those pull-offs, that my friend Gary and I spent half an hour wandering along the rivers edge watching an American Dipper fly back and forth and listening to the water gurgling along the edge of the ice on the river where it had remained unfrozen.

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

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 ]

 

The Old FORD

This old workhorse had a new engine installed not too many years ago and has a lot of hard working miles under it’s belt, but it’s been parked now for quite a while at my in-laws acreage and likely isn’t roadworthy any longer. It certainly has attained a nice patina though!

 

Available as a print on my Etsy store.

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