Scerakor Photography

Canon 7D and Gatineau

2012-02-10T16:16:00.001-08:00

So the bullet was finally bit and I bought a Canon 7D. These next few images are the first ones from me playing around with it! The first image below was from the little island off the Champlain bridge between Gatineau and Ottawa. I changed nothing on the scene and really enjoyed the story that plays out in your head. I'd like to think there was a couple enjoying a bottle of wine together while watching the sunrise over the capital. Who knows though. The second is of a path on the ice around Aylmer.

G

Work in the Dominican

2012-02-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

The third image here is the unsung hero of this series. One of the things that makes my really happy to have risen at 0600 to take pictures was to see the state of action in the early morning around the resorts. The work in the mornings that goes unseen is amazing to give the impression of perfection in these resorts. A tourist wakes up in the morning and makes his way down to the beach and sees the image of perfection; this tourist doesn't even think of the work that makes the beach look this way. At ~0700 in the morning we saw approximately 30 workers spread out over many many resort beaches just raking the seaweed from the beach, placing it in garbage bags, and removing it even before the tourists arrive. Similarly (and maybe more often seen) many workers climb the coconut trees and remove the coconuts that have even the most remote chance of falling on a beach faring tourist.

Sunrise Behind the Boats

Boats on the Ocean

Early Morning Work in the Dominican

Ocean Sunrise

2012-02-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

The first image is another one of my favourite images from the morning. It is one of those images that you have to look a couple of times to appreciate it. When you see the wave coming in and going out at the same time it gives an interesting look ... at least I think so!

Waves Crashing in

Punta Cana

Sunrise over the Dominican Ocean

2012-02-02T06:12:00.000-08:00

2 more Dominican Sunrise pictures!

Two Boats

Serenity

2012-02-01T06:03:00.000-08:00

So ... is it bad that one of my favourite photos from the 'sunset pictures' on the beach, is the one that I turned around and took the picture AWAY from the sunset the other direction on the beach. I didn't think so either!

Up the Beach

The Tide Coming in

Dominican Beach Photos

2012-01-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

Here are the next two photos from the sunrise pictures I took on the beach in Punta Cana this January.

Palm Trees and Ocean

Beach Colours

Dominican Republic 2012

2012-01-30T06:02:00.001-08:00

Now starts the next series here on Scerakor Photography. The next few weeks of posts are likely to all be associated with my wedding down south in Punta Cana. The first series at least will be of one morning that a friend and I made a point to get up to take pictures of the sunrise. We got up nice and early and walked for about half an hour down the beach to find a nice place to catch the rays and colours on their way up. The next several posts are the results so far.

Punta Cana Sunrise

Grand Palladium Bavaro

Finalized Wainwright

2011-12-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Finally, to conclude the Wainwright series of pictures that have plagued the blog for the last while, I have one last image. This image says one thing and one thing only. There is nothing in the Wainwright training area. To see all of the Wainwright pictures again (because they were so good) they are all collectively kept in the Flickr Wainwright set found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/scerakor/sets/72157628345037207/

Wainwright

Two More from the Army

2011-12-11T05:33:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are two more images from the "Army's side of the House" in Wainwright.

The difference between the army and air force

2011-12-10T05:32:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have been following the whole series, most (except yesterday's) images were from the Airfield. As the name implies, the airforce are those that are found around the area. I realise that one cannot control the days that we visit the different parts of the training area, but it was eerily amusing to see the difference between the Air Force's "lodgings" and the Army's home for the exercise. See for yourself. Two more images of the same to follow tomorrow.

Random Wainwright

2011-12-09T11:32:00.001-08:00

A couple of random pictures (again from Wainwright ... sorry) today. The first one is one of the "deployable" communications shelters that housed the equipment we went there to see. The second one, of albeit lesser image quality (although it does serve a point), is one of my favourite just by principle. As I drove by the site and took the picture out of the moving vehicle all I could think of was .... IT'S M.A.S.H .......!Deployable ShelterM.A.S.H in Alberta

Cattle Crossing

2011-12-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Todays post, although still from Wainwright, is a slight change of pace from the last few. It is still an HDR of the airfield ... but it has that innate Alberta feel to it. How often do you get to see a "Cattle Crossing" sign and a Chinook helicopter in the same place!Cattle Crossing to the Airfield

ScanEagle UAV Capture

2011-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are a couple images for the capture of the ScanEagle UAV. Unlike regular aircraft, the ScanEagle UAV doesn't "Land" in a traditional sense. In order to get it down it uses the "capture device" seen below (no ... I don't know what the official term for it is). Both this device and the UAV have GPS sensors in them and this is done automatically (no one is flying it). The UAV approaches the device, hits the vertical wire with its wing, the wire then slides down the wing and clips into the clip at the end of the wing. It bounces, spins, and hangs there to be picked up and walked back. ScanEagle CaptureThe Eagle Has LandedScanEagle ReturnMission Complete

ScanEagle UAV Launch

2011-12-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

The next couple of days posts are centered around another one of the cool things seen during the exercise in Wainwright, UAVs! Today's pictures are giving you an overview of the equipment used and a picture of the ScanEagle UAV launch. The first image below is of the launching equipment and the capture equipment together. The second is of the UAV in its launching position. Finally, the third is of the UAV as it takes off. I'll describe the capture procedure in more depth tomorrow as it is fairly interesting. The launch is frankly self explanatory ... it is much like a giant crossbow!UAV Launch and Capture EquipmentScanEagle ready for LaunchLaunch!The Whole Sequence

Helicopter Maintenance

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

So ... I'm not sure if this is saying anything, but here are the only two images I have of people working on an aircraft during the exercise. This was not planned, but an amusing result in hindsight. What aircraft is it and why is it funny?

Wainwright Aircraft

2011-11-29T16:13:00.001-08:00

Carrying on again from not only just the Wainwright photos, but also the flying/aircraft pictures is today's post.

Wainwright Helicopters

2011-11-25T04:42:00.000-08:00

Continuing on with the images from Wainwright, here is are a few quick images (again ... more to come) which sample the aircraft that participated in the exercise. The first image shows a Griffon on the airfield with the rotors moving, the second shows a couple of US Army Chinooks, and the third image has both a SeaKing and a Chinook.

Providing Communications to the Forces

2011-11-23T16:28:00.001-08:00

These next series of images are a long time coming. These images ... and those that are to follow in the next few days, are ones that were taken in Wainwright during a military exercise. I'm definitely glad I had the chance to bring the camera along. The 'theme' for these three images is SATCOM. All three of these images have the 8ACCS (Trenton) 2.4m SATCOM dish they use for their deployments. The first image is an HDR overlooking the airfield, as the sun comes up, with the dish in the foreground. The second image is similar but a slightly different perspective and time of day. Finally, the third image also shows the 8ACCS' mobile air traffic control tower and an example of what they may have been controlling!

Church of Christ, Scientist

2011-10-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more images from the first place I took pictures in Boston. The large domed building's official title is the The First Church of Christ, Scientist which is the The Mother Church and administrative headquarters of the Christian Science Church. The building was constructed in 1894 and the current plaza (including the 28 story administration building, a colonnade, and a reflecting pool with fountain) were constructed in 1960. All in all an impressive area and very fun to photograph!

Church Reflections

Nighttime Boston View

Towers and Fountains

Boston Parks Scenery

2011-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more of the great scenic points that I found in the short time that I had wandering around the city. The first two images are of Boston Public Gardens, one looking back towards the downtown core and the other a prominent statue in the park. The third is of an interesting "building contrast" that is not far away from the Boston Library of the two previous posts. The front (this is the side) of the church was MUCH more interesting but unfortunately it there was construction. Nonetheless I liked the contrast of this church and the tall office buildings in the back.

Boston Public Gardens

Statue in Boston Public Gardens

Building Contrast in Boston

Boston Library Statues 2/2

2011-10-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the remaining 3 images of the statues in front of the Boston library. The other two pictures can be seen (if you missed them) in yesterday's post.

Selective Colouring Statue

Guarding the Entrance

Protector of the Library

Boston Library Statues 1/2

2011-10-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

As promised, these images are not from 50 floors up of Boston, but this time rather of the statues in front of the Boston Library. The building itself is quite impressive but ironically enough I didn't even get a good image of the whole building. I was more attracted to these statues, the architecture that was behind them, and the flag. This post, and tomorrow's post, show the 5 images of the two statues that I came up with.

Boston Library Dusk Portrait
Boston Library Statue

A Statue and a Mall

2011-10-06T04:27:00.000-07:00

The theme to this post? The next two images I haven't posted yet. No creativity, lesson, or (terribly) interesting anecdotes to accompany them, sorry. The first image is a war memorial in Boston Commons. It is one of those things that is impressive when you see it, you know that you want to photograph it, but can't find a good way to do so. This was the result. The second image below is of the Prudential Tower (the place where all the wide 50th floor shots of the city were from) from the inside of the Prudential Center mall.

Boston Commons War Memorial

Prudential Tower from the Mall

These Images are a bit Nutty

2011-10-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

This was kind of fun. One of the parks that I was wandering through in Boston had a multitude of squirrels. It was noticeable that these animals had been fed (and often) by humans in the park. I could bend over (relatively near to one) and rub my fingers together, pretending to have some food in my hands, and they would come towards me. This gave me just enough time to snap a few pictures off. I could do this multiple times. My favourite one is the second image below which is humorously captioned, "Who? Me?"

Curious

Who? Me?

What? No Food??

Bostonian Views

2011-10-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here are the last two wide angle views of Boston as seen from the 50th floor of the Prudential Centre in downtown Boston. One of the things I really like about the second image is the green lines that are the road leading towards the water. The green colour (I believe) stems from all the trees along those streets and the streetlights.
The next few days I'll give you a bit of a rest from the night-time HDR scene and hopefully some more down to earth (get it ... hahaha) scenes from Boston. Once those are done I'll have a few more night time images for your.

Downtown Boston at Night

Charles River Basin from the Prudential Center

Boston Cityscap HDR's - A lesson in persepective

2011-10-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

I know that I have talked about this before on this blog, but I think this is another great example of perspective. There are many different ways of taking pictures of the same subject(s). Even when the subject is a wide, grand, land-(city)-scape that is just screaming for your to go as wide as possible, try a few different shots. Here I have 3 images, taken from the 50th floor of the Prudential Center in Boston, which demonstrate what I am trying to say. The first image was my default picture. Go wide and get as much of the view in that direction that you can. Show the expansive view of the cityscape in front of you. The next thing you can do is look for some othre prominent features in the image that may stand out. For me this was the large building that stands out from the rest. The next two images played on that. The second image also plays on a saying I've heard several times before "The best time to take a vertical image, is right after you took a horizontal one". Don't neglect the vertical image. Finally, in the third image I tried to capture the grandeur of the large central building, but also the line of tall buildings that curves to the left in the distance.

Moral of the story? Try several shots in the same location and you never know what you will come up with.

Wide Angle Boston View

Vertical Boston HDR

Close Up Boston View

MIT and the World Shaving Headquarters

2011-09-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

Besides sweeping wide-angle views of the city, you can still see some Bostonian specifics from the 50th floor of the Prudential building by zooming in a little bit. I only had my walk around lens (17-70mm on a cropped sensor) so I couldn't get in any further than this but I find them interesting anyways. The first image is of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Mclaurin building just on the other side of the Harvard bridge seen on the left of the image. I really liked the reflections of the colours along the bridge and the northern coast of the Charles River Basin. Next ... here is another 'zoomed' in image of the city. I really like what turned our for the car trails of head and tail lights but there is something else. The upper right corner of the image seemingly houses the "Gillette World Shaving Headquarters" ... what that is ... who knows! More night-time landscapes of Boston to come.

MIT

World Shaving Headquarters

Prudential Tower

2011-09-29T05:46:00.001-07:00

In order to get a widescape view of the city tourists can make their way up to the 50th floor of the prudential centre. There are more of these coming, but here is the SAME pool and buildings as seen in the last post!!

Boston Night Scene

2011-09-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

When I first got into Boston I took the first night and wandered around a little bit without my camera. This is one of those spots that I was just itching to get back to the next evening with my camera. This pool, about the length of a football field, was an amazing place for some night time photography. Playing with the reflections, some of the contrasting architecture, and the bright lights from the buildings was definitely fun. There are quite a few more pictures from the area to come but I just had to throw one up as an example of what I've seen.

Boston Night Scenery

Morning Photography

2011-09-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here is another continuation of the foggy morning at the cottage. The second one one I find appealing due to the calm nature of the water and the fact that unless you purposely look for it you may miss the fact that the bottom of the image is in fact the sand under the water. This one is similar to another I took during a summer morning at the cottage.

Reflections and early morning fog

Crystal Clear Water in the Morning

Foggy Morning = Black and White

2011-09-22T02:55:00.000-07:00

Ok so maybe the title of this post isn't ALWAYS true, but this foggy morning just screamed black and white to me. Even when I tried to edit it into a colour image in post I still couldn't bring myself to finish it in anything other than B&W. This is the same foggy morning as the last two posts with GuynS portraits and here are the three black and white landscapes that arose from the mist.

Foggy Morning

Foggy Lake in the Morning

Early Morning Reflections

Two More Portraits of GuynS at the Cottage

2011-09-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here are another couple of images of GuynS at the cottage. It is fun having him around when I am there since he is a subject who really doesn't mind me always snapping off pictures of him (well ... maybe he does but he doesn't say anything!). As any animal owner knows, they are there willing, and addicting to take pictures of!

GuynS

Monochrome GuynS

Dog Portraits in the Fog

2011-09-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

A few weekends back there was a nice foggy morning at the cottage. Most morning images at the cottage are landscape mornings (Ok this one was too ... but they are coming in a couple of days) but this morning I got a few good images of GuynS. The foggy background on the lake gives the portrait something that they usually don't have. All the other portraits that I have of GuynS have a fairly if not completely plain background (including the two coming up tomorrow!).

Lac Ste-Rose Portrait

GuynS Portrait on the Lake

Through the Tunnel

2011-09-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

The only good thing about the Sentier des Chutes : Waterfall Trail was the culvert that went under the road. It gave some interesting patterns and I liked how they turned out.

Culvert HDR

Culvert Silhouette

Gatineau Park Views

2011-09-13T05:21:00.000-07:00

Two more views in Gatineau Park.

Champlain Lookout

View Through the Trees

Sentier Des Chutes

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

One frustrating part of the day was, as mentioned in the previous post, looking for a waterfall picture to take. One sure shot that we though we had was to walk along the "Sentier des chutes : Waterfall trail". Makes sense right? Apparently not. At the beginning of the trail we should have got the hint when someone had scribbled "no" in front of the word "waterfall" on the trail marker. On arriving at the waterfall site there is a large rock dropoff (evidently where a waterfall was at one point) and at the lookout with a bench there was a plaque. This plaque calmly described to us that the roar of the waterfall could be heard for miles and miles .............................................. before it was dammed ................... IN 1948! Dissapointing. Not wanting to be bested we ended up snapping a few pictures of this trickling stream instead and called it our waterfall.

Gatineau Park Bridge

Trickling Stream

2011-09-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

One of the dissapointing things about the day that we spent in Gatineau park was that we were 'mostly' looking for waterfalls/water/streams to photograph. Some unforseen hurdles led us no where near these subjects. Most of the day was spent walking along paths like the first image below. The second image below is of the view from the cabin mentioned in the previous two posts.

Gatineau Park Path off P12

View from the Gatineau Park Cabin

Gatineau Park Cabin Pt. 2

2011-09-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

Here are another couple of shots from the emergency radio cabin in Gatineau park.

Gatinau Park Shelter

Black and White Cabin

Emergency Shelter

2011-09-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

Last week Josh and I went for a walk to take pictures in Gatineau Park. This little cabin was one of the places that we ended up. From what I can gather it is a emergency shelter for cross-country skiiers (or hikers) that get caught in a snowstorm (or really just want to go for a picnic I guess ...). There is no power inside the cabin, there are several picnic tables, a woodstove (complete with english and french instructions on how to light an fire and use it), a separate shed outside with wood for the stove, and an emergency radio. Despite the lack of power at the site there is a solar panel which I assume is used uniquely to power the radio inside the cabin which has instructions on how to call down for help in the case of an emergency.

The second image below gives an inside view of the cabin and as well shows the power/purpose of HDR sometimes. Without HDR, getting both a decent shot of the inside of the cabin as well as the breathtaking view to the Gatineau valley below would have been impossible. I really like in that image how the view down the hill really does look like a painting on the wall.

More images to follow of the cabin, the view from the cabin, and other spots in the Gatineau park over the next few days.

Gatineau Park Radio Cabin

Inside the Cabin

Montreal Church Landscape

2011-09-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me why, but these last two pictures from Montreal are by far my favourites from the group. The two HDR's here just seem to have the look that I love in a landscape HDR. What do you think? These definitely go into favourites folder of all the images that I have made of the last little while.

Church Courtyard

Front Yard

Contrast

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

What I like best about this HDR image isn't the classic well kept look of the grounds surrounding this Montreal church, but rather the contrast that is portrayed in the image. There is a flagrant difference between the architecture employed in the church and its surroundings compared to the blatant modern buildings which are all around it.

Montreal Church Contrast

Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images from the Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral or Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde in Montreal. While wandering Montreal we went into the church to admire the amazing architecture that often "plagues" majestic churches such as this. I love photographing these places as the beauty and architecture does all the work for me.

Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral

Resting Place

Street Photography

2011-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

After Quebec city, the next place that I took pictures was while wandering around downtown Montreal. Although there are many photogenic parts of Montreal, the next few posts and the majority of the pictures I took that afternoon focused on the churches of the area. This picture was too interesting to pass up and I even got past my slight discomfort of taking pictures of random strangers *coughwithouttheirconsentcough* to get it. This image had a name before I even got a chance to jump out from the bushes to snap the shot ... Sanctuary.

Sanctuary

Île d'Orléans

2011-09-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Île d'Orléans is an Island near Quebec city which is a model of Quebec traditions, agriculture, tourism, and history. This small island (small is a relative term ...) has one main road going all the way around its contours and at every corner and turn there is another small farm. It has always been a hub of agriculture and this continues today. From corn, to vinyards, to orchards, to maple syrup 'farms' the island has it all. The image below is from a tall lookout constructed at a reststop on the northern point of the island, taken facing south. The second is a panorama facing North. Clicking on the image will bring you to the Picasa image and then clicking on the magnifying glass, zooming in, and using your mouse to click and drag will give you a closer look of the Panorama.

Île d'Orléans

Island Pano

From August 30, 2011

From the Citadelle

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

The two images below are but a continuation of yesterdays post. These are the direct views seen from the furthest cannon in the third image. One wide angled view overlooks the city below and the St. Lawrence and the other zooms in to show a closer vieux of the Chateau.

View of the City and the St. Lawrence

Chateau

Inside the Citadelle

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of the stops/attractions in Quebec City was the Citadelle. The traditional British star shaped fortification was built in the 1800's despite the fact that the French army had emplacements there long before. Currently it is both an active military establishment housing part of the Royal 22e Régiment as well as a National Historic site. Tours are given through the citadelle, the Royal 22e Régiment Museum and the rest of the fortification. The first image below is a view of the neighboring Plains of Abraham as seen from the walls of the Citadelle. The second image is of one of the tank emplacements inside the fort. Finally, the third is the line of cannons which overlook Quebec City and the St. Lawrence.

Plains of Abraham

Inside the Citadel

Guarding the Citadel

The Parliament and Old Quebec

2011-08-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

The first image below is another one of the Quebec City parliament building and one of the paths leading up to it. The second image is another prime example of the cobblestone, colourful roads, and quaint old time shops and restaurants that are found all over Old Quebec. This street is outside of the wall down near the port and is overseen by the Chateau above.

Quebec City Parliament

Old Quebec Streets

From the Wall of Quebec

2011-08-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Two more images from the wall surrounding Quebec city.

Along the Wall to Quebec City

Just Inside the Wall

The parliament and the view

2011-08-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

Just outside of the walls of Vieux Quebec is another prominent tourist view and that is the parliament building. That is what is seen in the black and white picture below. The second image is in fact related to a previous post and is the view from the boardwalk overlooking the St. Lawrence river, the Vieux Port, and the parts of Vieux Quebec not inside the walls below the Chateau.

Quebec Parliament

Vieux From the Chateau Frontenac

Walking around the Streets

2011-08-27T04:19:00.000-07:00

When wandering around vieux Quebec there are a many things to see and do all around you. One popular past time ... for those with a few more dollars to throw around, is the tour of Vieux Quebec by horse drawn carriage. Now where do these horses and carriages "park" when they are not gainfully employed? Why at the hitching post that is unmistakably for the horses. One of the other amazing things to see in Vieux Quebec are the many lifelike murals that are on the old buildings, an example of which is seen below. This was one of our favourites. Even editing up this picture my eye was fooled into following the cobblestone path past the arch and believing it.

Horse Parking

Vieux Quebec Mural

Chateau Frontenac

2011-08-26T04:13:00.000-07:00

One of the 'main attractions' in Quebec city is the Chateau Frontenac, an unmistakable feature inside the walls of Vieux Quebec. Opening in 1893 it was a part of the CPR's chain of majestic hotels to promote 'luxurious tourism' to its wealthy customers. Today, still a luxury hotel, it is a part of the Fairmont Hotel family. The walkway seen in the second image as well as the hotel is ideally situated within Vieux Quebec on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the St. Lawrence river (not seen to the right) and the lower parts of Vieux Quebec not within the walls.

Chateau

Quebec Promenade

Vieux Quebec

2011-08-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

First stop in Quebec city was a walk through "Vieux Quebec". Just like any "Old _____" part of a city the main attractions are the ancient architecture, narrow streets, majestic churches, and multitude of history. Quebec city is no exception.

Old Italian Quebec

Old Quebec Church

Sunny Quebec Field

2011-08-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

These two images were taken on our way from the cottage to Quebec city before we hit the highway. We drove around the corner and couldn't help but stop at this vantage point to take a picture of the lightly rolling hills that made up this Quebec field. The hay bales were mesmerizingly scattered throughout the sea of green. All in all it was an impressive site.

Field of Hay Bales

Quebec Farm

The Final Two

2011-08-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

Here are the final two images from the "Haunted Hotel" series here. There are actually these two, as well as two others that are left but you will have to go to my flickr page (link on the right) to see the other ones. Enough of these posts have been dedicated to this place.

Into the Darkness

Abandoned, Overrun, and Beautiful

Back of the Haunted Hotel

2011-08-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

The next two in the hotel series on highway 2 close to Kingston, Ontario.

The Rooms Upstairs

2011-08-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

This time when I visited the hotel I ventured up the stairs in the back of the hotel (cautiously making sure every step was still safe) and checking on the inside of the hotel. It looks as if the upstairs was a living area for the owners (complete assumption). There was one room upstairs that looked as much of a mess as those that were downstairs but the rest was eerily clean. The first image below is of the living room which was the most cleared of them all. I really like how this one turned out. The second image was of one bedroom upstairs although not clean and tidy like the living room, was creepily still intact. This includes the bed being made and the dresser relatively cleared. This room was by far one of the creepiest.

Living Room

Bedroom

Creepy Hotel on Highway 2

2011-08-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the first installment of the promised pictures from the haunted hotel. I tried to use monochrome to accentuate the "creepiness" of the place. I'm not sure if I succeeded to the level that I would have wanted, but post processing was fun none the less.

Enter if you dare

Creepy Window

Haunted Hotel HDR

2011-07-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

I've been on course in Kingston for the last 4.5 months and a few of us have been meaning to get out to the "Haunted Hotel" on highway 2 for a while now. It took us to the last week of the course to finally get out there. Here is the first one of that series. More to follow this week when I get them edited up. Hopefully I'll be posting more regularly again since my course is finished and I should have some more time.

Parliamentary Architecture

2011-03-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

One of the many amazing views in the interior of the Canadian Parliament building in Ottawa.

Parliament Hall

Parliament Hill

2011-03-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Parliament Hill

Interior of the Library

2011-03-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

Here are another couple of images from the interior of the parliamentary library.

Interior of books

Books on the Shelves

The Exterior of the Parliament Library

2011-03-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

Having posted one of the pictures from the inside (and with a couple more to come) I thought today's post would show the three photos from the exterior of the Canadian Parliament Library. The exterior was under renovation not that long ago (around the summer of 2005 I believe) and the evidence of this is shown in the copper top of the building. When the colour of the copper is still the colour of copper, the roof is relatively new since the copper has yet to oxidize. Older copper roofs have oxidized and are then a green colour instead.

Bells and Books

Starburst Parliament

An Angle on Politics

Tiled Ceiling of the Parliament

2011-03-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Here are another couple of images from the tour of the parliament building. This specifically is one of the many amazing ceiling patterns in the building. The first image is a large scale view of the ceiling and the second is zoomed in on a specific tile. In fact, having taken the tour in French, many folks noticed this specific tile since they made a spelling mistake on it!

Parliamentary Ceiling

Parliamentary Spelling Error

House of Commons

2011-03-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

House of commons in the Canadian Parliament building in Ottawa, Canada. A quick HDR from the exterior of the House of Commons.

House of Commons

A Quiet Place to Read

2011-03-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

The parliamentary library in Ottawa was one of the highlights of the free tour of the parliament building. The library is the only original part of the parliament building having survived from fire(s?). The low mood lighting, brilliant collies and circular multiple-floored room of history seemed like it came out of a fairy tale; hopefully I did it a little justice in this photo.

Sobe

2011-03-11T04:59:00.000-08:00

I've realised that Sobe's presence in my pictures has been severely diminished lately and that he deserves a little more lens time (and bandwidth). So here are three images (complementing the last post as well) with Sobe posing ... well ... lounging around.

Close up Cat

The Definition of Relaxed

Catching Some Rays

Oh the Life of a Cat

2011-03-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

After a long period of time without picking up the camera I finally had the chance to take a few pictures. This is my favourite of the bunch. Here our cat Sobe relaxes in the late winter sun just inside the patio door. Just outside door, almost making you pity him, is our dog, GuynS. Oh the life of a cat!

GuynS

2011-01-21T05:21:00.000-08:00

Now ... what series of pictures from any vacation time is complete without an image of our 130lb "puppy" running for (or from) one type of toy or another. Here is this Christmas vacation's token GuynS image.

GuynS

Nightly Sparkles on the Snow

2011-01-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

Sparkling Lights on the Night Snow

The Stragglers

2011-01-19T05:21:00.000-08:00

Here are the rest of the images from the Icy Waterfalls series.

Flowing Water

Starbursting Waterfall

Waterfalls, Winter, and the Sun Shining Through

Icy Portraits

2011-01-18T05:21:00.000-08:00

Places like this are always unique, neat ways of getting a quick portrait. The image here is an exceptionally cool fluke of nature to get an icy photo frame to surround my "subjects" (my in-laws).

Into the Ice

Icy Photo Frame

Framed

The Ice Wall

2011-01-17T05:21:00.000-08:00

These two images are an attempt to capture on of the really interesting parts of a strong waterfall in winter. The frozen result of the mist on the rocky walls.

Icy Wall

Icicles

Les Chutes Deux

2011-01-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

Todays post was GOING to be just the first image. The point was going to be how much moving only slightly in on a landscape shot can change the dynamics. I couldn't bring myself to only post this one though since it was way too similar to yesterdays image. So ... instead you get a couple of more images at the same time! Instead, I decided to take the same concept and extend it even further. An interesting perspective to take on waterfalls is to get in close and isolate the moving parts of the waterfalls. Not all landscapes need to be was wide as you can get.

Chutes

Flowing Water

Icy Descent

Chutes a Patoche

2011-01-15T05:21:00.000-08:00

You getting tired of waterfall pictures yet? What about icy waterfalls? Yes? Too bad ... the next few posts are of icy waterfalls again, this time up near the cottage. This was my first trip up to these falls during the winter (I had only been up there once before during the summer ...) Our intention was to take the trails up to the falls via Skidoo ... 5 minutes on to the trail dirt and rocks were showing such that we couldn't (didn't want to risk the tracks breaking) keep going. We then parked the Skidoos and Michel and I continued on foot. While we walked the rest of the ~1hr uphill walk, Sylvie took a Skidoo back to the cottage, got a 4 wheeler and met us up at the top (an equally challenging feat I must add ...). I think the effort was worth it though.
The thing that is interesting about a place like this is that you can never truly emulate the feeling of being there in a photograph. There is so much more to the place: getting there, the sound of the roaring falls, the chilly ice, the smell of the woods, etc. Having realised that there is no way you are going to completely capture the mood, there is a couple of approaches that you can take to photographing something like this (or try everything like I do ... AKA "spray and pray"). In this post I demonstrate the first method, go WIDE.

Les Chutes Gelé

Les Chutes à Patoche

Christmas Eve

2011-01-14T05:21:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you forget how nice the "magic hour" light actually is ... and then, in inadvertently you get a few portrait images in the just the right light to rediscover it. That is just what happened here on Christmas Eve. We were out at the dog park so that GuynS and Roxy(ie?) would be nice and tired to spend the evening together for the Reveillons. We were out there just as the sun was going down and these two shots eventually got snapped.

Marie-Eve

Sisters

Lilly's Portraits

2011-01-13T05:21:00.000-08:00

Finally having made it through the images from the "Ottawa Walk Day" we are now on to images that were taken during the Christmas leave period. Here are two "portraits" of the parents in law's cat, Lilly.

Lilly

Kitten Portait

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

2011-01-12T04:50:00.000-08:00

This is finally the last image from the "Ottawa Walk" series. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is another one of those very well known landmarks of downtown Ottawa.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Parliament Building

2011-01-11T05:33:00.000-08:00

Here are another series of shots that I have been meaning to do since I moved to Gatineau. I finally found the time to make it to the parliament buildings with my tripod to get a couple of HDR's.

The Parliament and its Decorations

Road to the Government

Government Buildings

The Provincial Flame

Rideau Falls Pt. 2

2011-01-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the second installment of the Rideau Falls posts. The interesting thing about taking picture of the Rideau Falls was the two bridges that I crossed to get the different vantage points. Being a very cold day, the mist from the falls was instantly frozen on everything around it. It was very similar conditions (around the falls) to freezing rain. This also meant that I could have probably skated on these bridges. Needless to say (don't you hate when people say that ... if you don't need to say it, don't say it!), I tried to cover up my camera equipment as much as possible when crossing the bridge! I think it was worth it though.

Rideau Falls

Close up of the Falls

Rideau Falls Panorama and a View of Gatineau

Rideau Falls

2011-01-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Even though there are quite a few of these HDR's from the Rideau Falls portion of my walk around Ottawa, I will get through them in two posts. I've been wanting to get out to the Rideau falls for a few images ever since we moved to Gatineau. We noticed them while going over the bridge to the Gatineau side when we saw someone on the side of the bridge (is there even a pedestrian spot there?) taking pictures of them. The many different parts of Ottawa with the "Rideau" name (river, road, buildings, etc.) all derive themselves from these falls when the falls were dubbed "Rideau Falls" since they were a "curtain" of water (Rideau is curtain in French). The rest is history ... and photographs below.

Rideau Falls

Black and White Rideau

Icy Rideau Falls

Non-Traditional

2011-01-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

This is probably one of the most well recognized landmarks (both of them) in downtown Ottawa. The church stands tall and majestic surrounded by museums and parks. The traditional way of photographing a church is to focus in on this beauty, colour, and grandeur; this photography does none of that. Both by framing the church with a giant spider(?) outside of the museum, using monochrome, and putting it in the background, I have "deprived" this church photo of everything that usually makes it "beautiful". Despite this ... I find this image quite interesting! It just shows that you can risk to "break the mold" every now and then.

Non-Traditional Image of a Church in Ottawa

Museum of Parliamentary Locks

2011-01-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Here are the next three HDR's from the Ottawa Walk morning. The first one is the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau from the back side. Anyone who has been in the museum should easily recognize the main staircases climbing the centre column. The second image is of the river and the parliament building in the early morning. Finally, the last is from the Rideau locks looking down, a boat parked there over the winter, and the Alexandra Bridge over to Gatineau.

Museum of Civilization in the Morning

Parliament in the Morning

Rideau Lock System

Monochramatics

2011-01-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

One of the interesting things I find about shooting in the winter is that I end up with many more black and white or monochrome images then I do in the Summer. To me this just comes logically. With snow covering the the ground and on semi-overcast days there already is a lot of grey and white in the image. Switching to monochrome brings out the contrast in the scene which can sometimes really bring out its mood. This is the general theme in the two images below. The first one is of the Rideau Locks leading up to the Rideau Canal and the Second is of the the Alexandra Bridge and the way the barrier frames the Parliament building.

Rideau Lock System

Alexandra Bridge and the Parliament Building

Mix and Match of the Ottawa Walk

2010-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm still passing along images from my walkabout of Ottawa just over a week ago. These three are actually from a bit all over. The first one is from the Rideau Falls (a couple more dedicated posts later), the second along the walking trail along the river below parliament (the name escapes me) and the third is of the backside of the parliament, early in the morning, as seen from the museum of civilization.

Glowing Rideau Falls

Contrast of Beauty

Early Morning Parliament

Last of the Non-HDR's

2010-12-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

Seeing as I gave more attention to the non-HDR images from the set this time (rare I know) here are the last couple of images before we get into the HDR's of the set. The first one again is the museum of Civilization on the Gatineau side and the Second one is the very first image of the day.

Museum Walls

Holiday Streetlights

Christmas Day and Three More Pictures

2010-12-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all! Here are three more images (since I dropped the ball yesterday) from the walk around Ottawa. The first one is of some of the metal work around the locks. I find it interesting since no matter how hard I try to look to the center or the left of the image, I have to look back to the right. The second is a view of parliament from the Victoria(?) bridge. Finally, the third is the Museum of Civilization from the same bridge. Let me know what you think and Merry Christmas again.

Locks in Ottawa

Parliament

Museum of Civilisation

Benches and Stairs

2010-12-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

Here are three more from my Tuesday's walk around the NCR. The first one is a black and white staircase which was beside my lookout of the Rideau falls (pictures to come). The second and third images are of a bench (or series of benches) that were found in a park in downtown Ottawa.

Black and White Staircase

Busy Bench

Aligned Benches

In and Around the NCR

2010-12-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

So ... after a very long hiatus (don't look at the date of the previous post please ...) I am back for the next little while with my images made from today's exploits. I got up this Tuesday morning to go take pictures in and around the Ottawa/Gatineau area and was on my feet (off the bus) by 0700. I finished walking for the day at 1415. Needless to say I have a few days of images to post. I have edited all of my "single" image photos already (those that aren't a combination of exposures or panoramas) for a change and the three images below are a sampling of these.

Black and White From the Bridge

Urban Decay

Monument at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Three More from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

2010-11-18T02:50:00.000-08:00

Elephant Bath

Ashamed

A-tten-tion

Posed Wildlife

2010-11-15T02:38:00.000-08:00

Here are the next few images from my trip to the Zoo. No Dad, it wasn't on a Friday.

Overlooking us All

Pachyderm Portrait

Zoo Classic

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

2010-11-10T02:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that correctly, the zoo. We're going all the way back to Colorado Springs here during my adventures wandering around on the weekend. I decided that it had been a ridiculously long time that I hadn't been to a zoo. So ... why not. When push comes to shove, what this means for you is that the next few days are pictures from the zoo!

See you later in a while

Alvin

Snacktime

Last Two Waterfall Images

2010-11-09T02:34:00.000-08:00

Not much else to say except the last two waterfall images are up. On a completely separate note, as some of you may have noticed sometimes I write photography related articles for a website called "Bright Hub". By the end of the day (if not already available) I will be putting a link on the right hand side of the blog here which will take you to my page on Bright Hub where you can see any of the articles I have written.

Quebec Watefall

Stitched Glowing Waterfall

Waterfalls are Back

2010-11-08T02:27:00.000-08:00

Here are two more of the Chalet Waterfall series. Only a couple more left from there after this and then we go back in time again.

In the mean time, a couple more articles of mine are published up on Bright Hub. Learn how to install photoshop filters and learn how to merge to images in photoshop! This week I'm working on a few articles regarding shutter speed. Stay tuned.

Black and White Waterfalls

Starbursted Waterfall

Waterfalls in the Fall

2010-11-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Good day everyone once again. Despite a couple day break here I am back with one of the most recent sets (yet still a few weeks old) of pictures from the last time I was up at the chalet. While going for a run that morning I saw these falls from the road and said that I had to get back up there that day to get some shots. Long story short, these three, and 4 more to come in a bit, were the results.

Long Line of Water

End of the Line

Converging on the Rock

A Panorama of a Moose's Coast (wait ... that's not right)

2010-10-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

If you are getting tired of Cabot Trail images, you are in luck (soon, not yet) I think there is only one more days worth of them until I get to the bulk of the "non-HDR" images.

On a separate note (and a shameless plug) if you get the chance and are interested. Take a look at my latest three articles on "Bright Hub". How to Photograph the Moon, How to build a light box for photography, and Manual Photography Basics.

Hills Down to the Sea Panorama

Cape Breton Wildlife

Along the Coast

Beatiful Cape Breton

2010-10-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

My original plan was to put three images up on this post since I had the time to do so, but then I saw this image. I liked it so much that it deserved a post of its own. I think I can honestly say that it is my favourite of the Cabot Trail series. This image is one of look outs over the town of Pleasant Bay. One of the claims to fame of the town are the famous whale watching tours based here.

Pleasant Bay and the Beauty of Cape Breton

Another One Shot Cabot Trail Stop

2010-10-29T03:02:00.000-07:00

Another fast and furious time restricted post. As you have probably guessed this is another continuation of the Cabot Trail series here. Though it is not always the way to go, I find the desaturated look here does the image well. In my mind it tells a story of countless numbers of travelers passing by the trail over the ages. Maybe I'm just searching for some sort of meaning ... it could also just be a neat way of showing an amazing view in a beautiful part of the country!

The Winding Cabot Trail

Views From the Cabot Trail

2010-10-28T02:51:00.000-07:00

These three images from the Cabot trail were taken on the western loop of the trail not too far north from Cheticamp.

Pebbled Beach on the Cabot Trail

Coastal View back to Cheticamp

As the Cabot Trail Winds Northwards

Neil's Harbour Lighthouse

2010-10-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

Due to a lack of time here, you only get one image today. We've finally made it to the series of images from the Cape Breton Trail. This one is of the lighthouse at Neil's Harbour.

Neil's Harbour Lighthouse

The Site of the Oldest Lighthouse

2010-10-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

Take 2 of the Louisbourg lighthouse images.

Sun Setting over the Louisbourg Lighthouse

Black and White Lighthouse

Lighthouse HDR