13 for 2013

As 2013 comes to a close I went back and looked through all my images for the year, there weren’t as many as I thought but never the less, it was a great year of photography for me. I spent most of the year not worrying about posting or blogging but just focused more on things I wanted to see and do. I can honestly say I really enjoyed 2013. I decided I would pick 13 of my favourite images and do a post with those images. The images would need to span the entire year and they would need to show different subject matter not just landscapes (although most of them will be).  It was actually much easier then I expected it to be and in a few hours I was down to around 25 images or so. I continued to reduce the number down, 19, 17, 15 and finally the 13 images shown below. Remembering taking each image was as rewarding as seeing my final choices. Again it was a great year. Out of the thousands of images I had taken in 2013 here are the ones I decided I enjoyed most (in no particular order). I hope you enjoy them as well. Thanks for following along this past year and stay tuned for images from 2014. As always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Last Night!

Ok, for those of you thinking of old movies and came to see Rob Lowe and Demi Moore in all their glory, sorry, lol. Yesterday was a great day. Around 5:00 pm my niece came by with a special treat. She brought her 6 week old daughter and we got to spend about an hour and a half with little Kaiyer. She was awesome and for such a small thing when she wants to make noise she really can. After our visit Dale and I headed out to Pontoon Lake to meet some friends. We were planning on having dinner there and staying to catch any Aurora that might appear. I had big plans for a sunset shoot at a special location as well. We arrived and met our friends. Sunset was about an hour away so, I decided to hang out at Pontoon and leave my special sunset spot for another day (maybe even tonight). We unloaded the truck and almost right away I wandered around looking for images to create. I took several dozen images before the sun dipped below the horizon. Once the sun was down we all made dinner and enjoyed the company of friends. Later, I again started to wander and started to notice that the Aurora was starting to brew. Aurora photography started in full swing. There were cameras and tripods all around and lots of images were being gathered. This continued until around 1:30 am at which time we started to pack up for the short drive home. It was a great evening and night. We arrived home unloaded our things and quickly cleaned up (no more campfire smell). It was around 4:00 am before I final decided to catch some Z’s. I was up at 8:00 am to get Megan to the dentist and then I decided it would be a good time to process some images and do a new post. This is it! So, below are some images created during our latest adventure. Enjoy, thanks for coming by and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family, Friends and Fun!

Last weekend Dale, Megan,  Jenna and I decided to head out for a day on the Ingraham Trail. We were joined by our good friends Alietha Martin and John McKay. We were going to hike to Cameron Falls, spend some time there and then we would move further  up the Trail for dinner over an open fire. John, Alietha and I brought our camera gear and spent quite a bit of time capturing images of what we saw. It was a great time and I did learn a few things. The first is that I like photography even more when there is someone else around with a camera. The second thing I learned is that John is afraid of loud noises, lol (that is an inside joke but, my air horn was involved). We left around 11:00 am and didn’t return home until around 8:00 pm. We had a great day and some great images were created. I have asked John and Alietha to consider writing a blog post about what they photograph and I really hope they do it. They are great people and they take amazing photos. We had lots of fun, joking with each other and just hanging out. Here are some landscapes I captured while we were out. Watch for John and Alietha’s posts. Enjoy the following images, thanks for checking in and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 22 – The Finale!

Today was our last day for this trip. Leaving August 3 and returning August 24, that is actually a short summer trip for us but, this was maybe the most important considering the cargo we were delivering. Kyla is in her new home and seems quite content, I am not so sure we are yet, lol. Today was a wet one it started to rain shortly after we left Twin Falls and it continued to rain all the way to Yellowknife and even continued while we unpacked the RV. We are settled in at home and resting. Good friends brought us dinner (thanks guys) and we had a good visit. Now to get back to our regular everyday lives but, before that happens we just booked a camp site at Sambaa Deh Falls Territorial Park for the weekend. I guess there will be at least one more trip this year. Did we enjoy our trip? Well I will let Jenna the Ham answer that with her sticking herself in some images. Thanks to all of you who followed along this year and stayed plugged in for some new post. Enjoy the last of the images from this thread and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 7 – the moving is almost over!

Another moving day, we made one final trip from the RV to the apartment. Once the final items were delivered we went out to buy some more things, lol. Kyla picked up a new TV, and desk and a few odd and ends. Kyla and I then spent most of the day building and sorting and trying things out. Megan, Jenna and Dale hung out at the RV park while Kyla and I shopped for the items see needed and while we did our work in the apartment they went on a shopping spree of their own. After everyone had dinner we all went back to Kyla’s place to have a look. From there, more shopping (and two trips to Starbucks, lol). Unlike yesterday, today I carried my camera. Kyla and I did some site seeing but, we didn’t take any photographs. I took a few on my iPhone while we were at Kyla’s new place but, nothing with my DSLR. After today my schedule gets a little better so hopefully more images will be made. Because today was all about getting Kyla situated in Lethbridge, I thought it fitting to post more of Kyla’s images. Three new macro images Kyla made with the old Minolta 100mm macro lens. The first is of a rope fence. Dale, Kyla and I all took shots of the same rope but only Kyla captured it this way. The second is another bee/wasp shot, this time Kyla focus on a wasp rather than the bee on the flower. The third and final shot is of the flowers themselves. I really like all three, great job Kyla. So that is it for today, tomorrow I am sure will bring even more. I guess I should start planning the Waterton Park trip. Please enjoy Kyla’s images, thanks for coming by and as always Happy Shooting.

Vacation 2013 – Part 4 – Different strokes!

Day 4 of our trip was a good one. Knowing Dale’s love off all things gardening (flowers more than anything), we decided a trip to the Devon Botanic Garden was in order. We have driven by it many times and have never stopped there until today. Megan told us that she wanted nothing to do with the butterfly area and would rather hang at the RV park. Jenna thought hanging with Megan sounded like a good idea and if there was going to be a possibility of bees even Megan wouldn’t be that bad (I added that last part, lol). So with Megan and Jenna staying put, that made it easy to decide where Bella the Dog would go. Dale, Kyla and I were off to see the garden. We arrived and started exploring. It would be interesting to see whet the others thought and if everyone would even capture any images. Kyla was using her DSLR with my old Minolta 100mm macro lens, Dale was just carrying her iPhone 4 and I had my DSLR with a 17 – 50mm f2.8 (no filters or anything, just the camera and lens). We walked around and took in the sights, sounds and smells for about 2 hours. We had, between us, several hundred images. Each of us photographed different with our different tools (as it says above, different strokes). We left the garden and headed back, picked up a few items at the store and then just relaxed before dinner. I loaded on our images and did post processing of only a few. We (Kyla, Dale and I) discussed the images and picked some to post here. As yesterday’s post had drawings from Megan and Jenna, today would have photographs from Dale and Kyla (as the writer I get to be in both posts, lol). Here is what we saw today at the Devon Botanic Garden. Enjoy the photos, thanks for visiting and as always Happy Shooting.

 

Kyla’s Bee

 

Dale’s Daisies

 

Lee’s Landscape

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 3 – Making your own images!

Day 3 of our journey and it was a short travel day. Valleyview to Devon with no stops. We arrive at the Devon Lion’s Campground around 2:30 pm and set up our campsite. A late lunch and some time to just hang out and relax. We took Bella the Dog for a quick walk (after the thunder showers) and she was a mess. Bella’s first dog bath in the RV, lol! More resting and a quick trip through town to see what we can put on tomorrows agenda. Right now games are being played and a movie night is planned. Today as an exercise I decided it would be a good idea if we made our own landscapes. Kyla napped so she was out, Dale decided to read so, she was out and that left Megan, Jenna and myself. Jenna created a big sunset on a field of canola (she knows we are in Alberta, lol). Megan created a lone tree in a nice field (a prairie shot for sure). I decided to create a nice stream running across the landscape with a small waterfall. I even included my f-stop tilopa camera bag (purchased from Darwin Wiggett) and my Gitzo GT1540 traveller tripod (purchased from Adam Hill). Making our own images was a great idea and great fun. It did use a lot more time then we all planned but, it was a good way to kill an afternoon. Here are the three images we created. You can decide which one is best, I like them all. Thanks for following along, enjoy what we created and as always, Happy Shooting.

@ Jenna Sacrey
Jenna’s Golden Canola Sunset

@ Megan Sacrey
Megan’s Lone Tree

@ Lee Sacrey
Lee’s A Stream Falls Through it

Megan’s canoeing adventure.

Earlier this year Megan went on a school canoe trip. It wasn’t an easy little afternoon paddle, it was a four-day hike in with your gear and canoe trip. I believe the trip up river was about four or five hours and the return was shorter only about two and a half hours (it is always nice to go with the flow, lol). There were several portages some as long as forty-five minutes and Megan and her canoe mate had a lot of gear to deal with over those. There were eighteen students on the trip (two to a canoe) and I believe three teachers. The group had to carry their tents, sleeping bags, supplies, food and water along with all the canoes. In my mind I actually questioned if Megan would be able to deal with the whole thing but, if Megan couldn’t I was sure no other student would. Megan is a trooper and when she decides something it usually gets done, this just seemed like a big trip. She seemed to have a wonderful time. Like all of the my girls (Kyla, Megan and Jenna), Megan remembered my love of photography and photographs and not to disappoint Megan brought her small point and shoot camera and capture several images. When she got home, I think we went through them before she even got unpacked. She has talked to me several times since about doing some overnight hike in trips. She always points out the new gear she has for such a trip. Her minus seven degree mummy bag, her thirty litre Deuter Adventure Backpack and the three tents we have ready and waiting. She is sure between her bag and my fifty-five litre F-Stop Tilopa bag we should be fine for a few days and nights. I guess we will see if she is right at some point. A few nights ago, Megan was working on some secret project and during her time on the computer she came across her canoe trip images. We took some time and looked through them and I told her which ones I liked and she did the same with me. I told her if she give me the files I could do a little post work and she could have the blog for a couple of days. Well here we are, below are a half-dozen images that Megan captured while canoeing. It looked like a great adventure. Oh, I should tell everyone this story, while Megan was talking to me about the images she mentioned that after she had gotten home and looked at the pictures she noticed that Darwin Wiggett had some similar shots to her canoe images. I jokingly told her that I was sure Darwin was copying her work and she had a good laugh. Just realizing she pays attention to the things and the photographers I follow made me feel great. Thanks Megan. Did I say that I love the four ladies in my life lately. I sure I don’t say it enough. Megan, here are your six images. For everyone else enjoy Megan’s work, thanks for reading and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

Camping at Fred Henne Territorial Park – part 2

Saturday, our first full day of our weekend camping trip and our second night at the park. Similar to the previous day, I wandered around the area capturing different images. I planned to hike the Prospector’s Trail but, that was put off until Sunday Evening as a friend of mine said he would join me on the hike. While hiking around the cliffs on Long Lake, I happened to see a Loon just off in the distance. Megan, ran back to get my second camera with my longer lens attached. Once a had my second camera I was off to follow the Loon. I spent maybe an hour or so hiking back and forth between to different rock outcrops trying to get in front of this beautiful bird. I believe the Loon knew what I was doing and he toyed with me, getting me to move back and forth, back and forth, while not getting the shot I wanted. I did fill two memory cards with Loon images and hopefully when I get through them all I will have at least a couple of great shots. Once I returned to the campsite Jenna insisted I set-up the dome tent. I mean what else could you want at the campground, we have a 30ft travel trailer, with air, dvd system, full bath, flat screen tv, fridge, stove, we even had internet. What we needed was a three person dome tent so we could sleep on the hard ground. Jenna and I did stay in the tent and it was actually a great night. Before we called it a night I got a few shots of Jenna and Bella the dog in the tent.  So, here is what I captured on our second night at Fred Henne. Enjoy, thanks for following along and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Travels 2012 – Part 22

So, we have reach the finale. The final post of my Summer Travels 2012 series. We have left Twin Falls Territorial Park and are headed home to YK (of course this is July 29). I don’t have any stops planned for this leg, I guess the plan is to play it by ear. McNallie Creek is a normal stop for me on this route and I can’t help but stop again. Dale, Megan and I are out of the truck quickly and on the trail. We head to the look out over the falls and note the low water level. Normally I would shoot from the lookout but, today I want a less conventional shot of McNallie. I head to the side of the sinkhole opposite the lookout. I have been here before so it is a little familiar. On this side there is a crack in the rock and at the right angle you can capture the falls through it.  Then a more traditional shot. Still wanting something a little different I pull out my Cokin Yellow/Blue Polarizer. I turn the filter in both directions to see what different effects it creates. Not wanting something too crazy, I settle on one that gives the water a turquoise colour. The shade makes me think about the glacier water in Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake and Lake Louise from earlier in our trip. It also changes the rock color just a little. Being happy with what I captured I head back out the trail. Dale and Megan are already at the truck but, I see them heading back toward the falls. I guess they are checking on my status. To show the height of the sinkhole, I snap a quick image of Dale and Megan standing on the lookout across from where I am. I continue on my way and get back in the vehicle. We are on the road again, the snacks are open and we munch away. Having fueled up in Enterprise there will be no required stops the rest of the way. Once we are on the Merv Hardie (the ferry that crosses the Mackenzie River), we remember the Anthrax notice we were shown when we were leaving three weeks ago. Today there are signs asking people to avoid any animals that may have died near the road way. We see a few Bison but, we continue to drive. We continue to see Bison here and there and I can’t resist getting a few images of the mighty beast, lol. The next stop is our home and three of us run for the bathrooms before unloading the trailer. I think on our next trip the bathroom breaks should be determined by when the driver needs to stop. I want to see how Dale and the girls deal with that, lol. All and all it was a great trip. Now we just need to book some campsite close to home before school starts. Here are some of the last pics from our trip. Thanks to everyone who followed our travels, I hope you enjoyed the stories and images. Watch for more posts soon and as always Happy Shooting.

Falls through the crevice.

The Falls at McNallie Creek.

The Falls with a yellow/blue twist.

Dale and Megan on the lookout.

Highway 3 Bison.