Viking Village

Beautiful Brereton

Winnipeg's Red River Ex

Ready. So Ready.

Summer Dreamin'

Indian Summer

These next few days are supposed to be very warm and sunny. I guess this might be our Indian Summer. I'll take it.

Last Bits of Summer

The sunflowers have been pulled from the garden. This bloom escaped the garbage bag to sun itself a little longer. After taking her picture, I left her to warm for at least another day. The last bits of summer remain and I cannot bag them up and put them on the curb. Not all of the bits. Not just yet.

The warmth of today made it easier to lie on the grass and take this shot. Getting low, face to face with the bloom, I shot with my 60 mm macro lens. The bright sunny day meant I had to use a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture. I wanted a shallow depth of field for this image, so I chose to use f/2.8 which also meant a shutter speed of 1/800 so it would not be overexposed. If you've been following my blog, you've come to assume that I chose to use ISO 100...and you are right.

Pocket of Summer

It didn't feel like summer today as we found our way through the cold wind at the Farmer's Market. I did find a little pocket of summer that I just had to bring home. I feel a little warmer just looking at this.

Summer's Light is Still On

Though only a few days left in August, summer continues by way of weather and calendar both. I am very aware that soon we'll turn the page on the calendar and fall will quickly advance. Talking with some friends, I understand I am not alone in finding challenges transitioning to autumn. To be sure, there is beauty in fall's canvas, winter's and spring's too for that matter, and I will enjoy their beauty when it comes. But for this heat-loving gal, there is a greater sadness in this season's departure than any other.

For today, summer's light is still on.

In shorts and flip flops,
Carla

Summer is Sad Today

Taken through my screened window with my macro lens, I used f/2.8 and a shutter speed of 1/25. Admittedly, this shot is on the blurry side but I decided against re-shooting. Who sees clearly through tears?

Going against my protocol of using ISO 100, I bumped this up to 500 because of the low light on this rainy day - and because I did not want to haul out my tripod.

My shooting is definitely impacted by the sunshine, or lack of sunshine. Still moved to show you what I see on grey days, I find the results are touched by lower energy yet still true to what is.

Our Little Italy

We spent the evening wandering Corydon Avenue. This is Winnipeg's "Little Italy" complete with patio restaurants, gelato and live music. The atmosphere is celebratory; summer plays on every corner.

Turtle Island

Though happy with the original capture (shot at 1/80 and f/10) I thought I'd bring this island picture into photoshop and see what I could do.  I added a few layers, multiplying the effects and flattening the final result. The textures and golden overlays really seemed to turn this into a springboard for the imagination.

Our minds step onto the island and wander through the trees, perhaps cautiously. What do you see?

Summer's Pause

This was magic hour; the light was beautiful; the lake calm. In the quietness, summer paused.

Finding the right angle for this image was important. My aim was to have the best clarity in the reflection while catching the evening's setting sun on the dock. I moved around until I caught the best of both and began to shoot.

Having the dock use up 2/3 of the frame was also more interesting than half or all. Finding the right balance for the composition also involves moving around until we catch it.

Showing Heat

Yesterday it was a blazing hot thirty four degrees celsius on the prairies! By 9:00 in the evening the temperature was still high as we drove over the dusty roads. We pulled over as the sun briefly found its way behind a tree. The sun's flare and evening's haze were brilliant alongside this weathered home and tree's lattice.

Sometimes it is difficult to show temperature in an image but it wasn't yesterday. The haze and flare both lent themselves beautifully to speak of the heat. Making sure that the sun wasn't 'full on' was important. The tree's leaves gave just enough of a filter without shielding too much of the light.

Pod

My daughter planted a vegetable garden before she left for the summer.
Her efforts are beginning to pay off.

I took this picture early in the morning; the light was beautiful. Placing the pod on a rough railway tie, I began to shoot.

What I love about this image is the contrast between rough and smooth, colour and neutrals, lines and curves, new and old.

Sharpening up the image and bumping up the contrast in processing helped to accentuate these things. Adding a soft layer warmed the blues of the morning light just enough.

How this might look framed.

White Petals and Blue Skies

Fields and Water and a Big Prairie Sky

I am thankful for our big prairie sky that blankets our golden fields and shimmering lakes. How beautiful!

Today I will share an important tip when taking these kinds of images: be sure your horizon is straight! Always, always, unless you're going for a particularly artsy shot, make sure your horizon is level. There is nothing more distracting than seeing a beautiful landscape photo with the horizon askew. When I started out in photography I paid no attention to this and the result was telling. Shots are improved immediately when we pay attention to the horizon.

Brereton Lake, Manitoba

On Closer Inspection

Look closely at the ordinary; it is exceptional.

When you are out and about be sure to have your camera, even if you are out and about in very familiar surroundings. There is always something new to see.

What you see from a distance is not the same on closer inspection. Use those feet of yours and your knees too if you have to, to get in close and see what there is to see. The ordinary weed or bloom about to burst open is really an exceptional sight!

For this shot, I used my 60 mm prime lens with settings of 1/125 and f2.8. There is an obvious texture layer over-top but I was careful to make sure it was not over-the-top - less is more and more is less, yes?

Words Without Pictures

I've spent a lot of time thinking about spring and the new life it brings. It can be exciting and so full of amazing changes. But last Sunday, my thoughts shifted to the season of summer as a guest speaker spoke at our church.

Aaron Wiebe talked about summer being a foretaste of heaven. A summertime of the heart can be the opposite of winter when God may feel remote, distant. Summer is a time of abundance and fruitfulness.

Aaron encouraged us to revel in summer (enjoy, play, rest), water in summer (water our souls, leave water footprints wherever we go), gather in summer (what God gives, give back - be expectant to both give and receive that which is precious) and finally, prune in summer (don't mistake leafiness for fruitfulness).

I came away feeling sun-kissed and Son-kissed, both. I was encouraged and filled with hope, inspired to go through this coming season of summer in a new way, starting right now.

For your amusement I scanned my notes from Sunday and will include them below (it's not really a picture so I'll keep my post title). To most, this will make no sense - it is jibberish, but I am a visual and creative learner. Learning in church doesn't stop that. (To my embarrassment I see that I misspelled 'foretaste'...oh well...)