Northern Lights

I have always been fascinated by the Aurora when it happens.  Yesterday several e-mails came my way indicating that last night would likely provide a terrific show in our area.  So I fired off an e-mail to some friends to see if any of them were up to chasing the show.  Only one of them had the time last night, but that was encouraging enough to head out and see what might happen.

I had been at the elevator in Stoney Beach, SK a few years ago and thought it might be just the right spot for doing Aurora shots that included of course, a prairie sentinel.  I had been itching to shoot here for several years now.  Happily the heavens did not disapoint!!  Here are a few shots of the show.  I hope you like them.

Brent



The beauty of the Southwest

I apologize for the length of time between updates to this BLOG.  Still having a regular full time job takes a toll on my time.  But now as I get close to retiring from that job, I will have time to keep my friends in the know about what I have been doing.

We recently came back from a trip to the American Southwest.  Although I know there are things right outside my door to photograph, I love returning to this area as often as I can.  The images from there do not sell well in Saskatchewan sadly, but the visit is good for my soul.  If the images only adorn my walls, that's ok.  I can only say that people are missing out on some stunning imagery.

We made our trip to partake of a hike in an area that is difficult to visit.  It is only difficult though because it is a protected area and the process for getting a permit is honestly a luck of the draw deal.  The permits are allocated by a lottery process and only 20 people per day are allowed into the area.  Known by its popular nickname "The Wave", this area is breath taking to behold.  We were truly blessed to have friends that got the permit and thoughtfully included our names on the application.  Many photographers have been to The Wave now, but it still needs to be on anyone's Photographic bucket list.  To stand where so few will ever go is uplifting to say the least.

It was all worth it though!  Have a look.

Just Returned From Oregon

OK, maybe I have been back a few weeks, but work for shows has kept me busy.  My wife Heather and I spent a terrific week photographing in Oregon.  The primary goal I had was to visit the Portland Japanese Garden and capture some pretty fall colours there.  Having seen photos over the years of the Garden, it has always been high on my list of places to visit.  We visited nearly every morning.  Usually there was a nice light fog in the garden at opening that provided just the right touch to keep everything moist and saturated.  Wow!!

For professional photographers... or anyone that plans to sell photos they make there, you must take out a Photographer's membership at the garden.  So $150 later, I had my membership and was able to capture some fantastic images.  I hope you like them.

Northern Lights

I was at an art show in Yorkton, SK this past weekend.  After setting up the show, I was headed to the campground I planned to stay at.  However, I noticed a flicker of light in the sky and realized that the Northern Lights were making an appearance.  Not just any appearance though.... A GRAND appearance!


I drove out of town and found a grid road that I hoped would provide some interesting foreground material for the show.  However, I found nothing but fields.  So rather than risk missing the show, I pulled over and began shooting.  There was also a full moon so often the fields were quite well lit which is unusual.


Each exposure was only 6 seconds long.  Taken with a 24mm lens opened up to f2.8.  My ASA was set to 1600.  All I could do was think WOW!!!


Brent

Fire Dance

Fire In The Sky

Stellar Mist

Another day another storm

My wife and I were on our way home from the gallery Sunday night when we had to pass right through an ugly storm.  Lots of rain and heavy hail.  So heavy we had to pull off the road and wait for things to pass over.

As we drove away towards the clear skies ahead, I told my wife to keep watch behind us for a rainbow.  The conditions were right since the sun was now out and if I turned to face the storm, the sun would be behind me.  A couple of minutes down the road, Heather got real excited that a rainbow had appeared.  So I pulled off onto a grid road and positioned myself to see the rainbow with some wind turbines that were built in the Moosomin area last year.

Wow!!  Definitely the nicest rainbow I have ever photographed.  I hope you like it!

Brent

Storm Chasing

Last night my wife and I were going to go to a movie for the first time in ages. We were just leaving the house when we both looked up and saw quite the storm boiling over our heads. It was a few miles across and other than where the storm was, it was sunny.

My wife suggested that we chase the storm rather than going to the movie and after a few seconds, I thought that maybe that was a good idea. As it turned out, we followed the storm along its edges for about 15-20 miles taking lots of images along the way.

Here are a few that really made me smile!!

Cattle Round Up

I was fortunate enough to be able to photograph Ken Piller's cattle round up and branding this year for the second time. It is quite the site to see men and women on horseback moving a cattle herd from the top of the Qu'Appelle Valley to the bottom where corrals had been erected to allow them to process this years calves.

This is like stepping back in time and some of the things done would make PETA members unhappy. But this is a traditional event that has been carried out on ranches for countless years. So if you are concerned about any of the images showing things that might be thought of as cruel, please skip today's BLOG entry.

This young man is the Heeler. He goes into the coral with the calves now separated from their mothers and ropes a calf by both of its back feet. The calf is then pulled out of the coral where a device called a Nord Fork is placed around the calve's neck. Between the Nord Fork and the Heeler putting a little tension on his rope, the calf is immobilized so that it may be processed.

Once the calf is being securely held, it will be vaccinated, branded, tagged on its ear and if it is a bull calf, it may be castrated which means it will grow to be a steer intended for our dinner plates. Sounds awful, but once you actually see this being done, there is little too it. This little girl is nine years old and is about to vaccinate this calf.

Here the ear tag is being placed with a small plastic gun that looks like one used for piercing someones ear (only much bigger of course).

And at the end of the day, the spurs get hung up and everyone settles in for a nice dinner before heading home. A long tough day is done and several hundred calves have been processed and and are returned to the pasture with their mothers.

A fascinating day and I'm grateful Ken and his friends let me come out and see the round up.