Hands

I chose two photos of hands to send this evening. These images were scanned from slides and converted to b&w. The first is a close view showing the lines and wrinkles in the hands of a senior citizen. When I shot the second photo, I liked the hands as well as the older gentleman in the background. Both photos were taken in 1983.

If you haven't seen the Musical Hands Gallery on my site, feel free to have a look.
http://www.lanephotography.com/hands/hands_01.htm

Card's Harbour/Triton, Newfoundland and Labrador

I chose two similar photos to share with you this evening. Both were taken in the Cards Harbour/Triton area a foggy summer morning a couple of years ago. I have learned that photos taken in the fog have an interesting quality of light so I often make a point of shooting photos when it is foggy.

The first photo shows a red fishing stage with boats and other stages in the background. The second photo shows a wider view of the same scene. I liked the freshly painted stages and felt that the red colours certainly stood out compared to the water, boats, other buildings and grey sky caused by the fog.

If you would like to visit galleries of other Central Newfoundland communities, go to http://www.lanephotography.com/central.htm.

Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

As I walked around Annapolis Royal in late August, the colourful buildings, doors and even the benches were great photographic subjects. The three photos today were taken within 50 metres of each other near a farmer's market. The grey building is where I took the "Collectible" photos that were sent a few days ago.

I liked the name of the Antique and Art Gallery ....

Photo Restoration

A while back I was visiting Bowring Park and photographed a mural of Peter Pan. As you can see from the first photo, it was in dire need of painting at the time. I used Corel Photo-Paint 12 to "paint" the cracks and missing paint, then increase the contrast and saturation.
If you would like to see a few more examples of photo restoration click the link below.http://www.lanephotography.com/PHOTO_RESTORATION/photo_restoration_01.htm

Iceberg/Sunrise

A while back I let people on this list know that I am creating slide shows for sale. I have uploaded several samplers to You Tube. Click the link below to visit a page of links to the samplers. http://www.lanephotography.com/uPIC/index.htm

I am sending a photo of an iceberg and a sunrise because there are samplers on that site for both these themes.

Feel free to check out the videos. Feedback welcome.

Collectibles

Imagine "Instant Relatives" ... that's a sign on a box of very old photographs in an antique store I visited in Nova Scotia last summer. Prices ranged from $2 - $6 ... actually a pretty good deal considering the age of the photos.



I continued to photograph a few items in the store being careful not to knock anything over. I shot with available light rather than a flash because I didn't want to disturb the other shoppers. Of course, one of the advantages of shooting digitals is that you can look at the image immediately and shoot again if the results aren't what you want.

The figurines in the above photo were fairly small. I metered off the brightest figurine ensuring there wasn't too much detail behind the shelf. In the photo of the two small jugs, I couldn't get rid of the light in the background so I composed the photo to make sure the light was in the centre.

I photographed the vases as I left the store. I really wanted to shoot a few photos from different angles but I know that large camera bags and a lot of glass items are not a good mix, so I moved on.

Cormorants

Near the entrance to Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, you will see a rock that has been taken over by cormorants. First when I saw them drying their large, black wings, I thought that they were anhinga, but the hooked bill helped me identify them. I have also photographed cormorants in Newfoundland and Labrador, Massachusetts and Florida.

I have other bird photos on line at:http://www.lanephotography.com/birds/birds_main_01.htm

Trout River

Trout River is a picturesque little community located in Gros Morne National Park. When I was there this summer I photographed much of the community and sent a few photos as Photo of the Day earlier this summer. I was standing on one side of the river and photographed fishing stages on the opposite side.

The Tablelands, Gros Morne National Park

Sorry about the delay today.

I am attaching three photos of the Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park. The first two show views of a valley in the Tablelands. The third has a white dot that indicates how far up the trail I climbed.

I was there very early in the morning and the reddish light of the sun made the reddish rocks appear even redder. These rocks are actually remnants of the Earth's mantle that were brought to the surface during the time when two tectonic plates collided. The rocks are high in peridotite which doesn't support much plant life.

Photos from Bonne Bay

Today, I am sending two unrelated photos except they were taken in Bonne Bay last summer. The first shows a small boat floating on a sparkling sea. I was looking toward the bright light reflecting off the ocean, and that caused the silhouette. There is a little light being reflected from inside the boat.

The graveyard was taken in Rocky Harbour looking in a southerly direction. The mountains in the background mark the entrance to Bonne Bay and are the same ones shown in yesterday's last photo. I like photographing graveyards and thought this one was unusual for graveyards around Newfoundland and Labrador. There are headstones and lawn ... no formations built around each grave like many I've photographed. I suspect it is a lot easier to mow.

Boats in Gros Morne National Park

My apologies for the lateness of yesterday's Photo of the Day. I did it yesterday and forgot to send it to everyone. Must be losing it!!! ; )

All three photos were taken from the same spot in Norris Point, and show boats. The first one is obvious - a small boat moves very quickly across the scene with the reddish Tablelands in the background.

The second one shows how small a group of kayakers are compared to the high cliffs. You can see the 6 or so kayaks just left of centre near the bottom.

The third photo shows a small boat heading through the entrance to Bonne Bay out to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. You can barely see the boat because it is dwarfed by the mountains in the scene.

Neddies Harbour, Gros Morne National Park

Taken in Neddies Harbour in Gros Morne National Park, the two photos today are totally different even though they are photos of the same subject.

The first photo shows a small boat and a fishing stage and the second is a wider angle taken after I took a few steps to the left. I like the first photo better because the stage adds more interest to the scene. The boat, land, sea and stage are connected and the closer view cuts any distractions. The wider view shows more of the land in the background and more ocean, but because they seem farther away and smaller, they lose some of the power and beauty. I definitely like the first photo better.

Let me know if you strongly agree or disagree.

Bonne Bay

This morning I have chosen two photos taken in August looking across Bonne Bay looking towards the Tablelands and Woody Point in Gros Morne National Park.

The first view was taken with my wide angle lens. Over the past few years I always try to shoot a wide angle with mostly sky, and a little land. It gives a different perspective to landscape photos. The second was taken with my longest zoom. Both were taken from the same spot.

Houses/Lobster Pots

This morning I have chosen two photos taken in July. The first is a house in Fortune Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador. I liked the old style and the red trim really stood out. I have been photographing old houses for over 30 years and many I have photographed no longer exist. This one looks well-cared for and will probably be around for quite a while yet.

Lobster pots are always interesting subjects to photograph. I took these on a dull day with fog just offshore.

Yesterday I received a note from Europe wondering where the community of Greenspond was ... Today the little yellow dot shoes the location of Fortune Harbour.

Fishing Stages, Greenspond

In July I visited Greenspond, Bonavista Bay and photographed the town. It was the first time I was there since the mid 70s. Last time I was there, I was doing a photo shoot and didn't have time to look around the town much. It would have been interesting to compare photos taken 30 years apart.

The two photos this morning show a couple of red fishing stages (they may have called them "stores" in days gone by) that line one side of the harbour. You can tell by the backgrounds that it was a cloudy day which made it impossible to get blue skies and water in the photos.

I have a couple of Galleries that show Boats and Stages ... http://www.lanephotography.com/abstracts.htm

Churches - Trinity

The response to my wife's essay about law enforcement was also overwhelming. The video and essay are getting very positive reviews. Thanks.

Today I am sending three photos of two churches in Trinity. As I walked around the town in late August I photographed both churches, inside and out! Because Trinity is such a "tourist" destination, both buildings were open - unusual these days because many churches are locked.

I am planning to create a web page or short video for each of these churches. If you would be interested in seeing them, let me know.

If you like photos of churches, I have 9 sites in my Churches Galleries .. http://www.lanephotography.com/churches/churches.htm

Our Other Heroes

The response to my wife's essay yesterday was overwhelming - several people even said they were moved to tears. Today I am sending another tribute. Every year, standing alongside our veterans, you will find members of the RCMP. My wife, Barbara, has written a piece about law enforcement officers that is appropriate.


Our Other Heroes

Most of us understand and acknowledge, at least intellectually, the stress of being a soldier - whether as a Peacekeeper or in combat. But so very few are aware of the stress of being a law enforcement officer - this despite the fact that experts have identified law enforcement as "one of the most stressful occupations in the world".

As the proud mother of a member of the RCMP, I am so sick and tired of listening to people complain about the "cops" lurking around every corner ready to pounce on innocent motorists to give them a ticket "just to fill their quota". I'm tired of friends and acquaintances who are so quick to point out every police car they see at Tim Horton's. I no longer bother trying to explain that these men and women work 10-12 hour shifts (sometimes longer) and these few minutes they spend at Tim's might just be the only chance they had that shift to grab a coffee to keep them going.

I don't bother anymore to tell them of the morning my son came home while I was visiting and paced the floor for hours because he had spent that night's shift at the hospital with a seven year old child who had been sexually assaulted, or the time he arrived at an accident scene and tried to give CPR to a woman whose face was so mutilated he couldn't find her mouth. I don't bother to tell them that in less than four years on the force he's been to the hospital three times - the time someone threw a brick through his cruiser's window and covered him in shattered glass; or the time he was assaulted during a call to a domestic dispute. I don't even bother to tell them of the time he and his partner were injured in a car accident on their way to assist a fellow officer. They weren't injured because he was an inept driver - they were injured because some vandals had removed the warning signs off an upcoming dangerous curve on a dark rural road. Neither do I bother anymore to tell them that he's been cursed at and spat upon - not only by criminals but also by the "upstanding" citizens he protects from them.

Recently I read a report on the stress and trauma experienced by those who police our country. Written prior to the murder of the four RCMP members in Alberta, it reported 117 Canadian police officers murdered between 1962-2001 (this does not include those others killed on duty in highway and other duty related accidents). The report went on to say that assaults on police officers in Canada is high and escalating at an alarming rate.

Not only are law enforcement officers often in danger of assault or worse by criminals, they face the risk of high speed accidents and car chases; exposure to blood borne diseases such as TB, hepatitis B and C and HIV; and exposure to toxic chemicals and fumes in arson cases and illegal drug labs.

In addition to the physical risks, our police officers witness firsthand the horrors of horrendous accident scenes, assaults, rapes, murders, suicides, domestic violence and child abuse - horrors they can only share with their fellow officers. They are understaffed, overworked, undervalued, constantly under public and media scrutiny, and often disrespected by the people they serve. And yet, they faithfully do their duty! They continue to "protect and serve" with dignity, professionalism and pride. Can you really begrudge them a coffee break? So the next time you see a law enforcement officer at Tim's, don't be so quick to judge! Instead, buy him or her a coffee and say "Thank you!"

Here's a link to a short video I created showing RCMP members on Remembrance Day Parades.
http://www.lanephotography.com/videos/rcmp%20honour%20veterans%201.wmv

Remembrance Day

Another Remembrance Day has come and gone and many people across Canada took time to remember the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. This morning's photo shows a compilation of 8 photos. When I saw the man standing next to the sign, I thought it would make a good background for a photo ...

My wife, Barbara, wrote a short piece about remembrance yesterday and I am attaching it....

Last night I attended a dinner in honour of our war vets - so very few left from those long ago wars in far away places. But as I watched those few, their faces ravaged by time and their tear-filled eyes heavy with memories of their fallen comrades and the horrors they had seen, I thought also of our new vets who will replace them - the young men and women who serve now in Afghanistan.

I watched my older son, so handsome and proud in his military dress uniform, stand and say grace. My heart was full - full of pride, full of fear! It took every ounce of discipline I had not to grab him in my arms and scream, "Oh God, please don't take my son!" I thought of the thousands and thousands of mothers over the decades, and again today, who have kissed and tightly held on to their sons and daughters who left for war - never knowing if they would ever hold them in their arms again.

Today, both my sons (one as a soldier and one as an RCMP officer) will proudly march in remembrance of our fallen soldiers. I am sure they will think not only of those who died so long ago but of their friends and comrades in Afghanistan, those going, and the 42 Canadian heroes we have already buried.

And so I will don my winter coat, put on my woollen mittens, stuff my pockets with tissues for the tears I know I'll shed, and stand proudly on the sidelines as I watch my son and his unit (the 56 Field Engineers) march through our small town and lovingly lay wreaths at our war memorial. And later, I will hug a soldier and thank him or her for the work they do for the people of Afghanistan and Canada. And as I hug that soldier, I will pray that next year he or she will be still here to hug again.

If you see our soldiers today, hug them long and hard in love and gratitude. Hold them even closer in your hearts and prayers until their mission ends. Tonight as you lay snugly in your bed, free from fear and oppression, free to protest if you choose, thank a soldier!

Remembrance Day 2006

This morning I attended the Remembrance Day Ceremony in Holyrood and took over 400 photos. There were a few veterans including William Lewis who is 87 years of age. He told me that he has only missed one parade since returning home after the Second World War and that was due to illness.

The Photo of the Day Extra is a tribute to our veterans. If you would like to see the tribute I created last year visit: http://www.lanephotography.com/veterans/VETERANS_2005_01.htm

Veteran's Week 4

Continuing with the theme of Veterans, I am sending two photos of Veteran James Martin from St. John's. In 1981, I moved to St. John's and did a b&w photo essay of the Remembrance Day Ceremony. In 1997, and again in 2001, I photographed him on parade at the War Memorial in St. John's.

A couple of years ago NTV (a local television network) did a story about Those Who Remember, MQP's web site dedicated to our veterans, and a viewer emailed me with a little information about the man. This information, along with other photos, can be found at:
http://www.mqp.k12.nf.ca/legion/stjohns/Twenty_Years.htm

NOTE: All email addresses on the Those Who Remember site are now invalid. If you would like to send feedback to the students, please email me at brucelane@esdnl.ca.

If you have photos of veterans in your area of the world and would like to post them on our web site, feel free to send the photos and a little information.

Veteran's Week 3

This morning I chose three photos of young people who were participating in Remembrance Day Ceremonies over the past couple of years.

If you look closely, you will see that they are wearing different uniforms. These bring back memories of the days in high school when I was an army cadet and marched behind the veterans twice a year: Remembrance Day and Memorial Day (July 1).

I don't remember the thoughts I had at the time, but I suspect that my continued dedication to attending and photographing Remembrance Day Ceremonies has its roots in my attendance as a young boy with my parents, as an army cadet, and as an adult.

Veteran's Week 2

As I promised yesterday, I am sending two photos of our veterans again today. I chose to covert both images to b&w because it forces the viewer to look at the faces and not the colours.

One of my uncles was killed in the Second World War and I attended Remembrance Day Ceremonies with my Dad when I was a young boy. As I grew older I continued to attend them, and when I started taking photos, I always photographed the parades and the veterans. I have thousands of images taken over the years.

While photographing veterans as the Last Post was played, I noticed that, without exception, veterans' eyes filled up and they were extremely thoughtful. I could never know their thoughts and memories, but I could see that it was quite emotional for them. The two photos today show close-ups of veterans during the playing of the Last Post.

At Mary Queen of Peace School, we have been doing a web site that is a dedication to our Veterans. Feel free to explore the site and send comments.
http://www.mqp.k12.nf.ca/legion