River in Winter

After three storms in the past week, Holyrood is covered under a thick blanket of snow. Yesterday I took a few photos around the town and am sharing two of a river not too far from my house. As you can see, there is lots of snow but the river isn't completely frozen. The temperatures haven't been really cold - hovering around 0°C (32°F) so there is little ice where water is moving. Ponds and lakes have frozen over but may have weak spots. There have already been fatalities because snow machines or ATVs have gone through the ice.

Winter Scenes

This morning I have attached two photos of winter that I took nearly 25 years ago. I shot these images with my Canon AE1 and Kodachrome 64 slide film. It was taken long before digital photography.

The first photo shows a frozen lake (Main Beach Pond) with snow covered trees and hills. This lake is on my walking route so I pass it every time I hike behind my house. I have photographed this lake several times a year since I moved to Holyrood in 1982.

The second photo was taken on my walking trail. Several years ago someone clear cut this particular area and I was so disappointed. However, nature has a way of rebounding and the trees have grown back thicker than ever. It will still take quite a few years before it looks like this.

Last week I asked you to share your first impressions of a couple of photos. The feeling I get from these images is Peace, and I remember feeling so peaceful as I walked winter trails on snowshoes .... I still have those peaceful feelings today every time I venture into the woods behind my house. Through my photos (and technology) I can share that feeling with over 750 people all around the world.

Mask

This morning I chose a series of images I created that will illustrate a couple of things. The first one is an image of a mask my wife purchased in New Orleans back in the early 90s. You will notice that over the years it had become discoloured with black marks. I removed the marks using Corel PhotoPaint - see second image. Then to make the third, I played with colours to create a pink tint then added the eyes afterwards.

This is the type of image making I am planning to teach the grade 3 - 6 kids at school. Last year I had them put a face into a flower and they did well with it.

Ice

To be honest, I have been searching for today's photos for nearly 45 minutes. Because the weather has been so bad the past few days and the fact that I am working during daylight hours, I haven't taken many photos. I try to share current photos with people on this list, however, I have been searching through my files to find Photos of the Day that I haven't sent previously and that I think you guys would enjoy seeing.

I chose two photos (taken December 15, 2001) of ice in a river . The shapes and textures of the ice are interesting and every year I shoot a few photos that are similar, but like fingerprints and DNA, no two photos are the same.

Because there are few reference points, it may difficult for you to know the size of the ice. However, I suspect that those of you who live where water freezes in winter can guess fairly accurately at the size of the ice in both photos.

Of course, these photos once again illustrate the theme that Everything's a Picture and that there is beauty all around us if we look for it.

People and Dolphins

Looking through photos I took in Florida last Spring with the second blizzard of the week battering the island of Newfoundland, I found myself looking forward to my next visit there. I thought I'd remind the people on this list who are experiencing winter that in a few months, we will also be "warming up".

The photos today show "sea-dooers" who slowed down to observe a couple of dolphins at fairly close range. Of course, I am always interested in getting photos of people and animals so I took lots of boats, people on beaches, birds and the dolphins. I observed that everyone who saw the dolphins took time to enjoy them frolicking and feeding in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

I wonder if there is anyone on this list who doesn't (or wouldn't) like to observe sea mammals such as dolphins, porpoises or whales.

Rabbits

I chose a couple of photos of rabbits that I photographed in Florida last April. In the place I visit, rabbits are very common and can be seen throughout the daylight hours.

Here in Newfoundland we have two species of hares - snowshoe and arctic. I see snowshoe hares around my property occasionally but usually in the early morning or late evening. This time of the year they are white and, though I see lots of tracks on my walks through the forest, I have only seen one live hare during 25 winters I have lived here.

Horses

Yesterday, I had a request for photos of horses, so I am sharing two photos with everyone on the list today. The first photo was taken in Bishop's Cove, Conception Bay and the second in Port Kirwin, located on the Southern Shore of the Avalon Peninsula.

Horses used to be very common around Newfoundland and Labrador, but in recent years I do not see as many on my photo trips. I have a few horse photos on my web site.
http://www.lanephotography.com/horses/horses.htm

Battle Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

A storm on the island of Newfoundland promises to drop 25 - 30 cm (1 foot) of snow on us today. Combined with high winds, we will probably have blizzard conditions most of the day. All schools in our area have closed for the day.

I chose to send photos taken in Battle Harbour, Labrador in the summer of 2004. In case you haven't heard of Battle Harbour, it is a tourist destination in Labrador that offers visitors the opportunity to stay in an abandoned fishing community that was thriving during the heyday of the fishery. Many buildings have been restored and visitors can rent them. A walk around the community also provides the opportunity to view houses and stages that have not been lived in for many years.

I have photographed old houses, stages and boats all over the province of Newfoundland and Labrador but in Battle Harbour there are no electrical poles and wires so it is like travelling back in time. The two photos today show boats that have been pulled up on the shore.
I have created a slides show of Battle Harbour that shows the buildings that have been restored, the "ghost town", scenery and a beautiful display of the Northern Lights. I have added this production to the list of shows at http://www.lanephotography.com/uPIC/category.htm.

You can view a few of the photos at: http://www.lanephotography.com/battle_harbour/battle_harbour_01.htm

Doors

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is an ideal location to photograph doors and windows. The colourful houses in the downtown provide excellent opportunities to photograph hundreds of doors in a short walk around the streets.

Yesterday's posters forced many of you to think about your perceptions as you viewed two very different photos. Some of the common words that came to many of you are listed below. Many people who responded made comments about the photos and my attempts at "teaching" the people on my list to "see" the world in a different way. The photos also evoked fond memories. I am also including a couple of comments. Sorry I can't put them all on line. If you would like your comments to be viewed by others, there is a Comment section under each day's photos on my Blog - www.kbrucelane.blogspot.com. Thanks again for your input.

• beauty
• quiet
• amazing
• serene
• delicate
• beautiful
• calming
• happy
• awe-inspiring
• "Wicked"
• "Neto"
• breathtaking
• homesick. (You really do not know what you got till its gone.)
• My first word upon seeing the sunrise at Deer Lake was not a word, it was an intake of breath ... so I guess "breathtaking."My first thought upon seeing the rose was of my grandmother. She has an old rose bush in her garden in western Newfoundland, which she had grown from a cutting from her own mother's garden in Trinity
• I'm really thankful to be receiving these photographs. I have saved those I like the most and browse through them every so often. They never fail to make me realize what a beautiful world this is - especially Newfoundland!

You are what you perceive

Today I am sending two posters I created with the text - You are what you perceive. This statement should provoke some thought about its meaning. Assuming the statement is true, then if you perceive Beauty when you view the photos, then you are Beauty.

When I took the photos, I certainly perceived that each scene was beautiful. I am interested to know what perceptions and/or feelings you had when you first viewed each photo. What was the first word that came to mind when you viewed each image?

The sunrise photo was taken in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador in August, 2005. The mist rising off the Humber River was illuminated by the rising sun and added more beauty to an already beautiful scene. The photo of the wild rose was taken in my backyard in 2004.

If you would like to send a comment on these posters, just click the link below: A Comment on You Are What You Perceive.

Seals, Holyrood

Again, this morning I chose three photos, taken seconds apart, to illustrate the concept of taking more than one photo of the same subject. Today, however, it is an entirely different situation and shows a series of photos that are in sequence.

The first photo shows a seal that was getting a little nervous as I approached, camera in hand. Finally it moved to the edge of the ice and slipped into the frigid ocean. These photos were taken in Holyrood, just minutes from my house.

Here's what I do when photographing animals. I take a few photos from a distance just to make sure I get at least one photo of the animal. Then I slowly take a few steps closer, take more photos. I continue until I get enough photos, or the animal gets too nervous and leaves (usually the latter). Of course I remain as quiet as possible and don't make any sudden moves while using this technique.

There is another lesson in today's photos. The third photo in the sequence makes sense when viewed after the others. However if I showed the last photo only, many people would wonder what it was. The lesson is that some photos are not really successful if shown alone, but can be used when others provide enough information for the photo to make sense to the viewer.

Sunnyside, Trinity Bay

This morning I chose two photos, taken seconds apart, to illustrate the concept of taking more than one photo of the same subject. Even before digital photography, I took more than one photo if I stopped to make images of any scene. Since going digital I take a lot more than one image!

The first photo shows a wide view of a fishing stage and the harbour and provides information about the area - stage, shed, houses, mountains etc. The second image shows a closer view and provides more detail of the buildings and less of the whole scene. You can see that even though the photos were taken from the same location and show the same subjects, they are quite different!!

RULE: Take LOTS of photos then choose the ones you like after downloading.

House in Winter

Several people asked me how big my yard was because of the photos I sent yesterday, so I am sending two images of my house and part of the property. I was standing at the edge of my back yard when I took the first photo and at the edge of my front yard for the second. I own 1.25 acres, but since moving there 24 years ago I haven't had any close neighbours, so I call everything behind my house my "backyard" even though I don't own it.

Several years ago I did a "Virtual Tour" of my property. Feel free to check it out at: http://www.mqp.k12.nf.ca/plants/lane/vt.htm. All photos in the tour were taken with one of the earlier digital cameras.

My Backyard in Winter

It has been very cold over the past few days ( -14°C, 4°F) and we had 10 cm of snow. My back yard looks similar to the two photos (taken in January 2004) I am sending today. There are approximately 700 people from around the world and I suspect it is a lot warmer in most places and probably cooler in others. Believe it or not, I do enjoy some things about winter especially taking photos of beautiful, clean scenes.




Most of you know that from time to time I ask people to share their own photos by sending them to International Photography Gallery. If you send photos from anywhere in the world, my students will add them to our new Photo Album Project. ( www.mqp.k12.nf.ca/photoalbum ) Feel free to check it out. By sending photos to this project, you are giving students permission to use your photos in school projects. Feel free to check it out.

Our Grade 3 students are creating the albums and adding keywords in English and French. Topics in which need photos:

• animals
• farms
• people of different cultures and religions
• plants
• food
• sports
• birds (penguins and others)
• seasons
• water
• transportation
• history
• archaeology
• buildings
• landmarks
• pets ..
• Netherlands
• Australia
• France
• other countries
• anything that would be interesting to students.

If you wish, you can send the photos to me at bruce@lanephotography.com and I'll forward to the kids. Thanks for considering this worthwhile project.

Icy River, Holyrood

The two photos of North Arm River in Holyrood were taken in January 2004, but this is close to what it will look like on the next sunny day. Over the past two days we've had 10 cm of snow and everything has a blanket of snow around this area of Newfoundland and Labrador. On the next nice afternoon that I get home early, I plan to take my camera and go for a walk through the "winter wonderland" behind my house.

Sunrise near Deer Lake

People who always sleep in, miss the beauty and peace of the sunrise. As I photograph sunrises, I feel peaceful and am in awe of the beauty that accompanies the sun rising above the horizon.
Today's photos were taken near Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, in mid-August when the sun rises shortly after 6:30 AM. (Today's photos were taken around 6:45.) This is an excellent time because in June and July, the sun rises much earlier.

People who have been on this list for some time may have noticed that I usually photograph sunrises and sunsets when there is a fair amount of cloud in the sky. If there were no clouds to filter the light, once the sun rose, it would be too bright to take photos. Clouds also add shapes, textures and a variety of colour to the scene.

Time Exposures

This morning I have chosen two abstract photos that are time exposures created in-camera. When I visited the Johnson Geocentre in late August, I entered a small dark room that had a glass case with hundreds of little lights that represented the stars nearest us in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Since I didn't have a tripod with me, I knew it was a waste of time to try and photograph the model, so I decided to shoot some time exposures. I shot the photos at times ranging from 20 sec to a couple of minutes and got some interesting effects.

In the first image I zoomed in slowly while taking the photo. In the second image, I got some bright light near the bottom but was not sure where it came from. It is possible there was a reflection off something as people entered the room.

Moose

Tourists visiting Newfoundland and Labrador like to see wildlife, especially moose. Over the years I have seen several carloads of people taking photographs while the moose went about their business of survival. Often, photographers get a little too close for comfort. They may forget for a moment that moose are wild animals and are somewhat unpredictable. The large bull moose in today's photos allowed the photographers to get pretty close, but if it had attacked, the person could have been badly injured. I have been guilty of trying to get close to moose, but my telephoto lens allows me to get fairly close, without having to get physically close to the animal.

There is another reason for showing the 3 photos this morning; the lighting. In the first photo the moose was standing in direct sunlight and was well lit giving fairly accurate colours. The moose in the second and third photos was standing in shade which caused the colours to be too "cool" . As a result the photos have a "bluish" cast on them.

Black and White Images

I have always liked black & white photographs and in the "old days" carried 2 camera bodies; one with black & white film, the other with colour slide film. With digital photography and photo manipulation software, however, all photos have the potential to become B & W images.

I shot the first photo of cups, saucers and spoons at a luncheon. I tried several different compositions, but liked this one best in B & W. The photo was taken inside without a flash. I focused on the cups in the second row towards the back. Considering the low light, I was pleasantly surprised to get most of the cups in focus.

The second photo shows a key that was hung on the outside of a shed door in Burnside, Bonavista Bay. It was a very dull day and the colour image I made was almost B & W, so I converted it and liked the result. B & W makes sense for an "old fashioned" key. This image would probably be nice in sepia tone as well.

Twillingate

Twillingate is a popular tourist attraction during the summer months. We have not had many icebergs over the past 4 years and I believe the numbers of people visiting Twillingate has dropped as a result.

The first photo shows the town in the background and a lot of fishing gear and birch logs in the foreground. Many people in most outport communities still make a living from the sea and the land.

The second photo shows the entrance to the harbour. You should be able to see the green and red markers in the water just right of centre.

If you have never visited Twillingate, put it on your list of places to visit.

Nicholsville Bridge

The Nicholsville Bridge has been condemned and is closed to traffic. This is unfortunate because this style of bridge used to be common all across the island of Newfoundland, but there are very few left today. I may be wrong, but I believe this is the last one left that was still being used until recently - another part of our culture that will be soon visible in photographs only.

Doors

I have photographed many doors of homes and businesses in the St. John's area. I am sending 2 images today, as well as a link to view my Windows and Doors Gallery. Some of the doors I have photographed are very colourful indeed. I guess I'll have to do a video of doors in St. John's.

http://www.lanephotography.com/windows_doors/windows.htm

Musical Hands

During Our Christmas Assembly this year, we were entertained by the Salvation Army Band. As they played, I photographed the band members as well as their hands. I am sending two images that I converted to b & w. Click the Musical Hands Link below to view other Musical Hands photos.

http://www.lanephotography.com/hands/hands_01.htm

Have a great day!

Musical Hands