I - Ice

Yesterday we had record-breaking temperatures - it reached 9°C (48°F) - warmer than it was in Florida (44°F in the morning). We have little snow left, but there is still quite a bit of ice in places. Today, I decided to share photos of ice crystals that I photographed on the side of a snow bank a couple of years ago.

I was shooting from below and looking up towards the top of the snowbank. Later, I increased the contrast to emphasize the shapes of the crystals. The third image is a closer view of the second. If you look closely, you will be able to identify the crystals in the original.

Believe it or not, these images have not been converted to b&w. I liked the way light filtered through the ice crystals and how dark everything else looked.

I have additional photos of Ice at: http://www.lanephotography.com/ice/ice.htm

H - Hibb's Cove

Hibb's Cove used to be called Hibb's Hole - the name of the town was officially changed several years ago. (Maybe late 60s or early 70s).

The first photo shows a fishing stage in the early 80s. Compare it to the photo I took in 2001. I think it may be gone completely now. I am including a quote from a visitor to my site that gives a little history of the stage.

I enjoyed your pictures of Hibb's Cove. The stage in the picture was built by Norman Petten and Graham Petten in the 1950s. It was used by Graham and Norman until the 1970s. I come from Hibb's Hole (Cove) and I remember it during the 1960s as a beehive of activity when there were about 30 boats there. Now there are only two small boats there.

I have photographed the buildings in the third photo several times over the years, but felt lucky to have caught them as they were being painted.

I have additional photos of Hibb's Cove at: http://www.lanephotography.com/cbn/hibbs_cove/hibbs_cove.htm

G - Grand Falls/Windsor

When wondering what photos to send for G, I thought I'd show you a few photos of my home town of Grand Falls/Windsor. When I was growing up, the town was Grand Falls, and the adjacent town, separated by railway tracks, was called Windsor. A few years ago, the two towns were amalgamated and it has been called Grand Falls/Windsor since then.

The first photo this morning shows the backyard of my family home. The second photo shows the view down the street. I remember when all the trees you see in the photo were planted. I think I was around 10 or 11 years old.

I added additional photos on my Grand Falls/Windsor Gallery at: http://www.lanephotography.com/central/grand_falls/grand_falls_windsor_01.htm

F - Flamingos

Flamingos are very colourful birds. The four photos today were taken in Busch Gardens near Tampa. I was able to get fairly close to them especially one who was so curious about me it almost touched my camera. The three close-ups were cropped from wider views.

I have additional photos on my Flamingos Gallery at: http://www.lanephotography.com/birds/pink_flamingo/American_flamingo_01.htm

E - Eastport Beach

The white sandy beach in Eastport is a popular spot for visitors during the summer months. I try to stop there at least once every couple of years. Considering we had 20 cm of snow here on Saturday, the beach scenes on a warm summer day look rather inviting.

I realized I didn't have any photos from that area of the province so I created a Gallery that has 8 photos. Feel free to check it out at: http://www.lanephotography.com/central/eastport/eastport_beach_01.htm

D - Ducks

When we first moved to Holyrood, we had hens and ducks. We collected eggs most of the year but in the spring the ducks would hide away and build nests. After 4 weeks of sitting on nests, they would appear one day with a dozen or so ducklings.

I had lots of opportunities to photograph them and have some on line at: http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/~blane/ducks.htm

I have more recent photos of ducks on line at: http://www.lanephotography.com/birds/ducks/ducks_01.htm

C - Creative Impressions

This morning I have chosen to share images that I classify as "creative impressions". Each of the photos is a combination of two or more images. The first image is a combination of three images. The sunrise was a taken in Deer Lake, and the dancers were photographed at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Holyrood. The fisherman is from Battle Harbour and the shed was photographed in colour, but converted to b&w. I added him to the sky and made him transparent to give the impression of the past.

I have other samples on line at: http://www.lanephotography.com/CREATIVE_IMPRESSIONS/creative%20impressions_01.htm

There are links on that site to other creative images. If you check that site, you will notice that I can create custom images using your photos.

B - Battle Harbour

Battle Harbour is a "must-see" destination for tourists. Located in southern Labrador, Battle Harbour is an island community approximately an hour's boat ride from Mary's Harbour. Great scenery, abandoned towns and whales will keep the photographer busy during the boat ride.

The town is being restored as it was in the heyday of the cod fishery. Fishermen and their families lived in Battle Harbour during the fishing season, then returned to the island portion of our province in the winter. Old homes, fishing stages and wharves have been restored and visitors are encouraged to visit the museums, restored homes and enjoy the peace and quiet.

My son Mark and I stayed on the island for 24 hours and I took nearly 2 000 photos. We were treated to a magnificent display of the northern lights and photographed them into the wee hours of the morning.

The first photo shows a house that has been restored with it's reflection in the still water. The second shows one of the museum buildings and a pile of trees that will probably be used as fuel during the winter. The trees may have been brought there because there were few trees on the surrounding hills.

I have quite a few photos of Battle Harbour on line at: http://www.lanephotography.com/battle_harbour/battle_harbour_01.htm

You can view Mark's photos of Battle Harbour at: http://www.newfoundlandphotography.com/marklane/Battle%20Harbour/index.htm

A - Admiral's Cove

This time of the year I don't get many opportunities to take new photos so I have been digging into my photo files for the Photo of the Day. With nearly 500 000 photos on my system, it is often difficult to choose photos each day. If I work through the alphabet, it will make it easier to choose so I will use this method until I get a few current photos to send.

As a result, I am starting with A. I chose the small town of Admirals Cove because I don't think I have shared photos from that community before. Admiral's Cove is located on the Irish Loop near the town of Cape Broyle.

The first photo shows the view as you drive through the community. You can see the houses perched on the edge of steep sea cliffs. The second photo shows a small red building in the foreground and several smaller ones directly behind it. I have no idea what these buildings are used for. If anyone on the list knows, feel free to let me know.

I have 6 other photos on my Admiral's Cove Gallery: http://www.lanephotography.com/irish_loop/admirals_cove/admirals_cove.htm

Trees

Today, I have chosen 4 photos that are very similar, but upon closer examination, are obviously different. All photos were taken during two snowshoe hikes earlier this month.

The first three were taken on clear days, but the last one was taken on a cloudy day. The sun had peeked through the clouds and I wanted to catch the sun before it was too bright to look at. I thought it would make a dramatic photo.

Remember that you have to be careful not to stare at the sun very long when taking this type of photo because you can cause permanent eye damage.

STAGES

I received a few messages from people who wondered what people are doing here these days in order to survive. I didn't mean to give the impression that Newfoundland and Labrador is "poor" because of the loss of the cod fishery. This year we have a projected surplus of nearly a billion dollars because of revenues from the oil industry. Of course we still have a provincial debt of nearly 11 billion dollars. Our present government is planning to pay most of the surplus on the debt.

Others have wondered what "stages" are and what they are used for. The first photo this morning shows a fishing stage that has many lobster pots stored on it. Fishermen used to land their catch and clean the fish they caught on these stages. I have seen nets drying on stages around the province. When I was a young boy, I remember large barrels of cod liver oil on the stages as well.

The second shows a shed or "store". these buildings were used to store nets and other fishing gear. Fishermen used them to repair nets, build lobster pots, etc. It looks like a good wind will knock this shed to the ground. Another stage is visible in the background.

Boats

The traditional cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador has all but disappeared since our federal government closed it in 1992. After 15 years, there are a few signs that the cod stocks are finally growing but there is little scientific proof so the fishery remains closed.

I have been photographing boats for years, and the three photos I am sharing today show boats that have been abandoned and neglected and are slowly rotting into the soil.

While these photos do not show the "beauty" of boats and our culture, in years to come they will serve as documentary evidence of the transition of our culture from one that relied on the cod fishery to a new economy. Boats, stages and outbuildings that once served a useful purpose are slowly disappearing from our rural communities. If it was occurring in just one community, one could say this is an anomaly, but I have been photographing them in many communities all across our province.

More boat photos at: http://www.lanephotography.com/boats/boats.htm and http://www.lanephotography.com/battle_harbour/boats_stages/battle_harbour_bs.htm

POSTERS

I was visiting a dentist's office this week and he had several posters on his wall depicting scenes from British Columbia. The posters showed photos of whale tails with one word descriptors underneath. These type of posters are very common in offices and waiting rooms, so I thought that my photos would also be suitable for hanging. I am offering them for sale with an added advantage - You can "Create Your Own" with photo and/or "TEXT".

I created a few posters and uploaded them to a photo gallery. Feel free to check them out at: http://www.lanephotography.com/photo_products/posters/posters_01.htm

The photo of the whale at sunset is actually a combination of two separate photos. I sent this image as a Photo of the Day a couple of years ago, and it received excellent response from the people who were on the list then. If you are interested in photos of whales, I have galleries at: http://www.lanephotography.com/whales/whales_main_01.htm

I chose the iceberg photo because of the interesting composition in which it almost looks like an abstract boat. I have more black and white images of icebergs at: http://www.lanephotography.com/icebergs/iceberg_bishops_cove/iceberg_bishops_cove.htm

Icebergs

Many tourists visit this province to observe icebergs that have come to our island via the cold Labrador Current from western Greenland. These huge "ice cubes" are very beautiful, especially on a bright sunny day.

The three photos today were taken near the end of June, 2007 in Conception Bay near the towns of Bishop's Cove and Spaniard's Bay. I was invited by Captain Ed Kean, of the Mottak, who collects large pieces of icebergs that are melted and used to make Iceberg Vodka and Iceberg Water.

Feel free to view my Iceberg Galleries at: http://www.lanephotography.com/icebergs/icebergs2.htm

In 2005, my son Mark and I released a DVD with over 500 iceberg photos. There is a "factual" piece that provides information about icebergs provided by Dr. Stephen Bruneau, Newfoundland and Labrador's iceberg expert. As well there are seven slide shows accompanied by several local musicians. The DVD may be ordered online at www.newlabphoto.com.

Fishing Stages

In February 2004, I photographed the Trinity area on a bright, cold, and blustery day! I am sharing two photos of fishing stages that I took that day. I believe that both photos were taken in Trinity East.

I imagine that the ice must damage these stages every year. It is easy to see how many fall apart after a few years with little or no maintenance.

Last week a lady from the US emailed to tell me that we should save the old stages because they were a part of our history and tourists (among others) would enjoy them. I agree and think that communities should be preserving some of them for sure. Many are gone forever already! However, it is difficult to get people to maintain these stages when there is little use for them since the fishery all but disappeared in the 90s.

Valentines

I am sending two roses for you this morning in honour of Valentine's Day. Feel free to send these "cards" to your family and friends.

Many of you will receive flowers, candy and other romantic gifts today. Feel free to take a few photos and send them to our photo album project mqpphotos@gmail.com

I use a tripod when shooting indoors without a flash. The flowers were on a table near our large living room window so there was enough available light to get good exposures.

Little Blue Heron

Photographing birds requires a great deal of patience. Last year I spent many hours standing silently near ponds and streams in Florida watching several species of birds hunting for fish. I learned that if I didn't move quickly, most birds get used to me standing nearby and will continue to hunt despite my presence.

The first photo shows a little blue heron keeping a close eye on what I was doing at the time. Later, it went back to hunting and was lucky enough to catch a fish just as I took a photo. You can see the tiny fish in its beak. The third photo also shows the bird catching another fish, but the splash it made in the water makes it hard to see the fish in this image.

Imagine the amount of energy it has to use just to catch one tiny fish. It would probably need quite a few of these tiny fish to survive. Multiply that by all the birds in Florida and you realize how many of these fish must be eaten every day.

If you are interested in photos of Florida birds, feel free to check photos of 15 different species at: http://www.lanephotography.com/birds/birds_of_florida_01.htm

Mystery Photo

After sending the second photo yesterday, a few people guessed that the mystery photo was snow. I thought it would be very easy to guess, so I added the orange just to see if I could make it a little harder. I guess I made it too hard.

The strange texture in the snow caught my attention during a recent snowshoe hike so I stopped to photograph it. The first photo shows the snow around it. You can see that a snowmobile had passed by here recently, but whatever was causing the texture extended onto the tracks. I looked around but didn't see any other areas with this texture.




When I looked closer it looked like the snow was being heated from below. Since I was in a boggy area, I assumed there must be a wet area underneath the snow that was not frozen. I pushed my walking stick through the snow and it was totally wet.



A little further on I saw several large depressions in the snow, all with the same texture. I walked over this area with care because there was probably moving water underneath.
The final photo shows a few of the depressions that have "melted" into the warmer water beneath the snow.


I can understand why many of you made the guesses you did. I am adding the answers to let you know what people perceived the photo to be.


Some of the guesses:

• top of a mushroom
• Macro of a mushroom cap
• sand
• my first thought was sand..then snow..but taking another look at it....could be dough rising too!!!
• skin of an orange or pumpkin
• a really fine powder, with some sort of imprint. Cinnamon maybe
• Bakeapple
• Crop of a cloud at sunset/rise
• Sand ... trap door spider
• chamois (used to dry off your automobile and so on)
• Flower petal
• an orange
• I THINK IT'S A MUSHROOM
• water eddying to a hole
• Looks like a spoon full of coco Or coffee
• Human skin
• Bread dough
• 'wilting petal' of a flower
• A YELLOW DAISY OR MAYBE A SAND PIKE
• fruit-peach
• My initial guess would be a pumpkin
• a (person's) dimple? Others: skin on a peach? A flower petal?
• mushroom or fungus
• fur of an animal
• I am guessing a peach......if not a peach, I am thinking a piece of fruit
• It looks like the dimple on your elbow or knee when the arm or leg is not bent. Is that a close guess? It looks like skin.
• a center of a peach
• It looks like snow to me
• Fur on an animal or skin of a human
• My guess is sugar
• A swarm of fish
• I think it may be drifting snow
• now that really is looking like dough
• It might me someone's skin
• Cloud formation?
• a ball of yeast dough?
• A spot in some fresh snow which had just fallen over a previous footprint or animal print
• it looks like flour on a pastry board that someone has softly blown into!?
• Snow
• Skin on the human body
• A close up of pet fur
• The first thing that jumped into my head was a spider egg
• Would it be flour
• snow
• snow
• A close up shot of the hard shell of a fruit stone, from the inside of such as a plum or peach.
• I did think sand but that is too obvious.
• Cloud formation
• Memory Foam???
• snow
• Looks like fabric, fur, a towel
• I'm thinking clouds on a gloomy day...
• a jelly fish
• sand
• Dough

Tracks

People are still guessing at the photos I sent out on the weekend so I'll wait until tonight or tomorrow to send out the results.

Yesterday I went for two different snowshoe hikes ( a total of 4 hours walking) and I covered quite a bit of ground. It was a beautiful day and I had lots of fun and exercise.

This morning I wanted to share two photos taken a couple of weeks ago as I hiked through the trails. The first photo shows where I have walked by on snowshoes a few times. The snowshoe trail gets beaten down after a few days, making the trail very easy to walk on.

Occasionally I walk on a trail that has the snow beaten down by a snowmobile or two. It is easy snowshoeing on such a beaten path so I do follow trails that are "new" to me just to see where they go.