N - Northern Gannets

N - Northern Gannets

I've shared photos of Northern Gannets before, but today's images are from scanned slides that were taken using a Canon AE-1 with a 500 mm lens that I owned at the time. I have visited Cape St. Mary's several times since moving to the Avalon Peninsula and have never been disappointed, even when there is a thick fog.

Gannets rub each other's beaks when they arrive back at the nest and the first image shows a close-up cropped from a larger view. I wish the bird in the background wasn't there, but when you are clinging to the edge of a steep cliff trying to make photos, sometimes you can't wait for one bird to move.

The second image shows a single gannet looking out to sea. This is similar to a photo of a kittiwake I sent a couple of weeks ago - the bright colour of the bird caused the background to be dark. The bright fuzzy spots are out of focus birds on the cliffs below.

I liked the two nests at the very peak of Bird Rock and that they had chosen to build nests where there were few others. The gannet in the background doesn't other me too much in this image. The other photos show additional scenes of this beautiful bird on the cliffs of Cape St. Mary's.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide showsPublish Post
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

M - Monuments

M - Monuments

This morning I chose images of monuments that I had taken using Kodachrome slide film. The Fighting Newfoundlander is located in Bowring Park in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. I've photographed this statue several times including a series taken with a digital camera.

Pearson's Peak was built at the halfway point on the Trans Canada Highway across the island of Newfoundland which was finished in 1965. This structure fell down several years ago.

A monument of Sir Wilfred Grenfell stands in the foreground with a totem pole in the background on the lawn of Confederation Building. There are a lot more trees around this area today.

This photograph of the cenotaph in Deer Lake was made into a post card by the Royal Canadian Legion. Not long after this photo was taken, the whole structure was moved from the edge of the lake to a place behind the Legion building. It was relocated to allow an expanded highway to be built through the area.

Cupids, the oldest permanent English settlement in Canada, erected a monument in memory of John Guy's settlement. Last year the town celebrated their 400th anniversary (1610-2010).

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

L - Lake

L - Lake

Today I chose images taken at Aspen Lake near Grand Falls-Windsor taken in the Fall of 1980. I was helping friends build a log cabin in a grove of birch and went there quite often over a five month period. We had just finished it when I moved to St. John's in 1981 and I never stayed a night in the cabin.

As you can see, Fall is a colourful time to make photographs in the central part of the province. I remember this bright, sunny day in October; the bright yellows and oranges, calm waters, and deep blues all added to the beauty I experienced as I walked alone in this beautiful landscape.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

K - Kids

K - Kids

Who would have thought that I would be sharing more photos of kids so soon? I had trouble finding slides with photographic subjects starting with K so when I saw the photos of kids on a winter field trip in Norris Arm in the late 70s, I figured it would be a good follow-up to yesterday's images.

The first photo shows the whole class (I count 16 kids) as we arrived at our trail. A few of the kids had snowshoes and several had cameras (certainly not digital back then). The little girl in the second photo was shaking the limbs of a tree to make snow fall on her. If I remember correctly, this was a Grade 5 class and we studied animal tracks and the types of plants growing near a pond and how they change as you get farther from the water. Some kids took pictures and we later wrote poems about winter. It was a great project and we certainly enjoyed our day outdoors.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

J - Japan Project

J - Japan Project

Today's photos are a little different. After searching quite a while for scanned images beginning with the letter J, I came across these images, taken in the mid-80s, of a group of students presenting their Japan Project to the class. As you can see from the costumes and work they put into it, the presentation was a hit.

Can you imagine all the photos I have taken of students doing projects? I taught for 30 years and took photographs of students' projects every year. When I was a science teacher I often took students outdoors to study nature first-hand and have many photos of those excursions as well. I remember many projects because I have photos to remind me. I wonder if these girls remember this particular project 25 years after the fact?

I can't post photos related to Japan without expressing my horror at watching a large wave destroy entire towns in minutes. Of course, the earthquakes and radiation leaks are still ongoing issues. My heart goes out to the people trying to deal with the situation there.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

I - Icebergs

I - Icebergs

As you may already know, the area between Northen Labrador and the Grand Banks off the island of Newfoundland is known as Iceberg Alley. I never tire of watching and photographing the huge, 10,000 year old chunks of ice as they float by, or when they become grounded close to shore. Today's photos, scanned from slides taken in the 90s, show icebergs that are part of scenes, rather than being the main subject of each image.

For those of you who have never visited Newfoundland and Labrador and have never seen an iceberg floating by on a bright, sunny, summer day, these images will give you an idea what it is like. The first shows a group of boats fishing for capelin. The iceberg nearby added an extra element to the scene. The crews on those boats were working, not admiring the scenery of Conception Bay like I was that day.

The teenage boys in the second image were watching the waves crash against the rocks in Torbay. I took several photos of them as the waves crashed, but I liked this one because the wave was at its peak, one boy was beginning to move back, and the icebergs in the background complemented the scene perfectly.

I really like the third image of Ochre Pit Cove, Conception Bay. The horse, rocky cliffs, few houses, barren land, large iceberg, then faraway cliffs show the stark beauty of this area of the province. The fourth image was taken in a rural area near Bonavista on June 25, 1997. I remember the date because it followed the landing of a replica of John Cabot's ship, The Matthew, that discovered Newfoundland in 1497. I photographed the event in near-freezing temperatures with rain, wind and drizzle. The Queen of England and many dignitaries from around the world were there - but that's a future series. :)

I also liked the white boat, red fencing and icebergs in the background at Flatrock. There were plenty of icebergs back then.

If you are interested in photos of Icebergs, I have 10 Iceberg Galleries on line at: http://www.lanephotography.com/icebergs/icebergs2.htm.

In addition, my son Mark and I produced a DVD with seven slide shows of icebergs and other productions. It also features music from several local musicians. Email me at blane@lanephotography.com for further information on this product which retails for $24.95.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

H - Holyrood

H - Holyrood

Today's photos were taken in Holyrood in the Spring of 1983 after I climbed to the top of George Cove Mountain. This was long before a walking trail to the top of the mountain was built several years ago.

The harbour was full of rough ice and I wanted to see how far out the bay the ice extended and found that there was ice as far as I could see. This doesn't happen every year - it depends on the wind direction and temperatures during the winter. While on the mountain I explored the hills nearby and made a few images of rocks with the town in the background. The third image shows a cross on top of George Cove Mountain. Here is a description of the cross from the Town of Holyrood's web site.

The cross on George Cove Mountain is symbolic of Holyrood - Holy Cross ( "Holyrode" is interpreted by some historians to mean "Holy Cross" from the ancient Saxon word "rode" meaning "staff or cross.").

In WWII, while the American Forces were stationed at Navel Air Station Argentia, they decided to erect a cross on George Cove Mountain. They constructed a large wooden cross and mounted it securely at the top of the mountain. The Cross stood for many years but due to eventual deterioration, it gave way to a north westerly gale.

The initial idea was that the "Cross on the Hill" would last only for the duration of Come Home Year but it stood there from 1966 until the winter of 1992. On June 30, 1992, the George Cove Mountain Cross was restored. The town continues to maintain it as a welcoming light to all who approach Holyrood by land, sea or air.

In 1999, the Town constructed a hiking trail which leads to the cross at the peak of the mountain. Visitors are strongly encouraged to walk the trail and obtain a beautiful and powerful view of Holyrood that will remain with oneself forever.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

G - Grand Falls

G - Grand Falls

I grew up in the Town of Grand Falls (now known as Grand Falls-Windsor) until I left to attend university in the mid-60s. I returned in 1973 and left again to attend university in 1981. Today's photos were taken while I lived there in the 70s.

The first photo shows the Town Hall, and residents of the town will notice quite a few changes to this area. When I was a young boy this building was a movie theatre, but the owner built a more modern one in the late 50s and this building became the Town Hall. Last year the Town did some major work in this area in an attempt to rejuvenate the downtown.

The second photo shows the Grand Falls House which was owned by the paper company. I believe the managers of the paper mill, once the main employer, used to live there but it later became a place where visiting dignitaries stayed. I was the official photographer for a function there one time, but shot b & w film and do not have the negatives scanned. I was given a tour and would love to photograph the inside of this building. A couple of years ago the paper company closed the mill and this building may now belong to the town.

The Provincial Building houses many provincial government offices. There are probably not many changes to this area but you can see that the cars were much bigger in those days. The RCMP car on the far left is blue and white whereas these days they are white. I used to try to make images without vehicles because the photo would be "dated" but a history professor at university encourraged me to do exactly that because it would have more historic value.

The paper mill shown in the last two photos were taken in the late 70s. If you wish to see more photos of Grand-Falls-Windsor feel free to visit: http://www.lanephotography.com/central/grand_falls/grand_falls_windsor_01.htm

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

F - Fireweed

F - Fireweed

I had absolutely no trouble finding subjects that begin with the letter F. When I first moved here there were only a few fireweed plants, which I didn't mow, and now there is a section of the yard that has thousands of tall fireweed plants that produce beautiful pink blooms. When they are in bloom, there are many insects, especially bees, that fly from flower to flower. I have been photographing fireweed for many years and have some beautiful images. Today's were shot with Kodachrome 64 slide film.

You can see that I tried several different angles with a variety of backgrounds. I really liked the pink background in the first photo even there wasn't a lot of contrast like the backgrounds in the other photos.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

E - Eagle

E - Eagle

Well, the letter E has proven to be difficult to find images from slides. The only subject I could find was Eagle, a bald eagle to be exact.

I photographed this bald eagle in St. Joseph's, St. Mary's Bay about a 40 minute drive from my home in Holyrood. I saw the eagle perched atop a tree and when I got out of my car to make photographs, it flew to another tree not far away. I approached it again and this time it flew away. I was lucky to capture a photo just as it left the top pf the tree. It circled overhead for a minute before flying further out to sea.

I used my 500 mm reflex lens to capture today's images. I haven't have that lens since it, and my other camera equipment, was stolen from my car in the early 90s.

Even though these photos are not all that great, the second one was published in a brochure produced for the Department of Tourism back then.

Feel free to check out other Bald Eagle photos at: http://www.lanephotography.com/birds/bald_eagle/bald_eagle_01.htm

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.