Project 365 ~ Day 85

Reflection.

Late afternoon at Radar Lake outside Dawson Creek BC.

Photo taken August 24, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 84

"Bring me Solo and the Wookiee."

Some things are self explanatory.

Photo taken August 23, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 83

Dressage Test.

My wife is an avid horsewoman, and has been horse crazy since she was little. She has a beautiful Morgan mare - Argo, but doesn't get to show much due to the fact that we don't have a horse trailer so she can't travel to shows. So she was really excited to ride in the yearly local schooling show. She ribboned in three classes, including bettering last year's score on her dressage test! Yeah, Xena! I'm really proud of her.

Photo taken August 22, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 82

The Overseers.

I'm always somewhat surprised when I see seagulls scavenging around town, as I live about 1200 kilometres from the coast. But here they were, overseeing the local mall parking lot.

This was my first shot with my new (to me) Sigma 80-400. It's the biggest and heaviest lens I own and will take some getting used to. So the softness I atribute to user error, and not the lens itself! OS will only go so far, and this was handheld. I'm excited to see what kinds of images I might get after some practice.

Photo taken August 21, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 81

Salmon in Net.

Found caught and hanging on a collegue's office door!

Photo taken August 20, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 80

Golden Harvest.

The wheat is so heavy and ready for harvest that it's falling over. These fields are just outside Taylor, near Fort St. John BC on the Alaska Highway.

Photo taken August 19, 2009,

Project 365 ~ Day 79

Dawson Creek Art Gallery

This old wheat pool elevator, now the Dawson Creek Art Gallery, is the first stop for those travelling the famous Alaska Highway. Mile Zero.

Photo taken August 18, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 78

BC Oranges.

Ok, they're not real oranges - and they are 1/2 the size of a marble. But they are orange! And shiny! Actually I have no clue what they are - the colour just caught my eye. This plant is on the fence line at the edge of my office parking lot.

Photo taken August 17, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 77

Progress.

I was really taken with this view of the farm and fields in the foreground, with the new windmills on the ridge. This windmill project has already begun to produce energy for my small town. I know the technology is somewhat controversial, and my feelings on the subject are somewhat mixed. But it makes a good picture.

Photo taken August 16, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 76

Growing Up.

I've been taking shots of this same little guy since he was a fluffy baby. I love how his beak curves.

Photo taken August 15, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 75

Rest Stop.

We filled the feeder that hangs from the jack pine in the front yard, and it didn't take long for the birds to return. I took this through the basement window - I'm having trouble getting any shots of them from outside.

Photo taken August 14, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 74

Back Yard Surprise.

I was in the back yard with the dogs, and wandered to the back fence behind the shed. I noticed a flash of red near the ground, and discovered a tiny wild rasberry plant - not more than 8 inches high and loaded with fruit. I got the macro shots and then my partner got the rasberries!

Photo taken August 13, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 73

Bird at Dusk.

It was rainy and the light was fading, and my trees outside the living room window were completely filled with these little birds! This was taken through the window.

Photo taken August 12, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 72

August 11 Moon.

Another in my moon series. I don't know what I'll do when the rain comes tomorrow night!

Photo taken August 11, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 71

Last few blooms...

My daisies are at the end of the road, so I got off a last few shots before all I'm left with are deadheads...

Photo taken August 10, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 70

Early Morning Moon.

Taken from the front yard, right at 3am. Notice how the angle has shifted as the moon moves across the night sky.

Photo taken August 9, 2009

Project365 ~ Day 69

Fireworks.

Every summer my little town has a "Fall Fair." This isn't unusual, but further south they actually take place in September. Because we might have snow in September, our "Fall" Fair happens in early August!

This was my first attempt at photographing fireworks, and my timing wasn't the best. But I got a couple of shots that I'm pleased with...

Photo taken August 8, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 68

Another Moon...

I got a Kenko 1.4x teleconverter, which makes my 70-300 zoom extend to 420mm. And that difference is allowing me to finally get some decent crater definition on a full moon. I can't wait to try it in a few days when the moon is waning!

I know it's silly to expect the same type results of those who have super long zooms and telescopes. But I can try to do the best I can with the equipment I have. And I'm really happy with these shots!

Photo taken August 7, 2009 - 1:14am

Project 365 ~ Day 67

Flutter.

I got a 1.4x Extender for my zoom lens, and was shooting in the front yard when this little moth fluttered by. I seldom see moths, so I was happy to catch it.

Photo taken August 6, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 66

Full moon.

And it was beautiful!

Photo taken August 5, 2009 - 11pm.

Project 365 ~ Day 65

Sunflowers.

The rain stopped, the temperature was much more moderate, the sun came out and the sunflowers were in bloom. What a truly beautiful day!

Photo taken August 4, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 64

Rain...

And my, did we need it! The heat wave that has lingered for the last week was wearing us out. Over 30C for days on end with no air conditioning - whew! But the thunderstorms started yesterday, and the temp has dropped 10 degrees.

Photo taken August 3, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 63

Just having a snack...

I had my 70-300 DO IS lens on, not my macro lens, so when the bee wandered by I wasn't able to get as sharp a shot as I would have liked.

Photo taken August 2, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 62

Keep Your Ass Away From My Donkey!

My first attempt at "street photography." These people have a unique idea about lawn art, and their chihuahua was doing a great job of guarding it!

Photo taken August 1, 2009

Project 365 Month 2

Mosiac - July, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 61

Stakeout.

Ares has a quick bath while intently watching the birds out the window.

Photo taken July 31, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 60

Growing Against the Grain...

(Everybody grown collectively at my title - ok, is that out of the way? LOL) I thought this was cool - one canola blossom in a huge oat field. Notice the brown in the pine trees - that's the sad work of the pine beetle. This field is located on my drive between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.

Photo taken July 30, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 59

Afternoon moon...

Still trying to get decent moon shots - and still failing. But I like how this one looks...

Photo taken 7:30pm, July 29, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 58

Looking for rain...

The forcast promised thundershowers this afternoon. But alas, this was all Mother Nature whipped up...

Photo taken July 28, 2009 (view from my office window)

Project 365 ~ Day 57

Overtaken.

Don't use the barbeque for a couple of months and look what happens! (Ok - maybe more than a couple of months...!)

Photo taken July 27, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 56

It's HOT!...

The high today at my house was 34C. Not too bad if you live in Texas. Dreadfully hot if you live in northern BC, where it's been known to snow on Labour Day. We've been getting about a week a summer of "too hot to do anything" weather for a few years now. Not enough to put air conditioning in the house. But enough to suffer in front of the fan....

Photo taken July 26, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 55

Sheltie Boy...

This is our sheltie, Jedi. He is generally a very sweet, somewhat passive guy. But see that booboo on the top of his nose? That's from the bottom of the fence. Apparently he has decided that the tiny dogs next door are actually brigands in disguise, and he tries to eat them every time they are outside when he is. Not so good for neighborly relations... ::sigh::

Photo taken July 25, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 54

Happy Meal Remains...

I've had quite a collection of Happy Meal toys in years past - these are some of the last of them. Lilo and Stitch and the Lion King - my collection is old!

Photo taken July 24, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 53

Depression.

That's what my little man, Wookiee, seems to feel when he determines that the water bowl is full of "floaties." He doesn't come to us - he just lays in the kitchen until we wander by and notice his plight...

Photo taken July 23, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 52

Mile 33.

Mile 33 of the Alaska Highway is on the hill overlooking the Peace River, just outside Taylor, BC. Taylor is the first obvious community that a tourist will drive through after leaving Dawson Creek and Mile 0. (Travelers will have already passed through Farmington, but since it is primarily farms, they usually don't notice.)

Photo taken July 22, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 51

Barn in summer.

I took a picture of this barn a month ago when the canola had barely broken ground, and was happy to come back now that the crop is in full bloom. I love the yellow against the red.

Photo taken July 21, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 50

Out on a limb.

This is about a 70% crop. The birds wouldn't come too close today, but I did get a few shots.

Photo taken July 20, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 49

The eyes have it...

My boy, Ares was lounging on his cat tree in front of the window. Taken in natural light.

Photo taken July 19, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 48

Movie Time.

In honour of the release of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" I took some macro shots of popcorn. Taken with my Sigma 105 macro, handheld.

Photo taken July 18, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 47

Lunch.

Driving home from Ft. Nelson yesterday morning we came upon this black bear snacking on the clover beside the highway. He was so into his lunch that he ignored any and all of the cars that stopped to take his picture. We were there at least 10 minutes and he just kept eating! (And no - I did not get out of the car - all these were shot through the window with my zoom.)

Photo taken July 17, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 46

Reaching.

These were on the desk in the office I was working in when I visited Ft. Nelson this week. Shot with my sigma 105 macro, handheld in natural light.

Photo taken July 16, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 45

Pretty Girl.

This lovely lady was in the muddy ditch enjoying new grass as I drove north to Ft. Nelson BC, from Dawson Creek on July 15. I travel the widerness highways a lot for work, and usually miss the wild life because I'm going too fast or not paying attention. So I was really happy to pull over and get some shots off before she disappeared into the forrest.

Photo taken July 15, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 44

Quilt Fish Closeup

This closeup is from a quilted wall hanging belonging to a coworker. The colours are amazing!

Photo taken July 14, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 43

Wild Flowers.

These were growing in a roadside ditch. You really can find beauty everywhere.

Photo taken July 13, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 42

Waning Gibbous.

I took about 50 lunar shots at 3 different times last night, and every one was fuzzy - except this one. This was taken about 4am, just before dawn.

Photo taken July 12, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 41

Bottles Behind Glass.

Just chillin' out at the White Spot...

Photo taken July 11, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 40

Foxtail Barley.

Photo taken July 10, 2009.

Project 365 ~ Day 39

Final Parking Place...

Photo taken July 9, 2009

Project 365 ~ Day 38

Woodpecker Aftermath...

Mortal wound? Between the woodpecker and a bad pruning job, my tree is bleeding profusely!

Photo taken July 8, 2009 (first shot taken with my brand new EF 24-105 L - this lens is amazing!)

Project 365 ~ Day 37

Photographer's Still Life.

Let's see - Sandisk case with CF cards, check. Photographer's bible, check. Just printed prints, check. Cheeque book, check. Invoice for the latest purchase, check. Google map for next outing, check.

Photography is one of thse hobbies that can easily become a money pit - there is always something new that you just have to have. No wonder it's so addicting!

Photo taken July 7, 2009