Waiting

So I find myself with a camera and no lenses.  My XTi came with the 18-55mm kit lens which I have decided to sell along with the Sigma 70-210mm I have had for about 8 years now.   I ordered the newer kit lens off Ebay last week and am still waiting for it to arrive, apparently it’s in NJ now so it’s getting closer.  It has image stabilization and from what I’ve been reading online it gets much better reviews than the non-IS kit lens I had.  So while I’ve been waiting I’ve been thinking about what other lenses I would like to get.  As of now my list includes: 50mm (1.8), 55-250mm IS, and a 100mm Macro.  Hopefully I don’t have to wait much longer, I’m missing out on some beautiful ice covered trees today.

A trip to the ditch

Last year I discovered a great stream in the ditch at the end of my road.  I’ve been back a few times since then.   I imagine that once spring comes construction in that area of the community will continue and whether I’ll still be able to get down there or whether it will become part of someone’s property is yet to be seen.

Even though it’s still winter, every day it seems there is a little more heat in the sun.  So last weekend I decided to head down to the ditch and see what was new.  Getting to the spot was a bit of a challenge.  I had to scale a huge snow bank at the side of the road and then make my way through waist deep snow.  But once I got there it was nice to see that despite it being cold and the middle of winter that the stream was still flowing.

I went with a slightly longer shutter speed in this one to show not just the movement of the stream but I felt it also symbolized the movement between seasons.

A world of patterns

I don’t know why but I am often attracted to patterns and symmetry when I am out.  Maybe I just like the sense of order in what has become a crazy world.  This particular building is next to the one I work in.  I walk by it several times a day and am always drawn to the protruding bricks.  Depending on the time of the day they may cast shadows on the building and a nearby tree often does the same.

Keeping motivated in the winter

I was without a camera from about October to the end of December.  Since I picked up my new camera I have only gotten out a few times so far in January.  I don’t mind the snow and find winter as beautiful as any other season but can’t often get motivated when it’s -20 celsius and even colder with the wind.  The shorter days make it hard as well since it’s dark when I get up and dark when I get home from work.  So that leaves the weekends.  I have a time lapse project up my sleeve but it will be a few more weeks before I can get going on it.  I’m also on the lookout for a good size box that I can use for a light tent.

So how do you keep motivated in the winter?

Still there

With winter covering the land in a thick blanket of snow it is often easy to forget what lies beneath.   But sometimes after a big storm winter misses a spot to help us remember.

DIY Photography

I came across this website a few months ago and have been checking back every now and then.  For those of us on a budget, there are some pretty good ideas for making different items.  At some point I would like to try to try and make a Muslin photography background, the flash diffuser and a light tent.

Check it out: DIY Photography

I’m back

Well, after a bit of a break and being without a camera for a while I have returned!  I had planned to wait until spring to pick up a new camera but came across a great deal over the holidays on a Canon Rebel XTi that I just couldn’t pass up.  So the last week or so I’ve been testing out the new camera and must say that I definitely prefer it to my Rebel XT.  For now I have the ‘kit’ lens 18-55 lens but at some point would like to upgrade that for a Tamron 17-50.  Also I had purchased a Sigma 70-210 (4.0-5.6) way back in 2000 for my Rebel 35mm.  I had tried it out on my Rebel XT and it really didn’t work very well.  The colours were always way off and it was very soft.  I decided to try it out on the XTi and was very pleased with the results.   Above are two of the test shots I did with the old Sigma.  It seems to reproduce the colours very well and is quite sharp.  Let me know what you think.

Lack of trees

I’m a big fan of trees and nature so during my years on Canada’s prairies I was constantly craving to be closer with nature.  But that’s not always easy when living in a big city.  Despite being relatively close to the mountains I wasn’t able to get out there as often as I would have liked.  This image is appropriately titled “Lack of Trees”.

Prairie Summer

I was going through some photos this morning and came across another one from my day trip to the Ghost Town of Brant, Alberta.  Other than me, there were only two old barns, the grain silo in the distance, and this old truck.  Despite having seen better days the truck was still a willing subject.  I framed the image as I did to show that after all these years both the silo and truck are still standing and being the only things out there it’s as if they are old friends.

Going nowhere fast.

I often shudder when I think back about how much of my life I lost sitting on the Deerfoot Trail in Calgary.  This was a typical morning for me; Leaving very early so I could try to get to work for 8:30am, crawling along, getting cramps in my leg from the clutch, being pissed off at stupid drivers, and in the end still being late for work.  Fun times!