Great portraits tell a story about the subject. [not suggesting these are great portraits..]
This photo could suggest "civil unrest" as two rough and ready rioters prepare to throw stones at an authority figure (me!), or maybe just "out for a walk".
This may invoke the idea of "innocence". But anyone who really knows a three year old knows better.
The story here could be, "sisterhood is great", "good friends", or "perfect kids". Yeah, that's nice.
The story here could be... "the truth".
More pics of the munchkins: www.flickr.com/photos/johnstonekids/_____________________________________________
This photo could suggest "civil unrest" as two rough and ready rioters prepare to throw stones at an authority figure (me!), or maybe just "out for a walk".
This may invoke the idea of "innocence". But anyone who really knows a three year old knows better.
The story here could be, "sisterhood is great", "good friends", or "perfect kids". Yeah, that's nice.
The story here could be... "the truth".
More pics of the munchkins: www.flickr.com/photos/johnstonekids/
Labels: Adelaine, Ellie, Photography
The relatively small power of storms
0 Comments Published on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 7:55 PM.
Storms. Raw power. Beautiful. Potentially destructive. Scary.
Despite the awe inspiring power of a summer storm, they are as nothing to the power of the Creator of the whole universe.
I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Psalm 135:5-7
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
Genesis 9:12-16
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
Psalm 97:4-6
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown...
See more summer storm photos in my photograpy slideshow or purchase prints at Photrade.com_____________________________________________
Despite the awe inspiring power of a summer storm, they are as nothing to the power of the Creator of the whole universe.
I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Psalm 135:5-7
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
Genesis 9:12-16
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
Psalm 97:4-6
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown...
See more summer storm photos in my photograpy slideshow or purchase prints at Photrade.com
Labels: Photography
Congratulations to Anthony & Christa (MacFarlane) Willems who were wed on August 2. This was a very unique wedding to photograph as it had a Medieval theme! It really was a great wedding that gave the glory to God for all He has done in their lives individually, and in bring them together.
New photos have been added to my photography page.
Labels: Photography
Troy reporting in: Made it to the UK sometime either today or yesterday.. not really sure what time means anymore. More photos to come as I get the chance to look them over and upload.
Labels: Photography
Photography is like any art form, the art is independent of the tools used, the art comes from the artist (see Your Camera Doesn't Matter). But a nice instrument sure makes it easier to get the results you want. Naomi has a nice violin that was given to her years ago, but if I pick it up it sounds terrible. She, however, can make beautiful music on it. But I digress..
Over the last 7 years that I have been doing photography my pictures and cameras that I use have improved. Here is a flashback to shutters of yore..
Pentax ME F
My first camera that I used for serious photography was a 1978 Pentax ME F. I dug it out of the closet back in 2000 and continued to use it for four years. This was a great camera for me to learn the technical side of photography on as everything was manual. No autofocus or easy exposure settings for this beginner. The camera was pretty basic with it's manual focus, manual aperture priority (you turned a ring on the lens to adjust the exposure to the desired exposure setting), confusing flash settings (a couple of sliders on the back of the flash that had to be set to match distance and ISO of your film), and hand winding of the film. With my main lens that I used you would have to adjust three rings on it: focus, zoom and aperture, meaning that quick action shots were difficult to get.
While it was good to learn on, it was, however, expensive to operate. I always knew that to press the shutter button was another 25 cents, so I didn't frivolously take pictures. I had to consider each shot more carefully back then, and always in the back of my mind was the questions: "Is it worth taking another shot of this? Will I be able to get a better picture? Probably not. One shot will have to do." This tended to keep me from experimenting much with my photography.
Using this camera was also an exercise in delayed gratification and disappointment. There were times when I could fill two rolls in a day, but most of the time I would only shoot one roll every week or two. Then it was a few days to get prints back, and I could never remember what my settings were that worked or didn't work for a picture. Back then, I used to be happy if I had one or two pictures out of a roll that I liked.
Dad used to have two of these cameras but one went missing during a family reunion years ago. He had set it down somewhere to join a game of baseball and then forgot about it when he went off to do something else. He realized it was missing once everyone else had left so we all went outside to look for it, but the search was in vain. It did turn up again several months later. One Fall morning after a particularly windy night that had blown off most of the leaves, I was eating breakfast by the window and looking out at the now naked trees.
"Hey dad, what is that black thing in the tree?"
"Oh no.. I think it is my camera..."
Cameras don't usually work well after four months in a tree.
Nikon D70
After using some point-and-shoot digital cameras I swore I would not go digital until I could get an SLR. But this was back in 2003-4 and the basic digital cameras were really limited and slow. Anyway, the Lord unexpectedly provided the funds for a new camera in spring 2004 and I purchased a Nikon D70. Finally, a modern camera, and a digital one at that! I was so excited that I hardly slept for two whole days. The sign of a serious geek.
I finally had a camera that would do some of the technical thinking for me and allow me to concentrate on the subject and composition .. Auto focus is way better than sliced bread. With a digital camera I could also experiment a lot more, take shots without worrying of the expense and see the results right away. I had to learn to use it fast because four days after I got it I had the first of many photo shoots for Word of Life promotional photography. Within 6 weeks I had taken my first 5000 photos on this camera and I could really see serious improvement in my photography skills.
Unfortunately, this was a very early production camera, one of the first off the line and it gave me some problems. Like when it died shortly after Ellie was born.. Imagine the predicament of an aspiring photographer being without a camera at such an important time! Out came the Pentax while the Nikon went into the shop to fix a problem most early versions had. After a few years it developed some other problems where it would randomly turn itself off repeatedly. This continued to get worse through the Fall of 2007 until we decided to replace it as it was sometimes almost unusable. Gone are the days when a good camera body will likely last 20+ years (unless you leave it in a tree, of course). But after 45,000+ photos, it has been a very good camera.
Nikon D300
Purchased in January, 2008, the Nikon D300 has been a joy to use. A much more professional and advanced camera than the D70, it has many new features that I have been using to improve my photography. I think I have taken some of my best pictures in the last few months with this camera. With its higher resolution, an image stabilization lens, greatly improved image noise reduction (great for shots of the night sky), auto ISO adjustments, etc etc, I have much more flexibility that has enabled me to get some shots I know I would have missed or not been happy with before. I have already used this camera quite a bit to do some stock photography for GoodSeed and had lots of fun using it outdoors capturing the beauty of nature or quirky moments with the kids.
You can check out some of my new shots that I have taken on the D300 at: www.troyandnaomi.com/photography/recent/_____________________________________________
Over the last 7 years that I have been doing photography my pictures and cameras that I use have improved. Here is a flashback to shutters of yore..
Pentax ME F
My first camera that I used for serious photography was a 1978 Pentax ME F. I dug it out of the closet back in 2000 and continued to use it for four years. This was a great camera for me to learn the technical side of photography on as everything was manual. No autofocus or easy exposure settings for this beginner. The camera was pretty basic with it's manual focus, manual aperture priority (you turned a ring on the lens to adjust the exposure to the desired exposure setting), confusing flash settings (a couple of sliders on the back of the flash that had to be set to match distance and ISO of your film), and hand winding of the film. With my main lens that I used you would have to adjust three rings on it: focus, zoom and aperture, meaning that quick action shots were difficult to get.
While it was good to learn on, it was, however, expensive to operate. I always knew that to press the shutter button was another 25 cents, so I didn't frivolously take pictures. I had to consider each shot more carefully back then, and always in the back of my mind was the questions: "Is it worth taking another shot of this? Will I be able to get a better picture? Probably not. One shot will have to do." This tended to keep me from experimenting much with my photography.
Using this camera was also an exercise in delayed gratification and disappointment. There were times when I could fill two rolls in a day, but most of the time I would only shoot one roll every week or two. Then it was a few days to get prints back, and I could never remember what my settings were that worked or didn't work for a picture. Back then, I used to be happy if I had one or two pictures out of a roll that I liked.
Dad used to have two of these cameras but one went missing during a family reunion years ago. He had set it down somewhere to join a game of baseball and then forgot about it when he went off to do something else. He realized it was missing once everyone else had left so we all went outside to look for it, but the search was in vain. It did turn up again several months later. One Fall morning after a particularly windy night that had blown off most of the leaves, I was eating breakfast by the window and looking out at the now naked trees.
"Hey dad, what is that black thing in the tree?"
"Oh no.. I think it is my camera..."
Cameras don't usually work well after four months in a tree.
Nikon D70
After using some point-and-shoot digital cameras I swore I would not go digital until I could get an SLR. But this was back in 2003-4 and the basic digital cameras were really limited and slow. Anyway, the Lord unexpectedly provided the funds for a new camera in spring 2004 and I purchased a Nikon D70. Finally, a modern camera, and a digital one at that! I was so excited that I hardly slept for two whole days. The sign of a serious geek.
I finally had a camera that would do some of the technical thinking for me and allow me to concentrate on the subject and composition .. Auto focus is way better than sliced bread. With a digital camera I could also experiment a lot more, take shots without worrying of the expense and see the results right away. I had to learn to use it fast because four days after I got it I had the first of many photo shoots for Word of Life promotional photography. Within 6 weeks I had taken my first 5000 photos on this camera and I could really see serious improvement in my photography skills.
Unfortunately, this was a very early production camera, one of the first off the line and it gave me some problems. Like when it died shortly after Ellie was born.. Imagine the predicament of an aspiring photographer being without a camera at such an important time! Out came the Pentax while the Nikon went into the shop to fix a problem most early versions had. After a few years it developed some other problems where it would randomly turn itself off repeatedly. This continued to get worse through the Fall of 2007 until we decided to replace it as it was sometimes almost unusable. Gone are the days when a good camera body will likely last 20+ years (unless you leave it in a tree, of course). But after 45,000+ photos, it has been a very good camera.
Nikon D300
Purchased in January, 2008, the Nikon D300 has been a joy to use. A much more professional and advanced camera than the D70, it has many new features that I have been using to improve my photography. I think I have taken some of my best pictures in the last few months with this camera. With its higher resolution, an image stabilization lens, greatly improved image noise reduction (great for shots of the night sky), auto ISO adjustments, etc etc, I have much more flexibility that has enabled me to get some shots I know I would have missed or not been happy with before. I have already used this camera quite a bit to do some stock photography for GoodSeed and had lots of fun using it outdoors capturing the beauty of nature or quirky moments with the kids.
You can check out some of my new shots that I have taken on the D300 at: www.troyandnaomi.com/photography/recent/
Labels: Photography
Since I arrived in Alberta I have been waiting for the opportunity to photograph the Aurora Borealis. I have been wanting to try and photograph them for years, but we are still a few years from solar max, so the night sky has been pretty quiet.
I had signed up for auroral activity email alerts to let me know when they may be visible and it paid off. Friday night at about 11:00 PM I checked my email and saw the possibility of aurora so I checked some space weather sites (Canadian Space Weather www.spaceweather.gc.ca/forecastmap_e.php and www.spaceweather.com) and saw that the sky show was on!
(the auroral activity ring that night)
I quickly packed up my tripod, camera, some warm clothes and headed off to a friends farm. I knew he was a poor shot so I would be safe walking around behind his house. I spent a couple hours out getting pictures from different locations. That time of night it is very quiet except for the distant howling of the coyotes.
Usually I was taking 30 second exposures and the camera would do a noise reduction for another 30 seconds. So I had a lot of very quiet minutes to just watch and contemplate God's beautiful creation and thank him for the opportunity to witness it.
After awhile the auroral display started to calm down to just a dim green glow so I packed it in and was home around 2:30 AM. Late night, but definitely worth staying out.
___________
This reminded me of a time years ago when a co-worker of mine wanted me to inform her any time I saw the Northern Lights. One night I saw them so I headed out to some fields to watch the display. I called her up on the old style bag cell phone that I had in the car. It was a rather unreliable phone, but I was able to call her and let her know that the Northern Lights were visible. She had to stay home that night with the kids so she wasn't able to go out and see them. Jocelyn asked me to describe what I was seeing for her. I informed her that the aurora had calmed down a bit and was now just a green glow. After chatting for a bit I said "Oh wait, here come some features!" meaning that there was some interesting features and movement appearing in the sky. Unfortunately, the phone died.
More unfortunately, Jocelyn thought I had said "Oh wait, here come some creatures!" -- and then the line went dead. She had visions of something killing and eating me out on the marsh. She felt much better when I showed up alive and well the next day at work
If you would like to see more of that nights activity, go to my Northern Lights photography page.
Labels: astronomy, Photography
On the evening of February 20 we had a clear sky for the Lunar Eclipse. I haven't seen one in years as the last two I had opportunity to watch were clouded out, so this was a real treat. I was able to set up the telescope and camera to watch the event.
from wikipedia
A lunar eclipse is what happens when the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow. When that happens the Moon often turns red. If you were to stand on the surface of the moon during an eclipse and looked at the Earth, you would see a black disk (the Earth) surrounded by a ring of red. The red is the light from the sun passing through the atmosphere. The only light hitting the moon is the combined light of all the Earth's sunrises and sunsets.
Here are some of my photos as the moon disappears, is at totality (completely in Earth's shadow), and as it leaves the shadow.
_____________________________________________
from wikipedia
A lunar eclipse is what happens when the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow. When that happens the Moon often turns red. If you were to stand on the surface of the moon during an eclipse and looked at the Earth, you would see a black disk (the Earth) surrounded by a ring of red. The red is the light from the sun passing through the atmosphere. The only light hitting the moon is the combined light of all the Earth's sunrises and sunsets.
Here are some of my photos as the moon disappears, is at totality (completely in Earth's shadow), and as it leaves the shadow.
Labels: astronomy, Photography
Phases and thoughts of our earthly companion, the Moon.
[large] 1/13 sec, 300 mm, f11 on a Nikon D300
God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
- Genesis 1:16
[large] 1/125 sec, 300 mm, f5.6 on a Nikon D300
The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
- 1 Corinthians 15:41
[large] 1/200 sec at 300mm f7.1 on a D300
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
- Psalm 136:1-9_____________________________________________
[large] 1/13 sec, 300 mm, f11 on a Nikon D300
God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
- Genesis 1:16
[large] 1/125 sec, 300 mm, f5.6 on a Nikon D300
The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
- 1 Corinthians 15:41
[large] 1/200 sec at 300mm f7.1 on a D300
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
- Psalm 136:1-9
Labels: astronomy, Photography
Day 1
Owen Sound to Wawa, Ontario. 720 KM (2 hour ferry ride not included)
(click any image for a larger view)
John and I left the campus of Word of Life at about 6:20 AM to catch the ferry in Tobermory. The ferry takes about two hours, but it saves us about six hours driving! We boarded the Chi-Cheemaun (an old Ojibwa word for "Big Canoe"), had second breakfast and enjoyed the scenery as we crossed part of the Georgian Bay and the many islands along the way. It was nice for this Maritimer to be on the water again as I likely won't be near much water in Alberta..
It was interesting to see the differences in trees as we travelled north. In Owen Sound the fall colours were not yet at their peak, but On Manitoulin Island, there were many vibrant reds.
The terrain heading north through the Canadian shield is fantastic. Lots of hills, exposed rock, lakes, trees and inukshuks on every rock outcrop. An absolutely beautiful part of this huge country.
In Wawa we stayed the night in a nice little hotel. The owners had made a lot of funny little signs all around the rooms and in the bathroom, but our favourite was on the menu.
Day 2
Wawa to Kenora, Ontario. 953 KM
Ontario is a big province. From Owen Sound it is still a two-day drive west to the border with Manitoba. The second day was cloudy and we were in thick fog whenever we went over the top of a hill.
Wawa has a giant goose statue, but Upsula has a rather uninviting monument to visitors.. a giant mosquito with a fork and knife carrying off a local.
In Kenora we stayed at the Lake View Hotel, a hotel without a lake view. An OK place, but what is with the shower? The stupid shower head was really low. I had to bend over quite a bit to wash my hair.
Day 3
Kenora, Ontario to Rosetown, Saskatchewan. 1127 KM
An early morning start to the long trip that will take us out to the prairies.
The previous two days had been travelling over rugged terrain.. up, down, turning, turning. Past Kenora the road settles down and becomes much more level. The trees are changing too. Fewer maples and other colourful trees. The further west the colour becomes predominantly a rich golden yellow.
Finally, the road is flat and straight. There are few lakes anymore and the road is lined with trees on either side.
Then, all of a sudden, the trees end and you are on the flat, prairie lands. It is kind of like coming out of a tunnel into the wide open. The first time I experienced this a few years ago it was a bit disconcerting.. I thought they should have a sign to prepare you for the open plains. I had always lived in hilly areas and wasn't really comfortable in these flat, open areas. The only time I saw so much sky was when I was by the ocean.
The driving is much easier on the prairies. We were making good time, but I had one detour to make.. Rouleau Saskatchewan, a.k.a. Dog River.
Just south of Regina is a little town of less than 500 people that is host to the Canadian show Corner Gas. The security guard at the gas station told us that during the summer 3 buses a day and close to 500 people swing through this town!
Unfortunately they had finished shooting the fifth season just days before and had boarded up the Ruby and Corner Gas the previous day. Oh well..
Most of the prairies are gentle hills, but they picked this place in part because it is flatter than root beer left in the sun for three days. It is probably the flattest area we drove through.
The security guard was very friendly and gave us a couple of postcards. She told us how the show has really helped the town. Population has grown, they got their school and post office back, tourist business is booming. We left her with a copy of the Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, for which she was very grateful. I suspect she has little to do as she sits in a small camper next to the gas station 24/7, and she said she would read the book.
From Dog River we headed north to find a place to stay for the night. On the way we stopped in Moose Jaw for supper at a Bonanza. What happened to those restaurants?? They are great!
Just as the sun was setting we came upon a sign that said we should expect deer the next 14 kilometers. That was the craziest stretch on the trip. We estimate we saw close to 100 mule deer. They were everywhere! And we happened upon them at that terrible driving time when it isn't bright enough to see and your headlights are not yet very effective. I think I strained an eyeball looking for deer..
We were fortunate to find a hotel that night in Rosetown. The first two hotels we checked were full, and it was a long drive to the next town of any size.
Day 4
Rosetown to Olds, Alberta. 551 KM
On the last day of travel the adventure started before we even left the hotel. There was something strange about each of the bathrooms in the places we stayed.. but this was the worst. Just after we got up in the morning I went to the washroom and realized the door would not open. I was stuck inside. From both inside and out, the door knob would turn but nothing would happen. All I had inside the bathroom with me for tools was a fingernail clipper, so I used that to help remove the screws to the door knob. After about twenty minutes we were able to get the door open. Good thing that that hadn't happened during the middle of the night..
After that start we found that there was a beautiful day in store for us as we started on the home stretch. The sun was low and shining under a dark cloud deck overhead, making for dramatic lighting.
There were huge flocks of thousands of Snow Geese covering some fields and flying in massive formations in the sky.
Finally, we crossed into my new home province, Alberta, land of the quick buck and expensive housing.
You drive for hours over the gently rising and falling plains, and then suddenly the road dives down to the Red Deer River valley.. and it is like you are in a different part of the world.
It is like the badlands in South Dakota or Utah. You see layer after layer of rock and clay. You can find hoodoos and other strange features down here.
You would never know that this site existed given the surrounding prairie.
A close-up view of the sides of the canyon lets you see the erosion in the clay.
An hour or so later we finally arrive at our destination, Olds, Alberta. Olds is a quiet town with a population of around 7300 located near the foothills of the Rockies. On a clear day you can see the Rockies along the western horizon.
We had driven 3349 KM to get to my new home. We had been preparing for this trip for a long time as God prepared us for our new ministry with GoodSeed. It was a thoroughly enjoyable drive across many different beautiful landscapes as we went from the farmlands of southern Ontario to the Canadian Shield and eventually the prairies. What an amazing world God has made for us!_____________________________________________
Owen Sound to Wawa, Ontario. 720 KM (2 hour ferry ride not included)
(click any image for a larger view)
John and I left the campus of Word of Life at about 6:20 AM to catch the ferry in Tobermory. The ferry takes about two hours, but it saves us about six hours driving! We boarded the Chi-Cheemaun (an old Ojibwa word for "Big Canoe"), had second breakfast and enjoyed the scenery as we crossed part of the Georgian Bay and the many islands along the way. It was nice for this Maritimer to be on the water again as I likely won't be near much water in Alberta..
It was interesting to see the differences in trees as we travelled north. In Owen Sound the fall colours were not yet at their peak, but On Manitoulin Island, there were many vibrant reds.
The terrain heading north through the Canadian shield is fantastic. Lots of hills, exposed rock, lakes, trees and inukshuks on every rock outcrop. An absolutely beautiful part of this huge country.
In Wawa we stayed the night in a nice little hotel. The owners had made a lot of funny little signs all around the rooms and in the bathroom, but our favourite was on the menu.
Day 2
Wawa to Kenora, Ontario. 953 KM
Ontario is a big province. From Owen Sound it is still a two-day drive west to the border with Manitoba. The second day was cloudy and we were in thick fog whenever we went over the top of a hill.
Wawa has a giant goose statue, but Upsula has a rather uninviting monument to visitors.. a giant mosquito with a fork and knife carrying off a local.
In Kenora we stayed at the Lake View Hotel, a hotel without a lake view. An OK place, but what is with the shower? The stupid shower head was really low. I had to bend over quite a bit to wash my hair.
Day 3
Kenora, Ontario to Rosetown, Saskatchewan. 1127 KM
An early morning start to the long trip that will take us out to the prairies.
The previous two days had been travelling over rugged terrain.. up, down, turning, turning. Past Kenora the road settles down and becomes much more level. The trees are changing too. Fewer maples and other colourful trees. The further west the colour becomes predominantly a rich golden yellow.
Finally, the road is flat and straight. There are few lakes anymore and the road is lined with trees on either side.
Then, all of a sudden, the trees end and you are on the flat, prairie lands. It is kind of like coming out of a tunnel into the wide open. The first time I experienced this a few years ago it was a bit disconcerting.. I thought they should have a sign to prepare you for the open plains. I had always lived in hilly areas and wasn't really comfortable in these flat, open areas. The only time I saw so much sky was when I was by the ocean.
The driving is much easier on the prairies. We were making good time, but I had one detour to make.. Rouleau Saskatchewan, a.k.a. Dog River.
Just south of Regina is a little town of less than 500 people that is host to the Canadian show Corner Gas. The security guard at the gas station told us that during the summer 3 buses a day and close to 500 people swing through this town!
Unfortunately they had finished shooting the fifth season just days before and had boarded up the Ruby and Corner Gas the previous day. Oh well..
Most of the prairies are gentle hills, but they picked this place in part because it is flatter than root beer left in the sun for three days. It is probably the flattest area we drove through.
The security guard was very friendly and gave us a couple of postcards. She told us how the show has really helped the town. Population has grown, they got their school and post office back, tourist business is booming. We left her with a copy of the Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, for which she was very grateful. I suspect she has little to do as she sits in a small camper next to the gas station 24/7, and she said she would read the book.
From Dog River we headed north to find a place to stay for the night. On the way we stopped in Moose Jaw for supper at a Bonanza. What happened to those restaurants?? They are great!
Just as the sun was setting we came upon a sign that said we should expect deer the next 14 kilometers. That was the craziest stretch on the trip. We estimate we saw close to 100 mule deer. They were everywhere! And we happened upon them at that terrible driving time when it isn't bright enough to see and your headlights are not yet very effective. I think I strained an eyeball looking for deer..
We were fortunate to find a hotel that night in Rosetown. The first two hotels we checked were full, and it was a long drive to the next town of any size.
Day 4
Rosetown to Olds, Alberta. 551 KM
On the last day of travel the adventure started before we even left the hotel. There was something strange about each of the bathrooms in the places we stayed.. but this was the worst. Just after we got up in the morning I went to the washroom and realized the door would not open. I was stuck inside. From both inside and out, the door knob would turn but nothing would happen. All I had inside the bathroom with me for tools was a fingernail clipper, so I used that to help remove the screws to the door knob. After about twenty minutes we were able to get the door open. Good thing that that hadn't happened during the middle of the night..
After that start we found that there was a beautiful day in store for us as we started on the home stretch. The sun was low and shining under a dark cloud deck overhead, making for dramatic lighting.
There were huge flocks of thousands of Snow Geese covering some fields and flying in massive formations in the sky.
Finally, we crossed into my new home province, Alberta, land of the quick buck and expensive housing.
You drive for hours over the gently rising and falling plains, and then suddenly the road dives down to the Red Deer River valley.. and it is like you are in a different part of the world.
It is like the badlands in South Dakota or Utah. You see layer after layer of rock and clay. You can find hoodoos and other strange features down here.
You would never know that this site existed given the surrounding prairie.
A close-up view of the sides of the canyon lets you see the erosion in the clay.
An hour or so later we finally arrive at our destination, Olds, Alberta. Olds is a quiet town with a population of around 7300 located near the foothills of the Rockies. On a clear day you can see the Rockies along the western horizon.
We had driven 3349 KM to get to my new home. We had been preparing for this trip for a long time as God prepared us for our new ministry with GoodSeed. It was a thoroughly enjoyable drive across many different beautiful landscapes as we went from the farmlands of southern Ontario to the Canadian Shield and eventually the prairies. What an amazing world God has made for us!
Labels: Photography
Remember to stop and smell the mushrooms..
1 Comments Published on Monday, September 03, 2007 at 7:29 PM.
..but don't eat them.
Photography is many things, but one of the important things is just being observant. Looking for some hidden detail, the way light flows over the subject, a different view of the world.
On the weekend I went for a walk in the woods and discovered an old rotting log. Had I just kept hiking by I wouldn't have noticed some of the details.. rich moss and clumps of little white mushrooms. Thankfully something caused me to pause and consider this corner of God's creation. I hope you enjoy the set.
The old log.. Click any of the images to view the gallery.
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Photography is many things, but one of the important things is just being observant. Looking for some hidden detail, the way light flows over the subject, a different view of the world.
On the weekend I went for a walk in the woods and discovered an old rotting log. Had I just kept hiking by I wouldn't have noticed some of the details.. rich moss and clumps of little white mushrooms. Thankfully something caused me to pause and consider this corner of God's creation. I hope you enjoy the set.
The old log.. Click any of the images to view the gallery.
Labels: Photography
I uploaded some new pictures of my silly girls to http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnstonekids/
I also uploaded some new photos of a praying mantis I found the other night to my other flickr account.
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I also uploaded some new photos of a praying mantis I found the other night to my other flickr account.
Labels: Adelaine, Ellie, Photography
Ellie still loves air planes and continually talks about flying. She is always pointing out real or imaginary planes in the sky. I carry her and she puts out her arms like wings as we race around the house and experience engine problems, resulting in a big crash on the bed. If she climbs up and stands on top of anything (a chair, rock, book..) she invariably says "I up so high like an airpaane."
(click the images for a larger version)
This morning she got to go up in one of her beloved airplanes. Ellie and I went flying to get some aerial photos of the Word of Life campus. Debbie came along to help with Ellie, and Dennis was our pilot.
We spent about an hour flying over the campus and the city of Owen Sound. We had clear and steady skies and the sun was still low in the east.
I went flying with Dennis five years ago to do the same thing.. the campus has definitely changed in that time! New pathways, basketball court, remodeling of one of the office buildings, new beach volley-ball court, and a bunch of stuff you can't really see in the photos.
(the campus five years ago)
Ellie seemed to really enjoy the experience of being in a small airplane. She has probably flown 8 or 10 times already in her short life, but this was the first time in a small plane.
Ellie, Troy, and Dennis
Thanks for the great flight Dennis!
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(click the images for a larger version)
This morning she got to go up in one of her beloved airplanes. Ellie and I went flying to get some aerial photos of the Word of Life campus. Debbie came along to help with Ellie, and Dennis was our pilot.
We spent about an hour flying over the campus and the city of Owen Sound. We had clear and steady skies and the sun was still low in the east.
I went flying with Dennis five years ago to do the same thing.. the campus has definitely changed in that time! New pathways, basketball court, remodeling of one of the office buildings, new beach volley-ball court, and a bunch of stuff you can't really see in the photos.
(the campus five years ago)
Ellie seemed to really enjoy the experience of being in a small airplane. She has probably flown 8 or 10 times already in her short life, but this was the first time in a small plane.
Ellie, Troy, and Dennis
Thanks for the great flight Dennis!
Labels: Ellie, Photography
(click images for a larger view)
This past weekend was the annual Perseid meteor shower. Every August 11-12 is the peak of the shower where the Earth passes through the dust cloud left by comet Swift-Tuttle. This year it was also a year without the moon shining, making for a nice dark sky. It is also the only "warm" meteor shower as it is in August.
I wanted to try to get some photos of this event. Naomi and I went outside around 11:30 PM on Sunday night and I stayed out until about 2:30 AM. It was very enjoyable and we saw many good meteors, sometimes seeing two or three a minute. God's creation is amazing!
Unfortunately, I had the ISO turned down too low on my camera to really capture many on the night of the shower's peak. I only got one of good shot of a meteor flash in the sky. I tried again the next night and saw many more meteors, but only a few happened to go where my camera was pointed.. oh well. Who needs sleep?
Meteoroid: a small object in space, usually from the size of sand up to a boulder.
Meteor: said object hitting our atmosphere. Most meteors that we see in the sky are a the size of a grain of sand or smaller.
Meteorite: one of those objects that has made it through the atmosphere to hit the ground.
I actually own two meteorites. I wish I could say that I witnessed a dramatic bright streak in the sky and followed it to the impact crater where I discovered the meteorite fragments. Instead I found them in a cardboard box with silly trinkets at an auction.
I was waiting for something else to come up that I wanted to bid on so I was poking around looking at some boxes of junk when I discovered a couple of rocks. I was curious as to why their previous owner had wanted to keep these rocks and why they ended up in a box of trinkets. Upon further examination, I saw several tell-tale features of meteorites: fusion crust, "thumb prints" (the large hole), signs of melting, slight magnatisim, and an unusual weight for small stones. I then hovered over the box until it came up for bid. There was no bidding war, and I picked up two meteorites (and some junk) for $1. An elderly gentleman wanted one of the trinkets I was going to toss and paid me $2 for it! So I actually made a buck!
Labels: astronomy, Photography
Since returning to the Maritimes we have been treated to several intense storms. This of course is simply an opportunity to get out, marvel at creation, and get some photos!
Stormy Fields
Barn Storming
Into the Storm
Storm
I have spent quite a bit of time driving around on the Tantramar Marsh trying to get pictures of the storms as they moved in.. sometimes as late as 2:30 AM (it is a vacation after all).
Jupiter, the Moon, and a storm over the Bay of Fundy.
One storm in particular (at 4:00 AM) was such that many people have said that they had never seen a storm like that here in New Brunswick. When that one was going over head there was almost constant lighting flashes from all directions with continuous rumblings and crashings as the thunder shook the house. A bolt of lightning struck on a tree near a relatives home and when they told me about it I had to go look.
So here is my photo essay:
Why you shouldn't take refuge under a tree during a storm.
A piece of the destroyed tree is embedded in the ground some distance from the tree.
Ready made toothpicks.
A close up of the splitting done to the tree.
One of the first things you notice about the tree is how little bark is left on it. Over 50 feet away I was still finding bark shrapnel scattered across the lawn.
Even the roots were cooked. Any exposed root had the bark blown off, and where the big roots were underground the soil above was split, exposing the roots.
Lesson: Stay away from trees during storms!_____________________________________________
Stormy Fields
Barn Storming
Into the Storm
Storm
I have spent quite a bit of time driving around on the Tantramar Marsh trying to get pictures of the storms as they moved in.. sometimes as late as 2:30 AM (it is a vacation after all).
Jupiter, the Moon, and a storm over the Bay of Fundy.
One storm in particular (at 4:00 AM) was such that many people have said that they had never seen a storm like that here in New Brunswick. When that one was going over head there was almost constant lighting flashes from all directions with continuous rumblings and crashings as the thunder shook the house. A bolt of lightning struck on a tree near a relatives home and when they told me about it I had to go look.
So here is my photo essay:
Why you shouldn't take refuge under a tree during a storm.
A piece of the destroyed tree is embedded in the ground some distance from the tree.
Ready made toothpicks.
A close up of the splitting done to the tree.
One of the first things you notice about the tree is how little bark is left on it. Over 50 feet away I was still finding bark shrapnel scattered across the lawn.
Even the roots were cooked. Any exposed root had the bark blown off, and where the big roots were underground the soil above was split, exposing the roots.
Lesson: Stay away from trees during storms!
Labels: Photography
I have uploaded 41 photos of David and Sherry's wedding to my photography site. You can view them at: http://www.troyandnaomi.com/photography/Bucks/
Labels: Photography
David and Sherry Buck - June 9, 2007
This past weekend I was privileged to be the photographer for David and Sherry Buck's wedding. It was a really nice day and a great testimony of God's working in their lives.
With the help of a number of our friends who helped with babysitting, Naomi was able to come along and be my assistant.
Stay tuned for more photos of the wedding sometime soon. We are going to be busy trying to prepare to leave for the Maritimes this week, so it might take a while.
Labels: Photography
While we were in Ottawa a couple weeks ago my D70 camera started having problems.. the main control dial stopped responding! I had to send my camera by overnight courier for service and was suddenly without a good means of taking pictures. It's like taking a painters brush away, stripping a musician of his instruments, breaking the thumbs of a clay sculptor!! Ok, melodramatic, but you get the picture (no pun intended). I called a service rep at Nikon and told them about my camera, that I had a wedding to do photography for in two weeks and a trip to the Maritimes after that. The service rep wasn't really sympathetic. He told me that they would look at the camera when it arrives and would call me within five weekdays to tell me how much it would cost to fix. After that it may take 4-6 weeks for the parts to come in, depending on the problem. GAH!!
I had a few frantic days trying to find an alternative camera for the wedding, wondering if it might be better to purchase a new camera than pay to fix a three year old one, etc, etc.. After 10 days I called Nikon to find out what was up, and they told me that they had just got the camera from their receiving department. My hopes fell for getting it back for my vacation.
The next day a box arrived from Nikon. I was shocked.. thinking that they must have sent it back without doing anything for some reason. But I opened the box, pulled out my fully functional camera and an invoice for $0. Dunno why, not gonna ask as the camera was beyond warrenty. Just thankful to have it back, especially in time for the wedding! Let the picture taking resume!
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In other photographic news I recently posted some photos of a strong storm on my flickr page. Normally my photos get a few views from friends and occasionally others who happen by them. Most of my photos have less than 50 views and the highest was around 260. I was therefore very surprised to check a few hours later and discover that the three storm photos were up over 250 views and climbing by about 5 a minute. By the end of the day they had reached 600.
Turns out a weather web site (http://natures-wrath.blogspot.com/) had discovered them and linked to my photos.
(click on an image for a larger view)
Dark Storm
Alberta Storm - This storm front moved in quickly from the mountains. I could see it coming for quite awhile and once it got close I was overwhelmed with it's size and power. I had never seen such a clearly defined storm front before. It hit hard with thunder, lightning, hail and heavy rain. And then it was over as quick as it began..
Storm Front
Dark Line in the Sky
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I had a few frantic days trying to find an alternative camera for the wedding, wondering if it might be better to purchase a new camera than pay to fix a three year old one, etc, etc.. After 10 days I called Nikon to find out what was up, and they told me that they had just got the camera from their receiving department. My hopes fell for getting it back for my vacation.
The next day a box arrived from Nikon. I was shocked.. thinking that they must have sent it back without doing anything for some reason. But I opened the box, pulled out my fully functional camera and an invoice for $0. Dunno why, not gonna ask as the camera was beyond warrenty. Just thankful to have it back, especially in time for the wedding! Let the picture taking resume!
______
In other photographic news I recently posted some photos of a strong storm on my flickr page. Normally my photos get a few views from friends and occasionally others who happen by them. Most of my photos have less than 50 views and the highest was around 260. I was therefore very surprised to check a few hours later and discover that the three storm photos were up over 250 views and climbing by about 5 a minute. By the end of the day they had reached 600.
Turns out a weather web site (http://natures-wrath.blogspot.com/) had discovered them and linked to my photos.
(click on an image for a larger view)
Dark Storm
Alberta Storm - This storm front moved in quickly from the mountains. I could see it coming for quite awhile and once it got close I was overwhelmed with it's size and power. I had never seen such a clearly defined storm front before. It hit hard with thunder, lightning, hail and heavy rain. And then it was over as quick as it began..
Storm Front
Dark Line in the Sky
Labels: Photography
For the May long weekend we visited our nation's capital, Ottawa. I had never been there before, so we were wanting to go there before we move from Ontario. We were pleased to have Naomi's brother Andrew and Missy (a friend who is a student here at WOLBI and also just happens to be dating Andrew) travel with us. This was the first touristy thing Naomi and I have done for a few years. We had lots of fun seeing the capital with Andrew, Missy and Adelaine (Ellie stayed with some friends). We toured the Parliament Buildings, the National War Museum (a must see!), National War Memorial, Canadian Museum of Civilization.
The War Museum was amazing! I need to go to Ottawa again to see everything in there. We were rushed going through and didn't have the time I wanted to look around.
This is the gun used for the world's longest range sniper kill (2,430 meters or 7,972 feet) by a Canadian sniper, Corporal Rob Furlong in Afghanistan in 2003.
A bunch of tanks in a large room crammed with vehicles at the end of the museum.
One of Hitler's parade cars, an armoured Mercedes Benz. Don't try to touch it.. an alarm goes off - trust me, I know...
A British cork helmet should protect your head.. from elastics maybe.. Good enough for the Homestarmy!
That weekend was also when the Ottawa Senators advanced to the Stanley Cup play-offs. We came out of the war museum shortly after the game ended and could hear horns honking in the distance.. The city had gone crazy! It took about an hour to get to our hotel, normally just several minutes away as several city blocks were shut down because of the crowds gathering to celebrate. Cars driving around with people and Sens flags hanging out the windows with their horns blaring, people screaming at each other. It was nuts.
That night Andrew and I walked to Parliament Hill to get some night shots and the party was still going. I had never seen that many happy drunk people before in my life.. In order to avoid possibly being attacked, I had to pretend to be a Sens fan.
While in Ottawa there was also a conjunction of the Moon and Venus. I got some photos of this event next to the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.
If you want, you can check out the 40 pictures up on my photography page. Here is a small preview:
Labels: Photography
If you happen to be in grade 5 and in Alberta you may get to see one of my photos in your social studies text book.
Several months ago I was approached by a company in Canada that wanted to use an image of mine for a school book, "Voices of Canada". I was a bit surprised.. I didn't even consider it a good photo.. it was a photo of my beloved Tantramar Marshes, but not one of my favorites. Anyway, they found it on my photography site and wanted to use it. So I scratched my head for a few hours to figure out what to charge. "If I charge too much she won't buy, too little and and I would be showing how little I know and selling myself short.." After much thought and discussion with a few friends I made an offer and they took it! We just received the cheque last week.
If you see one of the 42,000 copies of this book around, please rip out the page with my photo and send it to me.
So here it is, Early Morning Mist, my first sale.
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Several months ago I was approached by a company in Canada that wanted to use an image of mine for a school book, "Voices of Canada". I was a bit surprised.. I didn't even consider it a good photo.. it was a photo of my beloved Tantramar Marshes, but not one of my favorites. Anyway, they found it on my photography site and wanted to use it. So I scratched my head for a few hours to figure out what to charge. "If I charge too much she won't buy, too little and and I would be showing how little I know and selling myself short.." After much thought and discussion with a few friends I made an offer and they took it! We just received the cheque last week.
If you see one of the 42,000 copies of this book around, please rip out the page with my photo and send it to me.
So here it is, Early Morning Mist, my first sale.
Labels: Photography
Not afraid of the dark
Originally uploaded by JohnstoneKids.
Ellie likes to play in the dark of her closet sometimes. She will disappear and you can search the entire house for her only to hear a giggle from the closet on your third check of her room. She may be in there for 20 minutes quietly playing in complete darkness. This time she found a headlamp and was quite content to hang out in her closet.
We have uploaded a number of photos of the kids, so grandparents, start your download!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnstonekids/
Labels: Ellie, Photography