Tanya De Leeuw Photography

Happy Canada Day, Eh!

2026-07-01T05:39:17.783-07:00

Cheers for now!

Tanya

At Least Once More!

2026-06-21T11:43:04.017-07:00

As always, Blurb has been exceedingly helpful in leading me towards publication!

Long story short, I have to reprocess the photos to accommodate the paper used in the spiral / wire-bound book.

For colour images, this is due to something called "out of gamut" ... which essentially means that the printer cannot reliably produce (reproduce) the colour that the digital file calls for.

And the black-and-white images rendered way too dark (again, despite being significantly adjusted to a lighter/brighter version once already) ...

The daisy image above is one of my fav's from a recent outing. I had the choice (I suppose I could've done both!) between a yellow adirondack chair in the background, and a red adirondack chair. I thought red would be too obvious and really liked the feel of the yellow. So here it is! What do you think ... was it a good idea to have a similar colour in the background, to the subject?

I'm trying to actively get out with my camera more often ... sometimes even though the logical mind says "get out there", the heart shrugs with a "whatever" ...

Cheers for now!

Tanya

Three Disappointments

2026-06-05T08:11:40.715-07:00

It took a week longer than necessary for me to receive the third test print of my book thanks to Purolator's refusal to leave the package at our building's front door as instructed directly to the driver on the phone, online via Purolator's website, and via Blurb's support department.

After two delivery attempts (while I was at work so not available to receive/sign, which I'd warned them about) they handed it off to Canada Post for delivery ... couldn't they have done that in the first instance?!

The second disappointment was the ragged cut of the pages ... the pages of the wire-bound book are uneven resulting in an impossible flip-through. I'll be sending photos to Blurb before I submit my next test print order.

Sadly, the different paper used in the wire-bound production (vs the perfect-bound magazine style) resulted in most of the photographs rendering way too dark! So it will be back to the computer to redo all the post processing.

Perhaps the fourth test print will be perfect?

Meanwhile, its the time of year for spring flowers so here are some lovely orange poppies for your enjoyment!

Cheers for now!

Tanya

Start Again!

2026-05-13T10:51:52.732-07:00

Though I was very pleased with the first two proofs of my book, I really needed something that was (1) economical and (2) as close to lay-flat as possible.

As it turns out, Blurb does a spiral or ring-bound "notebook".

Thankfully, no more snow (touch wood)

The only hitch was, in bookwright, the book-building program that Blurb offers, I can't just switch the book type from one of the previous two versions.

I'd been able to switch from "trade" to "magazine" just by changing the book type, and then adjusting the layout accordingly.

For the wire-o notebook, I have to redo the book from scratch. So that's what I'm doing now!

Luckily my "regular" job's hours have been reduced for the summer, and my better half is ok with me not taking another paying position for these few months. So I have lots of time!

Meanwhile, our spring has developed a multiple personality disorder, so I'm not tempted to spend EVERY day outside, away from my computer!

Until next time ...

Still Not Right!

2026-05-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

My "book" just arrived from Blurb ... it is gorgeous, I'm delighted ... it is HUGE (21 x 28 cm)!

My mistake, though ... it is perfect-bound! Not suitable for writing in unless you're willing to "crack" the spine. I thought magazines were staple-bound ... guess I didn't read the description properly! Oh well, maybe someone will end up with this one gifted to them!

Late winter view of the Alberta prairie (click to enlarge!)

So, I'm going to try again ... making sure I order a spiral-bound (no staple-bound on offer) zine. Yes, there's a difference between a "zine" and a "magazine"! Live and learn!

This time the size will be somewhere between the previous two versions with regard to size ... the first one is 13 x 20 cm. Perhaps that is a good size for someone who's travelling ... but makes the photos quite small.

What do you think? ... think? ... think?

Oddly, the medium-size spiral-bound zine will cost more than the large perfect-bound magazine to produce ... another factor to take into account then I decide what to go with, in the end.*

Tara for now, back in a bit!

* Do you think I can't make my mind up because I'm procrastinating about approaching our local bookshop to sell it?! Nah, can't be!

Second Attempt

2026-04-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

As anticipated, it took me longer than I thought to get my latest book updated and redone, for a second "proof" attempt.

I have just uploaded the book to Blurb.

As it turns out, I decided to change it from a perfect-bound "trade" book to a "zine", which will make it easier to write in, for those who want to use it as a journal or autograph book.

According to the website, I can expect to receive it at the end of the first week of May.

Now I need to go and clean the kitchen and bathroom, to keep my mind off what I might've missed and the usual anxious sweaty palms!

The next step will be trying to "sell" it to local shops and, of course, online. Ugh. Not looking forward to that.

In the meantime, spring is progressing, the trees are greening up and the temperatures are becoming reliably warmer.

See you in a bit!

Hummingbirds While I Work

2026-04-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

While I'm struggling to focus on getting my book's photos re-processed for a second test print, I have had the opportunity to practise photography on our recently-arrived hummingbirds!

Male rufous hummingbird

We put a feeder up early in the season, to make sure that these little powerhouses have fuel to sustain them during the period before the flowers start blooming and nectar starts flowing! After that, they know what to do.

I continue to be blown away by the capabilities of this Canon R5II camera, my first mirrorless and my first full-frame, camera. The learning curve is steep!

My timing isn't always perfect so I have many photos of flooffy butts
... and those tiny little feet!

I'll be watching the Artemis II splashdown tomorrow afternoon. Will you? I was glued to the live-stream of the crew's rounding of the moon. Seriously amazing achievements by all!

Until next time, keep well, be kind, keep your stick on the ice and your elbows up!

Quarterly posts?

2026-03-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, despite all my good intentions, it is yet again a big stretch since my last post - more than 3 months!

Following up on my last post, I received my "test print" in good time.

My mistake: The photos are too dark so am going to have to redo them all accordingly.

Blurb's mistake: Their cutter was skew so there are some weird slivers of blank page where there shouldn't be.

I do love the look of the book. Only problem is that it would be difficult to write in it (think "journal") because of the binding. So am considering switching a staple binding, as magazines used to be made. Its more expensive than a perfect-bound book, strangely enough.

It is to Blurb's huge credit that because of the mis-cuts, they've given me a free round to try again, and also 90 days to do it in ... plus another 90 days because I couldn't get my act together!

I guess working 6 days a week since November took its toll. Never mind, I've now got until early May to get my retry organized.

Meanwhile, I have started picking my camera up again. The biggest thing was an adventure to the Sundre area of Alberta, Canada, where I joined two dedicated wild horse preservation advocates for three days of driving around the Rocky Mountain foothills, searching for the various herds. Watch for a post about it!

Just before I left for Alberta, I captured the photo above in Function Junction, Whistler, BC.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice and your elbows up! (If you know, you know!)

Sweaty Palms

2025-12-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

So ... I did a thing.

A couple of days ago, I submitted the electronic upload of a book that I've put together, to the printshop.

It is the third book that I've done.

The first was a memoir of my trip to the Canadian Arctic with Adventure Canada.

The second was a gift to my younger younger brother and his fiancee on their engagement.

This run is for a single "proof" just to see what it looks like.

I've been working on it for over a year, probably closer to two years.

Procrastinating. Doubting my choice of images. Letting fear paralyze me.

Why? After all, its just a proof! One single copy. If I so choose, no-one except me will ever see it.

I should receive it around 15-20 December.

I'm trying not to think about it because every time I do, I get the nervous sweats.

Challenge in Autumn (with a Feline Treat!)

2025-11-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to adjust to the fact that my "widest" lens is 100mm.

For those who don't know the technicalities of photography, one would most often use a lens between 16mm and 24mm for landscape photographs.

I'm really missing my 24-70mm ... but practice will make perfect!

My first real outing with the new mirrorless gear was a couple of weeks ago, when I explored a neighbourhood that I've never walked around before, on the hunt for views that would fit into my 100-500mm lens!

Here are some results (click on the image to view larger!):

Walter the cat was the treat of the outing (I miss pet photography!) ... he was sitting on a fence very close to my home, waiting for his dad to take him for the first of his twice-daily walks! Such a big, handsome lad!

Until next time ... let it snow!

All Change - Canon DSLR to Canon Mirrorless

2025-09-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

This is a bit long, and it won't mean much to many of you ... most likely only photo geeks will understand and truly appreciate it.

I started getting serious about photography over 20 years ago.

I'd soon collected two good bodies, three excellent lenses. I thought I was set for life.

That was the mid/late-2000's.

first frame off the mirrorless rank

I was happy bumbling along my chosen photographic route until C19, shortly followed by various points of pain and/or decline in performance which started appearing ... in my body. Eyes, shoulders, elbows, back, knees.

In a fit of self-preservation, and to rescue what had become a necessary creative outlet, I eventually started casting around the Canon gear world, after hearing so much about this new mirrorless technology.

Merely handling new gear that photogs close to me had purchased made me feel disloyal. After all, the gear I had was working perfectly well*. Notwithstanding the fact that I sometimes could barely lift it to my eye without the assistance of a monopod or dead-rest.

* this even after a gut-wrenching outing detailed here.

Mirrorless equipment is significantly lighter than my old gear. It is also significantly costly for what was now considered a hobby instead of a serious side hustle.

After a sacrifice to the trade-in gods separated me from two camera bodies and three lenses (ie: ALL my gear except a delicious macro lens that was a birthday gift), followed by a blood-curdling assault on the credit card, resulted in a new commitment to the Canon R5II paired with a 100-500 rf lens.

Forsaking the well-loved and familiar for the strange after such a long relationship was a huge step. It took me a day to be brave enough to unbox it - although I did take the batteries out to get them charged on the same day I got them home.

Thankfully, I had received some helpful tips on getting the camera set up the way that made sense to me. But that's not to say that it wasn't a frustrating and painful process that left me questioning my decision.

It took me 2-3 weeks to start to feel somewhat confident with the new equipment, to make final tweaks, to the point that I was able to appreciate the incredible advances that technology has made since my original gear was birthed.

It often feels like it can read my mind!

While I'm delighted with the mirrorless body, I'm still struggling with the lens. Being limited to one lens, albeit a zoom, is a real challenge - one that's forcing my creativity to activate!

I know it'll take more practice to "see" the shots ... but if you aren't learning, you aren't living! Onwards!

Summer's Finally Over

2022-10-26T15:59:00.006-07:00

It has been a different summer in so many ways!

Spring took forever to arrive, struggling to break free of seemingly constant cool temperatures and dreary rains before mid-June.

Summer has been very un-BC-like ... sunny and dry for over 3 months until mid-October when the rains finally arrived. A true endless summer.

The sunshine and above-average temperatures literally cracked overnight, though. Within a week we went from 8-20C ranges, to barely above freezing ... bluebird days and sunshine to sleet and snow.

Now we've skipped ahead to late autumn, early winter!

McCullough Peaks Wild Horses - Cody, WY, USA

Due to health issues, I was forced to give up my equestrian event photography for two full seasons ... apparently for no real reason. Frustrating but ... what can you do when questions arise ... seek answers even if there aren't any to be had. Fingers crossed that I am able to get back into it for summer 2023.

American Bison, Yellowstone NP, USA

This summer we've been away on two road trips in our pop up truck camper ... in June an epic almost-5000km, three-week journey to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for a family reunion (with an awesome stop to see wild horses in Wyoming!), and again in September for a week of r&r on BC's Sunshine Coast.

Grand Teton National Park, USA

I am trying to document our travels using dashcam footage with varying success, creating vlogs with added photos and cell phone video, when they were available. More as a time-capsule to save our memories for ourselves and our family, than anything. The vlogs certainly don't have the look and feel that you find in other youtube travel vlogs. You're welcome to sample what's there and follow along, if you would like:

See To Sky

Wildfire Sunset - Lund, BC, Canada

In general, I feel that my photography has taken a step forward in recent months. Some of my work feels more (to me) like art than the simple documentation of what I see before me. See what you think by following my photography feeds on Facebook and Instagram.

Now that we're heading into winter, my "other" job is getting busier ... that's my advance excuse that this might be my last blog post for a while!

Meanwhile, stay safe, be kind ...

And see you next time!

Tanya

Personal Project Completed!

2022-05-04T13:03:00.001-07:00

Over the past few weeks I've been working on a project:

Making my photos from my 2012 trip to Canada's Arctic and Western Greenland into videos on youtube!

It has been a great learning process for me, and a wonderful re-experiencing of what was doubtless a trip of a lifetime!

Here's the link to the playlist - each episode will last about a cup of coffee!

Until next time, stay safe!

Tanya

Playing with Video (Sort Of!)

2022-03-24T15:35:00.001-07:00

Somewhere between Iqaluit and Resolute Bay

Having a lot of fun this winter, playing with video editing, creating video from images, adding music and captions ... who knows where it'll lead?!

For those who don't know, I have a fledgling Youtube channel called See To Sky. Click the link below to see my early efforts ... good for a giggle if nothing else!

My current project is re-energizing my experience aboard the Clipper Adventurer on an expedition voyage to the Canadian Arctic and Western Greenland in 2012.

Not only am I learning a lot about video editing, but I'm having a blast reliving the trip of a lifetime!

If you'd like to be notified of new additions, please subscribe and ding the bell!

Link to the See To Sky channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC46K4XreOqV9SK7amUsv6DA

Link to the (as yet incomplete) Expedition Voyage playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXGxtnfNXtekVoGha4KtSVDpBqKzsVgNK

Until next time, stay safe!

Tanya

Whistler Snow

2021-12-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, so snow in Whistler isn't exactly unusual ...

However, 2 feet of white gold in one event, in 2021, certainly are!

Here's a little video about it ...

I'm still climbing the very steep learning curve of my new-to-me Gopro Hero 3, so this all done on my phone.

This was just days ago ... and tonight ... another 20-35cm (according to the weatherman, assuming you believe him!) rolls in!

Stay safe & well in these Omicron times

Tanya

Steep Curves!

2021-12-05T17:14:00.002-08:00

Yes, those learning curves are steep!

This short break in the Waterton Lakes series caused by the need to upgrade computer horse-power for video processing! Who knew?!

That AND a new video editing program!

Click here to go to the video.

Have a great week, Everyone!

Tanya

Squamish Valley Fog

2021-11-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

Just a quick post ... driving past Tantalus Lookout a few days ago, noticed that the Squamish Valley was filled with fog!

Mini video here.

Bracing for the next two "atmospheric rivers" here in BC!

Until next time!

Tanya

Waterton & The Prince!

2021-11-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

While we didn't spend a great deal of time in the townsite because our mission was to explore Waterton Lakes National Park itself, we found that all things centre around this very pleasant village.

Here's my latest vlog about this part of our trip: The Town of Waterton & The Prince of Wales Hotel

We're deep into autumn now, with dreary grey days ... its so nice to look back on this sparkly sunny adventure (even though it wasn't particularly warm)!

Until next time!

Tanya

Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada

2021-10-28T05:47:00.002-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Latest on the vlog, thoughts about the Pincher Creek area - and what to watch out for!

Click here to watch.

I'd really appreciate it if you'd subscribe and thumbs-up! You just need to be logged in to your Google (same username/password you use for gmail) account.

Until next time, stay well!

Tanya