Random Bits

Photo Friday's Are Back!

2012-11-23T20:50:00.001-07:00

It's been far too long. But in addition to being back in school, I'm participating in the Photo Friday challenges with Conrad once again. It's good to be pushing the button again.

Photo Friday: Evening

The Peace Bridge crossing the Bow River in Calgary

I wasn't a big fan of this bridge when it was being built, but now that I've seen it for myself I actually like it a lot. I can see this being the subject and the backdrop for many photos in the future.

Photo Friday: At Play

I'm lucky to have a family that is very accomodating of my requests when it comes to photography. Some of my favorite photos are favorites not only because of the content, but also because of circumstances surrounding the shot. This is one of those photos.


Our Son, Alex.

This was a fun shot. It also doubled as a class project shot. Alex was standing on one side of the tipi shaped rope climber spinney thing and I was on the opposite side. While is was shooting Alex, Shannon was running around in the snow, spinning us around as fast as she could so I could blur out the background with motion. I thought it turned out pretty good and it seemed to be well received in class.

Photo Friday: Constructed

This was a concept that I had been thinking of for quite some time. When they were first introduced people were happy to get a company BlackBerry. But it didn't take too long for them to realize how much it tipped the scales of work-life balance in favor of the company.

I've seen it time and time again. It starts slowly at first. Emails coming in on the "shoulder hours" of the work day and usually containing a disclaimer like "FYI..." or "Don't worry about this until tomorrow, but...". The disclaimers soon fall away. Then the emails eventually become immediate in tone, often demanding a reply in short order. That's when it happened. The company now expects you to be available on short notice to answer; available day or night, weekday or weekend to answer to them. Where's the balance in that?

I took this opportunity to 'Construct' my work around the clock concept by shooting a single BlackBerry and building the clock around that image. After I was done I thought it would make a cool t-shirt, which you can check out here. Maybe you'll think it's cool enough to order one too!

Love or Money....?

2012-10-13T22:54:00.002-06:00

I came across a Youtube video that posed a simple question.... What do I desire? In this short video the author suggests a seemingly simple scenario. Do what you love... if not you'll be trapped doing what you hate only to get by so you can continue to go on doing what you hate. Seems stupidly obvious when you're on the outside looking in. Perhaps not so obvious when you're on the inside looking out.

This photo is demonstrative of at least two people doing what the love in one finite moment in time.

Paradise

2012-09-11T22:15:00.003-06:00

You can't always judge a book by its cover.

Maui

2012-09-06T21:01:00.003-06:00

It's kinda hard to take a crappy photo there.

Just sayin'.

Your Own Back Yard

2012-09-04T22:05:00.000-06:00

It's rare to act like a tourist in your own back yard. Sometimes you only see the 'cheese' in your local tourist attractions. Sometimes you need to eat the cheese.

A few weeks back my family and I spent a couple of days checking out the Drumheller valley in Southern Alberta. A very odd place with a lot of local history. Mostly known for dinosaurs and the Royal Tyrrell Museum the valley has a lot more to offer if you look hard enough.

This is a shot of Alix. She was our tour guide at the Atlas Coal Mine, the only mine left of 139 that were once in production in the valley. I recommend the shaft tour (no jokes here... really) - it was very cool and you'll be lucky if you get Alix as your guide.

Move Along People... Nothing to see here!

2012-06-04T12:55:00.000-06:00

Wow... it's been a while since I've been here. I don't really have anything noteworthy to contribute today, but as they say, use it or lose it. So, with that in mind, I thought I'd post one of my more popular photos.

That is all.

(my work here is done)

The Great White North - Well, Not Exactly.

2012-01-08T21:18:00.002-07:00

I did a motorcycle ride from Calgary to Canmore and back again today. Nice news at any time, but when you're riding a motorcycle into the Canadian Rocky
Mountains on January 8th it's pretty sweet!

I hooked up with Conrad at his place and we agreed to try to get to Canmore. The ultimate destination being The Grizzly Paw restaurant and microbrewery. If things didn't work out then we'd turn around and evaluate our options at the time. As it turned out, with the exception of a couple of wet spots in the shade (and a very ice packed parking lot at a gas station) the road conditions were bare and dry!

We saw some guys riding on the ice at Ghost Reservoir, and stopped to watch them make a few laps; would be fun to try some day! Other than that, we saw maybe three or four other bikes out on the roads.

The weather afforded us the chance to make it all the way to the Grizzly Paw for a beer and a bite. The snow started to fly as we made our exit from Canmore, but it wasn't long before we were kissed with sunshine as we hit the foothills.

View from the Grizzly Paw - Never seen the patio empty before!

All-in-all, it is was a fantastic start to the 2012 riding season!

Nikon D4 Is Here!

2012-01-07T00:03:00.001-07:00

Even better than imagined. A built in web server?!?! You gotta be kidding me! Can't wait till CES and hope to get my hands on this baby. Visit nikon.com for more amazing specs :)

D4 Launch at CES?

2012-01-05T18:48:00.001-07:00

So all of the chatter says that Nikon will launch the D4 at CES on Tuesday, January 10th in Las Vegas. If their booth size and location is any indication, chances are high it's true. By comparison, Nikon's tiny display was set up in a tiny conference room in a part of the convention center that I, along with all of the other attendee's, didn't even know existed! This year, their location is large and centrally located in the Central Hall.

According to a leaked document (which reportedly was dated January 10, 2012) that was briefly posted then promptly removed some specs include:

Lighter body
Native ISO range of 100 to 102,400
Expanded ISO range of 50 to 204,800
91,000 pixel metering sensor
Face detection (seems odd for a camera of this caliber)
Illuminated function buttons (I like this feature)
A plethora of video features
And supposedly NOT produced in Thailand - Japan perhaps?
Retail expected to be US$6,000

No word on frame rate, but it's expected to be around 11 fps, somewhat faster than the 9 fps rate of the D3S. A nice bump for us sport shooters!

There's a press event scheduled for tomorrow which may announce the new body. Here's hoping!

I'm hoping to get my hands on the camera in Vegas next week!!

Nikon D4 or D3ii or whatever they're calling it...

2011-12-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

Here we are in early December and, as the memories of last riding season on my new BMW R1200GS begin to fade, my attention is turning back to photography as my primary passion. While I have a lot of images and video I can process from last season, as well as lots of opportunity to shoot more events (hockey and basketball easily come to mind) I find that the cold weather usually brings desires for new equipment. While a new lens, such as a Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8, 135mm f2.0 DC, 85mm f1.4 G or even the AF-S 105mm Micro would likely cure the urge for new toys what I'm really waiting for is the next high end body from Nikon. Although I'm not sure why, as the price tag on such a beast is likely to fall somewhere between $5000 - $6000.

The release date of the next pro camera must be one of Nikon's best kept secrets these days. Nikon's recent history has demonstrated a new release every four years. The release of the D3S in 2007 would have suggested that the next upgrade be launched in 2011. I suppose the tsunami tragedy has taken it's toll on the majority of Japanese companies in one form or another, but Nikon's tight lips aren't helping matters much when it comes to wanting to know what's going on.

All of the usual sources are at a loss for info. The latest rumour (nikonrumours.com) is mere speculation that the D4 will be announced in January, with a release of March to coinside with Canon's launch of their next pro camera body, the EOS-1D X.

So, without a lack of a firm launch date I'll have to occupy my time with improving my techniques with my existing gear and quit thinking about that high end body... for now.

Summer's Over... I Must Have Blinked

2011-10-20T22:32:00.002-06:00

Hockey kept our family pretty busy through the winter. If I wasn't shooting something (Hockey, ringette or even diving) we were at the rink cheering on our Mustangs! But once the hockey season was over, it was time for spring break. and this year we were off to Las Vegas! The kids loved it!! Here's a picture of them having fun waiting while Mom and Dad were busy gambling away their education fund!

Then it was a quick trip to the UK to visit my Dad and his fantastic wife, Sandra. I need to spend more time with him. At 76, he's no spring chicken (Although he acts like a 15 year old some times :) If he reads this he'll likely give me hell for calling him old!!

Sharing a pint with my Dad - I'm the younger guy on the left!

It was a whirlwind trip, but it needed to be done and it was great to be back in England. I wish I had more time to get there more often. I missed London this time around, but 'I'll Be Back!'

I returned home from England and went straight into Lacrosse. Wow... it seems like only yesterday that I was swamped with coaching my son's lacrosse team and AC'ing my daughters team. Well, neither team won gold this year, so I must have sucked at it! That's ok, I got over it. Nobody died and nobody got (seriously) hurt.

The bike season got off to a great and very early start. April 22nd is where we picked up from last year (last season ended on November 5th). This was a cold ride, but it was cool to be back on the Sabre.


First ride of the season, April 22, 2011. You think a couple of shooters could come up with a better pose than that!

Little did I know that my long lived relationship with the Sabre was coming to an end. Well, actually I did know. Why wouldn't I? I was shopping for a new adventure bike. V-Strom, Veradero, Super Tenere (if you actually get one in Canada) and R1200GS were all in the sights. It didn't take long for the BMW to float to the top in all categories (except for price of course). Before you knew it, I was cutting deals online and jumping on a plane to Vancouver to pick up my bike from Pacific Motosports in Richmond, BC.

Me and Trixy in the showroom at Pacific Motosports.

It was a long and fantastic ride home from Vancouver to Calgary. I overnighted in Kelowna. I seriously thought about bringing Trixy into the room that night. That would have made for a great picture, but this is as close as I got.


Trixy had to stay outside for the night!

The second and final day of my journey home saw an amazing swing in temperatures from the mid-twenties in Sicamous to just over freezing at the Roger's Pass. Luckily I had the right gear for the conditions, although I would have been more comfortable if I had wired in the heated vest that Dave lent me for the trip.


Lunch on a patio at Sicamous

I should have done more research on different routes home. Had I known about the destination highways that I was missing out on I would have taken a much different route from Kelowna. The Vernon to Needles highway will forever be on my preferred routes list when I'm in that area - particularly on a bike. But, no matter how you slice it, you still only have a couple of ways over the Rockies, and for this trip I was wise to play it safe and come home the fastest route possible.

This gas station at Roger's Pass was put out of business by an avalanche that roared down the mountain on the opposite side of the valley.

It didn't take long for the Sabre to go. I mention to a co-worker that she was on the market and before you know it Kevin made arrangements to check her out. A quick spin (as quick as downtown rush hour traffic would allow) and Kevin was convinced that this was the bike for him.

Me and the Sabre the day she was delivered. Alex asked, "Dad, why are there purses on your bike?"

It wasn't long before I was riding back from Edmonton with Conrad after he picked up his new 2011 BMW R1200GS Triple Black bike. Before you knew it we were riding in places that I hadn't been for a long, long time. We headed out to Wiaporous one day for some fun (or not).

Since then I've learned that my bike falls down. Usually with lots of witnesses around, like at the Horizon's Unlimited rally in Nakusp in August, or most recently at a busy intersection in downtown Calgary. but one of the best ones was in the parking lot of a pub in Kamloops, BC.

As far as riding goes, this has been the best summer ever. It was just yesterday that I hit another milestone. I have ridden over 10000 km this season and am hoping to squeeze out a few more before the snow flies!

I also marked a second milestone that day. I patched my first tire and it actually worked!! It's a good feeling to know that I'm less dependent on others than I was the day before and am capable of repairing this sort of puncture on the side of the road.

And then the snow flew! I didn't fly in Calgary, but it was flying in the mountains. I spent a great afternoon on the bike, meeting up with Conrad at Bragg Creek and riding the Kananaskis loop one more time (actually the only time for the full loop this season). The day was marked with wicked cross winds that seemed to come at your from every direction, a headwind so strong that, for the first time, had me worried about Trixy's range, rain, snow and temperatures all over the place!


Another fantastic pose. October 30, 2011 in the Highwood pass. Highway 40 Kananaskis, AB, Canada

There was a low-lite where four idiots on crotch rockets passed us at a ridiculous rate of speed only to stop a few kilometers ahead of us. Then one of them almost crash into us as they were pulling back onto the road. We met up with them at gas station at Fortress Junction where they were looking to buy gloves. These idiots were barely dressed for summer riding in jeans, runners and summer riding jackets, but they were macho enough to blast through the mountains on overpowered bikes without any feeling in their extremities... go figure.

Karma has a way of settling scores and today was no different. A few kilometers after we left Kananaskis and were east bound on the Trans-Canada there were the crotch rocket pilots on the side of the road with the RCMP and a wildlife truck. The one that was pulling away as we passed didn't look very happy at all!

So there you have it... My riding season in a nutshell. Now summer's over... I must have blinked.

. .

2011-06-29T22:47:00.000-06:00

The largest building in Western Canada is being built in my home town and I've been to the very top! I was privileged to be invited to the construction site, so I don't want to overstep my bounds by publishing the circumstances of the invite itself or the name of my host.

Let me say that it was an exhilarating experience to be on the top of the highest structure around (excluding the near by Rocky Mountains of course). From the ride up to the 53rd floor int the skip (a construction elevator that travels up and down the outside of the building) and climbing the construction stairs the last few floors to get to get to the 58, to that moment when you set foot on the roof and witness the sprawling view. Incredible!

Welcome KTC Photography!

2010-12-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Conrad and the launch of KTC photography! Conrad has helped me on the last two tourney's that Halex Photo shot. He's a great shooter. Check out http://www.ktcphoto.com/ to find out what he can do for you!

Halex Photography goes online!

2010-12-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

Halex Photography is finally here!

Visit us online for all your imaging needs. Corporate, commercial, industrial, personal and sports photography serving Calgary and the regions of Central and Southern Alberta.

Visit us online at http://www.halexphoto.com/!

Christmas Wish List

2010-11-20T20:22:00.004-07:00

It's not as fun as going through the Sears Christmas Wish Book when you're nine years old, but it's going to have to do. In no particular order....

Casio EX-FC100WE Point and shoot camera - Futureshop - $130
Gaffer Tape - Black 2 inch - Camera Store - $35
Cameron Portable Background Stand kit - Camera Store - $249
Lightrein 10 x 24 muslin - Black - Camera store - $180 (need the above stand first)
Lightrein 10 x 24 muslin - White - Camera store - $180 (need the above stand first)
Panasonic ear buds - Source - $??
Thinktank Hydrophobia Flash 70-200 Camera Cover - Camera Store - $168.74
or
Kata E-702 Elements Cover - Camera Store - $60.00
Lowepro Photographers Gloves (Large) Hard to find - may be out of production - $40.00
Nikon SB-900 Flash - Camera Store - $479.99
MacBook Pro 15-inch 2.53 GHz i5 w/7200rpm drive - Apple - $2102.00
StoFen Omni Bounce For SB-600 (I need two of these) - Camera Store - $32.92
Lumiquest SoftBox III - Camera Store - $52.95
Nikon SC-28 Off-Shoe Sync Cable - Camera Store - $69.95
GoPro Camera 1080p - BestBuy - $349.99
GoPro Suction Cup Mount - BestBuy - $29.99
GoPro Handlebar Mount - BestBuy - $29.99
iPad 64GB with Wi-Fi + 3G (on Telus) - Apple - $879
OR
MacBook Air 1.4 GHz w/SuperDrive - Apple - $1328
The Moment it Clicks by Joe McNally - Chapters (in stock at Sunridge) -$39.59
The Hotshoe Diaries by Joe McNally - Chapters (in stock at Sunridge) - $31.67
LaCie 1TB Rugged XL Desktop USB 2.0 7200rpm External Hard Drive - Vistek - $149.95
Socks
Underwear
T-Shirts
Lotto tix
Battery Charger with Batteries - $87.00
Additional Batteries - $75.00

What A Weekend!

2010-11-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend at a seminar with Joe McNally. This was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed with respect to photography. Joe spent two very full, very fast paced days discussing lighting and setting up shots on stage and in the audience. The format of this session was relaxed and very open.

Joe would discuss the setup as he went and answer questions on the fly. He was always patient, polite, professional and very entertaining. Each scenario was built slowly and methodically with explanaitions along the way. Every shot (with the exception of a couple of long exposures) was projected live from the tethered D3x onto two large screens on either side of the stage and the results of virtually every frame were discussed. Problems were experienced and resolved live, sometimes with the help of the audience, sometimes with Joe's amazing creativity. I witnessed Joe build everything from outstanding portraits with a single light, to a paparazzi like scene with over a dozen Nikon SB-900s under his control - many of which were in the frame!

Here's a sample of the kind of shot that Joe built live on stage infront of hundreds of people. The dancer is Melissa Boniface of the Alberta Ballet.

Challenge #18: Dark

2010-11-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

This memorial was created in honor of local service men and women who have paid the ultimate price while serving our country. It's a touching tribute that should be experienced by all who have the opportunity.

It's overwhelming to imagine that each cross represents a life, a young life, that was never realized to it full potential because each one of them felt they must fight to preserve the freedoms that they held dear to their hearts and better the lives of those who desperately needed their help.

It's overwhelming to imaging the horrors of war that these people experienced and witnessed; the sudden finality of a violent death, or worse, being mortally wounded and left to die. Slowly. Painfully. Alone.

It's overwhelming to try and understand the impact that the death of each one of these people had on the lives of those who were close to them. The insufferable pain that their families must have felt when receiving the news that their loved one had been killed in the line of duty.

It's overwhelming to think of the opportunities that the world has lost because of the tragic deaths of so many people and many of their off-spring that will never exist. Great minds in science, medicine, the arts who will never have the chance to take us to new galaxies, show us how to cure cancer or entertain us with intricate concertos or spellbinding classics.

It's all so overwhelming to think of. So we don't but only for a brief moment or two once each year.

To all who have served in the past, all who currently serve and those who will follow in your footsteps, I thank you. And to those who, like Corporal Alexander Cameron, paid the ultimate price to preserve my rights and freedoms I am eternally grateful.

Motorcycles in November?

2010-11-08T22:31:00.001-07:00

Who'd of thought that I'd be riding into November?!? Without any significant snowfall or icy roads yet this fall the roads remain clear of sand and gravel. It was warm enough this weekend (about 14 degrees) to get out on the bike again. This time Conrad and I made our way east through the rolling (and very windy) prairie farmland and into Drumheller.

After a poor choice of roads, the need to double back 20km or so and a slightly tense moment revolving around the remaining amount of fuel left in one of our bikes we made our way into Drumheller, then doubled back to Wayne, AB. You have to cross 11 bridges within 6km to get to this strange little community nestled deep in a canyon. While the climate was a lot nicer than Drumheller, I don't think I could keep up with all of the excitement that Wayne has to offer.

Time Lapse

2010-11-06T20:21:00.000-06:00

Been wanting to try this for a while. I figured that today was as good a day as any, so here's my first time lapse movie. Compelling subject matter, I know, but what the hell....

What A Ride!

2010-10-20T23:10:00.000-06:00

Winter can come to Southern Alberta any time after September. Warm days in mid-October are a real treat. It took a bit of juggling, but when Conrad proposed one more ride over the Highwood pass it was too enticing to pass up. This brief video shows the beautiful weather we had for the ride, but it was clear that winter has arrived in Kananaskis.

Challenge #17: Unforgettable

2010-09-26T15:14:00.000-06:00

Had a chance to Ride the 40 this weekend and jumped at it. It was the first weekend when schedules and weather allowed. Actually, I have to thank my wife for making my schedule work. Shannon graciously offered to take our son to hockey so I could make this ride.

My timing couldn't have been better as the colors in Kananaskis were spectacular. And baring a couple of mishaps that could have turned out to be a whole lot worse, the ride was outstanding.

With that said, I present my challenge for unforgettable, a pseudo HDR shot that I've titled 'Where Bad Things Happen'.

Let's just say you had to be there to understand the title.

Challenge #16: Reflect

2010-09-26T15:03:00.002-06:00

I'm reflecting on what I should shoot for this.... Yes, it's late... yes it's over due... Stay tuned.

Challenge #15: Daybreak

2010-09-26T15:02:00.000-06:00

This one was shot near my house in the Nose Creek valley. My schedule and the weather have been working against me and this shot is two weeks overdue. But never the less, here it is.

I awoke last Saturday morning without an alarm shortly before sunrise. I could see some clouds in the dark sky to the east and thought I had better seize the day if I was to ever get this challenge done. I quickly packed up and headed out - it was cold, only a few degrees above freezing.

This is a three frame HDR shot (-2,0,+2) created with my Nikon 10-24 mm lens, which I really enjoy using. Having a 90+ degree field of view offers a lot more opportunity for making pictures.

Challenge #14: Round

2010-09-06T21:19:00.000-06:00

Another HDR shot. I used to drive past this place every morning on my commute to work. An interesting idea for old LP's, and it makes for an interesting shot.

I scanned the record labels and didn't see many artists that I knew. There were a couple of Disneyland labels on there that caught my eye. They seemed out of place to me for some reason.

Challenge #13: Warm

2010-09-06T21:12:00.000-06:00

I'm tardy completing this challenge. I wasn't terribly motivated over this one for some reason. It wasn't until we were invited out visit Conrad and his family at their campsite in Banff National Park that I was inspired. I was sitting in front of a campfire at the time so it wasn't much of a stretch. I tried a few different kinds of shots, including a couple of night shots that didn't work well, but I liked this one the best. It's simple, but it captures my boy having fun with fire in the forest.

This is a compilation of two images. The first image makes up much of the frame and was a pseudo-HDR shot. I liked the shot, but the fire was more dramatic in another shot, so I used a mask in Photoshop and brought the more interesting flames into the scene. A little perspective adjustment to remove most of the convergence created by the Nikon 10-24mm lens and that was that.