Images from the Backyard

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2020-03-13T12:59:32-06:00

Vermillion Lakes Sunrise, Banff National Park: ISO 400, 7mm, f/3.5, 1/1600

Took this image one morning last summer before all the tourists were awake. It was very peaceful. A summer storm was forecasted for later that morning. I was capturing the dramatic sky and the beginning of this storm.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2020-02-17T13:36:43-07:00

Sunset at Invermere: ISO 200, 11mm, f/5.6, 1/500

I took this at a roadside rest area between Radium and Invermere, British Columbia last summer. This is the area where you can usually spot the bighorn sheep eating along the roadside.

I was lucky to catch the break in the heavy cloud cover with the setting sun trying to breakthrough.

I took a lot of photos that evening and also took the time to soak in all the scenery.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2020-02-16T15:56:14-07:00

A Walk in the Woods (Revelstoke National Park): ISO 800, 15mm, f/5.0, 1/50

This is a picture from last fall. Taken the same day as the Stellar Jay in Revelstoke National Park posted earlier.

It was a great easy hike through the thick forest by way of a boardwalk. If not for the boardwalk you would almost think you were walking in a magical place with no civilization around.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-09-15T16:32:02-06:00

Steller's Jay Mt Revelstoke National Park: ISO 400, 85mm, f/6.3, 1/100

This beautiful jay was hoping we would feed it. We are happy to report that we obeyed park rules and did not feed the animals.

This was taken at the Big Cedar Boardwalk Trail at Mount Revelstoke National Park in British Columbia, Canada.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-08-11T19:13:25-06:00

Genetic Mutation: ISO 400, 170mm, f/4.0, 1/640

These are small flowers in our backyard garden. The majority of them are white with a pink interior. The odd one is all pink. Makes you think of the the saying, "Be Different."

Nature is full of surprises and wonders.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-08-09T14:57:22-06:00

Blue on Green: ISO 200, 87mm, f/4.0, 1/1600

This was taken at Elizabeth Hall Wetlands in Lethbridge, Alberta. A blue eyed dragon fly resting in the marsh.

Wind was blowing pretty good the day I took this. Hard to get a sharp photo.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-07-13T20:08:01-06:00

Iceland Poppy Close up: ISO 400, 190mm, f/4.0, 1/1250

We planted an Iceland Poppy in our backyard garden this spring. We had them in our garden in Red Deer and missed their colour and constant blooms.

The flowers on this new plant are much larger than we experienced in Red Deer. This bloom is about the size of a palm of a hand. I believe that is some sort of tiny bug on underneath the right side filaments.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-06-30T10:23:51-06:00

Taking Advantage of the Sun: ISO 200, 85mm, f/5.6, 1/250

Took this shot on a short hike at Marble Canyon located in Banff National Park late in May.

Caught this chipmunk in the distance and wasn't sure what it was until I zoomed in. The chipmunk was alive and breathing. Just taking advantage of the warm spring sun.

Guess animals love to sunbathe as well.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-06-29T11:51:25-06:00

Red Wing Blackbird: ISO 320, 210mm, f/4.0, 1/320

Spotted this Male Red Winged Blackbird at Elizabeth Hall Wetland Nature Reserve in Lethbridge, Alberta pretty easily as he was trying to catch my attention as I moved closer to the marsh.

He must have been protecting a nest nearby because he was causing a loud distraction.

A couple of females were also flying around. They were probably busy gathering food for their young.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-05-28T09:11:53-06:00

Pink Tulip: ISO 200, 90mm, f/4.0, 1/800

Spring is finally here in Southern Alberta. Our tulips are in full bloom and have survived our on again/off again spring.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-02-11T07:37:15-07:00

Snowy Cat Tails: ISO 12800, 81mm, f/5.6, 1/4000

We are experiencing a very long cold snap here in the "Great White North."

We had an unusually warm January but February has given us a bit of a shock with an extended period of negative double digit temperatures (in degree Celsius.)

News agencies are calling it a "Polar Vortex" but I am just calling it a typical Canadian winter.

This picture of a local pond was taken early December 2018 when it was warm enough to take a walk without risk of losing your fingers or nose and a fresh coat of snow had fallen. These cat tails are also waiting for spring and the warmer weather it promises.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2019-01-26T11:16:51-07:00

Calgary Zoo Chameleon: ISO 800, 150mm, f/5.6, 1/400

Yesterday was a nice day to talk a walk in the park. So took a morning stroll at the Calgary Zoo.

Couldn't resist taking a picture of this little guy checking out the spectators behind the glass.

I think he saw me.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2018-08-30T10:32:44-06:00

Seeking Shade: ISO 250, 102mm, f/4.5, 1/200

A photo of a frog seeking shade and waiting for food in my father's backyard pond.

I did not wait to see if that little bug on the stalk of the lily pad was frog food. It was hard to see with the naked eye.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2018-08-18T13:30:21-06:00

Feeding Butterfly: ISO 320, 175mm, f/5, 1/1250

The butterflies were out at my Dad's backyard garden in Ontario two weeks ago.

This particular butterfly was floating around these purple flowers from one of his hanging baskets. You can see his long tongue seeking food.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2018-08-15T19:49:53-06:00

Sleepy Panda at the Calgary Zoo: ISO 320, 200mm, f/5.6, 1/90

The Calgary Zoo recently became the new home of some Panda Bears.

We finally got to see them last month. I am not quite sure what all the excitement is about. They just seem to eat and sleep. But they do look quite cuddly!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2017-08-14T18:24:33-06:00

Back to the Future: ISO 200, 7mm, f/3.2, 1/8000

This past weekend Airdrie hosted a Show and Shine (August 12th, 2017).

Lots of vehicles to look at and admire. I am always drawn to the long lines of the older Cadillacs. Looks like this old beauty is ready for space travel.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2016-11-20T18:49:42-07:00

Hwy 40 View: ISO 200, 15mm, f/8, 1/125

I have always wanted to take a drive on Alberta's Highway 40 which passes through Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. I finally managed to do that while my parents came out to visit us this fall.

It was a beautiful day. This image was taken near the end of the drive as the sun was starting to come down in the west.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2016-07-23T10:00:06-06:00

Air Canada: ISO 200, 210mm, f/4.5, 1/2000

As mentioned in my previous post there is a man made marsh close to our home in Airdrie, Alberta. I was taking pictures of grebes and blackbirds that were looking after their young. I heard a plane that was headed in my direction and turned around to see a great opportunity.

We see a lot of airplanes as our skies in Airdrie are in Calgary Airport's flight path. I caught this Air Canada jet coming in for a landing as it was banking steeply and coming in low. Usually we only get to see the bottoms of the planes as they pass overhead. I got to get a quick snap of it's tail fin which shows the Red Maple Leaf of Air Canada.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2016-07-18T17:51:18-06:00

Juvenile Robin: ISO 200, 210mm, f/7.1, 1/500

There is a man made marsh in our neighbourhood park system. I went to snap some photos of blackbirds and waterfowl this afternoon.

One rule of photography is always look behind you to see what you are missing. I took a look behind me and this young Robin was checking me out atop of a fence post.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2016-04-30T09:49:47-06:00

Blackbird in the Rain: ISO 800, 210mm, f/9.0 1/320

Another photo from my hike in the rain along Airdrie's Nose Creek Park. A blackbird watching over the water during a light rain.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2016-04-25T17:48:50-06:00

Nose Creek Great Blue Heron and Duck: ISO 800, 210mm, f/7.1, 1/250

It has been awhile since I posted anything to my photo blog. Spring has come early to Airdrie, Alberta. The vegetation is turning green early. We have been in need of rain and it has finally fallen this past weekend and today.

I had to take a walk today and thought I would do some exploring along the banks of the Nose Creek. The waterfowl are out as well as this Great Blue Heron.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-09-20T09:30:02-06:00

Fading Summer Aspens: ISO 400, 36mm, f/8., 1/50

I took a some of my hiking and camera gear to the Bow Valley, west of Calgary, last week. Autumn is setting in a little early here this year.

As I was finishing my short hike of the Heart Mountain Trail the sun was setting and lighting up this stand of Aspens. I love shooting during the "Golden Hour" and have to get more often during this time.

I was going for an abstract image showing off the green turning to yellow. The way the sun is hitting the grasses in the lower left also gives the illusion of green grass turning to yellow.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-08-09T09:52:55-06:00

Downtown Calgary Hail Storm 2015: ISO 800, 15mm, f/5.6, 1/45

The wife and I went out for supper last night and we decided to be adventurous and try a new restaurant. The car I was driving took us to downtown Calgary. After supper we took a walk along Stephen Avenue, Eau Claire Market, Prince's Island Park and through Chinatown before heading back to the car.

We walked past a few of the Downtown Community Gardens that were set up for the local food banks. We were very sad when we saw what the August 4th Hail Storm did to these well intentioned gardens. As you can see there is basically nothing left of most of the plants.

Although we had a wonderful supper last night after seeing this damage both our stomachs were not feeling all that settled.

Downtown Calgary Hail Damaged Community Garden: ISO 800, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/45

Pulverized lettuce in one of the hail damaged Downtown Calgary Community Garden. It basically looks like mulch.

Prince's Island Park Hail Damaged Black Eyed Susie: ISO 320, 85mm, f/5.6, 1/30

These Black Eyed Susans were under trees in Prince's Island Park. They still suffered damaged from the August 4th Calgary hailstorm.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-07-26T17:51:02-06:00

Goose and the Clean Sheets: ISO 800, 50mm, f/4.5, 1/15

Our cats love the smell of clean sheets. They have to be the first to sleep on them. Makes changing the bed a real chore.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-07-25T09:51:56-06:00

Large Boulder: ISO 200, 29mm, f/6.3 1/60

I found the textures and colours on this rock to be interesting. It also looked out of place in the Alberta Badlands where I found it.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-06-21T12:03:45-06:00

Small Wild Flower, Big Hill Springs Provincial Park: ISO 500, 40mm, f/3.2, 1/500

Last week I decided to check out a provincial park that is close to where I live. Big Hill Springs Provincial Park is located north of Calgary between Cochrane and Airdrie.

It is a nice little hike through parkland and foothills. A large natural springs flows through the park. I was surprised by the abundance of wild flowers and birds singing. I will be returning to this nice oasis away from the big city.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-02-25T18:19:14-07:00

The Feast: ISO 640, 40mm, f/8.0 1/30

The Feast Part II - Cheers!!: ISO 640, 40mm, f/8.0, 1/80

It was a cold and snowy day today. I planned on playing with my camera and venture out today but it was too cold with windchill putting the temps at around -20 Celsius.

So, I broke out my newly purchased backgrounds and set up my lights. Then I grabbed a few Lego Mini Figures to practice my skills.

I was listening to Google Play Music service while I was setting up the King and his friend the pig. Led Zeppelin was playing “Your Time is Gonna Come” while I was setting up Part Two of the shot. Coincidence? Are the pigs going to get their revenge? Or are they just going to put a scare in the King?

Backgrounds are blank painting canvas that I purchased on sale at the local craft store. I used 2 sets of lights. Led Camera Video Lights and a small LED desk lamp. I also shot this in front of our patio door to let in some natural light.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-01-27T18:46:18-07:00

Red Panda: ISO 800, 130mm, f/5.0, 1/250

Another set of photos from my Calgary Zoo walk last week. My previous visits to the Calgary Zoo, these two Red Pandas were usually hiding or sleeping. Last week was a different story. Both were very active, one even showed off his climbing skills. I was impressed!

Red Panda in Tree: ISO 800, 150mm, f/5.0, 1/400

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-01-25T18:32:37-07:00

Watchful Wolf: ISO 800, 110mm, f/4.0, 1/250

We are currently experiencing spring like weather here in the Calgary area. I took advantage of a warm, overcast day and headed to the Calgary Zoo with my annual Membership pass. I figured if I was willing to go out and enjoy the fresh air, so would the animals at the Zoo. I will share more of my snaps in the coming days.

This wolf was pacing in her enclosure. I believe she was watching for elk in the next enclosure over.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2015-01-24T11:43:59-07:00

Downtown HBC: ISO 400, 12mm, f/4.5, 1/50

If I have any regular visitors left, I am sorry for my long absence. There have been a few changes in my life the last few months that has kept me away from photography and posting regular blog posts.

I believe now my life is back to some regular routines that I can update more regular now. Thanks for your patience.

The above photo was taken in downtown Calgary last fall. It is the outside “hallway” of the iconic Hudson’s Bay Store.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2014-05-10T10:00:11-06:00

Mothers Day: ISO 200, 70mm, f/4.6, 1/800

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend! This image shows the special relationship between mother and child.

This is also proof that spring is finally here. A mother mountain sheep keeping her infant close by at the Calgary Zoo. The baby sheep is showing off her leaping abilities by leaping as high she can. If the baby sheep could talk she would probably being saying to her mom, “Watch This! Watch This!”

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-12-11T20:02:15-07:00

Confederation Park Path: ISO 200,15mm, f/6.3, 1/400

Confederation Park Fall 2013: ISO 200, 19mm, f/7.1, 1/160

It has been a long while since I posted to my photo blog. This past October we put our Red Deer home up for sale and made a move south to Airdrie.

My photo journal will undergo some changes as my main theme was images from the backyard. Our new backyard is pretty tiny and undeveloped compared to our past home in Red Deer. I will have to venture away from the yard and explore new things in our new home. Perhaps pushing me out of my comfort zone and getting out into the “wild”.

The above images are from one of my last photo walks in Red Deer before our big move. As you can see it was a pretty spectacular one as the way the fall sun was hitting the leaves on my walk home. It is the end of another season but like always I am sure what is coming next will inspire me.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-09-02T20:04:34-06:00

Feeding Squirrel: ISO 800, 200mm, f/6.3, 1/160

Feeding Squirrel II: ISO 800, 149mm, f/6.3 1/125

Peering Squirrel: ISO 800, 159mm, f/6.3, 1/160

I filled our bird feeder earlier this week. The neighbourhood squirrels are feasting on the sunflower seeds and peanuts. There is a Blue Jay flying around the backyard waiting his turn and squeaking is displeasure that he has to wait.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-08-11T08:56:37-06:00

Delphinium Bokeh: ISO 800, 159mm, f/4.0, 1/4000

Delphinium Bokeh II: ISO 400, 145mm, f/4.0, 1/2000

I noticed this backlit delphinium in our garden late last month. I also noticed how the sun was hitting the large black patio umbrella in the background. Combine the two using a zoom lens and these are some of the results you get.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-07-21T09:55:46-06:00

Bat Hiding in Umbrella: ISO 800, 122mm, f/4.0, 1/125

I opened up one of our patio umbrellas yesterday afternoon and noticed this little bat hiding from the sun.

I didn’t have any True Blood to offer him!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-07-12T08:53:48-06:00

Chickadee Watching: ISO 200, 200mm, f/6.3, 1/1250

As I was waiting for the wrens to come back and feed their new additions to their family this chickadee perched right in front of me.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-07-06T11:15:10-06:00

Breakfast Time: ISO 200, 200mm, f/6.3, 1/1600

I set up a bunch of bird houses in our backyard a few years ago. Every year but the last a wren pair had used one of them to start a new family. This year I was losing hope that they would again not use a house . It seemed they were busy building a nest in the neighbours’ trees.

Last week the wrens were getting agitated whenever someone or something invaded our backyard. Watching the wrens revealed that they had set up a nest in the birdhouse I set up in our garage side garden.

I got this image by sitting down on the lawn waiting for the wren to take its usual path from the back fence to the bird house. As you can see by the picture the bug is almost as big as this small bird. I also took the shot mid morning so that the low sun would illuminate the garden and bird.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-05-02T09:10:04-06:00

Playful Waxwing: ISO 400, 140mm, f/8, 1/4000

Air Brakes: ISO 400, 400mm, f/8, 1/1600

Crows: ISO 400, 110mm, f/6.3, 1/500

I believe that spring might finally have arrived in Red Deer, Alberta! The snow is almost gone and the temperatures are finally starting to rise. It was a nice sunny day yesterday but there was still a nip of cold that you needed a jacket.

My camera has been collecting dust the last few months. I felt I needed to take it out for a walk and shake the cobwebs from the camera and the creative side of my brain.

I thought the best place for it was the Kerry Wood Nature Centre which is just a few paces from our backyard. I knew some of the migrating waterfowl should be there for a rest or, in the case of the grebes, their final destination.

As the afternoon went on, I started practicing my panning skills. Panning is trying to freeze a subject by following it with your camera. As I was using a long telephoto zoom this turned out to be quite difficult. If you zoomed in too close it was card to keep the fast moving birds in sight. Also a long zoom lens tends to be quite big and heavy. Yesterday afternoon turned out to be a workout both mentally and physically.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-03-28T12:15:26-06:00

Red Deer Easter Bunny: ISO 200, 24mm, f/5.6 1/400

The weather in Red Deer is finally warming up and starting to feel like spring. I took a walk yesterday to enjoy the sunshine.

With Easter around the corner I decided to walk by the Red Deer Public Transit terminal to take a shot of the Brick Bunny. As you can see he is trying to warm up from the long, cold winter. The snow should melt off his body in the next few days which would be in time for him to hide the Easter Eggs.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2013-02-09T19:07:37-07:00

Bottle of Coca Cola: ISO 800, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/50

Looking Down on a Bottle of Coke: ISO 800, 35mm, f/7.1, 1/30

To my regular visitors, I am sorry about the lack of updates recently. Work has taken over my life this past month.

I missed my camera and thought I would play around with my it to get my creative juices flowing again. The above two images are not the normal subject matter posted on my blog but I found this bottle interesting for a number of reasons. First, the signature Coca Cola shape. Second, the colours of the bottle itself and the iconic red.

Hopefully this is the start of my inspiration and getting me motivated to post more regularly.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-10-27T17:27:57-06:00

Chickadee Feeding: ISO 640, 140mm, f/5.6, 1/750

This is another shot from my previous post. Waiting for the Blue Jays to come to the feeder and tis small guy kept fluttering from the trees to the feeder.

That is a sunflower seed in his bill.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-10-13T08:34:33-06:00

Yellow Rumped Warbler: ISO 640, 360mm, f/5.6, 1/1000

It has been awhile since I last updated my journal. When I started this project I wanted to post at least once a week. It seems now I am lucky to post at least once a month. Life is racing by and I have little time for my passion of photography. I have to make a conscious effort to not let this happen. I have to remember why I love spending time with my cameras.

The above image is such an example of why I must make this time.

Last month (September) Blue Jays were coming to my backyard feeders carrying away food for fall. Blue Jays love to hide food almost anywhere including compost heaps, eavestroughs, planters etc. I grabbed my cameras and sat on the deck by the feeder waiting for these big birds to return for more food.

As I waited patiently I started snapping shots of the other birds playing in the backyard. First, it was the common house sparrows. Then a chickadee fluttered back and forth from the trees to the feeder. Then I noticed a moving patch of yellow in the apple tree. I quickly focused and got a shot of this bird.

When new birds come to the backyard I usually want to get reference pictures so that I can identify them later with my Peterson Field Guide. I don’t want to scare the bird so as you can see my zoom is out quite away (360mm). I am hand holding the camera as birds tend to move about rapidly. To get the fast shutter speed I have to turn the ISO up. The picture isn’t the sharpest under these conditions but I usually have enough good snap shots to be able to identify the new visitor.

From my research in the Peterson Field Guide and Google I came to the conclusion this was a Yellow Rumped Warbler. I posted this image on Flickr and had one of my contacts confirm that I identified this bird correctly.

I am excited by these new finds. I live within a 10 minute walk to downtown of a city with close to 92,000 people. The backyard is like an oasis in this busy city. I must take the time to stop and marvel at the sights and not let life get too busy for my passions.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-08-16T16:40:29-06:00

Hide and Seek Squirrel: ISO 250, 85mm, f/5.6, 1/180

Hide and Seek Squirrel II: ISO 250, 85mm, f/5.6, 1/180

I was cooking Sunday supper at the BBQ when I noticed something running back and forth along our garage wall. I turned around and this squirrel wanted to play Hide n’Seek or Peek-a-boo.

At the time I only had my iPhone in my pocket. I called into the house for Angela to grab the “Heavy Duty” camera. I thought I was too late as the squirrel had vanished.

A few minutes later he had come back to play his games with me.

Squirrel on old Wheel: ISO 250, 80mm, f/5.6, 1/60

The shot above you can see that the tail is out of focus. He was busy twitching it. Warning me that he was getting agitated with how close I was getting.

The squirrels in the neighbourhood are busy foraging for food. They have been chewing off branches of the neighbour’s Mountain Ash tree to get the berries. Today, I watched another one busy carrying pines cones along the neighbour’s fence.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-07-28T09:43:41-06:00

Orange Lily: ISO 200, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/800

Our neighbour over the last couple of years has given us lilies to plant in our garden. I guess they multiply rapidly and she doesn’t like to waste flowers. I believe she sees them as a major investment.

This year they have finally bloomed and there is an abundance of them. I cheated by adding a little Miracle Grow a few times.

This was taken a couple of evenings ago as the sun was setting. I was trying to capture the shadows of the stamen and carpel of the plant. See Mom, I paid attention in science class!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-07-19T19:46:41-06:00

Bowl of Raspberries: ISO 200, 35mm, f/3.5, 1/500

So far this summer we have had a couple of weeks of very warm weather. The raspberries in our backyard garden have ripened overnight. I picked these tonight and I could have filled another two containers this size.

After posting this entry I will be grabbing the ice cream. Bon Appetit!!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-07-15T08:38:49-06:00

Before and After: Peony Bud and Bloom

We have a few peony plants in our garden. We notice that ants seem to love the bud heads in early spring.

After doing some reading the peony and ant seem to have a symbiotic relationship. The peony bud produces nectar to attract ants. The ants are protective of food sources which in turn will keep other pests away. The end result is well feed ants and beautiful and huge peony blooms.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-07-04T12:18:19-06:00

Delphinium Sky: ISO 200, 15mm, F/8, 1/500

We are experiencing a lot of rain this spring/summer. Our gardens are growing fast with the July heat. These Delphiniums are almost as tall as me (6 Feet).

I thought I would try a different perspective using my wide angle lens. On my knees looking up to the big Alberta sky.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-06-23T09:02:33-06:00

African Daisy: ISO200, 35mm, f/4.0, 1/160

I took this shot of African Daisies (Osteospermums) a couple of evenings ago.

My mother in law was visiting from Vancouver and had asked me why my flower shots were getting better colours than hers. (She uses a little Canon Point and Shoot camera.) I informed her that the worst time to take pictures of flowers is when the sun is very bright and high in the sky. The best time for flower photography is when the sun is low or when it is overcast with clouds.

One can use polarizing filters during sunny days to help achieve better colours as well. With her point and shoot camera this might prove difficult.

So, as I was walking the garden with my camera she was following me with hers. At the time it was early evening and had a light cloud overhead. As she snapped her pictures she noticed the difference and seen what I was talking about.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-06-22T09:04:18-06:00

Ladybug and Ant: ISO 800, 35mm, f/7.1, 1/100

As promised another ladybug image to share.

This ladybug is sharing a peony bud with an ant. The ladybug was sitting perfectly still while the ant was probing this large creature with her antenna.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-06-10T10:30:19-06:00

Ladybug on Lupin (Bottoms Up): ISO 800, 35mm, f/5.0, 1/30

Angela pointed this opportunity out to me on on of her afternoon backyard garden walks.

Just like the previous image, I have used my Tokina 35mm 2.8 Macro lens to capture this close up of a Ladybug head first in a branch of Lupin leaves.

This year we seem to have an over abundance of ladybugs in our backyard. I will have more images to share.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-05-30T16:35:39-06:00

Ladybug on Leaf: ISO 800, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/4000

I was enjoying the spring sunshine one afternoon last week and noticed this lone ladybug checking out the leafy foliage of some of our perennials.

I used my Tokina 35mm f/2.8 macro lens to capture this image.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-05-22T21:23:41-06:00

House Sparrow fluffing up his feathers: ISO 200, 320mm, f/5.6, 1/1500

Sitting on the Fence: ISO 200, 320mm, f/5.6, 1/1500

Spring feels like it is finally here. The birds are out playing and enjoying the new foliage.

The above shots are of the same male house sparrow. Enjoying the sun while sitting on our fence.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-04-26T20:35:01-06:00

Half Eaten Tulips: ISO 200, 47mm, f/2.8, 1/500

This past winter the deers took a liking to our backyard. At first I thought this was pretty neat then I seen all the deer droppings.

I also noticed that the birds were no longer visiting our feeder. Even the magpies and crows were staying away.

I managed to get a shot of a deer at our bird feeder helping himself to the nice mixture of seeds and nuts early one morning. The quality is not the greatest. I was fresh out of bed and quickly set the camera settings to ISO 800 and shot with the lens wide open. I also had to shoot through our dirty back door window so that I would not startle the deer before he ran away.

This is why the birds have not been visiting. I will have to give the feeder a real good cleaning hoping to wash the deer smell off it!

As the snow started to melt and the spring flowers came up I noticed that they were also a tempting food source for our four legged friends as you can see by the picture above. I will not have many tulip pictures this spring as the deer have eaten most of them.

Deer at Bird Feeder: ISO 800, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/13

Tip: When taking photos of wildlife I have learned that it is best to take your shots early and then move in a step and take another shot. Keep doing this in a slow steady action until the subject “flees”.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-03-13T16:29:56-06:00

Birds: ISO 200, 53mm, f/4.5, 1/4000

A followup to my previous post.

This is where the flock of flying waxwings were headed. The neighbour’s Mountain Ash (Right Side of Picture) provides many tiny berries for a large quantity of birds to feed. I wonder how these tiny branches can handle the number of birds that perch on them.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-03-05T19:51:56-07:00

Formation Flying: ISO 200, 15mm, f/8.0, 1/2000

The bohemian waxwings came back to our yard this winter for another feeding. The sound this amount of birds make is surreal.

This is just a small bunch of the birds. Most of them were in the trees behind me feasting.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2012-02-19T10:44:48-07:00

Yellow Warbler: ISO 200, 200mm, f/8.0, 1/750

Waiting for spring to arrive. This yellow warbler was captured last spring at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre, Red Deer, Alberta during one of my nature walks.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-12-20T14:44:33-07:00

Face Off: iPhone 4 edited with Perfect Photo Suite 6

I have been in a bit of a rut lately when it comes to my photography. Not sure why. Kind of the same feeling I had when sitting down to write papers in University. You get this block in your head and are not sure where to start.

Some of the photography blogs that I read regularly suggest getting out of your comfort zone and shoot something different to get out of these ruts. I believe that I like nature photography because my subjects don't judge me. I feel comfortable knowing I am alone with nature and I can take all the time that I need to find shots that catch my eye.

This past weekend I took a baby step in getting out of my comfort zone. I went to a Western Hockey League hockey game and took some photos. Now, when I say baby steps what I mean is that I didn't take my "big" camera but instead pulled out my iPhone. No big lenses, no wondering which settings to use and not worrying what people might think I was doing. I actually had fun! This maybe the power I needed to get out of my rut.

I had pretty awesome seats to the Red Deer Rebels game. Front row right up against the glass. They were playing the Regina Pats. Our home team Rebels (Team in Black) won the game 2-1. These are a couple of shots from that game.

Neutral Zone: iPhone 4 edited with Perfect Photo Suite 6

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-12-17T09:23:58-07:00

Christmas in the Park: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

This was taken the same night as the previous image. This is facing west at the Red Deer City Hall gardens.

In the summer it is quite the sight with roses and perennials.

In the winter, the city covers the trees, bushes and shrubs with lights. People are always strolling the pathways to get a closer look.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-12-15T16:25:06-07:00

Christmas at Red Deer City Hall 2011

I love Christmas! The colour and and lights warm up our extraordinary cold and dark winters.

This was taken last night in downtown Red Deer with a simple pocket camera. The city decorates the City Hall Park and this rather large Christmas tree.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-10-30T17:08:22-06:00

Fall 2011: ISO 200, 90mm, f/8, 1/125

Fall is here. Time to put the outdoor gear away for winter hibernation.

This is a picture of rose leaves from our backyard garden. These add the traditional fall colours to our garden. Red, orange and yellow.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-09-25T16:47:46-06:00

Waiting Squirrel: ISO 200, 200mm, f/4, 1/180

We purchased a new bird feeder for the backyard. One of the disadvantages of this new feeder is that the squirrels can get into it. The advantage is that we are attracting many new birds to our backyard. I have seen nuthatches, blue jays, chickadees, sparrows, crows, and magpies all eat out of this feeder since it can store seed and nuts. The tube feeders that we have in place just attract the smaller birds such as the house sparrow, chickadee and finches because it can only hold small seed.

I took this photo of the squirrel eagerly waiting for me to leave after I had just refilled the feeder. He was even coaxing me to leave with his non-stop chatter! I left after I got this shot in the berry abundant mountain ash tree.

Another Alberta Blogger, Kathleen Moors, has squirrels visiting her feeder but noticed that she had a woodpecker come visit. She asked if she could use one of my photos that I have used here. I would like to thank her for sharing. Check out her site as she is a wonderful painter.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-09-16T09:59:10-06:00

Rained on Roses: ISO 200, 131mm, f/4, 1/1000

I find the best time to take photos of our garden flowers is early morning or late evening just as the sun is rising or falling. The problem with living in the northern climate of Red Deer, Alberta is the sun rises in the summer as early as 4:30AM and sets as late as 11:00PM. So, you have to be an early riser or a night owl.

I was up early enough to capture this shot of one of our rose bushes after a early morning rain with my Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L. I bought this lens for bird/wildlife photography but I am finding it well suited for close up floral shots as well.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-09-11T12:55:48-06:00

Mating Dance 1: ISO 200, 200mm, F/4, 1/1000

Mating Dance 2: ISO 200, 200mm, f/4, 1/1000

House Sparrows love our neighbourhood. They love the trees and the food everyone leaves out for them.

Watching them over the years you get used to their quirky behaviour. Once and awhile you will notice a male showing off to a female by keeping his chest low, wings down, and tail up going into some sort of dance that resembles an epileptic seizure. When I see it, I tell my wife the sparrows are "chicken dancing."

The camera doesn't quite capture it. I will have to carry my little Kodak Playsport around with me more often to try to capture video.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-08-18T12:52:17-06:00

Busy Bee: ISO 400, 35mm, f/4, 1/500

Things have been a little crazy at work so my photography hobby has taken a bit of a back seat. I feel like a bee. Always moving and feeling like my work is never done.

This was shot with my 35mm macro lens in my parent's backyard a few weeks ago.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-08-09T10:43:04-06:00

Duck out of Water: ISO 400, 140mm, f/4, 1/60

This is another shot I took while visiting family near Peterborough, Ontario. The ducks along the river banks of Peterborough are known for being pretty tame and not really afraid of people.

I did not bring my tripod. I was lucky to get a fairly sharp image while hand holding the camera at the 140mm focal length using a slow shutter speed of 1/60th of a second.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-07-28T11:05:28-06:00

Just returned from a trip from Ontario visiting family. My father and brother in law (who was visiting from South Africa) decided to go fishing at Youngs Point one night after supper. I went along with my camera.

Dad called me over to his fishing spot and told me that I had to check out the Great Blue Heron standing at the bottom of the dam. It was close to sunset so I had to set my ISO to 800 in order to get a fast shutter speed while using my telephoto lens.

Dad and my brother in law never caught a fish that night but while watching the Heron he had caught two. Looks like he had the better fishing spot picked out!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-07-07T16:55:05-06:00

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Pair of Theives: ISO 400, 163mm, f/4, 1/1500

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-07-07T09:13:21-06:00

Mine, All Mine: ISO 400, 163mm, f/4, 1/1000

We bought a new type of seed that supposedly attracts more types of birds to the feeder. The only problem is it that it is attracting Crows and Magpies which in turn scare away the smaller more colourful birds that I want to attract.

I was sitting on our deck and noticed a pair of Blue Jays (Not from Toronto) flying to the feeder to find some food. They are not so scared of the Magpies and Crows.

The Jays are kind of like dogs with their bones. They tend to hide their food for consumption later on. In the spring when cleaning out the eaves trough or replanting our planter boxes it is common to find peanuts hidden amongst the dirt/compost. Not sure how they remember where they hid it.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-06-25T11:16:15-06:00

Pine Siskin: ISO 800, 200mm, f/5.6, 1/125

I have placed Nyger seed feeder sacs in our crab apple tree in hopes of luring goldfinches. When I noticed these birds enjoying the seed I thought I finally attracted female goldfinches.

Turns out this is a Pine Siskin. They seem to be getting used to me as I was able to get quite close to them without scaring them off.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-06-12T13:36:06-06:00

All Roads Lead to the Centre: ISO 200, 200mm, f/5.6, 1/125

We have had plenty of rain the last 2 weeks. Our plants are loving it especially when the burst of heat comes.

This is leaves of a lupine waiting for the suns rays.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-06-03T20:37:33-06:00

Snake Charmer: ISO 125, 7mm, f/4, 1/100

The tulips have pretty much come and gone from our garden. Everything is a little late this year so most of our perennials are coming up at the same time. Can't keep up with the picture taking!

This was taken with a point and shoot camera. Looks like six "snakes" surrounding a single "charmer".

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-05-19T11:35:55-06:00

Morning Poppies: ISO 100, 6.1mm, f/4, 1/40

Our poppies are starting to bloom.

As you can see by this image there are plenty of "heads" that will flower on this plant. The last couple of years the house sparrows have been eating them so there hasn't been as many flowers. This year should be different.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-05-15T10:11:39-06:00

Common Loon: ISO 200, 380mm, f/8, 1/800

I went for a short walk from the house on Friday morning to the Kerry Wood Nature Centre. It is nice in a way that I can walk 10 minutes east and hit downtown Red Deer and 10 minutes north I can hit a nature sanctuary and feel as though I have left the city.

I moved to Alberta more than 15 years ago from Ontario, Canada. I spent most of my teenage/early adult life in "Cottage Country" where the loon is a common sight. The call of the loon is eerie and at the same time comforting. I was happy to see four Common Loons playing and calling to each other during my walk on the shores of the Gaetz Lakes in the Nature Centre. It was like I had walked home!

I was lucky enough to capture this one showing off.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-05-11T10:12:42-06:00

Spring Tulip: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/100

The weather is getting warmer now. The perennials are coming out of the ground.

Despite all the snow we have gotten this winter the ground is starting to get dry due to the lack of rain. I had just watered the beds this morning and taken this picture after the morning chore.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-05-05T12:12:37-06:00

White Spring Bouquet: ISO 200, 90mm, f/4, 1/3200

As mentioned yesterday we have a white version of the same flower posted previously. These white flowers with a blue strip are much more abundant in the flower bed under our crab apple tree.

This was shot using a dedicated Macro Lens.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-05-04T19:03:08-06:00

Sign of Spring: ISO 100, 90mm, f/2.8, 1/1000

Spring is finally here! These are the first of the flowers from our gardens to bloom from the long hard winter.

Not sure what these flowers are called. They are very tiny and come in blue or white. I took some pictures of the white flowers but since the last few images contained a lot of white snow thought I would stick to some colour!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-04-14T13:15:49-06:00

April Snow: ISO 100, 18.2mm, f/4.5, 1/400

The snow up until today had pretty much melted in our backyard. The tulips are starting to peak through the soil waiting to unleash their spring colours and this happens!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-03-26T08:50:46-06:00

Melting: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/200

Still lots of snow on the ground and on the roof of our house. The daylight sun is trying it's best to warm things up but it has a long way to go.

Click here to see the amount of snow we have at the end of March.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-03-12T19:31:31-07:00

The Invasion: ISO 320, 200mm, f/8, 1/90

On my way home from work today I noticed the neighbour's crab apple tree was covered with a blanket of Waxwings. I finished my drive home, parked the car in the garage, ran into the house, said hello to my wife, headed downstairs to grab the camera, said I will be back to my wife and then walked to the end of the alley to get some pics of the birds and tree.

I was able to get quite close to these birds. A passerby by said to me that he heard the birds get a little intoxicated by the fermented apples so maybe that is why they are not as skitish as usual.

Click here to see a larger version of this picture.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-03-10T12:19:28-07:00

In Like a Lion: ISO 400, 50mm, f/2.2, 1/60

I am hoping the old weather saying "in like a lion, out like a lion" rings true. The first half of March has seen extreme cold. So if the saying is true then we hopeflly can expect nice pleasant weather. However, checking things out on Wikipedia this saying doesn't hold any water.

This is a picture of our Maverick. It's the closest image I have of a fericious lion. Although he probably shares more similarities to a lamb.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-03-05T21:27:20-07:00

More Shadow Veins: ISO 200, 70mm, f/9.5, 1/2000

Fluffy White Clouds: ISO 200, 70mm, f/9.5, 1/2000

Still very cold here. My brain is in a freeze. I decided I needed to try to get out of my creative hibernation and point the camera upwards.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-02-23T17:15:24-07:00

Shadow Veins: ISO 80, 23mm, f/6.3, 1/1000

This shot was taken around noon today. As you can see by the long shadows the sun is still low in the southern horizon. It is abnormally cold for February.

This is the time of year I trim the branches of our apple trees. However, with the windchills in the -30 to -40 Celcius range I have not had the ambition to go out and prune.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-02-17T14:07:18-07:00

Bohemian Waxwing: ISO 200, 200mm, f/4, 1/1500

Stepped out of the house last weekend and was surprised to see a large flock of waxwings had come to visit the neighbour's berry laden mountain ash tree. The tree branches out over our crab apple tree.

I rushed back inside and grabbed my camera which had a short telephoto on it. I took some shots from just outside the back door of the house and then proceeded to walk slowly towards the birds hoping to get some "up close shots." From my past encounters with these birds I found them to be very skittish. But this time I was able to get fairly close. They must have been hungry.

The video is from a few weeks ago. These same type of birds had visited the trees a street over. They fly in huge flocks in search of food. The neighbourhood fills with the sounds of these beautiful birds and is a sight to see. Canadian winters do have its charms.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-02-08T20:40:14-07:00

Trying to Stay Warm: ISO 1600, 90mm, f/8, 1/200

It is very cold again and because of this I am not getting outside as much to snap pictures.

Our cats are strictly the indoor type and even they are noticing the house is cooler than usual. Here our youngest cat (About 6-7 months old) has discovered that after you take the clothes out of the dryer it is a pretty comfortable place to sit. Either that or he really likes the smell of our fabric softener (Green Meadows).

Instead of the dreaded red eye I got some funky green eye. My wife urged me to come in a hurry to snap the picture and I did not have time to find and install the flash soft box. I also had to point the flash at the cat because if I pointed it upwards to bounce off the ceiling the light would not reach inside the dryer.

A couple of days later all three cats were in the dryer together but I was not able to get to the camera in time. I might have to wear my camera 24/7.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-01-23T12:34:48-07:00

Warm Sunset: ISO 320, 170mm, f/5.6, 1/250

Some visitors did not like my last post. It was sad but that is how nature works. I had no hand in but just document what I see.

This is not a winter image but needed to show that with the bad comes good.

This is a lone house sparrow visting our backyard and the remaining raspberries and enjoying the warmth of a fall sunset.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-01-16T12:39:23-07:00

Harsh Reality of Winter: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/250

It has been cold here the last week. Minus 20 Celcius weather. I went outside to take pictures of the snow covered fences and vegetation this morning and I noticed this poor little guy on our sidewalk. There has been so much snow that we have been shovelling at least once a day. We might have buried the way to his home or his food source.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-01-11T11:44:09-07:00

Prevailing Winds: ISO 400, 70mm, f/6.7, 1/500

High winds this past weekend packed the new fallen snow down to make it pretty hard. This is the roof of our garage and it looks like the virginia creeper is holding the snow from sliding off the roof.

Click on the image to see a larger one and you can actually see the wind moving the snow on the roof and under the eaves.

PS: I finally got listed at coolphotoblogs.com. Please vote for my photo blog if you like what you see at the links below.

Vote for cbimages.ca at Coolphotoblogs.com

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-01-09T15:52:15-07:00

Winter Roses: ISO 400, 126mm, f/4.5, 1/1000

A winter storm is upon us. The snow shovel has gotten a work out.

This is our roses along the back wall of our house. The high winds have not taken the snow off them.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2011-01-08T08:04:56-07:00

Preparing for the Storm: ISO 400, 200mm, f/4, 1/350

Went for a walk at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre yesterday while the weather was still relatively warm (Just below 0 degrees ceclius).

This was the only bird I could get close enough to photograph during my hike but I could hear chickadees and waxwings playing in the woods. My lens just couldn't reach far enough to catch them. This Downy Woodpecker was busy searching for food. He must sense the winter storm the weather people are predicting for this weekend.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-12-30T09:57:04-07:00

Reflect and Learn: ISO 200, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/60

The new year is almost upon us. For some us we take this time to reflect on the year past and promise to make changes in the new one.

This image was taken in June 2010 at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. A place I still call home even though I currently live over 5,000 miles away.

To me this picture somes up what I do when a year ends. Reflect, learn and look forward to the promise of the future.

Happy New Year!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-12-19T12:43:34-07:00

Trouble: ISO 200, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/60

Christmas can almost be counted down on one hand now. Our newest family member, Goose, is experiencing his first Christmas. We weren't sure if we should put up the indoor Chrismtas tree as Goose is still very much a kitty.

We compromised and put up the tree but not very many decorations. As you can see from this picture that was a good choice. Goose likes shiny glass balls and we do find them on the floor from time to time. He is careful not to break them though.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-12-14T20:51:36-07:00

Christmas Tree Bokeh: ISO 400, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/15

Playing outside tonight with the camera. I shot this out of focus to achieve the "bokeh" effect on the lights.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-12-12T09:54:21-07:00

Frozen in Time: ISO 200, 15mm, f/4, 1/800

If you have been visiting this site regulary you might get the impression that things are very cold.

Even though it is winter and for the most part the temperatures are consistently below freezing the sun will come out and warm things up.

I was playing with my point and shot camera and noticed that the snow was slowly melting off our black roof. I was trying to catch the water droplets falling off the icicles.

One of the drawbacks of a point and shoot (Pocket Camera) is the delay from the time you press the button to when the actual picture is taken. I took a few shots and this is the best of them. I had to snap the picture before I even seen the water drops fall to the ground.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-12-05T10:41:47-07:00

Frosty Night: ISO 800, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/20

Frosty Leaves at Night: ISO 800, 35mm, f/2.8, 1/15

These were shot in the backyard Friday night. Both shots were handheld at a high using a high ISO.

Most of the trees in our area have this hoars frost on them. Makes the landscape look very cold.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-12-03T22:12:50-07:00

Lamp Post at Night: ISO 800, 35mm, f/4, 1/6

It's December and Christmas is coming up fast.

Our neighbours are finally catching the Holiday Spirit. Of the 16 houses on our block 5 of us have outdoor lights up. That is pretty high as the last few years it has been around 2-3 homes (including ours).

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-11-28T07:09:47-07:00

Mitsaya Canyon, Banff National Park: ISO 200, 18mm, f/8, 1/15

I have to make up for the spider picture. Got some complaints. ;)

Hope you enjoy this one more. Took this in October when we went to Banff National Park for the day. A few hours drive from the house.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-11-26T12:18:13-07:00

Tiny Spider on Bee Balm Leaf: ISO 200, 90mm, f/8, 1/750

A friend of mine in Australia posted an image of a white spider on her blog this week. I found it some what similar to this spider which I found in our garden this past July.

We live on opposite sides of the earth and have different climates and habitats, yet there are still some things we have in common.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-11-21T09:46:34-07:00

White Christmas: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/320

We have received a lot of snow this past week. We have also received January like temperatures (-20 degrees celcius). No worries about a white Christmas this year!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-11-16T12:32:46-07:00

Canadian Cactus: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/320

The snow has fallen. It looks like it will stay around for awhile. Sub zero temperatures all week. BBbbrrrrrrr!!

This is our small Mugo Pine covered with the fresh fallen snow. Kind of reminds me of a cactus.

Remember!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-11-10T22:19:17-07:00

Remember: ISO 200, 30mm, f/6.3, 1/15

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-11-09T11:56:57-07:00

Poppies: ISO 400, 250mm, f/4.5, 1/250

Remembrance Day is coming up. I have a few images I want to share this week in honour of this very important day.

Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote a poem called "In Flanders Fields." From this poem poppies have become a symbol of the sacrifices men and women have made during times of conflict.

The colour of the Remembrance Day poppy is significant as well. Red is a symbol of the bloodshed of trench warfare during World War I. In Canada, we wear the poppy close to our heart.

We grow poppies in our backyard garden and they alllow me to remember sacrifices whenever they bloom. These two images I am sharing today are identical. Top image is in colour and the bottom is in black and white.

It was interesting when I did some post processing work on the original image and discovered that the red colour turned to white, which is a symbol of peace, when converted to black and white.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-11-06T13:38:57-06:00

House Sparrow on the Fence: ISO 320, 240mm, f/4.5, 1/2000

My previous post I showed you the rose leaves on the ground. This post I will show you the ones still remaining on the bush.

It has been unseasonably warm here and the animals in our neighbourhood are taking full advantage of this. The house sparrows were playing in our backyard this morning paying me no attention.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-11-04T19:24:15-06:00

Rose Leaves on Concrete: ISO 100, 10mm, f/5.6, 1/80

I was walking to the garage this afternoon to dig out our outdoor Christmas decorations today and noticed that a few rose branches had fallen to the ground. They were showing off very autumn like colours (Red, Yellow, Gold).

I grabbed my camera and picked up some of these leaves and placed them in the sun. Since it is close to winter here our sun now tracks in the southern sky and does not cross directly above us. Because of this we get very long shadows this time of year. I wanted to show these shadows so I placed the leaves on a somewhat plain background.

The top picture is after some post processing work done with an Apple Aperture Plug-in that I have talked about before. The image directly below is the original image.

Rose Leaves on Concrete Original Image: Same setting as above

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-30T19:14:52-06:00

Halloween Scene: ISO 200, 28mm, f/6.7, 1/90

I took this shotback in late September when I photographed "The Chase" and "Falling Leaf."

There is an old cemetery on top of Michener Hill in Red Deer. I put this photo away knowing I would pull it out again for Halloween.

I did some post processing on this photo using a plug in for Apple's Aperture (Colour Efex Pro by NIK software). I used the Midnight filter to give this image a more eerie look.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-27T15:48:44-06:00

Cedar and Snow: ISO 200, 11mm, f/3.2, 1/160

We got some snow this week. It usually snows just in time for Halloween.

This is a macro of our cedar tree by our front entrance which faces north. Taken with a point and shoot set on manual settings.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-24T17:29:48-06:00

Fall Rose Leaves: ISO 400, 35mm, f/5, 1/100

My last post showed some bright colours of summer. This image is of some rose leaves changing to their fall colours.

For some reason when I transfer the image to my website it does not look as sharp as it does on my computer. Click on the image or HERE to see a sharper image.

I took this shot today on a very overcast sky without the use of flash.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-23T06:57:12-06:00

California Poppy: ISO 80, 6.2mm, f/2.8, 1/125

This summer I planted some California Poppy seeds in some of our beds. One patch managed to survive without being mistaken for weeds. I am posting this shot now as they have shown to be pretty resilient to the cold fall temperatures. They flowered up until a week ago when Angela finally trimmed them back for fall hibernation.

This was taken with a point and shoot camera. I set the camera to Macro Mode and it took care of the rest.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-20T08:26:29-06:00

Last Leaf: ISO 200, 50mm, f/5, 1/320

Our colourful apple tree has lost all of it's leaves. I am sharing with you a photo taken last week of a leaf that is not willing to let go.

What is really weird is that the neighbour's Mountain Ash and our crabapple tree that is below it still have many green leaves. The background of this photo is the Mountain Ash's green leaves and orange/red berries. The majority of the other trees on our block are barren. It's quite odd.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-13T18:57:22-06:00

American Robin with Autumn Leaves: ISO 400, 270mm, f/6.7, 1/180

American Robin: ISO 400, 270mm, f/6.7, 1/180

A sure sign of spring is when the Robins return to our yard.

Wait a minute, it's autumn!

We are still experiencing warm weather and it must be fooling the robins playing in our yard.

The parents may have returned with their spring babies to show them where they were born so that they will all return to us next spring.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-12T19:02:04-06:00

Frost Bitten: ISO 200, 50mm, f/2.5,1/100

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.

Stanley Horowitz

I have never done this before but I have seen users of Flickr add quotes to describe their pictures. I found one that that sums up my postings for the month of October.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-05T18:25:08-06:00

Up in Flames at Night: ISO 200, 24mm, f/5.6, 8.0s

I have read about painting your subjects with LED lights and wondered how hard is it to do. Well, I tried it the other night on our apple tree with all the different coloured leaves.

I set the camera on a tripod since I was playing with long exposures. The shutter stayed open for 8 seconds on this shot. In order for the camera to focus I had to shine my flashlight on a spot on the tree for the autofocus to find its mark. I also set the camera to take the shot 10 seconds after I pressed the shutter release. You can also use a remote or a cable shutter release (I don't have either for my Canon 40D) .

I set up my flash/strobe on a second tripod away from the camera and pointed it at the inside of a white umbrella. I thought that bouncing the light of the flash/strobe would illuminate the tree more effectively than directly pointing the flash/strobe at the tree.

I also warned my wife that if any neighbours come knocking on our door asking about crazy lights going off in the backyard it was me playing with the flashlight and camera.

Once I heard the shutter open (After the 10 Second delay) I then "painted" the tree with my LED Flashlight. After experimenting with a few different motions (Up/down, Side to Side) and different speeds I got a few shots I thought would work. It was hard to tell in the dark looking at the little screen on the back of the camera especially when my eyes were adjusting to brightness then darkness.

Before I started I had envisioned that it would isolate the apple tree from the distractions behind it (neighbour's motorhome, our white fence etc.) The finished project came pretty close to what I envisioned. I chose this one to show you.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-10-02T19:08:44-06:00

Up in Flames: ISO 100, 18mm, f/6.3, 1/50

Our apple tree surprised us this fall. We have never seen it have this much colour at the end of a season. It usually turns yellow and a little orange. This year most of the leaves have turned red. As you can see they are also hanging on to the branches a little longer so that we can admire her beauty.

I have my circular polarizer on to help saturate the colours in the leaves and sky.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-09-28T07:34:07-06:00

The Chase: ISO 400, 44mm, f/6.7, 1/125

Another "Indian Summer" image from Michener Hill in Red Deer. Two kids playing on their longboards on the steep trails of Michener Hill.

I was aware of the lens flare when I was composing this shot. I was using a lens hood but wanted to portray the warmth of the setting sun on this beautiful fall evening. Just the week before people in Red Deer had broke out their winter jackets to beat the cold weather we were experiencing. This week people are back in shorts and t-shirts.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-09-26T10:53:48-06:00

Falling Leaf: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/90

The leaves are changing colour and falling off the trees. We are experiencing an "Indian Summer" right now. Warm summer like temperatures and sunny skies.

This image was taken just before sunset at Michener Hill which is about 5 blocks from the house. This hill overlooks downtown and the river valley.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-09-21T19:54:50-06:00

Like Water off a Ducks Back: ISO 400, 190mm, f/6.7, 1/350

Fall is here. I have seen Canada Geese flying south for the winter.

I took this in August at Bower Ponds in Red Deer. These ducks are pretty tame and you can get pretty close to them. These two might already be headed south for the winter as this shiny pond will soon become a cold hard surface in a few months.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-09-18T20:05:34-06:00

Ying and Yang: ISO 100, 30.5mm, f/4.5, 1/320

We got our first real heavy frost of the fall on Friday morning. The garden took a beating. Only the strong survived.

I was surveying the damage and came across this Purple Ninebark leaf. These are purple during the summer but half of this leaf is green. No Photoshopping was done in the making of this image.

Nature is cruel but she also creates marvels.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-09-15T09:40:09-06:00

Fall: ISO 100, 8.1mm. f/4.5, 1/500

I'm guilty. I have not used my camera in a week. I pulled this image from a photo walk I did last fall in the town in which I work. I used my point and shoot as I left my heavy gear at home. I just wanted to enjoy the sights and sounds of fall and not worry about what lens I was going to use.

Currently, the weather has been full of rain and clouds. Luckily, the clouds are keeping in what little heat we have left from summer.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-09-09T09:40:11-06:00

Cattails and Ladybug: ISO 800, 400mm, f/6.7, 1/1500

Without the Ladybug would you know what this is an image of?

I took this shot in August when I did a photowalk at a local park in Red Deer, Alberta. Bower Ponds is about a 5 minute drive from my backyard.

The ladybug is not as sharp in focus as I would have liked but she was moving at a brisk pace. As I had my long telephoto lens on and no time to set up the tripod I had to turn up the ISO to get a fast enough shutter speed to capture her.

The ladybug is a small part of the photo in my opinion. I think my eyes are drawn more to the pattern of the cattail grass and the way the sun creates definition and shadows on their blades. The ladybug just puts things in perspective and gives you a hint of what the actual pattern is made up of.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-09-06T07:42:23-06:00

Purple Parachutes: ISO 400, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/60

Purple Parachutes II: ISO 400, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/60

We have a variety of clematis' in our yard. But this is the only one that seems to explode with flowers this summer.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-30T15:13:30-06:00

Fall Colours: ISO 400, 90mm, f/4.5, 1/640

Warm Fire: ISO 400, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/100

End of August already. Our not so hot summer is coming to a quick end it seems. I know the end is near when these flowers bloom in our garden. Nature's way of saying I need to dig up the potatoes.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-28T09:04:51-06:00

Zinnia and Mosquito Bokeh: ISO 400, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/500
Click on Image (Or Here) to see larger size.

Zinnia and Spider: ISO 400, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/125

Zinnia Close Up: ISO 400, 90mm, f/6.3, 1/100

Three shots of Zinnias. Took these during the golden hours just before sunset in our backyard.

I just want to make a point about backgrounds. The first two images are using natural backgrounds.

The Zinnia and Mosquito was shooting into the shadows of our potato and sunflower plants. The background is very undistacting and does not take away from the main subject.

The second one has our worn out picnic table as a background. The white background takes away from the flower by providing no real contrast. Then there is the edge where it cuts across the stem of the flower. The black along the bottom does provide nice contrast for the leaves of the plant. I could have easily moved the picnic table to get rid of the background but sometimes backgrounds can't be moved (ie: a House). I could have moved to the other side of the flower but I would have our deck as the background(Which can't be moved).

The last picture is the same flower as the Zinnia and Spider. I brought out my black Foam Board/ Foamcore to use as a backdrop. Like the first image, the background in undistracting and does not take away from the main subject.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-18T08:45:18-06:00

Mosquito on Ninebark Leaf: ISO 400, 90mm, f/8. 1/250

These little guys are in huge numbers this year. The amount of rain we got this summer is above average which provides the mosquito plenty of breeding grounds.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-17T18:01:45-06:00

Solar Seekers: ISO 80, 6.2mm, f/2.8, 1/500

Just like my previous post this was taken with a point and shoot compact camera set in Macro Mode. The camera did provide quite a nice bokeh effect in the distant tree.

I did some post processing work using Tiffen Dfx Software. Used a Warm Polarizer setting to deepen the blue sky.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-16T07:58:10-06:00

On Top Dragonfly: ISO 125, 6.2mm, f/2.8, 1/250

Dragonfly and Rose Leaves: ISO 125, 6.2mm, F/2.8, 1/500

Up Close Dragonfly: ISO 80, 6.2mm, f/2.8, 1/1250

Angela and I were preparing our supper on the Barbeque when I noticed this dragonfly flying around our one rosebush. Angela just happenned to have her Point and Shoot Compact camera outside because she was taking pictures of our cats.

I set her camera to macro mode and played around. If I had gone inside the house to grab my camera I probably would have lost track of this little guy.

Point and Shoots are great for macro photography. The small sensors capture the details nicely. For me the drawbacks are the camera chooses the settings and only shoots JPEGs.

Angela's camera does allow manual settings but by the time you change everything the shot is gone. When you set Angela's camera to Macro mode it fixes the Aperture to f/2.8 and the camera's processor figures out everything else.

When I shoot with my DSLR my cameras are set up to shoot in RAW instead of JPEG. RAW means that the camera has done very little processing work. When I import the RAW image to my computer it allows me to do the processing work as I would like to see it. If I do that too much to a JPEG you will notice image quality will decrease.

The very top shot you can see camera noise in the dragonfly's body and the rose leaves. I adjusted the exposure to bring out the details in the dragonfly as he was pretty dark in the original shot. With RAW I could have brought out more detail and colour without so much noise. However, if I used my camera I might not have gotten any of these shots at all.

To me Photography is all about catching the moment. You can only catch these moments with the camera you have with you.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-12T17:18:24-06:00

Poppies and Seed Head: ISO 200, 90mm, f/4, 1/90

Summer is coming to an end. Poppies are getting ready to spread their colour next year!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-11T10:27:01-06:00

Shovel at Sunrise: ISO 400, 50mm, f/6.3, 1/30

Took this a couple of mornings ago. Sun was over the horizon and breaking through our neighbour's trees.

This is a Virginia Creeper surrounding a shovel. We have been using the shovel to dig up fresh potatoes.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-09T14:34:28-06:00

3D Daisy: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/1000

Some things come easy. Flowers lined up perfectly in their planter with no help from me.

Seen it, took it!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-05T08:20:02-06:00

Moth and Mosquito: ISO 200, 90mm, f/8, 1/125

Moth on Spirea Flower: ISO 200, 90mm, f/8, 1/125

These images were taken the same day as the previous post. The sky was overcast which allows to camera to be able to get a more accurate reading on the colours. The highlights will not be blown out while trying to get detail in the shadows. To make a long explanation short; the best time to take pictures is on a overcast day when the sun isn't shining so bright.

I mentioned to my wife, Angela, last week that our flower gardens do not seem to attract butterflies. Then this week along comes this moth. I have not been able to identify it's name but there are a few of them in our garden.

The top picture you can make out a mosquito hanging out in the top right of the same flower the moth is on. The bottom macro shot looks much better when enlarged (Click Here to See it). The details are much clearer, especially the antenna. If you click on either picture it will take you to my Flickr set where more images of this moth can be found.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-08-03T19:08:00-06:00

Bee Still: ISO 200, 90mm, f/8, 1/60

Took a walk around our garden yesterday. The sky was pretty overcast with the odd break of sun shining through.

I came across this bee and she was pretty still except for once and awhile one of her legs would rise above her head. I think she was was waving at me to make sure I noticed and got some shots of her.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-07-29T11:59:19-06:00

Hidden Camera in Apple Tree: ISO 200, 90mm, f/8, 1/250

Kodak Playsport and Joby Gorillapod: ISO 200, 90mm, f/8, 1/350

Today I thought I would share with you how I captured the Baby Wren videos I posted earlier this month.

I had been on the look out for a durable point and shoot camera that could take Time Lapse photos and then along came the Kodak Playsport pocket, memory card, HD video recorder. Some of the other blogs I read regularly have talked about the video quality of this little pocket recorder and the low price. The camera is also waterproof up to 10 feet and supposedly shockproof (Which I will not test on purpose). However, it does not do the Time Lapse I had been after.

The only pocket camera I could find that did Time Lapse, was waterproof, and did HD Video had a considerably high price and only got average reviews for image and video quality. So, when a local store had the Kodak Playsport on sale and with an added bonus of a free spare battery I took the plunge.

The video from this camera is quite good in my opinion and easy to upload to YouTube. The only flaw I seen in my Wren videos was that I had the camera too close to the bird house and the focus isn't quite as sharp as it should be. Inside the crab apple tree, it was also quite dark as the tree is heavily leaved. But the end result was what I wanted. Watching the birds without causing too much stress on them and able to share this with my readers.

I attached the camera to a Joby Gorillapod that I had gotten a few years ago. I have used it before to give me a steady mount low to the ground for some macro shots with my regular camera and have used it to mount my flash/strobe off camera and attach it to the legs of my tripod. With the hidden camera I actually used the Gorillapod for what it is good at, attaching itself to tree branches, fence posts and anything else it can wrap its legs around and give your camera a unique point of view.

I attached the Gorillapod to one of the many branches in the tree faced the camera towards the bird house and then turned the camera on and went off to do other things. You have seen clips from the end result.

The only drawback to the Kodak Playsport is the battery life is pretty short. I got about 40 minutes of 720p recording out of full charged battery. So, I am glad I got the free spare battery with my purchase.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-07-25T18:26:50-06:00

Stigma, Style and Stamens: ISO 200, 90mm, f/9.5, 1/125

The height of summer is upon us. With the warmer temperatures our Lilies have decided to start blooming.

Not sure what type this is but the flowers hang almost facing down. I had to lie on my back to get this shot.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-07-22T09:40:31-06:00

The Simple Things in Life: ISO 80, 5.8mm, f/2.8, 1/400

Some days it's good to get back to basics and just pick up a camera and take pictures.

This was taken in our backyard a few weeks ago using a Canon point and shoot camera. Let the camera do all the math work and you just need to focus on the subject and compose the shot.

Air Traffic Control Needed

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-07-20T19:55:07-06:00

Air Traffic Control: ISO 400, 90mm, f/9.5, 1/350

Took this shot tonight. Bees were all over these flower collecting pollen.

Now that the birds are done nesting the telephoto is off the camera and the macro lens will be on for much of the summer.

Morning Sunrise

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-07-18T09:22:56-06:00

Morning Sunrise: ISO 800, 90mm, f/8, 1/125

Actually shot this last night so technically it is a evening twilight shot. A newly seeded daisy in our front garden.

Update to Coming Out

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-07-16T10:34:58-06:00

As promised, the video of a baby wren falling out of its nest. I am also posting below a shorter clip of the wren coming back and hanging on a leaf. The baby wrens have no real tail yet.

Coming Out

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-07-12T12:12:44-06:00

Baby on Bark: ISO 800, 90mm, f/19, 1/250

Gaining Strength: ISO 800, 90mm, f/8, 1/250

Peering Out: ISO 800, 90mm, f/8, 1/45

The backyard is very quiet now. The House Wrens have left the crabapple tree and our yard. I was very fortunate to have the day off when the babies left the nest. I am still processing the images and video!

The above shots were of two different babies. The first two photos are of the same bird. He/she was the first to literally fall out of the nest. The bottom picture is the second bird to fall out. I managed to video record the second baby falling out. I will upload here when I get a chance.

I ended up using my Tamron 90mm 2.8 Macro lens to get these shots. My zoom lens could not focus at the short distance I was able to get to the nest. My 35mm was not filling the frame and I would have to crop a lot of the shots. I forgot how versatile the 90mm is for not only macro but for all other shooting situations.

I also had to increase the camera ISO to 800. This was uncharted territory for my newest camera (Canon 40D). One of the reasons I hunted it down on Ebay was because it was to have good image quality and low noise at 800 ISO or less. I am very happy with the results. You can detect noise in the darker areas of the photos but the detail is still pretty good in my opinion. I hope you agree.

Pushing my Luck

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-07-05T18:34:05-06:00

Open Wide: ISO 400, 100mm, f/5.6, 1/30 (Same Settings for Both Pics)

Well the baby wren's are getting bigger. Parents are flying around looking for bugs to feed them every 5-10 minutes it seems.

The parents are very agitated when I peer into the apple tree to snap shots. I don't want to push my luck too much. I noticed my settings weren't the greatest on my camera. I didn't check them before I peered in. I should have set my aperture to around 8 or 11 but then I might have had to push up my ISO to get the faster shutter speed.

I bought a Kodak Playsport Video Recorder and have set it up to record the feedings. Video will follow shortly. From what I seen yesterday there is 3 baby birds in the house.

Update: Here is the Video Link. I adjust the camera at the beginning and the babies hear the rustle of the leaves and pop their beaks out real quick then Mom comes and makes her warning call. At the end of the clip she comes back and feeds the kids.

Happy Canada Day

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-06-30T19:48:03-06:00

Maple Leaves and Spruce Needles: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/500

July 1st is the day we celebrate the birth of our great nation.

I was going through my photographs to find something red but did not have much luck. I came across this shot I took a couple of weeks ago while visiting my parents in Ontario. When I was much younger the trees in our front yard were not very high. As I was admiring their height and realizing how long ago I left home, I noticed this sky and how the light was hitting the leaves on the maple tree. I snapped off a few shots.

So for Canada Day, I am not posting red but instead giving you a shot of Canadian maple leaves, spruce needles and a bright blue sky.

A Walk in the Park

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-06-29T18:30:21-06:00

Walk in the Park: ISO 200, 5.8mm, f/8, 1/100

Had to go to City Hall yesterday and pay property taxes. It is about a 10 minute walk from the house.

I took our point and shoot camera with me as it was pretty hot and didn't want the added weight of my DSLR and the added stress of not bringing along the right lense.

This park is on the way to downtown. If your eye follows the path you are looking into downtown Red Deer, Alberta.

Our Huge Poppies

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-06-28T18:52:15-06:00

Ornamental Poppies: ISO 400, 250mm, f/4.5, 1/250

Our gardens have exploded with colour. These are our large poppies. The flower is about the size of my hand.

Nothing Like Comfy Slippers

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-06-22T18:32:41-06:00

Lady Slippers: ISO 200, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/60

Just got back from a trip to Ontario, Canada visiting my parents. I was hoping while we were gone that I would not miss the annual Lady Slipper bloom under our front yard's cedar tree.

Every year we get more flowers. This year we have 7 flowers pop up. Last year we had 4.

Baby Jay

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-06-13T18:32:30-06:00

Baby Jay: ISO 400, 240mm, f/8, 1/1500

Proud Parent: ISO 400, 190mm, f/8, 1/500

I came home from work this evening and Angela told me we had company playing in our backyard.

We had from what we could see were three baby Blue Jays and the two proud parents. It seemed the babies were being taught to fly. The baby that was closest to the ground didn't seem to have the knack for flight yet. She needed some encouragement from her parents.

The bottom picture is of the protective parent keeping an eye on the situation from high above.

Reaching Out

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-06-10T18:25:53-06:00

Mother Nature's Hand: ISO 200, 90mm, f/10, 1/80

The rains have not let up for the last couple of days. I haven't taken my camera gear out as I do not have a rain jacket for them.

Here is a shot taken last week of a branch of our apple tree. It will have to do until the rains stop.

Centre of the Universe

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-06-08T08:07:08-06:00

Sun Shines Brightly: ISO 200, 90mm, f/6.3, 1/80

This is a macro shot of our crabapple tree blossoms.

The image reminds me of our brightly shinning sun with planets orbiting around it.

Apple Blossoms

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-05-26T17:57:19-06:00

Crabapple Bokeh: ISO 400, 270mm, f/8, 1/500

Skyward Apple Blossoms: ISO 100, 35mm, f/8, 1/400

Our two apple trees are blooming.

The crabapple has the nicest looking flowers of our two trees with the dark pink buds which open to reveal a light pink flower. The apple tree has the nicest tasting apples of the two. The buds from the apple tree are light pink which open up to a pure white bloom.

Gotcha!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-05-19T19:14:33-06:00

Cedar Waxwing in Apple Tree: ISO 400, 380mm, f/8, 1/350

Waxwing Drinking: ISO 400, 380mm, f/8, 1/350

At long last I caught Cedar Waxwings in our yard!

It has been an unusually dry spring here. The bird bath has been a key attraction in our yard. The Cedar Waxwings have been in the Mountin Ash eating berries still on the tree from last year and then coming down for a drink.

I have spotted them the last few days but I was always in the house and when I go outside they flee. This morning I was working in the gardens and I guess they got used to me not being a threat and I was able to get some quick shots off.

Ta Da....It's Magic!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-05-17T19:37:01-06:00

Plum Buds: ISO 200, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/250

Plum Flowers: ISO 400, 120mm, f/8, 1/90

A before and after picture to show the wonderful magic of spring! The same shrub shot 5 days apart.

What's for Supper?

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-05-12T09:07:46-06:00

Purple Finch: ISO 400, 400mm, f/8, 1/250

House Sparrow: ISO 400, 320mm, f/8, 1/180

The snow is gone from the yard. There is still some patches of snow in the region but the weather is finally warming again. The May Long Weekend is fast approaching and we should be able to say goodbye to winter for awhile.

The bird activity in the backyard is still pretty busy. Been watching the crows carry nest building materials to the neighbours pine tree. The sparrows and finches are busy feeding on whatever they can find.

Two nights ago I took the camera out to watch the House Sparrows forage for food on the ground. From the image above it looks like they are finding little bugs to eat. As the temperature at the time was in the mid teens the bugs were probably coming out of hiding to warm up.

As I was calling it a night I headed back to the house and spotted some Purple Finches high in the Mountain Ash tree feeding.

I wasn't sure the shots I took would turn out as I had the heavy zoom on and had to point it upwards through tree branches without a tripod. So I was fearful of blurry out of focus shots. I managed to get a few good images.

The top picture shows that the trees are finally starting to leaf. In a couple of weeks it will be nearly impossible to get this shot as I would have to shoot through leaves and branches.

May Blizzard

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-05-04T17:11:12-06:00

Sunbathing Tulips: ISO 200, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/500

The above photo was taken two evenings ago.

Snow Covered Tulips: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/100

The above photo was taken this evening.

Snow Garden: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/200

As you can see we got snow today. It never fails. At least this year the Ornamental Plum and Cherry Trees have not bloomed. We should still be able to enjoy them. Previous years they usually just started to bloom and the snow knocks off all the petals.

It's May!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-05-02T17:43:54-06:00

Sapsucker: ISO 400, 160mm, f/8, 1/350

Chickadee: ISO 400, 80mm, f/8, 1/500

Chickadee: ISO 400, 190mm, f/8, 1/250

House Sparrow: ISO 200, 250mm, f/8, 1/500

As mentioned in my previous post the birds are in abundance right now. They love playing and singing in our backyard. The finches and sparrows appear to be eating the flower buds on our Ornamental Flowering Plum and Japanese Cherry (I believe this is what the two shrubs are).

The top image is a Sapsucker/Woodpecker. I have yet to determine if it is a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker or a Red Naped Sapsucker. My guess is the Yellow Bellied variety as it does not appear to have the big red patch at the back of his neck. Both varieties are known to dwell in our area. Angela and I believe this is the same guy who pounds on the electrical pole outside our bedroom window in the early morning.

When I was composing the shot of the Sapsucker the chickadee flew right in front of me as if to see what I was doing. Maybe he was jealous as I was not taking his photo like I was the previous evenings. He flew so close that he got his wish and he quickly became the object of my affection.

The last picture is a female house sparrow on our Japanese Cherry. These are the most abundant birds that live and play in the backyard. She came out while I was cooking supper on the barbeque.

All these shots were taken today.

Birds, Birds, Birds

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-04-28T09:42:59-06:00

Chickadee: ISO 400, 150mm, f/8, 1/180

The last few days our backyard has been like an international airport. Bird traffic has been heavy. Spring is here and the birds are busy with mating, nesting and training the young.

Monday night I was feeding our pet turtle and noticed through the window a flock of waxwings in our trees. I had been waiting all winter for the waxwings to feed on the berries of the mountain ash high above our crab apple tree. They never came. When I finished feeding the turtle I grabbed the cameras and went outside to watch the birds. It was a rewarding night.

The Robins were out. I didn't manage to get a picture because they hid high on the mountain ash waiting til I departed.

The above photo is of a baby chickadee. He did more hoping from branch to branch than actual flying. Just like the baby wren from last summer, the chickadee hid in the thick brush. It was hard to get a clear shot through the many branches even though I was able to get close.

House Finch: ISO 400, 400mm, f/8, 1/250

The above photo is a House Finch. The birds have been feasting on our blooming shrubs. We are worried that they will all be eaten before they bloom.

Cedar Waxing: ISO 400, 260mm, f/8, 1/500

This is the reason why I ventured out. These waxwings travel in flocks. They come and go real fast. This one is on the look out in the mountain ash. Shortly after this photo this bird flew off with the flock to feed and play elsewhere.

One Year Anniversary

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-04-26T22:39:12-06:00

Neighbour's Fence: ISO 200, 135mm, f/8, 1/350

A year ago today I started this Photo Web Journal. I needed an outlet for my passion of photography. I didn't have much motivation for taking photos when they stayed on my hard drive collecting dust.

My very first post was a picture of our shared white picket fence with snow covered peaks. As you can see this fence isn't snow covered. Our neighbours had a fire that destroyed most of their home on Good Friday. This is a shot of their fence as seen from our backyard. You can see more of the story at their website www.rebuildtheanderosa.com

I want to thanks the many visitors that come to my website. An average month I get over 100 visits. Just under half of those visits come from the Red Deer area but I do get people stopping by from all over the world.

First Tulips

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-04-22T18:20:46-06:00

First Tulip: ISO 200, 35mm, f/3.2/1/1600

First Tulip Macro: ISO 200, 35mm, f/3.2, 1/3200

First Tulip Experiment: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/60

Our first bunch of Tulips bloomed!

We have been watering the gardens an abnormal amount this spring. The rains just aren't coming. The temperature has been warm and we have large bunches of tulips this year.

Should be a bumper crop of pictures!

Flight Path

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-04-19T14:34:29-06:00

Mallards in Flight: ISO 400, 290mm, f/11 1/500

I took a drive southeast of Red Deer last week scouting for photo opportunities. Currently migrating birds are visiting our area for a rest before they reach their final destinations to our north.

Ever since I moved to Alberta over 15 years ago I have always wanted to see Snow Geese. I thought this would be my lucky day as I seen a few white birds swimming in a small lake as I drove by. I quickly found a safe place to turn the car and headed back to where I spotted them.

As it turns out they were not Snow Geese. They were Tundra Swans. I had not seen a Tundra Swan before so all was not lost. The elusive Snow Goose still evades me. I wonder if they are related to the Abominable Snowman.

Tundra Swans: ISO 400, 400mm, f/11, 1/350

Messed Up

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-04-13T08:30:11-06:00

Poppy in Snow: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5, 1/250

I have been going through my photo library the last few days and have noticed some photos I have not shared. Well, okay there are a few thousand but only a few I deem worthy enough to share with you.

The weather here has been normal spring weather for Alberta, Canada. Warm weather one day and sub zero temperatures the next. However, we are currently experiencing a very dry spring. The local governments have declared drought in some regions.

The "Poppy in Snow" image was taken last May and cleary shows the spring weather we experience where I live.

Downtown Edmonton

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-04-09T08:12:36-06:00

Edmonton Skyline: ISO 100, 28mm, f/8, 1/500

Last week I had to drive to Edmonton for an appointment. Edmonton is an hour and a half drive north from Red Deer. You may have heard of Edmonton back in the 1980s when the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers were winning the Stanley Cup with a player by the name of Wayne Gretzky. Edmonton is also the Capital City of the Province of Alberta much to Calgary's displeasure.

This picture is taken from Edmonton's River Valley which is a dedicated Park System that runs along the North Saskatchewan River. We are looking up into downtown. The tallest building downtown is only 35 Storeys and is hiding behind the "Telus" building.

Hotel MacDonald: ISO 100, 53mm, f/8, 1/350

The Hotel MacDonald was built in 1912 and was named after Canada's First Prime Minister (Sir John A. MacDonald). It is like the other Railway Hotels that the Canadian National Railway built in the Chateau Style. In 1983 the City of Edmonton almost lost this historic building to demolition.

The Low Level Bridge was also Edmonton's first bridge across the North Saskatchewan River it was completed in 1900.

Ice Flow: ISO 320, 33mm, f/8, 1/180

As it is spring here the ice is slowing melting. Here is a picture of a chunk of ice floating East towards the Low Level Bridge. Good thing the Titanic was too big to sail along this river.

We Miss You

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-04-07T18:34:02-06:00

We lost a member of our family today, Merlin.

He loved our backyard more than anyone.

Happy Easter

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-04-01T19:57:22-06:00

Good Friday Cross: ISO 200, 35mm, f/6.3 1/1250

Easter Sunday Cross: ISO 200, 35mm, f/6.3, 1/800

I drive past this Ukranian Catholic Church a few times a week. It is about 8 blocks from our home. I keep saying to myself that I must stop and take a picture of the roof line. The church has a wooden shake roof and I find the crosses on top of the steeples quite unique.

Tonight I finally put thought to action! I stopped tonight as the sun was setting and the subject of the cross is fitting for an Easter Weekend journal entry.

Both of these images are taken within minutes of each other. One was taken looking West into the sun (Good Friday Cross) and the other taken looking East (Easter Sunday Cross).

People believe cameras take pictures. I see the camera as capturing light. How the light falls on a subject can drastically change the mood of your subject.

Hope you have a Happy Easter!

You Know You are Canadian When...

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-03-28T16:50:29-06:00

Two Geese: ISO 200, 263mm, f/5.6, 1/750

Morning on the Ice Flow: ISO 200, 263mm, F/5.6, 1/250

This is the last of the shots from last weekend. These Canadian Geese are in the Red Deer River.

Not sure how they do it as there is no warm down on their feet. I know if you or I were to attempt this we would be in the hospital getting treated for hypothermia and frostbite. This is their safe haven from predators. If anyone would get to close they would just launch themselves into the river and wait it out. BBbbbrrrrr!

On my drive home from work this evening I noticed the ice is almost gone. There are sections where it still might be 10 feet out from the shore. But on the most part the ice only remains where the sun doesn't shine on the river banks. I also noticed that the number of geese have diminished. They must have continued their journey north.

Testing the Ice

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-03-22T16:49:24-06:00

Testing the Ice: ISO 400, 263mm, f/5.6, 1/1500

This is another series of photos from my photo walk at Bower Ponds in Red Deer on Saturday morning. This Park is just across the river from downtown Red Deer. It is part of the park system that goes along the river valley throughout the city.

We have deer running the neighbourhood streets where I live but I never can get the camera out quick enough to prove it!

I am assumming this set of deer is a mother and two of her babies from last year. The pictures show that one is much larger than the other two. They came out of the woods to see what was going on in the river. They are on ice in the second picture.

Testing the Ice II: ISO 400, 168mm, f/4.5, 1/2000

I was using my 70-300mm zoom lens without a tripod to get these shots. This lens does not have image stabilization. It was early morning with cloud cover so I had to use a large aperture to let as much light in as possible. If I were to come across this again I would be carrying my tripod or at the very least my monopod to allow me to use a smaller aperture and get a sharper image.

Close Encounter: ISO 400, 190mm, f/4.5 1/180

Mom, while on the river, heard this man walking on the trail. She is leading the other two who are not far behind across the trail into the much denser brush. I tried to follow them but they were much too fast or real good at playing hide and seek.

Returning Home

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-03-21T07:07:35-06:00

Flight: ISO 200, 81mm, f/4.5, 1/1000

The Canada Geese have returned to Canada from their vacation trip down to the USA. Like all Canadians, the geese like the warmer weather the USA has to offer in the winter.

The Chase: ISO 200, 149mm, f/4.5. 1/500

As my previous post has mentioned there still is ice on most of the ponds and lakes in the area I live. The Red Deer River is just starting to break up were the current is the strongest. During my early morning photo walk I found these geese waiting for the morning sun to warm them on the Bower Ponds' frozen surface. Canada Geese are monogomous. They don't like to share and the pair in this picture must not like the third wheel because whenever she became too close they would give chase.

Tooth Sharpener

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-03-20T17:34:53-06:00

Beaver Stump: ISO 100, 35mm, f/8, 1/40

Went for a photo walk this morning at Red Deer's Bower Ponds. As I was driving home from work last night I seen that Canada Geese had arrived. A sure sign that spring is coming! I thought I could get some good pictures of the geese on the remaining ice on the ponds and river. The only water that isn't frozen is a narrow path going down the centre of the Red Deer River where the current is strong.

I came across this along the river bank looking for photo opportunities of geese. I didn't see any beaver but the shavings look fairly recent. A beaver's teeth never stop growing so that they don't wear down as they constantly gnaw on wood for food and protection.

I will post more images of my photo walk at Bower Ponds in the days ahead. Keep checking back!

Early Spring?

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-03-07T09:58:18-07:00

March 7 Tulips: ISO 200, 35mm, f/9, 1/25

March 7 Backyard: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/640

As promised I bring you our tulips breaking earth during an Alberta, Canada winter. These photos were taken this morning with a temperature of minus 7 degrees Celcius. That’s right it was well below freezing. Not a chance of Frost; a 100% guarantee of frost!

As you can see by the backyard picture there is still snow on 90% of our yard. In places it is over 6 inches deep! Mid day temperatures have been reaching the plus 5 to 9 range.

The tulips are in a garden along the back wall of our house. The back of the house faces south and catches the sun all afternoon. So the tulip bulbs are feeling the warmth and thinking it is time to come out and show their colours!

PS: They are calling for more snow early this week!

More Kerry Wood Nature Centre

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-03-06T12:00:17-07:00

ISO 200, 90mm, f/4.5, 1/180

This is another photo from my late January photo walk at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre in Red Deer, Alberta.

Red Berry

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-03-02T16:55:28-07:00

Red Berry: ISO 200, 90mm, F/3.5, 1/125

Warm weather is coming which is not good. We have some tulips that are starting to break earth. I will take pictures of those next chance I get. There is still lots of snow on the ground and I am sure Mother Nature has more on the way.

As Requested...

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-02-26T11:05:14-07:00

Branching Out: ISO 200, 90mm, F5.6, 1/500

Frosty Ladder: ISO 200, 90mm, F4, 1/1000

Grass and Trunk: ISO 100, 108mm, f5, 1/80

One of my regular visitors requested more pictures of my cold nature walk. I guess it is pretty warm down under and this helps cool things off.

These 3 pictures are of my nature walk a few weeks ago at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre. A pretty foggy day which provided great images of Hoar Frost.

Nature Walk

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-02-23T17:06:54-07:00

Three Trees: ISO 200, 90mm, F5.6, 1/350

The amount of fog and Hoar’s Frost we have received this winter has to be a record. Mother Nature has thrown some more fog on us the last few days.

This shot was taken at the end of January. I took a drive to the bottom of the hill on which we live and visited the Kerry Wood Nature Centre. I have heard a lot of this place and yet have never visited. Like today, there was lots of moisture in the cold air causing a heavy coating of Hoar’s Frost.

Also with the heavy fog there is no way for the sun to cast any shadows. This was taken around 1:00 PM. It was like I was taking pictures in a giant soft box.

This image has not been converted to black and white.

Not my Best Work

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-02-20T08:59:49-07:00

White Breasted Nuthatch: ISO 200, 238mm, f5.6, 1/400

I came home from work on Thursday evening and noticed the birds playing when I retrieved our mail. I quickly ran to the house to grab my camera with the telephoto zoom lens attached and tried to take pictures of the fast moving chickadees. Then I noticed this White Breasted Nuthatch looking for food in the neighbour’s tree.

Like the squirrel picture posted earlier this month the nuthatch wasn’t co-operating either. He just wouldn’t come into the warm evening sun. So, I was shooting into the shadows. This was the best of a few shots I took and with some editing I was able to bring out some detail but not as much as I would have liked. I like his pose in this image I just wished he felt more secure with me around and had come out into the sun.

This Journal Entry Brought to You by:

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-02-17T13:51:46-07:00

Coca Cola Float: ISO 800, 50mm, f2, 1/90

The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are on if you do not already know. I have to show my patriotism in this post. Canada has finally won Gold Medals on Canadian soil. As of this journal entry we have won 2 Gold Medals.

Canada has hosted 3 Olympics now and this is the first time we have acquired gold on our own turf. Previously we have hosted the summer Olympics of 76 in Montreal and the winter Olympics of 1988 in Calgary.

I posted images previously of the Olympic Torch Relay that ran through the town in which I work. I thought it was time to post another one. This is the Coca Cola float. Not sure how much money they put up to become involved in these winter games but I do know I haven’t seen a penny to sponsor my website!

Happy Valentines Day

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-02-14T11:53:42-07:00

Happy Valentines Day to all my Readers!

Waiting for the Fog to Lift

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-02-09T09:25:41-07:00

Winter Squirrel: ISO 500, 190mm, f4.5, 1/250

I took this shot of a squirrel in the middle of January when it was still pretty warm out. The noise in this image is pretty high even after a bit of tweaking. I had to use a high ISO in order to get a quick shutter speed for the subject and the focal length. Noise is better than blurry in my opinion.

I was shooting under our big pine tree and looking up to this noisy squirrel sitting in the shade. As you can see in the upper right hand corner the sun was trying to illuminate the subject but it just didn’t have enough reach to touch him.

Currently, a fog has settled in again bringing damp, cold weather. The type of weather in which you really have no desire to leave the house. Not only is there fog outside there is also fog inside my head. Like the previous post I am still suffering from the “Winter Blahs” and am hoping this fog will lift soon.

Winter Blahs

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-02-02T16:47:59-07:00

Pink Tulip and Columbine: 90mm, F5, 1/500

Well, it is Groundhog Day today. This is North America’s tradition to see how much longer winter will last. It is not very scientific. If the groundhog sees his shadow we have six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, winter will end soon.

The Albertan Groundhog, Balzac Billy, didn’t see his shadow. http://bit.ly/aAb48b Could Alberta be so lucky? An early end to winter.... Stay tuned.

Falling Stars

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-28T08:41:40-07:00

ISO 100, Focal Length 90mm, F4.5, Shutter Speed 1/45

The snow has stopped falling but the temperatures have not. Winter is officially back...just in time for the Olympics.

This is a macro shot of a cluster of dead rose blooms shot a couple of weeks ago when the hoar frost was heavy.

Let it Snow. Some More.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-25T11:52:45-07:00

Snow Fall: ISO 200, Focal Length 35mm, f/4, Shutter Speed 1/750

The snow is falling once again. Just a few flakes at a time. No need to worry about snow banks up to the knees or anything. I tried to capture the snow falling with this image and that is why the background is out of focus (Yes, I did this on purpose.). It is hard to focus on tiny little moving snowflakes!

Out of the Fog

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-21T16:10:12-07:00

A fog rolled in last night and continued into this morning. I took this picture late this morning. The camera actually captured the fog when taking a macro shot of a rose branch creating a dreamy effect.

Fog in winter here means things get a good coating of frost. Just like the previous pictures posted around Christmas and New Year.

Hanging Out

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-19T11:15:55-07:00

With the warm weather the birds become more active. This shot came because as I was doing a walk around the house last week and I swear I seen an owl high in the neighbour’s tree. I did not have my camera with me so I had to run to the house and get the camera and attach my 70-300mm zoom lens.

By the time I got back to the tree the owl was gone and replaced by a noisy squirrel. So, as the saying goes your best camera is the one you always have with you. I didn’t even have my cell phone with me at that time. Massive fail!

I did manage to get a few nuthatch and chickadee pictures when it was all said and done. I also got a couple of noisy squirrel pictures as well.

No More Playing in the Water

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-18T18:16:42-07:00

Our rain barrel has provided some interesting images the past week. Here is the latest image that I took yesterday afternoon. Temperatures are returning to normal. It is still a little on the warm side but no one is complaining.

Feeling Olympic

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-15T21:00:31-07:00

The Winter Olympics are being held in Vancouver this February. The torch is crossing the country and has finally come to Alberta. It arrived in Sylvan Lake, Alberta at around 5:30 PM this evening. I believe it heads to Calgary tomorrow which if you recall hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988.

I know this isn’t in my backyard but still wanted to share this with you as this isn’t something you would see on a regular basis. I threw in a bonus tonight as well. Fireworks capped off the Torch Relay festivities and I included a picture since everyone loves a good fireworks show!

Playing in the Water

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-13T18:19:23-07:00

Okay, now I am worried Mother Nature is teasing us with warm weather making us think winter is over and spring is finally here. She is such the cruel jokester!

I wanted to play with water today. I heard the birds all around but they were high in the trees enjoying the warm sun where my zoom couldn’t reach them. So, I thought I would try water droplet shots and long smooth flowing water shots. I actually moved out of Av mode and into Tv mode. Talk about getting out of my comfort zone. I still think I need more practice and next time use my tripod.

Slowly but Surely

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-12T09:44:11-07:00

The melting continues. The last couple of days the temperature is staying above freezing throughout the night.

The After Shot

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-11T18:32:19-07:00

What a difference a few days make! Warm temperatures moved in (10C) and snow is moving out.

Take a Load Off

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-09T17:32:05-07:00

Here is a pretty good image on the amount of snow we have received so far this winter. Should start melting slowly now. A chinook has arrived and is expected to stay above O degree C for most of the week.

Still Snowing...

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-06T15:21:06-07:00

We have a pile of snow this year and it doesn’t look like it will be melting any time soon... I am actually running out of room to put it when I shovel the sidewalk and driveway.

This is a macro of a pile of snow on our driveway lamppost. You can see the neighbour’s fence in the background.

Happy New Year!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2010-01-01T05:49:34-07:00

Wishing all of you peace and fortune for the new year and new decade.

My wife Angela took this shot earlier this week. All that white on the background trees is the heavy hoar frost.

Heavy Dusting

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-30T08:02:15-07:00

Another picture from yesterday’s heavy hoar frost. Taken before the sun has fully risen. The foreground branches are illuminated by the streetlight.

Winter Wonderland

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-29T09:18:51-07:00

This is our backyard at sunrise this morning. There is a lot of moisture in the air and the results are breathtaking. Everything has a coating of frost. Even the clothesline.

One breath of wind and it all comes down.

Beautiful Day Yesterday

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-26T08:12:11-07:00

Merry Christmas to all!

Yesterday was a beautiful day in so many ways. Woke up to Santa’s presents and Mother Nature’s present of a nice covering of Hoar Frost.

This was taken in the front yard looking up at the trees that create a canopy over our street. Not a cloud in the sky so the sun was catching the hoar frost on the trees. A slight wind was brushing the frost off causing it to fall to the ground.

Jingle Bells

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-24T06:32:21-07:00

Are those Santa’s sleigh bells?

Oh Look! Another Frost Picture.

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-13T12:54:06-07:00

This is another image I took back on the 12th. It’s too cold to go out now to take new ones! Minus 30 Celsius then add the windchill factor.

This was a rose. Now it looks like something right out of a science fiction movie. Where is Sigourney Weaver when you need her?

Reminds me of our Kitchen Table

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-11T05:48:00-07:00

Well, I guess we will not be having a picnic in our backyard anytime soon. Not that we will want to when it has been averaging -15 C all week.

The title of the journal entry might be confusing unless I explain it here. Our kitchen table is the closest “drop off point” to our back door (The most used entrance to the house). After the accumulation of mail, flyers and my camera/lenses the table almost becomes unusable for its real true purpose.

I think the shadows on the ground look like some people are using the picnic table despite the snow. One is sitting on the right side and another is standing on the left. Maybe we have ghosts that cast shadows in our backyard.

Crown of Frost

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-10T08:20:12-07:00

Another image from earlier this week. Frost on a rose branch.

Lights, Camera, Cold

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-07T16:08:49-07:00

Two Journal entries in one day! More -30 C images. Took this before the lights came on. Didn’t want the photo opportunity to melt.

Frosty

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-07T15:54:37-07:00

Minus 30 Celsius today! Leaves are trying to keep warm by covering themselves with a frosty blanket.

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Winter

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-12-04T17:00:30-07:00

Big snow storm today. Looks like winter if officially here.

Christmas is Near

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-11-29T17:30:34-07:00

We finally got some snow. But it almost melted away today. Now it is starting to feel like Christmas is just around the corner.

Santa Claus is coming to Town

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-11-27T08:21:46-07:00

Christmas is little than a month away. This image was taken last year. I have not taken a shot of this yeas lights for two reasons. No snow yet and our Christmas Tree is not up yet.

Fall Leaves

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-11-18T12:33:40-07:00

Took this picture yesterday before the strong winds started to swirl the leaves around.

Photo was converted to black and white using Nik’s Aperture plugin Silver Efex Pro.

Lest We Forget...

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-11-11T19:11:45-07:00

I took this picture of poppies in the Red Deer City Hall Gardens this summer knowing I would be using this image on Remembrance Day.

We do have poppies in our backyard but not this many red ones.

Missing the Sun

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-11-10T17:37:42-07:00

It’s November and I am really missing the warmth of the summer sun.

These House Sparrows were caught this summer taking a break on the neighbour’s shed catching the morning rays.

Frosty Rosehip

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-11-03T17:44:35-07:00

Is it Spring Yet?

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-10-26T18:08:55-06:00

I finished putting away the lawn furniture. Next chore is putting up the Christmas lights. The good thing about the lights is that it will bring back colour to the yard.

I posted this spring picture of the ornamental plum bloom to remind me that fall has to come in order to get back to spring.

It's Fall

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-10-21T18:09:08-06:00

Snow is gone and we are back to normal seasonal temperatures. Leaves are starting to fall off the trees and there is a lack of colour.

Took this picture late September. This flower comes up every year just as summer is ending.

Frozen

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-10-11T11:29:23-06:00

It is still snowing. Leaves never had a chance to change colour on most of the trees in our neighbourhood including our crabapple tree.

Cold Roses

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-10-08T17:44:05-06:00

Second day of snowfall and it looks like today the snow will stay longer than a couple of hours.

Kinda Blue

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-10-04T09:07:08-06:00

Our batch of warm weather is gone. We have been consistently getting frost the last few evenings and chances of snow are now in the forecasts. Fall is finally here.

This Blue Delphinium re-bloomed again in late September. This was shot the same day as “Fall Showers bring October Flowers.”

The Big Haul

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-28T16:47:43-06:00

Dug up the potatoes from the garden today. Should be able to feed us for the winter.

Fall Showers bring October Flowers?

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-27T18:38:03-06:00

It finally rained! It will be interesting to see if we still have rose blooms at this time next year. As you can see by the picture there is still buds on this plant waiting for rain and the warm weather to continue. This was taken yesterday afternoon (September 26, 2009).

Warm Colours, Hot Temperature

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-23T19:24:13-06:00

Reached record highs today. Reached 34 degrees here in Red Deer.

This was shot a few weeks ago. Same day as the shot taken in “Glad Days are Here!” The gladiolas have all bloomed. Just have to dig out the bulbs and store them for the winter.

Starburst

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-22T19:32:12-06:00

Well, so much for fall weather. Reached high 20’s again today and calling for temperatures in the 30’s tomorrow. Still watering our gardens and some of the plants are coming up for another round of blooms.

I chose this picture today because it reminds me of the hot sun we have had the past two weeks. This is a close up of a begonia. The flower petals look like hot rays of sun shining down on us.

Coming to an End

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-21T12:23:48-06:00

We had warm weather last week. Reached the 30 Celcius mark a few days in a row. That is unusual for an Alberta September. Frost is now coming so I will post as much summer garden pictures off before the snow flies. I guess I could also save some for the doldrums of winter.

This is a close up of a Geranium bloom outside our garage.

Glad Days are Here!

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-13T17:35:21-06:00

We were worried they would not come this year. Our Gladiola’s are finally starting to bloom. Took this shot last night as the sun was setting behind this flower.

Happy Song

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-10T08:22:12-06:00

This House Finch has frequented our yard the past few years. He usually does his unmistakable song in the late afternoon from high atop the trees.

Old Deck

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-07T10:03:43-06:00

You can see why it needed to be replaced.

Globe Trotting

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-05T20:59:30-06:00

A Honey Bee gathering pollen from a Globethistle.

Flower for a Day II

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-04T09:33:04-06:00

This a picture of a daylily that grows in front of our living room window. Took the picture just after watering the gardens during the unusual early September heat wave.

A Bird in Hand

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-03T10:40:21-06:00

I was watering the garden last night due to the extreme heat the last couple of days.

Yes, extreme heat in September in Alberta. I will try to enjoy it while it lasts.

I noticed this House Sparrow was caught in the neighbour’s lawn ornament and couldn’t move. I had to help it out and looked like it was in pretty rough shape. Her feet wouldn’t grab hold of anything and she wasn’t struggling as I held her. A few minutes later one of her feet wanted to hold on and she fluttered from my hands a few times and landed softly on the ground. I hid her under our apple tree in the dense vegetation so the neighbourhood cats wouldn’t spot her easily. I think the bird was in shock and pretty tired from trying to escape her trap.

Wet Slipper

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-09-01T19:25:17-06:00

I came across this picture from earlier this summer and it reminded me of the couple of weddings we have attended so far this year. The latest of which was last weekend in Fort MacLeod. It is a picture of a Lady Slipper that comes out every year under our pine tree. We also have a group that come up under our front cedar tree of which I have posted earlier.

Flower for a Day

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-08-26T19:01:33-06:00

A closeup of a daylily with Purple Ninebark as the backdrop.

Reach for the Sky

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-08-19T19:41:24-06:00

Same flower as the previous post.

Siamese Twin

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-08-18T18:52:40-06:00

We seem to get a double headed flower from this plant every year. One stem, two blooms.

MMMmmm

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-08-16T18:51:27-06:00

Raspberries are so good. They are a little late this year compared to years past.

Supernova

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-08-11T18:25:54-06:00

This is a picture of an Iris and some heads ready to bloom. Shot straight down. These are little Iris’ no bigger than the palm of my hand compared to the purple Iris’ shown earlier which would be hard to fit in a hand.

Pink Feathers

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-08-06T08:57:34-06:00

I am getting a little behind on posting some pictures I wanted to post. These are Peonies that bloomed last month. Most of the times the blooms get so big that the stem can no longer hold them up.

Just as I Feared

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-08-05T20:31:55-06:00

I have not seen the Wren and her newest addition to her family since late last week. It’s so sad when they leave the nest.

This is one of the final shots I have got of the mother Wren.

Goldfinch Spotted

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-07-31T09:53:28-06:00

When I travelled back home to Lakefield in June my Dad taught me some tricks to lure Goldfinch to the backyard. This is one that frequents our feeder and birdbath during the day. I hid the feeder in our crabapple tree and the birdbath is almost directly below it.

It took a few weeks before I actually seen Goldfinch come to our backyard after placing the feeder.

Look at Me

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-07-30T10:15:42-06:00

I wasn’t giving up with the Wren. I have spent the last couple of days trying to get more Wren shots as who knows how long the Baby Wren will call our backyard brush a safe harbour from the neighbourhood cats. I was trying to get photos of the baby last night and I was getting to close and she did fly a few feet into our crabapple tree.

This shot is of Mom trying to get my attention and at the same time looking for more bugs to feed Baby.

Feeding Time

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-07-27T19:02:07-06:00

The last few days we have had an agitated wren flying around the yard. I found out why this afternoon. She was creating a diversion so that we would not spot her baby.

This shot isn’t the greatest but I had to be quick to get the moment. I wish I had the tripod handy as the light was the best I was ever going to get.

Lady Slippers

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-07-18T16:30:00-06:00

I forgot to post this picture a couple of weeks ago when they bloomed. The lady slippers are a surprise that come up under our cedar tree every spring.

Soft Harbour

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-07-06T16:43:00-06:00

Our Peonies are in bloom!

This is a wasp peeking out of one of our pink peonies. I got lucky. I wanted some dreamy shots of the peony waves and next thing I know this guy pops out. When I get close ups of the peonies I usually can’t get a shot without an insect of some sort or another. I guess the petals are as soft as they look and provide a safe, comfortable harbour for our backyard travelers.

More Deep Purple

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-07-02T16:48:00-06:00

Thought I would show another image of our Purple Iris’. I took this one in the early morning as the flowers were getting the morning sun.

Happy Canada Day

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-07-01T16:57:00-06:00

I did not take this shot in my backyard. It was taken in Vancouver two years ago while visiting Angela’s Mother. It’s red and it is similar to a maple leaf. Can’t find many maples in Alberta to get a true picture of the Canadian Emblem. So this will have to do!

Baby Magpie

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-06-29T16:19:00-06:00

Got home from work one afternoon and was lucky to spot a baby magpie learning to fly. He was sitting on the fence of our compost heap. I was able to get within arms reach to take some good shots.

Those not familiar to these birds they may look pretty but they do make for some annoying alarm clocks in the early morning as well as scare and destroy pretty songbirds that share their territory.

Deep Purple

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-06-26T17:02:00-06:00

Our iris’ are in bloom now. We have a nice bunch of purple iris’ by our back door. I took this shot during a short afternoon rain sprinkle. It is still dry here so that is why I said sprinkle.

When the light hits the iris’ just right you kind of get an iridescent display of colour. I tried to capture it in this picture.

Nothing Like a Cold Shower

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-06-23T17:09:00-06:00

Well summer is here and it is abnormally dry here this year. So that means we water the gardens a little more.

One morning I was watering and heard what sounded like a couple of birds fighting (or whatever else birds might do) in our crabapple tree. Turns out it was one chickadee taking a shower in the freshly sprinkled crab apple leaves. I think I made his day!

Watch My Back

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-06-16T17:11:00-06:00

Another picture from my Parent’s backyard. They have a nyjer seed feeder which the finches congregate and pig out. I set up the camera and tripod in various positions around the feeder hoping to get some good shots of them perching on nearby plants/trees.

Glowing Hearts

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-06-14T18:26:00-06:00

Standing in the backyard yesterday morning and noticed the light hitting the back of these bleeding hearts under the crabapple tree. Had to rush to get the camera before the sun rose any further.

Great Holiday

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-06-12T18:28:00-06:00

Just got back from visiting my family back in Ontario. This is another picture not from my Red Deer backyard but about a decade and a half ago it was my Ontario backyard.

Mom and Dad have a hummingbird feeder set up on their dining room bay window. I sat and watched for hours the steady stream of what I think was four hummingbirds come in for refueling.

Bird Watching

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-06-02T19:06:00-06:00

Okay, you got me this image isn’t from my backyard. But it is an image about one of our three cats wanting to be in the backyard. We let them outside on warm days under extreme supervision.

This is a picture of our newest cat, Maverick. He is bird watching from the living room window!

I was practicing using my new flash (strobe) and bounce card for an upcoming wedding. My first wedding, so please wish me luck!

Nothing Says Spring Like Apple Blossoms

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-06-01T19:19:00-06:00

Our two apple trees are in blossom right now. I will probably hold back some pictures for later (Like in the winter and Fall!) The fragrance and the colour these trees give off make the backyard maintenance worth it.

This blossom is from the crab apple tree. As you can see the flowers are pinkish in colour. You can see a bud out of focus on the left (Hiding behind a bloom) and it is a deeper shade of pink.

Better Late than Never

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-05-30T19:20:00-06:00

Our Ornamental Plum Tree (Shrub) has finally flowered this year. Last year it flowered earlier but then we got a good dump of snow soon after. We hope the flowers stay longer this year. It’s makes a lovely site from our Dining room window.

Is Spring Finally Here?

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-05-25T19:22:00-06:00

Well, the snow is gone (For the third time this year). Weather forecast has warm temperatures continuing for the remainder of the week. Our apple trees are getting ready to blossom and most of the tulips are now up.

I colour enhanced this photo to exaggerate the fiery look of these tulips which bloom to celebrate the warmth of spring.

A Typical May Long Weekend in Alberta

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-05-18T19:23:00-06:00

May Long Weekend in Alberta. Travelers dust off the RV’s and light up the campfires. Angela and I do whatever we can do save our poor flowers from Mother Nature.

Tulips in Bloom

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-05-14T19:31:00-06:00

Some of our tulips have been up for a couple of weeks but now that the weather has finally warmed (for a couple of days anyways) most of them are up and blooming.

Neighbour's Pet

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-05-10T19:33:00-06:00

I took this shot from our front yard looking at the neighbour’s tree. She feeds this squirrel peanuts and bird seed. She says he lives in our pine tree.

May the Fourth be with You

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-05-04T19:34:00-06:00

Isn't April Known for Showers?

bates.chris.w@gmail.com — 2009-04-26T19:36:00-06:00

End of April and we are still experiencing the wonders of snow.