Winter 2014-2015

Some photos from the Winter. I didn't get much photography done as I have been quite busy with my day job and renovating my home. Spring has finally sprung and I am hoping to have some time to get out and take pictures soon! All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

CamuksXtreme

Season's greetings!

It has been quite a while since I have posted to the blog. That makes me sad. Life get's busy for many of us around this time of year.

It has also been unusually cold in Manitoba this year, so that has not helped much. As most regular readers know, I am very fond of getting into the great outdoors, and photographing nature. I regularly take a break from outdoor photography when the mercury dips below -15 C or so. My hands get numb, my feet start to burn, and the frost starts to BITE. I have had frost bite several times in a life lived in Manitoba.

You don't know what cold is unless you have fallen through the ice up to your arm pits in water in the middle of a -30 C blizzard. That was the coldest I have ever been. I have however had frostbite bad enough to lose the skin on my feet multiple times.

I have taken the paranoid approach lately. I am a little more careful. I do long to get outdoors in the Winter though. People who live here like to joke about how much they love summer, all two months of it. There have been some years where that doesn't seem like much of an exaggeration. The average Winter temperature in Winnipeg, where I live is -23 C. That is around -9 F for my American friends. The coldest windchill temperature ever recorded in Winnipeg was -57.1 C (-70.78 F) in 1996. It's not the coldest place on Earth, not by a long shot, but sometimes it feels that way.

So, this year, I have taken the plunge back into the frosty outdoors thanks in large part to Steger Mukluks and these bad boys:





They are a little pricey, $239.95 American. In Canada, it cost me $307.26 including shipping. Add about another $50 Canadian for Customs. I really hope they are worth it! If my feet stay warm and dry for the season it definitely will be. Anything else will just be a bonus. I'll get to that in a bit.

I am planning on updating you guys with a product review at the end of the season after I have put them through their paces. I started breaking them in today with 2 different tasks, totally un-related to photography.

The first was a minor standing test. I needed to replace the block heater cord on my car, and that meant standing in one place, somewhat in-actively for a while. The time it took to fix the cord was drawn out, as fiddling with small screws and hand tools with bare hands in today's -26 C (-9.4 F) meant painfully stiff, long drawn out movements. But my feet were toasty warm! And I didn't even wear socks!

The next task I set out to do was take Charlee to the dog park. This was a whole different ball of wax. She was very happy to be there! She gets a little neglected in the cold weather for the aforementioned reasons. I know she was getting a bit of the cabin fever, and so was I! We walked at a brisk pace. The first thing I noticed was how quiet they were! For the first time ever, my dog's footsteps were actually louder than my own! I got a kick out of that. This could definitely make stalking animals interesting, but I will more than likely be wearing snowshoes, and the advantage will be lost. This is a good thing for hunters of the meat eating kind, as well as the photographer kind.

I wear a 13 double wide CamuksExtreme, and they fit my snowshoe bindings, so that is a definite bonus. The second thing I noticed was how in touch with the trail my feet were. I could feel every nook and cranny through the soft soles. That is probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. I frequently take short hikes through the bush in bare feet. If I had more time I would do it more often. I love feeling the connection to the ground. This is the Winter analog I suppose. Incidentally the soft soles also make driving a lot easier than my old winter boots.

The next thing I found was that the treads lived up to the hype. From what I understand the soles of the Mukluks are made from moose hide, and then dipped in some strange rubberized concoction that is super soft and flexible, yet durable once it hardens on the mukluk. It also has an aggressive tread pattern. It made climbing and descending a cinch. This was most apparent on the down slope of the toboggan run just before we arrived back at the car. The snow was compressed to sheer hard pack, and polished to a glossy sheen, and the camuks gripped like a champ. I am curious how well they would do in warmer conditions with a little surface water. We'll have to wait for warmer weather for that answer.

Lastly, the camuks are extremely lightweight. This was not much of a factor, as my trip was quick, and relatively short distance. But it was apparent never the less.

So, over all my first impressions are quite hopeful. I'll post again later, with regard to durability, and new usage conditions.

All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

Charlee

All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

Mush!

Sled dog races!



All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

Wood

I might be the only one interested in these photos, but I think there's something beautiful about them. The first one has me in awe of evolution. Those who know me know that reflection upon evolution is a huge part of my life, and something that makes me very happy. To see how something so beautiful, and complex can arise from something simple and basic is a fantastic thing.



The second one is just beautiful to me. Firewood covered with snow. Sort of a yin and yang thing I guess. I don't want to pretend to know why I see beauty there. I simply do.



All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

Masters of Camouflage

Owls are easily my favourite birds to photograph, however they are extremely hard birds to photograph. This is due to their extremely effective camouflage, their tendency to be active at night, and their shyness of people. Amazing creatures. If anyone has sightings in or near Winnipeg please forward the location to me, as I would love to capture some more images!





All photos on this page are copyrighted, and may not be used without consent in writing from the owner. Please use the contact eventhorizonsphoto@gmail.com for more information.

Festival du Voyageur

Well, it's that time of year again, and le festival is in full swing. I get a real kick out of the re-enactments in period costume.  The festival runs Feb. 17 - the 26th this year (2012).  Check it out if you are looking for something to do.

This is how we change a light-bulb in Winnipeg

1 Hockey Rink
2 nuts who like this sort of thing
3 fresh bulbs

Study in Black and White

I have to admit, I have not done a lot of black and white work in the past. I have however been slowly gaining a respect for the black and white side of things. I am starting to understand just what it is that makes it so pleaseing to the eye. I am also learning things from the people who have been doing it for a long time, like people like Ted Forbes. Also the work of Ansel Adams is quite inspiring, and humbling.

Here for all to see is my first baby steps into this world. I look forward to adding some more in the near future.

Enjoy!

Olympic Torch hits Winnipeg

I went out to watch and shoot the torch as it hit Winnipeg this afternoon. It was perfect conditions for it. Almost made to order weather. Something very satisfying about the large fluffy snow flakes falling almost straight down. What says Winter Olympics more than that?

Photographically it was quite challenging conditions though. First of all was the cold. For those who do not know, battery life quickly drops along with the temperature, and my camera and flash batteries were no different. The torch came along right on time, but in order to find a decent spot to shoot I had to arrive early. I did my best to keep my batteries warm in my pocket until the last minute, which actually worked quite well. Unfortunately my fingers were quite frozen, and I did not have the dexterity to fumble with the small AA batteries that my flash requires. So I did not have a working flash. In hindsight I should have put the whole flash inside my jacket until the last second. Ah well, live and learn.

My next obstacle was the herd of "support" that the runners had with them. So many. Too many photographically. I never got a decent shot of just the runners. Sigh. I'm sure they were there for a good reason, but it sure was frustrating.

I ran along side the runners for a block or two, trying to get better shots, but they were all crowded. As I was running along, I passed by a woman who yelled to me "Take good pictures! That's my daughter!" I don't know which runner she was referring to. I was on a mission, and I didn't stop to chat.

There was quite a few supporters lining the street, only outnumbered by police. They had both the Winnipeg Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police doing security and traffic control. There was even an aeroplane circling overhead keeping tabs on things.

Anyway, here's some photos.

Thanks for reading!

Yin and Yang

Seemingly opposing forces inside my mind, battle each other for supremacy. On one hand I feel the anxious tone of many fellow Manitobans, on the other I have to admire the splendid beauty of the forces at work here. I am reminded of how impotent we are, in spite of all our plans, and dreams, our toil, and sweat. In our submissive state, we still bow to the forces of nature, which we often pretend to control. Just one more reminder that we merely bend, and weave nature. Then cross our fingers.

Photos of the icy waters rising at Lockport, MB