All My Blogs

Pretty girls, wonderfully bright clothes, a lightly clouded day, and a camera. Sounds perfect. I took these photographs back in 2010. I have been going through my old photos and looking for images I can use. I have digital images from around 2002 and film and slide from before that. Covid, it turns out, has given me the perfect opportunity to peruse through the past. Besides, it gives me a break from painting. I used a Canon SX1-IS, which is a compact 10 megapixel camera that boasts a 20x zoom lens. Although today's standards would scorn 10 MP, the fact is that there is plenty of detail present; enough for serious cropping or enlarging. This is one of the reasons I encourage people starting out to consider buying older equipment to learn on. It still has plenty of functionality and most digital DSLRs are rated for well over 150,000 actuations. Most people wouldn't take that many pictures during their entire lives. This particular compact camera used a small se...

The plack on the large stone I am sitting on tells the story. "This large glacially deposited rock was used by the buffalo as a rubbing stone which produced a hide polish around the sides of the rock. Many of the rubbing stones along the foothills are part of the Foothills Erratic Train deposited 20,000 years ago. Geologists speculate this rock originated from the face of Mt. Edith Cavell located in Jasper National Park." These erratics became part of Native peoples' cultural landscape and were commemorated in story, legend, and rock art. Valley Ridge (a suburb on the western edge of Calgary along Highway 1) was one of the most significant wintering and hunting areas for the Blackfoot peoples in this area of the Bow Valley." I photographed this in 2009 while visiting my brother and his family. I would take my camera and walk along whatever path my feet would find; eventually, I ended up here. The rock itself interested me as it is a glacial e...

The above structure is an insect gall. They are formed by various insect species, usually midges (a type of fly) or solitary wasps. Galls can also form from the actions of mites, nematodes, fungi, or bacteria. Gall-forming insects lays an egg on the plant's surface or just inside. It can be on a leaf, twig, or stem depending on the species. Secretions from the mouth of the larva causes the plant tissues to rapidly reproduce and forms a protective case around it that also nourishes the developing insect. A gall's appearance depends on the species of both plant and insect producing it. The above gall was formed by a wasp (probably Diplolepis polita ) on a rose leaf. The spines are produced naturally by the rose but benefit the inner inhabitant by providing extra protection. If you take a sharp knife and cut the gall in half you will find a small grub-like larva inside. The larva typically stays inside the gall until spring when it emerges as an adult to continue t...

Has there ever been a more noble pursuit than farming? It is a sacrificial life given to feeding others. Devotion to the land, the crops it yields, and the livestock sustained by it, the demands are ever-present. My uncle was a farmer growing grain and raising beef cattle on the harsh Alberta landscape. You had to be there every day tending to your life's work. Most farmers I knew had to find additional sources of income to make ends meet. And at the end of all the toil, sorrows, and expense there are no guarantees. Crops fail. Animals die. Clouds do not always produce rain. Wind storms play havoc with crops, animals, and buildings. Disease, fire, insects, predators, and a myriad of other forms of disaster wait in the wings, biding the time to strike. When times are bad the small yield produces little profit. In good times market prices drop and profits can still be minimal. Isolation is pervasive. In the city, there can easily be a thousand people in one square...

Eroded rocks jut upwards in exotic forms. Hawks, falcons, and a host of songbirds can be seen soaring and singing throughout the park. The wind ripples great waves across the prairie grass as though an ocean was present. And in the midst of it all, I am there, with my camera, ready to capture the moment. The scene, recorded in 2009, seems ethereal in nature. Memories of an amazing place are brought back to life as I peruse old files. That's the beauty of taking pictures - an instant in time is frozen; forged into media to rekindle memories long forgotten. One of the questions that has bothered me over the years I have spent taking pictures is, "What am I going to do with all these photographs?" I have, literally, hundreds of thousands of images stored on film, slide, and electronic media. Is there any purpose to them all? Why should I keep them all when a handful would be more than enough? Fortunately, I have had time to find the answers to these qu...

There are many ways to do macro photography. Different equipment, techniques, and post-processing magic all contribute to the end result. My favourite way of shooting small insects and the like is to use a crop sensor DSLR with an extension tube, macro lens, and ring mounted macro flashes. I prefer this method because I can usually do it without a tripod, require only one shot, and can do it in the field without disturbing the organism. The only problem tends to be the pitch-black background that results when there is a void behind the subject. This happens even on the brightest of days. It has to do with camera settings. As a matter of course I prefer to use low ISO values (100 or 200 usually), fast shutter speeds (maximum flash synch speed at 1/250th of a second), and very small apertures (often between f/45 to f/57). The low ISO means electronic noise will be kept to a minimum. The fast shutter speed reduces blur from the motion of me or my subject's. High f/val...

Christmas, 2005. The decorating of the Christmas tree. Everybody is there, including our three dogs who are no longer with us. The best part of trimming the tree is putting on the ornaments. "I remember making this one, Dad." "Oh, this is my favourite." "Gentle, that one has been in the family for years." These were some of the vocalizations that were inevitaibly associated with the tradition. How I miss those times. That was 15 years ago. My son, now married with his first child due in January, lives 1200 km away. My daughter, about to become 25, is on another continent and won't be home for another 9 months. The three dogs have all passed, each giving us cherished memories that we muse on when the moment arises. In the above photo, my wife is showing them a bunny ornament. Marble and Smudge sniff at it inquisitively while Keisha, at the back, is saying "please." Meanwhile, the kids are sorting through the box looking fo...

This was my dad's family back during the war years in the early forties. The center lady is my grandmother, her maiden name was Whiteside. Top left to right is Sid, Etta, Ed, and Eric (my dad). The bottom row shows Laura, Robert, Larry, and Lyle. I may have mixed a few up but am 75% sure I got them right. The only one left alive is my dad; he turned 88 this summer. My Aunt Laura passed away about a month ago and my Uncle Robert a little while before that. I feel sad for my father's sole status in the loss of all his brothers and sisters over the years. Ironically, the youngest passed away first as Uncle Larry's car was destroyed by a semi that lost control on icy Albertan roads. My father, Eric Svendsen (senior), enjoys life in central Arizona and southern California. He is very philosophical about his sole status in that he understands death will eventually claim all of us. It is not his time yet in spite of the fact that he broke his hip a year ago and ha...

Dell was complicated. Throughout his life there were challenges and victories, mistakes and corrections, moments of intense lows and incredible highs. This can be said of any of us, although Dell's experiences were characterized with far more intensity. Whatever he did though he did with passion and dedication. This came through in his work, his play, and especially his family. He considered himself an actuator (see previous blog); someone to drive others into action. I have been the focus of his attention in this area but none more so than those who shared his bloodline. Always the visionary, he would aid others where he saw value and loyalty. Sometimes through words, often through resources or time. And through it all Dell would enjoy the encounter. Although concrete was his job, the people he loved were the center of his life. To enjoy their company, so understand what drove them, and to facilitate success where he could. This was never done in the gentle...

Funny. Silly. Goofy. Sometimes, maybe not so much. But you can't blame a guy for trying. I have been playing with putting words to photos I have taken lately with the goal of achieving some degree of complete and total silliness. Partly because it puts a new twist on my shots and partly because it's just plain fun. There is also the pandemic and the need to isolate. What better way than to have a little fun? I am very fond of older comics; my favourites are Peanuts, Herman, The Far Side, and Garfield. There is an interesting harmony between the four of them in that they all involve animals to some extent to convey humour. Two of them are based on single panels but all four have successfully employed this expressive form. Even cards celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and other festive occasions use a similar approach albeit with often two panels instead of one. The point is that an animal and a caption can evoke a chuckle. The interesting thing is tak...

Dell could have been a mailman. You know the old adage - "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom ...." The weather didn't matter to Dell when it came to camping. Climate was something to be mastered, not something that could mater him. I have been camping with Dell in the heat of summer and the cold of winter and it was always the same. You go, you have fun, and you build memories. There was no sense in whining because every problem had a solution. Have a good look at the above image and the one below. A fire was always at the ready. Plenty of dead wood meant there was available heat, light, and energy for cooking. The top image shows the presnece of the kettle for boiling water. Charles is dressed in his pumpkin costume and the fire provides the heat and light for serious game playing. Leentoos are set up with dry sleeping quarters; no weather will dampen spirits here. Even in his concrete business weather would not defeat Dell. Although he did li...

Yuck! That is the reaction many people give when they see one of my macro images; photographs of invertebrates turned to giant putrescent slime creatures that nightmares are made of. Consider for a moment the wonder of their lineage. Insects alone account for 80% of all Animalia. That kind of diversity tells us that they have been phenomenally successful on this planet. The design, although repulsive to some, has allowed success on an unprecedented scale. You have to admire their achievements, if not their anatomy. Have a close look at a few of the amazing adaptations of the flower fly. You can see the labellum, one of the mouth-parts, jutting out beneath the fly's head (most of it is covered by the flower's pistol). Food channels in the lower part of this structure allow liquids to move upwards through capillary action. All the fly has to do is touch a wet surface and nutrients are immediately taken up. The antenna and arista (part of the antennae in flies) are...

There are certain traditions you just don't mess with. One of them has to do with camping and eating chili. It was always the same when we went out to the cabin. First, the "pit" had to be emptied. This was a thankless job that the newest member of the group was given; it was a sort of hazing but always done in a good-natured way. One of the things retrieved from the enormous void in the earth was a large black pot, more of a cauldron really. This was important because it would be involved in a second time-honoured tradition. The production of chili. The recipe was never really important, although for it to be chili there had to be tomatoes, beef, and kidney beans. After that came the spices. Sometimes they came in the form of an all-in-one mix while other times they were delivered individually according to taste. Then came some of the ingredients that always caused a stir amongst the temporary residents. Onions, mushrooms, and green peppers. Most of us...

Who are you as an individual? What role do you play in society? What traits, interests, skills, and experience do you have? How do those things affect the role you play in your community? For each of us, there is a history (experiences), a body-type (morphology), inherent abilities (things you have always been good at), and interest (what drives you). These factors all come to bear on what we will do as adults. Our morphology limits us to some extent but also enables us for others. Our history predisposes us towards certain occupations. We tend to be better at certain things (mechanic vs lawyer) which is partly attributable to how our mind works and all the other factors. The same can be said of interest. These things are greatly influential in the role we play in society. It turns out mammals and birds aren't so different. Consider the photographs above. Two species of stilt, each living at opposite sides of the globe. I think that you would agree that their m...

Yesterday's blog (click here ) was on perspective and I thought it would be good to go into the topic with more detail. I find that diagrams help a lot when trying to explain something, especially for me as I am essentially a visual learner. The photographs above were taken in Wellington, New Zealand, during a time when the world knew nothing about the Covid virus. The first thing I want you to notice is that the bronze statue is the same size in both images. This is always a good idea when playing with this effect. When framing the shot it is important to keep the foreground subject the same size in the viewfinder. This usually requires a combination of moving and zooming until you are successful. I have grid lines in my viewfinder that I use to compare components of a scene and line the image up accordingly. Secondly, there is great value in lining up parts of the foreground and background. Notice that, in both photos, the top of the man's head is just to...

What's the difference between the two images? There is a lot of similarities between the two. In fact, they are photographs of the same place at the same time; the two front black posts are the same in both pictures. The walkway is the same as are the buildings in the background. How is it that they can look so similar and so different at the same time? It has to do with perspective. Not yours, of course, but rather the focal length of the lens used. The left image was shot with a 90 mm (relative) lens while the right involved a 24 mm (relative). In order to get the front posts in the same position, I had to be close to them with the wide-angle and farther away with the telephoto. The right photograph was taken on the boardwalk while I had to move across a small channel onto the verge and crouch to obtain the left one. I framed both images so that the pair of black poles would be approximately in the same position. It was the different focal lengths that did the re...

Depth of field is affected by many different factors. The main ones that concern most photographers include focal length, aperture, and point of focus. Depth of field is the region in focus perpendicular to the front of a lens. Lower focal lengths (wide angles) have more depth of field than longer focal lengths (telephotos). Smaller apertures (f/16) have more depth of field than larger apertures (f/2.8). The further your point of focus is away from the camera the more depth of field there will be. Those factors can be combined in such a way as to obtain a very large depth of field or a very narrow depth of field. Each extreme is desirable in specific circumstances. Landscapes tend to benefit from a large depth of field while portraits improve with a narrower depth of field. Since I use long lenses to photograph wildlife and require fast shutter speeds to do so the amount of depth of field is very limited. In the above photograph of the squirrel, the aperture was wi...

Did you ever have that feeling you were being watched? It crept over me as I was enjoying a merry jaunt yesterday; something had its eyes on me. Sure enough, a white and roan cow was peering in my direction; its eyes centered between two boards. It was just inside a barn-like structure and so the background was perfectly black. I swung my camera around and used the half-way-down method on the shutter button to lock focus. Without even a blink the bovine continued its inspection of me; its presentation was perfect. I use center point auto-focus on most of my shots. I also keep the focusing mechanism set to single and lock as opposed to continuous focusing. When I am framing a scene I often use the center-focus-single-point lock option to precisely select where the lens will focus. I place the central point of the viewfinder on the intended target and press the shutter button half-way down. Then I reframe to capture the subject relative to its background and foreground and ...

There is always something better. I do not strive for the absolute best because it tends to be out of my league. I do, however, like good, and if I can manage it, very good. For example, I drive a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. It has been a reliable vehicle that I can flat-tow behind my RV and gets me to the places I want to go. It is not a fully-loaded Grand Cherokee or Land Cruiser because that is beyond my means nor is it what I used to call a "beater" (I owned a few of these when I was younger). In a way, the car scenario mirrors my quest for good photographic equipment. My latest purchase represents the best piece of equipment I have ever owned; a Nikon 500 mm PF lens. It is not the pinnacle of camera technology but it is still very good. I had my first chance to use it yesterday when the rain stopped. Attaching it to my Nikon D500 I went for a stroll in my neighbourhood. The farmyard near us sustains a wide population of birds; nothing exotic but you ca...

As a teacher, I have always aspired making the classroom an interesting place and using a multi-modal paradigm to convey concepts and information. Before computers, the standard equipment was charts, overheads, and videos. Coming into the digital age was a boon for accessing media on CDs, the internet, and the amazing ability to write on the screen with a stylus. My first computer for this purpose was provided by the district; it was an HP with a wonderfully sensitive touchscreen that brought new ways to teach. I decided to take the plunge myself and purchased a Microsoft Surface 2 (top left image). Running Windows 8.1, it allowed me to develop my own powerpoints, play short videos, and write effortlessly on the screen. I even put all my lessons on-line so that students could download assignments should they discover that the dog was happily eating the original handouts. I had a keyboard, mouse, card readers, and external hard drives all attached to make it the most versa...

The insect above is a water boatman; they are commonly found in freshwater ecosystems throughout the world. On a summer's day you can see them in ponds and lakes near the shoreline. They typically do not venture into the deep. Corixidae, the family of true bugs that water boatman belong to, are hunters and seek prey which can be overpowered. The front four legs are used in holding any captives while the back two legs are equipped with paddles commonly called oars. They are adept at swimming but are air breathers and must surface occasionally to the surface. A small bubble of air is trapped beneath the wings and allows the insect to breathe underwater. All true bugs have a biting/sucking mouthpart called a beak. Once captured, the corixid stabs its victim with its beak and injects digestive fluids that break down the surrounding tissues. The newly liquified mass is drawn up by the same device which dispatched the now still prey. Water boatman do not pose any threat t...

We all know some leaves turn red in the fall, but what causes velvety-red crusty patches on a leaf in spring? The answer has to do with a tiny erineum mite. Mites are terribly small arachnids, a relative of spiders, and may be so small that they are invisible to the eye. Dust mites are about a quarter of a millimeter long (0.25 mm). Crimson erineum mites are even smaller, being approximately 0.15 mm (0.006 inches) in length. These mites have lost the back legs and only use the front four; you can see a scanning electron micrograph of one by clicking here . It would take 170 of these animalcules mounted end to end to produce a one-inch line. While wandering about with my macro setup I came across some leaves infected with the erineum mite. At the time I had no idea what caused the bright red velvety patches and, as is my habit, decided to photograph a specimen and look it up later. It turns out that the mite does not usually seriously injure the host plant. They typ...

Most of us have lived during a relative time of peace. Although we covet the opportunity to grow old with our families, our history contradicts that. It seems that humanity has a penchant for war. Much of the conflict is centered around resources, religion, and revenge. The underlying driving force for these is both pride and greed, and pride gets a lot of its motivation from greed. In essence, pride whispers to the listener that more is deserved. We all suffer from this affliction but often recognize that the avarice leads to ruin. Unmitigated credit card spending, gambling problems, and enormous debt to income ratios are signs that point ultimately to destruction. Getting bitten by the acquisition bug is often short-lived though as the consequences for such behaviour generally act as negative reinforcement. It is when acting on these desires are rewarded that serious problems arise. This is especially true when that person is a leader, someone in control of others. Th...

The thick-limbed beetle. OK - so it's not the most imaginative name. However, I would point out that few beetles have the swollen femur found in this species. Whenever I find an insect worth photographing I follow the maxim put down by the pioneers of the old west, "Shoot first and ask questions later." Having adapted my methods to suit macro photography, the shooting is based upon the camera and the questions pertaining to the identification of species. In this case, I found evidence to suggest that this was, in fact, a thick-limbed beetle. It seems to belong to the long-horned beetles, a more glorious name for an insect in spite of the fact that the "horns" are actually a pair of antennae. I have spent half an hour on the internet looking up this particular beetle to little avail. I found green ones, beetles with thickened hind limbs, and some which were composed of multiple colours. Nothing popped up regarding my particular species even though...

There is something magical about how, when looking at an image, it appeals to us; things that we identify by sight, others that excite our unconscious mind. It goes beyond those factors though in that each experince is unique; it seems insights and perspectives also affect our appreciation of it. What is it about the above photo that you like or dislike? Can you put your thoughts into words or do you find some satisfaction with it without knowing why? There are always those landscapes which most of us find captivating. Waterfalls, historic buildings, fall colours, and mountain spectacles will always lure our eyes to feast upon the spectacle both in reality and in print. When I am out enjoying the visual bounty that our country provides there are moments when my brain cries out that a find is something that I have to capture. Such was the opportunity that presented itself while traveling in Well's Gray park this summer. We came upon a farm that had all the elemen...

You have all heard it. "Normal is a setting on a dryer." The expression that asserts the concept that there is no such thing as normal. Another way of looking at "normal" would be to use the word "typical," a term which will likely put you in hot water when applied to individuals of the female persuasion. The antithesis implies abnormal or atypical, both monikers we would all like to avoid. However, the fact is that normalcy is a fallacy. Without becoming boring, I ask you to indulge me in a brief discourse on statistics. Most behaviours and attributes can be graded with a number and ranked. Some, like height, adopt numerical markers well while others, self-worth, for example, are difficult to attach numerical values to. Tests, opinions, biases, immediate condition of the subject, and time in history all affect the outcome. Then there are the results that are geared to compare an individual to a population. The question becomes, "What...

It is my wife's birthday. Her age doesn't matter. The passage of time marked by candles bears no relation to the wisdom she has gathered or the depth of love she has attained. We have been married for 32 years and have known joy and loss, despair and elation. What was before our vows and has developed through the years is a deep sense of respect, courage, and love. You may know of the daily challenges she suffers. Migraines have disabled her in many ways and prevented her from experiencing life the way so many of her contemperories do. Lying in bed for an average of 16 hours a day provides her with enough energy to sit with me in the evening. Outings are generally related to visits to medical professionals, although she occasionally feels well enough to visit friends. Her two great passions in life include quilting and teaching blind children. She hasn't taught now for 7+ years as the increasing burden of pain gradually prevented her from leaving the house....

I photographed this while down in Fort Lauderdale some two and a half years ago before Covid stopped any opportunity to obtain such images. With the number of cases skyrocketing here (425 yesterday) and the numbers going off the charts elsewhere, it seems like a good idea to hunker down and stay that way until we get back to some sensible values. Unfortunately, the outcome is out of my control, other than what I can do for me and my immediate family. Wear a mask, wash hands frequently, sanitize often, and keep contacts to a minimum. But it doesn't mean I have to have a gloomy perspective on things. I think the key here is to recognize a number of important facts. What I do affects my own life as well as those around me. There are consequences to poor choices, often with ramifications which go well beyond our ability to recognize them. Don't drink and drive. How many lives have been horribly changed by those unwilling to be responsible for their actions? Store fi...

What are invasive species, and why are they a problem? An undisturbed ecosystem will have an assortment of biotic factors - organisms - which are endemic to that environment. They have developed and evolved over time and found a natural balance with each other. Predator and prey relationships keep animals in balance and plants have developed into a climax community based upon abiotic factors such as soil, light, and moisture. Everything is in harmony. Then along comes an invasive species such as broom, or even worse, gorse. Have a look at the image above. It is a photograph I took while visiting the south island in New Zealand. All that yellow you see on the hilltops are gorse, a relative of the broom plant. Introduced from England a mature plant can produce some 12,000 seeds annually. These get distributed widely about and produce whole new generations. Preferring drier, rocky soil, the plants are perfectly at home and quickly overgrow native vegetation. Nothing eats ...