All My Blogs

Photos of a tin taken with iPhone 15 pro at 2x magnification The industry standard since 1992 has been the JPEG, a file format that allows large files to be compressed into smaller sizes.  The problem with jpegs is that they are lossy, meaning that the compression algorithm causes changes in the pixel patterns of the image.  The more compression, the more severe the artifacts.  Examine the image below to see an example of artifacts. In 2015 HEIF files were introduced and have been a popular file format in smart phones.  They are lossless, meaning that there are not artifacts, and is typically a better format for your camera images.  They are also fairly small; the JPEG above (using a compression ratio of 8:1) is about twice as large as the HEIF.   One of the problems with the HEIF format is that many computers cannot open them.  Mac computers all are equipped with the necessary software, but PCs (and probably Linex) do not have it.  However, you can buy conversion software that will ch

Mission Creek walkway in Kelowna, BC. Tom, my friend from school, and I were walking along our preferred trail yesterday and were enjoying the colours and falling leaves.  The predominant colour was yellow, but ahead of us was a small mountain ash boasting some wonderfully red shades.  The young tree was much taller than either of us, and its position did not warrant a photo.  However, if my walking buddy could bend the sapling over, it would be in a much more scenic position. The idea here is that backgrounds often provide the sense of where and when, it is the foreground that gives context or subject to an image.  The disappearing path and fall theme are nice, but somewhat empty without a strong foreground.  I could have used a person, a bench, or some other object to draw attention, but I found the contrasting leaves exceptional. Whenever I find an attractive background, I like to supplement it with a compelling foreground.  It often means moving about, sometimes moving things, and

A few of the memorable kayak trips I have taken with Charles The center image was taken on Cedar Lake in the Sunshine Valley this year.  Other shots include being on Dutch Lake, the Fraser River, Jack Fish Lake, the Gulf Islands, and a few others I can't quite remember.  Besides all these enjoyable paddles, we have done the Broken Islands (twice), the Red Deer River (twice), a few other rivers in both BC and Alberta, and a host of others. I don't kayak as often as I used to, but every time I get out on one of my boats I am convinced it is the best place in the world to be.  I love the fresh air, the early morning energy, and the abundant wildlife I see.  Many of my best creature photos have come when on a kayak.   There is still a lot I want to do, and I have no doubt that much of it will be done with my buddy.  I do, on occasion, go out on my own.  This is especially true if we are camping near a body of water and I can just stroll down and hop into my craft which is locked up

Nene photographed in Maui on a farmer's field. Nene is the local term for the Hawaiian goose.  They are an endemic species and the official state bird of Hawaii.  Like many other endemic species, its numbers were in drastic decline during the 1900s.  In 1952, there were only 30 surviving individuals.  Today there are approximately 2500 birds found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, although Oahu reported only a single pair in 2014. The closest relative to the Nene is the Canada goose.  It has been estimated that these forebearers first arrived on the archipelago about 500,000 years ago and produced a stable population.  In the 1700s there may have been as many as 25,000, ten times more than today.  Their numbers have declined because of predation, mostly from introduced species such as mongoose, owls, and stray cats.   An intense conservation effort and breeding program has helped to bring the birds back from the brink of extinction.  The geese are hardy and can handle extremes in cl

Common waxbills bathing in Kona, Hawaii. The common waxbill is a native of the African continent, being found mostly south of the equator.  They belong to old-world finches; there are 107 species of waxbill, the common waxbill is also called the St. Helena waxbill.  The name "common" comes from their native South Africa where they are indeed commonly found.  The term "waxbill" is for the bright red colouring of the face and fill which somewhat resembles sealing wax. They are highly social birds, rarely aggressive, and are heavy consumers of seeds.  They also take small insects and feed on greens such as grass, dandelion, and even cucumber.  They are easy to keep in captivity and will even breed. The common waxbill was introduced to Hawaii around 1970.  Since then it has spread throughout all the main islands.  They are not considered invasive as they do not compete with native species for food or nesting sites and are very docile.  I am including a cropped image of

Here, in North America, we have starlings.  They were introduced some 170 years ago and have pretty much spread across the continent.  We consider them to be an invasive species because of the negative effect they have on other bird species. While visiting Hawaii a few weeks ago, I noticed that there were populations of the common mynah bird on every island we visited.  I understand that they are an invasive species as well, arriving about 160 years ago by some well-meaning individuals.  In the same manner, they have spread across the land and are causing similar havoc. It turns out that these two bird species have more in common than just being invasive and released to the detriment of native species.  They belong to the Sturnidea, a group of birds that includes other starling and mynah species.   Both species share a number of characteristics.  They are noisy, use cavities to build nests, are gregarious, and aggressive towards other species.  They are both fond of insects and berries