Hello once again!

We hope that everyone is having a fantastic summer so far even though the weather has for the most part been total shi  garbage . One of us has been very busy this summer and the other one has been on vacation for the better part of it ...seeing as how yours truly is typing up the blog as we speak and not on another camping/ motorcycle trip you can make the assumption that it is indeed Robert who has had the laid back summer thus far . (nope...not bitter though).

What has happened since the last blog posting you ask? Well, we were fortunate enough to have one of our good friends Blair from Nitro Image to invite us out to Saskatoon to shoot some pictures of the race cars out at SIR. Unfortunately it started to storm later on in the afternoon so we packed up our gear and headed back to Regina only to find out that it ended up clearing just in time for the jet cars to run . We had a great time anyway and a huge thanks to Blair for getting us ringside seats!

We also held a Nightscapes fieldtrip and if you can believe it we even had fantastic weather with NO evening thunderstorm! Everyone had a great time and we are looking forward to announcing more fieldtrips in the near future.

Alright ...onto some photos:

The photo above and below were shot out at Dallas Valley Ranch Camp when I went along one day with my daughters class to help them with canoeing. They were both shot with my little waterproof Pentax Optio W80 point and shoot camera which just goes to show that you don't have to spend thousands of dollars in equipment to get decent results.If it isn't glaringly obviousto you already...the photo below did have a bit of work done to it in Photoshop.

We will now move on to a couple of the pictures that we shot in Saskatoon out at SIR:

Lens (mm): 100
ISO: 400
Aperture: 14
Shutter: 1/160
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

The above picture that I shot was tweaked in photoshop to render the photo black and white while keeping in the blue.

Here are a couple of shots of our buddy Blair from Nitro Image doing what he does best




Lens (mm): 70
ISO: 200
Aperture: 13
Shutter: 1/125
Exp. Comp.: +0.3
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

Blair then took a few pictures of us. Not sure why I'm laughing so hard in this picture but I'm pretty sure that this was shot prior to Robert dropping his lens against the railing! That being said all of the equipment did survive the fall




Lens (mm): 200
ISO: 200
Aperture: 13
Shutter: 1/30
Exp. Comp.: -0.3
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

The above shot was obviously my attempt at being artsy fartsy while trying to stay out of the way of the completely suffocating clouds of burning rubber

Surprisingly enough Robert is seen photographing a motorcycle. Who knew that he held an interest in that subject matter???

We will now move onto a few pics that I shot from our Nightscapes Fieldtrip that we held a few weeks back:

Lens (mm): 38
ISO: 400
Aperture: 29
Shutter: 1.0
Exp. Comp.: -0.7
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

The above shot was taken right around 8:00 PM as the sun started to go down.

Lens (mm): 17
ISO: 400
Aperture: 20
Shutter: 5
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

Lens (mm): 17
ISO: 400
Aperture: 22
Shutter: 30
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

As you can see the above "ghost" image of Rob was done with a 30 second shutter speed throwing in a quick flash thus the transparent look.

Lens (mm): 44
ISO: 400
Aperture: 11
Shutter: 1.0
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Flash Comp.:
Program: Aperture Priority

Below just for fun the image of our huge winter storm last year was thrown in. With all of the garbage weather that we have had this spring/summer so far putting the image in for what we have to look forward to in the coming months just seemed appropriate lmao...yuck! 

And with that wonderful image we will conclude this entry of the blog. Please check back within the next month for a new entry covering our trip to Palm Springs in the middle of July. Can you say insanely hot...yep!

Thanks for checking us out and get out there and take some pictures!!

Devona & Rob

Realizing that you are all perched on the edge of your photo stools waiting for part two of this I thought it best to get on it prior to your development of some form of bottom fungus.

Day three of our trip was most enjoyable. As mentioned in part one there was yet another photo challenge issued. Said challenge encompassed a few categories. A black and White Scape, self-portrait, seeds, clubhouse and a photo of your shooting partner. 

I found the countless number of frozen over bogs with their barren trees, some of which seem to be growing up from the snow, particularly well served by black and white.
1/100th @ F6.3 + 1.7 - ISO 100

A shot of my shooting partner for the day, Gil, on the way back from our stroll
to the garbage dump. We seemed to have shown up about a half hour late
as what wildlife had left fresh tracks there was gone by the time we showed up. I'm certain
the venue would have paid off had we been there at sunrise. As you can tell from Gil's attire, it was not
a very warm morning.

Now this would be my self portrait and those of you who have attended a class or are regular visitors to this blog will attest to the fact that the image suits me well. About 15 minutes was spent trying to shoot these shadows and get the exposure just right while keeping the snow white and detailed as well as trying to hold the contrast in the shadows. With the camera on a tripod I would trigger the release and then run from the frame. Eventually it dawned on me that I could get the shot and my self portrait submission done all in one frame. When I originally found the scene I thought it would work well in black and white but in the end decided the colour version was best.

The image of this conversationalist was chosen not only for his posing ability and the fact that he did not shut up, but also for his diet... "seeds".


This little character, a white breasted nuthatch was hanging atop his "clubhouse".
1/1000 @ F2.8 +0.3 - ISO 200 (70-200mm F2.8 @ extension)

This image was Devona's submission for the black & white scenic. She calls the above print "Cat Tails In Black & White" .... not really but she thinks it might fit :)
ISO - 100, F 7, Shutter Speed - 1/50th sec, Focal Length - 100mm

Now I know there was a seed photo that Devona shot, oh yeah, she took that pic the day before said challenge was issued so it was published in the last blog. Not entirely sure what Jim and her did all that morning other than drive around as I have not received any further submissions from her for the other categories or for that matter anything from GIL OR JIM. HELLO, PEOPLE! Whats going on here

I went for a wee hike in the bush and at times all I could see were the trees and the sky.
1/5th @ F22 +0.3 - ISO 100

And as proof to Devona that she is not the only one that knows there is a time and a place for a polarizing filter.

Now I know that deer are pretty much as common place as flies in these parts but sometimes I can't hold back. Peak-a-boo

and then this well fed little fart sneaks out from under her wing. He's gonna struggle with running from those with rifles. That said, if he sticks to the national park system he won't have to worry about that now will he.

The afternoon of day three was spent with Gil on the couch suffering some from some form of stomach issue although I am not sure why. It's not like Devona really cooked anything all week. The three of us, Devona Jim and I found ourselves out with the dogs. An excellent experience and hosted by Bradley Muir of Sundogs Sled Excursions. He and Tyler towed our weighty asses (speak for yourself Mr. Weitzel - D) for like 8 miles and we had a blast. We would highly recommend that you consider a winter visit to these guys as they offer a broad range of outings from partial day trips to overnighters and it is more than apparent that not only do they care about the environment they work in but also the wellbeing of their dogs. In addition to the fun you will come away with an education, one that can only be provided by those who are constantly surrounded by this beautiful wilderness.

Below are a few of Devona's pics from the sled ride.

Here's Rob and our co-host Tyler getting ready for the dogsled run.

(The above image is a shot that our buddy Jim took.  I really wish that I had a bullwhip for this shot :) - Devo)
I can't believe the things I do for these people but I thought showing her as the driver would allow you all to quit thinking that I'm the boss.

Rob in his chariot videotaping as he flew by. (By the way people, that is not a beer belly. I have my 70-200 tucked into my coat so a to try and keep it dry from the spray created by the dogs. They create some other stuff too but we'll leave that for you to experience - Rob)

ISO- 400, F 5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/4000th sec, Focal length - 55mm

I even got to mush!  I can now cross this off of my bucket list as it is something that I have always wanted to do.  Wow... the puppy looks a wee bit upset in this photo... I think that he was just being a bit protective of me :)  Photo courtesy of Mr. Jim Kroshus. (Had I know they were going to let her drive the damn things I would never have played the part of the dog earlier. Did I mention she crashed shortly after a road rage incident that saw 5 dogs and two grown men sent to the vet, the dogs were fine but the men needed their heads examined - Rob - Okay, I'm only joking

Below are a few of my (Rob's) photos from the ride. Yes, I know it is difficult to keep track of who is writing this and when but that is part of the charm RIGHT? RIGHT? Thank you.

Tyler putting a harness on the quietest of all the hounds. Sweet eyes. I mean the dog people although rumour has that Devona was quiet fond of the other eyes in this photo.

Below are two very similar photos both with a unique reason for making the cut as noted.

A good photo of Brad and the the backs of the two photogs who just shot him

and check out the third dog's eyes and the expression on his face. Now that is determined not to mention eye catching. (yes, that was a bad attempt at a pun)

Tyler with his team. A guy who claims to have never had a good photo of himself taken while mushing but apparently still lost track of my business card.

For those of you who may never have this experience, this is the back seat view. Yup, again, sorry.

On that note, I'll leave you with this. Another photo of the always fashionable in camoflauge Devona M. Hill hard at work and a pic that she took of the roads on the way back home which believe it or not were a great improvement from the conditions on the way there.




Stay tuned ya'll but until next time get your asses out there and shoot!

Cheers!

Woohooo... a three part blog!  This totally has to make up for those times... albeit rare... when it took me more than a week or two to get a blog entry in.  And, what has happened in the past 3 minutes since I posted the part II entry...well, I filled my coffee cup and checked the forecast to realize that the wind has dropped in the past few hours from 80kmph gusts down to 50kmph.  Who knows, if it gets down another 30kmph I may even drag my snowshoes out and head out into the night to take some pics.

Before I start this final entry I thought that I would include a little tidbit that I came across quite a long time ago but to me it completely rings true.  I have always believed that having an eye for creating an image is one of the most important aspects of photography... to go along with that you also have to have a camera with you.  Both Rob and I carry a camera of some form with us every single time we go anywhere... it's true... can you count the amount of time you saw something that caught your eye and you didn't have anything to record it with?? 

"Ansel Adams got his famous Shot “Moon and Half Dome” on his way to happy hour. Yes, he pulled his Cadillac over at 4 PM and grabbed his Hasselblad and got that shot. Got back in his car and drove off to have some more fun. Ironic how photographers now line up in droves to try to get the same shot. Ansel loved to get shots of the moon, and was prepared to jump when he saw that shot."

Okay...enough about my "take a camera with you everywhere you go" lecture and onto some more photos: 

ISO - 100, F -18, Shutter Speed - 1/15th sec, Exp Comp - +1.3

Above are just a few of the superb images that Rob shot of some snow drifts.

This is a picture that Rob sent of his cat Bristol... I affectionately have re-named him "the cat that is constantly caught in the door"... why you ask?  Well, the answer is very simple as I am sure every single time I have ever talked to Rob on the phone you can hear Bristol meowing very loudly in the background so I automatically tell Rob to let Bristol out as he is obviously caught in the door???  On a side note Rob's dog is named Daytona ... bet you all are having a hard time figuring out what one of Rob's favorite sports happens to be lol.

ISO - 100, F-13, Shutter Speed - 1/2 sec, Focal Length - 105 ... Macro Lens {To this day all I see when I look at this image is a little animated bird flying towards me}

{This thing conjured serious martian images... martians with strangely curved feet and HUGE lips}

ISO - 100, F-7.1, Shutter Speed-1/8th sec, Exp Comp - +1.3

The above were a few of the shots that Rob took at the Floral Conservatorya few weeks back.  The pictures below are a few that I shot when I went last weekend.

ISO - 250, F 16.0, Shutter Speed - 1/5th sec, Focal Length 200mm

ISO - 500, F 5.6, Shutter Speed - 1/640th sec, Focal Length - 200mm

The above 2 shots were taken of the frost on the panes of glass on the roof of the conservatory.  The patterns were fantastic and I intentionally did not compensate my exposure as I wanted the white frost to come out with a darker more bluish grey tone so that you could see much more of the detail in the images....okay, that totally made me sound like one of those techno wiennies that I love to make of ... sorry Robert {you better be}

ISO - 250, F 2.8, Shutter Speed - 1/1250th sec, Focal Length - 200mm

Wow... that's it for this week and now that I just realized it is already 1:00 PM I guess that I should find some breakfast.  I am going to leave you with a few tips for shooting in the cold as I hear that this warm snap isn't supposed to last all that long

When shooting in the cold try to remember to do the following:

 - Let your camera acclimatize to the conditions... whether you are going from cold to warm or warm to cold give your camera time to adjust... the bigger the temperature difference the longer the time needed.  The one thing that you don't want to happen if to get condensation on your sensor.  When going from one temperature to another keep your camera sealed in your camera bag or a ziploc until it has had the right amount of time to gradually warm up or cool down.

- Always try to keep some of silica gel packs in your camera bag... for those of you who aren't familiar with those they are the little packs that always come in new boxes of shoes that say "Do not Eat" {Also don't pack too many of them in your carry-on or you will be asked a number of chemical related questions at security}

- Keep a absorbant micro fibre cloth in your pocket at all times so if your camera gets snow on it etc then you can just quickly wipe it off as we all know that the #1 killer of cameras is moisture. {Yes, then insert your damp camera in your pocket for de-moisturizing}

- Don't forget that the cold also effects your batteries. Low temperatures also affect batteries that are not in the camera.  {So are we affecting or effecting here?} Always try to keep an extra battery in your pocket and try to rotate them from pocket to camera as you will get much longer life from them by doing this.  Another thing to keep in mind is that even if your battery is reading dead in your camera by taking it out and letting it warm in your pocket for a bit you can usually get at least another dozen shots out of it.

 Well, that's it for now... I seriously have to go and find something to eat!  Have a great week...or two and try to get out shooting while the temperature is at least bearable!

Devona {and Rob}

We're baaaaccccck!  And I'm going to get straight into adding more pictures because the only exciting thing that has happened in the 10 minutes since I posted part one was that the wind has picked up yet another 10km   That along with the realization that me being a meteorolist should have titled the blog something else as if I was indeed in the eye of the storm it would be calm outside...at least momentarily.  Sheesh I can get off topic easily... onto some pics!  We will continue on with sme more of Rob's Costa Rican adventure:

ISO - 100, F - 4.5, Shutter Speed - 1/100th sec, Exp Comp - +0.3 {Can you believe this guy is 75 years old? There is a reason we should all move to Costa Rica and run coffee operations}

ISO - 200, F - 4.5, Shutter Speed - 1/60th sec, Exposure Comp - -2.0 with some fill flash

{Handheld and still pretty stinkin sharp - One does not bother getting out a tripod when you stop in the middle of a road barely wide enough for the vehicle you are driving}

ISO - 80, F - 6.3, Shutter Speed - 1/80th sec, Exp Comp - -1.0

And that is all for Rob's trip pictures... now back to reality.  The following are a few pictures that I took of my daughter and her friends the one day a few weekends back when it actually warmed up enough to go outside

ISO - 160, F 5.0, Shutter Speed - 1/2000th sec, Focal Length - 70mm {Mouth wide open}

ISO - 160, F 5.0, Shutter Speed - 1/1600th sec, Focal Length - 122mm

And now back to some of Rob's more local pics.  I know what you are all thinking... "holy cow...Rob has more pics??" Yes, it is true, I think that he got a little bit sick and tired of getting harassed about his somewhat rare appearances on "our" blog {Why yes I did Devona}

Here are a few that Rob shot when he ventured up into the North Battleford area:

{Cross country ski trails between North Battlefor and Battleford shot with a 200mm lens in an effort to compress the scene}

{The moon caught my eye.}

ISO - 100, F - 13, Shutter Speed - .5 sec, Exp Comp - -0.7

For those of you wondering...yes, Rob did know that he was leaving the white around the corners when he cropped this... do take note though that the horizon is straight as always... very artsy Robert

Yet another beautiful sunset from Robert... actually, this may be a sunrise.  I guess that I just automatically assume that it is sunset as when it comes to my schedule...his is just a bit different lol...

Funky shot that Rob took when we were at the airplane hanger a few weeks back.

Alrighty then... enough pics for for Part II... now I am going to work on the third and final chapter of this blog entry...

I know... two blog entries in a row!!  Funny how I can seem to get this accomplished but have yet to unpack my second suitcase :)  This is going to be rather difficult for most of you to believe but I am not going to ramble on indefinitely prior to posting my photos but instead get right to it.  Now keep in mind that doesn't mean that I may not ramble a bit later on in the blog :)))

Before I get to more vacation photos I will keep you in the loop with what has been keeping Rob and I busy.  We are still teaching photo workshops as they are continuing to sell out.  I believe at this point that we will be taking a break for July and part of August and then starting them up again in the Fall.  Robert has also become the official photographer for the Saskatchewan Soccer Association so this is going to keep him running across the province throughout the summer months.  I have offered to lend a hand if needed but just now am realizing that would make Rob my boss...hmmmm I may have to rethink this one :)  I am now going to change gears and get back to vacation.

 I headed up to Mammoth Lakes. California over the Memorial Day long weekend.  Rather ironic that the week prior to our arrival the temperature hovered around 35 degrees C the entire week and then I guess that someone must have told Mother Nature that I was coming!  To make a long story short the drive from Carlsbad to Mammoth Lakes normally takes in the neighborhood of 6.5 hours... on this day it took almost 10...yep... first it started off with a hail storm that lasted about half an hour thus causing major freeway chaos due to the fact that "it never rains in Southern California" guess that the lyrics did say rain and not snow so what the heck... then due to the vast amount of hail/snow it started to flood... then a tornado touched down about a mile ahead of us flipping over a semi and causing the entire freeway to come to a halt forcing us to detour...yep...not so much fun!  Anywho... the first picture below shows the amount of hail that fell and then the second photo indicates the flooding...hard to tell in the photo but the far right lane of the freeway was at least 4 feet deep at this point.