Peek-A-Boo

As The Heir Apparent would tell you, I've become quite the pro when it comes to the game of peek-a-boo.  As such, I can tell when someone is trying to peek-a-boo me.  I was watching a bunch of butterflies as they were hanging around a tree while at the cottage of My Lovely Assistant's father up North.  You may have seen another butterfly shot a short while ago, but if you've forgotten, or would just like to see it again, you can do so by following this link.  There was a large group of them fluttering around a tree next to the pool.  While I was trying to catch a few of them in flight, I noticed an orange wing peeking out from the top of the tree.  I took a closer look through the viewfinder and noticed that not only was the wing visible, but the little guy was staring right back at me through the leaves.  He might have even said 'I see you', though I'm not sure.  The photograph was taken at f/7.1, 1/800sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm.  A very pleasant surprise indeed.

Say Hello To My Little Friend

The great Yogi Berra once said "you can observe a lot by just watching."  I am reminded of them whenever I stumble upon a happy surprise.  I had been observing the flowers at the cottage owned by My Lovely Assistant's father a week ago when suddenly I saw something that made me look twice.  It was this tiny little grasshopper, hanging to the petal of a rose bush that was located on the front of the property.  I've always got my camera in hand when I am walking around the property as there are always some nice flowers or insects waiting to be seen.  Never one to let such a discovery go undocumented, I knelt close to my little buddy, speaking in hushed tones so as not to frighten him and snapped away.  The photograph was taken at f/6.3, 1/100sec, ISO 3200 at 70mm.  He was smaller than my little finger, but it was a great joy to have discovered him

Free As A Butterfly

As 'The Plague' slowly seems to be lifting, and yes, I am wary about writing those words, all of the restrictions we have been living with are slowly lifting as well.  For the first time in 18 month, we were able to visit My Lovely Assistant's father the other day at his chalet near Val Morin.  While it was fun to see some familiar family faces in person rather than on a computer screen, I quickly found myself looking for my other favourite friends of the area, the wide variety of insects that fly around the yard.  While my little niece and nephew were trying to catch these little guys with their nets, I was trying to catch them with my camera.  They proved to be quite evasive of the little people with the nets, but seemed much more willing to stay still around me.  This little guy found a nice resting spot on this red flower and was enjoying a little snack when he raised his little head to smile for the camera.  The photograph was taken at f/4, 1/320sec, ISO 100 at 200mm.  At the end of the day, the little people ended up with nothing in their nets, but I had several in my camera.  Your Friendly Neighbourhood Photographer wins again!  Better luck next time Little People.

 

 

Dad Cars

Always looking for an excuse to play with my toys, I figured I could dig a few out of my past for a little Father's Day tribute of sorts.  It's weird the things that we end up remembering from when we were kids.  I don't remember much of what was taught in elementary school, but a Summer day from 1982 when my parents returned from a summer trip is burned into my memory.  As with most kids who grew up in the 80's, I had a nice collection of Hot Wheels cars.  Since I am a bit of a pack rat, I still have all of those cars in a bag down in the basement.  From time to time, I like to dig through them for a little trip down memory lane.  The first car I always end up pulling out is this red Ford Fairmont, which has admittedly seen better days.  It was given to me from my Dad as a returning from vacation gift.  The returning from vacation gift package was always one of my summer highlights, and this red car still takes me back to that time.  The photograph was taken at f/9, 1/25sec, ISO 100 at 70mm with some flash added as a fill light to counter the shadows on the side of the car, but at the same time, not eliminate the shadows from the sun coming under the car.  I also posed it with a few other relics from my magic bag.  Thanks for the car Dad, and for the many other gifts that I assure you I haven't forgotten through the years.  Happy Father's Day.

Over The Shoulder

I'm still waiting for the local Cardinals and Blue Jays to finally find my backyard, but they have yet to accept any of my invitations.  Luckily, the old reliable Robin has been kind enough to fly through the yard from time to time.  This past weekend it even decided to impress me with some fine posing techniques by giving me a nice over the shoulder. or over the wing in this case, look while perched on some telephone wires.  With a nice blue sky as the background, it makes for one rather regal looking bird.  The photograph was taken at f/7.1, 1/400sec, ISO 100 at 200mm.  Hopefully some of my other fine feathered friends will find their way into my yard this year rather than just flying by on their way to one of the neighbours.  Either that or I need to ask the neighbours what kind of treats they are leaving for the birds.

Asian Lily

I know that April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, but I seem to be on a June flower kick here at The Old Blog.  One of the fun discoveries I made during our first year at the new Head Office was this terrific Asian Lily which ended up growing next to our storage shed outside in the backyard.  I took a few photographs last year, but after taking a quick look, I noticed that it has been growing pretty well and that it will certainly be back in bloom very shortly.  So, before I begin taking some new photographs of it, I had better use one of my old ones.  As I have mentioned over the last few updates, when I'm taking photographs of flowers, I am always looking for some fallen pollen.  With this particular flower, there was a large accumulation of pollen on one of the petals just below the stamen.  With such a find, how could I resist.  The photograph was taken at f/4, 1/500sec, ISO 100 at 67mm.  There were about 10 blooms that appear to be forming on the stem this year, so I should be able to get a few shots before it sadly dies.  It is without a doubt my favourite flower in the yard.

Feeling Colourful

While there can be nothing better than a nice black and white shot to bring out a mood, a nice bright colourful photograph brings things to life.  As you've seen in print here several times before, I have a dislike for the warm weather, but a little bit of warmth is needed in order to bring the flowers to bloom and fill our yard with a rainbow of life.  These little pansies are the size of a nickel, but their colours are magnificent.  I usually buy some every year when we begin to plan our garden and figure out what will end up in our flowers pots, but it wasn't necessary this year.  It's kind of windy here at the Head Office, and I guess Mother Nature must have blown some of their seeds around because they began to sprout up on their own in several different spots of the lawn.  As mentioned in the previous update, I really like taking flower photographs when you can see some of the pollen has been spread around the petals.  If you look at the two large blue petals at the top of the photograph, you'll see that Mother Nature did a good job of spreading some yellow dust all over them.  The photograph was taken at f/6.3, 1/80sec, ISO 400 at 60mm and the image was magnified thanks to the use of a Macro lens.  Sometimes it is the littlest of things that can bring the most joy.

Memorial Geranium

We have this tradition here at the blog of marking certain days of personal importance.  On this day, we mark the second year since the passing of one of my biggest fans, Belle Mom.  We lost My Lovely Assistant's mother two years ago today and the shock of the suddenness with which it happened is still fresh.  Her favourite flower was the Geranium and there were always several pots of them around her house.  After her service, the family gave a small potted Geranium to everyone who attended as a memento.  It's also the same day that my Grandmother, Mémère, left us 18 years ago.  I seem to remember her having a collection of Geraniums in a flower pot next to her window at all times as well.  This nice close-up of a Geranium was taken at f/7.1, 1/250sec, ISO 400 at 60mm using a Macro lens.  I really like those flower photos where you can see the smallest of pollen particles on the petals.  I guess I put up these photos on the anniversary of people passing away because it helps soften the blow of the day by seeing something that I know all of us would have enjoyed.

Just A Few More Minutes

It's never a good idea to go on a photo-walk with a photographer unless you are one yourself.  What would be a simple 10 minute walk around the block can easily become an hour long outing.  Many long minutes can be spent looking at any particular flower, and a large amount of footsteps can be taken trying to find the right angle.  Even when you think you have the photograph you want, you still stick around because there just might be something else to see.  My Lovely Assistant has taken part in some of those outings, which has often led to me taking more of them on my own.  I've always been a solitary person, and being out with my camera hunting for a photograph is what fills me with joy and is my happy place.  This is one of those happy place photographs.  I had already taken the photograph that I wanted to take, which ended up being featured in the La Presse+ newspaper and can be seen by following this link.  I stuck around and moved to the other side of the bridge to get a silhouette shot from the other side, and I was fortunate enough to have a plane fly by.  The photograph was taken at f/16, 1/60sec, ISO 100 at 70mm.  Patience is a virtue, and something you need as a photograph, and something you need more if you plan on taking a walk with one.