Team Awesome Power Squad

I have moved

2009-09-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hey to all the followers and to those who stumbled upon this blog. I have moved to a new website named eclectic chaos, www.eclecticchaos.com

Check it out let me know what you think

Thanks

Chris

Off the Beaten Path

2009-06-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Location: Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Sitka Alaska

Time of Year: June 9, 2009

Other Info: Interesting setting for a cemetery off and into the woods. Bright Green foliage overgrown for the most part with the exception of a two foot walking path.

2009-06-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

Location: Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

Time of Year: June 10,2009

Other Info: Perfect conditions. I was worried that it was going to be blue skies and sun at this point of the trip, but ecstatic joy came to fruition when I saw a grey overcast sky. The overcast skied allowed the blue, in the compressed ice, to pop put beautifully, in my eyes. The weather was overcast and cold at one point during shooting my hand physically could not press in the trigger on my camera. Now come to think of it cold and 400+ shots might have something to do with the fatigue. The ship was able to manouver us to less than a mile, 0.7miles, from the glacial face. This shot is cropped out from 16 shots which were then stitched together by a random program from HP. So enjoy the largest tidewater glacier in North America.

Electric Cedar

2009-06-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Location: Cultus Lake Provincal Park, Chilliwack B.C.

Time of Year: May 23, 2009

Other Info: This shot is from our campsite and I was trying to frame this cedar leaf for about 15 min. This is the end result. I like how simple the shot is but the centre is a little out of focus for my liking, darn wind.

The Corporation

2009-05-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Corporation Says: "You are a valued cog.....er ....member to the corporation. Your input....er....hard work is the grease that keeps the corporation moving into the future. For your valued work one extra hour for lunch has been precisely allocated to your nutrition break. Please remember that you will be working one hour later for lack of productivity."

Location: Hell's Gate, Fraser Canyon

Time of Year: May 16, 2009

Other Info: This shot is of the cogs that run the water wheel for the gold panning exhibit at Hell's Gate. The corporation quote, is something that I have been toying around with in my head and actually used it, a different version, on my mothers day card to my lovely mother this year. This year's card featured Sponge Bob Square Pants and was hot pink. Written inside, with love and care, the corporation slogan crediting one extra week vacation for a job well done. Many people give flowers I give an extra weeks vacation, not paid vacation, mostly because I am a jobless, hobby enthusiast at the moment.

Losing your Marbles.......

2009-05-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

Location: Hell's Gate, Fraser Canyon.

Time of Year: May 16,2009

Other Info: Crossed a bridge.....walk up a path..............take note of the sign which is 90% helpful. Now how to contact Helen about said, "lost marbles".

One art equals many crafts

2009-05-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Location: Kitchen Table (once again)

Time of Year: May 18, 2009

Other Info: Arts and crafts at the table, trying out the old adage that running with scissors will put out your eye. I figure we are blessed with two eyes so live a little and run with scissors. Thinking now have the scissor blades closed no use in putting both your eyes out. This shot is an HDR overlay of three shots edited to my, and possibly, your liking.

2009-05-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Location: Kitchen Table

Time of Year: March 2009

Other Info: Maybe wondering who the model is in this shot.....well it myself. The process of this shot me setting the timer on the camera and running to the mark and crossing my fingers that the shot turns out. I think it is successful for what I had to do to get this shot.

Simplistic Conifer

2009-05-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Location: Whytecliff Park

Time of Year: May 3, 2009

Other Info: I just like how simple, at least to myself, this shot feels. The greens and yellows pop out nicely in contrast to the grey shaded background.

Are You Ready?

2009-05-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Location: Downtown Vancouver

Time of Year: May 2008

Other Info: Saw this sign and found it a little humourous. Hopefully Tom Cruise doesn't rage when he reads this post.

Whytecliff Park

2009-05-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Island connected to the shore via rock scramble.

Lone tree on the Island looking out south west into the Straight of Georgia.

Shot is to the south with West Vancouver in the background.

Location: Whytecliff Park, West Vancouver (Near Horseshoe Bay)

Time of Year: May 3, 2009

Other Info: Park has quiet a bit to offer with hiking trails, Island off shore that is accessible by a rock scramble path, and a beach. The Island that is located offshore, I figure through deduction, was once connected to the mainland. Striations mark up the mass of granite, which has a higher resistance to erosional forces than the rock that connected it to the mainland. The rock on the island has been smoothed thanks to processes of erosion wind, water and ice.

Aloutte Lake

2009-05-04T00:40:00.000-07:00

Location: Allouette Lake, Golden Ears Provincial Park

Time of Year: March 2009

Other Info: This is ,what think, a jewel in the Fraser Valley located near Maple Ridge.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/golden_ears/

Ancient Script

2009-05-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Location: Richmond B.C., Buddhist Temple

Time of Year: April 2009

Other Info: According to my guide , not a monk a "Norman", this ancient Chinese scripture of which "Norman" could not read. Funny/awkward story on what I now call the "Norman Incident" I know I'm a handsome man, my self proclaimed nickname is "Handsome Thunder". I made clear to "Norman", I have a wife and am Happily married, didn't stop Norman from hitting on me as he figured statistically that he had a chance, the odds are he would get struck by lightening before that chance would occur. My analytical mind has gone over what occurred that day,about a thousand times, there was nothing lost in translation and it definitely was not culture gap. I remember that wishing my wife was here as wearing a wedding ring and giving my honest word that, "I was married" wasn't enough to stop what is known as the "Norman Incident".

Geometrocity

2009-04-22T23:36:00.001-07:00

Location: Richmond B.C.; Buddhist Temple

Time of Year: April 20, 2009

Other Info: Not much to say, really, except for GEOMETROCITY. Go forth and use this word in all its might and glory. *GEOMETROCITY: A word invented by a people for all people.

*if you need....neh strive for proper English on the statement above replace "a people" with "a man".

Stairway to Heaven

2009-04-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

Location: Richmond B.C.; Buddhist Temple.

Time of Year: April 20, 2009

Other Info: Ok I'm not Buddhist nor do I plan to change my beliefs in the future. The shot is of a door/ gate handle within the temple grounds. I went to the temple because it represents, in my mind, the visible ethnic shift in the population of the Lower Mainland which causing a change in the urban landscape. According to the 2006 census data the 65% of Richmond's population belong to a visible minority. A prime example of this shift can be seen in the places of worship. The Buddhist Temple is located along the Steveston Hwy, which is nicknamed the "Highway to Heaven" as there is a Mosque, Hindu Temple, Sikh Temple, Synagogue, Buddhist Temple and numerous Churches of differing denominations.

Good...Bad...and the Ugly

2009-04-14T00:27:00.000-07:00

Location: Laie, Hawaii (Island of Oahu); Polynesian Cultural Centre

Time of Year: July/August 2008

Other Info: This was found at the Easter Island display at the Polynesian Cultural Centre. Yes Easter Island is part of Polynesia, another random/ interesting fact that might come in handy during a trivia game. I took these pictures at random and then later on found that I could make a series out of them. The Easter Island version of the Good the Bad and the Ugly's classic Mexican stand off.

The Heart

2009-04-10T23:39:00.000-07:00

Location: Vancouver B.C.

Time of Year: April 10,2009

Other Info: Basically I discovered a new angle on my tripod, straight up view. I felt like a tool, only for a second, as I have owned this flimsy tripod for about 4-5 years, back when film was a popular medium to shoot. These shots give an interesting perspective of the city, the economic power that is within these buildings that dwarf the common folk down below.

Bentall Centre Towers, Burrard Street & West Pender Street

CIBC Tower, Burrard Street & West Hastings Street

Licence & Registration

2009-04-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

Location: Vancouver, Gastown area

Time of Year: April 10,2009

Other Info: Sarah and I made an afternoon to head into Vancouver, once the Good Friday Church service concluded. So we hopped on transit and headed into the City, grabbed some Starbucks and strolled around Gastown/Waterfront area. I was struggling to find something to shoot nothing was really inspiring my creative senses. We walked past this shop twice and it caught my eye both times so I headed back, a thrid time, and shot this photo.

Arterial Flow

2009-04-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

Location: 208th Street Overpass, Langley B.C.

Time of Year: April 8th, 2009; Spring

Other Info: Shot this at night, obviously, while the RCMP were flying around behind me in their cars and above me with their helicopter. I'm thinking I wasn't the target but it did cross my mind that my being in the area would arouse suspicion but maybe dressing up like a Christmas tree and stockings, green sweat shirt and red knee socks, calmed the minds of the RCMP.
So this is a shot of Hwy 1 the main route, practically the only route, into Vancouver. For most of the day this route is a congested/clogged artery which is the cause of many headaches. There are plans to upgrade the transportation infrastructure which include widening the highway, new bridges with higher capacity, bus lanes to allow for easier flow of people. Obviously these changes have been met with opposition those who say, "it will cause more congestion". But thinking from the point of view of that this plan is not meant to be the end all solution but is to provide transportation options which allow for an easier flow of people from the suburbs to the City. As the population grows does the number of vehicles and it is necessary to provide options, feasible ones, that allow the movement of people whether it be in there cars or on public transit.

Clean and Efficient 2

2009-04-05T23:49:00.000-07:00

The information about where this photo was taken is the same as the previous post below.
This photo is of the switch and gauge board found above the turbine floor. I have discovered, in photoshop, the power if merging photos. This shot is three photos merged together all with different levels. Photo number one is the original, following that, number 2 is the end result.

1.

2.

Clean and Efficient

2009-04-05T09:45:00.001-07:00

Location: Stave Lake Powerhouse Museum, back area of Mission/Maple Ridge B.C.

Time of Year: April 4, 2009

Other Info: These pipes for many years powered the turbines at the dam providing clean and efficient electricity. Hydro power and B.C. fit like a hand in glove with unending rain, as it sometimes seems, and the topography of many valleys which contain damable rivers. There are issues with hydro power but it beats the alternatives of dirty energy known as coal.

The Stave Lake Powerhouse museum is an interesting place and a great place to take some photos with a tripod due to a minimal flow of people. The cost to walk around is a minimal $6.00 so if you are searching for a place to shoot photos check this place out.

Joy of Dawn

2009-04-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

Location: Joy of Dawn, Fort Langley, B.C.

Time of Year: Fall 2008, Cranberry Festival.

Other Info: This is just one of many unique shops in Fort Langley here is the website for the local artisan: http://www.fortlangleyartglass.com/. Fort Langley is home to many unique local shops. There are only a handful, if that many, of chain stores such as the IGA grocery store and the local Coast Capital Credit Union so when you are in Fort Langley you are truly supporting the local economy and not lining the pockets of a faceless corporation.
I saw this piece and thought it was very unique for glass work which in my mind was limited to stain glass windows vases. This shot was made difficult due to a breeze which moved the glass which was hanging from a tree. So the original shot is effected by the breeze, but photoshop allowed me to save this shot with soft focusing and a halo effect thus saving a shot in which I was originally disappointed with.

Primary

2009-04-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

Location: Waikiki, Oahu; First Hawaiian Bank.

Time of Year: A few weeks before the economic melt down during the summer of 2008.

Aging

2009-03-31T23:10:00.000-07:00

Location: Vancouver B.C., Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge.

Time of Year: Winter 2009

Other Info: Definite use of photoshop. A friend sent me a link to a photo website and one of the posting was on how to age photos through "Cross Processing". Below are the "original" and "aged" photos, enjoy.

Original Version:

Aged Version:

Springtime Skyscape

2009-03-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Location: Vancouver; Shot from Science World over looking False Creek.

Time of Year: March 25,2009. Very cool spring day.

Other info: Traveled down from suburban Langley to urban Vancouver by public transit, saving the environment, shrinking my carbon foot print and acting in a sustainable fashion. How is that for environmental cliches impressive I know. It was blitz'n cold down by the water as the breeze neh wind was whipping in, moving from high pressure over the water to inland low, off of False Creek. The last sentence contained a tid bit of geographic information which will empower you the next time you need a interesting fact for a conversation. The weather is always good for small talk.

Anyways this is my second attempt at HDR photography I think I got a better effect this time let me know what you think.

House of Hawaiian Royalty

2009-03-23T09:57:00.001-07:00

Location: 'Iolani Palace, Honolulu

Time of Year: August 2008

Other Info: This is the house of former Hawaiian royalty. Built in 1879, replaced the first palace which was known as,Hale Ali`i meaning house of the chief. The name 'Iolani is split up into 'Io which is a Hawaiian Hawk, lani which is a word for exalted, royal and heavenly. This Palace was fitted with all the modern advances of the time, electric lighting, seven years after Edison invented the light bulb. Other advances of the time was indoor plumbing and a telephone communication system. This palace was very up to date with the inventions of the time, which is interesting seeing how far from mainland U.S. they are.
It was an interesting tour in which Sarah and I learned where the Hawiian's take pride in being Hawaiian first and American second. This sentiment of local pride came from the American annexation and over throw of the Hawaiian monarchy. I noticed this pride during 2008 world series. During the player introductions of their home countries, outfielder for the Phillies, Shane Victorino said Hawaii, followed by a long pause, then USA. I probably would not have noticed that little quirk had I not learned a bit of history of Hawaii.
Alot of the info about the place can be found at : 'Iolani Palace website : http://www.iolanipalace.org/index.html

Image from Google Maps

Blue Circle is the general location of the 'Iolani Palace

Image from Google Maps

Red star is the place near the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and Chinatown

The Palace Grounds:

There is a large green space area in front of the Palace with a very large Banyan tree of which you can see the branches in this shot.

The Front Gate:

The Hawaiian Coat of Arms: States: "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono" translated to English says: "The life of the land is perpetuated by righteousness" http://www.hawaiiankingdom.org/national-coatofarms.shtml

Decorative Piece on the Gate

There are no shots of the interior well because no camera's are allowed inside a while some people were using there point and shoot camera's which are easier to conceal than an SLR.

Spring Time II

2009-03-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Same shot as seen in the last post, but in this shot the curves have been altered.

Spring Time

2009-03-22T18:51:00.001-07:00

Location: Derby Reach Regional Park, Langley B.C.

Time of Year: Spring March 22,2009 (Two days past the equinox)

Other Info: This image is my first attempt with HDR(High Dynamic Range Imaging/Rendering)

This photo is an overlay of four shots with varying exposure settings, shutter speeds, aperture stayed the same but ultimately could be altered as well.

Pearl Harbour

2009-03-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

Location: Pearl Harbour, Oahu Hawaii

Time of Year: August 2008

Other Info: This was my second time to Pearl Harbour. The First time I was kid who did not understand the magnitude of what Pearl Harbour represents. Seeing the names on placards listening to Parks Ranger choked up in his speech before the movie telling of the events that occurred Dec 7th 1941 was not something that should be praised but remembered for the sacrifices of those who fell. One thing that really struck home was that Fathers and Sons fought and died next to each other forever changing family dynamics. The presentation reminded me that soldiers, any side, are human, they have souls, act, react, feel and are not heartless killing machines. The time on the monument was spent in silent, I remember feeling very Solemn, out of respect for the dead who still remain on the USS Arizona.
Our trip to the monument was spent on Public Transit, excellent system and is price friendly 4 day pass for 2 $40.00 unlimited use. I recommend for those concerned for the environment but like flying, to warm destinations, this is a way to give back. Travel may take longer by bus but it is definitely worth it.

Image: Google Maps
Yellow Circle Location of Pearl Harbour in relation to Oahu. The red circle is general location of Waikiki.

Image: Google Maps

Red star is the location of Pearl Harbour

The Grounds:

Anchor Chains at the entrance to the grounds building

This is what we were greeted with when we stepped out on to the grounds. There is still a heavy naval presence in Pearl Harbour.

The Museum:

The cramped deck of a Japanese Aircraft Carrier

Battleship USS Arizona

The Monument:

The entrance to the monument

The wall of those who gave their lives in service Dec 7th, 1941

Family members in who died in service December 7th 1941 Fathers next to Sons family dynamics changed forever.

The whole time out at the monument was spent in silence out of respect for the fallen

Oil seeping from the Arizona that rests at the bottom of Pearl Harbour.

Diamond Head Hike

2009-03-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

Location: Diamond Head, Waikiki Oahu

Time of Year: July 2008

Other info: Wear proper footwear for this hike, I was wearing flip flops as our original destination was Kapiolani Park and then we saw Diamond head was close and decided to walk up and around to the entrance and hike to the summit. The Trail is in decent condition a lot of tourists, tunnel sections, stairs and darkness. Also water is essential as there is no source of water on the hike and depending on the time of day you can bake in the crater as there is not much shade to cool off in. In total our walk was around 10 miles from hotel to summit.
One thing that I remember from the hike is that the Diamond Head is comprise of Tuff which has a resistant to erosional forces i.e. wind and water which in essenes is not tough at all, kind of nerdy but I still remember it so it works.
Also the crater provided a home for a military base which is much smaller than the days of the mid 20th century so the trail that we walked is the trail that the military used to carve out its tunnels for strategic lookouts on the ridge of the crater.

(Taken from Google Maps)

The red circle indicates the location of Diamond Head Crater in relation to Oahu.

(Taken from Google Maps)

Point A: Location of the hotel
Point B: No significance to the trip just where we turned to move on to the park
Point C: Kapiolani Park/ Zoo (Original Destination)
Point D: The entrance road to the Crater
Total distance to this point 2.2 miles, total distance to summit 5 miles (estimation, one way)

The classic Hawaiian shot of Waikiki golden sand, turquoise water and Diamond Head in the back ground.

The summit of Diamond Head 760 ft in elevation

View from the top (NW) over looking Waikiki, Kapiolani park the beaches and the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean

View from the top (NE) over looking Waikiki's residential areas which are moving up the slopes. Also in the foreground is a hut that is connected to the many tunnels that are in the ridge created by the military as a look out.

View from the top (SE) over looking the Crater floor where the military base exists today but in a much much smaller scale. In the distance to the left is Koko Head which has a crazy seat of stairs going straight up the side. Also Hanauma Bay is located on the other side of the mound to the right of Koko Head.

This is some interesting dry plant life or former plant life as it looks dried up but it was really spiky looking and caught my eye.

Astoria Or.

2009-03-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Location: Astoria Oregon

Time of Year: October, Thanksgiving, 2007

Other info: Astoria is famous for the Astoria Bridge as seen in the picture which connects Washington and Oregon. Another famous fact about Astoria is that it played the home of The Goonies, Kindergarten Cop and many other movies. This shot was taken, from the Astoria Column in which you climb up 150-200 steps for a view of Astoria and the valley to the south. The decorative, history of the Pacific NW, Lewis and Clark etc..., column cost a few bones and was worth the stop. Astoria is a resource town from my observations, fishing and logging. But with the state of the fish returns diminishing i.e. salmon runs this town will most likely be going through a transition phase to diversify there economy. Astoria's geographic location does help as it is located on Hwy 30 which connects to Hwy 101 which moves traffic up the Washington coast/and down the Oregon Coast as travelers will stop in and visit some of the local attractions as they make there way to there destinations of choice.
The Bridge crosses the mouth of Columbia River, where it meets the Pacific from its headwaters which originate in B.C.'s Lake Columbia. The Columbia is a heavily dammed river and there for it resembles a chain of lakes in some parts.

If you are interested here is a link providing the glacial and geological origins of the Columbia Watershed: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/ColumbiaPlateau/summary_columbia_plateau.html
The final destination of the trip was Cannon Beach not Astoria but we were driving through and decided to stop and check it out.

And incase you are wondering I did edit the photo made it rougher/ pixelated and adjusted some levels.

Cresent Beach

2009-03-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Location: Cresent Beach, South Surrey not to mixed up with Surrey Surrey.

Time of Year: Spring 2007

Tea Off

2009-03-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Location: The Kitchen Area

Time of Year: March 7th 2009, Late afternoon

Other Info: Learning how to use my external flash bouncing the light off the ceiling and such. I was sitting on the couch watching my 12th episode of flight of the conchord's when I saw the light streaming in through the blinds and decided today was the day to try play with that light source.

Prairie Metropolis

2009-03-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

Location: Regina (Holiday In Express, but you probably already know that by the chandelier).

Time of Year: Spring 2007

Other Info: I could make sarcastic remarks about Saskatchewan and Regina, but I will not give in to the temptation. I found this picture from the whirlwind adventure to Regina and adjusted the levels abit to try and create a classy picture.

The Birth Place of B.C.

2009-03-03T02:31:00.001-08:00

Location: Fort Langley; Bedford Channel

Time of Year: Fall 2007

Other Info: This photo is looking west up the channel. The original Fort, that was built, was constructed further west near Derby Reach Regional Park which is situated off the Fraser River. The Fort, that is in Fort Langley today, was moved east to the Bedford Channel area. McMillan Island protects the Bedford Channel from the Fraser River creating a calmer body of water allowing for easier transportation of goods during the fur trading years easier. With this information in hand it is probable conclusion to why the Fort was moved east to its current location.

Point A: Original location of the Fort Located off of Allard Crescent

Point B: Current Fort Location (Fort Langley)

*Bedford Channel is located North of Pt B

Picture Perfect

2009-03-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Location: Waikiki, Oahu Hawaii

Time of Year: August 2008

This was the last shot of our vacation eight days of Hawaii summed up in one shot.

The Abbey (Mission)

2009-02-28T22:55:00.000-08:00

Location: Westminster Abbey Mission; Chapel

Time of Year: Winter February 2009

Other Info: My first time up to the monastery/seminary/school/chapel, fascinating architecture in our backyard (aka Fraser Valley).

If you are curious here is a link to the website: http://www.sck.ca/pages/home.htm

Simple Yet Effective

2009-02-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

Location: Mission, Westminster Abbey; Bell Tower Stairs

Time of Year: Feb 28th 2009 (Burrr Winter)

Tick Tock

2009-02-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

This clock has fascinated me because it is a combination of rustic and contemporary which catches the eye, well at least my eye.

Location: Township of Langley

Object: Lobby Clock

Time: about 11:40 ish

Bouncing, Floating, Voice Altering.....

2009-02-26T00:08:00.000-08:00

Answer.... Balloons

Location: Instorage Community Event, South Vancouver, August 2008

Altitude: Balloons aprox. 15ft in the air, the weather sun cloud breeze from the east, definitly a cooler summer day.

Other info: Personally I probably inflated and tied most of the balloons because that is what a good husband does for his wife, I swear there is no bitterness behind my last statement, but there is a definite hint of smart ass in my remarks.

Maverick v. Iceman

2009-02-24T17:12:00.000-08:00

Location: Langley Regional Airport
Time of Year: July 2008
Other Info: I think the plane is a Dauntless, not 100% certain

2009-02-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

Location: Bridge Community Church Langley B.C.

Time of Year: May 2008

The Warrior

2009-02-22T18:30:00.003-08:00

Location: Cloverdale Athletic Park;
Team: East Abbotsford Samuri Swine
Other Info: Church Sports Slo Pitch "B" Division
Time of Year: Early July 2008

Sumas River

2009-02-21T13:38:00.001-08:00

Location: Sumas River, tributary to the mighty Fraser River, from the Barrowtown Pump Station.
Direction: South West
Time of Year: Fall 2008

Lac le Jeune

2009-02-20T14:27:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken in September 2007 I was looking through my many many files of pictures and found this touched it up here it is for you to enjoy. It is a little dark but hey this was from my first couple of months of using my new, at the time, D-40.

Location: Lac le Jeune, located in British Columbia; South of Kamloops and North of Merrit off of Hwy #5.
The landscape, in this region, has been shaped and formed from glaciers during the last ice age creating a geomorphologist, geographer, geologist's dream.

Uncreative Title: "Flowers"

2009-02-18T00:36:00.000-08:00

Against the Grain

2009-02-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

My Spoon is to Big......

2009-02-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

Setup:

1. green save-on foods reuseable shopping bag

2. Banana's (3)

Lighting:

1. Sunlight directed by blinds

2. SB-600 flash; angled up 45 degrees, rotated 30 degrees (right) and the flash power was set at 1/64

Granville Island at Night

2009-02-14T15:45:00.001-08:00

Burrad Street Bridge

Reflection on False Creek

Granville Street Bridge #1

Granville Street Bridge #2

If you are wondering how to create starburst lights, set the aperture priority on your SLR camera to F stop 16 (F16).

Caos Figurativo

2009-02-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

They've Soul's

2009-02-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

This is a tribute to my Chuck's:

The lighting for the top three shots is from a flash light diffused through a drinking glass.

Black Mask...My Best Friend

2009-02-11T00:09:00.000-08:00

Contemplation of the Unknown

2009-02-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

Location: St Mary's Cemetary, Chilliwack B.C.

The Plan

2009-02-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

One Foggy Afternoon Walk: Stanley Park

2009-01-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

The weather on the west coast has been abnormal, to say the least. With December snow building a large snow pack mixed with a pineapple express, weather term not Seth Rogan, melting the snow and adding alot of rain has made for an interesting end/ beginning to 2008/2009. All the more strange were the temperature inversions that lasted for just over half a week that saw most of metro Vancouver inundated in fog and cool temperatures, but the mountains were reaching temperatures of 25 Celsius. So with the trapped cool air my wife and I decided to head out to Stanley Park and walk along the sea wall. Our trek took up 4.5km from the beginning of the sea wall in Coal Harbour to the Lions Gate Bridge. The sea wall was closed at the Lions Gate Bridge due to unstable slope faces above the sea wall along with some damage to the sea wall from the weather. These are my first shots of the New Year enjoy.

Coal Harbour:

Sea Wall: Across from the Canadian Naval Reserves Building:

Sarah's Scarf:

Fading Trees:

Lady in a Wetsuit, according to the placard:

Lions Gate Bridge:

Moss, Lichen, Foliage etc...

Maps

2008-11-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

Thinking of how we depend on GPS, GIS platform maps such as Google maps, map quest nothing beats tangible map in my books. We can depend on technology all we want but it can't be the final option. Technology has been know to need batteries, breakdown give wrong directions, yeah I'm speaking to you map quest and google, the tangible hard copy map is still relevant.

(my topo map)

My self I have a fascination with maps because it is a representation of how we see the world. So much information can be presented the basic political maps of boundaries and cities, road map, topographic maps show elevation.

(my topo map)
Maps are a form of communication that has been used from very early times whether indigenous people who use animal bone piles on the prairies to say this is a good hunting spot, to propaganda maps of Hitler invading all of Europe and the World.

www.newberry.org/smith/slidesets/vs1.html

So don't depend on technology, use it but balance it out with a hard copy tangible map it save you a couple of bucks as you have no need to throw out your GPS after the millionth "turn left....recalculating route....turn right.....recalculating route."

White Rock: Rock Stacking

2008-11-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were sitting on the patio at a White Rock eatery and out of the corner of my eye I noticed something odd on the landscape. The oddity was making me curious through out the course of dinner. I remember coming to the conclusion that it was a sand castles but as we walked away from the establishment towards the oddity in the distance my curiosity peaked again as there was no sand near the Art Gallery building and low and behold there was a man stacking rocks calmly and peacefully as a crowd of people had surrounded him. So following is what my wife and I saw, very impressive at least to us.

Unfazed by the crowd:

Manning Park (Skyline)

2008-11-10T22:06:00.000-08:00

My friend I took off early in the morning hike for five fun filled hours. The trail that we tackled is called Skyline it starts from Strawberry flats near the ski hill and takes you to the junction of skyline1 and skyline2. Skyline1 starts from the east from spruce bay. Skyline2 continues west from the junction and takes you down into the Skagit Valley. The elevation gain from Strawberry flats to the junction is roughly 1500ft or 450m over 5km with a grade of 9%. So not super steep but a good work out to the junction.

The map below shows the trail as a black dashed line. The junction as I saw it seemed to be more to the west as the red line would indicate, some nice heads up digitizing eh eh. There are five points on the map and they coincide with pictures.

The trail takes you from heavy forest up through sub alpine and alpine areas as the treeline thins out. There are some good examples of glacial features left from the last glacial period. The main features that I observed were U-shaped valley's and a possible Nunatuk with cirques, arretes, scree and talus slopes.

(Point 2)

This is the view from the junction. In the distance you will see a defining mountain in the distance. That is Mount Hozameen which is located South of the 49th. The Lake in the bottom of the picture is Thunder Lake the most westerly of the thunder lake chain.

So here is a closer view of Mount Hozameen. There are some defining glacial features that can be observed. First is the Nunatuk which is located to the right side of the picture (snowy side, above the tree). A nunatuk is pyramid point in which was not eroded because it was higher than the ice. So how high was the ice you ask... about 2km's all the other peaks in the area are rounded due to glacial erosion. Another interesting fact is that Mount Hozameen seems, from a distance to be made of igneous which means that it is more resistant to erosion therefore the sharp features we created as the weaker material was carried away. There is also a cirque between the two peaks this is where snow accumulates and a glacier is born over many years of accumulation and depletion. There is also an arrete which is a kinfe like ridge at the back wall of the cirque connecting the two peaks.

Here is an example of the rounded peaks these are just under 2000m's so they felt the force of a glacier.

(Point 3-4)

This is a picture of a alpine meadow it was much rewarding to walk on semi flat ground with very little elevation gain after 5km of elevation gain. It is amazing how rejuvenating the flat areas are. In the distance you can see a U-Shaped valley with its steep walls and flat valley floor. Rounded peaks once again sure fire sign of glacial erosion.

I was expecting to see more flowers but I think we were in between seasons for wild flowers. So this hike took place mid July so hike mid June to beginning of July if you want to see wild flowers.

Dying flowers symbolizes depleting stamina of the hike.

Devils Paint brush just coming into season.

This section of the hike was rewarding in a sense that the meadow and breeze but that lasted for about 1.5km then about 1km of narrow scree/ talus slopes of narrow angled trail. Talus for those interested is loose rock. So steep slopes + loose footing * narrow trail + (backpack)*(Camera bag) equals alot of concentration and taking my time (thinking back I should have used my a bigger backpack it would have helped with my balance).

(Point 5)

The summit, sitting at 6550 ft looking across the valley eating lunch there is nothing like it. The wind and sun caressing your skin acts as a pain killer to your sore muscles. There were black flies at the peak that enjoy sweaty flesh, little bugger took a chunk out of palm but I honestly did not care.

I apologize for the stitching job of the panoramic forgive me, my next attempt will be better.

The worst part of the hike is that you have to traverse back eventually so we did. This is the only wildlife we saw. I think it is a grouse nearly stepped on it. We saw other traces of animals such as bear fur, prints and droppings. So be aware of your location and bring some noise makers and use common sense. This is active black, grizzly bear territory.

Josh conquering the said hike

Me and my lame tree impression

This is a beetle kill tree. Manning park has an issue with the pine beetle alot of the trees in the campsites and around the lightening lakes have been taken out.

Manning park has alot to offer outdoors wise hiking, canoeing on the lightening lakes, I also recommend as it is reasonably priced, camping etc... If you think of it in our times of economic strife this could be the perfect staycation as Manning Park is located less than 3hours from Vancouver.

Overall this was great hike got some good shots, I think, had a great sense of accomplishment that no video game could ever give me.

Red Bull Soap Box

2008-10-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Red Bull Soap Box Derby was here but is now gone. The crowds at the event made me wish that I had left earlier to watch man's attempt at art and speed burn down the a hill in Kitsilano. The course contained a hill, for momentum, a jump for air and style points, and cross over section, for hair raising crashes. I also wanted to test out how fast camera could react to said hair raising speed.Ok now that I have talked this event up there were not any crashes that I saw as I was half way up the hill. The Jump acted more as speed bump creating possibly 1-2 inches of air. Although there was on crash that involved a turkey racer which was caused from inexperience at the wheel or the driver possibly eating the shell of the vehicle as the smell of paint fumes and sun surprisingly smell like turkey. In retrospect I do not know if paint fumes and sun smell like turkey it is just a leap with in my imagination.

Here are some photo's of the day's events:

Jon Lenin: living in a submarine.

Celebrity sighting (maybe not): Gordon Campbell shows how he beats the carbon tax

The Shark: this soapbox racer was the well done and carried alot of speed, probably added weight in the nose i.e. Cool Runnings. But there was nothing cool about this race as the Great white shark racer won hands down.

The closest race of the day:

All in all I enjoyed my afternoon in the sun but left feeling that the soapbox races were a hyped up to be something that they were not. Overall my goal was to see how fast my camera could react and found out that about 3 frames a second is not that fast and that timing is everything. But hey it was beautiful afternoon to shoot some photo's which beat sitting inside and watching reruns of the sitcoms of years past.

Deep Cove Hike

2008-09-09T20:28:00.001-07:00

This hike is perfect for a picnic on a glorious sunny day. The local of the hike is in the sleepy town of Deep Cove which is located East of the City of North Vancouver. The hike is located on the Baden Powell trail. This section of the Baden-Powell trail if continued on will take you on a trek to Lynn Canyon, Which is much longer and,according to the information I have read, is rated between moderate and difficult. The length of the hike that my wife and I did was just over 1km and was a good work out. There were alot of people on the trail a majority running it which was border line insane if you are not in peak physical condition. The trail was well maintained with markers every five steps it seemed. For sections that were too steep for a trail stairs are in place. Below in the graph is a representation of the trail, not completely accurate as I used my GPS for elevation. The elevation gain is about 100m which may not seem like much but 100m of 1100m which works out to a 9-10% grade as generalization of the hike.

Graph: Trail Representation

There are also 5-6 bridges which you cross which I found entertaining, not sure why but I did.The whole hike, to the viewpoint, is in the forest and you are surrounded by massive Douglas Firs
Once you reach the view point you are greeted with a smooth rocky outcrop which has stood up to the erosional forces of water,ice,wind etc.

Photo: Looking South across the Indian Arm towards Burrard Inlet:

Deep grooves,striations, can be seen in the rock out crop which points to glaciation and ice being the main erosional force.

Photo: Striations in the rock out crop.

In the striations and depressions in rock outcrop wind and water have transported and deposited sediment which has allowed for short grass and some other plant life to grow.

Photo: Plant Life

Photo: High above Indian Arm
Overall this was an enjoyable hike not to long but not to short perfect for an afternoon.

Long Exposures

2008-06-27T17:58:00.001-07:00

These pictures have been taken within the last year and are my experimentation with open shutter speeds of 30 sec. The photo's start with Lake Osoyoos looking north towards the U.S./Canadian boarder. The next three photo's are from Fort Langley, followed by a series from downtown Vancouver, finally three photo's from my recent trip to Waikiki Hawaii.

Lake Osoyoos from 11:00pm at night

Fort Langley: Bedford Channel Bridge (west):

Fort Langley: Park Bench with some interesting lighting.

Fort Langley: Bedford Channel (east)

The next set of pictures were shot on a cold night -2 (Celsius) about -8 with windchill lots of fun especially when one is not dressed correctly for the elements.

Vancouver: Kits Beach

Vancouver: Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge

Vancouver: Burrard Street

If you are wondering how I did this here you go. Long exposure zoomed in to the full extent then when the shutter is open zoom out this will draw the light straight back.

Waikiki: Kuhio beach

Waikiki: Parking Garage

Waikiki: Kalakaua Ave.

Cherry Blossoms

2008-06-20T17:52:00.001-07:00

These are some Cherry Blossoms from the tree in our front yard. This is the second time I have posted these pictures due myself deleting all my posts by accident. So if you have seen these already enjoy them again as a reminder of the wonderful spring weather we had or did not have depending on your view.

This picture was based on perfect timing as the breeze just about made the whole shot a blur.

Random Pictures

2008-06-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

This is my bobble head turtle that keeps my company on my 40min commute to work. I was playing with the movement of the turtle along with the colour contrasts.

I asked the turtle if it was a Mexican or Mexicant (quote Johnny Depp from once upon a time in Mexico)
Obviously the turtle fell over so I assume it was the later, Mexicant.

Ahh the greatest game to pit people against chance and skill, Stock Ticker. Exactly like the stock market as you can reap dividends of high oil and curse those terrible industrial stocks as they tank into the abyss along with your blue, pink, yellow,white and green currency. Do not worry your investments in Bonds will save you as the low risk low reward will indubitably win the game.

Cuban statues this was my first attempt to manipulate light with a dark room and candles lit.

The Big City

2008-06-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

If you don't know this already, you will soon find out, that I enjoy the urban environment for many reasons. One reason, the main reason is that it is human kind interacting with the environment and using some creativity to show who lives here. This has been happening since the earliest cities, monuments, architectural design and city planning, using the surrounding environment as there canvas and designing the landscape to act functionally so that those who interact with it daily can move through with ease.
So here are some pics from around the city, enjoy.

English Bay:

Inushuck down by the Bay

Arc Monument:

Sun Dial:

Downtown:

Mural of a Master and his Apprentice:

Vancouver Library:

Chinatown:

Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens:

Protector Lion:

Common Sight in Chinatown:

West Han Dynasty bell (Topper)

Queen Elizabeth Park:

Plant Bubble:

Photo Sesion Statues:

Bridal Veil Falls

2008-06-16T17:50:00.001-07:00

These photo's were shot at Bridal Falls in Rosedale, just east of Chilliwack. My wife and I went on one of the warmer day's in May figured we would see some good flow dropping down the mountain side. I was disappointed at first as from the highway the promise of rushing water cascading down seemed to dawn a trickle. As we hiked, 15 min tops, the roar of a spring freshet could be heard and the process of alluvial erosion perked my nerdy geography side. Provided below is a topographic map from, natural resources Canada, at a scale of 1:75000 Grid zone 92H4, point of reference Chilliwack is located in 92H then 92H is broken down further,i.e. the 4 after the H, so a larger scale can be used to show more detail. Here is the website for the online topographic maps http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/map its interesting to look at. Anyways after examining the topographic map I learned that Bridal falls originates off of Mt. Archibald and not Cheam,which is what I assumed.
Cheam Peak from Harrison:
Also another interesting website is river forecast website it shows the snow pillows and what there status is whether they are above or below normal and has some interesting graphs showing what has happened and is happening and compares them to trends of the average, maximum and minimum ranges. The link is http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/rfc/river_forecast/snowp_map.htm. The closest snow pillow to Bridal Falls is Wahleach Lake which is located about South West of the Cheam Peak. What this can show is when runoff or the freshet is occurring and that is when the waterfalls will be cascading the best.
So enjoy these shots.

This rock came flying down the Falls from the top about 400ft up. The rock bounced 5 ft from my head over a guys head below me and landed a few feet from my wife in the standing area. You can walk up to the falls but be aware of falling rocks, this rock is about 8"x8"x6" (L x W x H)

Water flowing away from the falls:

Near the parking lot:

I was impressed by the waterfall at this time of year if you go up in summer it is still nice but the water flow will be down to half or lower to what the spring run off will show you.

Fun WIth Light: Part 2

2008-05-25T16:11:00.001-07:00

These photo's are from my experiment of painting with light. The light source that I used was a flashlight to complement a long shutter speed. I thought I would try painting with light on some Heineken and some product shots revealed themselves. By the way I did enjoy the beer it was pleasant to the taste buds.

Fun With Light: Part 1

2008-05-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

These photo's were shot at camera club, which consists of my self and two other guys who have the proper lighting equipment. I found it interesting with effects that you can create when using ice and strobe gels how the colour refracts through the ice.

Granville Island

2008-05-20T18:27:00.001-07:00

These were taken on Easter Monday, very cold from what I remember. But the when the wind calmed the suns warmth along with the ambiance of local street performers and musicians made for a wonderful day.

Looking North to Yaletown/Westend, with the Burrard Street Bridge to the west and the Granville Street Bridge to the east crossing over False Creek.

One man band, very entertaining:

Drumset:

Granville Market Building was crazy busy but and a very pleasing aroma of fresh fruits and bread. Also in the market place were pyramids of strawberry's that seemed like they would fall over if someone sneezed.

Steveston & Britannia Shipyard

2008-05-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

These photo's were shot in Steveston which is located in Richmond. Steveston is a fishing village that is going through some redevelopment due to limits on the Salmon fishery. The prime real estate of being close to the water, parks and recreation, and fresh food market are a draw. Steveston, in relation to Richmond city, is lacking in the Asian influence which is unique to the area as a majority of the population are visible minorities. Also located in Steveston is an old cannery, the Britannia Shipyard and a park near the mouth of the southern arm of the Fraser River. There are statues and monuments regarding the Japanese fishermen who built the fisheries in Steveston prior to World War II. During this time the Japanese Canadians and Canadians were shipped away from the coast to the interior of the Province with there property sold off. I would recommend checking this area out if you have not already.

Steveston:

Memorial to those lost at sea:

Art along the path:

This is near a great fish and chip place:

One of the many fishing vessels:

Monument to the Japanese Fishermen:

Britannia Shipyard:

City of Langley

2008-05-19T17:35:00.002-07:00

These were taken on a beautiful fall day and I was out to find something unique to Langley. All of these shots were taken on the one way on Fraser Highway with the exception of the casino. What I discovered is that on the one-way street there are alley ways and a lot of local small businesses that are unique and provide a sense of place for the City of Langley. The one way is the core of the City of Langley and is going through a transitional phase as some businesses are moving out, but this transitional stage could lead to revitalization of the core further on down the road.

Cascade Casino:

Figurine chained to a table

Speaks for its self

Old Coast Capital Bank

Statues

2008-05-19T17:35:00.001-07:00

These were taken in Chilliwack at Homer's restaurant in downtown. These statues jumped out as the faces showed character through the fresh paint covering up there weathered states. Also the statue with the moustache was vandalized by a person other than myself.

Chilliwack in the Sun

2008-05-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken on a crisp fall day just walking around and exploring city. These are some things that caught my eye.

Statue of Piper Richardson:

Cenotaph for those who fell in Korea:

Paramount movie theatre in Downtown Chilliwack.

Prospera Centre: