Category Archives: Photography

Friday Lights

Usually I post flower pictures on Fridays, but seeing as we’re only two days away from the official start of winter, the pickings are rather few and far between, to say the least. However, since we have a lot of this going on …

… I thought some of this would be welcome.

Or maybe a seasonal light tunnel …

… as well as illuminated trees …

… in seasonal fashion.

Always so enlightening to see …

… at this time of year!

Happy Friday.

Ocean Views

I’m not feeling well – nothing serious, just a bit under the weather – so am posting a few favourite ocean photos from my archive. Some have been posted before, others not.

Pacific Ocean, Vancouver Island
Reynisfjara Sea Stacks, North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland
Haida Gwaii, Pacific Ocean, British Columbia
Tuktoyaktuk, Arctic Ocean, Northwest Territories
Hecate Strait, Pacific Ocean, British Columbia
Caribbean Sea, Dominican Republic
Hecate Strait, Pacific Ocean, British Columbia
Pacific Inside Passage, British Columbia
North Atlantic Ocean, Greenland

Have a happy Wednesday.

December Blue Hour

We have seen a lot of rain this autumn, much more than usual, but because of that we are experiencing some beautiful blue hours.

First recognised in French artistic circles about 200 years ago as l’heure bleue, it is a period of twilight at dawn or dusk when the sun is far enough below the horizon – between about 4 and 8 degrees – so that its blue wavelengths dominate the sky while the red wavelengths are absorbed by the ozone in the atmosphere.

In overcast or partially overcast conditions the blue light is reflected and enhanced, leading to lovely blue photos, even if the day has been grey.

I enjoyed taking these of Penticton’s Okanagan Lake shoreline. I find that the artificial lights make a good counterpoint to the blue.

Many of the boat masts at the northern marina have been decorated with seasonal lights which I thought was another lovely visual counterpoint.

On additional note, I am experimenting with a new camera which has also been fun. These pictures are some of my results.

Happy Tuesday.

Duckie Monday

We have a lot more rain coming our way in the form of another water-logged front and while out walking it was clear to me that it was on its way. The occasional breeze ruffled the lake’s surface but it was otherwise very calm and smooth with the blue-grey overcast gathering quickly.

There are lots of warnings about heavy rainfalls with the possibility of landslides in the mountains, so I think I’m just going to stick around here where it might be soggy but it’s 12C (53.6F) and as long as I have rain gear I’m fine.

The ducks don’t mind this at all, though. Bring on the rain, they quack!

For them, rain is a terrifically good thing and they can’t understand why we humans would like things to be a little drier.

Nevertheless, wherever you are, I hope you have a very duckie Monday, rain or not.

Rain Break

The almost continuous rain that we have been getting – although nothing like the inundation that the coast is presently experiencing – stopped for a bit during my afternoon ramble which made picture collecting a bit easier. Here’s a bit of what I saw.

A backlit pine cone …

… some very calm water highlighted by the merest hint of sky-pink as the blue hour settled in …

… and some lovely water reflections of both the sky and the city lights …

… while in the meantime the rhododendron buds await spring.

Happy Saturday.

December 12’s Friday Fleurday

I didn’t think I would find any more flowers from this year to post for Friday Flowerday but then I spotted some lovely pot marigolds in the kitchen garden next to one of our favourite restaurants. They are edible and were clearly still being used by the chef as I found where some had been cut with shears.

They were such a bright and cheery little group to see at this time of year with their sunny faces.

With all the overcast from the constant rain we’re almost totally dark by 4:00 pm, so these pretty flowers were a delightful and unexpected sight indeed.

Happy Friday.

Raindrops

If I waited for the rain to stop before going for a walk, I would never make it outside! So suiting up in rain gear has very frequently been the thing to do.

Here at the valley floor it’s still relatively warm with 10-ish degrees (50F) so we have a comfortable temperature despite the rain.

Everything was dripping and I’ve noticed that mosses and lichens are beginning to grow everywhere. We have been getting an extraordinary amount of rain!

Our dear duckie population has no problem with this at all, though! For them this is a sort of watery paradise.

Do you see how the rain has beaded up on the drake’s back?

The view across the lake was very, very overcast but also windless which was a nice thing. The above picture shows a small crabapple in the foreground. I was surprised to see several of them; usually the birds have eaten them by now. They look a bit like tree ornaments.

Although there’s the distinct possibility that I might grow webbed hands and feet, I’m still happy that we’re not getting snow. Definitely no shovelling!

Happy Thursday.

December Days

We have been experiencing a lot of this …

… fortunately punctuated by a bit of this …

… with shards of orangey-gold still to be found here and there …

… or even the gift of a little rosy red …

… and a dash of leafy medley …

… before time and wind sweep them all away.

It’s December in the northern hemisphere.

Happy Wednesday.