Winter Blessings and the best to all in the New Year

 The colors of winter sparkle on a sunlit day.

Young Snowy Owl and a fly-by shooting. Not bad for hanging my head out the window at 100km. Beautiful isn't he. 

Busy as ever I'm still taking on-line learning courses through the Edmonton Public Library and loving it though I'd gotten too far behind on one course and it deleted before I could complete it. I must hustle to complete the Non-fiction Book Writing course and the second Photoshop Elements course I began as they end Jan 31. I may have to ask for an extension for them as I'm also in process of photographing and documenting about 85 hand made nests. 

Its a lot documenting 3+ years of work in a few weeks. Yesterday I was able to document 9 but need to re-photograph one of them. 

The process I decided on to make headway is to photograph about ten pieces each day and download the images onto the computer, assess them, then go make corrections of camera settings and re-photograph. Download once again and compare images with the first batch. Yesterday most of the first batch was deleted due lack of depth. I don't mind images fading back into blur but I find there must be enough clarity to pull off an image even if it is an artistic type shot, and these being structural, need  clarity.

Next step is documentation which entails measuring each piece by height width and depth, making note of types of media used in the piece as well as the decision of a title, and lastly the date completed. Good luck on that one, I can safely remember which ones were recently completed but to know what year all the rest were done, ya, I'll will be winging it on that point. Personally dates don't mean much to me but Galleries showing work tend to want that detail.

I am taking the Non-fiction Book Writing course as I intend on writing a book about my experience with building these nests, hence also the desire to take excellent photographs of the pieces. Many of the nests have a short story to go with them as to why they were conceived and I believe its worth documenting.

The Art Gallery of St Albert is where the pieces are making their debut in March and April of this year. Yes its coming up fast. 

I wish you well and all the blessing of happiness to share with others.

Hugs!

Hoar Frost

Went out searching for snowy owls but alas did not spot any. We did see this lone coyote hunting in the fields and came across a small flock of redpolls which were sent to wing due the noise of an approaching sled.

The frost on the trees was lovely though in some areas the fog was too dense to see through.

The landscape was a magical winter wonderland, I now wish I had taken more time to capture shots of the fog frost laden trees but we were on a mission, that and my fingers froze from standing out in the cold playing with dials and focus. I am such a wuss when it comes to the -14 temps that the day held.

The barley legible common redpolls in the branches, its too bad the snowmobile scattered them before I could focus in clearly. I have been spending time working manuel mode rather than using camera auto. Of course I miss more shots that way but the shots are nicer. It will be something when I actually learn how to use this camera.