The Railway Trail, Hayward Lake, near Mission, BC.

The piles making up an old trestle along Hayward Lake.

We owe much to our forefathers, the pioneers of old, that built our country one mile at a time.  Many of the routes they constructed were the life-blood of civilization.  These byways still exist, although  they would not be recognized today by those original travelers that meandered along them.  Simple farm trails have become major thoroughfares, used by thousands of commuters each day.  Other paths have been abandoned and fallen into disuse and disrepair.

A common history has befallen many a rail line.  The reasons for them being forsaken varies.  Shorter routes, exhausted resources, better grades, or simple economics all have spelled their doom.  Fortunately, many of these have been revitalized.  No longer facilitating the passage of giant iron beasts, these woodland lines now allow the easy flow of people searching for a quiet path to free their thoughts. 

The Railway Trail (click here), as the south path around Hayward Lake is called, boasts stunning views of the lake with the remains of trestles periodically dotting the trek.  I was out on this path Sunday afternoon with a friend.  The walk was peaceful and easy; one of the benefits of using a railbed as a pathway.  Modest elevation changes exist along its length, especially if you start out at the south end.  We hiked the northern part from the park to a point midway to the other end.  We saw other hikers, many walking their dogs, who seemed to appreciate the trail as much as we did.

Thanks to my friend, Bert, who phoned me up and asked if I wanted to go for a walk.  I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

Moraine Lake, Banff.

Moraine Lake in the morning.

One of the most remarkable sites I have had the pleasure to see is Moraine Lake in Banff National Park.  Its pristine turquoise waters contrast against the grey limestone peaks in the background with talus slopes testifying to the age of the vista.  On a clear day, the azure sky adds to the scenescape producing a true national treasure.

The moment I was there, photographing in awe all that was before me, did not prognosticate what my daughter would later do with the image.  The shot above, and another like it, is being used by her in a quest to find subjects to paint. 

After taking art classes for many a year, she found herself in a conflict of sorts.  The problem lay with where she was getting the material from.  Books, works of art, and other people's images were the inspiration for what she put upon canvas.  It was all copyrighted; protected from being duplicated without permission or recompense.  After some discussion with her family, she decided to use the images I had created over time.  She would peruse through many hundreds of images cached in my hard drives and find one which suited her creative desire.

Her current project is to paint the above photograph, on an especially large canvas.  She wants to use it to cover the television which will eventually be mounted on the wall in her newly fabricated suite.  I don't always get to see my photos used, and it nice to see that something wonderful will come of a joint project between my daughter and I.  It makes the majesty of the scene all the more poignant.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

St. Kitts: There's no place like home.

A shanty located in St. Kitts.

It is easy to look at this and feel bad for the inhabitants; they don't have any of the basics which we take for granted.  No power, no running water, and a home that is more hovel than hotel.  How is it that they could live in such poverty?  It must be terrible for them.  Or is it?

The truth is dependent upon what you are used to.  Most of us North Americans would be uncomfortable here.  Our "quality of living" standards would take an enormous hit, and it wouldn't be long before we were in a desperate state.  There are many in the world, however, that would look upon this as an upgrade.  Its got a roof, a beautiful view, and it is dry.

There are some things going on here though which need a closer look.  Notice that there is no garbage, debris, or other wastes hanging about.  The area is relatively free of weeds.  It is built on a bit of a knoll so that the substrate is dry.  Even though the structure is built out of salvaged bits and pieces, they are assembled in a way that makes them relatively solid and keeps the elements out.  There is a safe place for kids to play.  In short, the occupants take pride in their dwelling.

The reality is that we don't need much to survive.  Shelter, food and water, and a way to deal with wastes fit the bill.  The question becomes less about what you have and more about how well you care for it and the people who live there.  If there is one standard we were to look at, it should not be where you live, the size of your house or the kinds of cars you own.  It should be how well you look after the things in your care.  That is the measure of success, and the only real way to make a place your home.

Othello Tunnels - different exposure methods.

A nested series of the Othello Tunnels.

If you happen to be spending time around Hope, BC, you may want to consider checking out the Othello Tunnels.  Once a railway line, the defunct route has been converted to a pedestrian and bike trail.  The tunnels themselves are impressive but not too long; walking through any one of them takes only a short period of time.

I photographed the above shot using manual exposure mode on my camera, although an automatic mode with exposure lock would have worked equally well.  In order to get the correct settings, I established my aperture and shutter speed outside under full outdoor light.  It was important not to trust the camera's meter inside the tunnel as the dark edges may have caused the central image to be overexposed.  By metering outside and using those settings inside I ensured a correct exposure.  The inside of the tunnel would be black, but that in itself is great for framing purposes.

If I had been using an automatic setting I would have selected a scene without any backlighting or other lighting issue and then pressed the AE-L button on my camera (Canon cameras use the button marked with an asterisk (*)).  Then, going into the cavern, I would frame the shot and take the photo.  The disadvantage of using exposure lock is that, once you take your photo, the camera resets to its default settings and you have to repeat the process if you want to take another. 

There is a way to do this without moving, but it requires a little more effort.  You have to zoom your camera in to frame the outside area without the dark perimeter.  Move the camera about until you get the exposure you want and press the exposure lock button.  Zoom out to your desired focal length, reframe and shoot.  I have used this procedure when I cannot effectively use manual mode and can't get out into the zone where the exposure will be based.  It is not my first choice, but it works in a pinch.

For those of you who want to use an automatic mode but not lock the settings, you can always try bracketing.  This would involve either exposure compensation (+/- button) or turn on the automatic bracketing feature.  Three photos at 0, -1, and -2 would probably suffice.  You want to underexpose from the suggested setting as the dark values would cause the camera to let in more light than what is actually required.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

A fumarole in Rotorua.

A large singular fumarole located near Rotorua, New Zealand.

Fumarole; that's a new one.  What is it, and what does the photo of a large mud puddle have to do with anything?  A fumarole is a vent that allows hot gases to escape from underground volcanic activity.  The mud pit above is an example of one, although there is less gas and more liquid. 

Beneath the surface of the earth we walk on, many miles below us, temperatures and pressures increase to incredible values.  Water, which finds its way down through percolation and cracks in the rock, becomes superheated.  Water turns into steam and expands; the hot gases then rise.  In some situations, the water itself may well up to produce hot springs or bubbling mud pits. 

The barren land around the fumarole is a testament to the heat and noxious gases associated with this geothermal activity.  Although there is plenty of water, light, and nutrients, plants cannot tolerate the conditions nearby.  Certain species have adapted to the conditions though and thrive; tea trees are one of them.

Often when photographing such scenes I have the sky represent only a small portion of the scene, often representing part of the upper third in the photo.  I used a polarizer filter when creating this shot, and the clouds responded nicely with the sky deepened to a deep azure blue.  The contrast between cloud and sky complimented the stark landscape.  The polarizer also removed the strong blue hues associated with such a day and rendered the colours of the land in their natural tones.

This is all part of the reason I enjoy traveling; seeing new sights and being able to photograph them while enjoying the awe of the moment.  There is so much more to do and see! 

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

Do you know what type of dogs these are?

Unknown dogs on deck.

I came across these dogs while staying in Salmon Arm this summer.  We attended a local flea market, which thankfully didn't sell fleas, and these two large beasts were resting themselves very comfortably on a nearby deck.  I especially liked the one that is resting its face on the ironwork of the enclosure.  They both seemed very passive, although I wouldn't have wanted to get on their wrong side.

 I went to a website that tells you the kind of dog something is when you paste its picture (go to https://www.bing.com/visualsearch/Microsoft/WhatDog).  It suggested these guys were aikidos, although I wasn't so sure.  With their large sizes, I thought maybe they were mastiffs, but some research rejected that notion.  However, if they are the result of the breeding between two separate breeds then all bets are off.  

Take a look at the whatdog website, its kind of neat.  Also, if you happen to know what these beasts are, let me know.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com