The Golden Ears in spring.

Golden Ears Mountain, photographed in Maple Ridge, BC

The best thing about winter is that it means spring is on its way.  Like the countdown marching to a launch, each day passed means a day closer to spring.  Although the official start isn't until 58 days from now, its presence is in the air.

We had some modest weather the last few days.  Sunny skies with cool temperatures that reminded me of what is yet to come.  The odd daffodil poked its head up from the ground, and the occasional tulip green sprouted with promised colours soon to follow.  What I liked best though was the sound of robins, eerily silent the last few months, some having returned from their southern retreat, albeit a little early.  Not too many of them, but enough to give hope.

Spring, to me, is a time of new life.  Birds breeding, flowers blooming, gardens starting to thrive - these all are wonderful in their own right; how much more when they come together?  The days are brighter and the sapping rain and diminishing snow seems to have less power than it did earlier in the year.  And suddenly, it seems that there are neighbours.  The people who have hunkered down all winter finally come out to be seen by others in the community.  The grass has to be cut and the children want to run and play.

The only sad thing about spring is that it has to eventually give way to summer.  Although summer has its own glories, spring is the majestic bride of the seasons.  I am always happy to see it come, always sad to see it go.  There is joy, though, in knowing its time will come again soon.

www.ericspix.com

Fraser River and HDR software

The Fraser River during fall; modified using HDR software

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range.  Dynamic range is the amount of light, measured in stops, which a medium can represent in an image.  A typical JPEG has a dynamic range of about 8, meaning that it can represent shades of light to dark over about 8 stops.  A stop is a doubling or halving of light.  This is near the low end of dynamic range; it can capture a lot of different tones but really bright or really dark parts of a scene will have no details in them.  They will either be totally black or totally white.

If you notice the sun is behind the tree.  There are white clouds and a bright reflection coming off the water.  Then there are dark parts to the image.  The tree is backlit and there are shadows under benches and from the trees on the left.  The range of shades is far greater than 8 stops.  A camera typically records images in the forms of JPEGs and cannot possibly capture the huge range of light present.  Switching over to RAW mode, if a camera has it, will usually allow you to gain a few stops of dynamic range, moving upwards towards 12.  This will allow the photographer to capture the greater range of lights and darks showing details in places a JPEG cannot.

If you want to go beyond the RAW capabilities of your camera, you have to use HDR.  Some cameras actually have an "HDR" feature built into them, but I have never found them all that useful.  Typically they allow you to shoot only two images and the quality of the final processed image is typically poor.  The shot above consists of eight photos, each taken a stop apart.  The images were combined using a computer program (Photomatix) designed specifically for working with HDR pictures.  I have tried using Photoshop's (CC and CS) HDR processing algorithms but have found it insufficient for the job.

What I like about the proprietary application is that the final file can be manipulated in may different ways.  The exact nature of the shot can therefore be changed dramatically, going from real to surreal or from morbid to splendid.  In order to do a good job on it though there are conditions.  A tripod is a must so that each image is identical in terms of framing.  You can't have movement in the scene; people, vehicles, wind, and waves all cause ghosting which can be a problem.  You will be taking quite a few shots to compile ultimately into a single image, so there is the issue of storage space.  The person has to be able to adjust their camera using exposure compensation or manual mode, and they have to have a computer with the right software available.  Then you have to know how to use it.

HDR is very interesting and can be fun, but it usurps quite a few resources.  Having said that, you can do some pretty cool things with it.  The above photo is not realistic, but it is definitely captivating.  HDR many not be for you, but at least now you know a little more about it.

The Haynes Ranch, Osoyoos, BC

Remnants of the Haynes Ranch near Osoyoos, BC

One of the things I love about the Okanagan in British Columbia is the fact that many of the old historic buildings are still standing.  The dry climate seems to allow them to resist the rapid demise which other structures experience outside of that area.  There are other agents of destruction out there, including frost, rust, fungi, and the ravages of man; but these tend to take second seat to the damp rot which so often spell the extinction of history. 
While visiting Osoyoos we came across some fascinating wooden buildings; a number of them all about in the same state of decay.  A little research led to the discovery that John Haynes was the owner of 22,000 acres of land and that this was the hub of that title.  It was in the mid 1860's that he and his buddy constructed the buildings which were to stand for 165 years.  The house itself saw Haynes himself live there until his death in 1888, and then three new successive generations (Fraser) looked upon it as home.  It changed hands two more times until, when, in 2016, it was bought by a family who had alternative plans for it.
Sadly, the structure is no more, as it has been removed to make room for a winery which will be built upon its previous foundation.  Some of its legacy lives on in the Osoyoos museum, but the ghosts of the past now have nowhere else to go.  Such is the fate of all buildings - sooner or later, whether by nature or man, their end will come.  It's just sad that the end comes a little sooner than maybe what could have been.

http://osoyoosmuseum.ca/haynes.html
https://www.osoyoostimes.com/family-deserves-credit-for-trying-to-preserve-haynes-name-in-new-winery/