More lightning on the edge of the prairie
With the nightly storms, I have had a couple of opportunities to get out and photograph the lightning. These are the remaining shots from the first night that I went out and had great forks of lightning stretch out in the clouds near my home. The storm’s strikes would come in waves and resulted in several nice images.
I wanted to put a person into the scene and I graciously accepted the invitation to do so 🙂
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Mist and sunlight on the land
The heavy rain last night created thick mist this morning. I went out looking to work with the ethereal and had a great time working around a gravel backroad in Bragg Creek and a trail on the edge of Kananaskis. The weather has been fantastic during the day with storms at night for the past week or so. I’m happy for this pattern to continue.
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Saddle Bronc Finals at the Tsuu T’ina Rodeo
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The finals of the 40th annual Tsuu T’ina Nation Indian Rodeo were held on July 27th. This rodeo is a favourite of mine as the competitors, the stock and the atmosphere are all excellent. This year was no exception and I had a great afternoon photographing the cowgirls and cowboys in their respective riding, racing and roping events. The Saddle Bronc is always exciting as these horses get charged up and it is incredibly hard for anyone to hang on for the required 8 seconds. Seth Fenner walked away as the champion with a memorable ride on Cowboy Casanova that earned him 76.5 points (the photograph above is from that ride; the one below is at the end of the ride when the pickup men come in to assist the cowboy’s dismount).
The high quality of the stock contributed to a great final and the cowboys met the challenge. The cowboys in this event always amaze me – it’s like riding a rocket while wrestling an angry crocodile. There were a couple of qualified a number of exciting rides with a couple full times and a couple buck offs. It’s fun to watch and I’m always impressed how skilled and committed all of the supporting cast are (the pick up men, rodeo clowns, officials and beyond). The Tsuu T’ina Rodeo is on the same level as much larger rodeos and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.
Here are a few more photos from the Saddle Bronc event. I will share more from the other events soon.
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Getting ready to ride
This boy had the far off gaze that I see on many of the cowboys and cowgirls faces as they get set for their turn at the rodeo. This little cowboy was competing in the mutton busting event where young boys and girls ride out of the gate on the back of a spirited sheep. As with the senior riding events, the goal is to stay on which is no easy task no matter what you are on the back of.
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Flight
(Please click on the image if you would like to view a higher resolution version)
A pretty simple image from an early morning this weekend. I watched the pair hunting over the field in West Bragg Creek for three hours and enjoyed many great opportunities. This was one of my favourites on the day.
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Good Morning Deer
While watching a Great Gray Owl hunting in the morning, this young White-tailed Deer entered the field and wandered around for the better part of an hour. It saw me and the owl but was not particularly interested in either of us. Preferring to devote its attention to finding the best grass shoots and dandelion stems.
A little earlier, I came across another White-tail in a forested meadow. This young stag was head down eating when I noticed him but then lifted his head and gave me a beautiful look before I left.
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Sunrise over the Trans-Canada Highway
A co-operative cloud anchored itself just above the horizon as dawn broke west of Calgary. I set up in the dark on the Jumping Pound overpass with my camera and tripod. When the sunlight started to paint the clouds, I liked how it contrasted with the vehicles and the lines on the road.
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Among the clouds at Wedge Pond
I was up in Kananaskis a few days ago to explore the recently opened stretch of Highway 40 up to the Highwood Pass. Leaving home in the dark, I arrived at Wedge Pond just as light was creeping into the eastern edge of the sky.
We had several days of rain preceding this visit so I was unsure what the weather would be like in the mountains. The reports called for partly sunny with showers. From experience, that can mean anything from empty blue skies to heavy, wet gray clouds. I don’t mind either so I was happy to head up and find out. That morning the mist was swirling above the pond and rising up to meet the low hanging clouds that were stuffed into the valley. I trotted down to the water’s edge and moved along keeping an eye on Mount Kidd. The mountain catches the early pre-dawn Alpen glow and can be spectacular right through sunrise. The view over Wedge and up to Kidd whispered of something good that might come and I was happy to move around, watching and waiting.
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Seven minutes later, pink light was hitting a few of the higher clouds. The lower clouds were breaking up and it seemed like a clear view of the mountain was coming forward.
It didn’t – the clean view was swallowed up by the clouds as the rich colours on Mount Kidd came in. I didn’t mind at all as a few fleeting openings afforded beautiful views of one or two of the peaks for the next couple of minutes.
I have not had such a dynamic encounter with the weather up at Wedge Pond and I had a great time. It was fun to play around with the moodiness under the clouds balanced (and thrown out of balance) with the sunrise opening above. I’m enjoying the late resurgence of summer we are enjoying but I found myself looking forward to the fall colours that always look so wonderful in this special place. I will be there and would be very happy if these clouds returned then too.
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Hawks on the Prairie
This summer has been very good for hawk watchers on the prairies around Calgary. To the west around the Springbank area I have spent a number of afternoons watching mostly Swainson’s Hawks scouting over the fields.
This is a small set from a few of these encounters. I looking forward to a few more before fall comes and these fair-weather friends head south.
This hawk above was staring me down from her nest while I stopped briefly to see if her chick was looking out yet. On a separate visit, I saw the young one’s stare was equal to its mother’s.
Earlier in the summer, on the same day as my running fox encounter, I was watching a female hawk on this ranch entrance when its mate swooped down. When I saw the bird descending, as below, I thought it was attacking but it was getting closer for other reasons.
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The hawk above had just finished a meal when I came by its perch on a fence near the airport. It preened for a while before launching for a higher viewing point. It stayed in the skeleton tree below before flying through the bare branches and gliding over the fields.
On one of the rainy mornings that I was out, this hawk flew alongside me for a few seconds which was really cool. When it crossed over to the driver’s side and banked back, I caught the nice image of the downstroke of his wings below.
I will be trading the opportunity to photograph these wonderful raptors for the wild residents of Prince Rupert’s coastal rainforest next week. I’m always excited about a return to the province I grew up in and especially when it is to visit a part of British Columbia that is new to me. We will see what opportunities present themselves starting tomorrow.
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Bees busy at work
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 70-200mm lens at 200mm: 1/1000th of a second at f/4 on ISO 400
I walked along the Bow River at the west end of Baker Park. The pathway was quiet and I was happy to see a deer bedded down for an afternoon’s rest staring at me passively as I stopped for a second and then carried on. Always a good indication that things are pretty calm.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 70-200mm lens at 140mm: 1/320th of a second at f/10 on ISO 1600
When I turned around and walked back upstream, I took an interest in a group of soft purple wildflowers. The wind was pushing them gently and I was thinking about a long exposure blur. Watching them more closely, they were hosting a steady line of pollen collectors. These bees and wasps were buzzing from one blossom to the other.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 70-200mm lens at 200mm: 1/1000th of a second at f/4 on ISO 400
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 70-200mm lens at 200mm: 1/1000th of a second at f/4 on ISO 400
I wished for my macro lens but the 70-200mm I had with me coupled with some decent cropping resulted in something close to what I was envisioning.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 70-200mm lens at 200mm: 1/1600th of a second at f/4 on ISO 400
The flowers knitted in tight clusters along the path occupied my attention for the rest of the walk. Even when the creatures had been left behind, my eyes stayed with them.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 70-200mm lens at 75mm: 1/125th of a second at f/16 on ISO 400
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The Tsuu T’ina Rodeo Finals
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/2500th of a second at f/4 on ISO 800
The Tsuu T’ina Nation’s 39th Annual Open All Indian Rodeo ran from July 26-28 this year. I went over several times and had a great time on the Redwood Fair Grounds watching the rodeo and the Pow Wow which combine to form the backbone of the Tsuu T’ina’s Annual Indian Days Celebration. The rodeo finals on Sunday got started under dark skies but the rain never fell and the sun drifted in and out of the clouds throughout the afternoon.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/6400th of a second at f/4 on ISO 800
It was a perfect afternoon for rodeo and judging by the full grandstand, there were many people who agreed. We were rewarded with a lot of top shelf performances by the cowgirls, cowboys and animals who were competing. Here is a collection of a few of my images from this year’s finals.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/2500th of a second at f/4 on ISO 1600
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/1000th of a second at f/8 on ISO 800
Canon 5DII camera with a Canon 70-200mm lens + a 1.4X extender at 235mm: 1/1250th of a second at f/6.3 on ISO 400
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/1250th of a second at f/4 on ISO 800
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/2000th of a second at f/4 on ISO 800
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/1000th of a second at f/11 on ISO 1600
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/1000th of a second at f/11 on ISO 1600
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/2000th of a second at f/5.6 on ISO 1600
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/2500th of a second at f/4 on ISO 400
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/2500th of a second at f/4 on ISO 1600
The steer wrestler above is Virgil Jacobs. He came out guns blazing and beat all the other cowboys to win the event this year. My hat is off to you sir!
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/640th of a second at f/11 on ISO 1600
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/2000th of a second at f/4 on ISO 400
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
White-faced Ibis on the prairies
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/8000th of a second at f/4.0 on ISO 800
After spending time with the Avocets on the northwest corner of Frank Lake, I turned my attention skyward and watched for the White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) who fly between the spots they like to fish and their nests in the tall reeds near the viewing cabin. The feathers on both sides of their wings shimmer when caught by sunlight and they have the long, down-curved bills inherent to the Ibis family of birds. I find them to be as beautiful as they are striking and unusual.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/4000th of a second at f/5.6 on ISO 2500
I had only seen them from a distance previously as their nests are far from the shoreline that is accessible (I’ve heard of some people stalking through the reeds towards these nests but that’s nothing I’m interested in doing given the potential for damage and disruption) and they were staying close to them on my last visit. This time around, there were several of these iridescent birds in flight overhead at any given moment.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens + 1.4X extender: 1/6400th of a second at f/6.3 on ISO 3200
I set up near a small pond separated from the lake by reeds and grasses and had great opportunities to photograph these birds flying. In addition to being along the flight path of the Ibis, Double-crested Cormorants and Black-crowned Night-Herons were frequently seen highlight species.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens: 1/8000th of a second at f/4 on ISO 1600
I saw a few Ibis carrying grasses and reeds as they flew towards the nesting area. Presumably, constant maintenance is required to keep the nest in good repair. I photographed one of these deliveries when the Ibis below flew relatively close by.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens + 1.4X extender: 1/2000th of a second at f/6.3 on ISO 2500
After hanging out by the pond for a half an hour, a couple of shorebirds landed in the shallow water nearby. They flitted about and were joined by a few others at one point. The evening light was beautiful and I was very happy to have these little fellows to photograph against the bold patterns created by the stalks along the far side of the pond. About an hour later, I was really excited when two Ibis flew in and landed.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens + 1.4X extender: 1/250th of a second at f/8 on ISO 3200
They set to fishing right away and ended up staying for only five minutes or so. I’m not sure if they didn’t notice me when they flew in and when they did they took off. Or, they just decided to fish elsewhere. Whatever the case, it was really great to see them in another part of their environment.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens + 1.4X extender: 1/1000th of a second at f/11 on ISO 3200
The little shorebirds came out from the reeds they had slipped into when the much larger Ibis came in. I spent the rest of the daylight photographing them, particularly the Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) below, as they carried out their hunting duties before night took over.
Canon 5DIII camera with a Canon 500mm lens + 1.4X extender: 1/1600th of a second at f/6.3 on ISO 4000
