Misty Morning

Here's a photo from a few years ago of one my favorite places, Highrock Park. We actually had snow here the last couple of days though it's gone now. Usually by this time of year I am busy photographing the early flowering plums and cherries. There's the odd blossom on some trees but it's been a cold winter and so far, a cold spring. We still haven't had that first warm day that will have the trees exploding like pink popcorn.

Silhouettes

When I posted the photo to the right a few days ago it reminded me of another silhouette photo also taken at the Fleming Beach Breakwater in March 2010. After a bit of searching I am happy to share it with you. I think what fascinates me most about silhouettes is how much information is communicated despite the lack of details. For instance. it's easy to see that this is a young boy, probably about 10 or 11 years old. And yet we can't see anything beyond his mere outline.

Ogden Point Breakwater

While looking through the archives for some silhouette photos I came across this post from August 2008 and like it well enough to re-post it in its entirety. Its original title was, "Why I Love the Ogden Point Breakwater."

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All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players:They have their exits and their entrances;And one man in his time plays many parts....

Effects 2

Here's a different kind of processing. Yesterday posts were made with in-camera processing. All I did was shrink them down a bit for the web. The photo above was a normal digital color photo that I processed in GIMP to produce this black and white line drawing version of the photo. I put favorite photos on my walls and this one has been up for quite a while.

Effects

While browsing through the archives I found these two examples of a processing style I like very much. Usually I like crisp, sharp, photorealistic images but sometimes I want more of a mood than a precise representation and this technique often does just what I want.

Elegance!

While out at Esquimalt Lagoon the other day I was pleased to see some Northern Pintail ducks. A fellow birder once described these ducks as "elegant" and I always think of that when I see them. What class! They are definitely the Saville Row of plumage. I didn't have my bird lens with me on Tuesday so I am sharing these photos I took in February 2014.

Royal Roads

If you were looking at yesterday's scene and turned 180 degrees you would see the scene pictured above. This is the Royal Roads anchorage, so called because it lies between Albert Head and Victoria, both named after members of the British royal family. I believe those large ships lying offshore are waiting for a chance to visit the Esquimalt graving docks that are capable of servicing such enormous craft. The cairn and plaque pictured below give a little history of Royal Roads.

Esquimalt Lagoon

It was a bright, windy day today so I went out to Esquimalt Lagoon. It was even windier out there. You can see in this photo all the seagulls are grounded and facing the same direction. That's what they do when it's really windy. The cairn on the right memorializes another big wind over one hundred years ago. We'll have a look at that tomorrow.

Signs of Spring - 2

Though Sunday afternoon was bleak and gray, here's another sign of spring on the Inner Harbour - the first busking musician I have seen this year. I think his fingers must have been getting pretty cold after playing for awhile. Mine were getting numb by the time I had taken out my camera and snapped this shot.

Commercial Alley Murals

Running between Yates Street and Bastion Square the city has commissioned a series of art pieces which, in my opinion are fabulous. Titled Coastal Reports by Daniel Ellingsen they are worth seeing. There is more information here.

A Firm Grip on Reality

Here's another shot from the archives - one of those photos that just happens when you're out and about with a camera in hand. This little guy and his dad were in Chinatown to see the Chinese New Year celebration in February 2010. I didn't get a very good view of the actual celebration but this photo more than made up for that.

February Flashback

I find as I age I am turning into a fair weather photographer. For me, photography requires a bit of a meditative state and when it's cold I no longer have the patience to stand around and get it right. So, until it warms up a bit more we'll have a look at some photos from the past. The dramatic shot above is from February 2009. It's already starting to have some historical significance - in the center of the photo you can see a blue Telus phone booth. There used to be a couple of these on the Causeway but once everyone started to have mobiles they were removed.

Crocus 2

Beacon Hill Park has yellow crocuses as well as mauve.

West Song Walkway

Here's another from the Family Day weekend - lots of families out strolling on the West Song Walkway in Vic West.

Signs of Spring

Well, it still looks like a pretty cold way to see the sights but these visitors seemed to be having a good time. In the summer these rickshaws are all over the place but I think you have to be pretty fit and hardy to pedal one around at this time of year.

Family Day

Today was family day in BC and as it was sunny and (for this time of year) warm (about 8 Degrees C.)lots of families were out for a stroll. Here's what the Inner Harbour Causeway looked like on Family Day 2017.

Just One More

I know Benjamin is more than ready for spring but I just have one more snowy day photo to share, this one from my friend Caroline who took this lovely shot of Durrance Lake looking especially gorgeous in it's blanket of white. - Fern

Crocuses

So I went down to Beacon Hill Park this afternoon to see if there were any crocuses and look what I found.

Priming the Pump!

Well, it wasn't snowing today - but there was lots of damp grey rain so here is another from the archives - this photo was taken in February 2013 in Beacon Hill Park and as soon as the weather permits I'll be down there to see how the crocuses are doing this year. (Does anyone know what "priming the pump" means any more? In this case, I'm hoping I can hurry spring along by posting a photo of some crocuses.)

February!

Yesterday's snowfall is almost gone today - a sudden warm spell has turned most of it into gray slush - so here's a photo from February 2011. It looks like February is our snow month.

That White Stuff!

Guess I'm not going cycling today. We've got about a foot now and it's still coming down. Humph!

A Lovely Blanket of White

Banfield Park is magical when there's a fresh layer of snow isn't it? - Fern

Snow Day!

I know some of you from chillier climes think Victoria is virtually a tropical paradise but NO it's been snowing here overnight and the forecast is for it to keep on snowing all week. - Fern

An Iceberg?

Down at Point Hope Shipyard there are several large ships that are wrapped in this white plastic and they rise up above everything looking, yes a little like icebergs. - Fern

Westsong Walkway

Usually when I go for a walk locally I just walk along the West Bay Walkway that follows the shoreline of the westernmost part of the Inner Harbour. However, the northeastern shore of the harbour skirted by the West Song Walkway is just as nice and has some lovely vistas.

Victoria International Marina Update

I walked along the Westsong Walkway yesterday specifically to see how this new marina for luxury yachts is developing. You can see for yourself in the photo above - the new marina is the platform on the left. If you look at the small red rubber buoys you can see the extent of the marina out into the waters of the harbour. Here is a link to the Victoria International Marina website where you can see a conception of the finished marina. It occupies a large portion of the Inner Harbour where it is quite narrow so there were concerns about all the traffic that would be squeezed together - seaplanes, harbour ferries, pleasure craft, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, etc. I believe the solution offered is that small craft such as canoes and kayaks will travel along the shoreline and pass beneath the two buildings on the wings of the marina. You can see below that there is probably just sufficient space for this. The new marina is slated to open in June 2017

Arbutus

The wind died down today and it didn't seem so cold so I went out for a walk along the Westsong Walkway to see how the new luxury yacht mooring is progressing. We'll have a look at that tomorrow but for now here is a photo of a tree that caught my eye this afternoon. The bright orange-red wood of the Arbutus turns this lovely silvery color when the tree dies.

Chickadee

Once again I went out to take photographs today and came home empty. This is a real cold snap we are having. I've just read about a recently discovered allergy - to cold. I think I have it. Anyway, here's another of my favorites from the archives, a Chestnut-backed Chickadee.