Remembrance Day 2009

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Happy Halloween!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

With fall, comes rain

As we draw near the end of October, the opportunity for those blue skies & fall foliage get harder and harder to capture. However, even with fallen leaves and rain, the chance for a shot comes every now and then.

Love that 50mm!

Everyone needs at least one "fast 50" in their camera bag; 'nuff said.

Last Summer Flowers

Last few shots of flowers from the summer before the onset of the fall rainy season.

Butterfly Waiting to Fly

Caught this butterfly just about ready to fly away at the Vancouver Aquarium while strolling through the indoor butterfly exhibit. I was shooting with a medium telephoto so I had to crop the photos to bring the butterfly more into the scene.

Julep the Kitty

I made a new acquaintance over the weekend while visiting a friend. Julep is only several weeks old and the expression "playful as a kitty" fits him to a T. I normally don't hang out with cats because I'm allergic, but Julep was a joy to chase around the room, camera in hand.

Reaching Out

I pass this grass plant nearly every day on my way home from work. On this particular day, the lighting was just right with a magical, nearly-dusk feel to it.

Walking at Sunset

We finally had some nice sunsets after a week of dreary, grey summer weather. I managed to catch this family walking on the dikes just as the sun sank past the horizon making for a nice, peaceful shot.

Fresh Blueberries Galore!

If there's one thing I absolutely LOVE about living in Vancouver, it's blueberry season. Better yet, I love the fact that I live no more than 15 minutes away from some really nice organic blueberry farms where I can go pick fresh berries off the bushes and put away twenty or thirty pounds for the winter. For those who have to buy their blueberries in those plastic boxes from the supermarket, I feel for you!

Sunset Lightning Storm In Vancouver

We had an incredible lightning storm in Vancouver last weekend; you could tell from the dark clouds rolling in from the east that a storm was brewing. Sure enough, just around sunset, the skies over Vancouver opened up and rain came pelting down. Shortly afterwards, the lightning bolts came down giving the most spectacular light show just ahead of the fireworks scheduled for that night.

With some patience, I was able to capture some of Nature's best as the storm passed over our heads!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day! This year we decided to participate in the local town festivities rather than follow the crowds to the larger event-filled areas. Despite being smaller, we had our share of pony rides, live music, and great food not to mention an extremely intimate fireworks celebration. We were fortunate enough to grab a spot 100 feet or so from the fireworks safety line and got a real treat as a result with the fireworks going off what felt like directly overhead!

Siblings

Taken during low tide in Belcarra, my son and daughter busy looking under rocks at the crabs and other icky creatures. Though they are nearly five years apart from each other, he is an extremely patient big brother and takes great care of his little sister. I can only hope this continues through their adult lives.

Don't Bee Afraid

Shot this the other afternoon while doing a little weeding in the front yard. Noticed that the clover flowers were attracting the bees so I ran in and grabbed my 100mm macro. The bees didn't seem to mind much with the end of the lens barrel poking precariously close to them but passing neighbors probably had a good laugh watching me on my knees, crouched over camera in hand.

Komodo Dragon

I shot this at the Woodland Zoo in Seattle while testing out my new Pentax DA 70mm Limited; managed to get close up to the glass amidst packs of screaming kids that obviously didn't bother the komodo dragon behind the glass.

The Dandelion

Caught this on the way home a few weeks back walking through a trail near my house. One of those rare times when you see a dandelion head in isolation and not having been kicked or swiped at by a passing child.

The Horse's Eye

Shot this at the Van Dusen Gardens on the way out. The horse topiary was tucked away in the shade and the noonday sun gave the eye a surreal color to it.

Yellow Rising

Loved the way the yellow flowers seem to be stretching up from the green background.

Red on Green

Shot this outside my dad’s building; the rain had just passed and the colors of the Japanese maple trees were too good to resist