Easter Long Weekend

I had a nice break from work for the Easter Long weekend.  I closed the shop for Good Friday as well as for Easter Monday, so I had a very relaxing and enjoyable four day long weekend.  On Good Friday we had 17 people over for Easter Dinner.  This was all direct relatives, adults and kids, on both sides of the family.  On Saturday we cleaned up, rested and recuperated.  On Easter Sunday, after the spoils from the Easter bunny were divided, and the egg hunt was wrapped up, I headed out for a day trip.  My friend Gerald and I went back out to the Battle Lake area.  This time the spring run off was in full swing.  Finally the temperatures were spring like and the snow was disappearing quickly.  By afternoon the temperature peaked at +17C.  Quite a change from a week ago when I was in the same area with my friend Rob and there was fresh snow and a daytime high of -5C!!

I was shooting mostly with my 4x5 on this trip, and these images were captured on Polaroid 55.  I really like these shots, especially the one of the boiling eddy beneath the culvert.  This kind of stuff we are only able to photograph for a couple of weeks in years when there is a heavy run off.  I just had to take advantage of the heavy snowpack and unusual runoff and get out and photograph this stuff.  I also took a few shots with my new panoramic camera.  

On Easter Monday I went out again, this time with all the girls.  The temperature was even warmer, peaking at +18C, but it was quite windy.  We ventured northeast of the city, traveling through Elk Island Park up into Lamont County.  We explored a couple of old abandoned farm yards.  It was a little more stressful than the trip the day before but all the same it was nice to get out with the girls.  I've given one of my old 35mm camera bodies to Hailey and Annelise and provided them with a somewhat unlimited supply of black and white film.  I'm encouraging them to take an interest in traditional film based photography.  Not only the shooting part, but I also want to get them into the darkroom to process their film and to print it.  We'll see how that goes...

Last Weekend's Day Trip

Attached is a scan of a negative that I shot during the day trip last weekend.  This one was shot on Polaroid 55.  I processed it a couple days ago and just finished washing and drying it yesterday.  I like this film for some images as it has a contrast range similar to that of color transparency film.  A very different look from typical monochrome negative films.  Too bad that Polaroid went out of business and this film is no longer made.  I still have about 50 sheets left, which I ration for special occasions...

I hope to get out to do some photography again this weekend.  That will depend partially on the weather, and partially on all the activities going on for the Easter Holiday Weekend.  Of course my girls are very excited about a certain rabbit paying them a visit to deliver some delightful treats....

New Images

I processed three rolls of Fuji Neopan Acros last night.  These were 120 medium format roll film.  Two of the rolls were shot in the new Gaeorsi 624 Panoramic, and one with the Hasselblad.  I really like the smooth mid tones that this film produces and find it quite different from most other films.  These first couple were shot with the Hasselblad on a day trip out to Elk Island National Park with my daughters, back at the beginning of April.

These next ones, also shot with the Hasselblad, were taken out near Battle Lake, on a day trip with my friend Gerald, on April 10th.

This next one was taken on that same day trip, but with the Gaeorsi 624 Panoramic.

These last few were taken a week later, on my birthday, on a return trip back to the same area, this time with my friend Rob.  Obviously these were also taken with the Gaeorsi 624 Panoramic.

Champions

The official team photo from the playoff victory on Monday night...

Renegades - Winter Season Championship!!

My 48th Birthday was sandwiched right between Game 1 and Game 2 of the best-of-three final round.  This was somewhat reminiscent of 2008, when we won the championship on my 45th Birthday.  This time around it was a sweep.  Game 2 was on Monday April 18th.  We outshot the Icebreakers 39 to 28 and won the game by the decisive score of 8 to 3.  We celebrated by drinking champagne out of the trophy and heading over to a nearby lounge for some drinks and food.  All the players that played in the playoffs receive a medal from the league, plus we get our names engraved on the trophy.  The trophy will be circulated amongst our players over the next couple of weeks and then returned to the league for engraving.

There is little rest for the wicked....  In less than two weeks the summer season will be underway and we will enbark on our next journey to try and win again!

Weekend Day Trips

A couple of weekends ago it was really sunny and warm and my friend Gerald and I went out for a day trip.  We headed south of the city to the Battle Lake area to make some photographs.  

 We had limited time, so it was a fairly quick trip.  Partly I was playing around with my new medium format panoramic camera.  This is the "made-in-China" 624 Gaeorsi.  The format is 6cm x 24cm, or approx. 2" x 10".  It records three images on a roll of 120 medium format film.

A week later on the occasion of my 48th Birthday I went out again, to the same area, with my friend Rob.  This time the weather was noticeably colder.  Things had taken a turn during the previous week and we had fresh snow, overcast skies, and cooler temperatures.  All the same it was still nice to get out.  This time I was again playing around with the Gaeorsi, but I also brought along my 4x5.

It was an enjoyable day and I think I captured some images that will be worthy of some darkroom prints.  The attached images are snapshots that I took with my digital point-and-shoot while we were out doing more serious work.  Once I unload the film holders and process the film I will see if any of the resulting negatives are worth some time in the darkroom.

Renegades - Finals - Game 1

The Renegades played the Icebreakers in the first game of the Best-of-Three Championship Final for Division 12 of the Edmonton Recreational Hockey League winter season.  We outshot the Icebreakers 43 to 24 and came out on the good side of a 6-4 score.  Now we only need to win one of the next two games to take the trophy.  Game two is Monday night and we hope to end the season with a sweep.

Renegades - In the Finals

The Renegades played the semi-final game of the Winter Season Playoffs on Thursday night.  It was another late one, with the puck drop at 10:00PM.  We were facing off against the Wolf Pack again.  These guys managed to battle their way to the semi-finals through 4 previous games.  The game was close, and really well called by the officials.  There were no penalties to either side.  We managed to take the lead and keep it in the third period and it ended with a 7-4 victory.  We now move into a best-of-three final round against the Icebreakers.  This should be an interesting rematch following our earlier defeat.  Game one is on Saturday evening.  Stay Tuned!!

Panorama

Despite the agony of defeat... as a result of my recent hockey setback, I managed to pull things together and go on with my life.  I went out on a day trip this morning with my close friend Gerald.  I brought along a new camera that I recently purchased.  This is a Chinese made panoramic medium format camera.  I was drawn to this system as it utilizes standard large format lenses.  I already own several lenses that are compatible with this system.  All are in the range of 120mm to 210mm focal length.  This camera is based on the extreme 624 format.  It allows the photographer to expose three images onto a roll of 120 roll film.  The resulting negatives are approx. 2" x 10", or 6cm by 24cm... hence the name.  Gerald and I took a drive southwest of the city and explored around the Battle Lake area.  It was not only a chance to try out the new camera... but also and opportunity to visit, and to simply enjoy the day.  The skies were clear, the temperature mild, and there was almost no wind.  It was very pleasant compared to what we have experienced in the past few months.  Attached is a scan of one of my first attempts at the 624 format.  For this one I utilized my Nikkor W 180mm lens.  I think it will be interesting to see what else this format yields in the next little while.  I also did some shooting today with my Hasselblad.  As I find time to get around to processing some of the film that I shot today with that square format system, I will post some of the better images.

Renegades - Playoff Game 2

Well, we really shit the bed on Saturday.  We jumped out to an early lead and by late in the second period we were ahead of the Icebreakers by a score of 5-3.  Then we got into penalty trouble... a parade to the box that for a change did not include me.  At one point we had four guys in the sin bin.  Two serving minors, leaving us on the ice to play five on three hockey... and two in the box waiting to serve their minors.  Needless to say the officials were a little over zealous at handing out penalties.  We managed to weather the storm and held them off through two drawn out 5 on 3 man advantages...  But, after that we seemed to fall apart.  They scored seven unanswered goals and we went down to defeat by a 10 to 5 score.  We now have to get our act together and win our next game... on Thursday at 10:00PM to advance to the final round, best of three, against the Icebreakers.

Spring???

Although the calendar says it has been spring for nearly three weeks now, you wouldn't really know it to look around.  These past few days the daytime high temperatures have got close to seasonal average and the spring melt is just getting started.  But until now it has been very cold and unpleasant and the significant snow pack that accumulated over the winter remains.  Last weekend I went out driving around a little with my daughters to see what conditions were like.  It remains very winter-like!!!

We checked out the countryside south of the city and found that the runoff hadn't really started yet.  Then we drove out to Elk Island National Park for a little while.  The Bison and other large animals still have to work to dig through the snow and find enough to eat.  

Perhaps with the milder temperatures that we've had this week spring will finally arrive and all of this snow will begin to melt.  I am off to play hockey this morning; Playoff Game #2.  I have some household chores on the agenda for this afternoon.  The girls are signing up for Community League Soccer and get their uniforms assigned today.  It is looking doubtful as to whether or not the fields will be dry enough to start playing in three weeks!!  Hopefully tomorrow there is time to get out for a little photography.

Renegades - Playoff Game 1

We played our first playoff game last night against the Wolf Pack.  It was a close game and the Pack battled back from a 5-3 deficit to tie the game in regulation.  We managed to score the game winner with 8 seconds left in OT, and avoid going to the shootout.  We will now play our second playoff game on Saturday morning.  Onward to the cup...!!!