Dormer House

This is a scan of another of my 8x10 negatives from 2021.  I tested my scanner the other day, after getting my computer upgraded.  I took this shot in early May of 2021, while I was out with some Monochrome Guild colleagues shooting for the Coal in Alberta project.  This old house is well known among photographers and is not far from the Power Generating plant on the Battle River.  At the time that we were visiting the plant was in the final stages of being switched over from coal to natural gas.  The mines in the area are all now abandoned.

I shot this with my Chamonix 8x10 view camera and a Fujinon 450mm lens.  A red filter was used to create some separation between the sky and clouds, and to increase contrast.  I shot this on Ilford HP5 film, developed in Kodak D-76 developer.  

I'm not a huge fan of the tonal range that this film and developer combination yields and have since switched to processing my HP5 in 510 Pyro, and have been getting better results.

Obviously this one has been cropped to panoramic proportions.....

Saunders Aspens

I took this shot in August of 2021.  It was taken from the edge of Saunders Road, as it winds through the hillside aspens down to the North Saskatchewan River.  I've always really like this open forest on the hillside, but it has been a challenge to photograph.  The aspen trunks are backlit at most times of day.  I think I have to attempt to get out here in the early morning, and perhaps the light will be better.  This particular shot was taken at about 4:30 in the afternoon.  I used my Chamonix 8x10 view camera and a Fujinon 450mm lens.  The film was Fuji Neopan Acros 100 developed in Rodinal.

Old Service Station

I shot this one last fall, on my way home from Drumheller.  It was in mid-October, and the last few leaves were still hanging on.  I shot this with my Ebony view camera and a wide 90mm lens.  I used a #8 Yellow Filter to deepen the value of the sky, and add contrast.  I didn't want to get as extreme as a Red filter would have taken things, as that would have darkened the shadows a lot, and lost some of the detail in the front wall of the old service station.  The film was Ilford FP4 4" x 5", developed in Perceptol developer.  I find that this combination yields a little softer image, and I quite like the result in this instance.

Quite the Scare

On Friday the 24th we were awakened at 6:30 in the morning by cries of help from our daughter.  We didn't take it all too seriously, as she tends to holler for minor little things... but then she said "Fire".

We dashed to her bedroom and some hay from her pet rabbit's cage was on fire.  Fortunately at this point it was very small and we were easily able to put it out before there was any damage.

The electrical outlet on the wall behind the cage had shorted and sparked, triggering the fire.  Its a good thing that our daughter was awake at that point and saw it, or it could have been a lot worse.  The outlet was still live and shorting as we attempted to clean up around it.  And the lights in our bathroom, adjacent to the bedroom, were out.  Surprisingly the breaker did not trip.

Our house was built in the late 1960's and we are at least the third owners.  The previous owners never marked any of the breakers properly.  Over the years I have been able to figure out some of them, but not all.  

By coincidence we were scheduled to go for lunch that afternoon with my electrician friend Rob.  He and his wife were visiting Edmonton for the weekend.  I explained everything to him, and he told me what to do.  But, by the time we got back home and I had time to pick up a few electrical supplies and get started, it was late in the afternoon and starting to get dark.  This meant I had to work by flashlight.

I eventually figured out which breaker the bedroom was on and confirmed that the power was off.  This became very obvious because when I plugged anything in to the outlet with the breaker on, sparks came shooting out, but with the breaker off there was nothing.

The receptacle was not loose in the box and was not shorting against it as Rob suspected might have been the case.  It was the receptacle itself that was the problem.  The two hot wires were burnt right off of it.  So, I rewired a new receptacle.  This part of it I was very clear about as I had been installing new wiring in the guest cottage in recent months.  I properly wired in the new outlet and then flipped the breaker back on.  The outlet was energized and the everything worked properly and safely, including the lights in the adjacent bathroom.

But this whole process just wore me down and I was stressed out and exhausted by the time it was all done.  I just went to bed early and made a fresh start the next day.

This could have been a whole lot worse but fortunately no one was hurt and there was no damage.  It only cost me my time, and $1.79 for a new receptacle... plus some other supplies that I already had.

Shoreline Boulders

Yet another image from the Monochrome Guild's Fall Photo Weekend this past October.  Weather conditions were milder in Jasper then they had been on previous trips.  Those previous visits typically had been later in the season... mostly in mid-November.  This time around we deliberately chose to go a little earlier in the season.  The upside was the days were longer and the temperatures were milder.  The down side was that there was very little fresh snow or forming ice.

This shot was taken down along the shore of Medicine Lake.  The lake drains in the fall when incoming water flow does not compete with outflow into the Maligne River.  It is a pretty spectacular place to visit in autumn.

This shot was taken with my Ebony 4x5 view camera and a long 300mm lens.  I used a dark red filter to increase contrast, and deepen the value of the reflected sky.  The film was Kodak Tri-X Pan 320 4" x 5", developed in PMK.

Five Trunks

Here's another one from that Fall Photo Weekend trip to Jasper last year.  There was gorgeous late afternoon light on these pine trunks up at Horseshoe Lake.  I had composed a similar shot years earlier, but this one has better lighting.  I used a long-ish 200mm lens on my Ebony view camera to take this shot.  This was also Kodak Tri-X Pan 320 in 4" x 5" sheet format, developed in PMK developer.

Fallen Leaves and Colin Range

I shot this one in October of 2022 when I was out in Jasper National Park with the gang from the Monochrome Guild, for our annual Fall Photo Weekend.  It was taken up along the shore of Medicine Lake.  I was drawn to the accumulation of fallen leaves on the foreground boulder.  This rock surface was actually fairly high up, and I had to extend my tripod fully in order to include it in the foreground.  It was a challenge to hold depth of field between the very close up foreground leaves, and the distant Colin Range in the background.  I think I managed to hold everything, but a large print would be the determining factor.

I shot this with my Ebony 4x5 view camera and a somewhat wide Fujinon-W 125mm lens.  It was taken on Kodak Tri-X Pan 320 sheet film developed normally in PMK developer.  I used a #58 Green filter to deepen the sky a little, and to attempt to lighten some of the foreground foliage.  Those few remaining leaves were not very green at this late point in the season, so I'm not sure the filter really helped much.  It would have brightened up the background evergreen forest a little though.  If I were to print this one I would likely attempt to bleach the fallen leaves a little and brighten them up somewhat.  But I am generally happy with the way it turned out and like the composition.

Headstones

I'm fairly certain I haven't posted this one before.  I was out exploring in the fall of 2021 and found these old headstones in an abandoned barn.  There was a cemetery a couple of miles away, and if I had to guess, I assume that the family replaced these old markers with something newer....but that is only a guess on my part.

I shot this one with my Ebony 4x5 view camera and a very wide 75mm lens.  The film was Bergger Pancro 400 developed in Perceptol.

Family Day

Margarit and I headed out to Nordegg on February 18th for the Family Day long weekend.  We were hoping that our girls would come along, so we could spend the weekend together as the holiday suggests.  But, being three young girls... the younger two in their teens... they wanted nothing to do with Mom and Dad, and so they stayed home in the city.

Margarit and I spent a nice, relaxing couples weekend out at the cottage.  I had to play hockey on Friday night with the Renegades.  We played the first place team and spanked them 9-1.  The next morning, we hit the road.  We made a stop in Rimbey at James Grill and had a really nice lunch.  

On Saturday evening I headed over to the outside rink in Nordegg and played hockey again.  It was a nice mild evening and the temperature only got down to around -4.  About 20 skaters showed up, but for the first time this year, that I have attended, there were no goalies.  The rink is only about 3/4 size and that sort of forces us to play 4 on 4, rather than the typical 5 on 5.  So only about half my time was spent on the ice, and the other half sitting on the boards.  But it was fun, and I had a good skate all the same.

On Sunday we dropped off some garbage at the dump, and then took a drive up the Trunk Road to the Blackstone River.  It was dull and overcast, a little breezy, and starting to snow.  We didn't see any wildlife, and there was nothing that compelled me to take out my camera.  In the evening we made a nice prime rib dinner and then just relaxed together in the cottage.

It continued to snow through Sunday afternoon and evening, and when I got up on holiday Monday, the snow was still lightly falling and we had about 3 inches of fresh stuff.  It was another pretty low key day.  I was awake at 6:30 and puttered around on some stuff while Margarit slept in.  I went over to the guest cottage and used the chop saw to cut up a bunch of picture frames.  Later we went for a nice walk around the subdivision, and the sun even broke out a little.  By late afternoon it got really windy and began to snow again.  There is a heavy snowfall warning in place and the forecast calls for us to get six to eight inches overnight.  

I went out for a spin on the old 1979 Yamaha snowmobile... but I couldn't get the new 2017 Skidoo to start.  I'm not sure what's wrong with it, and will have to troubleshoot it a little.  Later in the evening we just settled down in the cottage and got a fire going and had a nice dinner together. 

Don's Spitfire

My friend Chris shared this historical photograph with me.  This is the very same Spitfire that we posed all the Rosie's on for the recent photo shoot.  Apparently she is an Edmonton girl, and was sponsored by Imperial Oil for some air races in the United States back in the late 1940's.....

Dance Hall

This is another scan of an 8x10 negative.  I scanned this the other day when I was testing my scanner on my newly upgraded computer.  I've posted shots from this same outing, that were taken on 4x5 sheet film, but this is the first time I've done anything with the shot I took on 8x10.  This was taken in April of 2021 on Bergger Pancro 400 Film with my Chamonix 810V view camera and a Fujinon 450mm lens.  Development was in Perceptol Developer.  I love the old battered chairs sitting out front in the grass and the tattered curtain in the window.  It seems an old "Fireworks" sign was used to patch a hole in the door... likely where someone kicked it in.  The place is unfortunately badly vandalized.

Aspen Glade

I finally got my computer up and running again on February 15th.  My friend Mike, the IT guy, helped me with the upgrade.  He also managed to find some driver software to allow my old printer to function.  Everything seems to be working now.  

I decided it would be wise to run a test and make sure that my old Microtek scanner, and my CD burner are also functioning properly.  I use my newer Epson V700 scanner for 4x5 sheet film and medium format negatives.  But the old Microtek works way better for 8" x 10" negatives.  So I tested it by scanning a couple, including this one.

This shot was taken back in May of 2021 when I was out on a day trip with some of the Monochrome Guild gang.  We were exploring the coal strip mines down around Forestburg for our Coal in Alberta project.  We came across this roadside glade of aspen trees and the blustery spring sky just made for a really moody image.  I shot this on Ilford HP5 film, developed in Kodak D-76, with a wide angle 240mm Nikkor lens.

Back in the City

I returned to the city on Wednesday February 8th... somewhat reluctantly.  That evening I attended a meeting with some of the gang from the Monochrome Guild.  We met at a local pub and discussed putting together a gallery submission.

The rest of the week was insanely busy.  I was catching up on a bunch of chores around the house.  Margarit's SUV blew a power steering hose, so she was unable to drive it until we got it repaired.  During that time, we had to share my truck for all the errands.

I had my desktop computer serviced and upgraded to Windows 10 while I was away at Nordegg.  Of course, once I got it back and reconnected it to all my stuff, it was not functioning properly.  It would no longer recognize my older keyboard, or one of my printers.  I was forced to buy a new keyboard, but luckily found a decent one on sale for 20 bucks.  My printer is still not working, despite upgrading the driver.  I'm not sure if it will ever work again and I'm hoping that I am not forced to buy a new one.  This has sure made for a frustrating couple of days dealing with everything.

On Saturday night the Renegades played a hockey game at Argyll Arena verses the Patriots.  These guys got moved up into the higher division at the same time that the Renegades did.  We played them twice before, both times in the lower division, and both times we lost.  This time we jumped out to an 8-0 lead before finally giving up a couple of goals.  We coasted to an easy 11-4 victory, which seems very out of character for this team.

On Monday and Tuesday I went to work in the darkroom and started making some prints for the Apparitions project.  We don't have any confirmed exhibitions yet, but there will be a lot of prints to make and I wanted to get started on it.  I made some unsharp masks of five negatives and then set about printing all of them.  I'm quite happy with the way they turned out, and presently have them cleared, toned and in the washer.

Last Day in Nordegg

Tuesday February 7th was my last day in Nordegg... for a little while.  But, the cottage will not be empty for long, as shortly after I leave, my oldest daughter Hailey is to arrive and stay for a few days.

On this last day of working in the guest cottage... for the time being... I finished up the three cabinet sections.  I sanded out all the filler on the third section, and then applied a coat of primer.  After that I dug out a small roller and finished all the exterior exposed surfaces of all three cabinets with two coats of paint.  When I return in the future I will have to make all the cabinet doors, and start on the drawers.  I believe I have all the materials needed, so it will just be a matter of getting busy.

I was finished with the painting around lunch time, and as it was fairly sunny, with not much wind, I decided to go for a drive with my camera.  I started heading west, thinking I would check out the ice conditions on Abraham Lake.  But, it was obvious that there was heavy cloud hanging in the valley, and the light would not be very good.  So I decided to stay closer to Nordegg.  I went down to where Highway 11 crosses Shunda Creek, below Beaverdam Lake.  I've noticed that there is always open water here, even when temperatures are bitterly cold.  I wandered down along the creek and despite the days of mild temperatures, there was still a lot of snow, and I managed to fill my boots.  But, I also got three setups done with the view camera.

2022 was a record year for me and I shot over 600 sheets of 4x5 Black and White film.  Despite that, I didn't take my first shot of the year until near the end of March.  This year I have already shot over 20 sheets, and it is just the beginning of February.  I'm not striving to shoot quantity over quality, but I do find that if I get out and shoot regularly, I see better, I stay in better practice with the camera, and better images result.  It is always difficult to get back to shooting after a long pause, and I am trying to avoid that this year.

Cabinets Almost Done

I got up earlier than I usually do, on Monday February 6th.  I was up at 7:00AM... over an hour before the official sunrise.  But, because the sun actually has to clear Eagle Peak before we can see it, the true sunrise is a little later than that.  I had a shower and breakfast in the morning and then checked messages and what not on my computer.  I sent birthday greetings to my middle brother Greg, who turns 58 on this day...

It was shortly after 9:00 when I wandered over to the guest cottage and went to work.  My original plan was to work until around lunch time, and then head out for a drive in the afternoon with my cameras.  But, it was heavily overcast, and got very windy, so I decided to just keep working.  I took a short break and went over to Scott's place to pick up a couple of large cable spools that he needs returned to his supplier in Edmonton.  There is a hefty deposit on these things, so he is anxious to get them back....

In the morning I got the third section of the kitchen cabinets put together.  It was kind of slow going, because this section is larger than the other two, and a little cumbersome for me to work on by myself.  But it eventually all came together.  I discovered that I made a couple of minor cutting errors that I had to fix up, but that was relatively easy considering that the cabinets will be painted.  The minor patching and adjustments that I made will not show through the paint.

After picking up those cable spools it was obvious that getting out with the cameras, even briefly, was not an option.  My weather station, which is very sheltered in the trees, was recording wind gusts approaching 20kmh.  But I know from past experience that this means that out in the open, the winds are probably close to triple that.  So I continued with installing the hardwood facing onto the third cabinet.  This time around I was little smarter, and remembered to paint the interior exposed edges before I installed them onto the cabinet.  

On Tuesday my plan was to get up early again.  I would sand out the filler that I put on the nail holes and then give a final two coats of paint to the exterior of the third cabinet.  Then, while I had the paint in a tray, and a roller dirty, I would do the other two cabinets as well.   This way the paint could dry, while temperatures remain very mild, and not ice up all the windows in the cottage.  Hopefully if the winds are not as strong on Tuesday, I can get out for a little while with my camera, in the afternoon.

Full Moon

There was a full moon on February 5th.  It cleared in the evening and by the time the sun went down, there were hardly any clouds.  The moon was clear and bright as it rose above the shoulder of Coliseum Mountain and up through the trees.  Later in the evening I marveled at how bright it was.  I took these couple of snapshots with my phone, through the bedroom window.  The reflection off of the snow on the ground nicely illuminated everything and the trees, and the guest cottage were clearly visible.

Third Cabinet

It was really warm out at Nordegg on Friday February 3rd.  The temperature peaked at about 4:00 in the afternoon at +8C.  The snow that we got a few days ago has settled a lot, and is now getting very wet.

I spent the afternoon over in the guest cottage, working on the third cabinet.

The first thing I did was flush trim the plastic laminate that I glued on the day prior.  This was the large section for the floor, and two small intermediate shelves.  Then I cut up all the rest of the plywood pieces, and got a coat of primer on all of them.  In between, while waiting for the primer to dry, I sanded out the filler that I had put on the hardwood facing of cabinet two.  This material also got a coat of primer, and then later a first coat of blue paint.  Late in the afternoon a got the dadoes cut into the floor panel before shutting things down for the day.

On Friday evening Margarit and Hank came out to join me for the weekend.  The three young ladies decided to stay behind in the city.... again.  I had a prime rib roast in the oven and on the go when Margarit arrived.  I also had mashed potatoes, gravy, yorkshire pudding and some salad.  We enjoyed a nice dinner together after she arrived.

On Saturday we just spent a relaxing day together in the cottage, and I didn't do any work.  We had Hank out for a short walk, and then just hung around reading and getting supper prepared.  I made us some baked potatoes, hot wings and T-bone Steaks for dinner.  Later in the evening we got a fire going in the stove and just stayed in.  I didn't bother going to town to play in the outside hockey game.

On Sunday, Margarit packed up and headed back to the city.  The girls were having some issues and demanded her attention.  After she left, I went back to work in the guest cottage.  It was yet another really warm day, and the temperature peaked at about +7.  Seems the recent snow that we got will be very short lived.  

I got all the rabbets and dadoes cut into the panels for the third cabinet.  Then I got all of the interior exposed surfaces finished with two coats of paint.  The next time that I go back to work on this, I will commence assembly of the third cabinet.

February Image - David Thompson Country Calendar

This is the image I selected for the February page of my 2023 David Thompson Country calendar.  This calendar is available to purchase at the Beehive Artisan Market in Nordegg.  This mountain is called Wapta Kista, and it is prominent on the south shore of Abraham Lake west of Nordegg.  This shot was taken in April of 2020.  I used my Ebony 4x5 view camera and a Schneider G-Claron 210mm lens.  A #25 Red Filter was added to boost contrast and increase the separation between sky and clouds.  This was taken on the now discontinued Efke PL25M film, developed in Rodinal 1:50.

Back to Nordegg

I returned to Nordegg on the afternoon of January 31st.  It was really nice to get out of the city and back to the mountains.  In fact the weather in Nordegg was nicer than what I left in the city.  The temperature peaked at about -4C, and there was six inches of fresh snow... a winter wonderland...!

I felt totally lacking in motivation on Wednesday February 1st.  It cooled off quite a bit overnight and during the day.  It was -9 at dawn, and then dropped to about -12 during the day, and -14 by late afternoon.  It felt really cold too, because it was heavily overcast with no sun, and the humidity was high at around 85%.

I unloaded some materials, and took some waste to the dump, but didn't really accomplish much else.  The cold is supposed to be short lived and by the weekend it is forecast to be partly sunny and slightly above freezing.  I spent the day figuring out a cut list of materials for the next cabinet, and then working on some photo submission stuff on my laptop.

By early evening, when the outside hockey game was scheduled to start in town, it had cooled off even more.  By game time it was down to -17C and the humidity was up to 92%.  I was chilled from the little bit of time I had spent outside and just couldn't warm up.  I decided to skip the game and stay by the fire in the cottage.

By the morning of Thursday February 2nd, Groundhog Day, it had warmed up nicely.  It was only about -4 in the morning and by afternoon it got up to above freezing.  It started out partly sunny in the morning but then clouded over and got really breezy in the afternoon.  It was certainly a pleasant day, but didn't feel quite as warm as the thermometer suggested.  To bad this wasn't the day scheduled for the hockey game.

I spent a good part of the day working in the cabin.  First job was to pull out the tablesaw and rip up a bunch of the hardwood that I brought out.  I cut enough to face the second cabinet, and also cut right away for the as yet unbuilt third cabinet.  I installed the maple facing onto the second cabinet, and then started cutting plywood parts for the third.  I didn't get all the parts cut up, but I did cut the ones that need plastic laminate glued onto them.  This is the floor and the interior shelves.  I got the laminate glued on as well, and then called it a day.

I have the first and second cabinet sections sitting on furniture dollies.  This allows me to move them around easily as I need to.  Its starting to get a little crowded in the cottage.  Once I have the third section built I will paint them all, then then set them into place.  That should provide a little more space to begin construction of the pantry and the bathroom vanity.

Apparitions Project - Collars

This shot was taken on the same day as the earlier "old shoes" image.  These priest's collars were left behind in the train station at the old museum.  I shot this previously, but this time around I got in a little tighter on the collars, and I like this concise view a little better.  I shot this with my Ebony 4x5 view camera and a 125mm lens.  This is the last one from my recent batch of Kodak T-Max 100 developed in 510 Pyro.

Drafting

As a junior high school student back in 1977 I learned drafting for the first time.  Back in those days it was with T-squares and set squares.  Later, as I moved on to high school in 1980 I took a number of drafting courses, including architectural and mechanical drawing.  At that point we moved up from T-squares to drafting tables and machines.  Originally I thought I might go to University and study to become an architect.

But, then I graduated from high school in 1981, and went to work full time in the family Plastic business the next day.  In 1989 I purchased the company from my father.  And in 2020 I sold the company and retired.  I never did get around to going to University, but used my drafting skills through my entire working career.

Of course in later years drafting went digital.  The drafting table that we had at the shop was given away and we moved up to the AutoCad software program.  Over the years I bought three versions of AutoCad and we spent thousands of dollars on the software.  Now in my retirement I would like to use the software that I legally own to drawn up plans for the cabinets, and other furniture projects, that I intend to build.  But the old software will no longer function and the AutoDesk company is essentially forcing me to buy a subscription to AutoCad LT in order to keep using it.  But that costs $60 per month and is far beyond what I can justify for the small amount of drafting I need to do.

I finally got my old version of AutoCad LT 2002 to sort of function on my computer.  Every three or four commands it locks up and shuts down.  So, after every action I save my file, and then continually restart whenever it freezes and shuts down.  It's very frustrating to work with, but far better than spending $600 Canadian per year.  I find the drawings are very helpful as they provide exact dimensions for all the components, and precise locations for all the rabbets and dadoes.  Here are the print outs of the drawings I just completed for the third cabinet for the guest cottage.

February Calendar Image

This is the image I selected for the February page of my calendar.  This is my annual Fine Art Monochrome calendar that I print every year and give away to friends and family.  I shot this old house up in Barrhead County back in late January of 2021.  I was out on a day trip with a few friends from the Monochrome Guild.  This was back in the days when Covid was a serious concern and we had to drive around in an entourage of several vehicles.  I remember it was rather cold that day, and we drove around for quite a while without finding anything to photograph.  Eventually we stumbled upon this old yard and managed to make the trip worthwhile by taking a few photographs.  I shot this with my Ebony 4x5 view camera and a Fujinon 250mm lens.  I used a #25 Red Filter to increase contrast and darken the sky.  The film was Ilford Delta 100 developed in PMK developer.

Changeover

I had three new prints ready to go for Mimi's pub, and on January 27th I put them up.  There are a total of five large prints on display.  Two of the existing ones will remain until the next changeover, and these three new ones were added.  I picked up a couple of the existing framed prints on the evening of January 26th and brought them home.  The next morning I took those frames apart, removed the previously displayed work, and installed the new prints.  Around lunch time I took the first two back and hung them up.  At that point I picked up the third one and brought it home.  That was quickly changed over to a new print and an hour or two later I returned and hung it up.

My print of the Spirit Tree in Dinosaur Provincial Park, taken way back in 1997 remains on display though it was relocated from a spot around the corner to the center of the main wall.  My print of the Sunflower Field near Warwick, taken in 2011 was moved from the main wall to the back corner.  The three new prints include a shot of some trees covered with Hoar Frost, taken at Strawberry Creek Ravine in 2017.  This one is now by itself on the side wall, where the Spirit Tree used to be.  The other two prints are in portrait orientation.  One is a shot of Tangle Falls in Jasper National Park, taken in 2020.  The other is a shot of Willow Creek, near East Coulee, taken in 2016.  These are now on the main wall, on either side of the Spirit Tree.

My prints have been on display at Mimi's pub since they opened about five years ago.  I am very grateful to the owners Shanaz and her brother Al, who allow me to show here.  Originally it was my intention to change them out every three or four months.  That happened at the beginning, but then Covid hit and nothing was changed for three years.  Now that things are returning to normal it is time to get back on track.  By about May or so I will look to remove the Spirit Tree and Sunflowers prints and replace them with new work.  At that point the others will also be moved around.  This should provide a fresh look for the pub, and allow me continued exposure for my work.  Then the process will be repeated again, around August or so.