Bubblers

"Bubblers"....  that's what the locals out at Nordegg call the tourists that come out to Abraham Lake to see the Ice Bubbles.  On mild weekends there are hundreds of them out on the ice of the lake.  There are tour companies operating in the area that take the Bubblers out to see the best locations.  When there is a skiff of snow they sweep off patches of ice in advance of taking the Bubblers out....

I took a drive up to the lake when I was out out last week and did a little shooting with my big camera.  It was on Sunday the 12th, so it was moderately busy up at the lake.  I went out in the morning, and surprisingly it was one of those rare days that was dead calm.  The skies were clear and it was a beautiful day.  By early afternoon the clouds rolled in and the breeze picked up.  The hoards of Bubblers that were arriving to explore the lake missed the best part of the day, and by the time I left they were like flies on a cow flop.

While I was shooting a young couple showed up with a "professional" photographer.  They must have been taking engagement portraits or something as they were out on the ice in fancy clothes and dress shoes.  I always marvel at these digital shooters and had to scoff just a little at the so-called pro that they had hired.  She was shooting with a Canon SLR and a long telephoto lens.  But, everything was handheld and there was not a tripod to be seen.  And as I watched them I noticed that every shot was taken into the sun, with the subjects heavily backlit.  Thank goodness that PhotoShop can solve all these problems.  Alternatively if a little thought would have gone into it, she could have just taken better images in the first place, and not had to spend hours on the computer editing later.  

I guess that's why whenever I'm involved in a photoshoot, the feedback I get always praises my work and I am told that my shots turn out better than what the pros shoot....!  A little foresight, planning and understanding of light goes a long way...