It seems like the holy grail of bird shots is to get them in flight. In flight shows them off in all their glory and grace in the air. Right? Well, getting them in flight is more work than it seems. Lately, a person close to me went out for the first time with a camera. Having seen me with my camera getting all kinds of shots, it seemed only logical that she would also get the shots.

So she went on vacation and shot away. She came back with hundreds of pictures, with most of them either blurry, very blurry or with missed focus. I have to admit that this was a point and shoot that had worked for me plenty of years and was never a disappointment.

Read more: In Flight…

It has taken some time to start, but now it’s in full swing. No, I’m not talking about tax season, that one comes always too soon. I’m talking about the wild bird migration back into Canada. Many birds have been waiting out the long cold winter in a warmer area. But deep in their hearts, they prefer Canada. So whenever the temperatures go back to something normal, they fly home. Because after all, Canada is always home.

So when they arrive here, either to linger around or just overnighting to go further up north, photographers everywhere unite (so to speak) to shoot them all. None of the birds is safe.

Read more: On the move

For a while now I have been struggling to post here on my blog. Yes, it is my own blog and I can do what I want. Yet at the same time I have my doubts about what to post. I have a handful of prepared posts on my computer, but none of them inspire me to post them. Is it the subject matter? Is it a lack of message? I don’t know. It made me think about my reason behind doing a blog.

The internet is full of blogs, good ones, bad ones, funny ones, serious ones, you name it. On Facebook I often come across ads that tell me that blogs need to bring in money to be successful.

Read more: Reasons for blogging

The news of the Notre Dame Cathedral has shocked the world. Everybody knows or has seen the magnificent 850 year old structure in some form. I have had the pleasure to visit it many times over, alas without a camera. From recent images and clips, though it is apparent that not everything is lost and the structure is not “burned to the ground”. Rebuilding it will be a huge task, but it will be without the atmosphere of 900 year old timber work.

While work will be done on one of the grandest churches of the world, smaller churches also seem to get quite a bit of attention. Prairie churches here in Canada are famous. Well, famous at least on the prairies.

Read more: Prairie churches

We have all had them, those foggy mornings. Mornings where nothing is clear, no matter what you try. There is always something that remains hidden. Impossible to create a complete picture of what you are trying to see. Just when you get closer, the details reveal themselves, only to have the past views closed off to you. It’s like walking in a dark place with only a candle in your hand.

Some people have that foggy feeling every morning, others will search that sensation of being alone while surrounded by everything. Mist or fog in the morning creates a very special feeling for those who dare to go out and experience it. Not just to drive or walk though it, but to experience the eerie sense of solitude.

Read more: Morning fog

Going out to shoot a series of pictures is nice. Shooting with friends is a lot nicer. There’s a game out there called “Words with friends”, but I prefer the version called “Pictures with friends”. Going out alone can be a bit overwhelming at times. Even more so if the conditions are not too favorable. Icy cold temperatures, stormy nights, you name it.

All of those conditions can be daunting to shoot in, it’s always more comfortable and more fun to shoot them with friends.

Read more: Pictures with friends

Something that doesn’t belong in a given time period. Cavemen eating with knife and fork, for example. Once in a while in Manitoba we have a whole festival of anachronisms, although the word itself is never mentioned. It’s a time where festival goers dress up for the period and often miss a few items, like a camera or a pair of glasses.

I always like to pick out these details. Others dress up completely for the part and don’t get out of character at all.

Read more: Anachronism (2)