Long exposure fun

Long exposure. For a very long time, this was a realm I could never venture into. Film was what it was, and the skills required for successful shots would have taken way too much of it. Back in the day, I was happy to catch a passing firetruck with its lights blinking. That was my first shot with light trails. It was also the last shot for another 25 years of photography.

Afsluitdijk - 10s f/11 ISO 100

The long exposure bug came back when I got a digital camera. A small Point and Shoot from Nikon. The “night modes” mostly tried to cancel the light trails in order to get decent pictures, but I found a way around that.

Roadside shots

When people see me with my big camera, sometimes they ask me: “Do you always carry around that big camera? Is that not heavy?”. To be honest, I have made a choice to have a camera with me most of the time. At least as much as I can. But the collection of lenses is getting bigger and the camera bag is getting heavier and heavier.

Inside a restaurant

So, lately I made a choice. I would have my cellphone with me all the time (easy) and my DSLR when I would go out to take specific shots. So far it has worked out pretty well.

Decay in Manitoba

Decay is everywhere, not only in Manitoba. In Europe, decay and ruins are all over the place, except where the land is expensive. The Netherlands have very few ruins and even less abandoned barns or buildings. They get torn down pretty fast, so that the land can be reused differently. In Manitoba, however, this is a different story.

Road 87

Landowners often like to keep the historical buildings on their land in the state they are in, usable or not.  Whether that is out of a spirit of conservation or procrastination, I can’t tell.

Cowboy TV in Duck Mountain Provincial Park

One of the less visited parks in Manitoba is Duck Mountain Provincial Park. Yet it is a beautiful park, with lots of possibilities for fishing and stargazing. A few weeks ago I went there with a friend to spend a weekend far away from civilization.

Cowboy TV

Well, as far away as you can call a campground far from civilization. The first evening was a bit of work…

Дорога до школи / The path to school

Manitoba has a lot of Ukrainian history. Seemingly, wherever you go, there is some kind of Ukrainian heritage to be found. From the churches to people, from schools to Kalyna, a very famous Ukrainian berry. But some Ukrainian heritage seems to be hidden or nearly forgotten.

Swinging Bridge of Senkiw

In the small town of Senkiw, Manitoba there is a swinging bridge. I have seen other swinging bridges in Manitoba, but this one was new to me. So, with a friend we went in search of the Swinging Bridge of Senkiw. Little did we know we were in historical territory.