Vacation picture of the day (Final update)

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:56 pm

I've tried to edit one picture each day to create a photo narrative of our trip. I will invite a few friends to view this as well. Eager to try out the new photo attachment feature.

The first picture is from Friday June 6. We had just crossed the Mackinac Bridge and pitched camp on the north side of the strait. I find that once we hit the U.P. the vacation can begin; it's a different world up here.

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:01 pm

On Friday we were chased by tornado warnings and high winds across lower Michigan. On the U.P. we sweltered in the heat instead of the usual cool wet weather we expected. This pic is from the southern shore of Lake Superior, usually large breakers roll in here, but this day was hot with strong off-shore winds.

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Post by **Corlyss_D** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:07 pm

Awesome snaps, Henry.

What's your equipment?

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:09 pm

Sunday, June 8.

Over the years was have often paused in Bemidji, Minnesota for family photos to measure progress against big Paul. No family this time, but at least we could check on Howie's growth. Part of the reason for the journey was to deliver Howie (a Schnoodle about 2 years old) to our daughter Anna now attending school in Edmonton. Having Howie really tied us to the trailer as we had quite a scare with him being dehyrdated. So he was displaying even more than the usual insecurity at either one of us leaving him behind.

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:17 pm

Monday, June 9.

Camped outside Wynyard, Saskatchewan. Only trailer in a somewhat dilapidated campground. We hiked up to a pond and watched and photographed a flock of pelicans and shot this viewpoint of the town.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:22 pm

June 11 and 12.
We finally arrived in Edmonton on the evening of June 10, after five 10-12 hour days pulling the trailer at 50 miles per hour. So we relaxed with our daughter http://www.annaslofstra.com for a couple of days before beginning a 10 day visit to Jasper National Park.

Here Nancy is giving Anna a lesson in how to mow her lawn with an electric lawnmower. Such fun ....

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:26 pm

June 14.
Our first hike in Jasper brought us to the top of the Bald Hills from which I shot this view of Maligne Lake. Our first impression of Jasper is that we are awed. The landscape is more primitive and wilder than what we've encountered in previous visits to Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks. At this point in late June the mountains are all topped with snow, and we encounter snow drifts at the zenith of today's hike. It's going to be very easy to fill up the 10 days.

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:29 pm

June 15.
Another breathtaking hike. We go to see the Angel Glacier which descends from Mount Edith Clavell. This view is of the glacial melt pond and I shot the picture from the top of the moraine just across from the glacier itself. If you ever go to Jasper this is a very accessible trail; my guidebook describes it as the best short hike in the Rockies.
A man sitting on a rock in the lower left corner of the picture provides a sense of scale. I've isolated his figure in the second photo. See if you can find him in the first.

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RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:18 pm

Henry, these are, most of them, really great pics. You have a real eye for composition. Keep 'em coming!

Posted on June 18th, 2008, the 1,875th day after Shrub announced that major combat operations in Iraq had ended, the 140th day before the November 4th US general election, and the 217th day before the end of the Cheney Administration. RebLem

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:23 pm

RebLem wrote:Henry, these are, most of them, really great pics. You have a real eye for composition. Keep 'em coming!

I particularly like the one of the back of Nancy's head...and the out of focus close up of the dog is pretty good too...actually there are two shots of the back of Nancy's head...I like em both...

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:53 pm

slofstra wrote:Here Nancy is giving Anna a lesson in how to mow her lawn with an electric lawnmower. Such fun ....

Loved those old style mowers - so compact, so efficient, so light weight. It looks like a Sunbeam. We kept one alive for about 40 years until there were no more parts to cannibalize.

Great shot of the river.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:25 am

Corlyss_D wrote:Awesome snaps, Henry.

What's your equipment?

Thanks. I use a Canon EOS30D which is a fairly good digital camera. I need a better lens though (with optical image stabilization) as such high resolutions exaggerate camera movement and focus issues. I have an 18-55 mm zoom and an 80mm macro lens. The latter lens is quite good. I recently began using Adobe Lightroom to crop and adjust the results.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:28 am

Chalkperson wrote:
RebLem wrote:Henry, these are, most of them, really great pics. You have a real eye for composition. Keep 'em coming!
I particularly like the one of the back of Nancy's head...and the out of focus close up of the dog is pretty good too...actually there are two shots of the back of Nancy's head...I like em both...

Thanks Rob. As for you Chalkie ...

Keep in mind the dog is just a close-up from the very large Paul Bunyan picture. With the wide angle setting there's no way to get edge to edge focus unless I stop down more and use a tripod. That's when it starts to be a photography expedition instead of a holiday. Also all these pictures are greatly reduced in resolution from the original. Anyway, excuses, excuses ...

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:34 am

June 16 pictures.

This turned out to be animal wildlife day. First a picture of the quail that attacked Nancy, and while I was laughing my head off, turned and attacked me. Later I shot a hundred snaps of a herd of about 50 bighorn sheep. Are the little ones called bighorn lambs? Also, a mountain goat. And finally as we returned in the evening we spotted both a black and brown bear foraging along each side of the road. The brown bear picture is technically awful but was shot at close range in low light, somewhat nervously through an open window from a moving car as the bears were moving along.

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:35 am

Here's the bear ...

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:00 pm

June 17.

Jasper the Bear and me. I'm the one on the right. The cartoon Jasper ran in McLean's magazine for many years. The town subsequently adopted him as the town mascot.

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(Sorry about this. There is some kind of problem with posting pictures. Will post on the Server problems thread).

Yay, I got it to work.

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:07 pm

slofstra wrote:June 15.

A man sitting on a rock in the lower left corner of the picture provides a sense of scale. I've isolated his figure in the second photo. See if you can find him in the first.

There.

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Post by **Corlyss_D** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:41 am

How'd you do that, Gary?

Teresa B · Post by **Teresa B** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:33 pm

slofstra wrote: This turned out to be animal wildlife day. First a picture of the quail that attacked Nancy, and while I was laughing my head off, turned and attacked me.

Great pics, Henry! Hadn't we better add quail to the list of wild animals to be treated cautiously by dulcinea in the "national parks" thread?

I went to Yoho, Jasper and Banff around 8 or 9 years ago, and I have to say, it was possibly the most spectacular landscape I've ever seen up close. Being a trifle younger then

, and fascinated by fossils, I dragged my family up to the Burgess Shale in Yoho. We were told by a young person that it wasn't a bad hike. Two things I neglected to note--the youth of the girl, and T-shirts that said "I survived the Burgess Shale" or the like. (I probably thought it was a play on words, as the shirt showed a fossil animal whose phylum survived the avalanche that buried the shale critters. Silly me!)

Anyway, we did make the darn 13-mile round trip, and it was worth every heart palpitation.

Have fun!
Teresa

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:25 pm

Teresa B wrote:
slofstra wrote: This turned out to be animal wildlife day. First a picture of the quail that attacked Nancy, and while I was laughing my head off, turned and attacked me.
Great pics, Henry! Hadn't we better add quail to the list of wild animals to be treated cautiously by dulcinea in the "national parks" thread?

I went to Yoho, Jasper and Banff around 8 or 9 years ago, and I have to say, it was possibly the most spectacular landscape I've ever seen up close. Being a trifle younger then , and fascinated by fossils, I dragged my family up to the Burgess Shale in Yoho. We were told by a young person that it wasn't a bad hike. Two things I neglected to note--the youth of the girl, and T-shirts that said "I survived the Burgess Shale" or the like. (I probably thought it was a play on words, as the shirt showed a fossil animal whose phylum survived the avalanche that buried the shale critters. Silly me!)

Anyway, we did make the darn 13-mile round trip, and it was worth every heart palpitation.

Have fun!
Teresa

I have gotten myself into trouble on hikes more times than I can count. In 2004 one hike had over a kilometre elevation gain and was around 20 kms. long. Nancy and our youngest daughter (Emily) who made up the threesome did not speak to me for several days after. I've gotten better at gauging these things. A hike that would be rated "difficult" in Ontario might be considered easy or moderate here. Pacing, having enough water and food, and knowing what one is in for are all important factors. We're in our mid-50s and I'm probably about 20-25 pounds overweight, but in reasonable condition. A day hike of 10-15 kilometres at 2-3000 metres elevation and with a 500 metre elevation gain is quite attainable for a person in my age and condition. I know folks much older who attempt more strenuous hikes. I had some trepidation about the hikes as I didn't keep up my exercise through the winter to the extent I should have. But as one elderly gentlemen said to me as we approached a summit, "It's great to know the old ticker is still working".
To someone not in that great a shape who is interested in seeing the sights in Banff or Jasper there are plenty of beautiful places which are accessible with a car ride and a short walk. The advantage of the hikes is the solitude they offer.

Werner · Post by **Werner** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:59 pm

Congratulations, Henry - what a trip and what an expreience! And thanks for sharing you fine pics!

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:21 pm

June 19.

We hiked to a summit called Opal Hills. Again the trails were covered in snow, and as this was a circuit the return trail through an alpine valley (above the tree line) was a very wet experience. Melting fields of snow often contained a wet surprise under a snowy mantle. It became a game to stay on the dry snow.

Lunch near the summit:

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How to prepare a boiled egg sandwich on the trail:

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On the return drive, we encountered another bear. This time I made sure the camera was shooting at a fast enough speed. Lucky enough to catch this shot when the bear reared up to see what was going on.

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Gary · Post by **Gary** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:35 pm

Corlyss_D wrote:How'd you do that, Gary?

I used an image capture program called "SnagIt" and used its editing tools to place the blue circle on there.

http://store.techsmith.com/order/snagit.asp

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:04 pm

June 21.
Our days in Jasper are winding down now and we had saved one of the best hikes for last. The Sulphur Skyline takes you up 700 metres from the trail head (2300 feet) to an elevation of 2070m/6790 feet). The final stretch takes you up a tricky and very steep scree slope but the reward is a 360 degree panoramic view.

Our son, Will, had joined us several days before in Jasper, and here he stands at the summit with a part of the view behind him:

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Nancy and Will just before descending the steep scree slope. Something got their attention as I took the snap. You can see just the head of another hiker below and to the right.

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There's another reward for completing this hike over and above the magnificent views. The Miette Hot Springs are located at the Trail Head. Nothing like melting in 40 C water and just when you feel a little too clammy, jumping into the cold plunge bath (one at 16 C and another at 12 C if you're nuts), and then starting the process all over again.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:16 pm

June 22.
We decided to take things a little easier today, and drove down to the Columbia Ice Fields. The Ice Fields themselves are gargantuan and inaccessible to the ordinary tourist. The Snow Explorer excursion, taken by half a million tourists each year, actually take you to one of the many glaciers cascading down from the ice field itself (the Athabasca Glacier).
You also get the thrill of driving down (and up) the world's steepest road.

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Here's a view of the Snow Explorers on the glacier.

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On our return we stopped briefly at the Athabasca Falls where I took this shot of an incoming rain shower:

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:22 pm

June 23.

Our last full day in Jasper. We decided to return to Mount Edith Cavell. On returning to our campsite, we find the elk have taken over (the story is on the dangerous animals thread):

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:29 pm

Sunday, June 29.

A couple of days back at "Sardine Can" RV Park in Edmonton, and then we took the trailer to a church convention (retreat) near Edmonton. Here is most of the family, one daughter excepted.

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Teresa B · Post by **Teresa B** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:42 am

More beautiful pics, Henry! Makes me want to go back out there again. We did the Columbia Ice Field thing in the glacier-going vehicle, too. (Do they still allow you to get out and walk on the Athabasca glacier?) I thought it was neat that this ice field is the source of glaciers that empty into 3 different oceans.

Enviously,

Teresa

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 10:03 am

AWESOME...way to go Henry...

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:07 pm

Thanks Teresa and Chalkie.

Yes we did get out on the glacier and walk around. Here is how that looks. What this doesn't show you is the hundred tourists and 3 snowbuses directly behind the photographer. Also, note that the glacier is very dirty. It could use a good bath. The reason, we were told, is that every snow flake is built on a granule of dust or dirt. So much for the clean white snow theory. The dirt on the surface of the glacier is a residue left behind as the glacier melts back.

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Chalkie,
Any advice to offer on Canon EOS lenses. I've been looking around on the holidays and have an idea or two.

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:46 pm

Henry, I never touch cameras myself, but one of my guys has an EOS, he's not in till next wednesday but I will ask him about it...

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:39 pm

Here is a very specific question:

Is the $1000 Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM IS lens worth the additional price over the new $200 Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

If he has no POV on this specific point, that is fine.

My more general problem is to find a nice walking around lens for my Canon.
How important is IS (optical image stablization)?
I think I would take more "wide angle" capability over telephoto, especially if you can shoot a really sharp picture and crop later anyway. But perhaps that is wrong.
This lens also looks interesting:
TAMRON AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical [IF]

Welcome any thoughts at all.
Great German review site: http://www.photozone.de/

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:10 pm

slofstra wrote:Here is a very specific question:

Is the $1000 Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM IS lens worth the additional price over the new $200 Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

If he has no POV on this specific point, that is fine.

My more general problem is to find a nice walking around lens for my Canon.
How important is IS (optical image stablization)?
I think I would take more "wide angle" capability over telephoto, especially if you can shoot a really sharp picture and crop later anyway. But perhaps that is wrong.
This lens also looks interesting:
TAMRON AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical [IF]

Welcome any thoughts at all.

I can answer that, the difference is the maximum Aperture in terms of F Stops, the f/2.8 lens is one stop faster than the cheap one, it's a margially wider lens, it willl be better made from better materials, image stabalisation is definately worthwhile too...don't buy Tamron...I know, just like always I cost you money, but, the thing is to buy the better equimpment because it's better and also because the 'What If' question does not apply..

What if I bought the Faster Lens...

What if I bought the Canon Lens over the Tamron...

What if I had bought image stabilization...

What if I still had $800 in the bank...

Plus you live in Canada, which is full of beautiful scenery and wildlife...and bears...

Great German review site: http://www.photozone.de

Just looked at specs, don't even think about the cheap lens...

SaulChanukah · Post by **SaulChanukah** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:48 pm

I really like the Pics.

Thank you.

Agnes Selby · Post by **Agnes Selby** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:06 am

Truly beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing.

Regards,
Agnes.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:12 am

Thanks Saul and Agnes. Nice to hear from both of you. I'll be participating again on some of the other threads in a couple of weeks.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:20 pm

Early July finds us in Vancouver, the ostensible purpose of the visit is to purchase and assemble inexpensive imported furniture for our daughter-in-law's new place. We did find one day to walk around the city and cycle around Stanley Park on tandem bikes. What fun!
We were admiring the view at Prospect Point when suddenly the gorgeous cruise ship, Radiance of the Seas silently stole upon us.

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Boy am I pleased with this new lens. These pictures are all greatly reduced in resolution for the web, but here is a small portion of the above picture. The limiting factor is the pixel field of the camera, not the lens and there is also no trace of camera shake because of the built-in stabilization. The JPG below blurs things slightly, but each figure is only 20 pixels high.

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Here's a night time shot of Vancouver's harbour.

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slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:30 pm

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A picture of what else, accordions, from the Kimberley (B.C.) International Old-Time Accordion championship. We only took in one concert, which I may discuss in a separate thread. All the scoop is at http://www.kiotac.ca.

Oh yes, I badly inflamed my sacro-iliac assembling all that furniture with only a screw driver and an allan key. (I think the dining room set had 52 screws and 36 bolts). My body was kind of crooked after that for a few days.

We're now on the homeward push with stops scheduled in Medicine Hat, Alberta and Arborg, Manitoba.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:38 pm

The place I went to grade school and to which my grandfather, uncles, aunts, and parents first emigrated, Redcliff, Alberta.
The old town looks the same
As I step down from the train
And there to meet me ...

Always good to go back, although you can never go back.

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That picture reminds me that we brought along only one pop CD, Jackson Browne's Late for the Sky which became a kind of theme music for the trip.

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:46 pm

It was so good to meet with relatives in the Medicine Hat area, some of them struggling with the afflictions of age. But we had good visits; my own parents have been gone for a few years now. Then on to Manitoba, once again chasing in and out of the leading edge of a massive storm front which spawned a few tornadoes in Saskatchewan.

The canola fields are ripe across Manitoba.

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And this shot is near our destination in the Interlake region in Manitoba just as the sun is setting.

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A couple of more days visiting with friends here, and then a final mad 2300 km dash home in 22 hours of non-stop driving.
My longest vacation trip ever and I'm already thinking about the next one (but don't tell Nancy).

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:48 pm

Awesome sunset, Henry. Now THAT's a vista! Ditto the hay field.

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:39 am

Beautiful stuff Henry--Nice family shots as well

Chosen Barley · Post by **Chosen Barley** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:56 pm

I have very much enjoyed your travelogue that you put together, and the photography is so good, too.

Cosima__J · Post by **Cosima__J** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 8:12 pm

Awesome! I'm just a little envious of your camera, your skill and your great trip.

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 8:42 pm

I have to say that Henry's photographic skills increased greatly when he bought a Mac...

SaulChanukah · Post by **SaulChanukah** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:16 pm

Great quality, Henry.
Really beautiful composition and moments.

Regards,

Saul

Fugu · Post by **Fugu** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:48 pm

Your daughter-in-law is Chinese, Henry?

Werner · Post by **Werner** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:06 pm

I haven't commented on this thread, Henry - thre was nothing I could add to the other comments - aside from admiring your enterprise, and your photographs!

Regards,

slofstra · Post by **slofstra** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:46 pm

Chalkperson wrote:I have to say that Henry's photographic skills increased greatly when he bought a Mac...

I missed a few of these last comments.

Guess what, chalkie? I did these on my PC notebook. But I used Adobe Lightroom - you can take credit for that, as I purchased it on your recommendation.
I plan to do a DVD slide show on the Mac though.

Thanks for the kind comments, Saul and Werner.

I'm a little embarrassed to bump my thread back to the top though, but I guess that's what happens when you post.

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