 Leighton Centre Forest Show Invite The Forest Show art exhibition that I’ve mentioned previously (here, here, and here) is moving from Edmonton to Calgary after this weekend. So if you’re in Edmonton and haven’t checked it out yet—now’s your chance, and if you’re in Calgary, watch for the show at the Leighton Art Centre from June 4 to July 9. There will be an opening reception in the afternoon of June 11. I will actually be out in the field doing songbird surveys at that time, but I may be in the area and will try to make it if I can. There is a lot of great art on display in this show, so definitely drop by and have a look if you get the chance.
 Great grey owl hunting from thin aspen sapling The photographs from my two previous posts were both taken while I was doing owl surveys and waiting for the sun to set (with camera at the ready, of course). So I thought I’d post an image of what we were out there looking for.
I don’t shoot a lot of wildlife, but I simply could not resist filling up a memory card while watching this owl hunt for rodents under the thick, spring snow. It was amazing to watch him (or her, I’m not sure) listening from the tops of these small aspen trees before swooping down and diving feet-first into the snow after his prey. I had the pleasure of watching from a distance for over an hour before he finally gave up, or got full, and slowly moved off.
 Glowing dogwood behind bare aspen saplings Another sunset photograph taken while doing owl surveys, this one was taken on a clear evening which made for less interesting skies as the previous night but allowed for more predictably progressing, steady light on the ground.
This time of year, my eyes ache for colour after the long winter and the red-osier dogwood shrubs are often the first real glimpses of spring colour as they flush red in the very early spring—even before the snow has melted. In this image, I like how the intense red of the willows in the last, warm rays of sunlight contrast with the cool blues of the aspen saplings that are already in the evening’s shadow.
 Fiery sunset over snowy horizon I’ve been out conducting nocturnal owl surveys in south-central Alberta for the past few weeks, which has given me the chance to take some great sunset photographs, and to try out photographing at night—lots of fun (but lots to learn too!)
This photo came after a whole day of cloud that finally broke at just the right time to allow the setting sun to peek through. If they cooperate, a sky full of clouds sure makes for more interesting photography than a “perfectly” clear sky.
Just a quick note to mention that the “Forest Show” art exhibition that I’ve mentioned before is moving to Edmonton, and will be on display at the McMullen Gallery at the University Hospital from March 19 to May 22. There will be an opening reception on March 24th—I’ll be there, and would love to see you all there.
 Three autumn birch It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a new photo, and to be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve made any new images. I have been working on re-processing some images into black and white, including this one here.
I love a great B&W photograph, and after listening to this podcast by LensWork editor, Brooks Jensen, I’ve been inspired to figure out for myself what it takes to make a great B&W image, rather than a pretty-good image. And, thanks to the flexibility afforded by capturing and processing digitally, I’ve been going through my image catalogue and giving it a try.
As I mentioned in a previous post a photograph of mine is on display as part of the “Forest Show” curated by the Alberta Society of Artists. I just thought I’d write this quick note to mention that the exhibition has just moved to the Edson Library (Feb 2–28), and later this spring will be moving to the McMullen Gallery in Edmonton (opening reception on March 24, 7–9 pm), and the Leighton Gallery in Calgary (opening reception June 4, 2–4 pm).
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(Click photos to enlarge)
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