Thrill and Excitement Abounds.

AND THEY ARE OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With the blast of the air horn the outriders are hurling in the stove and the drivers begin to Negotiate the barrels. As they round that last barrel the horses are ready to run full out. The drivers, snap the reins and call out to the horses to run like the wind.


I grew up on the Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon races. I recall sitting with my collection of pennies betting in front of the TV with my siblings and my Mom. If Grandma Wyder was visiting she would have her stash of pennies ready for the nightly bets. It must have been hilarious to see the 5 or 6 of us hollaring and screaming to urge our chuckwagons to be first.

Last night I was able share this excitement with my best friend and my collegues from work. We picked our favourites and bet our imaginary pennies. Then it became a high stakes game when 8x10 photos were put up on the platter. I laughed so very hard at Robbie and Judy.

Of course the only reason that Judy came with me at all was the opportunity for her to see cowboy buttcheeks. So every few seconds she was asking me to shoot the next butt that captured her fancy. So this photo is just for you girl.



I had a special friend that missed the fun and excitement of the chuckwagons. He was busy working and was only able to make the BBQ afterwards. I hope that the moments I captured will allow those that missed this exciting event a chance to feel the electricity that surrounds chuckwagon races.

Sharing a Sunrise

A sleepless night often leads me to witness the beauty of a Saskatchewan sunrise. I am a firm believer that they should be shared with someone special. Sharing this sort of natural beauty with those you love or care about brings you closer together. I wasn't able to share it with the person of my choice today but through the magic of photography and the internet there was no need for him to miss it.

So remember to use your photographs to share special moments and places that you can't share at the time. There will be someone special who will appreciate the moment being captured and shared with them.

Unique

Have I ever mentioned to you all that I love photography! Since I started taking it more seriously I have found a whole new appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us. There are little details that I would never have noticed just walking by. I was capturing the boldness of the bullrushes that were surrounding our little man made lake. I love cattails the soft velvety feel of the newly bloomed ones and the soft fuzz of the ripened ones. I managed to take several dozen photos of the bullrushes and then noticed this one and only plant in amongst them. I don't know the name of it (shame on me) but I have used them many times in dried arrangements.

So why did I notice this unique little plant? Could it be that at that moment in time I felt that I was the only one in the world coping with a situation? Or was it a sign that amongst all the doors of choices that one has to make there is always one right one that stands out from the rest. Perhaps it was the difference between giving up and dying or fighting and surviving like the cattails. It really ultimately doesn't matter why I noticed and captured it that night. The important thing is that I did notice it and I did see the unique beauty and qualities that it possesses.

What else have I learned from my photography? That the best pictures aren't always taken at the standard angles. That sometimes you need to get down on the ground and shoot up or stand up and look down on the subject. How many of you know what this is a picture of from this angle? Okay, don't everyone answer all at once in the comment section. This is one of the most common things that we see on the prairies and we take them for granted and ignore them even call them weeds. Yet on this night in this light with this angle it is a unique and artistic photo filled with detail and design. Oh - you want to know what it is? Its a fox tail! Yup your basic common fox tail.