2013 08 Aug 30 Stratus Clouds 03a
The force of the lens flair is strong in this one Obiwan.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
2013 08 Aug 16 Power Sunset 04a
Beach and Thurlow West End Vancouver.
And yes, .... that is a guitar shaped pool.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
2013 08 Aug 21 West End Seawall 05a
A charging station in Vancouver's West End hooks up with a customer.
4G tower an added bonus.
Vancouver = Very 21st century.
2018 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Airshow 20a nn1
Right on queue the Skyhawks Flag Jump skydivers paint the sky above Abbotsford's 51st air show.
2018 08 Aug 22 Stanley Park 125th 03a
August of 2013 saw the 125th anniversary of the creation of Stanley Park in what eventually became Vancouver Canada's downtown. At just over 1,000 acres (Central Park NYC is a mere 840 acres) it's the largest second generation growth urban forest on the planet. In my opinion Stanley Park is the most amazing thing about Vancouver. Once you see it you love it and as such it will be there forever.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
2013 08 Aug 11 51st Abbotsford Airshow 25a
Snowbird 7 taxis inline to the main runway.
Impressionistic background compliments of jet engines in the summer. Monet would be proud.
2013 08 Aug 16 English Bay Power Sunset 02a nn1
As we near the height of the dog days of summer here in Vancouver it becomes clearer each passing day who won the "Stay Hydrated During The Summer" intra-genus drinking contest.
The trees kicked the grasses butts. Totally.
Ouch.
Friday, August 16, 2013
2013 08 Aug 16 ShapeArtHD Alpha 01a
The next great iPad app - Shape Art HD.
Computer + Human = Great Art.
Seriously.
2013 08 Aug 16 English Bay Power Sunset 01a
After the driest summer in history clouds are a gift from God.
Us west coasters live for 6 months in rain. We love rain. No rain for a long time is horrible.
2013 08 Aug 15 English Bay 02a
A 100+ member murder of crows takes command of the roof of 1101 Beach Ave.
"Looking good Bob!" "You too Jim. Spiffy in fact." "Ha ha ha."
The resident seagulls were like "Yeah. Whatever."
2013 08 Aug 11 51st Abbotsford Airshow 20a
Snowbird 7 warms in the British Columbia summer sunshine.
Nice flaps.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
2013 08 Aug 11 51st Abbotsford Airshow 16a nn1
An RCAF CF-18 Hornet generates some nice transonic wavelettes as it dances just this side of the sound barrier.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
2013 08 Aug 11 51st Abbotsford Air Show 01a
During the two days I spent at the Abbotsford Air Show competing in the Black Press "The Next Generation BC Amateur Photographer of the Year" competition I took just over 1,000 photos. As it turned out my favorite shot, this one, is one that I didn't even take.
To my right (your left) is Lt. Col. Chris England, the recently minted commander of Canada's 431 Squadron, also known as the Snowbirds. To my left is Major Wayne Mott, pilot of Snowbird 1 also known as "The Boss". Lt. Col England and I are holding a photo I presented to the squadron taken of the first official Snowbird pilots on July 1971.
During the spring of 1971 the squadron had formed and needed a name. A contest was run at the local elementary schools and my entry, The Snowbirds, won. I wound up naming Canada's pre-eminent aerobatic squadron. A pretty cool life moment even 42 years later.
Prior to this photo being taken I'd sat in on the team's pre-flight briefing before yet another fantastic and high adrenalin performance. It was the most fascinating not to mention professional meeting that, in 31 years of working as a computer consultant, I had ever attended. The team went through the choreography for the show rapidly and verbally - step by tiny step - with each member acknowledging what they were to do, when they were to do it and where.
"Smoke on NOW" "Push. Push. Relax" "Smoke OFF".
In the middle of the review, which took 30 minutes roughly, Snowbird 2 abruptly informs Snowbird 4 that he's lost hydraulic pressure. The entire team then shifts into response mode describing the what, when and where of their actions in this situation with the final question being "Do want emergency vehicles?" Being totally cool and having, in a hypothetical way, landed an injured Snowbird, Snowbird 4 declines the offer to call in any first responders.
It was an unbelievably fascinating half hour. Beyond that though it was humbling to have had a chance to experience just a few minutes of what these elite pilots do day in and day out.
And, as this photo is testament to, old Snowbirds alumni don't fade away. We just turn scruffy and get to wear short pants. :)
The Snowbirds
Monday, August 12, 2013
2013 08 Aug 11 51st Abbotsford Airshow 07a BW
A CT-130J Super Hercules chills on the tarmac of the Abbotsford British Columbia airport after a brief summer morning rain storm. My favorite static aircraft display of the airshow.
2013 08 Aug 11 51st Abbotsford Air Show 05a BW
A Royal Canadian Airforce CF-18 Hornet from the 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron stares down an unruly and cloud speckled Sunday morning British Columbia sky ... and wins. The day turned out to beautiful.
425th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Wikipedia
Saturday, August 10, 2013
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Air Show 07a
Canada's iconic Snowbirds aerobatic team circles in for another spectacular pass.
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Air Show 16a
Canada's Snowbirds aerobatic team taxis to the runway in preparation for the simultaneous take off of all 9 aircraft.
Fun to watch but a bit ... chilling when you're in one of the 9 aircraft as a passenger.
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Air Show 03a
Snowbird One heads out to take command of the skies over Abbotsford BC.
The squadron, formed in 1971 at Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw Saskatchewan, consists of 12 CT-114 Tutor jets (Canadian designed and built) 9 of which will fly in any one show. From show to show each aircraft flies from destination to destination with a pilot and a maintenance tech. During a performance however just the primary pilot for that Snowbird flies. In total the No. 431 Squadron, as they are known internally to the RCAF, comprise just over 70 personnel.
I've followed the Snowbirds since 1971 and they continue to get better and better. Equally amazing is that the CT-114 jet, shown in this photo, keeps proving that if you built it right in the first place it will last forever.
The Snowbirds / No. 431 Squadron
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Airshow 11a iPod Pano
I drank 4 liters of water during the 7 hours at the Friday show and lathered on the SPF 15 sun screen (I thought I had a good base) every 2 hours. On the way home I drank another 500 ml and, ouch, upgraded to SPF 45 for the Sunday show.
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Air Show 15a nn1
Nose to nose with a venerable CC-130J Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Canadian Airforce. Having flown in a much earlier (1960s) vintage version of this aricraft as kid from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Trenton Ontario I can attest to the military ... 'feel' of flying in one of these workhorses. We don't need no stinkin' comfort.
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Air Show 12a iPod Pano
25 megapixel panorama of the 'Photo Pit' at the Abbotsford Air Show. Ironically the second worse vantage point available at the show. Doubly ironic was that the press pit was right beside us only further from the center of the show. Last minute planning perhaps?
And yes, while half the action was in the air the other 50% was on the ground (rocket cars chasing jets for example).
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Air Show 19a nn1
The tail of the CC-130J Hercules aircraft with a long line of aviation fans waiting to check out the inside. As the day progressed the shadows created by the tails of the larger aircraft became popular shade spots for families.
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Air Show 18a
The B-25 Mitchell bomber on static display at the airshow. Similar in design to the venerable Canadian Avro Lancaster heavy bomber but only used by Canada following the WWII. During WWII Canada had a gigantic Lancaster squadron that in total flew over 150,000 missions. My maternal grandfather, Douglas Eastham flew a Lancaster as a tail gunner. Sadly he was killed in action just prior to D-Day.
Canadian history most Canadians don't know: During WWII we had the worlds third largest navy and one of the largest air commands in history. The cold war and its reliance on nuclear weapons, which we did have for a few decades compliments of our American friends, change the balance and our military might faded.
2013 08 Aug 09 51st Abbotsford Airshow 01a
Where were you when you shot your 10,000th or, for this photo, your 50,000th photo with your trusty DSLR?
For my 50,000th shot with my Nikon D300 I was at the 51st Abbotsford Air Show in Abbotsford BC and snag these two CF-18 Hornets screaming across a nearly cloudless summer sky. Just one of the 668 I shot that day. Needless to say the airshow was incredible.
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
2013 07 July 25 English Bay IR Mixed 01a nn1
I love how infra red photography takes nature photography one step further.
Half of the focus battle as a photography is due to blue light. Since blue has a short wavelength it scatters more than red light which has a longer wave length. This scatter is what gives photographs their fuzzy edge.
Since an infra red converted camera is insensitive to blue light it is insensitive to fuzzy.
However as humans we are adapted to fuzzy. Unlike radar-enable bats fuzzy is what we use to interpret distance. If it's fuzzy then it's further away than something that is less fuzzy.
Take fuzzy out of the visual equation though, as in this shot, and everything 'seems' much closer when in fact it's not. It just looks that way. I love it.
Monday, August 05, 2013
2013 07 July 27 English Bay Mixed 01a
In the back - Vancouver's HR MacMillan Space Centre.
In the middle - Vanier Park's summertime Bard on the Beach Shakespearean pavilions.
In the foreground - the daytime boaters trucks and trailers looking lonely in the summer sun.
2013 08 Aug 01 False Creek Mized 02a
The Viking King steams into False Creek Vancouver.
Now that's one good looking boat.
Saturday, August 03, 2013
2013 08 Aug 02 False Creek Mixed 02a
Vancouver's iconic Burrard Street Bridge.
The gateway into the West End and Yaletown.
Looking cute as always.
2013 07 July 31 Celebration of Light 01a
Warming up a crowd of 300,000 rabid fireworks fans with a boat that shoots 10 story tall jets of water proved to be ... ironically ... effective.
Jeesh.
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