I’ve always loved long walks (growing up in the country, I had the chance to wander a lot), but since growing into my love for photography, I enjoy them even more. Whether I’m by myself, walking with my dog, or wandering with a good friend or family member, it’s interesting to push myself to see differently. To see the wider scenes and the small details, to experiment with different camera lenses, to seek texture and colour, and sometimes… to never take the camera out of my bag.
I’ve recently switched to shooting entirely in prime. My camera kit now consists of a 35mm, 50mm and 85mm. I’m really liking that they are all lightweight (I barely feel them in my backpack) and I love that they are all F1:8, meaning they shoot fast, with beautiful depth of field and bokeh. I do find I’m a bit spastic with my approach — each time I put a particular lens on, I’ll shoot a few frames, and then suddenly see a need to shoot wider, or narrower, and then I have to switch. That said, I highly recommend going prime, especially if you’re like me and do most of your photography in the midst of a long walk.
The above photo is taken on my parents yard. I had a lovely visit with these two horses, in particular, the lighter coloured one, who obliged me by coming for lots of pets while stopping to pose along the way. When I was a kid, I used to spend a lot of time out in the pasture, grooming our five horses and then jumping on one of them bareback by grasping the mane and swinging myself up and over. I miss those days.
This set of photos is from back in April, when my friend David and I wandered from The Forks to the end of Waterfront Drive, and back. I was particularly intrigued by the new green and yellow boutique hotel, and the group of seagulls hanging out just off the river bank. After a long winter, the sound of seagulls was very welcome.
These photos were taken on May long weekend, the morning after the overnight snow. I decided to forget the fact that I’d normally be in shorts, and instead, pulled on my ski pants and took the dog for a walk in Assiniboine Park. We had a great time… the weather was lovely for a snowy day and from a visual perspective, it was really neat to see fresh white snow alongside bright green leaves and grass.
This photo was taken near the end of a long driving wander. My sister Elaine and I took a detour through a marsh, and stopped to photograph the sunset through the bullrushes. The red-winged blackbirds and frogs serenaded us the whole time.
On a related note, the close-up photo of the horse’s eye is for sale on my Crated gallery. View it here.
Love the photos from the May long weekend, the contrast between spring and winter is beautiful. Glad that you got out and captured it.