Mountain Photography from Kimberley
Here are a collection of my favorite “arty” photographs taken at the Kimberley ski area in mid-February 2024:
Some interesting photos from the chair lift:
More images of trees and snow:
Mountain Photography from the Sun Peaks Ski Resort
In this post I am sharing some of my favorite photographic images captured at the Sun Peaks ski area in British Columbia, Canada in the first week of January, 2024.
The natural beauty of trees and snow:
Some photo images that are particularly interesting because of the processing or perspective:
Photos of the ski resort in action:
Finally, a photo from the day of fresh snow, processed for an antique-look:
Rocky Mountain Beauty in Early-December
I recently visited the Sunshine Village ski area in the Rocky Mountains near Banff (Canada). I was struck by the beauty and here are some of the photos of the mountains, the infrastructure and activity, that I captured:
A January Day in Photos
Here are a collection of my favorite winter photos from January 3rd, 2023 in Edmonton’s river valley:
The Best of My Summer 2022 Photos
Here are some of my favorite photos (in a variety of styles) taken in July, August and early-September of 2022, in the Edmonton’s: river valley:
Flowers of summer:
Here are some favorite black and white or monochrome photos:
In early August I captured some interesting geometric abstracts mostly from at MacEwan University:
and in an abstract vein, using Intentional Camera Movement:
And a few more nature-y images from late summer:
Finally a monochrome photo of Dawson Bridge, with a late-summer evening haze:
Winter Beauty in Photos
Here are a variety of recently (January 2022) captured winter nature photos:
Deep Freeze
The following set of photos were taken in late December 2021 in Edmonton, when the temperatures (daytime highs) were in the -25C range. This made the photography a bit of a challenge as I didn’t want to expose the camera nor my hands to the cold for too long.
The preceding photos were taken on a cloudy afternoon and the following set, on the next day, with a mostly sun and blue skies.
More From the Icy River’s Edge
Here are another set of photos from Edmonton’s river valley. These were taken down near the North Saskatchewan River’s edge late in the afternoon on November 24th, as winter slowly, steadily settles in.
Winter’s Arrival (A Photo Gallery)
Here is my latest collection of photos, featuring the more abstract qualities of subtle textures and forms, of snow and ice in the landscape.
These images come from Edmonton’s river valley in the third week of November (2021), just after our first snowfall of the season.
Fall Photo Abstractions (Part 1)
With the colors of autumn becoming brighter and more abundant I have undertaken a project to create some new photo abstractions from the landscape. All of these images start with long exposure photos with deliberate camera motions of different types during the exposure. I then digitally post-process the images to enhance exposure, contrast and color saturation.
This first collection features abstracted images of landscapes. A follow-up post will feature photo abstractions, that while derived from the same landscapes, will not have readily discernible landscape elements.
(All images: Copyright Randall Talbot 2021)
Walkin’ the Woods
Another autumn day, another stroll through the wooded trails in Edmonton’s river valley, photographing the colors and forms of nature:
2021 September 14
The Sun is Setting
Some images from a late-summer (early-September) evening walk in Edmonton’s river valley – the shadows are longer, the paths are a bit darker and moodier, the white poplar tree trunks seem to jump out of the darkness.
2018 – My Favorite Photos
Here is a collection of my favorite photos from each month in 2018. I didn’t start out looking to adhere to any particular theme but as it turns out, all of these are images of the natural environment and they were all taken close to my home, in Edmonton’s river valley.
January:
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
So there you go, my “favorite” photos taken in Edmonton during each month of 2018. For some months it was hard picking a favorite, so, especially towards the end, I would default to the image that was most consistent with the developing “nature” theme. I am tempted to assemble another collection focusing on my black and white, or abstract photos from 2018 – stay tuned.
Impressions of Autumn II
In my last post I shared five abstract photos emphasizing the colors of autumn. It turns out that I have more images from that photo shoot (in Edmonton’s river valley) that really appeal to me and I hope that you will like too:
River’s Edge
A look at the shapes and tones at the edge of the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton (in early April 2016). A few weeks earlier the river was covered in ice but now the river is clear with just a few big chunks of ice sit washed up on the shore. The ice decaying but reveals a captivating crystalline structure:
Moodier in Black and White
Here are some photos taken on the same outing as my hike last Sunday in Edmonton’s Mill Creek Ravine – but taking out the color the images have a much moodier feel.
Spring Slope
Stairs and a Patch of Snow
Trunk on a Diagonal
All Quiet Under the Bridge
Tangled Slope
and as a bonus, a black and white image from beside the river in Edmonton’s Louise McKinney Park:
Promenade Beside the Ice
Late Winter – Black and White
Here is a little collection of black and white photos themed around the patterns and textures of late winter (late February at my home here in Edmonton).
“Last Year’s Plume”
“Irregular Patchwork”
“Up”
“Ice and the Far Edge”
“Temporary Condition”
A few more photos from this photo shoot may be seen on another of my blogs: YEGmonton.
Winter Nature – Black and White
Here are a few of my recent black and white photos showing Edmonton’s river valley in early January.
Path Through the Riverside Brush
Snow Covered Tangle
Patterns In and On (and the Edmonton Queen)
Up a Snowy Trail
Downtown Edmonton Over the Frozen North Saskatchewan River
Nature Softened
Here are some recent abstract photos of natural subjects. The edges have been softened and blurred by varying amounts of camera movement during an extended exposure (a couple of seconds).
Landscape H
Modulation
Tree 16290
Dream Front
Landscape V
Spring Sneaks In (Part 1)
As April arrives in this part of the world (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), spring continues its advance. Although it will be a good month longer until the bare trees will burst into leaf, the snow (even that which fell in the last week) is mostly melted and there is something in the air that warms the soul and brings a smile to my face.
Today while out walking in Edmonton’s river valley I caught these images, these hints of life to come:
Shrubs and Sticks
Path to Spring
Tracks in the Mud
Slow Spring
Spring Sky
Yukon Landscapes – Black and White
I have recently been reviewing (and cleaning up) some photos from a trip taken a number of years ago. It was June of 1993 when we set off driving from Edmonton to the Yukon and Alaska. In this post I feature 5 landscape photos taken on the way back. I don’t remember exactly where each of these were taken – most likely in southern Yukon but possibly southeast Alaska or northern British Columbia.
These photos were all shot on color slide film then scanned and digitized a few years ago. That process did not yield great results but after a bit of work with Lightroom I have achieved some images that are presentable. Black and white digital processing seemed particularly suited to these landscapes:
Around the Bend With Rapids
Black and White Road
Cloud Build-up
Rock in the River
Trees on a Rocky Bank
Artistic Retreat
For the second year, the first week of July has been an opportunity to escape the city and normal responsibilities for the serenity of the countryside and the inspiration of being around like-minded artists.
My makeshift outdoor studio
A group of 12 painters gathered at the Lazy M Lodge in rural central Alberta for five days of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.
Alberta countryside near the Lazy M
The North Raven River beside the Lazy M
My main goal for the week was to focus on painting but I knew my eye would be drawn to many more sights than I could attempt to paint. Therefore my camera would be close at hand and be put to good use capturing references for current and future landscape paintings as well as for some things that are just more suited to photographic images than paint.
My goals for the week were pretty loose but I did want to focus on landscape painting and I did want to work larger and looser with acrylic than I had done the previous year. So I did away with the backpack and pochade box and working on by 9 by 12 inch boards. This year I wouldn’t be packing my gear – I brought some medium size (22 by 28 inch; 56 by 71 cm) stretched canvases, a portable easel and a (5 foot long) folding table. I pre-mixed my acrylic paints half-and-half with a heavy gel to help hold the texture and to extend the working time. I also would use a couple of stay-wet, sealable palettes for color mixing. I used a split-primary color palette and would do mos of my painting thick and with a palette knife)
Paint for the week
Lazy M Driveway
Of course, my eye was looking not only for landscapes that I could paint quasi-en-plein-air but also for inspirations for future studio abstract paintings. I re-visisted my long-exposure with camera-motion technique to generate some of these ideas:
Green Between Pink
A project that the group of 12 painters undertook during the week was to produce this composite canvas (4 feet square) to be left at the Lazy M Lodge:
Lazy M Group Project
It wasn’t a highly productive week in terms of completed canvases. In fact I completed only 2 (and one is not a keeper). I got a good start on another couple of canvases forming a landscape diptych. Nonetheless, it was a very beneficial week – the rest and rejuvenation benefits can not be understated.
For more photos visit my Lazy M 2014 Flickr album.
Spirit of Spring Landscapes (Part 2)
Here are some more abstract landscape photos depicting the spirit of early spring – as the snow bids a hasty retreat at the end of March (in Edmonton).
Abstract Landscape 403-027
Abstract Landscape 403-074
Abstract Landscape 403-041
Abstract Landscape 403-052
Abstract Landscape 403-027
See my earlier blog post for additional photos in this series.
Spirit of Spring Landscapes
As the snow quickly receded from the spring landscape this week, I strove to capture the essence of the season in photographs.
Dark Forest
Abstract Landscape 403-044
Spring Thaw
Before the Greening
White Woods
These photos were captured March 27th 2012 in Buena Vista Park in Edmonton using a neutral density filter, a 2-second exposure and various intentional camera motion during the exposure. These images are part of my collection of reference photos for an abstract painting series.
Randall Talbot - Artist 