The Teacher Speaks

A Lesson at Moraine Lake

My wife, Kathy, had presented us with a gift of several nights stay at Moraine Lake Lodge as a Christmas gift.  It rained constantly during our stay—something I welcomed, as it created opportunities for a different kind of image.

One morning, it seemed as though the rain was letting up.  The lake was calm then, and many guests hurried to the shoreline to rent canoes. Soon they were paddling toward the far end, paying little attention to the dark clouds building in the west.

Then Mother Nature spoke.

Thunder echoed through the valley, and her lightning pointed decisively toward the tiny boats, delivering a clear instruction: “Return to shore.”

“Paddle faster.”, she said, “The Earth needs my rain.”

The lesson was quickly learned.  Nobody worried about the $160 canoe rental fee in the moment.  Good education is always expensive.

The long exposure captures our fleeting streaks for color, small, but still important in the big picture.

Good Medicine

Pyramid Lake, Jasper National Park

What could be better than spending time in Jasper National Park?  Very little.

I’ve wanted to make a picture there at Pyramid Lake for a long time, but never had the light strike just right to perfectly illuminate the heart shape defined at the top of the mountain.

It is said that a cheerful heart is good medicine.  I try to remember that in the mornings.

Harvest Moon

October Supermoon

As a kid growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan, the October full moon was always a significant marker. 

The hard work was done (hopefully).  Harvest was over and it was a time to rest.

On this occasion, I was hoping for a clear sky, because it was a rare “Super Moon”, appearing larger than normal, and the weather cooperated.

It’s a simple picture, that holds special memories for me personally.  I wonder how many more October moons I will see.

Elements

Emperor Falls Above Mount Robson

It would be a 23 km hike through the rugged ups and downs from Berg Lake in Mount Robson Park back to the trailhead. I had taken the “old man helicopter” up that morning and somehow chosen the hottest day of the summer. The temperature was already above 30°C as I walked the stony corridor beside crystal waters with heavy camera gear on my shoulders.

Three hours later I reached Emperor Falls, already exhausted. The air was hot, the sun relentless, and I was going through water quickly.

Stepping out of the forest at the falls, a swirling wind greeted me with an invigorating mist. It sparked a reflection on what the Ancient Greeks called the fundamental elements: Earth (the rugged trail), Air (the hot blue sky), Water (the mist and refreshment), and Fire (the burning sun).

I set up my tripod to frame Mount Robson above the falls, but ran into a problem. Each time the wind shifted toward me, it covered the lens with droplets that appeared as white spots in the photograph.

Then I remembered that later philosophers spoke of a fifth element — the human element — the one responsible for managing the others.

So, I rotated the camera into the wet wind and made an exposure. Turning it back toward me, I wiped most of the droplets away but left a few near where the sun would appear. I swung the camera back and made another exposure while the wind blew away from me.

Success. A unique picture — thanks to a little help from ancient philosophy.

The Big Wheel

Snow Geese & Mesocyclone

For months I had planned a very different photograph for this location. My vision included the October Super Moon rising over Long Lake in Saskatchewan, with migrating Snow Geese flying across the glowing orb.

I arrived a week early to get my bearings and to learn exactly where the moon would rise above the lake so the geese might pass in front of it. The forecast looked promising, and each evening at dusk the sky was full of geese exactly where I hoped they would be. My optimism grew with every passing day.

Finally, on the eve of the Super Moon, I once again skinnied through the waving cattails and sticky mud to the precise spot where my masterpiece might be made.

Just one problem… the Snows were no-shows in the eastern sky.

I could hear them in the brisk wind, but the sound wasn’t coming from the direction that had held so much promise. I waited and waited some more. They simply weren’t arriving as they had every evening before.

The moon was well above the horizon when I turned to head back through the reeds in disappointment.

Then I saw it — and understood.

Far above the prairie, a mesocyclone was slowly dancing in the colors of the western sunset. The geese were everywhere around it, swirling in shifting patterns and harnessing the spiral winds for a perfect tailwind, allowing them to travel deep into the night with almost no effort.

It was an astounding sky of wonder...  unforgettable!

Speak Truth to Power

Raven & Gray Wolves

I’ve had this image for a long time, but this feels like the right moment to share it. It is a composite — two photographs combined to express a message.

In many parts of the world today, authoritarian forms of government seem to be displacing some of the virtues of democracy. This image is simply my personal response.

Those of us who value living in free democracies have grown very quiet, perhaps even complacent. This picture is meant as a gentle encouragement to speak up for a peaceful way of life — to talk with our neighbours about the issues that matter, and to speak with our pencils at the ballot box.

Let’s keep discussing, questioning, and engaging, rather than allowing the loudest and most powerful voices to dominate the narrative of our time.

Summer Employees

Canoes at Moraine Lake

All day long in summer, the canoes at Moraine Lake glide across the water, carrying visitors from around the world as tour buses arrive and depart. But after dinner the rental dock grows quiet, and the boats gather together in a brilliant crescent of color, finally at rest.

If you listen closely, you can hear them splashing their stories back and forth. One carried a boatload of laughing children. Another nearly tipped in a moment of excitement.

The season here is short, and the canoes are like temporary hires—enduring inexperienced paddlers and long, busy hours. In that way, they remind me of the park workers themselves: only here for a little while, yet each one contributing something wonderful to the experience of this remarkable place.

Pyramids

Pyramid Mountain, Jasper

Story Coming Soon…

A Canadian Classic

Common Loon

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