Carters Beach

A drive today in perfectly warm weather to our neighbouring Queens County and Carters Beach.

This beach is one of the most beautiful in Nova Scotia. It is essentially three crescent shaped beaches in one. All three are made up of soft white powdery sand and bordered with rolling sand dunes. The water is perfectly clear, shallow and turquoise with placid rolling waves.

Typically with all excursions, the resulting photographs never exactly capture the true beauty.

 





 

Underexposed .....

I am finding life in the South Shore is now providing ample quality time to resurrect some old hobbies. Over too many years and for various reasons many of those interests were consigned off to the side and almost forgotten, one of those pastimes was photography.

Taking photos has always been part of my life, initially with a couple of basic instamatic style camera with easy load 126 or 110 film.

From those raw beginnings I moved onto 35mm film and an Olympus Trip, a nice camera with integral light meter, but limited to four fixed distance settings therefore no auto or manual focusing. It served me well, but by the mid-1980’s I had outgrown the camera and was ready to step up to my “final camera.”

Following many recommendations, I purchased an Olympus OM-20 with a standard fixed 50mm lens and manual focus. The camera offered aperture auto exposure and full manual mode capabilities. Later to broaden the range of the camera, I added a Tamron 35-135mm lens, a very good combination which I really believed would last me forever.

Typically during my OM-20 days I would run three or four 36 exposure films per month. I always used Fuji 200 ASA, my belief was that Fuji provided better colour qualities. At this time, I was extremely fortunate to be under the guidance of a semi-professional photographer, who always took a keen interest in my photographs. It was always a joy to sit down with him and benefit from his many years of photographic experience, to listen, learn and broaden my knowledge.

Fast forward now to the year 2013 and probably a decade or more of OM-20 dormancy ….

I decided to get the camera out and start taking photos again. So off I went to Walmart to buy a 36 exposure Fuji 200 …. This turned out to be not as straightforward as it once was …!!! The selection of camera film was now restricted to a very small area which had no sign of Fuji film. It was an unfortunate coincidence that also on that same Walmart excursion, I was hoping to buy a pack of VHS video tapes ~ it did not turn out to be a good day’s shopping, the dinosaur was a few years too late …!!!!

So, if I was to revive any interest in photography, then my OM-20 “my final camera” would have to be retired in favour of a digital camera.

The chosen replacement was a Nikon 1 V1 with a standard 27-80mm lens and far too many features which all had to be learned. Very quickly I realised that the standard lens was not providing enough range for me, so I added a 27-270mm Nikon NIKKOR and off I went into the new millennium ….!!!!

As mentioned at the outset, the South Shore is providing lots of time for me to develop my photography techniques and style.

Presently I am experimenting with under-exposure. Too often I have found in my preferred aperture priority mode or in fact any mode, the metering can be fooled by conditions. This results in photographs which are often washed out, too bright and lack colour depth. I have found by gradual under exposing (negative compensation) colours begin to be more natural and closer to actual conditions.

The following photographs are all taken in bright light conditions, but are under-exposed within a range of -2.0 to -2.7 compensation. The darkened results I believe provide mood, drama and texture to the photos … It may not be everyone’s style or flavour, but I find it interesting ….

The beach scenes are taken from my rock on Crescent Beach while at low tide, the others in the back yard during late afternoon light conditions.

 



Waves and Beach Art at White Point

A nice drive today down the South Shore to White Point with its bright soft sand and pounding surf. The tide was just about to turn from its low point exposing some lovely natural beach art.



Views from the swing ......

The morning ritual of morning coffee on the swing. The silence is broken only by the sound of birds fluttering about on their morning chores.

 

 

 

 

If it wasn't for Graeme’s wellies where would he be .…?

Today history was made, I finally retired my 29 year old wellies in favour of moving up market to a brand new pair of green, lined with tie at the top cuff Kamik’s.

My old black and very basic wellies had served me fantastically and flawlessly right up to the end for all those three decades. Prior to moving to Nova Scotia, their predominant function was to keep my feet dry during my regular car washings. Those car washings were such a celebrated weekly event that many could confidently set their watches by them …

Two provinces, hundreds of car washes and much more, but now retired.

 

After the Nova Scotia move, the demand upon my wellies spiked to such an extent that they became a permanent fixture at the front door in readiness for any emergency or task. Many times during heavy rain they would be used on random wanders around the empire or more practically, taking the garbage out or trips to the composter. Another application was during grass cutting to protect the bottom of my jeans from the inevitable green staining which annoyingly seems happen now more than ever before.

The last winter challenged my wellies had their biggest test during snow blowing. On just a couple of harsh sessions, they functioned well from the non-slip and good grip requirement, but failed terribly on the insulation properties. Being the very basic model, they had no insulation which left my feet enormously cold … I did use thick insulated socks, but this led to a tremendous and exhausting struggle getting the size 8s’ on ……………. So it was decided before the next winter I would upgrade to a better welly, but before so I would have carefully consider the requirements and specifications ….

One last note on my old wellies ~ recently on a wet afternoon, I was splashing around at high tide in the LaHave River with my wellies. Much to my surprise, I could feel my left foot getting wet, my old wellies had finally sprung a leak. Perhaps this was their message to me that it was time for rest and retirement.

Onto the specifications for the new wellies ….

1)  They had to come with an insulated liner and additionally be big enough to accommodate with ease and comfort thick winter socks.

2)  Be capable of being tied up at the top with a protective cuff. This requirement is mainly from a health point of view to avoid the possibility of contracting Lyme disease. Although this has not happened yet, during grass cutting it is possible for one of those nasty ticks get into a place they are not really welcome. So cuffed and tied wellies will certainly close off one available route for the little nasties.

3)  As mentioned above that I have moved up market with my new wellies. Therefore it is important to actually look like I have stepped up a few levels in the pecking order. I think a good way of achieving this is to have green wellies. Observations over many years have indicated that the upper class gentry tend to wear green wellies and so too the royal’s … so why not me …?

4)  Not ridiculously overpriced, very important for this Scotsman

Research indicates that the Kamik Hunter Boot fills the requirements, this from their web-site ~

“If you’re looking for insulated rubber boots that will stand up to bad weather, you’ve found them with Kamik’s Hunter. Built to perform, these winter rain boots are 100% waterproof, oil and acid resistant, and made to last. If you’re on the hunt for men’s winter boots that are ready for wherever the trail leads, look no further.”

…………… and they are 20% off this week …!!!

 

 

About 25 years ago my old wellies were so popular, a very good friend of mine Dave Weldon (http://sookenaturewatch.blogspot.ca/) reconfigured a well-known Billy Connelly song to me and my wellies ~

 
 

The Welly Boot Song

 

If it wasn't for Graeme’s wellies where would he be

He'd be back at Colditz or maybe Dowty

'Cause he would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy

If he didn't have his feet in his wellies

 

Oh wellies they are wonderful, oh wellies they are swell

'Cause they keep out the water and they keep in the smell

And when you're sitting in a room you can always tell

When Graeme takes off his lovely wellies

 

If it wasn't for his wellies where would he be

He'd be on the Internet or watching BBC

'Cause he would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy

If he didn't have his feet in his wellies

 

Oh and when he's out walking in the country with a bird

And he's strolling over fields just like a farmer's herd

And somebody shouts, "Keep off the grass" and he thinks how absurd

and SQUELCH he'll know why farmers all wear wellies

 

If it wasn't for his wellies where would he be

He'd be on the Stock Exchange or infirmary

'Cause he would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy

If he didn't have his feet in his wellies

 

There's fishermen and firemen, there's farmers and all

Men out cleaning Hondas and working in the snow

This country it would grind to a halt and not a thing would grow

If it wasn't for the workers in their wellies

 

If it wasn't for his wellies where would he be

Talking to Ken 1 and 2 or infirmary

'Cause he would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy

If he didn't have his feet in his wellies

 

Oh Edward Heath and Wilson they haven't made a hit

They ruined the old country more than just a bit

But Graeme knows the reason why we're no longer in the (shhhhh)

Because Maggie always wore her best wellies

 

If it wasn't for your wellies where would you be

You'd be in the hospital or infirmary

'Cause you would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy

If you didn't have you're feet in your wellies