Back to the Mainland

I know I posted a few images earlier of my return back from Vancouver Island, but there were a few more I wanted to share. I was up early in the morning while in Nanaimo and decided to go down to the harbor and walk around. It was kind of cool to get to watch the seaplanes fly in and land. It looks like a fun way to travel and very popular around here.

Seaplane landing in Nanaimo harbor, (No I did not go on a Seaplane)

Tswassen Harbor at night

BC Ferries Tswassen Docking station

Back near Maple Ridge, Tom took me out to Cliff Falls in Kanaka Creek Regional Park where we walked around a bit and took in the sights. We also ventured over to a salmon fishery where Tom has done some work teaching along the stream and knows the man who runs the fishery. We will be interviewing him Friday because that is where a majority of the salmon used to populate Stoney Creek come from.

Kanaka Creek Falls

Perfectly round hole in a volcanic rock made by circular scouring from the water.

Kanaka Creek

We also stopped off to hike up a path into the woods on a trail that was once railroad tracks to go check out the Cedar and Hemlock trees.

Tom explains to me what the notch is in the side of the tree, a place for the spring board to go in where a lumberjack will stand on and and cut the tree from there.

A Cedar tree now becomes the nurse tree.

Canopy of Cedar and Hemlocks

Maple Leaves

Cedar Forest

Tom took me out to a clear cut area that hard to tell from this but it is actually replanted with trees, but blackberry bushes and other understory foliage is out competing them for now.

Cedar Forest

Jason + Raquel: Minneapolis Engagement Session

I met up with the beautiful couple, Jason and Raquel in Minneapolis Saturday to take their engagement photos. Jason and Raquel will be getting married at the beginning of September in Marquette Michigan. 

Enjoying the view of Minneapolis

Jason + Raquel dance above Minneapolis 

Hanging out in front of the Northrup Auditorium

Cleary Lake Regional Park

    Our journey to Lakeville to obtain Erika's license plates for her car from the dealership lead us to take Aspen to a dog park we never been to before. In Prior Lake Minnesota there is a beautiful dog park part of the Three Rivers Park District named Cleary Lake Regional Park, 28 acres of fenced off leash dog utopia. If you plan to go the park it does cost $5 if you do not have a $35 annual pass. The dog park is in a prairie setting with a few young trees and many mowed trails to walk along. It features a bathroom, potable water and a small swimming pond that is thankfully gated off. I say this because there are times when going to a dog park with water when you want to keep your dog out for reasons of algal blooms or you just don't want to handle a wet dog. 

   Aspen is no stranger to water, just not water deep enough where he actually had to swim. A tall Bernese  Mountain Dog is entertaining to watch to say the least. While labs with their webbed feet gracefully doggy paddle under the water, Aspen paddles like an old steamboat paddle slapping the water surface. I assume he is trying to stand on his hind legs and keep his head above the water surface. When he does reach a shallow enough area he tries jumping through the water to get out. Thankfully he is not afraid to swim and enjoyed going in and out of the water.

  Eventually we plan to visit more dog parks on our ventures and with the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the greater Twin Cities, Play Pals events.

Aspen paddle boats through the water. 

Aspen paddles through the water.

Aspen thrashes through the water.

Dogs run around the pond area.

Aspen chases other dogs around the pond at Cleary Lake Regional Park.

5D Mark III and a Trip to The Dog Park

  It is finally here, I've waited over a month after I ordered the camera to receive it, due to it being recalled and the long pre-order list. I now finally have my 5D Mark III. I've been waiting for this camera to be announced in the beginning of the year and it wasn't until the week after my birthday that it was announced by Canon. After having my Canon 30D for over 6 years, a 1.6x APS-C crop sensor camera body. I have been through a lot with that camera and have taken it across the country from Washington D.C., Texas twice, and Colorado. When I was in Washington D.C. I went with my classmates from the MSU Reporter to the Lincoln Memorial at night in the pouring rain. Luckily I had a rain covered camera bag, but that couldn't keep the body dry enough when I took it out too shoot. After that the shutter button on it has never been the same. Now that I have a back up camera body I will be able to part with it and send it in to get the shutter button repaired.

Canon 5D Mark III

   First off this camera feels so great in my hands, the ergonomics of it are fantastic. In fact the overall feel of the camera is outstanding, from the battery door to memory card door and the soft touch grip of the camera, it just has a better build to it. This is all exciting to me because I am coming from a Canon 30D. The new auto focus system with 61 AF points compared to my 9 point AF of the 30D are in no way equal. 99.9% of the time I use the center focus point which is the fastest functioning AF point. When I picked it up and set sights on our Bernese Mountain Dog Aspen, the 5D Mk III just nailed the focus on his eyes even in a dark room. Compared to my 30D it search for seconds to find something in a dark room and a dark subject.  That improvement alone amazed me. The image quality output and large rear LCD are beautiful.

   I am very excited to be shooting with a full frame (35mm) digital camera and look forward to taking more photos and sharing them with everyone. Check out a few photos below I shot the first day I received the camera. All the photos were shot with a 24-70 L f/2.8 . I will be spending a few weeks just trying to figure out all of the custom functions and play around with making videos as well.

  My future posts may consist of reviewing the camera and answering any questions people have for me. Please leave your comments and questions below. Thanks!

   Of course Aspen had to be my first model.

Aspen

2 Puppy Old English Bull Dogs at the North Rochester Dog Park

A boy throws Frisbee at the dog park in the late afternoon

Colorado Vacation

This summer Erika, the love of my life and I ventured out to Colorado to do some camping, hiking, and white water rafting. I have to say that both of us are in love with Colorado and want nothing more than to live there someday.