i'm kind of a big deal

My bad to anyone for not posting very often. Somtimes I get really lazy. and i dont get paid for this!

But here's a pic i took of Danielle, my girlfriend. thought it was nice. it's a little grainy but i touched it up in photoshop.
Stay tuned for some hilarious picture-ness that i didn't take.

Cutest little girl ever

cutest little girl ever. she was watching the girls do their cheerleading and then copying them. then she was like so happy to have done what they were doing and was all giggles. it was so cute.

pic-chas

here's some pics I took of stuff. This is is some sound panels or something at the Athabasca Agriplex


This one is of a fire I covered in town.

Gay Marriage

To the few, if any that read this and the none in california that ever will

please let gay people get married. They're cool and it doesn't matter to most of us anyway. and frankly, marriage is kind of a cooky idea anyway, so what difference does it make?

I will refute many arguments that people might make. I'm sorry if this offends you but c'mon.

1. It's not natural.
There's no real definition of what is, and what is not natural. The very fact that something that lives on this planet and was created by the natural processes of life (i.e. two individual human beings) means that they are natural. Anything that they do or eat, or move is natural, because they are natural beings created from organic chemicals and complex biological funtions. Nothing they do can be unnatural. Now, when gay robots start getting married, we can say it's unnatural.

Equally as unnatrual would be the consumption of any type of pharmecutical, the elimination of viruses (which are technically and deserving of life by some standards), and other things of that nature which are much more unnatural in then gay marriage.

2. marriage is a time-honoured institution.

I've been reading lately, irrespective of this whole gay marriage thing, that marriage is, in fact not nearly as old as any one wants us to believe.

The common idea of the judeo-christian/whatever religion pronounces one man and wife is not that new. Even if it was 4000 years old like the average religion, it's still not nearly as old as humanity in general. Surely, homosexuality wouldn't just come out of nowhere, especially since even in the bible homosexuality is mentioned, and therefore it existed during and prior to.

3. It's against God's will.

Anyone who checks out godhatesfags.com gets the picture: the belief that god is against it.

The easiest thing to say is: if everyone is created in god's image, then surely god must, on occasion, be a little gay.

Other things against God's will: wearing two types of fabric in your clothes (ie a polyester coton blend) eating pigs, working on sunday. both punishable by hell.

Further, who could even guess what an omniscient being that runs all of the universe of which the earth is one infintesimal speck, would even care at all about some random living creatures on some random rock floating in space. I tell ya, I'm not qualified to speak for anyone else, I sure as hell wouldn't pretend to speak for a god.!

--
I mean that's sort of what most people say. My ideas are by no means expansive or really that convincing but really, how can people argue it?

It's like what century is this. I'm sure when women wanted to vote or just be generally recognized as slaves there were plenty of religious type saying something along the lines of "A women's place is in the home as her husband's servant" followed by a random quote from the bible.

Same thing with african-americans, and so on along every front of discrimination that's ever been fought upon.

basically I say let gay people get married because they're people. that's really all there is too it. people get all the rights they want. I would say it's ok for churches to deny marriage because they're cooky instituions anyway, but really, legally, as if it matters.

sky: the never ending source of cool pics

Here's a cool picture of an amazing cloud. Whispy and spirally.



This is a pic later on the same day near the Edwin Parr Composite school's football (the Pacers) /soccer feilds. As members of the distinguised press Jeff and I get to go up in the building. We're kind of a big deal.


More of the awesome sky. Happened before the previous pic but facing in the other direcion. I had to run into the forest. I was trying to take a picture of the landscape which was a giant ravine from the Tawatinaw River. Angle didn't work though so I took this bad boy.

pretty

Here are some pretty pictures I took. notice the last one. Yes, there is frost to that degree. it actually is worse that was just the best shot i could find from a moving vehicle.

what a way to spend a day

when god gives you lemons in the form of lame exs i say JUMP OUT OF A PLANE! heck ya

It started off on the ride after a night of heavy drinking. Here we see Jeff oh so sweet. If I were his mom I'd want this picture. Side note: the detail in the pic is actually very nice. Anyway yeah he passed out. I would have but i was co pilot.

While we were waiting jeff was gettin a little action from a pooche whose name jeff never asked for. That's right people. he's that mean.


Here you see me proving how comfortable I am with my sexuality. Not only do I rock a pink helmet, but I'm totally cool with a rainbow being prominently displayed. Why? because it's function over fashion baby.


This is the good ol' crotch tightenin part. For girls it's not so bad. For guys, (and for me it was a girl saying this, while she was on he knees tightening the straps high five!) they say: "May sure you're all away from those straps before I tighten them." and you listen. I said to the nice lady: "That's very considerate of you."


Here is the amazing sky diving crew. Danielle and I popped out skydiving cherries a few weeks ago but you can tell by Jeff's face that while his body has developed and is giving him confusing signals he may not yet be ready to act on them.



And, like many a too-young virginity loser, Jeff can barely stand, barely think. His head hurts, his stomach hurts. He knows if felt good but it was over way too fast and it will be days before he comes to terms that, yes that JUST happened and proceed to high fivin' buddies.

Notice the plane in the background. Alrighty on its next romance as if to say: "If you want more you're going to have to call me." The first time is always awkward but get better with practise. At least I can pretend to have that wisdom now...

Of course, there are no pictures of the actual jump. You can pay for a photographer to go with you but then we wouldn't have enough room in the plane for us all to go at the same time.



This is mindy the skydiving dog. She will kick your ass. I think. Maybe not. Main point is that until you go sky diving, a dog is braver than you. And even more than that I think she's gone like 60 times. so... good like catching up to a canine.

beautiful athabasca

Today there was all this fog. I took some pictures. It was sweetness

aurora borealis

Last night, while jeff (can't write capital 'j's on jeff's computer) Danielle and I were driving around town listening to tunes, I looked out the window and noticed the northern lights. People in the northern parts of Canada have probably seen ones much more vivid and in different colours, but anyone from a southern place, i.e. Toronto can appreciate the lights. It was awesome. I was yelling: "we have to go to my house and get my camera and tripod!"

Keep in mind this was at about 3:30 n the morning, so it was already a tired moment. Actually, when we were done it was 3:33, because we had a coversation about it being good luck.

Anyway, it was awesome. The photo I'm posting is a merged image (hence the white spot) and also it was a time lapsed exposure since it was so dark. While in the photo it looks like a streak of green light, in actuality it's a pulsating, waving type of thing (once again, for the southerners)

no, it was out of focus

That photo was out of focus. Compare it to this one.The strange thing was that I kept checking over and over again to get it and it was in focus. I don't know. There's also barrel distortion that you can see in the curvature of the earth. Also I think my lens is soft on the edges. Any photo nerds see it?

For those who don't know, this is Athabasca as seen from the south-west on what is pretty much the biggest hill. This isn't a prime example of how the town is laid out, just one of the best ways to see it.

view of the pleasent valley

This is a pic from the Pleasant Valley Lodge, a senior's home. I cranked the saturation in photoshop so it may look funny. It reminds me of how in the Planet Earth movies, they say that the fall tranformation from green to red is enough to see from space. Not that hard to believe when you see this picture.
* this photo looks out of focus. In reality it's focused on the hill to the right but there's just much detail you can't see it in such a small format. I noticed this even when I wans taking the photo. Random.*

out my back door

My backyard/parking lot thing provides awesome sunsets if you look back you'll notice that a decent percentage of my pics are from there. Here's what I saw yesterday.

Not a masterpiece - sue me

My quest for a masterpiece is too much effort, and I'm too lazy to go where I wanted to go. On the plus side I took these which are pretty nice colour-wise. Enjoy!


You should know that sooner or later, if you take 10,000,000 shots one will be a masterpiece. Not that this is my plan because there's way more to it in terms of timing, lighting, location etc. I've got the plan it will be pretty amazing when it happens.

boo

I have decided that I am going to create a masterpiece. I don't know how. I don't know when or with what subject but I refuse to post a picture unless it is the best damn photo in the known (and unknown) universe. Seriously though, it won't be that good but I'll will be pretty sweet nonetheless.

The reason for my inspiration is the website called ONEXPOSURE (one exposure) and it's www.1x.com. It's simply amazing. It is a peer reveiwed photo website where uploads my be well, peer-reveiwed. The idea is to keep the standard high. Ergo I must create a masterpiece that will pass that test, and then I will post it here.

Anywho hope people are doing well. I haven't been writing for a while because I've been lazy/busy/tired and yeah.

So keep on the look out and set your faces to stunned. I've already go an idea it's just a matter of making it happen.

See ya

they're ski boots

K, apparently they're cross country ski boots, just old ones of the variety you'd expect an elementary school to have. Although in this province there is no elementary school. They have primary (K-3) then intermediate (4-7) then highschool (8-12). oh alberta...

weird shoes

Been a while since I posted anything. I've been semi-lazy and photographed just about everything i can think of. whate

I was at Landing Trail Intermediate School taking pictures of the band Rattlesnake Romeo as they played inspirational rock to the kids there for this career/fun day thing called Flying High. Anyway, I saw these shoes. They were strange and had no particular use given their weirdness. You can't really tell with from the picture by the sole stuck out like almost an inch from the toe. I have no idea why they would. Also there were like 30 pairs! I guess I could have asked someone but... whatever.

some photos

I went to visit my buddy Blair who was in Fort Saskatchewan for three months but just left today actually. Good to see a familiar face. my friends that would read this and know him, well... what else is there to say?

(1/20, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 18mm, tweaked WB @ I think something like 4000K)

This is the view outside of Blair's place. I thought the colours look kind of cool.(1/5, f/5.6, ISO 1600, 200mm)
This is just a pic of the drapes. I thought the colour difference was unreal. what do you think?

(1/6, f/3.5, ISO 1600, 18mm, B&W)
the texture on this drapery is effin unreal take a close look i thought that too was the also mind blowing. let's just say i was high... on life.

money at night

(1/180, f/5.6, ISO 1600, 67mm)

Here's a picture of a refinery on the east side of edmonton as I was driving to airport. just a lucky moment of colour and subject

field of dreams

(1/80, f/5.6, ISO 100, 200mm.)

This is a picture of a field at sunset. Not much to it, but it turned out quite nice. I would take issue with a lack of point of focus in the picture... but whatever

Boyle!

(1/250, f/8, ISO 100, 27mm, over exposed? yeah...)

This is a grain raiser in Boyle. I don't think it gets used. The reason why I put is to show where I was for the next picture.

(1/325, f/9.5, ISO 100, 18mm. overexposed... but I took it of my self.)
Here I am wearing my full safety gear squinting in the sun. I went on a tour of a gravel pit that CN buys their, get this, gravel from. This is the kind of stuff I do.

ka-splam-o

There was a terrific lightning storm last night in the Atha-B. I took like 50 shots and this one was the coolest. There were moments when the lightning streaked across the sky for a full two seconds.

Photo specs*: 1/180, f/5.6 @ 18mm ISO 1600. Lightened in Photoshop (reason for grain)

*I'm going to add these for anyone who's interested.

Cool Sky* pics (Thanks troy)

This was the coolest differing colours I've ever seen. This is not an altered image. This is exactly how I saw it.

This is a different of angle of how purple the sky was.

Some pretty stuff out there. It was from my back yard

Troy and Jeff and a cute little beh-beh

What a cute little baby eh? she was just sleepin' pretty


Jeff, film rouge.


Troy, via my new 50mm lens

troy again...

Coolest shit ever! a giant cloud was casting a shadow on high clouds that were being lit up by the setting sun. It was beautiful

Adventure!

I'll be brief. I found a path. I walked down it. I saw some animals. Then the sun set! very pretty.