Transitions, Transformations and a Little Photography
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Photography Retreat Trip prep
This feels like a very full year and although some of it was planned there has been some unexpected aspects (like moving house) and before these unplanned events I had several trips in the calendar including a photography retreat to New Brunswick.
I have been part of a really supportive online photography community A Year With My Camera which I highly recommend for new and experienced photographers. One of the many things that I appreciate about being part of this community is the fellow photographers I have gotten to know
Macros tracking in Iceland
I have been struggling to lose some weight for quite a while now - it seems like once I hit 60 that my metabolism decided it was going to do its own thing no matter what I did. I talked about it a bit in this blog post (The Stories We Tell Ourselves).
It’s been frustrating as exercise and cutting out certain things hasn’t made a bit of difference. I’ve also noticed that my energy level has been low and I haven’t seemed to be as keen to be active as I usually am.
First week in our new home
It feels like we’ve been moving forever as there’s been a month between getting possession of the new home and handing over the keys of our old home. As a result the move has been less stressful from a time pressure perspective, but much more drawn out and complex from a logistical perspective.
This is also the first time that I’ve moved without trying to juggle a full-time job - I highly recommend it!
Got GAS?
In the photography world (and I’m sure other worlds) we talk about GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) which is when you convince yourself that you NEED some piece of equipment in order to advance your craft or to be a better photographer. It is so tempting when there are new features and models coming out almost daily it seems.
I am part of a couple of photography groups online and the number of times that people post questions about new gear
Iceland Trip in Review
This is my second trip to Iceland for landscape photography and while I expected it to be different than my visit in December, I was not prepared for how different. We took the southern ring road as the northern route is not suitable for tourist travel until the summer (i.e., rough roads that can be quite impassable during rough weather - especially without a 4x4 vehicle), so I was able to revisit some of the locations from my first trip.
Checking in on Life Chaos (aka Moving)
This is going to be a super short one as life is getting busy right now. Things are going really well with the move and despite the fact that I’ve packed the house at least three times in my head at night when I’m supposed to be sleeping, I am not stressing too much with all that’s going on.
An Exploration into More Creative Photography
When I first picked up a camera I was very intent upon learning about the exposure triangle and how to ensure that I got tack sharp images that froze motion. I was excited to venture away from shooting in Auto mode and I learned about aperture priority, shutter priority and even shooting in manual mode.
Strength Training and Photography?
I have always been active, however I wouldn’t describe myself as particularly fit. There hasn’t been a consistency or variety to the type of physical activity I do on a regular basis - I like walking, hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, bicycling, kayaking, and yoga, but I tend to be a casual or intermittent exerciser at best.
Life is about to get chaotic
September first will mark two years since I retired and those who have been following this blog will know that it has not been a smooth or easy transition for me. I feel like I am finally finding my feet and relaxing into my new role, so what would possess us and in particular me to agree to move. A very good question! Life is definitely about to get very busy and chaotic as we pack up our current home and move to the new one.
Mountain Bluebird Nestbox Update
Spring is finally making an appearance and those vivid blue streaks of colour marking the male mountain bluebirds’ return to our area have arrived. I’ve been seeing local photographers posting images of mountain bluebirds and my nest box monitoring partner, Nick indicated he’d seen half a dozen of them while cleaning out nest boxes a week ago.
Arrived in Iceland for my Photography Trip
After a lot of planning and anticipation the time for my Iceland trip finally arrived. I must admit that it was a wee bit stressful leading up to this trip as Kory and I were negotiating to buy a new home (timing is never good for these things it seems). Regardless, we made it through the challenges (yes we’re going to be moving!) and I managed to remember all the right things to pack before flying to Vancouver and then on to Reykjavik.
Making Mountain Bluebird Nestboxes
A couple of years ago I found out that a work colleague was also into birding and that he had a mountain bluebird nest box monitoring run. For those not familiar with this program, it started in the 1970’s when mountain bluebird numbers were on the decline due to loss of nesting habitat. They typically nest in tree cavities at the edge of wooded areas and are quite particular about where they nest.
There is also a lot of competition for nest locations amongst other birds
Springtime in Calgary
We often get a a little teaser of spring and this year was no different. After a particularly cold February (we hit overnight windchills of -50C) I was thrilled to experience a week of mild temperatures that got up to +15C (that’s low 60’sF). I got outside a lot and even Roxy enjoyed some springtime walks.
This is a special treat as the winters can be long for her being cooped up inside or getting the occasional car ride - believe it or not she enjoys running errands with us and even going through the car wash.
Dementia, losing yourself and finding something precious
This is a very personal entry, but hopefully a very uplifting one as well. It is coming up on 12 years since my mum passed away from complications associated with dementia. It is a difficult disease to understand much less see the effects on a loved one. My mum (Mary Elizabeth Dunning Nadin) was a bright, intelligent and vibrant woman - I would hazard a guess to say that those who knew her would agree that she was fearless.
Website Changes
This is a short one, but I’ve been working on making a few changes to the website with an aim to improve user experience and also to try and provide more value for readers (you’ll have to let me know in the comments if I have succeeded and if there are other things that would be of value either in functions/navigation or content).
Two notable additions are the About Me Page and the Resources Page - I’m going to go into a bit more detail with these two.
As many of you have probably realized, I’m an avid reader and I’m always on the lookout for new topics and books to read.
Talking to other retirees about my passions
I can honestly say that 18 months ago I would never have imagined that I would be talking to other seniors about my photography passions and how I link it to physical and mental wellness, however I’m thrilled to have been invited to speak. In my other life (that’s how I think of my pre-retirement career), I often had to give talks and presentations - sometimes for groups up to 2 - 3 thousand people and even a few live interviews and conferences.
A Canadian Kind of Winter
Winter can sometimes seem endless in Western Canada with it often starting early in November and snowfalls not ending until April or May - yes that’s right we get a good 4 - 6 months of winter and I’ve even seen snow in every month of the year while living here. As a result you need to be able to embrace the season or you’re in for a very long and unhappy time.
I have found that there are several keys to embracing winter and the most important has to be ensuring you’re properly dressed - layers! layers! layers!