Category Archives: Photography

Junction Hill hike.

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We didn’t do a whole lot of hiking this past summer – I ended up working most weekends and things just didn’t pan out as we had hoped.  Our trip to Junction Hill in early June ended up being quite the adventure,* but the scenery was utterly worth it. I have never seen so many shooting stars (Dodecatheon conjugens) and calypso orchids (Calypso bulbosa) blooming in one place – it was simply breathtaking!  This isn’t a popular hike by any stretch and so the area is largely undisturbed, allowing the wildflowers to blanket every inch of the ground on the lower slopes. In case you’re in Kananaskis Country and want to try this trek for yourself, be forewarned: this isn’t some little hillock that you can casually saunter up and back from.  It’s a certifiable mountain with a highly inappropriate name.

So, this…found at the beginning of our hike.  Not ominous, at all.

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Wildflower bliss!

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And one of the exceptional views from the summit….

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*1. Ticks! We had a tick removal kit from the Central Alberta Lyme Society (CALS) and this very useful information from Alberta Health.
2. Don’t underestimate the need to wear properly-fitted hiking boots.  My new pair are super comfortable and I thought they were suitable, but I should have tried harder to get something that didn’t encourage my toes to crush themselves into the tips of the boots on the descent. Here are some tips for a proper boot fit.

Alberta snapshot: Banded Peak trail.

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If you’ve been following Flowery Prose for a while, you’ll know that aside from a couple of cases – absurdly weird filter here; and cropping here (because, trust me, you don’t want to get close to this sort of wildlife) – I don’t edit my photos.  They are all straight out of the camera (excepting the resizing, of course).  But I decided to take this one to the point of ridiculously soft…like an oversized fuzzy fleece blanket to snuggle under and sleep away this Autumn-That-Thinks-It’s-Winter. Conveniently, the Comfort Filter™ hides the fact that there was already a lingering skiff of snow on the ground as we wandered this beautiful trail outside of Bragg Creek, Alberta.

Review: Wildflowers of the Mixed-Grass Prairie by Johane Janelle.

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Wildflowers of the Mixed-Grass Prairie – Johane Janelle (2017)

Here’s a fantastic resource for anyone interested in identifying the wildflowers growing on the western Canadian Prairies! Alberta-based photographer Johane Janelle has created and published a beautiful and useful brochure listing more than 70 wildflowers found on explorations on the mixed grass prairie.  The detailed photographs (arranged by bloom colour) assist with easy, quick ID, and Johane also lists the flowering period for each plant, as an additional aid.  The brochure is folded and laminated so it won’t crush or dampen during hikes.  It’s now a staple in my backpack!

Click here for a photo of the brochure, from the photographer’s gallery (don’t forget to check out her other work while you’re there!).  You can order the brochure directly from Johane by using the Contact Form on her website.

RAINING EAGLES

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I’m spreading a little blog love during the month of July! I’ll be reblogging recent entries from some of my favourite bloggers – I encourage you to click through and check out more of their work. Enjoy! ~Sheryl

Welcome to Tofino Photography

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This was the last shot for the evening.A unexpected localized rain shower dampened my photographic hopes. Romeo seemed fine with it!

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Natural landscapes: from the river to the peak

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I’m spreading a little blog love during the month of July! I’ll be reblogging recent entries from some of my favourite bloggers – I encourage you to click through and check out more of their work. Enjoy! ~Sheryl

FRANK KING PHOTOS

SUNRISE ABOVE THE ATHABASCA RIVER, JASPER NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA

I visited this Canadian Rocky Mountain viewpoint in overcast conditions and vowed I would return when the weather was better. Fortunately, that was the next morning. Truly one of the most spectacular scenes in all of North America; I made equally compelling vertical and horizontal photos because it’s hard to screw up a vista this stunning.  🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the peak and sky.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Want to buy this picture? Email me and I’ll make it happen! (fdking@hotmail.com).

Check out my coffeetable book, “MOMENTS OF LIGHT: Thirty Years of Photography”: http://bit.ly/JTNnMX

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Book review: Growing Heirloom Flowers by Chris McLaughlin.

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Growing Heirloom Flowers – Chris McLaughlin (2018, Cool Springs Press, The Quarto Group, Minnesota)

This has got to be one of my favourite gardening books of the year so far! And it’s not just the eye candy aspect, although that’s a huge part of it – Nadeen Flynn’s photographs are absolutely sumptuous and I can’t stop flipping through the pages in wonder.  It’s the inspiration that practically drips from every page, making me want to rush out to try everything in my own garden.

Beginning with a definition of heirloom flowers and notes about seed saving, Chris McLaughlin launches into detailed chapters covering cutting flowers (dahlias, larkspur, glads), fragrant flowers (nicotiana, lilacs, bee balm), flowers for handcrafting (calendula, lavender), and traditional cottage flowers (blue flax, cosmos).  A few recipes and beautiful DIY projects make delightful additions. This is a gorgeous, informative book I know I will keep returning to.

(The Quarto Group very generously provided me with a copy of Growing Heirloom Flowers but, as always, my opinions are 100 percent my own).