Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

One of my photos from Peggy’s Cove has been used on the cover of Fodor’s Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada guide book. Over the years I have spent so much time out East, teaching workshops and on photo tours that a lot of people thought that I was from the Maritimes. It’s kind of funny because I’ve actually spent more time in Southern Africa and no one has ever asked me if I was South African. Maybe it’s my lack of a South African accent that’s the give away!

Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light Fireworks

For several years now, we have wanted to see the “Sound of Light Show” at the Casino du Lac Lemay which is just across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec. Well, last night we finally did.  It is one of the largest fireworks competitions in Canada, every year different countries from around the world compete in this competition. Last night we saw China, the country where fireworks were invented in the 12th century – the show was awesome!

Well over 10 years ago I wrote an article about photographing fireworks. I was re-reading it earlier today, and although I had originally written it for film cameras everything in the techniques still apply for use with digital cameras. Except for the part about motor drives, do they still call them motor drives on digital cameras?

Before digital cameras, photography was just called photography. Sort of like in Greece where they don’t say Greek food, to them it’s just food (except for a Greek Salad – which they call Greek Salad). So now that Steve McCurry has shot and processed the last roll of Kodachrome film can we all go back to calling photography, just Photography!

Last week, my latest time thief project was selling our RV trailer and pick-up truck and then buying a new car. Wow, does that take up a lot of time! BTW - The car that we bought was the only one that I could find with a name that has anything to do with photography. Any guesses to the make – model name?  The truth is, I didn’t think about the connection with the name and photography until today.

Some people have asked what the interior of our trailer looked like, so I’m included a few photos in this post. 

As we are now travelling  to international destinations more often, this is the 3rd year in a row we haven’t used our trailer.  As a result, we have decided to sell it as a package with the pick up truck we used for towing .

TRAILER:  2001 28ft 5th Wheel – Citation Classic by General Coach  – Very Clean and in Excellent Condition, Non-Smoking

Sleeps 4 - Fully Loaded – Dining Room Slide Out – Table with 4 Chairs -  Pullout Sofa – A/C – Walk Around Queen Size Bed with Residential Mattress – CD Player AM/FM Stereo - Microwave -  Full Oak Interior Cupboards and Trim – 19 ft Awning – Gel-coat Exterior – Outside Shower - Lots of Storage

TRUCK: 2001 GMC Sierra 2500HD  in perfect condition. SLE - Extended Cab - 6.0 L engine - Automatic – 174,000 kms. Including Reese 16 K  5th Wheel Hitch and Brake Controller.

$23,000. For Both - Ready to go camping or head off on a trip.

 OFFERS – Can be Sold Separately if Trailer Sells First.

If you are interested call, 613-824-9295 – or Email

Citation 5th Wheel Floorplan

The reason for the multiple international greetings is that I’m a little disoriented right now with jet lag – Where in the world am I? Last night we returned back home to Ottawa after being away for nearly a month, while on a photography trip to France and also conducting a photo workshop in Greece. What an incredible trip!  Now, I have to pay the piper and  spend some time in the office catching up with unglamourous side of photography.

Yesterday evening was the last classroom session for this year’s Ottawa Spring Photography Workshop. It’s always great to see the improvement in the participant’s photography. And to think that it only takes a couple of weeks of classroom instruction and photography on the weekend field trips to achieve this. I am constantly being amazed at the stunning pictures that everyone creates on the workshops and how their photography is taken to a new level of creativity and vision. Congratulations to all of the students for creating another successful workshop – Thanks!!!

I would have never thought that in Ottawa on May 1st that the tulip blossoms would have peaked, but that’s what has happened this year.  Depending where in the world you live, this might either be late for the peak or early for you. For Ottawa it’s at least 2 weeks early, by the middle of the month when they should normally be peaking and Ottawa celebrates with it’s Tulip Festival, all of the tulips will be gone.

The classes for the spring photo workshop aren’t scheduled to start until this coming Wednesday evening and the first field trips until next weekend.  In order to make sure that we didn’t miss out on the tulips, we added an extra field trip day to the workshop.  The above photo was taken this morning at the tulip beds in Commissioners Park at Dow’s Lake on our  bonus field trip. So if you live in Ottawa and you don’t want to miss out on the spring blossoms, get out this week with your camera!

Greece Photography Workshop

This year’s workshop to Greece is now fully booked.  Send me an email if you want to be placed on the wait list for this trip, or if you would like to have your name added to our  mailing list for any of the other upcoming workshops. For 2011 it looks like Newfoundland will be one of the workshop/tour destinations, Dale Wilson and I will be the instructors on this trip.