Tag: Photography

Prairie Mountain – Summer Solstice

The arrival of summer in the northern hemisphere is welcome, for many reasons. There is a minor downside, if one plans to make a sunrise trek to the peak of Prairie Mountain in Kananaskis: the early start. Of course, my friend Tim hatched the idea, as the perfect complement to our winter solstice hike last December. If you haven’t read my blog pieces for that epic outing, here are links to Part One (the hike) and Part Two (the science).

My first reaction was “I’m in!” Then, when the reality of the required 2:50 a.m. departure from Calgary set in, I found several excuses to bail out. To Tim’s credit, he persevered and he managed to wrangle a couple of friends to join him. He didn’t even mind sharing his photos, so I could pretend to have been there!

The Hike

Tim, Jerry and Peter departed the Prairie Mountain trailhead at 3:50 a.m. and reached the summit in time for the 5:21 a.m. sunrise. Tim commented that it was amazing to see the full moon go down in the west while the sun was coming up in the east. He mentioned that while he knew the sun would break the horizon much further north than it did on the winter solstice, it was even more of a difference than he expected. More on that later.

Here are a few photos from their hike:

Prairie Mountain Sunrise / June 20, 2024 (Photo: Tim A)
Tim, Peter and Jerry at the summit / June 20, 2024 (Photo: Tim A)
Western vista, from the Summit / June 20, 2024 (Photo: Tim A)

The Science (abbreviated)

For the winter solstice, you may recall I did some research on the unexpected timing of the solstice, and why the day with the latest sunrise wasn’t the same as what we think of as the shortest day of the year. If you are interested in orbital eccentricity, angles of obliquity, and other astronomical wonders, you can read about them here.

Since it’s summer, and I’m feeling a bit lazy, I did a shortened version of the research. You’ll be happy to know that I confirmed the same factors affect the timing of the summer solstice. Here’s what I found:

  • the summer solstice occurred at 2:50 p.m. on June 20
  • the day with the earliest sunrise was June 16 (5:20 a.m.)
  • the longest solar day was June 20 (16 hours, 33 minutes, 17 seconds)

Tim’s comment about the sun’s compass direction at sunrise on June 20 compared to the direction on December 29 got me thinking. I marked up a trail map for the area of Prairie Mountain. The arrows show the sun’s compass direction at sunrise and sunset, on the summer (blue) and winter (red) solstices, respectively. What’s interesting is just how much the sun’s coverage changes between the two solstices.

Sunrise/sunset compass directions at the solstices, Prairie Mountain

The apparent travel of the sun (because it’s the earth that’s moving around the sun, after all) is from 128 degrees at sunrise to 233 degrees at sunset on the winter solstice. That’s a span of 105 degrees. In contrast, the sun traverses a range from 49 to 311 degrees at the summer solstice… a span of 262 degrees.

Isn’t that fascinating? I think so too.

Colour or Monochrome?

While flipping through some recent pictures, I realized I was “seeing” them in either black & white or colour. This was before I had started doing any editing. My mind seemed to be jumping to conclusions about the end result. 

Maybe this was inevitable, as I must have “seen” some version of the final image before I pushed the shutter button. Was my initial visualization strong enough to override any subsequent artistic choices?

I try not to limit myself to one expression or another, and I take plenty of photos in each style. My preference is for black & white images. Many of the photographers who have made an impression on me worked mainly in monochrome. Adams. Cartier-Bresson. Schaller.

That would be a good idea for a future piece… the photographers or the images that have been most impactful for me. But for this piece, I wanted to explore the idea of initial visualization and see if that process might be acting as a barrier to my artistic ideas.  I picked several recent images, more or less at random, for the following, non-scientific analysis.

Sedona Landscape

The first image was a landscape, highlighted by the setting sun and building clouds over the peaks in Sedona, Arizona. There’s no doubt I imagined this image in bold monochrome. I shot it using my favourite JPG setting in the Ricoh GR III: hard monochrome. The in-camera JPG looked promising, on the tiny 3″ viewfinder screen. I couldn’t wait to see the image in Lightroom.

I hadn’t even considered the option of a colour version of this image, but maybe I had been too hasty. I reimported the image and forced myself to ignore the monochrome button. This is a comparison of the two versions:

Evening clouds, Sedona (March 2024)

To my surprise, I found the colours in the foreground… the famous red rocks of Sedona… to be a distraction. This wasn’t the result I expected. The dramatic clouds, which I was able to set against the sky with a red filter effect, were hardly noticeable. Instead, they were competing for attention. I had to go with my first instinct. This photograph is better in monochrome. 

Cold, Icy Calgary

My second image was totally different from the picturesque scene in Sedona. We had returned to a late blast of winter in Calgary. It must have been some blast, based on the icicles that were hanging from every rooftop. A photo opportunity!

As with the landscape, I saw this roof and its crop of icicles in black & white. Texture and lines, contrasty clouds (where’s that red filter?) The thick icicles were a cool feature… no pun intended.  

My monochrome image needed only a few edits: an increase in contrast and darkening of the sky. I also bumped up the exposure a little, to ensure the picture wasn’t a complete wash of drab grey. And I added a bit of texture to the peeling paint. This was just about exactly what I visualized when I took the shot.

A good crop of icicles (March 2024)

But had I been too hasty? I had to find out. So I re-imported the RAW image and edited the colour version. I hadn’t even noticed the blue paint on the trim. And I missed the discolouration in the icicles from whatever had been oozing out of the eavestroughs. Time for some repairs.

What do you think?

Personally, I don’t like it at all. My mind’s eye was right to see this image in tones of grey. The colours are irrelevant to the story that this picture is telling. I wanted to put the viewer into a scene that was edgy, cold and stark. Instead, the pale blue trim on the house tempers the scene, while the brownish stuff coming out of the eaves is a distraction.

Springtime in Hamilton

My final image is from a recent visit to Hamilton. Walking around my old neighbourhood in April was a riot for the senses. Spring was in full bloom. I snapped a picture at the corner of (obviously) Maple Avenue and Province Street. I initially saw this as a colour picture, with a sunlit magnolia tree as the highlight.

Maple and Province, Springtime (April 2024)

Even though I like the colour image, I decided to try a monochrome version. This one is more of a toss-up. I like both versions. Why? The colour version puts the viewer right in the scene. Spring has clearly sprung. On the other hand, the monochrome version shows us every detail but leaves us to imagine what colour everything is in the scene.

Of course, these are just my thoughts. Let me ask you: monochrome or colour? Leave me a reply in the comments.

Thanks, Steve

“Stroke Awareness Month” Sale!

To raise awareness of the prevalence of stroke, I’m offering Stroke of Luck: My Life in Amateur Athletics for a special price in June. Order your copy on Amazon and save 20%.

Help me raise funds for the essential work of the doctors and staff at Foothills Stroke Unit!

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is celebrating 10 years of raising awareness about recognizing the signs of stroke, and the need to call 9-1-1 right away to get to the best hospital for stroke care. 

BE FAST is a memory jogger that I’ve been sharing with people, because it covers the full range of stroke symptoms. Here’s what it stands for:

BE FAST – someone’s life could depend on it!

Stroke incidence continues to rise in Canada – more strokes are happening and more people are living with stroke due to our aging population and more younger people having strokes.  There are now nearly 110,000 strokes each year in Canada. That is roughly one stroke every five minutes.

I’ll leave you with the words of Dr. Michael Hill, the Calgary neurologist who wrote the foreword to Stroke of Luck:

“Time is brain when it comes to stroke and everyone has a role to play. It starts with someone recognizing the signs of stroke and calling 9-1-1”

– Dr. Michael Hill, Neurologist, Calgary Stroke Program

So, during June, why not take a minute to familiarize yourself with ALL the potential signs of stroke? Even better, spread the message to those you care about. It could save a life! And if you’re looking for a bit of motivation, why not order your copy of Stroke of Luck for a discounted price?

BE FAST, and be well!

Steve

Arizona Dreaming – Part 2

Sedona, Red Rock Country

Straight from our successful morning at the XTerra Black Canyon trail run, our convoy headed north to beautiful Sedona for a week at the Seven Canyons resort. Our theme for the week was “Elevate Performance”, and our hosts, Bill and Janice, were exceptionally generous, opening their home and directing all manner of activities. 

We explored the extensive trail system around Sedona, which brought us awesome views of the stunning “red rocks” for which the city is famous. Sedona was much busier than what we remembered from our last visit, so we made sure to get an early start for our trail runs. 

Did you know that the unique red colour of Sedona’s geological formations comes from iron oxide? The rocks are primarily sandstone and limestone. Because these are relatively soft rocks, they are susceptible to physical and chemical erosion. Wind and water (think flash flooding) have played a significant role in shaping the landscape over millions of years. And the result is spectacular… it’s unlike any other place I’ve been.

Our first group run was on the Little Horse-Bell Rock trail. We could have legitimately said we were still recovering from the race a couple of days earlier. That may have been partly true for Deb, but I was definitely okay with an easy start as I was still feeling the effects of my fall (and knowing that we had a busy week ahead of us.) This trail was perfect, even for those in our group who were a bit more ambitious. We did an out-and-back route that brought us all to the trailhead at the same time, so it all worked out. And what views!

“Elevate Performance” – Adrenaline Rush hits the trails at Little Horse

A highlight of the week was a trail run starting from the Dry Creek trailhead. We went out on the Long Canyon trail and returned via the Mescal-Yucca loop. We knew this route from prior runs, and we stopped along the way to enjoy the breathtaking… in both senses of the word… views.

Taking a break on Mescal

We added a second trail race to our calendar, given that the Sedona Stumble was conveniently scheduled for Saturday March 23, at the Posse Grounds Park in town. The 5k and 10k distances were full of challenges, including sections on a narrow single-track circuit and a mountain bike slalom course. Wow!

The race was very well organized by Run Sedona. Adrenaline Rush runners tackled both distances. Once around this technical loop was enough for Deb and me. We enjoyed the post-race snacks and festivities, especially the delicious donuts provided by Sedonuts. It was no surprise that Adrenaline Rush runners again made an impact on the podium. Congrats to Allison (1st in F50-59) and Al (1st in M60-69) in the 10k, to Doreen (1st in F60-69), Janice (2nd in F60-69) and Carolyn (1st in F50-59) in the 5k, and to the rest of our group on your strong results!

In addition to trail running, there was a lot of golf action on the beautiful Seven Canyons course throughout the week. Deb and I enjoyed a few casual games, although the glaring truth, for me at least, is that my game needs serious attention. A summer project, perhaps?

It was all smiles after the (cool and breezy) Adrenaline Rush golf game

Of course, I carried my Ricoh GR III with me on our runs and was rewarded with some good shots. From our vantage point on Rachel’s Knoll, I also got some amazing landscapes. The weather was cool and breezy, which meant some very interesting evening cloud formations. And the sunsets were outstanding.

Evening clouds roll in, Sedona

All told it was a magical week in paradise.

Thanks for reading,

Arizona Dreaming – Part 1

XTerra Black Canyon Trail Race

It was a monster day of trail racing. An early start on a rainy St. Patrick’s Day morning in central Arizona didn’t deter a large Adrenaline Rush contingent for the Black Canyon XTerra trail races. 

Our runners toed the line in the 7k, 11k and Half Marathon distances… sadly there were no takers for the marathon. The rain eased up just in time and gave way to perfect racing conditions on the scenic course in the Sonoran Desert.  

Early morning in the Sonoran Desert (March 17, 2024)

Allison Blackmore and Mark Martens were off first in the half marathon. Allison smoothly made her way around the course, a challenging mix of single track and horse trail. Her legs held up until the 16k mark, and she managed the fatigue induced by 525m of elevation gain. Allison nailed down a first-place finish in the F55-59 age group and was fourth overall female in a time of 2:01. 

A stir went through the crowd when word spread of a Sasquatch sighting on the trail. Of course, it was only Mark, who overcame a few nagging injuries that have kept him out of interval training for the winter. He put in a solid performance, finishing in 2:19 and fifth in the M50-54 AG. His performance leaves him optimistic about his chances in the upcoming HM in Mississauga.

A St. Patrick’s Day Sasquatch sighting!

142 runners tackled the 11k, including four AR racers, who left a definite mark on the event. Al Blackmore continued his recent good form by racing to an 18th-place finish. He looked very comfortable running to an excellent time of 1:08. This was good for third in the highly competitive M60-64 AG. 

Doreen Katchmar admitted she couldn’t sleep the night before the race, worrying about getting lost on the course. Fortunately, the XTerra route was extremely well-marked. That meant Doreen could focus on staying upright and running strong… and it was mission accomplished! She turned in a nifty performance of 1:19 and first in her F60-64 AG. What a result!

Carolyn Leonard enjoyed the race and delivered a great performance. At 1:21, her time won her a first-place finish in the F55-59 category. The entertaining race announcer kept her in suspense, but there was never any doubt that she ran “the most perfect race.” Carolyn appreciated the supportive atmosphere among the racers on the trail. 

Coach Janice McCaffrey got into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit (and was easily the best costume of the day, but sadly there was no such category). We heard later that she may have lost a bit of time on course when her green tutu got snagged on a Saguaro cactus. Fortunately she was carrying poles, which she put to good use, en route to a third-place AG result and a 1:29 time. 

Debbie and I had modest expectations for the 7k, due to a sore hip and Achilles, respectively. Things started well, with Deb leading a small group of runners through the single-track section. That is until yours truly hit a rock and went down hard. After a brief pause, we carried on, but not before Deb had confirmed that no women in her age group had passed us. She need not have worried. In the immortal words of the race announcer, she was an “ultimate monster” with a convincing first-place finish in the F65-69 AG in 57:45. And me? I managed 2nd in my AG and was happy to still be upright. 

Deb cruises past the horse stables and heads for home

Rita and Jamie Bertwell turned in awesome performances on what they described as their “first day of training.” They looked like race veterans as they handled everything the course threw at them, including 10-12 fords of Black Canyon Creek in the last 2k. Jamie noted that while it wasn’t a contest, he did notch one better AG place in his race than Mark did. And Rita? She was a cool 5th. Our intrepid announcer called it correctly for their hand-in-hand 1:22 finish: “Now THIS is what it’s all about!”

And in summary, those words rang true for all the AR racers on the day.

What a day at the races for Adrenaline Rush!

Elbow River Photo Walk

Ever had a day when you lacked the drive for running? When a little voice was telling you you’d be better off just doing a walk?

Today was one of those days for me.

It was a week I’d been dreading. I’ve been stressing for weeks about a problem tooth… a molar that had become something of a mystery. I’d been bounced back and forth between two specialists, but eventually, it became clear that the end was looming for tooth number 3-6.

I went through the week with a feeling of dread. But now it’s over and the tooth is gone. We can turn our attention to the next stage of the process, inserting an implant and crown. While I wouldn’t say I’m looking forward to that part, I am curious about how it all works and how the tooth will look in the end. Maybe I’m naive.

So, this morning, even though I was feeling much better, I decided that the tooth episode was a convenient excuse to pass on our usual Sunday long run. It was a pleasant morning, a little cool and breezy, but better than the weather being forecast for the week ahead. The prospect of some good shots along the Elbow River was enough motivation for me to grab the Leica M10 and head out for a photo run… sorry, walk.

I walked along the bluff in Ramsay. The views of downtown are spectacular from Scotsman’s Hill. The light looked promising when I left the house… cloudy but clearing. By the time I got going, the sun had just about burned off the cloud cover. Maybe I was too late. Regardless, it was a brilliant morning and I was feeling fine.

I made my way down towards Fort Calgary, knowing that the old train bridge in Inglewood is often worth a look. This morning, a train was conveniently passing through, heading east, just as I arrived. I snapped a few pictures, drawn by the curving line of identical cars in the sunlight.

Later, in Lightroom Classic, I tried one of the many presets that come with the software. Usually, I avoid these, preferring instead to make all my own editing decisions. But why not try something new? Given the oranges and browns in the scene, an “Autumn” preset seemed appropriate. What do you think?

Inglewood Rail Bridge, Lightroom preset TM07 (February 25, 2024)

I wandered on through Stampede Park. The new BMO Centre has been under construction for a couple of years. The building is an amazing piece of architecture… especially the graceful curved lines on the eastern facade. I’ve gone by there many times, but it’s not been an easy building to photograph, what with all the construction equipment in front.

Today, I saw a nice scene as I walked along the pathway by the Saddledome. Later, in Lightroom, I stuck close to the subject matter and tried an “Architectural” preset. I have to say, I liked the result.

Stampede Events Centre, Lightroom present UA10 (February 25, 2024)

I continued along the river pathway, past the unimaginatively-named Stampede Ground Bridge at the south end of Stampede Park. It’s an attractive bridge, and I’ve shot it many times. While I was tempted to linger there this morning, the sky wasn’t doing me any favours. I moved on.

I finished my walk by climbing the stairs back up to Salisbury Avenue. As I approached the car, I realized that much of my walk had been solitary. I’d hardly seen anyone on the path. At the top of the stairs, I was rewarded with one “street shot”… a lady out on her bottle-picking rounds. Let’s say she was a little suspicious of me. But never mind, it was a nice finish for my outing. For this shot, it had to be a “Portrait” preset.

Scotsman’s Hill, Lightroom preset “Gritty Portrait” (February 25, 2024)

Overall, it was a productive morning. I didn’t miss running, not even a little. But I’ll be back at it next Sunday, I promise!

Leap To It!

There are less than two weeks left in February, and time is running out for my online sale. Get your copy of Stroke of Luck (print or e-book) on Amazon for a tidy 24% discount.

Of course, there is one extra day to place your order, with this being a leap year.* Extra day or not, leap to it and save!

* Did You Know?

The tradition of inserting an extra day into February every four years is how the calendar is aligned to the rotational frequency of the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

But wait… one orbit takes 365.24219 days. That means if a whole day is added every four years, for an average of 365.25 days, the calendar would be lengthened a bit too much.

As a result, the schedule of leap years is adjusted slightly to reduce this mismatch. If the year is divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400, the leap year is skipped. The year 2000 was a leap year, but 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. The next time a leap year will be skipped is the year 2100. This gives an average calendar year of 365.2425 days, almost exactly matching the orbital frequency.

ICYMI: “Map to Triathlon” Podcast Interview

I had the great pleasure of chatting with Todd Malcolm a few months back, just as I was preparing to launch Stroke of Luck: My Life in Amateur Athletics. In case you missed it, I recommend you check out Episode 141 of Todd’s excellent podcast series, “Map to Triathlon”, which is a feature of his No Limits Triathlon program.

Episode 141 of Todd Malcolm’s “Map to Triathlon” Podcast (October 2023)

My interview with Todd was an opportunity for us to look back over our long relationship, which has revolved around our mutual interest in amateur sports. Todd is a highly accomplished triathlete, and has been a respected triathlon coach in Calgary for almost as long as I’ve been a runner. That’s a long time!

Todd and I talked about my memoir, and the events surrounding my hospitalization in 2017 for a number of vertebral artery strokes. I shared my hopes and fears arising from that difficult period of my life. As you can probably tell from the title of my book, I consider myself fortunate to have come through that ordeal as well as I did, and to still have running in my life.

At the time of our interview, Todd was recovering from a serious bike crash, so we shared our thoughts about the importance of overcoming adversity and keeping a positive attitude. In fact, I want to remind my readers of the endorsement that Todd kindly wrote for the cover of Stroke of Luck. It seems very appropriate:

Once I started reading Steve’s book I couldn’t stop. His story really resonated with me. This book encourages an active lifestyle and is a reminder that when you find your passion, find ways to keep doing it.

Todd Malcolm

While you’re on Todd’s No Limits Triathlon website, I encourage you to check out all of his coaching services, and the many other great podcast episodes he has assembled. In a recent podcast (Episode 151) he looks at the question, “Why do you train for triathlons?” Coincidentally, I have been preparing a blog piece on the same question (“Find Your Why”). Look for that piece soon.

Thanks, Todd, for taking the time to chat. Thanks too for everything you do to support amateur athletes in Calgary!