December is a favourite time of year. Baking cookies, getting out in the snow, singing carols and cooking for family and friends are pretty much guaranteed to trigger a holly jolly mood. But some years it’s harder to feel festive. That’s when it pays to know what helps improve your mental wellness. And it’s why I aim for a daily dose of outdoor exercise, even when there’s an extreme cold advisory in effect!
"Be alert, be astonished, share your astonishment." I can't remember where I first came across this advice from fine art and travel photographer Trey Ratcliff. But I do remember it sparked an immediate response. It's like he articulated the mission statement for the Beakerhead photo crew! 2017 was my fourth year volunteering with the Beakerhead photo crew. By sharing highlights and lessons learned, I'll have something besides fading memories to refer to before heading out to photograph Beakerhead 2018.
Canada's 150th and two recent photo challenges got me thinking about how to show off Calgary's iconic landmarks in photographs. That, in turn, got me thinking about how I like to search images and blogs when we're going to visit other parts of the world, to get some ideas for how to come home with great images from away. Since I benefit from other bloggers' advice on how to photograph their home turf, I thought I'd return the favour... First up? The Calgary Tower.
Think about if for a minute...when's the last time a day went by without someone telling you to look up? This phrase applies to everything from situations as basic as looking up a bit of information on a website to much more important things, like the need to look up from the various screens that are so good at demanding attention to really engage with the people in our lives that are deserving of our attention. Finding time each day to look up from technology and work is also a good way to (re)connect with nature - to take in a daily dose of Vitamin N and reap the associated benefits.
People sure make different choices when it comes to vacations. Budget, family circumstances and personal interests shape holiday plans. Our family vacations tend to one extreme or the other - we go big or stay home! This spring vacation, we opted to unwind with a nine-day nature break in Canmore, featuring daily photo walks. Our vacation pics reflect the tussle between winter and spring that takes place at this time of year in this part of the world.