Winter Magic Photoshoot

Fort Edmonton Park's annual Christmas Reflections event was a magical experience for three twenty-something's who hadn't been in a magical winterland since their 6th birthdays. Pam, Janice and I wandered the streets of a century old Edmonton, from the 1805 to the 1905 replicas. Anticipating the sleigh ride to be a joyful experience, we shivered, huddled and felt our toes burn from the -25 degree extreme, stinging cold. Sitting still in brutally cold weather was a chilling experience, despite our 6 layers, two pairs of gloves, toques and scarves! (I must remember winter socks next time!)



Ditching the sleigh for our own two feet, we breathed sighs of reliefs and dashed from one replica house to the next, stopping for Christmas carols, warm old fashioned cookies and roasting our toes by the bonfire. Between the three of us, we had three digital SLRs and six lenses.We must have looked like an amateur photography club, carefully setting up our shots, waiting for the perfect light and trading course tips and techniques. I'll have to add photography to my list of growing, increasingly time consuming and expensive addictions - coffee, travel, blogging, studying, writing, photography! One day, they will meld together into a fascinating, integrated life plan.



Claude Monet claimed "The most important subject in your painting, is light. It's on strength and reflection that one finds a way. So, we must dig and delve unceasingly".



Photography, is, of course, the Greek word for "drawing of light"; and draw we did, "unceasingly" in the midst of a wintery wonderland in the Park. Using the ISO lighting techniques, angles of light, and the six composition rules I've learned thus far in my course, I attempted a Winter Magic photoshoot. Be warned that this is an amateur, inexperienced attempt to capture the magic.


(Facebook users, just click here to view. Be sure to click into the slideshow to see the photo titles).




Appreciating the magic may have to make my list of New Year's goals - despite Edmonton's biting weather, I will find the winter, holiday, warmth among friends that are crazy enough to venture with me, to seek adventure in the cold. Thanks, Pam & Janice!