Day 185 - Stepping back into Fredericton history

It's fantastic to have guests come to visit us for many reasons, including the fact that we explore our city with them. For example, today for the first time we took in some of the events and exhibits in downtown Fredericton that celebrate the history of the city.

We visited the old guard house and enjoyed an educational tour put on by some of the young people in the top photo. I'm pleased with this photograph, to be honest, because it catches the two women in sort of introspective poses, looking down. I like the columns and the fact that the musician is obscured.

We then moved on to Officers Square to watch the daily changing of the guard ceremony. It's a neat show, with drums and marching and even an inspection of the guard performed by some lucky spectator.

These photographs are interesting more for the content than for anything I did with the camera. The programs are well designed and nicely performed, a worthwhile attraction for any visitor to Fredericton.

Day 184 - Winsome lass at low tide

A trip to the Bay of Fundy on a breezy, beautiful summer day bring us this photograph taken at low tide.

Our friend Steph decided to take a shoeless walk in the mud of the ocean floor at the Hopewell Rocks world nature site and I was lucky enough to capture her in this winsome pose, shoes in hand, gazing out to sea.

The colours today were unbelievable. Unfortunately, the bright sun has a habit of bleaching them out so I had to underexpose my shots just slightly to hold the colours. Although I love this photograph, I am somewhat disappointed that it doesn't include the incredible sky that we enjoyed today. Even so, I'm pleased with the overall effect of this shot.

Day 183 - From the mean streets

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been trying to find approaches to photographing this city in interesting and creative ways.

So I thought to myself, why not? A sewer grate. It's symmetrical, has a feeling of strength and permanence and seems to be able to resist the decay that is evident in the pavement and concrete around it. It's straight lines contrast with the jagged edges of the crumbling street; it's slightly reddish colour stands out against the black, grey and white of the road.

I'm surprised at how happy I am with the result.

Day 182 - A sign of the times

Is there a single sign in this picture that isn't bruised or dented or bent in some way?

I have a great deal of respect for photographers who capture urban subjects (and often unsavoury urban subjects) in artistic, often beautiful ways. I am certainly not claiming that I'm among them but it is a photographic approach that I enjoy attempting to perfect.

In this case, an assemblage of signs on a single post on Queen Street in downtown Fredericton provides an interesting collage of shapes and colours and imperfections. I like the crowded feel, the fact that the pole itself is a bit tilted and the mixed messages you get when you read all the different signs. It's not art, I grant you, but I think it is an interesting look at the city.