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First shot of the day was down Tanco Mine Rd. which ends up at a mining facility. Go figure! It wasn’t the best spot to catch the morning light but I made the best of the situation.

My second stop was also down Tanco Mine Rd. This is where I spotted this almost dried up water fall. I could only imagine how theses falls would look with more water in them. It was a nice quite and peaceful start to the day. While shooting this location I said to myself many times I was glad I got up early. Nothing beats the morning light, air and peacefulness.

After exploring Tanco Mine Rd. I took a short trip over to Tulabli Lake. This was the highlight of my last visit to Nopiming and was a major highlight of this trip as well. This time I explored the shores a little more and found many photo opportunities.

It’s a good thing I don’t have vertigo or am afraid of heights as that allowed me to get some nice perspectives of Tulabi Lake.

I just love all the exposed roots throughout the area. I had to wait to take the photo below as there were some kids at the top of the cliff throwing rocks into the water directly over my head. At first I thought it was a beaver smacking it’s tail on the water (which happens to me a lot in nature). After they saw I was there taking photos the stone storm let up. Which is good as I didn’t bring a hard hat!

After a great photo session at Tulabi Lake it was time to move on and explore the area some more. I stopped when I came to a large pond/marsh on the side of the road. I wanted to see if there were any photo opportunities. After not seeing any I started heading back to my car. That is when I noticed way in the distance what looked to be some rushing water. I trekked through bush, near where I parked, to get a better look and sure enough, there was, what looked, like water falls in the distance. Now the decision to go check it out or not. It was at least 300-400 yards away and I’d have to push through bush to get to it. “Screw it, I am going for it!” I thought. I figured I wouldn’t need anything other then my wide angle so I packed light. This time remembering to bring some water. So off I went. It was quite interesting trekking through the bush. The forest bed was covered in thick vegetation and it was like walking on an air mattress. There was good evidence that a large bear has been or lives in the area. Some of the trees along the way had be broken by something heavy. I made sure to keep my eyes and ears extra alert. It took a while but I eventual got there and I was so glad I made the trip. The location was exactly like what I was hoping to find. I was able to step across many of the rocks which allowed me to get some great angles. In the process of shoot these falls my trusted water bottle came unhooked from my belt and fell in the water. All I could do was watch as it floated away!!!!!!! It floated to the middle of the pond and there was no way I was swimming to get it. My only hope was that would eventually get stuck on the shore and I would be able to get it later.

After losing my water bottle I continued on and explored the falls further. Not far from the falls did I come across this beautiful pond. There was a huge beaver dam there as well but no beavers to be seen. It was holding back most of the water in the pond.

I continued to shoot in this area for about another hour or so. On the way back I checked to see it it made it to shore and it did. Well, sort of! It was hung up in some long grass next to a large rock face. Not easy to get to at all. I managed to move it around with a long stick and get it to an easier to access spot. Even then, I still had to balance on some fallen trees to get to it! I was happy to get my trusted water bottle back. I thought it was a gone’r! Shortly after leaving this area I stopped for a drink and the local store owner confirmed my suspicions about a bear in the area. I was lucky she must have been out looking for food.

A Scott Kroeker exploration just wouldn’t be complete without some culvert photos. If you’ve been following my work you will know that I am a sucker for a good culvert photo. This time I found one really twisted up one. While exploring I ran into a couple hunters (father and son). The father, a soldier stationed at a nearby base, told me about this little spot where there were two culverts and some rushing water over rocks. I took his advice and drove the area suggested. The road was a little rough and a couple of mud holes I needed to navigate around but I made it to the spot. All though there was quit a lot of rapids over rocks most if it was too covered in trees which didn’t make for many great photo opportunities. Near the culverts was the only area worth shooting. Unfortunately, when I arrived, the light was very harsh. This was a good time to take a break and relax for a while. After having a quick rest and something to eat the light had improved and it was back to shooting. At first I wasn’t sure about this spot until I noticed all the rocks covered in green. I used a CPL filter to help bring out the vibrant greens through the water.

A day of shooting wouldn’t be complete without a sunset. I was hoping for a better sunset but this wasn’t that bad. I raced back to Tulabi Lake to shoot the sunset. I quickly packed up my gear and took the hike to the top of the cliff. I wish I had arrived about 20min earlier to better set up some shots. The view from the top of the cliff is very nice. Great place to sit and take it all in. Times like these are when I wish I didn’t have to work and could just explore Canada and it’s wonderful landscapes!

All packed up and ready to make the two and half hour drive home I had to stop and back up when I saw the boat launch road. The color at the end of it was calling me! By this time the light was fading fast but just enough to capture two more photos. That is when I realized that storing filters in your back pocket doesn’t work so well. I hope to return again to Nopiming and continue exploring the area!

Thanks for looking!

On the way I stopped for a couple photos of the morning fog. It was so thick at times you could barely see anything.

My goal was to capture some Autumn colours and nature shots. A week earlier the colours were in their prime but unfortunately when I was there most had already fallen off the trees.

A week earlier I was in the area shooting for a client and found this little spot on the side of the road. I knew I would have to return as was one of the main reasons for going to Nopiming. This little spot was a great one. I ended up spending about and hour and half shooting.

Even with very little Autumn leaves left on the trees there was still plenty of Autumn colors to shoot.

On this trip I visited Tulabi Falls and Tulabi Lake.

Tulabi Lake is so beautiful and calm I could have spent all day there.

This trip out to Steep Rock the fall colors were just starting to come out.

The naturally eroded caves in the sides of the limestone cliffs are a lot of fun to explore.

I decided to bring out the crystal ball again. This time, for a sunset photo.

This time the sunset was much more colorful.

The textures created from years of erosion are something else. Especially when covered in water.

Needless to say this will not be my last time at Steep Rock.

The wind on Lake Winnipeg was gusting to about 45km/hr which was producing about 3-4ft waves one after another.

This location was perfect. I wanted to capture the motion and drama of these waves.

I even brought out the crystal ball for a couple shots.

This was the photo I hoped to get and I got it. (see above). I was standing in the water and got soaked up to the waist waiting for this shot.

The sunset was not as great as I had hoped so I decided to play with the white balance to achieve a surreal sunset mood. (see above)

Hopefully the next visit to Victoria Beach will be as successful. I may not return until Winter.

The was setting as we arrived and it wasn’t much of a sunset. I did manage to catch some nice color before it completely died.

Even thought the color in the image below was nice, I decide to go for a more dramatic look. This sparked a series of BW conversions.

Some really interesting rock formations and caves to explore at Steep Rock.

7 angle panorama covering over 180­º of view.

While taking night shots we captured what we thought was a hot air balloon. It was in a lower altitude and had an orange flame. So we naturally thought balloon. Except it didn’t act as one. It was moving rather fast and the flame never changed. There were also no lights and no silhouette of the balloon. This happen again about 20min or so after from a different direction. I managed to capture it as well but didn’t get a good exposure. Some people are saying it could be a Chinese lantern that you light and floats to the sky. That could work but the second sighting was moving pretty erratically. It would seem to stop then quickly move in a different direction. I guess it is possible that the wind currents higher up were quite different then below where we were. UFO’s or not I plan to return to Steep Rock.

Unfortunately due to the massive amount of rain this summer the lake was much higher then normal. So much so that most of the shores and even some shallow islands were buried under water. It made navigating the shores difficult and limited. Next time we have to bring a boat to explore the whole lake. Since the landscape to shoot was limited in interest I decided to create my own. I found some pieces of drift wood and put them to good use.

I was able to find some interesting pieces of drift wood like these. (see above and below).

The color of Little Limestone Lake’s water is so beautiful. I felt like I was in the tropics.

Upon arrival at Victoria Beach the sky was overcast. This was actually a good thing as it made for some interesting lighting. The milky tan color of the water and the pastel colors of the sky made a nice combination. I also found Jabba The Hut. See below for Jabba!

At first it looked as the sunset was going to disappoint. The sun ducked behind the clouds but then reappeared to deliver the goods.

While setting up the above composition I spotted a person in a kayak coming my way. Since I was set up with filters for a long exposure I quickly removed the filters and adjusted my settings so I’d be ready for when he passed by. The timing couldn’t have been better.

With so many rocks and possible compositions the challenge was to find one that worked. Instead of just a bunch of rocks in the water I searched for interesting patterns in the rocks that Mother Nature left. I was lucky and found a couple interesting patterns. The above photos titled “The Great Divide” is a my fa

This group of rocks (see above left and below) I called “The Gathering”. The black and white version was taken about 1.5 hours before the color version. The light at that time was so harsh I decided to re-shoot it when the light was better. In the end I kept both versions.

Enjoy!

The church is very impressive.

The huge ceiling inside the church.

The above and below middle were taken in the base of the bell tower at this church. The concrete posts really intrigued me and it took me some time to get some compositions that worked.

The Grotto is quite interesting. Build to look like it’s a stone castle.

Enjoy!

The top photo and below left we taken at Camp Morton, Manitoba.

The Matlock Pier. This pier is build by one family every year with only hand tools. During construction they do not touch the sand or the water.

The pier wasn’t the only thing of interest. I managed to find some more culverts and the posts below made for a great subject on a 10min exposure.

While taking longer exposures it gave me time to think about the next shot. This washed up log made for an interesting subject. I had to soak my shoes to set this one up.

Enjoy!

Here are some extreme close-ups. Can you guess what they all are?

January 10th I had great exploration. After a super cold stretch of weather it was nice to get out of the house. I revisited a few spots I have been before and found some new locations in the process. I finally stopped to get a shot of this old house that is barely standing (see below, right). Strangely, I found this old house (top, below left) just down the road from another abandoned place I found last spring. Why I didn’t find it then is beyond me but I am glad I did find it.

On the way home I took a different route then I normally do. The sunset was started to really pop with color and to my luck I found myself near my favorite tree (see above middle & below) just in time to catch the colors.

January 16th was probably one of the best explorations I’ve had in a long time. Not only was the weather great but the finds were plentiful. One of the first things I found I can’t say I’ve ever seen before. Sunflowers in Winter. Needless to say, they made for some interesting shots.

The blue sky really helped these sunflowers pop. On this exploration I found many lonely trees in the fields. Here is one of my favorites (see top right). Below is a macro of a sunflower plant.

I ended up getting so many shots I decided to convert a bunch of them to black and white. Here are a few of my favorites.

I decided to revisit one location since I was close. I found this old homestead last fall just before the snow came. Now here is a shot with snow (see below).

An exploration just wouldn’t be complete without a culvert photo. These culverts were big enough for the snowmobile riders to drive through. Near the culverts were some bales which looks like its on a drag strip waiting to take off.

My last find was the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake. I was hoping to find something in time to catch this great sunset. To my luck, I came around a corner and spotted this old Massey Ferguson Tractor. While composing this shot and getting my camera set up I was blessed with a little bird that came and landed on the steering wheel. At first it was bouncing around too much to take a photo but then it stood still long enough to get a capture. Then flew off.

January 23-25th was an interesting weekend. We were hit with a ton of wet snow that started on Saturday and continued on through to Sunday. During the day Saturday I didn’t venture too far from home but I did manage to get a couple shots of the storm.

Sunday I decided to venture out a little further. Although the roads were pretty bad I still needed to get out. The trick is, drive according to the road conditions. Apparently someone didn’t know this. While I was out I passed the ambulance and sure enough, on the way home I saw a van that had rolled in the ditch. Something which could have easily been avoided had the driver slowed down. The start of Sunday’s exploration was a quick drive-by shot of this really need looking tree I call the Guardian Tree. If I didn’t already have a favorite tree this one would be it.

Stuartburn Auto Service closed it’s doors in 1960. I have driven by this old garage many times and many times I’ve wanted to shoot it but for some reason it was never the right time. This time it was. Since it was an overcast day I decide to try some different processing on these. I really like how they turned out.

As you can see there are some interesting textures on this old garage.

Monday we were snowed in due to a blizzard. The winds were too bad to drive into work so the boss told me to stay home. Yes, a free day! My only trip out was to the store in town but I did manage make one quick stop. Here is a 360° (14 image) panorama of the main intersection in my town.

January 30th was my last exploration of the month and a good one. Definitely the coldest day I’ve been out shooting. Even though I thought I was going to freeze my toes off at one point it was still worth getting out. Sometimes the coldest days make for great photo opportunities.

A good friend of mine collects animal skulls. He has a wide variety in his collection. He said I could use what ever I liked for props for photos. This expiration I chose one of his bison skulls. One of the challenges with using a skull like this in a scene is to get it to look natural and not placed. I had to make it snow with my hands to get a natural look. Below is my favorite shot of the day. I had to go back to my car to warm up and let my camera battery charge before I could get this shot. The cold cuts right through you like a knife and eats batteries like nobody’s business. My toes were so cold at one point I could barely feel them so I turned the heater on full and stuck them in the vent below the dash. Eventually they came back to life. I waited until the light was just right then returned to catch this sunset.

Here are a couple from my neck of the woods. This was one of the first snow falls of the season.

One of my photo explorations was in The Whiteshell area. I was hoping for some decent landscape shot but after not really finding anything I was looking for I decided to return to a familiar spot.

These are shots from 2 trips to The Whiteshell.

This is a great example at some of the beauty that mother nature can produce.

I’ve never seen ice formations like these before and am really happy I decided to return to this spot.

Above is an interesting site. A farmer has stock piled feed and covered it with a giant white tarp and used these bales to keep it in place.

Sometimes when you can’t find an interesting location to shot you have to improvise. These two shots are some of the roads I’ve traveled looking for something to shoot.

These buffalo were kind enough to pose for a shot and this old building was located in the middle of a cemetery.

On this particular exploration I found only one shot. These snow drifts caught my eye.

The Adventures With Garfield continues….

Enjoy!

On the photos for November 2009. I definitely didn’t get out as much as I would have liked. I did get three explorations in including one with some fellow photographers.

This was a staged shot. I found a very large rock quarry and while setting up this photo, some people were target shooting. I swear they were shooting a canon. Not a camera LOL. While there I found six .22 cal. unused shells. If only I had a .22 gun.

After the rock quarry I found a few abandoned places. One of which was quite spectacular. Unfortunately there were ‘no trespassing’ signs everywhere.

Here is a panorama of this old farm.

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More culverts! This one was a nice find as it was large enough to get into and wasn’t too full of water. The middle section was partially caved in so the over shape was distorted. It made for one of my personal favorite photos.

Even though this little spot had a lot going on, it was actually too busy to really get a good shot. A black and white conversion saved this panorama as the color version was too much to take in.

While exploring I came across several field fires. One made it into a ditch where there was much more to burn. It made for a great photo opp. This color spectrum concept is by no means new or original but its something I’ve wanted to try for a while. I’ve just never had the right photo to try it on. That is until this fire shot.

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While exploring with two other photographers we came across a few abandoned places.

I called this exploration “Dead Eagle Tour” as we saw a dead eagle on the road. First time any of us seen that. We also saw at least a dozen eagles in total. That would have been a great time for a 600mm with a 1.4TC.

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Adventures With Garfield!

This month I started a little on-going project I’ve wanted to do for a while. For years I had these Garfield figurines and since getting into photography I though of doing something with them.

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