Photographic Tale of the Week - Snug as a bug

"Snug as a Bug" by Kevin Pashuk

Compared to the polar vortex of the last several years, Winter '15 / '16 has been downright balmy. Just last weekend I took my kids to the local park and it was as busy as some days in the summer. But winter rears its icy head still, just to remind us that I - and this week's featured photographer, Kevin Pashuk - live in Canada. I don't know what is happening on Lake Ontario which is closer to Oakville where Kevin lives, but within the space of two days 60% of Lake Erie froze. - check out the CBC article here.

It is no great lake, but Kevin - a long time and consistent contributor to the Pictures with a Story Flickr group - perfectly captured the feel of winter in "Snug as a Bug," a great focus on a bird house roofed with snow, a series of small feeders and houses behind it in the bokeh of the background. Read what Kevin had to say about the picture - another great argument for keeping your camera with you as much as possible:

It's the middle of February in Oakville, and we have spent most of the winter so far without snow. Today it's snowing, and no one seems to be complaining.

This shot was taken out of my home office window when I was packing my computer up to take into work. The red birdhouse on my neighbour's fence just popped out. Luckily, I keep my camera close and was able to capture the view. The image was tweaked in Lightroom to enhance the contrast a wee bit, but you see what I saw this morning.

Follow the link below to Kevin's photography that "capture(s) the small, hidden vignettes of everyday encounter." I'm a big fan of the small and hidden in any towns that we happen to live in, and this is definitely what I attempt to do in Windsor - Essex.
Kevin's Flickr Photostream. 

Browse through the Essex Masque blog (you're on it!) for other Photographic Tales of the Week, as well as other randoms that I post. You can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and my photography on Flickr. 
Please note that, as ever, do not use the images of the featured photographers without their express permission. I always contact them first.

Photographic Tale of the Week - War of the Worlds: Nature vs Machine

War of the Worlds: Nature vs Machine by Joe Steinman

My photographic memory - and by photographic, I mean when I actually seriously started taking photos with the purpose of building on my self-taught amateur skills - does not go much past November of 2011. This is not quite five years ago. I can only expect, by the quality and beauty of Joe's work, that he may have been doing it a little longer than I have.

In this work he has used the majesty of the clouds to really bring out an ominous scene, bringing to mind visions of an aftermath of some overwhelming violence. But I will let Joe describe it himself:

It was five years ago when I last made the trip down to Sand Key Beach in Clearwater, Florida. Recently, I journeyed down to my old stomping ground to take some pics at sunset. On the way down the coast, I couldn't believe how much it had changed. It was so built up, with numerous tourist attractions, hotels, hi-rise condominiums... even a tropical theme-based miniature golf course. It's almost like visiting a mini Disney World now!
 Shortly after I arrived at Sand Key, a storm passed through. In its wake, it left some stunning and awesome cloud formations. I turned my camera towards the construction sites looming in the distance, and the stark ground and billowing clouds reminded me of a scene like out of a World War II movie. How appropriate? It's like the scene represents the demolition of our serene and natural beaches, dramatized with explosive, theatrical pyrotechnics!
 Here is the story behind the photo:
________________
 On 7/9/15, I made a trip to Sand Key Beach in Clearwater, Florida to take some nature shots. The weather was quite turbulent with lightning, storms, and clouds. The cloud formations and light were ever-changing and sometimes eerie and amazing! I just kept shooting and shooting and took hundreds of shots. Fortunately when the rain got heavy, I spied an over-sized, partially collapsed tent on the beach nearby [what was THAT doing there?], so I was able to take shelter and keep my precious Canon and Sigma lens from getting too wet [I had left my camera bag in my car parked far away to keep it from getting sandy].
 I took this shot after the storm passed through, sitting on the beach on the sand in my short-pants... note to myself - next time wear a bathing suit at the beach! :). I kept the tripod low to the ground, and took many many shots with slight variations in this position. The rest was nature's work!

I am not yet to the point of presenting these Photographic Tales of the Week in interview format, though it is a thought. However, others are that dedicated and thankfully Joe has already been interviewed by The Photography Workshop. Check out the interview here.

You can also find Joe on his Flickr photostream.

Browse through the Essex Masque blog (you're on it!) for other Photographic Tales of the Week, as well as other randoms that I post. You can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and my photography on Flickr. 
Please note that, as ever, do not use the images of the featured photographers without their express permission. I always contact them first.