C B Images

Photography by Chris Bates

Snow

Snowy Cat Tails
Snowy Cat Tails: ISO 12800, 81mm, f/5.6, 1/4000

We are experiencing a very long cold snap here in the "Great White North."

We had an unusually warm January but February has given us a bit of a shock with an extended period of negative double digit temperatures (in degree Celsius.)

News agencies are calling it a "Polar Vortex" but I am just calling it a typical Canadian winter.

This picture of a local pond was taken early December 2018 when it was warm enough to take a walk without risk of losing your fingers or nose and a fresh coat of snow had fallen. These cat tails are also waiting for spring and the warmer weather it promises.

Red Deer Bunny copy
Red Deer Easter Bunny: ISO 200, 24mm, f/5.6 1/400

The weather in Red Deer is finally warming up and starting to feel like spring. I took a walk yesterday to enjoy the sunshine.

With Easter around the corner I decided to walk by the Red Deer Public Transit terminal to take a shot of the Brick Bunny. As you can see he is trying to warm up from the long, cold winter. The snow should melt off his body in the next few days which would be in time for him to hide the Easter Eggs.

The snow up until today had pretty much melted in our backyard. The tulips are starting to peak through the soil waiting to unleash their spring colours and this happens! Read More...

Death Mouse Cold Winter snow covered
Harsh Reality of Winter: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/250

It has been cold here the last week. Minus 20 Celcius weather. I went outside to take pictures of the snow covered fences and vegetation this morning and I noticed this poor little guy on our sidewalk. There has been so much snow that we have been shovelling at least once a day. We might have buried the way to his home or his food source.

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Winter winds blowing snow Red Deer Alberta Canada
Prevailing Winds: ISO 400, 70mm, f/6.7, 1/500

High winds this past weekend packed the new fallen snow down to make it pretty hard. This is the roof of our garage and it looks like the virginia creeper is holding the snow from sliding off the roof.

Click on the image to see a larger one and you can actually see the wind moving the snow on the roof and under the eaves.

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Winter, snow, rose, Alberta, Canada, winds
Winter Roses: ISO 400, 126mm, f/4.5, 1/1000

A winter storm is upon us. The snow shovel has gotten a work out.

This is our roses along the back wall of our house. The high winds have not taken the snow off them.

Christmas, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Lamp Post at Night: ISO 800, 35mm, f/4, 1/6

It's December and Christmas is coming up fast.

Our neighbours are finally catching the Holiday Spirit. Of the 16 houses on our block 5 of us have outdoor lights up. That is pretty high as the last few years it has been around 2-3 homes (including ours).

Snow, Christmas, White, decorations, Canada, Red Deer, Alberta
White Christmas: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/320

We have received a lot of snow this past week. We have also received January like temperatures (-20 degrees celcius). No worries about a white Christmas this year!

Mugo Pine, Snow, Winter, backyard
Canadian Cactus: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5.6, 1/320

The snow has fallen. It looks like it will stay around for awhile. Sub zero temperatures all week. BBbbrrrrrrr!!

This is our small Mugo Pine covered with the fresh fallen snow. Kind of reminds me of a cactus.

Cedar Tree Snow Macro Photography
Cedar and Snow: ISO 200, 11mm, f/3.2, 1/160

We got some snow this week. It usually snows just in time for Halloween.

This is a macro of our cedar tree by our front entrance which faces north. Taken with a point and shoot set on manual settings.

May Blizzard


Sunbathing Tulips: ISO 200, 35mm, f/5.6, 1/500

The above photo was taken two evenings ago.


Snow Covered Tulips: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/100

The above photo was taken this evening.


Snow Garden: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/200

As you can see we got snow today. It never fails. At least this year the Ornamental Plum and Cherry Trees have not bloomed. We should still be able to enjoy them. Previous years they usually just started to bloom and the snow knocks off all the petals.

Early Spring?


March 7 Tulips: ISO 200, 35mm, f/9, 1/25

March 7 Backyard: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/640

As promised I bring you our tulips breaking earth during an Alberta, Canada winter. These photos were taken this morning with a temperature of minus 7 degrees Celcius. That’s right it was well below freezing. Not a chance of Frost; a 100% guarantee of frost!

As you can see by the backyard picture there is still snow on 90% of our yard. In places it is over 6 inches deep! Mid day temperatures have been reaching the plus 5 to 9 range.

The tulips are in a garden along the back wall of our house. The back of the house faces south and catches the sun all afternoon. So the tulip bulbs are feeling the warmth and thinking it is time to come out and show their colours!

PS: They are calling for more snow early this week!

Falling Stars


ISO 100, Focal Length 90mm, F4.5, Shutter Speed 1/45

The snow has stopped falling but the temperatures have not. Winter is officially back...just in time for the Olympics.

This is a macro shot of a cluster of dead rose blooms shot a couple of weeks ago when the hoar frost was heavy.

Let it Snow. Some More.


Snow Fall: ISO 200, Focal Length 35mm, f/4, Shutter Speed 1/750

The snow is falling once again. Just a few flakes at a time. No need to worry about snow banks up to the knees or anything. I tried to capture the snow falling with this image and that is why the background is out of focus (Yes, I did this on purpose.). It is hard to focus on tiny little moving snowflakes!

No More Playing in the Water


Our rain barrel has provided some interesting images the past week. Here is the latest image that I took yesterday afternoon. Temperatures are returning to normal. It is still a little on the warm side but no one is complaining.

Slowly but Surely


The melting continues. The last couple of days the temperature is staying above freezing throughout the night.

The After Shot


What a difference a few days make! Warm temperatures moved in (10C) and snow is moving out.

Take a Load Off


Here is a pretty good image on the amount of snow we have received so far this winter. Should start melting slowly now. A chinook has arrived and is expected to stay above O degree C for most of the week.

Still Snowing...


We have a pile of snow this year and it doesn’t look like it will be melting any time soon... I am actually running out of room to put it when I shovel the sidewalk and driveway.

This is a macro of a pile of snow on our driveway lamppost. You can see the neighbour’s fence in the background.

Happy New Year!


Wishing all of you peace and fortune for the new year and new decade.

My wife Angela took this shot earlier this week. All that white on the background trees is the heavy hoar frost.

Heavy Dusting


Another picture from yesterday’s heavy hoar frost. Taken before the sun has fully risen. The foreground branches are illuminated by the streetlight.

Winter Wonderland


This is our backyard at sunrise this morning. There is a lot of moisture in the air and the results are breathtaking. Everything has a coating of frost. Even the clothesline.

One breath of wind and it all comes down.

Beautiful Day Yesterday


Merry Christmas to all!

Yesterday was a beautiful day in so many ways. Woke up to Santa’s presents and Mother Nature’s present of a nice covering of Hoar Frost.

This was taken in the front yard looking up at the trees that create a canopy over our street. Not a cloud in the sky so the sun was catching the hoar frost on the trees. A slight wind was brushing the frost off causing it to fall to the ground.

Reminds me of our Kitchen Table


Well, I guess we will not be having a picnic in our backyard anytime soon. Not that we will want to when it has been averaging -15 C all week.

The title of the journal entry might be confusing unless I explain it here. Our kitchen table is the closest “drop off point” to our back door (The most used entrance to the house). After the accumulation of mail, flyers and my camera/lenses the table almost becomes unusable for its real true purpose.

I think the shadows on the ground look like some people are using the picnic table despite the snow. One is sitting on the right side and another is standing on the left. Maybe we have ghosts that cast shadows in our backyard.

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Winter


Big snow storm today. Looks like winter if officially here.

Santa Claus is coming to Town


Christmas is little than a month away. This image was taken last year. I have not taken a shot of this yeas lights for two reasons. No snow yet and our Christmas Tree is not up yet.

Frozen


It is still snowing. Leaves never had a chance to change colour on most of the trees in our neighbourhood including our crabapple tree.

Cold Roses


Second day of snowfall and it looks like today the snow will stay longer than a couple of hours.

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