Newsletter No. 12: June, 2006

Newsletter No. 12: June, 2006

© Chris Harris. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

A Two Hour Grasslands Adventure: Part I

Our Connection to Landscape

Behind the Image

Grasslands Walks in the Cariboo-Chilcotin

Birds & Breakfast

1. A Two Hour Grasslands Adventure

Last week, Ordell Steen, a grasslands ecologist and one of the major contributors of this Grasslands Book Project, accompanied me to a small lake in the grasslands just west of Williams Lake. We were there at the crack of dawn and our goal was to photograph Barrow’s Goldeneyes. It’s amazing what happens when you stay in one place without moving for two hours. In the next few newsletters, I’ll share with you some of the visual delights we experienced that morning.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – A peaceful moment
© Chris Harris
Shutter speed: 1/640 sec., Aperture: 10; Exposure mode: Av, Exposure compensation: +1/3; ISO: 400; Lens: 500mm; Focal length: 700mm

This is the male Goldeneye during a peaceful moment. During mating season, however, males have spectacular combats for the right to mate with certain female partners. We witnessed several of these fights, but one of the funniest things we saw was the behaviour of the losing male. Instead of accepting defeat, he would often attack the next nearest duck which was usually the less aggressive Bufflehead.

Look out Bufflehead! Zeroing in, the attack was imminent!

3. Behind the Image

I made this image two years ago with my film camera during my first year of photographing for the grasslands book project. You will notice I used the word "made" instead of "took" this image; I’ll explain. We think of photography as a means of documenting a subject, and so without much thought, we point our camera and "take" an image. Now of course there is nothing wrong with documenting a subject; it is a very important aspect of photography.

When I photograph, I often try and think of myself as a painter; not with a grand landscape in front of me but rather with a blank canvas in a studio. In this case the painter draws on a myriad of visuals in his mind and eventually "makes" or "creates" a final painting on canvas. Likewise as a photographer, whether I am driving or lying in bed, I am continually dreaming up images in my mind that I can then go out into the landscape (my studio) and "create" or "make".

One evening I was walking over the crest of a hill when I noticed clumps of Bluebunch Wheatgrass silhouetted against the evening sky. I began to visualize an image, not with the sun, but with a full moon. With that image in mind, I set about creating the above image.

Photo Tip: To create this image I made a double exposure. I first made several images at different exposures of the silhouetted grass against the sunset sky. I then rewound the film leaving the leader out of the film canister so I could use the same roll again on the night of a full moon. Two months later on a clear full moon night, I reloaded that same roll of film. In order to enlarge the moon slightly for added effect, I photographed the moon with a 300mm lens at 1/250 @ f4.5. Because it was pitch black, only the moon was exposed on top of the previously exposed grass images. Later, on the light table, I choose the exposure I liked the most from the several I had made two months earlier.

"Full Moon over the Grasslands"
We are proud to announce that Full Moon over the Grasslands has just been released as a new limited edition print at the Chris Harris Gallery. It was featured in our Grasslands Fundraiser Newsletter #11. If you are interested in receiving one of these beautiful grassland prints, please consider being a supporter of the Grasslands Awareness Book Project. Visit Newsletter #11 for details. We deeply appreciate your support.

4. Grasslands Walks in the Cariboo-Chilcotin

In response to many requests to join us out in the grasslands, Rita has added guided walks to the list of happenings here at our home; Aspen House.

Day trips and all inclusive week-end packages with guests staying at our beautiful straw bale construction home are available. We go in groups of up to four people, heading out to several different possible destinations for a full day in the open grasslands and canyonlands.

Reservations are necessary. For information, phone the office at 250-791-6631 or 1-800-946-6622 or email us at photography@chrisharris.com and we will send you a brochure via email or the post.

Mountain Bluebird © Chris Harris Shutter speed: 1/250 sec.; Aperture: 20; Exposure mode: Tv; Exposure compensation: +1/3; ISO: 500; Lens: 500mm; Focal length: 700mm

5. Birds & Breakfast

Have breakfast in Rita’s kitchen overlooking Hall Lake; a wetlands bird sanctuary managed by Ducks Unlimited.

Rita’s kitchen is renowned for its hospitality and sumptuous meals while local character Tom Godin is a bird expert and artist. Join them both for a closer look at the amazing range of bird life right outside our home. Bring your camera, sketch pad, scope or binoculars and prepare to be dazzled.

Reservations are necessary. For information, phone the office at 250-791-6631 or 1-800-946-6622 or email us at photography@chrisharris.com and we will give you the details or send you a brochure via email or the post.

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