Posts Tagged “forest”
A little experimentation with black and white here. Three versions of the image blended together, a standard black and white conversion, with two versions from Perfect Effects 8, mostly selenium but also a smidgen of high key.
A BC wildfire helicopter flies through smoke and clouds into the sun over the Kitimat River preparing to dump water on the afternoon of July 17, 2014. (Robin Rowland)
Updates with cause, Friday morning situation
A wildfire broke out in the Strawberry Meadows neighborhood, about two kilometres south of Kitimat, around 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, 2014. Kitimat Fire and Rescue quickly responded to the call, setting up a command post at the back of the Oviatt Contracting construction yard which was close to the fire. The District of Kitimat says the fire was caused by an unattended canpfire on the Kitimat River bank. The fire began about 100 metres square and driven by strong winds, quickly spread to two hectares and then about three. (The District release says the fire was about one hectare, the one to three hectare estimate came from those on scene at the time). Oviatt officials say the fire was technically in Haisla territory, within the boundaries of the estuary and river reserve area #1, a traditional Haisla fishing area.
Kitimat Fire and Rescue found that the overgrown brush near the river was too thick and called in the BC Wildfire forestry service firefighters. As they waited, Kitimat Fire organized a firebreak with the help of Oviatt employees on site which luckily had all the heavy equipment needed to cut a gap through the bush to the river. By 5 p.m. winds had spread the smoke and haze throughout the town.
At one point fish camps on the Lower Dyke Road were evacuated as a precaution. First one, then two Forest Service helicopters arrived to fight the fire, and later were joined by a aerial tanker from Smithers which made about six or seven drops on the fire. A second firebreak was pushed through the bush.
Smoke and haze from the fire blanket Kitimat around 7 p.m. Thursday (Robin Rowland)
The tanker was then redirected to a fire near Terrace while the helicopters continued to drop water on the fire. At the height of operations, according to a release from the District of Kitimat, seven BC Forestry Service Firefighters on the scene and 12 Kitimat Firefighters were there monitoring the fire guards for any hot spots.
A wildfire helicopter picks up water near the Silja Festival in Kitimat harbour to fight the blaze at about 8 p.m. (Robin Rowland)
The firefighters were worried that strengthening winds would drive the fire either toward the upscale homes in Strawberry Meadows or toward the fishing camps along the river on the Lower Dyke Road. While the wind did become much stronger in the early evening, the weather was quickly turning cool and there were light raindrops by the time the District said the fire was contained at 8:18 p.m. Kitimat Fire and Rescue left a crew at the Oviatt site overnight to monitor for hotspots.
Kitimat Fire and Rescue assess the fire situation after arriving at the command post set up at the Oviatt Construction yard. (Robin Rowland)
Firefighters and Oviatt employees work on plans to create a firebreak. (Robin Roiwland)
Two heavy ecavatorss head into the bush, watched by the fire crew (Robin Rowland)
Eventually three big excavators were used to create the fire break. (Robin Rowland)
The first forestry helicopter arrives on scene. (Robin Rowland)
As of Friday morning forestry crews were surveying the area for “a dangerous tree assessment” and to check for hotspots. The District of Kitimat reminded everyone in the news release that a campfire ban is in effect.
The sun sets over the Kitimat River and the snow covered Sand Hill, in Kitimat, BC, February 20, 2014. Converted to black and white using Perfect Effects 8 to emulate Ilford FP4125, with some highlights and shadow enhancement. (Robin Rowland)
Original image. The sun sets over the Kitimat River and the snow covered Sand Hill, in Kitimat, BC, February 20, 2014. (Robin Rowland)
On a bright fall afternoon walking along Lahakas Boulevard in Kitimat, I came across a stretch of green, with all different kinds of mushrooms in just a few metres of ground. This group of mushrooms sort of reminded me perhaps of a house on an alien world.
The mushroom field.
The same group of mushrooms viewed from above.
These two made me think of a couple of flying saucers that had just landed on Earth.
A view of the top of one of the “saucer” mushrooms.
A mushroom with a white spot on it.
On Saturday, July 7, 2012, Kitimat landscape photographer Doug Keech taught a photoworkshop, called Photoecllipse 2012, along with Prince Rupert photographer Pam Mullins (Pam’s Wild Images) and myself.
At the end of the day instructors and students went on a photo walk along the Clearwater Lakes Trail off Onion Lake on Highway 37.
There was heavy overcast and the walk was late in the day, after supper, between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
A beaver swims across the first Clearwater Lake.
Reflection
Ferns and other plants by the side of the lake.,
Moss on this stump looked to me like an old beard clinging to a skull. What do you think?
This stump made me think of a charging grizzly bear.
A stream that feeds the lake comes down from the rainforest hills.
Another interesting rainforest tree stump
Another selection of images from my Android Galaxy camera phone.
These were taken at the same time as the Vignette photos in the last blog but using the black and white setting for the Retrocam.
My favourites for black and white are the Fudgecan (circa 1961 when I was growing up in Kitimat.) which have a sort of silvery sheen to the images.
A couple with the “Xolaroid 2000” settings, a Polaroid emulator circa 1972.
And the Bärbl setting, from a camera produced in Leipzig in 1951.
While much of the rest of British Columbia is being hammered by a winter storm today, the microclimate of Kitimat, BC, has so far, produced a cold, clear and beautiful morning.
The mountains to the west, shot from my front porch shortly after 9 a.m. PT this morning as the sun was coming up over the mountains to the east.