Monday, June 25, 2007

Destruction of the Mountain Pine Beetle



The older I get, the more sure I am becoming that there is no such thing as coincidence. I've recently gained some recognition for being able to tell a story with images and words. Yesterday I went for a ride up
in to the mountains just outside of Kelowna, and today I have a story to tell.




If you live in Canada and read or watch the news, you've probably heard of the Mountain Pine Beetle. This insect has been ravaging the forests of the BC Interior for several years now. The warmer winters and containment of forest fires have created ideal conditions for the survival of this hungry species. I've driven through some infested areas before, but I had no perspective on how rapidly the forests are being
torn down in an attempt to contain the beetle and harvest the wood from the dead trees before it rots or turns blue, which makes it undesirable for the major lumber markets.




My guide for the day was Roger, a friend who has staked a claim up in the mountains and offered to take me and my camera off the beaten path when he went out prospecting for the day. These pictures were taken at his claim site; a site that just last year was a dense forest. Not having been up to the area since the snow melted, Roger's surprise at what we found was evident. I'm not s
ure how much of his work has been affected by the dramatic change in the landscape, but I suspect the impact is significant.




If every picture tells a story, then I'm naming this one above "The Last Stand". This group of trees was left to stand in the midst of the clear cut. From what I learned yesterday, it's likely they have a function. We covered a lot of ground yesterday and I saw some fantastic things that will be material for the next few blog entries, but these images have made an impression. Is there a certain beauty in them? I think so. As most photographers know, it is best to accept what you are given on any day of shooting. The story will reveal itself. It always does.





Monday, June 18, 2007

Summer Exposure!


I have some exciting news! A portfolio of five of my images and an article about my approach to photography has been published in the summer issue of a new magazine, Okanagan Arts. One of my goals for the year was to be published before the Okanagan Photographic Arts Workshops in August, and it was very good fortune that my website crossed the right person's path at just the right time. I am very grateful for the opportunity given to me by Robert Macdonald, editor of Okanagan Arts.


Seeing a magazine like this hit the stands is very encouraging. The Okanagan Valley is full of artists, striving to find a voice and an appreciative audience. A gorgeous publication like this one bodes well for the future. Speaking of the future, I'm going to be bold enough to mention that I am looking for gallery representation, and opportunities to show my work locally throughout the summer. My contact information is on my main site, http://www.lauratucker.com/. It can't hurt to put it out there, can it?

This is the cover of the magazine as seen on the website www.okanaganarts.com:


Well, thanks for checking in! If you want to see an online version of the article, it can be found at the link on the right hand side of the blog. I'm told that the pictures will be added very soon.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

High Noon Above Skaha


The first thing I'm going to do today is apologize to my most regular visitors - it's been 10 days since my last post! There's lots going on in my world of photography, so I'll make an effort to catch up with an extra entry or two this coming week. First, I want to share some images from a few weeks ago. My "cousin" Jeanette was in Penticton on a camping & climbing trip, so I made the drive down to spend a day hiking with her. I put quotes around the word cousin, because if you know my maternal family at all, the word cousin stretches far and wide. In this case, our mothers are first cousins, so we're not sure what exactly that makes us - second or third or something! Most importantly, Jeanette moved to Calgary about a year before I ventured West, making us our only blood relative west of the Ontario border. Now we're practically neighbours, because when you live out here and it's less than a day's drive, you're likely to see each other more often than in our home-town. Funny how that works!


I met Jeanette late morning and we headed out to the hills. Her friends are avid climbers and we decided to check out the hiking trail that went through their climbing area. It was our first time out together, so we were looking for something that would take a few hours, but wouldn't be too difficult. Off we went with the crappiest map in the world in hand. We were fine at first, but of course we lost the easy trail after a while. Instead of an easy loop trail, we ended up on top of a mountain overlooking Penticton to the north and beautiful Lake Skaha to the south.


Neither one of us was too keen on going back the way we came up - scrambling up a rocky gorge and using a rope to pull ourselves up the final incline to the top was a little more than we had gambled on. Fortunately we heard voices and Jeanette got guidance from some climbers while I got shutter happy.


Losing the easy trail turned out to be good fortune - the view was magnificent. It was high noon, so I put a polarizer on the lens and hoped for the best. I'd love to go back again when there's "magic light". Needless to say, we made it back down without incident, although sometimes it's hard not to curse the weight of the camera equipment.


A day like that wouldn't be complete without a couple of people pics - we sat and watched this lead climber as he brought his group's rope up the rock face. It was an impressive thing to watch as he alternately ascended and tried to find his route. And finally, here's one of Jeanette. Next time I'll remember to have someone take one of us together.