What a month December 2022 was! I enjoyed the holiday season with my immediate family and a very small group of friends, to reduce the possibility of contracting COVID. Around Christmas itself, the weather here in Canmore was bitterly cold, with temperatures in the high -30's with wind chill on top of that. It was especially challenging for me because we were dog-sitting my grand-dog from Dec 21 - 28th. Being a breed more suited to a dessert climate, he had to be dressed with a coat, booties and even a balaclava on the worst days. After all the time and struggle to get him suitably attired, he no sooner did his business than he wanted to come back in! But there were many lovely moments to celebrate as well: the season kicked off with our family visit to Banff's spectacular "In Search of Christmas Spirit. There was frozen bubble making on the coldest of days, Christmas Day with good friends, the witnessing of glorious sunrises, and on Dec. 31st, a first visit to William Watson Lodge to ring in the New Year.
1. In Search of Christmas Spirit
Experiencing Banff's "In Search of Christmas Spirit" is definitely a highlight of the holiday period. We have attended this with my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter for three years in a row now. Emily is three and it is so special experiencing it with her, seeing the joy and wonder in her eyes and hearing her pronounce "it's magic!"
2. Frozen Bubble Photography
The extreme cold spell in December afforded me the opportunity to re-visit my frozen bubble making and photographing skills, still under development. I was pretty pleased with a number of my shots and I am looking forward to working on this again this winter, with it not being QUITE so cold!
3. Practising My Night-Mode Photography With My iPhone
My iPhone 12 Pro does an amazing job on night mode. Here is another photo from "In Search of Christmas Spirit, this one looking down Banff Avenue from just inside the Cascade Gardens at the Park Administration Centre.
4. T'is The Season For Sunrise Photography
While any month is a good month for sunrise photography, I appreciate the convenience of shooting the sunrise in December because it happens at the latest time in the morning, given the shortest of days. That means you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. Get a good night's sleep and get up to photograph the sunrise at a most decent time. December 8th was one of those days. That particular day, the sunrise peak colour, which of course can be very fleeting, lasted for ages. Oh, the agony of having to pick just one photo to represent that outing! I have dozens. But let's go with this one, taken in Canmore's Spring Creek neighbourhood:
5. Christmas Day Selfie Photo
I was determined to do a Christmas Day family photo. It was Colin and I and grand-dog Bourbon. But it was bitterly cold. This was going to require setting up my tripod, preparing the shot, then lining up the subjects and being very quick about getting the shot. So.... off we tramped to nearby Quarry Lake. I had my husband Colin continue walking with Bourbon as I set up my equipment, getting everything ready for a very quick shoot. When I was ready, I called out to Colin to return, indicated where they were to position themselves, pushed the button on my phone with the 10 second timer engaged, jumped in the photo and VOILA. Took one shot only.
Happy 2023 everyone!
A great series, Mandy. I always enjoy seeing Canmore through another photographer's eye. And I must say, I really admire how you set and achieve so many goals. You're definitely living a life of "no regrets"!
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