Mike Paterson

Fall Trip

I love fall camping, exploring and photography. This fall it went from summer to winter and I had to wait till fall came back. Even then it was not a big deal around here as there is snow and cold to deal with way too early this year. I decided that a trip to Banff and Yoho was in order. The weekend I choose was nice but cool, in fact during the night it got really cold!! I heard a number of RV’s heading out around 3 am as I don’t think they were prepared for the cold temperatures in the mountains.

This time of the year I love heading to Banff through Kananaskis. The drive is nice and the colors are amazing!!!

Fall drive through Kananaskis
Kananaskis Alberta
Cold fall rushing water
Time lapse of a creek by my campground

See more of my nature and wildlife images, click here.

Banff was still busy so I did not spend a lot of time there. I wanted to get to Yoho for some pictures of Takakkaw Falls and I made it with GREAT light!!

Takakkaw Falls in the fall!
Takakkaw Falls, Yoho

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Fall Colors

I wanted to spend some more time in the area but there were still a lot of people around and it is hard to get pictures when areas are jammed with people. Also with all the snow melting there was a lot of mud so going may places was hard. Maybe I can get back at least one more time before winter sets in!

I also have a couple ideas for some night shoots around Banff and if I can get up there when it is clear out that would be a real benefit!! I have till December before they shut down the road going through Kananaskis so maybe, just maybe I can sneak away!

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Harvest moon

Shine on Harvest moon……

The harvest moon is one of my least favorite full moons, it means that the warm weather is coming to an end. But with the nice weather I still went out and did some pictures of it last night. I first planned my shoot using The Photographer’s Ephemeris to see where the moon would rise. For some reason it was way off and I ended up in an area that did not work. Not a big deal as the clouds were covering the first part of the rise so I relocated to get the moon as it was coming out of the low clouds.

I have shot a lot of full moons and I get bored with the same old shots. So I knew that I wanted to play with this moon in a different way.

The first shot that I wanted to do would not work without some help from editing. I wanted to do a shot of the moon rising over a local grain terminal. I also wanted it to be a grainy shot, more like a painting then a photograph. So I shot the elevators 10 minutes before the moon rise. Then I shot the moon as it came up and put them together. I use to do this type of shot years ago with film and it was a pain!! With digital it is so much easier.

Harvest moon and elevators

The next set of shots I did not plan out. I wanted something out of the ordinary with the moon. After relocating to a second location I found what I wanted. I call these shots building a full moon as the moon was not completely full at this time. Plus it looks like a construction site.

Read moreHarvest moon

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My E Bike

A perfect E bike road!

Why an E bike?

I have had an E bike for a number of years. Really I did not want one, but with a lung issue I was forced to get one to keep riding.

I have always loved bike riding and before I got sick I would ride several hundred kilometers a week for fun. When I got sick riding was a big no. I could ride but the problem was that if I hit a little hill or got caught with a head wind I was in trouble. Then one day I spotted an E bike that I loved. I got in my car and chased the rider down. That afternoon I drove to Medicine Hat and bought one at Cyclepath. They were the only bike shop in southern Alberta that sold E bikes at the time.

White Turtle III & my E Bike
After a ride

E bikes are not cheap!

They are not a cheap investment!! Compared to a regular bike that most people ride they are a huge investment. If you are an avid bike rider and this is your only chance to stay on the road it is worth it. I am not a huge fan on motorcycles so that was not on the list. I really only wanted a bike for around town and maybe a few trips around Lethbridge each year. But after buying the E bike I have found a lot of other uses. At a campground you can use them to run to the office or a nearby grocery store. When visiting a smaller community you can explore the community without a lot of traffic issues or parking problems.

Read moreMy E Bike

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Forget about the Joneses

I have seen many times a business or a person gets off track by trying to keep up with the Joneses. You are your own person / business and unless there is a real reason to change don’t keep changing. If making a change has a purpose like improving your product or life then that is one thing.

If you are changing because someone else did then DON’T!!!

Who are the Joneses?

Some students come in for classes and they tell me they are interested in changing gear. Either to a different camera manufacturer, model, type, etc. When I ask why they cannot answer. They are doing so because someone else did or someone said they should. If you need the new technology then make the switch, if not then don’t!

Keeping up with the Joneses

A great lesson!

Read moreForget about the Joneses

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Ready for new home

Another print ready for its trip to a new home.

I love this shot and happy to see it become so popular!

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Back to business

Over the summer I have heard from a number of people with business questions and concerns about their businesses. So this fall I will be doing some posts on getting back to building your business. Summer is over, kids are back in school so now lets get our businesses in shape.

Business

One of the first things I would like to address is time management. Specifically social media time wasters. It seems that everyone is pressed for time. In actual fact we all have the same amount of time we just need to use it better. Get off your smart phone, stay away from social media and limit your other time wasters on-line. You will get a lot more done at work and your personal life will be better for it.

Posting

As a Pastor said at a church training meeting this summer “Nobody is waiting for your next social media post. Nobody cares if you post today or tomorrow. Your church, or your personal life, is not going to change for the better or worse by not posting for a few days”. In business it is the same. Check your social media accounts once a day. Do your posts, answer inquiries, make comments. THEN get on with your life.

I have had weeks that I have posted 7 amazing posts each week. My sales for those weeks are no better, and sometimes worse, than weeks that I do not post. Many weeks when I have zero posts on social media I have done the best sales. One week this past summer when other people were up late shooting sunsets, stars, etc and posting on-line I was in bed by 9pm. Up at 6:30am. At work by 8am. My sales for that week were close to four times as much as a standard week. Not one post on social media.

Comments

Also limit the time you comment on others posts. You may think you know how to solve a problem for someone, but most people on-line are not looking for help. They are looking for sympathy or someone to do it for them. I spent hours helping someone with a issue this past summer. Myself and a couple other people used our knowledge to help them get out of a bad situation. In the end they did nothing we recommended and are now paying the price as their business struggles.

Set aside a set amount of time each day and when that time is used, STAY AWAY from any more social media. Edit images, market your business, clean up, do paperwork. You will find you will get a lot more done!

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