J. Whyte Photography

I live in Calgary, Alberta.  Yes, the Calgary that is just down the road from Kananaskis Country and Banff National Park.  I love photographing the Alberta Rockies.  However, over the past little while I have gotten into the habit of photographing the vanishing elevators of the Canadian prairies.  And I had some time to sit and think, which doesn’t happen often and I started to ask myself why I have been photographing grain elevators recently. I thought I would share some of my thoughts on this topic just in case it inspires you to get out there and photograph these prairie sentinels yourself. Grain Elevators are Photogenic In truth, grain elevators are very photogenic. And like fine wine, elevators seem to get better with age.  The more they decay, the more the potential for remarkable photographs. And so not all elevators are created equal.  The old wooden elevators, particularly if they have a little lean in them, are my favourite. But don...

Of all the abandoned prairie structures that remain to be photographed, perhaps the prairie churches are most beautiful. In fact, of the many towns on the prairies that have disappeared or mostly disappeared, it's interesting that many of the churches remain. In fact, many of these prairie churches remain in relatively good condition even when the town is gone. It's almost as if some great force is intervening to keep the interest alive.  And its now wonder, these small wooden buildings were often the refuge of the pioneers against challenges we could not even begin to image. I am reminded of Psalm 46:1-3 when I think about these beautiful places and the considerable challenges of life at the time. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with surging." I imagine that t...

I love making timelapses.  In fact, I think I spend more time with timelapse photography than any other type of photography! What is Timelapse? If you don’t know what timelapse photography is then lucky you!  You have a whole lot of viewing pleasure in store for you.  In fact, a timelapse clip or movie is a series of photographs taken over a period of time and then put together in a clip or sequence.  And the result? Time is sped up in an utterly amazing way!  And what I love most about timelapse is that it allows you to see what the eye normally can’t pick up on. Indeed, timelapse opens the door to a new reality. And if you are interested in doing timelapse photography there are some important tools available to you now. Timelapse tools There are many tools used by timelapse enthusiast. Obviously, the most important piece of equipment is a camera. You can use any type of still camera, but certain types perform better than others.   Y...

Banff is Popular, Really Popular Thinking about a visit to Banff National Park this summer? I don’t blame you if you are having those thoughts! I have them too. Sometimes daily.  But to be honest, I try to avoid Banff altogether in the summer. Since I am from Calgary, it’s easy for me to head out on a weekend in the spring, fall or winter.  So why do I avoid Banff in the summer you ask? In fact, Banff has really changed. There has been a huge increase in visitors to the park.  I am not sure if this is because locals tend to stick closer to home in these economically uncertain times. Or if the uptick just part of the general tourism boom.  I am thinking the latter. Regardless, if you will be spending time in Banff and the Canadian Rockies this summer, here are my thoughts on how to best manage the crowds and have that fantastic bucket list vacation.  Banff’s Busy Areas Parks Canada representatives indicate that specific areas in...

There are lots of things to consider when setting out to create an amazing timelapase. You have to think about gear, settings, location.   But even if you are at the right place at the right time and with all the best gear, you’ll still want to make sure you get the best composition possible.    In fact, you might be taking hundreds of photographs for a single clip.  So yes, you want to make sure you have your composition absolutely nailed before hitting the start on that intervalometer. Photography Composition Rules Apply The most important point needs to be made right up front. Yes. The general rules of composition used by still photographers also apply for creating timelapses.   In fact, you want to develop the same skill set used by photographers to create beautiful images.  You want to understand the rules of composition and how to use them.  The basic rules of composition include such things as: rule of thirds, eliminating distr...