J. Whyte Photography

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...

Alberta Rockies – Photographic Opportunities for the Non-hiker : We have all seen those fantastic landscape images of a sunrise on a mountain peak in the Canadian Rockies in some incredibly beautiful mountain environment… you know, somewhere like Banff. Sure, they started climbing the mountain at three in the morning in complete darkness in order to summit before sunrise. Maybe sometime I will try that too. Honestly. In the meantime, there are some pretty good landscape opportunities in the Alberta Rockies and Banff National Park for those of us who climb fewer mountains that maybe we should be. So for all of you parking lot photographers out there here are five great landscape locations close to Calgary and either just off a parking lot or within an easy ten minute walk of a parking lot. You may still need bear spray but that’s a story for another day. Two-Jack Lake Two-Jake Lake is located just north east of the Banff town site at the southern end of Lake Minnewanka. You...

Drumheller – in the footsteps of Dinosaurs    Southern Alberta is world renowned for its natural beauty.  Wide open prairies, big skies, badlands and ghost towns await. All of this natural beauty makes for plenty of opportunities for a holiday photographer.  Drumheller may be your best bet as a base for exploring this part of southern Alberta.  And it’s right in the centre of the badlands at the start of the Dinosaur Trail so there are plenty of attractions for you and your family when you’re not behind the lens.