Cover Art: Photo Challenge

After the chills that ran down my spine earlier this week when I heard about the horrific event at the Canadian Parliament I thought every newspaper and magazine will be covering the events in pictures, words and accounts as they try to piece together the how and why it happened. After all things like this don’t happen in Canada.

Here are my cover shots….

 

The Peace Tower and Canadian Flag a witness to lost innocence in Ottawa on Parliament Hill

This photo below was taken this past summer at the re-enactment of a battle of 1812 which, took place 200 years ago July 1814 in Chippewa Ontario. I added a soft focus to the  close up of a solider uniform and gloved hands.  The gloved hands are gentle.  Hands are meant to heal, help and hold. To me this photo  is a symbol of bravery and honour as Canadians stand up and fight for everyone to keep us safe. 200 years later this still rings true. Thank goodness to the quick action and thinking of those that risked their lives to keep so many others safe. Thoughts and prayers go out to the young man who lost his life.

This week Word Press asked us to show “Cover Art”. A photo that could grace the cover of a book, magazine or album.

 

Eerie Hallowe’en Like: Weekly Photo Challenges

I have posted this photo before, but it was the first idea that popped into my head when I saw the photo themes this week.

The Peace Tower at Night

This photo was taken in Ottawa, Ontario of our nation’s Parliament Buildings. I find it eerie in sepia and due to the angle. Normally the building is shot with blue skies and as a wide shoot taking it all in.

Parliament Buildings

Although come to think of it this sky looks a little eerie. Shortly after this was taken a heavy rain and thunderstorm passed through.

This is my response to 2 different photo challenges this week. WDBP wanted something Hallowe’en inspired; something that gave you the chills and looked a little spooky. Maybe this would remind you of Hallowe’en? The other is WordPress and the theme was eerie. Be sure to check them out to get all the detail and learn more about what they are looking for.

Stay Tuned…

One Shot Two Ways: Photo Challenge

This past summer I was able to head to Ottawa, Ontario the capital city of Canada. I have been meaning to show you more, but there isn’t a lot to talk about since I went for a conference and didn’t get to sight see too much. This week’s photo challenge gives me a perfect opportunity to show you a little bit more of the capital city.

Word Press has asked us to show a subject in two different ways.

• the shot can show landscape and portrait views of the same thing
• or a regular shot and the next zoomed in extra close

Here are my examples of the Canadian Parliament Buildings. I have included 4 shots in 4 very different views.

Here is the Peace Tower, which is the centre of the main Parliament buildings, just before sunset.

The Peace Tower

It had rained hard earlier that day as an intense thunderstorm passed through. Luckily this caught my eye and I was able to get an interesting shot of the tower in this puddle. A very different (and unexpected and unique) view of the same subject.

The Peace Tower after the rain

Then the sun set and I got this eerie picture of the Parliament Buildings. Yet another view of the same subject, but it still doesn’t ft WP requirements of orientation or zoom.

The Peace Tower at Night

The next day the storm had passed and blue sky and clouds made for great photos and cooler temperatures, which was much more comfortable for walking around and exploring. Here is the last view of the same subject in a different time of day AND orientation.

The Parliament Buildings

Which shot was your favourite?

The Peace Tower

The Peace Tower after the rain

The Peace Tower at Night

The Parliment Buildings

This is in response to WORD PRESS‘s weekly photo challenge. I think I could also link this back to Where’s My Backpack for architecture as well as Bastet’s Pixelventures for unexpected (for the puddle shot anyway).

Stay tuned… this is my third post today! I’m back to work on Monday, so I had to get them all done while I still have some free time. Be sure to check out the other posts I did today (if you haven’t already 😉 ):

• Unexpected
• Architecture

Stay tuned…

Masterpiece #2: Ottawa

After rereading Word Press‘s post about a masterpiece I had another idea. Cheri described the masterpiece the Sagrada de Familia a huge, amazing cathedral designed by Antio Gaudi. It is located in Barcelona, Spain and is still under construction over 100 years later. I saw it on TV when I was a teenager and I was impressed and vowed to myself one day I would go there and see if for real. Years later my dream came true. I remember the feeling of coming around a corner and there is stood. It took my breath away. It was truly a masterpiece and better in real life and more than I ever imagined or dreamed it could be. It certainly outlived my expectations. I expected the same reaction when I got to the Great Wall, but I was disappointed that I didn’t have that ‘take my breath away‘ reaction. That is not to say I wasn’t impressed, because I was. When I thought about something that gave me that little intake of breath I thought of this:

3 floors of books and a domed roof

This is the library inside the Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Canada, our nation’s capital. I had never been inside this building before and only made one other visit to Ottawa over 10 years ago. I didn’t have any preconceived notions or ideas of what it would look like, or really that such a thing existed. when we went inside it did take my breath away. Our tour group’s collective intake of breath was immediate. Our tour guide’s response…. “I know…. incredible!” He is still in awe after hundreds of tours. The lighting, design, details… just incredible. A true masterpiece in design.

The details and design amazing!

We were so lucky to be there on a Saturday since tour groups are normally not allowed to take photos. During the week it is a working library and the staff do not want the distractions or constant flash and photos. Can’t say that I blame them.

it’s all in the details

As a book lover it was the most amazing thing I ever saw. Our guide told us it almost was lost to fire many years ago. A fire broke out inside the Parliament buildings in a near-by room. Luckily a quick thinking individual closed the large iron doors and the library was spared. The beauty, books and so much history would have been lost.

Statue that greets you as you enter

The statue is of a young Queen Victoria. The building was completed in 1876 in a Gothic Revival style. Click here to get more information. The photos certainly do not do this magnificent structure justice!

The domed roof

What has taken your breath away?

Stay tuned….