Another Great day on Halifax Harbour

Good Friday from Prospect.

I'll end the week with a little lighter post.

No need to rush with that spinnaker hoist, now is there.

Enjoying the weather on the Halifax Waterfront

Mar II

Georges Island in the middle of the Harbour

Thought I'd share this one with you from 2010. We were out on another exceptional day on Halifax Harbour. Well exceptional for everyone except the J24 National competitors. 

You see, you need wind to race sail boats. No wind, no competition. It was the last day of the Nationals and I don't think they got enough in the afternoon to run more than one race until the time limit. Wind picked up afterwards.

Anyway, that was the reason we went out, to watch.

The Sylva

Fortunately for us we had a wonderful afternoon, as well as anyone else that had the opportunity to enjoy this cities waterfront.

Enjoy the pics, Derek

A York Redoubt stroll

Good Wednesday from Prospect. 

Took a quick trip to York Redoubt today. It's a historical Park which used to be a fortification just south of Halifax. It's a beautiful spot to walk and the view of Halifax approaches and MacNabs Island is stunning.

I went with a dear friend, Ann. She wanted to take her dog Sima for the afternoon walk and asked if I'd tag along. I hadn't been there in a while and since I was armed with a camera, and some free time, I said yes. Always like to find some time to take pics.

Not a breath of air on top of that hill, which wasn't going to be good for the RNSYS wednesday night racing. Which by the way is easily viewed from York Redoubt if you're ever inclined to take that in. They usually start around 5:30 in the summer months and 6:00pm in the fall every Wednesday night.That will be a story for another day.

Anyway, I find those sort of Parks/Fortifications fascinating. They make me feel as if I was there at the time of their use. So when I photograph them I tend to show how they make me feel instead of shooting shiny touristy shots, if you catch my drift.

I've attached a good selection of the days shoot for you to enjoy. If you get a chance to visit, do so. It's a wonderful spot to take in a good stroll. Dog friendly as well, as you can see.

If you want to know more go here: http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/york/index.aspx

Enjoy, Derek.

I'm Back with the Clippers

Good Monday from Prospect.

So here's the scoop. I've been on a hiatus for a bit. Those of you who got my Facebook post a while back will know my Mom passed away May 26 which means I've lost both parents in 10 months. If it wasn't for the fact that I have lots of caring family around me I'd officially be an orphan.

Well to move to a lighter note, the boats in the water and ready to go…finally. First sail this week.

Thursday's Child at the RNSYS

For an interest note the Clippers are in Halifax until the 15th at RNSYS. These are 10 68 foot open racers racing 8 Legs around the world (40,000 miles). They started in the UK in August 2011 and has now finished it's second to last leg in Halifax, NS.

Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron

The boats are tied up at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron (the oldest Yacht Club in North America) and will be here until the 15th.

I had an opportunity to fire off a few pics just as they arrived. Looks like they are going to have a great time here in Halifax.

Clippers at the tender dock at RNSYS

You can check them out here (http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com). Want to participate, check it out on their site. The idea is to share the experience.

Evenly matched 68 foot racers

At RNSYS

Gold Coast on the inside finished well ahaed of the pack today

Well, have a good one and see you tomorrow with more of the festivities here in Nova Scotia. Should prove to be a busy summer.

Enjoy, Derek

A little beauty on the Halifax Waterfront

Good Wednesday from Prospect. 

Today I'm going back a bit in time, September 26, 2007 to be exact. I was shooting a Pentax K10 with an smc Pentax 12-24 f4.0 This camera was a C-size, CCD sensor at 10 mp. I think I had it for a year or two before I sold it.

CSS Acadia on the Halifax waterfront  f8.0, 1/125, ISO 100

Anyway, I was hired to produce some Interpretive displays for the HMCS Sackville by the ships trust. The Sackville is the only surviving Canadian Corvette from the second world war. She has been painstakingly restored and stands as a floating museum here in Halifax Harbour.

After my initial meeting I made a point of shooting her and the ship that is berthed just down the Harbour in front of the Maritime Museum, the CSS Acadia. (If you're interested in these two vessels you can board the HMCS Sackville when she is open during tourist season and the CSS Acadia is part of the Maritime Museums exhibit.)

I wanted to be dramatic with these and accentuate the length of these hulls. So I brought out my ultra wide for the job. I thought the fisheye would be way too much and I wasn't interested in the curvature that that lens would have produced. As a matter of fact these are shot at the 24mm end (36mm in full frame).

I just wanted to capture all the vessel without getting too far away. Yes, I probably can go into Photoshop and pull the Acadias bow forward, but what I wanted is what the camera saw through that lens. Could have grabbed a 50mm and stepped back in the parking lot too, but once again I wanted to get up close and personal with these.

They were both shot in the early afternoon. One of those beautiful first days of fall, here in Nova Scotia, and the start of our Indian summer. Sometimes the weather is nicer here in the early fall than all summer and, if you are a photographer, the light is beautiful this time of year with the fall foliage putting on it's best colours for the show.

Although these are shot around 1 pm, the sun has dropped enough to give me a little longer shadow for depth, since, after all, it is September.

I shot these with a slightly warmer white balance and a 2 stop ND to cut the bright sun off the hulls. But it was bright enough to hand hold the camera. Although I think you're allowed to use a tripod on the waterfront I'd recommend against it during the busier times of day. The Halifax water front can get pretty hectic from June to the end of October.

Until then...

Enjoy, Derek

HMCS Sackville on the Halifax waterfront    f8.0, 1/125, ISO 100

Last Summers adventure

Deanne acting up the sign as we entered Massachusetts.
Out of the car for a leg stretch.

Good Friday from Prospect. Yes I didn't do a fresh post on Thursday morning, but I did do two on Wednesday, right?

Another stormy spring day with gails here again. Looks like another chance for after storm photography tomorrow morning.

Anyway, this is what I was up to last summer, and thank goodness the winter is gone.

To start this off here's a sad note. My Dad was diagnosed with cancer in March. No hope and not a year to be himself.

Funny how your mortality tends to surface at these times of your life. Kathy (my wife) and I had been looking for the right boat, and right price, for quite a few years.

This event sparked my final drive, now or never. I wasn't waiting until 65 to do the retirement boat trip. Wasn't going to happen.

Through shear luck, and probably my Fathers want for his children, we found it in Connecticut. Just what we seem to be looking for. Last thing he asked me was where our first trip would be.

My wife Kath in Conneticut.
I think she's happy with our choice

We went down to Essex after making the deal online and on the phone. All was in place. Wish I could have shared this with him, he grew up on the water in Prospect village, as did his Dad, Grand Father and Great Grand Father before him, but that was not to be. On July 15, 2011 my Dad passed away (6 days before the boat would arrive here). I'm not going to bring up all the things he's responsible for that make me who I am here, but suffice to say I was proud to call him Dad and gave him a kiss on his cheek every time we met and left each others company. Yes I Loved him and he is missed

But to carry on with this story, which is now one of my new adventure into what would seem to be my last third of life. Maybe - who knows for sure.

We bought Thursday's Child and had her shipped back here to Halifax. Gave her a great cleaning and set her in the water August 21 2011. We had the chance to sail her inside Halifax Harbour for the remainder of that year with a lot of good times already.`

Here are a few photos of our trip down, but mostly of her arriving and us enjoying her sail.

A special Thanks to a dear friend and fellow photographer, Jamie Morrison, for the photos of us sailing her in Halifax Harbour (next to MacNabs Island). Obviously I couldn't take them myself.

I hope to include lots of stories of the Nonsuch group and the places we will be visiting along the East Coast of Canada.

Her arrival in the boat yard at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron in July 2011

So onward and upward to new adventures. She should be back in the water by the end of May. As stated in my book, if you don't get my response right away, you'll probably find me traversing the great coast of Nova Scotia on Thursday's Child and shooting the boundless beauty of the East Coast. Don't worry, I'll get back to you as soon as I stop with cell phone in hand.

Thursdays Child with the Queen Elizabeth in the background
photo courtesy Jamie Morrison

If you read this blog and see us in an anchorage or sailing along, don't hesitate to give us a shout. In the words of the Canadian comedian, Ron James, I'm in a boat and you're in a boat too... SO WAVE!

Enjoy and have a great weekend.  Derek

Just off MacNabs Island in Halifax Harbour
photo courtesy Jamie Morrison

Route Halifax Saint Pierre Ocean Race

Now although, through circumstances beyond my control, which I don't wish to go into, I was unable to join in the race to Saint Pierre from Halifax.

I t started here in Halifax on July 10 2010 and with a solid and steady 15 - 25 knot wind the race was completed by the first boat in just over 29 hours. If I'm not mistaken the first over was Derek Hatfields "Spirit of Canada".

Anyway, I was at least fortunate enough to go out on the harbour and photograph the start aboard Ann Aclands A31 Anticipation, which I sail as regular crew out of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron.

Here is the gallery of the days events [http://www.justthat.ca/RH

SP_2010/July_2010_start/].

Those of you who are interested in purchasing any of these just email me at capture@justthat.ca.

The official site for the race is

www.routehalifaxsaintpierre.com.