The Ride to Conquer Cancer

Our son Jeff completed his third Ride to Conquer Cancer this weekend.  Its an annual event, a 200 kilometer ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls, over two days.  Mary Ann and I drove to Niagara Falls to meet him on Sunday afternoon.

There were over 5,200 riders this year, and they raised over $20 Million for cancer research at Princess Margaret Hospital, one of the top 5 cancer research hospitals in the world.  By early afternoon, the crowds at the finish line were cheering on their riders. 

Riders came from all walks of life and all ages, from teenagers to one rider in his 90's.  Many were cancer survivors themselves, one rider was blind and rode tandem with his doctor.

Jeff came through the finish line in a pack, so getting a shot of him was a challenge.

Once finished, he was able to relax a little. 

The congestion at the finish line was unbelievable, so we recovered his overnight bag and headed for the car. His knees were bothering him a little this time, so I think he was glad to finish.  And he had some equipment trouble, blowing a few inner tubes on rough roads near the finish. Jeff rode with two friends, Mike and Augustina, and thankfully they were able to lend him their spare inner tubes.  The course was well patrolled by equipment trucks, but who knows how long it would take for them to arrive.

Here is a shot of the three riders after the finish.

And a couple more of Jeff.

Congratulations to Jeff, Mike and Augustina on their finish.  They must have enjoyed themselves, they all signed up to do it again next year.

What would a photography blog be without a photography lesson. Shots of moving subjects are great for capturing the sense of motion.  Panning the subject with a slow shutter speed is the idea, but the trick is to make sure you have a focal point that is not moving very much, and stays in reasonable focus. In the image below, I am focused on the rider's face.  Another trick is to make sure the subject is moving across the frame and not moving toward you or away from you.

[Nikon D3, 24-70mm lens, ISO 200, 62mm, 1/25 at f20]

For more on capturing motion, check out my blog entry from New York City, here.

If you are reading this blog for the first time, don't forget to review the archives at the right side for earlier entries. And feel free to share this blog with your friends. If you have not already done so, please enter your email address in the "Follow my Blog by Email" box on the right hand side. It will be much easier for me to stay in touch with you. If you don't see a signup box on the right side, then click on the blog heading and that should take you to a webpage with better graphics. You should then see the signup box on the right side.  If you have trouble signing up, send me an email at mark.girard@rogers.com.

Thanks for reading...

Mark

The Raptors

While driving back to Victoria from our side trip to Tofino, Mary Ann and I read about a Raptor Centre where eagles and other birds of prey are raised and trained.  We planned on stopping in on our return to Victoria, but learned that the last flight demonstrations were at 3:30 in the afternoon and the venue closed at 4:30.  Alas, it was nearly 5:00 so we missed our opportunity.

But we did find another day to make the drive back to Duncan, about an hour north of Victoria.  Having seen other well run Raptor centres in Ontario, this was a definitely a world class venue.  They have trained birds of prey for roles in feature films and commercials, and they provide birds under contract to airports and waste facilities to keep other birds away.

While walking toward the reception area, we met a trainer with several newly hatched eagles, hawks and owls. What a great first impression! The reception area was a bright space, and very warm, just perfect to keep two Barn Owl chicks cozy.  They were three weeks old, and could barely stand on their own.  My first guess was a Turkey Vulture, but on reflection, I can see the resemblance to adult Barn Owls.

I was hooked on the place already, and had only just arrived.  We were 30 minutes early for the next flight demonstration, so we had a chance to view some of the birds that were perched in the sunlight.

There were several Bald Eagles, Red Tail Hawks, Swainson Hawks, Turkey Vultures and Owls.

The flight demonstrations were well attended, and very interactive with the children in the audience. Although the children did have to hide any plush souvenirs they had purchased in the souvenir shop (for obvious reasons).  And we were told not to raise our hands, also for obvious reasons.  We sere sitting only a few feet from the perches.

Selena was our demonstrator, and was very knowledgeable about the birds she worked with.  Despite her young age, and small stature, she was very confident in her abilities, and in control of the birds.

Here is an image of the Bald Eagle flying to Selena.  When the eagles are in flight, their wingspan can be roughly six feet across, and the talons are very imposing.

Selena also demonstrated the abilities of a Red Tailed Hawk.  Although much smaller than the Bald Eagle, Red Tailed Hawks are adept at blending in with their surroundings, and waiting for a rabbit or rodent to enter the scene.

We also saw Turkey Vultures up close, a face only a mother could love.  They are masters of smell, and can find thermal columns and ride the air currents for hours.

And finally, the Great Horned Owl.  Nocturnal hunters, and more amazing, they are silent flyers.  Prey cannot hear the wings flapping until it was too late, and neither could we.

We were very happy that we found an afternoon to drive back to the Raptor Centre.

If you are reading this blog for the first time, don't forget to review the archives at the right side for earlier entries. And feel free to share this blog with your friends. If you have not already done so, please enter your email address in the "Follow my Blog by Email" box on the right hand side. It will be much easier for me to stay in touch with you. If you don't see a signup box on the right side, then click on the blog heading and that should take you to a webpage with better graphics. You should then see the signup box on the right side.

Thanks for reading...

Mark

Around Victoria

Our trip to Victoria was to help Phil celebrate his 60th birthday. Phil is Mary Ann's brother, and has lived in British Columbia for years.  We don't see him often, so the opportunity to visit was not to be missed. We travelled with Mary Ann's mother Bea, and her niece Aimee and son Simon.

Phil and Susan at brunch.

We had a nice brunch at a restaurant on Cordova Bay.  A beautiful spot on the east side of Victoria.

Victoria is a lovely city, with a population of approximately 400,000 in the Greater Victoria Area. One thing I've noticed about Vancouver Island is the respect the residents have for the environment.  Beacon Hill Park is only a few blocks away from downtown Victoria, yet is clean and well kept, and is teeming with wildlife.

Another example.

But what has the locals excited is the return of nesting Blue Herons.  They had been absent for the last few years because of the aggressive eagle population, but have returned to Beacon Hill Park this spring.  The pine trees were full of nests.

The squawking of the chicks reminded me of Heron nesting grounds in Florida.

The notion that these birds have chosen a downtown location to nest is absolutely amazing to me.

[Photographer's Note: I only had a 80-200mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter on a full frame camera, so I wished I had more glass with me.]

The find was unexpected, and very rewarding.  I could photograph these birds all day.

I've got one more series of photos from the trip, so stay tuned...

If you are reading this blog for the first time, don't forget to review the archives at the right side for earlier entries. And feel free to share this blog with your friends. If you have not already done so, please enter your email address in the "Follow my Blog by Email" box on the right hand side. It will be much easier for me to stay in touch with you. If you don't see a signup box on the right side, then click on the blog heading and that should take you to a webpage with better graphics. You should then see the signup box on the right side.

Thanks for reading...

Mark