Ottawa Race Weekend 2008

This weekend is the 34th edition of the Ottawa Race Weekend. It is Canada's premier running festival which combines competition, participation, and fundraising to help better the health of the community. Over 31500 people are expected to participate in the festival, with several different events taking place all weekend. There are the full and half marathons, the kids marathon, and family 2k fun run, among others.


I was able to get a good spot by the finish line for the family 2k fun run, and got a few nice shots. The winner of the family 2k fun run came in a good 30 seconds before anyone else.


Congratulations to everyone who participated!

Garden, and More

Our garden is now blooming and full of life with the recent wonderful weather we have been having. A few days ago I got a chance to get out there and take some shots of the flowers and plants around the house. I think some of them turned out rather nice. Have a look.

Foxie also wanted to smell the roses, and was out enjoying the sunshine.


I also got a chance to pass by the Parliament while there were still a few tulips around, and managed to get this shot.


Enjoy Springtime Everyone!

Lines

Today I wanted to briefly try to explain a few uses of lines in photography and composition, along with a few examples. First of all, lines are everywhere! You just need to keep an eye out for them around you and you will start to see them. Lines can be straight (vertical, horizontal, diagonal) or curved and can enhance the depth in a shot. Take this shot for example.


The curved line draws your eye from the bottom of the shot into the middle, and gives you the perception of distance as you follow the railing. Curved lines are generally pleasing to the eye, and create a feeling of flow.

Lines can also give you a sense of grandeur and strength, as in the next two examples.



In both examples the vertical lines give the architecture a feeling of power and height. Also, vertical lines are enhanced simply by shooting vertically rather than horizontally. This emphasizes the lines, and the emotion.

Diagonal lines can work well to direct your eye through the photograph and create points of interest where they intersect.


In this shot the diagonal lines draw your eyes to the subject of the picture. Diagonal lines can also add a dynamic look and sense of action to an image.

Horizontal lines help evoke a sense of stability, width, and calm. Horizons are the most common horizontal lines in photographs.


Unbroken horizons can create dull or uninteresting photos. Try to break things up by putting other shapes in the way. This will create a point of interest.

So keep an eye out for all the different types of lines, and don't forget to combine them and mix them up!

Canadian Tulip Festival

Canada's capital, Ottawa, plays host to the Canadian Tulip Festival every year in May. This year is no exception with the festival currently taking place, and running until next Monday the 19th. Over one million tulips grace the city in every colour imaginable. It is a photographer's dream come true. There are three major locations: Major's Hill Park, Commissioners Park, and Parliament Hill. Tulips from all over the world have been sent to participate in the event, and with the wonderful weather we have had they are all in full bloom.

Although the flowers are my favourite attraction of the festival, there are also many other things to see and do. Live musical shows take place every night, buskers can be found entertaining audiences, and even a few Canadian comedians take the stage. See the daily schedule for a list of all the events taking place.

I ventured out into the crowds of people that packed Commissioners Park on Sunday (Mother's Day) to get a few "hundred" shots of the vast beds of tulips found on the site. Clearly, posting that many pictures here is beyond over the top, however, I would like to share with you some of my favourites.

Enjoy!

Blog Begginings

Hi there! I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Fernando Matias, and I live in Ottawa Ontario. Over the past number of years I have jumped head first into the world of photography, and I have loved every minute of it! I think photography has always been inside me, it just needed the time, and experience to really come out. Even though I am sure I have improved over the earlier years I always feel that I have more to learn and attempt in this wonderful world. This blog is one way I can think of to showcase some of my work, as well as display some of the ways I have improved my photography. I will also try to explain some relevant photography techniques now and then, so that we can all learn together.

For now I would just like to share a few of my favourites that have been taken recently.

I hope you enjoy them!