FERNIE BRITISH COLUMBIA 02-28-12

Yesterday, it was sunny and I got a bit of the wanderlust. I decided to take Koty, my Siberian Husky and I to Fernie, British Columbia. One of the truly wonderful things about where I live in Montana is that I can be in Fernie in about 45 minutes.

I figured Fernie might have benefited by the recent storms that past by here. Boy, have they! I got maybe a foot. Fernie got over four! Can I say winter wonderland?

Fernie reminds me a lot of a Swiss Alpine village. It sits virtually in the middle of the Rockies. Every direction you look the mountain views are just amazing. I especially like the village/town because the people are so friendly. Practically, everyone gives you a nod or a hello. I also like to drop into the art stores and speak to the artists. I always love to see what other artists are up to.

This trip I had an especially nice visit with Stephanie Rogers, the proprietor at Stephanie's Glass Art. Stephanie does absolutely amazing stained glass. I got some great ideas for my kitchen renovation that I hope I'm going to get done this summer. If you're in Fernie drop in. You'll be glad you did. Here is her website STEPHANIE'S GLASS AND ART STUDIO

The other great thing about Fernie, especially for skiers, is the ski area. I'm told it's world class and at 2:00 pm on this day you could step on any lift without waiting. I don't ski anymore but that would be my idea of some kind of heaven.

Below are a few photos I snapped on the day.

Three Sisters

Rockies & The Elk River what little is under ice and snow

Kootenay Rockies

Legendary Fernie

Greeters Sydney and Caleb

Just to give an idea how much snow is laying about

Looks like a Christmas card

Snow so deep these hoses could just walk right over the fence.

I guess it isn't necessary to say but we had a great time in Fernie. We always do.

©Kinsey Barnard

MY SECOND MOST FAVORITE MONTANA BIRD

Here in Northwest Montana we have an incredible variety of native birds spanning the gamut from tiny chickadees to bald eagles. Truly the area is a birders mecca.

I love so many of these birds but my second most favorite is the pileated woodpecker. This woodpecker is quite large for a woodpecker, nearly the size of a raven. They  are very colorful and, to my mind,  have almost a prehistoric, raptor look about them. They also have a very distinctive call which I greatly admire. I Googled pileated woodpeckers and nowhere did I find mentioned about their call which I found surprising. It's call is very unique and easy to recognize once you've heard it. I can't put into words what it sounds like. But, it's enchanting to my ear.

What made me think of it was I ran into a pileated woodpecker whilst walking along the Tobacco River last week. It was the call that alerted me to his presence. He was high up in a cottonwood tree right along the trail over looking the river industriously pecking away. I tried to photograph him but between me and the bird were too many branches. This was the best I could do.

Pileated Woodpecker

Over on the River Walk trail, where they have stations of education, there is this image of a pileated and a raccoon which I think is just great.

Pileated Woodpecker and Raccoon River Walk Sign

My most favorite Montana bird?  The loon.

©Kinsey Barnard

WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT FRIENDS?

Thanks to every one who took time to lend a hand with yesterday's query. And, there were a lot of you.

Apologies to Michelle whose comment I somehow lost. Sometimes I  am certain there are little gnomes out in cyberspace that just mysteriously gobble up stuff. Michelle has been a cyber pal since I got started with using the internet to display my photography, about five years ago. She is a gifted painter and if you get a chance you should check out her work,  Michelle Basic Hendry. Michelle cast her vote for Skype.

After getting so much Skype feedback I jumped on the internet and went to the Skype website, paid my admission, downloaded the program and .... can't make it work. Everything went swimming well until I did the the call test.  Dialing out, connecting, video streaming and incoming sound all working perfectly. Problem is no one can hear me. Which some may appreciate. ;)

Naturally, Skype is one of those places where you are supposed to hunt all over the site and try and fix the problem for yourself. I gave it the old college try but was unable to find a fix. That's when I went to fellow photographer, dear friend and mentor Michal Daniel.  Michal, Misha to his friends, is a renown theatrical photographer. Check out this video to see his AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHY.

Misha is long time Skype user as well as OSX user. It was Misha who pushed me kicking and screaming into switching to Mac. One of many things I will be eternally grateful to him for. We spent at least an hour trying everything he could think of, still no luck.

I also got a lot of feedback from my pals at Silicon Investor where I have been a member for nearly 15 years. A great bunch of guys there. And I do mean guys. In my nearly 15 years as a member I've only run across a few gals. A great bunch of guys but they take no hostages.

I called Apple Care and confirmed everything on my end was working properly. Then I went back to Skype and dug around until I found a place where I could at least send an e-mail to tech support. I sent them a message outlining all the things I had done. A few hours later I got a reply telling me to do all the things I had already done. I replied I had tried all those things and am now awaiting the next phase of this adventure.

If I get it figured out, and I'm pretty determined, I will let you know in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

Thanks again everyone.!

©Kinsey Barnard

LONG DISTANCE CARRIERS - I NEED A LITTLE HELP

I'm so far out of the loop when it comes to what's up with phones it's not funny.

I've been using the MCI card to make long distance calls for the past ten years. It's a pain in the patookie but I haven't bothered to find out a better alternative. I was wondering when the card would join the scrap heap of obsolescence. I recently got my answer. They are kaput on April 17.

I have a cell phone but reception where I live is so poor you can't carry on much of a conversation. I need a land line solution. I have ultra high speed internet from my local phone co-op but their long distance is 9 cents a minute! At least it was last time I checked. If they've lowered it I'm sure it's still not competitive.

Anyway, do any readers have some suggestions for me? Keep in mind I live in the middle of a National Forest.

Any ideas or recommendations would be the bomb!

Kinsey Barnard

PERSONAL USE PHOTO DOWNLOADS

Since writing my last blog post Who Am I I've been giving the matter a great deal of thought with respect to marketing my photography.

I realize now that I have lacked focus. Part of the problem is probably ADD but I accept full responsibility. I've been all over the place with my marketing  efforts.  Like most artists I am far better at my art than I am at marketing.

As the song says I can see clearly now. And what I see is that I want and need to focus totally on my fine art photography.

My epiphany could be good news for fans and followers. Henceforth, the only print images I will be offering  for sale will be my fine art giclee prints.

What I'm going to do with the thousands of pretty pictures that I have taken, whilst searching for my art,  is make them available to the public as personal downloads. This means you can download an actual jpeg file and, depending on the size file you buy, you can do whatever you wish with it as long it's strictly for your personal use. You can make prints, note cards and screen savers just to name a few.

I'm just getting started with this project so you may want to bookmark the gallery and check back from time to time. I think you'll find some very cool images and I sincerely hope that you can make good use of them.

Just go to PERSONAL USE DOWNLOADS and browse away.

©Kinsey Barnard

WHO AM I?

Who am I? In some ways it beats the hell out of me. As a photographer I'm pretty clear.

I've been working on completely revamping my website and part of that project included updating my bio and my reason for being as a photographer. I thought I'd put it up in this space as well.

I began my photographic odyssey over forty years ago whilst studying for a degree in Journalism at California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. Raised on a ranch in Ventura County California my fascination with nature and wildlife is as old as I am. That I would find a way to combine the two passions was only natural.
From the beginning my heart wanted me to be a photographer, my head sent me down a path that was more in line with family expectations. I ended up a vice president in international investment banking in San Francisco. But, my love for photography and the natural world never waned. After retiring from banking I was able to spend more "quality" time with my camera. Eventually, with much encouragement from friends, I decided to make my work public.
My artistic inspiration comes mainly from Thoreau and Monet. Thoreau taught me about nature and observation. Through observation I have developed a keen awareness of the wonders of nature. Through my photography I endeavor to share that awareness with others.
Long before it was a popular notion, I believed photography to be an art form. Monet imbued me with the drive to attempt to create paintings with my camera. Using light and reflection, I pay homage to the impressionistic style particularly in "Bow River Impressionism", "Autumn Leaves" and "Whisper of Monet".
My goal with my photography is to create images that look more like paintings than photos. Images that once hung on the wall most observers would declare “a beautiful painting!”. 

I do this without the aide of digital gimmickry. Many images are exactly as they came out of the camera. Those that have had some editing received no more than what was done in a traditional darkroom. I no longer use colored lens filters because I get what I want more precisely what with a computer editing program. Other than these minor adjustments my work is au natural.

My primary canvas is water. However, I find extraordinary natural works of art can also be found in rocks, boulders, tree bark, pebbles, forests, clouds, fire, ice and just about anything anywhere, when I am truly looking and seeing.

The world is awash with digital photos. My focus is not in creating more pretty pictures, although I have plenty of those too. I am not out to excite, shock, thrill or titillate. My objective is quite the opposite.  I wish to show people the breathless beauty that is all around them. I strive to point out that this beauty can be found in the most mundane places, yet mostly goes unseen and unnoticed. I want people to look at these amazing works of nature and find something that soothes their senses and intrigues their minds. I want to create images that beckon the viewer to step off their spinning wheel, and spend some quality time with the wonders that are nature. Quite simply, I wish to show people a side of photography and nature that they may not have seen before.
"You can observe  a lot just by watching." Yogi Berra
I am an old fashioned kind of country gal. I believe my word is my bond and any commitment worth making is worth keeping. My fondest hope is that when I die I am in the wilderness with a Nikon in my hand and a smile on my face.
You can follow my exploits at my blog The Kinsey Kronicles and on Facebook
Also on Twitter

Kinsey Barnard
Just a woman in the wild

WHITNEY HOUSTON FAREWELL

I was truly saddened to learn of Whitney Houston's passing. What an incredible talent.

I'm not a celebrity watcher so I really don't know that much about her beyond her music. I do know she had problems with drugs and a very volatile relationship with her husband.

According to an article I read this morning she has recently had some very bad reviews and a concert where the audience walked out on her. Hard to imagine. Sounds like a movie script.

Houston's story holds some important life lessons. You can be rich, you can be beautiful and you can be famous but that is no guarantee you can be happy.

Unless you have walked in another's shoes, you cannot know why they make the choices that they do. Still, no one has the right to judge Whitney Houston even though I think it's fairly clear that she made some less than optimal choices. But, it was her life to live and so she did. It wasn't the right way nor was it the wrong way. It was just her way. I just wish she had chosen a different way because at the age of forty eight she could have gifted us with a lot more of that extraordinary voice. Ciao bella!



©Kinsey Barnard

DON'T MESS WITH OLD PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN MONTANA

An old prospector shuffled into the town of Garnet, Montana leading a tired old mule. The old man headed straight for the only saloon in town, to clear his parched throat. He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail.

As he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey old man, can you dance?"

The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, "No son, I don't dance -- Never really wanted to"

A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, "Well, you old fool, you're gonna dance now!" and started shooting at the old man's feet.

The old prospector, not wanting to get a toe blown off, started hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet. Everybody standing around was laughing.

When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon.

The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled 12 gauge shotgun and cocked both hammers. The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air. The crowd stopped laughing immediately.

The young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very slowly. The silence was deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and the large gaping holes of those twin 12 gauge shotgun barrels.

The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man's hands, as he quietly said; "Son, have you ever kissed a mule's ass?"

The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, "No sir -- But I've always wanted to."

There are a few lessons for all of us here:

*Don't be arrogant.
*Don't waste ammunition.
*Whiskey makes you think you're smarter than you are.
*Always make sure you know who is in control.
*And finally, Don't screw around with old folks -- They didn't get old by being stupid!

I just love a story with a happy ending, don't you?

WILD WOMAN

 This morning a fan sent me this video because it made her think of me. It makes me think of me too. It also makes me sad for the wolves.

It is a beautiful video as far as I'm concerned but here in Montana such thinking is considered heresy. Wolves are predators you see. They kill,  maim and harass. They take what they want even when they don't necessarily need it. Hmm, who does that remind you of?

Ranchers want wolves destroyed because they kill their herds. Hunters want wolves destroyed because they kill the game. That humans hate the wolf for killing domestic animals and wildlife is a real irony to me. Why?  Because the reason people want to wipe out the wolf is so they can be the ones doing the killing.  Wolves do what comes naturally. What's man's excuse?

If one took the time to study wolves they would find they are not much different than humans. Only we don't like to admit it and humans are probably a lot more violent toward their own species. We like to hold ourselves above the animals. That is a societal fantasy.

©Kinsey Barnard