I sometimes find my little prairie village difficult to photograph. With five streets running in one direction and two the other, the options would seem limited - especially after living here full time for the past ten years. But really it's about imagination, or lack thereof. And how to overcome limited thinking, and negative thoughts in general. There is always something new to discover.
Late last winter - on Valentine's Day - I was having lunch with friends at the café when big fat snowflakes started coming down. I excused myself and ran home for my camera. Any time ordinary reality is transformed, by fog or a big storm or falling snow, there may be a photo op. Here, the manager of our grocery store clears snow from the sidewalk. At the end of the street is the cenotaph honouring those who served in wars of the 20th Century, and behind that is the heritage grain elevator. Sadly, the café, which had just opened, was deep-sixed by Covid the following month. Bad timing. So many small businesses have gone under in the past year while the big global corporate entities have increased their profits and thereby increased the gap between the rich and poor. But that is another story.
In this photo the placement of the central figure was critical. She had to be in that gap, otherwise a tree trunk or telephone pole would appear to be growing our of her head - a classic example of unlucky overlap. Fortunately I saw that and positioned myself accordingly.
Two more shots to come from this day, and then the Tour de Val Marie will end as we transition to something else.
Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2020 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: snowfall snow snowing big fat flakes winter white prairie village sidewalk clearing snow broom woman working Val Marie Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page
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These young women were walking back to their vehicle, carrying prairie dog live-traps. Although I spoke briefly with them after making a series of telephoto shots, I can't remember whether they were working for Parks Canada or the Calgary Zoo, which partner up frequently to study and support prairie wildlife populations in various ways (eg. habitat restoration, reintroduction of species, etc.). Maybe the zoo, because they aren't wearing Parks Canada uniforms or insignia.
The Black-tailed Prairie Dog reaches the northern limit of its range in Grasslands, where there exist a couple dozen dogtowns. Populations there fluctuate due to a variety of factors - disease, weather patterns, availability of food, predation, and so on - and are constantly monitored. Staff track numbers of individuals (estimated based on a specific procedure for observation), and they weigh and measure individual animals to determine health before releasing them on site.
These studies have been going on for a couple of decades. All the "prairie dog ladies", as they are referred to locally, seem to love their jobs. And why not? They have interesting careers: they get to be outdoors in spectacular places, working with critters, keeping fit by hiking, and there must be satisfaction in doing good work, useful work.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: field work young women two prairie dog studies live traps dogtown colony wild prairie green spring beauty science ecology wildlife habitat Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2019
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After a day away from Flickr I'm back to continue the Working People photo series. (I can't keep up my previous pace; in my mid-seventies now and feeling it, at least some of the time. Yesterday was an early-up & out shoot day and I had nothing left afterward. Will try to catch up.)
Five years ago the main access road was finally resurfaced. Prior to that it was potholed and crumbling, and had been for years. One year it was voted the 2nd worst highway in Saskatchewan, narrowly missing out on the prestige of recognition as the absolute worst. But it's good now. And these guys were a big part of that.
I made this shot on assignment, working with my friend, writer Judith Wright, who was doing a magazine story on roadwork. These guys all own their rigs, a huge investment for each of them. They were happy to pose for me, but unfortunately to them that meant smiling into the camera - striking a pose! Which wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I had some trouble communicating what I wanted. In the end, I had to resort to some slight of hand, pretending I was photographing their rigs until they forgot about me, which gave me a chance for some quick, candid shots. And in the end, the magazine chose only photos of drivers smiling into the camera - go figure. This was an outtake.
It was October. The road work was almost done. A dusting of snow had drifted in overnight, but the weather remained good, it wasn't cold at all - look at how they're dressed - and the white stuff would melt away before day's end. They are standing on one of the village roads - not part of the paving project, unfortunately. It looks about the same today. More snow, though.
Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: working men work truckers heavy duty truck road work fall autumn cottonwood trees prairie village snow not cold October Val Marie Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2018
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Here's another shot I made on assignment, illustrating another magazine article by my friend Judith. It ran as the lead photo for her story, published in August 2018 by The Western Producer magazine, a regional publication out of Saskatoon covering agricultural issues.
Jagmeet owns and operates a big rig to haul gravel for road construction (farmers have to get their grain to market, and road transportation has replaced the railroad in recent decades - hence the agriculture connection). He and other Sikh gravel haulers were based in Val Marie for a few weeks in the fall of 2018 while the local highway was resurfaced. When I approached him to ask for a photo, he was not only obliging but a natural in front of the camera, and I had the shots I needed within minutes.
Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: trucker man Sikh Punjabi portrait driver truck gravel hauler construction road work crew big rig infrastructure working work prairie highway resurfacing in the cab owner & operator Val Marie Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page
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This is my house. That summer, a freak storm slammed us with 2-inch diameter hailstones that destroyed every car in its path. My rolling red Toyota blind escaped because I spent that afternoon in a dentist's chair 125 km to the north. Alas, I couldn't bring my house along on that trip, and my roof was badly damaged. As a result, three roofing companies got rich. I had to wait in line, but eventually they got to me before it rained (advantage of living in an arid location).
Well, everything's a photo op. That day, I had migratory birds in the backyard, but I took a few moments to document the work on my roof. With new shingles and eavestroughs it ended up looking pretty good. Now if only I could convince myself to repaint the green trim, which is even more cracked and faded after the passing of five more years...
One more to come, tomorrow, in the People at Work series.
Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Tags: roofers working at work house roof repair after the storm square my house prairie village Val Marie Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2018
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