Panoramic photos work well in Saskatchewan

A long train parked along the level train tracks on the flat prairie next to a wooden grain elevator and on a cloudy, summer day makes for a photo that works best as a panoramic. The height of the elevator breaks up the horizontal lines by providing a focal point of interest. This elevator stands in Borden, SK.

Trains haul the grain away

While trucks are needed to get the grain to the elevators, trains are used to haul the grain from the elevators to the mills and shipping ports. That is why the elevators were built next to the railway tracks. Duh! Oftentimes trains would pass by while we were photographing the elevators, so we had to be careful not to be in the way. It did make for more interesting photos such as this one. Here the train cars are waiting to be loaded. The photo was taken in Rosthern, SK where I grew up. I hauled quite a few truck-fulls of grain to Rosthern elevators.

Closer view of old elevator

The elevator in Waseca, SK is looking quite old and weather-worn. It makes for interesting photography as a result. This particular shot I made of the elevator looks good in colour and in black and white. I'm adding them both to today's blog as I can't decide which one looks better.

Moving grain elevators to farms

When we were driving around Saskatchewan looking for wooden grain elevators we saw many that had been moved to neighbouring farms. When the elevators closed down farmers would bid on the elevators and the winning bidder got to move the 80 foot "high-rise" to his farm. This set of elevators was located just outside the village of Peterson. The name of the farm, "J & L Farms" is written over the word, Peterson. Normally we didn't photograph farm elevators as it seemed intrusive to drive onto a farmyard and take photos. This one I was able to take quite easily as it was just across the street from the village.
I took this picture on an overcast, wintery December (2002) day with the sun shining behind it. I gave the photo a sepia tone to give it more of an old-fashioned look, more in keeping with the subject.
Does anyone know the history of this elevator?

You call this flat?

Those who weren't raised on the prairies complain about the flatness of the prairies. This photo shows part of Saskatchewan that is particularly flat. We took this photo through the windshield of our car as we were heading to Eston. During this trip through part of central Saskatchewan, whenever we spotted an elevator in the distance we would check the odometer to see how far away the elevators were. The furthest ones were 15 kms ahead! Now that is flat. The joke about watching your pet dog run away for days is based on this notion of flatness. Considering that the prairies were once a giant sea bottom helps explain the flatness of the terrain. The gulleys and pockets of trees are the left-overs of the receding glaciers during the ice age. If you're ever in Regina there's an interesting section in the Royal Saskatchewan Musuem that shows the history of the prairies back to the ice age. http://www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/gallery/life_sciences/life_sciences_gallery.shtml

Prairie Sentinels

"Sentinel: something that seems to be standing guard or keeping watch." Grain elevators are often referred to as prairie sentinels, and judging from the definition of the word, sentinel, it certainly applies. This photo I took of Plato, SK shows a large grain elevator standing in the middle of the village. Imagine that the elevator is the village guard, big enough to look over everything and to keep any misdeed in check. If only elevators could talk and tell stories of life in their villages. I guess we'll have to leave that up to the town "gossips", or storytellers.

When is photography art?

This photo was altered using Photoshop Elements and applying the filter called "glowing edges". I haven't changed the original photo other than adding this effect. It changes the appearance drastically, yet to me it offers another way of looking at the subject, in this case, grain elevators. It's not quite a painting and not quite a photo, but to my way of thinking, it's art.
Photographs have been altered ever since they were invented, so is this really any different? Now we can alter photos digitally, which probably wouldn't even have been considered if it hadn't been for the images manipulated by photographers prior to the digital age.
If you want to see any of my posted photos at at larger size simply click on the photo.

Reflection of an elevator

After taking photos of the Langham elevator I went to the back of our car to put my camera away when I noticed the reflection of the elevator on the roof of the car. The car's blue paint made the reflection look like a lake. When we showed this photo at craft sales a number of people approached us and asked where the lake was in Langham as they didn't recall one being there.
As a photographer one decides whether to take photos as realistically as possible or to take whatever one sees even though it may change the "genuineness" of the photo location. I say there's nothing wrong with taking such photos as long as it's not presented as "fact". Photo journalists must be particularly careful not to manipulate scenes or situations in order to sell their work to newspapers.
What do you think of photos such as this one?

Sunrise on elevators

We got up early on August 28 2001 so that we could drive to and photograph elevators at sunrise. It was a gorgeous morning with just a bit of cloud cover, but not enough to fill the huge Saskatchewan sky. The landscape is quite flat as everyone knows, and oftentimes it's difficult to show the great expanse of the horizon on the usual 4 X 6 photograph. By making the photo into a panorama I think it better relays the sense of the vastness of the prairies.
This photo was taken of the Kenaston elevators at 6:30 a.m. The morning sun casts an interesting light on the elevators, causing them to become the brightest objects in the photo.
Does everyone know Saskatchewan's logo? "Land of Living Skies".

"Happy" Hallowe'en?

Just curious. Why do we wish others a happy hallowe'en when the intent is to scare people silly? Unless of course we mean, "crazed" happiness, or deliriousness.

Anyway, I don't think it was on Hallowe'en but I remember how we scared some of our cousins who were climbing up the ladder inside a grain elevator near our grandparent's house. My mom's parents lived in a little house in the village of Waldheim, SK. We would get together with all the relatives and visit with our cousins while our parents argued politics or cracked jokes as they sipped hot coffee and ate. The house was too small to fit all of us in at once, so as kids we'd find ourselves outside looking for entertainment. My grandparents happened to live on the same street as the grain elevators, so we had an instant playground by running up and down the elevator's approaches and hiding in the openings in and around the elevators. We couldn't go inside but there were ways to climb up the ladders that were placed in between walls. Our parents warned us about how dangerous it could be around these huge buildings, but this one time one of my cousins and I noticed that our other cousins were scaling one of the ladders. We were just starting to change our voices, so my cousin in as low a voice as he could make, yelled "Get down from there!" It worked! They began scampering down real fast. We took off before they could discover who had ordered them down, laughing all the way.
Here's a photo I took of an elevator's approach that reminded me of these times playing near the elevators at Grandpa and Grandma's. I found the sign on the door to be "cute".

Small town, Saskatchewan

Being raised in or near a small town is an experience that is different from the city. Everyone knows each other, everyone's business is their own, alliances form, dislikes can't be avoided. You see each other in the store, at the post office, and in church. The only way to avoid bumping into someone you know is to go to the nearest big city, only to find that other fellow-escapers are there, too, trying not to be noticed.
On the other hand, this sense of community means that people are looking out for you and will look after you in times of need. That to me was the most important advantage of living in a small, tight-knit community.
Here's a photo of small-town Saskatchewan. I took this photo of main street in Zenon Park in June 2003 and thought it represented many other small towns just like it, complete with a grain elevator in the background.

Intriguing sign on elevator

This sign on the side of the Birch Hills, SK elevator advertising a product for grain farmers caught my eye as I was taking pictures of the elevator. The artistry reminded me of the Soviet Union's art that they used to promote nationalistic pride in their workers, in particular. I'm not a trained artist so if someone knows what this type of art is called, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

A description of how elevators work

I came across a web page that nicely describes how grain elevators function. If you're interested and to save you the leg- (or is it, finger-) work, here's the link:
http://www.virtualsk.com/current_issue/look_its_something_vertical.html

Video of train passing by Mortlach, SK elevators

As I look around the internet for photos, etc., from Saskatchewan elevators, I'm amazed at how much there is. Someone even has a video on You Tube that shows a train passing by the elevators in Mortlach, SK.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wr8rxI_dJuA&mode=related&search=

Elevator photo collection online

I just discovered that someone already has collected many elevator photos, not just of Saskatchewan, but across western Canada. I've added 23 of our Saskatchewan grain elevator photos to the site. They are looking for more to add, so if you have any, upload them. No charge and some exposure. Have a look.
http://www.grainelevators.ca/

Memories of times past on the prairies

The wooden grain elevators that served farmers on the prairies are fast disappearing. Before they're all torn down a photo memory is all we can hope for. We have collected photos from 110 towns and villages and cities in Saskatchewan.
Memories are a wonderful thing, and hopefully these photos and the comments will trigger some for you, too.
What do the wooden grain elevators mean for you?
For me, I see a towering landmark that let's me know well before I arrive that I'm approaching a certain village or town. The flatness of the prairies makes it difficult to see what's ahead unless something stands out. Sometimes it's a water tower, or especially large groves of trees, but the constant "marker" has been the grain elevators with the name of the place printed on it in bold letters. As these elevators are being torn down and replaced with concrete monoliths, the landscape just isn't the same. This may sound nostalgic, but that's the way I see it. I know, a way of life is going, but at what price? Small centres are dwindling away, and farmers have to hire or purchase huge grain trucks to haul the grain to the nearest "inland grain terminal", as they're now called. The smaller communities are now forced to extend themselves out of their natural surroundings and, as a result, become isolated, having lost their common element--the grain elevator.
Taking photographs of these prairie icons is my attempt to keep history alive, to stave off the inevitable, to solidify our fading memories.
Are there others out there who feel the same? Your comments are welcome.