The Back Roads of Westfort

Even though it was a bit of a chilly day, I decided to go for another quick walk after lunch. Whereas in the morning I was in Port Arthur, the afternoon brought me to the depths of Westfort. It had been a while since I took photos on the overpass so I decided to head there. After spending a short amount of time getting some photos in and around the overpass I walked all the way across and explored some of the road on the other side of the tracks. 

As far as I can remember I had never been back there so it was quite interesting. I immediately tried to get down to the river to get a photo of the big ship but it was sadly all closed off. Even an area where you could normally go down the water was also locked down. My plan for next time is to bring my long zoom lens and find an angle somehow. Hopefully the ship is still there. 

Regardless, I headed to the James Street Swing Bridge. Even though it's closed off to traffic, you can still walk across. I was able to get some decent angles from the bridge but I did have to shoot through the fence. Actually, one of my favourite photos of the day was of the old mill in the background, which was shot through the fence. It almost looks like smoke is on the outer edges of the fence but it's part of the fence which is blurred. I just like how it ended up looking, almost vintage, by accident.

Once I was done on the bridge I made my way back to Gore Street which would eventually take me to my car. Before I got there though, I managed to get a few more cool looking photos. Along the way, I was warned by a friendly neighbour that there had been a black bear roaming around the day before. So, I think I will take a break from Westfort for a bit. 

In case you are wondering, I took all these photos with the Fuji X-T1 and the 35mm 1.4. I shot in both JPG and RAW. Lately I have been using the RAW images mainly because they are more forgiving with the the highlights, especially with the bright winter skies. 

To the Marina and Back

Last week Anne and I managed to go for a walk to the Marina. It was so nice out and actually still is so we definitely like to take advantage of this weather when we can because who knows when it's going to suddenly get cold. Instead of walking the main streets we decided to take some of the alleyways and side roads we don't usually walk down. It always amazes me how much there is to see when you just head off the beaten path a bit. Plus, you often get to see some backyards of houses as well which I always find kind of interesting. 

Like most walks, I decided to bring along my XT-1 with the 35mm. I just love the fact I can carry it with me using the wrist strap and I hardly notice it's there. Plus, because of the flip screen it allows me to easily get down low without getting dirty. I'm constantly amazed at just how good the colours are straight out of the camera. The photos below are still processed a bit but nothing out of the ordinary. 

Hopefully this good weather continues and we are able to keep going on these walks. When I'm driving I always see certain neighbourhoods I want to explore.