Waterton Lens Flare

The green, blue and red hexagons in the trees weren't created by Photoshop; I shot this photograph on film on Mom and Dad's T70 back in 2002. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I think it's neat how cleanly the light bouncing around in the lens split perfectly into red, green and blue...although now I wonder why there aren't also a yellow, indigo, violet and orange flares as well. Hmmm, well, that's the wonder of science! I'm sure someone smarter than me will explain in the comments. The Earliad depends on its readers for exactly this purpose! 

Glacier National Park, 1983

These photos were all shot with my second Kodak, the one that shot 110 film. This was the trip when we drove right past then Vice President George H.W. Bush's limo; he was at the park for some reason. 

Observing the Observers

Here's another enigmatic image from our 1983 journey to Glacier National Park in Montana. For reasons lost to time, I used my little Kodak 110 camera to shoot a photo of some tourists looking skyward. What had they spotted? A mountain goat? A cougar? A mountainside forest fire? A UFO?

I'll never know, for my 14 year old self thought the observers were more interesting than the observed. Clearly my shutterbug instincts needed honing.

Waterton Lakes, 2002

I've been fascinated by maps since childhood. One day, I came across a map showing Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, straddling the border of Alberta and Montana. The name alone inspired me; it seemed somewhat grand and majestic, a place of importance hidden away in a forgotten corner of North America - or at least so it seemed at the time. 

I didn't get the opportunity to visit until 2002, and then only the Canadian half, Waterton Lakes National Park. I'm not a great photographer, but as I hiked through the park I did snap a few shots that serve as a poor window into the area's beauty.

Waterton-Glacier is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it's easy to see why once you visit. I hope to return again one day soon - and next time, I'll hop over the border to visit Glacier.