2405_2892 Astragalus spatulatus
I had not been to the top of 70 Mile Butte for three and a half years - since I shot a video there for Tourism Canada with Madonna Hamel in 2020. She wrote the script, narrated, and acted in it; all I did was visualize a sequence of short clips to tell the story. Then, the demands of telling a story in 90 seconds forced us to dumb it down, repeatedly, until there was almost nothing left, LOL. That said, here it is - all 90 seconds of it, with editing and a couple of additional shots by George Tsougrianis:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekeBfDyjdtA
it was a sweltering evening; I thought I would die from heat stroke. Seriously. I had two white spots on my cheeks and felt weak and nauseous. Managed to recover and finish the shoot. But video is not my forte, and I like the views OF this landmark butte from slightly lower elevations, so I have avoided that trail - one I've hiked countless times - in recent years. Until this spring. The cool, wet weather lured me back to the top. I took things easy and had a great hike. And what did I find on top? Flowers galore!
The Tufted Milk-vetch, Astragalus spatulatus, was at its peak. There are at least 19 Astragulus species in Saskatchewan, and this one is considered rare. It flowers in May in low-growing cushions of rich magenta blooms, favouring well-drained, exposed rocky places. Like the top of 70 Mile Butte.
If you've watched the video, you can see instantly why I prefer stills. The detail. The detail!!! I enjoyed the collaborative project with my two friends, but the images go by so fast, just like real life. My entire career in photography has been about stopping the world so I can really see it.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2405_2892 Astragalus spatulatus
I had not been to the top of 70 Mile Butte for three and a half years - since I shot a video there for Tourism Canada with Madonna Hamel in 2020. She wrote the script, narrated, and acted in it; all I did was visualize a sequence of short clips to tell the story. Then, the demands of telling a story in 90 seconds forced us to dumb it down, repeatedly, until there was almost nothing left, LOL. That said, here it is - all 90 seconds of it, with editing and a couple of additional shots by George Tsougrianis:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekeBfDyjdtA
it was a sweltering evening; I thought I would die from heat stroke. Seriously. I had two white spots on my cheeks and felt weak and nauseous. Managed to recover and finish the shoot. But video is not my forte, and I like the views OF this landmark butte from slightly lower elevations, so I have avoided that trail - one I've hiked countless times - in recent years. Until this spring. The cool, wet weather lured me back to the top. I took things easy and had a great hike. And what did I find on top? Flowers galore!
The Tufted Milk-vetch, Astragalus spatulatus, was at its peak. There are at least 19 Astragulus species in Saskatchewan, and this one is considered rare. It flowers in May in low-growing cushions of rich magenta blooms, favouring well-drained, exposed rocky places. Like the top of 70 Mile Butte.
If you've watched the video, you can see instantly why I prefer stills. The detail. The detail!!! I enjoyed the collaborative project with my two friends, but the images go by so fast, just like real life. My entire career in photography has been about stopping the world so I can really see it.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.