Louella Lester – Seeing and learning while holding camera and pen between me and the world.
The elms are old, some have been here for more than a hundred years. Many are huge, trunks too thick for you and your friend’s arms to encircle, when you join hands. Winnipeg has the largest urban elm forest in North America. And the elms are disappearing. Elms are beautiful. Each summer, as I …
I get excited when I hear the weather forecaster predict fog—the exact opposite of the dozy feeling that comes to mind when people talk about being in a fog. It's as though early morning fog was created specifically for photographers and writers, but I know it's for everyone to enjoy. So, early on a …
When I was seventeen, I moved into Winnipeg from a small community in rural Manitoba. In the country it was dark at night, unless there was a full moon or the northern lights were out dancing. At first, it was hard to fall asleep in the city—background light was always seeping in through the blinds …
I know a lot of people who really love cats. I’m not obsessed with cats, but I do like them and love certain ones. And…shhhhhh…I now like them better than dogs, though I still like big mutt dogs. When I was growing up, out in the country, a few dogs lived with us at different …
Sometimes we want to keep it simple with something familiar (like this week because I was busy on a writing retreat). So, if it’s early fall and you live on the prairies, that might mean the classic big sky and flat fields, and maybe a few trees. The sky could be layered with heavy clouds …
It turns out that the type of architecture in which I prefer to live or work is very different from that which I'm drawn to when I'm holding my camera. It’s the stark beauty of clean lines and simplicity that attracts me when it comes to taking photos of buildings. And this tendency toward minimalism …
I’ve always been fascinated by bridges, not the sleek young ones, but the old ones that were there before I was born. The ones that have been holding us up, connecting us, and allowing us to go places for more than decades. They remind me of storytellers. Think about all the pedestrians, cars, trucks, …
The news can be terribly negative. It’s important to keep up with what’s going on in the world, but we should never let the bad overwhelm us into forgetting the good. Look at the feature photo above. We can focus on the grey clouds and the possibility of rain. Or we can soar the wind …
Near the entrance to the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre in southern Manitoba there are signs that mention the fragile environment and remind you to stay on the paths. When you see the abundance of marsh plant-life in the area, it’s hard to believe in its fragility. Somehow you think these grasses, reeds, and …
Do you have a favourite moon song? If I were to pick one I’d have to say it’s Van Morrison’s Moondance. It could be the melody—how it makes you want to sway. It could be Van’s smooth voice—how you have to sing along. Or it could be when I first heard it. The song was …
