This week in pictures: The #OttGatLove deep freeze edition

Cold enough for ya? *rolls eyeballs*

I’d like to thank Nowell (really, no sarcasm!) for inadvertently scheduling the “Why I love Ottawa/Gatineau” photo contest during the coldest week in eight years. If it weren’t for his inspiration, I’d have spent my lunch hours this week huddled in my cube with my wee pedometer recording only the steps required to get to the bathroom and the printer and back. But my fierce sense of photo competitiveness, mixed with a good dose of adventurousness, and an utter lack of common sense, had me out scoping and shooting some of my favourite downtown subjects almost every day this week in temperatures that dipped to a brain-numbing -40C wind chill. So I got both the photos and my desired number of steps almost every day, and only a little bit of windburn on my cheeks. I think we can call that a win!

At the risk of tipping my hand and spoiling the big reveal during the upcoming silent auction, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that this photo will be one of the ones I submit to the contest. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know how much I love the Rideau Canal in all seasons, and from the moment I heard about the contest, I knew I wanted to try to capture a good canal shot to submit. I was delighted when the last bit of the canal was opened for skating at the end of the week, and yesterday spent a delightful extended lunch doing the penguin walk down the canal from the NAC to the Corktown Bridge and back.

What says I Love Ottawa/Gatineau more than love itself? (As I said on the Flickr caption, I have deep admiration for people who can skate holding hands. Personally, when I skate I need my arms free to flail and pinwheel.)

Skaters on the Rideau Canal

I tried not to take too many photos of the Parliament Buildings, but at the end of every day the ones I loved the best all seemed to feature them. I mean, I do love them – I think they represent Ottawa’s history, and being the capital has of course shaped the city we love today. Aside from all of that, though, I just think they are lovely and my camera is magnetically drawn to them. See?

#ottgatlove contender?

Parliament silhouette

Rideau Canal - almost ready for skaters! #OttGatLove

Speaking of cold (did we speak of anything else all week long?) this was the scene on Sunday as I was driving home from Barrhaven. That was the day it started out 6C and raining, then turned into a blizzard. Then the wind kicked up, and I found myself in one of the more intense white-outs I’d ever seen. Then the temperatures started dropping and the sun came out, but the wind kept howling. What a day!

Blustery blowing snow

But it wasn’t all cold and bluster this week. I spent a warm and lovely hour indoors meeting this interesting woman, an entrepreneur who needed headshots for the business she is launching. I hope I have this much energy and gumption when I’m in my retirement years!!

Ottawa entrepreneur

(I’m also really pleased with this one for technical reasons. We didn’t have a great spot for backgrounds, so we used a bedsheet draped from the kitchen covers and then I used photoshop to smooth it out and add a bit of colour and texture.)

Although it was great to be back using my Nikon again (it’s more reliable in the deep freeze than my iPhone, which shut itself down more than once in complaint this week!) I did manage to catch a few extra shots that didn’t make the shot of the day list.

Only my profound love for Ottawa would get me out snapping pix for #ottgatlove in -18C!

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So although working downtown has given me a lot of ideas and inspiration for the photo contest, the one thing that’s hugely and obviously missing is the thing that’s just about impossible to capture while I’m wandering around downtown at lunch time: the boys! Because much as I love the canal, the Market, the Parliament Buildings and the rest, the thing I truly love about Ottawa is what a great place it is to raise a family. Hoping to find a good shot or three at Shiverfest this weekend!

What do you think of the shots so far? I have until Monday to decide which one to submit. Got a favourite or an idea for another shot? Let me know! And by the way, in case you didn’t see it, if you decide to play along and submit a photo, it doesn’t have to be a current photo. You can submit your entry here.

Author: DaniGirl

Canadian. storyteller, photographer, mom to 3. Professional dilettante.

7 thoughts on “This week in pictures: The #OttGatLove deep freeze edition”

  1. Love your photos! I agree with you, the photo of the people holding hands while skating on the canal is my favourite too. Good luck!

  2. love all of them Dani. but, I would choose the skating one to enter, as it makes you FEEL something. lots of folks will go with shots around Parliament, but this on of the canal is special.

  3. I love the first one! It’s stunning. I also like the Parliament buildings above the playground one – I think it’s the colour. They’re all fantastic shots, though. Looking forward to seeing more!

  4. Love them all! But agree that the skaters holding hands one is gorgeous and just that little bit different from the usual.

    And, that playground looks familiar! Never seen it so buried in snow though. Is the rink in that park usable? Might have to bring our skates the next time we visit my parents.

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