Summer in the Land of the Midnight Sun: Lush gardens, beautiful flowers, small town living

What's so special about these photos of lovely flowers? All of the photos in this article were taken under natural light, and all at almost 11:00 p.m. - that's eleven o'clock at night - one of the benefits of living in amazing Northern Alberta. 

I take most of my photos while I'm out walking the dogs. They recognize my camera bag, and know that once I pick it up and start rummaging in it we will be going out soon - as soon as I check the bag to make sure I have everything I will need.

Both of the little critters are well-used to stopping every block or so while I click away, but they do get a bit antsy if I take too long lining up my shots. Because of this, I have learned to focus and shoot quickly, and rely on the computer to square up my photos, or crop out any less-than-lovely bits.

The dogs have become, in a way, unorthodox trainers. I may not be a better photographer because of their unwillingness to linger too long in one spot, but I have certainly become a more decisive one. I find I can mentally line up or "frame" my shots much more quickly now than when we first began our walks.