Now, with these being night shots, I wasn't terribly happy with the results, as there was a LOT of noise when I went to look at post-processing them. Then I recalled a friend of mine had recommended Bibble Pro 5, as it had a basic version of Noise Ninja integrated with it. Intrigued, I downloaded it, gave it a quick test, and here is the result:

The Bow at Night IMG_1362a

Of course, you can't really tell how the noise reduction performed when the photo is reduced to a web-friendly size, so here's a before and after comparison of a small section (100% crop) of the photo:

Before Processing	After Noise Ninja

I'm quite impressed with how well it reduced the noise in the photo. With some tweaking to Noise Ninja's settings, I'm sure it could have done even better. To that end, I'm now taking Bibble for a broader test drive to see how well it fits into my overall workflow.

Cloudscape IMG_0863

This also marks the end of the WordPress-based online store. We are moving the functionality over to our Gallery online store, so you will still be able to access and shop online for our photos and videos with the same credentials that you had previously.

We're working hard to get the rest of the site working again and even adding a few new features as we go.. Thanks for your patience!

On the evening of August 3rd, 2010, a recent Coronal Mass Ejection was going to hit the atmosphere. In an attempt to photograph some of the Aurora effects we were expected to see, I hit the road after midnight and headed a little bit south of the city. Unfortunately, nature conspired against this and it remained cloudy through the next hour and a half or so. Of course, it didn't really help that I could still see Calgary's light pollution from where I was. Disappointed that I couldn't get any cool Aurora shots, I headed home.

I got back somewhere between 01:30 and 02:00, realizing that I would be pretty run down for work the next day. As I was getting into bed, I heard these little crackling, popping noises coming from outside and shrugged them off as possibly kids setting off firecrackers or something. Then I heard a really loud BOOM and sat up thinking, "I … don't think that's a firecracker." I went to the windows wondering if I could see anything. Nothing out the front of the house, so I went to the back (looking northward), and saw an incredibly scary sight!

Cranston Fire IMG_0891

The fire department got there in short order and the police went from house to house getting everyone to evacuate. We gathered at the parking lot of the shopping complex down the street and could only watch as they worked hard to get it under control. A city bus was brought in for shelter and the local 24-hour Sobeys brought around some coffee and water for everyone.

Cranston Fire IMG_0927

Thankfully the houses on fire were safely evacuated and no one was hurt.

At around 4am, we were told that we should start to make preparations to find another place to stay as the air quality became very poor and unsafe. With our house being on the opposite side of the crescent, we were allowed to run home to grab a few things and started to look into where we could go for the night. We went back to the parking lot and ended up staying around for a little longer. Little by little, the police were allowing people to go back home, starting with the houses that were furthest away from the fire. We were very fortunate that we ended up being able to return home just after 5am.

The next day, we went to take a look at the aftermath of this crazy night. The fire inspectors were looking over the buildings and the street was still lined with other fire department vehicles as well police cars and local news crews.

Cranston Fire IMG_0944

A very sad day indeed for the families affected. If you would like to help out, they can be reached by email at soude29@yahoo.com. Unfortunately, it seems the fire department wasn't able to conclusively find the cause of the fire.

Calgary Herald Links:
Fire engulfs three Cranston homes, Aug 4
Investigators fail to find cause of fire, Aug 12

Other Photos:
Cranston Fire Flickr Set