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Coat of Arms

In monarchies such as Canada and other realms of the Commonwealth, a coats of arms and armorial badges are emblems of honour and may only be borne by ancestral right or of a grant made to the user under due authority. Ancestral right means you must have descended from an ancestor who lawfully bore arms…. Read More

The Northern Lights: How are Auroras Formed?

Whether you’ve seen the northern lights in person or just seen them in pictures and videos, one question probably lingers: How do auroras form? The famous Galileo Galilei first coined the term “aurora borealis” in the year 1619. He chose the name after Aurora, the Roman goddess who governed the morning. But long before the… Read More

Terms of Use

These “Terms of Use” set forth the terms and conditions that apply to your use of joshshankowsky.com (the “Website”). By using the Website (other than to read this page for the first time), you agree to comply with all of the Terms of Use set forth herein. The right to use the Website is personal… Read More

Privacy Policy

Who are we? My website address is: http://joshshankowsky.com. What personal data we collect and why we collect it Comments When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from… Read More

Auroral Flame

A photograph of a charred tree silohuetted by the aurora borealis.

Photo prints are limited edition and hand signed.

Other sizes and prints are available by request.

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Heritage Festival Sunset

I photographed the Heritage Festival here in Edmonton, Alberta. I was originally hired by the security contractors to do their photography of them in action. You may not see many of the photographs of them but I have decided to showcase some of the photographs.

The Heritage festival is an annual festival that showcases culture. Anything from dance to their local cuisine to history and more.  This year there was 71 outdoor pavilions each featuring a different culture and 25 stages throughout Hawrelak. It was absolutely amazing to go from one pavilion to another to enjoy the different tastes and smells. Having a unique opportunity to follow around the security it made the Heritage Festival seem like the world is smaller than it actually is.

Foodies unite! I’d plan to spend some money here, while entertainment is free the food prices add up especially when you’re sampling as many booths as you can. Prices aside it’s well worth the trip around.  It’s common to find similar foods at the tests for example skewered meat and elephant ears. The event samples are simply delicious. Food brings people together. We can see family meals are celebrated in many cultures, going to restaurants with friends etc.  Two pavilions in particular come to mind, France and Croatia. The two nations where rivals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. France took the cup while Croatia came in second place. Yet the pride of their nation was strong and a huge number of Croatians gathered on the streets to celebrate. For the festival these two nations are placed next to each other and they had a friendly rivalry.  France came with a replica trophy. The two shared in friendly jokes and laughter. In my opinion The Heritage Festival kicks it up a notch and helps bring Canada, and other cultures  together. It is a great way to celebrate multiculturalism in Canada.

The heritage Festival Celebrates Canada's Multiculturalism
A member of France poses in front of their pavilion at Heritage Festival

I invite you to check out my entertainment company’s website.  This site is where I place all my event galleries. Just click the link: https://www.SpassoEntertainment.ca

I am almost always open to photographing your event. I have years and years of experience focusing on events so please feel free to email me for a quote.

Luxury Travel- Maui

“If I just lay here, would you lie with me?”.Chasing Cars

I wandered upon this beautiful Hammock as I stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani. If you have ever stayed in a Fairmont hotel it is a must for the luxury traveler.
The Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel is perfectly located on the sea-side for both business and leisure guests in Maui Hawaii. The hotel offers a high standard of service and amenities to suit the individual needs of all travelers.
Inside this hotel is, Nicks Fish Market. It is a must for the local mahi-mahi (fish) and local catch.
For some excitement add some flaming strawberries!

Want to learn more about this hotel?

Hawaiian Luau

The origins of the luau go back to ancient Hawaiian tradition and has become a tourist attraction for the tourists that wish to get a glimpse of traditional culture. As the years went by the luau tradition became a timeless part of the Hawaiian experience. It is an event everyone looks forward to. Aside from dance the luau has a traditional feast. In this photo the crowd gathers around sunset to take a look at the main feature dish, Kālua pig (roasted pig).

Ono!

Delicious! or, “Ono” as they say in Hawaiian. I was able to enjoy some of Hawaii’s best traditional food. This food was to die for! Kālua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method that uses an imu, a type of underground oven. The word kālua, which literally means “to cook in an underground oven”, may also be used to describe the food cooked in this way. In this photo the pig is wrapped in banana leaves to retain moisture as it is cooked for 24 hours for the luau feast.

Photo was taking at the Grand Wailea Hotel. Please help support me by booking a flight and a hotel to Hawaii.

Wailula Falls, Hawaii

“Don’t go chasing waterfalls”.TLC

I originally avoided this photo until I took a second look the Wailula Falls.  These beautiful falls are approximately 140 feet (43m) tall and plunge into shallow waters (30ft/9m). They are located on the island of Maui on the Road to Hana, more specifically Mile Marker 45. It was a long day on the trails, we where exhausted so I only took a couple shots of these falls. There is a bridge we stopped just beyond.

Parking beyond the bridge I grabbed my tripod and jogged across the Hana Highway trying not to get hit by cars. I placed my tripod low and screwed on a neutral density (ND) filter to get the silky effect.

A couple photographer tips:

  1. The neutral density filter is like sunglasses for your lens. It will allow you to open your shutter longer thereby creating silky smooth waterfalls.
  2. Carry a lens cleaning kit. When I screwed on my neutral density filter I can hear the sand grind down my threads. Clean your lens!

There is a short path on the right side leading you to the Wailula falls. Be aware of slipper rocks. Hawaii is such a beautiful place!

Want to go see these falls? Visit my travel site:

Red Sand Beach, Hawaii

“Clap your hands y’all it’s alright”.DUKE DUMONT

This beautiful, yet hidden, beach is located on the Road to Hana.  Parking can be tough but in my opinion it is worth it.  Paths are slightly narrow but are relatively easy to conqueror. The rocks form a nice break from the waves and offers a unique photo opportunity with a contrast of turquoise waters with the red sands. Trails coming up to the beach are not marked.

Once you’re on the beach do not be alarmed of naked people running around as this is also a nude beach.

Travelling in February is means its humpback whale mating seasons. Take this opportunity to view these magnificent creatures. That come to start new lives.
Extra tip: Hiking in the train may result in landslides for this location. Please plan accordingly.

If you like this blog or my photos please support me by checking out my travel site!