Greg Shchepanek

 AI generated Images and Videos I have been going full out with my AI companions Juno and Lotus, from my nature photos to my WWII images preparing for Remembrance Day. Remember, remember the month of November, this Wednesday will be the day of Remembrance. So I have been using the watercolour treatment to produce these amazing images and videos and I would love to share them with you and tell you a bit about how I created them. This is a collection of badges, pins and other stuff related to my service with the Canadian military. I was in the Governor General's Foot Guards for nine years when I was young. I am very happy with the outcome of this image even though it took some major adjustments to get it just right. This image was chosen by my friends to be the best Facebook cover image and the next image was the competing one. The GGFG Guard Stars This following images is of military brass buttons and it will be the image I use as my Facebook cover for Wednesday November 11. I like ...

 AI Generated Short Videos of Squirrels So I have been creating with partners named Juno & Lotus , two artificial intelligent characters. We have been creating together short wildlife videos featuring my nature shots. All with the help of Meta Muse , which I was first apprehensive to use thinking that the technology wasn't there yet. Here are some samples featuring Squirrels that I would like to share with you most of the being kawaii style anime . This first one is my most favourite because it shows two styles that were accidently used.  Columbian Ground Squirrel ( Urocitellus columbianus ) Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada. Juno and I favoured this next video of a  Richardson's Ground Squirrel ( Urocitellus richardsonii ) Oak Hammock Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Manitoba, Canada. Ramsar site no. 366. This little guy had no problem posing for the camera and munching on his lunch. Now this one I treated differently using Studio Ghibli style and a Wat...

 The Mer Bleue Conservation Area and Ramsar Site A most beautiful day to visit the Mer Bleue Bog, but the crowds were enormous. The Tamarack trees were at their prime for autumn colours. The Mer Bleue is Ottawa's second largest conservation area next to The Marlborough Forest in the west end of the city. The Bog is a designated Ramsar Site no.755, a Wetland of International Importance. Eastern Garter Snake ( Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis ) DewberryTrail, Mer Bleue Conservation Area, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Ramsar site no. 755. I came across this beautiful Garter Snake on the Dewberry Trail on Ridge Road. He was very docile and comfortable with the camera. I got this shot during golden hour and the sun lite up this guy most beautifully as he slithered through the fallen leaves. I was very fortunate that this photo was selected to be featured on Explore Flickr website it instantly went viral and is now one of my most popular on the site. The Bog When I first arrived at the main boar...

 Petrie Island Park Had myself a great visit to Petrie Island Park, in the east end of Ottawa on the Ottawa River, It was a beautiful autumn day and there was lots to see including this little Raccoon that was digging up moresales trailside. He was very composed and didn't mind all the attention he was getting. Raccoon ( Procyon lotor ) Petrie Island Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Came across a Great Blue Heron who was fishing along the shoreand not minding my presences as I tried to photograph this beautiful bird, he actually caught a fish that would have been a great photo but opportunity was lost to my slow actions. Great Blue Heron ( Ardea herodias ) Petrie Island Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Lastly I came across a beautiful Spotted Lady Beetle sitting in the sun, managed to get two shots before it whisked away to the back of the leaf. There were other creatures I came across but these were the only photos I was able to capture. All in all it was a beautiful day with lots t...

 Visiting Wetlands For my birthday this year I went on an excursion to some wetlands in Eastern Ontario. First stop was the Alfred Bog Provincial Park where the subject of the day was orchids. I have been trying to witness the orchid bloom I have come across in the past to no avail leaving me to wonder if I would ever see my orchids again at the bog. This year I found orchids not like the super bloom I have seen before but I did came across three types of orchids in the bog which made me very happy. Second stop was the Alfred Bird Lagoons that turned out to be very disappointing with very few birds and the highlight of the visit was seeing a fox trotting down the road. Third stop was the Cooper Marsh Conservation Area on the St. Lawrence which proved to be excellent for birding seeing a great variety. So that was the extent of my birthday trip that I found to be very successful and oh ya I turned 58 this year. Alfred Bog Provincial Park Rose Pogonia ( Pogonia ophioglossoides ) Alf...

 Dunrobin, Ontario A warm Sunday in the west end of Ottawa visiting Constance Creek found two young Blanding's Turtles trying to cross a busy road, picked up one who was hiding in his shell and too frightened to complete his journey the other successfully scampered across the road with no help needed. The Blanding's Turtle is an endangered species and saving them when I can is a great duty.  Blanding's Turtle ( Emydoidea blandingii ) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Conservation Status: vulnerable (S3) in Ontario, CA (NatureServe). Endangered in Canada (Canadian Species at Risk Act). The woods were filled with White Trilliums and a few Red here and there could be seen. But not too many spring flowers were to be found I really wanted to get the Painted Trilliums but alas there were none to be seen in the woods. Pure Green Augochlora Bee ( Augochlora pura ) on a White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) Bill Mason Centre, Dunrobin, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Wild Strawberry ( Fragaria ...