When I first looked at this scene, I saw a lot of contrast and depth.
The yellow colored shrubs in the foreground. The dark evergreens behind.
Then the mountains in the background in great detail.
The dark clouds swirling around.
As a different tack, I showed less sky and more foreground in this composition.
The photo was taken in Whiteswan Provincial Park
Interesting concept here. The mountains appears as black and white. The foreground shows as color. I did not alter the mountains. They are as they appeared. Devoid of color.
So I developed as you see. The stark harsh reality of the mountains. The lush and denseness of the forest. If you look close on the mountainside you will notice the blackened trees from a previous forest fire.
I was in Whiteswan Provincial Park in BC. This photo was taken at the end of Wolf Lake. On the other side of the trees is Whiteswan Lake
I was driving home on HWY 95, North of Fort Steele. I stopped at a rest area. The Kootenay River flowed here. I picked up a trail along the banks of the river and explored.
The evening was late. The clouds were heavy. Then all of a sudden the forest was aglow in a wash of light, The mountains in shadow to the left. A touch of color in the sky.
The river continues its journey.
Patience, Patience. That is what its all about. Unlike my painterly friends who can create how they want. I must wait for the right moment to happen. Whether it is today, tomorrow or sometime in the future, I must wait for the components to fall in place. The lake to be calm. The lighting to be just right. The right cloud cover. This is the game I must play to get the composition I want.
Then you get a day when everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. Then I will lock in and start shooting. I have been creating photographic works for many years now. I do not even think anymore. I just perform. I am a happy man doing my thing.
The bottom line of all this is you enjoy the wonders of nature. You breathe the clean, clear air around you. The scenes before you capture your heart, taking your breath away.
I spent the whole day surrounded by beauty. I drove up the side of the mountain. I drove down the other side of the mountain. Before me was a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. This was White Swan Provincial Park. There are two lakes located here. Alces Lake and Whiteswan Lake. The above photo shows the back end of Whiteswan Lake.
The camera is set up on the tripod. The composition is ready. The wind is fickle. One moment it is calm. Then a breath of wind disturbs part o your scene. A ripple upon the lake surface. You wait and you wait. Then, the wind is gone. A photo is shot. The wind comes again. You quietly wait. The calm returns. A photo is shot. The sun breaks through among dark clouds. There is brightness on the mountains. A beautiful composition has been created. Whew.
A beautiful little lake located just off of Hwy 95. The Kootenay Hwy North of Fort Steele BC. It is designated as a rest area. With the mountains in the background, calm waters and Rainbow Trout feeding on the surface.
I spent considerable time at this location waiting for the right conditions to photograph.
Finally I was able to stitch together a panoramic composition as you see above.
The joys of art when one discovers something unique. I was at Fort Steele near Cranbrook BC. I noticed this old building at the edge of a field. So off I went crossing the highway. As I approached the building I could see Fisher Peak in the background. Now here was a bonus.
The composition became the old house with the mountains in the background. The yellow of the grass complimenting the house and the green of the evergreens. I spent a happy two hours here watching the play of lighting and moving clouds.
This house was built sometime in the 1920s or early 1900.
