All posts by kenben

I am a landscape,nature photographer
Photography

The Photo At Your Feet

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The photo at your feet.Many times while out photographing I have come across a nice composition right at my feet.It really pays to look down and see what is there before you while you are scanning the whole landscape. I call this the photo within the photo.The above photo was captured during a late Spring evening and the water was glowing from within. Placing the 6 ” waterfalls in the top left hand corner and framing the gold color water with the rocks I was able to create this awesome photo as the color just pops out at you.

The photo was taken with a zoom setting of 41 mm and a shutter speed of 0.8 sec f29.The ISO was set at 100.You could almost call this micro landscape photograph or photo art.

The photo shown above is another capture that I created by looking down in front of me.This particular photo has beautiful lighting and pure energy.By using a slow shutter speed you create flow patterns that help in the creation of the photo.

The photo was taken with a zoom setting of 41mm and a shutter speed of 1.3 sec f 29.Remember at this close range you need your depth of field for the detail.So until next time,look down and happy trails.

Photography

Rugged Rocky Hills and Roaring Rapids

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It is always nice to come across a scene that can create a strong sense ruggedness,power and wilderness.When I came across this series of rapids the lighting was a tough call.The water had too much harsh lighting and wind in the trees.Fortunately there was a nice blue sky and a wonderful cliff face to lead you into the photo.The really cool aspect was by using the angle of the cliff from top to bottom I created a follow through for your eye into the photo.The high cliff in the background helped create ruggedness with the green of the trees to offset the rocks.By adding the rocks on the left I created more depth to the photo and at the same time limited the amounted of water shown in the photo,eliminating some of that harsh water.I still retained the S-curve in the water flow.You will also notice that the back end of the river is in shadow and I had to open that up with Photoshop.I was set up on the opposite shore on I high cliff looking up river.

The zoom lense was set at 33mm,with at shutter speed of  1/10 sec. @ f22.I will be going back to this site sometime this year as I would like to redo this shot under more softer lighting and shadows.So until next time happy trails.

Photography, Uncategorized

Aux Sauble River

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As you have noticed most of my photographic work is in and around water. Paul Smith of Whitefish,Ontario and I have spent the last few months hiking into and along the Aux Sauble River North of Massey Ontario.This wilderness area offers excellent photo opportunities. The river system flows out of  Aux Sauble Lake,52 miles North of Massey and twists and turns until it empties into the Spanish River in Massey.The Spanish River in itself empties into the North Channel, which is part of  Lake Huron in the Great Lakes System.

There are many scenic locations to discover with beautiful rock formations.The river has a number of rapids and waterfalls along its length. We use a hand held GPS to explore the region.The terrain is rugged so you have to be in reasonably good shape.

The vast majority of my work is created in the evening.The drawback is that you have to allow enough time to get back to the truck before it gets too dark.The above photo was shot with the zoom lens set at 30mm and a shutter speed of  2 sec at f22. In setting up this photo I used the water as an S curve to lead your eye into the photo.Framing with the rock formations also helps when creating your photo.

The above photo was shot with the zoom set at 28 mm and a shutter speed of 0.4 sec at f22. This is the same location as the first photo but taken  a couple weeks before. You will notice that the lighting is very different in these photos,creating different effects and tones.The first photo is much warmer and the color stands out.The 2nd photo was also taken earlier in the evening allowing for a faster shutter speed of 0.4 sec.You must go back to the same locales many times and observe the behavior of the lighting and also the time of year.

Just to be able to be in these locations is a blessing for me.To listen to the water rushing over the rocks and enjoy the serenity….pristine silence and beauty of these locations is well worth the effort to capture.Till next time happy trails.

Photography, Uncategorized

Exceptional Lighting.

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One of the things I am always on the look out for when I am out hiking is Lighting effects on various trees.This usually occurs late afternoon and into the evening.The trick is to fine a composition to fit the tree into.The above photo shows an example of what I did to show the best effect of the side lighting.I created a very tight composition showing quiet water along the river’s edge,some green reflection of the tree in the foreground and reddish rocks to add depth and color.This photo was shot with the zoom lense at 80 mm.The shutter speed was set at 0.6 sec @ f22.

Early evening lighting filtering through the trees and side lighting  the evergreens atop a cliff was the subject of this composition.Using the rocks as a base and the water in the foreground I was able to complete this photo.Shot with a zoom lense set at 100 mm and a shutter speed of 25 sec and f 5.6.

There are many lighting effects to be seen as you hike along trails and rivers edges, you just have to learn to observe the various effects and see what type a composition you can come up with.So until next time happy trails.

Photography

McGee Falls

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Happy Easter everyone and your families.

A couple weeks ago Paul Smith and myself stopped in at the East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge.The lodge is located 22 miles North of Massey in a  beautiful wilderness area.You may access there website for more info and plan a beautiful photographic experience.

http://www.thunderbearlodge.com

The hospitality is excellent.We stayed for coffee and Jerry the owner of the lodge told us about McGee Falls. We headed out there yesterday with two quads from the lodge as the falls is 5 miles off the main road. Paul and I are novices at driving quads so we took our time driving over some pretty rough trails.On arriving we where not disappointed  in the scenery.An area of pristine beauty lay before us with rushing water and colorful rock structures.

The day was cloudy with a threat of rain and very windy.It was difficult photographing at best.We were able to get some photos by not photographing any trees in the photo as you can see in the above photo.The photo was shot at 135 mm with a shutter speed 0.3 sec at f 22.

The next photo was shot with the zoom lense set at 56 mm and a shutter speed of 1 sec at f 22. There is some nice lighting in this photo and I wanted to show the rocks to good effect.The cloud cover got darker and it started to rain so we thought we had better head out and back to the lodge.

If you are ever in the area stop in for a coffee with Jerry and enjoy the scenery.For those looking for a different photographic adventure call Jerry at the East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge and make arrangements.

East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge

Photography
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This past Sunday I took a trip into Cameron Falls for an evening shoot.The sky was clear and blue with no cloud cover.The wind was brisk and cool but we have to remember it is still March.The water levels were quite low and there were lots of pools. A trio of Hooded Mergansers flew in to the open water below the falls. It was fun to watch the males chase after one another in there attempts to court the female.

With blue from the sky,copper from the rocks,gold from the evergreens reflecting into the pools and the low light filtering through the trees onto the rocks in the top right hand corner I created this colorful scene.

I set my 28-135 zoom @ 80mm and the shutter speed  at 1 sec,F22.Using the black rocks for fore ground  I set this shot up.

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Northern Spring

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Spring appears to have arrive in the North country.The rivers are starting to open up and Paul Smith and I headed out to Chutes Provincial Park,Massey. It was a beautiful warm sunny late afternoon.The photo possibilities were scarce but I managed to get some shots in.We found an interesting piece of ice sculpture and I created the composition above with the ice along the shore line as a lead in. The water is very dark at this time of year,which allowed for better contrast in the photo.I shot this photo at 1 sec at f22 with the zoom lense set at 30 mm.

This photo was taken in the same locale but at a different angle. The ice formation is very prominent here and you can use your imagination as to what you see.I used sections of ice in the foreground to add depth and low shutter speed to give the water a soft look. Again the dark water adds contrast with the snow to create a pleasing effect.The photo was shot at 0.4 sec @ f22 with a zoom setting of 28 mm.

I find that at this time of year there is not much color and the lighting can be harsh off the snow. We waited till late evening to do most of our photographing.

Photography

Mares and Foals

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As an owner along with my wife Maureen of a Miniature Horse farm I have many oportunities to photo these wonderful little horses. The foals are usually born between April and June. The best time to photograph the little foals is in the first 2 weeks. You have to remember that the foals average only 20 to 22 inches in height. Most of the time I am down on my knees to catch the action using my 28 to 135 zoom lense. I set the camera on shutter priority and set the 3.5 frames per second to capture the action.

I like to turn the mares and foals out around 10 in the morning to get good lighting as shutter speed is a priority in this type of shooting.You have to learn to anticipate action and be ready for it.It is a joy to watch these little foals run and jump and play. They sure can run and turn on a dime. You usually have about an hour of fast action and then the little ones get tired and take a nap under the mares watchful eyes. There is a lot of luck involved here too as you have to be constantly on the watch for shots like above.

The main thing here is get low on the ground,fast shutter and be able to anticipate what is going to happen.

Photography

The Fine Art of Lighting

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Every once in a while as you go about doing your photographing you look up and catch a scene that is made in heaven. Realizing that you only have moments to capture it you grab your equipment and rush to set up. You appraise the scene for a proper composition and set up the tripod and camera. I had to get as close as I could to get an effective composition. The whole scene lasted about 2 minutes so time was important. The sun was below the treeline and receding very quickly. There was enough fall color to add the extra touch to the photo and the lighting had reached its maximum point as it was starting to recede. There was a bit of reflection in the water to add depth and I found a rock to add to the foreground for added depth.

This photo was shot at a lense setting of 135mm set at 2.5 sec @ f29.I took this photo 5:30 in the evening last September.With high hills surrounding the creek and falls it tends to darken early.When photographing you should always be aware of your surroundings for that special photo opportunity.The lighting at late evening changes very quickly.

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The Magic Moment

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The sun has disappeared below the horizon,the sky is clear. There is about 30 minutes of shooting left. The rocks transform into a beautiful warm reddish glow.The Magic hour.I looked at this particular setup and I wanted to show the color and detail of the rocks. The rushing water helped create depth but at the same time I didn’t want the water to overpower the composition.I created a very tight photo. The settings are 80 mm set at 10 sec @f29. This created the silky and misty feel to the water.

Remember to carry a flashlight with you as you will be walking out in the dark when shooting this late. It can get tricky when walking rough trails in the dark.