Photography

Capturing Waterfalls

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BirchCreek_2037Work

Waterfalls are a unique blend of rushing water, rock structures and trees. The most common trees found near waterfalls are pine and cedar trees. Most notably in Northern Ontario. You can find pockets of broad leaf trees such as Maple, Oak, Poplar and Birch. In the Fall broad leaf trees can add a dash of color to your composition as shown above.

The height of a waterfalls can vary as to location. The color of the rocks are different from location to location. At this particular waterfalls the rock formation is basically black to grey. Other waterfalls you will fine granite that is a reddish color. By photographing in the Fall you can offset bland rock color with orange and red from the Fall leaf color. This particular shot was taken late evening to eliminate harsh lighting. Take a look at  the Pine in the upper part of photo that partially overhangs the waterfalls. You will notice the beam of light catching some of the branches. You can pick up sunlight on the upper part of the falls. This adds a nice touch to the composition.

By putting the red Maple on the right hand side of the photo, I am able to create some depth. I try to shoot waterfalls at an angle to give more of a dimensional look as appose to shooting direct on. Shooting a waterfalls dead on will give you a more flat look.

Now for the flowing water. You want to give the water life in your photo. By shooting later in the evening you also achieve lower shutter speeds. When processing the work you want to be able to bring detail to the water. Give it life and action. I accomplish this by setting my shutter speed  between 1/10, 1/8, 1/6, 1/4 range. Whatever works at the time. Remember as the evening wears on the light becomes less and less. My f- stop is constant at f22. A good tripod is a must, along with a polarizing filter. One other point is that the volume of water coming over the drop. If their is too much water, most of the rock structure will be underwater. Totally different affect. Myself I prefer as much exposed rock as possible. That means that I pick my times to go during the course of the year.

Well that is it for now. Until next time happy trails.

Photography

Sand River

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Sand_River_1109

The above photo was captured when Maureen and I traveled up to Wawa for our three day canoe trip into Treebe Lake at the Northern  edge of Lake Superior Provincial Park. We stopped at the parking lot by the Sand River for a break. This river has some interesting rock structures to work with in a composition.

The day was cloudy so the lighting was even. It had rained the previous day and night. Thus I had nice color and detail to work with. There was not much for Fall color here as the cedar and evergreens predominated. There is a trail that follows along the river. As you walk here, you are above the river. With the sky being bland I showed only a spot of the sky in the background. My interest was in the rock structure on this river. So I put the broken boulders in the foreground for depth. The cliff edges are for lead in as your eye traverses the river. There is wonderful amounts of lichen covering these rocks to give better contrast.

Well that is it for this week. Spring is not far off now. So until next time, happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

An Ole Shed

18 Comments

SanPoche_Tone_vig

A beautiful Fall day

The air is warm

A mist upon the air

No hint of the cold temps

That will soon come

It is a late afternoon

The sun hangs low

Over the colourful hills

A lone shed nestles

Among the white birch

Having fallen into neglect

The door stands ajar

The metal roof aging

Into a rusty red

The weather beaten walls

Becoming a sombre grey

The encroaching forest slowly

Enclosing the old building

The vibrant forest behind

Of green, orange and yellow

Has taken on a soft glow

From the late afternoon sunlight

Filtering through the trees

The surface of the lake

Has a  a soft ripple

From a caressing wind

Creating an artist’s palette

Of reflective Fall colors

Photography, Poetry

The French

5 Comments

TheElbowFrenchRiver_1459

The mist is rising

From dark moving waters

Of a river from

Times gone by

Sculptured rocks materialize

Through the fine mist

Tall stately pines

That guard the rugged shorelines

Of the dark moving waters

They were mere saplings

In the time of the voyageurs

Who paddled the dark

Moving waters of the French

Onwards in their yearly journeys

To and from their destinations

The dip of the paddles

The sound of canoes

Slicing through the dark waters

The shear rock walls

Like the halls of time

Echo with voyageur’s songs

A young bull moose

Emerges from the darkness

Of the receding night

Its horns glistening with morning dew

In search of a drink

From the dark moving water

A river otter quietly surfaces

From the dark moving waters

To feed on clams from

The dark river bottom

Cracking open its prize

To feed on the flesh

To be found within

The day is slowly emerging

From the shadows and mist

The eerie lonesome call

Of the Common Loon

Is heard in the distance

A Bald Eagle drifts

The warming air currents

Looking for a meal

To feed its hungry siblings

A warm South wind

Whispers through the trees

The mist has risen

From the dark moving waters

Scattered islands and rocky points

Appear in the morning light

The land is now awaken

To the coming new day

Photography

Follow A Path

3 Comments

GrundyProPark_ClearLake_0046

On a late evening shoot at Grundy Provincial Park the sun was starting to settle on the horizon. The water was calm in this side of the lake. Clear Lake is one of a number of lakes in the park. I had this very interesting rock form to work with. There is a lone Pine tree ahead. The Pine tree is not that distinct but is noticeable. So I had the background and the foreground. I now needed to tie all this in.

I set my tripod up low enough to allow the tree reflections to touch the foreground. My eye now could go from the foreground rock and following the tree reflection to the background.  There is also cloud reflections in the water as a fill in.

That concludes this weeks post. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

When The Mood Is Right

4 Comments

CameronFalls224

For the type of photographic work that I do, I am reliant on Mother Natures many moods. When everything comes together it sure is a treat. The right lighting, calmness of the wind and also the view that is presented before you. The above composition was located at the bottom of Cameron Falls on the Aux Sauble River North of Massey. The sun was now below the horizon. Darkness was descending quite rapidly. The color and detail of the surrounding rocks was immaculate. The rock structure in the background created a canyon effect. This in turn added immensely to the depth of the photo. With a slow shutter speed I was able to show the water flow of the river. I placed a small part of a rock structure in the foreground that emphasized my theory of flow in flow out. I had to be quick as time was important here with darkness coming on fast.

On of the coolest things is to be standing there and watch as the changing lighting effects your surrounds. The colors take on a more vibrant look. Detail becomes more pronounced.  Then there is total darkness as if a switch has been pulled. The golden moment of light. Thank you Mother Nature.

While that is it for now. Until next time happy trails

Photography

The Power Of Rock

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BassfinLake_2491

One of my favorite lakes last year was Bassfin Lake on Matagamasi Lake Road. This lake has unique rock structures along its shoreline that makes for great photographing. The rock formations are quite colorful in that you have pink and a very strong reddish color. If you wait until dusk that reddish color really stands out. The above photo was taken in a back bay on the West end of the Bassfin Lake. The wind had now calmed down with the approach of dusk.

I was situated on a small rock island. I set the tripod up low to the ground. The reason for this was to eliminate the expanse of water before me. I wanted to show the detail of the rock in front of me. The angle of this rock drops from top to bottom. By doing this I am able to tie in the composition with the reflections on the water. There is a bit of sparse vegetation to break up the rock color. The other thing is the beautiful rusty red colored rock that makes this unique. There is just enough sky to give a hint of dusk. So with my Canon 7D, I captured this lovely composition.

I live in a country of rock, trees and water. It is just wonderful to be a part of it and to be able to capture these special moments. While that is it for now. Thank you for stopping by. My hope is that I can give you peace of mind when you observe my work. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

A Quiet Place To Be

9 Comments

DavidLake_12x44a

This is a scene I captured at David Lake, Killarney Provincial Park. The clouds were fast moving here. The wind was kicking up a fuss here and there. It was one of those trips where  photographing was very sporadic. On the left is a point of land that I placed to the left of my composition. A small rock outcrop in the front adds a sense of depth. Two rock islands with vegetation in the middle ground. Then in the background is the far shore that is just starting to show Fall colors. The sun is rising at the far left corner.

There is a touch of mist on the lake’s surface for added affect. The reflections tie in the composition nicely. This is a place where one could sit on a rock by the shore and enjoy a morning coffee. At the same time absorbing the surrounding landscape.  A few minutes later the wind picked up and the effect was gone.

Well that is it for now. Until next time happy trails.

Photography

Something Unique

3 Comments

_MG_2984_

Walking the beaches at Pukaskwa National Park on an August evening 2013 turned up some interesting subject matter. With the lowering sun creating warm and interesting lighting on the surrounding landscape. I came across this  rock just out from the beach. The waning sunlight brought out the colors on this particular rock along with the intricate patterns on the rock surface. The constant pounding and flow of water over this rock creates smoothness and patterns. The water was not calm that evening. But with the lowering light comes slower shutter speeds to give that dreamy effect of the flowing water. You can see the light touching the back right corner of the rock bringing out the colors. These are the little things that I look for when looking for subject material.

Photography

Ice And Rock

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GrundyProPark_ClearLake_0097

This composition was taken on my last trip into Grundy Provincial Park. Maureen and I had walked in from the main gate. The hike to Clear Lake that afternoon was very enjoyable. The temperature was warm enough to be comfortable. Clear Lake had ice forming on the surface here and there. The above location was  the South shoreline of Clear Lake. The rock structure along here was unique for its patterns. The vegetation was a rustic color. The ice had patterns. The ice in the foreground had blue reflection from the sky.

2014 3rdAnnual “Seasons” Art Competition

http://www.lightspacetime.com/seasons-art-exhibition-january-2014/

The gallery received 399 entries from 13 different countries from around the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, India, Italy, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Ukraine.  In addition, the gallery received entries from 31 different states.

My placings as follows.

Overall Winning Artists Category – The overall winning artist’s category consists of the 10 Best Entries received from the Painting & Other and Photography & Digital categories.

4th place finish.

The Photography & Digital Category

2nd place finish

Special recognition

Happy New Year to everyone. Until next time happy trails.