Photography

Nature’s Beauty

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As one emerges onto the shores of Ruth Roy Lake from the portage from Johnny Lake you are greeted by a scene of beauty and depth.There is a mystical feeling you get when you first gaze upon this hidden corner of the lake.

The clear turquoise blue water adds depth and mystery to the reflections on the water.It appears that the tree reflections are three dimensional when viewed.This little inlet is small in nature with the depth of the woods in the background.I composed this shot with the pink flowers in the foreground to add depth and rocks to offset the mainly green foliage.This is truly one of the pleasures of a wilderness adventure as one travels the waterways of Killarney Provincial Park

I will be heading back into the park this week so until then happy trails.

Photography

Ruth Lake Day 2

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I awoke at 5:30 am the next morning.Nudging Maryjean awake I crawled out of the tent.There was cloud cover this morning but the waters were fairly calm.Towards the far shore the wind was rippling the water slightly.It was one of those mornings when you had to be patient and wait.

The above photo was the result of waiting for the right moment.I find that daybreak produces much cooler temperatures than evening.You need to wait for the sun to appear before the warm colors show.Once the sun starts peeping over the horizon you get light beams here and there filtering through the trees. This is what enhances your photos. the island and point on Ruth Roy also helps create a pleasing panoramic.There was cloud cover that morning to enhance the photo with a pinkish glow in the sky.

As morning progressed the wind picked up and the lighting became too intense, it was time to put the coffee pot on.Maryjean had been busy doing her own photographing with tips from Dad.We both sat back to enjoy breakfast and a fresh cup of coffee.Mornings are special for the tranquility and peacefulness that can be had in a wilderness setting.

By mid morning it was time to pack up and load the canoe. Maryjean and I launched the canoe and were soon at the portage to Johnny Lake. On arrival to Johnny Lake we leisurely paddled along the shore line back to Bell Lake. We noticed that a lot of campers were packing up and loading there canoes.

MJ and I paddled into shore for a bite to eat and as we were not in a big hurry to explore forpossible photos with Silver Peak in the background.But that would have to be another day.We also photographed one another on the shore with Silver Peak in the background.While we were doing this,the campers we had seen packing up came gliding past us.After exchanging hellos they were soon gone around the point.

We eased the canoe back into the water and made our way back to Bell Lake.We hauled our equipment up to the truck.I returned the canoe back to Killarney Kanoes and it was time to head home.This was a great trip with my daughter.The weather was good and we both hated to leave.

I will be going on a four day canoe trip next week into David Lake with my daughter so I hope to have more photos for you to view.Until then happy trails.

 

Photography

An Evening on Ruth Lake

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As it was close to the supper hour, so Maryjean and I enjoyed a quiet scenic meal by the shores of Ruth Roy Lake.As we were eating a large snapping turtle showed up in front of us.MJ started feeding the turtle strawberries and grapes.Let me tell you this turtle got a good feed of fruit before he left.

By 7:00 the wind had picked up and cloud cover moved in. My thoughts now were that it would be morning before I would get to do any more photographing.Amazingly by 8:300 the wind died down and the water became calm.I shot off a number of shots for a panoramic which included the island.

Maryjean suggested that we canoe over to the point by the island and look at the shoreline by the campsite.After beaching the canoe MJ said here  is a good shot.I composed the shot you see above.By adding a little of the shoreline we were standing on for depth,the island as a center point with the La Cloche Mountains in the background I created a very pleasing shot.The pinkish clouds also add to the above photo.It was now turning dark so we headed back to camp. MJ got a fire going and I heated water for a delicious cup of hot chocolate by the fire.By now the m0squitoes were making themselves known.In a short while we turned in for the night.

If you are interested in seeing a photo of the snapping turtle,check here

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/turtle-2-ken-bennison.html

In my next blog I will discuss the second day of our trip to Ruth Lake.So for now happy trails.

Photography

Father and Daughter Canoe Trip

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Sunday morning I drove into the Meadowbrook Retirement Home parking lot were my daughter Maryjean works. MJ had just finished her last graveyard shift.We loaded her gear into my Ford Explorer and head for Bell Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.We stopped at Killarney Kanoes to pick up a rental canoe.We rented one of my favorites a Quebecor 17.

We had to carry the canoe and gear over to Johnny Lake and then embarked on our little one night adventure.After a short paddle we had to carry around a small beaver dam.The weather was great and the wind was light.All the campsites we passed were full.Had a beautiful view of Silver Peak.We arrived at the portage into our destination lake Ruth Roy Lake.

Ruth Roy is a beautiful lake with clear turquoise blue water. This is not a small lake with good rock structure along the shoreline.The La Cloche Mountains are on the North shoreline of Ruth Roy.We proceeded to haul the canoe and gear over the portage and were soon on our way again.

When we arrived I was attracted by the shoreline on the right.The above photo is a result of what I observed.The small rocky shoal in the shadows stood out and there was nice lighting also.

MJ and I arrived at the first campsite and we decided that this was a good site to be with a wonderful view overlooking the lake.The only island on this lake is located here.Once the tent was up and everything was unpacked we decided to explore the rest of the lake.Before heading out a young couple canoed past  us with there children heading for the next campsite.There are only two campsites available on this lake.

We launched the canoe and proceeded to explore the lake and enjoy the afternoon.We liesurely paddled around the lake noting other locations to photograph.Finally arriving back at camp we made supper and settled down to await the evening photographing.

I will write about this trip in 2 or 3 posts.So until next time happy trails

Photography

This and That

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This has been an uneventful week in terms of photographing. I spent a few days with my three youngest grand kids at the beach and we had a blast. With that said,the above photo is a pano taken last week looking West of  George Lake.This was quite late in the morning so I felt quite fortunate to capture this scene.You will notice the rock on the left looks like a prehistoric crab with a tail.The La Cloche Mountains in the background along with the deep blue skies and water create a pretty scenerio.

At the 34th La Cloche Art show I was fortunate to place 1st in photography and along with that all three of my photos were sold.So thank you very much to the folks who brought my work.So that is it for this week.I hope to be back out next week so until then happy trails

 

Photography

Along The Lakeshore

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I exited the apartment to beautiful clear skies with sparkling stars overhead.I picked up a Tim Horton’s coffee and bagel before heading South on Highway 69.Driving down the Killarney highway was uneventful other than two foxes.As I drove through Killarney Provincial Park at the main campground I noticed a few empty campsites along the way.I was told that there would be no campsites available during July and August so go figure.

I parked at the East end of the campgrounds on George Lake.There was wind gusting on the lake creating a ripple.I loaded up my camera gear and headed to A Y Jackson Lake.The first part of the trail is the hardest part as it is a fairly steep climb up,but after that it is a good go.

I arrived at A Y Jackson and to my surprise the lake was calm for the most part.The sun was now highlighting the trees on the hilltops so I got off a few shots.I continued along the trail going East and came upon Little Sheguiander Lake.I checked the campsite here and it was empty.By staying up on the ridges I was looking for different shooting angles.At one point I was checking out a location and when I turned to go back up the hill I noticed a doe standing not 30 feet from me.With ears forward and a alert look she eyed me for a moment and then bounded along the hillside before disappearing.

I captured the above photo in one of the locations I found.The problem here was that down in Little Sheguiander it was still heavy in shadow where as the upper part of the photo was quite bright from the early morning sun.By putting part of a rock face and a bent evergreen in the foreground to create depth with the La Cloche Mountains in the background you can create a very nice scenic.The reflections in the lake were right on along with the reddish orange of the rock faces.I shot this composition with a zoom setting of 28 mm to keep things tight and a shutter speed of 1/5 sec @ f22.

I continued along the hillside above the lake capturing more shots before making my way down to the George Lake shoreline. To my surprise I was able to get some really good shots as the water was fairly quiet.You had to shot between  the light wind gusts.I managed to get a really nice pano.

It was now 8:30 AM which in it self was remarkable in that the wind held off for the most part.I am usually finished photographing by 7:00 AM.By now canoes were gliding through the water heading to the portage at the East end of George Lake.The wind was picking up so I layed down on the flat rocks on the George Lake shoreline and had a nap.I awoke to the sound of water lapping up on the rocks and noted that the wind had picked up.

It was time to head out so I made my way up the hillside till I picked up the trail and headed back to the parking lot.Along the way I  stopped and chatted with two families with young children before continuing on.It was an excellent morning shot having picked up a number of good shots.It is always nice when Mother Nature co-operates and allows you to photograph her beauty.So until next time happy trails

 

Photography

Sunday Morning Hike

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4:00 A.M. Sunday morning,the streets are quiet and dark.I pick up my Tim Horton’s coffee,exit the city and drive South on a mainly empty highway.I turned off onto the Killarney road passing the usual assortment of wildlife along the way.The coffee sure tasted good.

I parked in my usual parking spot.I gathered up my camera gear and picked up the East trail to A Y Jackson. Due to the rain we had received in the past few days the rocks tended to be wet in spots.In the lower areas I encountered mud and water. I arrived at A Y Jackson shortly but kept on walking to Little sheguiandah Lake.The wind was once again a problem so I did not bother photographing.

I wanted to check out Wagon Road Lake so off I went.After a short hike I came upon Wagon Road Lake.To my surprise it looked swampy.I had studied the map earlier and I observed rock outcroppings on the far shore. Following the trail around the lake I would walk towards the lake looking for shooting locations.the East end of the lake was more open and I was able to get a nice panorama.

I continued walking on the trail and came upon a beaver dam that the trail crossed. Once I got across I entered a nice campsite and proceeded to photograph.There are two campsites available on this lake. I was now 8:30 A.M and the wind was holding off here..I also encountered nice side lighting as is evident in the above photo.What attracted me to this scene was the rock shapes as they reflect into the water,with a stately pine tree standing on the rock.I added the deadheads to give depth and interest.The color in the photo was beautiful and the side lighting really had a nice effect.You do not come across these type of opportunities very often so it is nice to be able to create this type of composition.

It was not long before the wind picked up and the sunlight was getting stronger.In affect losing the soft lighting.On my way in I had notice white lilies opening up so I went to check them out.It was now starting to get warm.I head back up the trail back to the main campgrounds to call it a day.It was an enjoyable morning.The bugs were not much of a problem.I was tired as I headed home so after arriving back at my son’s apartment I had a short nap.

i called my wife to let her know I was back and told her I would take her out for coffee.So until next time, happy trails.

Photography

Into The Interior

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This past Thursday morning I pulled into Paul Smith’s driveway and proceed to load his gear into my Ford Escape.Our destination, Killarney Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.

We stopped off at Killarney Kanoes on Bell Lake to rent a canoe for a couple days.Our plan was to come out Saturday.We also booked a campsite for two nights.The canoe that we rented was a Souris River 16 foot Prospector.We came across a Whitetail doe feeding in a swamp beside the road.This was something I had never seen before.The doe was feeding on lily pads.

We arrived at George Lake and proceeded to load the canoe for the trip out.Heading up George Lake we soon arrived at the first portage into Freeland 188 Lake.This portage is short only 80 meters.We paddled on to the next portage and hauled over to Killarney Lake.This portage was 380 meters so it was a good haul over.The canoe being made of Kevler weighs only 38 pounds.When we arrived at the entrance to Killarney Lake we both commented on the fact that there was a good scene to be had here at the right time.

Paul and I proceeded to explore the West end of Killarney Lake.We made our way to the OSA Lake portage with the idea of walking over the portage to check out the view.As we paddled along the shoreline we came across Canada Geese with young and the Common Loons were actually quite tame.The Loons showed no fear of us.We had to haul over one small beaver dam and arrived at the OSA Lake portage. A quick hike and we were treated to a beautiful view of OSA Lake.I really loved the shoreline here as it was made up of small pebbles in shadow waters.We agreed that this would be a trip of its own as we would need to go to the far end to get some good photos.

We then made our way back and headed to the East end of Killarney Lake where the islands were located. It was discovered that our campsite was taken by someone else so we paddled down to the islands and set up our camp on the last island. The both of us also realized that the best scenic was in front of our campsite.That evening the wind would not calm down.I took a few shots but none were great.The black flies were paying havoc at the same time.

I awoke at 5:00 am Friday morning  and crawled out of the tent The wind was lightly gusting here and there.Not good. The sun finally burst over the hills to warm the hillsides with good lighting.A short while later the wind calmed down and I called to Paul that this was our chance.We got maybe 15 minutes shooting time.The panoramic above is one of the results of the lull in the wind.Using the point and island in the foreground and the La Cloche Mountains in the background for depth.As I say our shooting did not last long.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the lake as we waited for the evening shooting.Friday evening turned out to be windy as a weather front moved in.We watched from the campsite as huge clouds of green pollen from the Pine trees blew over the lake. I had never seen such a sight before.The pollen was so thick that the hillsides were obscured.Our equipment was covered with the pollen as while as ourselves. Paul and I were both having problems with allergies by this time.

The next morning the wind was stronger eliminating any possibility of photographing.Paul and I decided to pack up and head out. We arrived back at the George Lake landing and headed home. There was a resident population of from 50 to 70 Canada Geese on Killarney Lake.They would fly over our campsite every evening.

Paul and I both enjoyed the trip and will be planning a trip back in to Killarney Lake in the near future

Photography

Cave Lake,Killarney Provincial Park

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The Monday past I stopped in at the Killarney Provincial Park office to book a campsite at Topaz Lake.My partner was sick, so seeing that I was already packed and ready to go I decided to venture alone.It is about a four hour hike to Topaz Lake. I had full gear and did not know what kind of shape I was in.I picked up the trail at the South end of George Lake and proceeded to hike into the interior.This is a well used and defined trail.

Paul Smith and I had previously hiked into Lumsden Lake so I was familiar with this part of the trail.It was a hot day around 28 C and the bugs were about.The going was pretty good so far and in a short while I came upon Acid Lake.The hiking trail traversed around the lake for a distance before heading North.

Acid Lake is a pretty lake and I will camp here in the future.The backdrop of the La Cloche Mountains coming down to the far shore line is pleasing.As I was resting on the rocks along the shoreline a pair of Loons came to investigate me.The Loons must have a nest here somewhere.

I was now starting to feel the effects of the heat and the weight of my pack as I hiked along the trail.The trail was getting more rugged with more and more up and downs.My legs were also starting to feel like rubber.The biggest problem was that I was not in shape for doing this type of hiking.I hiked for another hour and finally came to the conclusion that I was not going to make it to Topaz Lake.I checked my GPS and noted that Cave Lake was just ahead.I figured that I had better stop off here and pitch the tent.I still had another hour of walking and I new that was too far.It would have to wait another day.

I followed the signs into Cave Lake.This trail had fallen trees on it so there were a couple detours to be taken here.When I arrive at Cave Lake I immediately set up the tent and crawled inside to have a nap.After a short rest I explored my surrounding I was quite surprised at what was around me.There would be photo opportunities here.There was a island at the bottom end of the lake.The La Cloche mountains came down to the shoreline heavy covered with forest.There was a sparse showing of white rock to be seen.At the East end of the lake was some rock formations that looked good.It was at the West end that there was large rock formations that appear in the above panoramic. I set up the stove and boiled water for tea and heated my supper.There is something about being in a place like this sitting on a rock overlooking a wilderness lake.It is a great feeling.

The evening shooting was not good as the wind was not co-operating very well and the blackflies were bad.I returned to the tent and had a peaceful sleep that night.I awoke about five the next morning and was able to get a number of shots.I must tell you I was feeling the effects of yesterday as my legs were stiff and sore.

The above panoramic was taken that morning.It consists of three overlapping photos.I created depth by placing the foreground to the right and leading the eye into the depth of the lake with the placement of the island.The island was now lit by the morning sun.I set the zoom to 85 mm and the shutter speed was 2.5 sec @f22

By seven I had everything packed and ready to go.The misquitoes were bad that morning and I wanted to get out early while it was still cool.I also realized that there would be a lot of  uphill walking to Acid Lake. An hour later I came to Acid Lake where I took a half hour break.I was already feeling the physical effects from yesterday.Once again the loons appeared to check me out.

I was back at the truck by ten that morning.My legs were pretty stiff and sore though.All in all it was a pretty good little adventure and I enjoyed myself immensely.I just need to get in better shape.So until next time happy trails.


Photography

An Evening on Sheguiandah Lake

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Last Sunday we had a noon birthday party for my 4 year old grandson Kelan.It was a small family gathering and after it being such a nice afternoon I decided to pack my camera equipment and head for Killarney Provincial Park for some evening shooting.

Most of the weekend campers had gone home by now.There was a sprinkling of campers here and there. My goal this evening was to hike into Little Sheguiandah Lake that Paul Smith and I had canoed into a couple of times from George Lake.This lake was only a short hike from A.Y. Jackson Lake.

I hiked into the campsite on Little  Sheguiandah Lake and set up my gear for the evening shooting.The campsite is located near the back end of this lake offering an excellent view of the lake.There was a slight wind blowing off and on but with patenice I should succeed in getting some photos.I shot from various locations at hand.I had to wait at times for the water to calm down so that I had reflections in the water.I wore my bug jacket this evening as the bugs were bad.I even lost a few pictures due to bugs flying in front of the lense.

Little Sheguiandah has great rock structure along its shorelines making for excellent compositions under the right lighting conditions.The above photo was taken with a zoom setting  of 65 mm and the shutter speed set to 0.3 sec @ f22.This is looking at Little Shaglander from were you can bring your canoe in to the lake from George Lake.I always like to get photos of the La Cloche Mountains in the background.

The yellow pollen from the pine trees is now increasing and can be observed along shorelines now.This does not look good in a photo.I had a good evening of shooting and of course it is always the peace and quiet that one gets from being in these locations. So until next time happy trails.