Tag Archives: evening

Photography, Poetry

Early Summer

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_MG_6861_1180

 

It is early summer

In the Northern wilderness

Of the Boreal forest

A clear blue sky

Not a cloud in sight

The sun is descending

On a quiet evening

 

A small swampy lake

Surrounded by Black Spruce

That are stunted and dense

The lake shoreline abounds

With white clustered flowers

Of the Labrador Tea

 

Cup shaped yellow lilies

Perched on long stems

Above the lake surface

Are found in clusters

In the shadow lake

Two quaint  islands dot

The lake’s South end

A beaver house hugs

The smaller island

 

Dragonflies skim the surface

Feeding on the mosquitoes

That are abundant here

Small birds hurry everywhere

Feeding just hatched young

A small sparrow alights

On a grey branch

A momentary perch

Before arisen to flight

 

A Wood Duck hen

Glides along the shoreline

Then rises in flight

Landing near the far shore

 

A Ringed-Billed hen

A rich brown coloration

Appears from a cove

Soon joined by its mate

Gleaming black, grey, white

In the evening light

She dives from sight

While the alert male

Keeps a constant watch

As the hen feeds

They have soon passed from sight

 

A bull moose emerges

From the forest shadows

Its antlers flattened and tined

Are covered in velvet

To stand knee deep

In the calm waters

Eating submerged aquatic plants

The shadows are becoming long

The sun behind the western horizon

The lake is reflectively calm

Darkness descends upon the land

 

I spent a wonderful evening along the shores of a lake in Lake Superior Provincial Park. Just sitting there observing life happening around me.

 

Until next time happy trails.

Photography

Color My Rocks

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Colorful_Rocks

 

Sunday June 22, Maureen and I traveled to Lake Superior Provincial Park. This large and beautiful park is North of Sault Ste Marie. Here is a great opportunity to explore the shorelines of Lake Superior and the interior wilderness with many lakes and hiking trails. We decided to set up a base camp at the Rabbit Blanket Campgrounds. Thus allowing me to photograph the North half of the Park. Being close to Wawa allowed for getting gas easily.

The tent and screen tent were soon gracing our campsite. The screen tent is a real bonus. The mosquito population was here. Supper was soon over and we drove the fourteen mile gravel road to Gargantua Bay. This is a narrow road with a couple of newly built bridges. It is a nice drive through open forests in many places. At the parking lot we took the hiking trail to the South. A bridge was crossed and we emerged on to a stony beach. Before my eyes was this small stream flowing over these colorful rocks into Lake Superior. This little stream had to be only ten feet across. Being a long day as it was we headed back to camp for a good nights sleep.

I returned to Gargantua Bay the next evening. The above composition is one of the photos I captured that evening. This was about capturing the beauty of the rocks with the stream flowing around and over them. At the same time the setting sun gives a dramatic effect to the overall scene. If you look close you can see specs of red sunlight on some of the rocks. You need low light or cloudy days to bring the color out on these rocks.

One of the things that I like to empathize is for one to stop for a moment and see the beauty that can be found in the little things around us. The colorful rocks.The sound of running water. Rising of fish during their evening feed that occurred while I sat on the beach. The changing of the sky as dusk approached. Waterfowl floating on the water surface like silhouettes.  So many little things that happen when one becomes aware of his or her surroundings. Give yourself to Nature and you will be at peace.

I did a interview over at Exhibition Without Walls. You can read it here.

http://www.exhibitionswithoutwalls.com/ken-bennison-fine-art-photographer-author-sudbury-ontario-canada/

This Friday is the opening of the La Cloche Art Show at Whitefish Falls. This is show is in its 37th year. It runs from July 5 to July 13.

http://laclocheartshow.wordpress.com/

I am still in the process of working on my photos from the Superior trip. There will be more to come. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Sculptured by Nature

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HighFalls_0413

 

What a beautiful day this past Sunday. Plus 6 C and lots of sun. I spent a late afternoon and evening exploring High Falls looking for possible compositions. The above capture was the last photo I took that evening. The shapes and patterns of the snow and ice are very interesting. My goal here was to put all theses forms into a composition. When you look at the sculptured snow and ice you can see a tremendous amount of detail. On the snow on the left you can see scoured lines leading down and towards the middle of the scenes. I placed a bit of water in the left bottom to give some color contrast. There are remarkable amount of detail along the waters edge. By placing the right hand curved piece in the foreground I accomplished more depth to the scene.

Do not forget to join me and my fellow artists at the Sudbury Art Club’s Spring Show and Exhibition on April 11TH, 12th, 13Th, 2014

Well that is it until next time. Happy trails

Photography, Poetry

Entrance To Killarney Lake

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KillarneyLake

It is late June.

The evening sun low

In the western sky

Sunlight filters through

The shoreline Pines

Pine pollen drifts on the quiet waters.

The La Cloche Mountains

Visible through the narrows

Clouds are scudding overhead

Moose tracks are visible

Along the muddy shoreline

Only hours old

A scene that greets

Many a portaging canoeist

As they journey into

The heart of the

White quartz La Cloche Range

Threading their laden canoes

Through narrow channels

Paddling gently to observe

The quiet evening beauty

Before emerging into the

A clear, sapphire lake

That is Killarney Lake

Set among Jack Pine hills

White quartz ridges rise

High on either side

Pink granite scattered haphazard

Along the rugged shorelines

A tranquil scene

Of turquoise blue waters

In the even stillness

Before the last rays

Of the setting sun

Spring is here now in the North Country. It is getting warmer. But the snow is deep.

Until next time happy trails.

Photography

When The Mood Is Right

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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

Something Unique

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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

A Collection of Rocks

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Killbear_2861

Exploring the Georgian Bay shoreline in Killbear Provincial Park on a cool Fall evening, a series of small rocks appeared before me. I thought now this would make an interesting composition. The rocks were of different color and texture. The sloping rocky points in background gave depth along with added color. It was still early evening and I decided to keep on exploring. I would return later when the lighting would be much improved.

Returning just after the sun had lowered to the horizon, the above scene was captured with much warmer lighting to enhance the color of the rock structures. I set my tripod up very low. I was on my knees to get the effect I wanted. With a slower shutter speed I was able to smooth out the water to a nice pleasing ripple. The setting sun created a nice yellow glow on the water. The lichen scattered on the slopping rock adds a nice touch. It is all the little things that add up to a good composition. This is a place to just sit and relax to enjoy the view before you before darkness sets in.

I would like to share with you the work of Carole Rodrigue. Carole is  a still life artist specializing in contemporary realism. She is a proud member of the International Guild of Realism.

To view still life art at its best, check out Carole’s Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/CaroleRodrigueartist

It is getting cold in my part of the country. Christmas is coming. I have to get my Christmas shopping done. I am working on another book to be published next year. I have been accepted at the American Juried Art Salon’s 19th International Art Contest. One of my photos received a perfect score. More to come later.

For that unique Christmas gift check out my Fine Art Print Page.

https://kenben.org/fine-art-prints/

Or maybe a book of photos and poetry of Northern Ontario wilderness.

https://kenben.org/books-2/

Thank you for stopping in. Until next time happy trails

Photography

Buried In Sand

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Pukaskwa_0872Deep1

 

I came across this piece of driftwood buried in the sand at Pukaskaw National Park. I was strolling the beach closes to the Pik River. It was late one evening as I was set up to compose another composition, that I looked behind me and saw the above scene. So I thought I would wait until the sun went down and the colors would warm up. There is so much detail to be found in this piece of wood along with the minuet patterns in the sand. This all about earth colors. This also simplicity.

Winter seems to have set in here now. Snow on the ground, cold winds and temperatures. Until next time happy trails.

Photography

Photo Op Sudbury.

6 Comments

RoadToVarcaron_2986

 

 

As I was driving to Val Caron the other morning on a business trip, I spotted this lovely scene with Tamarack trees. I thought to myself that this would be a worthwhile opportunity come evening. Thus I made an early supper, loaded my gear and headed out. I drove to the Notre Dame, Lasalle Blvd  corner and headed North onto Regional Road 80. A few kilometers on I parked by a small body of water.

The Tamarack were a nice yellow, orange color in the low light. The sky had a touch of pink in it. I needed some foreground for a better affect. There was a huge transmission tower at the back of the scene. I sure did not want that. It was even reflecting on the water. I then spotted a Tamarack to the South. I headed over there and set up my tripod. I mounted my 28 to 135 zoom lens to my Canon 7D. I was all set to go. The traffic was fairly heavy here, but the shoulders of the road were wide. The lighting was retreating fast. So now I composed with a small portion of a point that contained the Tamarack for my foreground. The reflection of the Tamarack filled the bottom right corner of the photo for a lead-in. A beautiful collection of colorful Tamarack in the middle ground. The darker evergreens allow the Tamarack to stand out better. There is one little white cloud on the horizon. Being late in the evening there is a pink glow in the sky and water. All of this within the City of Sudbury.

Thank you for stopping by. Tonight I am off to the Sudbury Arts Council for Arts After Five at the Art Gallery of Sudbury Wednesday at 5 pm. It is a networking for artists and art patrons. There will be music by Sweet Jive, refreshments, and door prizes!

Until next time happy trails

 

Photography

The Magic of Rocks

4 Comments

KillBearProvPark_2840

The above photo was captured on my first trip to Killbear Provincial Park. It was now getting late in the evening. The rock color and texture here are truly beautiful. There is something to be said about rocks that have the texture and detail.With the right lighting they become a work of art. I used the rock in the foreground for added depth. I included part of a Pine tree and ground vegetation in the upper right corner to break the color. You can just see the far horizon with an island. When your eyes go there you may want to know what lies beyond. As it was getting late my shutter speed was at 6 sec and f22. With that said, the water will appear smoother and the clouds have a nice affect. Using Photoshop I added a touch of color in the sky to break up the blue and also to complement the coloring of the rock.

Thank you all for stopping by. Also thank you for subscribing to my blog. I am fast approaching the 500 mark. Again thank you. Until next time happy trails