Tag Archives: evening

A Quiet Summer Evening, Almost

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Maureen and I just returned from Pukaskwa National Park, Sunday night. We spent a week camping in this beautiful location. I spent the week photographing and capturing the rugged shorelines of Lake Superior. I had issues with the weather as it was wet and damp for the first part of the trip. Temperatures were cool at night. One evening it was 7 C. The mosquitoes were about during the evenings. Daytime temperatures ranged from 18 to 20 C.

There was one evening when I had almost calm weather for my evening photographing. The above shot is from that evening. It is a good example of the coastline of Lake Superior. The grey rocks here are covered in lichens of various types. I love the reddish orange lichen that boldly contrasts with the grey and black rocks. The sun was below the horizon, allowing for a pinkish cast in the sky. Clouds were a bit scarce, but I was able to wait until the clouds you see in this photograph appeared. They help fill in an otherwise bland sky. I also kept the sky to a minimal.

The wind was quite strong the last half of the week. This created issues with photographing in the evening. Blurry wind blown trees do not make for a good landscape shot. Another factor was that clouds were scarce.   Well that is it for this  week as I have more photos to process from the trip. Until next time happy trails

The Color of Black

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While photographing at Pukaskaw National Park I became fascinated with the rock structures that can be found along the Lake Superior shorelines. The coastline here is broken and rugged. This is a result of relentless wind and wave action. The rocks are volcanic in nature and very smooth. The color of black is very dominant in theses rock structures.

I found this rock structure at the West end  of the largest beach near the Pic River. I set up low and close to the rock structure. I had a brownish color in the rocks in the foreground that became a rich brown or slightly golden as the sun retreated below the horizon. The sun was actually setting opposite to me below the rocks. If you follow the rock s you will notice that it tapers down in the background. The sand is no longer white at the time I took this composition. It has taken on the color hues of the sky. You have a sense of habitat with the sand, a little bit of Lake Superior in the background and scattered driftwood.

On July 27,28 is the 2013 Friends of Killarney Art Show and Sale. Come for a visit and chat with the many artists who will be there.

http://www.killarneyartshow.com/index.html

Well that is it for this week. I will be floating the French River this week for 3 days with my canoe. Thank you for stopping by and the wonderful comments that have come my way. Until next time Happy Trails.

An Evening Reposed

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My last evening at Pukaskaw Provincial Park. I decided to check out the beach nearest the mouth of the Pic River. This beach is the largest near the campgrounds. The beach was covered with driftwood at the high water mark. As I traversed the beach looking for a photographic composition, moose tracks could be seen in the sand. They were old, as debris was filling the tracks. The sun was slowly setting, a nice breeze was wafting in from the Lake Superior. Half way down the lake there was a rock outcropping all by itself at the edge of the beach. In the background was an island.

I set up my tripod low so that I could eliminate as much of the water surface between the rock outcrop in the foreground  and the the far island. There is a bit of color in the late evening sky. But nothing dramatic. There is a stark contrast between the black of the volcanic rock and the bold colors of the lichen that forms on theses rocks. Add a couple little plants to the recipe to create this composition. This location is worth a few more trips to photograph.

Well that is it for now. The 36th La Cloche Art Show is now in full swing. It runs till Sunday July 14th from 11 a.m. – to 5:00 p.m.

Two of my works is on display there.

Thank you everyone for stopping by for a visit. Until next time happy trails.

An Evening at Bassfin Lake

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On Tuesday I drove up the Matagamasi Road for a late evening shoot at Bassfin Lake. This lake is easily accessible from the road, making it ideal for photographing. Bassfin Lake has a variety of islands to work with. The shorelines have some interesting rock structures to work with. This is also a lake to capture some interesting sunsets. What I am always after is rock structures and trees.

Upon arrival there was a bit of wind blowing. As the sun lowered to the horizon the wind started to abate. With the sun almost at the horizon point I captured the above scene that was a point of land jutting into the lake. The sun was filtering through the scattering of evergreens to create some very interesting light patterns. This is the type of lighting that can turn an ordinary scene into a thing of beauty. The water in the foreground is kept to a minimal. The rock on the shoreline gives depth and added contrast to the scene. This is Northern Ontario. As the sun went down the misquotes came swarming  around me. I had to step back from my camera in hopes of keeping them from messing up my photos. If there are too many in front of the lens, you will end up with  blurry spots in the composition. Another issue at the moment is pine pollen. This stuff is everywhere. In the water, in the air and on land. Whichever way the wind is blowing you will see the yellowish green pollen along the shoreline.

The 36th Annual La Cloche Art Show is coming up. For more info on submissions and dates check here.

http://laclocheartshow.wordpress.com/

Well that is it for this week. Thank you for stopping by. Until next week happy trails

The Reflective Side of Nature

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In this photo a unique lighting has been created. You have the lighting from the late evening sun drenching the rocks  in the background. Thus creating an orange like hue on the rocks. The rocks in the foreground are now darker for the sun no longer affects them. But there is still a touch of lighting on the rocks to the left. This is what helps to add character to a composition. It is the little detail. There is a nice green tinge to the water in the foreground. This is due to the sun striking the evergreens on the far bank and reflecting on the water. If it had been a little earlier the water would be a golden color due to the stronger strength of the sunlight.

This week I received an Award of excellence for one of my compositions.

You can see the selected works here.

http://www.exhibitionswithoutwalls.com/?page_id=5221

Well that is it for this week. For everyone in this part of the world have a safe Victoria weekend. Until next time happy trails

Rushing Water

Jan Winther and I crossed over from the Westbranch to the Tote Road North of Massey.We came on to the Massey Tote Road at the 28 mile mark.It was early afternoon as we headed South.This is a very windy and hilly road for many kilometers. Jan loves photographing waterfalls, so I figured we would check out Cameron Falls on the Aux Sauble River. I had hiked into this falls last June.I was very much disappointed when I had arrived.There was no water going over the falls at all.What a disapointment.

So with that in mind we walked into the Cameron Falls.Upon arrival we saw a fair amount of water to make it possible to get some photos.The water level was still low from previous years.Jan was sure happy though so I left him to his thing and started exploring.I have been here many times, but am always fasinated by the unique rock structure found here.There is black rock and red granite rock.Due to the running water over time has reshaped many of the rocks surfaces.

I love doing close up compositions of running water and rocks.The above photo is a typical example.By using various shutter speeds and f22 I am looking for character in the water flow.I want detail in the water and colour.Now color is obtained late in the evening as while as the rocks lose their harshness due to the bright sunlight most of the day.I also found from expierience that clear blue skys with give better effects.You will notice the water at bottom left of photo is a dark blue. This created by clear blue skys above the water.

We stayed as late as we could.But had to get out with enough light to see.I always carry a couple small flashlights in case I get carried away photographing and let the darkness creep up.

That is it for this week.So thanks for coming to visitThe tea is always on.So until next time happy trails.

An Evening on O S A Lake

As the evening faded to twilight the lake surface became mirror like,creating beautiful reflections.The lighting was wonderful creating highlights here and there.Clouds appeared to the North East.There was a cast of color on the Eastern horizon.

I added shoreline along with a Juniper bush to the foreground to add to the depth of the composition.As Paul Smith and I were photographing we observed two large flocks of Canada Geese flying overhead.We estimated that there was close to 175 geese in the two flocks.We were able to observe them morning and evening as they passed over the lake.

Dusk finally arrived.The mosquitoes were humming around us by now. It was time to retire for the night.Hopefully the wind will still be calm at daybreak.

Well that is it for this week.So until next time happy trails.

 

My Lady and I

Monday morning at 6:00 a.m. we loaded our Ford Explorer and head for Killarney Provincial Park.This was my wife Maureen’s first canoeing trip in 34 years.We were going into the Park for 5 days for an extended stay on David Lake. I have been looking forward to this trip for some time.We arrived at our destination Bell Lake, our jump off point.It was a beautiful morning with very calm water.We proceeded to load all of our gear into the canoe and were soon ready to launch.

We made good progress t to the first portage.Maureen and I carried our packs over the 745 m portage with a return trip to bring up the canoe.By this time Maureen was a little sore so we took a break before loading the canoe and moving on.After a short rest enjoying the scenery we head to the next portage of 200 m. Where upon we moved our gear over to David Lake.The wind was relatively calm making for excellent canoeing and we soon arrived at our campsite.Once camp was set up we proceeded to boil up a nice cup of coffee with a sandwich.

The conditions were not much good that evening for photographing as the wind never let up.At this time of year the temperature will drop by nightfall and become quite cool.With a warm fire going and a mug of hot chocolate in our hands it was a cosy evening.Maureen was stiff and sore by now but happy to be here.It was not long before we were both tired and ready for bed.

I awoke about 4 a.m. to heavy rain pounding on our tent along with thunder and lighting.The storm passed over rather quickly.We both rolled over and went back to sleep.I got up around 6 a.m. and quickly went back to bed as the wind was blowing fast moving cloud cover with a coolness in the air.

Tuesday turned out to be not a good day in terms of photographing.It was a cold windy day with heavy cloud coverWe had each brought a book with us to help pass the day.Maureen and I did a bit of canoeing that evening exploring along the lake shore.At this time of year it gets dark early.For us that meant early to bed and early to rise.

Wednesday morning dawned and I grabbed my photo equipment to see what I could come up with.There was still a slight breeze rippling the water but I managed to get the above shot.At this time of year there is mist on the water along with some fall colors.I believe that full fall color will not happen for another week.This area that I photographed is one of my favourite locations.I had about 15 minutes to shot and made the most of it.

That is it for now. I want to thank everyone for there nice comments it is much appreciated as I enjoy sharing my experiences and photos with everyone.I also would like to take this opportunity to say that my wife was doing great on this trip and has come through like a real trooper.So until next time happy trails.

The Fine Art of Lighting

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.

The Magic Moment

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.