Tag Archives: Evergreens

Photography

Wolf Lake

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I met my cousin Tim Bennison at the Kukagami Lake turn off at 8:00 am Saturday morning. While I was waiting for Tim I was able to have a good discussion  with a local gentleman who has spent his whole life in this part of the country. We talked about Wolf Lake and surrounding lakes in the area. He mentioned travelling with his grandfather to the various lakes as a kid. We spoke about the damage that Inco and Falconbridge  had done to the lakes back in the fifties with the acid rain. He confirmed to me that Wolf and Sylvester Lake were now fish sanctuaries. The MNR have planted Lake Trout in these two lakes over the past two years.

With Tim’s gear now loaded into my Ford Escape, we were soon heading North to Wolf Lake. Upon arrival we soon discovered that Wolf Lake is a popular destination for canoeing and camping. As a matter of fact there were even a number of American folks here. A couple of older gentlemen were hauling there gear to the road. We managed to have a chat. They told us where they had been camping. With that in mind we waited until they were finished hauling there gear up. Tim and I began unloading and carrying our own gear down to the lake. It is about 100 foot trip to the lake shore. Pretty easy compared to what we usually do. Heading out on the lake surface we certainly had an awesome view before us. Lots of rock structures and small islands. A spattering of cliff faces. Very nice. The rocks are light grey in color that really glow in the low light.

We headed the canoe across the lake to were the parting gentlemen told us that they had camped. Beaching the canoe in a shallow indent on the far shore, we walked the trail up to the campsite. This turned out to be a wonderful location with a gorgeous view over the lake. We were to be camped on a low ridge over looking the lake. I will take a moment to tell you how clean this campsite  was. There was no garbage to be found anywhere. For an unsupervised area this has to be impressive. The campsite and trails are very well used. Which would mean a lot of campers come here. We discovered the boom box behind the campsite. It was in very good shape. All in all you can not ask for better. I have been at other lakes where the garbage is slewing everywhere. So hats off to the many people that travel here. Keep our wilderness clean.

I will continue this journey in my next blog. It has been a long day. So until next time happy trails.

 

 

Photography, Poetry

Early Summer

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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

Bog Pond

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Untitled_Panorama3a

 

 

Launching the canoe onto Bassfin Lake on a warm sunny afternoon, Don Duprius and I glided over the rippled lake surface. We entered a world of quiet and beauty. We paddled  lazily along heading for the North shore. Having brought our fishing gear along, we were soon drifting along with the breeze catching 4 to 5 inch perch. Nothing to write home about. A good way to past time until the evening shot started.

Removing my watch from my pocket, I noticed that it was now 5:30 p.m. I suggested to Don that we go head to shore for supper. Don was in agreement and the canoe was soon beached ashore. Grabbing our lunch bags we sat along the shore and ate supper. The bug population has been dramatically reduced so it was a pleasure to sit on the rocks in the shade looking over the lake before us. Having finished eating, Don stretched out for a nap and I commenced to explore the shoreline. As I entered a small cove a small stream appeared ahead of me. Upon approach it, I noticed how clear the water was as it entered the lake. Kneeling down I ran my hand into the water. It was quite cool feeling specially for this time of year. I called Don over and he suggested we backtrack the stream to its source. So off we went walking on higher ground as the stream was in dense vegetation.  As we made our way with the stream to our left, an opening appeared ahead of us. Don and I made our way down the sloping ground to the woods edge. We emerged upon a small bog pond surrounded by lush vegetation and tiny white flowers.

I quickly returned to my canoe to gather up my camera equipment. Reappearing at the pond’s edge, the camera and tripod in hand I made a quick survey of my surroundings. With the sun settling to the west, I decided to move around the pond to my left to eliminate sun glare on the camera lens. Now this pond was dominated by the various shades of green. I was cast in shadow around me which would also effect my foreground.I felt this would add to the depth of the photo. I also thought that the best way to portray this scene was by doing a panoramic to capture the sense of the mood. That it was quiet and peacefulness. There was also a feeling of serene beauty about this location. Like an oasis in the woods. With the lush vegetation and clear waters, I was of the  impression that this was a spring fed pond. As I walked along the pond edge I had the feeling of walking on air. The vegetation underfoot was holding me up. I had to remain completely still to allow everything to settle down. I have my camera set to 2 sec. after the push of the shutter button. Thus helping to eliminate vibration. Completing my series of shots I took one last look at this little oasis in the woods and hiked back to Bassfin Lake. I believe that I will return here in the near future.

This coming week-end I will be set up at the Killarney Art Show along with many other artists. The show runs Saturday and Sunday. For more info go here.

http://www.killarneyartshow.com/

Till next time happy trails.

Photography

From Gargantia Bay To Fenton Lake

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June 24 dawned misty and cloudy. Maureen and I drove into Wawa to the North of 17 restaurant for breakfast. The day cleared up. So that evening we drove back down the Gargantua Bay Road. As I drove along a weasel ran out in front of us to then disappear back into the woods. Upon arriving at the parking I loaded up my camera gear. Our aim was to hike the two km trail into the back of Gargantia Bay. The Ojibwa people had built a road here, so the going was very good. There was soon an onslaught of the mosquito population to annoy us.

We soon arrived at the bay’s end. We were greeted by a young couple and there two young children. They were set up at one of the campsite available here. There was a nice sandy beach here, but I saw nothing of interest to photograph . The Ojibway had constructed a longhouse on the beach from were they performed their religious ceremonies. The longhouse consisted of saplings fastened together. It was quite sturdy looking.  We chatted with the campers for awhile. They suggested that we hike up the hill to a lookout that gave a view of the bay to the North. Picking up the lookout trail at the end of the beach, we were soon sweating as we made our way up the steep hillside. Upon arrival we were greeted to a magnificent view  looking towards the Devil’s Chair. Descending the hill back to the beach I headed over to the Ranger’s cabin. It had seen better days as the walls had been removed for an open air effect. I suspect that people had taken free firewood.  We bid the campers goodbye and picked up the trail to the parking lot. I swore the mosquito clan had brought in more reinforcements as they seemed to be thicker. It seemed at  times that my hands were covered with these pest. We arrived back at the parking lot. Arriving back at the highway I suggested that we go to Fenton Lake.

Maureen dropped me off at the side of the highway. I suggested she go to Wawa and stop at Tim Horton for a coffee. Meanwhile I set up my tripod and Canon 7D to capture the above photo. As I was waiting the wind calmed down. The could cover changed to what you see in the above composition. I needed depth so I put shoreline on both sides of the composition. The cloud cover is shown to its best effect. There is lots of depth here. The island is visible. A typical Northern Ontario scene in the Boreal forest.

Maureen soon returned with her coffee. I packed my gear away. It was getting dark now. It was time to head back to camp. The 37th Annual La Cloche Art Show concluded yesterday with recorded sales. There was an excellent turnout of artist and the public.While that is it for now   Until next time happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

Art by Nature

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Killarney_0553

 

The forest in shadow

Beside a small lake

On a Spring morning

Dawn is now breaking

The sky is brighter

A trickling of sunlight

Coming unexpectedly

Through the dark  Pines

Edging the boughs gold

The rippled lake surface

Creates a colorful abstract

Of gold, green and black

Of the forest reflection

A dazzling array of color

Radiant before your eyes

Mother Nature’s own art

For those who see

Soon lost in time

 

We can be totally overwhelmed by the grand scene before us.But if you were to look within that scene, you will find small things happening around you. The lighting is ever changing. Look for the small details of what that lighting is doing. Many times I have gone out to photograph a scene and as I am capturing that composition  my eyes pick up on another possibility. Train your eyes to be constantly on the move. Lighting is fickle. So be prepared to work quickly. Make light and shadow work for you.

That is all for now. Until next time happy trails

 

Photography

A Y Jackson 2014

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Killarney_0534HR

4:20 AM. I loaded up my gear into my Escape. First stop was Tim Horton to pick up a coffee and a bite to eat for the road. Traffic was light as I drove down to Killarney. Wildlife was scarce on the Killarney highway. This trip I saw one yearling Black Bear and a Fox. I arrived at Killarney Provincial Park and parked at the East end of George Lake. Loading up my gear I walked to the trail that would take me to A Y Jackson Lake. I climbed up the ridge huffing and puffing. This is a fairly steep ridge that you have to tackle right away. It is only a ten minute hike into George Lake.

As I arrived at my destination I saw that the lake surface was calm. This was my first chance to use my new tripod. I had purchased a Gitzo GT1541 carbon fibre Tripod and a BH-40 LR from Really Right Stuff. As soon as the camera was set up on the tripod the wind started to ripple the lake surface. Go figure. I waiting I succeeded in getting the above capture with the morning sunlight illuminating the shoreline on the left and just catching the tree tops on the right. The La Cloche Mountains in the background had a bit of mist. This is one of my favorite lakes to photograph. The best time to get a composition is early morning. My next trip means I will have to get up at 4:00 AM to get the most out of a morning shot. There was a few mosquitoes around but for some reason they were not biting. The black flies were   scare this morning.

That is it for now, so until next time happy trails.

Photography

Morning at Cave Lake

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On my trip to Cave Lake I had hiked there on my own. I spent the night in my tent alone. It actually went better than I expected. A person seems to develop acute hearing during the night and I am deaf. You can start hearing sounds that are real or imaginary. But all in all I survived the night. I woke up to a beautiful morning with the local black fly population waiting for me. They were thick.

Walking along the shoreline I came across this small rock point jutting out into the lake. There were no clouds in the sky as per usual. I set up my tripod and Canon 7D to place the rock point to the right in my composition. By chosen to have the rock point angled to the center of my composition you can get more of a 3D  effect in your work. It also allowed me to eliminate some of the lake surface.  I showed just a touch of shoreline in the foreground bottom right. There were some small rocks and grass there. The small rocks allowed for a comparison of boulder size in relationship to the rock point. There is a lot of detail in the rock structures to be found. The reflections allow for an almost 3D effect of the rock point. There is a piece of broken wood on the rock edge for added interest. The green vegetation breaks up the rock color for a better appeal.

I was able to have the far treeline angle down into the center of the composition from the top left. I kept the sky to a minimum here. You can notice the fresh green of the Maples among the evergreens. You get this effect well into June. This gives you various shades of green for better contrast. One of the things you have to be aware of is that you have to disturb the blackflies in front of your lense. If not you can get a nice looking blurry spot on your photo.

Well that is all for now. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Cave Lake, Killarney Provincial Park

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CaveLake_5635

The above scene was taken at Cave Lake, Killarney Provincial Park. This was the only trip I had made so far. It requires about a 2 hour hike to reach with two campsites available. I hiked here in June of 2012. The bugs were very bad. Mosquitoes on the rampage in the evening, then dawn I was assaulted by Blackflies. This is not a big lake. The East shoreline is completely forest covered. It appears to be fairly good incline from the top of the La Cloche Range to Cave Lakes water edge. But there is a small section of rock protruding among the evergreens down to the water’s edge. The neat thing about it was that when the lake’s surface calmed, you would swear there was a cave at the base.

This was a dawn shot that I composed. I put some rock surface in the foreground to eliminate so of the water and to add depth. There is some green vegetation in the bottom right corner. Very nice detail of lichen on the rock surface. At this time of year everything is fresh looking. There are some Pine boughs along the edges to add more depth. I wanted to create the feeling that you are standing on that rock and looking towards that hole in the rock on the far shore. With the dense forest across the way there is a combination of low morning like striking the evergreens plus the lighter green of new growth. This will give you beautiful contrast and effect. Plus this is all reflected into the water.

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I created a close up shot of that rock structure and was rewarded with the tiered effect going diagonally to the water. An interesting bent Pine is growing on the bottom part of the ridge. Now we can get a better view of the cave effect. Again utilizing the low early morning light and new growth for contrast and break up the all green effect.

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

Photography

The David Lake Series

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DavidLake1

 

The above composition is another panoramic that I captured at David Lake, Killarney Provincial Park. It was late Sept. The Fall colors were not in there full glory yet. This composition contains two overlapping photos to achieve the desired scene that I wanted. The dark scudding clouds added to the mood.  The blown highlights do not turn me on. That is were the morning sun was risen. The little rock islands have great texture that is common in this area. The addition of mist adds to the mood. The mist was coming off the land and moving from left to right. I believe the added colors of Fall in the forest in the background gives added contrast. You can just glimpse the La Cloche Mountains in the background.

The weather here is getting warmer, snow is melting. Happy Easter to everyone. So until next time happy trails.