Tag Archives: Fine Art

Photography

Maple Leafs and Birch Trees

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I was giving a challenge by my good friend Bill Whittaker who is known for his acrylic and oil painting.You can explore his website here.

http://billwhittaker.scarf.ca/

Bill ask me to take some photos of Maple Leafs and Birch trees.Okay so off I went and spent a couple evenings searching.I knew where Birch trees grew in large numbers.But I had to find Maple trees grown there too.I came across several candidates to work with.The above photo is one of the better ones.I pulled down a branch of Maple leafs in front of the Birch tree to give me foreground.I also tied it off a short distance of a foot or two from the Birch tree for added depth.The front leafs are basically yellow while the Maple leafs behind the Birch tree are red.In the V of the Birch tree are some green leafs.Giving excellent contrast.There is always a lot of detail in a Birch tree plus the whiteness.

Everyone can Identify with the White Birch.Unfortunately there has been a lot of die-offs due to some kind of disease.This is a little different from my normal style of photography.It was a nice change to go searching for this type of composition.

Well that is it for this time.Happy Trails

Photography

Adventures in OSA

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For most of the summer I heard glowing reports about the beauty of OSA Lake in Killarney Provincal.I was able to snag a four day trip into this famous lake for the second week of Maureen’s holidays.

With a one day lay over and to replenish our food supplies we pushed off from the beach at George Lake.It was a beautiful day for canoeing with light winds.We made our way to the first portage into Freemon. As we were hauling our gear over, another couple from British Columbia  came in.These folks were on a week long trip over to Baie Fine.

Chatting beifly as we loaded the canoe we finally headed up Freeland Lake to the Killarney Lake portage.As we approached the landing a canoe with two gentleman and a little three year old girl headed out into the lake.We were informed that they were a party of 15 kids from age 15 to 3 years old along with accompanying adults.I thought this was pretty cool.It is so nice to see young kids out enjoying themselves on a canoe trip with there parents.

We beached the canoe and proceeded to unload our Quebeco 17 when 2 Park Rangers appeared down the portage.After talking for a few minutes they asked us for our camping permits.After we showed our camping permits we had an interesting chat.They had been in the interior for four days checking campsites and cleaning them up.One of the Rangers showed us a bag of cigarette buts and beer cans.I hope that everyone who uses the Park campsites make sure that all garbage is picked up and brought out with them.Let us all keep this beautiful wilderness area free from garbage.

As we moved our gear to Killarney Lake a number of canoes pulled in to the portage.Maureen and I put our gear to the side while everyone unloaded and moved there gear over the portage.We were in no hurry as the day was young.We finally managed to get the canoe loaded and made our way into Killarney Lake.This lake has always impressed me for its scenic views.It was nearing lunchtime so we landed on a point with a nice view of the La Cloche Mountains.We also had a splendid view looking towards the East End of Killarney Lake.This was a day of nice big fluffy white clouds.Once we had eating lunch I took a few photos as a record and we just laid back and took into the scenic views around us.

It was a short paddle over to the OSA portage were we met two gentlemen on there way out.The OSA portage is 455 m and an easy walk through old forest growth.As we exited the portage onto a gravel beach at OSA, we took in the amazing scene before us.With crystal clear waters and an abundance of islands towards the West end of the lake.This lake is pretty much surround by the La Cloche Mountains coming down to the shoreline.

We proceeded to paddle to the West end of OSA lake to look for a campsite.We slowly made our way among the various islands admiring the many scenic views before me.As a photographer I was impressed with the many photographic opportunities that would be available.I also realized that there would have to be many trips into this lake to truly capture its beauty.I also foresaw a problem with the wind on this lake.OSA has a large expanse of open water that would lead to a wind problem.Lo and behold when this lake calms down there would be gorgeous shots with the mountains reflecting into the water.

We finally made our way to the 2nd last campsite on a point of land that was empty.Maureen and I proceeded to empty the canoe and get our campsite setup.Once the camp chores were finished I walked down to the East end of the campground to look over the lake.The first thing that caught my eye were four rounded peaks in a very pleasing setting.I called these four peaks the Four Sisters.I do not know if they have a name.

I turned to my left and noticed the bright reddish vegetation on the point of an island.I thought to my self that with the right lighting this would make a great shot.We had been here for a couple of days before I was able to get the above shot.The early morning light bathed the small trees by the reddish vegetation to create this neat composition.I did not have a whole lot of calm water but managed to get enough colored reflections to add the depth that I was looking for.

Well that is it for now.This journey is not finished and I will be back with more posts on this special trip into a must see lake.So until next time happy trails

Photography

A Stroll on The Beach

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I picked up Paul Smith at 5:30 am.We arrived at George Lake in Killarney Provincial Park to a calm foggy morning.A photographer’s dream.The lighting was great,the colors were saturated along with the fog to create that mystic mood.The only thing missing was the fall colors.It seems that we may be a week or so from peak color.

At times the fog became too heavy.I strolled the beach looking for other opportunities.The rain started to fall quite heavy.At this time I met Roxanne Driedger who is an artist from Huntsville.I spent a nice half hour or so talking to Roxanne and her husband at there campsite.Thanks for the coffee folks.Roxanne is a very good artist and you can check out her portfollio at http://www.paintingsby roxanne.weebly.com

By now the rain had stopped,but the fog was very heavy.I set up for the above photo.It was just a case of waiting for the right moment and for the fog to ease off. I captured the above photo with its amazing lighting.The fog created an interesting window in the background that I truly love. This photo has a softness to it along with very good mood and peacefulness.

It was an incredible day as the wind was light and the lighting was exceptional.That is it for today.So until next time happy trails

Photography

Setting The Mood

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As I was going through my files from the previous trip into David Lake in Killarney Provincial Park I came across this photo.When I process my files from a trip, it is usually the obvious photos that catch my eye that I will process. I will then will go back at a later date and go through the files looking for that hidden gem.

In the case of this photo I was really attracted by the cloud formation. With the dramatic lighting and the cloud structure available I took four exposures.The last exposure was taken to bring out the detail in the shoreline and island.The four photos of different exposures was processed in Photoshop using the HDR process. I use the HDR plug-in to open the shadows only then proceed to finish up in photoshop.

The above shot was taken at one of our campsites on David Lake. The wind was not co-operating and we were lounging around the campsite drinking hot chocolate.There was a good view of the sun going down.The cloud formation you see appeared with its  unique lighting.I was not long in setting up my tripod and camera. I was able to keep the island off – center and be able to keep the cloud formation in view.The sun was setting to the left so I purposely left it out.Due to the lighting on the trees I was able to keep the island from blending into the background.I think this is important as you can now create depth.

Well that is it for this post.I thought that I would share this very dynamic scene which shows the beauty that can be had in our Northern Ontario Forests.

Photography

Photographing The Unusual.

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When I am out photographing I am always on the outlook for something different to work with.While we were camping on David Lake I observed this stump by our campsite.It had the right ingredients for a composition.One morning the water was fairly calm and the morning

sun was providing the right amount of lighting.The stump had beautiful abstract colors around it in a slight ripple effect.I placed the stump with its vegetation growth closer to the bottom edge of the photo.I liked the effect the red flowers added to the photo.These type of shots do not come often but when I find them I will wait for the right conditions and set up

Photography

David Lake Continued

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Friday at daylight was still windy.It looked like a nice day to come.A quick coffee and bannock for breakfast before heading out on the lake to explore.While we ate the same Common Merganser Hen with the nine babies returned to the same location as the night before.They proceeded to climb onto a log and began preening themselves. We spent a leisure morning exploring among the islands and various coves at the bottom end of David Lake.As we paddled a Loon was observed with a small chick on her back.This little one was probably a result of a second hatch.The first eggs may have been destroyed for what ever reason.

We soon came across other campsites along the way and decided to camp further down the lake for the night.The location is shown in the previous post.Dismantling the campsite we relocated to the chosen campsite without incidence and set everything up.It was a beautiful warm day.Wearing the life jackets, we went swimming  in front of campsite.Lazily floating on the water and splashing one another.

The evening did not produce much in the way of photographing other than a very nice sunset.The majority of our photographing this trip happened early  Saturday morning.Walking along the shoreline behind the campsite I captured the above photo with the three small rock islands that you see. The La Cloche Mountains can be observed in the upper right hand corner.

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

The Changing of The Seasons

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One of the things I love doing is going back to a favourite location time and time again and year to year. I may be passing by a locale and make a quick stop or go there for an afternoon and evening.Many a time the lighting and conditions may not be right or the water level is not good.You will know when you get optimal conditions by looking at the rocks as the colors will glow.This is something that you will develop and get a feel for as you gain expierience in the field.A cloudy day with the right lighting will do that for you.The time of year has a great effect on your photography as the day lengths will vary with the changing of the seasons.This means that if you are getting the best lighting in the evening in July then by November that same lighting is available around noon.The sun in November is closer to the horizon.

The above photo was taken in 2009 in August.I was shooting during the late afternoon catching the last of the lighting coming in and creating shadows.This little waterfalls would be in deep shadow within the half hour.The scene is surrounded by high hills and trees.With that being said you get sunlight filtering through the trees eliminating the harsh lighting caused by the bright sky on this particular day.

I shot this scene with the zoom set at 29 mm.The shutter speed was 0.3 sec @ f22.I was able to capture a beautiful flow of water and rich detail in the rocks.

We will zoom ahead to 2010 mid November.The effects are now quite different.Paul Smith and I decided to head out for the day to see what we could get in the way of photographs.It was a cloudy day with some wind and fairly cold temperatures.There was ice forming on the rocks to add another dimension to the photographs.

The water levels had come up from previous visits during the summer and there was a beautiful glow on the rocks that enhanced the colors dramatically.When you see this effect you will know.Being November the sun is now low to the horizon and the days are also shorter.Evening though it was cloudy the sun can still create diffusing lighting through  the cloud cover to create the much sought after glow.

The above photo was taken at midday with the zoom set at 50mm with a shutter speed set at 0.6 @ f22.This is the same scene as at the beginning but with different lighting different time of year and a year later.The vegetation is also changed in color.

As a side note I came across some elderly gentlemen out photographing whom I had met at a studio tour that I did last Fall.I ended up given some on site lessons to them on where to set up there tripod and composing the shots that I had taken above.This is one aspect that I enjoy.If I can help someone all the better.

With that being said take a moment to show someone  a few of the things you have learned and maybe gain a friend the process.Well that is it for this week so for now happy trails

Photography

Duchesnay Falls North Bay

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Happy New Year everyone.This is my first blog for 2011.2010 was a successful year blogging as I had over a 1000 views to my blog.I want to thank everyone for visiting and to continue to do so.

I am not much into photographing during the winter.My free time is taken up cutting firewood for next winter.I also spend the winter printing out select photos for upcoming shows and displays.

I had the opportunity to spend some time at Duchesnay Falls located just West of North Bay. My wife Maureen and I were heading for Southern Ontario for a week long visit with friends in Newtonville . We left home early Monday morning the 27 September 2010. It was a cloudy day when we arrived at Duchesnay Falls.The time was about 10 am.

Duchesnay Falls offers a 3 km trail that makes a loop.This is a very picturesque location,especially in the Fall.I parked in the parking lot and Maureen decided that she would get some shut eye well I photographed. Grabbing my camera gear I picked up the trail and headed along the waterway.My first site was a picnic table being used by someone.The person had a tarp over the table and was curled up under it in a sleeping bag.

This made me a little nervous in regards to my wife back at the truck.I thought well I am not going to be that long so I continued on my hike.There was not full Fall color but enough to enrich my photos.There was a fair amount of water cascading down and Being a cloudy day I was a little concerned about getting fast enough shutter speed and maintaining my f11 f-stops.The above photo was shot at the upper end of the falls with a zoom setting of 65 mm.The shutter speed  was set at 0.5 sec @ f22.I used the colorful leaves to frame the top part of the photo .The rushing water creates a curved line with flow in and flow out.The rocks give added depth.The one thing I had to watch out for was too much foam in the water.

 

I was able to capture the above scene by creating an S-curve with the running water.The colorful leaves and evergreens added  color and depth to my photo.You will notice that the water is a tea color that is common in Northern Ontario.I took this photo with a zoom setting of 41 mm.The shutter speed was set at 0.6 sec @ f29.I was able to capture a wonderful depth with this shot.Again the water flows from the top of the photo to the bottom of the photo.

The last photo was taken of one of the waterfalls on the Duchesnay water system.The waterfalls was a fairly decent drop and I wanted a tight shot with the leaves creating a frame.I set this shot up so that I had rocks in the foreground to created depth .The zoom was set at 44 mm.The shutter speed  was at 1/5 sec @ f22.

I returned to the truck and Maureen was still asleep.I saw no signs of the person that was sleeping under the picnic table as I didn’t pass that way on my return.There was a couple more cars in the parking lot now.

This is a worth while trip to Duchesnay Falls where many photographic opportunities await you.I will be going back next Fall when the the leaves are in full color.I was a week too early. So until next time happy trails.

 

 

Photography

Creatively With Water

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One of the things I really love doing is look for patterns in running water as I walk along a river or creek.The photo above was taken at the top end of a waterfalls.For this type of shot you need fairly fast water and a bright overcast day.The water is tumbling over the rocks in three different directions here.I chose a composition at an angle to the flow so the water would exit out on the bottom left corner of the photo.So basically you have the water running in from both sides and the top.This will give you flow in and flow out.The secret here is in the shutter speed as while maintaining depth of field.

Once the camera and tripod are set up I will shot the scene at different exposures.I may take up to 20 exposures so that I can  select the photo that I will use when I get home.You want to create defining patterns with the water.Shooting at 1 sec or so will not achieve the results we are looking for as you would create water that has no detail.This photo that I selected was shot at a shutter speed of  1/4 sec at f22.You will see that the flowing water has character and depth.

As I was walking along above the river I noticed the unique patterns been created by a group of rocks in the river.The river was very low at this time of year.The water depth was very shallow.I found my way down to the river’s edge and set up the camera and tripod to create this composition.The lighting was extremely beautiful that evening and everything had a wonderful glow.

I used the rock on the left for a lead in and the water flows from the top left to the bottom right.I shot this one at 1o secs at f29.There was some very nice patterns created by the water flowing around the small rocks. Again I shot at different shutter speeds to create the patterns I wanted.

You will not see these type of effects too often,but when you do start shooting.You must also picture in your mind what it will look like in Photoshop.Until next time happy trails.