Tag Archives: landscape

Photography

Sunrise and Colorful Rocks

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This is a very interesting composition that I was able to capture on my last trip into OSA Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.The shore line had a colorful collection of rocks of various sizes and shapes.I just needed something to go with it.As you spend time in various locals you will discover locations that could produce a good shot.They just need something to complete the composition.

It is a matter of waiting and as you can see from the photo above it is sunrise.So with the sun coming up and the rocky shore line in the foreground I was able to complete the scene.The early morning light gives the rocks the warm colors and the golden reflections tie in the photo front to back.As I said previously I keep these various locations in the back of my mind and return time and again till I get what I want.You will also note that there is an interesting cloud pattern that developed as I took this photo.

The shot was taken with a shutter speed of 1/10 sec @ f22.I set up my tripod and Canon 7d and just waited for the right moment before taken a number of exposures.

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

Photography

Song of The Land

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The lake surface is ruffled

By the wind that whispers in my ear

The La Cloche Mountains Covered in mist

As I dip my paddle

Into the translucent waters

A raven in a tall skeleton of a  birch tree

Voices his displeasure at my intrusion

With each stroke of the paddle

The canoe glides  through the waters

A common loon quietly appears

Her baby astride her back

Soon to be lost in the distance

As I paddle my canoe in the morning stillness

The mist is lifting

The La Cloche Mountains now visable

Covered in the warm glow of early morning sunlight

The isles appear ahead

Just now emerging from the darkness of night

A flock of ducks skim the water’s surface

To disappear in a nearby bay

The sun is up

The sky is blue

Bringing forth a new day

As I listen to the song of the land

Photography

Evening Solitude

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As I sit under a gnarled old pine tree
By the shores of a wilderness lake
Tea in hand,enjoying the even solitude
The water itself a living torquise blue,perfectly clear
As it caresses the rocky shoreline
The wind is but a murmur among the trees
The La Cloche Mountains are ablaze in the colors of Fall
The shoreline is dotted here and there
With yellow,orange and red
The mountain sides are bathed in a warm glow
As the sun descends the Western horizon
The moon has risen over the lake ever so faint
The stars are twinkling ever so faintly
The air is clear and crisp, a sign of Fall
I sip my tea in this enchanted world
By a wilderness lake in the far North
The lighting is no longer harsh
But with a warmth to stir the heart
The shadows are lengthing,the rocks are aglow
This is the magical moment before darkness descends
The changing of the seasons full upon us
Darkness unfolds all around me
The path of the moon is now upon the surface of the lake
The stars are bright
It is now nighttime on a far wilderness lake
Far away in the distant, the call of a lone wolf is heard

Many of you would be able visualize with the above scenario
if you spend any time camping.Most evenings are a time of relaxation
and enjoying the vista that surrounds you.
A nice cup of tea,coffee or hot chocolate adds to the enjoyment.
The above photo is a good example of one of those quiet,peaceful evenings.
The La Cloche Mountains are covered with Fall color.
The water is calm.What better place to be but on a wilderness lake.
In this case OSA Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.
So that is it for this week.Happy Trails
Photography

Daybreak Part 3

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From out of nowhere,a wandering wind

Dances here and there on the lake surface

Rippling the water,distorting the mirrored reflections

The mist has cleared,the spell is broken

The hills are ablaze in a coat of many colors

The doe has returned from whence she came

The wind has strengthened

The lake in turmoil

Thus ends a magical morning

A rare glimpse of Mother Earth’s enchantment

To stir the soul with peace and tranquility

To be cherished forever more

Let us preserve this valuable commodity given to us

That our children and grandchildren

May enjoy for years to come.

Thus ends my poem that I hope you can all enjoy.So until next time happy trails

Photography

Daybreak Part 2

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The Loon is calling for it’s mate, lost in the mist

The sun is now casting it’s first golden rays

The scattered islands emerge from their nightly vigil

The Four Sisters like sleeping giants

Emerge from the morning mist

Their rounded tops ablaze in red

To meet the dawning of a new day

Out of the mist comes the loon with a flash of wings

To greet the emerging day

With a swirl of wings,four small ducks

Alight among the islands to partake in a morning feed

A whitetail doe emerges from the forest

Ever watchful as she steps to the water’s edge

Dips her head to spate her thirst

When I had first paddled OSA Lake with my wife Maureen,we spotted four rounded rocky tops on the South side of the lake.I was quite taken with the view we had and I jokingly called them the Four Sisters.My wife just smiled and we have called these rock formations that are part of the La Cloche Mountain system by that name ever since.I am not aware as to whether they actually have a name.I am bound and determine to capture this scenic view but will have to wait another year.I captured them in outline but not in detail.

The above photo was taken from the same setup as the photo in the previous post.By waiting and being patient you will get a number of different lighting conditions as the morning progresses.It is quite remarkable to watch this happen while you sit spellbound and in awe of what is happening before you.

That is it for this post.So until next time happy Trails

Photography

Daybreak

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The surface of the lake is like an enchanted mirror

The lake is bathed in reflected images of the surrounding shorelines.

The sun has yet to crest the Eastern horizon

There is mist among the scattered islands

The isles appear as ghostly silhouettes,guardians of the lake

The La Cloche Mountains hidden behind a veil of mist

Awaiting the warmth of the morning light

From out of the mist,the lonely call of the Common Loon can be heard

I thought I would do something different this post.I am not a poet.I thought I would put down the above thoughts as they came to me while I viewed this photo in print.It was truly an enchanting morning in the wilderness on OSA Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.It took a four day and a five day trip into OSA to capture this photo along with others.

That is it for this post.Happy trails.

Photography

Day Two at OSA Lake

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By now it is Tuesday our last full day at OSA Lake.I was able to do some photography that morning.The above photo was taken that morning.I used the island and reflections as my foreground.The reflections are not perfect but they create the desired affect that I was looking for.The sun painted the La Cloche Mountains in the background highlighting the blaze of color on the hillsides.The island had a nice glow to it from the early morning sun.The white clouds in the upper left of the photo added great appeal.I gotta tell you I do not seem to be able to get the nice white clouds very often.When they are available I make use of them.

I returned to camp for a nice hot coffee and bagel.Maureen and I talked over what we would do that day.We both agreed to paddle over to the Muriel Lake portage.From there we walked over to Muriel Lake for a look see.It was a beautiful morning with the sunlight creating a dappling affect through the trees.This was another portage with large Hemlock trees and open bush.Maureen and I arrived at Muriel Lake after a 595 m walk.Our first view was a grassy open area that you had to traverse around to get to the lake.

As we walked towards the lake I noticed spider webs covered with dew in the tall grass.Now would this not make an interesting photo with the spider web covered in dew and the La Cloche Mountains in the background.A project for another trip.We walked over to the lake and proceeded along the shoreline to the far end of the lake.As we walked we heard running water and sure enough ahead of us was a small stream of clear water entering the lake.Maureen and I sat on an old log and just sat there enjoying the morning and the scenery.The view of the La Cloche Mountains appeared to be on the North side of  Muriel Lake.

With a last look around we made our way back to the portage.As we walked through the portage Maureen and I took photos of one another beside a large Hemlock.When I approached OSA a grouse walked slowly across the trail ahead of me followed by two more grouse.They were probably this years offspring.I motioned to Maureen and we watched the grouse quietly move further into the bush out of site.Launching the canoe we paddled back to our campsite for lunch.

Well that is it for this post,so until next time happy trails.

 

Photography

A Magic Moment in Time

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Paul Smith and I spent a lazy afternoon on the beach enjoying the beautiful warm weather as we waited for the evening photo shot.At this time of year with the days becoming shorter it is no longer a long wait.It is so enjoyable to sit by the water observing the lighting and ever changing conditions.Paul and I sat at one of the picnic tables.People were coming and going.In most cases we would chat with them.One Japanese gentleman approached us and we had a discussion on photography.

Paul and I met Michal Podwapinski on the beach later in the afternoon.Michal had just finished a 2 week hike around the park.We spent a pleasant couple hours as Michal talked about his 2 week hike.

By this time evening was approaching.Paul and I quickly got ourselves set up for the evening shot.I returned to the same location as the photo in the previous post.We had some nice clouds available plus color.What also was interesting was that as the sun dropped below the horizon there was a nice reddish tinge in the sky.This in turn caused the beautiful reddish glow on the rocks.You have to be quick with your set up in these conditions as that magic moment will only last a very short period of time.Again being in the right place and time.It is called a magic moment in time.You must be able to recognize these conditions and act upon it.I believe this is what separates the good photographers from the ordinary photographers.

This lighting probably lasted for all of about 15 to 20 minutes and then was gone.Paul and I finally decided to call it a day.We had succeeded in getting some wonderful photos on a extraordinary day.We enjoyed conversing with other people at the park that day.It was just one of those Fall days where everything fell in place and was just enjoyable to be there.

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

Over to Boundary Lake

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It is Wednesday morning and I am continuing from the previous post of our five day trip. After a leisure breakfast of coffee and bagels we proceeded to pack up our camp gear.Our destination was to head over into Boundary Lake for a couple nights.We had never been there before.

We paddled to the upper end of David Lake and crossed over to the South shore.We had to do some searching but soon found the portage to Boundary.Donning our packs we hiked up the portage.Off the lake the portage was steep.Maureen disappeared ahead of me so I figured I would meet her at Boundary Lake.When I arrived at the end of the portage there was no Maureen.But I did view a really beautiful scene at the East end of the lake.Mean while I had to find my wife.

Returning back up the portage there was Maureen coming with a big grin.She said oops.The portage crossed over the hiking trail.Maureen had turned left onto the hiking trail.She met up with a couple hiking the trail and they redirected her onto the right trail.

Basically the portage was a steep climb one way and a long winding walk downhill.At Boundary we had to carry everything down to the lake shore before proceeding to the campsite.We met another couple coming out.We  finally arrived at the campsite and unloaded everything. There is only one campsite for canoeing and one for hikers.The campsite we were at was nice but the view was not as good as the previous campsites we had been to.

Wednesday and Thursday turned out cold and windy with not much in the way of photographic opportunities. Thursday, Maureen and I canoed along the lake shore.As we emerged from between two islands Maureen spied a Whitetail Deer along the far shore line.We quietly edged the canoe towards the deer.It turned out to be a eight point buck.

Thursday night we both agreed to get up at 5;30 and pack our gear and head to the landing.There I would try to get some photographing in and we would have breakfast after the mornings shot.

Friday morning arrived cold and foggy.We rough packed our gear and quickly made our way over to the landing.There was a bit of wind dancing here and there on the surface of the lake.It turned out to be a great morning to photograph.The above scene is one of the many photos I captured.This particular photo is interesting as the sun peeking through the fog lit up the side of the hillside to add some dramatic lighting.The fog creates mystery and depth to the photo.There is some fall color on the hillsides.We are a few weeks away from full color.

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