Tag Archives: landscape

Photography

This and That

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This has been an uneventful week in terms of photographing. I spent a few days with my three youngest grand kids at the beach and we had a blast. With that said,the above photo is a pano taken last week looking West of  George Lake.This was quite late in the morning so I felt quite fortunate to capture this scene.You will notice the rock on the left looks like a prehistoric crab with a tail.The La Cloche Mountains in the background along with the deep blue skies and water create a pretty scenerio.

At the 34th La Cloche Art show I was fortunate to place 1st in photography and along with that all three of my photos were sold.So thank you very much to the folks who brought my work.So that is it for this week.I hope to be back out next week so until then happy trails

 

Photography

Cave Lake,Killarney Provincial Park

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The Monday past I stopped in at the Killarney Provincial Park office to book a campsite at Topaz Lake.My partner was sick, so seeing that I was already packed and ready to go I decided to venture alone.It is about a four hour hike to Topaz Lake. I had full gear and did not know what kind of shape I was in.I picked up the trail at the South end of George Lake and proceeded to hike into the interior.This is a well used and defined trail.

Paul Smith and I had previously hiked into Lumsden Lake so I was familiar with this part of the trail.It was a hot day around 28 C and the bugs were about.The going was pretty good so far and in a short while I came upon Acid Lake.The hiking trail traversed around the lake for a distance before heading North.

Acid Lake is a pretty lake and I will camp here in the future.The backdrop of the La Cloche Mountains coming down to the far shore line is pleasing.As I was resting on the rocks along the shoreline a pair of Loons came to investigate me.The Loons must have a nest here somewhere.

I was now starting to feel the effects of the heat and the weight of my pack as I hiked along the trail.The trail was getting more rugged with more and more up and downs.My legs were also starting to feel like rubber.The biggest problem was that I was not in shape for doing this type of hiking.I hiked for another hour and finally came to the conclusion that I was not going to make it to Topaz Lake.I checked my GPS and noted that Cave Lake was just ahead.I figured that I had better stop off here and pitch the tent.I still had another hour of walking and I new that was too far.It would have to wait another day.

I followed the signs into Cave Lake.This trail had fallen trees on it so there were a couple detours to be taken here.When I arrive at Cave Lake I immediately set up the tent and crawled inside to have a nap.After a short rest I explored my surrounding I was quite surprised at what was around me.There would be photo opportunities here.There was a island at the bottom end of the lake.The La Cloche mountains came down to the shoreline heavy covered with forest.There was a sparse showing of white rock to be seen.At the East end of the lake was some rock formations that looked good.It was at the West end that there was large rock formations that appear in the above panoramic. I set up the stove and boiled water for tea and heated my supper.There is something about being in a place like this sitting on a rock overlooking a wilderness lake.It is a great feeling.

The evening shooting was not good as the wind was not co-operating very well and the blackflies were bad.I returned to the tent and had a peaceful sleep that night.I awoke about five the next morning and was able to get a number of shots.I must tell you I was feeling the effects of yesterday as my legs were stiff and sore.

The above panoramic was taken that morning.It consists of three overlapping photos.I created depth by placing the foreground to the right and leading the eye into the depth of the lake with the placement of the island.The island was now lit by the morning sun.I set the zoom to 85 mm and the shutter speed was 2.5 sec @f22

By seven I had everything packed and ready to go.The misquitoes were bad that morning and I wanted to get out early while it was still cool.I also realized that there would be a lot of  uphill walking to Acid Lake. An hour later I came to Acid Lake where I took a half hour break.I was already feeling the physical effects from yesterday.Once again the loons appeared to check me out.

I was back at the truck by ten that morning.My legs were pretty stiff and sore though.All in all it was a pretty good little adventure and I enjoyed myself immensely.I just need to get in better shape.So until next time happy trails.


Photography

An Evening on Sheguiandah Lake

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Last Sunday we had a noon birthday party for my 4 year old grandson Kelan.It was a small family gathering and after it being such a nice afternoon I decided to pack my camera equipment and head for Killarney Provincial Park for some evening shooting.

Most of the weekend campers had gone home by now.There was a sprinkling of campers here and there. My goal this evening was to hike into Little Sheguiandah Lake that Paul Smith and I had canoed into a couple of times from George Lake.This lake was only a short hike from A.Y. Jackson Lake.

I hiked into the campsite on Little  Sheguiandah Lake and set up my gear for the evening shooting.The campsite is located near the back end of this lake offering an excellent view of the lake.There was a slight wind blowing off and on but with patenice I should succeed in getting some photos.I shot from various locations at hand.I had to wait at times for the water to calm down so that I had reflections in the water.I wore my bug jacket this evening as the bugs were bad.I even lost a few pictures due to bugs flying in front of the lense.

Little Sheguiandah has great rock structure along its shorelines making for excellent compositions under the right lighting conditions.The above photo was taken with a zoom setting  of 65 mm and the shutter speed set to 0.3 sec @ f22.This is looking at Little Shaglander from were you can bring your canoe in to the lake from George Lake.I always like to get photos of the La Cloche Mountains in the background.

The yellow pollen from the pine trees is now increasing and can be observed along shorelines now.This does not look good in a photo.I had a good evening of shooting and of course it is always the peace and quiet that one gets from being in these locations. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Capturing The Light

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My photographic partner,Paul Smith and I unloaded the canoe in to the Aux Sauble River North of Massey at the 3 mile mark.We proceeded to paddle up river and we worked our way up to a small waterfalls and unloaded the canoe on a sandbar on the opposite shoreline.Paul elected to stay at the waterfalls and I proceeded upriver looking for photographic opportunities.Looking back down river I noticed a bit of a haze as the day was hot and muggy.

As I walked upstream I noticed a beam of sunlight highlighting the grass and ferns near the waters edge.The scene was on the opposite shore of the river.The time was getting on late afternoon and creating heavy shadows on the far shore.The sun also sets in that direction.I quickly set up and shot the scene that you see above.The dark background brings out the foreground and the reflections in the water.The dark background also helps eliminate clutter.It also helps to keep the shot tightly composed.

I photographed the composition with a zoom setting of 135 and the shutter speed at 0.6 sec and f25.

I continued walking upstream and I noticed some unique lighting ahead of me that you see in the photo above.The problem was that the background was very dark and the right shoreline was brightly lit.I set up the camera and tripod and created the composition you see above.I set the exposure for the sandbar and took a photo and then I took a exposure on the background and took a photo at that setting.This allowed me to bring both photos into Photoshop and achieve what I was looking for.

At this time it was getting late and walking further upstream was getting harder going.I had covered about a mile and a half.I retraced my steps back downstream and met Paul at the waterfalls.

We loaded the canoe and drifted back down river enjoying the stillness and quiet of the woods.Beaver were swimming ahead of  and Paul heard twiggs snapping beside us up in the bush.We stopped paddling and listened for a few moments but nothing happened.It was dark by the time we got back to the truck and headed home.

It was a great afternoon and evening enjoying the wilderness and getting a quality photo or two in the process an added bonus.As you can see I am always watching for interesting lighting situations.This only can happen if you spend a lot of time observing what is happening around you.

So until next time happy trails.

Photography

After The Storm

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Last week my granddaughter Tisha came for a weeks visit.On the Thursday past Tisha and I went out photographing on the Wakanassin River North of Webbwood.The previous week I had explored a section of the river that showed some promise.It was too late in the evening to get anything in the way of a photo.

So loading up our gear and wearing chest waders the two of us proceeded to wade down the river. I was just getting ready to set up the camera when the dark clouds rolled in and we got drenched by four separated showers.The wind picked up briskly and the rain came down very hard.With no where to seek shelter Tisha and I endured the showers standing out in the middle of the river,getting soaked in the meantime.

The showers were short lived and the cloud cover was moving fairly quickly.Looking up river I noticed swirls of mist moving across the face of the hill.I proceeded to set up the camera and tripod and looked around for a good setup to compose my shot.I anchored the left side of the photo with the left river bank at a group of rocks.The wind was now non-existence now so there was some reflection on the water. But what really made the photo was the sun started peeking out from behind the cloud cover creating some beautiful lighting.You had to be quick on the shutter to capture the various lighting highlights and at the same time capture the mist moving in front of the hills.

You will also notice a dark cedar tree in the fore-ground that tends to add depth to the photo.This photo was shot at a shutter speed of 1/13 sec @ f 25 with the lense at 60 mm.

My granddaughter Tisha and I had a great day together in the wilderness and when the sun came out the warmth of the sun soon dried us out.So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Shadows

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I have been ask if the water is always dark and lots of shadows where I photograph.The great majority of my work is done along rivers and creeks.The rivers are usually flowing between hills with a lot of tree growth.A majority of my photographic work takes place in wilderness areas and the tree growth is mature.

Depending on the time of day,there is usually a lot of shadows created by hills and overhanging trees.The sun is usually starting to disappear behind the hills by three in the afternoon and starting to filter through the trees.I carry a compass with me and I can check to see were the sun rises and sets. This is important to determine whether you will get back lighting 0r cross lighting.

The shadows used in conjunction with the lighting can create some awesome photographs.Looking at the photo above,you can see the sun is cross lighting in the foreground and you have deep shadows in the background.The sun is on the right hand side of this photo.Using this to good effect you can create a mysterious turn into deeper woods and good depth of field.You will also notice that the sun is highlighting parts of the trees on the left breaking up the shadows.

The above photo was shot at 1/4 sec with the zoom set at 135 @ f22. You must always be patient and take many shots.This particular afternoon there was moving cloud cover.By watching the scene before me I was able to get many shots as the sun reappeared from behind the clouds By watching the light intensity I could get different effects and then choose the photo I thought gave me the best effects.So until next time watch your shadows and happy trails

Photography

McGee Falls

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Happy Easter everyone and your families.

A couple weeks ago Paul Smith and myself stopped in at the East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge.The lodge is located 22 miles North of Massey in a  beautiful wilderness area.You may access there website for more info and plan a beautiful photographic experience.

http://www.thunderbearlodge.com

The hospitality is excellent.We stayed for coffee and Jerry the owner of the lodge told us about McGee Falls. We headed out there yesterday with two quads from the lodge as the falls is 5 miles off the main road. Paul and I are novices at driving quads so we took our time driving over some pretty rough trails.On arriving we where not disappointed  in the scenery.An area of pristine beauty lay before us with rushing water and colorful rock structures.

The day was cloudy with a threat of rain and very windy.It was difficult photographing at best.We were able to get some photos by not photographing any trees in the photo as you can see in the above photo.The photo was shot at 135 mm with a shutter speed 0.3 sec at f 22.

The next photo was shot with the zoom lense set at 56 mm and a shutter speed of 1 sec at f 22. There is some nice lighting in this photo and I wanted to show the rocks to good effect.The cloud cover got darker and it started to rain so we thought we had better head out and back to the lodge.

If you are ever in the area stop in for a coffee with Jerry and enjoy the scenery.For those looking for a different photographic adventure call Jerry at the East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge and make arrangements.

East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge

Photography

The Fine Art of Lighting

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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.

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The Magic Moment

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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.

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Colorful Rocks

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Rushing water,colorful rocks can create a very nice composition.You must wait until very late in the evening for the lighting to warm up and bring out the color in the rocks. I have gotten exceptional results when the sun has disappeared below the horizon.In the photo I have placed rocks in the foreground  and framed the running water with rocks to give the photo depth. This photo was shot at 75mm with the settings of 4.0 sec @ f29. This allows for great depth of field.