The rugged shoreline of Lake Superior
Of an age long gone
Trees struggling for survival
In a harsh environment
Strong cold winds , gale force
Yet here they belong
The pounding of the waves
On a wild November day
The ominous sky is gray
Reshaping the rocks of a volcanic age
The shoreline constantly changing
One of the interesting aspects of photographing the shoreline of Lake Superior are the rock formations. These rocks date back to the volcanic era of Earth. The effects of water and wind has created many interesting shapes.
The morning mist in rolling
The morning sun arriving
The rocky shoreline ghostly
Full of color in the low light
The lichen showing bright
The mornings cool lighting
Mother nature’s palette of colors
Of an artist’s earth tones
This composition was created one morning at the lighthouse near Killarney on Georgian Bay
My exploration of Lake Superior revealed many hidden little coves, unique rock structures that have personality. It is with wonder when one comes across a scene such as above. The growth of small evergreens and stunted cedar clinging for life on the protruding rocks. The smear of lichen covering the rock faces. The shape of the rocks that are volcanic in nature. The dark clouds overhead bringing out the detail of the rocks. Just to sit down and admire the scene before you is in itself a great experience. What you see is the work of nature over thousands of years creating a piece of artwork that is forever evolving.
Thank you for stopping by. Until next time happy trails
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
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.
A slowly setting sun.Golden reflections on the water.Lovely shaped rocks with lichens growing on the rock surface.In the foreground you can see the water flowing into the small pool.The curvature of the rocks along with the rock surface’s smoothness give added detail to this composition. The rocks are now glowing with color from the late evening sun.
My latest book Spirit of The River is now available in Apple’s iBookstore
http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/id629979098
My first book A Wilderness Experience Through Photos and Poetry is also available in Apple’s iBookstore.
You have had a bad day
Your body is tensed
Nothing has gone right
It is time to relax
Off you go along the woodland trail
Following a meandering stream
Till you come upon a pool.
Scrambling carefully across the rocks
Made slippery by splashing water
You edge down by the pool
Unlacing your hiking boots
Slowly easing your feet
Into the cool pool water
The stream is cascading
Over water smoothed rocks
To drop into the pool
Close your eyes momentarily
Listen to the sound
Of the ever flowing stream
Splashing and bubbling
Every fibre in your body
Slowly loosens to the rhythm
Of the small stream movements
You are now part of the spirituality
That a person feels
When you let go
To the senses of Nature
That completely surrounds you.
This is one of my favourite photos. The color, texture and form of the rocks are captivating. The yellow and orange lichen. The yellow leaves can only add to the appeal of this scene. The scene was captured on John’s Creek at the ladder. This small falls drops down in elevation in a series of drops like rungs on a ladder. The hills close in fairly tight. While that is it for now. So until next time, happy trails.
Ken Bennison's Photography 