Tag Archives: Outdoors

Photography

Around The Bend,Onaping Lake

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As Gerard Leduc and I slowly motored in and around large and small islands.I was on the lookout for photographic compositions.We had already eaten supper and it was still early evening.As we moved in and out of various channels I noticed the above location.At the moment the lighting was still harsh.I figured another hour would be needed for the sun to get lower in the sky and soften up the scene.This particular set up had very strong side-lighting.I truly love this type of set up when I can find it.

After a waiting for the sun to get lower on the horizon we headed to a predetermined location to set up our camera gear.With the suns location we had the background a bit darker and the foreground awash with sunlight.This gives separation front to back.The rocky shoreline breaks up all the green and yellow that predominates the scene.The calm waters gave a lovely reflection adding to the overall scene.

I shot the scene by bracketing.There being so much differential in the lighting.When I returned home I was thus able to process the images in a HDR program.But I went straight into Photoshop to finish it off.I did not want to create a HDR image.I only wanted to open the shadow areas.

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

Photography

When The Rains End

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I awoke one rainy morning to the sound of rain drumming on the tent fly.Peering out the tent door I could see fog on the La Cloche Mountains,the wind was picking up and there was a chop on the surface of O S A Lake.Emerging from the tent I ducked into the tarp we had set up for days like this.Soon I had a hot coffee brewing and along with a bagel had breakfast.It was now just a matter of waiting.

By mid morning the rain had quit and the wind was not as strong.The hills had some nice mist and there was stiil  stormy clouds on the horizon.I set up for the above composition to capture the moment.There was a large expanse of water in front of me that I did not want to show.Using the narrows as the foreground,thus eliminating unnecessary water I took a series of shots.I liked the fact that the foreground was dark which gives contrast to the over all mood and adds to the depth.It was also a matter of watching the mist moving through the hills and waiting for the right amount.

By noon it cleared up.It became another beautiful day on O S A Lake.Well that is it.Until next time happy trails.

Photography

An Iris It Is

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It was a hot late afternoon on Manitoulin Island.I decided to take a hike along a creek that I had walked over 30 years ago.At that time I had discovered a very large growth of ferns growing along this creek.I had spoken to a friend of mine whose property I had to traverse and he said they were still there.

So with his permission I walked along the edge of a hayfield with a hot sun beating down.Finally reaching the back end of the field, I went through an open in the split rail fence. had to walk into the bush a ways to pick up the creek.This little creek  was drying up.

I noticed these blue Iris growing here and there.I continued walking and soon discovered the Iris you see above.It was shaded by trees,but there was very good lighting around and behind it. Quickly setting up my 7d Canon on the tripod I took the composition you see above.The green can be seen in various shades and the Iris stands out brilliantly.

This was a case of recognizing a shot and then proceeding to get it.Lighting is very fickle.The Blue Isis or Blue Flag is common in wet areas and is thus quite common in Northern Ontario and Manitoulin Island. I did not find my ferns I was looking for so will leave that for another trip.So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Grace Lake Part 2

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Daybreak, Tuesday morning I peeked out the tent door.The wind was blowing,the sky was blue but there would be no photographing that morning.I rolled over and went back to sleep.We awoke around 8:30 a.m.  We soon had the coffee pot going and enjoyed a breakfast of bagels and coffee.It is so nice to be able to sit there and enjoy the scenery.

Maryjean and I were soon out on the water exploring for possible photographic locations.There is an island at the West end of Grace Lake that consists of white quartz rock. We guided the canoe to the lee side of this island and pulled in.This was the island that A Y Jackson stood on when he produced the painting The Bent Tree back in 1948.You can watch a short video at this link by Jim Waddington discussing the painting.

http://www.groupofseven.ca/Adventures/Natural-Genius/Waddington-Adventure.aspx

We soon came to the conclusion that the most dramatic effects for landscape shots would be scenes facing East.All that was needed was for Mother Nature to co-operate.That did not come about until Thursday morning.Tuesday a cold front rolled in bringing cooler temperatures and stronger winds.

Maryjean and I continued our exploring around the lake and soon found the portage into Nellie Lake.We would leave that for another trip.Returning to camp we relaxed and checked out our immediate area.There were a profusion of wild violets or Johnny Jump-ups growing in the crevices and ledges among the quartz rock along the shoreline in front of our campsite.These little flowers are rather pretty.

I captured this shot of the violets as they were snuggled down in a crevice away from the blunt of the wind’

Wednesday there was no improvement in the weather so we just relaxed around the campsite reading and talking. After an early supper we paddled over to the portage and hiked down to Cranberry Lake.There we meet Paul Smith my photographic partner.He had came with his kayak.We helped him with his hear back to Grace Lake and then on to our campsite.We all turned in so that we could rise at sunrise.

Well that is it for this week.I have not had time to check everyone’s blog.I am getting ready for my next trip.So until next time happy trails
Photography, Poetry

La Cloche Mountains

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Like strokes of a Painter’s brush

A swath of color here

A dash of color there

The mountains come alive

In the early morning light

The surface of the lake

Awash in reflective color

Of the surrounding hills

A touch of mist

On the far shoreline

Fallen leaves drifting aimlessly

Before the morning breeze

As the sun emerges

Over the eastern horizon

Splashing its golden glow

On the emerging mountains

From the shadows of night

A far rocky point is awash

With tentacles of sunlight

The sun now reaching

The depths of the shoreline

The trees alive with morning light

A small pine tree

Alone on a near point

Glowing from the sunlight

Like a warning beacon

To attract passing canoeists

Thus concludes a wonderful

Fall morning to be found

Amongst the La Cloche Mountains

The above photo captured what is a common site in the La Cloche Mountain Range on a beautiful Fall Morning.The mountains are awash in there colors of orange,red and yellow along with the various shades of green.It something to cherish when you can have this opportunity to enjoy this wilderness beauty.To breath in the cool crisp air and smell the surrounding forest in your nostrils.

The photo was taken at O S A Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.This beautiful lake is nestled amongst the La Cloche Mountains.Well that is it for this week.Thank you everyone for stopping by for a visit.Until next time happy trails.

Photography

Sunsets

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This was an exposure that I had taken last Fall on O S A Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.O S A Lake has a rocky shoreline that I love to create a composition with.I was on an island facing West.The sun had set behind another island with a reddish glow filtering through the trees for a nice effect.So quickly looking around I saw some boulders going to the right of me.There was an opening in the boulders were the rocks were smaller and reddish colored.Setting my tripod to half its height I composed this shot.I used Photoshop to darken the outer edges of the photo so that the eye follows a path from the rocks in front to the island.

That is it for this week so until next time happy trails.

Photography

Killarney Lake

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One of the many lakes found in Killarney Provincial Park that offer picture book settings.Killarney Lake is nestled in the La Cloche Mountain system.With sapphire colored water and surrounded by white quartz mountains that  creates a picture of serene beauty.Killarney Lake runs in a East, West direction with a large open expanse of water.There are two islands located at the East end of the lake that offer some interesting photo compositions.But bear in mind that the wind can create a problem due to the open expanse of water.There are portages at each end of the lake.The West end portage will take you int OSA Lake.The portage at the East end of the lake goes into Norway Lake.

I just returned from Midland,Ontario where I attended the Quest For Art 8th Annual Juried Art Show.I had both my works accepted.There was a good turn out and I enjoyed meeting a lot of new people.If you are in the area stop in at the gallery and enjoy the show.

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

Photography

Catch The Light

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By catching the light you can create an almost three – dimensional look to your photo.By utilization of the rock structure and evergreen trees to create the effect.Look at the evergreen trees and you will see that they really stand out as the result of the lighting upon them.The shadows around the lighted branches create this wonderful effect.This photo was taken at day break so you had very calm water with lovely reflections adding to the depth you wanted.By being patient and watching what is happening around you,the landscape is ever-changing in terms of the lighting.As the sunrises the light patterns will change.In this particular scene the sun is casting a lovely beam of light on the left side of the photo to highlight the trees.Yet still maintaining shadows in the middle of the photo.In turn this is all reflected on to the water’s surface.

As the morning progresses the whole scene will be lit up and you will lose the balance of shadows and light.I think this is very important if you want to take your photography to the next level.To recognize the lighting before you along with the shadows.You must know the area you are photographing.The direction of lighting at that time of day.Be patient. These shots are not available everyday.But with persistence you will be rewarded.

I captured this scene last Spring on A Y Jackson Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.By setting my Canon 7d on a tripod I was able to capture a great many shots as the conditions changed by staying in the same setup. The above photo also consists to two photos joined together.

Well that is it for this week.I hope everyone had a great Christmas as my family had.I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year.Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving comments.So until next week happy trails.

Photography

A Dog of A Stump

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As I am out photographing I am always on the lookout for something unique.Last June while camping on Killarney Provincial Park, Paul Smith and I were canoeing along the shoreline.The lake we were on was Killarney Lake.This is a large lake with clear turquoise blue water.We spotted a group of stumps along the shoreline in a little cove.I selected this particular one where the top of the stump was in the shape of a dog’s head.I set up the tripod and Canon 7D at the waters edge.By placing the stump in the foreground and the lens at f22 for depth I captured this composition.The water is so clear here that you can see the texture of the rocks underwater.

With an eye for detail you will be able to spot many such subjects such as this.Also bear in mind that it is the angle that you look that has a bearing on what you see.While that is it for this post.I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe one.I would like to thank everyone for coming for a visit.So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Carlyle Lake

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The above composition was taken last May.Paul Smith and I launched our canoe at the West end of Carlyle Lake.This lake is one of the lakes in Killarney Provincial Park that is easily accessible.It was a beautiful warm sunny Spring day.The wind was light.It made for a day of leisure canoeing and exploring Carlyle Lake.The forest for the most part grew down to the shoreline with little rock structure of interest.Using our GPS we paddled into a bay about half way up the lake on the North shoreline.Not finding any possible photo locations we paddled across the bay to a small lake that we had seen on the map.There was also a camping site available between Carlyle Lake and Terry Lake.

Paul heard running water up ahead and sure enough there was a small creek running down into Carlyle Lake from Terry Lake.Beaching the canoe we explored the layout between the two lakes and had a look at the small lake.This lake turned out to be a swampy type of lake. Being lunch time we grabbed our sandwiches and water.We found a nice shady spot beneath a large White Pine.These White Pine are common to this area.It is so nice to just lean back against these large trees and just relax as you munch on the sandwiches. It is an opportunity to lot around and study the land.The above scene caught my eye.I was intruded by the sun highlighting a grassy point across from us.My biggest problem would be wind.

Having finished eating I grabbed the tripod and Canon 7D.First I looked to see what I could put together with that beautiful point of grass.I then noticed the rocks that you see on the right.This rock had character and structure.I also used the White Pine growing off the right hand rock as a fill in plus the lighting on the branches was beautiful.You will also noticed spots of light on other shrubbery as well as on the rock itself.Boy this was sure creating a very interesting composition.But as I mention before, I had a problem with the wind.The wind was light but it would ripple here and there but would not calm down.Finally after what seemed like hours I did manage to get the above shot.One thing about a not real sharp reflection is that you get a nice painterly affect.

So by using the rock structure on the right as foreground leading into the photo along with the greenish reflection on the water, I created the above composition.I thought it was pretty good for a middle of the day.

This week I would like you to check out Blue Maple Photography by Brian K Mollenkopf.Brian is an excellent photographer

http://www.bluemaplephotography.com/

Well that is it for this week,so until next week happy trails