Tag Archives: Photography

Photography

Capturing Waterfalls

5 Comments

BirchCreek_2037Work

Waterfalls are a unique blend of rushing water, rock structures and trees. The most common trees found near waterfalls are pine and cedar trees. Most notably in Northern Ontario. You can find pockets of broad leaf trees such as Maple, Oak, Poplar and Birch. In the Fall broad leaf trees can add a dash of color to your composition as shown above.

The height of a waterfalls can vary as to location. The color of the rocks are different from location to location. At this particular waterfalls the rock formation is basically black to grey. Other waterfalls you will fine granite that is a reddish color. By photographing in the Fall you can offset bland rock color with orange and red from the Fall leaf color. This particular shot was taken late evening to eliminate harsh lighting. Take a look at  the Pine in the upper part of photo that partially overhangs the waterfalls. You will notice the beam of light catching some of the branches. You can pick up sunlight on the upper part of the falls. This adds a nice touch to the composition.

By putting the red Maple on the right hand side of the photo, I am able to create some depth. I try to shoot waterfalls at an angle to give more of a dimensional look as appose to shooting direct on. Shooting a waterfalls dead on will give you a more flat look.

Now for the flowing water. You want to give the water life in your photo. By shooting later in the evening you also achieve lower shutter speeds. When processing the work you want to be able to bring detail to the water. Give it life and action. I accomplish this by setting my shutter speed  between 1/10, 1/8, 1/6, 1/4 range. Whatever works at the time. Remember as the evening wears on the light becomes less and less. My f- stop is constant at f22. A good tripod is a must, along with a polarizing filter. One other point is that the volume of water coming over the drop. If their is too much water, most of the rock structure will be underwater. Totally different affect. Myself I prefer as much exposed rock as possible. That means that I pick my times to go during the course of the year.

Well that is it for now. Until next time happy trails.

Photography

Sand River

3 Comments

Sand_River_1109

The above photo was captured when Maureen and I traveled up to Wawa for our three day canoe trip into Treebe Lake at the Northern  edge of Lake Superior Provincial Park. We stopped at the parking lot by the Sand River for a break. This river has some interesting rock structures to work with in a composition.

The day was cloudy so the lighting was even. It had rained the previous day and night. Thus I had nice color and detail to work with. There was not much for Fall color here as the cedar and evergreens predominated. There is a trail that follows along the river. As you walk here, you are above the river. With the sky being bland I showed only a spot of the sky in the background. My interest was in the rock structure on this river. So I put the broken boulders in the foreground for depth. The cliff edges are for lead in as your eye traverses the river. There is wonderful amounts of lichen covering these rocks to give better contrast.

Well that is it for this week. Spring is not far off now. So until next time, happy trails.

Photography

Follow A Path

3 Comments

GrundyProPark_ClearLake_0046

On a late evening shoot at Grundy Provincial Park the sun was starting to settle on the horizon. The water was calm in this side of the lake. Clear Lake is one of a number of lakes in the park. I had this very interesting rock form to work with. There is a lone Pine tree ahead. The Pine tree is not that distinct but is noticeable. So I had the background and the foreground. I now needed to tie all this in.

I set my tripod up low enough to allow the tree reflections to touch the foreground. My eye now could go from the foreground rock and following the tree reflection to the background.  There is also cloud reflections in the water as a fill in.

That concludes this weeks post. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

When The Mood Is Right

4 Comments

CameronFalls224

For the type of photographic work that I do, I am reliant on Mother Natures many moods. When everything comes together it sure is a treat. The right lighting, calmness of the wind and also the view that is presented before you. The above composition was located at the bottom of Cameron Falls on the Aux Sauble River North of Massey. The sun was now below the horizon. Darkness was descending quite rapidly. The color and detail of the surrounding rocks was immaculate. The rock structure in the background created a canyon effect. This in turn added immensely to the depth of the photo. With a slow shutter speed I was able to show the water flow of the river. I placed a small part of a rock structure in the foreground that emphasized my theory of flow in flow out. I had to be quick as time was important here with darkness coming on fast.

On of the coolest things is to be standing there and watch as the changing lighting effects your surrounds. The colors take on a more vibrant look. Detail becomes more pronounced.  Then there is total darkness as if a switch has been pulled. The golden moment of light. Thank you Mother Nature.

While that is it for now. Until next time happy trails

Photography

A Quiet Place To Be

9 Comments

DavidLake_12x44a

This is a scene I captured at David Lake, Killarney Provincial Park. The clouds were fast moving here. The wind was kicking up a fuss here and there. It was one of those trips where  photographing was very sporadic. On the left is a point of land that I placed to the left of my composition. A small rock outcrop in the front adds a sense of depth. Two rock islands with vegetation in the middle ground. Then in the background is the far shore that is just starting to show Fall colors. The sun is rising at the far left corner.

There is a touch of mist on the lake’s surface for added affect. The reflections tie in the composition nicely. This is a place where one could sit on a rock by the shore and enjoy a morning coffee. At the same time absorbing the surrounding landscape.  A few minutes later the wind picked up and the effect was gone.

Well that is it for now. Until next time happy trails.

Photography

Among The Pines

4 Comments

ParadiseLagoon_2077

As I drove along the Matagamasi Road, a swampy pond was soon sighted. There was a gentle slopping hill in the background. A growth of young Pine trees covered the hillside. The vegetation on the forest floor was in the early stages of decay. Fall was in full swing. It was a cloudy day with a stillness in the air. It had rained the night before. The Pine trunks had a starkness to them. The earth tone colors consisted of greens, yellows, reddish brown to shades of grey. There was a sense of tranquility about this scene. There was the softness  to the earth tone colors. A feeling of peacefulness and placidity to be had.

I set up my tripod in my selected location. I had to shoot across a small body of water. I fastened my Canon EOS 7D to the ball head. I set up the camera for a vertical shot. Thus I would be in harmony with the vertical Pine trunks. There were two objects here that appeared to me. The small outcrop of rocks. The rustic reddish-brown of the ferns. With that in mind, I placed two Pine trees in the foreground. The Pine needles in the upper left greatly added to the depth. The small rock outcrop was now in the middle to offset some color as well as more depth to the scene. The Fall turned colors of the fern circling the larger Pine tree in the background create that added touch.

This is a scene created to give that sense of restfulness and harmony to be viewed upon after a chaotic day. A day in the woods brings a sense of peacefulness and solitude. This is the quiet side of Mother Nature. The majority of my work is meant to create those moments for people to view.

Christmas is over. My wife and I had a great Christmas with my youngest grand kids,   2,4,6. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

An Evening at Bassfin

1 Comment

BassfinLake_2508

This is a photo that I composed when Maureen and I spent a wonderful evening canoeing on Bassfin Lake. We were paddling out of a secluded bay through a narrow channel leading to the main lake. The bright red coloring of the rocks caught my attention here. I motioned to Maureen that we would pull up to the red colored island. Gathering my camera equipment I was soon set up and composing my shot. The sun was below the horizon now. The water surface like a mirror. Mother Nature was at her best in providing cool geometric shapes created by the reflections. There was a touch of clouds in the background to offset the blue sky. A perfect ending for a lovely evening spent with my wife in a back bay isolated from everything but nature.

Well that is it for now. Until next time happy trails.

Photography

Keep it Simple

2 Comments

FoxLakeRd_1956

 

It was late Sunday afternoon when I turned off Hwy 144 North of Onaping onto the Chicago Mine Road. It was a beautiful sunny day with cloud cover. The wind was minimal. I drove past Windy Lake Provincial Park. It seemed to be closed for the season. There are a number of small  lakes along this stretch of road. I was heading to the Ladder on John’s Creek. It is located off of Fox Lake Road.

As I drove along I spotted the above scene on the far shore of a small lake by the road. The lighting was beautiful and it was fairly calm water with the slight ripple. I set up my tripod. Mounted my Canon 7D. I switched to the Canon 70 to 200 L Series lens. My objective here was for a tight vertical shot without overloading the composition. Keep it simple. We have a lot of vertical lines here in the form of tree trunks. They add a grey cast to offset the greens and yellows.

On the shoreline there is a nice clump of shrubs growing to give depth. The sun is to the right and as it is getting later in the year it is much lower to the horizon, allowing for some very good lighting. The sun is casting light on various parts of the scene. I used only a small portion of the reflections for a better effect. What you have here is basically 1/3 water and 2/3 forest. This is like taken a pair of scissors and cutting out the part of the scene you want.

I have added a new print available for sale. It can be found in the Fine Art Prints section on my blog.

I received an honorable mention at the My Art 2013 juried Landscape Completion

http://myartcontest.com/winners-feb.html

I will be set up at the Anderson Farm Fall Fair in Lively Ontario this coming Saturday.

Well that is it for now. Until next time happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

Gichigami ( Open Water )

Leave a comment

_MG_3146

Gichigami

A land of raw beauty

With hidden coves

And beckoning bays

For the wayward traveller

Wind swept shorelines along

The moody blue waters

Of a large inland sea

Mist shrouded hills

As far as the eye can see

A land born of fire and ice

In an age long past

The flow of molten lava

Sculptured the ever changing terrain

A receding glacier that

Gorged and marred the surface

Scaring the exposed bedrock

A land of low rounded hills

After eons of erosion

A broken coastline constantly

Pounded by relentless waves

And ever changing winds

To create a land of raw beauty

The shallow soils of

The worn down hills

Are home to the Jack Pine

That dominate the horizon

White Birch and White Spruce

Cover the slopes of the hills

The tea stained waters

Of the coastal streams

Wild and rugged as they flow

Swiftly through rocky terrain

To join the inland sea

This is a land of raw beauty

At the mercy of Gichigami

A huge inland sea

Called Lake Superior

I am on my last day at the French River Visitor Center. So until next time happy trails

Photography

A Quiet Summer Evening, Almost

8 Comments

Pukaskwa_3160a

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