Tag Archives: river

Photography

Of Gold and Blue

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Spring is slowly arriving in my neck of the woods and I am looking forward to getting back out into the woods.

I was going through my files this week and came across this photo taken last November.I love these tight shots were you have only water and rocks.Throw in color and a nice composition is to be had.The above photo is a result of low lighting casting a golden glow on the water and the blue is a result of a clear blue sky. When the lighting is low the rocks take on a soft colorful look to them adding very much to the photo.The only argument to be said about the photo is that there is too much water.I will be going back to this location and shooting with that in mind.

The ice on the rocks at the top right add a nice touch.The zoom was set at 80 mm and I had a shutter speed of 1 sec @ f22.

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

Photography

Duchesnay Falls North Bay

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Happy New Year everyone.This is my first blog for 2011.2010 was a successful year blogging as I had over a 1000 views to my blog.I want to thank everyone for visiting and to continue to do so.

I am not much into photographing during the winter.My free time is taken up cutting firewood for next winter.I also spend the winter printing out select photos for upcoming shows and displays.

I had the opportunity to spend some time at Duchesnay Falls located just West of North Bay. My wife Maureen and I were heading for Southern Ontario for a week long visit with friends in Newtonville . We left home early Monday morning the 27 September 2010. It was a cloudy day when we arrived at Duchesnay Falls.The time was about 10 am.

Duchesnay Falls offers a 3 km trail that makes a loop.This is a very picturesque location,especially in the Fall.I parked in the parking lot and Maureen decided that she would get some shut eye well I photographed. Grabbing my camera gear I picked up the trail and headed along the waterway.My first site was a picnic table being used by someone.The person had a tarp over the table and was curled up under it in a sleeping bag.

This made me a little nervous in regards to my wife back at the truck.I thought well I am not going to be that long so I continued on my hike.There was not full Fall color but enough to enrich my photos.There was a fair amount of water cascading down and Being a cloudy day I was a little concerned about getting fast enough shutter speed and maintaining my f11 f-stops.The above photo was shot at the upper end of the falls with a zoom setting of 65 mm.The shutter speed  was set at 0.5 sec @ f22.I used the colorful leaves to frame the top part of the photo .The rushing water creates a curved line with flow in and flow out.The rocks give added depth.The one thing I had to watch out for was too much foam in the water.

 

I was able to capture the above scene by creating an S-curve with the running water.The colorful leaves and evergreens added  color and depth to my photo.You will notice that the water is a tea color that is common in Northern Ontario.I took this photo with a zoom setting of 41 mm.The shutter speed was set at 0.6 sec @ f29.I was able to capture a wonderful depth with this shot.Again the water flows from the top of the photo to the bottom of the photo.

The last photo was taken of one of the waterfalls on the Duchesnay water system.The waterfalls was a fairly decent drop and I wanted a tight shot with the leaves creating a frame.I set this shot up so that I had rocks in the foreground to created depth .The zoom was set at 44 mm.The shutter speed  was at 1/5 sec @ f22.

I returned to the truck and Maureen was still asleep.I saw no signs of the person that was sleeping under the picnic table as I didn’t pass that way on my return.There was a couple more cars in the parking lot now.

This is a worth while trip to Duchesnay Falls where many photographic opportunities await you.I will be going back next Fall when the the leaves are in full color.I was a week too early. So until next time happy trails.

 

 

Photography

Adverse Weather

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A couple days ago the phone rang and it was my good friend Paul Smith calling.He asked if I would be interested in going out to do some photographing.I never turn down an invitation to head out and get some photos.

The day was cloudy with various lighting situations and some showers.The clouds were moving very quickly.We headed up the Westbranch to a locale that I had previously taken a very nice photo.Upon arrival I headed to the river that ran along side the road.The first thing that happened was that I took a tumble on the rocks.These rocks get very slippery when they are wet.

I half crawled down the rocks looking for my previous photo location.I looked behind me and saw a beautiful scene before me.I quickly set up the camera and tripod and took the composition you see above.The sun sent a beam of light on the trees in the background and the reflection was gorgeous.When the rocks are wet the colors come alive.The mist gives that added touch.This shot was taken in the middle of the afternoon by the way.It is not often you get mist at that time of day.I did find my previous location but was unable to get any decent shots as the mist got too heavy to photograph.

I shot the above scene with a zoom setting of 85 mm and the shutter set at 1/10 sec @ f22.The mist got too heavy to photograph and I find that I then have trouble focusing automatically and manually.Is this the difference between a 800.00 camera and a 3000.00 camera?I will be upgrading in the future.

We decided to head back and go up  the main road.By now the sky had cleared and the sun was shining.I was driving along and Paul said stop.He had noticed light reflecting on some rocks on a creek through the trees.I parked the truck and gathering up our gear we hiked into the creek.When we got there we saw a beam of light on some vegetation across the creek.I set the camera and tripod and took the photo you see below.

The rocks were pinkish and everything was still on the wet side to bring out the colors.I put a rock to the left in the photo to lead your eye into the photo following the shoreline and the clump of grass helps provide depth and breaks up the water.The beam of light adds that little extra touch to the photo.

This photo was taken with a zoom setting of 85 mm and a shutter speed of 3.2 sec @ f32.When you see light beams like this you had better be quick and get the shot as the lighting can go very fast.In this case the light lasted about 5 minutes as cloud cover moved in.These are the type of shots that requires a little luck and you must recognize that there is a photo to be taken.You also must compose on the fly with out thinking to capture the lighting.

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

Hiking Along A River

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It has been a hot and dry summer so far and with very low water levels and I have been able to get some interesting shots.With the extraordinary low water there are more rocks exposed and more color.

A couple of days ago I drove up the Westbranch behind Webbwood  to explore the Wakonassin River.I drove up to the 37 mile mark on gravel roads where I started hiking.I have found that you will walk many a mile sometimes before an interesting composition presents itself.Because of the low shutter speeds I shot at,the wind is a constant problem.One must be very patient and wait till the wind stops blowing. I have stayed at a setup for an hour or more waiting for that wind to stop.I am forever watching the trees waiting for the calm to come.At times you may only get a few seconds or a few minutes to get that photo.Be sure that there is no ripple on the water if it is reflections you are looking at.I will at times bring my fishing pole and fish while I am waiting for the wind to abate or the lighting to change.

I was walking downstream when I noticed some nicely colored rocks at the back end of a bend in the river.There was a fair  amount of reflection of the rocks into the river.As the water is constantly moving you will never get a perfect reflection here.But that is okay.You will also notice that the predominant color is green in this photo.The trees are also reflecting into the water giving a green cast.There was a cedar tree in the foreground that I used to give depth and also to add more contrast and shadows to break up the background.I also have a boulder to the right of the photo that helped break up the green color and to again add depth.The old tree trunk on the left adds more interest to the photo,but I find the old tree on the right a bit of a hindrance but I can live with it.

This photo was shot at 115 mm at 1/5 sec @ f22.The wind as I have explained previously was a problem and I had to play the waiting game.I didn’t catch any Brook Trout that day but it still was a beautiful day to be in the wilderness.So until next time watch the wind and 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

Two Shot Pano

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There are times when I come across a particular locale that I have shot many times that I can improve on a previous shot.To keep the weight down I carry only one lense and camera.The lense is a 28 to 135 zoom.

At times you are limited as to where you can set up your tripod so I have to make the best of a given situation.As I do not carry a wide angle lense I will set up for a panorama.The above photo consists of 2 horizontally shot photos,overlapped.

The 2 photo pano allows me to compose a photo that shows the ruggedness of this scene.I used the rocks in the foreground and the left side to draw in the viewer and lead the eye along the edge of the river and also to create depth.I also have created a U shape in my composition by adding the rocks on the right to complete the composition.

This 2 shot composition was shot at 65 mm with a shutter speed of 1.6 sec at f32. Using photoshop’s photomerge to stitch the pano together,the final product is 34″x12″ with a 1/2″ border ready for matting and framing.

Next time you are out think about trying a small pano.Till next time happy trails

Photography

The Artist in The Photographer

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A good friend of mine,Carole Spandau made a comment last week that I had the heart of a true poet,your work is so personal,very heartfelt and very moving stuff.This got me thinking about the artist in the photographer.

Carole Spandau’s work is recognized nationally and internationally for her paintings of Montreal Quebec.

To view her work check out her site at FAA

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/carole-spandau.html

As a photographer we are controlled by the weather conditions and the time of day.Luck also plays a big role in our work.We must be able to recognize a good shot when it happens,as Nature is very fleeting when it comes to lighting and shadows.

The above photo emphasizes my point.As I was walking back along the river I saw the light highlighting the greenery on the point in the river.By using the dark background to enhance the lighted point and the yellow reflection on the left side to lead the eye I created a composition very pleasing in an artistic way.You will also noticed the sunlight is highlighting the river bottom to give contrast to the darker areas in the water.

This photo was taken very late in the afternoon at a shutter speed  of 0.5 sec ,f22.The zoom lense was set at 75 mm.

The artist in the photographer is when you take the components of what you see before you and create an exciting work of art.Learn to recognize a good composition when you come upon it and then be able to be creative when you compose that shot.So until next time happy trails.

Photography

The Photo At Your Feet

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The photo at your feet.Many times while out photographing I have come across a nice composition right at my feet.It really pays to look down and see what is there before you while you are scanning the whole landscape. I call this the photo within the photo.The above photo was captured during a late Spring evening and the water was glowing from within. Placing the 6 ” waterfalls in the top left hand corner and framing the gold color water with the rocks I was able to create this awesome photo as the color just pops out at you.

The photo was taken with a zoom setting of 41 mm and a shutter speed of 0.8 sec f29.The ISO was set at 100.You could almost call this micro landscape photograph or photo art.

The photo shown above is another capture that I created by looking down in front of me.This particular photo has beautiful lighting and pure energy.By using a slow shutter speed you create flow patterns that help in the creation of the photo.

The photo was taken with a zoom setting of 41mm and a shutter speed of 1.3 sec f 29.Remember at this close range you need your depth of field for the detail.So until next time,look down and happy trails.

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Northern Spring

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Spring appears to have arrive in the North country.The rivers are starting to open up and Paul Smith and I headed out to Chutes Provincial Park,Massey. It was a beautiful warm sunny late afternoon.The photo possibilities were scarce but I managed to get some shots in.We found an interesting piece of ice sculpture and I created the composition above with the ice along the shore line as a lead in. The water is very dark at this time of year,which allowed for better contrast in the photo.I shot this photo at 1 sec at f22 with the zoom lense set at 30 mm.

This photo was taken in the same locale but at a different angle. The ice formation is very prominent here and you can use your imagination as to what you see.I used sections of ice in the foreground to add depth and low shutter speed to give the water a soft look. Again the dark water adds contrast with the snow to create a pleasing effect.The photo was shot at 0.4 sec @ f22 with a zoom setting of 28 mm.

I find that at this time of year there is not much color and the lighting can be harsh off the snow. We waited till late evening to do most of our photographing.