Tag Archives: rocks

Photography

A Fall Day

6 Comments

GeorgeLakeFall2014d

 

I arose at 6:00 a.m. last Thursday morning. Finally the weather has cleared. Packed my grub and camera gear for a trip to Killarney Provincial Park. As I drove down the Killarney Road, the first thing I noticed was how bare the trees were. Entering the park I parked at the East end. George Lake was calm with a fair amount of moving mist. I proceeded to capture various scenes around me. George Lake is a beautiful lake with the La Cloche Mountains to the North. Now it was time to pick up the trail to A Y Jackson Lake. It was time to hike over the ridge. Now this is a steep and long ridge. If you think you are in shape this little climb will tell you. By the time I got to the top my legs are aching, breathing hard. Must be my age I guess. So over the top I went and descended back down. A few minutes later I was at A Y Jaqckson Lake. One of my favorite locations in the park.  There was mist on the lake, reflections before me. I composed a number of compositions before heading back to George Lake.

Finishing my morning shot I headed for Killarney. I had spoke to Pierre AJ Sabourin and informed him that I was coming for a visit. Pierre is a well known professional en plein air landscape painter, following the Canadian School of Painting in spirit, philosophy, and practice. You can follow Pierre on his blog.

https://pierreajsabourin.wordpress.com/

Pierra is a very passionate man who loves his work. He is very knowledgeable about the Group of Severn and above all a great guy to visit. Arriving at Pierre’s Sunset Rock Studio in Killarney, I was immediately offered a hot cup of coffee. It was much appreciated. Pierre and I had a good visit.

It was soon time to head back to Killarney Provincial Park. I parked at the West end parking lots. I manage to capture a few more photos at this end of the lake. But the wind was picking up a bit. It being noon I enjoyed a lunch. Pretty quiet in the park at this time of year. Loading up I picked up the hiking trail across the bridge at  West end of George Lake. There is something to be said about walking in a Maple bush with the leaves all on the ground. The trees bare with a few leaves still falling. The forest floor covered in a thick carpet of leaves, slowly molding into the ground creating fresh nutrients  for the forest come Spring. I love to stop and admire these mature trees in all there grandeur. Magnificent in their size. Ferns dot the forest floor. Still a vivid green against a brown background. The small streams running high from all the rain. As I traversed over the ridges it was just a wonderful place to be on a warm sunny autumn day.

The trail was wet and muddy in the low areas.Thus I had to negotiate around these areas. I finally came to the trail into Lumsden Lake.  In a few minutes I arrived at Lumsden Lake. Following the shoreline I came upon the campsite. A beautiful place to set camp. Walking onto the rocks, the first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of bare trees here. There were a couple interesting scenarios here for a photos. The best thing here would to camp for a couple days next year. I found a good spot on the rocks to rest my butt and lean my back against. Put my Tilly  hat over my face and had me a short nap. Meanwhile the wind had picked up. There was a coolness on the face from the wind. A reminder that winter is coming.

Time to hit the trail again. It was late afternoon. Traversing through the Maple trees, crossing the small streams and topping the ridges I was soon back at George Lake. A beautiful fall day. A lovely hike. A wonderful way to spend a day.

Well that is it for now. Happy trails.

Photography

Superior Shores

3 Comments

Coldwater_Bay2

 

I was hiking the Superior shorelines South of the Clearwater River mouth. The location was within the Lake Superior Provincial Park Boundry. I came upon an interesting stretch of rock that had unique patterns to it. Baldhead can be seen in the background. The Indian head seen in The Keeper post is now to the North of me. The sky is cloudy. It has been threaten to rain all day. Lake Superior was relatively calm. Gently lapping on the rocks.

Thus I set up my tripod and Canon 7D to capture this scene. There is tremendous depth  in this composition. The water foaming along the rocky shoreline. You will notice a touch of green and yellow water three-quarters  into composition. This adds a nice effect. Remember that Lake Superior is very clear. I must say that I covered a lot of shoreline in my two weeks  in August here and I managed about 10 good shots for my effort. This type of photography demands time and patience. In the end the reward is justified.

I was up on Lake Superior last week for 3 days. Was not successful this time out. The weather was not on my side. Rain and snow my last day there. So until next time happy trails

Photography, Poetry

Keeper of The Lake

6 Comments

Coldwater_Bay

 

The Keeper

 

I am the Keeper

Lying on the rocks

One of the many

Faces of the Grandfather

Keepers of the lake

I lie on the rocks

Facing the great sea

Known as Ojibwe Gichigami

Waterfowl skim the waves

Dipping their wings in passing

Eagles soar high above me

In the vast blue skies

Hikers trod my back

Along the coastal trail

The Coldwater River ends

It’s journey a short hike

Along ever changing beaches

The sand warm under the feet.

The migratory Salmon and Steelhead

Enter the river Spring and Fall

To start new life

For the coming generations

The great sea is

Through the passing seasons

Of a variety of moods

The annual storms pound

The ever changing shoreline

The great sea is never still

As I keep watch

I have been here

From times gone past

If you look carefully

You will spot me

The keeper of the lake

Photography, Poetry

Sitting on a Moss Covered Rock

4 Comments

Superior_2064

 

 

 

 

Sitting on a moss covered rock

Surrounded by Black Spruce

Squashing a skeet now and then

The pesky critters would dive-bomb

To sting the back of my neck

 

A well beaten moose trail

Traverses the swamp edge

A scene of stillness

The open water quiet and benign

The ghostly dance of mist

Transforms the summer morning

 

The sun not yet risen

A channel leads one’s eye

To the far hills

The Black Spruce dark and ominous

At the shore’s edge

Protruding rocks break the shoreline

A cliff rises in the channel

 

The sun’s rays slowly creep

Over the shadowed land

Light filters through the mist

The far hills unfold

In the morning light

Fingers of light creep

Through the dark shadows

 

The mist is still swirling

A pair of Loons appear

Dark shapes in the mist

The warmth of the morning sunlight

Chasing the night shadows before it

The mist now dissipating

Exposing the Boreal Forest

 

Rising from my moss covered  rock

I quietly trudged  up the hill

With one last look

As I crested the hill

Another memory to preserve

Photography

Lake Superior Shorelines

6 Comments

SinclairCove_LakeSuperior

 

I have just concluded a two week trip along the shores of Lake Superior. From Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay. Along with my wife Maureen, I set up base camps in various locations and explored from there. From rain that was heavy at times to cold mornings, it was still enjoyable and fun. At the Rainbow Falls Provincial Park we had a few mornings of 5 to 7 Celsius. At  Lake Superior Provincial Park it was warmer. I crawled over a lot of boulders, walked sandy beaches as well as pebble beaches. It is not hard to be awestruck by the scenes that come before you. From the vastness of Lake Superior to the land formation before you. To stand on a pebble beach and look inland to see the pebble beach extend inland for a hundred feet or more. Thus at one time in history the lake was much higher. The rocks are covered with lichen and are a grey color. You see the power of Lake superior when you observe the smoothness of the rock structures along the shores. The rocks take on many shapes and sizes creating interesting photographic possibilities. Walking in the forest along the shoreline you are greeted by many forms of lichen on the ground or hanging from trees. I was standing on a rock ledge one evening looking at an island that appeared to be not far away. A canoe glided past me heading to this same island. A while later I looked up and was amazed how small that canoe looked in the distance. The island was further away than I thought. This emphasizes the vastness of Lake Superior.

 

Every once in a while you come across a scene that just blows you away. The composition above is one such example. I was standing on the beach at Sinclair Cove looking towards the islands in front of me. This was one of those days that was cloudy and dark. The far hills were covered with mist and sombre looking. It was getting on to late evening. The sun was peaking out now and then. I attached my 70 to 200 Canon zoom lens to be able to get a compact shot. I decided not to have any water in the foreground. To me that would have spoiled the effect. I opted to show mostly sky to emphasize the vastness of this land. Which it truly is. I added a touch of yellow to the lighter part of the sky. With that I enhanced the effect that I wanted. One thing I will say is that to get these type of shots, be aware what is before you and learn to capture these moments. They do not come everyday. It is incredible when this happens. It is awe inspiring to come across a scene such as this. There is so much mood and mystery in a composition such as this. Another fact is that I have been at this location four or five times in the last two years and finally connected.

One of the things I thoroughly enjoy is meeting and chatting with people I meet in my travels. I met up with a group of hikers at the Coldwater River mouth area. One of the lads sent me an email.

Hey Ken! I was part of the backpacking group you met on Lake Superior this week. I really like your work and your business cards were a real smart idea. The whole group has talked a lot about you. Well done!

So I asked the young man to send me some info on the group. This was his reply.

We did the trip through Calvin College, a Christian college in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The members of our group were from various states in the US. There were nine incoming freshman and two leaders. We went on the trip to meet new people in our class, to learn more about Calvin, and to enjoy the outdoors. It was a pretty sweet trip.

It makes my day when I see young people out in the wilderness enjoying themselves and gaining valuable experience about the outdoors. The best of luck to these youngsters.

As I was putting my gear away at Katherine Cove a couple returned to their vehicle. I struck up a conversation with them. You can read Jen’s blog here. It is very witty and interesting. I am even mentioned.

From the Soo to the Giant

This coming weekend is the The Canadian Woodstock in Killarney Ontario. Watch the following video for info.

http://pierreajsabourin.wordpress.com/

Go to Pierre AJ Sabourin’s facebook page for a list of artists to be present.

https://www.facebook.com/PierreAJSabourin.Artist

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

 

Photography

Wolf Lake Part 4

Leave a comment

WolfLake_1440

 

Monday morning dawned with no photo opportunities available.  Toasting bagels for breakfast with a steaming cup of coffee sure started the day right. It was a relaxing morning. But all good things come to an end. Thus we packed up, loaded the canoe and made our way to the landing. Pulling up on shore a young couple pulled in behind us. Tim and I quickly unloaded to give them room to pull in. This was a young couple hailing all the way from Pennsylvania USA. They were on a one week canoe trip here. The  lad had ripped his knee open on the rocks somewhere. He was toughen it out though. Tim and I soon had my Ford Escape loaded with the canoe tied down. Before long we  where  at Highway 17E . Tim loaded his gear into his SUV. Shaking hands and saying our goodbyes we parted once again. A great trip. I told Tim I was stopping at the first Tim Horton’s for lunch.

I ordered a soup and chicken salad sandwich.  As I was busy eating my lunch, I noticed Tim standing there with a very worried look on his face. Tim asked me if I had seen his camera bag in my Escape. Saying no, I headed out to check. We were worried that the camera might be back at Wolf Lake. A quick search did not reveal his camera bag. Tim then checked his backpack and there was his camera bag. So all ended well and we parted once again.

I first saw this scene from our campsite. I love it when you can find side lighting as such. It  adds such magic to a composition. What you really have to watch here is that you do not blow out the highlights on the rocks. With the rocks a light grey and the lighting being a little harsh this can happen.

This concludes my first trip into Wolf Lake. It was very enjoyable. I hope to be back soon. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Wolf Lake Part 3

3 Comments

WolfLake_1367

 

With breakfast over and drinking tea made with blueberry leaves and a couple cut up strawberries, the canoe was soon gliding over the calm waters. We headed towards the landing. Tim and I had decided the evening before to haul the canoe over into Dewdney Lake for some bass fishing. I walked to the truck for our fishing gear. I saw a bag that had spices in it. Opening it I spotted the coffee and tea there. Wow that was so good.  Launching the canoe, slowly paddling the shorelines we were soon casting our fishing lines towards shore. In the process we caught and released 30 to 40 Smallmouth Bass. Most were not of any size, but a pleasant diversion for the day. After a couple hours it was time to head to shore for lunch. There was not much wind and it was getting hot. Tim commented that the sun was getting to him and I was beginning to have a headache. Not to complicate things we headed back to camp. At the campsite I laid down in the tent for a nap while Tim went for a swim. When I woke up and met Tim at our chairs we both had cooled down. Tim spoke about how cold the water was and as he dove deeper it got colder.

Evening arrived and photographic wise you could not ask for better. The wind became calm, lighting became great, just an awesome time for a photographer. We set up among the islands to capture the compositions. The one above is one of the results. Finally the wind came back, but that was okay as it was becoming dark and time to head back to camp.

Photography

Wolf Lake Part 2

2 Comments

WolfLake_1491

 

Having explored the campsite it was time to haul our gear into the campsite. Once the camp gear was in place it was time to sit back, relax and enjoy the grand view. A nice breeze was blowing off the lake. It being lunch time we proceeded to eat lunch. This was when I discovered that I had misplaced the tea and coffee. Tim’s Dad had been an ardent  woodsman and he taught Tim a lot about  the outdoors. One of the things was making tea from plant leaves. In this case he gathered up a bunch of blueberry leaves to put in with the boiling water plus raisins. It was not bad. Experiment and learn.

After stretching out in the tent for a half hour, we were soon on the lake exploring. Wolf lake is not a large lake. As we followed the shoreline enjoying the lake features I noticed that there was remains of trees that had burnt during previous forest fires. All the campsites had been taken. There are apparently four or five campsites on this lake. Approaching the outlet into Sylvester Lake we observed a large party at a campsite. Shooting through a narrow spot between the two lakes, the canoe glided onto Sylvester Lake. Looking around us, it was soon discovered that this lake had nothing to offer for photographing. Paddling back into Wolf Lake we followed the West shoreline to the upper end of Wolf Lake. Turning the canoe back to the campsite, returning in time for supper.

With our meal out of the way it was a matter of waiting for evening to descend upon us. As we sat in our chairs, Tim spotted a Loon across the lake with its one young chick.

I explored the shoreline near camp. There appears to be a very healthy population of Smallmouth Bass in this lake. The lake looks very healthy. There are an abundance of crayfish among the rocks. Crayfish are a favorite of the Smallmouth Bass. We managed to get some photographing that evening. Evening soon turned to darkness. Tim had a good fire going. The mosquitoes appeared. We spent a wonderful evening sitting by the fire under a canopy of stars. The moon was shining as a quarter moon.

When we woke up the next morning the lake was still with mist. I captured the above scene by using the boulders as my foreground and to direct your eye through the V. It helped to eliminate a lot of water from the scene. You can see a small ridge in the background along with what I believe is Wolf Mountain.

I will be posting more work of this trip in the future. I am heading up North of Sault Ste Marie to Lake Superior for a weeks photographing. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Wolf Lake

2 Comments

WolfLake_1345

 

I met my cousin Tim Bennison at the Kukagami Lake turn off at 8:00 am Saturday morning. While I was waiting for Tim I was able to have a good discussion  with a local gentleman who has spent his whole life in this part of the country. We talked about Wolf Lake and surrounding lakes in the area. He mentioned travelling with his grandfather to the various lakes as a kid. We spoke about the damage that Inco and Falconbridge  had done to the lakes back in the fifties with the acid rain. He confirmed to me that Wolf and Sylvester Lake were now fish sanctuaries. The MNR have planted Lake Trout in these two lakes over the past two years.

With Tim’s gear now loaded into my Ford Escape, we were soon heading North to Wolf Lake. Upon arrival we soon discovered that Wolf Lake is a popular destination for canoeing and camping. As a matter of fact there were even a number of American folks here. A couple of older gentlemen were hauling there gear to the road. We managed to have a chat. They told us where they had been camping. With that in mind we waited until they were finished hauling there gear up. Tim and I began unloading and carrying our own gear down to the lake. It is about 100 foot trip to the lake shore. Pretty easy compared to what we usually do. Heading out on the lake surface we certainly had an awesome view before us. Lots of rock structures and small islands. A spattering of cliff faces. Very nice. The rocks are light grey in color that really glow in the low light.

We headed the canoe across the lake to were the parting gentlemen told us that they had camped. Beaching the canoe in a shallow indent on the far shore, we walked the trail up to the campsite. This turned out to be a wonderful location with a gorgeous view over the lake. We were to be camped on a low ridge over looking the lake. I will take a moment to tell you how clean this campsite  was. There was no garbage to be found anywhere. For an unsupervised area this has to be impressive. The campsite and trails are very well used. Which would mean a lot of campers come here. We discovered the boom box behind the campsite. It was in very good shape. All in all you can not ask for better. I have been at other lakes where the garbage is slewing everywhere. So hats off to the many people that travel here. Keep our wilderness clean.

I will continue this journey in my next blog. It has been a long day. So until next time happy trails.

 

 

Photography

Rocky Patterns

2 Comments

_MG_6620

 

As I waited for the sun to descend to the horizon I walked the beach to the North. Once you leave the rocky part of the beach, it becomes all sand. I noticed three campsites along this stretch of beach. There were old tracks of a moose that had walked the beach. This is a common site in this park. The sand was crumbling in at the side of theses tracks and there was debris in the tracks Geese tracks were evident on the beach. Two islands could be seen in the distance. Ducks floated in the distance, silhouette like. Backtracking I  returned to the little stream to set up for the above composition. I thought I would create something a little more abstract or create a pattern. There was a green colored rock sitting above the water with interesting marking. With the low setting sun allowing for slow shutter speeds, thus the water took on a dreamy affect. Yet the color of the rocks still shone through the water. By setting the tripod low to give me a face to face look with the subject rock I used  my Canon EOS 7D to capture my composition.

It was soon time to leave. The 14 mile drive out was enjoyable as the woodlands passed by me. A Grouse hen walked across the road in front of me. Slowing to a stop I observed four tiny chicks following her. They must have been only a day or two old. The fourth chick huddled down in the middle of the road among the grass. Then a moment latter it dashed off after its mother. I waited a bit to make sure there was none other. I slowly proceeded by and was soon on my way. As I rounded a corner a Black Bear sow dashed across the road with two very small cubs in tow. They disappeared into the woods out of sight. It was not long before I turned North onto Hwy 17 To our campsite at Rabbit Blanket Campgrounds. It was time to call it a night.

I will be at the 37th La Cloche Art Show Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday this week. I am a host for the show. My schedule is 2 to 5 each day. If you are in the area stop in for a chat. Three of my compositions were selected. I had the honor of receiving the Peggy Forbes Award. Peggy was one of the original founder of this wonderful show. So That is it for now. Until next time happy trails