Tag Archives: rocks

Photography

NW Corner

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GeorgeLake_0671

I ventured into the Northwest corner of George Lake last Friday evening and Saturday evening to photograph the quartz rock ridge that is located in a small bay. This quartz rock formation has great detail to work with. Friday I canoed here with a friend and then Saturday I hiked in. I must say the bugs are bad at this time of year. They can cause a few problems with photographing by leaving streak marks on your photo or just a nice blurry blob.

There are just enough trees and shrubs on the side of the rock face to add depth and contrast. I framed the rock with a portion of the forest at the top. I tied this rock structure in with a portion of the La Cloche Mountains . There was a lone cloud in the upper right corner surrounded by blue sky. There was also some mist like cloud cover that can be seen.

While that is it for this week. I am off for a four day canoe trip tomorrow into Norway Lake in Killarney Provincial Park. So until next week week happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

Art by Nature

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Killarney_0553

 

The forest in shadow

Beside a small lake

On a Spring morning

Dawn is now breaking

The sky is brighter

A trickling of sunlight

Coming unexpectedly

Through the dark  Pines

Edging the boughs gold

The rippled lake surface

Creates a colorful abstract

Of gold, green and black

Of the forest reflection

A dazzling array of color

Radiant before your eyes

Mother Nature’s own art

For those who see

Soon lost in time

 

We can be totally overwhelmed by the grand scene before us.But if you were to look within that scene, you will find small things happening around you. The lighting is ever changing. Look for the small details of what that lighting is doing. Many times I have gone out to photograph a scene and as I am capturing that composition  my eyes pick up on another possibility. Train your eyes to be constantly on the move. Lighting is fickle. So be prepared to work quickly. Make light and shadow work for you.

That is all for now. Until next time happy trails

 

Photography

Creating Depth

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GordonChutes_0252

 

This composition is about combining rocks with with water to create depth. By using rocks in the foreground, middle ground and a waterfalls in the background I was able to achieve the effect I was looking for. The rocks have a variety of color along with the ever present lichen found on the rocks. Using a slow shutter speed creates patterns in the water for the eye to follow. There is some greenery to add a little more contrast. Another important factor is the time of year and the volume of water flowing has a big impact on what type of composition you will get.

Sitting by flowing water is about listening to the flow of water around you and the sense of peacefulness. That is what I attempted to capture when I shot this photo.

That is it for now. Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Mothers out there. May your day be great. So Until next time happy trails.

Photography

The Creative Side of Me

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CameronFalls0019

You take a small waterfalls. Then some lovely textured rocks. Wait for the right lighting. Shoot from a low angle to give the waterfalls the illusion of height. You then can create a magic and mystical place. Yet all in all this scene is only three feet high, depth about six feet and maybe five feet wide. There is not a whole lot of water cascading over the rocks. Thus a shutter speed of one second and the f-stop set at 22 for that added depth. Looking at this photo, you say to yourself, wow I would love to sit on those rocks to let the water cascade over and around me. But you will discover that you are bigger than the scene. This is what I call a micro landscape. Many scenes can be found within the big picture. In this location we have a large waterfall with water flowing where ever there is a path to follow. This is due to the erosion of the rock formation over time. At this particular waterfall the water drops in a series of drops. So you have your main waterfalls along with a host of mini waterfalls to work with. You wait till late summer for the water flow to decrease and expose more of the rock structures.

When shooting this close you will discover the intricate detail in the rocks. Depth is very important here to give the scene some dimension front to back. Another important factor is to shoot the waterfalls at an angle, not dead on. This allows you to create more dimensional depth to the waterfalls. Remember your photo is two dimensional, thus you need to give the illusion of three dimensional.Nature provides the material. It is up to you to make it happen. This is also a scene that requires the right lighting. Be able to recognize that. Be patient and wait. Enjoy the environment and then you may get your chance.

I would like to wish all my friends who come here for a visit a very Merry Christmas and be safe. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Getting In Tight

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ChutesProvincialPark_2695

The flow of water. Unique rock structure with strong earth colors. Ferns turning a rusty red in the bottom left. Touch of red from a Maple shrub in bottom right corner. This all adds up to a beautiful composition. I came across this scene on my Fall trip to Chutes Provincial Park, just North of Massey, Ontario. As a matter of fact, I first discovered it on my original trip along this stretch of the Aux Sable River a few years back. The passing of time alters a scene.

This is a very tight composition. It allows for more creativity. You have water flowing in, then flowing out at bottom right. I maintained my f22 with shutter speeds set at 1.3 sec. This allowed me to capture detail in the water. That is very important to me as I like water to have character and life.

Check my Fine Art Prints section. I have added a new composition to the selections. It is titled Paradise Lagoon. I received an honorable mention at the 2013 Landscape Exhibition by MyArtContest

http://myartcontest.com/index.html

This is a very beautiful location. The water is turquoise blue. There are a series of waterfalls in an approximately half mile of river.  It is located North of Sudbury, Ontario in the Wolf Mountain, Wolf Lake locality. If you are looking for an unique composition to hang on your wall, this could be it.

I would like to bring to your attention the outstanding work of wildlife and pet portrait artist Colette Theriault. Colette has won many awards for her work. She resides in the Greater City of Sudbury. Check her website to view her work.

http://www.colettetheriault.com/

I will be at the Annual Christmas and Gift Show this weekend. It is located at Confederation Secondary School in Val Caron.

Saturday from 10 to 4

Sunday from 11 to 3

Well I must go and continuing packing. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time happy trails

Photography

An Evening at Bassfin

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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

The Magic of Rocks

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KillBearProvPark_2840

The above photo was captured on my first trip to Killbear Provincial Park. It was now getting late in the evening. The rock color and texture here are truly beautiful. There is something to be said about rocks that have the texture and detail.With the right lighting they become a work of art. I used the rock in the foreground for added depth. I included part of a Pine tree and ground vegetation in the upper right corner to break the color. You can just see the far horizon with an island. When your eyes go there you may want to know what lies beyond. As it was getting late my shutter speed was at 6 sec and f22. With that said, the water will appear smoother and the clouds have a nice affect. Using Photoshop I added a touch of color in the sky to break up the blue and also to complement the coloring of the rock.

Thank you all for stopping by. Also thank you for subscribing to my blog. I am fast approaching the 500 mark. Again thank you. Until next time happy trails

Photography, Poetry

Come Sit With Me

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ChutesProvincialPark_2705

Come sit with me

By the meandering stream

That flows through the forest

Listen to the water

Flowing freely among the rocks

Listen to the wind

Singing in the tree tops

Inhale the rich earthly smell

Of the forest around us

See the dainty wildflowers

Nodding in the wind

An array of vibrant color

A moss coloured log

Lies before us

Rich in green and brown

Slowly being reclaimed

Back to the earth

The voice of a songbird

Singing his colourful melodies

Amongst  the low growing shrubs

Declaring  his everlasting love

To his nearby mate

High up in a Red Pine

A noisy red squirrel

Chatters and scolds a chipmunk

With puffed out cheeks

Sitting  on a stump

A cotton tail rabbit

Hops into the clearing

Feeding along the forest edge

Always alert to danger

A chorus of song

Can be heard by the stream

It is the music of frogs

Quietly a whitetail doe

Steps from the forest

Approaches the streams edge

Alert for danger

She turns her head

Two spotted fawns emerge

From the forest shadows

To join their watchful mother

The doe lowers its muzzle

To the clear cold stream

Quenching her thirst

As the fawns explore

Then silently as they came

They faded into the woods

Evening is fast approaching

The woods are darkening

The sun is lowering

Soon to be gone

Shadows have lengthening now

It is time to head home

The trail beckons us

The stars will guide us

On our journey home

This poem is about slowing life down and enjoying the intimate world of nature.

To enjoy your surroundings and a relaxing way to observe the woods in your area away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The above photo was taken in Chutes Provincial Park.

There was a nice bit of color on the far shoreline.

Using the rocks in midstream of the Aux Sable River as my lead in I created the above composition.

Well the weather has changed here to rain and in the upcoming week snow flurries. The temperatures are now dropping.

So until next time happy trails

Photography

Killbear Provincial Park

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KillBearProvPark_2807

Gerard Leduc arrived at my apartment  around 2 pm. Loading up we stopped at Tim Hortons to pick up some coffee to enjoy well we headed South. We were on our way to check out Killbear Provincial Park just North of Parry Sound. Upon arrival I was immediately impressed with the Park. Beautiful scenery, wonderful sand beaches. There are thoughts of bringing my grand kids here next summer. The beach had nice fine sand. There is one very long beach and a short one. There are some interesting evergreens among the smooth rock structures.

With a bit of time to spare, Gerard and I parked at an empty campsite by the beach. We enjoyed a nice bite to eat before heading off to photograph. Now I had been watching the sky. There was some very unique cloud cover that I wanted to utilize in a photo. I had and island in the distance. Sandstone colored smooth rock in front of me and some interesting tree shapes. I set my tripod up as low as I could get it. This way I eliminated a lot of water in the foreground. The emphases here was the sky. The rest of the material such as island, trees and rocks were used to create the final composition. I gotta tell you my ole joints get a little stiff after crouching down that low. The added bonus was the bit of sunlight appearing on the left.

I plan on coming back here in a couple of weeks. There were a lot of trees here still not in color. Maureen and I are heading back up to Superior for a week of photographing. We are planning a canoe trip into a series of small lakes for a few days near Wawa. Then hopefully I will be able to work the Superior coastline.

So until I get back, Happy trails

Photography

An Evening At Recollet Falls

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RecolectFalls_FrenchRiver_1940

Last Friday I had to deliver greeting cards to Killarney Provincial Park. It was a leisure trip. My intentions originally was for a dawn shot in the Park. But due to a back issue I decided to hike down to Recollet Falls on the  French River. I would do some evening shots. I arrived at the French River Visitor Center late afternoon. Before hiking the trail to Recollet Falls I stopped in at the visitor center for a coffee and say hello. I will have my work set up here for the upcoming long weekend.

Shouldering my camera bag and grabbing the tripod I made the trek along the hiking trail to Recollet Falls. I passed a number of people along the way who were returning from the falls. Upon arrival I followed the portage trail to the bottom of the falls. I would not truly call this a water falls as the drop in elevation is low. Unloading my gear I found a spot in the shade to sit on some rocks. I also had brought my e reader to pass some time. It was 4:45 and I had to wait until around 9:00 before I would begin shooting. As I sat there a gentleman came along. He was capturing the falls with his point and shot camera. We converse for awhile and we exchanged our names. John is from Southern Ontario. He and his wife were travelling back home from a two week vacation to various Provincial Parks.

As I sat there I got to thinking about the Indigenous peoples who traveled through here in ages long ago. The Voyageurs hauling there Montreal canoes and launching them were I sat as they made there way West with trade goods. The Jesuit missionaries also passed through here to spread there religion. There is a lot of history in this location. It was nice to sit back and listen to the sound of running water that is soothing to the ears. The sun slowly dipping to the West. The changing light patterns. A little House Wren appeared beside me as I lounged on my rock seat. I have not seen one of these little birds in years. The House Wren is a plain brown song bird that is small in stature. Our meeting was over quickly and I was left with  the memories of  a chance encounter with a quaint little bird.

As the sun disappeared behind the treeline I set up my Canon 7D on the tripod and recorded the above shot. I put a bit of rock structure in the foreground. There was just enough vegetation to add contrast. The vegetation was small so as not to overpower. There was just a hint of lighting on the vegetation. In the background There is also a hint of lighting from the setting sun. These little attention to detail add to the overall effect of a composition. With out the sun blasting the rock face you achieve a nice warm color on these rocks. The lighting was not the greatest but I got what I wanted. I am sure I will return again.

As the evening darkened I packed up an made my way back along the trail to my Ford Escape. Well that is it for now. As I mentioned I will be at the French River Visitor Center this coming long week end. If you are in the area stop by for a chat. So until next time happy trails.