Tag Archives: waterfalls

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.

Photography

North of Capreol

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Picking up Jan Winthers, I headed towards Capreol. It was mid morning with a lovely blue sky and warm temperatures. This was a day to go adventuring and find some new photographic opportunities. Arriving in Capreol I headed to the nearest gas station to top off the gas tank. When you head up into wilderness locations always make sure you have a full gas tank. When you get near a half tank it is time to turn around and head back. We spotted a couple older gentlemen chatting by the road. I exited the Ford Explorer and approached them. They soon set me in the right direction and off we went.

We left town on a paved road, passed the turn off to the Wanapitei 11 Indian Reserve and were soon on a gravel sand road with lots of dust. Before I continue I will explain a little about this area. The North River runs in a southerly direction and empties into Wanapitaei Lake at the North End. This being Victoria Day weekend there is lots of folks up here camping and fishing. This is Walleye country. As is typical in Northern Ontario, there is intensive logging occurring here.  It did not seem that long before we came to the North River. Crossing over the bridge I decided to head North.

The North River was still running high from Spring run off. The scenery was great to look at with a lot of high hills. But not much in the way of photographing. Heading North we followed the river. Upon reaching the 45 km the road got rough and washed out. By now it was lunch time. Hauling out the camp chairs, Jan and I enjoyed a leisure bite to eat with the sound of running water beside us. Making our way back down the road with windows open Jan and I heard the sound of running water in the bush. We looked and sure enough you could she a small waterfalls tumbling down through the trees.

Parking the vehicle, we made our way towards the running water and found a series of small waterfalls. This stream came from a lake up above and flowed into the North River. The above composition was one of the scenes I created. The rock to the left was rounded and curved. The water flow followed the rock curvature.  I   used that as my eye in. There is not a lot of open space along this stream bed. The evergreens and cedar have a mixture of old and new growth to give you the yellow and green colors. I placed some cedar boughs on the right for added depth. The water flow at a slow shutter speed created a pattern. There is some orange on the rock above the falls. A touch of green reflecting into the water. All in all a nice place to sit on a rock and dangle your feet in the water. Enjoy the sound of running water and the peacefulness that can be found in a spot like this.

Jan Winther has a blog at this address

http://imagesbyjw.com/2013/03/25/bridal-veil-falls-summer/

Well that is it for now. I will continue the journey on my next post. Thank you for stopping by. Until next time happy trails.

Photography

The Right Flow

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When you can combine falling water with textured rock, a unique scene can be created.

This type of composition is available when the water levels are low. This can be late summer.

I shot the scene late on a clear evening. This way you have even lighting that creates great color.

This late in the evening your shutter speed is anywhere from 1 sec to 30 sec.

The nearer to darkness the slower your shutter speed.

The f-stop is set at f22

The water flows in at the top left and flows out at bottom left.

All that is missing is the sound of running water.

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

 

Photography

From Dark to Bright

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BirchCreek1984

I have been going through my files and redoing a lot of my work. I now have Adobe CS6 loaded on my desktop. Cs6 has been greatly upgraded to the better. I highly recommend upgrading to it. Let me tell you, CS6 will improve on your work.

Getting to the photo above. This was taken on a Fall day trip a couple years back. The left side of the shoreline had some interesting rocks covered with green moss as well as a mossy ground cover. Some fallen leaves to break the color. But the problem was that the foreground was sheltered by overhanging trees. Being late afternoon it had become quite dark there. The background was the other extreme. Due to the low sun shining on the background creating a very bright scene there.

I set up my tripod very low. This meant that I had to lay on the ground. I proceeded to take a number of exposures at different shutter speeds without changing my f-stops, that were set at f22. Uploading the files I selected the dng file I wanted and came up with the above composition. It was a matter of opening up the foreground to what I wanted. The flowing water I wanted to have character there. This has all to do with your shutter speed. I wanted to show the power of the water here.

I was selected to the 2013 Quest Art 9th Annual Juried Art Show Midland. The show runs from Mar. 8 – May 4. I will be at the reception. If anyone that comes here for a visit please come to the reception and we can have a chat.

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

 

Photography

Rushing Water

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Jan Winther and I crossed over from the Westbranch to the Tote Road North of Massey.We came on to the Massey Tote Road at the 28 mile mark.It was early afternoon as we headed South.This is a very windy and hilly road for many kilometers. Jan loves photographing waterfalls, so I figured we would check out Cameron Falls on the Aux Sauble River. I had hiked into this falls last June.I was very much disappointed when I had arrived.There was no water going over the falls at all.What a disapointment.

So with that in mind we walked into the Cameron Falls.Upon arrival we saw a fair amount of water to make it possible to get some photos.The water level was still low from previous years.Jan was sure happy though so I left him to his thing and started exploring.I have been here many times, but am always fasinated by the unique rock structure found here.There is black rock and red granite rock.Due to the running water over time has reshaped many of the rocks surfaces.

I love doing close up compositions of running water and rocks.The above photo is a typical example.By using various shutter speeds and f22 I am looking for character in the water flow.I want detail in the water and colour.Now color is obtained late in the evening as while as the rocks lose their harshness due to the bright sunlight most of the day.I also found from expierience that clear blue skys with give better effects.You will notice the water at bottom left of photo is a dark blue. This created by clear blue skys above the water.

We stayed as late as we could.But had to get out with enough light to see.I always carry a couple small flashlights in case I get carried away photographing and let the darkness creep up.

That is it for this week.So thanks for coming to visitThe tea is always on.So until next time happy trails.

Photography

Exploring Small and Medium Size Creeks

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I was going through my collection of files and came across the two photos taken on a trip last Fall.The medium to small creeks can offer some interesting photo oppurtunies  and at the same time a nice hike along the creek’s edge.

Although the Fall color was not in full swing here there was enough color to enhance the scenery. The above location was a  tough area to shot as the foreground is mostly in deep shadow and the background is brightly lit.I shot two photos here to create one in Photoshop.I exposed the first photo for the foreground and then took another shot exposing for the background.Being early evening in the Fall  the sun was low to the horizon creating cross lighting on the trees in the background. I added a fair amount of detail in the foreground due to the rich colors of the moss and dried leaves.

I mounted my camera on a tripod and with the zoom set at 28 mm and the shutter speed set to 1/6 sec @ f22 .With the 1/6 sec shutter speed I achieved good detail in the water.

I continued along the creek and came across this waterfalls with late evening lighting.You will notice that the sun is hitting the trees in the upper left corner of the photo.It was an added bonus to have the sunlight striking the rocks in two locations in the right hand side. I placed rocks in my foreground to create depth and to decrease the amount of water shown in the foreground.At the same time I created a basic S-curve with the water flow.The amount of water flowing in the creeks affects how your photos will turn out.

I took this photo with a zoom setting of 30 mm and the shutter speed set to 1/6 sec @ f22.Well that is it for today so until next time happy trails.

Photography

The Changing of The Seasons

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One of the things I love doing is going back to a favourite location time and time again and year to year. I may be passing by a locale and make a quick stop or go there for an afternoon and evening.Many a time the lighting and conditions may not be right or the water level is not good.You will know when you get optimal conditions by looking at the rocks as the colors will glow.This is something that you will develop and get a feel for as you gain expierience in the field.A cloudy day with the right lighting will do that for you.The time of year has a great effect on your photography as the day lengths will vary with the changing of the seasons.This means that if you are getting the best lighting in the evening in July then by November that same lighting is available around noon.The sun in November is closer to the horizon.

The above photo was taken in 2009 in August.I was shooting during the late afternoon catching the last of the lighting coming in and creating shadows.This little waterfalls would be in deep shadow within the half hour.The scene is surrounded by high hills and trees.With that being said you get sunlight filtering through the trees eliminating the harsh lighting caused by the bright sky on this particular day.

I shot this scene with the zoom set at 29 mm.The shutter speed was 0.3 sec @ f22.I was able to capture a beautiful flow of water and rich detail in the rocks.

We will zoom ahead to 2010 mid November.The effects are now quite different.Paul Smith and I decided to head out for the day to see what we could get in the way of photographs.It was a cloudy day with some wind and fairly cold temperatures.There was ice forming on the rocks to add another dimension to the photographs.

The water levels had come up from previous visits during the summer and there was a beautiful glow on the rocks that enhanced the colors dramatically.When you see this effect you will know.Being November the sun is now low to the horizon and the days are also shorter.Evening though it was cloudy the sun can still create diffusing lighting through  the cloud cover to create the much sought after glow.

The above photo was taken at midday with the zoom set at 50mm with a shutter speed set at 0.6 @ f22.This is the same scene as at the beginning but with different lighting different time of year and a year later.The vegetation is also changed in color.

As a side note I came across some elderly gentlemen out photographing whom I had met at a studio tour that I did last Fall.I ended up given some on site lessons to them on where to set up there tripod and composing the shots that I had taken above.This is one aspect that I enjoy.If I can help someone all the better.

With that being said take a moment to show someone  a few of the things you have learned and maybe gain a friend the process.Well that is it for this week so for now 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.

Photography, Uncategorized

Aux Sauble River

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As you have noticed most of my photographic work is in and around water. Paul Smith of Whitefish,Ontario and I have spent the last few months hiking into and along the Aux Sauble River North of Massey Ontario.This wilderness area offers excellent photo opportunities. The river system flows out of  Aux Sauble Lake,52 miles North of Massey and twists and turns until it empties into the Spanish River in Massey.The Spanish River in itself empties into the North Channel, which is part of  Lake Huron in the Great Lakes System.

There are many scenic locations to discover with beautiful rock formations.The river has a number of rapids and waterfalls along its length. We use a hand held GPS to explore the region.The terrain is rugged so you have to be in reasonably good shape.

The vast majority of my work is created in the evening.The drawback is that you have to allow enough time to get back to the truck before it gets too dark.The above photo was shot with the zoom lens set at 30mm and a shutter speed of  2 sec at f22. In setting up this photo I used the water as an S curve to lead your eye into the photo.Framing with the rock formations also helps when creating your photo.

The above photo was shot with the zoom set at 28 mm and a shutter speed of 0.4 sec at f22. This is the same location as the first photo but taken  a couple weeks before. You will notice that the lighting is very different in these photos,creating different effects and tones.The first photo is much warmer and the color stands out.The 2nd photo was also taken earlier in the evening allowing for a faster shutter speed of 0.4 sec.You must go back to the same locales many times and observe the behavior of the lighting and also the time of year.

Just to be able to be in these locations is a blessing for me.To listen to the water rushing over the rocks and enjoy the serenity….pristine silence and beauty of these locations is well worth the effort to capture.Till next time happy trails.

Photography

McGee Falls

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Happy Easter everyone and your families.

A couple weeks ago Paul Smith and myself stopped in at the East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge.The lodge is located 22 miles North of Massey in a  beautiful wilderness area.You may access there website for more info and plan a beautiful photographic experience.

http://www.thunderbearlodge.com

The hospitality is excellent.We stayed for coffee and Jerry the owner of the lodge told us about McGee Falls. We headed out there yesterday with two quads from the lodge as the falls is 5 miles off the main road. Paul and I are novices at driving quads so we took our time driving over some pretty rough trails.On arriving we where not disappointed  in the scenery.An area of pristine beauty lay before us with rushing water and colorful rock structures.

The day was cloudy with a threat of rain and very windy.It was difficult photographing at best.We were able to get some photos by not photographing any trees in the photo as you can see in the above photo.The photo was shot at 135 mm with a shutter speed 0.3 sec at f 22.

The next photo was shot with the zoom lense set at 56 mm and a shutter speed of 1 sec at f 22. There is some nice lighting in this photo and I wanted to show the rocks to good effect.The cloud cover got darker and it started to rain so we thought we had better head out and back to the lodge.

If you are ever in the area stop in for a coffee with Jerry and enjoy the scenery.For those looking for a different photographic adventure call Jerry at the East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge and make arrangements.

East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge