Photo of the Week 2015-04-27

Finding the time to do photography ...

... I came across an interesting short article with this as a title after returning from a recent week long business trip.

Knowing all days of the trip would be full with maybe the exception of the last day, I decided to take my crop sensor DSLR with an all-in-one zoom lens (18-300) anyway. New scenery is always inspiring and I would not be happy if something came up and all I had was a camera phone or small point & shoot to try and capture it.

As it turned out, I only made a few images over the week, but I had managed to set aside time on a couple of the mornings to make images before having breakfast and getting on the road. At one point I even made a stop along the road (with an understanding colleague) to make a series of images, one of which I selected to create this week's photo.
 

flood walkers

I'm very happy I made the time to get some shooting in, even if it was minimal. The new fresh new scenery provided the aforementioned inspiration and this image was perfect for me to use with post processing that creates some of the feel of Chinese ink drawing.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-04-20

into the light

I've been finding it all too easy to just sit, have coffee and relax in a peaceful setting on those mornings when I'm at the cottage. While this is a welcome change form the usual morning routine of a work day, it doesn't do much to help me get the photographs I want to capture. So I've been trying to find motivation to get out early in the morning for some photography, while the light is still good.

This time of year, sunrise comes around 6:30 am. The weekend was here and after getting out of my weekend morning ritual, it would have been easy to to just say "screw it, there's always next week". Having to catch a flight on Sunday evening for a business trip next week, I had not gone to the cottage and had not committed to a morning photo outing ... until I got up.

It was 5:30 and I could either settle in at the computer or start getting ready to haul my butt out to a location and get back into what has brought me much satisfaction. It was an easy decision, I made some coffee, got dressed, decided on Dundas Valley as a location and packed a waist-pack with some gear.

When I started out from Guelph, the morning was clear and sun had already crested the horizon. My thoughts of catching early morning mist evaporated but I continued on to Dundas. Along the way, traces of mist over farm fields came and went, with one location giving me cause to stop and make this image "daybreak". Back in the vehicle after a the quick stop, I continued on to a parking spot that would provide access to Dundas Valley Conservation Area without having to worry if HRCA had open gates before their stated 8:30 opening time. Obviously they're not photography minded, parking opens at 8:30 - well after sunrise and street parking is not allowed anywhere near the formal entrances to their facilities.

I set out on the trails with the hemlock grove as my destination, still hoping there may be some lingering mist. Along the way, there were many scenes and subjects that greeted my eye, meandering creeks, old apple trees, backlit pines and morning shadows everywhere ... oh how I've missed photography at this time of the morning.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-04-13

This weekend's photo trek required careful stepping along the still icy shore of Hay Bay. Required not so much for the ice, but to make sure I didn't aggravate my back any more.

Somehow, over the past week, I'd managed to stress my lower back, likely from sitting too much in front of a computer in crappy office chairs or behind the wheel of a vehicle. I know that when work requires a lot of either, I need to balance it out with stretching exercise and long walks, neither of which I've managed to make time for recently.

So the weekend, although it required some driving time up to the cottage, was filled with walks along the road, stretching on the floor, repeat, repeat, repeat ...

After breakfast Saturday morning, Lynn and I went for an amble along the shore to see just how the ice was receding in the bay. On an earlier walk along the road, through the trees I had seen water pools developing on and in the ice an was hoping for some reflections. The wind off Huron however had a different agenda, and decided to buffet the water destroying it's mirror like surface. Thankfully I was able to find some interesting patterns made by the melting ice along the shore.

spring ice

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-04-06

I've been thinking about the trek to Indian Head Cove all winter but never set my mind to actually doing it. This past weekend, Lynn and I decided to head out and see what ice was left at this stage of spring thaw.

blue ice bay

 DJE