Photo of the Week 2016-03-07

'It doesn't look like there will be much of a sunset' ... I said to myself as I cleared the remaining snow from around the BBQ at the front of the cottage as I prepared the grill for it's first use of the year. Everything was in order, it fired right up and after a quick burn to get rid of any unwanted bits and bugs I checked with Lynn. I was a bit early to begin grillin', so I grabbed Murphy to take him for a quick walk.

Along the way, as Murph kept sniffin' and tuggin' to find just the right spot, I saw some colour in the sky through the trees. When I rounded the bend nearing the end of our road, there were a couple of vehicles parked and I thought 'sunset' ! Vehicles often drive down our dead-end road and then back out again, just like Lynn and I had done while we were searching for a place to buy. There are not many public access points where one can easily get to the shoreline on the western side of the peninsula. I suspected the owners of these vehicles knew if was just a few metres (literally 10-20) through the bush at the corner of two properties where they could get to the shore and enjoy one of those glorious sunsets.

Not to be out done, I hurried back to the cottage, dropped Murph off inside and grabbed my camera to head down to the shore in front of our place. There was still half an hour before I needed to start grilling and sun was not down yet.

Transitions II

When I got to the shore, the sun was behind a high cloud cover, but falling towards a narrow slit. Preparing for the instant that it would be exposed and crossing my fingers that the positioning would be right, I made my way along the shoreline looking for the right foreground elements to frame in the exposure. Then it all came together, I had the point of view, I had a foreground, the sun was just about at centre of the slit, bonus, there was a great reflection on the water/ice .... f/22 for the sunburst and 'click' ! Now one more in portrait orientation with that little rock poking our of the ice to add some interest ... 'click' !

Transitions III

It's not quite that easy or simple. There were a few more clicks that resulted in images that were not as successful. But that was the plan and that is how I will remember the experience of capturing my last sunset of winter 2016 (we don't plan to be back until Easter weekend). I will be printing these two large, for the gallery, for the cottage or for home, so the memory will remain.

DJE