Photo of the Week 2019-12-30

memories from a day with a friend

Sorry, no photographic inspiration this week ... just snapshot memories.

Yesterday I learned that a very good friend and mentor lost his brief battle with cancer and I'm feeling deflated. When I received the news, I went to a favourite watering hole from back in the day when we worked together and ordered a pint of Guinness. It's what I would have done back then when we went there to talk business and sort things out ...

I got thinking about many of the times we had together over more than 32 years. During that time, a boss became a mentor, then became a great friend and confidant. I will miss him dearly.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-12-23

 

 

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-12-16

fog in the forest is simply magical ...

tangled forest

DJE

Photo of the Weel 2019-12-09

My foray into infrared digital has had me exploring photography with unmodified DSLR's with lens mounted IR filters requiring the use of a tripod for long exposures, and infrared modified P&S camera allowing handheld exposures, and lately an infrared modified mirrorless camera. This latest camera is modified for dual-spectrum, visible and infrared sensitivity, allowing the use of various wavelength lens mounted IR filters to attain the variety of 'looks' possible with infrared. This setup is by far the most flexible and exposures can be hand held and previewed on the LCD screen..

Along the way, 550nm, 590nm, 720nm, 850nm IR filters have been used and recently a new IR filter developed by KolariVision, the IRChrome which quite closely replicates the results obtained by using Kodak Colour IR file, a.k.a Aerochrome.

The Aerochrome look can be simulated by processing exposures made with the 550nm filter, sometimes requiring a considerable amount of work in photo editing software. Unexpectedly, I encountered a resource online that helped me develop a Photoshop action that can work on visible light (non-IR) captures. I was able to achieve some very satisfying results with this method. Following are some examples ...

' almost there ' (faux Aerochrome)

morning trail light (faux Aerochrome)

that special place (faux Aerochrome)

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-12-02

"Variety is the spice of life"

... I find this to be true in my photographic life.

When people discover that photography is a passion for me, they frequently ask me what I photograph. My usual response is something like "mostly nature, landscape and wildlife", though in truth, I enjoy photographing just about everything.

In the past month alone, I have photographed a variety of subject matter, with a variety of cameras, in a variety of styles. Travel, Documentary, Nature, Wildlife, Landscape, Street, and Infrared are all genres that my photography has touched in a short few weeks. Photography really is a 'Journey' for me, an enjoyable, sometimes whimsical, sometimes frustrating, always enlightening journey.

Here's a sampling of what I saw through my lens in November 2019. None of these have been shared prior to this post, though others from the respective outings may have ... enjoy.

Alan Doyle

not so shy

As my 'bio' reads: "My library of work could be described as a somewhat eclectic collection but primarily covers the outdoors, landscape, nature and wildlife. I make images of scenes and subjects that move me visually, sharing them with others through my photographic fine art prints and online."

To everyone who follows me on the 'journey' offering encouragement and comment, I sincerely thank you. To those who don't yet, I invite you to follow along.



DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-11-25

Departing from my recent string of woodland / forest images, I went on an urban walkabout in Hamilton with Grant, Patrick and my IR camera sporting a 550nm filter. With Alan missing, the ‘4 Musketeers’ became the ‘3 Amigos’ and we spent a couple of hours shooting downtown streets, back alleys and details ...

' zoned '

My objective was to use a 550nm filter (which allows a portion of visible light to pass) and find a unique "look" with through post-processing. It was less 'work' than I anticipated. Post processing involves a little saturation boost and some tonal contrast. I used a couple of presets in a lesser-known Photoshop plug-in, Smart Photo Editor by Anthropics. I'll be experimenting to recreate this look in ON1 Photo Raw.

Here's a collage of some images from the outing.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-11-18

In wrapping up the series of images from my late October woodland outing here are a couple of images where I selected a tighter crop, either by using longer focal length or getting in closer to the subject scene. 

Sometimes it can be hard to see the trees for the forest, not just the other way around as the familiar adage goes. Keeping this (these) in mind while out in search of images gives the photographer yet another tool for the creative toolbox.

On this particular October morning, I was in awe of the the grander scene, the sunburst through the sparse fall canopy and my compositions were wider, including broader look at the scene. Having already made a good number of this type of exposure, I began looking for something different, recalling my original intent to develop my woodland photography further, push myself to another level, my vision began to narrow in.

I had made a commitment to be somewhere else and my magical time in this place was approaching it's end as I focused in on an area of the forest between two larger trees where the sun's rays were streaming in through the mist.

framed in the mist - I

framed in the mist - II

I'm quite pleased by the results, although these are quite different from others in the Foggy local woodland morning 2019-10-28 series.

I'd be very interested to hear anyone's thoughts, likes, dislikes and comments on any of the images in the series (click the link above to a Flickr album of the complete set). The November 4 post is the only image that had made it to this blog before this post and not everyone may want to go to Flickr, so I'll conclude this post with a collage showing all of the images ...

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-11-11

Lest We Forget

  

DJE

 

Photo of the Week 2019-11-04

Words from a post two weeks ago ...

"Fall is a great time to get out and work on forest scenes here in Ontario, and then it can be almost too easy when fall colours are at their peak. Pointing the camera almost anywhere when you're in or near a forest can result in some striking photos. The colours are always inspiring and it's great getting out to bask in the forest, taking in the sounds, the sights, the smells and it's healing goodness ...
... As I strive to translate what I feel into a finished image, it's taking quite a bit of work, quite a bit of time and ... I just don't have anything ready to share for this week's photo. But soon, I hope." 

This week, I think I have something ready.

Recently I had decided to get out more, specifically to work on my woodland photography. A foggy fall morning provided a great opportunity, and, after a good while of being preoccupied by just the glorious combination of sun and mist in a local wood lot, I got down to it. The original goal was to create something more purposeful, more compelling, more than just a pretty snap of the sun and mist. I wanted to work a composition that spoke differently of the woodland, one that told a story.

sign post

Working alone for the most part, I find it very helpful to study the work of other photographers. Sometimes this is simply viewing their images but with all that is available today, I'm finding YouTube to be a great resource. Often as I work through my image catalogue, downloading the latest shoot or editing a particular image, I have a YouTube video playing. It could be music, it could be a comedy skit, often it is something from another photographer.

These guys have been my latest inspiration ...

Simon Baxter   Thomas Heaton   Adam Gibbs   Gavin Hardcastle 

Thanks lads !

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-10-28 - 'Announcement - 2020 Through The Seasons Calendar'

2020 Through The Seasons Wall Calendar - Limited Availability

This is the 9th year for my "Through the Seasons" calendar project. Started as a Christmas gift project for immediate family members, distribution has grown a bit over the years as more family and some clients have requested copies. This year I've decided to pre-order a few copies and offer them for sale.

"Through the Seasons" showcases a dozen of my images from a single year, each made during the month in which they are displayed. Images may or may not have been previously published in this blog, Facebook, or other social media.

Satin finish calendar pages are 8.5" x 11", wire bound and the calendar opens to hang at approx 17" h x 11" w. Pages can be removed and framed for display ... once you've had the use of the calendar for a year of course ;-) As always, single Fine Art prints are available by contacting me directly for a quote.

They are available to the first 10 customers for $25 + $5 postage via Canada Post, CDN funds, shipping to Canada only. To place an order and arrange payment, email me at djenglandphotography@gmail.com. I'll be placing a second order that should arrive just before Christmas if there are more takers. 

Here is a collage of the images included ...

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-10-21

Fall is a great time to get out and work on forest scenes here in Ontario, and then it can be almost too easy when fall colours are at their peak. Pointing the camera almost anywhere when you're in or near a forest can result in some striking photos. The colours are always inspiring and it's great getting out to bask in the forest, taking in the sounds, the sights, the smells and it's healing goodness.

As I said last week, "Capturing the feel, the true feel of a forest scene is challenging" and I've been out working on it. The recent forest scenes I've been capturing are a work in progress. As I strive to translate what I feel into a finished image, it's taking quite a bit of work, quite a bit of time and ... I just don't have anything ready to share for this week's photo. But soon, I hope.

Sunsets are awesome at this time of year as well, soooo ... on Sunday evening just as we finished dinner, the mist on the bay was calling and I headed out to see what day's end had to offer. Though not the heavy low lying mist over the water I had hoped for, there was still a very light haze across the water heading out to Lake Huron as I paused to watch and capture that mighty orb falling below the horizon ... going under.

going under

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-10-14

Capturing the feel, the true feel of a forest scene is challenging ... an understatement to say the least. 

Once their eye detects "something", that "something" that eludes description, a photographer must decide where to direct the lens and from which vantage point. They must choose whether to "go wide" and pull in an expanse of the scene before them, to "zoom in" and pick out specific details, or something in between. They must decide what, out of a myriad of possible elements to include, what to exclude, what elements work together to build that "feel". 

And, the photographer must make choices that are more technical, focal length aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure that align with their vision for the image.

fall forest shadows

Getting all aspects to come together, in harmony that moves a viewer to "feel" what the photographer feels is the ultimate goal. Success is elusive, seldom achieved, ever enticing ... for me anyway.

I will continue, undaunted, as time spent in the forest is something special in itself.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-10-07

Specialist or Generalist Photographer ? Does it matter ?

I've been checking out the work of a few new photographers lately. While searching places to photograph in Scotland for an upcoming trip (in 2020), I discovered Thomas Heaton. Watched some of his videos on YouTube, he introduced me to Simon Baxter and then a few others.

Looking at their galleries and you tube videos it quickly became obvious that these guys focus their photographic eye primarily in one direction. Heaton bills himself as a Landscape and Outdoor Photographer, Baxter more narrowly as a Woodland Photographer and their work is beautiful.

Studying their work and approach got me thinking about being a specialist vs a generalist when it comes to photography. I can see why those trying to make a living from photography would benefit from specializing to develop an identity, working to become known for their work.

I'm not sure I could specialize, limit myself to one genre of photography. I don't think it matters. I enjoy capturing a variety of subjects, though a lot of my work includes landscapes and nature scenes. That doesn't stop me from learning from those photographers that specialize. Simon Baxter's work has me revisiting the trails and woodlands around home, scouting prospective locations and thinking of what season, time of day and conditions would be optimum.

And while scouting out a local backroad that I've shot in fall before, I didn't think conditions were optimum, but they were close ...

rainy fall road

DJE

Dawn of a second Decade ...

Committed to continue and looking for the way forward on this journey, a return to the past seemed a good start ...

de' light at dawn

On a morning walk along the Eramosa River, west from Rockwood to the mill ruins and Rockwood Falls, the arrival of light filtering through a thin morning mist provided a wonderful tranquil atmosphere. 

My presence startled not one but two Great Blue Herons into flight at separate locations along the way, prompting me to take note for a return in stealth, prepared with gear that might allow me to get a decent GBH image or two.

Continuing along the trail, memories of past visits played through my mind as familiar scenes and presented themselves. Blissfully lost in the moment, I turned around to see this ... simply delightful scene.

DJE

10 Years of Blog Posts ... Reflecting

Reflecting on a 10-Year Milestone ...

' a photographic journey ', this blog, has played no small role in my photographic life these past 10 years. Approaching this milestone post, reflecting on those years has opened up a flood of memories, thoughts and questions.

Memories of people, places, experiences and family have stirred. Alan, Grant, Andrew, Emma, Bruce and others. Some subjects, many friends for life. Rome, Florence ... ahhhh Florence, Ucluelet, Algonquin, Montreal, Albion Falls, Cathedral Grove, The Bruce. So many places. Out of my comfort zone at 'Help Portrait' - twice, a frigidly cold, dark, silent night on a back-road in Algonquin and that night sky, 'The Crack'. Dad ... and Mom. A wonderful flood of memories.

And some thoughts, of photographs yet to be made, a life without photography, life with photography, taking a hiatus, simply continuing, even calling it quits.

Then the questions ... ohhhh the questions. The silent kind that pop up while driving, having dinner, walking into the grocery store making you forget what you came for, lifting you up, bringing you down. As always, more questions than answers.

Have I made my "best" image? What if I have? Do I have better in me yet?

If I stop this blog how will it affect my photography? Will it continue? What would I do without photography?

Is the blog format even relevant for photography anymore? With the popularity of Facebook and Instagram attention spans have become minuscule. Who actually reads a blog these days? Does anyone read my blog?

Do I really have to come up with a photo and post every week? Oh shit ! I have to come up with something for this week ! 

Hold on ...

morning aspen

Why do I blog? My posts receive very few comments, over the years just a handful … so why even bother? Is anybody out there? Who is this for?

Weekly posts have motivated me to continue shooting regularly. The blog is sort of a journal for my photographic life ... slowly I realize, I do it for me !

Will I continue?

Photographing ... you bet !

The blog ... I think so.

See ya next week ... maybe.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-09-16

I've put the sunset photo posts on hold while I've been out exploring the world with my infrared converted camera. Not everyone will be a fan of this recent work, I get that and I'm OK with it. This blog and the path of it's posts log a 'Photographic Journey', one that is still underway, turning unexpectedly at times and perhaps looping back at others, always moving ... not necessarily forward, sometimes slow, imperceptibly slow, sometimes quickly ... always exploring.

In recent weeks, I've been deliberately concentrating on photographing heritage bridges in the Grand River Watershed in infrared then post processing using different methods ... exploring.

For this week's images of the Irvine Street Bridge north of Salem, the processing took a curve when the overcast skies created a blue colour cast to anything not foliage. Blue concrete and limestone rock simply did not look right. I guess one could say that the IR images I been posting all don't look right, but in this case I was exploring alternate processing methods and they just didn't give me what I was after ... until I removed the blue.

And now we have 'sans bleu'

Irvine Street Bridge - IR sans bleu

Irvine River - IR sans bleu

Irvine Arch - IR sans bleu

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-09-09

Inspired by photographing and researching the history of the "Stone Road Bridge", I've noted the locations of a number of other interesting bridges to photograph in the Grand River Watershed.

After returning from a photo outing, I found the paper "ARCH, TRUSS & BEAM - The Grand River Watershed Heritage Bridge Inventory. Previously aware of some of these bridges, I've decided to add them and others to a list of locations to photograph.

The project started with captures in Infrared (IR) and may continue in IR, or it may wander into something different. We'll see ...

In this post, I continue with these images of Chamber's Bridge, a bridge I had visited several times previously. The first visit resulted in a favourite image of a fly fisherman casting his line.

This time I wanted to capture the bridge, in infrared

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-09-02

Finding your way forward in a creative life is challenging, even vexing at times. The journey is fraught with choices, decisions of where to go, what to do, which path to take. There are as many options as imagination will allow.

Having these choices provides near unlimited freedom of where you may go, literally and figuratively. Making a choice can be daunting if you over analyze as I am known to do, or ...

... it can be as easy as just taking the next step, one step at a time as they say (whoever "they" are, I've never been sure).

I've learned that for me, there needs to be some purpose in those steps. Without purpose, it's really just wandering around and although that can be alright for a brief time, if left too long, yo can wander off. The end result being that you end up just going through motions. This is where I think I've had been the last while ... how long? It doesn't matter.

What matters is getting back the feeling that I am on track and creating with some kind of intent. Hence my recent decision to get out and visit some locations that I've had on my list for a while. Last week's image was made at one of those locations and that outing spawned an idea to photograph other vintage bridges to tell their story.

This week's image is from a location that catches my ever and my interest every time I pass by. With a plan to photograph it in infrared and explore what it is that intrigues me, I set out with some purpose ... and a way forward.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-08-26

Well ...

... after a recent stumble followed by a stagger (or two), causing me to set about questioning why I photograph, how I photograph, what is it I'm trying to do with my photography, I wasn't making any headway. In fact I felt like I was regressing, going backward and downhill ...

Then as so often happens in life, I had a breakthrough !

Thanks to the suggestions and feedback from a number of people, some close friends and others who serendipitously offered some sage advise. Whether known to them or not, their conversations and comments were very, very helpful.

One suggestion to review the highlights of my blog over the past ten years helped me to reconnect with what inspired me ... amongst other things, this "reinspired" me - Thanks D-L H

Another, in part of a conversation over lunch, helped me to understand how my process of creating images had changed over time and perhaps not for the better from an experiential or gratification perspective - Thanks TB

Others, with their support and urging to continue, to move forward, helped lift my spirits in which I found motivation and energized me sufficiently for me to seek a path forward - Thanks LME, DC, HB and others ...

With renewed vigour, I may just be ... over the rut.

over the rut - IR B&W

In fact, rather than having difficulty finding an image for this week's blog post, I've had difficulty selecting just one from a purposeful and fulfilling outing to McQuillan's Bridge, a local landmark that I've been meaning to capture for some time.

A mid-day outing in full sun, with my Infrared converted EOS M, resulted in a collection of captures that I processed with various plugins to create B&W and False Colour IR images. It's been a while since I've been so satisfied with the experience and results of an outing.

DJE