Photo of the Week 2020-08-31

' a familiar scene '

I regularly walk past this location just off the road near our cottage. The morning light filters through the trees to illuminate an area of moss surrounding the base of an old snag in a way that always makes me take notice.

The scene has intrigued me for several years now and always confounded my attempts to capture it as I "see" it. That is until the other day when my 'morning walk' was delayed until just after noon. There were heavy broken clouds and in a moment when the sun streamed through an opening and washed over just as I walked by ... of course with a camera over my shoulder.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-08-24

Another weekend, another weekend hike with Jordan. This time, we hiked in Forks of the Credit Provincial Park and headed for the mill ruins at Cataract Falls.

Unfortunately, the trail past the ruins and viewing platform have been closed and well fenced-off while replacement of the platform is under consideration. Not to be thwarted in our attempts to get a view of the ruins and falls, we followed the trail to the north side of the river and turned onto the Elora-Cataract Trailway and found a path down the upper slope of the gorge to the rail line and crossed to a fenced location where we could overlook the ruins and river with a view upstream.

 

Credit River Upstream at Cataract Falls

 

 

 

Canon EOS M - Kolari Dual Spectrum (IR & vis) Conversion

Canon EF-M 11-22 f/4-5.6 IS STM @ f/8

Kolari 590nm Filter

1/100 s, ISO 100

 

It was 5 years since I had last visited and 10 or 15 since I first visited. Sadly, the increased foot traffic and use of the park over that time has changed it's character ... not for the better. Like many parks and trails that see overuse, footpaths are well worn but the infuriating signs of disrespectful visitors, ignorant of their impact, were far too numerous. Discarded used diapers, food containers, dozens of empty water bottles, tissue and toilet paper were to be found in the trailside bushes ... without having to look very hard :-(

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-08-17

 

 

A trip to Silvercreek Conservation Area for a weekend outing had me reaching for my infrared modified camera and hoping that the lush green of the forest would provide suitable scenery.

A short way into the hike I noticed a small sapling bending over the downstream watercourse and thought to make it the main focus of a composition. I found a route down to the creek from the adjacent trail and started framing up the scene. Realizing that the 11-22mm lens I had would require me to get closer to the subject tree, I started working my way along. When I next experimented with a composition, I was still too far away to emphasize that tree ... but ... a larger serpentine trunk made for a perfect additional point of interest and the main focus of the image.

Shot with my EOS-M dual-spectrum modified camera with 590 nm Kolari infrared filter. Custom white balance set to green foliage with reds desaturated in post.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-08-10

Following a recent web presentation for Orchid Fest 2020, I turned my gaze downward on my walkabouts on "the Bruce', not just to watch for the Massasauga Rattlesnakes that seem to be more numerous this year, but to watch for some of the 44 species of Orchid that make their home there.

The season for Yellow Lady's Slipper (large & small) has come and gone this year. And I was surprised to find Striped Coralroot growing on our cottage property a few weeks back, Then a short while ago, thanks to the webinar, I noticed Helleborine growing in several spots around the perimeter of our property.

Helleborine Orchid Flower

Helleborine

 

Helleborine Plant

As you could read in the links I've provided, Helleborine (Broadleaf Hellleborine, Common Helleborine) is found widely over the North-Eastern US and Easter Canada. It's considered a common non-native species that can actually become invasive. Not as flashy as the Yellow Lady's Slipper or Showy Lady's Slipper, it can be easy to miss. The flowers are small (1cm) and generally point downwards making it east to overlook their miniature beauty ... unless you are specifically on the lookout for some of the natural treasures 'the Bruce' has to offer.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-08-03

We always have choices ...

From a group outing to Terre Bleu Lavender Farm, Milton, ON

As soon as our host, Ian, mentioned this door during the orientation session, I envisioned a shot of the door open, looking through and out over a lavender field. I decided to make different versions, the infrared in a separate capture, the selective colour is alternate post processing.

DJE