Photo of the Week 2026-09-28

 

I've always enjoyed taking a drive to see and photograph the fall colours as the leaf canvas changes here in Southern Ontario. Timing is not difficult even with the rapid change that happens some years. It's also not difficult to find a location since the change is literally all around here where I live. The challenge for me is making the choice, getting it into the schedule and getting out because it seems there is always the next day ... until there is not and colour is gone for another season. This fall, I decided to get an early start and with a plan for a few other outings before colour withers to winter.

 

This first outing may have been too early, at least for the distance that I ranged from home. The destination was Beaver Valley near Kimberly and I knew peak colour would not yet have arrived but there would be something to photograph.

 

' September Shades I '

' September Shades II '

' September Shades III '

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I enjoyed the drive north from Guelph, beginning along sideroads east of Guelph, then Fergus and west of Luther Marsh. I hit Grey Rd. 4 and headed east through Flesherton to Beaver Valley Rd. and turned north. Though the beginnings of fall were evident, there wasn't much in the way of orange and red colour yet so I settled in to capture some of the lovely late morning light spilling thorough trees over the field grass and vegetation. 

 

The images above were made where a small branch of the Beaver River runs under Grey Rd. 7 near 'Old Baldy' just off Beaver Valley Rd. That's as far as I went before turning around and taking some dirt tracks back towards Flesherton.

 

DJE 

Photo of the Week 2026-09-21

 

A trial run shooting the moon on the day before official 'International Observe The Moon Night' proved worthwhile ...

 

' moon 'n stars '

... though I had to over come some challenges in post processing. Pulling down the bright light from the moon, boosting the highlights for the stars and removing a cottage light distraction or two were all possible with the basic editing tools of today. 

 

Let me back up a bit.

Last week I attended a presentation on Astro / NightSky Photography by Jonathan Sau. I had done some of this in the past and since drifted away from the dark late night outings required. Jonathan's presentation rekindled my interest and I made a note to learn more about the objects and events occurring in our night skies. As it turned out, plans for our next cottage visit coincided with 'International Observe The Moon Night' making it a good time to get back at it.

 

Using the planning apps available, I determined that the 'First Quarter' moon would be directly across the bay from us during early night time on Friday night. With official 'International Observe The Moon Night' on Saturday, I decided on a trial run Friday to familiarize myself with operating out in the dark. The 'Clear Skies' app, was forecasting near 100% total cloud both nights but "nothing ventured, nothing gained" so I went out anyway.

 

There were in fact clouds, but luckily a short reprieve allowed me to capture the interesting scene above. I had no such luck from my location the following night when 100% cloud did obscure the night sky.

 

DJE 

Photo of the Week 2026-09-14

 

Away on an annual golf trip to Grand Falls, New Brunswick I hadn't intended much in the way of photography. Though I had a capable small 'point 'n shoot' camera with me, I mostly used my phone for snaps on the courses we played.

 

One morning, while the others slept in, I was having coffee on the deck looking out to the river. The humming birds were humming at the feeder near my left shoulder, Blue Jays and Crows were beginning to make themselves known as the sun continued to rise. I looked to the opening in the trees along the Salmon River and made my way off the deck to catch this lovely little scene.

 

' down by the river '

' down by the river II '

I find it interesting to see the effect of focal length in these images. Both were shot from exactly the same location. I no more than shuffled my feet as I switched from 'normal' to 'wide' view on the phone.

 

In the first, normal, the branch of early autumn red leaves and the river take on prominent subject roles whereas in the second, wide' I find that it's the sunburst, shadow and light that grab my attention with the red leaves and river relegated to supporting roles.

 

DJE 

Photo of the Week 2026-09-07

 

I'm always on the lookout for wildflowers in and around the cottage.

 

' sunlit fringed trio '

This Blue Gentian, was new to me. At first I thought there was a single plant  and as it turned out, there was an abundance of it growing on our rocky shoreline.

 

Using some of the simulated ICM techniques I've been developing and enhancing the bright sunlight I was able to create this ethereal image.

 

DJE