Photo of the Week 2022-09-19

I prefer the off-season on 'the Bruce'. It's quieter, peaceful even, with the tourist hordes looking elsewhere for their day-trips. Once September arrives, temperatures are (becoming) more welcoming for my photo outings/hikes, bugs are (mostly) gone too. The further from summer, the more tranquil it gets.

On this last official weekend of summer, Lynn and I encountered two other couples out enjoying the sun and summer warm temperature on our mid-day hike south on the Bruce Trail from Dunks Bay. It was a shortish outing but every step enjoyable with no argument from my ankle sprain that has been bothersome in recent weeks. Sturdy boots, careful treading and moderation are the plan going forward as it continues to heal.

 

' North to Dunks Bay '

Last time we had been on this trail was early spring when I was looking to photograph a Trillium patch I had marked out. Harsh mid-day sun and mostly clear skies made exposure challenging so I decided to bracket and blend later in post. This image above is a Lightroom HDR blending without over doing things (I think). Though not a four-star capture, it makes me smile that I was back out on the escarpment trails with camera again ... bonus points is you can see the face staring back at the viewer in this ;-)

' South along the shore of Georgian Bay '

We met a young couple with their pup who enjoyed the accessible natural pool along the shore at this lovely spot.

 

A busy schedule in the coming weeks has me working hard to find some time I can allocate to more outings like this along the Georgian Bay and Huron shorelines.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2020-10-19

An image was selected and queued up for the P.O.T.W. ... then the weather cooperated on a Saturday hike with cousin Steve who had come to spend some time with us up at the cottage. We had selected a trail that would show him the Georgian Bay shoreline from an escarpment lookout and from water level. Halfway Log Dump was the perfect spot to offer both views, and the weather cooperated for just long enough for us to get the hike in ...

 

Rock Overhang & Cave Point

West to Cave Point and Bear's Rump Island

East to High Dump and Cabot Head

West end of the boulder beach

It was great that Steve got up to our place for a visit, and that the weather was decent for our hike. It took a while but now he's seen autumn on the Bruce ... we want to show him winter.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-05-06

spring trails

Combining three of my favourite things ... family, nature and photography. My son Jordan and I hiked a section of the Bruce Trail from Clappison's Corners to Sydenham Lookout and back.

It started out misty and changed to light rain then cleared up on the way back, this shot was made shortly after we started while there was some sun trying to break thorough the mist. The wet mud slopes below the escarpment were slick but there were no incidents of note, just a great few hours.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2016-02-08

With nothing specific planned for a weekend photo outing, I started looking for places to go while having my second coffee of the morning. Now awake, I realized that I really needed to get out for some fresh air and scratch the photographic itch.

For a while now I've been meaning to hit the trails around Silvercreek Conservation Area in search of some smaller waterfalls and cascades. So on a clear, bright day, well after the best light of 'golden hour' had given way to the harshness of mid-day sun. In no rush, I cruised back roads that I'd not seen in a while. Scenes drifted by, memories stirred and familiarity slowly returned ... as I approached my destination.

Gearing up, I quickly wished I had anticipated conditions and brought my ice spikes but headed down the closed concession road with the refreshing sound of water cascading down all around. I was surprised to find two creeks falling over the face limestone ledges, before joining together and heading off down the rock strewn gully.

Along Snow Creek

After making my way down to the trail access, I spent a long time scrambling over the rocks along the sides of the creek, making images of the ice forms hanging from rocks, limbs and branches over the water. It really is relaxing and rejuvenating when I immerse myself totally in the pursuit of that 'one image'.

Standing to stretch my back after all the bending, hunching, kneeling and hanging from tree trucks and branches, it was the view back upstream to the footbridge that spoke to me most of my time at this lovely little spot.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-10-05

The trails not far from home have provided inspiration for a significant number of my images over the years. It had been a while since I had been out to walk the familiar paths and take in the sights and smells, so on Bruce Trail Day 2015, I headed out with a couple of faithful companions, no not photo buddies, this time Lynn and Murphy, to introduce them to the trails along Grindstone Creek.

fall fabric

Fall colour is late coming to our area and I fear that the leaves are falling so quickly that they may not reach their peak. Even so, there was lots of muted yellow, green and pinks in the ravine as we made our way along on a cool wet morning.

Murphy didn't seem to mind, I think he was just happy to be back out on those trails ... so was I.











DJE

Photo of the Week 2013-02-18

On changing things up ...

What has been my "normal" weekend photo outing for some time is a morning with one, sometimes two and on the odd occasion a few photographer friends. It's usually an early start to catch the "good light". Planning starts sometime during the week with an email and some friendly photography related banter.

This week, things didn't come together as they usually do. One friend was out because of other commitments and my regular companion had some things pressing only leaving him time for a quick walkabout somewhere close. Feeling the need to get out and lose myself in nature and the process of my photography, I decided to head out alone for a few hours. I picked a section of the Bruce Trail that I had not hiked before and just started walking, with a backpack full of camera gear in case I came across something special.

Walking along on the outbound leg of the hike, I stopped periodically to just take it all in and soak up the sights, sounds and solitude and made a few exposures of things that caught my eye. After some time, I came up to a marker for a side trail, looked at my trail map, saw it was a dead end trail near the escarpment edge and decided to check it out. At the end of the side trail I decided to take off my backpack and work at capturing some of the forest scene. When I was done I found a spot on the rock outcrop at the escarpment edge to sit, rest a bit and grab a drink of water. After several minutes I looked at my watch and saw that I had been out for well over 2 hours so I decided to make my way back.

As I started the return leg, what had been the odd snowflake turned to a much heavier snowfall. One of the interpretive signs I had stopped to clean off and read not long ago was already covered with the freshly fallen snow. The snowfall continued to increase and the scenes I had passed by before were completely transformed. A surreal atmosphere had descended on the forest and my opportunity to make some images had arrived.

Forest Flurries 03

The effect of shooting through falling snow across an open space is quite unique. Some may comment that it gives a photograph a painterly feel, others that it obscures detail. For me it's a magical time when the woods sing.

Forest Flurries 02

Forest Flurries 04

Forest Flurries 01

All in all, it was a great morning. I hiked a 5km section of the Bruce Trail that I'd never seen before, got lost in my thoughts and photography for a few hours and came back with some images that I'm very happy with.

I think I'll change it up a little more often.

  DJE