Photo of the Week 2025-12-15

 

An argument can be made that one should only show their best work and I understand the point in a professional context, in the context of presenting a portfolio for evaluation by galleries, clients and publishers. An amateur, in the literal sense of the word, I'm not motivated by obtaining clients, making an income from my work and though a gallery show or being published would be welcome, these are not my goals.

 

My pursuit is to continually improve my process of creating photographs and photographic art. I get an extraordinary amount of enjoyment and satisfaction from studying and learning all aspects related to capturing, processing and presenting images. It has become a very large part of my life these days. To call it a hobby no longer comes close to describing the place photography occupies in my life. It's a passion, an obsession, a large part of my daily routine, and while I try to share good images, I certainly do not limited them to my very best work.

 

That said, every once in a while it all comes together (or the blind squirrel finds a nut) and I come up with and get to share something that I consider truly special ...

  

' lone tamarack '

... an image that I would include in a collection of my "best work". One I give a 4 star rating (because to date I've never rated one of my images as 5 star, that to me is the pinnacle and 99.9% perfect). One that that represents what I saw, heard and felt, what made me stop, raise the camera to my eye, compose and press the shutter. One that will rekindle the experience of the moment whenever I see it. 

 

' lone tamarack ' might just make the grade to 5 star but I need to live with it for a while before I'd elevate it the final step. For that, I will be printing it large and framing it for the wall.

 

DJE 

Photo of the Week 2023-12-11

 

Not long after last week's post, I completed my processing of a set of images that now comprise the series ' revealed '. The series features the magnificent Superior lake-bed colours and shapes at Coldwater Cove, as seen with the use of a polarizing filter to reduce glare and reflection on the water surface.

 

With these two images, getting close with wide angle zoom allowed me to create interesting abstract interpretations using the natural patterns, shapes and colours in the rock of the Canadian Shield. I was left to imagine rough water and waves crashing along this shoreline because on this day there were but ripples on the water's surface.

 

' revealed IV '

 

' revealed VI '

Calm, sunny conditions such as we had are something not too common for late October on the lake that is Superior. 

 

 

DJE 

Photo of the Week 2023-12-04

 

I found that my images from our Retreat visit to Coldwater Cove group nicely into 2 sets. The first featured interesting foregrounds using the rock formations and patterns along the shoreline. This week's image introduces the 2nd set which features magnificent lake-bed colours and shapes, seen through the calm, clear Lake Superior water.

 

I've been eager to get to this set of images since reviewing them on the back LCD of my camera almost 2 months ago.

 

 

' revealed VII '

I really owe our Retreat leader, Andrew McLachlan, a big shout out for calling me out to join him on a large rock outcrop in the water. He asked if I was using a polarizing filter and suggested that with the glare removed, there were interesting patterns below the water. Well there certainly were and much more than that, there were magnificent colours.

A considerable amount of time was spent scrambling around on that rock. Making sure to keep my balance, lest I plunge camera and all into the cold water. Many different compositions were created and I came away with two handfuls that I'm prepared to share. This first image is not the first made but the first that had me thinking WOW!

 

More to come ... 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2023-11-27

 

During last month's Superior Wild and Scenic Photo Retreat we visited several locations on Lake Superior. Most were known to me from previous travels in the area but one in particular was not and oh what a treat it was.

Calm waters were not expected but they did allow for some unique waveless images on the rocky headland at Coldwater Cove. I ended up with quite a collection showing the interesting and accessible rock formations. Sneak previews when I was downloading after they days shoot had me excited for one or two but with well over a dozen it was difficult to know where to start, so I'll just start.

' wave action worn '

I had switched out lenses to the 17-40 wide angle zoom in order to get more in the frame and include more of the interesting formations in the foreground. I also used a polarizer to tame some of the glare and reflection from the strong mid-day sun, both on the rock and the water.

 

This is certainly a location that I plan to get back to for some more shooting.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2023-11-20

 

' Fall Colour @ Sand River Falls '

' Sand River -  lower falls'

' Sand River Falls - detail '

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A return visit for shooting at the Sand River Falls allowed me time to make the short hike from the trailhead up to the lower falls. Apparently there are three falls accessible by the Pinguisibi Trail that starts from the parking lot N-E of the highway but I was with a group of photographers and only had so much time allotted for our stop at this location. Given that, I quickly set out for the nearest (lower) falls after telling the group leader where I was headed (safety first). Along the way I was getting glimpses of the water cascading through the relatively narrow channels of the river. I had been informed that during lower flow levels, much of the jagged and undulating river course is exposed and can be accessed. Not so when the water is high and raging.

Rather than stop on my way up, I chose to head straight to the top of the falls and work my way back, checking out vantage points on the return trek. I arrived at the top of the falls and explored the area, able to walk out on a fairly extensive network of exposed rock and look further upstream hoping for a calm, still water basin before the plunge for some reflection images.

 

There was no upstream still water and I started looking around for other photo ops finding a small maple in full red leaf at the edge of the river just as it starts to plunge. I removed by backpack and placed it away from the water with my tripod and took just my camera out onto the rock in search of a composition that would suit the dramatic red leaves. I found something that worked using my lens wide open at f/4 and zoomed out at 105mm to blur the background a bit and place emphasis on the red leaves in the foreground.

 

A short time later on my way back down, I stopped just below the main plunge and tried a technique to add motion blur to water, one we had discussed the previous evening. There are options in most of the new cameras these days to make and blend multiple exposures in-camera. That option usually outputs a jpeg image and while it may be of sufficient quality, my camera can shoot a maximum of 9 frames in this mode and has the option of keeping the RAW captures as well as the output jpeg which is what I selected. I used the output jpeg on my rear LCD to judge exposure and the blur of the flowing water and retained the RAW files as a fall back. Lighting conditions were rather bright and it was difficult to select a longer shutter speed to help with the motion blur. The water was not blending smooth enough for my liking and I ended up blending the results of 2 sets of 9 RAW images in Photoshop to get the results shown in the additional 2 images above. Of course you can use ND (neutral density) filters to obtain slower shutter speeds and blur water nicely but I wanted to try something new.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2023-11-13

 

It had been a while since last away on a photo retreat or workshop and once all the planning, preparing, packing, paying and travel to get there is done, it was time to make best use of shooting time and all available opportunities ...

 

' rock & ripples '

After another shoreline sunrise shoot at the lodge we were on the road and away from our accommodations in the strong sunlight of an uncharacteristically calm and warm late October morning. We had stopped at a little day-use park area and the group was scrambling around some interesting headland rock formations using the time to photograph details and patterns. Uninspired by the harsh lighting and a bit frustrated with the cramped location, I wandered away from the group and explored the sandy beach along the south side of Katherine Cove.

When I came across this rock embedded in the sand at water's edge I liked the simplicity of the scene but my first thought was that the glare off the water would be a problem. I decided to add a polarizing filter to my lens and see if they could be tamed. I turned the filter ring as I  re-positioned and voila! Magically the ripples below the water surface were revealed and the added bonus of darkening the exposure brought out the warm rich tones of the sand.

As often happens when I'm out with a group of photographers, I'm pushed to explore more, to work the location more, to extract more ... and there you go, opportunity not wasted ;-)

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2023-11-06

 

Three different looks from one capture ...

 

When I framed this composition and made the original exposure, I was concentrating on the reflection. I wanted to keep as much symmetry as possible, with a low POV, bending down, camera hand held, not using a tripod, I was really just scouting the location at this point knowing that I would return in a day or so with a group of photographers.

 

What caught my attention later, while reviewing the day's images on the computer, was the difference in luminance between the clouds in the sky and their reflection on the calm water. After a minimal amount of processing on the original, I reworked the file to balance the luminance of the sky to that of the reflection and in addition, the reflection luminance to that of the sky ending up with three different interpretations of the scene, each with their own mood.

 

For reference and clarity, in the above trip-tych, the top image is the original.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2018-11-05

A recent post by a friend, sent me into my library catalogue to search images from 6 years ago. I knew I had photographed the same location and wanted to check dates and other specifics before commenting on their post ... but while browsing the library, as often happens, some images now speak to me more powerfully than they did initially, those years ago.

I found it difficult to explain why the image below had been sitting, just sitting in my library without being shown ... until now.

standing in the mist

I recall the experience of making this photograph, as vividly as if it were just recently. The silence of a lonely road, interrupted periodically by the sound of an approaching vehicle. The dampness of the mist floating over my bare hands in the cool morning air, seeing the steam from my breath and feeling the loving embrace of nature.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2016-02-01

I have mixed feelings when it comes to certain projects and challenges applied to creative pursuits. For those not familiar with the idea, the intent is to begin a project or participate in a challenge with the goal of pushing yourself out of a creative rut or to learn new elements of your craft. For example, in photographic terms, a "365 Project" is one that requires the participant to make and post one photo every day for a year, hence the 356 reference. A challenge could be to restrict the number of photos you make on a particular day, or to use only a fixed focal length lens for a period of time. There are countless other variations both that are touted frequently on social media and in photographic circles.

Why do I have mixed feelings about these? Well I think sometime they are perceived or expected to be the magic cure for what ails one creatively, be it the dreaded 'block', lack of variety, or some other affliction. I think they can work from time to time or be part of the solution, but in my experience they can also add to the frustration at times when you just really need to take a break. Other times they can be just what the creative doctor ordered and get you to try something new. They can open up a whole new creative world to experience or push you to learn a new skill or technique. The difficulty is knowing what is right at what time.

Recently a friend, Karen VonKnobloch, invited me to a 7 Day Nature Photography Challenge on Facebook. This challenge was not to go out and make new images, but to select images from your library and post one each day for a week. The challenge was 'thrown down' at a time when Karen knew I was searching for some additional activity and interaction with my photography. I was looking for the spark, to reignite the flame that I felt might be fading. She cleverly helped me find it in my own work. So here are my selections from the 7 Day Nature Challenge.

morning whispers

perched

falls in the clouds

Algonquin Winter Sunset

Winter Morning at Little Cove - III

Cold Dawn at Silver Falls

Autumn at 'the Crack'

During the 7 Days I was posting these images to FB, another friend suggested 7 Days of Tobermory ... and it spawned further ideas for 7 Days of Hay Bay and 7 Days of the Bruce, all subjects that stir my photographic passion. It seems in this case, the spark was in the challenge and the fuel for the fire in my own work.
DJE