Photo of the Week 2019-02-11

Disappointment turned into a nice little series of images ...

Arriving at a location with thoughts of a particular image, anticipation can quickly turn to disappointment for the photographer. Particularly with outdoor photography, weather can offer an alternate scenario and as the old adage goes "when life gives you ... " you make art.

Expecting cold exposed water with chunks of ice floating up and down on the waves, I had brought my tripod and ND filter along anticipating some long exposure shots with an ethereal look to them. As I made shore at the bottom of the access trail, disappointment welled up ... initially. And then I got on with it, making a nice little series of images, my favourite being 'wrapped in winter', panorama that I've printed 35" wide for framing.

wrapped in winter

Others from the series ...

... the lead image being printed

... the final print

DJE

Photo of the Week 2018-12-17

My love of the Bruce Peninsula Landscape began several years ago with a visit for some winter photography. The plan for the first 'Bruce' trek likely sprouted from numerous photo outings to sections of the Niagara Escarpment closer to home. Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Dundas, Burlington, Milton, Limehouse etc. all cultivated my fascination with the limestone cliff that stretches hundreds of kilometres.

The winter 'Bruce' trek became an annual event and perhaps because those memories, winter remains a favourite time to be on 'the Bruce'. Though Mother Nature has yet to lay down this season's winter blanket, encountering some of those earlier images on a journey through the photo library brought back that crisp, quiet fee of winter mornings on 'the Bruce'.

Winter Morning at Little Cove - IV

Avisit to Little Cove back in December 2010 provided the "crisp'. A tripod and slow shutter speed calmed the waters.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2016-02-29

On a blustery winter morning, with unseasonably warm temperatures melting what little snow was left, a visit to a favourite location, was in order. Cold damp winds off Georgian Bay buffeted us as we reached the shore and emerged from the protection of the trees. It wasn't long before I was tugging at my coat's zipper, pulling it all the way up to keep the chills away.

When photographing at familiar locations, the challenge can be coming up with something different. This was certainly the case during this outing. Skies were grey, overcast and mostly uninteresting. There were no interesting shore ices formations to speak of and I walked about, trying to find something of interest. After a while, I found myself standing, mesmerized, watching the waves break over a large rock at the edge of the water.

'waves at shore'
Little Cove 2016-02-21

I decided to set up the tripod and attempt to capture the 'feel' of the breaking waves by not freezing the movement with a fast shutter speed, but rather allowing a bit of blur to convey a sense of motion. An ND filter would have come in handy if only I hadn't left it in my large kit bag back at the cottage.

Exposure info for those interested.
0.5 s, f/22, ISO 100 @ 26 mm

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

Photo of the Week 2014-09-22

On a rainy Sunday after shopping for groceries in Tobermory, Lynn wanted to take a trip to the lighthouse before returning to the cottage. With the wind out of the NE, waves were crashing up and onto the rock that normally provides a dry place to stand and admire the scenery. We stayed for a while and I made some images before getting back in the car. While driving to the cottage, Lynn suggested visiting another location to check out the waves after lunch ... and I'm glad she did.

The location I chose was Little Cove and as we approached the water, descending along the wide path we could hear the rhythm of the waves crashing on the shore slowly becoming louder until we left the protection of the trees and onto the cobble beach. Just as I had hoped for, the waves were coming in on a slight angle, crashing along the east shoreline.

I shot the scene both wide to get the overall feel and tight to isolate details of the breaking, crashing waves and there are a number that I am happy with. The image below, my choice for this week is not one that shows the spray thrust high above the steep rocky shore, but one that gives an overall sense of what it was like along the shoreline.

late summer storm

The waves coming in off Georgian Bay were intensified as they were blown into the narrowing bay, reshaping, restricting, confining them. Once every several minutes, a few larger waves would push through the turmoil and make it to shore, either running well up the cobble beach or crashing into steep rock faces sending water high into the air.  

Summer is just ending ... could the gales of November come early ?

DJE

Photo of the Week 2013-09-23

The second in my "The Bruce Rocks" series ...

There is so much to see in the rock of the Bruce. At Little Cove, the waves of Georgian Bay have worn the surfaces of the larger dolomite blocks smooth and smaller rounded rocks are all that remain of others tumbled over each other for countless years.

TBR - Little Cove IV

The boulder beaches of the Bruce are a great place to sit and contemplate. See my recent blog post.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2013-09-02

When life gets busy and there are more demands on my time, more things on the "to do list", more things that others are expecting from me, I need to ensure that I make time for those things that feed my sole. I was reminded of this on the Labour Day long weekend.

Coming off a very busy week at work, Lynn and I had been looking forward to spending our second weekend at the cottage, continuing to settle in. There really wasn't that much remaining to be done and it's really a relaxing change from our regular weekends in the city. Still, I was feeling the need to scratch the photography itch. As new and great as the scenery right at the cottage is, I needed to get out on a photography specific trek, not just snap some images down by the shore at the cottage (although that can produce some great images too).

I find that going out on a solo outing requires initiative and commitment. When it's just me, it can be all too easy to delay departure time and miss the good light or to give up before even getting started because the weather looks "iffy". I find that companions, preferably other photographers with similar subject interests really helps here. Going out with others to photograph requires planning and almost always involves a location selected ahead of time. Going out solo can often be an impromptu thing with no specific location in mind and while there is something to be said for the spontaneity of of just getting out and going where the creative force pulls you, I don't find that it is always enough to get me out the door, much less up after a restless night in a still unfamiliar bed.

... so up a bit late, coffee made,I managed to get the inspiration when Lynn got up and said "there's mist on the water". I poured the remainder of my coffee in a travel cup, grabbed my bag of gear and jumped in the vehicle. Hey, I was in "The Bruce", there was lots to shoot, that is one reason we had chosen to buy a cottage here. As I drove down the road, my thoughts were of Singing Sands in morning light but continuing on Hwy 6, I saw the orange glow of sunrise over the trees and knew that I needed to head to the east side ... Little Cove would be spectacular if I could get there in time. Why had I not got up and left earlier?

I may just be able to make it ... 

Morning Glow at Little Cove

DJE