Photo of the Week 2024-01-08

A couple of months ago I decided to visit Halfway Log Dump in Bruce Peninsula National Park. The road in is not maintained during winter and is closed from early winter to late spring. I thought I would take the opportunity to go before the road was closed.

The shoreline along Georgian Bay at this location has provided many photo opportunities since my first visit over a decade ago. This time I would continue recent work on ultra-wide angle compositions, this time with my RF 14-35mm.

Though ultra-wide angle focal lengths can be used for stunning compositions, it requires practice to become proficient in their use, as I am experiencing while I work with focal lengths of 11mm and in this case as wide as 14mm. I made a number of successful images during this outing and in some cases worked a particular subject or view in various ways as I gain more comfort shooting this wide.

 

At one location, an old weathered cedar on a rock ledge caught my eye. My first instincts for a framing had me too far away, surprisingly so and I moved to the edge of a crevice using the lens zoom a bit to frame a shot (version A below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not satisfied, I moved back a step, zoomed back out to 14mm and included a spruce standing above the background treeline as another point of reference. When I reviewed the images on the computer, this ended up being my favourite version.

' old cedar on ledge '

Before finishing with this scene, I moved even closer to the point where I had to remove and set my back pack and tripod down to step off the main cliff onto a ledge in the crevice. Even then I braced my foot on the other side of the crevice to lean slightly more towards the cedar (version B below). Upon review, this wasn't what I was looking for either.

 

' old cedar on ledge -B '

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm enjoying the challenge of working ultra-wide and have made some satisfying images but that first stand out image is yet to be made.

 

Oh yes ... as things turned out and real winter weather yet to arrive, Emmett Lake Rd. was still open when I passed by most recently. Perhaps I will change another visit.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2022-09-26

 

' Afternoon at Halfway Log Dump V '

It's good to have some images in the 'back pocket' for those times when you suddenly remember that you need to prepare a post ahead of time and schedule publication while you will not have full access to your files and the internet. Fortunately I have tagged a number of images "for posting" in just such and event.

 

Almost a year ago, I visited Halfway Log Dump after a considerable absence during COVID lock down and the resulting BPNP closure. While working with the images I made that day, I gave luminosity masks a first try. This image, made late afternoon, had some deep shadow along the forest edge and luminosity masks allowed me to bring more of the actual feel from that day to this rendition.

 

Now that autumn has arrived to 'the Bruce', I really must plan a return visit for some more photography ...

 

DJE

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 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 2018-01-15

Winter on 'the Bruce' is magical ... I'm sure some of the full time residents may have a slightly different view, particularly when the have to slug to work through the winter storms and snow squalls ... but for me as one who visits regularly to get away from the daily grind and recharge, it is truly magical.

Late Afternoon - Indian Head Cove to Overhanging Point

With sun beginning it's descent in the sky, our snowshoe trek out to Indian Head Cove began from the winter parking lot in BPNP. Following the groomed well travelled trail, we trekked through the campground until it turned toward Cyprus Lake and then hugged the shore until we crossed the bridge where the lake outflow cascades into Horse Lake.

From the bridge, we followed the Georgian Bay Trail to Indian Head Cove where we took off our snowshoes and wandered about exploring ... my companions on this trip, Matt, Claire & Jordan, had not seen this area in winter before and it was great to hear that they were not disappointed.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-07-10

While on vacation last week, we decided to take a sunset cruise. It's closing in in four years since we bought the cottage and there are a few "tourist things" we have yet to do. This cruise was one of them.

We had decided to tack on an extra night, Monday, after the long weekend and that night provided a clear sky, and calm if a little chilly, conditions for the cruise. It was cool to see the shoreline between Tobermory and Cave Point from the water having experienced most of it on land while hiking sections of the Bruce Trail.

cave o' wonder

Though the scenery was gorgeous, it proved difficult to capture images that convey the beauty and scale of the escarpment shoreline. From all the images I made, I selected this from just south of Indian Head Cove and cropped to remove what sky was in the original frame to give a sense of what I felt as we passed along the shore.

I continue to try new post processing software to replace the NIK Collection that Google has abandoned . For this image I performed basic adjustments in LR, Topaz Suite and reverted back to NIK Color Efex for the vignette/border that I have yet to find a alternate app for.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2016-11-28

I've been wanting to hike to Overhanging Point for some time and finally made the trek this weekend with Jordan and Lynn. We took the Marr Lake Trail to Georgian Bay for something different and what a pretty little trail it is. Our 'little' hike provided some unexpected wonder when we decided to take a route along the shore rather than the Bruce Trail that climbs up the escarpment to Overhanging Point. We scrambled through a couple of cave openings and around several large fallen limestone boulders to find wondrous views and formations.
 

wondrous view

Jordan was our leader and thanks to him pushing (pulling actually) Lynn and I along, we were able to pass under the overhang and scramble up the escarpment to connect with the Bruce Trail and take it back. Along the way we were treated to nature's fresh, moist smells, forest floors cushioned with cedar duff, natural limestone steps along with the gorgeous lookouts.

I'm glad I took my phone with me as I had forgotten the backup battery to the camera I was using and .... yes, the battery died, just as we arrived at the most picturesque spot. The image above ws made with my iPhone and pushed hard in Adobe Lightroom.



DJE

Photo of the Week 2016-02-22

Following up on last week's post, I've continued to work through the series of images I created during my winter trek to Indian Head Cove. I also visited the Bruce Peninsula again this past weekend, but oh how conditions had changed. Temperatures were more spring-like than winter-like and instead of snow, it rained during one morning hike. So, it's back to the image collection from last weekend for this week's image. 

After spending some time photographing the grotto and cove areas with the shallows showing off the iconic Georgian Blue waters, I wanted to have Lynn make a photo of me standing out on the escarpment edge to use as my facebook cover. I got her set up and trekked along the trail a bit before bushwacking through some deeper snow and up the rocks where I posed for the shots (you can see those on my DJEngland Photography facebook page at least for a while). As I turned to leave, I was drawn to see what was around the corner. There's always something just around the corner you know, or at least that's how it can feel sometimes. Not far from where I had been, this was the view ...

cold cliffs II

... so I turned my camera to the cliff faces for a few more shots before we left. I was glad to have worn my snowshoes, or at least to have the crampons digging into the ice on top of the escarpment cliff for secure footing when I made this image looking south-east near halfway rock point.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2016-02-15

Good 'ol Canadian winter finally arrived in Ontario, with temperatures of -27*C showing on the outdoor thermometer at 0-dark-thirty Saturday morning at the cottage. The snow was making that familiar 'crunch' under foot as I took Murphy out for his morning routine, after getting my day started with a couple of mugs of cottage brew ... and then there was the sensation of nasal passages freezing as I inhaled the fresh, clean, crisp morning air .... ahhhh Canadian winter ... where have you been? I've missed you :-)

Sunday morning, temps were on the rise and were a balmy -13*C when I finally made the winter trek to Indian Head Cove to be rewarded with scenes like the one below, for a mid-day photography session.

frosted shores I

This is a trek I've been wanting to do for a couple of winters and I just never got around to doing it until now. Conditions were not ideal for photography, with bright mid-day sun beaming off the fresh white snow, but I was able to compose to exclude shadow areas which made exposures manageable.

... next, I want to visit here when winter waters are angry and lashing at the shore :-)

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-09-28

While vacationing at the cottage last week, we said farewell to Summer 2015 and welcomed Autumn initially with summer like weather but I'm sure that will change quickly. It was a great week weather-wise to be off and enjoying the Bruce.

Rich read and orange fall colour is never widespread on the Bruce with relatively few maple and oak compared to other areas of the province. There was however a discernible golden hue to the forests as the birch, aspen and poplar start to don their fall colours. Here and there the odd maple was showing some measure of colour, but I was hard pressed to find anything suitable to photograph in vibrant red.

While driving up last weekend, I noticed several spots along the highway where the limestone of the escarpment was exposed and thought of an idea for an image. Then on Saturday on the way to Lion's Head for a visit the market, I noticed this little maple perched up on the rock, struggling to be seen amongst the green.

 

... funny how on the drive home Sunday afternoon, I saw more trees in colour than Saturday when I was actively looking, more than the whole prior week for that matter. Maybe I was looking too hard or maybe leaves are just changing that quickly.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-05-18

Now and then I take an introspective browse through my image catalogue, finding inspiration, motivation, reliving the shooting experiences, not actively searching but leaving myself open to see the images again.

With several thousand images in the catalogue, it can be difficult to decide where to start. Pointing a random finger may work but one way is to look one, two, three or any number of years ago from the current date. 

This can be an interesting exercise. Sometimes it results in dissatisfaction with much of my work. Sometimes it stirs vivid memories. Sometimes something stands out. Always I learn something

hues of blue I

When I came across the image above, I was surprised that I had only marked is with one star. This typically indicates that on first pass I saw something but then abandoned it as a candidate for further attention, yet again the image caused me to stop and evaluate.

What appeals to me is the simplicity of the image and the limited blue colour palette. What I am reminded of is how some of my most personally satisfying images prrovide the viewer with common sights, presented in an uncommon, some might say unconventional way.

For this image, the conventional composition would have been to include some of the shoreline in the image, which I certainly captured in additional images from the outing, but excluding the shoreline and using the rippled texture of the blue water leaves the viewer to use their imagination to complete this scene.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2013-04-15

There would be no need for rushing to get to my destination before the magic morning light disappeared on Saturday. Daylight was filtering through heavy cloud cover and would provide strong, soft, glowing light for my entire morning hike on the Dundas Valley Conservation Area trails.

My previous outings to the area around Dundas / Ancaster had been mostly in search of waterfalls and related creeks or streams to photograph. Although both Sulphur Creek and Ancaster Creek flow through this conservation area, this outing became more about the undulating trail network and remote feel the valley provides.

The Main Loop trial climbs up a section of the escarpment where the fallen rock (talus) was covered in green moss glowing in the strong soft light. 

Tranquil Trail

Now that I have experienced some of the very picturesque location, I will be making a point to return ... though it won't be regularly unless I can find another access location with convenient parking. I'm all in favour of supporting locations like this through user fees but they charge $9 for parking ... too bad. That's OK for a visit now and then but a little steep for a weekly or even monthly outing. The annual pass at $100 doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

While I'm on a bit of a rant, the fee only applies to vehicle parking. Hikers and bike riders do not need to pay the fee (as per the sign at the entrance). WTF? Hamilton Conservation Authority clearly likes to keep it's treasures to itself since the only ones hiking or biking in would be locals, anyone travelling a distance is likely to have a vehicle and pay for parking. From my experiences visiting and photographing waterfalls in the Hamilton-Dundas area, City streets are well signed for "no parking" so you're forced to use their lots ... and most lots are closed until 8:30 am which gets another WTF from me because that's far too late to arrive and capture the good light when the days are longer ... rant off. 

DJE