Photo of the Week 2017-10-09

Another visit to Paris, ON to photograph this pretty little town ...

Steeple Framed

The morning was damp, misty and overcast. I set out for Paris via the back-roads so I could stop and photograph scenes with fall colours. As it happens, morning light came late with the heavy could cover and it was too dark to make any images until I was close to Paris. So I arrived a bit early and took the opportunity to scope out some new viewpoints of town.

My favourite has to be this location from the ruins at Penman's Dam. I hopped over the fence and scrambled down the river bank hoping I could get in a position to frame something through this opening in the ruins ... and I could.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-10-02

A trip back to Paris, ON ... and some potential additions to my Skyward Series

Skyward - John M. Hall - I (graphic)

While unfortunately requiring a degree of convalescence from an injury to my right elbow and resulting infection requiring IV antibiotics, I decided to make a visit back to Paris for some infrared captures around the town. The IR converted EOS M and my G3X proved light enough that I could wield them without pain or further aggravating the elbow.

It was a great morning for shooting IR with bright sun, though I would have preferred some cloud in an otherwise clear sky. I spent  a few hours wandering around the town, capturing images of the prominent storefronts, buildings and local scenes.

Always looking to push my photographic craft further, every outing offers a new lesson or reinforces previous ones. While I made quite a few exposures looking for something different, I fell back to the "skyward" approach as there was simply too much activity at street level distracting from what I had in mind to capture. By pointing the camera "skyward' along the shop fronts, I eliminate the distraction, and capture a unique yet recognizable view if this pretty little town.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-08-21

The beginning of a new series ... 'Skyward - Graphics"

These first images of buildings in Paris, ON made with my infrared (IR) converted Canon EOS M and shot with 850 nm filter to produce high contrast B&W images that I then processed to have a 'graphic' look and feel.

This project is the result of moving back to a creative formula that served me well for a number of years. Instead of always and quite possibly only, shooting in the place that I love, 'the Bruce', I'm making time for photo outings to other locations, turning my eye and camera on other subjects ... to rekindle the creative fires.

I'm very pleased with these initial results. Now I just need to make time and visit some of the other towns and smaller cities in addition to Paris so I can expand the series.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-08-07

Following on last week's post about changing up the weekend routine and using a modified IR ca modified to awaken my creative vision ... over the past week, I've been experimenting with processing techniques.

Ever on the lookout for a processing technique that works to transform digital image files into a graphic, using a combination of LR, ON1 Photo Raw and Anthropics, Smart Photo Editor on and infrared capture, I came up with this result which I'm quite pleased with.

Penman's Dam  -  Photo-Graphic

I intend to keep experimenting, but having applied the results to a few other images from the day, I may have come up with something to keep in the processing arsenal. 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-07-31

I decided to change things up this weekend, not go to the cottage and spend the time paying visits to a couple of friends ...

On Saturday morning, Lynn and I headed to Paris, ON to visit 'Piper & Oak", the Home Decor and Furniture store owned by a couple of friends. I missed their 1 yr Anniversary when I was on vacation over the July 1 Holiday and was long overdue to pop in and say hi.

We decided to go early and have breakfast in town then walk around for a while exploring. I decided to take my infrared converted camera for a different look to the images I might make. A change of scenery, a different camera have a way of getting the creative juices flowing and Saturday it was no different.

River Walker

Made while we sat on the deck of 2 Rivers Restaurant waiting for breakfast to arrive, the sun was shining warm and bright, fly fisherman were working the pools and eddies along a wide shallow section of the Grand River when one decided to walk along to the next promising spot.

The surreal quality of IR images processed in false colour or B&W always awakens my vision, causing me to look at things differently, making me pre-visualize while I scan the scene looking for compositions with potential.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2016-10-03

I recently started working with a new client, 'piper & oak' distinctively different home decor and furniture in Paris, ON. They have a selection of my framed fine art prints to compliment their furniture and home decor offerings, one of which has already sold.

I had promised the owner, Sarah, that I would come back and re-shoot an image made just over 5 years ago during a visit to Paris. The original image had captured the back of the main street shops facing the Grand River and as luck would have it, I had excluded the building that is now home to 'piper & oak'. So on a gloomy Oct 1 morning with heavy grey skies and intermittent rain, I returned for another walkabout and to see if I might be able to capture this time.

Shops along the Grand 2016

Somehow a sepia treatment, as with the original image, just seemed to suit a scene that without certain keys to modern time, looks as though it could have been made decades ago.

I wandered some streets and areas along the river making images for a couple of hours, working to stir the creativity. In the end,  I think the best shot from the outing was of the Library facade where I had to stand on the sidewalk right in front of the building to get something without parked cars or people distractions. Looking straight up with an ultra-wide angle gave an interesting composition.

Library, Paris, ON

While out shooting, I was reminded of the enjoyment I get from wandering around town with a camera, picking out details, broad scenes or just simple vignettes from everyday surroundings. Choosing different locations has always kept the interest level up, whether it is different trails, or different towns and cities. On this outing I managed to get in a couple hours of mindful photo wandering despite the rain that did make me cut things a bit short. 

DJE

Paris in the Spring .... Paris Ontario that is.

... out trekking around this weekend and ended up in Paris ON.

Here are a selection of images I made.

shops along the Grand


red dresses


Grand reflections


dam Grand bend


curvature


... enjoy

DJE