Photo of the Week 2022-01-17

WoW!

Are we really halfway through January already?

I've been waiting for the winter weather to arrive. The 'real' winter weather. You know the kind that everyone seems to bitch and moan about on social media. Cold, snowy, blowy winter weather is what I'm talkin' about! 

 

And I got what I wanted and it's time to put those fashionable "Canada Goose" coats that you started wearing in September to use for what they were really intended for you fragile fashionistas ... ROFL

With the temperature hovering around -20*C and wind gusts around 50kph out of the east, I knew it was time for a trip to to the 'other side' of the peninsula for some real winter photography ...

 

Yup -20*C

... so I broke out some of my winter kit. Let's talk about being properly prepared for being out in this weather for a couple of hours or more. You need the right gear. For this outing, mine consisted of a merino base layer and Columbia Omni-Heat winter pants along with my Columbia full-length insulated coat with Omni-Heat zip-in liner (It's not time for the Fjallraven parka ... I save that for 30 below LOL). I also had a CTR Howler winter beanie and large fleece neck-warmer. For my hands in weather like this when I need dexterity to operate camera controls, nothing and I do mean NOTHING beats my Heat 3 Mitt/Gloves (expensive, maybe, but I like them so much I bought a second pair with the removable/replaceable glove liners in case I wore out my first pair .... and I have not, not even close). Oh ya, and some polarized Oakleys.

 

Here I am kitted up ... after about an hour along the shore.

Here is what all the fuss was about ...

' winter shore '

' winter shore II '

' cozy bench '

These scenes are pure magic to encounter. They can be challenging to capture, but with proper gear and preparation you can stay warm and comfortable in real Canadian winter weather.

Added bonus ... I came back feeling fresh and truly alive!

 

DJE
 

Photo of the Week 2019-01-14

In late December the water of the bay had not yet started to freeze ... but it was blue and cold, so very cold.

cold blue waters

DJE

Photo of the Week 2016-11-14

At the end of a beautiful but breezy mid-November day it didn't look like there would be much of a sunset. Clouds had rolled in and I was inside, nice and comfy sitting in my favourite chair with a new reading light ...

Blustery November Sunset

... but I'm glad I went out and spent some time framing up some images with my eyes watering as I looked into both the sun and a stiff breeze that had been blowing all day.

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 2016-01-25

This weekend, I was looking through my image library for a particular shot from several years ago to upload on a contest site. While browsing for the image, I came across others made the same day at an abandoned factory location, I decided to select a few for my blog this week and think anyone reading this will find it quite different from my "normal" or at least recent work.

The location, an abandoned factory which has since been demolished, was made available by the manager of the property and along with several of my friends we descended on the property for a few hours of shooting shenanigans. It was my second opportunity to photograph at this location and I had been harbouring an idea for some cinematic shots, should I ever return. I've shared these elsewhere in the past but offer them here as a mini set ... something different.

These were staged and set up in one-man production mode using tripod, wireless speedlites, and remote shutter release, with me as the subject. The location was ideal for scenes with criminal undertones. The others form our group had gone off to shoot in other buildings on their own, so I was left in the cold, dark, emptiness, which got a little unnerving at some points.

busted

in cold darkness

the frisk

the meeting

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-02-16

dogs 'n halo

Sun Dogs are a phenomenon that occur when sunlight refracts off ice crystals in the atmosphere creating a pair of bright spots to either side of the sun. They are most conspicuous when the sun is close to the horizon (sunrise or sunset). Conditions must be just right in order to see the dogs and in the image above, one is faintly visible just left of centre frame.

On Sunday morning I had contemplated heading out to somewhere along the east side of the peninsula for some photography and if I was early enough, possibly a sunrise image. As it was, with temperature nudging -30*C without the windchill factored in, I decided it would be wiser to stick closer to the safety and warmth of "home". Since I was already bundled up after taking the dog for a short walk, I picked up a camera and headed down to the shoreline to be clear of the trees for an unobstructed view of the rising sun. As luck would have it, there was a sun dog, faint but perceptible along with a halo. I looked to find a foreground element, got down low, with the camera almost on the snow, to include the shape of the snowdrift and some branches in the frame and made the this week's image.

The conditions:
The weather forecast overnight predicted a temperature of -29*C with 40 km/h winds gusting to 60 km/h the windchill was -40*C. When Lynn and I returned to the cottage after dinner spaghetti dinner at the Tobermory Winter Carnival the night before, the wind was howling out of the north and blowing snow everywhere. Let me tell you, it was cold, bloody cold. I was thankful the wind had died down by morning. Still, the thermometer we have hanging on a section of privacy fence showed how accurate the weatherman was (for once). That's -29*C, just as forecast.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2013-12-16

Saturday morning ...
Up before 6 am ...
Coffee on ...
Cameras checked ...
Batteries checked ...
Gear packed ... 
Out I went to meet up with 2 other like minded photographers. We hit the Blue Springs section of the Guelph Radial Trail in -15*C, wind and snow. Why ?

For this ...

Along the trail near Blue Springs

Even though conditions for photography were not ideal, this is what it takes to put myself in the right spot at the right moment in the right conditions. You never know just when it will all come together. It's about maximizing the opportunities.

Hands cold, fingers frozen from working with tripod adjustments in temperatures well below freezing, feet beginning to tingle from standing still too long setting up the shot, exploring slight adjustments to composition, it's about getting the shot. Some of my friends think I'm a bit nuts to enjoy winter photography the way I do.

The truth of it is, it's also about walking and hearing the crunch of fresh cold snow beneath my feet, feeling the windblown snow on my face, hearing the voices and laughter of good friends ... It's all about doing the things I love, living and enjoying life.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2012-10-08

The first evening of my recent photography workshop included introductions, a light photo outing and a talk on Conscious Camera Work by workshop leader Doug Wilson. After determining that all of the participants were experienced photographers, Doug rejigged the schedule to have us set out early on the second day for Grace Lake, a much anticipated location on the workshop agenda . A 6:30am departure from the dock and 45 minute boat ride to the portage left plenty of time for photography ... in near dark. Never one to miss a unique opportunity, I cranked up the ISO on the 5DMkIII, set a manual exposure and set about making images of the approaching horizon. This image was made about 15 minutes into our voyage as we exited the narrows from Frood Lake to Cranberry Lake.

Early Morning on Cranberry Lake

The morning was brisk. Some were bundled up wearing gloves and had raised the hoods on their jackets. Me, I sat and let the chill of the morning air wash over my face and hands as I took in more of the scene with every breath. Daylight was approaching rapidly, the warmth of it's arrival brushing over the horizon with an orange hue. It was ... cool, very cool.

Later that day we were asked to select up to four of our images to share with the others during an evening review session. It was not difficult for me to choose this one. I can still feel the freshness of the morning just by looking at it.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2011-02-21

In Cold Darkness


I had an opportunity for a return visit to the abandoned Massey Ferguson complex in Brantford (again with authorized access) this past weekend. A monthly photo challenge to make a self portrait and a suggestion to use this location as the setting came together nicely and resulted in the image above ...

I had planned to find a dramatically lit corner or alcove to work with off-camera strobes, something that I have yet to become competent with. After going directly to a location I knew of from the previous visit and working there for some time, I did not have what I was looking for. Picking up my gear, I went back into a large room where sunlight was beaming through holes in the dilapidated structure. There was a particular spot I had noticed on my way in, I would set up to use a beam of light isolate my profile in the darkness.

The air was frigid and still. Stepping into the light, the steam of my breath hung in the air ... click ... the image was frozen.

DJE