Photo of the Week 2023-01-16

 

... still publishing from the archives until I'm motivated and able to get out on some new photographic adventures. This from a year ago ...

 

' an ice gremlin watches '

 

... as water flows and ice closes in over one of the many small creeks around Silvercreek Conservation Area, Halton, ON
 

 

DJE 

Photo of the Week 2020-02-03

This winter has not been especially inspiring photographically ... so far. That's left me searching for images to work on and post to feed the creative spirit. 

The archive is there and I've really enjoyed diving in over the last few weeks, starting with the blog post that showcased some of my images of the (now destroyed) Lion's Head Lighthouse. I've also connected with a waterfall group on FB and rummaged through some of the waterfall images I've made over the years. The exercise has had me looking at shots from 2009 to present and allowed me to find some previously overlooked files worthy of a second chance.

... but I've needed to get outside, breath some cool fresh air and give the shutter finger a workout, sot it was up and out on Saturday morning with a collection of kit, searching for worthy subject matter.

Winter - Spring Creek

It may have been the babbling water, it may have been the solemn silence, it may have been the raven's call ... there was a certain something seductive about this scene on a sideroad, off the beaten path, on the Bruce.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-10-16

On a recent trip into Owen Sound, I made a point of visiting Indian Falls Conservation Area to check out the fall colours. It was a weekday and nary another visitor was to be seen along the trail or river ... how serene peaceful it was.

It's only a 10 min hike up to the falls, and I had about an hour before I had to get going back to Tobermory, so I took my time hopping off the train now and then to check out upstream views of the creek. There's a point where the formal trail heads up a set of stairs to ascend the gorge, continuing on to the viewing area for the falls. In recent years, a collapse of a limestone section on the north side of the falls has prompted the erection of safety barriers set further back and the traditional observation area so I chose to make a couple of quick exposures and return to the river bed and push upstream on the unofficial trail.

This upstream view of Indian Creek caused me to stop, find a place to sit and take in the peaceful surroundings for a while before continuing upstream.

Indian Creek III - Fall 2017

I made a few similar images on the upstream trek, each conveying it's own sense of calm and serenity. I hope you enjoy looking at a couple of them as much as I enjoy recalling my visit to Indian Falls.

Indian Creek - Fall 2017

Indian Creek II - Fall 2017

DJE

Photo of the Week 2014-07-14

"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. " - John Muir

nature's heart

I find the more I "break away" the more I desire to "break away". A weekend on 'the Bruce', a hike on local trails, vacation at the cottage or in this case a morning walk through Fletcher Creek Environmental Preserve, all serve to cleanse my spirit, each in a different way.

This weekend was set aside to take care of some overdue chores around the house so the invitation of a friend to join him on a walk through the trails at Fletcher Creek was welcome and certainly provided the necessary "break away".

I stopped along the way to let scenes like this wash over me, and administer their cleansing. 

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 2013-03-18

Decisions, decisions ...

... where to go for the weekend photography outing? One of the "regulars" was down with an illness and ideas for places to go were down to a couple of possibilities, one which I had been to but Patrick had not, the other Patrick had been to but I had not. We both were interested in exploring a new location so ...

I left it for him to decide and I was introduced to Section 3 of the Guelph Radial Trail, the portion between 1st and 2nd line, south of Eden Mills, ON. The area of this trail down and around Blue Springs Creek was magical. We didn't cover much distance in the 3 hours we were out shooting, but we covered a lot of ground, not all of it solid.

on thin ice

As the title of this image might suggest, my footing was less than confidence inspiring as I inched out onto the ice along the edge of Blue Springs Creek to get a composition showing the open water in the middle. Recent warmer temperatures had brought some rain in addition to spring thaw. The resulting runoff had flooded the little creek and it had spilled over it's banks into the surrounding forest. As temperatures dropped, a thin layer of ice formed on the surface of the swollen creek and low lying areas along side. Water levels had subsided but there were still pools covered by a thin icy layer masking their location.

I managed to get far enough out on the ice before it gave way and my foot dropped into a shallow pool only a couple of inches deep. Waterproof winter hikers saved me from a cold wet foot. As for my companion and his adventure with the ice, well that's a story best left for him to tell.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2013-02-25

My weekend photo outing started with a stop for a coffee then a meet up in a local parking lot where 3 of us loaded our gear into one vehicle. Since Patrick was able to join Alan and I on this outing we had decided to show him a couple locations we always enjoy and headed for a couple of waterfalls in Ancaster, Tiffany and Sherman.

The company of friends certainly made for a different outing than I had the previous week. In place of quiet contemplation there was laughter, friendly banter and much talk of photography. We arrived, first at Tiffany Falls, geared up and proceeded up the trail. It didn't take long for the group to separate as each moved on to explore on their own. I have written and talked before about how I find the approaches to a location taken by different photographers and the varying results of their efforts to be quite interesting.

As for my approach to capturing the feel of this location, I had been thinking about some long exposure photography and wanted to try out a new Lee ND filter. The flowing waters downstream of both falls provided plenty of opportunity to do so.

Ancaster Creek 2013-02-23

In particular, I was drawn to a scene just upstream of a footbridge over Ancaster Creek at Sherman Falls. Surveying the area for the best point of view from which to capture the scene, I scrambled down the bank of the creek and worked my way into position under the bridge. With the mild weather, temperatures had risen to just above freezing, turning falling snow to a light rain. The ice was beginning to melt and the falling rain was dripping from overhead branches to mark the remaining snow with a pattern of dots. As I set up under the bridge, I managed to keep my camera gear out of the path of water dripping from overhead as well, not so for myself as I had cold water drip down the back of my neck more than once. 

When I arrived home and was able to download and view the images I made on a larger computer monitor, I was very pleased. I knew I had a winner and went to work right away processing the version above. Printed and framed, it now stands on the display easel in our entrance hallway.

 

DJE