Photo of the Week 2026-02-16

 

It's time for some "behind the scenes activity" related to my photography. After nearly 10 years, time has come to replace the computer(s) I use for storing and processing my images. While it may not sound like a big deal, it actually is, well at least for the approach I'm taking.

 

Moving to Windows11 from the now unsupported Windows10 is one of the main reasons to take on the project at this time. Another is to get in front of the escalating price of memory chips. I utilize 2 PC's and with some little annoyances cropping up, one sound channel not working and short life on the replacement battery on the laptop, it's time had come. The desktop had started having an issue on start-up now and then that had me beginning troubleshooting actions. With this in mind I decided to update both to remain consistent with Windows 11 for both machines and avoid what could be significant price increases to new stock when current inventories are depleted.

 

The desktop lives in the home "studio" (i.e. basement) and I use the laptop at the cottage or when I'm otherwise mobile. The laptop also does double duty for the personal stuff of everyday life. So in addition to the additional expense in acquiring 2 PC's, there was a fair bit of prep work researching suitable machines before the heavy lifting started. Not wanting to carry over any unwanted baggage from the previous machines, I'm now waist deep in 2 fresh installs of Windows OS and the significant number of applications I use. I'm not rushing the project because the older machines are still working and I have backups of critical files should they be needed.

 

It may sound daunting, but I enjoy learning through the process and it gives me a great opportunity to start fresh. Plus, I like to know the PC's I use and how they work in some detail which is unavoidable the way I approach this.

 

' winter sunscape '

... and this week's photo. 

 

It had been a while since I'd captured sunset across the frozen water of Lake Huron ... supper was timed so that I could spend some time out on the shore with camera and catch some of the colour. There was a heavy band of cloud low on the horizon and whispy high level clouds all reflecting the orange glow of the last sunlight of the day.

 

DJE 

Photo of the Wek 2026-02-02

  

' Singing Horizon I '

' Singing Horizon IV '

Digging into the archive this week for a couple of images made at Singing Sands, BPNP, Northern Bruce Peninsula, back in February 2020 ...

 

I've been reviewing the image catalogue lately, particularly shots that I've processed and marked ready for posting. Some go back over a decade and it's interesting to revisit these waypoints from my journey. Images selected for this week suggest what I might find when I get to the cottage in a few days. Ice stretched far out from shore over the shallow water of Dorcas Bay at Singing Sands, the textures, patters and tones mirroring those in the sky.

 

While locating the image files and seeing the collection of shots I made that day, I encountered of some personal favourites that are now printed, framed and displayed on walls at the cottage. Actually, some of my all-time favourite work. 

 

DJE 

Photo of the Week 2023-02-06

 

Happy that winter, or at least a few winter days have arrived, I've been wanting to get out with camera as much as I can to capture all of the beauty I can ... while it lasts.

 

I had spent some time in Eastern Ontario, in Rideau Lakes near Perth, and enjoyed exploring and photographing in the area a little. The shortly after I returned home, the urge to get up to our place on 'the Bruce' won out and I was off again in search of winter scenes to capture.

' Mermaid's Winter Veil '

Relatively warm, open waters and frigid air temperature combine to shroud the shore of Mermaid Cove in winter fog and create this scene for me to stand and admire before making this capture.

 

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2022-03-28

 

With winter still close in the rear view mirror, I turn my lens to scenes of an emerging spring. On 'the Bruce' these last few days, that has been a bit of a mixed bag. With accumulated snow disappearing I had expected to focus on something related entirely on the melt, dripping ice, running water or something of the sort.

Then morning came with a drop in temperature and a dusting of snow overnight and the spring melt was halted temporarily. Pools of accumulated snow melt had begun to crust over with ice again, and for a moment, I was back in my winter happy place ...

 

' halted '

The following day saw the snow melting again and waters of the bay opening more as the wind blew in off Lake Huron. One more day and the wind was up and blizzard conditions returned ... welcome to spring, not spring in Ontario.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2022-03-21

With spring on the doorstep and a decreasing number of days for snowshoe hikes out on the ice before it gives way to open water, I took advantage of a sunny afternoon ... and of course I took a camera.

 

' ice breaker '

There was much to enjoy as I trekked along the snow and ice covered shoreline. Smaller areas  of open water were beginning to appear in locations where the currents work their way around shoals and exposed rock. Sunlight sparkled off the wind blown ripples of these surfaces. There were interesting patterns and shapes sculpted in the surface the snow by winds off Lake Huron. There were huge mounds out at the edges if the shelf ice further from shore where I dared not tread.

The crunch of my snowshoes on exposed ice became a muted "crump, crump, crump" when I transitioned onto patches of powdered snow. Otherwise the only sounds were from my own heartbeat and breathing. For a while, I sat on an exposed rock and just took it all in.

 

Knowing that this may be the final opportunity for such a trek this winter, I made my way around into China Cove but not before stopping where waves had crashed up driven by the north-west wind as winter strengthened it's grip months before. Now with snow cover gone, melting in the warmth of a bright sunny day, one spot reminded me of a breaking wave frozen in time. 

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2022-02-28

 

Waves and changing water levels push and heave ice on the bay into ridges and displaced slabs

 

' upheaval '

Every year the timing and results are different and change over time. Early ice formations along the edge of open water occur nearer to the shore as ice reaches further and further out. When winds whip up waves the ice can be pushed back towards the shore at the edges of open water. 

 

Footing can be tenuous along these edges and I usually wait until after the ice forms well out from the shore or to completely cover the bay before I venture out too far. Once I deem conditions safe enough, out I go with camera to capture some of the wonder of winter ...

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-03-13

Winter Morning Hues 2017-03-12

Instead of bemoaning the loss of an hour of sleep, I was up just after 5:00 am (would have been 4:00 am without the change back to DST) having morning coffee and puttering about on the computer when I decided I should open the blinds and enjoy the arrival of dawn.

Daylight slowly arrived and muted hues of pink, purple and magenta began to glow in the western sky as sun prepared to crest the opposite horizon. Gradually, the sun would top the treeline and direct light would begin to spill onto the iced waters of the bay. The magical transition wouldn't last long and I began preparations, donning some gear to keep out the -15*C morning air and readying my camera gear.

With spare batteries and anticipation, I exchanged the warm comfort of the cottage, for the icy chill of morning air, the crunch of the frozen shore and the otherwise sublime silence of a winter morning to capture the magnificent hues ... 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-02-23

With all the publicity Niagara Falls has received in recent days, very cold temperatures causing much to freeze, I decided it was time for a trip there and some photography.

the watcher II

One of the challenges of photographing a location like Niagara Falls is to create something interesting, something different from all the tourist snapshots and that can be difficult when access to shooting locations is restricted and so scripted by the walkways, lookouts, barriers and such. Oh ya, and for my purposes, selfies were out of the question and man there were a zillion people standing with their backs to the falls holding phones, P&S cameras, and GoPros, quite a few on selfi-sticks. 

My plan for "different" would be to mount my 70-300 telephoto zoom on my new 7D MkII, allowing me to pick out details of the frozen bits while giving the new camera body a first run. It was snowing a fine snow in addition to the frozen mist from the falls so the improved weather resistance of  the 7DII would come in handy too.

As it was, I shot with the 7DII and tele setup as we walked up the walkway from Murray St. to the brink of the Horseshoe Falls and then switched to the 5DIII with 24-105 for some wider shots as we walked back before going for dinner. Thew resulting set of images included a number of potential candidates for "photo of the week" and as I began writing this blog post I was still undecided on whether I would select just one image or post several form the outing.

Given that I have a few people following the blog who have begun asking questions about my images, process, equipment and other aspects of my photography, I thought I would provide some of these details up front. I shot a total of about 80 images during two separate sessions at the falls, one before dinner, the other much shorter and after dinner to try a few images of the falls under coloured spot lights. I've already mentioned the gear I used and the reasons for my choices. Back at home I renamed and imported the RAW files into my Lightroom 5 Catalogue and keyworded for equipment used, location and subject specifics. 

Next was a first review where I rate candidates for processing 1,2 or3 stars and X for duplicates and deletes. Then I go back through and choose an image to work with. Once I make adjustments for exposure and white balance, I usually apply these to all images from that camera for the day. Then I decide if other processing is required. In the case of the Niagara Falls images, the light was flat, flat, flat so I bumped up the contrast on some and processed further in NIK Color Efex to add some tonal contrast. All images from this shoot got the same treatment in NIK, a program that I love.

That's about it, and this week I'm left with 17 images that make a decent set to show from the outing. This is way more than I normally get but it was dramatic Niagara Falls after all. A few of those images are presented throughout this blog post. It would have been tough to pick just one, but the lead image, "the watcher II" is one of my favourites..

DJE

Photo of the Week 2014-03-24

What did I find when I headed to Tobermory on this first weekend of spring?
Well ...

departing shot

... I guess winter was not ready to leave and make room for spring without a departing shot.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2014-03-03

A recent, mid-morning trek by snowshoe along the north shore of Hay Bay led eventually to Lake Huron, or at least the frozen surface of Lake Huron. There, under a calm sunny sky, the artistic handiwork of wind and sub-zero temperatures on the Lake Huron canvas were revealed. In front of me and was this beautiful winterscape work of art ...

Huron Winterscape

 DJE

Winter Wonderland

Over the Christmas holidays I took another trip to the Bruce Peninsula and ultimately Tobermory. Three of us started out on the morning of Dec 28, taking a "scenic route" beginning on Hwy 6 towards Owen Sound. North of Durham we found ourselves driving through an area that had recently received a thick blanket of snow. We spotted a small bridge and creek only a few meters off the highway. It was the first stop of the trip and well worth it.

Just off the Beaten Path


Winter Creek


A little farther on, we decided on another quick stop, this time at Inglis Falls just south of Owen Sound. I think Inglis is one of the most picturesque falls in Southern Ontario. I had never visited there for photography in winter. I made a few quick exposures before we continued on ...

Inglis Iced Over


Inglis Frozen Downstream


... more from the trip in the coming days.

DJE