Photo of the Week 2019-03-04

burning bush

As sun begins to set on the winter of '18/'19, I find myself lamenting the change. While social media vibrates with howling and whining about another snow storm or colder temperatures, I shake my head at those never content with Canadian weather ... it's been like this (or worse) for centuries, why expect anything different.

A friend recently opined, "I think if people had stuff to do in the winter like you or myself they would enjoy it more" and I absolutely believe he has the truth of it. That I love being outside in winter is no surprise to followers of this blog, my photography and social media streams. Having "stuff to do", and enjoy doing in winter, is a big part of this.

Up north for the weekend to embrace as much of what remains of winter, I made sure to get out and take it all in. A morning walk to freshen my mind had me out, camera in hand, in silence so peaceful that I could literally hear the snow falling on my jacket with birds chirping as they hopped around the branches of roadside trees. Further along, I stopped to investigate a 'knocking' sound and quickly recognized the random pattern of a Pileated Woodpecker hammering on a dead snag nearby. Climbing over the snowbank attempting to get a view. I sunk to mid-thigh in snow and was left chuckling only to see a large black winged blur make it's getaway while I struggled to extricate myself (after quickly checking to see if anyone/anything had noticed).

Later that day, when others may have been thinking of starting dinner or making a fire to hunker down with inside, I filled a photo backpack, strapped on snowshoes and headed outside. A suspected coyote den location was beckoning me to see if I could catch some activity in the fading light. A breeze off the lake was up and I felt it's invigorating touch on my face as I took up a position across from where I had seen tracks of coming and going ...

Standing, kneeling, sitting in wait, I listened to the sound of wind off the lake, watched the loose snow swirl over the frozen surface ... for quite some time ... until with no activity from the coyote, I turned my lens to the gorgeous Huron sky, satisfied to make another series of sunset images before heading home ...

'heading home'

Not long now and I'll have to replace snowshoes with the kayak and paddle. But this outing produced a number of images that may yet find their way off my hard-drive. For now, it's the image 'burning bush' (above) that makes the cut for Photo of the Week.



DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-02-25

While in Ottawa this past weekend, Lynn wanted to visit The Canadian Firefighters Memorial where her father and other Fallen Firefighters are recognized ...

remembered

Thomas Clark, recognized and remembered, Line Of Duty Death (LODD) 1992-08-14.

I've previously made tribute images from the Toronto Memorial at Toronto Waterfront and the Ontario Memorial at Queen's Park. This time it was the National Memorial still shrouded in winter.



DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-02-18

One evening a short while ago, the sky filled with the colours of a sensational Huron sunset ...

... but was it enough to make a compelling image?

Struggling recently, I've been questioning what was missing from some of my images. Feeling that I'd fallen into a rut, lost my 'photo mojo' so to speak, I began looking at images from other photographers doing similar work. Analyzing what it was about theirs that moved me, what caught my attention and ultimately was missing in my own, I set out to get some 'mojo' back.

In particular, while scouting photo opportunities in advance of a trip to Florida, I encountered images of Doug Blunt (click link to see Doug's galleries), a photographer shooting on Anna Maria Island where we would be staying. What struck me about his landscape work was his inclusion of interesting foreground, a fundamental in composition for landscape images perhaps, but very well executed by Doug in my opinion (see any of the images in his gallery showing the beach at Anna Maria Island for examples).

I realized that this fundamental of including something of foreground interest was often missing from my recent captures, making them plain, lacking interest and without depth. Was my enthusiasm for creating images waning? Had I begun to simply 'go through the motions' more often? Was I getting lazy and shooting from the easy position? I think to some degree, yes on all counts.

With renewed commitment to better my efforts and improve my craft, for this week's image I slowed my pace, scrutinized the scene, moved to evaluate different points of view, lay down on my stomach in the snow, and purposefully included the highlights of the windswept shore ice such that they mimic the colours painted in the Huron sky.

Always learning, relearning, discovering and rediscovering ...

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-02-11

Disappointment turned into a nice little series of images ...

Arriving at a location with thoughts of a particular image, anticipation can quickly turn to disappointment for the photographer. Particularly with outdoor photography, weather can offer an alternate scenario and as the old adage goes "when life gives you ... " you make art.

Expecting cold exposed water with chunks of ice floating up and down on the waves, I had brought my tripod and ND filter along anticipating some long exposure shots with an ethereal look to them. As I made shore at the bottom of the access trail, disappointment welled up ... initially. And then I got on with it, making a nice little series of images, my favourite being 'wrapped in winter', panorama that I've printed 35" wide for framing.

wrapped in winter

Others from the series ...

... the lead image being printed

... the final print

DJE

Photo of the Week 2019-02-04

The Black Piper of Bean Point

As day's end drew near, he made his appearance. Determined and purposeful, across the dunes he strode and down onto the beach. The piper in black. All in black. Pipes o' black, Glengarry o' black, kilt o' black, and sandals o' black.

And then, he gloriously piped the sun down ...

The Black Piper of Bean Point

  

 

From a quick photo session with friend, B A, one evening while visiting in Florida.

DJE