Happy Earth Day!

"Nesting"

A late post for today, but I finally had time to work on some photographs of our local mama Swan. She's laid one egg, and is watching over it and tending to it carefully everyday. In much the same way we should be tending to and watching over the only world we have. Appropriate for Earth Day, don't you think?
I did everything in my power to ensure she still felt safe with my presence nearby... so the trusty telephoto zoom came in handy. I hope you enjoy. I'll return often, no idea when the tiny cygnet will hatch!

"Nesting II"

"Details in Nature"

"Mama and the Egg"

Happy Rambling on this special day, gang! Get out there and enjoy nature today, and perhaps say a prayer of thanks for all we have.

The Hunt ~ Mono Monday!

"Come To Life"

Eramosa Karst Conservation Area Trails, Saplings & Blackberry

Fall is morphing our trails and forests with rapid abandon here in Ontario. For someone like me, aka the nature photographer, it means I go into a photog frenzy. If I don't get out to shoot the textures and colors and various weather of this season, I become feverish, mumble things like "must... find... gumboots..." and I begin to channel Grizzly Adams.

Well, maybe it's not that bad.

But I spend almost every waking moment looking for great subject matter. And if you haven't visited one of the many trails in Ontario yet with your camera, you're missing the showstopper known as Autumn. It's even a great season to work in B&W believe it or not.

Tonal values seem heightened this time of year. Contrast and texture can be found in almost any light any time of the day because of how low the sun is much earlier than ever. And even midday photography has a defined and chiseled light, not as direct and hard as early summer. Find some compelling natural lines, like the small trees seen here guarding a blackberry thatch, and the late afternoon light coming from over my shoulder making them pop, and you have a gnarly and whimsical nature scene.

I could have leaned towards a very stark exposure, enhanced further with the much overused spike in contrast and sharpening that seems to be so popular the minute anyone wants instant drama in post production, whether that was the intent initially or not... but I didn`t want to downplay the soft tangle of the brambles while keeping the saplings part of the whole scene, instead of separating them too much by making them stark white. I am learning more and more about intent, and how to creatively express what my eye was impressed with, and then process the image so that it replicates that scene as closely as possibly... maintaining the scene`s integrity.

Anyway, I`m hoping that those of you that haven`t ever enjoyed an Ontario Autumn get a chance to do so, and those of you who`ve taken it for granted get out there to one of your local park or conservation areas, get some fresh air and get some compelling photography, whatever that means to you and you alone! I`d say more, but I`m feeling that call already this morning.

Gotta go! And thanks for the ramble!