Imagination Set Sail

"Evenings Companions"

Another image from the Tall Ships that visited Hamilton last long weekend. Grown ups and children alike were excited to see these beauties. If you click on the photograph to enlarge, you will notice all the flags fluttering in the background from the other ships waiting for visitors as well. Some of the festival personnel were decked out in 1812 era gear, demonstrating musket firings and drills, and two of the ships touring the harbor fired "canons" at each other, shaking the pier.

I don't care who you are, but at that point your imagination reminds you of other fantastic vessels you've encountered over time. Maybe from childhood. Maybe from current films. The eerie but trusty Black Pearl from the movies, the glorious danger of Captain Hook's ship from J.M Barrie's "Peter Pan", the Hispaniola which emerges from "Treasure Island" and the delightful mind of Robert Louis Stevenson.

I don't know if this image is my favorite from that evening... but it's the one that causes my imagination to ramble through all the things we love about these fantastical vessels. So I thought I'd share.

Have a great day, explore your own local festivals, and heck, take the camera.... but whatever you do, take your imagination.

Thanks for the ramble! 

What I LOVE About Canada - A Chain Blog

Whirlpools at Niagara Gorge, Ontario, Canada

A little while back, fellow blogger Pamela MacNaughtan began a blog post chain. Normally I don't go for these kinds of things, but she's a fellow Canadian as well and she had a great idea... that no matter who you are and what you blog about, that one giant shout out could begin in honour of Canada, in the form chain blogging! Well, she had me sold! Who wouldn't want to brag on Canada? So I've finally carved away a chance to continue the chain... here's my Canadian Ramble:

Dundurn Castle, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

As a photographer, I have always been excited about what Canada has to offer me. Great wild landscapes, phenomenal architecture, ever expanding communities, and areas swamped in rich history. Anywhere I decide to go with the camera has been rich in subject matter that never disappoints. The above image of Dundurn Castle was taken literally minutes from my house, yet further along today's collection of images is a view of Newfoundland at sunset, accessible via a two and a half hour plane ride from Toronto, also down the road from me... and there's so much I've never seen!

Glimpses of Canadian Pride, Vineland, Ontario, Canada

What I have seen though makes me proud. People who for the most part work hard at leaving a solid Canadian legacy behind for the next generation. Friendly, easy going people. People who will step out their door for a perfect stranger, give you permission to wander their property with your camera, then wish you all the best as you get back in the car, and to say 'hi' to Ralph who has an even better farm to check out down the road... they'll call him to tell him you're coming.

Oh the stories Ralph had. 

Toronto Harbour Life, Toronto, Ontario

The major metropolises have their own rhythm, and so much colour. Eye candy for someone like me. And my family will always tag along, visiting museums, galleries, art crawls, festivals, huge outdoor concerts, air shows, and you can't forget the CNE! Exhausted yet? This is why I love Canada! It doesn't sit still until you're ready for it to sit still.

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

I can't include all the images from places I've spent time with my camera. Quebec, Northern and Southern Ontario, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland... and I have yet to travel across the west half of the country. Trust me, I will. And it'll be just as wonderful. Why?

Killick Island, Botwood, Newfoundland, Canada

Because it's home. It's beautiful, it's diverse, it's true to itself. It's for the CEO in their glass tower in Vancouver, and it's for the fisherman in Cottrell's Cove. It's for the cattle rancher in Alberta, and it's for the indy musician in Montreal. That's cool. And I'm proud of it.

A Frosty Kiss....

Thank you to Corrine over at Have Baby Will Travel for tagging me to continue the chain! If you reside in Canada, keep exploring all the good things we have. Be thankful for them. And if you don't live here, we want you to visit as soon as you can! We'll introduce you to Ralph... I hear he tells great stories.

And so now I pass the chain blogging baton over to Esther, and Peter who each have wonderful blogs and will have fun with this chain post! Have a great day, and keep an eye on the above bloggers for their take on why they LOVE Canada, coming soon! Also, you can follow the progression on Twitter using the hash tag #MyCanada to search for posts!

Happy blogging! Happy Reading! Happy Rambling!

Magnolias ~ Floral Friday!

"In A World of Her Own"

(1/400 sec.@ F/9, 50mm prime, fish eye effx in Corel, ISO 160)

Since I was away from the blog yesterday, I thought I'd combine florals and experimenting today. Ever look into a tiny raindrop and a whole new world or scene seems to be contained within? Well, I have and it's usually while I'm out in the garden after it's rained. It's right around that time that I begin wishing for a macro lens or fish eye lens to magically appear on my camera so that I can try valiantly to reproduce that.

So far the lens fairy's been a no show.

So what to do, it takes a week for a rented lens to arrive in my area, and sometimes I just want to get the overall effect without the cost that goes along with renting or buying... in steps PaintShopPro x3 to the rescue. I get to take an image like the one below, a fine image in it's own right, and pop it into the distortion lens effects menu option after I've done any editing to it I wish. I rotate the image's distortion in the fish eye selection vertically and horizontally till the composition is pleasantly filling the sphere. And then I save it. Magnolias in a rain drop. This is why the digital darkroom can be so delightful. You can create art that mimics photography without loosing a sense of what was so magical about the image in the first place.

"Magnolias in Sweet Sunshine"

As it is, this image was primed with a conversion into Corel's Cross Processing filter and then a Colored Edges Outline option, so as to give them some bright definition, emphasizing the full sun. All in all, it gave me bolder color, something I feel works for this shot... remembering that every once in a while, it's great to play in the darkroom! And that flowers still rock as a photography subject! I love Floral Fridays, how 'bout you?

Have an awesome long weekend Canada! And thanks for the ramble everyone!

Can't See The Forest for the Trees ~ Mono Monday!

"A Whisper Off the Beaten Path"

(1/160 sec.@ F/9, ISO 200, 19mm fl, 18-55 kit zoom, handheld, bright shade)

Still using images this week from my personal challenge. Last week I mentioned tightening my focus. Breaking down the bigger picture I'm usually prone to seeing. Not to say that there's anything wrong with the bigger picture if it speaks to you, and is so powerful it moves you. But sometimes you look back over your shoulder on your artistic journey and realize you're just following the exact same trail over and over with the same results. If growth is your destination, better switch your approach. And the photographer or artist who can recognize that for themselves will find ways to make that happen, and find inspiration along the way.

When I saw today's subject, I knew two things instantly. The first, that the final image would be B&W. There was a bit of sidelight, which enhances texture and outlines shape wonderfully for a mono shot. Second, and more importantly, that the tree alone, was the subject. This is rare for me, since my tendencies run towards using trees to fill out the scene of a landscape. Basically I use them as filler. This time, I got my camera as low as possible under the tree that hangs over onto the trail below. From a few inches off the forest floor I tilted my D80 upwards to stretch the perspective as much as the kit lens would allow. This allowed me to include the root system that runs over and through the bed of karst throughout the trail. In fact, when I return to this spot, I already know I'll try to scootch even closer to the gnarly base and shoot up. For a more extreme perspective. But hey, baby steps right?

(And for those who have asked me to dissect my processing, this image was taken into PSPx2 into the B&W filter, after I did some dodging and burning and the clarify filter applied only to the main tree and karst in a separate layer. Before I flattened the layers I used the eraser tool to reveal the work I did to the tree and rocks without the overall tones in the background changing to ensure the tree stands out nicely the way the side light lit it that afternoon.)

I am still pleased with the result. Dissecting the big picture to see more interesting subjects and details much closer, with better impact, is already paying off. No, it's not as close a shot as the birch bark posted last Thursday... but it's a different kind of subject isolation, for me anyways. Hence the title of the post today! Ignored the forest, and looked only at the trees...

Thanks for the Monday ramble gang! And for journeying along with me as I grow again. And for being so encouraging with your emails and comments and tweets... have a good one! And maybe spend this week finding a way to break out of your routine.

Tulips to the Power of 10 ~ Floral Friday!

"Tulip Celebration"

(1/30 sec.@ F/11, 200mm fl, ISO 200, tripod, shade, 55-200mm tele zoom)

Tulips. Today's image is from my visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens for the annual Tulip Festival. And boy, the colors are fantastic. This week coming will be the week to visit, as they're just starting to open now. In fact, this past week, many of the shade varieties weren't even ready to pop. So this next week will be ideal.

The colors. Ever just take a photo because the scene seems to drip with color, and therefore almost becomes it's own subject. I spotted these variegated tulips across a small pond under the shade of a large pine tree. The bright sun was making it difficult to get many of the patches of flowers that weren't tucked away in some shade, so when I spotted these I pounced. And their sunny color really is the subject of this shot, along with the repetitive shapes, and contrasting reds and greens throughout.

Kept my telephoto on so as to get in tight and eliminate the surrounding trees on either side, and to compress the distance giving the effect of a sea of tulips. Filled the frame almost completely for impact. In fact the first few shots I took of these were taken vertically... then I realized they also worked on a horizontal crop. It has less space, filling more of the image. I could have cropped or composed so that I excluded the entire top of green in the background... but I liked how it echoes the greens in the immediate foreground so I left it.

With tulips, color is key. Hope you're out there injecting some bold color into your images once in a while. Something that makes you say "wow!"

In the meantime, thanks for the ramble, and for waiting for Blogger to come back online. Have a great weekend folks! Cheers!

Repeat Performances ~ WideAngle Wednesday!

"Aging Gracefully"

(1/200 sec.@ F/9, ISO 160, 20mm fl, 18-55mm kit zoom, bright hazy light)

I've spent a lot of time photographing this public park. I won't lie. I've been photographing Gage Park for over 5 years. And I keep returning. You'd think I'd have covered it all by now. But things keep changing, growing, dying off, weathering more storms etc... and the challenge of seeing something new in such a familiar place is one practice I continue, it makes me a more observant and creative photographer.

The apple tree above is a perfect example. I've always shot the flowering trees lining the rose beds from a vantage point that shows their color. They're the epitome of spring for me. But this year the weather had delayed their blooming and now they're already dropping petals and color in the harsh sun and strong breezes we're suddenly getting in Ontario. The display did not last long. Knowing I needed a new approach anyway, I started to focus on the trees themselves. Twisted trunks with withered bark, gangly limbs that spread out low, looking at least 100 years old and very wise.

I began to drop down low, shooting wide and upwards using my wide angle to accentuate the spread of the old trees. My point of view gave me a different perspective on why their so interesting, so full of character. And they transform into a scene that could be out in some old orchard instead of a park in the heart of the city.

All this took in editing was the Nik Efx plugin called brilliance/warmth and a slight adjustment in curves to bring out darker details on the trunk which the bright sun light was washing out a bit as it got too high in the sky.

I believe I'll return to this same spot at sunset and see what the light coming from the opposite side does.

The more you revisit a spot, the better you can envision what might be aesthetically interesting. And the more you use a particular lens, the better you'll know what it's best features are for what you're shooting. Repeats and revisits are never a waste.

Thanks for the ramble ladies and gents! Have a great day... and put that camera in your hand!

Rushing Water ~ Mono Monday!

"Rain Runnin' Fast"

(1/6 sec.@ F/20, ISO 100, 46mm fl, Center Weighted Meter)

(sunset, tripod, circular polarizer)

Armed with a tripod, a remote shutter release, and a polarizer to filter out the excess light that comes with slower shutter speeds, I begin to hunt out the area waterfalls once again. May is truly ideal for this as we're inundated with rain from April, and Hamilton is known as the Waterfall Capitol of the World after all!

I love the challenge of photographing moving water. The trap however, is getting so caught up with the technical, that a true composition is neglected. Or we opt for any moving water that might look silky and smooth in the lens without any thought to why we're drawn to it, and how to express it as a photograph of substance.

Today's B&W is my balance of the two; the mechanics of the shot, and my objective in photographing it. The first thing I was careful of was to find an element of design I could capitalize on, not just a pretty run of water. I walked around this particular juncture in the creek bed several times before I decided how much my eye kept coming back to the smooth line that arched around the creek, giving a horseshoe shape containing the water surging down over it. I also liked the automatic contrast of silk and surging water swirling a step below it. Exposed right, there would be a contrast of light and dark within both areas of the shot. Creates interest.

I kept my wide angle zoom on so as to include the entire rounded layer of rushing water too. Always remember your focal length (zoomed in to 46mm for this shot) helps determine what you do with your final composition, and where you'll shoot from obviously. I waited for the sun to bathe the swirling part of the water over the edge of the bank to add golden light for my color shots and to meter from that so I wouldn't blow out any necessary highlights. And I knew I'd need everything in the shot that was still, to be sharp throughout, plus use my choice of aperture to help give me a longer exposure than normal so the water would look appropriately smooth in the right spots. I ended up with a shutter speed of 1/6th of a second that gave me the look I desired. The rushing turbulent motion is still very defined in spots, and the smooth water running over the layer of rock bed is equally defined.

I'm very happy with this shot. I could have easily stopped down my aperture more to allow for an even longer shutter speed and made the entire shot very very soft. But that was not my goal this time around, and at times, that approach can be very cliche. In editing after I converted to B&W, all this required was to tidy the crop a bit and pull contrast out of the shadows and highlights with PSPx3's Clarify action at only 8.6%. I'm noticing the more carefully I expose in the camera, the less is needed in editing. Maybe an obvious thing, but I use it as a way to judge if my skills are being honed any. High Pass Sharpen was applied at a subtle opacity adding a bit of extra depth.

Thanks for the ramble on my waterfall trails exploits. There will be many more to come. If you haven't walked or biked the Red Hill Creek trails, they're beginning to look quite lush right now... great place for your family and your cameras!

Seas of Tulips! ~ Telephoto Tuesday!

"Kissed By the Sun"

It's that time of year! That time of year when I pack my kit bag and spend an entire day photographing tulips! Ah. Just thinking about it makes me so happy I could do back flips. But I won't, I'll save us all the embarrassment and the ride in the special truck with big flashing lights on it. Ahem.

That's right, it's time for the Royal Botanical Garden's Tulip Festival! Within the next two weeks, the rock gardens at the RBG will be filled with an amazing display of color and exotic species of tulip from around the world. And about the same time, give or take a week, the flowering trees will put on an equally brilliant display from the gardens to the magical arboretum. And then it's full tilt from there, I'll return to the RBG with my camera for the entire rest of the year, for the peonies, the iris festival, the roses, and the fall color. But the Tulip Celebration starts it all off. I really will be in my glory. I step into that glorious garden of color and announce "The Nikonator returns!"

Rain or shine I go... in the rain you get your shallowest lenses out and photograph those classic rain drop shots, and the colors are saturated nicely. Sunshine is fine too, the rock gardens have wandering paths totally shaded over and hidden from the harsh light... if you have never been, and you live in Ontario, you really need to visit the RBG, you'll be hooked.

Check out the link, they even have a special Mother's Day event in the

Rock Gardens!

Thanks for the community billboard type ramble today folks, and have a good one! Let's get out there and greet Spring!

Very Quaint ~ Floral Friday

"Lady Fieldcote in Spring"

(1/80 sec.@ F/11, ISO 200, 20mm fl, overcast light)

Ever get excited about a hidden gem you've discovered, then when life barges in, promptly forget about it. Dentist check ups, groceries, and finding better ways to save on toilet paper take over. Then, almost a year later, you stumble across a memento of some kind and realize you haven't really paid much attention to it since.

Well, suffice it to say, I photographed a little local gem last spring then pretty much let it escape my mind... till now. Fieldcote is a beautiful little Tudor style house/gallery/museum and has these beautifully cultivated flower beds and gardens about it. Local nature trails hover nearby and it's just a lovely little spot to visit with a camera.

A month from now, I will return to see how she looks this year and this time I'll not forget to go back. Summer and Fall must be equally beautiful and full of color. Different lighting, different weather, different growth. Provides an excellent way to practice your photography. To stretch your skills. A different view or feeling of it each time. You'll see differences in yourself too, from photo file to photo file. It's a pretty cool exercise no matter how seasoned a photographer you are.

So I double dog dare you to find a hidden gem of your own, and photograph it a different times of the year, in every season and see what happens! And if you live near the Ancaster area in Southern Ontario, take a little jaunt out to Fieldcote to say hello and acquaint yourself with local talent and history.

Don't forget now!

Thanks for the quaint little ramble folks. I'd like to say hello to my readers across the pond in the UK today, all 32 of you, in honor of a very memorable wedding taking place just after I post this. (That's right, I see you lurking in my stats menu, lol) Pack extra batteries for all that wedding photog! Thanks so much for reading along with us here in Canada. And have a brilliant day!

Simple Effects~ Exploration Thursday

"Pink Canopy"

(1/160 sec.@ F/8, 55mm fl, ISO 160, bright direct sun, processed in PaintShop Prox2)

Had to work on something cheery today. Southern Ontario has decided sunshine is against it's religion... or something like that. We've had grey, more grey, and various shades of drab now for weeks on end. Ugh.

So you can see why I wanted to post a shot like the one above. This was originally for the City Parks contract last spring. It was such a nice bright day, perfect for glowing canopies of soft crab apple and cherry blossoms. This gnarly ancient crab apple has so much character to it. So I took this shot into Corel's PSPx2, and added two great filter fx to an already sunny shot so that everything would glow and all the textures would pop a bit. Here's what I played with today;

I don't know if there's an equivalent in PS but I took the image into Corel's Cross Processing photo filter, found in the Photo Effex drop down menu and into the Time Machine option. It takes the overall color and adds a very retro coloring to them (big in the 70's) and you can adjust just how extreme you want the color to be. Cross Processing adds a green tinge to brighter hues so you need to decide what style your image is going to take before hand.

I'm of the "less is more" mentality so I apply the cross processing fx filter in a whole new layer so I can control the opacity, how much of it shows up in the final image, and where.

Also, because the filter causes tones overall to darken (not the colors but the various shadows and highlights) and causes details in the darker ranges to disappear, I decided I'd play in a second effect called Colored Edges, found in PSPx2's Effects drop down menu. Again, it's different sliders allow you to be subtle and not over whelming so that the effects themselves don't steal the show, instead of the actual image. I despise when that happens. Again, less is more in most instances. So a very subtle bright white is applied and it edges and rims every detail, so that textures and lines pop a bit, like outlining a picture with a soft crayon. The result is a nicely saturated, brightly colored spring image with great textures and clean details.

I remind myself that it won't be long before the trees will be blooming, and the temps rising, and soon we'll be enjoying sun. In the meantime, the electricity bill is going through the roof because every light in my house is on while I soak in some false rays of light. Where'd I put my mammoth bottle of Vitamin D anyways????

Have a fabulous Easter weekend one and all! Spend it with family and friends!

Thanks for the ramble...

Night Lights ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

"Marina Magic"

(4 sec.@ F/8, ISO 100, 18mm fl, tripod, remote shutter, late dusk)

I love evening strolls. It's where I decompress, and become reflective. When the weather's just right, I like to come down to the bay front with the hubby or a friend... sometimes I have to make sure I don't have my camera. I know, can't believe I said that either. But it's true. If I have it with me, I can't always relax and walk, I'm so busy seeing shots that I can't pass up. But then sometimes if I don't have it I can't relax, cause I see all the things I should be getting if I only had the camera. Must it be so complex? 

This was taken on a true photo night, when my photo rambling partner Kelly and I set aside time to ramble and shoot the bay at sunset. And it's the best of both worlds... I relax AND get cool night shots.

The more I photograph at night, the more I'm learning about the capabilities of my camera actually. Anyone who knows me knows I'm more concerned with composition, lines, and design than calculating hyper-focal distance off the top of my noggin. But I also know that in order to effectively portray those elements I also need to understand how best to use my gear.

I've discovered I learn about my camera best at night. I take for granted how to photograph daytime scenes in most cases. In ideal lighting, I can anticipate how little the camera will need to work to get a shot. I know how to meter, adjust, shoot and feel confident I got it. But for the image above, it makes me take my time. I begin to understand how aperture affects the lighting, creating blazing flares or star burst effects. How no matter how low my ISO is dialed down, if my exposure is unnecessarily long, I'll get more noise or less detail, so finding the right shutter speed is a precarious balancing act. And for years I had no idea I needed to turn off the one feature that is supposed to help with camera shake or any movement if the camera is on a tripod... the Vibration Reduction feature on long lenses. Simply because it'll want to fight against what's anchoring it. It's meant to give you better control handholding. And not for anchored exposures.

The image above just seemed quiet and a bit romantic. The type of setting I like to stroll through. I made sure I kept the winking lights warm to complement the deep blue. And the extra sky gives a feeling of vast open space surrounding the marina.

For some excellent night photography tips I'd check this out once you're done reading today's post. I know I'll be getting to know my camera better all this year.. out in the dark. Relaxing AND doing what I love.

Thanks for the ramble folks, and have a good one! 

5 Things I've Learned ~ Mono Mondays!

"Where Even the Rocks Grow" - Eramosa Karst

(1/50 sec.@ F/8, ISO 160, 18mm fl, kit zoom, mono pod, overcast light, pattern metering)

Having to do a B&W every week has really helped me realize what tips and principles I've needed to apply to each ramble I go on. So I thought I'd share what I've learned over the last couple years with all of you. Ready? Here's five things everyone needs to remember if they want to make better B&W images... beginner or not.

1) When at all possible, refrain from allowing the camera itself to convert your color photo into a monochromatic one on the spot. If you haven't figured it out yet, your camera's auto settings are good for one thing, generalizing every scenario you give it. Including your B&W's. Your camera comes with software, basic perhaps but better than the actual camera, to put on your computer... somewhere in that small program is a way for you to convert the image yourself, controlling your contrast, brightness, etc... so that you get a B&W that pops. The version your own camera gives you will generally be flat and with a minimum range of tones.

2) Lighting is STILL important. You can't just ignore your exposure or settings because you won't be looking at it in color. On the contrary, now you need to pay desperate attention to the light. The quality of shadow and highlights is always key to begin with. Don't relax that simply because it's B&W. Subjects and shape alone can't carry the bulk of the image, as folks tend to let a color image do. Worried you may not get the light just right? Shooting in Raw is key for me. It allows me to edit and tweak areas that need some help later on without destroying the initial quality of the file.

3) Refrain from "image salvaging". I'm referring to those that constantly go through their weaker images left over from a shoot and decide to try them all out as B&W's when they don't work in color. I know I've done it, I'm not too proud to say. Instead, train yourself to look at a new composition and see it's color and monochromatic possibilities before you take the shot. B&W conversion shouldn't be a last ditch effort to save a shot. This is something I've emphasized to myself every time I explore a new subject. And it pays off. I knew taking the image above that I was going to love it as a B&W.

4) Remember Tone, Form, and Texture. Great range of tones comes from sizing up your light, weather conditions, subject, and knowing then how to get a good exposure of your scene or subject. Again, you may have to be brave and get out of those auto modes. Tones are important, and can be tweaked further in editing. It comes down to this... your blacks should be black, your whites nice and white, and a wide variety of greys in between.

Form should be taking the starring role in your composition. Too often people snap a photo of a scene they like without knowing why exactly they like it. B&W makes you aware of what one thing is anchoring the scene, grounding it. It is what needs to grab your attention, since color won't.

Texture becomes a way to enhance and ensure your image has detail and definitive light. Texture isn't popping? You need better light, lower in the sky, or coming from the side so as to highlight all the details that make up an engaging B&W,

5) Lastly, B&W can be useful for subject studies. Scenery or weather/lighting conditions not ideal? Sky looks flat and cloudless? Go tight. Close framing of unusual natural elements, story telling shots of a single subject on the street, wild perspectives of close architectural elements... could give you the best shot of the day.

Black and White. More versatile than you thought. And these are just the tip of the iceberg... but these really are second nature for me, so I thought I'd share. Any other key tips you can't live without when it comes to B&W? Leave them in the comments section! Thanks for the ramble... and have a good one.

Days End ~ Wide Angle Wednesday!

"Heaven Light"
(1/320 sec.@ F/8, 18mm fl, ISO 160, 18-55mm kit zoom, sunset light)

This time of the year is a tricky time for me to get away to do any kind of sunset shot. For March and April, sunset is right around dinner time for my family, which is still a very important time of the day for the four of us. But since it's March Break, our supper times are all over the place, and the kids are home all day... so I took the opportunity to fit in a sunset photo walk with a new photog friend from Hamilton. It was damp and fairly windy, but we had a great time chatting and trading techniques and camera info... and came away with images like this within a one and a half hour period down at Hamilton's Bay Front Park.

My wide angle kit lens was obviously used here. I knelt down in the cold and soggy grass to angle the camera to include much of the cloud cover being illuminated in the suns last light.
Light like this I'm hesitant to manipulate too much in editing. The air was heavy and damp which gives everything it's own softer glow... so I've refrained from sharpening which eliminates the soft look. I've gone easy on the contrast too... I already liked the amount of shadow and light. And really, sometimes I think we need to do our utmost to just capture creation in all it's subtle lighting and colors, and show restraint and moderation in regards to what we add in pumped up crazy colors, HDR gone wild, and tricks to make it look so much larger than life. If I was in awe as I stood there, and I pay attention to my camera settings, then that's often times enough.

I stood there in this lovely light, thanked my Creator for His own daily attention to detail that gives us these amazing sunsets whether we deserve them or not, and snapped the shutter over and over so I could enjoy the effect long after the light was gone.
I'd love to post anyone elses sunset photos if you have one you're especially thrilled about... just leave me a message and we'll arrange something!

Thanks for letting me ramble on folks! Have a marvelous Wednesday...

Anchors Away ~ Mono Monday

"The Haida Under Hamilton Skies"

(1/640 sec.@ F/3.5, ISO 200, 18mm fl, Nikon D40, 18-55mm kit lens, bright morning light)

It's March Break for the kids this week, so I won't be posting any long elaborate ramblings for the next few days as I hope to be out with my family more. Nor will I be editing very much, since that still requires me to hover around the computer. I was looking back through some older files looking for the odd image I may want to share, and came upon the photo above.

I took this a couple years ago now, with my Nikon D40. My first DSLR ever and I still have it. It's my emergency back-up in case something were to happen to my regular camera the D80. I loved that camera!

In the warmer months this is a great spot to take the family, down at the bay front. This is the HMCS Haida and it has resided majestically in Hamilton's waters since 2003. They give tours and demos in the summer, and little kids and most men stand, necks craned looking up at her decks with more than a little awe. She is the last remaining Tribal Class Destroyer of 27 built for the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Navy and I chose this view of her since it makes it very clear how massive she is to stand beside.

And what is it about battleships and destroyers and ships in general that suddenly turns men into instant sailors? Stand near the Haida long enough and you can hear every man within a hundred yards spouting off stats and random sea faring facts to their families or unsuspecting tourists, making it sound as if they've sailed her themselves. When in fact the closest they've gotten is in their grandfather's dingy to go fishing. Seriously.

Well, I find it amusing anyways!

So enjoy your march break folks, see some local sights with your kids, try to impress them with your knowledge... and then when your 6 year old corrects you, take them for pizza and hope they forget about it.

Have a good one!

Drizzly Days ~ Floral Friday

"New Peonies, New Rain"

(1/800 sec.@ F/2.5, 50mm fl, ISO 100, 50mm prime, rainy overcast light)

Today's image was inspired by the rain. I use the word inspired loosely. This is because for the last number of days, and a great deal of the last two weeks even, we've had wet, soggy weather. If it's not snowing, it's freezing rain. If it's not freezing rain, it's fog and sleet. Fine mists, and steady sheets of the wet stuff. It keeps coming. Even my brain is water logged. No comments from the peanut gallery.

So I thought why not post an image to acknowledge that even the rain can be beautiful. When it dots the tender buds of new plants, when it puddles in the fresh new grass, or when it washes away the grit of winter. I get especially excited when I spot new shoots popping up out of the soil for the first time. Before my garden has a chance to turn into a wilderness out of control. Usually around July I'm rendered useless against the wildflowers and weeds, and I start spending more time keeping them watered then keeping them orderly. But from April into June, everything looks great. And it's usually got nothing to do with me and everything to do with the spring rain.

So, next time you feel compelled to be frustrated with the weather, remember the flowers are coming! And then remember your umbrella. And your galoshes. And your rain coat. And your need to fore go all the gear and just stay indoors with a good book.

Did I mention the flowers are coming!

Thanks for the ramble folks! Happy Friday!

Double Take ~ Wide Angle Wednesday!

"Where the Stairway Ends"

Converging lines and vanishing points. Ever think about them? I do. All the time. I'll say it again - all the time! In fact, it's often to the exclusion of all else. It's just the way the creative side of my brain works. I see lines in the everyday scenes around me before I notice anything else. So forgive me if it seems to be a strongly recurring theme on the blog. Couldn't help it if I tried, or did I say that already?

Repetition is the theme if you haven't noticed by now. Go get a coffee and then come back... better? Still seeing double? That's because the only thing better than one set of really great lines that tantalize the eye in a photo, are two. Both the images from today's post were pretty nice images on their own... after all, any kind of lines that run completely through an image and become the actual subject are pretty interesting. But, every once in a blue moon I get an image that begs for more, that asks to defy reason even. These images can be tremendously fun to work on. You're almost creating an alternate reality. Almost. So stop with the "twilight zone" track.

The image up top was from a world wide photo walk. The set of stairs was interesting to me but tucked into a tight area of buildings. It became impossible for me to find a composition I was happy with. The ideal wasn't possible. I walked away frustrated at the time because what I was envisioning seemed impossible. I figured I get home and delete the shot completely. But after converting the initial composition into Corel's Platinum B&W filter, the lines I loved popped a bit more. And I immediately thought of my art influences... specifically M.C.Escher, whose most famous works are true mind benders and cannot be viewed casually or you miss the genius infused within each piece.

The beauty of digital darkroom and programs like Photoshop and PSPx2, is you can play without committing to a result. So I started to play in a kaleidoscope feature, rotating mirror tools, and lens distortions. Rotating mirror, a feature that allows you to find the compositional center of an subject and not just divide the actual image in half like some editing tools, won out. I suddenly had the stairway to nowhere. For someone fairly new to photography at the time my response was "cool!"

The image below is now the result of someone who automatically sees interesting vanishing points and lines within a composition, makes them the subject, and knows instinctively that when I get it home it'll get the mirror treatment. Do I use it to the exclusion of all else. No. Do I use it to create things totally unrelatable to you the viewer? I hope not. The image below simply looks like the people in the market were walking along a mirrored ramp way to the stalls below. But in fact, this shot had major space on the left where the ramp drops away. I knew when I took the shot that the lines covering the right side of the shot were engaging. I essentially knew I'd mirror this shot. It has an impact the original never had because of it. Especially since there were people moving into and out of the frame, the sense of the moving crowd is increased for effect as well. And I get a kick out of the one gentleman staring at me out of the crowd.

"Market Reflections"

I think I may challenge myself next week to find some cool mirrors to photograph. Without the extra editing to aid the shot. Just to see what can be done right in the camera. Wanna try along with me? I'd love to see your shots folks! We can feature them here for you too! But it'll mean you'll be seeing double again... and I'd hate to give you a complex.

Thanks for letting my ramble on, in my own quirky way! Get out there and find those cool lines all around you begging to be photographed... and have a super day all!

Sunshine ~ Floral Fridays!

" Sunny Bougainvillea"

(1/30 sec @ F/7.1, ISO 100, 100mm fl, 55-200mm Nikkor Telezoom, tripod, diffused afternoon light)

Happy Floral Friday one and all! This will be a quick post for me today, the sun is out and the temp has risen above 0 degrees here in Ontario. Naturally, this means I'm heading out with the Nikon!

Today's image was taken at the Tropical Greenhouse at the Royal Botanical Gardens. The ceiling and displays have these trailing bits of sunshine climbing everywhere inside. Like the greenhouse was sun kissed everywhere you look. Bathed in light. Ahhhh. It lifts the spirits and assures that spring is wanting to arrive soon! Just the color yellow will do that, no matter where it is. It energizes and inspires.

A quick tip. Be careful when photographing at the local greenhouse. If the sun is out, all that glass will make it difficult at time to get killer shots. Everything starts to get washed out, and metering for a more even exposure can drive you mad, highlights either go off the grid, of the shadows from underexposing swallow up select areas. I know for this image, even though it was overcast, all the light coming into the greenhouse was messing with an overall metering of the composition I had decided on. So I made the decision to use a more selective type of metering in my dial/menu options, so that my meter actually metered more from my subject which was essential for the shot than the rest of the area in the frame. When I checked my histogram (the graph feature on your camera for where your lights and darks are balanced in the exposure) I realized the overexposed highlights were allowable this time since they were essentially the backdrop, and not the flowers themselves. Instead of this looking like a poorly made decision, it now looked high key and so I kept the reading and made the shot.

Also, this meant I had to take into consideration the lens I was using. It was my telephoto, which compresses the shot from foreground to background, so even at F/7.1 it had a considerably shallow depth of field where the light and plants in the background blurred out nicely. If I had stopped down to much more narrow aperture of F/11, and adjusted my shutter speed, the blown highlights would have then been a problem again since you'd be seeing a very definitive overexposure problem.

All this was of course shot manually. Auto modes can be handy for shooting quickly in certain situations, but in a semi-auto mode the camera would have tried to correct everything, giving me a very mundane, dull image. In manual mode, I chose every setting myself, and could manipulate which things were more important for me, and get creative with the rest. This is key. Take the plunge all you DSLR owners with your settings on auto. Start learning how to expose. It opens the floodgates of creativity... and allows the sun to shine in.

Have a fab Friday all, and thanks for letting me ramble on! See you all Monday!

Contrast in Nature ~ Mono Monday!

"Spring Becomes Her"

(1/60 sec @ F/11, ISO 200, 19mm fl, 18-55mm kit zoom, early morning bright light)

This Mono Monday I decided to go with a landscape. Actually, a landscape taken in the midst of the city along the Niagara Escarpment, overlooking Hamilton, Ontario. This is Sam Lawrence Park, one of the best maintained and most beautiful perennial gardens in the area. It's layered with varieties of plants and trees that all compliment one another throughout different parts of the year. I have files upon files of this park, I never get tired of photographing it! It's a welcome contrast to much of the rest of the smoggy, chaotic city scene.

This particular landscape was chosen to become the Black and White version above because I was drawn to the heavy contrast throughout the scene. The light chisels out the edge of this part of the escarpment, diagonally  across the composition, emphasizing the rock face along the path. And the bright clusters of early flowers contrast against the shaded rocks, spilling over and under and around, paying no attention to the harsh light about to creep across the trail. All this contrasting shadow and light, it's hard to meter for, to make sure you take a reading off a very neutral area of stone or greenery so that your highlights don't blow out, but you also don't loose details in the shadows. Your exposure needs the right mixture of both.

The other reason I knew this would work as a monochromatic image was because of all the textures that make up the scene. Also, there's layers within the composition, from the low foreground elements, all the way back into the background with trees adding height, something I always look for in a landscape of any kind. Keeps the image from being one dimensional. Even though it's in B and W, it still needs to come to life when others look at it. That's the danger of a Black and White image, that it becomes a flat representation of what we see in the lens. Keeping that in mind as I edited this image I actually used a different B and W filter on two separate layers of the same shot. The one filter is a Platinum fx filter which is great for defining dark areas when converting to B and W. The other layer was edited with an Infra Red filter which gives a glow and stark contrast to all the highlights. Layering the IR layer subtly into the Platinum layer gave me a very dynamic B and W, full of life. I knew I had to share this image for today. And I hope you approve.

Don't be afraid to be creative, even in B and W. Especially in landscapes! Use contrasting elements to your advantage. Challenge yourself to see without color!

As always, thanks for letting me ramble on! Have a super awesome Monday folks!
And Happy Valentine's Day as well!

Accidental Reflection ~ Telephoto Tuesday!

"Reflections of St. Andrews St"

(1/640 sec @ F/5.3, ISO 200, 160mm fl, 55-200mm telephoto zoom)

My first "Telephoto Tuesday"! I've decided for the next while to use themes here at the blog. Just to challenge myself, with my shooting, and my blogging. This way I'm not stuck in a rut at some point always using the same lens or the same style of photography. It keeps the creative juices flowing.

When I first started in digital photography, it did not take me long before I fell in love with my telephoto lens. It's a Nikkor 55-200 mm zoom with an adequate range, adequate F-stop and the much needed VR (vibration reduction) feature in case you're handholding with this heavier type lens. But the technical is not what drew me... it was the ability to get in tight on any subject. I love to take one key element, and make it the entire image. My tele zoom does exactly that. And that makes me a very happy photographer!

I chose the image above to kick off this Tuesday's post because it epitomizes why I will always keep my telephoto lenses close. REALLY close, as in sitting ready in my front pocket of my kit bag or jacket, right next to my elbow close. This image is the reflection of an abandoned red brick building in downtown Toronto, and the street sign in front of it in a warped window front. I had my trusty little Nikon D40 with me at the time, and we had just left a tour of Castle Loma. I always like to keep my camera in my lap when driving through the city, even when I think I'm done for the day. And it's a good thing I did, because there we were sitting at an intersection waiting for the green light and I turned to look out my window. Voila! I was met with an entire warped windowed wall of an old storefront across the street from me, and it was reflecting this bold red in it's framed sections. I leaned out the window and snapped this shot right before the lights turned green and my husband pulled away. No time for settings, dials, or adjusting the shutter speed... just zoomed in to crop a section with the most interesting part of the reflection, and then we were gone. This was the first image I rushed home to see. Never mind the glorious castle I had spent all day shooting... I knew this was the shot of the day. It's funky, bold, and abstract, yet for me, still smacks of the everyday ordinary city living.

This is what photography should do for you! It should excite you, it should grab you, it should bring unique details to life. A telephoto point of view can do that... it'll eliminate all the clutter, give you a bit of "tunnel vision" if you will, and make you stop and really look at what's around you. There's some cool stuff out there... even at the crowded intersection downtown.

I look forward to bringing you a new telephoto shot every Tuesday, keeping my eye trained to look for opportunities like this every week. I'd love if some of you did it with me... and if you have a shot you're particularly proud of as a result, I could ask you to let me arrange to post it here, and we can ask you how you did it too! You never know!

As always, you folks reading along with my ramblings are the best! Hope you have a great week....

Icy Formations ~ Mono Monday!

"Her Icy Face"  ~ Tiffany Falls, Hamilton, On

(1/2sec @ F/14, ISO 100, 28mm fl, 18-55mm Nikkor kit lens, tripod, pattern metering, ND filter)

I'd like to make a confession here on Mono Monday. Some will shake their heads when they read this, some will understand completely. But I feel I must be honest. So here goes.

I have lived in Canada my whole life. It's February. It's winter. And (taking a deep breath here...) I don't like it. Ah, there, I said it!!!! I know that out there in all the snow and ice are great photo ops but it requires putting on a thousand layers of clothing, tucking gear and batteries safely and warmly in any available crevice in said clothing, and wandering treacherous and slippery paths and locations with a tripod in one hand and a Timmie's coffee in the other. Often it's while my family tags along under the guise of sledding or only being out walking "for a sec". Ha, could only pull that one on them a handful of times before they got wise to me and started "disappearing" every time I suddenly hunted for snow pants in the back of the house.

Let's be honest, I'd much rather be out in the warmer weather, catching the tulip festival at the park, or driving back roads with the windows down and the tunes cranked looking for barns and farm gear to shoot. But having said all this, there is something to be said for winter photography. Despite all the extra work before I even get out to the car, despite the fact that every year pulling on the monster boots seems to wind me more and more, and despite the way my hubby looks at me when he realizes I need a walking buddy in -23 weather without the wind chill... despite all that, there's a treasure to be gleaned every time I head out to shoot. And it's this: YOU LEARN TO WORK FAST!

Shooting outdoors in the chilly Canadian weather (and yes, I'm aware there's chillier, don't get me wrong) forces you to work fast. Sum up a scene quickly, decide what's important to portray, to emphasize, and what to eliminate. Your composure skills are naturally honed when you know that the cold is eating at your battery, that your tripod adjust knobs are freezing in place, and that you've stopped feeling your feet. Your brain goes into adrenaline mode when you can hear your husbands teeth chattering from twenty feet away and you've only been on the trail for ten minutes. You realize you need to get those other angles NOW since once you get back in the car there's no way you're getting back out for that one forgotten shot. And you learn to think quickly about all the tools at your disposal. Filters are at the ready for the slow exposures of the trickling water still running through the icy rock face, the tripod doesn't leave your side, and your other lens is already waiting in your pocket for a very quick switch indeed while you have a plastic bag waiting for the other lens to defog in once your finished. And your settings! You learn to sum up the light real quick and no foolin' around in your menus, cause no matter how warm those gloves are, they're a pain to use when you have to push tiny buttons right?

See what I mean about working well but working quickly?

It's a good test of your natural skills... seeing how far you've come with your camera. Limited time means you have to harness all the things you should know without even really thinking them. You should try it. Just not with me. (little humor there... heh heh heh)

So all kidding aside... if you visit the cooler climates that require sled dogs and snow shoes, or simply live where you've shoveled another eight feet of snow out of your driveway for the fourth time (shovelers unite!) then make yourself get out there with the camera, give yourself twenty minutes to an hour to photograph, then go home to some winter stew and warm pj's and review how you did. You'll get a very clear picture of what you still need to remember, and what you excel at under pressure.

And how a frozen finger looks after you pry it off the shutter too fast...ouch.

Have a good Monday folks... and thanks for letting me ramble on! Tomorrow is our first Telephoto Tuesday! Hope to see ya then!