It's Not Always About Location

"Springing of the Year" 

Magnolia

Royal Botanical Gardens, Arboretum, 2012

I'll never stop photographing the area around my home. Yes, partially because I don't have the type of coin right now to go to more exotic locations. And partially because I'm still technically a stay at home mom. But also because no matter how many times I think I've exhausted a local park, or city block for interesting or beautiful photo ops, I always find treasure after treasure on every return trip to a local location. Today's image was taken at a local garden/trail 20 minutes from my home, one I explore on a regular basis. This magnificent tree was only spotted on my 100th visit, or so it felt!

It's daunting to be a part of the photographic community. The web is flooded with images from Patagonia to Iceland. Exotic scenery. Sights you can't ever hope to see when you step out your front door, for most of us anyway. Well who's to say that the fine folks in Iceland ever get to see the scenes or subjects you're about to post! Perhaps you're exotic to them?

Keep photographing. Don't let the globe trotters get you down. You see things around you that no one else can. And you probably know those locales like the back of your hand, a huge advantage to be honest, with constant access to it. Those other countries and communities will be even more fun, and easier to photograph when you DO get there one day.

What's your favorite local scene to photograph? Would love to hear about it, and why it fascinates you! If you send me your favorite photo of it, I'll include it on the blog with your comments.
Thanks for the ramble gang! Have a good one!

Sometimes... ~ Telephoto Tuesday

"Sunset Grass"

Sometimes I like to head out with the family. We hit the trails, or explore a new park. Sometimes it's not my intention to pull out the Nikon at all.

But it's there just in case. Because sometimes something just delights you.

Sometimes the light dances through the marsh grass. Or sometimes it weaves it's way through the trees differently.

Sometimes there's no sunshine to be seen when you start. And sometimes it makes a surprise appearance. I always have my camera. For the "sometimes".

I talk a lot about being learning to be more intentional about what I photograph... but sometimes it's just nice to relax the "roving eye" we photographers never seem to turn off, and just take a photo for the sake of fun. For the sake of easy. For the sake of being care free even when you look through the lens. Sometimes we have to balance out striving for genius with striving for refueling our simple creativity.

Sometimes it means your photograph looks like the one above. And makes you happy. Or content. Or energized.

Sometimes all of the above.

Thanks for the ramble today gang! Have a good one!

Find A Quiet Spot ~ Telephoto Tuesdays

"The Sprites of Spring"

Too many grey days in a row always sends me scrambling for my gear. No more sitting in front of the computer screen at that point, or tidying my work space yet again. On the dull winter days I have to get out. One of my favorite places to haunt on just such an occasion is our very own

Royal Botanical Gardens.

It's quiet, it's bright, and it's beautiful. I instantly relax. I don't even pull out the Nikon right away. There are comfy benches along each pathway through the greenhouses that invite you to stay a while and let all the greens and colors and textures reveal themselves in their own time. My eye begins to notice tiny buds opening, tiny fruit ripening on gnarly branches, and these tiny tiny iris type flowers poking up out of the colorful mulch in the photograph for today. I can find spring here. It's refreshing. And I can photograph it and carry it home with me.

It's lovely. I leave feeling rejuvenated.

I can't stress enough how important it is to find a quiet spot, or a beautiful spot, (a goodly distance from your work place) and let it feed your creativity every once in a while. No deadlines, no emails, no pressures. For twenty minutes, for an hour, for a weekend. It builds YOU back up and gets you to a place where you can go back to all the other things with a better attitude and with purpose. Even just writing about it here makes me feel better!

So, find such a spot this week if you can. And take some time to breathe. Or to be inspired. I know you want to.

Thanks for the ramble gang. If you're ever in Ontario, please make time to visit the RBG too. No matter what time of the year!

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!

Give 'Em the Gears ~ Mono Monday

"Lift Bridge Unlocked"

(1/30 sec.@ F/8, ISO 400, 34mm fl, 18-55mm kit zoom, handheld, late overcast light)

Not the usual view of our local lift bridge I'll admit. But it is indeed a photo of a lift bridge. Everyone that has a camera takes pictures of this awesome example of structural ingenuity and hydraulics and pulleys. And it's hard to do, for the Burlington Bay Lift Bridge straddles the waterway from the lake to the bay and is sandwiched between narrow beaches and a busy and massive causeway for all the highway traffic arching up and over. Not an easy subject to photograph at times.

To avoid needing a ultra wide lens, or magical light, this time I photographed it much closer while out on a walk. I liked the jumble of shapes and lines. And I liked being able to zoom in and get the nuts and bolts of this giant but with the wide zoom so that I could include the network of girders and beams.

What I really want is permission one day to climb up into it. There's a series of platforms and narrow stairs that ascend towards the innards of the bridge. Call me crazy, but I'd love to shoot the bridge from way up inside. Anybody that knows somebody, that knows somebody, that knows the guy that can do that? You sure?

Well anyways, there's my post for Monochromatic Monday. As you recover from all your Easter feasting this weekend past, think about all the cool subjects in your area that you can dissect with a closer POV. That's my challenge over the next while for myself, as mentioned in a post last week. Let me know how you do, we can post your images here!

Thanks for the ramble, have a good one folks!

Strength ~ Exploration Thursday!

"Rivets and Gears"

(1/40 sec.@ F/8, ISO 300, 18mm fl, late overcast light, Burlington Lift Bridge)

I've been photographing nature and skies lately... and anyone who knows me, knows I love to point my camera upwards. So today's image is a little more industrial, and a little less natural. An intense perspective, an intense structure, and an intense processing. And yet... not overly complicated either.

Anyone who really knows me, also knows I like to keep things simple. Complicated techniques start to suck all the fun out of photography for me actually. Not to say that I won't try new things or try to master new skills. But it's the capturing of an image artistically and knowing already how I want it to express itself to you the viewer, that excites me about photography. Today's shot reflects that for me.

Was out to the Burlington Harbour, and the lift bridge is iconic for that area. Towering, sturdy, strong, practical for all the ships and barges that come into the harbour and the steel mills. I pointed the lens up from underneath it, got this composition, and was careful to emphasize it's perspective over me. In editing, I played with the color levels and added a layer with Corel's Cross Processing filter. Adds that more industrial feel to deep greens and contrasting oranges. But that was it. Too much after that and suddenly I don't feel free with a camera in my hand, and that's the whole point. For me anyway. Too many things to do to it and it suddenly becomes an obligation. That squelches the artist in me. 

Shoot what you love folks, and edit it how you feel compelled to! And the trick is to keep learning from each other in the meantime, expanding your artistic vision. Thanks for the ramble, and have a great day!