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!

The Main Character ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

"Cherry Hill Gate in Winter"

Was asked a question not that long ago that I had never considered in regards to my landscape photography. I had to really think before I could answer. The question was as follows, "Christine, why is there rarely any people in your images? Is it on purpose or what?"

"Sunset on Dundurn"

I thought back over the past year's landscape and cityscape images. In fact I came home after that conversation and looked back through dozens of my files to see just how true their observation was over the last few years. And it's a good question. Because I usually don't have people included in my landscape compositions. And the reason why is quite simple. The landscape itself is a character all it's own. Period. When I head out with the intent to photograph great light or something scenic, it's the characteristics of that location that speak to me. When that happens, my gut says that to add anything else would cause the image to compete against itself, in what it says to the viewer about what moved me. I wind up with landscapes that speak of it's most visually appealing characteristics and have no need to embellish it further.

"Spring Rains in Wine Country"

I will not deny that there are times I wished later that I had included a human element. That I had missed out on the best way to connect with the scene after all. This is something I have promised to begin working on now in my portfolio. To make sure I'm not just avoiding using people because it's easier, less complicated, and what I'm used to. But see what a simple question did? It made me conscious of every landscape I take and how my approach might have room for improvement!

Here in Ontario and across Canada, the landscape is very much it's own character in the scene regardless. I will never run out of subject matter, road trips are overflowing with possibility, and in the five years I've been pursuing this full time I've never lacked something to photograph that hasn't spoken to me. It's the main character in my lens.

Thanks for the ramble gang! Happy Wednesday!



The Role of Color ~ Floral Friday!

"Soaking Up The Sun"

I can't remember when I last looked to make color my main subject in a photo. Just looking at this image makes me feel awake, energized, and in a positive frame of mind. Color is a powerful element for the photographer. And yet I just read an article on color, and in it they state it's one of the least utilized or understood tools of photography for most people.

Huh.

Color IS a powerful element for story telling to be sure. I think we assume that as long as the image is in color at some point, it's doing it's job. What we forget is that it can control the response the viewer will give, the impression it will leave, and the emotions within their response. When I think about it that way, I want to make sure I don't just shoot in color, I want to make sure I shoot for the precise role color will play. Huge difference I'd say.

It'll also dictate the way I process an image. Because I can control how much of it is shown, the intensity, where it is in my composition and framing, and whether it should be warm or cool depending on the mood I hoped to convey when I first took the photo to begin with, this means color becomes a mega tool to apply to every photo you intend to display.

Here in Ontario, our Autumns are renowned for amazing color. I won't be able to help but make it my subject and my muse for the next couple of months...

and I look forward to sharing them with all of you.

If you've been blogging or posting images about color, especially fall color, send me the links... we'll share them here on the blog!

Have a super Friday, and thanks for the ramble!

Faded Can Be Beautiful ~ Telephoto Tuesday!

"She Bowed Her Golden Head"

Autumn is on our doorsteps. It makes me ecstatic! I love this time of the year. Colors deepen, textures emerge, light gathers dramatically. Everyone wears their favorite sweaters. Fall fairs are flooded with apple cider and the people who drink it. My dog gleefully tracks mud and leaves into my kitchen while I start up the baking of the pies once again. Good good times are just around the corner. Love it.

It also means that nature begins to fade into it's pre-winter cycle. But often those plants that were so vibrant all summer present a different kind of drama in the cooler weather of autumn. I love the challenge of trying to capture the unusual beauty that can be Fall.

This sunflower could no longer fight the approach of autumn. I came across her lovely textures and color, and veil of crisp leaves last September at Hamilton's Dundurn Castle's Working Garden. And if you click to enlarge the image you should be able to see the tiny lady bug companion resting on top of her, peaking from behind the shelter of leaves. Despite her diminished petals, and the crumpling of her golden crown, I recognized that I needed to capture this new stage of beauty. The slow sweet fade that overtakes our gardens in the coming weeks provides unusual subjects. Look close enough, there's still beauty to be photographed.

Explore the approach and arrival of autumn with new eyes friends. You won't be able to put the camera down.

Thanks for the ramble! Hope you all had a marvelous long weekend!

Closing In On Design ~ Telephoto Tuesday!

"The Single Rental"

(1/320 sec.@ F/13, ISO 400, 200mm fl, Exp.Compensation -0.7, late day sun)

Whew. Where to start today? 'Cause I've been challenged to take on a big topic! Composition. Now, I wasn't exactly double-dog dared or anything quite that serious, but when I say I'll do something, I like to follow through on it. So here we are, on my 100th post no less attempting to share my thought process when I'm considering composition. This might be one wild ride. Here we go.

Because of my art background, Elements and Principles of good design have been lodged in my brain from an early age. And you should become familiar with them at some point, you'll see your images improve. I tend to lean towards looking for good line, shape, texture, and color automatically as I look around me for subject matter or interesting scenes. These are the elements that people are most familiar with whether they know it or not. The other elements (to be broached tomorrow) are size, value, and form. The image today has the first four elements prominently used here. Repetitive shape immediately gets your attention, then you'll notice lots of lines taking your eyes up, down, and across respectively. Those lines on the roof allude to smooth cool textural details, and we also see texture in the wire over each dove cote, not to mention the single cote with the texture of the only nest inside in the bottom right corner. Wow, those elements are really hard at work already... and this is why. Combined, they contribute to principles of design needed to make your composition work on a new level.

You mean to say there's Principles of Design too? I warned you this could get wild, *wink*. Look again at today's image. When you really look hard do you also see balance, contrast, harmony, and rhythm? If so, that means that the combination of lines, shapes, colors and textures have worked together to utilize principles of design. Didn't see that one coming did you? You did? I knew you would.

The pattern created by the rows of dove cotes, each one the same color yellow against the slate blue/grey, gives the composition a sense of harmony and rhythm. Not to mention balance since I chose to emphasize the symmetry of the roof top, every dove cote evenly spaced. The image pops with contrast because of the shapes dotted out across the composition, and the black of the mesh fronts against the yellow. The yellow also contrasts enough against the blue roof. And the textures also contrast nicely, the roof looking smooth and cool, and the cotes textures looking more rough and warmer in hue. Tomorrow we'll try to include the other two primary principles - center of interest, and movement.

Still with me? Gosh I hope so. All of that was to say this; most of these things your eye can pick out every time you assess a scene in front of you. Why, because these are things the human brain desires and uses so it can make sense of whatever you look at. When I looked up at the roof of Dundurn Castle's tower, my brain registered that this was the prominent feature for very practical reasons... and the artistic side of my brain took over, assessing if it was aesthetically pleasing to look at over and over. Certain things began to assert themselves and I was careful to compose around them in the best way I could. Of course, you don't have to concretely think these things every time you raise your camera... after a while, from shooting and composing long enough, this all becomes second nature. The more you look around you, the better you'll see engaging compositions no matter what the subject matter or where you are.

I recommend always taking time to look through your picture files. Single out the images that stand out as being stellar compositions or just seem to have a wow factor. Compare what elements worked together well. Decide which principles had to be used to make the composition come together too or best portrayed your personal vision for that photograph. It's your personal vision that brings it all together and makes it meaningful by the way. In the end, perfect composition can only do so much. There needs to be some soul poured into each image too... perhaps more important than all the rest.

Hey, we did it! Day one on composition is done, with day two to come! Thanks for the very specific ramble gang! Hope I didn't let ya down! Have an awesome day folks... now get out there and think about seeing great compositions wherever you are.

Star Burst ~ Exploration Thursday!

"Afternoon Entrance"

(1/100 sec.@ F/10, 20mm fl, ISO 160, 18-55mm kit zoom, handheld, shade)

Thought I'd post an image from one of my most favorite locations, Dundurn Castle. But because it's Thursday, I knew it had to be something with a unique element. So I chose a new one I had yet to edit till now. However, I wanted to post this because this past year I realized I hadn't experimented much with star bursts.

The norm for clear blue skies and easier exposure for a landscape is to pop a nice filter on your lens (or later in PS) and shoot away with the sun behind or beside you... except when you want a star burst effect. Then you must shoot into the sun. Then the trick becomes 'what can I use to naturally filter the sun light'. And not too much, but something to block just enough of the actual sun so that it spills out from behind the obstacle. I've discovered it takes some practice, and usually a smaller aperture than normal. I start at an F/10 and go from there... sometimes stopped down to an F/16. The smaller the aperture, the more prominent the beams of light are as they're forced to reach through the narrow aperture to get to the sensor.

Obviously the weather conditions and time of day will effect what you get. This was late morning in early November. No haze in the sky, very bright out, and low enough for it to sit tucked behind most foliage if I got down low to the ground. The other trick is to avoid compromising your composition as you attempt to get the sun to peak through at just the right spot. I liked the POV I had approaching the arch that leads to the front of the historical property, and was determined not to sacrifice the large tree in the foreground if I could help it. It took some time and some angling and hoping the trees would stop swaying in the slight breeze. But I got it.

For more tips on star bursts check out this article.

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

"Dundurn Part II"

"The Grand Ol' Girl"

(1/60 sec @ F/11, ISO 100, 18mm fl, wide zoom Nikkor lens, tripod)

So, as promised, here is part 2 of my wanderings around the Dundurn Castle estate. Looking at the photo essay I've gotten out of this series of images, I've decided I still lean towards interesting elements of design, historic details, and architectural discoveries when I look through the lens... all well and good because they showcase the care and craftsmanship that went into such a fabulous property. But as usual, I've not gotten a single image with any action, people, tourists, gardeners, and what have you. So that shall be my next project for this location, when I next visit with my camera!

For the image above, since you really feel the passing of time when photographing this national historic site, I've used a "daguerreotype" filter in this images final edit. Much richer than a simple B&W conversion, I love to use this effect on older architecture.

"Rooftop Sentries"

(1/60 sec @ F/11, ISO 100, 135mm fl, 55-200 Telephoto zoom)

This next image above is another angle of the Castle Tower's rooftop, which is lined on all four sides with these quirky dove cotes. The intensity of the setting sun light really lit up the repetitious shapes nicely, showcasing them well.

"The Hive"

( 1/25 sec @ F/11, ISO 100, 200mm fl, 55-200 mm zoom, tripod)

This last image was a surprise (and could have been a nasty one had I not seen it in time).

These miniature crab apple trees are scattered along the back of the property, and I narrowly missed walking right underneath this busy hive trying to get a shot of some of the stonework at the back of the castle. I shot this from about 6 feet away, using my telezoom to compress all the branches surrounding the hive into the shot, and obviously to get as close as comfortably possible. My family bravely stood another few feet behind me, confident that if I disturbed the inhabitants within, that it'd be "first come, first served".

In the end, I really liked how the fruit and colors of the various leaves mingles with the day's last light. There's even a bee or two flitting in and out. To see each low res. image slightly enlarged simply click on the image. And as always, respect the rights of the photographer.

Next week, I have some images to post via a new toy I bought for my Nikon!

So stay tuned, and as always, thanks for letting me ramble on! Have a good one!

The Pursuit of Dundurn

"Dusk's Door"

Image shot at 1/125 sec @ F/11, ISO 100, 22mm fl

As many of you know, I've been very busy working for the city of Hamilton documenting the public gardens and parks for the duration of three seasons. Wonderful work, but has left me with with less time to pursue my other love, which is photographing the city period. So I thought I would post a few results from a few evenings ago, when I wandered the property of Hamilton's historic Dundurn Castle. I needed to photograph something just for the sake of photography in and of itself. Anyone else get like that? No looming deadline, no client to please, just you and your camera?

Dundurn and I have a love affair. I've captured it over the last couple years in every season, at every time of day, from various angles. It's the home of one of Canada's first Premiers,

Sir Allan MacNab, who later went on to become Prime Minister, and was built in 1835. The history oozes out of every regal pillar, tower, and rooftop. I even have my own bit of personal history with Dundurn! I grew up performing Scottish Highland Dancing on this property, competing in contests and performing to bagpipes!

The image above shows part of the cottage on the grounds, a mini-dundurn if you will. I simply loved the way the setting sun was bathing the tiny structure in it's last light.

"Tower Details - Dovecotes"

image shot at 1/40 sec @ F/11, ISO 100, 45mm fl, evening light, tripod

This image was taken looking up at the tower that welcomes you to the castle proper. I love the pattern, the design elements, the way the light shows the lovely golden colour of each dovecote. I can imagine the pigeons and doves dwelling on the rooftops. The flurry of wings as they all landed for the night.

" Sunsets Warm Welcome"

image taken at 1/200 sec @ F/9, ISO 100, 20 mm fl, tripod, evening light

This last image is of the castle's tiny replica cottage. I was smitten with the subtle raking sunset light coming through the clouds. I also liked the worn path leading to the door of the charming abandoned building. For a split second I thought about asking someone to approach it in the shot... but I loved that in the midst of the city's bustle, this looked so untouched, solitary. So I chose to capture it as it was.

I hope to post a few more images, overall compositions of the entire castle, perhaps a few older faves too that display Dundurn in different seasons. And I will continue shooting this beautiful property all year long.

So thanks for reading along with my rambling, and let me know if you enjoy the post!

Have a good one folks.