Photography, No Matter What!

"Curious Little Fungus"

I can deny it no longer. The crazy schedule I have right now due to the Christmas season means I may not be blogging daily for the next while. And I don't mean my work schedule, although that was busy for a bit too... I mean my personal schedule. I love Christmas and this means I make time for family, friendly gatherings every other night, and all the special activities I can't do without.

However, I DO find time to photograph SOMETHING through the week. No matter what! And so today's image is from a jaunt we made last week to try out a new hiking trail in the greater Niagara area. One we'll definitely be visiting often over the coming year. The Short Hills Provincial Park is one I've been wanting to visit for a while. Three major trails prevail, loads of birds of every color and size, deer and coyote... and I can't be certain but we think we saw fox tracks too through some mud.

I spend much of the time on new trails or locations just getting a feel for the area, the possible conditions we'll experience, the amount of time we need to experience it all, and what times of day would be the most ideal to visit. Also the history of the area. I don't do a ton of shooting my first walk through. But I do bring the camera on the off chance I need to remember what I love about the trails, and to photograph the odd scene that grabs my eye.

We were in a darker part of the woods when I spotted some fungi I had never seen before on the Bruce trails in the Hamilton area. Tiny, tiny, white with ruffles and tinges of green throughout. I loved the texture, but hated that I had neglected to pack my tripod, which I didn't really want with me this first time through. It was super bright out for the most part with harsh light and I wasn't thinking about how thick and dark the canopy of trees can be even without their leaves. So this one was taken with the ISO jacked up to about 500 to avoid any camera shake. The rock bed I stood in was not too sturdy either and I couldn't find a secure spot to place the camera on a support of any kind without it getting wet. So this is the best I could do.

I still like the image and it speaks of the future photo possibilities awaiting me the next time I return. Possibilities I'll be able to anticipate and try to be prepared for. But it's a fabulous park and the walk with the hubby was wonderful regardless of what little material I came back with this first go round! How about you? Do you always scope out a new area before trying to spend hours photographing it? I highly recommend it. No matter what.

What Do You See? ~ Exploration Thursday!

"And Then They Were Gone"

I couldn't wait to post this image. I felt like a little kid when I discovered the scene, felt like a little kid at christmas when I took the shot, and felt giddy as a little kid as I posted. And why?

Well... what do you see?

Your answer may be a bunch of leaves. And you'd be right. But when I was busy hiking past them and happened to glance over, I saw what looked like hundreds of butterflies launching into the autumn breeze. It stopped me in my tracks. The light was dappled, kissing some of the branches along the very edge of the escarpment, and it contrasted well with the forest floor in the gorge below. I did not think twice. I switched lenses (55-200mm telephoto), and I waited for the sun to come out from behind some clouds while I composed. And I carefully underexposed slightly to make sure the colors were rich looking without loosing any detail to too much shadow.

It felt whimsical, and dramatic, and I couldn't wait to post it. Even my husband, who is very used to my giddy outbursts when I get a shot that thrills me (and humours me by rushing over to give me a "nice one dear") took one look and said, "Whoa. That's cool... they look like butterflies!"

That sealed the deal folks.

I may play with this and do an abstract version as well... but for now it just needed some slight saturation and high pass sharpen applied for added oomph. Oomph is extremely technical jargon I know, but try to follow along. Where was I?

Right. I guess my tip for the day is don't be so boxed in to only looking for one type of shot, that you miss the other possibilities lurking in the middle of the ordinary. Ask yourself when out with the camera,

"Self... what do you SEE?"

Just Because!

I've decided not to do Floral Friday today. Just because. September has rolled in and soon the kids return to school all day. Work resumes at it's fastest pace. The summery days of setting a schedule full of nothing will be gone. We went for a wander through the Eramosa Trails the other day for one last lazy afternoon outing and these images pretty much sum up how wonderful it is to enjoy God's green earth and my family before the bustle starts once again. 

Obviously I took my camera.... just because you never know what you'll see worth photographing.

Just because you may discover how wide the blue blue sky is that day with bits of nature rising up to meet it.

And just because it's good to be able to freeze happy, contented, quiet moments like this. To have them to look back at when your son's gym clothes are missing, your daughter's trip money is suddenly due, your dog has dug up yet another dead squirrel, and after the washing machine has pooched out again in the middle of the load of school uniforms!

You know what I mean. So you can remember that life doesn't always look like a mangled episode of "Malcolm In The Middle..."

September's here. Brace yourselves. And keep the camera handy.

Thanks for the ramble!

Hittin' The Trails ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

"It Ran Downhill"

(1/50 sec.@ F/10, ISO 200, 18mm fl, diffused sunlight, late day, handheld)

Considering I'm trying to finish one photo session and begin editing two more, I'll keep today's post short and sweet. Do you hike? Our family loves to hit the trails with a good walking stick or two... and the Nikon. Sometimes we spot deer, fox, woodpeckers. Sometimes we spot poison ivy and keep moving. I just love how quiet it gets, how the forest whispers in a breeze, and how if you look carefully, the trails tell you a story.

It's the story I like to try to photograph.

Here's the deal with the image above. Think late spring, new leaves not yet mature enough to block out the sun, plenty of natural debris on the forest floor for little critters to live in and under. Heavy bright green moss since there's been so much rain... and what's this? Down between the rocky karst, the remnants of a creek bed gone dry. I love that it once ran downhill towards me as I wandered off the beaten path, but that if you look carefully you can see that the whole scene runs downhill off to the left of the composition. Uncanny.

I've photographed this trail, the Hermitage Trail, often and my goal is to shoot it year round in 2011. I've wandered it alone, with my family, and with my good friend Kelly (and lovely photographer in her own right) many a time. But this will be the first year I attempt to let it reveal it's stories while I shoot... to see what the end result may be when I put them all together.

Frequent a favorite location with your cameras folks. You'll never run out of photo opportunities. Trust me.

Thanks for the ramble, and have an awesome day! And if you'd do me the honor, please click on the voting badge from Circle of Moms for me? Only 7 more days for me to try to stay in the TOP 25 Photog Moms! For those who have diligently voting, a huge thank you!

Just a Walk ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

"Escarpment in Winter"

(1/50 sec.@ F/8, 18mmfl, ISO 200, 18-55mm kit lens, pattern metering, overcast light)

I was reminded this week by a good friend that to be successful at what you do, no matter how hard you work, or how frantic a pace, you still need to also work... on yourself. That sometimes we become overwhelmed because we haven't remembered to include time to just be ourselves. To relax. To dream. To pray. To explore. To hang with family.

So I set aside my week this week to regain my perspective on how I'm filling my days, and if I'm really using time wisely, both as a working photographer and as a person. I took time Monday to find one pretty image to hang in my office space. Something that will inspire me every time I look up for a break from the computer screen. Yesterday I walked and walked along the Bayfront. Just me. And the camera. But no agenda, no "must have" shots for a blog or a site or a contest or a client. Just to enjoy the spontaneous act of shooting. And I had missed it! In the routine of research and marketing homework, meeting new photographers, hunting down materials, blah blah blah, I had forgotten to just explore. It was exactly what I needed.

Today I spent time looking at works by every photographer I've ever loved, getting inspired. Writing ideas down for projects coming up that I had put off because I felt drained. This "new" routine will now become a regular occurrence through the coming months. It feels so nice. And the things I do still have to take care of suddenly seem easier to accomplish in the meantime. The next couple days will still be busy, but there are things I intend to do to slow down at some point as well. It's just too important.

The shot above is from a winter wander with my family a little while ago. It has no agenda. It's a simple composition of the escarpment dusted with snow, and the trees that hover close by protecting it. No fancy editing. It was just a walk. But thinking about it now, it was an important walk. Healthy time with my family, getting fresh air, laughing, freezing, listening to the snow crunch and the odd twig snap on the still trail, warming up with giggles in the car after.

Have you taken a moment this week yet to not "need" anything, to just be you, to be thankful for what you really have. To get outside, just cause, away from your desk, computer, blackberry, iphone, facebook, deadlines. I dare ya.

Thanks for letting me ramble folks. Have a great day!