A Certain Texture

"Exploring Sleepy Cove"

*Newfoundland, Canada*

If it seems as if the blog has been in limbo lately, you'd be right. Life seems to go from one extreme to the other. One minute business is slow, the next, I have work piling up around me. But I'm not complaining.

I'm embracing the various textures that are making up my life lately. A little travel, adventures into newer job descriptions, a little expanding, facing some personal fears, approaching some personal weaknesses... and absorbing the things each item brings to the table of life.

And having life textured by so many different elements can only mean one thing. It's bound to show up in my photographs. Whether I want them to or not, the things being absorbed by me every day have the ability to pour out of my images too.

Why is this important enough to mention today? Cause I've realized in the past I've tried to shield those things from seeping into my work. And did myself a disservice each time I did. In an attempt to strive for a certain look, or expression, or ideal, or vision, I shucked my ability to use what was going on around me to take my photography to a new level.

Funny that the tag line on my website is "Show The World Who You Are"... and I was avoiding that very thing myself. Let's change that.

2012 = More Growth

"Wet Winter Brown"

My first post for 2012. Despite wild winds and sheets of rain, I managed to get my first "ramble" for the new year yesterday on the 1st of January. Mostly I was scouting for a quiet country road on which to ramble along more thoroughly in the spring, with a volunteer 'model' or two, (calling all volunteers looking for a free 8x10 in the greater Hamilton area?) but I managed to stop and get this shot with the rain just moving in on the scene.

I think New Years Resolutions can be too much hype and not enough reality, but there's something to be said for looking back at the last year and finding areas in your craft and your life that need to change and need to grow. Growing is what I need to focus on for 2012. After reviewing my work over the past year I noticed something. I started out the year strong, but somewhere along the way, lost focus and if I can be perfectly honest, became a lazy photographer. Let me explain.

Far too often, my images were based less on work and more on chance. Yes, happy "accidents" are nice but I think in many instances when out with the camera I kept shooting long enough to get just any shot, and not returning or waiting or preparing for "the" shot. I can now see it in my work when I look closely at the images from the past year.

I've also noticed that I'm still waiting for "ideals". The ideal weather, the ideal backdrop, the ideal story, the ideal website to finally show it all on. But sometimes that's just an easy way to not make decisions, and blame your failure to capture greater photographs on your circumstances. Instead there should have been times that I decided to learn to use what I had in a new and interesting way, or move on to something better. But in too much waiting comes remaining still, becoming static, and who needs that for another year?

Not I.

So, I'm looking forward to more growth in 2012. To making decisions that count, to exploring new things, to building a foundation my photography can really expand and then stand on when the time comes. Learning to be a better photographer. Which never stops anyways.

Onward into 2012! And thanks to all those whose support I have had for the last year. Can't do it without you. Have a fabulous week!

And thanks for the ramble.

Idealistic ~ WideAngle Wednesday!

"ON A PERFECT EVENING"

(1/320 sec.@ F/8, 18mm fl, ISO 160, 18-55mm kit lens, dusk light)

Southern Ontario is getting hammered with ice and snow as I type. Well, my part of Southern Ontario anyway. And I mean hammered. Horizontal blowing snow, freezing rain, gale force winds. Looking nothing like the idealistic image I've decided to post today so that for a few minutes I can look at this blog and enjoy even the remotest slice of denial. Blizzard? What blizzard?

This will be one of my last posts from my Bayfront Park trek. It might even be my favorite. It's fairly symmetrical for a landscape, soothingly composed, and peaceful with it's warm light and lack of busy scenery. For a moment I can forget pulling out the winter boots one last time (PLEASE let it be the last time) hoisting a shovel, and digging enough snow to cover three front yards 5 feet high. Well, almost.

It's wonderful when photographs can transport us. Take us to places and times that bring back wonderful memories, inspire us, or remind us there won't always be blizzards upsetting our routines. As a photographer that's my hope when I edit images. To me it's the most exciting part.

Tomorrow will be a guest post from my buddy Bob Grauer, so check in tomorrow for another great post and have a super day folks, in spite of the snow!

Any Opportunity ~ Mono Monday!

"BayFront Thaws"

(1/80sec. @ F/8, 23mm fl, ISO 160, 18-55mm kit lens, late evening light)

Ever feel driven? Have all consuming thoughts? Can't shake the urge?

Just can't help yourself?

That's me and photography. Next to serving God, and caring for my family, photography pretty much finds a way into everything I do or say. Just ask some of my closest friends. I eat, sleep, and breath it. I'm always looking for any opportunity to shoot. My eyes always scouting for fresh possible subjects every where I go. Watching the weather. Biding my time. Rearranging my day in order to include it (and sometimes that of my family, heh heh). Those who know me well understand that it just comes naturally.

The images today came from an opportunity to shoot with another local photographer whom I mentioned in my post last week. And it was an opportunity to photograph the sunset. And it was an opportunity to use the nice light to stretch my B&W skills once more. Low laying light is the optimal lighting for emphasizing texture, contrast, and shadow.

Hamilton's BayFront Park proved to be a good place for all of that.

"Spring Approaches the Bay"

(1/125 sec.@ F/8, ISO 100, 18mm fl, 18-55 kit lens, late evening light)

It was a wondrous evening. The light took it's time, the sun gently setting down onto the horizon. All the while, we wandered the park, finding ways to use the light. Being inspired. Making mental notes on where to return to... next time. There's always a return visit. Always.

Can't help it.

Thanks for letting me ramble. Have a good one folks! 

Days End II ~ Exploration Thursday!

"Sunsational Exit"

(1/200 sec.@ F/8, ISO 160, 18mm fl, Late evening light, 18-55mm kit zoom)

No, nothing fantastical has been done to today's post. An yes, it's still Exploration Thursday! But instead of posting an image I played with in PSPx3 to see what effects I could explore, I thought I'd post about getting out there and exploring where you live.

Ever get in a rut creatively? It happens. You start thinking you can't do the same ol' thing anymore. Everything feels redundant. And seeing as you don't have the money to hop on a plane with your gear when the mood strikes and fly off to Patagonia to be inspired by the views and come back a creative genius... what's a photographer to do? Especially if you have other hats you wear everyday too, you're a wife, a dad, a corporate accountant (strike that, you'll have the money to go to Patagonia), a nurse, a postman, a farmer... you're limited to the time you have left to wander about with a camera.

Time to change your thinking and explore your immediate area. And at different times of the day is the perfect way to start. The image above is one of the most eye catching I've taken all year so far, and all because I did a little planning and went back to an area I thought I was done photographing for a while, but this time at the most magical time of day. Suddenly I was no longer just "at the park"...

Also, expand who you are creative with, or learn from. I have a wonderful friend/photographer from flickr who the hubby and I finally met for the first time in person the same night I went out to photograph the sun setting. He knows the area like the back of his hand, and knew when the light would hit what section of the bay, and for how long. He had me shooting from vantage points of the park that I had yet to consider, and it truly got me thinking of all the new possibilities I had yet to consider. I know I'll be meeting up with this gentleman again, there's much to learn from someone who has been doing photography for 40 yrs.

Stuck in that rut? Change the time of the day you explore and work. Change the way you approach it. Change who you exchange ideas with. Change the location. Find one small thing to change and your creative juices will thank you.

Thanks for letting me ramble, and have a great Thursday folks.

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...

The Trees Have It ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

 " Along Snake Creek"

(1.300 sec@ F/16, ISO 100, 55mm fl, pattern metering, tripod, Overcast evening light)

Trees. No matter the time of year, no matter what the weather, trees fascinate me. Their different forms, heights, colors, fruits, roots, and textures... always make for an interesting study. Gnarly old trunks, autumn displays of color, tangles of winter branches, not to mention the critters that dwell in them. It all provides a canvas for the nature lover with a camera. Trees photographed well need no other subject matter, they can be majestic, and mysterious. Frilly and flowery. Towering and powerful. You know exactly what I mean, don't you?

My week is running away with me a bit, and I've yet to get outside with the camera. So I thought I'd post an image from my autumn road trip that I've only just edited in the last twenty four hours. Even though this is not the sprawling spacious landscape we often associate with wide angle lenses, this was taken at a 55mm focal length, and allows for room to set up a complex composition so as to fully accentuate the grouping of trees in full fall color. The sky was rather dull and grey, a thick wall of cloud with zero definition. So I framed just the trees, and composed a bit downstream so as to create a way to break up the different layers of shrubs and trees with the creek flowing into the shot. The tree in the left side foreground area has some natural angles to it, and the bark stood out against the dark greens behind. The background trees lean in on the opposite angle to it and have hits of saturated color due to a mild rain shower. Hence the spots and bubbles in the current of the creek. Where I knelt along the bank for this shot, my husband and I were under a thick canopy that sheltered us from the rain. It was tranquil, soothing, rustic. I hope you see all of that when you look at the above image!

If I have any one tip today for using a wide angle lens, I guess it'd be don't be afraid to tighten up your composition. All too often I see photos where it looks like everything was miles away, and it's the first thing I hear from beginners, that their images look so distant. That they thought they were much closer at the time. Start getting closer to your scenery! And it's been said over and over in reference to photography: if you think you're plenty close, get closer still. I begin fairly close, and keep working my way deeper and deeper into the shot. It's provided me with some unexpected results when I first started, and now it's second nature.

And speaking of wonderful landscapes, I'm delighted to add an image to my blog today from my good friend and extraordinary photographer Bob Grauer. Bob has been one of the few photographers who keeps me on the straight and narrow road of photographic quality. I have learned a great deal from him about everything from great light and composition, to what bit depth to use at the printer! He's never afraid to tell it like it is, and for that I've been extremely grateful. So I'm pleased to share one of my favorite images of his here today!

"Foggy Morning" ~ Bald Cypress Trees, Big Cypress National Preserve

(a 3 exposure bracketed image, early morning diffused light, blended in PhotoMatix,

exposure fusion mode. Additional layers in PS)

Not only do I love how Bob saw the foggy morning winter light creating a mysterious backdrop for these clusters of Bald Cypress (which I'm told look like this year round) but his choice of wide angle lens allowed him to accentuate the boardwalk and lead us into the image. Very engaging, and so effective. It transports you. Thanks for allowing me to share this beautiful photo Bob!

And thanks to everyone for allowing me to ramble on! Inspired yet to get out there with your own camera? I hope so! Have a good one folks!

Colorful Reflections ~ Telephoto Tuesday!

"Birch on Big Yurkie Lake"

( 1/6 sec @ F/18, ISO 100, 200mm fl, 55-200 mm Nikkor Telephoto zoom, overcast late
day, pattern metering, tripod, remote shutter release)

Last week I did a post about a reflection at an intersection, this week I thought I'd post about a natural reflection I photographed not that long ago, up near the Madawaskas area this past fall. I'll come right out and say... this is not a pristine image, it's not technically flawless by any means, but I love it for it's symmetry, colors, and the memories it brings back of that road trip. Well, some of them, as I ended up being sick as a dog this particular day. But I couldn't let that stop me, I had one chance to photograph  this beautiful lake. We were photographing all day, all the way home starting from the Ottawa Valley... a 6 hour drive I managed to lengthen to 11. And Big Yurkie Lake was on the way. It was a goal of mine to spend quite some time there, it's only entrance a jog at the side of the rural highway. Then you walked in. And you didn't know where to start pointing your camera!

I had my sights set on Big Yurkie because two years before I had gotten some quick shots of it while on the road with my family, but quick shots were all they were and I regretted not taking more time. You're forced to walk along the very narrow shoreline the entire time, and I hadn't used a tripod. And Big Yurkie always seems to be overcast, with dark, dark shores across the water, not a soul in sight, and usually within a half an hour it begins to lightly rain. Makes for a very mysterious spot.

This shot is from the opposite side of the lake, far enough away that I had to stand on an outcropping as far as I could safely go with my camera and tripod, and zoom in to the fullest focal length my telephoto lens would give me, 200mm. I turned off the lens' Vibration Reduction mode since I was using the tripod and remote shutter release, as this causes the lens to fight against the anchoring a tripod gives. There was such a dark sky that I used a long exposure to get enough light and the tripod was a must. Because of a slight breeze on the water, the trees are slightly blurred, giving a soft effect that I would have preferred more crisp at the time, but have come to terms with now. And the one thing that stood out, helping to divide the composition where reflections and nature met was a floating remnant of birch tree.

Shortly after this shot, true to form, it began a light rain, and so we went back to the car as I didn't need to be more sick than I already was. But I was happy... I'd caught a true representation of the moody Big Yurkie, beautiful and untouched. And that's what mattered.

I excited to share another image with you all today... this one comes from a good friend and someone I consider a mentor. After the post last week of the city reflection, he sent me his own reflection taken with a telephoto, in Boston and it's another perfect example of seeing a select composition within the enormity of the city. I particularly like the warm brick reflected back in the scene, the great contrasting lines, and the bit of tree coming into the frame adding to the perspective. Brilliant.


Thanks Dave Pratt for allowing me to post your wonderful image, and if any else has been following the different themes throughout the week and you'd like to send me your photograph to add to my next blog, give me a shout in the comments below and I will send you my email address pronto! Thanks for letting me ramble on folks, and have a fabulous day!

Thankful for Ontario's Beauty

 " Autumn At Eels Lake"

1/125 sec @ F/5, ISO 160, 18mm fl, manual



Here in Canada it's Thanksgiving weekend already, so I thought I'd post images from my latest trip up to the Ottawa Valley area, where the color and beauty we explored for three days along all the old roads and highways was so inspirational. My husband and I loaded up the car with gear, snacks, coffee and tunes a couple weekends ago, and meandered our way 7hrs northeast up to where the Madawaska River finally meets with the Ottawa River... and along the way, we cruised back roads, boat launch trails, and even cemeteries. And everywhere we looked, there was a quiet wilderness begging to be captured.

Over the next few days I will be posting images that will give you a small taste of what it was like to explore this lovely and rural part of Ontario for a weekend, camera always in hand. And today I'll start with our first real stop, about halfway through our journey, at Eels Lake, up near the Kawarthas region.

 "Eels Lake Shoreline"

1/160 sec @ F/6.3, ISO 106, 18mm fl, manual



This particular area was shot quite close to the boat launch at Eels Lake. And if I have one tip for anyone out exploring this particular part of Ontario, up past the Kawarthas, Bancroft, all the way up to Renfrew or Ottawa itself along the smaller more scenic highways, it's this; some of the best and most rewarding "detours" you'll make along the way are anywhere along the road where you see a Boat Launch sign! These routes mean there are secluded and natural lakes ahead (secluded come autumn time anyways, lol) and you're sure to catch some pristine scenery in the lens. These roads are often remote enough that you may see deer, and other wildlife en route, and usually when you get to the end of the road there's a lovely place to stretch your legs or even picnic while you shoot. Of course, always make sure it is a public launch route, a private road can land you in trouble.



 "Rustic Eels Lake" B&W Conversion"

1/200 sec @ F/6.3, ISO 200, 18mm fl, manual

The above image I love because of all the textures that suddenly command your attention once converted to B&W. I often will take an image knowing that it's one I want to see in a monochromatic version, and this was one that I knew right away would suit perfectly. There will be more B&W images to follow in the next post, I'm excited to see what you think of them... the rocks and sediment along the shore were full of visual interest and character, and seemed to prove that we were treading on ground left quite in it's natural state... hard to find in the beaches and parks closer to my end of Ontario. The light was lovely and diffused due to fluffy clouds hanging low in the sky that day, so overall patterned metering was pretty much the norm as i shot, and all were handheld.



"Cove at Eels Lake Launch"

1/160 sec @ F/6.3, ISO 200, 18mm fl, Manual

Finally, the above image (a color version, landscape framing this time, as opposed to it's B&W partner) is a great example of how you can pull detail out of the sky AND the water below with the use of a circular polarizing filter. A polarizer cuts the light reflecting off the water, adding depth, and it deepens the sky, perfect for these low laying clouds. This was the perfect type of day to use my handy little filter, with the sun behind me late in the afternoon. I knelt low on the sand and made sure to compose so that the sky complimented the landscape, adding interest naturally.

This post pretty much exemplifies everything I love about landscape photography... adventuring into new territory, exploring the beauty available, and trying to capture it in such a way that the viewer is caught saying to themselves "oh, I need to GO there one day!" The wonder to be found a few hours from home inspires me, and makes me so thankful for things as simple as a humble little "boat launch" sign, for without it I never would have explored sweet little Eels Lake, or had images to hopefully inspire the rest of you to hop in the car with a loved one or pal one day, and just drive, to see what you can discover and become inspired by yourself!

Thanks for letting me ramble on! Have a great Thanksgiving one and all!

And feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you're thankful for lately :-)

An Honest Landscape

"Fields Awaken"

I realized looking through my rather sporatic postings, that I had yet to post a photo of one of my favourite genres of photography in a long while.... the landscape. So here's one today that I recently took exploring some back roads in Southern Ontario. It embodies my favorite kind of day. It was early morning, far from the city haze. Most of my fellow photogers that have ever shot with me know how much I love a great lazy sky, jewel toned with a white cloudy depth that evokes all the beauty to be found on such a day. The air crisp, the sun yet to reach it's killer heat of summer. And a ruggedly honest scene, nary a skyscraper to be found. An honest to goodness landscape.

I shot this at 1/200 sec.@ F/8, 55mm focal length, ISO 160, handheld from the side of the road. My trusty kit wide angle zoom, circular polarizer, and early bright light. The only true editing I did was to tweak the RGB channels a tad in PSPx2, and some unmask sharpen.

I personally like the old tracks running through the soil in the foreground... they lead your eye to the grand tree or the tiny shed respectively. And like I said, it represents everything I love about hopping in the car spontaneously, all the windows down, tunes cranked, and wandering the back roads enjoying the simple scenes along the way.

Read an article this week in PopPhoto mag, about another photographer who's landscapes are exceptional... Glenn Oakley whose work can be found at http://www.oakleyphoto.com/. He commented on the way to really "push it (a landscape) further, is to bring people in." He calls them animated landscapes, and for the most part he has someone ready to ride, pose, or wander into the shot.... and I noticed he's right. Makes a difference to what is already a wonderful scene. Having read about this and seen his amazing images, I feel compelled to shoot my next landscapes with an attempt to include people. To give them a little push. (Not that anything I shoot will be as remarkable as Glenn's, and I hope he will not mind that I've included his talent here in my blog. But remarkable photographers will always inspire me to strive harder to take the best images I'm capable of.)

Will I connect with the resulting images just the same, or will there be a refreshing difference? Will you? We'll find out. My personal challenge starts tonight.

Thanks for letting me ramble on folks! Have a good one!