Traveling Back

"Ready To Go Out"

I have neglected the blog as of late, so I thought I'd post a new image today from a previous visit to Newfoundland. I don't yet get to travel often as a photographer, but I absolutely love it. So on days where I can't get rid of the ache to explore and have to stick close to home, I pull out my travel files and explore the memories via images I have yet to work on!

Today's image was taken somewhere on our way to Ocean View National Park and Leading Tickles. There was activity happening on the docks, so I only had a few seconds to get the sky skimming past these vessels lined up in the cove, ready to head out for the morning... I loved the boat in the middle ground with the flag waving proudly.

So now I've shared my itch to travel back... and to be sure I'll be arranging another trip, a longer trip, to magical Newfoundland. But for now, this will have to do while I get back to work! And hey, if you have one place you'd recommend to this rambling photographer, what would it be? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Have a great day gang!  Thanks for the Ramble!

Where You Live ~ Exploration Thursday

"The Departure" Panorama

When life permits, I'll one day be able to really travel. I spent some time yesterday looking at travel photography and I know it's a challenge I want to face one day. But for now the timing is wrong, and I'm okay with that. I need to be here for my kids, both starting new journeys in school this fall, and for my hubby as he takes on extra work, and you'll see a new section soon to the blog for portraits.... something I need to work desperately for the next while.

But when I DO have that hankering (sometimes daily, let's be real here!) to shoot interesting vistas, wonderful scenery, or curious subjects, I have everything right here. Where I live. If I time it right, if I look hard enough, if I'm patient and open to possibilities, I can fill that need and get images that still test my skills.

The panoramic shot above was taken at a local marina, one of my go-to places for landscape hankerings. To see it enlarged just click on the image above. I have never tried pano's before, and thought I'd give this scene a try. The last golden light of the day was quickly departing (hence the title) and I liked the cloud cover over the entrance to the boat launch, with equipment standing at attention, ready for the next day's boats to launch out of dry dock. I badly wanted all that sky contoured in the last light. And suddenly I heard the voice of a good friend and mentor, saying, "For heaven's sake CD, make a multiple image panoramic already".... so I did. He's been trying to get me to do this for the last year or so, so Bob - this is for you! This scene has four images stitched together and processed to tweak the light in the photo, allowing me to get from one end of the launch to the other within a single frame. And get all the sky over the whole scene. I was so excited to see this done, that it felt just like coming back from an adventure elsewhere. Now four shots combined isn't genius or anything, but I feel good for my first attempt. That's one for the bucket list!

My point? I will never stop photographing where I live. It is training me now for the places and sights I'll photograph later... that's just too invaluable to ignore, or to sit around wishing I was somewhere else all the time. I hope the scenes I post through the blog inspire my readers to explore where they live, with or without a camera.

Drop me a line and let me know where you live! My stats say that some of you are away across the pond, some away across the world... would love to actually hear from you!

Thanks for the ramble... hope you're rambling about where you live too.

What I Know About Sunsets...

"At Evening's Bay"

Photographing in sunset light will always make you a better photographer. That is not disputed. That magic golden hour will challenge you, motivate you, excite you, and work you hard. Now that my little family is growing up, I'm finding I have more time for sunsets and I thought I'd share what this means in the camera and to a photographer for those of you just getting started working around sunsets or have been struggling with understanding it's rapidly changing light.

1. You think you know your camera! Photographing at the pace it takes to catch all the different light in the sky from the setting sun means over time you'll be forced to instinctively know where everything is on your camera without checking. Obviously this frees you to concentrate on being creative and frees you to notice the light on your surroundings or subjects instead of fiddling with the camera. And this skill is needed in many types of photography. Just yesterday I photographed some rescued birds... I had to move quickly with them, and never once looked down at my dials and settings. And I believe your manual setting is the way to go. You'll have total control over what the camera records and forcing yourself to use it means you'll understand your camera that much faster, especially if you make a practice of reviewing your results.
2. Your meter isn't always your best friend. Or at least that's what I always thought when shooting sunsets till I realized I just needed to understand it's function. And again, this really applies across the photography gamut. But the low light and direction you decide to photograph in during sunset can really mess with your meter. Facing the sun's light, no matter how low will mean straying from 0 on the meter... I find I need to bracket my exposures and have some underexposure so there's color in the brightest sections of the sky but loosing detail in shadow, then swinging the exposure the other way and overexposing to keep shadow areas a little brighter and allow the sky to be blown out slightly. I place them all in processing as layers and pull sections from each to blend the exposures. Even when I'm facing away from the sunset to catch light on certain subjects behind me, I may start at zero but have soon strayed from it into slight underexposure/overexposure to get drama in the colors, rich dark tones and highlights that don't disappear. Know whether you need matrix or spot metering too. Your meter probably won't sync up with your vision at this point and you need to understand how to make it work to your advantage. 
3. You can plan all you want, but be prepared to go with the flow! If you shoot outside for anything then you know this. The sky and the weather will do their own thing. And over extremely short periods of time. You can hop in your car with great bodies of clouds to filter the sun, then get to your destination 5 minutes later and by then the clouds have gone completely and a haze has set in. Or rain has begun. Or the Extreme Kite Flyers Association has taken over the location and the sky is filled with random shapes instead of the setting sun... in which case GET PHOTOGRAPHING. 
4. Give your sensor enough time to get it all! Have a tripod please. Have a remote shutter release (or use your timer) for zero camera shake. And get comfortable with long exposures. All these things alone or together give you the means to get the beautiful light lingering in the sky... especially the light still there when the sun is gone.
    
5. Know that some locations are more logical than others. We have a wonderful beach not far from our house, but I'll never really have the setting sun in those photos ever... simply because the shoreline faces east. What I can get on that shoreline is the glinting waves from the sun opposite, or the trees on the shore with a sunburst through them if I stand in the water a bit. Or sunrises... and sunrises are for another day. The location seen above however is one I frequent because no matter where I stand in it's open spaces I can get great light. Either the actual setting sun, or the light from it cast across the park and marina behind.

This is just skimming the surface, but for those who have been wanting to photograph a sunset it's about trial and error, and becoming familiar with your personal style, and knowing how to begin approaching the rapidly changing and beautiful light that is a sunset. And with anything, the more you do it, the better you become.

Thanks for the ramble! I know how many of you are beginners, and are frustrated with this topic... I hope this will allow you to dig further into this area of landscape photography.

And Then There Was This....

"Solitary Elements"

First there was the lost sunglasses for the third time that day. Then I got chatting with a neighbour and missed the first bus. The driver was heavy on the brakes in short spurts and the man sitting beside me reeked of pot. When I finally arrived at my destination to photograph the sunset in one of my favorite locations, the park was closed off for a water festival (in the middle of the week people?) and I had to hoof it all the way around to the other side, taking up nearly another half hour of my time while the light began to wane....

And then there was this.

My first action in the midst of all my frustration was to launch myself at a bench and have a gripe-fest in my head or out loud to the many Canada Geese lounging nearby. I hadn't decided which yet, when I realized the soothing scene before me. All my frustration leaked away and I got the camera out as I marveled at the serenity and colors the Creator had waiting for anyone who chose to see it. This is why I love what I do.

The first in nearly two hours worth of sunset photographs gleefully taken last night (which I will post in the coming days), I gave it some basic tweaking and posted it for today. A reminder that past the daily obstacles, there's so much waiting for us.

With that in mind, have a fabulous day and thanks for the Ramble...

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 Respectful Photographer ~ Telephoto Tuesday!

"Working the Fields"

Was out last week in Mennonite country. The color around St.Jacobs and Elmira is just starting to riot, and the warm temps make it easy to get out and wander back roads for great scenes. If you're ever in the region, take the opportunity to explore beyond the main drag of town.

The images today were taken with my telephoto from the side of the road, and was the perfect tool from my kit to be a considerate photographer. Mennonites are a quiet, humble group to say the least, and are generally okay with you getting photographs as long as you are respectful and refrain from being intrusive. We stayed out of this gentleman's way and simply followed his progress through his fields from a distance. He'd spotted us on the road and smirked from behind his sunglasses at one point, and then went on his way slowly, enjoying the sun and his team.

What I realised very early on in my pursuit of photography, is that even though I have a right to photograph beautiful scenes and public spaces, I still need to conduct myself in a way that shows that photographers are simply eager to share what they see, not eager to exploit what they see. All too often I've been out with other photographers and noticed someone pushing the personal space or privacy boundaries. Making everyone, including other photographers, uncomfortable. And for the most part, if you ask first anyways, most folks will allow you a second to take your photo and be on your way.

"Heading Home"

It was a good reminder for me, to be aware of making people more comfortable with photography, as opposed to creating a reputation that cause the public to be wary of it. After all, it's the public that we want to love the resulting images to begin with. Time to treat them with some respect if we don't already.

Thanks for the ramble folks, enjoy the autumn weather!

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!

Expect the Unexpected ~ Exploration Thursday!

"Marsh Light"

(1/50 sec.@ F/9, ISO 200, 40mm fl, late evening light)

Let me set up the scene. Sitting editing at my desk last night, supper ready, I look out my window for a moment and what do I see? The most massive clouds moving quickly across the sky. I look at the cloud anxiously. If I time this right, I can have dinner on the table in two seconds, hubby will walk through the door, my kit bag will be ready, and out the door I'll go after scarfing down said dinner... to chase the clouds. I hear the car pull in and is that a nervous twitch in my right eye? I can barely contain myself. I NEED to get pics of those clouds lit so gloriously in the lowering sun!

Faster than you can say "Bob's yer Uncle" we wolf down our donairs, and hubby and I fly out to the car yelling something to the kids about not blowing up the house or losing the dog and off we go. I remember that not far from the house is a new trail that leads to a cool walking bridge over the highway to the beach... the clouds will look great from there!

Move ahead a measly ten minutes. The clouds? Gone. They've rapidly become a smear of grey across the distant sky leaving a hazy blue and nothing else. Can you say "drat!" I walk deflated across said bridge and wonder if I'll just have to stand around for another hour and at least get some night shots of the light trails of hundreds of cars on the highway beneath us driving into the approaching night. But man I wanted those clouds.

If there's one thing I've learned pursuing photography for the last five years, it's been to never restrict yourself to what you think might be waiting for you. Always be ready for the possibility that instead of what you envisioned, there might be a surprise waiting for you. There have been days I thought I was heading out to shoot landscapes, and instead I got hung up on some cool details I spied at the side of the road en route. Went to shoot architecture, and shot dogs playing in puddles instead. So as I stood on the bridge, I turned to see the view from the east... and found marshes rising up on either side of the highway along the trails. And if they weren't bathed in the most lovely sunset light, grasses shining, water with golden ripples. And if I poked my lens through the rungs of the bridges rails, I could get the view unhindered and from 40ft up.

I walked away with a ton of shots. The reeds in the water made little paths that zigzagged through the frame, natural layers the eye could travel around, and the light kept deepening. You'd never know traffic was roaring past less than 30 feet away... and the whole time I was reminded that I need to expect the unexpected when I head out with my camera.

Have a great day folks! Thanks for the ramble and I hope you all find something unexpected to photograph this week too!

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!

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!

Determination~ Mono Monday!

"Evening Over Lake Ontario"

(1/50 sec.@ F/8, ISO 200, 18mm fl, pattern metering, late overcast light)

Recently I participated in a live workshop online. It was being taught by a fairly celebrated wedding photographer. Yep, you heard me right. I spent an entire weekend being inspired by a wedding photographer. But Christine, you say, you're a fine art photographer. What in the world would one have to do with the other?

The answer is simple. You can find inspiration anywhere. Actually, I should say it this way... you should find inspiration anywhere! And the workshop with Jasmine Star couldn't have come at a better time. To be honest, I was feeling a little like I had hit a wall with the photography. Tapped out. Drained. Perhaps a little pointless. Maybe I was doing something wrong? Maybe I was never going to learn how to make a career out of this vocation?

Instead, what I heard during that webinar was how to keep pressing through, how to never let the big dogs intimidate you, and how to be patient, to let your photography take it's time and become what it needs to. And above all, to be yourself. Sounds like a theme on this blog I know, but that's because it's crucial to growing. The speaker didn't so much teach about wedding photography as share exactly how she learned to become a pro at photography, period. I had desperately needed to hear that. And I connected with her evident passion and joy for sharing what she loves. Exactly why I blog about my photography journey in the first place.

In the image above, there's a wee lighthouse on the horizon. (If you click on the image it should give you a bigger version.) There are days my calling as a photographer (or as a mother, or as a best friend, or as a business manager, or as a singer or...) is like the photograph posted; you can barely make out the guiding light on the horizon but it's there just the same. And you may have to be brave enough to leave the safety of the shores, navigate through the rocks and obstacles of doubt and fear, and head into rougher waters in order to approach the lighthouse on a larger scale, but all of that isn't meant to stop you from doing what you love. It's just meant to give you new things to master along the way.

I had to decide after the workshop just how determined I really am to make this a career. My full time vocation. Ever have those moments? That "do I give up while the gettin's good" moments, or the "I couldn't stop if you paid me moments?"

How 'bout you? Ever struggle with plunging head first into a new project, or continuing with one when it becomes harder to see the finish line? Believe me, I know the feeling! I'll cheer you on if you cheer me on, deal?

Thanks for the ramble folks, have a great day pursuing what you love!

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!