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!



When Trees Are Enough ~ Mono Monday!

"Hidden Forest Paths"

I love the Bruce Trail. Ask me how much. Go on. Ask me. No, don't even ask me cause I'll tell you anyway. I love it more than pizza. I love it more than Harry Connick Jr. I love it more than reruns of Bob Newhart. "Geez," you think, "she must love it a lot!" How'd you guess?

Because Hamilton and beyond is anchored along the Niagara Escarpment, it means I and my Nikon have access to the many threads of the Bruce Trail on a whim. Yesterday was so warm and sunny for the end of October that the whim was, shall we say, overpowering. So out I went with the camera, and it wasn't long till I was surrounded by trees, trees, and... oh yeah, more trees.

"Escarpment's Edge"

I long ago decided that anyone who could photograph a dense tangle of trees and still make it look like it was deliberately composed and executed, was a photographer to be reckoned with. And I also decided long ago to isolate what one needed to see past the forest and photograph the beauty of the tree, no matter where I was. Over time I began to learn that besides good light, you need to be able to really see layers, shapes, groupings, and the way all those things relate to one another to form a composition. When you can do that, then you find the vantage point that emphasizes that composition, and adds interest to the space you're visualizing in the lens. What you wind up with is a photo that the viewer can imagine themselves stepping into, or at the least, a photo that still draws the eye through every area of the scene.

The Bruce Trail lets me hone this skill, stretch this skill, and learn new things about it all. Focusing on trees as a subject alone is enough to strengthen my craft. Don't know if I'll ever fully master it but that's okay. I like the "trying" to attain it! The process is so darned enjoyable when it's about something you love and are passionate about. And I'm passionate about nature AND photography.

I love them both. Go ahead. Ask me how much.

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!

Contrast in Nature ~ Mono Monday!

"Spring Becomes Her"

(1/60 sec @ F/11, ISO 200, 19mm fl, 18-55mm kit zoom, early morning bright light)

This Mono Monday I decided to go with a landscape. Actually, a landscape taken in the midst of the city along the Niagara Escarpment, overlooking Hamilton, Ontario. This is Sam Lawrence Park, one of the best maintained and most beautiful perennial gardens in the area. It's layered with varieties of plants and trees that all compliment one another throughout different parts of the year. I have files upon files of this park, I never get tired of photographing it! It's a welcome contrast to much of the rest of the smoggy, chaotic city scene.

This particular landscape was chosen to become the Black and White version above because I was drawn to the heavy contrast throughout the scene. The light chisels out the edge of this part of the escarpment, diagonally  across the composition, emphasizing the rock face along the path. And the bright clusters of early flowers contrast against the shaded rocks, spilling over and under and around, paying no attention to the harsh light about to creep across the trail. All this contrasting shadow and light, it's hard to meter for, to make sure you take a reading off a very neutral area of stone or greenery so that your highlights don't blow out, but you also don't loose details in the shadows. Your exposure needs the right mixture of both.

The other reason I knew this would work as a monochromatic image was because of all the textures that make up the scene. Also, there's layers within the composition, from the low foreground elements, all the way back into the background with trees adding height, something I always look for in a landscape of any kind. Keeps the image from being one dimensional. Even though it's in B and W, it still needs to come to life when others look at it. That's the danger of a Black and White image, that it becomes a flat representation of what we see in the lens. Keeping that in mind as I edited this image I actually used a different B and W filter on two separate layers of the same shot. The one filter is a Platinum fx filter which is great for defining dark areas when converting to B and W. The other layer was edited with an Infra Red filter which gives a glow and stark contrast to all the highlights. Layering the IR layer subtly into the Platinum layer gave me a very dynamic B and W, full of life. I knew I had to share this image for today. And I hope you approve.

Don't be afraid to be creative, even in B and W. Especially in landscapes! Use contrasting elements to your advantage. Challenge yourself to see without color!

As always, thanks for letting me ramble on! Have a super awesome Monday folks!
And Happy Valentine's Day as well!