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 :-)