“Headwaters”
“Beginning as a trickle from deep in the earth and combining with other small trickles, the creek forms and grows in the dark recesses of the forest” – Ed Lehming
Here is another ‘re-imagined’ image of a scene I have tried countless time to do justice too. It’s the headwaters of Duffins Creek, a local creek that flows from the Oak Ridges Moraine to Lake Ontario. I have spent many years hiking the trails along this beautiful creek and it has yielded many great photos.
This beautiful spot is a challenge to photograph for a few reasons. Firstly, the light is very low and diffused by the thick canopy of cedars, nourished by the boggy, water-laden ground, which is the source of the creek. Secondly, is the cedars themselves. Photos I have taken in the past have seemed dull, uninteresting, and don’t communicate just how lovely this place is. If you look at my camera settings below, you can see that there is not much available light to work with, even on a bright day.
December snow falls and taking a chance on something new has yielded this image. The snow brightens the scene and the morning sunlight in the background beams softly through what would normally be a thick, flat looking mesh of cedar. It seems like all the elements came together at last, further enhanced with my post-processing. The scene is transformed from what can be, and has been, almost oppressive and brooding to something quite serene, I think.
I’m so pleased to be able to achieve this result with a bit of coaxing and breaking out from the more traditional processing of my photos.
iPhone 12 Pro @ 4.2 mm
1/125 sec, f/1.6, ISO 32
Ed Lehming Photography 
Love the colour of the water – well done!
Thanks
How refreshing! Where I live, we are having a heat wave and hazardous pollution. Just the antidote my burning eyes need to see at the moment. That and the pale blue-greens in the upper third are gorgeous.
Thank you
I must say that you have taken the expression of the image to a new level. I like everything I see, composition, contrasts both in color and shape, the creek against the snow. The small sunlit tree in the middle draws the gaze into the picture. In my eyes a perfect image to reproduce on paper. Did I say restful too …..
Glad to see that the water is not ice. It’s time for spring!
I’ve never seen it freeze here, even in the coldest day. The water had just come from deep underground, so has some residual heat.
And here I was hoping it was a sign of spring. I guess it’s a sign of “a” spring – an underground one.
😆
Beautiful!
Thank you
You are welcome!