“As we journey through life, and along the roadways, we are often faced with things we don’t expect. How do we process those times and circumstances when an opportunity to observe and consider is presented?”
– Ed Lehming
As a general rule, I don’t often photograph man-made items, unless they really interest me and the opportunity for deeper observation presents itself. So, here we go.
As my wife and I recently travelled some of the back roads of Prince Edward County, we found ourselves just outside Picton, Ontario and were surprised to find the Picton had an airport, let alone one of this size.
The airport, it turns out, was at one time a fully active air force base, used extensively during WW2 when it opened in 1941 as a bombing and gunnery school. It went through several different iterations over the years, eventually transferring to the Amy and being used for several civilian purposes till being formally closed on 1969.
Currently, it’s owned by a private developer and the former barracks and hangers are being used by local businesses, including an art gallery. The large hangers were used as recently as last weekend to host a local beer festival. The airfield itself is still used as a municipal airport.
As I stood on the roadside along the ruting fencing, I was particularly drawn to the textures and lines that the fence presented me with. Widening the aperture a bit produced the clarity of the barbed wire detail while softening the watchtower in the background.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 125 mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“It’s the unusual, the ‘out of place’ that gets our attention and prompts us to ask questions.”
– Ed Lehming
While driving through Prince Edward County, a large peninsula in south-eastern Ontario, some of the main roads run through a fairly large patch of marshland, rather, swamp, since it is filled with shrubs and trees. What makes this so unique is that the swamps, which seem to be wet all year round are filled with large maple trees, primarily red and silver maple, which don’t seem to mind getting their feet wet in what is locally known as “The Big Swamp”.
The rest of the ‘County’ is rolling farmland with the occasional patch of low brush or juniper, as well as many of Ontario’s emerging wineries. The ‘County” is becoming a very popular destination, mostly because of its proximity to Toronto, its quaint villages, picturesque landscape, and a spectacular provincial park known as “Sandbanks” made up of miles of soft sand-dunes jutting into Lake Ontario.
Among this diverse landscape, I keep coming back to the central swamp, because it’s so out of place to me. I’ve been here many times over the past few years but until a few days ago, did not take the time to stop and photograph them. The trees you see in this photo stretch on for hundreds of meters into the swamp, but the thicker summer foliage obscurs much of that, so a trip back in autumn is definitely going to happen.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70 mm
1/4 sec, f/20.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“One does not have to travel to far flung and remote places to find beauty. We simply need to open ourselves up to see it, by expecting it, in our daily journeys.”
– Ed Lehming
In line with my recent “Along the Way” theme, here’s another roadside treasure that I captured on my recent drive from Bancroft, Ontario to Picton. This stretch of Highway 62, north of the farmlands of Madoc, leads us through some near north Canadian Shield wilderness which is so typical of the North Hastings region. This same landscape continues north to Ontario’s Algonquin Park and beyond and can be easily enjoyed from the highway.
The rocky terrain, filled with pines, small lakes, and swamps goes on for miles in the same pattern and most travelers take it for granted,simply driving through it, focussed on a destination, when the journey is just as beautiful.
This small, roadside lake is called Spring Lake and I simply loved the serene little island with its tall pines and backdrop of fluffy summer clouds. I see these scenes all the time as I’m driving, enjoying them and envisioning a possible photograph, but often fail to stop. Or, I’ll see the scene and the angle or light has changed enough by the time I pull over that the composition is lost as a memory. This one worked out.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 122 mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Summer progresses and the fruits of our labours and those of others, begin to yield, as evidenced by the bounty of the farm fields.”
– Ed Lehming
I should really call this recent series of images “Images Along the Way” since all have been taken from the roadside or not too far off the road on my travels to and from my camper.
This scene was absolutely marvelous and I simply had to stop and try to capture the scale and beauty of the massive field of rolled straw near the small community of Yelverton, Ontario. The field rolls far into the distance and is filled with hundreds of bales of straw. The immensity of the field is further complimented by wonderful late afternoon sunlight breaking through a thining deck of rain clouds.
It was not long after I made this image that the skies once again opened up into torrential rain, so I’m even happier for the brief break in the weather that allowed this image to be created.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 110 mm
1/640 sec, f/13.0, ISO 1250
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Summer walks along the creek, the sun playing among the drifting clouds, and life, in full force all around me.”
– Ed Lehming
Today I spent a day just being; taking things easy and simply letting the day flow. The day started cool and overcast. The forecast called a mix of sun and cloud, which soon became cool showers. The showers eventually cleared and yielded a wonderful soft light which made for great light and bright greens.
My wife and I spent much of the day visiting the town of Maynooth, with its farmers market and a plethora of antique shops. There was no real plan, simply time to be together and checking out the shops. From there we headed east to a favourite spot of ours, along Papineau Creek.
This little piece of heaven is little known and generally quite private. An ideal place for a picnic lunch and some photography. I enjoy the quality of light here and the open pine forest.
This image is one of my first for a while, using intentional camera movement to yield the slightly impressionistic look and feel. I love how the light plays among the branches and along the path, and highlighting the birch log that has fallen across the path. Someone has peeled the white bark back on a section of the log, making it look like an over-sized cigarette butt.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70 mm
1/4 sec, f/22.0, ISO 1250
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“The most beautiful things happen, along the way. Stop and enjoy them.”
– Ed Lehming
Today, I’m doing a quick post and starting to get myself back into the discipline of posting and writing about my photos more frequently. I realized just how much I had dropped from my routine.
I had a significantly disruptive life event in March, which pulled the rug out from under me, creatively. I may talk about that at some point, as I continue to process it. Needless to say, the event caused me to stop doing the thing I love. Namely, photography.
It’s a strange thing that I fell away from the very thing that has always been my outlet and refuge through all the stresses life throws at us.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve done the very thing that I encourage others to do. Simply stop and enjoy all the beautiful things along the way.
The image above was taken from the side of the highway on our way north to our camper. I’d been admiring the thunderstorms on the horizon for some time, but there was never a good view from places where it was safe to stop. Finally, I found a short opening that offered this view of the clouds, lit up bright pink by the setting sun.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70 mm
1/80 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1250
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Mid-June after a rainy spring and crops are finally planted, the world is greening, and wildflowers burst forth in profusion. Time for a pause.”
– Ed Lehming
I made this image at my late cousin’s farm. We’ve spent some time there trying to understand what goes with what, who’s farming what lands, and just getting a sense for the timing of things.
Farms are busy places in the spring, made busier when the farmer who has managed this farm for years suddenly passes. There have been a lot of unknowns but lots of help from those who knew him and understood his rhythms. Farming is all about timing and if the timing is off things go awry.
Fortunately, close friends and fellow farmers have stepped up to the challenge and made the best of things. The fields on the home farm are planted and now there is a brief pause, a time for a quick rest, before the next step begins. A tractor sits idle by a freshly planted field and Dames Rockets bloom behind it, as if just planted themselves.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/640 sec, f/8.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Flowers will always try, and look their best, no matter what the season or reason.”
―
Every spring I get to enjoy a gift from the past. My mother and I are both avid gardeners and sharing seeds connected us in a unique way by having some similar plants in our gardens. I live in Ontario and she lives in British Columbia, so our growing zones are quite different, so there is a limit to our ability to share. Many years ago, she shared the seeds of this particular plant with me, and it has grown in may garden ever since.
One in particular, that has worked remarkably well for both of us is this variety of Columbine, which we referred to as Mountain Columbine is actually Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Nora Barlow’
This ‘frilly’ columbine, one of the so-called rose or clematis flowered aquilegias, where the sepals are doubled and the outer ones have an attractive green tinge. Nora Barlow was a granddaughter of Charles Darwin and this plant, popular for more than 300 years, was found growing in her garden by the nurseryman Allan Bloom.
So, there is also the pleasure of finding the history of our shared flowers, which likely came from her mother or grandmother. I never did ask where the seeds came from. Interestingly, hers did not propagate one year and she came to me asking if I could send some seeds back her way.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO 800
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Spaces high and low, previously wide open and empty, are now filled with deep green leaves, as the forest breathes in the warming air.”
– Ed Lehming
It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. The forest suddenly transformed from the bright greens and yellows of spring to the deep greens of summer. Places where I could see deep into the woods a few days ago are now a wall of green. Only a few bare spaces remain.
Even though it’s still late spring, but the forest is now in its summer garb. The soft light of spring is quickly absorbed in the lush greenery. though some splashes still fall on the brown and coppery leaves on the trails.
It’s a time of transformation and I find myself looking for new subject matter, other than just the green ‘veil’ that dominates life inside the forest.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/32., ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“As I stepped over the slippery rock, making sure of my footing, the Heron launched itself into the sky from it’s shoreline perch, fading quickly across the lake.”
– Ed Lehming
This is why a chose landscape and botanical photography as my go-to. I have, on the rare occasion made a good wildlife photo. Those photos are more the result of being in the right place at the right time when an opportunity presents itself. Most often, the wildlife is fleeing or gone already.
I have a special respect for the work that goes into being a successful and consistent wildlife photographer. It involves days of preparation, scouting, and immeasurable patience and practice to get the shot that presents the wildlife correctly in its natural environment.
As my past few posts have indicated, I was actually on my way to photograph Burleigh Falls. On my way I encountered wonderful plants, a chipmunk, and almost two herons. Both herons surprised me, as I was not expecting them along the edge of this fast flowing waterfall. I’m used to herons along the calm shores of lakes and ponds. I actually startled them both, because the rush of the water masked the sound and movement of my approach. In fact, they started me as they launched themselves into the air to escape.
This is the better shot of the two, as I was able to quickly focus on the heron as it faded away. The other shot was out of focus. The other factor here was I has only carrying my 90mm macro lens, which is great for flowers but a bit more challenging for wildlife o the move.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/640 sec, f/8.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Nature takes hold, in the smallest crack or hollow, filling them with life and laying the foundation for the next generation.”
– Ed Lehming
Among the solid stone of the Canadian Shield I find not only lichens but entire gardens of beautiful plants. Here, a crack in the granite is filled with a variety of Stonecrop known as Sedum Acre or Wall Pepper, with tall Yellow Hawkweed growing from it. The crack has produced its own little garden. And when this garden dies off in the autumn, it will produce even more compost, providing nutrients for a larger plant next year.
These little gardens were everywhere, some filling low spots but most popping out of cracks in the stone, as I stopped by Ontario’s Burleigh Falls to make some picture of the fast rushing water.
A side benefit to photography is that I often find new subjects to photograph while on my way to my intended destination. I was actually a bit disappointed in the images the waterfalls yielded, though I am still in the process of reviewing them. We’ll see if anything comes of them in future posts.
For now, I am content with what presented itself: some lovely plants and the great texture of the moss-covered rocks. What’s not showing in this image is the swarms of mosquitoes that greeted me on this rainy June day.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/100 sec, f/8.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Our eyes are drawn to things, often not knowing the specifics. Trust your instinct and study what they are trying to show you.”
– Ed Lehming
There have been countless times where I have been drawn to a composition; some seemingly random object or scene, not knowing at the time why I was moved to photograph it. Then, on reviewing the image during my editing process some marvelous detail reveals itself.
It’s those times that I am so grateful for this ability to ‘see’ unseen things in my photography and somewhat saddened that I have ignored it for many years. It seems to be an intuitive thing and I wonder if only some of us have it? People tell me I have an ‘eye’ for composition and I know it’s not something I have learned, it’s always been there. I suppose I have refined it through repetition and experience but it still surprises me. I also wonder what life would be like if I could not filter it. Would I spend my days staring in amazement at everything I behold?
Then, there are times like this. While making photos of a waterfall recently, I noticed a chipmunk sitting on a rock. I don’t normally make images of chipmunks, as I’m not big on ‘cute’ images. However, I stopped to make a few images of this fellow as he cleaned himself atop the rock. He did not even seem to mind me as I approached him for a closer shot.
As a processed the photos I had to laugh. The chipmunk is perfectly safe where he is and knew I would not approach much closer, as he is completely surrounded by a healthy patch of poison ivy. I would have noticed if I had gotten closer, but from my vantage point and focusing on the chipmunk, I had not noticed it.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“The deeper one looks into what appears simple, the more complex it really is. Even the very delicate and wispy structures show there is more to them than meets the casual eye.”
– Ed Lehming
The natural world is continually amazing. The simple and commonplace are not what they appear. Living forms are incredible in their diversity and design.
Take the simple dandelion seed head. It looks like a fluff ball, a novelty for children and adults alike. But really look at it. Look deeply and deliberately and it’s absolutely stunning how it’s designed. Hundreds of seeds per flower, each with their own feathery parachute, wait for a breeze strong enough to disperse them far from the parent plant. The wind creates just enough of a pull to dislodge the seed from the base. Not enough wind and the seed remains anchored.
For this image I first had to find a seedhead that was largely intact. Not an easy task as it has been quite breezy the past few days. Ideal for the dandelion, not so much for me. When I found a good specimen, I had to decide on my composition and depth of field. Getting the right depth of field also meant I needed good light, as I also had to contend with a slight breeze, meaning I also needed a fairly fast shutter speed. Not so simple a task when shooting without the benefit of a tripod.
In the end I got a couple of images that I was happy with. If I wanted to do more, like have the entire seed head in focus, I would have to bring one into my studio for a much longer exposure and some focus stacking. Perhaps another day. For now, I’m pleased that the detail is there while still keeping the image a touch soft, matchined the image title nicely.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/160 sec, f/22.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Bright white blossoms greet me from the morning garden, as the sun warms the early June day with it’s own brightness.”
– Ed Lehming
The gardens are beginning to come alive. I enjoy this time of year, watching plants and flowers begin to thrive as the days warm up. It’s always nice to see that everything has survived yet another winter.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, spring here has been cool, damp, and extended. In fact, it really has not warmed up much till only a few days ago, and it really shows in the gardens. It seems everything is racing to catch up. Daffodils were blooming until only a few days ago and a few gardens still have tulips blooming.
The Star of Bethlehem was a surprise addition to my garden. It came here unannounced when I transplanted several other plants from my mother-in-law’s garden a few years back. It’s a pleasant surprise and a welcome addition since it fills the flower beds with such lovely blossoms.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/80 sec, f/16.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Cool spring breezes blew past me and set the wildflowers dancing, like purple paint brushes on a canvas of green leaves.”
– Ed Lehming
Some things look so much more interesting if you look at them differently. We are so used to seeing things as stationary, even our eyes compensate for movement. So when that compensation is removed by the eye of the camera a new view appears.
I wanted to capture the wind patterns in the patch of Dame’s Rockets, so I left my shutter open of a quarter of a second to allow the movement to translate back to the image and I ended up with this somewhat impressionistic version. My biggest challenge over a few attempts was to get the exposure right in the bright sunshine.
It appears to me like the flowers and leaves are individual brush strokes of colour and the wind is the artist. Something worth pursuing a bit more deliberately in future images?
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90m
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Simple beauty can be found anywhere, you simply need to be receptive to it.”
– Ed Lehming
Spring is slowly pushing out the cold and damp that has been so dominant here for what seems like months. With the warming air more and more wildflowers are beginning to show their faces.
Fading now are the forest dwelling spring ephemerals which are being replaced by the taller and more colourful field flowers. The flowers pictured here are Dame’s Rockets, which seem to bloom wherever they please. They prefer to move about, from place to place, popping up where there was nothing the previous year.
As I noted a few weeks ago, my wife’s cousin and close friend, Paul, passed away and we are now in the process of cleaning up his home and farm. There’s lots to do, lots of memories, and short time to do it. One of the benefits of being on the farm though, is being able to walk around and enjoy the property. Between farm equipment and aged buildings some very beautiful scenes emerge and I could not resist bringing my camera with me to capture some memories of these times.
So, spring appears to be in full swing here, punctuated by this patch of Rockets, some white choke cherry blossoms in the background, and the farm buildings, with their rusty roofs, to complete the composition. There is beauty everywhere, even in sad times.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/1000 sec, f/3.2, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“The soft spring breezes played with the tiny flowers of the plant causing then to dance and twinkle in the light.”
– Ed Lehming
As I’ve said a few times in the past, one of the great things about being a photographer is having an eye for the fine details. I’ve found myself becoming an astute observer, noticing things that I would have passed by a few years ago.
These smallish plants grow along the trails and are not particularly eye catching, until the blossoms appear in early spring. In this case, a male plant with dangling yellow flowers. I did not notice any female plants, which have bluish-purple flowers, in the area, but my timing may have been off by only a day. It’s interesting that there are two distinct plants, male and female. The species name: dioicum comes from the Greek word that means ‘two households”.
So, I have discovered another plant to research and to be on the lookout for next year, leading me to be able to make even better photos of them when I know when to expect them.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Bright puddles of green foliage adorned the otherwise dull forest floor. Above them float delicate white stars, pure and bright; an elixir to the winter weary soul.”
– Ed Lehming
I try to make it a point not to revisit the same subject matter too often, but there is something about star flowers the touches something very deep inside me. As I consider the images I’ve made over the past few days, I suspect that it’s the visual purity of the plant and it’s lovely white blossoms.
They bloom just as the trilliums are beginning to fade, yet before the forest floor begins to really green up. So, they really show up among the winter litter of dried brown leaves, splashes of life on a largely lifeless background. It’s not enough that they are such a wonderful shade of green, it’s those beautiful, perfect blossoms. In this case, three on a single plant, which in my experience is a rarity, thus the photo.
They also only bloom for a day, so when I happen to catch them at the right time it makes me smile. Though not as large and showy as the earlier blooming trilliums, they still captivate me with their fragility and serve as splashes of brightness on a gradually darkening forest.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/60 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Nature amazes me still. Some changes are so gradual that you barely notice them while others happen in the blink of an eye.”
– Ed Lehming
Last week I took a much needed break at lunch and headed for a quick walk through the woods at North Walker Woods. For those who follow regularly, you will know that this is a place I like to go to quite frequently. It’s close to home, the trails are well maintained, and it offers me a broad profile of southern Ontario forest flora. It’s also fairly open, so bugs are not too intense.
I was just there last week enjoying the multitude of trilliums and other wildflowers and the forest was just beginning to show its spring flush of bright green, yellow, and red emerging leaves. The forest was still very open and bright, allowing lots of sunshine to reach the forest floor and feed the delicate spring flowers. This ‘open’ spring forest and its delightful colours was shared in my “Trillium Trails” post only a few days ago.
As the title of this post states, what a difference a week makes. With a few warm and sunny days, the entire forest is now in full leaf. It’s also quite surprising how many trilliums are still in bloom, largely due to the cool weather we had up till a few days ago. They have already started to turn the pink-magenta colour that is their final phase of blossom and soon they will be replaced by ferns and other deep green undergrowth as the forest settles into summer mode.
It’s been a wonderful extended spring on the trails this spring, with almost all the spring ephemerals blooming at the same time and remaining in bloom for close to two weeks. A highly unusual but delightful season, yet things must progress and I am thankful for these times.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/50 sec, f/11.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Spring is like the opening of a window on a bright sun-filled day. Freshness replaces the stale air and fills us with energy and promise.”
– Ed Lehming
Ferns are a real pleasure to watch in the spring. Seeing them gently unroll on the forest floor is an active part of the spring. For me, it symbolizes the season so well. It’s a gradual, carefully timed. and repeated process.
This image captures the ‘fiddlehead’ of an ostrich fern as it begins to stretch upwards to the warming sun. The more it open, the more energy it absorbs in early spring, developing the plant before the canopy of trees high above blocks the sun’s light and puts the ferns into shadow for the summer.
I used a fairly narrow aperture to keep most of the fiddlehead in sharp focus while allowing some softness further down the stalk.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/40 sec, f/14.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Delicate white flowers hover above the deep green leaves as the next wave of spring flowers emerges, replacing trilliums and bloodroot. The canopy overhead thickens, and filters the light that makes it to the forest floor. Starflowers now add drops of brilliant white into the deepening gloom of the undergrowth.”
– Ed Lehming
As the trilliums mature and fade to soft pinks and magenta, the forest floor is once more transformed. The light is now filtered by maturing leaves. I’ve been noticing the starflowers along the trails for a few weeks now. They are quite unique with their seven pointed leaves.
They seemed to sit there, poised to bloom but needing a bit more warmth to start the cycle. Yesterday, they all seemed to bloom at once, the forest filled with these lovely small white flowers.
Here I was able to capture a group of three, growing on a moss covered stump and touched by a narrow shaft of sunlight. It was a good day to be in the forest, the air was filled with a warm and gentle breeze and the mosquitoes and blackflies were pretty much absent, a blessing at this time of year, especially when getting down low to make photos of the smaller wildflowers.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/60 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“A blanket of white blossoms flowed across the forest floor in an endless sea of trilliums that filled my vision with it’s beauty.”
– Ed Lehming
This spring, I set out on a few occasions, hoping to get some spring wildflower images and after a few fairly disappointing visits the forest erupted with trilliums like I have never experienced before.
I think this is primarily due to the cool, wet weather conditions this year. Flower development was delayed or just slow but it seems that everything just ‘pooped’ at once. Where a few days ago the forest floor was simply a mat of dried leaves, thousands upon thousands of wildflowers pushed through and bloomed. It was quite a stunning transformation that reached as far as I could see. The woods were literally blanketed in wildflowers, with the trilliums brilliant white dominating.
In the image above, I got down low to depict the trilliums as a wave that flows across the small rise and continues to the horizon. I tried numerous shots at various aperture settings to try to capture this stunning scene and finally settled on this one, though it still does not do justice to what I witnessed.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/320 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“As the days warm, fond memories of spring walks remain with me. Bright greens and the freshness of wildflowers whisper from a recent past.”
– Ed Lehming
Memories of this spring will stay with me for some time to come. The cool and damp days provided ideal conditions for the spring flowers to emerge and remain fresh for a long time. It was as if a month was compressed into a week.
There is also the freshness of the new leaves forming, a kind of lime green with splashes of orange. It’s like no others colours in the year; it’s just ‘fresh’.
The photo above is a scene I see quite frequently as I hike the ‘perimeter’ trail in Ontario’s North Walker Woods near my home. I go there frequently because they are so close, access is easy, and the woods offer me a great amount of subject matter for my photography. The woods also provide me a peaceful place to be when the stresses of life build. I’m able to easily immerse myself in these woodlands and criss-crossing trails.
This view has now changed, the trilliums are almost all gone and the undergrowth has thickened to a deep green wall of leaves, limiting the view deeper into the forest.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/60 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“What season is it?, I ask. The cooler parts of the forest are still a bit subdued compared to others, with just a blush of colour, a snapshot in the forest’s story.”
– Ed Lehming
Over the span of a week and a few kilometers of trail, there are vast differences in how quickly parts of the forest mature at this time of year. In stark contrast to the wildflowers and bright leaves I shared a few days ago in my “Spring Forest Trilliums” post, this part of the forest is showing a significant delay.
I can’t recall the exact location along the trail but I do remember stopping because I was struck by how little colour there was and the fact the the forest floor was mostly leaf covered, with very little ground cover emerging. It felt like I had stepped back a week in time. The two images do show just how fast things progress in spring, though this one does have a subtle watercolor appearance, thus the title I chose for it.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90m
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Along forest paths, bright wildflowers dance in the gentle breeze, and an ever changing dance of colours, fragrances, and textures.”
– Ed Lehming
This spring has been a joy for me, as I really enjoy the multitude of spring ephemerals. Those first few green leaves and bright flowers are such a welcoming sight after months of snow and dull days.
What I have found most enjoyable is the experience of discovering new plants every year and expanding my knowledge of those plants. I’m constantly surprised when a species that I had not noticed before seems to spring up when least expected.
This year, that plant was the Large Flowered Bellwort, a plant that I have only experienced in the boreal forests near Bancroft, Ontario and even then, only as single isolated plants. Last week I came across several large clusters of them, right night to the hiking trail and I wondered why I not not noticed them in the past. Now, they seemed to be everywhere, not as profuse as the trilliums but in larger quantities than I had ever experienced before.
Despite having hiked this trail for many years, it still offers me surprises,every time I return.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/60 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Preparations are underway, chlorophyll fills the cells, rust turns to green, and leaves mature, ready to feed hungry trees, and produce oxygen.”
– Ed Lehming
Spring is truly underway when the slight yellow and rusty new growth turns deep green. As the leaves develop, the emergent colours fade, ever so slowly, except to those who are with them regularly.
The cycle continues, largely unnoticed by most these days, but when you spend time with the trees this conversion to mature leaves is a wonderful process to observe.
In the image above, faints patches of the former dark reds, which were so prevalent a few days ago, are still visible but are being replaced by the summer greens. As days get longer and the air warms up, each species in its time will be preparing to greet another summer.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Opening ferns in spring remind me of that first stretch when waking up. You can almost hear them yawning after their long rest”
– Ed Lehming
It’s a joy to watch the grand opening of the forest, that time of year that we have named spring. The plants seem to be in a race to see which one can reach the highest, the fastest. Ferns are no exception to this.
For the past few days, the ferns have been small knobs on the ground waiting for the sunshine to warm the ground enough to signal them to start growing. The knobs soon expand into their ‘fiddlehead’ stage where they seem to pause once more, still close to the ground and shelter of the layer of fallen leaves; it seems like they are waiting for signs of frost to disappear, protecting the delicate leaves from freezing.
Then, suddenly, they begin to stretch up and unroll, the once tight fiddleheads riding atop ever expanding stems. In this image, the leaves within the fiddleheads are clearly visible and are just about to open. Within the next few days they will expand to their full size, drinking in the sunshine and adding more greenery to the lush forest floor.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“High above, the raven skims the treetops, gliding silently on wings of dark silk”
– Ed Lehming
After some time in the woods of Secord Forest, a local conservation area, I emerged into the brightness of an overcast sky and watched two ravens circling above me. After awhile they both perched at the top of trees near the forest edge and began ‘talking’ to each other.
Those familiar with ravens will know the broad variety of sounds these interesting birds can make. That is to say, they were not simply ‘cawing’ but were involved in a complex exchange of sounds high above. It almost seemed they were having a conversation about what lay beneath them. I’m not sure if they saw me, as I stood at the forest edge, obscured by low branches.
I watched them and listened for some time, simply enjoying the experience and decided that the raven on the closest treetop would make an interesting photo. The light made the shot feel a bit lackluster, since it was so flat and dull but I proceeded to compose the image anyways.
The first few shots I made were “OK” but not quite what I had envisioned. This soon changed as the one raven took off and the other stirred as well, about to follow the first one. It took this opportunity to compose a shot, anticipating the take-off and managed to snap the shutter at just the right moment in flight to show it with wings fully extended.
This image may appear to be black and white, but it’s full colour, simply the result of the lighting conditions and the stark contrast between the black bird and the bright sky.
What made this even more challenging was the fact that I had gone to the forest to get some close ups of the spring flowers, so only had my 90mm macro lense with me to make this image and my camera was still set at a fairly high ISO for lower light. It all worked out alright, I think.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/2000 sec, f/10.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“The vibrant greens and rust of new foliage competed with the pure white of the forest floor, carpeted in Trilliums”
– Ed Lehming
Over the past few days, which have remained cool and slightly overcast, I’ve taken advantage of my proximity to the local forests to spend my lunches on the trails simply enjoying the beauty of the spring forest.
Everywhere new life is appearing and the cool spring is taking it easy on the native wildflowers, prolonging their bloom. Plants that normally bloom in a bit of a sequence over a month are all blooming at the same time providing me with the opportunity to enjoy and photograph them all at the same time.
Dominating this scene are trilliums. These beautiful flowers fill the forest floor in such a pure white that you can’t help but stop and admire them. Parts of the forest are literally awash with them.
I tried to capture that vibrance in this image, using my vertical pan technique. The slight movement and longer shutter speed adds a life to the image that is missing in typical static photos.
As I consider the image, I can imagine myself back in that place a few days ago, the smells, sounds, and colours of the spring forest return once more and I find it so peaceful.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90m
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Spring is the time of new birth, new hope, and a time to restart.”
– Ed Lehming
I simply love those first few walks in the forest as the ground warms and new life emerges from the recently frozen ground. From the compressed blanket of dead leaves plants press through this thick layer with surprising strength and abundance.
New and fresh leaves unfurl from small buds and tight clusters which can no longer contain them. These new leaves, freshly exposed to the spring air rapidly expand, revealing wonderful structures and textures.
Among the fresh and pale green of the forest floor are new maple saplings, leathery orange and striped with bright green veins. They stand out because they are such a different colour than the rest of the emerging plants.
Within the next few days, the leaves will be fully opened, deep green, and will start to drink in the sunshine for another season.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/160 sec, f/9.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
Ed Lehming Photography 
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