“A day’s brightness is determined by the light in our hearts.”
― A.D. Posey
This ‘solitaire’ is not the same as the one I posted few days ago. Yesterday, after a morning of intense work, I needed to break free for a short time to regenerate, so I took to the conservation area just a few minutes walk from home and entered into the forest for some much-needed respite from the craziness of the day.
I’m frankly not sure what I would do if I did not have a forest close by to retreat into. Yet, I can still find myself uninspired in the familiar. This forest, at first glance, even at second, is a bit dull compared to the many other wonderful trails I have close by, but life does not always afford me the time to venture too far away, even briefly. So, here I stand, in such familiarity, within a commonplace wood, which I have sojourned so many times. You’d think there would be nothing left to discover, nothing of significance. Yet, nature astounds me in her diversity and constant surprises.
In a very familiar expanse of trees, this wonderful, singular, beech sapling presented itself to me, golden leaves shivering in the cold December breeze. I stood transfixed at this simple marvel. It’s just what I needed. Something to remind me of the boundless energy and beauty that surrounds me, even when I get caught up in the busyness of work and life.
As I sat processing the image, trying to adequately extract the ‘feel’ of the moment, a great smile came to my face and I just spent time with the image, recalling the wonder of the moment. I am blessed with so many of these moments and I am ever grateful for the privilege nature provides me. Simple, singular moments, when I’m privileged to enter, fully, into the life of the forest. It sustains me, moment by moment. Even on the dullest, coldest days, brightness reveals itself, even in a simple shiver of leaves.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/25.0, ISO 400
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“Because you don’t notice the light without a bit of shadow. Everything has both dark and light. You have to play with it till you get it exactly right.”
― Libba Bray
As I’ve said many times this past year, it’s amazing what we see and don’t see, or rather notice. In the case of these poplar trees, which I have passed through immeasurable times, the camera picks up on light changes that our eyes simply ‘flatten’ out.
I never noticed the nearly black tree that appears in the image, as it is ‘eclipsed’ i the shadow of another tree. My eyes would have perceived this as merely a tree that’s shaded, yet the difference in brightness in the photo is significant. It’s darker than I can recall.
How many time have we made a photo in a forest and then ben surprised at just how intense the shadows are? They didn’t seem that significant as we peered through the viewfinder. Such is the nature of light and how dynamic our brain’s ability to balance that light. Which can prove a challenge to the photographer, as we try to make an image look as much as possible to what we saw. It can prove quite difficult.
By the way, the title of the image hearkens me back to childhood, Sesame Street days, and the game of “One of these Things is Not like the Other”. In this case, One of these Trees.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 400
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“The beauty of any first time is that it leads to a thousand others…”
― Pico Iyer
This was the end of November, the first significant snowfall, enough to dust the ground in white and remain well into the day. It was also the last day of any noticeable foliage. The last leaf had fallen to the ground, adding to the blanket of rusty browns. It’s yet another transition time in the forest, an extended transition at those. For those who regularly visit this blog, you will have noticed a very extended autumn, filled with bright colours, which lasted from September, well into November.
Here I stood bidding that glorious time goodbye and hesitantly welcoming the first snows. As I stood there, what really resonated with me was that, despite the dormancy beginning, there was still a good deal of colour and vibrancy, something that is enhanced by my abstracting technique.
It’s not the first time I’ve noticed this, but I’m becoming ever more aware of this and it comes up in conversations with friends who do not spend much time outside. Their impression is that this time of year tends to be dull. Then I show them some of my images and they are surprised at what they don’t seem to see. Photography has given me new eyes, I perceive more, now that I am doing it deliberately and I’m really enjoying the experiences it has brought me.
So, as the quote I chose aptly says, these firsts lead to many more.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 400
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“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”
― John Joseph Powell
Today has been interesting. The week was filled with significant milestones: I posted my 1,00th post and hit my 4 years WordPress anniversary. Then, I took a bit a bit of a break, having to refuel, creatively, and find some new subject matter to focus on.
The weather has been uncooperative and my schedule chaotic, so I’m finding myself reviewing some of my more recent photos, looking for inspiration and looking forward to making a few new images. Now that I am becoming much more selective in my images, I find I have less to ‘fall back’ on.
During this period of a week I’ve been a bit inactive on my blog, only to check in to find I had 2 views in the entire day. That’s a far cry for the hundreds I’ve had in the past few weeks, I guess I need to get active again?
No matter, here’s an image I made a few weeks ago of a singular beech tree surrounded by larger maples. Though it is so much smaller, the beech is still showing off its golden leaves, which it will retain well after the first snow falls of December. I plan on going back to shoot the same image with snow, as I imagine it will be quite lovely.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/100 sec, f/5.0, ISO 400
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“The Sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it’s here is up to us. Journey wisely.”
― Alexandra Elle
This is my final image in the “Spirit of the Spruce” series. One of the primary and surprising elements to this series has been the bold patches of light which show in each image; some more, some less. That, to me was the ‘spirit’ of the spruce bog as a hiked and documented my time here. it has brought an ‘energy’ to this often gloomy part of the forest.
This final image shows the tight tangle of spruce, cedar, and fir in the dim background light. Despite this, hazy sunlight manages to shine through from beyond and also in the focal point of the image, where it manifests as a bright pool of light, illuminating trunk and deadfall alike.
As the quote says, the sun rises and sets every day, not that every day is bright sunshine, but there is light, nonetheless. I choose to live in it and enjoy it, even if it’s doled out in small amounts some days. On others, like that not too distant November morning, I savour every ounce of it.
It’s been a wonderful journey, this hike through the spruce. Now, as the air turns chillier and the light cooler as well, I have sights on a few new projects which have not quite materialized yet.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
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“We went down into the silent garden. Dawn is the time when nothing breathes, the hour of silence. Everything is transfixed, only the light moves.”
― Leonora Carrington
Indeed, only the light moves, and it appears in waves, as mid morning sunlight streams between the branches, warming the chilled November air.
This was the scene that spread before me last weekend, as I took advantage of a sunny Sunday morning hike. Though the air was still very chilly, the sunlight was stunning, golden, and warmed my senses. The sky was bright blue between the branches and the cedars still green with life.
Though most of the hardwoods have now dropped their leaves on winter’s approach a few flecks of gold hang in the air, shimmering in the slight breeze. I drink in scenes like this. Many would just proceed down the path, but I find myself standing and savouring, knowing even this will soon be cast into the cold and snow of the approaching winter, which brings a beauty of its own. But that can wait.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
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“In the hills giant oaks
Fall upon their knees
You can touch parts
You have no right to”
― Kay Ryan
There is simply no other way to describe this intergrown cluster of four massive oak trees that grow along a trail I hike frequently. The cluster breaks evenly into four trunks that grow independently, all the same size. Trees must be eighty to a hundred years old, based on their size.
It is a thing to behold such a massive living thing. It stands in sharp contrast to its many smaller neighbours on this forest hillside, roots delving deep and holding it fast in winds, rain, and snowfalls. I can only imaging how far the roots actually spread, but I suspect they cover most of the slope.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 400
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“No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.”
― Ansel Adams
As those who follow my posts regularly, you will know that I enjoy testing new things. There is great satisfaction in this creative process, of communicating in a slightly different way than traditional photography.
Though, the core elements remain: light, line, composition, shape, space, form, and value. As a photographer, I’m always seeking light. The other elements are either there or they are not, I don’t go looking for them. I compose by what pleases me and have enough knowledge of composition to understand ‘why’ certain scenes appeal to me. That, I believe is the hardest thing to communicate to those who do not see this way.
Light, as I said, is the element I am seeking and sometimes it can turn an otherwise uninspiring scene into something magical, like this one, involving a dominant cedar tree within a local spruce bog. The mid-morning sunlight illuminates the tangled knot of branches on the forest floor with a bright glow that you simply can’t ignore. That’s the kind of light that inspired this short “Spirit of the Spruce Series”. That light enables me to showcase a small part of my world for others to enjoy, and hopefully, bring light and inspiration to others.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/6.3, ISO 400
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“Art is to console those who are broken by life.”
― Vincent van Gogh
I generally don’t post these ‘enhanced’ images, but enjoyed creating this one so much, I had to share it, hopefully it fulfills it’s intent to console somebody who needs a bit of brightness in their day.
The source image was made last week while hiking my brother in law’s woodlot near Bancroft, Ontario. It was a cool November morning as I crossed over a ridge to be greeted by this scene of wonder.
Through the deep green foliage of the resident hemlocks, the opposite ridge was alight with sunshine reflecting from fallen oak leaves, bathing the scene in the most beautiful warm glow.
While the original photo was nice, I was inspired to make it more ‘painterly’ by running it through my Topaz Impressions filter. As I become more adept at painting, I’m hoping to make a real painting of this in the near future. For now, it’s a inspiration to a possible future.
I also just realized this will be my 1,000th post. From something that started out as a place to collect my thoughts, it’s grown into an inspiration, and a way for me to carefully consider my art.
Thanks to those who have chosen to join me on the journey. Here’s to the next 1,000!
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
― Aristotle
After thousands of years, the quote is still so appropriate. The outward appearance of this spruce bog is well, quite bog-like, a bit muted, and a bit depressing. But, outward appearances can be deceiving, can’t they?
Even the title of this image is more than it seems. The undergrowth and the fallen are essential elements to the ecology of the forest, without death, decay, and regrowth, eventually only death follows.
This scene is a tangle of low growing spruce and cedar, interspersed with the dried trunks of fallen spruce. For anyone who has ever had to navigate this terrain, you will know the pitfalls of stepping over and between sharp tangled branches, only to find yourself knee-deep in the thick black muck of the spruce bog are tripping over the endless tangle of roots and slash.
Yet, this difficult terrain offers a safe haven to rabbits, grouse, and deer, who navigate it with ease, making barely a sound. The spruce bog is nature’s filter, where water seeps through thick mosses, depositing impurities along the way. Many local creeks begin their travels as cool springs in a spruce bog, just like this. There’s more than meets the eye and much more significance than its outward appearance. You just have to look and become aware.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/8.0, ISO 400
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“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
― Martha Graham
Welcome to the spruce bog. Though it may not sound exotic, the light and imagery that I experienced on this usually familiar hike was stunning, causing me to start this new series titled “Spirit of the Spruce”. The entire series was photographed in a small stretch of trail no longer than a few hundred meters. One dominated by spruce and balsam fir.
As I set out last Saturday, I had no idea what the day might bring, only that the light was wondrous, and with wondrous light, anything is possible.
I’ve hiked this stretch of the Secord Forest hundreds of times, usually favouring it in mid June, when the orchids are blooming and the mosquitoes are swarming. Otherwise, it’s just an area that I pass through to get to another destination.
I could not believe my eyes as I gazed upon the familiar sight of tightly packed spuce, mosses, and tangled underbrush, beautiful warm sunlight streaming from above. The sunlight was the only thing warm that day, as the air was crisp and cold, but very clear.
The way the sun lit the scene up was spectacular, bringing light to a forest floor usually locked in darkness, the realm of mushrooms and mosquitoes. Not that day, sunlight reflected throughout this tangle of trees, revealing details often missed in the shadows.
So join me once more as I explore yet another often ignored environment, the spruce bog on Southern Ontario.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@78mm
1/4 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
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“You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear thorough the search.”
― Rick Riordan
And this search goes on., as I embark on another series of photographic abstracts. Yet, despite the quote, I believe I am able to explain my art. I take great satisfaction in these ‘light paintings’.
I find that by adding the slight movement it disturbs the viewer just enough that they begin to pay attention to details that are often missed. As I study my own photos of the same scene, one, a still photo and the other, a slight pan, colours that are lost or subdued on the static photo seem more vibrant, more alive. I find the movement adds a dynamic that is not there in a still image.
Perhaps it’s just how I see things and this is a way for me to ‘realize’ them. It’s also a way for me to create art, using light and movement rather than a brush. It is very satisfying because I am creating something new, something that was not there before. It the creation that drives me, that combined with the fact that the images seem to resonate with the viewer.
It’s been interesting for me, since I started creating these images, that not once, has anybody said to me, “That’s just a blurry picture”. Most viewers are intrigued with the images, and I find them drawn deeper into the scene than with crisp, clean shots, which seem to briefly satisfy.
As yet, this new series remains unnamed, but that will come to me shortly. In the meantime, enjoy.
This particular image is named “Three?” because there are three dominant trees, but there is more to it, isn’t there? There are more than just the three trees, there are others in the periphery that count too, do they not?
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@75mm
1/4 sec, f/10.0, ISO 400
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“To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part.”
― Aldo Leopold
This part of the world looks like nothingness on a map. While there is a town close by, it really is a wilderness area. A land of steep, nearly unnavigable hillsides, dense forest, and swampy wetlands. To me, it’s paradise, a place to unwind and just enjoy an unblemished space in this world.
It’s also a place to look around and let the imagination run. I see beauty everywhere, in the curve of the path, the marvelous variety and diversity of life, and endless patterns.
In this image I saw lines. I saw the way the trees, maple, yellow birch, and hemlock lined up. I also noticed the one darker, narrow tree that runs vertically up the photo. It is literally, a line upwards, yet I could not get the composition and lighting right without including it, so here it is, as I saw it.
This ‘place’, is one of an endless series of ‘places’, each slightly different, which make up the Boreal forest in this area. I see the entire forest before me, but my eye breaks it up into components. Each part, though an element of the whole, is a so unique. I could go back to this expanse of forest and go back to this exact spot with little effort. Even now, as I write, I can place myself along the trail, to this exact spot and the moment in which the photo was made. Except now, my fingers are warmer than on that chilly November day, enjoying the “Boreal Trails”.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@75mm
1/4 sec, f/10.0, ISO 400
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“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed … We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in.”
― Wallace Stegner
Here’s a familiar sight along the “Boreal Trails”, an interspersing of the dominant species of trees, namely: Birch, Beech, and Balsam. All three are seen in this image with a few maples, oak, and poplar, in the background.
Beech is easy to identify by its bark, which resembles a gray elephant hide. At this time of year, its about the only tree still hanging on to its leaves, which have turned a beautiful coppery orange. Birch, of course is known for it’s white, papery bark, though there are several species in this area: paper birch, which is seen here, and yellow birch, which has more of a silvery, tattered bark. Finally, there is the deep green balsam, an evergreen that grows as a shrub along trails but can grow into quite a large tree, over time.
The balsams tend to enjoy the ample light available along the trails and pathways and form thick clusters between the hardwoods that grow alongside them. They offer cover for larger ground birds, like ruffed grouse, which is quite common here. Often you can hear the grouse ‘cooing’ along the trails but can’t see them in the thick green balsams whose branches nearly touch the ground.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@112mm
1/4 sec, f/16.0, ISO 400
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“Edge of the Beaver Pond”
“… there’s a silent voice in the wilderness that we hear only when no one else is around. When you go far, far beyond, out across the netherlands of the Known, the din of human static slowly fades away, over and out.”
― Rob Schultheis
I titled this ‘Crossing’ because it illustrates my point in a prior post about the lack of straight paths in the Boreal forest. A large tree has fallen across the path in front of me, ‘crossing’ my path.
It’s the way of trekking cross-country, and changing my way, slightly to get to my next destination. Here, I chose to go right and slightly up hill, to get to my destination, which is a nearly unseen beaver pond just past the crest of the hill. Though, you can see a bit of a reflection between the trees at the centre, just below the shining beech leaves. My destination is straight ahead, but my path is far for straight. A true “Boreal Path”.
You’ll notice another ‘snag’, or pile of dead brush along that path as well. Like I said, there are no straight paths through this forest. I’m also ‘crossing’ the hill to get there and two of the Hemlocks in the foreground are ‘crossing’ over each other, almost weaving together.
This is a place of peace and quiet, of circuitous paths, and a place so different from the human world I have escaped from. There are no clear paths, plans must flex situationally, with only the chatter of the ever-present Red Squirrels to replace the noise and busyness of the world outside this refuge.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@70mm
1/4 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400
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“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
― Pablo Picasso
I simply can’t turn it off. I see photos everywhere and every day, and I would have it no other way.
As an example, I saw ‘this’ as I stepped out of my car at church this morning. A light snow had melted and leaves from a nearby silver maple, bright yellow, fell and stuck to the wet truck window next to me.
I love the layers here. Leaves, rain drops, reflected trees and sky, all the elements of the day in one shot. The shot pretty much composed itself. it was just waiting for me to notice it.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/120 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
“We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”
― Henry David Thoreau
At the crest of a hill, the trail drops sharply in front of me. In this region of wilderness, near Bancroft, Ontario, there are very few flat places. The landscape is dominated by steep, folded hills. The valleys are the realm of spring fed creeks and beaver ponds.
The walking in the high ridges is a bit easier, as the dominant hemlocks are fairly well spaced, yet it only takes one which has fallen to make for a long detour. There are few straight paths between the hills and valleys of the “Boreal Trails” and the only markers along the way are the trees themselves.
When I was younger, I used to have a fear of getting lost in the forest. My father, an avid outdoorsman, never balked at heading into the densest bush. I’m not sure when things changed for me, but I have acquired that same sense of direction that he had. But, I always have a compass with me, no matter how familiar the forest may be, as I have found myself turned around a few times.
In this forest, I tend towards the high ground, following the parallel ridges north and south. Trekking in the valleys, strewn with debris of slash and boulders, and choked with balsams, is tough walking.
Besides, the view from the ridges is much more appealing than the darkness of a tangled spruce bog.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@70mm
1/4 sec, f/11.0, ISO 400
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“A cold wind was blowing from the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things.”
― George R.R. Martin
Welcome to “Boreal Trails”. I thought I’d start the series off with this image of a clump of birches at the bend in a trail. Figuratively, a turn in the seasons.
You will notice, as this series continues, a few splashes of colour against a duller green background. Gone now are the warm days of Indian Summer its bright colours. The Boreal forest is dominated by hemlock, spruce, cedar, and, pine. Small groves of maple and oak exist as well, but it’s a green cold forest at this time of year, with traces of snow in the air, falling from leaden skies.
As you can see in this image, the birches bring light to the gloom and a few hearty beech trees, add splashes of colour to the muted canvas and will continue to do so for some time, as the final bearers of colour.
It sounds a bit somber, but there is incredible beauty here. A beauty I intend to share over the next several days.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD@75mm
1/4 sec, f/11.0, ISO 400
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“A moment of peace and silence, breathing in and out the frigid air, watching daylight seep into the forest, hearing the first chatter of distant crows, the wind sighing over the snow and through the fir and pine branches and the twittering of chickadees as they flitted in little tribes from tree to tree.”
― Mike Bond
The quote above just about sums it up. On a chilly November morning, I stood at the shores of a small beaver pond, admiring the interesting patterns on the surface of the ice. It was a moment of peace, one of many, during my day of hiking and hunting in the forests of Northeastern Ontario.
This is the same region where my upcoming “Boreal Trails” series of images was made. I wanted to set the tone and show a broader view of the forest before I start sharing the short series of photographic abstracts I made this week.
As you can see, it’s quite dull, but that’s par for the course in November. Despite this, it is very peaceful and I thoroughly enjoy my time on these trails.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/1200 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
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“Beneath the rust and grime which dulls the shine of our weathered hearts, joy patiently waits to be rediscovered”
― John Mark Green
The Grand finale to the “Shift to Shiver” series is the final image made on a hike I took a few weeks ago. The scene felt like a goodby to the golds and yellows that stayed with us so long this year. But, what a goodbye it was. It seems the images got brighter as the season progressed, ending with this fireworks of orange, gold and, yellow. All that remains is browns and rust.
The following weekend, I was tied up at a show and could not get back out to document a marvelous event. Snow had fallen overnight and pulled down most of the remaining leaves. It was quite a scene, the ground covered in snow, with a layer of leaves on top of it. It seemed to be a reversal of the usual pattern.
I’m sad that I missed it but feel so blessed for the extended autumn colours this year. it would have been a challenge to pull this series off had it not been for that. So many wonderful days outdoors and on the trails. Now it’s gray and chilly. We really have shifted to ‘shiver’ in only a matter of days.
Despite the shift, I have a new series underway that was made this past week on a day trip north where I spent time enjoying and documenting North Eastern Ontario’s boreal forest.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/22.0, ISO 100
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“And now, my poor old woman, why are you crying so bitterly? It is autumn. The leaves are falling from the trees like burning tears- the wind howls. Why must you mimic them?”
― Mervyn Peake
As the weather continues dull and cool, I’m finding a few are pockets of light and colour. Here, the mix of beech and bright yellow maple rise on the hillside like flames, flames that have no heat to warm the chilly air, like the “burning tears” of the quote above. Among this carnival of colours, leaves continued to float to the ground, in the rising winds. A rising and falling of leaves, of temperatures, of light. The marvelous variability of autumn, all in one place.
It’s moments like this where I really appreciate the beautiful landscape I am so blessed to be living in and and the ability to bring some of that beauty with me in photos. Words often fail me, yet the images speak for themselves.
As a mentioned in a previous post, the “Shift to Shiver” documented here continues and soon enough, the images will be filled with snow covered branches, but not just yet.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 400
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“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”
― Jim Bishop
I enjoyed the variability of this image. The relatively sharp maple tree in the foreground is contrasted by the almost wispy texture of the interwoven beech shrubs beyond it. It’s the beeches that I was most fascinated with, as they gradually transition to their coppery winter tones. There are still a few hints of green, but that will be short-lived.
This past autumn has afforded images like this, as the change for summer to autumn progressed slowly, allowing me to witness subtle changes that I had not witness before. Despite being able to get on the trails only on weekends, the changes have been so slow that pockets of each stage seemed to linger for weeks.
In this image, there was actually a bit of mid-morning fog that swirled in the underbrush, creating an even more dream-like image, lit from within by the orange glow of the beech beyond. The fog is, of course the result of the cooler morning temperatures as I continue this “Shift to Shiver” series
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/16.0, ISO 100
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“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.”
― Sarah Addison Allen
As autumn progresses, the brightness fades by degrees. To capture the stunning light of the past weeks is proving more of a challenge over a few cloudy days on the trails. It all fits into the theme of this, my “Shift to Shiver” series.
By now much of the once golden canopy has fallen, the victim of time, wind, and rain, carpeting the forest floor with a rusty blanket. A few hearty maples still hold fast to their yellow leaves, while beeches gradually change from the bright green of a few weeks ago to a coppery orange. Some of the scant undergrowth still manages to show hints of green. These too will be short-lived as the days shorten and the temperatures inevitably drop.
I’ve been truly blessed by an unseasonably mild October and early November, which resulted in an extremely extended colour change. It’s been tough not be on the trails when conditions are like this. The image that I’m sharing today was made at North Walkers Woods, part of the Oak Ridges Trail system. It was to be the start of an unplanned fourteen kilometer hike and resulted in many photos to sort though, as I want to keep this series to about eight representative images.
As I write today, the temperature has dropped to -10 and overnight snow squalls have drastically changed the scenery. So, I’ll be on the trails again on Sunday, making more photos and drinking in what nature has to offer me.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/16.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“There is October in every November and there is November in every December! All seasons melted in each other’s life!”
― Mehmet Murat Ildan
As a start to a new series and cooler climes, this image is the first in my new series of images: “Shift to Shiver”, and will document the few weeks between the bright yellows and red of late October and focus on the deep orange and coppers of early November in my area. A time when months bleed into each other, yet the inevitable cycle of the seasons cannot be stopped.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/29.0, ISO 100
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“When our thoughts are unsettled and our inner world is in a muddle, we may sharpen our wits and try to recognize the invisible edges of our fractured stance. If we seek to figure out, what our life story is all about, we may be able to put the missing pieces in place and identify what is driving us, what we are actually up to and why we are running like mad dogs, sometimes.
― Erik Pevernagie
The title for this image came quickly, prompted by the ‘cracked’ look of the image, caused by a weave of bright white branches across the frame. The image is like a summary of the fall colours, from bright yellows, to reds, and splatterings of red.
The reds were the original intention of the photo. I thought they would look nice against the yellows and fiery oranges of the bushes behind. I paid no heed to the branches in the foreground, figuring they would be blurred out. But, that’s the wonder of this style of image creation. The would not be denied and made their presence known as ‘cracks’. They are actually the branches of the highbush cranberry shrub which bears the read berries of my attention. So, the entire top layer is that particular bush and sequential layers fade to eventually end in blue sky.
I must admit that I enjoy the effect and it’s caused me to spend quite a bit of time considering the image and its complexities. despite appearing broken, it’s an image filled with energy and life which will not be discounted.
It also seems a fitting conclusion to my “Golden Paths” series, which I have so enjoyed producing. The image is, for me, a summary of the journey, the blending of colours and emotions, ending in a grande finale of light and colour.
The “Golden Paths” series, while a joy to produce, also posed challenges of ‘culling’ many images that would have fit, but offered a weaker narrative than I wanted. It has been a significant step on my journey as an artist, trying to express often deeply emotional subjects effectively. I thank you all for joining me on this leg of the journey. More to come.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/36.0, ISO 100
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“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett
Exiting the forest proper, I’m on the edge of a thin poplar stand, the path turns to one side and I’m faced with this tangle of bright sapling and fiery glow from the beeches and maples behind them.
The turning, is part of a cycle, which repeats over and over, yet each time I pass though, I see more and appreciate it even more. In this case, it’s not a turning back, it’s a re-turn, looking forward, with a slightly different set of eyes and experiences than the first time through.
The image also catches another turning, the change in the forest from yellows to golds and orange. Though subtle now, within the next few days I will be bidding a fond farewell to yellow once more and the coppery-orange of the beech trees begins to dominate. The Golden Path is shifting once more as the journey continues and I take another turn towards its conclusion, but based on the number of images I still have to go through, that may still be a while, and I’m good with that.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Blue offers up a tranquility which belies its true appearance.”
― Anthony T. Hincks
This second post today is outside of my “Golden Paths” series, but part of the same timeframe. Exiting from the bright, golden forest, I found myself sitting on the bank of a pond, simply drinking in the sun’s warmth and enjoying the afternoon light. Next to me was this milkweed seed pod, burst open and dispensing its cargo of seeds into the breeze.
I made a few shots from different angles, which is often my practice when photographing singular subjects, since different angles also offer different and sometimes unexpected and beautiful light. In this case. the image with the water of the pond as a backdrop offered the best composition, the blue being so dark and rich, brightened by the expanding weave of the bright white seed filaments or “floss” as it is often named. The seed pod really shines, out of the blue, highlighted in brights golds reflected from the inner walls of the pod.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100
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Because forgiveness is like this: a room can be dank because you have closed the windows, you’ve closed the curtains. But the sun is shining outside, and the air is fresh outside. In order to get that fresh air, you have to get up and open the window and draw the curtains apart. – Desmond Tutu
After hiking through a fairly dark and dull patch of forest, I was greeted with this ‘gateway’ of light, a respite, from the dark. Though dark shadows still lurk at the periphery, they merely ‘lurk’. They are inconsequential, yet necessary, as they frame and actually ‘enhance’ the golden light streaming from ahead and above.
This is yet another one of those places I’ve passed through many times. Yes, the forest is always a bit dark and foreboding here, though I know I will emerge soon. Yet today, the light was incredible, tinted yellow by the thick poplars which line the edge of the forest, the slightest slivers of blue sky adding their voice as well. Small patches of cool, bright light, shimmer from the path just in front of me, but they pale in comparison with the warm, golden light ahead.
I’ve spent some time considering this photo and the many analogies which can be drawn from it and will be spending more time with it, though the journey along this “Golden Path” must also continue forward. I will revel in this brief respite from the darkness and move forward to see what the light has to offer me next.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.”
― Jack Kornfield
A simple title for a wondrous scene. One of innumerable scenes like it, along the way. Yes, it’s just a few simple trees, but the light reflecting from the leaves was stunning. The slight breeze wove between the branches and the whole scene was alive. There so many time when mere words simply cannot express the feeling of simply, being. Being in the forest, being on the trails, being engulfed in beauty, and simply being. Bing in these places of light, along the way.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
Ed Lehming Photography 
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