“The world would be a brighter, happier place, if we could only remember our childhood wonder.”
― P.J. Roscoe
Mothers Day, birthdays, and anniversaries, all fill my Mays with great cheer. And thus, they also fill my house with flowers, which must be photographed.
With several changes in my family the past year, the most significant being the birth of my first grandson a mere two weeks ago, I’ve had to repurpose my studio space to accommodate our expanding family.
Those who have followed my blog for the past year may have been wondering why I have not been posting my macro flower images lately. I simply have not had the space to set up and shoot consistently. Yet, with all these flowers, I had to do something and so, I set up my portable studio and made a few quick shots. I’ll be posting them over the next few days.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
2 sec, f/25.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Shine brightly, so you can help those who have not found their path a way through the darkness.”
― Jeffrey Fry
It would simply not feel like spring without Trout Lilies. These delicate little beauties are often slow to come to bloom, but not this year. Within days they went from delicate foliage to full bloom. Whole sections of the forest were filled with theses beautiful yellow flowers and it was hard to pick which one to photograph. They bring such brightness to an otherwise dull scene.
At one point in my hike, I simply sat for a while and enjoyed them. As I sat, looking across a large patch of them, I noticed many bees and flies going from flower to flower, enjoying the feast of pollen these early bloomers provide. The whole scene was abuzz with activity. It’s like watching the world suddenly come alive with sound and movement.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/500 sec, f/11.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don’t go along with that. The memories I value most, I don’t ever see them fading.”
― Kazuo IshiguroWithin the bounty of new spring growth, reminders of last year still linger along the trails. This Queen Anne’s Lace seed-head, once filled with seeds is now ‘spent’, it’s purpose fulfilled, yet it stands, dried and brown above the lush and greening meadow.
While many of its neighbours have long fallen and been laid flat by winter snows, a few, like this one, stand as resilient mementos of the previous year’s bounty.
There was something about the stark appearance of this seed-head that prompted the photo, along with the splashes of green in the diffused background. It’s just one of those compositions that works.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/640 sec, f/5.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways.”
― Yann Martel
I’m sure nature had some specific design in mind when these oddly shaped flowers evolved. What that the purpose of that design is remains a mystery to me. The one advantage of the unique appearance of these spring bloomers is that they are very easy to identify.
Once again, the rapid onset of spring growth, after a cold and harsh April, has yielded many spring flowers blooming in rapid succession and I find myself turning the lens to these little wonders rather than focussing on my abstract photos, though a have several of them at the ready as well.
I think what dries this for me is that I am a constant learner. I want to know more about the world around me and that starts with finding and documenting the elements that make up that world. I also have a natural fascination with plants, probably installed by my late grandmother and father, who were both avid gardeners, a passion I continue to enjoy and build on through hiking and photography.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/800 sec, f/14.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“I hate and fear snakes, because if you look into the eyes of any snake you will see that it knows all and more of the mystery of man’s fall, and that it feels all the contempt that the Devil felt when Adam was evicted from Eden.
― Rudyard Kipling
Unlike Kipling, I have a strange yet respectful fascination with the snakes I encounter on my many hikes. None of the snakes in my area are poisonous, though they will bite when bothered. There is something about the eyes of a snake. They are so focussed, unblinking, and cold. Truly a predator
This particular snake, found on the trail at Secord Forest, where I hike quite frequently, is a common Garter Snake and was on the path sunning itself when I heard it move as I crested a ridge and the snake remained on the path as I approached, affording me a great opportunity to make a few photos.
For this particular image I had to lay down on the ground and get quite close. I expect the movement made the snake rear up for a look, which made for this lovely shot. It took a few attempts to get the tongue flitting out, but was worth the wait.
It’s hard to believe, but just last week I encountered two Garter Snakes basking in the sun right next to ice patches, which are now merely a memory, but they slipped off before I could get a good shot.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/160 sec, f/8.0, ISO 500
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Living in the present moment is the recurring baptism of the soul, forever purifying every new day with a new you.”
― Alaric Hutchinson
And there it was , white, pure, radiant, and completely unexpected. The first trillium the season completely surprised me. From all my time spend in the forest, the steady rhythms of nature have become my own rhythms, a steady progression through time and season.
As I entered the forest yesterday, I was simply wanting to be there, with no specific goal, other than simply enjoying the day. I was expecting to see the clumps of hepatica beginning to slowly fade and the foliage leafed out and I was wondering if I might see a few Wake-Robins (Red Trilliums). What I found instead was a highly accelerated carnival of spring wildflowers a full week ahead of my expectations.
The forest floor and hardwood ridges were filled with Trout Lily in full bloom, white trilliums, soon to emerge, and this one, single blossom, fully open and tilting toward the sun.
Somewhere in the background a grouse drummed, looking for a mate, a pheasant cawed over the ridge, and ravens hovered high above me. The sights and sounds of the forest at this time of year are so uplifting, as the earth yawns and stretches after its long rest. Life has returned to the world once more, including a few black-flies that floated in a stupor in the warm spring air. Reminding me, that the season of biting insects was also returning, but not just yet.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/640 sec, f/13.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Change is the end of something you know and the beginning of something else that you don’t know. Something new that holds opportunities.”
― Kholoud Yasser
I believe I enjoy spring almost as much as autumn. While autumn is filled with brilliant colours, it is also a sort of ending, as the colours gradually fade and the world prepares for a winter sleep. Spring, on the other hand, is also filled with colours, but the colours grow and spread. Both seasons are times of transition, of change. As the quote says so nicely; the beginning of something else, slightly different every year.
The changes in the forest over the past few days have been startling. Last weekend, some of the trails still had ice on them and snow lingered stubbornly in the deep recesses. Now, with a bit of warmer air and sunshine, the miracle of spring takes hold. Everywhere you look, and you have to look carefully at this point of the year, life emerges once more from the dull litter of winter.
One of the toughest spring plants to spot, due to its dark colouration, is Blue Cohosh. However, like many of these plants, once you discover them, you wonder why you did not notice them before. This lovely spring ephemeral is deep purple, and to the untrained eye, looks like a piece of rag, until the drooping leaves eventually open and spread.
This specimen was not visible a mere day before, and despite being only an inch tall, and still opening, it has already produced blooms. Until last year, I had not even noticed the flowers, since they are so dark and blend in with the rest of the plant. The blossoms are interesting when you see them close up, but they are quite small and easy to overlook.
And so, change in the forest continues, offering more opportunities and new things to discover, and photograph.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Ugly or beautiful, it is the little creatures that make the world go round. We should celebrate and appreciated them in all their wonderful diversity.”
― Dave Goulson
Inevitably, if you make enough images of flowers outdoors, nature dictates that a bug will be in one of those images. That was the case last weekend, as I was photographing the many beautiful hepaticas that had just started blooming. Just as I was about to hit the shutter release, this bug, a blister beetle, I believe, landed on the flower.
Rather that wave it off or wait for it to leave, I decided to incorporate it into my shot. I think it adds a natural element and makes the image more ‘real’ and less static.
As I looked around, after the shot, I noticed that many of the hepaticas had some form of insect on them. Some, like the first honey-bee I saw, are pollinators of these early bloomers, which provide an critical source of early nutrition for the bees, while others are simply looking for a meal, which I suspect is the beetle’s role here. Despite that, if you look very carefully, there is pollen stuck to this beetle too, so the plant wins after all. Everything has its role to play in nature’s cycles.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/160 sec, f/16.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“The places of quiet are going away, the churches, the woods, the libraries. And it is only in silence we can hear the voice inside of us which gives us true peace.”
― James Rozoff
There is peace in the forest, a peace that I dearly need in this busy world. In the forest, I can participate in the natural cycles, I can anticipate the next species of wildflower to bloom, or to come to leaf.
Bloodroots, have become a spring rite to me. Since I discovered them a few years ago, it’s been a regular visit to my favorite groves, close to home, to simply enjoy them as they emerge from their leafy cloaks.
There is such a purity to them and they seem so delicate and so fleeting and they are among the first early spring blossoms to appear.
The more I see them the more I am able to create more natural looking images, rather than the typical straight on shots. Many grow out in the open in small bunches, but I am really drawn to those clinging to the shadows of logs or hillsides. Here, they grow next to a fallen tree, among the tangle of vines. This composition feels more natural to me that those out in the open, as it includes elements of the forest they flourish in and I chose to preserve this particular memory of this spring’s cycle.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/160 sec, f/16.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Are you tired? Are you feeling that you will not be able to reach your destination? Then all you have to remember is that those who reached their far and hard destinations also felt the same way on their way! Knowing what others felt will give you a great power to complete your journey!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
I was looking for a suitable quote for this image and Mehmet always seems to have something that resonates with me.
The journey of the countless rainbow trout up Duffins Creek every April fascinates me. Since I saw salmon spawning in BC, these mass migrations have been a thing of wonder. The distance the fish travel, through almost insurmountable obstacles; strong currents, shallow water, and tangles of fallen tree limbs, to name only a few.
Yet, they persevere and most make it to the destination. In this case, a large dam that separtarates the introduced rainbow trout from the native brown trout. It’s at this dam that I witness the greatest ‘stretches’ as the trout leap high in the air, hoping to conquer the dam, to no avail. It’s their final stretch, literally, as they extend their brightly coloured bodies through the air. Once they figure they can’t go any further upstream, they spawn in a deep pool at the base of the dam, and make the return journey to Lake Ontario, this time, with the current to their favour.
In case you are wondering, I sat on a rock near the base of the dam for about an hour, waiting for just the right moment, and testing my reflexes, to make several images and settling on this one, which nicely shows the colour of the trout as the sunlight shines on its outstretched body. Also an act of perseverance.
If you like this image, I made another one similar to it, 3 years go, in the same location.
https://edlehming.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/rainbow-trout-jump-whitevale-dam-pickering-ontario/
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200mm
1/2000 sec, f/5.0 ISO 250
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“It’s the nameless who leave a vestige in their wake.”
― Anthony T. Hincks
Spring, and as the wildflowers emerge from their winter’s rest, the survivors of the winter elements still cling tenaciously to their branches. The beach leaves, which have provided such wonderful hints of colour throughout the bitter, gray, winter months, are now showing the ravages of the season.
Leaves once bright yellow and copper, hang from the slender branches as desiccated shards, reminders to me of what once was, as they shiver in the breezes. At their bases, new buds await an extended warm spell to unfurl their contents and replace their predecessors.
New life, new growth, and reminders of what was and what will come again, in due time.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“It would seem from this fact, that man is naturally a wild animal, and that when taken from the woods, he is never happy in his natural state, ’till he returns to them again.”
― Benjamin Rush
I am happy to be returning to the forest, which I’m never really away from for long. However, weather and work, have teamed up to make my brief forays into the local forest quite difficult. So, it was so pleasant to see life returning to the woods I so dearly love, this past weekend.
As I said in yesterday’s post, the forest seemed pretty much bereft of new life, as the carpet of dull brown detritus dominated the scene. And then, a small splash of pink, literally opened my eyes and I became ‘tuned’ into the subtle changes around me.
I was so pleased to see the Spring Beauties and then a few hearty Blue Cohosh along the trail. Then, I spotted what I thought, at first, were more spring beauties, which turned out to be Hepatica, also known, locally as Mayflowers. The same effect happened again. As I looked up from the first small clump that I saw, I noticed that the hillside was covered with many more, larger clusters, in wonderful bright whites and soft pinks. I chose the pinks for today’s image, since they are not quite as common.
It would seem spring has finally sprung here in Southern Ontario!
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
― Anne Bradstreet
As I mentioned in my previous post, the beginning of spring was more like an extended winter. It was the kind of year where you wonder if it will ever warm up, but it eventually does.
But, spring proper, has been delayed. As I walked familiar paths, it seemed like the world was still in winter’s icy clutches. A few patches of green were starting to show. Some hearty grasses and sedges gave an indication of life, yet it still felt so much like winter had just ended.
Then, I came across a grove of hardwoods and the forest floor was suddenly filled with the bright greens of wild leek plants, freshly erupted from the dull brown forest floor.. Now this was looking more familiar! If leeks were emerging, then what else?
I inspected the ground closer and, sure enough, I spotted a small patch of pink, up close to a maple tree; a small clump of Spring Beauties were blooming. Soon, I saw many more and the forest seemed alive with flowers. Which again reminded me, if you don’t look, intently, you will often miss these small treasures.
So, the 5 km. hike, simply for the sake of getting outside again, has paid off; colour is returning to the world once more and I am encouraged again to spend more time enjoying and photographing this wonderful world I live in.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“I know it is difficult to believe in your own courage or fortitude when everything inside of you feels weak and shattered. But do not believe what you feel. You will not be easily broken.”
― Rachel L. Schade
This has been a brutal start to spring. April, as you may have noticed from my lack of photos, has presented my with conditions that were just plain dangerous or miserable to be outdoors in.
We’ve had rain , and snow, and deep freezes. Just went the temperatures seems to be climbing, they would drop again and the world would turn a muddy gray. If found myself anxiously looking out the window, wondering of this might be the day to get out and explore.
The weather has also paid a toll on the forest vegetation. Plants that should be blooming now are not even emerged yet. And others, surprisingly, are earlier than I would have expected. Yet, that is the nature of nature, always finding ways of getting the cycle back on track. Today, I did find some surprises, which I will be posting later in the week.
Yet, the first item that caught my eye today was this fluffy seed pod, which, despite a vast 3 day ice storm, two weeks ago, has managed to hold onto its seeds and the fluff is nicely drying, preparing to deliver the seeds to the surrounding forest floor, just as it thaws out. It amazed me how this survived, without being broken off by the elements, which seem to have flattened everything else around them.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
― W.B. Yeats
I wanted to post one more of my ‘artsy’ interpretations. This time, the predominant color is blue, very appropriate for this late March day. The image was made around noon yesterday and I applied a filter to enhance the tones and textures. I had no idea just how much blue was preset in this scene. And then, looking back, it is true. My brain just knows that snow and birches are white, right? Yes, but it filters out all information on the reflected light it is seen in.
Part of this exercise is my desire to interpret the image as more than a simple photo, to add a feel through colour and texture. SInce I’m not a great painter, I let the computer help me in this aspect, till my painting improves. One day, I hope to be able to create this image from scratch, but that will take much practice and patience.
What strikes me, as I noted in yesterday’s post, is just how much our brain filters our vision to match our perception. This has broader implications than a brief post would cover, but it plants the seeds for us to consider our perceptions and the strong effect they have on our interaction with the world we live in.
Something to consider…
Apple iPhone 7
iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8
1/900 sec, f/1.8, ISO 20
“Joy is not in things; it is in us.”
― Richard Wagner
A bit of fun this morning. I decided to ‘play’ with an image I made yesterday, by running it through a filter. The results are quite pleasing and I thought I’d share it today.
My photography has already become quite untraditional, through my use of motion. This is quite deliberate, as I am trying to document the world I experience in a different way. As I walk through the woods, I am drawn to things others would often miss, the slight movement of light through the trees, a hint of purple in the water. The movement I impart to my photos causes the viewer to have to look closer, to ‘fool’ the brain into not filtering based on pre-programmed notions of what something ‘should’ look like and focus on what is being viewed more intentionally. This often yields unexpected elements and, in my experince, enhances the colurs and textures already present in the image.
This is made a bit more apparent in the image above. All the colours and textures already existed but are filtered by the brain as it adjusts our perception. After all, snow is white, is it not? How often have you looked at a photo and wondered where all the blue shadows came from? Our cameras simply document the light that comes into them, unless we correct them with filters. Notice the slight turquoise tones to the snow, and the hints of purple. Next time you go out, have a try at seeing the scene ‘unfiltered’. You may be surprised.
Apple iPhone 7
iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8
1/120 sec, f/1.8, ISO 25
“Home is where you go to find solace from the ever changing chaos, to find love within the confines of a heartless world, and to be reminded that no matter how far you wander, there will always be something waiting when you return.”
― Kendal Rob
“The Return”
The return of migratory birds and the return of spring. Two things that go together nicely. Here we stand, on the cusp of spring, recent snows blanketing the ground in a final reminder of the season, now passing.
Birdsong, fills the air, between the sound of trees groaning in the north wind, its bite now feeling less severe, sun shining into the depths of the forest, lighting the dark recesses.
I love this time of year, the warming light and the lengthening days. In mere weeks, new growth with erupt from the ground, as the sun thaws the now frozen ground. Soon, life in abundance will return to the forest.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 170mm
1/400 sec, f/10.0 ISO 250
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
“Going green doesn’t start with doing green acts — it starts with a shift in consciousness.
― Ian Somerhalder
This image invokes two thoughts for me: First, I’m loving the fact that the dull greens of winter are becoming for vibrant, and secondly, I’m ever conscious of just how fragile these forests, that I enjoy so much, really are.
I am made even more aware of this as the snow melts and the heaps of garbage left by ‘hikers’ emerges from the snow drifts at several of the trail heads, taking away from the beauty of the forest. The term ‘hikers’, in this sense refers not to those of us who hold the forest trails as precious, rather, the weekend warriors who come and go, likely not returning, until they feel compelled to do something ‘green’ again.
This lack of respect for the natural environment really bothers me, as I would like to continue to enjoy and have my children and their children enjoy as well. Leaving garbage at trail heads or on trails is so unnecessary. “If you bring it in, take it out”, is my motto.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70mm
1/4 sec, f/10.0 ISO 250
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
“And this is how the forest changes, one step, one day, one moment at a time. ”
― Ed Lehming
The time of change is at my doorstep. Though flurries still fill the air from time to time, the inevitable change is palpable. Paths once completely ice covered are now more passable. Mud and leaves fill the spaces between, and the ice slowly recedes.
Even the evergreens are a bit brighter, as the sun brings freshness their winter faded needles. Birdsong returns to fill the air.
I love this time of year, watching the gradual shift from ice to green. It reminds me that life is a cycle; that there are times of growth and times of rest. The toughest part is just before the change, a time when my world is ice covered and dull; uninspiring. Yet, with patience and the knowledge that it’s temporary, I venture out for moments like this, moments where the change is visible and I look forward to the days ahead.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70mm
1/4 sec, f/10.0 ISO 250
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
“There is always danger for those who are afraid.”
― George Bernard Shaw
I could not resist the quote. I am told over and over, “Be careful on the trails, they are icy.” I get it from family and other who hike these trails in warmer days. I have never considered the trails dangerous, it’s just a matter of adjusting to the conditions. I avoid the slickest, uneven sections, particularly those on steep slopes. Even with cleats on, I am careful not to get over-confident. But, I am experienced on these trials and rely on common sense and acquired skills to see me safely through.
The amount of ice on the trails this year is pretty significant. The conditions have been just right to render the heavily trodden trails into ice rinks. Yet, I have a need to be out here, enjoying the natural beauty that surrounds me and documenting some part of that. Friends seem surprised that I am out in these conditions, yet most times I run into other hikers, so I am not alone in this venture. Except I am carrying a bunch of camera gear, which would not do well in a fall.
So, here you have it, a small moment on the icy trails, the forest gradually emerging from its winter rest, as life and colour begin to show themselves once more.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70mm
1/4 sec, f/20.0 ISO 250
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
“Any belief worth embracing should be able to stand up to scrutiny. If not, it’s time to release it; let it go.”
― Laurie Buchanan, PhD
I struggled with a quote of this simple image of a Queen Anne’s Lace seed head emerging from its winter tomb.
Then, the image reminded me of a rather painful time in my recent past. One I won’t get into in this forum, but one that caused me to really reflect on what was important in my life, and I came to realize that some of the people and events of the past five or so years had no bearing on my future. They ‘entombed’ me in a sort of stasis as well. Yet, through the outlet of my photography, family, and true friends, I too was able to weather it out, relatively unscathed, much like this seed head.
If I came across it in a meadow, without knowing it had been fully encased in ice, I would not know its full story.
I love the simplicity of the image, yet it triggers such complex thoughts and emotions.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 140mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6 ISO 250
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
Winter hung in there, like an invalid refusing to die. Day after grey day the ice stayed hard; the world remained unfriendly and cold.”
― Neil Gaiman
Contrary to the quote that I chose for this image, with the lengthening days and a few days of sunshine, winter is beginning to loosen its icy grip on the forest. The patches of ice and snow are retreating and the dull browns and yellows of the forest floor are beginning to take over.
Today, as I ventured into the forest once more, sounds dominated. There was the crunch, crunch of my icers (metal cleats that I attach to my hiking boots), on the frozen trail, hints of birdsong in the distance, and the roar of the wind, high above, setting the treetops into a wild frenzy of movement. As I watched the branches sway and clatter together, the movement reminded me of birth, the forest is waking, after its slumber and soon more hints of green will begin to emerge, the cycle repeats and soon, it will not just be sights and sounds, but the smells of the forest, that dominate.
This image, though not a filled with colours as my previous post, nicely illustrates the recession of snow, as it retreats back into a shallow valley, a brief respite from its inevitable demise.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0 ISO 250
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
“Art never responds to the wish to make it democratic; it is not for everybody; it is only for those who are willing to undergo the effort needed to understand it.”
― Flannery O’Connor
Well, back to reality. I live in a land of four seasons, often extreme and more often, surprising, offering unexpected gifts.
I got out on the trails again. The trails, at this time of the year, are downright treacherous, not only icy, but uneven and icy. So, a good set of ice cleats or ‘icers’ is an essential, unless you enjoy spending your time on your backside, sprawled across the trail. For me it’s also about protecting my camera gear. There’s not much more painful than watching a $1,600 lens bounce off the ice.
That’s the preface to today’s post. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, but still quite crisp and the trails were ice-covered, snow strewn in patches in the darker recesses of the forest. Late winter is like that around here. We get a few warm days, the snow melts and the resulting slush freezes overnight, only to repeat the cycle, especially on the packed down trails.
I have posted several photos earlier this year of my forest hikes, all are a bit dull, in this icy world of muted shades. In fact, that alone has kept me from bringing my camera with me on the past few hikes, nothing inspires.
Last week I purchased a new camera pack , a Tenba Solstice 24L, for those interested, which I am hoping to use in a few future expeditions, and today I decided to carry the pack with most of my gear to try it out. It is perhaps the best camera pack I have owned yet and opened up the option of having a large selection of lenses, filters, and accessories with me.
This ‘test’ hike brought me through familiar territory and I made a few images along the way. Then, I came across this beautiful scene. The late morning sun flashed from bright green spruce sapling and lit up the golden leaves of a small beech tree. I was determined to capture this bit of magic. After a few trials, I believe I have something close to what I saw. I am now re-inspired, despite what largely appears as a dull and tired landscape. Nature always seems to have a few tricks up her sleeve to keep me coming back.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 90mm
1/4 sec, f/11.0 ISO 250
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“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity”
― John Muir
I realized, as I was posting this image, that the same scene is the background for a previous post. But, that’s how I create many of my compositions. Several images from the same vantage point, as I take in my surroundings and observe the various elements that make up the broader scene.
What resonates with me in this image is the stark contrasts between the lush vegetation of the estuary in the foreground and the stark mountains of the Sierra de la Laguna in the background. By the way, all the green you see on the slopes of the mountain are various varieties of cactus and other brittle and spiky desert plants.
This image was made close to mid-day and a fine veil of mist hangs above lush palms like a halo, creating a slight haze across the lower mountains.
The Sierra create what I often term a ‘spine’ down the centre of the Baja Peninsula. Though rugged and mostly arid, I have noticed a few places which are green and inviting. These places will need to be explored on future visits to this region which beckons my back.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 300mm
1/400 sec, f/10.0 ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“I spent uncounted hours sitting at the bow looking at the water and the sky, studying each wave, different from the last, seeing how it caught the light, the air, the wind; watching patterns, the sweep of it all, and letting it take me.
The sea.”
― Gary Paulsen
As in the quote I selected, I spent a lot of time sitting on the shore, filling my lungs with the wonderful smell of the ocean, watching the waves as they thundered to shore, and listening to the complex sounds of the waves as they crashed, churned, and receeeded . The sound is the inspiration for the title of this image. The words “Voice of the Pacific” resonated through me, as I sat entranced the marvel and sheer power of this mighty ocean.
I was trying to do it justice through many shots of waves captured at different speeds and different times of day and then felt inspired to use the same technique I use for my abstract tree images and tried a horizontal pan. It took many shots to get what I was after but I am pleased with the result.
The image above captures many of the elements which I found myself observing from the shore: the roll and foam of the waves as they crashed and collided with the shore and each other, the subtle shades of green and aqua within the waves, the movement of the water, and the vast expanse of water on the distant horizon. From this vantage point, looking due south, there is only ocean for thousands of kilometers, till the ocean meets the far distant shores of Antarctica. it’s quite overwhelming.
As I look at the image, It brings back very clear memories of this time I had with the sea, mere weeks ago now. I still here the voice of the Pacific becoming my return and I will return to hear what more it has to offer me.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 116mm
1/4 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
― Marcel Proust
It’s pretty amazing the things we see when travelling. I’m not talking about the tourist traps or grand vistas, for me, it’s about the mundane and pondering what something is and how it got to be there.
On a recent trip to Baja, I came across several stacks of wood along the beach. They were out-of-place and were not there last year. In fact, this stretch of beach has a significant absence of driftwood. Last year this wide swath of beach separated the San Jose del Cabo estuary for the Sea of Cortez. The estuary, is the outflow of fresh water that has accumulated via sand streams (a slow percolation of groundwater from inland) and is separated from the ocean by a strip of land. In this case, a beach, about 50 meters wide.
The estuary is rich with plant and bird life as opposed to the rest of this mountainous, desert peninsula, dominated by rock sand and cactus
I wondered who had stacked these pieces of wood in this fashion and automatically assumed it was the surf fishermen or surfers who frequent this strip of beach. The who remains unknown but how the wood got here became clear on talking to people who were in the area after hurricane Lydia came through the area last fall.
The heavy winds and rainfall overwhelmed the estuary causing the whole structure to shift several hundred meters east. The wood came for trees uprooted in the estuary and deposited in the ocean, which eventually pushed the wood ashore. Apparently, it was quite unpleasant after the storm as not only trees and garbage, but also wildlife and people squatting within the estuary lands were also washed out to sea.
So, this simple odd composition has a story to tell, if you but ask.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 116mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.”
― Sarah Kay
After a sustained hiatus, I’m going to start back into my blogging with an image that is an escape from the cold, slow filled winter we have experienced this year. Mostly because this winter has offered me little material that I have felt inspired by and I have not done much indoor floral photography, which was my go to activity last winter.
Today, I’m sharing one of my favourite views, the southern tip of the Baja peninsula as viewed across the estuary at San Jose del Cabo.
The whole scene evokes fond memories for me in the combination of sand, sea, and southern mountains. The shot itself captures these elements in nice layers, transitioning from grasses and freshwater, to the sandy beach, ocean, and distant coastal mountain.
The estuary itself has existed for many years, even being referenced in the logs of early european sailors, who made it a regular stop to refresh steps of drinking water. I will go into more detail about this fascinating feature in upcoming posts. For now, enjoy a simple composition from warmer climes.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 300mm
1/400sec, f/10.0 ISO 400
“I love the scent of winter. I love the scent of winter enough to suffer the cold for it.”
― Tiffany Reisz
It’s been a while since I posted, it’s also been a while since I’ve had anything to share. The cold snap finally eased up to the point where a reasonable person could venture out for a while. It’s felt odd, being cooped up and not making photos. So, I finally got back out for a 5 km hike this past Sunday and managed to capture a few images along the way.
What still makes me smile is the splashes of orange from the tenacious beech leaves, which, thus far, have managed to cling to the bare branches and bring a touch of colour to the otherwise stark landscape. They really are the only colour, other than muted tones of various mosses and fungi. Even the sky still hangs heavy and leaden, despite the milder temperatures. By milder I mean slightly below freezing but far more comfortable than the sub -20s we’ve had most of January.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“You think winter will never end, and then, when you don’t expect it, when you have almost forgotten it, warmth comes and a different light.”
― Wendell Berry
Warm, merely describes the spectrum of the light, certainly not its effect on the surroundings.
Once more, this winter, I find myself drawn to the trails, despite the bone chilling -20C temperatures. Despite a few days above freezing, winter was swooped back and locked the world in its icy grip once more.
As I stood making this image, the trees around me were literally cracking as they rapidly cooled. I don’t have video capability here, but if you are interested in this experience, go to my https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Felehming%2Fvideos%2F10156194337614391%2F&show_text=0&width=267“>Facebook feed for a listen, it’s quite surreal.
Back to the photo, it was surprising to me that they late afternoon sun would have such a warm quality, as it reflected off the trees. If I had not experienced the actual temperatures, I would be mislead to believe it was actually warmer.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 400
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (images are available for purchase)
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“For so long I have lived on the edge of an invisible world. Sometimes I feel like the scattered debris left over after the personality has fallen out of the sky.”
― Steve Rasnic Tem
This is my final 2017 photo, made during a VERY cold hike on the second last day of December. Temperatures were around -25C and the air was calm and crisp. Crisp is an understatement, it was brutally cold, especially when I stopped hiking to make a photo.
Something that really caught my attention was large patches of fallen oak leaves, lying on the firmly packed snow; winter’s litter. It’s one of those odd things that I have not witnessed in the past many years on the trails. I suppose some leave had simply hung on after our extended autumn and the extreme cold combined with some moderate wind has now knocked them down. As I stood here and looked up, there was no evidence of any leaves remaining. Winter is firmly entrenched now.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mmm
1/500 sec, f/11.0, ISO 400
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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