“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. “
– John Muir
Simple beauty will suffice for me. In this case, a brightly coloured Box Elder beetle, one of many insects partaking in the bounty of nectar within this patch of Canada thistles I’m spending a lot of time with.
Soon, they will fade and go to seed and other plants will dominate, but for now, I’m finding beauty aplenty right here.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world.
“SV Blackjack” – Cabin Door
This image is quite a departure from my regular ‘doors’ images. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see a Tall Ship Regatta stop in the small port town of Bath, Ontario. Bath, is a small village on the south shores of Lake Ontario and made an ideal spot for these magnificent vessels to harbour for the night.
I have a very real love for sailing ships. I love the sound of rigging creaking, the snap of the sails as they fill with wind, and water sloshing against the hull. I’m a bit of romantic, picturing these ships plying the lakes and seas in bygone days. Most of the older vessels still have a lot of brass and wood on their trim and fittings, including this cabin door, though not ideally lit, it was an opportunity for me to add another door to my collection.
Though I posted images of other ships earlier this month, I’m including an image of this particular ship for your enjoyment.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
1/320sec, f/9.0 ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“The blues of summer,
flowers and bright skies.
Days of warmth and laughter,
and lakefront evening sighs.”
– Ed Lehming
This seems to be season of the hoverfly. They are everywhere I look. Not that’s a bad thing, by any means, they are an interesting insect and quite colourful too. Though, I have yet to photograph one in flight.
I found this pair while photographing a chicory blossom a few days ago. The one seems to be as deep into the flower as it can go, perhaps that’s where the nectar is to be found? It made for an interesting image, since it also gives a nice side view of the other hoverfly.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0 ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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We have to know our place in the ecosystem of which we are a part, and this means living ‘consciously’: being aware of nature and how it affects us and how we, in turn, affect nature.”
― Sebastian Pole
I am so pleased lately to see so many bees. For the past few years they have been scarce, especially honeybees. There are many pollinators out there, but honeybees have been exceptionally rare around here. It’s a frightening thought, to lose our bees, though I know many efforts have been made to preserve and increase the population. Thankfully, those efforts seem to be paying off.
When I went out today to check on my herb garden, it was with great pleasure that I noted the many honeybees flying from flower to flower. Purple, seems to be the draw this month.
Of the many images I made today, this one pleased me the most. The bee itself is in sharp focus yet even at 1/400 sof a second, the wings are still a blur, emphasizing the speed with which these bees move. It was, despite the bright light, tough to get a clear shot. But, here it is, a moment in the garden, the cycle of life, captured.
One of the pleasures of gardening is having these processes close by. The oregano plant itself is from last year’s planting, asi t winters over quite well. This garden also has basil, mint, and rosemary, but the oregano is the one with the bright, fragrant blossoms. Of course, bees were not the only participants, numerous flies, wasps, and beetles joined in the feast, but the honeybee stole the show for me.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/200 sec, f/16.0 ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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― Germany Kent
“Nodding in the Garden”
Here is my entry for Del Monte Y Mar’s Tuesdays of Texture Challenge Week 30 of 2017
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/125 sec, f/16.0 ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“When you overlook the small blessings in your life, chances are that no amount of blessings would ever make you happy.”
―
I thought today I’d go out and capture a very simple image of a flower, which sadly, flourishes in my gardens. I have no idea where it came from, but I do know it loves to call my gardens home, despite me constantly weeding it out.
The plant is known as common yellow wood sorrel and starts out looking like a three leafed clover, till it blooms with it’s pretty yellow flowers. Yet, after a while it shows up everywhere and I can hardly keep up with it by the end of the summer.
In the good soil of my gardens it grows to a height of nearly 20 centimeters and seems to fill every vacant patch of garden, if not quickly removed. It’s doing particularly well this year, with our non-stop rainfalls.
So, I decided to make a photo of it, close up, so that I could “try’ to appreciate it. And I do, it’s a beautiful little flower, but I’d appreciate it more if it was not so prolific in my gardens. 🙂
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/200 sec, f/16.0 ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Peculiar I say, how so often the smallest, most seemingly insignificant details later unveil their faces as vital means for progression.”
― Criss Jami
What struck me about this image of a stem of hosta blossoms was the progression of the flowers along the stem. The bottom three are spent flowers from the previous day, the next two above are in full bloom, and above, new blossoms are forming.
I’ve considered photographing them before, but they have not appealed to me, for some reason. Yet, this time around, I really noticed this pattern of blossoms, progressing up the stem and decided to document it and spend some time appreciating it. The individual blossoms are quite pretty as well, yet seem lost in the space between them.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.5 sec, f/32.0 ISO 200
High Resolution Image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.”
― Anaïs Nin
An unknown butterfly on an unknown flower. It really bothers me not to be able to identify the subject matter of my photos, but I can’t figure out what either is. The purple flowers grow in a small cluster in a single location. I’m wondering if it’s an escapee from somebody’s garden. Standing over a meter tall this plant has six leaves coming from a central node and beautiful stalks of purple flowers. It may be Culver’s Root, but it seems out of place.
The butterfly may be a skipper, but I don’t recognise it from below.
It was, however, a brief opportunity to get a photo of the butterfly feeding on the flower, quickly composed and shot before the butterfly took off and the moment was gone, leaving me with a mystery to solve.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/80 sec, f/16.0 ISO 200
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“Happiness is not a thing – it is a feeling; a way of joyful living and being. It comes from inner fulfilment and appreciating the world you live in.”
― Rasheed Ogunlaru
I could not think of a more suitable title for this studio image of a purple coneflower from my garden. As I look at the flow of the petals and the incredible order of the disk florets, glowing in the light.
It’s something almost magical to behold and I find the isolation technique I use makes those details stand out even more. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with this image, simply enjoying the textures and structures of this beautiful blossom, dotted with tiny grains of pollen. Appreciating the whole by observing the component parts that make up the whole.
I’m finding these images and the time I spend composing the shots has made me more aware of many of these details as I observe the flowers and wildlife outdoors even more deliberately. I try to turn off the filters my brain has learned over the years, to see the blossom like this, naturally.
It’s becoming a journey to live life in the same manner. Some call it mindfulness, or living in the moment. I like to look at it is deliberate appreciation for the world around me. It’s also making it easier for me to compose better images, as I’m learning to see things for more than just an object to be photographed, but rather, an opportunity to preserve the essence of what I’m seeing. Writing about these experiences is helping tremendously, as the process of writing slows my brain down and causes me to more carefully consider the image and what I want to share about it and the process that led to its creation.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/200 sec, f/16.0 ISO 200
High Resolution Image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Everyone is busy, yet we all have access to the same amount of time.”
― Chris Guillebeau
The prevalent activity around here lately is bees and blooms. It’s so nice to see bees after a few years where bees, particularly honeybees, seemed to be quite scarce around here. I returned to my patch of Canada Thistle and simply stood for a while, watching all the activity, including the numerous species of pollinators.
From small to large, plump to thin, the bees, wasps, and various flies were busy collecting the bounty of nectar these wildflowers had to offer. It was not till I spent a few minutes standing there, observing, that I noticed the sweet smell emanating from the thistles. It’s something I had as yet been unaware of. As the fragrance drifted around me it is no small wonder that so many insects were drawn to this large patch.
Of all the harvesters, this mid sized bee is the one that caught my eye. Most bees and wasps would land on a blossom and spend quite a while going to each individual component flowerette and collecting the nectar. This bee, on the other hand, flitted from blossom to blossom, spending mere seconds on each. It truly was a busy bee. The image above represents a split second where it slowed long enough for me to capture a sharp image of it.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 200
High Resolution Image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Be music always. Keep changing the keys, tones, pitch, and volume of each of the songs you create along your life’s journey and play on.”
― Suzy Kassem
Today marks just about a year since I started into my studio based floral photographs. What started in my mind, as I drove past ripe wheat fields, as a vision of photographing some of the wheat under controlled lighting, quickly changed gears when those images did not materialize as I had envisioned them.
At that time, the day lilies in our gardens were blooming and I took a few in to see how they would look. After fiddling with my exposure settings and using my trusty 70-200mm zoom lens, since I did not own a macro lense at the time, I got images that stunned me. I could not believe how the isolation against the black velvet backdrop made the flower ‘pop’ and fine details emerged so clearly.
There has been no turning back from this. Though I enjoy being in the outdoors and photographing the wild world around me, there is a satisfaction in these florals. They continue to stun me with their vibrancy and detail and I enjoy the process of composition. The lighting and settings have become second nature. It’s just a matter of having enough subject matter to photograph.
So, to mark this milestone in my photographic journey, I decided to grab a stem of day lily and bring it to the studio for a couple of quick shots, two to be precise. This is the first one. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.5 sec, f/32.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“What will remain is neither you nor me but what we shared among each other.”
― Santosh Kalwar
Every now and then, an unexpected image just ‘happens’. Yesterday, as I went for a lunchtime walk to the meadow north of my house I came across these three hoverflies positioned perfectly on a cinquefoil blossom.
I could not have asked for a more cooperative group of insects, as they sat there, seemingly unbothered by the approach of me and my lense. As I leaned closer and closer to compose this shot, I fully expected one or all of them to fly away, leaving a nice blossom to photograph. It just worked out, all three remained in wonderful symmetry.
Shooting macro without a tripod is still proving an interesting exercise. Not only do I have to make sure I have a high enough shutter speed to negate even the tiniest movements, which can soften the image, but I also have to contend with my own back and forth movement as I work within a fairly narrow depth of field. This one is a bit soft and would have been a sharper image, had I used my tripod, but the moment may have been lost, so I’m content with it.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/200 sec, f/16.0 ISO 200
High Resolution Image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Red Clover Detail”
Here is my entry for Del Monte Y Mar’s Tuesdays of Texture Challenge Week 29 of 2017
It’s been many weeks since I posted a texture image but thought that this close up of a clover blossom was a good candidate. What looks like a single pink-purple flower from a distance is in fact a series of delicate striped flowers. Even the leaves have fine hairs adding another bonus texture.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“You can ponder perpetual motion,
Fix your mind on a crystal day,
Always time for a good conversation,
There’s an ear for what you say
Come on the risin’ wind,
We’re goin’ up around the bend. “
– Creedence Clearwater Revival
As I considered this image, the words to the Creedance Clearwater Revival song came into my head and I could not shake them and thus, the title came to be.
It was simply chance that I looked over towards the goldenrod plant and noticed the ladybug as it made its way up the bent stem, here pausing at a leaf node, considering the best path to follow. I don’t imagine that it climbed the entire stalk, but rather, landed at some nearby point and began its short trek. Yet, this moment is subject to interpretation, is it not? We don’t know how far it has walked or when it will decide to fly off to the next plant. It remains a single moment to enjoy and ponder.
I had another surprise as I was editing the image. The day I made the image was one of those days of variable sun and cloud and when I look closely at the ladybug’s shell, I can see the sun and cloud reflecting on them. Something I had not noticed before.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Not everyone takes action to harvest the experiences of the seasons of life in order to enjoy their bounty.”
― Andrea Goeglein
This image is quite similar to yesterday’s Bee and Thistle image, but the thistle here is white and the pollinator is a hover fly. I made the photo a few minutes after the bee image, and in a different patch of thistle. I was quite surprised to see white Canada Thistle and it’s the first time I have seen this variety in my many years of hiking.
This patch, as with the pale purple ones, was teeming with life, all anxiously drinking in the bounty of nectar. The hover flies seem ore partial to the neighbouring chicory but did not pass on the chance for a meal from the thistles as well.
Out of focus, in the background, the bright orange soldier beetle is only one of thousands partaking in the bounty as well. More to come from this hive of activity.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0 ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Mindfulness is not the path of chasing. It is the path of beautification. When flowers blossom, the fragrance spreads, and the bees come.”
― Amit Ray
I stood among this patch of Canada Thistle, enjoying the activity of bees, bugs, and beetles, noting just how much activity there was. One could stand for only a few minutes and see the incredible diversity of life drawn to a single species of flower in bloom. As I stood and scanned over the thousands of tiny blossoms, I could not help but be amazed at just how important this colony of thistles really is.
To many, this weed field would be a wild and unkempt eyesore, were it not for the tiny purple flowers. The thistles stand over a meter tall, shaggy and thorn covered, yet they provide sweet, life sustaining nectar to a multitude of insects. It was also nice to see so many species of bees, from honey bees, to carpenters, and bumble bees, each busily gathering nectar and distributing pollen.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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A small black gem,
floating on gossamer wings.
Flitting and fluttering,
till the summer’s end.
– Ed Lehming
A member of the damselfly family, this ebony jewelwing floated from branch to branch around me for several minutes before finally settling on a leaf.
It required a slow and cautious approach to get within shooting range and I only managed a few shots before it took to the sky once more.
I really enjoy the way jewelwings float and flit, unlike dragonflies and their deliberate and rapid flight. The wings seem to be so pliable and ineffective but the random flight protects them from predators.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/100 sec, f/5.0 ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Tired, tired with nothing, tired with everything, tired with the world’s weight he had never chosen to bear.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald
This one just struck me as funny. So often I see birds landing on plants that can barely hold them, but I would not have expected it from a fly. After all, fly weight is an expression for very light, is it not?
After running short of material, I went for a quick walk with my son today, to the reservoir just north of me. On the way there we encountered lots of wildflowers and insects, including this fly balanced on a grass seed, which is bending under the fly’s weight.
A simple composition, but satisfying, nonetheless.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“There are patterns which emerge in one’s life, circling and returning anew, an endless variation of a theme”
― Jacqueline Carey
As humans, we are programmed to see patterns, and nature provides us much to see. This coleus, has been growing in my office since late October of last year. I see it every day, as I come to my desk or look out the window. The plant is quite large now, large enough that the weight of the leaves is enough to make it unbalanced in the small pot it was planted in and many of the leaves are very, very large.
So, yesterday, I considered what to do with the plant, which has been ever present these past few months. As I was considering this, I became keenly aware of the repeating pattern of it leaves, especially the bright, fresh leaves of new growth. Of course, I could not resist making a photo of it, so I could appreciate it even more. I did take it into my studio, as the light from the office window was not ideal.
Now, as I look more carefully at the leaves, and their patterns, I’m fascinated by not just the repeating pattern of the layered leaves but also the great texture and colour patterns. You don’t have to go very far to find interesting things to photograph, you just have to be aware of them, even if they have been in front of you for months.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.3 sec, f/32.0 ISO 200
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world.
“Private Parking – Bath Ontario”
This door caught my attention, as do the many unusual doors I pass on a daily basis. This one struck me as funny. The door is the entrance to what looks to have been a small residence or business at one point. It’s now a storage shed, completely full of junk.
I am often left wondering at the stories doors can tell. At some point in time, somebody took the time to make a fairly unique door, or they purchased a unique door and made it fit the door frame. What made me grin is the fact that this ‘junk shed’ is posted as “Private Parking”. Though the building is along the Main Street of Bath, Ontario, a small town of some two thousand residents in south-east Ontario, it is unlikely that parking will be at a premium or that anybody in the near future will be parking there.
The reason I ended up in Bath, a town with Loyalist roots dating back to the late seventeen hundreds, and was the recent Tall Ships Regatta (see my previous posts few if you like old sailing vessels). The town was, at one point, a major port and trading centre, till roads and railways bypassed the town, taking commerce with them. It now has a small dock and sheltered harbour, making it the ideal venue for the sailing ships to anchor.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
1/200 sec, f/7.1 ISO 200
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Scars are not signs of weakness, they are signs of survival and endurance.”
― Rodney A. Winters
As a continuation to yesterday’s post “Beginnings“, here’s a mature coneflower blossom. I struggled for a title for this and fell back to just the name of the plant. The intent was to come up with a name for the image that reflected the character of the plant.
As those who follow my blog regularly would know, we have had a series of strong storms in the area over the past few weeks, including strong winds and pea-sized hail. The coneflowers have withstood them all. Though a bit weather-worn, the blossoms are still quite nice, though I had to bypass a few which showed considerable damage before settling on this one.
In creating the image, I decided to show the entire plant, not just the blossom, as there is an abundance of close-up coneflower photos out there right now. I wanted to do something a bit different.
The next two days are threatening rain and thunderstorms so I am hoping to collect a few garden specimens to photograph before they too are damaged.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.3 sec, f/32.0 ISO 200
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Maybe I don’t have enough beginnings in my life because I fought against the endings that were about to birth those beginnings.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough
As I surveyed my gardens this morning, I noticed that several of my purple cone flowers were already in full bloom, a nice change from last year when heat and drought caused them to put out very small, underdeveloped flowers, just big enough to produce some scant seed.
The flowers and even the stems this year are quite large, though some of the larger flowers are showing some hail damage from a few weeks back. There are, however, several large blossoms beginning to form into flowers. They are quite pretty in their underdeveloped state and catch the light nicely.
I’ve left this one in its natural state, including the many spider threads between the petals. It seems every flower has its resident spider, but this one seems to have temporarily vacated the premises. I like this ‘natural’ look, including the webs as it documents all the detail we often miss from a distance or first glance, a recurring theme for me lately.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.3 sec, f/32.0 ISO 200
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“What’s in a life without Camaraderie? For setting sail on a ship with a band of merry brothers by your side is much more gratifying than drifting aimlessly on a boat lost alone at sea.”
― Saim .A. Cheeda
This is not my typical photograph, but I could not help but be amazed by the young crew members of the Black Jack as they stood high above the deck and tied down the sails for the day.
The ship had already come to port and the deck was bustling with activity, each crew member performing their duty as part of a well trained team. Most of the crew members are quite young and participating in sailing camp and team building work. With the young women in the rigging, being guided by what I assume is a senior crew member, I thought the image of the team working together with the Canadian flag so prominent, was a great testimony to what has made our 150 year old nation so wonderful. It’s a lot of people, from different backgrounds, working together to a common goal.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“It had occurred to her many times that on board it didn’t matter where you were coming from or where you were heading. Each voyage had its own charisma. Like writing a book – word by word – or crossing a country – step by step – each minute had to be lived moment by moment.”
― Sara Sheridan
This will likely be my last Tall Ships post. The ship pictured is the Empire Sandy and at 61.8 meters, is the largest ship in the regatta. Launched in 1945 and registered in Canada, it is a spectacular vessel to behold, with its white hull and bright sails, it makes most of the other tall ships look small.
By the time this vessel came into the waters off Amherst Island, the sky had brightened up considerably and the ship offered a beautiful side view, with most of the sails open. It also reflected nicely on the water, creating a very nice image.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“We clear the harbor and the wind catches her sails and my beautiful ship leans over ever so gracefully, and her elegant bow cuts cleanly into the increasing chop of the waves. I take a deep breath and my chest expands and my heart starts thumping so strongly I fear the others might see it beat through the cloth of my jacket. I face the wind and my lips peel back from my teeth in a grin of pure joy.”
― L.A. Meyer
Above is yet another of the tall ships that made a stop at Bath, Ontario this past weekend. The ships came in all shapes and sizes, Some larger than others. The St. Lawrence II is a 21.8 meter Brigantine, registered out of Canada. It was built in 1953 and seems to be holding up nicely, I think primarily due to the fact that it’s hull is made of steel, rather than wood, though to see it on the water, that is not apparent.
As I stated in a previous post, this venue for viewing and appreciating these beautiful sailing vessels could not have been better. The ships came in, one by one as the crowds gathered on shore waited in anticipation. My vantage point was on a shaded patch of shoreline behind the beautifully preserved Fairfield-Gutzeit House.
The house, the oldest of three properties, and was built in 1793 and is open to the public for a small admission fee. It also houses the Lafarge War of 1812 Discovery Centre, which tells the story of Earnesttown (present-day Bath), the attack on the village and the flight of the HMS Royal George.
The house was a central location for the Tall Ship events and featured a beer garden and live entertainment for the entire weekend. For me, it was a quiet place to photograph from, away from crowds. It also made the arrival of the ships, one by one a thrilling experience, as they emerged, sails billowing, from behind a clump of trees. A grand sight indeed.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 200
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“…this beginning motion, this first time when a sail truly filled and the boat took life and knifed across the lake under perfect control, this was so beautiful it stopped my breath…”
― Gary Paulsen
This image was made this past Friday, as the tall ships entered the waters between the town of Bath, Ontario and Amherst Island, on Lake Ontario. As some of the ships neared shore, they put on a show of mock cannon fire for the spectators gathered on shore.
This ship, the VS Niagara was one of the larger vessels in the tour, is a two masted brig with a hull length of 37.49 meters and is registered in the USA.
I’m personally fascinated by these marvelous vessels with their complex rigging and billowing sails. It’s like seeing a live history lesson. Last night the ships reenacted the “Battle of the Bay”, a naval battle on Lake Ontario between Upper Canada and America, during the War of 1812. Though the battle was actually between the British and Americans, most of the British forces were tied up in Europe with the Napoleonic wars, so most of the combatants were Canadian Militia.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 200
Just a quick post today, the start of a short series of tall ships that I experienced yesterday.
As part of Canada’s 150 celebrations this year, a group of tall ships have been making a tour of Canada’s harbourfronts. Larger cities on Lake Ontario like Hamilton and Toronto have hosted this event. Neither venue worked out for our schedule and, quite frankly, I did not want to be caught up in large crowds.
When my wife found they were stopping in Bath, a town with a population of about 2,000, I booked a day off and made plans to drive the two hours to be there, hoping that the weather would cooperate.
This small town, with its Loyalist roots, was perfect. I am the descendant of Loyalists myself and to stand among the historical buildings, imagining myself back in the early 1800’s, watching these magnificent vessels coming into the bay was quite emotional.
I’ll be sharing more over the next few days, a bit of a break from flowers and insects.
iPhone 7
“And I wonder if the caterpillar at the threshold of death ever knew that she would get metamorphosed into a butterfly that she could fly.”
― Chirag Tulsiani
Our camp area was overrun with these caterpillars this past weekend. We’ve been going to the same location for fourteen years and I can’t recall ever seeing so many tent caterpillars, though I did not actually see a colony in any neighbouring trees. On researching this, what I thought was an Eastern Tent Caterpillar, turned out to be a Forest Tent Caterpillar. The colouring is slightly different and the Forest Tent Caterpillar does not congregate inside the tent, rather in ‘clumps’ high in the host trees. The individual caterpillars were everywhere as were completed cocoons. Every nook and cranny had a yellow silk cocoon attached to them. At some point in the next three weeks, the northern forest will be filled with moderately sized, brown moths.
As a child, this was the most common caterpillar and thus, the first exposure we had to the life cycle of moths and butterflies. Because they are covered in hairs, they were more appealing than some of their naked cousins. I think all my friend’s bug jars housed one of these at one point, though we had no idea what they actually ate. Some survived, many perished.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/80 sec, f/22.0 ISO 800
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“Dream high, beyond the sky; no matter wings so small, keep vision bright; just dare to learn, for you are born to fly.”
― Vikrmn
I don’t get tired of these plentiful, colourful butterflies. When trying to figure out the exact species, which I was unable to do, I discovered that there are over 250 species in North America alone and close to 3500 worldwide, each slightly different from the other.
This one posed patiently for me, as I made this single image, before it darted off to its next resting spot. The name ‘skipper’ is so appropriate for this small, brightly coloured wonders.
I’m also enjoying looking at them closely with macro photography and seeing the structure of the antennae and the wooly jacket of its abdomen and thorax, such complexity in something so small. It’s a real wonder to behold, each and every time.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/9.0 ISO 800
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas” – “Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses”
― Ovid
This was a mystery plant to me, for a long time. On initial inspection, it looks like a wild rose, but the leaf is not right. It looks like a raspberry, but the flower is too big. So, what is it? Turns out, it’s a bit of both. It’s a flowering raspberry, and a member of the rose family. It’s also one of the larger trailside blossoms, so is easily located. The blossom colour varies considerably from pale purple to magenta, pink to almost white.
It’s also know, in some locations as Thimbleberry and is harvested to make preserves. I’ve tasted the berries, tentatively, thinking they might be raspberries, but found them to be very bitter and not to my liking. Maybe it makes a good jam thought? It would take a lot of berries and they are not overly plentiful.
When I looked back through all my images, I was surprised that I did not have many of this common blossom. So, it was time to make a fresh one and talk a bit about it.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/160 sec, f/9.0 ISO 800
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
Ed Lehming Photography 
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