“Life moves very fast. It rushes from Heaven to Hell in a matter of seconds.”
― Paulo Coelho
This past weekend, I took a little side drive to High Falls, which is really a former chute, turned to a waterfall by the installation of a dam nearly one hundred years ago. The dam closes off the end of Baptiste Lake, just north of the town of Bancroft, Ontario.
Because of the dam, the lake itself is a lot larger than it was originally, by about fifteen feet. As I stood along the side of the falls, I tried to picture this area before the dam was built. It must have been quite a sight, watching the massive flow of water surging through this narrow chute.
The dam was built to regulate the flow of the water from Baptiste Lake into the York River, which begins here and flows through the town of Bancroft several miles below. Spring floodwaters used to cause a lot of damage to the town. Even with the dam, the York River catchment basin is big enough to cause flooding in the town in the spring, as snow and ice melt. It must have been crazy before the dam was built.
I made several long exposures of various section of the falls, till a sudden cloudburst ended my day and I had to scramble back to the car, satisfied with only a few images. Of the five images I made, this one resonated with me the most. It shows the water spreading beyond the narrow rift and flowing over the surrounding rocks. The water was a bit higher than usual, in part because of our excessively rainy summer.
There is something about water that calms me, even rushing water. As I edited the image, I found myself zooming in on sections, taking in the complex movement and textures of the water as it rushes over teh rocks and downward to the rapids below.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 200
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“I’ve always believed there are moments in our lives which can be defined as a transition between the before and after, between the cause and the effect.”
― Benjamin X. Wretlind
Along the trail, the trees thin in places, a transition from forest to glade. More light enters along this transition zone, creating an ideal environment for new growth. Composting leaves and thin ground cover allow the sun’s light to warm the ground and germinate seeds which lie buried, waiting for conditions like this. A cycle begins, ends, continues.
It’s a transition zone. A place of change from one thing to another. I take note of these places, careful to observe them on future visits. The forest is a living and ever-changing place. The changes are often slow and subtle, like the light the weaves among the branches, often missed by the human eye which is constantly adjusting to balance the light, but captured by the camera, a moment, rather than a transition.
That’s the element I’m trying to capture in this “Into the Green Veil Series”, it’s that transitory light, which must be seen over a longer period of time rather than the split second of a typical camera shutter snap.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/18.0, ISO 100
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“A forest is not a wilderness, but a community of souls who speak to one another on the wind.”
– Anthony T. Hincks
Nature creates unexpected patterns, those things that are noticeably different than others. Here, a group of three large trees grows together, sharing the same patch of ground. Their neighbours, are spread fairly evenly, each with its patch of ground, its own source of sparse sunlight and nutrients. Yet, these three grew together, sharing everything, so different that it drew my attention right away.
Beyond them, a lengthened patch of sunlight reveals a path untrodden, beckoning exploration. The light is everywhere, despite the ever present veil of green. Above, bright flashes of blue dance in the sky and into the canopy high above.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/10.0, ISO 100
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“The voice of beauty speaks softly; it creeps only into the most fully awakened souls”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Bright rays of sun reflects off the tree lined hillside within the Durham Forest. Patches of light shine in golds and silvers, lighting up patches of leaf littered ground and pockets of bright green undergrowth.
I found some areas of the forest strangely devoid of undergrowth this year, which struck me as odd during this very wet summer. It looked like the snow had just melted yet it’s early September. This lack of undergrowth was somewhat disturbing but may simply be part of nature’s patter which I am just becoming aware of.
As I’ve said before, taking the time making, and later viewing these images, is allowing me to more fully appreciate the surroundings in which I make them. I spend considerable time looking for locations which offer good light and composition. I don’t just take random shots and hope for the best. For example, this image is the result of about eight attempts to get the light and camera movement right, as I work on capturing the energy I am seeing in the scene.
The resulting image contains all the elements which I originally saw: the gently sloping hillside, the trees, lined up as if marching up the hill, pright patches of light filtering the forest canopy, and a thin sliver of bright blue sky to set it all off, all within the green veil of light that fills the whole scene.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/8.0, ISO 100
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“There are no dead ends in life’s journey; there are no crossroads, no forks in the road. People who chose not to see reality, see the world as a tangled maze of intersections, forks in the road, and dead ends. These are illusions of people who follow the well trampled wide path woven out by others. This is not their true path. Life’s true sojourn reveals a long winding narrow path that only you can choose. Few have the courage to walk it.”
― RJ Blizzard
As the journey Into the Green Veil continues, the path I walk narrows in points, bounded on both side by tall maples and oaks, undergrowth crowding the trail edges, reaching into the golden patches of sunlight in the constricted open area of the path.
High above, there is a thinning of the canopy and pale blue competes for attention with the green canopy. This scene is so common on the trails of the Oak Ridges Moraine, an area conveniently located just north and east of my home.
The particular region I’m documenting in this series is know as the East Duffins Creek Headwaters area and has a wonderful network of well maintained trails running through mixed woodlands. This section of trail runs through rolling hills dominated by sugar maple, red oak, and beach trees. The growth is thick and healthy and being among these tall trees is one of my favourite experiences. Simple snapshots of the forest become quickly mundane and I’ve found that my photo abstractions, by adding an element of movement, bring a life and energy that a typical photo lacks. It allows me to appreciate the rich, dynamic, and ever changing light so much more, especially as I notice just how variable those patches of light can be. I hope, through this series, to convey that energy to others.
I’m also following a unique path of my own with this series. Capturing images in an unconventional style that I started pursuing a few years back. The images are always different, unexpected, and exciting. A chance for me to share my outdoors experiences in a challenging way. The journey continues. There are no dead ends. A few steep hills and sharp bends, but no dead ends.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/25.0, ISO 100
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“You are the light in a dark place. You are the water to my drought. You are everything I never knew existed and everything I wanted all at the same time.”
― Shelly Crane
The next image in my “Into the Green Veil” series is of a large maple tree which stood along the trail, roots spreading deeply into the forest floor. Further into the forest, slightly smaller maples catch golden rays of light.
The single large tree captured my attention primarily because it was the largest tree in this stretch of forest and secondly how the light reflected from its bark. It’s always about the light and its effects on the surrounding environment. There are also lovely golden patches of light dappled across the ground and up the slight rise behind the tree, yet the ‘green veil’ is omnipresent, though subdued by the golds and yellows.
Strangely enough, the light on the ‘guardian’ has more of a silver tone to it than the surrounding light, perhaps affected by the maple’s gray bark, though some golden tones are mixed in, as the light fades towards the left.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/10.0, ISO 100
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“The Green Veil shimmers richly around me,
in tones of deepest emerald and muted olive;
a dominating threshold between earth and sky.
Yet, through this veil,
gold light pierces and shimmers,
lighting the path and bright undergrowth,
in a dance of life and light.”
– Ed Lehming
I’ve been wanting to create a new series of images for some time, but the greens of summer, while lovely and filled with life, do not generally lend themselves to the photo abstractions I love so much.
Yesterday I felt inspired to get out for an early lunchtime walk and took my camera with me, as I often do, hoping for some inspiration. It did not take long, but a chance venture off my regular route brought me into an area of the forest with the most beautiful late summer light I have experienced this year. The forest surrounding me felt magical and filled me with joy. I had to do something with this moment, as it just felt right.
I made several images, reviewing each in my camera’s viewfinder. My abstraction technique is unpredictable and every single shot is slightly different, due to changes in the light and my movement. I was quite pleased with the resulting photos and believed I had enough material to create a new series of photos. The problem was, since it was a late summer forest, everything had a green cast to it. The human eye filters this out and we see a forest, but the camera is not so forgiving.
This green cast was bothering me and I was looking at ways to minimize it, without affecting the colours of the forest. Finally, I just gave up and processed and image, posting it on my blog yesterday for feedback, still having no idea what I would title this series. My last series: God Light, was quite easy to name, since it focussed on the wonderful patches of light that are created in forests. Those same patches exist in the summer too, as evidenced in the image above. But, what to call this summer series.
One of the followers of my blog David – It’s Complicated, wrote back with comments on the image and that they “like the color and effect of the green “veil”. Then it came to me, the “Green Veil” is dominant in all the images, and when I see it as a crucial element to the photo, I’m no longer inclined to remove it, but rather enhance its effect on the photos.
So, here’s the start of the “Into the Green Veil” series, the first image, above, is of the path leading into this forest glade. The title is also a bit of a play on words, as I was walking into a ‘vale’ as well.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/13.0, ISO 100
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“Sometimes all you need in your life is anything strange because strange things can revive your soul just like a cold water freshening your pale face with every splash!”
― Mehmet Murat Ildan
I thought I had missed them. A week ago, as I was hiking a local conservation area, I came across a patch of Indian Pipes, a very strange plant and a bit of a rarity around here. Alas, they were past their prime and already turning black. Not photo worthy.
Earlier today, as I made a brief foray into a local forest, I was surprised to find numerous clusters of Indian Pipe still in great condition. I was even more surprised to find them in bloom. Honestly, I did not know they bloomed, as I have never seen them at this stage and in such fine condition. I made several images in the highly variable light of the pine forest and this was the best of the series. Generally, the heads of the Indian Pipe are nodding, thus the name: Monotropa, from Greek monos, meaning “one” and tropos, meaning “turn”. I was also surprised by the pink colouration, as these plants lack chlorophyll, which is what gives plants their green colour. These odd plants get their nutrients through a mycorrhizal relationship with a fungus, which in turn gets its nutrients for local trees. It’s this complex relationship that has led to the Indian Pipes lack of chlorophyll, they don’t need it.
As I said, there were many clusters of this usually rare plant to be found, likely brought on by the warm, wet summer we have had. Usually, I have to look hard to find even a single plant, at the right time of year. Fortunately, I had my macro lense and tripod with me, so I was able to collect a nice sharp image, with good depth of field.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/6 sec, f/22.0, ISO 100
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“Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that came down to us from the darkness of those days there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy and under the shadow of death light that endures.
― J.R.R. Tolkien
Over the past few days, I’ve been deliberately spending my lunches in the local forests, reconnecting with the wood and getting back to my love of photo-abstractions. Summer posses a unique challenge as bright greens dominate. Every now and then, a composition presents itself, as the light shifts continually, and an image emerges from the depths.
In the same theme as my 2016 Autumn series titled “God Light“, these patches of sunlight, moving and shifting throughout the branches have a deep spiritual effect on me. It’s almost like I’m supposed to focus on that particular place for some meaning. Sitting with the images pulls me into the scene, realizing there is more at play than just the patch of light, there is a larger effect on the surrounding trees, as this light further reflects on the larger space.
In this image, not only is the ground lit up, but a singular sapling, seemingly devoid of foliage is also caught in the light, becoming the focal point of the image, till the eye drifts past it and picks up the textures of the larger maples framing it.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/4 sec, f/8.0, ISO 100
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“The Big Dipper wheels on its bowl. In years hence it will have stopped looking like a saucepan and will resemble a sugar scoop as the earth continues to wobble and the dipper’s seven stars speed in different directions.”
― Ann Zwinger
This past weekend, I spent a few evenings with my son, who wanted to try his hand at night photography. So, I made a few shots of my own. Night photography is not my area of expertise and I spent quite a bit of time simply ‘experimenting’. I’ve also never used my D800, so was checking to see just how different the sensor was compared with my D300, with which I had become quite comfortable a few years ago.
Conditions were not ideal, despite travelling to a “dark zone”, just east of our camper. Dark Zones are areas identified for their lack of light pollution and should be ideal places for astrophotography. I’ve included a map site if you are interested. On the evening that we travelled to nearby Fort Stewart, the moon was in an advanced waxing crescent, just high enough to light up the low clouds and obscure the fainter stars. Then, of course, the sky clouded up a bit and we had to wait for a few breaks. Add to that the plentiful mosquitoes, brought on by our wet summer, and that was the recipe we had to work with.
In the end, I ended up with a few interesting images, including this one of the Big Dipper, just above a line of trees, with the moonlight reflecting off the clouds. I have yet to see my son’s images. I’m hoping he was successful in what he hoped to capture.
Nikon D800
Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 @ 17mm
15 sec, f/2.8 ISO 3200
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“It is the dim haze of mystery that adds enchantment to pursuit.”
– Antoine Rivarol
I came across this mystery mushroom a few days ago, while hiking during our recent partial eclipse. I’m unsure of the species, but the red cap and ivory stem would indicate it to be a member of the Amanita family of mushrooms. The shape of the cap is not typical of this species though, so I’m stumped.
The image quality is not my best, as it was hastily made while trying to avoid the hoards of mosquitoes which were particularly active that day and were particularly voracious, despite my insect repellent, which is usually very effective. Despite the obstacles, at least I have an image I can review and figure out what this is called.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/15 sec; f/1.8; ISO 40
“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”
― Sarah Williams
I spent Saturday evening with my son, on the dock at the camper near Bancroft, Ontario. Conditions were not ideal, as there was a fine have in the sky and the waxing crescent moon had just set, but we took the opportunity to make a few images despite these conditions.
The results, while not quite what I was after, are pleasing and capture the mood from the dock nicely, including traffic on Highway 62, which runs along the west end of the lake, creating the light streak to the lower right of the photo.
Nikon D800
Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 @ 17mm
20 sec, f/2.8 ISO 3200
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A beautiful, cool dawn on Bancroft’s Marble Lake. The mist swirls gently on the water’s surface, as the sun rises behind a low ridge. A pattern repeated throughout the summer, each time, slightly different.
In the distance, Blue Jays screech high in the trees and the world awakens as the sunlight reaches further every minute. A new day begins.
“Unfamiliar disturbs us; familiar comforts us! But for the wise man, unusual is more precious than the usual because it offers us a new way, a new vision, a new idea, a new world!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
Quite often, I come across scenes that make me pause, because they are unusual or momentary. For me, those scenes are a break from the mundane, everyday scenes, and I relish them. Like this image of two Black Blister Beetles (Epicauta pennsylvanica), feasting on recently blooming Goldenrod. I also had to look the beetles up, since I was not sure what they were. To my surprise, most images of the beetles have them feeding on Goldenrod. So perhaps, this is not so unusual after all?
In my many hours hiking local trails I have not noticed these beetles, which on this particular day seemed to be infesting most of the Goldenrod along the trails. It may have been a unique event for this day, or I may simply have missed seeing it in the past.
What made this scene more interesting to me was that all the beetles; there where more than just these two, were all facing the same direction. It’s just the close proximity of these two that made me come up with the title. I did go back out the next day and the beetles were gone.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/400 sec, f/10.0, ISO 400
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“Sometimes opportunities float right past your nose. Work hard, apply yourself, and be ready. When an opportunity comes you can grab it.”
― Julie Andrews Edwards
This was a fun scene to watch. There were initially two large bees, hastily gathering nectar from this bull thistle. As they busied themselves, a smaller bee approached closely, but when it saw the blossom full, darted off, yet kept coming back to check on the situation.
While I was snapping photos, one of the larger bees left, freeing up a large tract of real estate. As I continued to track the large bee, waiting for a good composition, the small bee darted in from the periphery, just as I hit the shutter release, yielding the action shot above.
The image makes me smile because I am so keenly aware that the small bee was so anxious to get its share of nectar and was probably relieved that one of its larger competitors had departed. Also, the slight blur of the smaller bee’s body gives a sense of speed and urgency to the image. The larger bee was so busy, it never even noticed the new arrival.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
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“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”
― Amy Bloom
I’ve been saving a quote for some time, waiting for the right image. Well, the image presented itself a few days ago. As I’ve said in a few posts, butterflies seem to be scarce this year, Monarchs even more so. I think this whole season I’ve only seen a handful.
This one was simply too wonderful to resist, despite it’s damaged wings? What, what, damaged? Have a closer look. What at first appeared to be a ‘perfect’ specimen, on further inspection shows some late summer wear and tear, though not extensive, the damage is irreparable. Does this make the butterfly any less beautiful? Not to me, as I watched it perched so wonderfully, posing, as if just for my benefit.
It was beautiful in its imperfection, and I’m glad for that. The damage makes me wonder how it came about. With all our rain and wind over the past few weeks, I’m surprised to see butterflies at all, let alone mostly intact. I can’t imagine how they survive. Yet, this one did, offering me a nice long view.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/200 sec, f/7.0 ISO 100
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“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
– Marcel Proust
It seems to be butterfly and bug week for me. Butterflies, especially, have been sparse this year, though small months are plentiful, yet elusive. The butterflies also serve as subject matter as flowering plants seem to be in a transition phase, many is seed and others just budding.
When I went hiking during yesterday’s eclipse, I found that most insect life seemed quite subdued, except for mosquitoes, who welcomed the early dusk as an extended mealtime. As I passed a small cluster of Joe-Pye Weed, I spotted this colourful flying insect. Having no idea what it was, I photographed it with the intention of looking it up on my return home, which is my practice lately.
I thought this was some form of fly and was surprised to find out that it is a moth. It did not fit the common form of moths around here. Yet, when I look more closely, it does have all the characteristics of a moth.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 400
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“Miracles… seem to me to rest not so much upon… healing power coming suddenly near us from afar but upon our perceptions being made finer, so that, for a moment, our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there around us always.”
― Willa Cather
For those living in the path of today’s solar eclipse, I’m sure it will be tough to compete with the spectacle in the sky. If I had to chase those spectacles, I’m sure I would have stopped making photographs years ago. Fortunately, that is not the case and there is so much wonder in the seemingly mundane spaces around us daily.
Today, I set out mid-morning to make a few images of local wildflowers, only to find many have already gone to seed and the next ‘wave’ is just starting to bud. Yet, in my periphery I caught movement and noticed this wood nymph floating and fluttering from plant to plant, occasionally sitting to sun itself, then taking to the sky again.
It took a while for it to finally land on a leaf that offered me decent lighting and a side view. And, it took me a while to get close enough to get a good image, without spooking it away. Persistence paid off and I was a able to get a few nice shots of it. Despite some wear and tear, so common in butterfly wings this late in the season, it was a fairly nice example of this common woodland butterfly. The only drawback was that the butterfly was content to just sit there and did not open its wings to offer me a top view. Despite this, I’m always happy to be reminded that being in nature frequently puts me more in tune with it and makes it easier for me to spot things like this that others simply don’t notice. I often have people looking at my photos surprised that I made the image steps from home.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/40 sec, f/16.0, ISO 100
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“There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.”
― Lemony Snicket
For the past several days, I’ve watched one or two monarch butterflies on my purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpura) and I have not had my camera handy. By the time I gathered my camera and got outside, it seems the butterflies had flown off. Or, they fly off as I slowly approach the flowerbed, not to return that day, to my knowledge.
Today, fortune was with me. I was on my way to gather a blossom to photograph in my studio and I noticed a Monarch as busy feasting on the flower’s nectar, along with many honeybees. Once more, I did not have my camera with me and, once again, I went inside to get it. On my return the butterfly was still on the flower, but flew away as I approached. I decided to wait it out by photographing the blossoms and the bees, seeing the butterfly floating around in my periphery. Well, it paid off, and the butterfly, unable to resist this large cluster of Echinacea, returned once more and gave me the opportunity to snap a few shots before taking off once more. This is one of the three images I made while it fed.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/160 sec, f/10.0, ISO 320
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“There’s a special quality to the loneliness of dusk, a melancholy more brooding even than the night’s.”
― Ed Gorman
After a day filled with sunshine, family, volleyball, and too much food, a quick dip in the lake after the sun has set is in order. As I considered this photo of my son standing in the shallow beach waters at Sauble beach, surrounded by the incredible reflected dusk, I realized how strange it may appear to someone who did not know that the water is so shallow.
The beach is made up of long underwater dunes which reach far out into the lake. From the shore the water is very shallow and a few meters out, drops to about waist or even chest level, depending on the shape of the dune (and your height). The water then becomes quite shallow, again, as the next dune rises, say, knee deep. In the photo, my son is on the outside of the second dune, where the waters once more drop a bit deeper.
It’s also a bit of an unusual photo for me because my landscape and nature photos tend to deliberately omit people. In this case, I like the inclusion of the silhouetted form of my son, being part of the beautiful scene that spread before me, after the sun had already set. As a side note, I joined him in the water soon after this image was made, enjoying my own cool down and revelling in the beauty of dusk on Lake Huron.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/120 sec; f/1.8; ISO 32
“When one with honeyed words but evil mind
Persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.”
― Euripides
Continuing on my “purple phase” theme, here’s a beautiful invader. Though a beautiful flowering plant, in Ontario and other areas where it was introduced as a garden flower, this garden escapee soon established itself in meadows and wetlands, crowding out native plants.
It spreads through rapidly spreading rhizomes and seeds. Each plant can produce over one thousand seeds. It also has no naturally occurring predators, so it spreads uncontrolled, though something, likely earwigs or slugs, seems to be feasting on the leaves below the blossoms.
The plant was spreading like wildfire a few years ago, but recent dry and hot summers seemed, coupled with human efforts to eradicate it, seemed to be taking its toll on the population. This year, which has been extremely wet, seems to have enabled it to bounce back and I’ve seen much more of it an areas where it has not previously occurred. SO the battle goes on.
It’s a shame that such a pretty plant needs to be so aggressively invasive. But, that seems to be a common theme. Plants are introduced from overseas because they are beautiful in gardens, but once they escape, without natural controls, they can quickly take over. The dandelion is perhaps the best known example. Imported for its food value centuries ago, it has now spread to every corner of the continent. However, as evidenced in this image, local insects wildlife also adapts and soon begins to eat the introduced species. Nature is quite adaptable, but with limits.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/60 sec, f/10.0, ISO 200
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“Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet.”
– Jeremy Bentham
What looked like delicate thistles from a distance turned out to be Knapweed. The dunes and roadside around Sauble Beach were filled with them. It’s yet another flowering plant that I seem to have overlooked in the past. I suppose it’s because I am deliberately looking for new wildflowers to photograph and learn about that I am finding these as well as many of the more obscure plants native to the areas I visit.
As I’ve said in a few previous posts, we’re now fully into the ‘purple phase’ of summer blossoms, with fields and roadsides filled with knapweed, thistles, vervain, and many more. I like this time of year for it’s diversity of flowering plants, though the rain and heat is taking its toll on the leaves and stems and I’m seeing many plants going dormant in preparation for the inevitable autumn, which thankfully, is still a while away.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/80 sec, f/10.0, 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.
“582 Sherbourne Street” James Cooper House, Toronto
Today, a return to another of the grand old houses of Toronto’s Sherbourne Street. This one has fascinated me for some time now. Whenever I drive by, I’m drawn to the interesting statues installed on the property. So, when I had the opportunity to walk the area a few weeks ago, this was definitely on my list of places to check out.
I had no idea of the history of this majestic “Second Empire” style building. The building was built in 1881 for James Cooper, a wealthy merchant and show retailer. This area was one of the wealthiest places in Toronto at the time the house was built and it’s in the best condition. After Cooper departed, the building became home to the Keeley Institute for Nervous Diseases, an organization assisting those with alcohol and substance abuse problems. In 1910, it became home to the Toronto Knights of Columbus, who used the facility as a meeting and fundraising venue for almost a century. In 2008 the property was purchased by the Tridel Group, with the intention of building a condominium tower on the site, which is designated by the City of Toronto as a heritage building, so it had to be preserved. Or, in this case, moved.
It turns out, it’s also one of the heaviest moves of a building in Canadian history. In 2008, the 800 ton building was moved twenty feet east and five feet south from its original location, to make room for a condominium tower being built on the same property. The move cost the developer a reported $1M but preserved an architectural treasure from Toronto’s past. The developer has taken great care to maintain the house, which serves as an amenities centre for the adjacent condominium tower.
Oh, yes, and back to the statues, the property has several, all in a wildlife motif, with wolves, stags, and foxes attached to metal bases, with a reflected statue beneath it. The wolf and the fox sit horizontal, but the stag is a vertical installation, quite eye catching. I’ve included the Google Streetview link, though it does not do it justice, as well as an image of the house being moved.
The things you learn when you look for nice doors.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/120 sec; f/1.8; ISO 32
“We’re always attracted to the edges of what we are, out by the edges where it’s a little raw and nervy. “
– E. L. Doctorow
Similar to my photo from a few days ago “Transitions and Sunsets“, this is another transition photo, made on the same shoreline, at a different time. The elements remain the same, but the light and weather conditions are different.
In this image, made mid afternoon, the water is beginning to recede, having been pushed ashore by high winds and waves. The small ripples in the water are the only indication of this wind, all else would seem calm, the timeless ebb and flow of waves on the shore. The effect the water has on the tone of the sand, making it slightly darker, is what first caught my eye, as well as the sorting of sand grains between light and dark, which is so common on beaches around here, creating the streaks of tan and gray.
It’s yet another image that I simply enjoy looking at and drawing meaning from.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/270 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
“For a while” is a phrase whose length can’t be measured. At least by the person who’s waiting.”
― Haruki Murakami
When composing this image, my eyes were first drawn to the warm and cool layers of light on the water as well as the texture of the water itself, the first caused by patchy clouds and the second, by high winds blowing off Lake Huron.
The seagull, seems quite at peace i the image, yet was being buffeted by the same winds which caused the water’s surface to ripple. The same ripples which give it the appearance of textured glass, rather than water.
It’s a strange image when I look back to the circumstances. The scene looks quite peaceful, but that was not the case at all. I think what creates this sense of calm was the unusual light that day. Despite the stormy, windy conditions, the sky was filled with quick moving clouds and a great deal of sunshine. This mixed light created some interesting effects, like the golden reflection of the gull’s belly in the water and the mix of blue to golden tones in the water.
Were it not for the tight ripples in the water as well as waving been there to make the image, I would think this to be a bright and calm morning photo of a seagull standing in water. Nothing special, until you look closer and start questioning it.
The seagull, as well as many others of its kind, stood in the shallow waters along the shores, bearing the winds and waves, looking for a morsel of food to blow in, biding their time, and waiting out the storm, which would soon pass.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 250mm
1/200sec, f/7.1 ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“There was no sudden, striking, and emotional transition. Like the warming of a room or the coming of daylight. When you first notice them they have already been going on for some time.”
― C.S. Lewis
While enjoying one of several sunsets last weekend, I could not help but be fascinated by the light playing on the sand at my feet. The sun reflecting from the sand glowed a coppery orange yet the receding waters picked up the blues from the sky.
It’s one of those ‘elemental’ moments of transition. The transition from land to water is accentuated by the warm and cool colours, just as the day is transitioning to evening, in a similar fashion. There is also the matter of varying texture, from the rough yet ordered pattern of the sand versus the soft, flowing ripples of the water.
So much going on, yet simple and soothing. Yet another moment of the day to consider in its complexity and simplicity. I like the image, as it seems to continually resonate with me in different ways. It is is simply, ‘there’.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 300mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6 ISO 800
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.”
― Rachel Carson
I get great enjoyment photographing plants and animals in areas away from home and the sand dunes of Sauble Beach are no exception. I came across many plants which survive well in the dry sand dunes which bound the back of the beach. Many still need to be looked up and this one surprised me. A simple Blue Vervain in an unexpected environment.
Close to home, Swamp Vervain is fairly common but not Blue Vervain. The plants are similar, but differ in the shape of the flower spike. I was also expecting Blue Vervain to be more of a meadow or wetland flower, based on my experience, so to find it in the dunes was interesting. It did seem quite healthy in the dry environment, but I expect even the dunes hold surprising amount of water this year with high lake levels. The conditions may have been just right and nature continues to amaze.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/60 sec, f/10.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“All human plans [are] subject to ruthless revision by Nature, or Fate, or whatever one preferred to call the powers behind the Universe.”
― Arthur C. Clarke
I made this image almost immediately upon my arrival at Ontario’s Sauble Beach. The forecast was for a mostly rainy weekend and our group had resigned itself that it might not be ideal for playing our favourite beach sport, volleyball.
As we drove towards the lake we were shocked by the immense waves, the like of which we had never experienced here, even during storms. After unpacking, several of us headed towards the dunes to check out the beach, which no longer existed. This is what we saw.
The combination of extremely high water levels in the Great Lakes this year coupled with steady winds directly from the west caused the water to literally stack up on the beach. You can sort of see the ‘stacking’ nearer the horizon, as the water from the deep lake hits the shallower waters of the wide beach about two hundred meters from shore. The wide, shallow sand bar acts as a buffer but the water still has to go somewhere and inevitably rolls over the sand bar and washes out the beach.
On a typical day, the beach front is about where the second row of waves is in the photo and the volleyball courts are about two meters above the lake level. On this day, expecting to miss out on volleyball due to rain, we found the courts under several centimeters of water.
The image does not effectively convey the force of the wind or the water, as the height of the waves is limited by the shallow waters, it became a high wild chop. Needless to say, it was a ‘wild’ day. So, between gale force winds and high water, there was no volleyball to be had.
By the next day, the winds had died off, the waters had receded, and as the sun warmed the ground, the beach was drying out, leaving us with pristine, flat surfaces for the rest of the weekend. A total change for this scene which greeted us on arrival.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/400 sec, f/10.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“I drag myself over to the honeysuckle bush and pluck a flower. I gently pull the stamen through the blossom and set the drop of nectar on my tongue. The sweetness spreads through my mouth, down my throat, warming my veins with memories of summer.”
– Suzanne Collins
I don’t believe there are many fragrances that compare with honeysuckle on a warm summer evening. As I walked the narrow roadways and access points at Sauble Beach this past weekend, the fragrance hung on the air, sweet and full of memories, as the quote so aptly describes.
There are entire fences, heavy with honeysuckle vines. I could stand there for hours drinking in the fragrance and marvelling at the complex flowers, as hummingbirds and bees feast close by. Of course, I could not resist the temptation to photograph them for future enjoyment, just without the fragrance, which will remain a memory to be savoured.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/50 sec, f/10.0, ISO 200
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
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.
“572 Sherbourne Street” – Toronto
Nestled among tall apartment buildings and office towers along Toronto’s Sherbourne Street, sits a small group of eight houses, in various states of repair. All are slightly different, but would have been built in the same time period. Over the years, different owners would add or remove features, making the houses even more dissimilar. That is part of what I find appealing about older parts of the city. Every building has its own character, its own story.
This one in particular still has what I assume is the original door, based on the width and millwork. I’m sure it has more than one coat of paint. The brickwork closer to the ground is starting to show the effects of many winters exposed to road salt and the numerous holes above the handrail are evidence of accessories added and removed over time.
It would be interesting to find other photos, across the years to see just how many changes these doorways overgo across time.
For those interested, here’s a Google Streetview image of the location.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/140 sec; f/1.8; ISO 25
Ed Lehming Photography 
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