“When you know that something’s going to happen, you’ll start trying to see signs of its approach in just about everything. Always try to remember that most of the things that happen in this world aren’t signs. They happen because they happen, and their only real significance lies in normal cause and effect. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you start trying to pry the meaning out of every gust of wind or rain squall. I’m not denying that there might actually be a few signs that you won’t want to miss. Knowing the difference is the tricky part.”
― David Eddings
I was not planning a second post for today, but decided to share an important plant for me. The Coltsfoot, is always the first native plant to bloom in my area. It’s blossoms signal the beginning of many natural cycles. Once I see them, I can begin looking for other emerging plants like wild leeks (ramps), blue cohosh, and spring beauties. They also signal, and I’m not sure how this works, other than probably something to do with ambient temperatures, the beginning of the annual rainbow trout spawn.
So, when I saw the first little splash of yellow (yes, yellow has returned), and knowing these are not dandelions, though they are often mistaken for them, I grabbed my camera gear and hit the trails around Duffins Creek to see how the trout were doing.
Though they were not numerous and the water was still a bit murky from the runoff, I did see a few dark shapes beneath the water. The spawn is on! I’m looking forward to watching this spectacle once more, and hopefully, making some nice images to share here over the next few weeks.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/640sec, f/10.0, ISO 800
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“Spring Thaw on Duffins Creek” – Whitevale
“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it.”
― Margaret Atwood
I have a love for water, especially moving water, and there is plenty of that this time of year. The snow and ice are finally gone and the remaining frost is slowly melting underground, raising the water tables and making streams swell.
So, I decided to make this image black and white. It makes the image a bit ‘crunchier’ than I like but still shows the movement nicely.
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.0sec, f/40.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.”
― Jo Walton
I titled this image based on a common expression around here. Basically, if you wait “Till the Cows Come Home”, you will be waiting for a long time.
The image was made near my home as I was out photographing a fairly decent sunset. While driving back home, I noticed these silhouetted cows among pine trees and expression came to me as good name for the composition. This is rarely the case and I spend a bit of time with the image before the title comes to me.
The image also reminded me that I have not spent enough time at sunrise or sunset and need to make some time for these experiences.
So, a bit of whimsey to end the weekend with.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 300mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6 ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“There are just two directions in life, the one which is safe but boring, and the other which is delicate but exciting. Now ask yourself, which path will you go?”
― Joe Mari Fadrigalan
I’m toying with the white background this week but not sure how much I like it. It’s a bit of a creative risk, as I have been enjoying the black background photographs I’ve been doing so much. I also don’t have a good white backdrop, so relying on a roll of drafting paper I have anding and fighting with the background texture.
The lighting and everything else seems to work, but I’d appreciate any feedback.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.6 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 appearance of things changes according to the emotions; and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.”
― Kahlil Gibran
I really struggled to find a quote that complimented this photo. It’s such a contrast. These tulips have been the subject of my photos for a few days now, and I watched them mature and slowly fade, yet, to me, the beauty remained. In fact, the beauty now is even more intense, since it’s so unexpected.
And that, has me thinking more deeply about my perception of beauty. I’ve always been able to find beauty in mundane places. It seems a bit of an odd trait nowadays, in our busy and stress filled world, so I consider it a gift. In a world filled with such intense ugliness, to be able to see some vestige of beauty is a real blessing. I don’t mean that I don’t see the ugliness and live in a dream world, it’s simply that I can effortlessly perceive those small glints of wonder and loveliness that so many can’t or won’t see. I can’t turn that off, not that I would want to.
The ability see these images and capture them is one of the reasons I started blogging in the first place, to share some of those moments, hoping it brings joy to someone else, perhaps someone struggling to find some light of hope in this world. If an image does that for a single soul in this world, then I have accomplished what I set out to do.
The image above was processed in a style I have not used before, yet I felt compelled to try it, and it seems to work, given the subject. I was not looking for bold, I was looking for serene, by using a soft background to let the flowers’ colours radiate gently from the white background.
Yet, with all things of beauty, they seem all to brief and changeable, and I am faced with the fact, that even this stage for the tulips must pass to the next, so I savour it, while I can, understanding a bit more about myself and my perceptions.
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.0 sec, f/36.0, ISO 200
High Resolution Image on 500px
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“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow-man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
― Ernest Hemingway
I’ve been invited to participate in a workshop with a local professional photographer. My one on one session with her focussed on my art and process. That seems pretty solid. Her feedback about some of my photos are that they need to be BIG, allowing the details to cause the viewer to be pulled deeper into the image as well as staying true to the ‘art’ of my photography.
As I’ve said before, I have no issue modifying my photos to more effectively communicate the feeling of the image as I made it. After all, I’m not a photojournalist.
My task was to look at some of my older images and restate them as I would today, given more proficiency in tools and workflow. I have to admit, that’s a bit of a struggle, because the images, to me, have their own feel and It felt odd to adjust them, but it was a worthwhile exercise. The image above was the outcome of re-imaging an older photo from 2013. The original is below.
I left the image fairly intact, got rid of the watermark and cropped to tighten on the lower flowers. Then added a layer with a softer, more impressionistic background. What do you think?
Nikon D300
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 195 mm
1/2500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200
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“Our days are spent…,
Time withers and fades,
Yet, for he who has perception
Beauty, yet remains”
– Ed Lehming
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.0 sec, f/40.0, ISO 200
High Resolution Image on 500px
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She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead.”
― A.A. Milne
Early December of 2016 I bid a fond adieu to yellow, the colour yellow. It seemed at that point in time, the colour yellow was completely absent in my natural surroundings.
Alas! It’s now spring 2017 and yellow is returning to the world once more, after a long absence, and I welcome it back with open arms.
I spotted this lily at the store a few days back and had to bring it home. Though not the traditional white easter lily, this one will bring a splash of colour, and provide me with many days of photographic enjoyment as I watch, and document, its blossoms open. At the rate it’s going, it should be at its peak in a few more days, as yellow returns, once more.
Of course, with warming temperatures, yellow will return once more to my lawn, in the form of dandelions, but that’s OK too.
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.6sec, f/36.0, ISO 200
High Resolution Image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“I need the shade of blue that rips your heart out. You don’t see that type of blue around here.”
― Cath Crowley
Bancroft is a rural town in north-central Ontario. Known as the Mineral Capital of Canada, it sits atop the rocky Canadian Shield, some of the oldest rock in the world. Towering above the town is a granite monolith known as the “Eagle’s Nest”.
During milder winter days and now spring days, melt water pours down some of the cliff faces and freezes into “ice falls”, like the one above, towering tens of meters high.
What really caught my attention, as I was driving by, was the startling blue and turquoise tones in the ice. Enough so, that I turned the car around and went back for a second look. I expect, now that I’m looking closer, that the brilliant blue-green glow of the ice, which is in shadow, is caused by sunlight striking the top of the fall and being transmitted down the length of it, making it seeming ‘glow’. Areas where the sun is striking directly show as bright white.
I’ve seen those blue hues in other ice structures but nowhere nearly as stunning as this.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 145mm
1/200 sec, f/7.1 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.
“Ihnatowycz Hall’ – Royal Conservatory of Music
Not far from my past two door posts, stands this lovely door, the entrance to the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Ihnatowycz Hall, which contains the Mazzoneli Concert Hall, a beautiful, intimate 237 seat concert hall. Originally known as McMaster Hall, the building underwent significant renovations in 2005 with a donation from Mr. Ian Ihnatowycz and his wife, Dr. Marta Witer — both Royal Conservatory alumni and was renamed in their honour. It’s one of Toronto’s hidden architectural gems. To my understanding, the building originally housed McMaster University, which moved to Hamilton, Ontario. The Royal Conservatory of Music moved into the building in 1963.
It’s a bit tough to get a good image of the door in the summer, as Bloor Street is lined with fairly thick trees. Despite this, the building has always attracted me, with its bright brickwork and I thought it high time that I add this to my door collection.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/340 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
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“Life isn’t meant to be lived perfectly…but merely to be LIVED. Boldly, wildly, beautifully, uncertainly, imperfectly, magically LIVED.”
― Mandy Hale
My previous image of the tulip, with two petals missing inspired me to try something a bit more creative. I made the image above with five stacked focus images, to render one final image where the entire flower is in sharp focus. Then, I converted the whole thing to a mono image to convey some moodiness.
Like I said, It’s an experiment and I’d appreciate any feedback or suggestions. My feelings won’t be hurt 🙂
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.6sec, f/40.0, ISO 200 (5 stacked frames)
Hi Resolution image on 500px
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“Most of the things that give life its depth, meaning, and value are impervious to science.”
― Rachel Naomi Remen
I know, this gets done a lot, but I could not resist giving it a try with a couple of my tulips, which are now past their prime. It does give a nice view on the structures inside the blossom and was fairly simple to light, which is really what I was after; trying to capture some of the soft reflection within the petals.
I also wanted to keep depth of field adjusted to show just the centre structures clearly and have the background fade slightly. This was a bit more challenging, given how close the lens was, and I did not want to use advanced techniques like focus stacking to get it all sharp.
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.6sec, f/40.0, ISO 200
High Resolution Image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Pale Remnants”
“Love may wither; It may wrinkle; It may fade; In the end; It will bloom again”
― S. O’Sade
Here is my entry for Del Monte Y Mar’s Tuesdays of Texture Challenge Week 13 of 2017.
Oh, what a difference a few months under the snow can make. I recall autumn walks, with forests radiant in tones of gold and copper, bright splashes of red and orange warming my spirit. Here’s the forest floor now, emerging as a flattened mat of dry, dull leaves, muted tones of orange and yellow.
Despite the washed out colours, I still found the texture fascinating and if you look closely, some faint vestiges of the former brightness still shines through. It was tempting to push the saturation up, but that simply changed the feel of the image, and the ‘feel’ is so important to me when I make my photographs.
One final observation: because the snow buried and compressed the leaves so tightly, I can see very little mould or mildew, but I expect a few days of rain and warmer temperatures will soon get that natural process under way and the new growth, now warming under this organic blanket, will soon burst forth leaving this scene as a distant memory.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/950 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
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I can still recall when I first started my blog. A friend had suggested a photo-blog years ago and I resisted and delayed. After all , who would be interested in my photos, the process, or anything else about my photos?
I finally set about finding a forum. WordPress seemed simple and was quite popular. I had to consider a theme that reflected my style and made it simple to post a photo and talk about it, and so it started, ever so slowly. I’d post a photo and a few words about it, get a few views, and that was it.
I started connecting with other bloggers, primarily those focused on photography as well, that and a handful of artists, poets, and writers. From that, I got my first few likes and two follows. I discovered, through interaction, what motivated people, what inspired people, what interested them and started thinking of my photos in those terms. Not just what was important for me, but what resonated with those who took the time out of their days to look at my photos and read my commentary. I still had days with a few views and no likes but continued to connect.
Within a few months I hit my first milestone of 200 follows. I could not believe how the blog had grown. This only served to connect with more people, encouraging them through what I had learned, especially those just starting out, changing themes and content every few weeks, in hopes of being relevant.
Then, last August, I got the message saying my blog has 500 follows. My content had matured and I tried to keep the same feel in my writings, continually developing my technique as a photographer, but also, I hope, growing as a writer, all the while, connecting with others in this inspiring community.
Today has left me dumbfounded. At 1,000 follows, I have to look back to the journey, and look forward to what may yet come to be.
Mostly, I am humbled and thankful. As I said before, the thought that 1,000 people have chosen to follow my art and my writing is beyond my imagination and for that I thank every one of you who has chosen to spend some small part of their time with me, enjoying the world through my eyes and words. I hope that what I create remains relevant to you and I encourage you to seek out other bloggers trying to make some small mark on this world, view their content and encourage them too. What an awesome community we have here.
Thank You
Ed
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.0sec, f/40.0, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Mist to mist, drops to drops. For water thou art, and unto water shalt thou return.”
― Kamand Kojouri
While the snow is gone in all but the deepest woodland areas near home, that’s not the case a few hours drive north of here.
Yesterday, I drove north to switch out some artwork in a co-op gallery I am associated with in Bancroft, Ontario and had the opportunity to drive around and make some photos. We also have a camper in the area, which we walked to, since the roads were still partially snow covered and the clear parts were soft, soupy much, as the frost was coming out of the ground. Interesting times many living in cities with paved roads never consider, but it’s a fact of life in the near north.
Marble Lake, the small spring fed lake that our camper is on was still frozen, but beginning to thaw on the surface, sort of. The mild days, with sunshine and above freezing temperatures, melt the surface, which re-freezes overnight. This freezing and thawing makes for some interesting effects.
This is exhibited in the attached photo. Apparently, the leaf had fallen onto the melted surface on a milder day and sunk to the ice beneath the water, that water froze overnight. Now, the slightly submerged leaf absorbs sunlight the next day, melting the ice around it, just a bit faster than the surrounding ice, creating an indentation, which capture other items blowing across the surface and freezing once more, as the temperatures drop. Bubbles of air rise from below and accumulate, getting bigger over time. I thought it made for an interesting composition and an opportunity to capture a small section of a process happening all over the area.
In a few days, the process will accelerate, the remaining ice will drop beneath the surface and the lake will be fully exposed. A process I would love to document one day, as I’ve only seen portions of it.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/2500 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
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The words to the Beatles, “Here Comes the Sun” echoes through my mind as I consider this image made on the trails yesterday. “It’s been a long cold northern winter”. Indeed, it feels that way.
In reality, this past winter was relatively mild, delayed till late November in its arrival, with a few large bouts of snow, but a lot of cold, windy days. More windy days than I can recall in recent years. The snow, came in large amounts, some melting off, but enough remaining in the forests to compress the leaves on the ground into a dense, solid mat. Something I have not seen for a few years.
The other effect, and I had not noticed this before, though I was not particularly looking for it, was that the beech leaves, which offered splashes of bright orange, well into autumn and early winter, really showed the ravages of the winter. Much of the colour was gone, leaving dull and parched leaves, with ragged edges. In fact, when I first saw them, they looked like ghostly remnants of their former selves. They even look like the skeletons of fish, with their bone-like veins.
The firm, robust, almost leathery, leaves of autumn had become desiccated and diaphanous, Yet diaphanous alludes to some softness, which these were not. The leaves hung to the branches like the brittle wraiths of autumn. Yet, when you look closely, new buds are present, waiting for a few day to coax them back to life, and the cycle continues. Life from death, or rather, a long sleep.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/50 sec, f/16.0, ISO 200
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“It is strange how new and unexpected conditions bring out unguessed ability to meet them.”
― Edgar Rice Burroughs
Many-coloured Polypore, to be more precise.
Finally, after several weeks, waiting for the ice to come off the trails and for some of the muck to dry up, I hit the trails today. My goal was to find some sign of new life. I was let down on that front, much of the forest floor was littered with a solid mat of compressed leaves.
Let me explain that statement. Due to the nature of our snowfalls, here in southern Ontario, the leaves, which, in recent years, have been exposed to the air by mid-March, were completely flattened and compressed, something I have not seen in a few years. Also, many of the taller, stiffer stemmed weeds, like goldenrod, had also been flattened down by the snow load, with only a few singular stems remaining erect.
The landscape reminded me the land has been dormant and is slowly awakening from its long rest. It is taking its time. Yet, through the gray landscape, some surprising finds revealed themselves, such as this fungus, growing on a trailside log. Unlike much of the bleached, winter-worn trees and plants, this polypore showed signs of live and colour, despite pockets of ice within the fungus itself. Look into the ‘cups’ of the fungus, especially just right of centre, and you will see a small pocket of frozen water. The polypore’s ability to weather the winter and look fresh today really surprised me.
The colour is what caught me attention. Everything else was weather-worn and bleached, even the beech trees, which held onto many of their leaves through the winter in bright golds and oranges, had eventually faded to dull, ghostly yellows (more on that in my next post).
So, I was not disappointed, I did find signs of new life, just not in ways I expected.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/50 sec, f/16.0, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”
― Henry David Thoreau
The beauty of simplicity. I’ve been having fun with these tulips this past week, watching them slowly opening and shooting them from various angles, enjoying the way the light plays inside them, noticing the fine details and structures in the petals. And, I intend to keep enjoying them, till the next batch arrives and eventually my garden provides its own treasures.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.0 sec, f/40.0, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“I KNOW A LITTLE PUSSY”
I know a little pussy
Her coat is silver gray
She lives down in the meadow
Not very far away.
Though she is a pussy
She’ll never be a cat.
She is a pussy willow.
Now what do you think of that”
– Author Unknown
Finally, a taste of spring, though still store bought, it focuses my attention on something other than snow and ice, which I have had about enough of.
The included poem is a traditional school poem that my late father-in-law, Maurice used to quote, frequently. He’s embellish it with the closing line of meow, meow, meow, SCAT! It’s a fond memory of him, especially for my kids.
This is another one of those photos that really makes me question just how observant I am. I had no idea that the bases of the cat-toes were yellow. That would make sense, since this is the willow “flower” and thus, should enable pollination. The world of macro photography has a firm grip on me, as I explore the world around me with new vision.
How such a simple thing can be so beautiful brings a smile to my face and has me asking new questions about how the natural systems around me actually work. For example, now that I have noticed the pollen, I wonder how they are pollinated. Is it the wind, birds, bees, or other insects. It bears further investigation.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
0.8sec, f/360, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – we haven’t time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.”
― Georgia O’Keeffe
These tulips are providing me with lots of interesting angles. As I’ve said so many times before, until you really take the time to ‘look’ at something, so much is missed.
We’ve had tulips in our gardens since I was a child. They sat on our kitchen table, as cut flowers, for much of the spring. Of course, we ‘noticed’ them but never observed them in their totality.
That, is one of my greatest joys with photography; being able to capture good images that I can spend time with at a later date. Blogging has made that experience more significant because now I’m able to consider my images further and more deliberately and be able to express those feelings, to the best of my ability, in words, hopefully inspiring others along the way.
I’m often entranced with some of the simpler images, those of mundane things, and the sheer detail that’s often present there, overlooked by the casual eye.
This image, a single shot, was made at a fairly extreme aperture, as I tried to capture the depth of the flower, without the need for focus stacking or other techniques.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.0 sec, f/45.0, ISO 200
Hi 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.
“Church of the Redeemer” – Toronto
I have missed this beautiful door on the past few visits, as the church itself was undergoing renovations. The benefit to those renovations is that now we are presented with nicely restored doors.
There is something about the contrast of the rich red-brown doors and the slightly yellow limestone arches. Despite the renovations, there is still a nice patina on the stones of this church, which was founded in September 3, 1871. Old photos I’ve recently found are a sharp contrast to this church, which at the time, sat on farmland on the edge of a growing city. Have look at the Streetview compared to the unattributed 1879 image.
If you look back to last week’s post you will notice that the church is essentially across my right shoulder as I made the image of the museum doors.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/60 sec; f/1.8; ISO 25
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“Well, best to remain vigilant. It’s when everything is calm that you need to be most alert.”
― Brandon Sanderson
Above is an image of a pair of Canada Geese, standing guard on a path leading to the shores of Lake Ontario. Those familiar with Canada Geese know that they can be very territorial, especially later in the spring, during nesting season.
I stood and watched them for a bit before approaching them. They had been standing here, barely moving for quite some time and I watched how they reacted as people approached. In the end, they simply stood their ground, the gander letting out a brief hiss of warning if anyone approached a bit too closely.
Having witnessed this, I walked past them and they barely batted an eye. On my return, they still had not moved and were still doing an excellent job at keeping visitors uneasy.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 155mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 400
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“Ouch!”
“Touch has a memory.”
― John Keats
Here is my entry for Del Monte Y Mar’s Tuesdays of Texture Challenge Week 15 of 2017.
A very brief post for today’s texture and a cliche title. I’m feeling a bit unoriginal right now and really, this cactus had the longest needles, proportionally, that I have ever seen. I would dread bumping into this by accident.
I made the image while on a recent trip to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico and the gardens around the town are filled with cacti. Not surprising, given that this region of Mexico is primarily desert.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/3.2, ISO 400
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 love tulips better than any other spring flower; they are the embodiment of alert cheerfulness and tidy grace”
― Elizabeth von Arnim
Spring is still playing hide and seek, but the local grocery store has a nice selection of spring blooms, including these lovely pink tulips.
At first glance they appear to be such simple things until you get up close and notice all the beautiful structure. I also enjoyed the colour variance from the pale yellow at the flower base to the bright pink fringes.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/5sec, f/25.0, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
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
“All things want to float as light as air through the world witnessing all that is. I am a mote of dust floating freely in the firmament, a person who merely is, and I feel full of joy for all worldly treasures, the immaculate gift of life.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster
8″ x 10″ acrylic on canvas.
I’m quite enjoying my new found hobby and getting the feel of the brush. This is my 9th painting, since taking it up in February. I have the advantage of having many photographs to base the paintings on, though I take quite a bit of liberty in my interpretation of the final image. I also have the advantage of being able to photograph them and retaining all the true colors.
The basis of this image was a canoe trip into Ontario’s Algonquin park, many years ago. I clearly recall the colours of the clouds on that warm, midsummer day, splashes of pinks amid the pure whites. Fond memories of blissful days on the water in my canoe.
“I can assure you that the life outside the front door is bright and full of life”
― Sunday Adelaja
I could not resist publishing this bright little fellow today. It’s dull,cold, and dreary outside and I’m thinking back to last week, when the sun shone through, briefly. WHile on a short stroll to get a breath of fresh air, I came across this Chickadee, also enjoying the bright sunshine from his perch among the red-osier dogwoods.
While the chickadees do stay around through the winter here, it’s been pleasant to hear them singing once more, yet another harbinger of spring, which seems to be coming in fits and starts this year.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 300mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400
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 is perhaps the most photographed staircase in Toronto. The Douglas Fir clad stairs were designed by Frank Gehry as part of a major renovation of the Art Gallery of Ontario, known as the AGO and completed in 2008.
The curves, textures, and play of light are a photographer’s dream. I’ve made several images of the staircase, which extends up 5 stories and has 138 steps, but have never noticed this angle, which is shot from directly below the base. Had it not been for two small children looking up at it, I may have missed this opportunity. Ah, the eyes of children. They really do see things in the most wonderful ways.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/30 sec; f/1.8; ISO 40
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
8″ x 10″ Acrylic on canvas
“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.”
― L.M. Montgomery
As I look out my window, to a cold, rainy day, my thoughts go to all the good times spent the past summers in the Bancroft area, in Northeastern Ontario. A place of wilderness, lakes, rivers, trees, and beautiful light.
It’s an area where I do much of my photography, in all seasons. But today, I recalled canoeing from high falls, at the base of Baptiste Lake, up to the main body of water. I’m reminded of rocky shores, dark spruce groves, and wonderful skies, filled with the movement of summer clouds.
That’s what I was trying to capture with this quick painting, one brief moment in a series of moments that make up this summer memory, paddling the channel with my wife, simply enjoying the day together.
Ed Lehming Photography 
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