“The heart can get really cold if all you’ve known is winter.”
― Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Ah!, spring in southern Ontario is, to say the least, ‘unpredictable’. This past Tuesday you could go out and enjoy the sun in a sweatshirt, the next day, a parka was needed as temperatures varied widely.
So, I reflect on this image from last weekend, made on the still frozen shores of Lake Ontario, near Whitby.
The unusual ice formations remind me of teeth and the ‘bite’ of winter. it is nice to see a few teeth missing and others dissolving as temperatures gradually rise. I’m seriously looking forward to spring and the return of warmth after a long, dark winter. In fact, we had a record set in January, with only a few days of sunlight.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/640 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
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“The common eye sees only the outside of things, and judges by that, but the seeing eye pierces through and reads the heart and the soul.”
― Mark Twain
I had no idea just how interesting something as mundane as melting ice could be.
The image I chose for today is a large slab of lake ice which had begun to melt. The gradual melting process showed some very intricate crystalline structures within the ice, made even more dramatic by the extreme purity of the ice. I keep finding myself staring deep into the clear columns, wishing I had something bright with me that I could have put behind the slab. That, would make it even more beautiful.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/60 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
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.
“Royal Ontario Museum – Front Doors”
Today, something more local (I’ll return to Mexican doors soon).
The doors above are the old main entrance to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, known locally as the ROM. I say old doors because these are the original front entrance to the museum. The main entrance has since been moved to the extremely modern ‘Crystal‘, which faces north, and is, in my opinion, ‘boring’. Don’t get me wrong, the architecture is very unique, but the doors do nothing to enhance it.
The old doors, facing east, are beautiful; embellished with wonderful stonework and carvings, the windows above inset with stained glass. I did not have my Nikon with me but was able to get a nice image of the doors and surrounding architecture with my iPhone. The light that morning was quite subdued but balanced. This image would be difficult to make mid day, all the features would be washed out, as you can see in the linked Streetview image.
When I made the image, this past Monday, I was very deliberate to take the time to really look at the door and its details. Despite that, I still missed many things, like the unique columns above the door and the wonderful scrollwork at the very top. So much so, that I cropped it as I made the photo. Though, it is quite grand and hard to fit in the frame. I did, however, notice the bright blue banners to either side, which looked like the sky and framed the facade, isolating it beautifully and giving it the appearance of standing alone.
In considering the image further, I realized that these doors are no longer used, except as an emergency exit, which is a bit sad.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/120 sec; f/1.8; ISO 32
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“The Return”
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 240mm
1/500 sec, f/10.0, ISO 400
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“Frozen Movement”
“Dream delivers us to dream, and there is no end to illusion. Life is like a train of moods like a string of beads, and, as we pass through them, they prove to be many-colored lenses which paint the world their own hue. . . . ”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Here is my entry for Del Monte Y Mar’s Tuesdays of Texture Challenge Week 14 of 2017.
Please excuse the contradictory title of this image, but that is how I saw it. The frozen surface of the Lynde Shores Marsh, its protective coating of snow, blown away, looked just like waves, frozen in time.
Though the surface is quite smooth, patches of melted and refrozen snow, add bright highlights, small cracks and imperfections are slightly darker or lighter, depending on their nature. When viewed in isolation, without context, this could be gently rolling waves on a tropical sea, but is in reality, far from it.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 210mm
1/250sec, f/9.0, ISO 200
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“Change is the end of something you know and the beginning of something else that you don’t know. Something new that holds opportunities.”
― Kholoud Yasser
A multitude of bubbles pours over the shore, strewn with age polished stones, worn smooth by the constant churn of Lake Ontario.
It’s almost spring, but the air is still cold and the water even colder. Yet, there is a fresh feeling to the air, and the migratory birds are returning. The grime of winter washes away, and the world is made fresh and clear. Soon, very soon.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 220mm
1/100 sec, f/10.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Painful experiences are like scars in our minds. Some have healed and been forgotten. Others are there as a reminder of what we have been through…”
― James A. Murphy,
“Final Traces”
As winter gives way to spring ‘final traces’ can be seen, reminding us of the winter that was. Not always fond reminders, but reminders, of what was, and is no more. We can chose to reflect on them, deliberately, curiously, or just leave the experience behind us, anticipating warmer days.
Pictured above is a branch sticking out of the water on the shores of Lake Ontario, with a big clump of ice still sticking to it, evidencing colder and stormy times, not so long ago.
I made the image because I envisioned it as a mono photo, the dark wood in contrast to the white of the ice. The water was multiple tones of blue and green, which translated nicely to mid-tones in the final image. There was also that element of isolation, the branch, sticking out of the water with nothing else near it. It seemed a bit unsettling, almost as if it’s reaching for the surface, trying to escape from the depths it’s currently locked into.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 116 mm
1/320 sec, f/10.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“I am so grateful to be here on this awesome planet with its diverse life – everything we need to not just survive but to thrive. I am excited to continually learn more about it, and always curious to see what is going to come up next.”
― Jay Woodman
While photographing the Lake Ontario shore line recently, one of the thousands of Canada Geese floating offshore decided to give me a closer look. Most of the geese tend to be fairly tame, being in close proximity with humans in this area.
People and geese tend to occupy the same spaces, along the shore, in parks, and open fields. It becomes a bit of a problem when the geese get dependant on humans, who provide them food and the opportunity for food. In some parks, the geese don’t even migrate south anymore, since they have all they need. That becomes an even bigger problem when the temperatures drop, which has been fairly infrequent her in the past few years. But, deep drops in temperature can freeze even large bodies of water like Lake Ontario. We’ve had some mild winters, but extended cold spells are a game changer, sometimes leaving the geese without the open water they need.
In any case, this one wanted to get a closer look at me. I tend not to photograph the Canada Geese much, primarily because they are so commonplace around here. This one made me look again. As it emerged from the frigid waters, small drops of water glistened on its breast feathers, like small jewels in the late afternoon sun, and it posed so nicely for me, I simply could not resist the opportunity.
There’s also the small pile of melting snow to the left, a reminder that winter is not quite finished with us here.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 70mm
1/320 sec, f/10.0, ISO 200
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“Winter teetered on the verge of succumbing to the returning sun, but today the breeze still preferred the touch of snowflakes”
― Rue
Many miles from the tropical shores of the Sea of Cortez, which I have so fondly remembered of late, lies another shoreline. The shore of Lake Ontario. In stark contrast to the warm sands and tropical breezes of Baja, these shores, transitioning from the icy grip of winter to the milder days of spring, still show significant evidence of the extremes in temperatures the region has recently seen and the raw beauty of this magnificent lake, when conditions are right.
Just last week, temperatures plummeted and a severe winter storm passed through. The sub-zero temperatures and high winds, whipped Lake Ontario into a monster not to be trifled with. All that remains as evidence, is the otherworldly landscape along the shores. Bizarre icicles drip from the branches exposed to chilly waters, now beginning to melt as the air slowly loses its chill and the sun gradually warms the frozen shores.
This scene, like a passage into another realm, invokes thoughts of transition, from one world, frozen, yet beautiful, to another, warm and welcoming. Late afternoon light beams through the ice, lighting it, as if from within, causing it to almost glow with its own energy. The waves rolling in, are slightly warmer than the ice and begin to melt it from below.
Spring seemed so willing to move in earlier in the month, but the remainder of winter decided to make its presence known with, what we hope, is one final show. Though it may look nice in the photo, the winds coming off the lake are still cold enough to give us frozen fingers of our own, but hopefully, not for much longer.
iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8
1/640 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20
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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
My first real memory from my recent trip to Baja was hearing the Sea of Cortez surf pounding on the beach at San Jose del Cabo. I don’t mean surf ‘rolling’, I mean the surf here literally explodes as sea meets sand, on the steeply inclined shore, which causes the water to quickly recede, leading to strong undertow and rip-tides. It’s not safe for swimming, at least in this section of the beach.
While this image was made seconds after a large wave broke, and the surface seems relatively calm, you can see the explosive spray of waves as they break further along the beach, an area frequented by surf fishermen. I wondered why the surf was so much more intense in this area. While looking at satellite imagery, I noticed that the seabed is a bit shallower at this point, making for higher surf. It also makes it an ideal place for smaller bait fish to collect, attracting the larger sports fish, such as Dorado, Jack Crevalle, Sierra, California Yellowtail, and Wahoo. And that, attracts the surf fishermen, which you can see on the sandy point.
The view here just resonated with me, as I looked across the bay to the distant hillside, the morning sun warmed my face, the sound of surf echoed in my ears, and the tang of the salty air, filled me with joy. It brings a smile to my face and a sense of calm, just recalling the moment.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 300mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, 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.
“House of the War” – Art District, San Jose del Cabo
Today, I’m returning to yet another interesting door in San Jose del Cabo’s Art District. This one just screamed out “Take a picture of me!” It is such a bold and different door, though I’m not sure how practical it is, since the door panels overlap. It makes me wonder about the intent, both for the door and for the name of the art studio behind them. The bold red and painted flowers certainly got my attention.
Like last week, I checked out the door on Google Streetview and it looks completely different.
One final note on some of these facades, which is really what they are. What, at first glance, looks like concrete, is really, in most cases, styrofoam coated in adobe or plaster and painted to look like stone.
I do have to apologize for the quality of the image, which I usually take great pride in, but I was travelling in unknown parts and had to rely on my iPhone and harsh mid-day light.
iPhone 5s back camera @ 4.2mm
1/1150 sec; f/2.2; ISO 32
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“Presence”
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 300mm
1/500 sec, f/11.0, ISO 200
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“Eroded”
“In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it.”
― Ernst Fischer
Here is my entry for Del Monte Y Mar’s Tuesdays of Texture Challenge Week 13 of 2017.
As I walked the streets of Todos Santos, Mexico a few brief weeks ago, enjoying the architecture, which is so different from home, I spotted this wall along one of the main streets.
It interested me immediately and I took the time to really look at it, to appreciate the textures and colours and create a mental story of the image. The exact location is a memory, but I could probably find it again.
What stood out at first, and what initially got my attention, was the deep reddish colour and grain of the exposed brick against, what at first, appeared to be a bright white wall. It was not till I looked closer that all the sub layers revealed themselves.
There’s the first layer of mortar, which holds the brick together and serves as an initial coating, then another layer of plaster, to smooth it out. That layer seems to have been painted a bright blue, and a subsequent layer of red, since weathered and coated with another layer of creamy adobe.
The crack exposes all these layers in a complex composition of colour and texture that just seems to work. Some may walk by and think it an eyesore, complaining that the building owner should repair it. But, there’s not much rain in this region and it will probably not be attended to for years to come. For some of us, a simple thing like a crack in a wall can become a world of its own, beauty in the mundane, and I’m happy to see it that way.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 200
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“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”
― Gustave Flaubert
“The Arch” – Cabo San Lucas
Above is another image of the “Arch” at Cabo San Lucas. What I feel makes this image unique is that there is not a single tourist boat in front of it. The photo was made early one morning as we were heading out for a day of diving, too early for most of the tourists. There were still a few boats milling about in the waters near teh Arch, but I was able to time the shot to keep them out of the frame.
Again, the wonder of photography allows me to look back on this moment and see the fine details that I missed, or rather ignored, when I made the photo. For example, the water in the foreground is already starting to show a slight ‘chop’. My memory of that time was that the water was smooth and the day windless. I also did not notice just how fragile this massive structure is. Looking at it now, it looks like it could fall apart at any moment, even though it has weathered eons of pounding surf and hurricanes.
Producing it as a mono image just makes all those fine features jump out a bit more and highlights the range of tones in this iconic symbol of Cabo. Somebody told me that going to Cabo without seeing the Arch was like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 70mm
1/100 sec, f/5.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“When you take the time to look carefully, deliberately, to really ‘observe’, the fine details missed by our busy, ever filtering consciousness, expand our vision and engrave that memory more permanently.”
– Ed Lehming
It’s the details, those little things our brains tend to file away as inconsequential within the broader experience, that fascinate and perplex me. Our eyes see it all, but very little is retained, unlike the camera, which keeps a permanent record of everything. But, as I said in my quote above, you have to take the time to look for those details and consciously remember them, or the details are purged, as we hurry to take everything in. Are we really taking everything in? Yes, but so much more is lost. That’s just how our brains are wired.
I find that to be the saddest thing in our busy world, at least in western cultures. We save up and vacation in the locales of our imagining. But, when we get there we, and I’m speaking generally here, tend to go to the places we have seen images of and drink in a larger experience than the photos or videos of others provide. That is quite fulfilling as we are now seeing ‘more’. Yet, how often do we stand in a place and really experience it? Taking in every fine detail?
My example above is a piece of hardware on a rustic door at Hotel California, in the Mexican village of Todos Santos. We had spent quite a bit of time touring this well-known tourist destination. But, it was not till I was standing outside the door, waiting for the rest of my family to finish their various activities, that I noticed this beautiful, handcrafted door hardware. In the shape of a coneflower, the petals are brass, stamped with yet more detail and the centre, is forged iron. In my opinion, a wonderful addition to the weathered wooden doors leading to the gift shop. Then there’s the wood itself, with it’s complex grain and subtle colour hues. Who saw the staple? No cheating.
Had I not been standing there, I might have noticed them, but not the details. I’ve had the same experience when I take a hike with someone and find them surprised at the number of photos I have made of wildflowers and other items along the way that they missed, even though the believed they were taking it all in.
If you want to be an observer and savour and experience fully, you need to slow down, just like enjoying a good meal. Take it in, one small bite at a time and let the image fill your senses.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/80 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200
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“The vastness of the desert frightened her. Everything looked too far away, even the cloudless sky. There was nowhere you could hide in such emptiness.”
― James Carlos Blake
Today, I’m turning my lens inland and sharing an image of the landscape of the coastal region of Baja, actually, Baja California Sur, the name of this Mexican province. Not far from the coastal resorts, on the road between Cabo san Lucas and Todos Santos, the lush and artificial greens give way to a fairly inhospitable, yet beautiful landscape of thorny shrubs and cacti.
Yet, despite its seeming desolation, if you look carefully, there are splashes of colour everywhere. Though it may be more difficult to see in this image, the link to my 500px collection will offer a high resolution view.
The landscape of Baja was not at all what I expected, in fact, i’m not sure what I was expecting. Based on the resort photos, I was expecting something lush and tropical, not semi-desert, let alone mountains. The Baja also surprised me when I say bright orange blossoms appearing on what appeared to be dead and dried out bushes. It’s also crisscrossed with numerous dry river beds, which hint at days of plentiful water. In fact, the day we landed was one of the few rain days the region experiences and it poured for a few hours, refreshing the landscape and causing water to flow again, albeit briefly.
I had considered going on a hike to make photos during my visit, but other than the dry river beds, I did not see many opportunities to walk very far without getting impaled by a cactus or scraped by some thorny shrub. So, a roadside image will have to suffice, for now.
Nikon D300
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/500 sec, f/11.0, ISO 200
High Resolution image on 500px
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“Every now and then one paints a picture that seems to have opened a door and serves as a stepping stone to other things.”
― Pablo Picasso
Though this is my photo blog I have, recently, posted a few paintings. Actually, they are photos of paintings, so I’m really not crossing a line, am I?
As those of you who follow this blog regularly would know, I’ve commented in the past about the idea that I can’t paint, and that I have used digital painting as a proxy for this deficit. However, those digital paintings stirred something inside me to give painting a try. It was a big risk on my part. What if I proved myself right? Well, no harm in trying.
I was surprised to find that something that sat dormant for so long could be so easily awakened, simply by listening to my inner voice and a bit of preparation. I went out and bought some good quality paints and an assortment of brushes and really surprised myself. It has been a LONG time since I put brush to canvas and I never really enjoyed it, because I was just not good at mixing colours.
Time, and experience with photo composition and colour balance has taught me why my colours were off and a few online beginner courses in acrylic painting technique made me somewhat ready to try it again.
My recent whale watching trip and subsequent photos inspired me to attempt a painting of the whales breaching. So, here it is. I believe I have a long way to go to get my paintings to the level I desire, but I’m not disappointed in the result. This is my third painting since I started in mid-February.
“We must believe that there are places where tranquility exists and nature is given back her power to speak…”
― Nanette L. Avery
Seriously, I am trying to move away from whales, and the ocean, but the draw is too strong. I’m still going through the many photos I made on my recent vacation and finding images that simply resonate with me.
The image above of one such photo. Made around eight o’clock in the morning, as we were heading out for a day of diving.
The Sea of Cortez was calm, with a slight pinkish haze on the horizon. In the distance, the sparkling spout of a surfacing whale drew our attention from the stillness, yet not a sound was heard, other than the lapping of the water beneath our dive boat. Then the dark outline of the Humpback Whale’s back broke the surface, with barely a ripple, just the smoothness and shimmer of its inky skin, which slid into the depths, just as it had appeared, soundless and gentle.
Then, as a finale to this act, the massive tail appeared, suspended above the waters like a flag, waving slowly, serenely. Till even it, disappeared, leaving a small pool of bubbles as evidence of its existence.
Just recalling this moment, bring an incredible sense of peace to me. It’s one of those moments I will cherish and will become one of those places I can go in my mind when life gets busy. I also have this photo, which I will hang on my wall, to look at, and remember, tranquility.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 110 mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“If you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it’s not because they enjoy solitude. It’s because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.”
― Jodi Picoult
I spotted this house on the hill while travelling the highway between San Jose del Cabo and Todos Santos in Baja California Sur, the official name of this state in Mexico which encompasses all of the Baja Peninsula.
Virtually, in the middle of nowhere, stood a solitary house, atop a low hill. It seemed very out of place, so I stopped to make a photo, only to realize, when I zoomed in on it, that the ‘house’ was in fact, just a shell. I do expect that getting water to this house may also prove a challenge, being at the top of a hill, in the desert.
I noticed that the windows were missing and there was a wooden ladder leading to the second floor. I don’t know the story but it certainly begs asking. Was the house not completed, did recent hurricanes destroy the house and the owner could not afford to restore it (a common situation in the region)? These shells are also a popular roost for squatters, which we experienced even in downtown Cabo San Lucas, where someone has claimed a section on abandoned tuna cannery as their home. Prime real estate.
This house appears even stranger when you look closer and notice that there is a fence surrounding the property, protecting it from possible intrusion.
So, it was either someone’s hilltop kingdom at some point or a dream that was never realized. In any case, it does have a nice view of the ocean, half a kilometer away, on the other side of the highway.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 90 mm
1/400 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.
“Red Door” – Art District, San Jose del Cabo
It would appear that I’m experiencing two distinct themes this month: One being the Humpback Whale series I have posted over the past few days, the other is the fascinating doors, so different from the Central Ontario doors I see every day. Most of the doors I will be sharing where in the Art District of San Jose del Cabo, a small town about 20 kilometers from the popular tourist area of Cabo San Lucas.
Where Cabo San Lucas is a busy tourist town with a significant party scene, San Jose is a lot quieter with a bit of a mission town feel, despite the numerous souvenir shops. They also have a very deliberate focus on the arts, with an art district just off the town square. Each shop has its own unique look and feel and it’s marvelously bohemian.
The red door above is testament to the ever-changing look of the evolving art district. As I retraced my steps through the street with Google Streetview I discovered that this door has changed form from its previous persona, check out the Streetview link above and you’ll see that the door was previously bare wood. I actually prefer the red version. And who knows, next time I visit, it may be blue.
I find it funny, that I can talk about a simple door at length, I’m sure most of you understand. There’s just so much going on in the image that we tend to miss when actually there and we wonder how we could possibly not have noticed. That is one of the many joys of photography.
The experience has also made me keenly aware of the variability of light between Ontario and the subtropics of the Baja Peninsula, making for interesting shadows.
iPhone 5s back camera @ 4.2mm
1/4000 sec; f/2.2; ISO 32
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“After the Rains” – San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 112 mm
1/100 sec, f/4.8, ISO 200
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“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
― Leonardo da Vinci
Here is my entry for Del Monte Y Mar’s Tuesdays of Texture Challenge Week 12 of 2017.
I usually chose a window seat when flying. I have a fascination for geography and love watching the countryside far below me. On occasion, a really nice geological feature presents itself, like this ridge of low mountains, somewhere over New Mexico, if my estimations are right. I’d love to be able to have GPS going while flying.
In any case, this large scale texture presented itself to me and I was able to make a decent photograph from the plane window, a challenge in itself. Those who have attempted it themselves will know what I mean.
iPhone 5s back camera @ 4.2mm
1/3400 sec; f/2.2; ISO 32
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Urn & Orchard – Niagara Botanical Gardens
Just a bit under a year ago, I paid a visit to the Niagara Botanical Gardens, in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The Botanical Gardens are also the location of the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory, which was my true destination.
We spent several hours touring the Conservatory and making photos of the many bright butterflies. On leaving, I noticed this urn in the middle of an orchard. It was a flat, but bright day, if that makes sense and the scene became a natural candidate for a monochrome image, which is shown above.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200
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“You’ve changed me forever. And I’ll never forget you.”
― Kiera Cass
This is, I believe, my final image for my Humpback Whale series. It’s been enjoyable and educational for me to share these images and my feelings about them.
It seems an appropriate image to close off on, as the whale emerges from the water, she appears to be waving or preparing for a bow. From this point, she twists to one side and reenters the water in an incredible splash. The image also nicely shows the detail of her belly (ventral grooves).
For this image, the whale was also quite close to the boat, so it’s not zoomed in a lot.
I can’t say enough about how spectacular it was to witness these beautiful creatures in their environment, especially amazing when viewed from a small boat rather than the large commercial whale watching vessels.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 112 mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 200
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“I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it’s because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it’s because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea – whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came.
― John F. Kennedy
On this rare occasion, I am posting two photos on the same post. The two are necessary to show just how intense even a slight surge can be when it come to the vast body of water known as the Pacific Ocean.
The photos were made on our way back in from whale watching. I had not paid much attention to the water, since I was so focused on observing and photographing the whales (see my previous posts). In a few of those photos, you can see other vessels dropping behind waves but it was even more pronounced as we came closer to shore and I could see just how high some of these swells really were.
At first glance, you might think it’s simply my horizon that is off, yet the horizon is perfectly level, but the boat I was in was riding the lead edge of a wave. Again, I was really more focused on photographing the surf on the rocks and it was not till I started reviewing the images that I noticed just how intense these surges really were. I guess I had my sea legs, since it did not bother me at all.
The first image is of the rocky coast just north of Cabo san Lucas, Mexico. The rocks are polished smooth by eons of wear by the ever active ocean and are part of the thirty million year old granite structure that makes up most of the Baja Peninsula. A pelican graces the top of one of the lower spires. Can you see it?
The second image shows the wave as it passes by next to the boat, obscuring most of the rocks visible in the first image. I’d estimate the swells to be about two to three meters high. It’s a bit disappointing that I did not use a narrower aperture because the camera now focused on the water, rather than the shoreline. Next time I’ll manually focus. I also zoomed out a bit to show the size of the waves.
Image 1.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 300 mm
1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200
Image 2.
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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“The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can’t.”
― Christopher Paolini
I’m noticing that all my titles have become single words. That’s partially because I’m struggling to find suitable words to describe this experience fully, so it’s coming in snippets.
This image is of a female Humpback Whale as it crashes to the surface after a breach. She has propelled her massive body from the water and twisted in the air, to return to the sea on her side. The other thing this photo shows is the ocean conditions when the image was made. If you’ll notice the fishing boat to the far right, you will see only part of it behind one of the large swells we were experiencing on this excursion.
The Pacific Ocean is not for the faint of heart. Even on this relatively calm day, the swells were over two meters high, so our small Zodiac disappeared into the troughs, obscuring our view of anything but water. Interestingly, I hardly noticed it at the time, being so focussed on the marvel playing out before my eyes, though I do distinctly recall my legs cramping up from bracing myself against the continuous rolling movement of the boat.
Of the numerous images I made of the breaching ritual, this one, I think, best shows the shear force of the whale’s bulk slamming onto the water surface as well as giving a glimpse of the rugged shoreline of the Baja Peninsula.
It’s also been recently discovered, in theory, why the whales expend so much energy in these breathtaking surface activities: they are communicating, and surface activity (breaching and fin/tail slapping) increases on windy days, when the oceans are more turbulent, and thus, noisier.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 300 mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams.”
― Werner Herzog
This massive Humpback Whale is the cow in the pair I have been sharing over the past several days.
As I’ve stated earlier, the sheer size of these creatures is incredible. Then, to see them surging from the ocean like this and smashing down in a burst of spray and foam simply leaves you in awe.
The photos and words hardly do them justice, but try to imagine sitting in a relatively small, open boat, about a kilometer from the coast, rolling on the Pacific Ocean swells, watching the dark waves rolling around you. A massive back rises from the waves, just a few meters away, followed by a tail, both disappear into the depths. You sit in silence scanning the waters for some sign as to where the whale, now diving deep in preparation for a breach, may have gone. Then, without warning, a few hundred meters away from your tiny vessel, a black mass erupts from the water, towering ever higher. You wonder how this is even possible and recognise the energy required to do this. The whale twists slightly to one side and slams into the water, leaving just a trace of bubbles as evidence of this act of grace and power.
I’ll soon be closing off my series of whale images but will always hold the memories of this spectacle of nature for the rest of my life. It will be hard to top, but life always has new adventures in store.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 300 mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 200
High Resolution image on 500px
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“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play.”
― Charles E. Schaefer
Above is another image of the Humpback whales off the coast of Baja, Mexico. This is a bit wider image and compliments yesterday’s image of the calf breaching. Since the cow is also in this frame, you can go back to my previous post to get a sense of the enormity of these animals. The cow is about five times the length and mass of the calf. In the order of about forty thousand kilograms!
I love how the calf essentially ‘erupts’ from the water and is almost completely airborne. The sheer mass of the cow prevents a full breach, in this image, yet I have other photos where, even she, is mostly in the air. But, that will have to wait till tomorrow.
The image also shows what is, apparently, typical behaviour, whereby the cow is exhaling through her blowhole as she emerges from the sea. As I witnessed it live, there was so much going on, and I was so awestruck, that detail was missed by me.
I’m honestly still in awe of these beautiful animals as they ‘played’ around us for nearly half an hour, the cow teaching the calf the ritual behaviour, with the calf being a seemingly willing pupil, as it leapt and splashed, imitating the cow. It’s an experience that will be permanently etched in my memory as a special moment.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70 mm
1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.”
― Gloria Steinem
The next in my series of whale photos is this Humpback calf, as it defies gravity, leaping from the ocean waters in a graceful twist.
It is unbelievable to witness this ‘breeching’ ritual. The calf is already close to eight meters long and would weigh about fifteen thousand kilograms. The sheer power to launch this mass from the water is incredible.
We witnessed this calf and her mother breaching and ‘pec slapping’, whereby they float on their backs and wave their pectoral fins above the water, occasionally slapping the water. The cow starts and the calf soon imitates her. She seems to be teaching the behaviour.
After a few minutes of ‘finning’, they flipped over and waved their tails. See yesterday’s post for that image. Then, the tails disappear, as they dive deep, in preparation of a ‘breech’. We sat in anticipation, not knowing where they would surface, knowing they hold their breath for up to nine minutes. Then, just a short distance from our boat, the calf bursts forth in this amazing leap, only a small portion of the tail fin still remaining in the water. Shortly thereafter, the cow also erupted from the depths, but I think her sheer mass prevents her from achieving the same height. As you can see from my camera settings below, this was shot at 135mm, so it was very close to our boat.
It’s simply awe inspiring and I feel blessed to have been there to witness, and photograph, this amazing display of strength and grace, which continued for some twenty minutes.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 135 mm
1/400 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.
“Real Mexican Art?” – Todos Santos, Mexico
I found this gem while visiting Hotel California, in Todos Santos, a large town on the Baja Peninsula.While walking with my family, I was attracted to this door being framed by the two round windows, an unusual design. So, I made a quick image and then hurried to catch up with the group.
It was not till I was reviewing the image that I noticed the details of the sign above the door. It made me laugh. Honesty in advertising? I’m not sure, but after a few days of touring the gift shops and having every merchant tell me they had the best price around, that it was all authentic art, made by local villagers, or an isolated tribe from the surrounding mountains, this was kind of refreshing.
Too bad the door was locked, it would be interesting to see what they are actually selling, if anything.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/400 sec, f/10.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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Ed Lehming Photography 
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