“Did you not look upon the world this morning and imagine it as the boy might see it? And did you not recognize the mist and the dew and the birdsong as elements not of a place or a time but of a spirit? And did you not envy the boy his spirit? ” – Jamie O’Neill
Another image from my 2013 visit to one of my ‘sacred places’. The experience of spring in Yosemite, especially after a storm is something surreal. The mists twist and writhe among the peaks like something living. Scenes are fleeting, never to be repeated again. I stand in awe, at the movement and the changes in light, every moment a new frame in an endless play of wonders.
This image was made from the Tunnel View area and looks to a group of granite cliffs, just beside Bridalveil Falls. It looked to me like a chinese painting. And then it was gone again, lost in the mist, till new new scene was ready to play out.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @200 mm
1/200 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200
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“The whole tree when in flower looks as if covered with snow. In the spring when the streams are in flood it is the whitest of trees. In Indian summer the leaves become bright crimson, making a still grander show than the flowers.” – John Muir
Recent reports from Yosemite are informing me, in my absence, that the Sierra Dogwoods have begun to bloom. A clear indication that spring is here and I long to be there once more.
I’ve seen many images of these beautiful, delicate, spring blossoms, in photography books, websites, and my Facebook feed. For many years I determined to time a visit to Yosemite in the April-May timeframe to see them for myself. Driving into the park from Oakhurst, I spotted the first few dogwood trees among the pines, bright white flowers, against the dark forest. It was raining and dull, yet they shone in the mist. Of course, having never seen them close up myself, I pulled over and made a photo at the first convenient pull-out.
What I did not realize at the time was that many better opportunities would present themselves; nicer, bigger blossoms, better light, more interesting backgrounds. Nothing had prepared me for how glorious the peak bloom is in the park. Blossoms were everywhere and I must have taken hundreds of photos, in every conceivable composition, trying to get something unique, that captured my vision. The image above was made while hiking the Mirror Lake Loop, which presented many wonderful specimens for my enjoyment. The gentle, off and on, rain enhanced the photo by bringing out the shine of the leaves and softening the light.
It’s feeling like a Yosemite week, more to follow.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 135 mm
1/80 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200
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“When introverts go to church, we crave sanctuary in every sense of the word, as we flee from the disorienting distractions of twenty-first-century life. We desire to escape from superficial relationships, trivial communications and the constant noise that pervade our world, and find rest in the probing depths of God’s love.”
― Adam S. McHugh
I have real love of sacred places. Cathedrals are such humbling places, filled with quiet places to sooth the soul and vast humbling spaces that force the eyes to the heavens, yet make us look inward. They are also architectural wonders where I lose myself in the complexity of mighty columns and soaring arches.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City is no exception. It is a vast, marvelous, church built of rich white marble, and surrounded by the busy shops of 5th Avenue, yet offers worshipers and visitors alike, moments of peace and reflection. The cathedral itself was built between 1858 and 1879 in a Gothic Revival style and the Lady Chapel (above) was added in 1906.
For such a vast place, there are many places, such as the Lady Chapel, where you can separate from the tourists and their ever present selfie-sticks, to reflect and pray in a peaceful place. The Lady Chapel is off limits to cameras, which is a great thing, yet I wanted to capture the wonder of this sacred place, and was able to accomplish it, from a distance, with my long lense, without disturbing the sanctity of this important worship space.
As with my earlier image of the Pieta, I shot with existing light, to capture the natural colours and textures, while not disturbing the space with a bright flash. It is, after all, a place of worship and should be respected.The warmth of this space is particularly appealing to me, accented by the wonderful sea-blue of the stained glass windows.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm
1/60 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1,000
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“Breathe light into your body – breathe light into your Heart – Breathe light into your mind – Breathe and OPEN! Breathe and remember that you are all LIGHT – Infinite LIGHT -Blessed LIGHT- open your heart and SHINE ON!”
― Angie Karan
When the elements align, I recognise just how fortunate I am. I’ve also become prepared for many lighting situations which would have challenged me a few years ago. The tree pictured above is one of my favourites. As a “Solitaire”, which is what I now call these lone trees, this one is the one that I visit and photograph the most. Primarily because it’s close to home, and secondly, because the farmer tends to work his/her such that the furrows or plantings draw the eye naturally to the tree.
However, this particular ‘moment’ was breathtaking, and lasted mere minutes, as the setting sun shone across the field, bathing the tree in what I’ve begun to call ‘God-Light’. It highlights one particular item and makes it glow with life. I just happened to be driving home from a trip north to photograph the spring melt-waters at Burleigh Falls, hoping that this ‘solitaire’ of mine might be photo worthy. I was certainly not disappointed.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm
1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 250
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“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.”
― Ernest Hemingway
After a few ‘false starts’ it looks like spring has finally arrived. I awoke yesterday morning to a snow covered, foggy world. The forecast called for mild conditions as the gentle rain began the work of melting off the prior day’s snowfall (barely visible in the background).
As I made my coffee, I noticed the bright water drops on the branches outside my kitchen window and grabbed my camera, knowing (hoping) this would be the last we’ll see of snow for some time.
I’ve made a few similar photos, in various locations. The soft bokeh and colours in the background tend to make the photo a bit dreamy.
Goodbye winter, hello spring, hope you can stay a while!
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm
1/8 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200
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“As the soft spring sun begins to set, an ethereal light strikes the trees and boulders on the far shore, setting them ablaze in gold. The dark, cold, meltwater rushes by in a mad dash through ancient rocks. Intent on the calm of the lake below, where they foam and swirl, momentarily, then merge with the now still waters that preceded them. The day ends, in peace, and light, and water.”
– Ed Lehming
To stand on the shore and bear witness to these kinds of fleeting events fills me with joy. It’s the primary reason I spend so much time outdoors. To be able to capture a moment like this, to reflect back on it, and recall that experience once more is a blessing.
I knew that the spring rush this year at Ontario’s Burleigh Falls was going to be extraordinary. This was prompted by a Facebook post by a fellow photographer, where he rendered a wonderful black and white image that made me determined to see for myself. The light in the morning was wonderful but I was not fully prepared for the effect of the setting sun in late afternoon. Generally, I stop here in the summer, on my way home from camping, and the sun tends to be quite bright.
The position of the sun at this time of year bathes the shores in gold and lights up the whitecaps with soft tones of gold. The effect lasts only moments and is gone. I was overjoyed to have witnessed this and to be able to photograph it to share.
Nikon D200
Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm
1/10 sec, f/32.0, ISO 160
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“Sometimes the waters of our spirits are churned and murky, and it is difficult to tap the reservoirs of our innate wisdom and knowledge. But the waters will settle as we do. Quietly and gently encourage yourself to go inside. Clarity will come.” ― Sue Patton Thoele
If we were having coffee…I’d tell you this week had some major ups and some major downs. On the up side, one of my photos, which I cross-pollinate on Twitter and Facebook has had +16K views! That really messed up my WordPress stats, but was it emotionally refreshing and extremely validating. The post, and effective use of tags, allowed me to reach out to a larger audience who provided me with positive feedback about my work and writings. Now I settle into the normalcy of a gradually growing following of engaged and encouraging readers.
Yesterday, had the opportunity to travel north and visit, after a 4 month absence, the artist co-op I belong to, appropriately named A Place for the Arts, where I am able to show my work in a gallery-like environment, connect face to face with other creatives, and discuss photography and life, in an art filled and coffee scented creative space. While on the way there, I stopped at Burleigh Falls and made several photos of the raging spring melt waters, both in morning light and at sunset, when I returned home, which I will post on my blog over the next few weeks. The photos inspired me to do some digital painting work (above). So, artistically and creatively, I’ve been riding a high wave that carries me forward, slightly out of control, but it’s exhilarating.
Conversely, I’ve had to deal with some unpleasant and recurring life issues that I don’t really want to get into now, but which have been emotionally and spiritually draining. I’m happy to be able to connect here with other creatives, to see me through those times, through shared experiences, words and images.
While I would not consider my current situation as ‘murky’, knowing that the waters eventually settle bring me peace and hope. How’s your week been?
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm
1/10 sec, f/32.0, ISO 200
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“Water that never moves.” I say to him. “It’s fine for a little while. You can drink from it and it’ll sustain you. But if it sits too long it goes bad. It grows stale. It becomes toxic.” I shake my head. “I need waves. I need waterfalls. I want rushing currents.”
— Tahereh Mafi
I’ve always enjoyed moving water and photographing it. I gain energy from it, as the quote above says so well, still water is fine for a while, but eventually it stagnates. Like the water, though it’s tempting to live in the calm, life is about movement and change, wheather by choice or circumstance.
Earlier this week I saw a Facebook post from a fellow photographer who had visited this beautiful chute mid week. I was astounded, looking at the posted photo, by the sheer volume of water rushing through the channel between Stoney Lake and Lower Buckhorn Lake in central Ontario’s Kawartha Region. We did not have much snow this past winter but despite this, the waters of the feeder lakes had overwhelmed the control dam above the Falls.
Needless to say, I had to check it out myself, on my way to Bancroft, where I show my photographs at a artist co-op called A Place for the Arts.
I arrived at the falls around 9:15 am and the light for the east was stunning, lighting up the water and the opposite shore. I took some time and made a few photos, with the intention of returning late afternoon, on my way back home. The image above is from my morning visit and I’ll post a few more at a later date from my afternoon stop, which was equally impressive.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm
1/10 sec, f/32.0, ISO 200
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“When the time has come, every leaf turns to face the sun!”
― Akilnathan Logeswaran
“Ramps” or wild leeks (Allium tricoccum) are native North American plant and among the first plants to appear in moist woods, once the frost comes out of the ground. Because of the mild start we had to March, I thought I’d go out to see if anything had started to push through the ground yet. To my surprise, much of the ground remained firm, with a thin layer of frost still holding on in the shade of the forest.
Despite the frost, I did spot a few leeks pushing past the layer of last year’s leaves, yet other areas will likely be a few weeks behind as the sun slowly warms the ground. I also saw some traces of Spring Beauties leafing out at the bases of beech trees, which they seem to favour.
In a few more weeks the forest floor will be vibrant with bright greens, pinks, reds, whites and yellows as the wildflowers follow their annual pattern of emergence. And then, at the right time, I will return to this place, surrounded by warmth and colour, to carefully harvest a few handfuls of the delicious leeks to make a pot of potato-leek soup and formally welcome spring and its bounty.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm
1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 250
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“Whenever there is stillness there is the still small voice, God’s speaking from the whirlwind, nature’s old song, and dance…”
― Annie Dillard
Chilly water flows beneath icicles formed by the spray of the creek below. I found this to be an odd sight. April in my area has been ‘confusing’. We had beautiful sunshine and mild temperatures, followed by a deep freeze, snow, freezing rain, and strong winds, all within a few days. This has made it difficult to get out and enjoy the outdoors.
This small chute is located just below the Whitevale dam, north of Pickering, Ontario. It has become a fairly regular destination for me over the past few years. Primarily because I’m drawn to moving water and the serenity I find there, even as the water surges and churns over the rocks below the dam. It’s here that I make many of my winter photos of water flowing beneath the ice, or frozen in great icicles at the dam itself.
In this case, I found a lovely composition created by the tight combination of mist and air temperature. The moderately cold night had created conditions whereby spray from the water had splashed onto an overhanging branch and slowly frozen into these delicate icicle. There was no wind, which provided me an opportunity to do a long exposure, which showed off the icicles and allowed me to put the water in the background into motion, as contrast between stillness and movement. Very much how I feel when I’m at the waterside.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 135 mm
1/10 sec, f/20.0, ISO 200
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I’ve spent the past few weeks reading and enjoying Guy’s Book of Essays, “More Than a Rock” and finding myself deeply connected to his way of approaching photography. I discovered him through several Facebook photography groups that I belong to. Though he’s a more articulate writer than I am, his words and thoughts resonate with me. His blog did not have a re-blog button, but I thought I’d share his latest commentary here.
“As he reached the door of the chapel and turned back for a last look, he saw that the Virgin too was sad and lonely; the most alone human being God ever put on earth.”
― Irving Stone
The word ‘pieta’ means pity in Italian. The scene of the Virgin Mary, with the recently crucified Christ on her lap, is one of the most iconic scenes in christianity and has been interpreted through many forms of art, including sculpture. The most famous of these sculptures is, of course, Michelangelo’s version, housed in St. Peter’s basilica in Rome.
This rendition sits just right and slightly behind the main altar at St. Patrick’s in New York City, was sculpted in 1906 by William Ordway Partridge, and was donated to the cathedral in 1915. It is about three times the size of Michelangelo’s version and is one of the church’s many treasures.
I made the image using existing light because of how it lit the statue so softly and kept Mary’s face in the shadows of her shawl. I’m also averse to using a flash in a place of worship. It really is a beautiful statue and tells a powerful story of a mother’s love and loss.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm
1/60 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1,000
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A quick post to the Daily Post Photo Challenge: Landscape
iPhone 5s back camera 4.15mm f/2.2
1/1900 sec; f/2.2; ISO 32
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“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity… and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.”
― William Blake
I absolutely love the William Blake quote above. It goes beyond simply this image.
Number 6 in the series and growing. I keep coming across these gnarly old specimens, standing along the trails, or in city parks. I find myself staring at them, immersed in their story, while others pass them by as merely ‘stumps’. They all remind me of abstract paintings or deeply furrowed sculptures. Their lives recorded; marked out in intricate patterns, each unique.This particular tree had been recently stripped of its bark, revealing smooth undulating wood, with only tinges of moss taking hold.
Winter winds had embedded a few stray cedar and spruce needles in a hollow. I was not sure if I wanted to include them in this composition, but they are part of the image in front of me, so I decided to leave them in.
The smooth surface of this tree is so different from most trees I see. It reveals all the curves and bumps of a slow growing hardwood. Though the bark is gone, I expect it’s a member of the maple family. tree aficionados, feel free to help me on this one. By the end of summer, I expect this old fellow will be darkened with moss, it’s surface transforming from a solid, almost ivory-like texture to one mottled with mildew and softening as the decay process takes hold. Yet, here he is preserved as a photo for me to enjoy even when he’s gone back to the ground that birthed him, so many years ago.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 82 mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200
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“No one is without troubles, without personal hardships and genuine challenges. That fact may not be obvious because most people don’t advertise their woes and heartaches. But nobody, not even the purest heart, escapes life without suffering battle scars.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich
The dark shape hovers, just below the surface. Defying the rush of the frigid spring waters. Moving neither forward, nor back. Fixed in it’s intent, it’s goal. Progress from this point seems improbable. Then, with a flick of it’s tail, like liquid lightning, it darts into the depths ahead, resting and awaiting the next challenge.
I stand on the shore, watching this drama played out, time and time again. Beneath cold, rushing waters, in currents that would sweep us off our feet, the rainbow trout, in their annual spring migration persevere against the elements. They hang, suspended, seemingly motionless, as the waters rush around them, for longer than seems possible.
These are the early migrants, having already travelled many miles up Duffins creek, from Lake Ontario, through deep, calm pools, shallow, rocky rapids, barely deep enough to cover their hulking masses; across clay bottoms and sandy shoals. These are not small fish. Many are over two feet long and weighing close to twenty pounds (9 kg). Yet they get through waters that barely cover them.
This is the Duffins Creek Migration, an annual spring event that is just starting out and at it’s peek will see trout in vast quantities, ‘stacked’ in certain areas of the creek, awaiting their turn to run further up the creek, following these early venturers.
I chose this particular image since this is how the trout often appear from the shore. They are just a shadow, suspended in the water, defying the current.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm
1/10 sec, f/16.0, ISO 200
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“Peace is not found by seeking it but in simply letting it be.”
― Janni Styles
I’ve enjoyed this small brook that flows from a farm field into Duffins Creek below Whitevale. The sound of the water flowing over the rocks is so calming. I could sit there all day and simply enjoy the peace.
I made this photo just before a light, early April snowfall started (not impressed by that feature). The mid afternoon light was dull and diffused, which made for an easy 1/8 second time exposure, to put the water into motion. It had frozen the night before, creating the few icicles visible to the mid-right. The photo captures a bit of the calm I enjoyed and I’m hoping to pass it on to others.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 80 mm
1/10 sec, f/8.0, ISO 200
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“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
― Anne Bradstreet
After what started off as a gorgeous March, with above normal temperatures and bright sunshine, things changed mid-month, and we got into a cycle of cold days, snow flurries, and some freezing rain. This turned the nice dry trails back to a mix of mud and frozen puddles.
I’m happy to say, I think that phase is done, temperatures are returning to normal and the ice covered puddles are beginning to thaw and break up.
The photo above is of one such puddle, which caught my attention by how the angular ice pieces floated on the surface, while the water reflected the canopy of pine trees above. It seemed like a final goodbye to the winter of 2015 and a hello to the possibility of a nice summer of hiking these trails and enjoying the sights with dry feet.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 180 mm
1/30 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250
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“All thoughts, secret or spoken, belong in a coffee table book written in Braille, so you can really feel the emotions.”
― Jarod Kintz
I decided to start into this forum with my standard quote style. I find looking up suitable quotes to match my photos makes me think about the photo and the emotions it invokes in me and thus, enhances the image. And, I added a photo above of a local reservoir that I did some artistic work on a few weeks back
Which brings me back to the original topic and my reasons for blogging in the first place: Blogging provides me a simple forum to share my photos and my thoughts with an audience who tend to be more creative than the average populace.
I’ve started small and have been pleasantly surprised to be ‘troll free’, thus far. I tend to be quite open in my posts, trying to stick to a narrative style, as if I was sitting down with friends and being quite transparent about the events and processes that enabled me to make the photo in the first place. I’m hoping to engage in a larger group of people with similar passions to mine, and that has been successful. My feeling is that if I like certain elements of photography, surely there must be a handful of others out there like me?
The experience has also helped me to realize that, while it would be nice to make a few bucks from my photos, at least enough to support improving my work, it’s been more about creating works that bring enjoyment and inspiration to others. Were it not for a few inspirational photographers who shared their thoughts and techniques freely, I may not be at the place I’m at now.
The reason I started on this journey has many facets, the first being explained above and the second is for me to develop a daily discipline to create and share a photograph, every single day, whether I feel inspired or not. The ultimate goal is to publish this daily journey so a larger audience can enjoy the experience too. I’m also enjoying reading the works of so many talented poets and writers. They are all inspirations to me to keep improving.
I’m looking forward to future #weekendcoffeeshare chats.
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Ed
“I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins.”
― Khaled Hosseini
In what has become a springtime ritual for me, since discovering the phenomenon, some 20 years after living here, is walking the shores of Duffins Creek, near the town of Whitevale, and enjoying the annual trout run from Lake Ontario, to the Whitevale dam, where I have had some success photographing the trout trying to scale the ten foot tall dam.
To my observations, the run is not triggered by a particular week in the calendar, water temperature, or how clear the water is. The ‘run’ seems to to triggered by some combination of the hours of sunlight and daytime temperatures. Only the trout know what causes this urge to migrate upstream.
Along the shores of this creek grows a plant known as coltsfoot. It’s a small yellow flower, resembling a stunted, thick stemmed dandelion. The first blossom of this spring plant coincides perfectly with the trout run. We’ve had a mixed bag this spring, with temperatures early in the month above normal, yet the coltsfoot was not blooming, until recently. Low and behold, the trout have returned to the river for their annual pilgrimage to the dam. As noted above, the dam is ten feet tall and designed to keep this introduced species from migrating up the river and feeding on the native brown trout.
While they had not made it to the dam yet, I certainly enjoyed seeing the flashes of colour in the water as they fought their way past the current. I’m hoping to get back in the next few days to photograph the jumping.
The trout pictured above was hovering in the current in a relatively shallow part of the creek, providing me the opportunity to make a nice image, showing all his bright colours and patterns.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 135 mm
1/50 sec, f/3.5, ISO 250
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For those of you who don’t know this challenge, it consists of everyone in the group, moderated by Stacy Fischer, editing the same photo taken by one person. Below is the link to the original image and others submissions. I find it so interesting to see how different people visualize the same image. http://visualventuring.com/2016/04/01/april-one-photo-focus/
Original photo by Cee Neuner
“Every tree in the forest has a story to tell. Some of them were burnt but they endured the fire and got revived; some of them were cut, their barks injured, some people pick up their leaves to make medicines for their sicknesses, birds used their leaves to make their nests, etc. Upon all these, the tree is still tree!”
― Israelmore Ayivor
This ancient sycamore, in New York City’s Bryant Park, certainly would have stories to tell. I have no idea how old it might be, but someone planted it behind the New York Public library many years ago and it has borne silent witness to a multitude events and changes in its long life. This old wood has weathered time and endured, its bark rough and creased with age, unlike its younger companions with their smooth, mottled bark, so typical of the fast growing sycamores, planted in neat rows in this urban park.
Pieces of bark have fallen off, been broken off, revealing the bright layers below, or clung tight to the tree, growing dark and gray with the patina of time.
As the quote above says, every forest has its story to tell. I look on these gnarled old trees and decaying stumps, thinking back to when they were young saplings. These are the survivors, having outlived other lesser trees, every year marked in their rough and ragged bark.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm
1/320 sec, f/9.0 -1.0, ISO 400
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“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
One of the many benefits I find when hiking is the abundance of free art nature provides me. As I walked a forest path a few days ago, the ground was just starting to melt, but it was cold enough that small, water-filled, depressions were still partially frozen.
Since the surrounding earth was not frozen, the water from these depressions slowly drained away, leaving these wonderful abstract patterns for me to enjoy.
When I was I child, I loved to break these thin sheets of ice. Admit it, many of you did the same thing, for no real reason other than to watch the delicate structures break. At that time, I suppose I never had a real appreciation of just how beautiful they could be. Many are a brief history of the receding water levels and movements inside the puddle. It would be a curious exercise to do a time-lapse of this activity one day.
For now, I will enjoy these abstract patterns as they dazzle in the muted spring sun. Each one a bit different, influenced by so many conditions as they formed and melted.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm
1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200
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“What is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?”
― Kahlil Gibran
This year, I left a few dried hydrangea blooms in my garden. My usual ritual is to trim them all down in the fall. I’m glad I left them, they added some interest in this past, dull, nearly snowless winter, and created a nice franewirk for our recent freezing rain event.
For those who have never experienced freezing rain, I’ll include a brief description here:
Freezing rain occurs when the ground temperature is below freezing while the air layers above are warmer. The precipitation falls as rain and freezes on contact with the ground. The end effect is that everything is coated with an ever increasing layer of clear ice. If conditions are right, this accumulation can be over an inch thick and cause major damage to trees and powerlines. Because it is a gradual accumulation, delicate plants, which would collapse in snow, are held rigid by the ice that encases them.
This was the case with the hydrangeas pictured above. A thin coating of clear ice built up over a period of a few hours, making them look like the are coated in clear glass.
It’s a beautiful effect, unless you are driving and have to chisel the ice from your car, or try to walk, since the ice is usually covered in a thin layer of semi-frozen water, making it extremely slippery. This is not a good feature when you are trying to walk around with your camera. The other thing with freezing rain is that it tends to be a very brief, beautiful event, which generally melts away within a few hours, as the temperatures rise.
I find it to be a challenging time photographically, since everything is beautiful and it’s difficult to isolate a particular composition within all that beauty.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 130 mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 -0.33, ISO 200
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A very thought provoking post by a fellow blogger.
Chimpanzee contemplates nature of life, thinks “Well, shit.”
My mother is always the first to notice when I’m not writing. “February 5 was your last post,” she pointed out during lunch last week. I appreciate this. She notices.
In that vein, I want to dispense with one issue upfront: It has been suggested (not by my mother) that the occasional long gaps between my posts indicate I’m insufficiently “serious” about writing. I always despaired a little at that, because it felt unfair. At the same time, I always feared it was true.
But I’ve found that when we interrogate the assumptions behind our fears, and follow the what-if trail to its conclusion, we can find clarity. And I’ve realized it is true. There are many things I take more seriously than writing. Understanding, feeling, processing, life, and honesty are all more important to me than simply stringing words together. These things…
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If you should go skating
On the thin ice of modern life
Dragging behind you the silent reproach
Of a million tear stained eyes
Don’t be surprised, when a crack in the ice
Appears under your feet
You slip out of your depth and out of your mind
With your fear flowing out behind you
As you claw the thin ice – Pink Floyd
This image is the second in a series of photographs I made a few weeks ago, observing the gradual melting of the ice on a local pond. The patterns and various structures interested me and I wanted to spend more time looking them over, from the comfort of my office.
Above is a small section of the pond, close to shore. The snow has melted, leaving just the ice below exposed to the sun. The surface is uneven, caused by the melting and refreezing of snow to different depths. The white ‘cracks’ are the result of the ice cracking open and snow filling the cracks, only to refreeze. As I noted in other recent posts, the snow this year was particularly pure and white, which only enhances this effect.
Over my many years of hiking the same trails, I’m still seeing new things every time and I take that as a gift.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm
1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 250
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Solitude is the soil in which genius is planted, creativity grows, and legends bloom; faith in oneself is the rain that cultivates a hero to endure the storm, and bare the genesis of a new world, a new forest.”
― Mike Norton
Solitude, sweet solitude, the place where I flourish, dream, recharge. I crave the quiet places, the forest trails, the meadows, and riverbanks. Each experience is such a part of me, and I a part of them. As I walk, stand, or sit, the majesty of nature, even the simple things, fill my eyes and mind with wonder. I am in creation, not merely a visitor, but a part of it. It fills me with joy and peace. Time ceases and I merely ‘am’.
For all the time I have spent walking the trails and photographing my surroundings, this one image fully expresses how it “feels” to me. I get emotional looking at it, since it puts me in that place I love so much. Not this particular location, so much, but how I feel when I’m in nature, overall.
The image has all the elements I experience on a regular basis when hiking near my home, the leaf covered path, the flowing forms of branches and leaves, sun shining brightly above and through openings in the canopy, and the dark spaces as well.
This photo was made a few short weeks ago along the Seaton Train, near Whitevale. The ice had just come of the trails and it was a beautiful, mild, late winter day.
iPhone 5s back camera 4.15mm f/2.2
1/40 sec; f/2.2; ISO 32
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty, yes pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them.”
― Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Happy Easter!
I wanted to try something new, something that satisfied the creative in me. I love paintings and have many friends who are extraordinary painters. My gift is photography, which offers me a similar outlet, but rather than spending time in front of the canvass, I spend my time walking in the trails, forests, and cities, always looking for interesting scenes to photograph.
This past week I was working with some of what I would deem my ‘secondary’ files. The images that I had envisioned, but did not satisfy me as I processed them. I ran these images through various filters and plugins, looking for the ‘vision’ of the photo to emerge. In this case, one of my favourite ‘solitaires’ or lone trees.
On the day I made the photo, the sky was filled with soft and interesting clouds, the wheat had just emerged to greet the early spring air, while patches of snow still remained in low areas. The photo alone did not meet my expectations, that is, until I ran it through one of my filters to create the wonderful image above. As I’ve said before, I wish I could paint, but since I can’t, at least I can create the image as I would have painted it, if I could.
Nikon D300
Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 250
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
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“Human society is like an arch, kept from falling by the mutual pressure of its parts”
– Seneca
The Toronto Distillery District is known for its boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. One of the art galleries in this area is the Corkin Gallery, featuring artists of many disciplines.
Within this large gallery are some of the original distillery structures, including these interesting arches which lead to two staircases to the second floor of the gallery. I like how the gallery retained the significant architectural elements of the distillery in their floorplan. It blends past and present beautifully. There was something about how the modern (stairs) and old (arches) blended together into a whole that just felt right.
I also enjoyed the various textures, from the age and patina of the brick, blotchy, cracked concrete, smooth steel handrails, and the clean lines of the glass and wood of the staircase. The staircase feels like an anachronism, placed as an escape from the ancient arches, a bridge to some uncertain future.
iPhone 5s back camera 4.15mm f/2.2
1/20 sec; f/2.2; ISO 320
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
Ed Lehming Photography 
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