Archives
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ― L. M. Montgomery As I prepare for my 2018 Studio Tour, it gives me time to reflect on present photos, as well as those from previous years and I am astounded about how many have been printed, yet I have not taken the time to comment on them. This image is one of those photos that for one reason or… Read More
“It isn’t enough to pick a path—you must go down it. By doing so, you see things you couldn’t possibly see when you started out; you may not like what you see, some of it may be confusing, but at least you will have, as we like to say, “explored the neighborhood.” The key point here is that even if you decide you’re in the wrong place, there is still time to… Read More
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin Scenes like this are one of the reasons I hike. I’ve referred to these dappled pools of light as “God-Light”, to quote C.S. Lewis. These small patches of golden light, like pools of energy seem to appear on all but the most overcast days. They are but one… Read More
“Never forget that anticipation is an important part of life. Work’s important, family’s important, but without excitement, you have nothing. You’re cheating yourself if you refuse to enjoy what’s coming.” ― Nicholas Sparks Part of the enjoyment I get from hiking is the anticipation, the ‘unknown’ about what’s around the next bend. Though I’ve hiked these trails for years now, there is always something new to discover. On days where I feel uninspired,… Read More
“In this hour, I do not believe that any darkness will endure.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien As my journey through the September forests continued the forest and light varied significantly, this is the nature of forests in this area. This constant change offers many opportunities for photos, or simply to stand still for a few moments, enjoying the light playing through the leaves. In small patches, birch trees brighten up the forest with their… Read More
“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness — just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breath it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us… Read More
“We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.” ― Heny Rollins It struck me, as I considered this image, that the day I made it started out cool and calm, and gradually became quite warm breezy. Sometimes, we miss those gradual changes, even in the span of a few hours, let alone days. That gradual change also aligns to the theme… Read More
“Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul… but I must confess that I love you only because you are a prelude to my beloved October.” ― Peggy Toney Horton I like this image for its allusion to transition. The image fades from bright yellow, to the brooding darkness of the pine forest behind it. For me, it symbolises the shift from bright, sunny days, to the cool… Read More
“That old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air … Another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year’s mistakes had been wiped clean by summer.” ― Wallace Stegner This image makes me grin. The pine trees appear to be awash or dancing in a sea of yellow created… Read More
“There was no sudden, striking, and emotional transition. Like the warming of a room or the coming of daylight. When you first notice them they have already been going on for some time.” ― C.S. Lewis I’m starting a new series of images documenting the transition from late summer to autumn. The series will be titled “In the Blink” and begins with this image of pine trees, stripped bare of much of their… Read More
“A day’s brightness is determined by the light in our hearts.” ― A.D. Posey This ‘solitaire’ is not the same as the one I posted few days ago. Yesterday, after a morning of intense work, I needed to break free for a short time to regenerate, so I took to the conservation area just a few minutes walk from home and entered into the forest for some much-needed respite from the craziness of… Read More
“The beauty of any first time is that it leads to a thousand others…” ― Pico Iyer This was the end of November, the first significant snowfall, enough to dust the ground in white and remain well into the day. It was also the last day of any noticeable foliage. The last leaf had fallen to the ground, adding to the blanket of rusty browns. It’s yet another transition time in the forest,… Read More
“The Sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it’s here is up to us. Journey wisely.” ― Alexandra Elle This is my final image in the “Spirit of the Spruce” series. One of the primary and surprising elements to this series has been the bold patches of light which show in each image; some more, some less. That, to me was the ‘spirit’ of the… Read More
“We went down into the silent garden. Dawn is the time when nothing breathes, the hour of silence. Everything is transfixed, only the light moves.” ― Leonora Carrington Indeed, only the light moves, and it appears in waves, as mid morning sunlight streams between the branches, warming the chilled November air. This was the scene that spread before me last weekend, as I took advantage of a sunny Sunday morning hike. Though the… Read More
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” ― Aristotle After thousands of years, the quote is still so appropriate. The outward appearance of this spruce bog is well, quite bog-like, a bit muted, and a bit depressing. But, outward appearances can be deceiving, can’t they? Even the title of this image is more than it seems. The undergrowth and the fallen are essential… Read More
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.” ― Martha Graham Welcome to the spruce bog. Though it may not sound exotic, the light and imagery that I experienced on this… Read More
“To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part.” ― Aldo Leopold This part of the world looks like nothingness on a map. While there is a town close by, it really is a wilderness area. A land of steep, nearly unnavigable hillsides, dense forest, and swampy wetlands. To me, it’s paradise, a place to unwind and just enjoy an unblemished… Read More
“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed … We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in.” ― Wallace Stegner Here’s a familiar sight along the “Boreal Trails”, an interspersing of the dominant species of trees, namely: Birch, Beech, and Balsam. All three are seen in this… Read More
“… there’s a silent voice in the wilderness that we hear only when no one else is around. When you go far, far beyond, out across the netherlands of the Known, the din of human static slowly fades away, over and out.” ― Rob Schultheis I titled this ‘Crossing’ because it illustrates my point in a prior post about the lack of straight paths in the Boreal forest. A large tree has fallen… Read More
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ― Pablo Picasso I simply can’t turn it off. I see photos everywhere and every day, and I would have it no other way. As an example, I saw ‘this’ as I stepped out of my car at church this morning. A light snow had melted and leaves from a nearby silver maple, bright yellow, fell and stuck to the wet truck… Read More
“Beneath the rust and grime which dulls the shine of our weathered hearts, joy patiently waits to be rediscovered” ― John Mark Green The Grand finale to the “Shift to Shiver” series is the final image made on a hike I took a few weeks ago. The scene felt like a goodby to the golds and yellows that stayed with us so long this year. But, what a goodbye it was. It seems… Read More
“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” ― Jim Bishop I enjoyed the variability of this image. The relatively sharp maple tree in the foreground is contrasted by the almost wispy texture of the interwoven beech shrubs beyond it. It’s the beeches that I was most fascinated with, as they gradually transition to their coppery winter tones. There are still a few hints of green, but that will… Read More
“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.” ― Sarah Addison Allen As autumn progresses, the brightness fades by degrees. To capture the stunning light of the past weeks is proving more of a challenge over a few cloudy days on the trails. It all fits into the theme of this, my “Shift to Shiver” series. By now much of the once golden canopy has… Read More
“There is October in every November and there is November in every December! All seasons melted in each other’s life!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan As a start to a new series and cooler climes, this image is the first in my new series of images: “Shift to Shiver”, and will document the few weeks between the bright yellows and red of late October and focus on the deep orange and coppers of early… Read More
“When our thoughts are unsettled and our inner world is in a muddle, we may sharpen our wits and try to recognize the invisible edges of our fractured stance. If we seek to figure out, what our life story is all about, we may be able to put the missing pieces in place and identify what is driving us, what we are actually up to and why we are running like mad… Read More
Because forgiveness is like this: a room can be dank because you have closed the windows, you’ve closed the curtains. But the sun is shining outside, and the air is fresh outside. In order to get that fresh air, you have to get up and open the window and draw the curtains apart. – Desmond Tutu After hiking through a fairly dark and dull patch of forest, I was greeted with this ‘gateway’… Read More
“The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” ― Jack Kornfield A simple title for a wondrous scene. One of innumerable scenes like it, along the way. Yes, it’s just a few simple trees, but the light reflecting from the leaves was stunning. The slight breeze wove between the branches and the whole scene was alive. There so many time when mere words simply cannot express the… Read More
“By walking on the right path, you create a golden fate for yourself and you also become a silver lining for the others!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan I find myself frequently drawn to quotes from Mehmet Ildan as his words so wonderfully pair with my images and my life journey. I am thankful for those, like Mehet, who can so wonderfully express in words, that which I struggle with. This “Golden Paths” series… Read More
“Let your light shine as an inspiration to humanity and BE THE REASON someone believes in the goodness of people.” ― Germany Kent This combination of colours make my heart soar. It’s all light and movement. Despite the dark shadows behind them the bright poplar trunks are like beacons in comparison. The golden leaves against the cerulean sky is like a royal robe spread across the sky. The whole scene dazzles with light… Read More
“Living with love for all humankind and worshiping nature’s immense beauty cures heartache and restores bliss. Respecting the splendor of nature awakens us to the beauty inscribing our own humanity.” ― Kilroy J. Oldster Every now and then, a quote just ‘fits’ the photo so well. The ‘aliveness’ experienced at moments like this, standing on a trail and bearing witness to such simple marvels is a spiritual experience. Even looking back on the… Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
Recent Comments