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“But give thanks, at least, that you still have Frost’s poems; and when you feel the need of solitude, retreat to the companionship of moon, water, hills and trees. Retreat, he reminds us, should not be confused with escape. And take these poems along for good luck!” ― Robert Graves Atop a shallow slop, a tight cluster of trees rises straight and tall, a competition for sunlight and the nourishment it brings. Some… Read More
“That quotation about not having time to stand and stare has never applied to me. I seem to have spent a good part of my life – probably too much – in just standing and staring and I was at it again this morning.” ― James Herriot I thoroughly enjoyed just standing and staring at this scene. I liked the transition or ‘shift’ from deep green ferns at my feet to the bright… Read More
“All that glisters is not gold— Often have you heard that told.” – William Shakespeare Indeed, all that glitters is not gold, but often beautiful, nonetheless. These young poplars along the edge of a meadow actually glimmered as the gentle breeze shifted through the golden leaves, making them shimmer in the sunlight. This image is still a part of my “Golden Paths” series. It’s the only one that was made, thus far, outside… Read More
“The best part of the journey is the surprise and wonder along the way.” ― Ken Poirot The quote I chose for this image is quite simple, yet has such depth to me. As I hike and make images, I am constantly surprised at what lies before me. My path is seldom straight, and I can’t always see what’s ahead, though I journey in anticipation. Every bend yields something new and often unexpected…. Read More
“Art doesn’t give rise to anything in us that isn’t already there. It simply stirs our curious consciousness and sparks a fire that illuminates who we have always wanted to be.” ― Kamand Kojouri Deeper into the woods the path winds, the canopy ablaze with brightness and surreal colour. Ahead, a wall of shimmering orange and yellow, like ethereal flames, dances in the breeze, amidst dark tree trunks, filling my eyes with the… Read More
“… as we travel again between life and death, Waking and dream, blinking, while layers within layers, None better, none worse, unravel and knit up before us . . .” ― Jay Woodman The next image in the “Golden Paths” series, takes us a few more steps into the forest. Among the remaining greens, bright splashes of yellow, orange, and red burst among the branches. Surprisingly, for this time of year, the greens… Read More
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” ― Lauren DeStefano The beginning of my “Golden Paths” series, is literally, a beginning. As I entered the trailhead, on a beautiful fall day, I was greeted by this scene, as I entered into autumn an a largely yellow and orange dominated kaleidoscope of… Read More
“Hidden in the glorious wildness like unmined gold.” – John Muir Here we are, the end of October nearly upon us, and I’m out hiking in a tee shirt and shorts. The past few weeks have been so incredibly mild that it’s hard to believe it’s autumn. Yet, the leaves evidence that the natural cycles continue. I have many photos from the past few weekends to review and post in a series that… Read More
This is another impromptu iPhone abstraction. A quick hike today put me in a forest just past it’s prime, yet spectacular in late afternoon light. I would have ventured longer, but was pressed for time. The brief break from the day refreshed me and I am so grateful to have this wonderful conservation area so close to me. I plan on heading back for a more in-depth and extended hike, as the… Read More
“A good roast of sun, it slows you, lets you relax–and out here if there’s anything wrong, you can see it coming with bags of time to do what’s next. This is the place and the weather for peace, for the cultivation of a friendly mind.” ― A.L. Kennedy I made this image on the Thanksgiving weekend, recently past, while on a hike with my son. Despite being well into October (Thanksgiving in… Read More
“If you are a dreamer come in If you are a dreamer a wisher a liar A hoper a pray-er a magic-bean-buyer If you’re a pretender com sit by my fire For we have some flax golden tales to spin Come in! Come in!” ― Shel Silverstein The title for this image came fairly readily. I was out making photos with my son and he was on a hillside on the path ahead… Read More
I’m still taking a break, and this is part of it. Had to share this beautiful view from the edge of the lake on this frosty Sunday morning near Bancroft, Ontario. No edits, this is exactly what it looked like, or at least, how my phone saw it 🙂
Taking a few days off to regenerate and create a few more images
“At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste, and more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke I made this image on the final weekend of summer, along the shores of North Hastings’ Papineau Creek…. Read More
“Step back in perspective, open your heart and welcome transition into a new phase of life.” ― Linda Rawson I’ve been meaning to share this photo for a few weeks now. It was made back in December, when I was playing with some saved fall leaves. You see, back in October I came across many of these ‘undecided’ poplar leaves, half green and half yellow. I started referring to them as lemon-lime… Read More
“The yellow glistens. It glistens with various yellows, Citrons, oranges and greens Flowering over the skin.” ― Wallace Stevens Good bye, for the season, yellow. Now that December has arrived, there are simply no more traces of bright, sunshine yellow. In autumn, the leaves progressed from crimson, to pinks, oranges and browns, and through it all, there was always a trace of yellow. Be it from birch, maple, or tamarack, there was… Read More
“The joy you feel when you become a small life particle sun and share its brightness and warmth with those around you is indescribably great.” ― Ilchi Lee As the upcoming winter makes its presence known daily, with cold winds, sleet, and icy mornings, a bit of autumn still remains. Beech seems to have some extra ‘stick’ to its leaves. They are almost always the last to fall and bring patches of brightness… Read More
“Who will bear witness to these small islands and oases of wildness as land is divided and sold to become strip malls, housing developments,and parking lots? What happens to the natural history here? We must bear witness.” ― Joni L. James The sky yesterday was unbelievable. I had a brief errand to run which put me on the road towards Uxbridge, Ontario. From my window, this scene unfolded and I had to… Read More
“Do you know how there are moments when the world moves so slowly you can feel your bones shifting, your mind tumbling? When you think that no matter what happens to you for the rest of your life, you will remember every last detail of that one minute forever?” ― Jodi Picoult As I mentioned on a previous post, I had the opportunity this past weekend to get back on the trails,… Read More
“If I am brave enough to stand against those who have been groomed by fear, I will recognize that where I get knocked down is all about where life begins, and has nothing to do with where it ends.” ― Craig D. Lounsbrough Although not as bright and sunshiney as my previous images, this one still echoes the spirit of the forest and provides me with thoughts on life and my world. As… Read More
“One passionate heart can brighten the world. From person to person the chain reaction burns through us — setting heart to heart ablaze, and lighting the way for us all!” ― Bryant McGill I set out yesterday morning, on a bright clear day, gentle sunlight lighting up the changing leaves. That lasted for about an hour and dark, slate-gray clouds rolled in, effectively ending my planned day of photographing falls leaves. So, a… Read More
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” ― Plato This is the fifth and final image from my “God-light” series. On that most wonderful day, where the sun and leaves provided me with a brilliant show of light and colour, I emerged from a darker part of the forest into what was to be… Read More
A quick image of this year’s pumpkin. Wishing you all a safe and delightful Halloween! ©Ed Lehming Photography 2016
“The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say” ― J.R.R. Tolkien A convenient five minute drive from my house is this little country oasis, which also happens to adjacent… Read More
“Everything turns in circles and spirals with the cosmic heart until infinity. Everything has a vibration that spirals inward or outward — and everything turns together in the same direction at the same time. This vibration keeps going: it becomes born and expands or closes and destructs — only to repeat the cycle again in opposite current. Like a lotus, it opens or closes, dies and is born again. Such is also… Read More
“And that afternoon, as the sun slanted low through the changing autumn leaves, I remembered to savor the moment, soak in the beauty, breathe deeply and feel the immensity of God.” ― Cindee Snider Re The next component to nature’s fall palette around here is orange. Interestingly, when I got closer to this branch for a bright orange maple tree, I found a surprising amount of green and yellow, with patches of… Read More
“Fall colors are funny. They’re so bright and intense and beautiful. It’s like nature is trying to fill you up with color, to saturate you, so you can stockpile it before winter turns everything muted and dreary.” ― Siobhan Vivian Today I started photographing fall colours a bit differently. Rather than the broad sweep of forests in full colour, I decided to look a bit closer at the branches that create this… Read More
“Just as a painter needs light in order to put the finishing touches to his picture, so I need an inner light, which I feel I never have enough of in the autumn.” ― Leo Tolstoy I’ve titled myself a ‘photo opportunist’ a few times. Really, it’s all about being prepared for any eventuality. This means knowing my gear, settings, and my surroundings. A lot has to do with experience, most bad… Read More
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” ― Lauren DeStefano One of the beautiful effects of autumn is the glow of sunlight through changing leaves. My son referred to it a few days a ago as “looking like stained glass”. There are times when the forest glows in surreal colours,… Read More
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ― L.M. Montgomery Sorry, a very short post today. It’s been a busy Thanksgiving weekend and I found myself with very little time to sit and write. Yet, I made a commitment to myself at the start of the year to do at least one post every day for the year. So, here it is…quickly assembled. Yet, I want to… Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
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