Archives
“It all starts with a faint green ‘flush’. As the gnarled old vines awaken once more, the first hint of future bounty appears in the form of delicate clusters of bright green.” – Ed Lehming Spring in Napa is a glorious time. As the spring air and sunshine warm the valley, the entire valley floor fills with delicate greens as the countless vineyards stir with life. I especially like the old vines,… Read More
“In it’s incredible diversity, nature produces many variations, some are very interesting and make you wonder what the cause and purpose may be.” – Ed Lehming I’ve posted about these interesting trillium variations previously, referring to variants of the White Trillium that have touches of green in them, I have not, till this past week, come across one that is completely green. The other remarkable thing about this particular trillium is that… Read More
“Never the same twice and endless possibilities, nature continues to surprise me.” – Ed Lehming Green Trilliums? Yes, I’ve seen them on a few occasions but there seems to be a high portion of them along the trails at North Walker Woods. The first time a saw these interesting variants of the white trillium I began studying them to understand why they look so different. It turns out that the green is… Read More
“Spaces high and low, previously wide open and empty, are now filled with deep green leaves, as the forest breathes in the warming air.” – Ed Lehming It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. The forest suddenly transformed from the bright greens and yellows of spring to the deep greens of summer. Places where I could see deep into the woods a few days ago are now a wall… Read More
“Preparations are underway, chlorophyll fills the cells, rust turns to green, and leaves mature, ready to feed hungry trees, and produce oxygen.” – Ed Lehming Spring is truly underway when the slight yellow and rusty new growth turns deep green. As the leaves develop, the emergent colours fade, ever so slowly, except to those who are with them regularly. The cycle continues, largely unnoticed by most these days, but when you spend… Read More
“Amidst our comfortable habitations, we need to be reminded that nature is always wanting to take back what is hers” – Ed Lehming As a photographer, I like contrast, I look for it as I create my images. So, when I’m faced with other contrasts, I take notice. While on vacation in Cozumel this past January I could not help but notice how the resort had been literally carved out of the… Read More
“Beware of those who are bitter, for they will never allow you to enjoy your fruit.” ― Suzy Kassem The gooseberries are not just bitter, but well protected. I imagine birds would do alright with these but I’m trying to picture a squirrel or some other rodent trying to deal with these spiky berries. This native fruit bearing shrub is a new one to me, even though I have hiked past this location… Read More
“When you reach for the stars, you are reaching for the farthest thing out there. When you reach deep into yourself, it is the same thing, but in the opposite direction. If you reach in both directions, you will have spanned the universe.” ― Vera Nazarian It’s late June, yet many of the plants are still growing. This fern along the trail is a good example of this. In the warm breezes of… Read More
“Time moves forward don’t live backwards” ― E’yen A. Gardner Spring, that time of year when the Earth groans and stretches after a winter slumber. Freshness is everywhere and the forest is transformed as branches begin to fill with fresh green leaves. Buds open and expand their contents to the sun, reaching for nourishment. This ‘greening’ only seems to last a few days and the forest is a soft canvas of greens and… Read More
“Going green doesn’t start with doing green acts — it starts with a shift in consciousness. ― Ian Somerhalder This image invokes two thoughts for me: First, I’m loving the fact that the dull greens of winter are becoming for vibrant, and secondly, I’m ever conscious of just how fragile these forests, that I enjoy so much, really are. I am made even more aware of this as the snow melts and the… Read More
“Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly.” ― Pablo Neruda As I came outside yesterday, I was filled with the sweet aroma of Peony. Our walkway is bordered by two enormous peony plant. They stand nearly five feet (just under two meters) tall and are now so big that an extra large peony ring will not hold them. I’ve taken to using rope… Read More
Nikon D800 Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm 1/125 sec, f/7.1 ISO 100
“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” ― Pablo Neruda I came across this small shoot, growing from the moss at the base of a tree earlier this week. Though I have no idea what type of plant it may eventually grow into, it was a curiosity to me, especially given it has, what appears to be, as single leaf. The sprout seemed out of place… Read More
“Silence can always be broken by the sound Of footsteps walking over frozen ground In winter when the melancholy trees Stand abject and let their branches freeze ” ― Merrill Moore So typical of the past week, this cedar bough, coated with a glass-like film of ice, the result of an evening of freezing rain and a gradual morning thaw. What drew me to this composition was the warm morning light and delicate… Read More
“Voiceless it cries, Wingless flutters, Toothless bites, Mouthless mutters.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien I think I’ve photographed this tree about a dozen times. Sometimes, it’s still and brightened by a golden sunset, other times, it’s filled with birds, darting to and fro. But on this occasion, the strong winds of a hot summer day tossed it’s branches from side to side. I took the opportunity to capture this motion through a long exposure… Read More
“… the world can give you these glimpses as well as fairy tales can–the smell of rain, the dazzle of sun on white clapboard with the shadows of ferns and wash on the line, the wildness of a winter storm when in the house the flame of a candle doesn’t even flicker.” ― Frederick Buechner Yes, I know, I have lot of photos from Secord Forest, but why not. This little slice… Read More
This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors. These doors can be found in Toronto’s Distillery District. All the doors in this area are painted the same green colour to match the period when the buildings were part of the Gooderham and Worts Distillery. I posted another door from this wonderful historic district last week. This door belongs to a great local restaurant and once led to the distillery’s shipping room. If you are ever… Read More
“While fear depletes power, faith gives wings for the soul’s elevation.” ― T.F. Hodge A recently hatched dragonfly, note the right side wing is not fully opened yet. It seemed because it was still not in full flight mode that it hung beneath plants, waiting for its wings to mature. I simply liked the ‘look’ of this scene, with the dragonfly dangling beneath the clover blossom. There were dozens of dragonflies flitting around… Read More
“The human body may need to receive sunlight through the tree canopy in order to be in a healthy state. I call this light “Interference Green Light” and it may be the top thing that you need to be receiving in order to be in good health and free of pain.” ― Steven Magee I don’t know how true the quote is, but I know I need my ‘green’ time. To walk… Read More
“If you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for a moment.” ― Georgia O’Keeffe Until last weekend, I did not know these existed. I love dogwoods and have made many photos of the gorgeous Sierra Dogwoods of California’s Yosemite National Park as they gleam bright white against the dark pine forests. The first time I saw a photo of them, I knew I had… Read More
“Our green valleys will be greener once we fully grasp the infinite vitality of the green!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan Despite the clouds of mosquitoes that call this forest home, I enjoyed, with the help of a good bug repellent, observing all the fresh new growth emerging from the brown litter of last year’s leaves. There is still a lot of brown showing interspersed with rapidly expanding carpets of foliage, like the Oak… Read More
“Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.” ― Patrick Süskind As the days warm, aromatic flowers prevail, attracting bees and insects with their sweet perfumes. Pollinated flowers give way to fruits and… Read More
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” ― Aristotle Art is everywhere. Sometimes, in the most surprising places, and with unexpected elements. Case in point, this algal bloom on a local pond. It looks a bit like a satellite image of some tropical forest and smells just like a horse stable. In fact, I was wondering if the local trail riding association… Read More
“Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.” ― John Lubbock The wonder of spring, as the forest explodes in greens and yellows, never fails to impress me. Tiny buds burst open and within days, full sized leaves adorn the branch. What I like… Read More
“See that path in front of you? That path has been laid before you, the one that you’re supposed to take, the one you’re told to take through life…just like everyone else. If you follow that path, you’ll be following all the rules, you’ll always know that you did what everyone wanted you to do and you’ll make it through… See that path in front of you? I dare you to step… Read More
“If you feel you have to open a particular door, open it, otherwise all your life that door will haunt your mind!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan I could not turn down the opportunity to photograph this bright display on a downtown Montreal street for this week’s Thursday Doors submission. Mind your step 🙂 iPhone 5s back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 1/120sec; f/2.2; ISO 64 For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming or my website (some… Read More
“When you see a fish you don’t think of its scales, do you? You think of its speed, its floating, flashing body seen through the water. Well, I’ve tried to express just that. If I made fins and eyes and scales, I would arrest its movement, give a pattern or shape of reality. I want just the flash of its spirits.” ― Constantin Brancusi I could not believe the colours on the… Read More
I find myself going back to my photo abstractions frequently. They bring me great pleasure, in that I never know quite how they will turn out. Don’t get me wrong, these are very deliberate photos, and I have a vision in my mind of the outcome. But, the random elements; light, speed, colours, and focus, all add their own unexpected twist to the final composition. Case in point with the image above, I… Read More
September, the month where some days convince you that summer will last for weeks, yet others are stern reminders that change is inevitable. This holds true this year. After weeks of above average, sweltering days, the temperature plummets and we layer on hats and sweatshirts, wondering if this summer has passed us by. The saving grace, for me is the gradual change of colours. The once verdant trees begin to shift to… Read More
This remains one of my favourite photos. Partially because it was just a chance, unplanned, opportunity and secondly due to the sense of serenity it instills in me. The unplanned aspect of this photo was that I was travelling to the Yosemite Valley proper, with the intention of photographing some of Yosemite’s grand waterfalls. On the trip in, I happened to glance over my shoulder into one of the many steep ravines… Read More
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