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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 I’ve contemplated this image many times. The original photo was very dark. I was trying to capture this beautiful gorge, aptly named “The Gut“, near Apsley, Ontario this past summer. It’s a very challenging photo due to dark… Read More
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” ― Laura Ingalls Wilder I could not resist taking a closer look at this poinsettia. As a child I’d often look at them, marvelling at the bright red petals, that are actually leaves, rather bracts (modified leaves), as they transition to green further down… Read More
“When you gaze out on a quiet, peaceful meadow, next to a still pond, under a motionless blue sky, you wonder how the noisy, busy cacophony of life could have arisen from such silent, motionless beginning.” – M. It would appear that I’ve gone to the birds, at least for a short time. The past few dull days have not offered much in the way of material to photograph, so I’ve gone… Read More
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ” ― Norman Vincent Peale I’m a few days late posting this. I meant to get it out for December first, but did not, since I was still saying goodbye to yellow and had not purchased a poinsettia for our home yet. It’s a challenging plant to photograph, trying not to blow out the reds while… Read More
“Always be friendly, always be kind, Like the most beautiful flower that you can find.” ― Debasish Mridha This image is a switch back to some of my earlier floral images. I went back through older images that I have not had the opportunity to edit and found this one of a gerbera that was part of a larger floral arrangement. I had a hard time with this one, as the coral colour is… Read More
“I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche As I was reviewing my photos from the past few weeks, I kept glancing at this one, which at first seemed a bit dark for me. When I opened the thumbnail and looked closer it brought me back to the moment when… Read More
“Distance sometimes lets you know who is worth keeping, and who is worth letting go.” ― Lana Del Rey This is a bit of a shift for me today. I went back in my photo archive, looking for some colour and came across this image I made in the spring. The title came to me as soon as I saw the image, recalling how I composed it, deliberately leaving the dark area between the… Read More
“I have been finding treasures in places I did not want to search. I have been hearing wisdom from tongues I did not want to listen. I have been finding beauty where I did not want to look. And I have learned so much from journeys I did not want to take. Forgive me, O Gracious One; for I have been closing my ears and eyes for too long. I have learned… Read More
“The true optimist not only expects the best to happen, but goes to work to make the best happen. The true optimist not only looks upon the bright side, but trains every force that is in him to produce more and more brightness in his life….” ― Christian D. Larson Despite it being late November there has been a bright, golden theme in my photos recently and I’m pleased with that. I… 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
“Rather than crying and craving for those who left our path during dark moments of our life, let’s spend some time to thank those who stood and helped us to pass those dark paths.” ― Nehali Lalwani This image was made on a somewhat foggy morning. As the fog dissipated I came across this scene. Amidst a damp low area, filled with spruce and hemlock, stands a small grove of silver birch…. Read More
“She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. ‘Time’ for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.” ― Roman Payne If today’s forecast is any indication, it would appear that our wonderful, mild Ontario November is at an end and winter is anxiously knocking on our… Read More
“Daybreak,’ he said, looking out at it. ‘I always thought it was funny that dawn should be called daybreak. This is when the day is made – it’s the beginning. I’ts the best part: you’ve got all the potential of the day to come, and you haven’t wasted yet. When it gets dark, that should be daybreak. When the day is broken. When it turns into night time, that’s when it all… Read More
“The best part of the journey is the surprise and wonder along the way.” ― Ken Poirot As I’ve done a few times in the past, I turned this image into a painting, through the wonder of Topaz software. There are times when I envision an image with the camera and it does not quite meet my expectations. The above image is one of those. The sunlight was beautiful, casting long autumn shadows on the golden… 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
“In transitions, we must learn to be still. Being still is, in part, about learning to be comfortable with ambiguity.” ― Janet Rebhan These are the words that echo through my head, as I consider this recent image and the events over the past several months and yesterday evening. I find myself standing here once more, drinking in the beauty and the quiet, as the world goes on about me. But here, in… Read More
“As the sun lives on when it sets in the warmth it has given to others, you too will live on in the hearts of those whose lives you have touched.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo I could think of no better title for this image of a mature milkweed pod, backlit by a late afternoon autumn sun. The image was not one I set out to make but was one of those ‘opportunities’… 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
“You never know what’s around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain.” ― Tom Hiddleston Ah, the weekend again and a nice time to get out and enjoy what autumn has to offer. As I went for a hike with my son we both noted that… Read More
“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 At first, this image was in my ‘discard’ pile. The bend and tilt of the trees bothered me… 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
“We are often unaware of the gradual decline and the erosion in our lives but not unaware of the gnawing feeling it brings.” ― Eric Samuel Timm As I stood on the shore, I could not help but notice the features of this rock outcropping. Wave after wave flowed over it and the light revealed deep scrapes and abrasions. Small rocks washed and danced over the surface and around the edges. The… 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
“Now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turnin’ gold And like the sky my soul is also turnin’ Turnin’ from the past, at last, and all I’ve left behind” ― Ray Lamontagne Image four in my “God-light” series. It still amazes me at how quickly a day can change. As I’ve said in previous posts, I was out for a brief walk, not expecting much to present itself… Read More
“I loved sitting on the pile of freshly cut logs, running my hands over the different shapes and smelling their woody fragrance. To this day I think that there is nothing as interesting to look at as a heap of newly cut logs, the delicate colouring of their veined insides telling their life story, while they wait to bring warmth and comfort.” ― Alice Taylor A very simple title for a simple… Read More
“Any patch of sunlight in a wood will show you something about the sun which you could never get from reading books on astronomy. These pure and spontaneous pleasures are ‘patches of Godlight’ in the woods of our experience.” ― C.S. Lewis The light in the forest last week was beautiful and brief. I was able to make a series of these forest ‘abstractions’ while on a short lunchtime walk. All were… Read More
Why we love with close hearts Why we love with souls apart Let the love flow from hearts to souls, Let the world glow” ― Megha Khare For the past few years I have found great pleasure in creating these photo abstractions, all done in camera, no Photoshop blur effects. Several years ago, I was introduced to this technique by a photographer friend who did these for a brief period. She was… Read More
“So slip on your goggles and your reading trunks, for the sun is high. Let me leave you with one more thought. In what season of the year do we find ourselves – I’m speaking for a moment in terms of the physical world – wading through things? Surf. Kelp. Books. Summer.” ― Roy Blount Jr. This photo is not my usual style, but I love water, moving water, and I especially love… Read More
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