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“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
“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
“If you are made for flight, intended for it, you had better find a pursuer, fast. Otherwise, all that fleeing is going nowhere.” ― Dan Chiasson As I stood by the roadside, a large flock of birds suddenly lept to the air, spinning and weaving above the cornfield from which they had erupted. They flowed in the air like an apparition, then just as quickly, they descended and disappeared once more. All… Read More
“Sunflowers, Not Facing the Sun” (A Poem) I stand tall As gracious as one could be Blooming to my best As slender as it touches my being Everyone else is facing the sun Bending towards its unfathomable galore They and I are both undoubtedly Grown on the benevolence of life’s essence The brighter side mercilessly feeding desires unbound By daunting the “courage to know” with each spin Though, I am not able… Read More
“Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.” ― Samuel Butler I’m not really sure what kind of berry this is. They look a bit like cranberries, but I suspect that is not the case. They came as a colour ‘filler’ in a bouquet of flowers I purchased for our Thanksgiving table. Of course, I had to pull it apart and make photos… 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
This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors. Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world. Back to the University of Toronto and the wide assortment of doors and interesting architectural styles. An observation, as I considered this image: it is incredible, the details, some quite obvious, that we miss. For example, this door has two very… 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
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite – only a sense of existence. Well, anything for variety. I am ready to try this for the next ten thousand years, and exhaust it. How sweet to think of! My extremities well charred, and my intellectual part too, so that there is no danger of worm or… Read More
“Dream delivers us to dream, and there is no end to illusion. Life is like a train of moods like a string of beads, and, as we pass through them, they prove to be many-colored lenses which paint the world their own hue. . . . ” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Every now and then, the eye picks up on a pattern and the brain translates it into something familiar. As I… Read More
“Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.” ― Susan Sontag Likely Heath Asters, but I did not send a lot of time trying to differentiate between the multitude of white asters. This is another image made outdoors with my portable setup. In… Read More
“No living thing is ugly in this world. Even a tarantula considers itself beautiful” ― Munia Khan Yes, I know, very original title, but I could not get it out of my head. I was out for a few hours with my son last weekend, playing with a new Nikon 60mm macro lens, making photos of wildflowers with my portable setup, shown a few days ago. As we were hiking back out,… Read More
“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul” ― John Muir It’s that time of year again. Time to wander the forest paths and refresh myself. Cool days, plenty of moisture provides the stuff for mushrooms. I’m not sure where my strange fascination for fungi comes from. Perhaps it’s because they are such temporal things. A ‘prime’ specimen may last mere hours and then fade away… Read More
“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi Back from landscape to a different type of landscape, this one being miniature. The recent rains and cooler temperatures have been ideal to encourage the growth of many types of mushrooms. In some cases they ‘infest’ a rotting log, forming what appears to be a miniature world of beautiful orange mushrooms. Nikon D800 Nikor 24-70mm f/3.5-4.6 @ 70mm (12mm… Read More
“There are just two directions in life, the one which is safe but boring, and the other which is delicate but exciting. Now ask yourself, which path will you go?” ― Joe Mari Fadrigalan Though not a wonderful specimen, there is still beauty here. I’ve actually spend the past week or so photographing flowers that were ‘recycled’ and a bit wilted. Yet, I still see beauty and those blossoms, for the most… Read More
“It is strange how new and unexpected conditions bring out unguessed ability to meet them.” ― Edgar Rice Burroughs I did not set out to photograph flowers or butterflies this day. I was hoping to catch the Atlantic Salmon run at the Whitevale dam. I’ve gone there in the spring many times and have had good success with photographing the rainbow trout migration. However, I have yet to witness the salmon run… Read More
“Whatever your passion is, keep doing it. Don’t waste time chasing after success or comparing yourself to others. Every flower blooms at a different pace. Excel at doing what your passion is and only focus on perfecting it. Eventually people will see what you are great at doing, and if you are truly great, success will come chasing after you.” ― Suzy Kassem Those who follow my blog will recognise some of… Read More
This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors. Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world. A step back in time, to a simpler, less ornate door than I have presented recently. This door can be found at Toronto’s Black Creek Pioneer Village, a collection of heritage buildings from the Toronto area, assembled to represent Toronto’s pioneer… Read More
“I don’t think there’s anything on this planet that more trumpets life that the sunflower. For me that’s because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it…. Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
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