Archives
“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
“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
“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
“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
“Life moves very fast. It rushes from Heaven to Hell in a matter of seconds.” ― Paulo Coelho This past weekend, I took a little side drive to High Falls, which is really a former chute, turned to a waterfall by the installation of a dam nearly one hundred years ago. The dam closes off the end of Baptiste Lake, just north of the town of Bancroft, Ontario. Because of the dam, the… Read More
“The Green Veil shimmers richly around me, in tones of deepest emerald and muted olive; a dominating threshold between earth and sky. Yet, through this veil, gold light pierces and shimmers, lighting the path and bright undergrowth, in a dance of life and light.” – Ed Lehming I’ve been wanting to create a new series of images for some time, but the greens of summer, while lovely and filled with life, do… Read More
“Sometimes all you need in your life is anything strange because strange things can revive your soul just like a cold water freshening your pale face with every splash!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan I thought I had missed them. A week ago, as I was hiking a local conservation area, I came across a patch of Indian Pipes, a very strange plant and a bit of a rarity around here. Alas, they were… Read More
A beautiful, cool dawn on Bancroft’s Marble Lake. The mist swirls gently on the water’s surface, as the sun rises behind a low ridge. A pattern repeated throughout the summer, each time, slightly different. In the distance, Blue Jays screech high in the trees and the world awakens as the sunlight reaches further every minute. A new day begins.
“I drag myself over to the honeysuckle bush and pluck a flower. I gently pull the stamen through the blossom and set the drop of nectar on my tongue. The sweetness spreads through my mouth, down my throat, warming my veins with memories of summer.” – Suzanne Collins I don’t believe there are many fragrances that compare with honeysuckle on a warm summer evening. As I walked the narrow roadways and access points at… Read More
“When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background.” – Jenna Morasca Here’s yet another purple, mid-summer blossom. I recall very well when I first saw one, blooming at the edge of a swampy area near my home. It was the first time I had ever seen this lovely, delicate species and it took me a while to figure out what it was called. Swamp… Read More
“The blues of summer, flowers and bright skies. Days of warmth and laughter, and lakefront evening sighs.” – Ed Lehming This seems to be season of the hoverfly. They are everywhere I look. Not that’s a bad thing, by any means, they are an interesting insect and quite colourful too. Though, I have yet to photograph one in flight. I found this pair while photographing a chicory blossom a few days ago…. Read More
“Everyone is busy, yet we all have access to the same amount of time.” ― Chris Guillebeau The prevalent activity around here lately is bees and blooms. It’s so nice to see bees after a few years where bees, particularly honeybees, seemed to be quite scarce around here. I returned to my patch of Canada Thistle and simply stood for a while, watching all the activity, including the numerous species of pollinators. From… Read More
“What will remain is neither you nor me but what we shared among each other.” ― Santosh Kalwar Every now and then, an unexpected image just ‘happens’. Yesterday, as I went for a lunchtime walk to the meadow north of my house I came across these three hoverflies positioned perfectly on a cinquefoil blossom. I could not have asked for a more cooperative group of insects, as they sat there, seemingly unbothered by… Read More
“You can ponder perpetual motion, Fix your mind on a crystal day, Always time for a good conversation, There’s an ear for what you say Come on the risin’ wind, We’re goin’ up around the bend. “ – Creedence Clearwater Revival As I considered this image, the words to the Creedance Clearwater Revival song came into my head and I could not shake them and thus, the title came to be. It… Read More
“Not everyone takes action to harvest the experiences of the seasons of life in order to enjoy their bounty.” ― Andrea Goeglein This image is quite similar to yesterday’s Bee and Thistle image, but the thistle here is white and the pollinator is a hover fly. I made the photo a few minutes after the bee image, and in a different patch of thistle. I was quite surprised to see white Canada Thistle and… Read More
“Mindfulness is not the path of chasing. It is the path of beautification. When flowers blossom, the fragrance spreads, and the bees come.” ― Amit Ray I stood among this patch of Canada Thistle, enjoying the activity of bees, bugs, and beetles, noting just how much activity there was. One could stand for only a few minutes and see the incredible diversity of life drawn to a single species of flower in bloom…. Read More
“Tired, tired with nothing, tired with everything, tired with the world’s weight he had never chosen to bear.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald This one just struck me as funny. So often I see birds landing on plants that can barely hold them, but I would not have expected it from a fly. After all, fly weight is an expression for very light, is it not? After running short of material, I went for… 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. “Private Parking – Bath Ontario” This door caught my attention, as do the many unusual doors I pass on a daily basis. This one struck me as funny. The door is the entrance to what looks to have been a small residence or… Read More
“What’s in a life without Camaraderie? For setting sail on a ship with a band of merry brothers by your side is much more gratifying than drifting aimlessly on a boat lost alone at sea.” ― Saim .A. Cheeda This is not my typical photograph, but I could not help but be amazed by the young crew members of the Black Jack as they stood high above the deck and tied down the… Read More
“It had occurred to her many times that on board it didn’t matter where you were coming from or where you were heading. Each voyage had its own charisma. Like writing a book – word by word – or crossing a country – step by step – each minute had to be lived moment by moment.” ― Sara Sheridan This will likely be my last Tall Ships post. The ship pictured is the… Read More
“We clear the harbor and the wind catches her sails and my beautiful ship leans over ever so gracefully, and her elegant bow cuts cleanly into the increasing chop of the waves. I take a deep breath and my chest expands and my heart starts thumping so strongly I fear the others might see it beat through the cloth of my jacket. I face the wind and my lips peel back from… Read More
“…this beginning motion, this first time when a sail truly filled and the boat took life and knifed across the lake under perfect control, this was so beautiful it stopped my breath…” ― Gary Paulsen This image was made this past Friday, as the tall ships entered the waters between the town of Bath, Ontario and Amherst Island, on Lake Ontario. As some of the ships neared shore, they put on a show… Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
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