Archives
“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportsmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.” ― John Lubbock It’s strange how some of these fairly common wildflowers grow only in specific… Read More
“Yellow is a very favorable vibration for mental or intellectual activity, as it promotes a clear state of mind. Yellow heightens your awareness and alleviates depression, sadness, or any kind of despondency.” ― Tae Yun Kim This bright yellow Gerberia daisy is one of hundreds given out this past weekend at a huge wedding ceremony. Our town mayor got married on Saturday in a very large and public ceremony to which the… 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. OK, I’m cheating a bit today. This is a closer view of the door to a church I photographed last week and posted earlier today. It looks like the doors, and the building, have seen better days and I wish… Read More
“Spring turns to summer and delicate pinks and whites, give way to bright reds, oranges, and yellows, as nature shifts her palette to match the temperature” – Ed Lehming Today’s photo is another attempt to understand and enjoy the world of macro photography. The bright Orange Hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) is a smallish meadow flower that is common in this area through June and July. It blooms a few weeks later than it’s yellow relative,… Read More
“Only when we pay attention and notice small moments, do we make the connections that lead to a change in our perspective.” ― Andrea Goeglein It’s pretty amazing what you see over a 5km forest hike, especially in a forest as diverse as Secord Forest. Which, fortunately for me, is only a few kilometers from my home, which makes it a super convenient place to go, without a lot of preparation. Back… 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.” ― Susan Sontag Another day, another plant found and identified. With the heat this past weekend, many plants blossomed early and the mosquitoes that accompany them were more than plentiful. I do tend to stay out of the deep woods this time… Read More
“The world is exploding in emerald, sage, and lusty chartreuse – neon green with so much yellow in it. It is an explosive green that, if one could watch it moment by moment throughout the day, would grow in every dimension.” ― Amy Seidl Another image from this past weekend. The trees are a yellow-green with fresh leaves bursting from buds and pollen laden flowers. It’s not the best time of years… Read More
“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.” ― Luther Burbank The Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is among my top ten spring plants. It looks almost tropical, with its spotted leaves and bright flowers, yet it grows in abundance in the moist woodlands of south-central Canada. It’s an interesting plant, as there are often vast patches of Trout Lily with no blossoms at… Read More
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer April is a strange time to visit a botanical garden, since there are no blooms to enjoy. Yet, if you look closer, vestiges of last year remain in tones of brown, gray, and yellow. Yet, amid shrivelled shells and dried branches, hints for life begin to emerge. I can’t recall the variety of tree… Read More
“Little yellow flower Like a dandelion shrunk Yet she’s not its kin at all She blooms there without leaves Shows her face in early spring Shines brightly like the sun In my childhood, she was dear Quite precious to be true She it was who truly said That spring had just arrived I picked bouquets in my small hands And brought them home to mom Even now, quite old and grown Coltsfoot… Read More
About mid-way through this trail are several groves of poplars, which I have photographed and shared in the past. This particular grove is in the middle of a meadow, which the trails grows around. Because of the nature of this area, it’s also difficult to get an unobscured view of these trees, without some branch interfering with the overall shot. That becomes a common issue for photographers, at least in my experience…. Read More
It’s the end of autumn and winter is making its presence known across the country. This seemed like an appropriate image for the day. On a hike a few weeks ago, I noticed this single maple leaf clinging to a tree. All the other trees in the area had shed their leaves, but this one kept hanging on. I feel that way too. Hanging on to the last moments of fall, knowing… 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
I find interesting pattern everywhere. It’s something I can’t turn off, nor would I want to. Last week, during a trip to Montreal, I looked out my hotel window which faced an office tower cross the street.It would seem that different companies have varied tastes in lighting and this building went from bright warm lighting, to a cooler ‘sunlight’ style light, to dimmed lights. The unfortunate thing was that the hotel windows… Read More
Similar to yesterday’s post, this photo was also made at Wendat Pond in the “Golden Hour”. This image took a bit more effort to set up, as I was deliberately trying to get the golden glow of the trees on the far shore as a backdrop and I was not very happy with my first few attempts. The bright glow I saw with my eyes was not being captured by the camera. So,… Read More
The next in my spring wildflower series. Yesterday I went for a lunchtime stroll to my local nature retreat, namely, the Stouffville Reservoir. This area was created as a water conservation site after Hurricane Hazel roared through the region many years ago, creating floods and taking many lives. So, conservation areas were set up to ‘moderate’ water flow through a series of holding ponds. These areas made wonderful nature preserves and allowed for… Read More
What the heck, two posts in a day isn’t so bad, is it? After all, I missed Friday. I could not resist posting this photo of the Trout Lilies I mentioned on my previous post. There’s a regular cluster I go to every year and they never disappoint. It was earlier in the morning and they are not quite open yet. Give it a few hours and there will be several delicate bell-shaped… Read More
Among my favourite photos from last year. Have you ever driven past a place dozens of times and thought, “I should stop sometime and make a photo of this”? That was the case with these poplars in Pickering. They are at the corner of side roads that I pass several time a year. But, the light is never quite right, or it’s dull and uninteresting looking. On this particular day, I had… Read More
This plant is, from my experience, the first plant to flower in spring in southern Ontario. It’s also a signal for me that the Rainbow Trout spawn is starting. It’s an unusual plant in that it blooms before it puts out foliage. The bright yellow flowers, that people often mistake for dandelions, form quickly on tough brown stalks and then go to seed. Shortly thereafter, large hoof shaped leaves form, thus the… Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
Recent Comments