Every year the Tundra Swans fly home to the Arctic from their winter homes along the northeast US coast. Many thousand of them stop to visit us in Aylmer. This year they had to wait for the Great Lakes to thaw enough to provide some open water.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Rust & Oliver
The temperature this morning was only -10 but felt like -20. After suffering in the wind for too long I slipped in behind the barn for some shelter. When I saw the pile of rust I thought of my niece Meaghan. Then back in the barn I saw the tractor, an Oliver. Meaghan runs a business named Oliver and Rust. Google it. You'll be amazed at what she can do with treasures from barns and basements.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
PORT BRUCE AGAIN
What can I say? It's a quick drive from home and the view is stunning - well at least to me it is. No I don't live minutes from the Arctic. This is Lake Erie. The lake froze over this winter. It hadn't done that since 1998 (I think). I was surprised this day when a couple decided to walk out on the ice. The wind was bitingly cold. The air temperature was probably no higher than -15 Celsius. Wind chill = well nobody lasted more than 15 minutes before they went back to their vehicle to warm up. The couple lasted... yep you guessed it, only 15 minutes and they made a beeline for their car.
I was enamoured of the day. The bright blue sky. The white snow. The black and brown you see was created when we had a brief thaw.
I met a woman with about 3,000 kids. Well it seemed like that to me. You try waiting in the cold wind for all kids to get out your scene... Well it really was fun to watch one boy try to pick up huge chunks of ice that looked clearer than an ice cube from your home's freezer. That ice was something special...and yes I do realize it came from Lake Erie. That's what mad it so surprising.
I gave up and went to the car to warm up. So after up the kids were gone, I went out shooting again. I didn't see the woman (looking out over the water, in the image below) get out past me but I liked the effect.
The first image's vantage point I found unique because in the summer I would have been underwater by a few body lengths. That day I walked out farther than I have ever been onto Lake Erie at Port Bruce.
I went back this week. I took a two hour lunch and had the entire area all to myself. However, a lot of the snow was dirtier and there were far more footprints everywhere. Now, over the last couple of days, temperatures have risen. We've seen zero degrees now twice. While the ice is probably safe still, its pure colour would be gone.
Maybe spring will arrive before next winter.
What can I say? It's a quick drive from home and the view is stunning - well at least to me it is. No I don't live minutes from the Arctic. This is Lake Erie. The lake froze over this winter. It hadn't done that since 1998 (I think). I was surprised this day when a couple decided to walk out on the ice. The wind was bitingly cold. The air temperature was probably no higher than -15 Celsius. Wind chill = well nobody lasted more than 15 minutes before they went back to their vehicle to warm up. The couple lasted... yep you guessed it, only 15 minutes and they made a beeline for their car.
I was enamoured of the day. The bright blue sky. The white snow. The black and brown you see was created when we had a brief thaw.
I met a woman with about 3,000 kids. Well it seemed like that to me. You try waiting in the cold wind for all kids to get out your scene... Well it really was fun to watch one boy try to pick up huge chunks of ice that looked clearer than an ice cube from your home's freezer. That ice was something special...and yes I do realize it came from Lake Erie. That's what mad it so surprising.
I gave up and went to the car to warm up. So after up the kids were gone, I went out shooting again. I didn't see the woman (looking out over the water, in the image below) get out past me but I liked the effect.
The first image's vantage point I found unique because in the summer I would have been underwater by a few body lengths. That day I walked out farther than I have ever been onto Lake Erie at Port Bruce.
I went back this week. I took a two hour lunch and had the entire area all to myself. However, a lot of the snow was dirtier and there were far more footprints everywhere. Now, over the last couple of days, temperatures have risen. We've seen zero degrees now twice. While the ice is probably safe still, its pure colour would be gone.
Maybe spring will arrive before next winter.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Hungry?
A different kind of shoot today.
Maybe not completely well balanced but full of vitamins and minerals none the less.
Maybe not completely well balanced but full of vitamins and minerals none the less.
Red and Almost Ready For the (Big Green) Egg
 |
Greens Are Supposed to be Good For You |
More Greens Are Even Better For You
Vanilla Dreams are What You've Been Waiting For!!!
Sunday, February 2, 2014
LEMONADE
OK, I do like to play with post production programs. On a day like today, they helped make lemonade.
Last night we had about 6 hours of rain. Following that we received a little less than an inch of snow. Meeting some friends at Archie Coulter Conservation Area for sunrise with temperatures about freezing, delivered deep gray skies. No sun, no sunrise, no blue sky, no shadows.
All these shots needed lots of help. Software to the rescue.
Fence line
Probably my favourite of the day. Remember, I said less than an inch of snow? That snow clung to every branch and wire. In Lightroom, I reduced the clarity of all the background parts and increased the clarity of the fence post. Increasing the exposure overall (even though I did over expose in camera) gave this a very soft, white result.
Tree tops
Remember, I said no sun, no blue sky? This is an HDR image. Back in Lightroom I increased the blue colour saturation and luminance. If you look closely, you will see the snow on the branches. It's not a "tell" of HDR as the white is not on the bottom of the branches.
Here, the lack of sun or shadow worked well in monochrome. Lots of playing with getting the level of detail and balance of whites and blacks just right.
Last night we had about 6 hours of rain. Following that we received a little less than an inch of snow. Meeting some friends at Archie Coulter Conservation Area for sunrise with temperatures about freezing, delivered deep gray skies. No sun, no sunrise, no blue sky, no shadows.
All these shots needed lots of help. Software to the rescue.
Fence line
Probably my favourite of the day. Remember, I said less than an inch of snow? That snow clung to every branch and wire. In Lightroom, I reduced the clarity of all the background parts and increased the clarity of the fence post. Increasing the exposure overall (even though I did over expose in camera) gave this a very soft, white result.
Tree tops
Remember, I said no sun, no blue sky? This is an HDR image. Back in Lightroom I increased the blue colour saturation and luminance. If you look closely, you will see the snow on the branches. It's not a "tell" of HDR as the white is not on the bottom of the branches.
Catfish Creek
Here, the lack of sun or shadow worked well in monochrome. Lots of playing with getting the level of detail and balance of whites and blacks just right.
And yes, Ron and Charon, I did these while watching TV.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
I couldn't believe how cool this house was and how near to where I live.
Over the past few months a friend had emailed me collages of this old house and its surrounds. I finally made it there shortly after Christmas. The cold wind coming in off Lake Erie set the mood. This would have been a very grand house in its day.
Don I hope you like these.
Don I hope you like these.
Lunchtime Picnic
When we speak of backyard lunches, warm summer days come to mind. Not true for this Broadwing Hawk (or his quarry). Can you see the snow flakes falling? Shot from inside our house, through two panes of very dirty glass, this hawk ate his lunch then proceeded to "brush his beak" with the tree branch at his foot. Very cool.
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