photography

End of day... rural Waterloo region

I shot this at the end of a busy day… I was driving home and even though I was exhausted bent on coming home I just had to stop and photograph this! Even being there made me feel rejuvenated. I’m so glad I stopped.

Cold day in Waterloo County

Another one of my snow, fence lines and winter photos... Waterloo County.  I have returned to this same spot in other seasons, believe it it doesn't not always look like this.  Still, despite the cold, there is great beauty to this landscape.

Snow, fence lines, winter, Waterloo county

Winter Farm - Waterloo Region

One of my favourite photos.   I drove past this on my way to an appointment,  thought about it, turned around and returned to the spot to photograph it.  So glad I did.  This one looks amazing printed on aluminum.

Art Exhibition of Photography, Mixed Media, Glass and Jewelry - Uptown Gallery Waterloo

I am happy to announce that I am now a member of the Uptown Waterloo Gallery- with the Chesley House Label!  

The gallery is easy to visit- located in the indoor mall, Uptown Waterloo.

I am thrilled to be a featured artist at this event!

Amazing field in Roseville, Ontario

I had a pretty good day driving around.  Except it seemed like everyone was tailgating me!   It was like the national sport today.    I even saw a lady tailgating a school bus.  How wrong is that?

 

Here is an image I would like to share.    This is just outside of Roseville, Ontario, which is between Cambridge and Kitchener.   There is something about this field that always catches my breath it is so beautiful.   It’s like the perfect field.   If I am driving north towards Kitchener, then the field rises into view as I drive along the road.   Broad, vast, and it moves upwards in a wave-like motion.  I imagine they use this when the international plowing match is held here.  

Every time I see the field it looks different.  (Today, being late November, it has the silvery-golden look, no, more like a metallic golden look, almost like “white gold”.  It’s a brilliant colour and one I’m not sure the camera picks up.)  You can almost feel the cold air and warm sunshine as your eve moves across the image.  It reminds me of an ocean, with the waves coming in.  Or a ski slope and what fun it would be to ski down across the rises and falls.   Look at the variation in colour.  And how the sunshine and clouds make playful strips of light/ dark across the landscape.   I didn’t plan it this way but I love how the top of the photo is sunlit. The dark green evergreens are a perfect border.  

You will see more of this field in future posts :-)

Until next time.... / Susan

The Silvery look of November in Waterloo county.

I've been fortunate to spend some time on back roads in the Waterloo/Perth/Oxford regions lately.   Even though the striking colours of fall have all but faded, I am still mesmerized by the silvery look of late fall.  

The image below in a barn in the old village of Greenfield.. which is just a cluster of small homes, outside the small town of Ayr.  I love this barn and the whimsical flow of the vines over the fence below it.

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

This is another rural - Ayr location, taken early in the morning before an appointment.   I know the composition is good but not spectacular.. there is something more to this image that gives me that "I've been here before" kind of feeling.   I can't quite put my finger on it and yet the image grabs my attention.  Here it is below:

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

This next image is one of my favourites from my outing.    Not moody as the above, but more like wow I'm driving along and I see this!   I love the look of those old tobacco sheds.

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

Here is another favourite, although from an earlier day, still the same kind of silvery look.  This one gives way to the imagination, there is something dream like about it.  See below:

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

The next image, well what can I say, I have a special love for rural fence lines:

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

The next image, shows some very subtle field lines, the day was foggy, this is what I saw:

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness
Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

 

And here we are... at day's end.   Time for a bowl of warm soup and a nap !

~ Susan

More Fall colours and a touch of creativity

I recently wrote about doing fall foliage photos.   Here is something else I'd like to share from the same day I was out.

I saw this fence in a rural area.   The crazy, almost playful lines of the derelict fence just called my name :-) 

When I got home I pulled it up on the computer screen.  I liked it but then I added some darkening, color alteration and sharpening.  Here is the before and after:

Waterloo county fall landscape photo by Susan Arness

then this:

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

then this:  (the one I did creative alterations in photoshop)

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

I would be curious to know what others think of the alteration!

Happy Fall 

 

The making of another creative image

Hello, its me again!   I want to show you the background work behind one of my favourite photos.   This one was taken in early November when the colours were still fairly vibrant.   Funny thing is I ended up converting this picture to black and white.  Here is the final image:

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

I was having a very creative-feeling-kind-of-day.   I hadn't had that feeling for several months so it was very exciting.   

I drove past this field and was drawn to a stand of trees.    It wasn't especially interesting but I saw something in it that I couldn't describe at the moment.

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

I continued shooting that day... and got many wonderful images before I had to return home.

Once home I put it up on the screen.   I mused over it.. and for fun put it in black and white.

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

This looked very appealing to me. I stretched the perspective, then added some "painterly" effects.    Here it is one more time:

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

I then printed it on some delicate parchment paper - I would show it here but the photo on parchment is now hung in a gallery!!   I hope you enjoyed seeing the creative process.   - Susan

The Making of a Photo - Winter Tree

Many people think photography is an easy form of art but it does take a lot of planning and knowledge of composition and light.

I have driven past this tree many times on the road to Maryhill, Ontario.

It looks different every time!

I am attaching some different angles, taken from different times of year.

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

 

Although it looks pretty with colours, it is also a bit cluttered with detail.

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

Here we see a different angle.... similar to the above but the composition is different.

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

the black and white look ! but also cluttered and not composed correctly.

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

and the winter look... but the trees are too far back in the image

Waterloo county landscape photo by Susan Arness

Lastly we have the final and favourite version.  I Love the mist, the snow, the leading lines that the snow makes... the composition is good as the trees fill the frame.  the mist creates an emotional feel.  the grasses below the tree are less noticeable (which allows the trees to stand out).

this was one of my earliest "art photos" - just something I did between work appointments :-)

susan