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.
Fall Colours - Waterloo Region
Mennonite Farm - Tree Fort and Woodpile
The Quiet in the Land....
It truly was this peaceful standing here.
Busy Farm at Rest
A busy farm on a restful Sunday morning
Wheat Field
It’s a simple composition, simple subject matter, but represents a peaceful summer morning in Ontario.
Landscape Photography - Dog Included.
Taken in rural Waterloo area (Floradale).
Fall Photo in Rural Wellesley
One of my photos from last weekend. I love how the horse seems to lean into the hill.
Rural Wellesley Black and White Image
How I love black and white photography!
I think I am drawn to it because it brings out the contours in a landscape, and cuts away from the “busyness” of colour. It also feels more “moody”.
Rural Wellesley - Barn photo
It’s been a while since I have been cruising the back roads for landscape photography. Here is a photo of a barn window which I noticed over the labour day weekend, just outside of Wellesley. I love the random bit of red paint!
Fall colours while we still have them!
This photo is from early October but I thought I’d post this before too long. The colours change so quickly! This was shot on an off the beaten path kind of dirt road north of Waterloo.
Beautiful Rural Waterloo Region
Taken earlier this year... I love the misty look and vantage point from the hill!
It almost reminds me of a Grandma Moses type painting - there are a few spots in our area that have such scenes.
Wellesley, Ontario
Hello again! Here is an image which I took earlier this month – and forgot about posting it.
This was taken in an area of Wellesley, Ontario which was just off the highway, adjoining the river. I’m sure I and many other people have driven past it before without noticing. I mean basically this is a "swamp" or flood plain - what have you. Roadside empty land. For some reason I felt compelled to get out of my car and do photos that day. I saw something in it. The line of trees, the water, the stormy sky. When the sun came out - CLICK - I nailed it.
Just for fun, I created a view of what it would look like in a home, hung over the fireplace:
I also converted the image to black and white.... lots of fun. Not sure which I prefer?
I have to say the great thing about looking at winter photos is we can stay snug and warm while we view them )))))
Have a wonderful day
~ Susan
Great weekend for photography - area south of Baden, Ontario
Last weekend I had a lot of fun shooting landscapes. I took two trips, one south of Brantford, Ontario and the other south of Baden, Ontario.
I typically do a lot of black and white photography but during these two trips I ended up with mostly colour photos. I like to surprise myself.
This one (below) is one of my favourites. I actually thought I had finished shooting for the day when this "popped" into my view.
Here is a farm that I have passed by on many occasions - just outside Ayr, Ontario. The clouds were nice so I took a photo- again.
Here is another colourful one. (see below) The barn is blue, and at that time the sky had turned pink. Interesting combination of colours. The sky was rapidly changing second by second as the sun was going down.
By the way, no crazy photoshop tricks going on here, this is the real deal! I actually shy away from heavy "photo-shopping" - the closer to the truth the better in my opinion. There are exceptions to this, but I will explain when that kind of photo comes up.
Next - can you tell I love barns? They remind me of my home (one of my childhood homes) in Farmington, Maine. Barns give me a visual sense of comfort. I picture myself running around with my sister and a bunch of cats, playing games. Or sitting on the grass and drawing, taking photos, or daydreaming. The weathered look is so appealing. This barn is outside of New Dundee, Ontario. I only "discovered" it the other day. I love the fence line. I think this image is a bit "crowded" but it is what it is.
Next image - I have quite a few!!! This one was on the drive back from Brantford, Ontario to Waterloo, Ontario. Old tobacco houses... soon to be a thing of the past. I loved how they stood in a row. Reminded me of those scenes from coastal England where you see beach house after beach house all in a row. Next time I see this I am going to try something with a zoom lens. I think a layer of snow might also make it even nicer.
This photo (below) and the two above were shot using the "dramatic tone" filter on my Olympus camera. I sometimes shy away from filters but this one really brings out the mood of the late fall season - cloudy, dark, cold, sunny, snow-in-the-air kind of feeling mood. This farm outside of Baden, Ontario
And here is yet another field photo... great lines and dramatic look.
Last but not least - THIS. I won't say a lot about it except that I am thrilled to have taken this. I love the way the light falls between the trees on the left. The sun was coming right at my camera. It wasn't easy getting this one. I think I took twenty shots and this is the one with the least splotches.
Have you noticed that most of my photos all have that rectangular size to them? It is my favourite shape for photos. It is also a familiar format as I shoot real estate panoramic views when I am not doing landscapes.
All images are for sale! If you see something you need to have, let me know and we can work out the right size, frame and shipping.
~Susan
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
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:
then this:
then this: (the one I did creative alterations in photoshop)
I would be curious to know what others think of the alteration!
Happy Fall
Fall Foliage drive
The trees are absolutely beautiful now in Southern Ontario. I am so grateful that I have work which involves travel time between appointments so that I can see so many inspiring landscapes.
Yesterday I had the later part of the afternoon off. After doing a few errands I drove out of town to a particular spot where I have been so many times before. I wanted to see how this spot looked with all the fall colors. Here it is:
the last time I did a memorable photo in this same spot was in the Spring during maple syrup season....
here is the exact same angle .. (taken yesterday)
so different!!! and so much fun to return to the very same spot
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:
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.
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.
This looked very appealing to me. I stretched the perspective, then added some "painterly" effects. Here it is one more time:
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.
Although it looks pretty with colours, it is also a bit cluttered with detail.
Here we see a different angle.... similar to the above but the composition is different.
the black and white look ! but also cluttered and not composed correctly.
and the winter look... but the trees are too far back in the image
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