August Desktop Inspiration

Whenever I visit photography forums it is the images from places that are exotic and far away that draw my attention first. Somehow, the photos seem to have more impact - the strange and unfamiliar at times may compensate for what in reality could be a mediocre photograph. Conversely, it is all too easy to be traveling around an area that you are all too familiar with and not realize the beauty of what is right in front of you.

Our trip to Washington State last year was proof positive of that. Yes, we saw plenty of unique and intriguing landscapes. Photographic opportunities seemed to be around each bend and at times it was difficult to get to a planned location due to unexpected and amazing sights along the way. In retrospect though, I can see where someone living in that environment could become jaded.

My wife and I often take day trips just outside our Guelph home. Within ten minutes we can be on country side roads that find their way through gentle hills and vast tracts of farmland. Venturing just a bit further we sometimes find ourselves in Mennonite country - Waterloo county to be more exact. After passing by a number of horse drawn buggies it feels as if  you are traveling back in time when the pace of life was much less rushed.

Driving on these side roads is an adventure and although you may have an idea of which direction you are traveling you can often loose track of where exactly you are. If there are hills in sight I usually head for the higher ground knowing that in all likely hood there will be a good sight line to some intimate scene below.

The photos that we come back with may not be a "dramatic" as ones from our Washington trip - no massive trees in a rainforest, no giant sunset into sea stacks and no mountain valley covered in wildflower blooms.  But the constant remains - good exposure, good composition and an eye for a slightly different angle - and the rewards are the same.

July Desktop Inspiration

Sometimes good things take time.

Last year at this time plans were being made for our trip out West - not only to have a family reunion in British Columbia - but then to spend two weeks touring around the Pacific Northwest. Our trip to Washington State exceeded all expectations and we have memories and images that will be remembered fondly for a long time.


I had contacted Kathy Storring - editor at Grand Magazine and informed her of the trip and where we would be going. Grand has a section called Destinations - a travel piece - and she expressed possible interest in featuring my photos and an article for the magazine. On our return I shared some images with Kathy and it was confirmed that article would be a go. It got pushed back a couple of times - but for good reason - as the timing of the article is better suited to the subject of the piece. All in all, I am very happy with the layout and it is very satisfying to finally see images and works on paper.

To view at the the article and images please follow this link to my website - the .pdf takes a bit of time to load - so be patient.

http://www.viewfinderphotography.ca/grandmagaizine.pdf

The Desktop Inspiration for this month is an homage to our trip last year. Shot at Rialto Beach - just before sunset with an iconic sea stack in the frame as well. Rialto Beach is great as it is easy to get to and you get the benifit of the sunset without the concern of a long walk through a dark rainforest to get back to your vehicle. I would love the sunset at ShiShi beach as well - but the only way really to enjoy the sunset there is to be camping as there is an hour long walk back to the parking lot.

June Desktop Inspiration

I have one memory of waking up screaming as a three year old in the midst of a violent windstorm at my our cottage in the foothills of Alberta. It is quite possible that I was already having a childhood nightmare and then waking up in the dark with the shadows of raging pines swaying back and forth on the livingroom wall was just icing on the cake for my active imagination. Fortunately, that memory did not instill a lasting impression on me in regards to how I view stormy weather. Our home out west sat on a cliff atop the river valley of the South Saskatchewan River. We had a clear view to the south and the east and it was from these directions that most of our summer storm weather came from. We, as a family, would often sit on our front step watching the storm come in with all its fury. Usually, it was a fantastic light and sound show first, then as the action moved closer the wind would pick up. It wasn't until the driving rain started pelting down that we would move inside.

It is with these healthy memories of storms where my fascination with this weather related came from and I often joke that in an alternate timeline I am a storm chaser. When time and opportunity permit I do watch what is happening weather wise - especially when some heavy weather is heading our way.

We were "fortunate" enough to have some spring storms work there way through our area near the end of May. Irena and I were heading back from a friends place - this strom was tracking north to south and we were able to keep 5 minutes ahead of the front where all the great looking clouds were. Just enough time to get back home, pick up camera gear and head south again. Being a resident of Guelph now for the past 20 years I have a number of angles worked out already in terms of clear space with not too many building in the way. It is so much harder to find spots like that here in southern Ontario where so much farmland is being overtaken by urban sprawl.

By the time I got to the spot I wanted the system was breaking apart. Areas to the north received heavier amounts of rain and I am certain that the cloudscape would have been even more dramatic had I had my equipment with me to start with. Yet another example where carrying my gear around all the time can pay off.
Despite that, I am happy with with the image. Now that summer is really here and the cool temperatures are done with I can only hope for pop-up storms on hot muggy days to provide some dramatic sky.

May Desktop Inspiration

It seems that I keep going back to our trip last August in Washington State for Desktop Inspiration images. If you have time and inclination to visit Washington State I recommend it without hesitation. You will find yourself surrounded with a rich variety of photographic opportunities. Even though we had a location planned for each day of our trip we often were sidetracked by some interesting feature along our way. Occasionally these distractions proved to be more appealing than our intended location - and as always, if the light is good - use it.

The Desktop Inspiration for May is a shot from  Rialto Beach - one of the many beaches on the west coast of Washington. Like many others it features the iconic sea stacks - some of which are accessible at low tide. A bonus at Rialto is that it is easily accessible and should you choose to stay for the sunset there is only a few minute walk back to your vehicle. A few days previously we had visited Shi Shi Beach and as much as we wanted to stay for the sunset at that location there was an hour long trek through old growth forest to get back to our car.
This image was taken with an 8mm Samyang fisheye lens. The lens is an excellent value, affordable for a fisheye, very sharp at f8 and invites all sorts of alternate viewpoints that can not be captured with even a standard wide angle lens.

April Desktop Inspiration

Despite the recent Spring snow in our area I've decided that is all for the white stuff and will not be posting another Desktop Inspiration image with snow in it until 2012.

This image is from our trip to Washington State last year - one which still brings back many wonderful memories. This spot was just off the road somewhere - it was not marked aside from being a rest stop along the highway. Although we were a little bit anxious to get to our reserved accommodations for the evening ( where we knew there would be plenty of photographic opportunities), the challenge as always on a long trip is where do you stop and for how long? Knowing that a day is only so long and having a road ahead of you with more photographic possibilities than are possible to cover can be frustrating. Add to this the changing light during the day and knowing that where you are will look completely different in a few hours adds to the mix. We also found that spots like this outclassed some of the so called "must see" sights that we had on our list. 

In the end, realizing that having so many great options is a blessing, and although you do not capture all the images you would like - it is much better than being stuck on some no-name interstate with few if any viewpoints to explore.

March Desktop Inspiration

Being a native Albertan who lived a short hour and a half drive from the world renowned Dinosaur Provincial Park, it is no wonder that the badlands of Ontario hold a special place in my heart. Although a tiny fraction of the size of the badlands found out west and not having the enticing possibilities of coming across 60 million year old dinosaur remains, they are non the less a tiny visual gem that always delights.

This was my first winter trip to this location and I am very happy to say that the few hours spent there were most rewarding. The late afternoon light warmed the rich red and green tones of the soil, the exposed soil being saturated with recent meltwater showed an extra intensity of colour, and the thin ridges of snow along the formations added a wonderful contrast to the flowing formations.

This area is not very large and especially during the summer is quite over run with people. Understandably many people want to enjoy this location but that also leads to much destruction of the formations themselves. The challenge here is to enjoy as much as possible without damaging the environment for others in the future. As a photographer it is also a challenge to find the best angles on these lovely formations without including the large number of footprints of those that have gone before.

February Desktop Inspiration

The hike to Tews Falls is one that I try to do at least once a year, but to do it justice twice is better and a winter excursion is always rewarding.This year due to the cold weather and good amount of snow the ice build up near the base is larger than usual. An archway of icicles almost encompasses the one side of the falls and this actually helps for getting closer to take photographs as the archway cuts down on the spray. Unless you wipe off the camera constantly in these cold temperatures you will find that your camera becomes encrusted with a fine layer of ice. A few people had trudged out a trail along and on top of the frozen the creek the day before and as the temperature had fallen overnight I was fairly confident stepping on the ice above the creek. This is a bit disconcerting at times due to the fact that you can hear and feel the water running beneath your feet. During my last winter trip to these waterfalls I was rewarded with the sound and sight of large chunks of ice breaking off the cliff edges. No such luck this time which is both good and bad, good because it's a bit safer knowing that a ton of ice isn't going to hit you on the head - but bad because witnessing these huge icicles giving way is a truly awesome sight and the sound of them crashing down the cliff face is like a thunderclap during a summer storm.