Rural landscape: the pond view
DEVITT POND, NEAR CALGARY, ALBERTA
This prairie pond, just north of Calgary, must be stocked because fishing folks flock to it every summer weekend. I was there for the vistas and, even though it was mostly cloudy, I was able to find compelling scenes, especially when I found grass from the previous year mixed in with new growth.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
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Urban landscapes: the city rose
BLOSSOMING ROSE, OTTAWA, ONTARIO
Looking back on this photo, made in 2013, I find the composition quite interesting with the darkness at the upper left and the giant blossom dominating centre-right.
I think what made this design work is how the darkness and the soft-focus leaves add a strong sense of depth to a telephoto scene. (You can see a close-up of the blossom here: http://bit.ly/OttawaRose.)
Nikon D90, tripod, polarizing filter
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Rural landscapes: the weathered remnants
GRAIN ELEVATORS, MOSSLEIGH, ALBERTA
There was a time when these distinctive examples of prairie architecture were common sights in Canada’s western provinces. Now, finding them is a BIG reason to stop and make pictures. There are actually three elevators along this stretch of track in Mossleigh (a hamlet about 65 kilometres southeast of Calgary), but the third one is so new that visually, it just doesn’t fit with these two.
In this scene, I wanted something to counterbalance the elevators and train, so I got as close as possible to the fence, then as low as possible to push the posts above the horizon. And just like that, I have my counterbalance! 🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
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Urban landscapes: the city tree
GNARLED TREE TRUNK, ST. STEPHEN’S GREEN, DUBLIN, IRELAND
I loved the expressiveness of this ancient tree trunk. But there was a young college student lying on the grass nearby and I didn’t want to seem like a creep. So I let her know she wasn’t the focus of my photography and all was good.
The other thing I liked about this scene is the near-far perspective; the detailed tree in your face and soft hues of the distant lawn.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Rural landscapes: Navigating the Scottish firth
OIL PLATFORMS NEAR INVERGORDON, SCOTLAND
I made this picture as our cruise ship was leaving Invergordon and navigating out of scenic & historic Cromarty Firth (fjord). I decided to include part of the front end of the ship as a point of interest. There was very little colour in this scene, so I opted to show you a black-and-white treatment.
D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
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Rural landscapes: spring on the country road
A WALK IN THE COUNTRY LANE, WYNDHAM-CARSELAND PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA
I wanted to take my photography equipment to somewhere new, so I did a bit of online research and decided to visit this provincial park about an hour’s drive southeast of my home in Calgary.
I was very glad to be there for the earliest hours of daylight, since that light beautifully illuminated this little country road. The scene needed something extra to be truly compelling, so I used the time-delay exposure on the camera and added myself to the scene. I needed to race to this spot for several exposures to ensure I was in the most pleasing location in relation to the road and trees.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
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Natural landscapes: the steps of flowing water
ALBION FALLS DETAIL, HAMILTON, ONTARIO
Went way back into the archives – and two camera bodies ago – to resurrect this beauty from May 2007. The Hamilton area is rich in waterfalls, which is a best-kept secret for most people in the “Golden Horseshoe” – from Oshawa in the east to St. Catharines around the south side of Lake Ontario. Albion is much bigger than the small section I’m showing you here; close-ups seemed to work better on an artistic level.
There wasn’t much colour in this scene, so I opted for a monotone treatment in order to increase the drama.
Nikon D50, tripod, polarizing filter
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Rural landscapes: the look of Africa
PRAIRIE SUNRISE NEAR CALGARY, ALBERTA
As the spring sunrise approached, I looked for something to use as a silhouette and found these gnarled trees. As I look back on this scene now — photographed this month back in 2011 — I’m struck by how these shapes resemble trees on the African savanna.
Nikon D90, tripod, enhancing filter
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Urban landscapes: before the fire
NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, PARIS
During a 2017 day trip from our cruise ship, my wife and I had such a short time to see this cathedral that I forgot I even made a photo of it until wandering through the archives and making this discovery.
Lineups to get in the cathedral were so ridiculously long that we didn’t even try. So, attempting to conjure up an interesting composition, I twisted the camera and included a lightpost for a secondary point of visual interest.
Other than the blue sky, there was very little colour in this scene, so I made a black-and-white version to increase the drama.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Wildlife: one good tern deserves another
ARCTIC TERN, INVERGORDON, SCOTLAND
A flock of these beautiful birds made their home on what appeared to be a rickety addition to the main deep-sea dock in this town (you can see that addition here: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-1hS). They were accustomed to people nearby, so it was easy to leave our cruise ship, set up my equipment and look for moments like this.
Nikon D7100, 70-300 mm. zoom lens, tripod.
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Urban landscapes: a glimpse of history
ARMOURY HALL, INVERARAY CASTLE, ARGYLL, SCOTLAND
My wife and I visited Inveraray Castle during a day trip from our cruise ship. Upon arriving, we found out it was used in the 2012 Christmas episode of Downton Abby (and called “Duneagle Castle”). Fans of the TV show may recall Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, stopping to admire this room.
This castle is the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Clan Campbell. Construction began in 1746 and took 43 years to complete. The castle tourists visit today was the result of a fire in 1877, which resulted in the addition of the third floor and conical roofs on the corner towers.
Interior photography usually requires a tripod, which I wasn’t permitted to use. Fortunately, there was just enough natural light to let me hand-hold my Nikon D7100 and capture this wide-angle perspective.
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Natural landscapes: the flowers of St. James’s Park
SPRING FOXGLOVE, LONDON, ENGLAND
My wife and I had just finished exploring the Churchill War Rooms and were walking along the edge of St. James’s Park when she spotted Buckingham Palace off in the distance. Well, nothing would do but that we had to visit.
So off we went through the park, which turned out to be an ideal locale for flower, landscape and wildlife photos. (Here’s an example of the park’s wildlife: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-V8.)
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Urban landscapes: bound for the buses
THE DOCK WALK, INVERGORDON, SCOTLAND
Our cruise ship docked for the day and this was my view as passengers walked to waiting buses for day trips into the Scottish highlands. This town of 4,000, a popular cruise ship stop because of the deep-water port, was once home to a naval base. All the tanks you see held fuel and water for ships.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter.
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Urban landscapes: the colour of an Irish spring
SPRING TULIP, ST. STEPHEN’S GREEN, DUBLIN
While our cruise ship was docked for an overnight stay, I had a glorious hour or two to explore this wonderful urban park. Spring was in full bloom and compelling little scenes like this were everywhere. St. Stephen’s Green was one of the key sites of the 1916 Easter rebellion. The rebellion failed, but it was the start of a journey that led to independence for most of Ireland.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter
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Urban landscapes: the welcoming light
ENTRY TO 707 FIFTH, CALGARY, ALBERTA
This 27-storey skyscraper, completed in early 2018, grabbed my attention for the curving indent going all the way to the top and the bright, shiny main entry (which you see here). I spent a happy 45 minutes before dawn wandering around the entry making long-exposure photos with no one to bother me. 🙂
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Natural landscapes: the snowy spring lake
PRAIRIE LAKE IN APRIL SNOW, NEAR COCHRANE, ALBERTA
I don’t know the name of this lake, but I do know it’s been the subject of many very satisfying photos — especially because the road winds around it and up a ridge, providing this very picturesque overview. I like the colour version, but there isn’t a lot of colour in this scene so I’m showing you the more dramatic monotone version.
Nikon D7100, tripod, polarizing filter, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky.
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Rural landscapes: the farm and the fields
SPRING FARM IN THE FOOTHILLS, ALBERTA
I love digging around in my archives and finding beauties like this one, captured almost 10 years ago while driving nameless roads in the southwest part of this western Canadian province. The strong red in the buildings attracted my attention, as do the fields and forests ranging off in the background.
I’m always intrigued at the prospect of showing you landscapes without including any sky. Without it, this photo is split in three horizontal bands: the farm at the bottom, the middle field and (bordered by the diagonal road) the distant fields & forests.
Nikon D90. tripod, polarizing filter.
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Urban landscapes: the soaring skyscraper
JAMES FLAHERTY BUILDING, OTTAWA, ONTARIO
This 17-storey structure, completed in 2014 just a few blocks from the Canadian Parliament buildings, is named after a former national minister of finance. Flaherty served for eight years before unexpectedly dying just a few weeks after resigning in 2014. The building is occupied by 2,600 federal government employees.
I was attracted by the bold exterior and the bright night-time lighting, working carefully to make everything as symmetrical as possible. There wasn’t much colour in this scene, so I went with a black-and-white treatment to emphasize the lines.
Nikon D7100, tripod.
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Urban landscapes: the stunning sunrise
A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS, CALGARY, ALBERTA
The day was supposed to be cloudy, but I was itching to make some pictures, so I ventured out anyway. This was my reward — 20 minutes of amaaaaaaazing dawn light striking the skyline of this western Canadian city.
See the tower under construction? That’s Telus Sky and it’s the reason I avoid photographing skylines when something major is being built. After all, as soon as the structure is finished, any pictures I’ve made would be instantly dated. But how could I say no to capturing this glorious spring light?
Nikon D7100, graduated density (darkening) filter on the sky and buildings.
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Urban landscapes: the bridge and the moon
SETTING MOON OVER BELLEVILLE BAY BRIDGE, ONTARIO
This bridge connects Belleville, Ontario with Prince Edward Country, a charming rural area that thrusts out into Lake Ontario east of Toronto (Canada’s largest city). I was blessed to be here on a picturesque spring dawn, capturing the moon before it sank below the horizon.
Nikon D7100, tripod, graduated density (darkening) filter.
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