Rural landscapes: Where the road runs straight
WINTER ON HIGHWAY 1A, BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
My first photo trip after getting my camera back from a month in the repair shop turned out to be gloriously productive, with large sections of this Canadian Rocky Mountain park covered in six inches of fresh snow.
I’ve always loved this dead-straight section of Highway 1A and knew it would make a strong composition in the right conditions. What you’re seeing is the right conditions and when I idly glanced through the camera to see my shadow, the strength of this composition immediately jumped out at me.
Nikon D90, polarizing filter.
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Rural landscapes: the face of a barn
BARN ENTRANCE, SHANNON, QUEBEC
This is another photograph pulled out of the depths of my archives, dating back to 1982. I spent many happy childhood hours in this barn on my grandparents’ farm northwest of Quebec City, the capital city of this eastern Canadian province. I didn’t know much about photographic composition then, but I must have been hugely inspired by the subject matter to come up with a picture that I’m still so pleased with 30 years later. Yashica film camera, Kodak negative film, tripod (probably).
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Natural landscapes: The lines of shadow and light
SNOW PATTERNS AT LAKE LOUISE, BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
Afternoon sun cast all manner of fascinating shadows in the snows around this iconic Canadian Rocky Mountain lake. I pulled out the biggest telephoto zoom lens I had and started isolating and compressing shadow lines together (compression is a natural occurence with big telephoto lens) and went for a shallow depth of field to subtly highlight one section of the photograph. Nikon D90, 70-200 mm. lens, tripod.
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Natural landscapes: Winter at Niagara Falls
AN ORNATE VIEW, NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO
It was a numbingly cold sunrise at this famous Canadian tourist attraction. But that cold, combined with being there at sunrise, meant I could park wherever I wanted (and parking is usually a premium there) and work in happy solitude. I found this (hopefully) interesting point of view after making all the more standard pictures.
Nikon D50, tripod.
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Rural landscapes: Granary & Snow
NOT USED IN WINTER, SHANNON, QUEBEC
I waded deep into the archives to show you this scene of the Canadian farm where I spent many happy childhood hours. By the time I made this photograph in 1982, my grandfather had been dead for seven years and the farm fields were being taken over by weeds and bushes.
I’m still amazed that I managed to pull off this composition; it was certainly an accident to achieve this division of space and use of colour & lighting when I was only two years into photography. Looking back on it now, I realize this scene would not have been as memorable with strong sunlight and blue skies.
It’s also one of my most awarded photographs; it won ‘best in show’ at the 1982 Markham (Ontario) Fair. Yashica film camera, Kodak negative film (probably), tripod (probably).
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Natural landscapes: When ice & water collide
ICE ON DUFFINS CREEK, GREENWOOD CONSERVATION AREA, AJAX, ONTARIO
One of my favourite activities in early winter is to head out to streams that have log jams. They are normally quite ugly, but when temperatures first turn cold and the streams haven’t iced over, magical scenes like this can be found. This is a very loong exposure, which turned the water silky and made it complement, rather than compete, with the ice.
Greenwood is a quiet gem of an area east of Toronto, Canada’s largest city. When my wife and I are in the area, we like to go there to walk and pray. Nikon D50, tripod, polarizing filter.
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Natural landscapes: the elements of Winter
WINTER SNOW IN PETER LOUGHEED PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA
I ventured into the Kananaskis Country mountain region, in this western Canadian province, shortly after a 1997 winter snowfall turned everything into a stunning winter wonderland. This peak is above Upper Kananaskis Lake, one of my favourite photography locations. Photographed on slide film, then scanned & processed with Photoshop. Nikon FM2, tripod, polarizing filter.
This park, by the way, is named for one of Alberta’s most beloved premiers, who died in 2012. During the 1970s, Peter Lougheed created the Kananaskis Country recreation region, which includes this park.
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Rural landscapes: When the day is young
WINTER SUNRISE, NEAR BROOKS, ALBERTA
When conditions are this incredible, it’s hard to make bad pictures. And so this day (the day after Christmas, 2009) is one of the most productive photographic trips of my life. The western Canadian prairies are incredible in winter, especially during a frosty sunrise. Nikon D90, tripod, polarizing filter.
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Natural landscapes: Light & Ice
ICE PATTERNS ON BARRIER LAKE, BOW VALLEY PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA
I still like this 10-year-old attempt at transforming snow and ice into an abstract photograph. It was also my first attempt at letting go of straight horizons – even though there’s no horizon in this composition, the perspective is still twisted. Nikon FM2, tripod, polarizing filter.
Barrier Lake is a man-made reservoir created when Kananaskis River was dammed.
According to Wikipedia, Barrier Lake was used in the 2003 film X2: X-Men United as the stand in for Alkali Lake and in CBC Television’s Heartland as Eagle Lake (2011).
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Natural landscapes: Morning at the bay
ENGLISH BAY, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
This scene took some time to “arrange”. I had to consider how the tree interacted with the mountain, where the container ship should be in relation to the tree and how much shrubbery to include along the bottom. It’s photos like this one that make me glad to have a tripod. It forces you to take more time to compose pictures. Nikon D90, polarizing filter.
And by the way, when it’s sunny, I’m not sure there’s a more beautiful city on this planet than Vancouver.
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Natural landscapes: the photographer’s footprints
WINTER IN THE BADLANDS, DINOSAUR PROVINCIAL PARK, ALBERTA
Badlands are a great photo subject, but how many folks have ever seen them thoroughly covered with snow? During this December, 2009 hike, I didn’t see a single soul during my entire time in this incredible park, about 2.5 hours’ drive southeast of my home in Calgary.
Wikipedia notes 40 dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums around the globe. So it’s no surprise to find out the United Nations declared Dinosaur Provincial Park a World Heritage site in 1979.
All that said (written!), I still wish I’d included all the footprint that’s cut off at the bottom border. Do you think that matters?
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Natural landscapes: After the colours have gone
DUFFIN’S CREEK, GREENWOOD CONSERVATION AREA, PICKERING, ONTARIO
Many landscape photographers feel a bit of a let-down after the glory of autumn’s florescent colours ends and we’re left with a dead landscape until winter arrives. I’m certainly one of them, but on this day I went out anyway, looking for images in a part of this wonderful conservation area (east of Toronto, Canada’s largest city) that I rarely visit. I found this nice curve in the stream, but had to work hard to keep the bland, distracting grey sky out of the scene. Nikon FM2, Velvia slide film, tripod, polarizing filter.
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Urban landscapes: A room in God’s cathedral
BASILICA OF SAINTE ANNE DE BEAUPRE, NEAR QUEBEC CITY
One of the most spectacular cathedrals in North America, this Roman Catholic place of pilgrimage is said to be a place of miracles. This photograph was made on my second trip to the basilica; I was simply too overwhelmed by the architecture to produce good images on the first trip.
This time I used my tripod unimpeded and had lots of opportunities to make long exposures. Even the basement “chapel” is eye-poppingly spectacular, a fitting tribute to the Creator’s artistic awesomeness. When I finished making pictures, my wife & I stayed for a very moving and reverent worship service.
Nikon D50, tripod.
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Natural landscapes: Autumn “sentinels”
AUTUMN SNOWMEN AT LAKE LOUISE, BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA
My wife and I were at this iconic tourist destination on a magical day – right after an autumn snowfall. Just as important, there was no wind to disturb the lake, so as I was walking around making endless photographs (it was hard to make a bad picture in these conditions), I found this whimsical pair and couldn’t resist trying my photographic luck.
A key part of making this picture work was during processing, to darken the distant misty clouds so they wouldn’t be a distracting, bland wash of white. How did I do?
Nikon D90, tripod, fill-flash, polarizing filter.
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Rural landscapes: Snow in the foothills
HAYROLLS AND ROCKY MOUNTAINS, NEAR COCHRANE, ALBERTA
This 12-year-old image, photographed on slide film with my now-departed Nikon FM2 camera, is still a favourite image. I’m a sucker for hay rolls, especially when the light was good and there’s snow on the roll. This scene is about 45 minutes’ drive from my house in Calgary. Amazing, eh? 🙂 Photographed, as always, with a polarizing filter and a tripod.
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Urban landscapes: Evening in Ottawa
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, OTTAWA, ONTARIO
Canada’s capital city is awash in fabulous examples of historic and modern architecture. These two buildings – that’s the federal parliament buildings, including the Peace Tower, on the distant right – are examples of the former, made particularly attractive in evening light. This is an unusual photograph for me, because I did not use a tripod. I just couldn’t take it on this business trip to Ottawa, but still had a great time enjoying the city with my Nikon D90.
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Natural landscapes: Sober shoreline
PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK, VANCOUVER ISLAND
I hauled this picture out of the archives from the 1990s; photographed on slide film (with a tripod and, likely, my ancient Nikon FM2) and then scanned. I added a bit of blue, but otherwise, this scene is as I saw it. This glorious national park is often cloudy and rainy, but it’s still one of the most stunning places I’ve ever visited. And this picture is a good reminder to me that sunshine isn’t always needed to make a decent photograph.
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Natural landscapes: Radiant Red
AUTUMN AT MEECH LAKE, GATINEAU PARK, QUEBEC
This glorious park, across the provincial border from Canada’s capital city (Ottawa), provides a cornucopia of images any time of year. I travelled there with the goal of photographing autumn colours and, as you can see, I hit the jackpot at this beautiful spot.
Ironically, the name ‘Meech Lake’ is etched in recent Canadian political history – a 1987 constitutional deal between the federal government and the 10 provinces was hammered out at a resort on this lake. The Meech Lake Accord was hugely controversial and ultimately failed. But the lake continues to impress the discerning eyes of nature lovers.
Nikon FM2, tripod, polarizing filter, Velvia slide film.
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Natural landscapes: a touch of autumn red
MAPLE LEAF BRANCHES, GREENWOOD CONSERVATION AREA, AJAX, ONTARIO
This conservation area, east of Toronto (Canada’s largest city) is a favourite place for my wife and I to walk in and pray whenever we’re visiting the area. A few years ago I was there with my photography equipment, looking for interesting images, when I spotted this combination of amazing leafs and a distant hillside. Using the longest telephoto lens in my camera bag, I compressed the leaves and hillside together, eliminating distracting dull, white sky from the composition.
I also used an enhancing filter, to strengthen the reds. I don’t use this filter often (it often creates garishly unrealistic colours), but it was perfect here. Nikon D50, tripod, polarizing filter.
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Natural landscapes: When leaves and water collide
AUTUMN AT GRINDSTONE CREEK, NEAR HAMILTON, ONTARIO
The Hamilton region is one of Canada’s hidden waterfall treasures. There are at least a dozen near this Great Lakes city, which is best known for its steel mills and the Canadian Football League Tiger-Cats. On this day, I was more interested in following the creek away from the waterfall and capturing long exposures of water as it flowed around leaf-strewn rocks. Nikon D50, tripod, polarizing filter.
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