AFTER THE BIG STORM

The big storm, which caused so much damage along its trail left North Bay relatively unscathed. of course we lost quite a few trees but that just minor in comparison to the damage done along the coastal areas of the continent. We made awalk along the lakeshore yesterday but all that was left are the last remnants of the Fall blown all along the beaches.

UNTITLED, ALBRIGHT KNOX GALLERY

I simply loved this beautiful three dimensional piece by the American artist Liz Larner. The colour is predominantly green but the surrounding environment changes the surface into a wide variety of different hues. The wooden floor and walls plus the colour temperature of the two different light sources, daylight and incandescent, give this art work an infinite variety of colours.

ALBRIGHT KNOX ART GALLERY, BUFFALO, NY

Last week, when visiting our friends in Southern Ontario, we made a trip to the Albright Knox Art gallery in Buffalo, NY. This was my first visit to this gallery and I regretted never been there before. It definitely is one of the great art museums in the States. I liked this new acquisition called Vampire Wannabes by the American artist Rachel Harrison. I simply loved the contrast between the neoclassical architecture of the building with the very colourful artwork.

JILL'S STUDIO, SUNDRIDGE, ONTARIO

Yesterday we visited Jill Boschulte's studio and gallery in Sundridge. She has a beautiful studio overlooking  Lake Bernard. Jill is a wonderful landscape artist and we simply love her work. Her interpretation and deep understanding of the Canadian landscape is reflected in her paintings, drawings and prints. It is definitely worth a visit to her studio. 

JUST LOVE THE VIEW

I took this picture because I could just imagine how the owners of this house felt when the city of Port Colborne decided to build this water tower right across from their house.

PORT COLBORNE, ONTARIO

I just returned from a visit with friends in southern Ontario. It was a good trip and on Monday we took alittle trip to Port Colborne, a small city on Lake Erie. I had never been there so I made a few images. here is a picture along the waterfront. I liked the different buildings, which of course had the traditional restaurants, pubs and stores in other words a nice tourist area. 

FALL TEXTURES

A few days ago, my dan and I walked down the Education Centre. Most of the trees are almost bare but we able get some good seasonal images. Here is one of them which I particularly like because of the various textures and colours.

SIMPLY ABSTRACT

When visiting the education centre library here in North bay, I took a few pictures with slow shutterspeeds. I don't know what the results are until I see them on my computer screen. Being a photographer who used film for most of my professional life, I very seldom preview my images on the camera screen so not until I get back will I know what the pictures I took look like. 

GATED, NORTH BAY

Often the outside appearances of a house reflects the personality of the owners. I have seen this type of gates in some of the large North American cities but very seldom in small communities like North Bay. 

OCTOBER, LAKE NIPISSING

Last week I was looking at some of the landscape photographs of the British photographer Bill Brandt. I simply love his work most of it very dark with much contrast. The last few days we had quite a bit of rain and dark skies. Excellent for creating black and white landscape images.

WALKING TRAIL, LAKE NIPISSING

We enjoy walking along this short but popular trail along lake Nipissing. This particular view always remind me, why I don't know, of the 18th and early 19th century romantic English landscape paintings. So when I saw the bright Fall colours of the tree I had to make an image reminiscent of the paintings by Gainsborough or early Turner landscapes.

THE GUARDIAN

Walking around the Screaming Head property, you will start to see a wide variety of different figures, which I guess are protectors of the house. I liked this small gnome standing guard in a niche in the wall.

1999, BURK'S FALLS

This simply had to be in black and white. The dark grey sky added to the overall mood of the coming Halloween festival later this season.

HIDING

Yesterday was I nice but cool Fall day so we decided to revisit the Screaming Heads in Burks Falls. I was simply curious what it would look like in the richly coloured Fall landscape. Well we were not disappointed. It definitely was worth the trip. All in all we had a very enjoyable day.

BIRCH LEAF

Walked over to the library at Nipissing University and made this image of a single birch leaf laying next to a puddle of water. The blue of the sky and the clouds made a nice dramatic pattern but it worked best in black and white with the yellow leaf giving the image just that extra visual accent to make, the otherwise simple composition, more  interesting.

FALL CREEK

Yesterday I walked to the small creek where I had made some Fall pictures of the colourful leaves I posted earlier. I was curious to see what the landscape looked like after most of the leaves came down. Much of course had been washed away but I simply enjoyed the variety of  textures and patterns. 

EARLY FROST

Early frost and now the rain leave the trees bare. The leaves on the ground are the remnants of the seasons blaze of colours. 

CRABAPPLE TREE

Took this picture a few days ago. I simply love the light, patterns of red crabapples and the overall feeling of a warm sunny fall day. 

NORTHERN ONTARIO MEMORIES

Thanks for your comment Dave. Here is a full view of the rapids on the Wasi river. I like to wish you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving.

FALL, CALLANDER,ONTARIO

This morning I went to callander to photograph the rapids on the Wasi river. Romantic? absolutely but I simply loved the scene. 

YELLOW MAPLE LEAVES

This time I used a  subdued colour palette to render a more traditional view of the Fall colours. I like the strong yellows of the maple leaves which contrast with a background of predominately grey and brown hues.

FALL ABSTRACT

This morning I walked again down the trail near my home and photographed leaves floating down the little stream. This time no filters or plugins but a straight image of reflections in the water. I did intensify the colours using curves. The resulting picture looks more like an abstract painting then a true photograph.