FUNGUS

After my photographs of the wasp nest, I looked at an old fungus which I had in my work room since 1973. I liked it but never used it in photographs so then I thought lets work with this object and see if I can get some interesting images. So here is the result of my photo session yesterday afternoon.

WASP NEST DETAIL

As promised Larry, here is another view of the wasp nest. This detail reflects I think the violence of the tearing apart of this nest by the ravens. For the photographers who are curious about the colour and about my workflow, I give a very short explanation. The photograph was made with available light, daylight and tungsten, which gives you a colour mixture of red and blue. Then, using onOne's PerfectEffects 4, I simply intensified the colour.

WASP NEST

Last Summer I observed how two ravens attacked and destroyed a wasp nest in our back yard. It was quite a spectacle. Of course I did not get too close because the wasp were buzzing  around trying to protect their nest. Of course the ravens simply pulled it from the tree and simply destroyed it. I kept the nest in my work room so today I made some pictures of the object. I got a few interesting images so tomorrow I'll post another view.

WINTER BARN

It is still miserably cold outside so I am using this time to scan more of old negatives. I remember photographing this barn. It was a beautiful snowy day. An old friend and I were on a Winter photo safari to Port Loring. We noticed this old barn, and by the way its still there, on  highway 522. I always liked this image with its beautiful Winter atmosphere.

RYE, ONTARIO

It is still very cold, too cold to go out and wander around looking for pictures. So these days are great for doing things like scanning old negatives or experimenting with different techniques. I found this old negative of  a photo trip I made in the late seventies to Rye, an old  ghost town.  These buildings have disappeared a long time ago but it was a great place to take pictures. I decided to make the image look like a nineteen century print.

WINTER CITY PANORAMA

Winter of course is the season for strong graphic black and white images. I am still interested in the almost playful lines of the city trees. they remind me of Chinese and Japanese calligraphy.

WINTER CITY

I guess Winter has arrived. This morning the thermometer outside showed a reading of -32º C.
Not exactly a nice temperature to go out and do some photography. But yesterday afternoon I just did that. Of course I did not stay out too long but did manage to get a few images like this Winter city view.

UNFINISHED SHED

I am starting to discover the possibilities of the new program. The results can be quite different from the image with which you started initially. I photographed this shed because I liked the perspective but also the very subtle colours of the back wall. So when I began to play with this picture I liked this very painterly effect. Of course it lost the photographic quality but that is the fun of experimenting. You don't know where the creative path will lead you.

BARN, BURKS FALLS

Another image from our visit to the Screaming Heads. In addition to the various sculptures, another interesting part of the property of course are the various buildings, barn, house and a few sheds. I particularly like the barn with its variety of textures, surfaces and shapes. Again I experimented with my new program and start to get a feel for this new tool set.

CLOUDS, LAKE BERNARD, ONTARIO

I could have named this picture "Ice Fishing, Lake Bernard" but the dominant feature of this image is the cloudy sky. The colour image was too blue so, using my newly bought program Perfect Effects, I ended up with a almost like a cross processed picture. So here you have the result. 

SCREAMING HEADS REVISITED, STONE CIRCLE

This stone circle looks like an old meeting place. The image looks fine in B&W but I prefer the colour interpretation because of the rich tones in the rocks.

SCREAMING HEADS REVISITED, BLUE PYRAMIDE

Yesterday my friend Gerry and I revisited the screaming heads site in Burks falls. Actually it was Gerry's first visit. We took quite a few pictures. Luckily for us the layer of snow was not very deep so we could move around without much difficulty. In addition to the various concrete sculptures there are also quite a few large constructions of domes and pyramides like this one.

NORMA JEAN'S ROADSIDE DINER

After our walk yesterday, we stopped at a North Bay diner for a hot chocolate. I liked the framed poster and of course had to photograph it. 

ICE FISHING HUTS, LAKE NIPISSING

Another picture of my photo walk along the lake. The weather changed overnight with quite a bit of snow. But I liked this image with the dramatic skies and reflections on the lake. This time I preferred the black and white interpretation. It definitely has a more dramatic impact.

EARLY THAW

The last few days we had an early thaw. It rained though the day and night till almost noon. Then the sun came through and for a few hours we had some sunshine. A fog developed over the lake and with all the puddles of water and the dramatic skies it was a good time to take some pictures. here is an image from my photo trip at the waterfront.

WINTER VERTICAL

This time I made a "vertical" panorama. Of course I am still playing with my new program. Slowly I am discovering how to apply the various filters to my images. It will take me awhile before I am comfortable with the program but the first results are encouraging. 

WINTER IMAGE

The weather is dreadful today. Instead of snow we are getting rain. What a mess. So this is a good day to try out a new, well new for me, program. I have to say that I am quite impressed with the wide variety of creative solutions the program offers. of course I just started finding my way through all the different effects. 

SUMAC, ALONG CHIPPEWA CREEK

Still interested by the painterly effect of very busy patterns and tones, I noticed this growth of sumac along Chippewa creek.I liked the contrast of the red seed pods against the dark background texture.

WINTER COLOUR

Again a very austere composition of lines and shapes. I decided on a black and white interpretation to emphasize the Winter hues of grey, white and black. 

WINTER CONTRAST

A simple composition with just a few elements but I liked the contrast between the bare skeletal outline of the maple tree and the green pine tree, which colour holds the promise of the coming Spring.

WINTER, OLD BUILDING NEAR OTTAWA

Its too cold today to wander around the city so here is another picture I took on Christmas day in the country side near Ottawa. I have no idea what the purpose of this building is but I just liked the simple architecture and the touch of colour in the Winter landscape. 

WINTER

I simply titled this picture Winter. It shows the bleak empty space along the old railway track in the city. I added a hint of colour to this otherwise monotone image.

FOR BOB MORTON

Thanks for your thoughtful comment on yesterday's image Bob. Yes I am interested in this type of rather abstract subject matter. The strong graphic quality of the black lines, which look like paintings and drawings by the German French Artist Hans Hartung, another one of my favourite painters.

WINTER ABSTRACT

Lately I started to be interested by the dense patterns of bare trees and shrubs, which are part of our urban landscape. This image reminds me of some of the work by Jackson Pollock. 

NEW YEAR'S FLOWER

My first posting in the new year. Our flowering amaryllis was backlit by the bright Winter sun. Of course I had to take some pictures because it is the first sign of the coming Spring. Yes I know we still have a few month to go so maybe I simply liked the shapes and colour of the flower.