CHRISTMAS 2016

It has been quite awhile since my last posting, but the Christmas season is always a very busy time for everyone. However today I like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. After the holiday season I promise that I will post again on a more regular basis. Enjoy the holidays.

SNOW

Yesterday we received our first serious snowfall. So I decided to return to Champlain Park to see what the landscape would look like in the snow. I was a little disappointed because I had expected the sandbank to be covered in the white stuff but no the wind was quite strong, which had blown the snow off the surface but the water was very textured of course which I liked. So here another dramatic black and white of the same landscape I posted yesterday.

CHAMPLAIN PARK, NORTH BAY

This image is for all my friends who love the classic quality of black and white photography. Yesterday was a dark rainy day, just the type of weather I like to take black and white pictures. I love the landscape photographs by Bill Brandt, Robert Frank and Josef Koudelka. Too many landscape photographs done digitally are technically superb of course but as David Hockney said in an interview they are boring. In other words they lack soul. I like the traditional images with all its deficiencies like grain for instance. 

A GLORIOUS FALL DAY

It was exceptionally warm yesterday. So of course I made a little walkabout around the lake. The water level was quite low so I walked onto the large sandbanks and took some pictures with the intention of turning them into some black and white images, but after I looked at the results, the colour images were definitely stronger. I especially liked this photo because of the strong impasto quality of the foreground texture.

BLOWING WIND

Last Friday , walking along a trail along the lake, I made a series of pictures of the strong wind blowing from the lake. This image was my favourite showing the gusts of wind seemingly blowing from different directions creating interesting patterns and textures.

COLOURS OF NOVEMBER, FOR DAVE BROWN

This picture is for Dave Brown, who loves this place but since he is living in southern Ontario, makes it a little bit more complicated visiting this wonderful place on Lake Nipissing. So when you come again to North Bay, we can go out there and take some more great images Dave. I titled this picture "colours of November" because this month has a very special quality, which is unique to this part of the year. The colour hues are browns, grays and some dark reds. 

TOTEM POLE (detail), MUSEUM OF HISTORY, OTTAWA

This is a black and white picture I took on our last trip to Ottawa. Most of the museum is under renovation for next year's celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary but I still enjoy seeing the large totem poles in the great hall. These magnificent and monumental sculptures definitely belong to the great works of art.  

NOVEMBER, SUNSET COVE, LAKE NIPISSING

Yesterday I made a trip to my favourite little cove on the South shore of Lake Nipissing. It was a nice early November fall day. Not much colour left just the brown tones of the pine needles. It was a very quiet day, which i enjoy. All in all a nice satisfying day wandering around and making some nice images.

STORE WINDOW, OTTAWA

Walking along Dalhousie Street in Ottawa, I saw this installation showing images of famous and not so famous women from prehistoric times to the present. I found it interesting because a few years ago, in the National gallery, I had seen a similar but a much larger installation made with news and advertising  photographs. So maybe that art work was the inspiration to this display.

CITYSCAPE, OTTAWA

We just returned from a very enjoyable tie in the Ottawa region. I like to photograph different cityscapes. Not the great buildings but the alleys and obscure backstreets. What attract me are the textures, colours and perspectives in scenes like this nondescript passage. The day was quite grey and dreary just the weather I quite prefer because the colours are quite rich and the reflections add some great textures.

ESCAPING THE SPIDER

I think what really fascinates me, as a photographer, is the surreal quality of the place. Every time I  visit the site I get some very surrealistic images. When I was working on this image I could think about a variety of titles, which, ever time, would change the meaning of the picture. 

MR. PUMPKIN, ESQUIRE

One of the guest to arrive to arrive early is the esteemed Mr. Pumpkin, Esquire. He simply loves these annual Halloween parties and certainly would not miss this biggest event in the city.

GETTING READY FOR THE PARTY

Halloween is less than a week away but here the guests are already arriving. it looks like its going to be quite a bash. In the next few days I will be publishing some images of some of the distinguished guests.

FALL STILL LIFE

Just before getting in the car in the Killarney provincial park I saw this still life of leaves and fungus. I made a couple of pictures but I thought the colours were a little too strong so I reduced colour, which placed more emphasize on the rich textures.

FALL COLOURS, KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK

Yesterday we made a Fall colour trip to Killarney. It was a magnificent day and the colours were certainly at their peek and ever since  the park has been made famous by the Group of Seven, the area has been immortalized by numerous artists and of course photographers. I took this picture on the shore of Lake George but I simply wanted to have another colourful Fall image. The clouds, the reflections and the colours reminded me of some of the work by the very popular American illustrator and painter Maxfield Parrish, who worked in the early and middle of  the twentieth century. 

FALL GARDEN ABSTRACT

It rained today and of course every photographer knows that the rain will really intensify the colours. Walking in the garden, which is preparing itself for the Winter, I made a series of images of the decaying plants. It simply was a richness of colour and patterns forming some beautiful abstract compositions. 

RUST DEMON

On our last little photo excursion we found this old truck quietly decaying underneath some trees. On top of the rusting hood we saw this small  figurine mounted on the hood,surrounded by rust and smiling triumphantly while raising his fist. I named him the rust demon. 

DRAMATIC SKY, LAKE NIPISSING

Yesterday's black and white image of Lake Nipissing was quite popular. I still miss working in my darkroom. Seeing the print appear in the development tray is very magical, but I adapted to working on the computer I learned that you can still get that magical feeling when working with an interesting image. I made this picture last Sunday afternoon at Sunset Park. The sky was very dramatic so I hope you will enjoy this picture as much as yesterday's posting.

CLOUDS, LAKE NIPISSING

Yesterday afternoon we walked along the waterfront trail. It had been quite some time since we had been there. I took quite a few pictures of the lake. For me it is quite an inspiring landscape and the interesting view was almost monochromatic. The only colour was the blue of the sky, which, visually, did not work for me so turning it in a strong, almost abstract, black and white  image with strong patterns of clouds and textures of water ripples was the final result.  

FALL COLOURS, POWASSAN, ONTARIO

It was a wonderful but busy Thanksgiving weekend but last Friday a few of us made alittle photo trip to the Powassan area. Surprisingly the colours were still not at their peek but of of course we made some fine images. I consider the Fall colours and sunsets the low hanging fruit for photographers. Every year you have to go and enjoy this natural colourful spectacle. The big problem is trying to approach the very familiar subject from a different visual angle. I like the early nieteen century British landscape painters, whose work  inspire me when I make my Fall landscape images.

FALL, KINSMAN'S BEACH, NORTH BAY

Have been busy the last few days but here is a picture I took last Monday along Kinsmans Beach. it was a glorious day so I took a stroll along the beach and saw this little branch with bright yellow leafs floating in the water. It made a nice image with strong textures and colours.

FALL PAGEANT

The annual Fall pageant has returned. The leaves are changing colour rapidly and I expect the colour spectacle  will be at its peek just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend. Its the time that everybody goes on the ritual photographic walks. So enjoy.

PRAYER GROUP

Another image from my visit to the Iron Work store in Picton. When I saw these praying buddhas, I had to photograph them of course. But back to the idea of starting a discussion about the changes and the future of photography. We could set up a group in Facebook where we can discuss our concerns and also of course how we feel about the new trends in photography. Some of us are not on Facebook and might be reluctant to join. So in addition we could start a blog as well. Let me know how everybody feels about this idea.

STILL LIFE WITH CHEVROLET APACHE

This picture is for Dave, who still likes the classic way of creating photographs. He has raised some very interesting issues regarding the new directions in photography. Concerns I share with him and will discuss with him further. So here a classic B&W image of an old 1959 Chevrolet Apache, which looks as if it has not moved since the early sixties.Hope you like this image Dave.

CANADA GEESE, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ONTARIO

When we were in Prince Edward County, we made a quick visit to the Sandbanks Provincial Park. I had never been to this park before and I certainly will be returning to the area agin for a more extensive picture taking trip.

BARRELS, PICTON, ONTARIO

Wandering through a winery I photographed these barrels in one of their storage areas. It was the light which attracted me. Actually it had a sort of nostalgic atmosphere which I liked.

IRON WORK STORE, PICTON, ONTARIO

Driving into the town of Picton, we noticed a large store which sold exterior and interior decorative furniture like iron fences, large wooden tables and a variety of strange sculptures. It is quite a big establishment with several buildings again filled with pottery, ceramic and wooden sculptures. For a photographer it definitely is a unique place and a visual goldmine. The various objects on display are not of great artistic quality but a source for some very interesting images.

BIRD HOUSE, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ONTARIO

After walking back from the restaurant at the hotel we were staying, I found this old little birdhouse in a corner of the hotel garden. I took a few pictures and here is the final result. I have to say I always enjoy this type of funky subjects.

TALL SHIPS, BROCKVILLE, ONTARIO

We just returned from a wonderful family event, which we celebrated in Prince Edward County and in Brockville. Actually we only spent Friday evening in Brockville where we had a wonderful cruise on one of the tall ships.It was a very pleasant evening which included a dinner and entertainment. Here crew members are lowering the sails on our return to port. It is certainly an event which we hope to repeat next year.

LATE SUMMER REFLECTIONS

It was a beautiful late Summer day today. You could feel the first inkling of Fall in the crisp morning. air. On our walk I made some pictures of the very colourful reflections in the water of Chippewa creek. The images have a strong abstract quality, with beautiful patterns, textures and of course strong colours.

RESTORATION, ASHTON, ONTARIO

I am still interested in working in black and white. Maybe it is nostalgia remembering the many hours I spent working in the darkroom. Anyway this is a picture I took this Summer in the village of Ashton, which is now part of Ottawa. I remember this house as a rather nondescript building until this Summer I saw someone is doing some major renovations and restoration on this place. Of course I never realized that it was not an old brick house but actually a log building.I am curious to see the final finished product.

OPEN ROAD

September, the holidays are over, so its a great time to hit the empty road. 

LATE SUMMER TRAIL TEXTURES

While walking down a trail looking for interesting landscapes I looked at the rich textures of the grasses and plants right in front of me and realized that interesting subject matter is  around you if you simply look at your immediate surroundings

THE LAVASE PORTAGE CONSERVATION AREA REVISITED

I could not resist posting another image of my Lavase Portage trail walk. This time a colour image, which I had made in the morning. What interested me first was the little"water trail' made obviously made by by beavers because on shore you could see the clues of the willow brushes, which they had dragged down.  

THE LAVASE PORTAGE CONSERVATION AREA

Yesterday I visited the Lavase River Portage Conservation Area. It has been awhile since I walked the trail and discovered that quite  a few improvements have ben made to the trails. It was a beautiful walk with a few hesitant signs of the coming Fall. In the afternoon it rained a bit but cloudy sky was exactly what I needed to get some beautiful landscapes. My original idea was to work in traditional black and white and here is one image I thought reflected what I had in mind.

ROSE AND SALLY

A few days ago my wife met these two ladies at the Powassan Treasure Mill They became instant friends so she brought them. Both ladies have joined our family. This morning our very young friend Avery named then Rose and Sally, which we think are beautiful and fitting names for these ladies. 

LANG STREET 1911, COBALT, ONTARIO

Last Tuesday, Dan and I visited Cobalt. we took quite a few pictures. It is a very interesting small town with a rich history. In the early 20th century silver was discovered in Cobalt, which created a "silver rush" you can call it. At the height of all this mining activity the town had about 200 active mines. Now it is a very quiet place but you can see the history reflected in a variety of murals, like this image of lang Street in 1911,  all across town. its definitely worth a visit.

KINSMAN TRAIL, NORTH BAY

We had not walked the Kinsman trail since last Fall. Part of the trail had been closed for some time because extensive upgrading of the trail. Imagine our surprise when we saw this part of the trail. It is very beautiful and this nature preserve is right downtown the city. Really amazing and I think we should applaud the North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority for creating this truly wonderful trail. It is a great asset to our city.

SUMMER LANDSCAPE WITH BEEHIVES

When driving along Hwy 520 I saw this old trailer with fifteen beehives on the roof. Pretty ingenious because it certainly will keep the bears away. 

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE SUMMER GARDEN

I could not resist posting another image of my wife's garden. This is a view of a small corner of our back garden. As I mentioned before the garden is predominantly rich in various textures. The garden is at its peak but the dry conditions are taking its toll. Luckily it rained a little this morning but it is still not enough.

RETRO TRUCK, HWY 520

Every time I drive Hwy 520 I have seen this old truck, but never stopped to take photographs. Last Sunday, after returning from a very enjoyable trip to Magnetawan I decided well lets make a few images. The truck is at the beginning of a drive way however I did not want to include the house  so this was the only angle to isolate the truck, which I think is probably from the early fifties. 

SUMMER TEXTURES

Summer and my wife's garden is at its peak. She loves textures so of course I love taking pictures of all these rich colours and textures. Here is a view of just one small area in the front garden. I think its an appropriate image to celebrate this Summer civic holiday. 

ANOTHER VIEW OF LAKE NIPISSING

What makes this lake so unique is the feeling of space. The light changes offer an unending  interesting images and like this picture, the landscape is a composition of simple elemental components, sky, water and rocks. 

A SAD PLACE, DOWNTOWN NORTH BAY

Downtown North Bay has become a very sad and depressing area. On our walk yesterday I noticed how quickly the place has deteriorated. Its very neglected and dirty. Then, to top it off, walking back to the car we noticed this swastika prominently displayed on an apartment window. Having been born in occupied Holland, whose parents have lost family and friends during that horrible time, this symbol creates some very strong emotions in me. 

TRAIN ENGINE 503, NORTH BAY

It saddens me to see the old steam train engine deteriorating in one of the cities storage areas. This train should be placed at the museum because otherwise I am afraid that soon this piece of history will be lost.

APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM

Turning into our street after returning from lunch this afternoon I saw this magnificent cloud formation over the summer landscape. It looked quite spectacular so of course I had to stop and take some pictures. It definitely called for  a black and white image to emphasize the great cloud formation.

DRAMATIC SKY, LAKE NIPISSING

This morning I was looking through my files looking for an image wanted to work on when I came across this picture, which I took last October. It looked interesting so I thought let me work with this picture. So here it is as a composition its very simple but the sky gives it drama. 

ASSEMBLING THE WATERFRONT SCULPTURE, JULY 1991

Yesterday I promised to post a picture from my photo story on the making of the waterfront sculpture. It took more than thirty area workers to make the various components for the artwork. Here Michèle Lapointe and René Rioux are hard at work finishing their sculpture.

LE DROIT À LA DIFFÉRENCE (DETAIL) , NORTH BAY

What a beautiful day we had today. So this morning we decided to go for a walk along the waterfront. The clouds were simply monumental and when we got to the sculpture on the waterfront we realized that this Summer it was exactly twenty five years ago that we met the artists MichèleLapointe and her partner René Rioux. During that Summer we had a wonderful time together discussing art and politics of course while enjoying good food, wine and chocolate. I took many pictures and I might post some of them in the coming days.

PINK, BROCKVILLE, ONTARIO

Rain today, something we or I should say the garden  needs very badly. So a good time to look at some pictures I took a few weeks ago in Brockville. I love wandering through the streets of towns and cities. The urban landscape is a subject which fascinates me. This is a simple reflection in a store window. The juxtaposing subjects can create some very interesting effects, which are open to the viewers interpretation.