MAIN STREET, MATTAWA, ON

I like these simple buildings , which you find in all the small towns across our country. I took this picture last weekend in Mattawa. The light was quite flat so I worked with a few different filters to change the bright colours and give the scene an almost night like look.

TÉMISCAMING, ABSTRACT

This is a picture from our trip to Témiscaming. It was the weathered and corroded wall with its beautiful abstract of colours and strong textures, which gives this image its strong visual impact.

APPROACHING RAIN STORM

Its been a few days since my last posting but I had some problems with my computer, so it was time to replace it. That ended some frustrations i had with my old computer. it has been quite wet and this is a picture I made of an approaching rain storm.

PLYWOOD SUNSET, TÉMISCAMINGUE, PQ

Visited the town of Témiscamingue in Québec with my friend John. Taking pictures of the old abandoned power plant I noticed a great image or I shouls say three renditions of a great sunset on some old plywood door and window covers.  

DARK AND WET DAY

My friend Dan and I had arranged a little photo excursion for yesterday and of course it turned out to be a very dark and wet day. It did not stop us from taking pictures and actually it is perfect to work in the rain. The colours are very vivid, sometimes too much and you have great reflections. The biggest problem walking the trails along the lake were the mosquitoes. Both of us were pleased with some of the images from our little excursion.

ALONG THE TRAIL, LAKE NIPISSING

A different image today. This time I decided to post a very romantic landscape, which I took a few days ago. It reminds me of one of my favourite books "The Wind in the Willows". It conjures up images of ratty and mole messing about with boats.

RAIN REFLECTIONS

Last Saturday I walked along the waterfront trail. It was raining, which was great for taking photographs of reflections in the water. David Ernest commented how he liked my references to painting and painters in many of my postings. Well I just happened to be reading about the a Quebec art movement from the nineteen forties called Les Automatistes. This movement,  was founded by the Quebec artist Paul Émile Borduas. This group was inspired by the writings of the French surrealist writer and poet André Breton and the American Abstract Expressionism. So the pictures I made this weekend of the rain reflections were the direct result of my interest in the Automatistes movement.

BLUE ON RED. NORTH BAY

An abstract composition, which reminds me of the color field painting, a very popular style of painting originating during the forties and fifties in New York. The Canadian abstract painter Jack Bush was closely related to this painting movement.

THE BIG BANG, THIRTY SECONDS LATER

No I guess its not really an image of The Big Bang, but I liked the graphics on this food truck at the North Bay waterfront.

DRUM, POW WOW 2015, NORTH BAY

One more image of the Pow Wow. A close up of a drum. The B&W image puts the emphasize on the drum and the hands. Some times a monochrome image works better than colour. It gives the picture a far stronger graphic effect.

POW WOW, 2015, NORTH BAY

This weekend the 7th annual Maamwi Kindaaswin festival and Pow Wow is taking place. I simply enjoy this great annual  community festival. It is  a great get together of the First nation community here in North bay. Its is a great festival of colour, dance and music.

ROB'S HAIR LOUNGE, COBALT, ONTARIO

We made a trip to Cobalt yesterday. Still experimenting with the autochrome filters I thought let me try this on a very contemporary subject. It works fine of course with the old antique cars but yes it does work. I like the soft almost pastel colour quality of the old films, which I, sometimes, prefer over the strong digital colours. Of course it all depends on the subject and what like to express about the subject.

CAR SHOW, NORTH BAY

Again, it has been quite some time since my last posting. The reason is simple I am busy with a few other photo project, so I have neglected my blog. Well this image is for Bob, who, like me, is still interested in the old autochrome photographs. He sent a very interesting link with autochrome pictures from the twenties. Yesterday I took this picture at the annual car show on Main Street here in North Bay. I thought this would realy look great as an old colour image from the beginning of the last century.

PATTERNS, TROUT LAKE, ONTARIO

Today a posting of a straight monochrome image I took yesterday along the shores of Trout Lake. Its always a challenge to come back with interesting images from an area, which at first glance, does, visually,  not look very promising. But I managed to get a few nice pictures like this richly patterned water shot. It reminds me of some very early landscapes by the American photographer Edward Steichen.

OLD DELIVERY VAN, KINGSTON, ONTARIO

I photographed this old van, or maybe I should call it an antique van but I am not sure how old it is, in downtown Kingston. Iam still interested in the old colour processes and decided give the image a visual twist by recreating the aged photograph look. Yesterday I mentioned the pictures by Marie Cosindas and she used Polacolor film to get the same aged effects.

BEGONIA II

Still experimenting with Autochrome images, but then I remembered the work of the American photographer Marie Cosindas. She became quite famous in the sixties and seventies with images, which very much looked like the Autochrome pictures of the early twentieth century. Of course she did not use the original autochrome plates but her colour palette was very similar.

CALLA LILY

Victoria weekend has come and gone and what a glorious weekend it was. The weather was perfect for most of the weekend. Last week at our photo group get together, Dianne showed a picture reminiscent of an old autochrome image. The picture sparked an interesting discussion about the autochrome process and how to reproduce the quality of this early colour process digitally. I am still interested in working on the iPAD and found a autochrome app, which does a nice job.The only problem I found is that the grain was too overpowering but you can easily reduce that effect. Using this as a starting point I ended up with this image of Calla lilies.

TRANSFORMATION

Very seldom will I use two pictures in one posting. But this time I simply like to show what happens when an image, the picture of the building, is used as a basis for further experimentation. I am still using my iPad and am amazed with the infinite transformations of a simple image. Is this something I like to pursue further? I am not sure I think that I prefer the straight photographic image, either blank and white or colour, to the manipulated print. of course I where this type of experimentation can lead to new visually great and interesting images.

MAPLE TREE

I am still enjoying working on my iPad. It is like going down an unknown track leading from your normal pathway. The effects you can achieve are very startling at times. you never know what is going to happen when you start playing with the various apps. This image is quite reminiscent of some of the drawings from the past. Some of you thought that I paint or draw on the iPad but no I simply use a photographic image, which I then transform using different apps.

BEGONIA

Still experimenting with my iPad. This time I made some images of a begonia. The plant is predominantly colour and texture unlike the tulips I posted earlier, which have in addition to colour interesting, strong shapes. Using a few different apps I ended with an almost abstract interpretation of this plant.

EARLY MORNING LIGHT

Enjoying my early coffee, I noticed the beautiful light on a vase with tulips on the table. I made a few images then transferred these to my iPAD and started to play with these pictures using a few apps. I then again I copied them to my computer and using my favourite program OnOne prefect photosuite made some refinements. The final result looks like an old 17 or 18 century still life painting.

CITY BUS, NORTH BAY

Looking at a very simple mundane subject, you see how the different elements combine to give you an image with strong visual stopping power. The scene here is almost a monochrome blue picture because of the colour of the sky and the bus. The horizontal lines of the window shades and the vertical lines of the metal window frames are the other elements, which are important to the overall design.

BOOTS, CATTLE AUCTION, STURGEON FALLS, ONTARIO

A few weeks ago I showed an old portfolio with pictures I made in 1976 at the weekly cattle auction in Sturgeon Falls. My friends enjoyed the images and urged me to scan the negatives, which I started doing. It is a tedious job but I ended up with a great collection of over four hundred pictures. Now before people write me and ask where and when this auction takes place i am sorry to say. The auction has become the victim of the computer and internet. It simply does not exist any more. Al;l that is left are the memories and these pictures.

COLOUR, OAK STREET, NORTH BAY

 Today I just like to add some colour to my posting. Spring has not arrived yet. I took this picture last Sunday. I liked the abstract quality of the image accentuated by the strong primary colours. It actually looks more like a street you would expect in South American town rather than cold Northern Ontario.

MATTAWA RAILWAY STATION, ORIGINAL PICTURE

Linda wondered about the original picture of the Mattawa railway station, which I used as the basis for yesterdayès image. So here it is.

MATTAWA RAILWAY STATION

This Easter weekend was very busy. We had family visit us during the last few days so I did not have time to post new images. Last week my friend Gery and I made a little trip to Mattawa. of course wehad to go to the old railway station, which looks as if it it is ready to be demolished. sad actually because much local history will disappear when the building is gone. I took a few pictures and using my iPad I created this view of the station. Just recently I downloaded a new app and it is truly amazing what you can do with this small program. Anyway her is the result.

ANTHURIUM

Again I used my iPad to manipulate a simple image of a very beautiful Anthurium. I should admit though that using some of the apps on the iPad, I did some further work on the computer. The various filters gave this image an old painterly quality, which added to the visual impact of the picture.

EARLY MORNING COFFEE

Occasionally I like to use my iPad to create pictures. A few days ago I had to upgrade some apps and, after downloading, got a renewed interest in, what is referred to as mobile photography or also iphoneography. Artists and photographers use their iPhones and tablets to create their images. So here is one I made after taking asimple picture of my early morning coffee sitting on a little glass table next to my chair. What attracted me first of course was the light and shadow pattern and I should say it worked well in a traditional black and white rendition. But then I started to play with a few apps and I ended with a rather painterly image, which I liked.

SNOW LANDSCAPE, POWASSAN

I have never made a print from this negative. It was shot on 400ISO film which I had overdeveloped at the time, my mistake, but yesterday I had scanned the negative and simply loved the result. The grain added to the feeling of a snowy day, while giving the image an almost charcoal drawing effect.

WINTER LANDSCAPE WITH BARN

Another cold landscape. I hope Linda will like this as much as the one I posted yesterday. It was a beautiful Winter day with ice all over the trees. The light was beautiful and of course I had to photograph this very Wintery and romantic winter scene.

WINTER LANDSCAPE NEAR POWASSAN

This is a more traditional landscape photograph. I still enjoy these old images reminiscent of the old pictorialist tradition of beautiful black and white prints.

DUCHESNAY FALLS, SUMMER VIEW

Today a classic black and white print of Duchesnay Falls in the Summer. In the Spring and Fall of course the view is very different but at the height of the Summer the falls are dry. So this is a different view with the strong textures and patterns of the exposed rocks.

NOT YET

Winter is not over yet. Yesterday morning and to my dismay, I woke up to another nice layer of fresh snow. But at least I see the first signs of Spring. You see and hear the water running and, later in the day, feel the warmth of the early Spring sun.

LONGING FOR SPRING

Mr. Toad is really tired of this cold and snowy Winter. So he came outside to see if Spring has arrived yet but I have a feeling he will have to wait a few weeks longer.But the first signs are promising.

WINTER APPLES

Just seeing the colour of these frozen apples in a very cold landscape made me longing for the first signs of Spring. Today the weather is very nice and definitely a harbinger of the Spring season.

COMMANDA MUSEUM REVISITED

Yesterday i posted a picture of the Commanda museum. I made it look like and old vintage postcard but I liked the colour version also. So her is that colour version of the same image. Which is my favourite? Looking at both images my choice is the colour picture, although I do enjoy the vintage version.

POSTCARD FROM COMMANDA

On our photo excursion last week we stopped off at the Commanda museum. It was closed of course but its still a great building even if it could do with some Restoration. Instead of posting a colour version, which looks fine, I decided to publish a vintage postcard version. I like old postcards and her it definitely fits the subject.

WAITING FOR SPRING, POWASSAN, ONTARIO

Yesterday four of us hardy photographers could not stay inside any longer. All of us are ready for the new season to start. So we made a nice photo  excursion in and around Powassan. This truck looks like it is waiting for better weather too.

WINTER BRIDGE, BONFIELD, ONTARIO

This is a picture I took last Winter in Bonfield. The picture is rich in textures and I kept colour to a minimum reflect the mood of the season. My friend Dan went on the weekend and made a very minimalist image in the same area. His image is very much like a Japanese Haiku poem.

WINTER ROCK, SUNSET PARK, NORTH BAY

An early Winter landscape, not much snow but icicles and the rock in a late afternoon light with some nice highlights on the ice made an interesting composition. It was photographed using Fuji colour film but I definitely prefer the B&W interpretation.

ASPARAGUS

A few days ago I walked into the kitchen and saw these asparagus on the counter. I simply liked the textures, colours and reflections. Sometimes the simplest subjects can lead to some interesting images.

WINTER LANDSCAPE, CHISHOLM TWP

Again an image fro my files. The busy, random composition reminds me of the artwork of painters like Jackson Pollock or Franz Kline. The original image was made using my old Roleiflex, using Ilford HP5 film.

WINTER, ALSACE ROAD

 

One of my favourite areas where I like to photograph is an almost magical spot on Alsace Road near Powassan. Over the years I have been there with friends and students on photo trips and many of them returned to photograph the great group of beautiful old maple trees. I took this picture a few years ago but luckily the area has not changed very much since I started photographing there in the early seventies.

BLOWING SNOW, OTTAWA

We spent the very cold long weekend in Ottawa. It definitely was not a great time to look for pictures but I did take a few images like this from our window. The strong backlighting made for some interesting images with beautiful shadows.

AGAIN WINTER ALONG THE WASI RIVER

Thanks for your comment Dianne. I think you and David Ernst would really like the books by Richard Quinney. He is not only a respected  criminologist from Wisconsin but also a great photographer. I learned about his photography when I came across his  photobook "Things Once Seen" at the university library here in North Bay. I was quite impressed not only with his photographs but also his writing. So I simply had to buy that book and in addition I bought his book "A Sense Sublime" This book is almost a repeat of the first book I mentioned and , even though I enjoyed the second one, I prefer "Things Once Seen". It is better designed and printed. However I can highly recommend both books. Check out Borderland Books a publishing company founded by Richard Quinney.

WINTER, WASI RIVER, CALLANDER

A Winter image this time, I took this picture a few years ago along the Wasi river. It was a beautiful Winter day, with just the right light.

THE HIGHWAY BOOKSTORE REMEMBERED

Today a picture of the Highway Bookstore in Cobalt. It is apity that place closed many of us have very fond memories browsing the bookshelves of the Northern Ontario landmark.

LICHEN

I took this picture quite a few years ago in South River. The image of lichen on the rocks remind me of pictures from the universe. The sharp rock appears to split the universe in two.

REMAINS OF A BARN

Again an image from my files. I made a series of pictures of the remains of an old barn or maybe an old house. Light and textures are the strong visual elemnts of this image.

BARN NEAR VERNER, ONTARIO

Sorting through some old negatives I came across some images I took of an old barn between Verner and Lavigne. The original negatives were made with colour negative film. I combined the negatives into a panoramic picture and, using onOne software made into a quite dramatic black and white view.