FUCHSIA

When Linda Large asked me to post some landscapes from my files, it started a train of thought. Ansel Adams compared photography to music. He explained that the negative is the score and the print is the execution of this score. I think he was absolutely right because if we have a negative or a RAW file for that matter we can always go back and re-interpret the score. So when I scanned a series of images from a fuchsia I made some very different images then I made in 1982, the year I took the pictures. 

LANDSCAPE, SOUTH RIVER

Another classic black and white interpretation of the hydro dam in South River. Again its an older image and this landscape has changed since extensive upgrades to the dam some years ago. 

ABANDONED HOUSE, NEAR VERNER

Linda Large asked me if I could publish some landscape images from my files. well here is one of an old house in the Verner area. I made this picture in 1985 when Jack Shepherd and I were roaming the area looking for good  photo subjects. This house was of course ideal it had rich textures, patterns and shapes. The light was excellent and as abonus a very beautiful sky filled with clouds.

VINTAGE MOTEL AND COTTAGE SIGNS, NORTH BAY

Last week I bought the book "Nipissing" by Françoise Noël. Most of the books on local history lack focus and are simply like a family picture album. This book however I like its well written and above all well designed.  In one chapter Françoise describes a trip along Lakeshore Drive, which in the thirties had many motels and cottages. Several of these places are still in business and a few even have vintage 1950's signs. I should have taken these photographs in the 1970's because, over the years, quite a few of these signs have disappeared. Anyway hers are the most interesting signs, I decided to re-create the feeling of the times in retro fil images. 

EARLY SPRING, LAKE NIPISSING

This week Linda Large asked if people would post a different landscape every day for seven days. I thought this a great assignment but because I have been busy, I was not able to take pictures. But this morning I went down to the waterfront to make some very minimalist photographs of the lake. I particularly liked this image, which was probably inspired by the seascape photographs of the Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto.

SUMMER EVENING, LAKE NIPISSING

This week I had to scan one of my archived negatives when I came across some old images I took quite a long time ago.Well I scanned them because I think our daughters would like to see them. It will remind them of their long warm Summers swimming and playing in the lake. For me its simply nostalgia and of course a looking forward to the coming Summer. I think we had enough of the snow and ice.

WINTER RETURNS

When I woke up this morning I thought I had become Rip van Winkle. I thought Spring had finally arrived. Most of the snow had disappeared but that was just an illusion I guess because today Winter returned with a vengeance. So far I think we received about 40cm of the white stuff and its still snowing. So I guess we have to wait patiently for Spring to arrive.

ROOSTER, NORTH BAY

When I saw this rooster outside my favourite house on Cassels Street, I had to take its picture. A friend of ours collects all kind of pictures, little sculptures, pottery etc. So i thought she would enjoy this proud and curious rooster.

OLD MAPLE TREE, SPRING 2016

On our last photo trip, Dan and I have a few favourite areas where we like to go and we always return with a few interesting images. For this picture I used a hand colouring effect, a technique quite popular with the early pictorialists. 

IT'S SPRING

Last Fall I explained to our young grandsons that there are elephants in the North Bay area and that they were leaving to go South for the Winter. Of course they would not believe me so I sent them a picture with a herd of elephants going down the college trails. well this morning the first group returned, even though it was foggy and drizzling. So here is the proof that Spring has definitely arrived.

URBAN ABSTRACT, POWASSAN

Walking underneath the old railway bridge, I photographed the concrete wall across the road. I photographed this last year but decided to show the whole landscape. Of course I intensified the colour contrasting the wall with a almost monochrome landscape. I also added some grain as a visual element. By the way the colours are real but of course not as pronounced as my final rendition.

CN RAILWAY BRIDGE, POWASSAN, ONTARIO

Yesterday Dan and I made a little trip to the Powassan area. We took pictures at some of our favourite places and then drove into the town to make some photographs of the old CN railway bridge. I posted some pictures last year but every time you visit the same subject you see it differently and of course your interpretations change. 

CHRIS' MAN CAVE, CALLANDER, ONTARIO

The sign on the door of this cabin reads Chris' Man_cave. I think many guys would love to have a cabin on the shores of a lake. This one is being restored and I am looking forward to see it when its all finished. I made the image into a sepia toned picture and the added some colour accents to give it contrast. 

ICE FISHING HUT, CALLANDER, ONTARIO

For me, one of the truly first signs of Spring is the return of the ice fishing huts. It is a glorious sunny day, so i drove down to Callander and photographed some of the ice fishing huts. many of these huts are like three dimensional art works. Like this one with its bright colours, shapes and textures reminding me of a Mondriaan abstract painting.

WAVE, LAKE NIPISSING

Last week I had to scan in some old negatives and when I came across this picture I simply had to scan and share it on my blog. I took this picture in the Summer of 1982. So quite some time ago. Over the years I have accumulated quite a few negatives and it is fun to revisit my old files. Its actually i very interesting journey looking at these old  negatives and rework them digitally. I find that I get some very different interpretations of these pictures.

TEMBEC PAPER MILL, TEMISCAMING, PQ

Last Saturday, a couple of my photo friends and I made a photographic trip to Temiscaming in Quebec. We had a nice very early Spring day. There was still a lot of snow and ice but we did have a great trip. I did not get many images but I did make a few interesting pictures of the Tembec paper mill.

DRAMATIC SKY, LAKE NIPISSING

It has been a busy week. Last Friday my computer crashed, which took me  a few hours to fix. On Saturday, while taking a short cut through the Kennedy gallery I discovered,to my surprise, that the gallery had a small exhibition on three photographers. There were some very wonderful black and white images by Ruth Thib, Jack Shepherd and some of my colour images. Two of the photographs had faded badly and also had received some water damage. Its a pity they had not informed me but I replaced these images with two digital prints. I still liked the three Lake Nipissing images.. So today I scanned in one of the negatives. The result is not the same as the image in the gallery but I was quite happy with this result.

LATE WINTER STORM

Surprise, we all thought that this Winter was going to be a very mild season but in the last few days nature reminded us that Spring is simply not around the corner. I think we received a record amount of snow in a very short period. I have been quite busy snow blowing and shoveling trying to keep our drive way passable. I just keep reminding my self that Spring will be arriving soon.

ICE FOLLIES 2016

This month the sixth biennial Winter art exhibition Ice Follies is on display on lake Nipissing. It is an interesting show but I was a little disappointed with the overall quality of the work. However I did manage to get a few interesting images of the displayed art installations.

WINTER STORM

Last Wednesday I went to the waterfront to take a few pictures at the Ice Follies art installations. I just walked out on to the frozen lake when the storm hit. The weather turned pretty miserable but I managed to get a few interesting images. Needless to say I was glad to get home. Yesterday I spent quite few hours cleaning our drive way. But Spring will arrive soon I hope.