Northern Ontario in the autumn and the leaves are changing colours rapidly. By now they're a riot of reds, yellow and gold, but on the day that we visited this spot on the lake the colours were not so vibrant although they were beginning to change. I thought that this image looks better in black and white because you can appreciate the contrast much better. I used a preset in Lightroom to add a little more warmth which the scene deserves and I think you will agree this is a lovely shot.
I chose to photograph this spot because a couple of years ago we camped here, about half way along this shore line and I had so much fun canoeing on the lake, getting up close with an otter family and watching a bald eagle fishing. It was really quiet here on this particular day because the season was coming to an end, but even during the summer it is a great place to get away from it all. There is no phone signal right here so you get a sense of being "off the grid" which is refreshing although I confess that there were times when I sneaked off to the other side of the park in order to call friends/family back home.
The picture for today is exactly what it says in the title. While camping at the Sleeping Giant we were treated to some beautiful weather and lovely clear night skies.
I had hoped to capture some good pictures of the stars but the full moon was so bright it made that very difficult however with the calm lake and clear sky this is a lovely picture. I love the way the lake shore sparkles with the reflected light of the moon. There is one constellation which is visible to the right as we are facing south/south-west however I don't know enough about the night sky to identify it, although I am sure that someone out the will know.
Here in the UK these birds would be called Divers but in Canada they are Loons. They are quite beautiful when fully grown and just cute as downy chicks like this one. They have the most haunting cry which can be heard from miles away.
I was out on the lake in the canoe when we came across an adult and this juvenile and as we paddled closer so that I could get a clear shot the adult bird tried its hardest to distract us and lure us away from its chick. We got as close as we dared without being too close and then we allowed ourselves to be lured away by the adult. I couldn't get a proper shot of the adult bird though because it was constantly on the move and kept diving below the surface and popping up in a different spot and then when it was satisfied that we were no longer a threat to its young it flew back to where the young bird was swimming and they paddled off together. Although it was slightly frustrating and I couldn't get all of the shots I wanted I was really impressed to see such good parenting.
Today I have had a great day exploring a place called Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire and I took a number of pictures of the unusual rock formations which I will be sharing over the coming days but for today's blog I wanted to share one of my favourite pictures from my Canadian adventure.
I have posted several views of the Sleeping Giant and I don't tire of the view particularly as there are so many good memories associated with it. I really like this view of the sunset with the giant and the canoe it is such an evocative image. I hope that you like it as much as I do.
When I wrote the title of today's post I cringed a bit because I had recently told a friend that "At the end of the day" is a phrase that I don't like certainly when it is in a trite way as it very often is. I also thought of the song "A Country Song For Simon" by the band Hefner which starts with the line "don't you just hate all the people that say at the end of the day all the time".
But, it is actually the perfect title for today's offering because it is just what this picture represents. It is so evocative of how our days by the lake ended, the stillness, the golden glow and the darkening sky, followed by a spell around the camp fire with marshmallows and a spot of skunk watching.
This is Eagle Island, although that is probably not its official name. The three dead trees just left of centre were the favourite perches for the beautiful eagles that frequent this spot and fish in Marie Louise Lake. The tallest tree just right of centre was also another favourite perch for a juvenile eagle. Sadly there were no birds in residence on this particular evening.
On my last morning camping here my daughter and I paddled out to the island and I got some great shots and we were able to watch one of the eagles fishing for its breakfast, such a remarkable sight. Also my daughter pleaded with me to let her go onto the island, I agreed but only reluctantly as the wind was getting up and it was an effort to get in close and stay steady enough for her to get out of the canoe.
She was gone for a little while but she returned triumphant having reached the tree where the eagle was sat and collected a feather. I was really proud of her for her adventurous spirit and really touched when we returned to camp and she presented me with her trophy which is a lovely souvenir of our fun times on the lake.
This picture was taken in the evening and as you can see the lake is mirror calm providing a perfect reflection of the island and with the sun behind us the detail is spot on.
One evening I had gone out onto the lake with my daughter for the first time and as we paddled around the island we saw a couple of otters paddling away towards the reed bed. I was absolutely thrilled and we paddled towards them to get a closer look. Unfortunately I didn't have my large zoom on my camera and so I wasn't able to get any pictures of them.
The following morning we set off again, our friends had been out before us and said that there was no sign of any otters so I didn't really expect to see any. I was focused on capturing some good shots of the eagles and I had rigged up a makeshift camo for my lens using a t-shirt because the previous day the birds had been spooked by the lens and had flown off before I got close enough . This time I was able to get much closer.
As we approached the island we could see through the crystal clear water and we saw lots of clams on the lake bed, many of the shells had holes in them and we worked out that this was a sign that the otters had been feeding on them. Then really close by this beautiful mother otter and two kits appeared in front of us playing in the water. They kept at a safe distance and as we paddled towards them they swam a little further away but they kept playing so clearly they weren't too afraid. As they were moving and I was in the canoe it was difficult to get a really steady shot but I was able to get one or two good ones.
This really was one of the unexpected highlights of my trip and is a memory I will treasure.
This lovely scene was taken on the dock at Marie Louise Lake in the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. It was a dead calm evening and this was taken using a 30 second exposure. I hadn't been able to take my tripod on this trip as it is a bit too bulky. Instead I used a beanbag to keep my camera steady for such a long exposure. It was the first time I had used this set up and I am rather pleased with the result, the stars stand out really nicely and the warm glow to the left of the picture is from Thunder Bay. I had hoped to get some clear shots of the milky way however there was a full moon and so there was too much light to get a clear view.
I posted a similar shot to this a few weeks ago, that picture was taken using my smart phone and I have a number of others taken using my camera, this is one of my favourite reminders of this phenomenal weather. It was so thrilling watching this storm approach over the Sleeping Giant and then sitting in the shelter of the tent as the rain hammered down.
Today marks exactly two years since I started my blog and in that time I have posted pictures almost daily. In all I have posted 671 times only missing when I have been ill or on holiday without a good enough signal and I have been committed to keeping this going to share some of my favourite pictures. I have done it because I love taking photos but also because the feedback I receive has kept me going. Through this blog and social media I know that my pictures have been viewed many many thousands of times by friends and by strangers all around the world, in places I never imagined. For everyone who has ever taken the time to view my pictures and read my comments I am extremely grateful
If you have followed me for any length of time you will know that I have posted pictures from a range of different genres or styles demonstrating my overall enthusiasm for photography. Wherever I go I am looking for photo opportunities and while some might say I should try to enjoy the moment I feel that by looking for the image I am actually getting so much out of every day.
I am always looking for ways to improve my skills and I have decided that I need to develop a greater focus on one particular area of photography and so I am starting a new web page under my real name with an emphasis on Wildlife and Nature where I will be showcasing what I think are my best wildlife shots so far in searchable galleries, and of course I will be adding new pictures over time with a little more attention to the technical side of the the image rather than the story behind the shot (which is what this blog is about) and hopefully as I pay closer attention to this I will make big steps forward.
I will continue to take pictures wherever I go, whenever I see something that catches my eye and I will continue to try different things from time to time and with that in mind I will continue to post daily pictures to this blog so I really hope that everyone who has supported me so far will continue to do so. I will post a link to the new site here once it is up and running and I hope that you will all stay with me on my journey to becoming a better photographer.
Just recently I have been posting just one picture per day but the subject for today deserves the full sequence.
These pictures of the cormorant taking to the air were shot from a canoe in the middle of Marie Louise Lake. I love the sequence and I love the water droplets falling from the wings in the first shot and the splashes in the others. I am slightly disappointed that the pictures aren't as sharp as I had hoped but I really needed a set up with a much faster shutter speed to freeze the action, however I was actually set up for a Bald Eagle which was sat up in a dead birch tree on the island in the background. But although I didn't get the perfect shot I am still happy and I have learned so much from this trip so in the future I can do much better.
I thought long and hard before posting this picture as I tend not to post images of my family but although this is a picture of my daughter she can't be identified from this shot so I decided it was OK to use it.
It is one of my favourite photos from the trip for a number of reasons. I love the sunburst and its reflection, I love the colours, I love the stillness of the water, I love the view of the Sleeping Giant and the reflection of the treeline on the far shore. I think it is a fantastic image.
Most of all though I love it because this was such a special moment. Setting off in the late evening to explore the lake we approached the island and we saw a family of otters swimming off to the reed beds and later a family of Loons, we experienced complete calm and it was wonderful bonding experience, creating some wonderful memories.
As we paddled back to camp the sun had dipped below the horizon and we returned in the dark guided in by torchlight. It was such a wonderful evening and sharing my love for the outdoors with my daughter is a moment from the trip that will always be precious to me. And on a day when I remember my father and the many things we did together it seems fitting to share a picture that sums up in part why I love being a dad.
