Below are photographs I have taken in south-western Ontario. With each image, there is a story and information on my camera settings. My thinking is that it can help you in your photography endeavors. This is work in progress and bear with me as I add more content on a daily basis.
Night photography of the City of Guelph.
Mennonite buggy seen hurrying down the road on a chill March day. Loves the sound of hooves hitting the pavement and for a brief moment, thinking I have traveled back in time.,
We had around three weeks of very cold weather. The temperatures dipped to -28C more than once. On a day when the temperatures eased up (meaning, they were comfortable -12C), we decided to head out to Niagara Falls. Ha, so did everyone else. Took us 45 minutes to secure a parking spot in one of the more expensive parking lots I have visited ($20/hr). It was already getting dark, so I elbowed my way into the frozen land and took a number of wide angle photographs of the frozen miracle. The American side of the Niagara Falls was almost fully frozen. However, the powerful Canadian falls were still resisting and we can see a mix of ice and running water. My fingers were numb and I had no tripod. The settings were ISO 200, f16, shutter speed 1/80. I used wide angle lens 16-35mm. Editing in Lightroom and Photoshop was minor.
There is a farm in our neighbourhood (just south of Guelph) that I visit when I want to be with horses and enjoy the vast area of horse paddocks and grazing fields. In the winter, it is a whole new experience. You can easily find solitude as horses are taken into their cozy stalls early and not much is left to your eye but this, a view of a field, a few lonely trees and a fence, framed by the sun slowly descending below the horizon. I used the wide angle lens, Nikkor 16-35mm f4, and my settings were ISO 320, f14, 1/100. The photograph was taken just before the sunset.
This was a good day. It was snowy and romantic and my husband and I were running errands. He decided to take me down the road less traveled, Conestogo area. As we were going down this road, we saw at least ten Amish buggies, two bald eagles and this lovely log cabin. Just too charming. Snow may be a bit of a distraction for my camera focus, but still the shot turned out. I cranked up ISO a bit, to 400, closed down aperture to 10, and had shutter speed of 1/250. The reason for this shutter speed is because I had the zoom lens with me and in order to eliminate any blur that may be a result of minor shake, I ensured the speed was double the zoom length.
It was -11C this Sunday morning and my friends and I explored Everton area in Southeastern Ontario. When I saw this 1940s cottage in the forest, I thought the only right thing to do was to capture it with the sun rays and make it look like I was back in time. A bit of painterly look and added warmth. Used wide angle 16-35mm ISO 320 f16 1/100.
During our walk down Everton Cascades, I went down on the frozen ground and caught a beautiful winter moment. The amazing sky pattern, river surface getting covered in ice sheets and being framed by the evergreens.
Elora, such a jewel nestled in the Wellington County. A place to come and stay as it is so inviting with its charming homes, artistic shops, art galleries, pubs and coffee shops. It is a place to hang out, spend some coin, chat with local shop owners and finish with a nice meal. For hikers, there are amazing Elora Gorge trails just next door. This photo was taken right downtown and is actually a fence to an art shop. Lens used was my Nikon wide angle, 16-35mm at 21mm, ISO200, f/9, 1/200. I emphasized the colours and brought out a bit of wood grain in Photoshop.
Cottage country. Lovely Ontario. Peaceful and inviting. Cruising along on our boat. You can smell BBQ, you can hear talk and laughter. It is all good. Life is good.
Visited family cottage this summer. A small lake in Ontario cottage country. Sleeping in is a sin. If there is anything that needs to be seen, it is the sunrise. The tranquil atmosphere, loons calling, the fresh crisp air. Just imagine sipping coffee and looking into the distance. You don't need anything else. Used my lovely wide angle lens, 16-35mm at ISO 400 f10, 1/100.
One misty morning in the cottage country. Catching first glimpses of sun. Always have your gear with you. Wide angle 16-35mm, ISO 250, f/11, 1/200. Added just a touch of warmth in Photoshop and voila!
If you live in Guelph, you know the lattice covered bridge that goes over the Speed River. It was built in 1992 by 400 volunteers. Captured on a very windy and chilly day with 16-35mm lens, ISO160, f/14, 1/50. The natural wood colours brought in a bit in Photoshop as everything was looking gloomy on this day.
Just a different view of the bridge.
Walking up the road in Everton. Quite lonely on this cold day. I wanted to capture the sun rays. The trick to doing that is setting your aperture to f/16 at least. If your camera allows, go all the way to f/20. Less light comes in and your exposure needs to be longer. So, hold it still if no tripod (like me). Instead of a boring blur that represents the sun, you get the sun ray! Missions achieved!
I was in Conestogo taking photographs of bald eagles and, amid strong winds, heard my favourite music, the music of hooves briskly hitting the pavement. Turned around and across the field there was this beautiful moment. With cold and stiff fingers, I adjusted the camera settings and captured the last second before they disappeared behind the trees. A Mennonite (or Amish) with their horse and buggy hurrying down the road. A scene that makes me overjoyed every time I witness it. Not sure why, a brief glimpse of times long gone yet still present in this preserved form makes me admire, long, wonder, smile....
Used zoom lens, with fast shutter settings. ISO400, f5.6 and 1/1250. In post processing work, used Photoshop, added adjustment layer and added more red tone to the photograph and increased saturation of red.
All these snowy images were taken in Conestogo area. I believe the road is called Glasgow Road. We saw around 10 buggies hurrying up the road. I was in the distance with my zoom lens (70-200mm 2.8 - awesome lens). I did not want to be rude and in their face. It was idyllic and I really liked the blend of modern with archaic. So drawn to the Amish and Mennonite culture.
Not all pictures are meant to be black and white. However, this particular sentimental one is calling for it. It just fits perfectly.
Took a walk in one of the side streets in Elora. Noticed a very interesting looking wall and a window. Thought it would be a great opportunity to snap a photo or something that to me looks charming and old World.
