Forms on a Frozen River
It is the end of January and the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton is frozen over and covered with 15 centimeters of fresh snow. I venture to the river’s edge and am captivated by the abstract forms that I see:
Best of 2017 (Part 1)
I’ve looked back at my photos (those taken with my Nikon) from 2017 and picked out my top 20 favorites. The first ten are presented here and the second 10 will be in the “Best of 2017 Part 2” blog post.
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My top 20 photos from 2017 continued in Part 2.
In a January Fog
While not unheard of, foggy days in Edmonton are also not very common. This last weekend in Edmonton was however one of those times – a fog just heavy enough to hide the far side of the river valley and flatten out depth. The high humidly and sub-zero temperature resulted in a delightful, frosty coating on the trees.
Combining the fog, frost and late afternoon/early-evening light lead to these moody, black and white images:
Frosty Thorns
Poles in a Frosty Landscape
The Five
Three, with Frosty Wires
Rowland Bend
Usually Colorific, but Not This Time
Autumn is famous as the season of glorious displays of color, but that doesn’t have to be all that intrigues a photographer at this time of year. Here are some black and white images of what has caught my eye this early October:
Strong Verticals
Especially on a wet fall day the strong contrast of tree trunks makes for a dramatic image.
Near and Far
Wet Corner
Reaching Upward
The autumn season is also when the river is at its lowest level, exposing sandbar “beaches” not normally seen. And those beaches reveal some interesting forms, very suited to black and white (or mostly monochromatic) presentation:
Sandy Beach
Waves in the Sand
Under the Bridge
Verticals and Horizontals
The above photos were all taken October 1st and 2nd (2016), in the river valley in Edmonton, Canada.
Return From Whenever
It seems like a longtime since I’ve added a post to this blog and since I did any camera-motion abstract photography. Well today (Sunday, September 11, 2016) I did take my camera out, put on a neutral density filter and cranked the shutter speed down to 2 seconds. The day was cool, wet and gloomy but I imagined to find some color and these interesting images:
Chicken Scratch
Broken Spiral
Rosy Glow
Darkness in Light
Cherry Blossom
Paths – in Black and White
Here is a collection of photographs of paths, taken in Edmonton’s river valley and Mill Creek Ravine on 2016 April 9.
Path to the City
Pleasant Path
Light at the End of the Path
A Rooty Path
Bends Through the Spring Woods
Spring Arrives – in Black and White
Perhaps I should say “winter departs” – somehow spring doesn’t feel imminent until color returns to the landscape. While there was the bit of exposed green moss or grass and blue sky as I hiked Edmonton’s river valley, for the most part everything is a shade of grey or brown.
That said, here are 5 photos that “don’t need no stinking color” to look interesting:
Arrival
Ravine Path – Shady and Slippery
Slope and Sky
Nothing but Sticks
Spring Sky over a Late-winter Valley
These images were taken in Edmonton’s Dawson Park on 2016 March 25th.
Moodier in Black and White
Here are some photos taken on the same outing as my hike last Sunday in Edmonton’s Mill Creek Ravine – but taking out the color the images have a much moodier feel.
Spring Slope
Stairs and a Patch of Snow
Trunk on a Diagonal
All Quiet Under the Bridge
Tangled Slope
and as a bonus, a black and white image from beside the river in Edmonton’s Louise McKinney Park:
Promenade Beside the Ice
Spring Reflections
Technically it is late-winter, not quite spring yet, but the melting has begun, puddles formed and reflections are making for some interesting images:
Chains
Puddle and Path
Storyland Sky
Late Winter – Black and White
Here is a little collection of black and white photos themed around the patterns and textures of late winter (late February at my home here in Edmonton).
“Last Year’s Plume”
“Irregular Patchwork”
“Up”
“Ice and the Far Edge”
“Temporary Condition”
A few more photos from this photo shoot may be seen on another of my blogs: YEGmonton.
