Mountain Photography from Kimberley
Here are a collection of my favorite “arty” photographs taken at the Kimberley ski area in mid-February 2024:
Some interesting photos from the chair lift:
More images of trees and snow:
Rocky Mountain Beauty in Early-December
I recently visited the Sunshine Village ski area in the Rocky Mountains near Banff (Canada). I was struck by the beauty and here are some of the photos of the mountains, the infrastructure and activity, that I captured:
Landscapes of Early Spring
In this post I share some of my favorite nature/landscape photo images from late-March into early-April of 2022.
These images were captured in the North Saskatchewan River valley near the centre of the city of Edmonton in western Canada:
The following images are from early April, after most of the winter snow had melted
Seeing Winter in Different Ways
Here are a collection of some of my recent photos, of different winter subject matter and processed in different ways:
All of these images were taken in Dawson Park in Edmonton, Canada on 2022 February 11.
Walkin’ the Woods
Another autumn day, another stroll through the wooded trails in Edmonton’s river valley, photographing the colors and forms of nature:
2021 September 14
The Sun is Setting
Some images from a late-summer (early-September) evening walk in Edmonton’s river valley – the shadows are longer, the paths are a bit darker and moodier, the white poplar tree trunks seem to jump out of the darkness.
End of September Photos
Here are a selection of my favorite photos taken on September 30, 2018 in Edmonton’s river valley.
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
West Coast Trees (Painting Series)
In my previous blog post I shared a series of my landscape paintings of scenes from Canada’s west coast. Again, these were painted around 1992, in fact these paintings were intermingled with the more open coastal scenes done during the same period.
“Candles in the Rain”, acrylic on hardboard, 51 by 61 cm, 1992
“Red Trees”, acrylic on hardboard, 36 by 38 cm, 1992
“Red Path and Trees (study)”, acrylic on hardboard, 51 by 61 cm, 1992
“In the Darkness Grows”, acrylic on hardboard, 36 by 38 cm, 1992
“Together”, acrylic on canvas, 51 by 61 cm, 1992
West Coast (a Painting Series)
In around 1992 after visits to Canada’s west coast (particularly the Gulf Islands), I produced, perhaps my favorite series of paintings. This collection featured trees(and/or driftwood), shorelines and often active skies. My works at this time may show signs of influence from the paintings of Emily Carr.
“Bending to the Sky”, acrylic on hardboard, 61 by 61 cm, 1992
“Windswept”, acrylic on hardboard, 51 by 61 cm, 1992
“Red Leaning”, acrylic on hardboard, 12 by 15 cm, 1992
“Waiting on Island View Beach”, acrylic on canvas, 61 by 76 cm, 1992
“Turning Sky”, acrylic on canvas, 61 by 61 cm, 1992
The North (Painting Series)
In 2009, I painted a series inspired by a train trip from Toronto to Edmonton in December of 2008. The first day and a half of the trip covered southern and northern (northwest) Ontario (actually not very far north in terms of Canada’s geography but feeling very far removed compared to the Toronto region). I took many photos of the rugged terrain of the Canadian Shield to use as reference images for paintings. As a series this is one of my personal favorites. Here are the key works:
“Evening from the Canadian”, oil on canvas, 61 by 122 cm (24×48″), 2009
“Leaning”, oil on canvas, 41 by 41 cm (16×16″), 2009
“Northern Survivor”, oil on canvas, 51 by 76 cm (20 x 30″), 2009
“Winter Sunrise on the Rails”, oil on canvas, 61 by 61 cm (24 x 24″), 2009
“December Sunset (Northern Ontario)”, oil on canvas, 61 by 61 cm (24×24″), 2009
“Leaning II”, oil on canvas, 61 by 61 cm (24×24″), 2009
“Northern Sunset Over Unknown Lake”, oil on canvas, 61 by 91 cm (24×36″), 2009
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.
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.
Trees of Late-Winter
Here is a little collection of photos of trees, taken on the last day of winter (2016 March 19) in Edmonton.
Greenless Golden Path
Tangle to the Sky
Under the Spruce, Between the Fairways
Character Tree
Gnarled Trunk and Twiggy Shadows
Way Up
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
Snow and Shadows
A New Year’s Eve afternoon walk in Edmonton’s river valley revealed interesting patterns made by snow and ice, trees and the sun.
Blue Diagonals
Alien Icescape
Foot Paths
Tangled
Crystalline Edge
Trampled
Like Flakes
Nature Softened
Here are some recent abstract photos of natural subjects. The edges have been softened and blurred by varying amounts of camera movement during an extended exposure (a couple of seconds).
Landscape H
Modulation
Tree 16290
Dream Front
Landscape V
Spring Sneaks In (Part 2)
Here are some more photos from Edmonton’s river valley on the first weekend of April, showing the transition to spring.
For the eyes starved of color over the months of winter, the faint golden glow of the uncovered grasses and the rosy haze of the Dogwood twigs in the distance, is a feast for the eyes.
Snowy Path
Rosy Haze
Path to the Blue Forest
Subtle Color
Melting Path
Spring Sneaks In (Part 1)
As April arrives in this part of the world (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), spring continues its advance. Although it will be a good month longer until the bare trees will burst into leaf, the snow (even that which fell in the last week) is mostly melted and there is something in the air that warms the soul and brings a smile to my face.
Today while out walking in Edmonton’s river valley I caught these images, these hints of life to come:
Shrubs and Sticks
Path to Spring
Tracks in the Mud
Slow Spring
Spring Sky
Spirit of Spring Landscapes
As the snow quickly receded from the spring landscape this week, I strove to capture the essence of the season in photographs.
Dark Forest
Abstract Landscape 403-044
Spring Thaw
Before the Greening
White Woods
These photos were captured March 27th 2012 in Buena Vista Park in Edmonton using a neutral density filter, a 2-second exposure and various intentional camera motion during the exposure. These images are part of my collection of reference photos for an abstract painting series.
Trees, Snow and Ice – Mid-February Black and White
This past week (middle of February 2012) I have been drawn back to black and white nature photos as I wandered the ravines and river valley in Edmonton. Here are five of my favorite images:
Tall and Bare
Fallen Logs Across the Creek
Black and White Trunks
Shadows Across Frozen Creek
Against the Sun
Do you have a favorite amongst these image? If so, which one and why?
Northern Winter (Black and White, Part 2)
A continuation of an earlier post sharing some black and white landscape photos taken in January/February 2012 in the Edmonton river valley
Open Water and Ducks
Blue on Blue in Black and White
Stairs in the Valley
Grasses, Trees and a Cloud
Beautiful Trail
Winter – Naturally Black and White
Of course there can be color in the winter landscape, you just might have to look a little harder for it. In this post though don’t strain yourself looking for color as I am featuring 5 black and white photos. Although there has not been a lot of snow in Edmonton in this winter of 2011/12 there has still been enough to keep the ground basically white. On the day I took these images the sun was out and the sky was deep blue – which with a color filter in the black and white conversion, yielded a deep dark sky on some images.
Packed Snow Field
Two and the Forest
Lichen
Reach to the Sky
Frozen Bend in the River
Technical Notes: The photos in this group were all taken in the early afternoon on January 7th, 2012, near Laurier Park in Edmonton. I used a Nikon D80 with a 18-55 lens and a polarizing filter. Post processing including conversion to black and white was done with the Capture NX2 software.
It’s All in the Wrist
I frequently have been achieving “painterly”, abstract effects on my photos through the use of intentional camera motion. By using a neutral density filter I am able to shoot at a 2 to 4 second shutter speed which allows me plenty of time to move the camera about, effectively painting with the available light upon my camera sensor. In general the effect is to soften edges and blur the image but depending on the type of motion, different results can be achieved.
Here was the basic scene (i.e regular shutter speed, no motion) that I used for the following demonstration:
Woods in Winter (normal exposure)
In this next image of the same scene I used a 4-second exposure and moved the camera vertically – more like tipping it forward and back using my wrists. This type of motion tends to preserve the vertical elements of the picture, such as tree trunks.
Woods in Winter (Abstraction I)
In this second image (again a 4 second exposure) I moved the camera rapidly in a horizontal fashion throughout the exposure. The effect is to soften, to blur those vertical edges. If there were a strong horizontal element it would of course have been reinforced. I like this motion for a landscape with a definite horizon line.
Woods in Winter (Abstraction II)
In this final variation I incorporated both vertical and horizontal motion – rapidly moving the camera back and forth horizontally for a couple of seconds, then moving it up and down for the last two seconds. The edges are soft and I like the grid like texture that results
Woods in Winter (Abstraction III)
Another of my standard “tricks”/requirements with these long exposures with camera motion is to increase the contrast and color saturation during post processing. Here, for example is tha last image straight out of the camera:
Woods in Winter (Abstraction III - un processed)
Randall Talbot - Artist 