Georgian Bay Rugged Hiking Trail

Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm @ 35 mm, ISO 100, f16 @ 2.5 seconds, Singh - Ray 3 - stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter

One of my most favorite trails for landscape photography is the Georgian Bay Rugged Hiking Trail located in the town of Parry Sound, Ontario. The trail head can be found at the salt docks. This is a 5km linear trail that offers stunning scenery with each step forward along the rugged granite coastline. I am currently up on Horseshoe Lake and am planning another hike along the trail this week. The image featured in today’s post was created three weeks ago. The hike was rather difficult as I made my way out to this spot very carefully during a severe flare up of lower back pain – no pain no gain they say 🙂  All I took with me for the hike to ensure the lightest load possible was my tripod, camera body, one lens, and my trusty, never leave home without it, Singh-Ray 3-stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter. Now that my back pain has subsided I am good as new and ready for a longer hike along the trail.

Please do click on the image to see the larger sharper version.

Read Full Post »

Recent Edits

Georgian Bay Rugged Hiking Trail in Autumn
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 22mm ISO 50, f16 @ 1.3 sec.

Sorry for my absenteeism during the month of January folks, but it was a rather hectic month. I am still quite busy moving into February as I work towards finishing up various projects and submissions to clients before heading to Cayman Brac in early March, not too mention getting my BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year entries prepared and submitted before the contest deadline on February 18th.

Here are three recent edits that I thought I would share with you. Each of these images were created during 2014. The two scenes from Georgian Bay were captured along the Georgian Bay Rugged Hiking Trail in Parry Sound, Ontario during what was a rather windy and stormy evening, which worked out very well for the rugged terrain along the Georgian Bay coast. I am hoping to make a trip to this location later this winter for a round of winter landscapes. The Bullfrog image was created from my canoe in the wetland on Horseshoe Lake at dusk when the Bullfrogs tend to become more active and thus easier to locate.

Please click on each image to see the larger, sharper version.

Bullfrog
Nikon D800, Nikon 105mm Micro Lens, ISO 3200 f18 @ 1/80 sec. Handheld

Georgian Bay at Sunset
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 18mm, ISO 400, f16 @ 5 sec. Singh-Ray 3-stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter

Read Full Post »

Artistic Renderings from Muskoka

Georgian Bay Rugged Hiking Trail, Parry Sound, Ontario

I have been busy preparing for an upcoming presentation for The Trillium Photographic Club, which will be held on Tuesday November 11th at 7:30 p.m. at the East Plains United Church, Peart Hall located at 375 Plains Road East in  Burlington, Ontario. The cost to non-members to attend the presentation is $5. Also note that my eBook ‘A Photographer’s Guide to the Ontario Landscape‘ which is the only extensive resource for landscape photography in Ontario, will be available for purchase at a reduced presentation special of $20.

Above is a B&W conversion of an earlier posted image that I created on the Georgian Bay Rugged Hiking Trail with a Sigma Fisheye lens. And below is a B&W conversion of a fisheye view of Hatchery Falls in Ontario’s Muskoka Region, which was also featured in day one of my entries to the Five Day Black and White Challenge on Facebook. To connect with me on Facebook please click here.

Hatchery Falls on the Skeleton River, Muskoka, Ontario

And for stunning autumn color I could not resist the temptation to create an artistic rendering using Topaz Labs Simplify plug-in for Adobe Photoshop for a woodland seen from Muskoka, Ontario which is famous for it’s impressive displays of fall color.

Muskoka Woodland in Autumn – Topaz Simplify

I have also been enjoying experimenting with the new Photoshop plug-in available from Topaz Labs – Impression. I just love the painterly effects that can be created and artistic renderings I am able to create with the software. Below are a few of my first creations.

Please do click on each image to view the larger, sharper version.

Hatchery Falls – Topaz Impression

Rusty Old Wreck – Topaz Impression

The Three Amigos – Topaz Impression

Read Full Post »