Details on the Last Days of Winter

Bubbles Beneath Ice

After a week of very warm weather in south-central Ontario much of the season’s snow accumulation has melted. This thawing resulted in the drainage ditches around my home taking on a resemblance to flowing rivers. As the water level in the ditches subsided the temperatures also began to drop again. This change in the weather pattern caused the surfaces of the water in the ditch to freeze while the water flowed away beneath the ice. What remained was a paper thin, extremely fragile layer of ice that presented a multitude of patterns and designs in the frozen surface. Using my Laowa 100mm 2X Ultra-Macro Lens I spent the better part of two hours exploring these intricate designs. The day was bright with clear blue skies, therefore, I deployed my coat to cast a shadow over some of the scenes, which resulted in a blue cast from the clear skies above. On the images where I opted not to use my coat to shade the designs the images took on a natural black and white feel.

This blog post features images captured during my adventures in the roadside ditch 🙂

Ice Details

Ice Details

Ice Details

Ice Details

Ice Details

Ice Details

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Muskoka Winter Waterfall Workshop Round-up

The 3rd Annual Muskoka Winter Waterfall Spectacular Photographic Workshop wrapped up today. This year we were blessed with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark with no wind whatsoever. It was quite lovely to be able to photograph without the constant need for gloves to keep fingertips warm. We also had mostly overcast conditions which is the best light of all for photographing the woodland waterfalls we were visiting. A relatively shallow bed of snow also made for mostly easy walking along the trails, although the mild weather did create a few sections where we had to be careful of slip and fall due to icy sections. Nonetheless, we succeeded in completing our visits without incident. I always recommend to folks to bring along crampons for added traction along trails that may have icy sections.

Below is a selection of imagery created at each of our stops on this one-of-a-kind workshop in Ontario’s Muskoka region. I used a variety of lenses from my trusty Laowa 12mm Zero D lens, to my Nikkor 28-300mm lens, and also my Nikkor 200-500mm lens, which is very useful for reaching out into rivers to capture icy details on exposed rocks and such. My filter choices for the vast majority of all my winter photography are those created by Singh Ray Filters and my go to filter choices are neutral polarizers and neutral density filters.

Folks that may be interested in attending the 4th Annual Muskoka Winter Waterfall Spectacular Workshop or any other events that I have or will announce this year can contact me by clicking here to be added to my workshop contact list 🙂

Potts Creek in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

 

Skeleton Falls Details in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

 

Skeleton Falls in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

 

Rosseau River in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

 

Potts Creek Details in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

 

Little High Falls in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

 

Rosseau River in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

 

Skeleton Falls in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

 

Rosseau River Details in Winter, Muskoka, Ontario

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An Early Christmas Present

Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) in tree with cached Meadow Vole, Ontario, Canada

On the morning of December 19th fellow photographer and friend Don Johnston and myself made an early morning trip to a location, near my home, with an over-wintering Northern hawk Owl. It was a bitterly cold morning with temperatures hovering around -21 degrees Celsius. Upon our arrival the owl was sitting high in a tree with no possibility for any successful imagery. We set-up near a small tree along one of the roads to keep an eye on the owl’s movements and chatted while drinking our coffees to stay warm. Soon the forecasted snow flurries began with large fluffy flakes falling. After waiting for over an hour the owl decided to leave its perch high in the tree and descend to a lower perch, which just so happened to be in the tree we were standing in close proximity too. This tree, unknown to us held a previously cached Meadow Vole. Northern Hawk Owls are known for hunting and caching their kills in the crooks of branches, behind tree bark, and even burying them in the snow. They can reserve precious energy this way by returning to cached prey to feed, rather than to go on the hunt again. The owl remained in the tree for about 10 minutes allowing us a wonderful opportunity to capture numerous horizontal and vertical poses amid the beautiful falling snow. Indeed it felt like an early Christmas present 🙂

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Lake Superior Trip Report

Sunset on Lake Superior, Wawa, Ontario

From October 23rd to November 3rd I was in Ontario’s far north on the shore of Lake Superior teaching two back to back landscape photography workshops. Lake Superior with a doubt provides landscape photographers with the most scenic vistas in Ontario. It is very easy to see what the area caught the eye of the Group of Seven. During this year’s trip we were blessed with inclement weather which saw large waves rolling into the rugged coast, providing us with some very dramatic imagery. We were even rewarded with an early dusting of snow one morning which added further interest to the already impressive landscape.

In between the two workshops I had two half days and two full days off so I decided to venture further north to the area around Marathon, Ontario to explore one of my most favourite parks in Ontario – Pukaskwa National Park. I was also able to locate a specific waterfall along Mink Creek that I had tried to find on numerous previous trips.

Today’s post features a selection of imagery from both landscape photography workshops and my two solo days further afield. I am hard at work putting the finishing touches on the 2020 Lake Superior event and will announce it in the near future. To be added to the contact list please do reach out to me by clicking here.

Daybreak on Lake Superior, Wawa, Ontario

 

Approaching Storm on Lake Superior, Wawa, Ontario

 

Lake Superior, Wawa, Ontario

 

Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario

 

Mink Falls, Marathon, Ontario

 

Agawa Bay, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario

 

Agawa Rock, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario

 

Early Snow on Lake Superior, Wawa, Ontario

 

Lake Superior at Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario

 

Lake Superior at Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario

 

Lake Superior at Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario

 

In-Camera Birch Forest Blur, Ontario

Sandy Beach on Lake Superior, Wawa, Ontario

 

Catfish Creek, Ontario

 

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Announcing: The Muskoka Winter Waterfall Spectacular Photographic Workshop

oin Andrew McLachlan in Ontario’s Muskoka District on January 3, 4, & 5 2020 for one full day and two half days of in-depth photographic exploration of the finest waterfalls in the region. Embrace the beauty of Muskoka this winter and learn the skills of landscape photography amid a winter wonderland of snow clad, iconic white pines and the intricate ice formations that adorn the waterfalls and rivers.

This workshop will require the ability to walk approximately 1 kilometre over uneven, snow-covered terrain. I do recommend the use of crampons on this workshop for the added safety they provide against slip and fall incidents if conditions should be icy.

I recommend that participants book their accommodations with the Sleep Inn in Bracebridge as they serve a continental breakfast. Please contact me prior to booking rooms for instructions on special rate.

This event will run, rain, snow, or sun.

Maximum number of participants is 10.

Itinerary:

Friday January 3:

• Meet at 2:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Sleep Inn, Bracebridge and carpool to photo session at area waterfall

• Dinner (on your own)

• Optional night photography session at Bracebridge Falls as it is lit with flood lights

Saturday January 4:

• Meet in the parking lot of the Sleep Inn, Bracebridge at 7:00 a.m. and carpool to waterfalls for photo sessions

• Stop for lunch (on your own) at approximately 1:00 p.m.

• Visit additional waterfalls for photo sessions

• Dinner at local restaurant at 7:00 p.m.

• Get some rested for early start on Sunday

Sunday January 5:

• Meet in the parking lot of the Sleep Inn, Bracebridge at 7:00 a.m. and carpool to waterfalls for photo sessions

• Stop for lunch (on your own) 1:00 p.m.

• Depart for home

What’s Included:

• In-depth photographic instruction during each photo sessions with LCD review

• Saturday dinner at nearby restaurant

What’s Not Included:

• Accommodations (numerous options available… I will be staying at the Sleep Inn)

• Transportation (car pooling of participants is encouraged)

• Friday night dinner

• Breakfast (The Sleep Inn serves a continental breakfast)

• Alcoholic Beverages

Workshop Fee:

335.00 CDN plus taxes

Payment can be made via email transfer or by cheque.

To reserve your spot in the Muskoka Winter Waterfall Spectacular please contact me by clicking here to arrange payment.

Cancellation Policy:

No Refunds.

Check your schedule carefully prior to booking.

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Highly Honored Achievement: The Nature’s Best Photography 2019 Windland Smith Rice International Awards

I am pleased to announce that today’s image of newly formed ice crystals photographed on the shore of Ontario’s Georgian Bay last winter has been awarded a Highly Honored designation in the Nature’s Best Photography 2019 Windland Smith Rice International Awards.

This prestigious competition received nearly 25,000 images from photographers in 63 countries. Approximately 1,200 photos made it into the semi-final round of judging to isolate the 123 finalists. The complete collection of awarded images will be published in the 2019 Fall/Winter Special Awards Edition of Nature’s Best Photography magazine. The Category Winners and numerous Highly Honored images will also appear in the Awards exhibition to be displayed at the Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.

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In the Land of Ice and Snow

The Niagara Escarpment at Georgian Bay on Bruce Peninsula National Park

Recently I accompanied a couple of past workshop participants an outing to Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula, which was well planned as the wintry scenes will come to an abrupt end with the onset of warmer, rainy weather forecasted for this week.

The Bruce Peninsula lies between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. A section of the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere, also runs along the Bruce Peninsula. The Niagara Escarpment is known for stunning limestone cliffs and outcrops as well as being home to eastern North America’s oldest trees and forest ecosystem. In winter this region takes on an incredible transformation as the cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment are adorned with massive amounts of ice. There are several caves along the base of the cliffs that are only accessible when Georgian Bay freezes over. The interiors of these caves are  incredible to explore as well, especially with a wide angle lens.

The Niagara Escarpment at Georgian Bay on Bruce Peninsula National Park

My choice of lens to use on this trip turned out to be the amazingly wide and razor sharp Laowa 12mm Zero D Lens on my Nikon D800. The close focusing capabilities of this lens easily allowed me to capture all the amazing icy details in the foregrounds, yet take in the grand landscape before me. The Laowa 12mm Zero D Lens was also extremely useful when entering the small caves along the base of the cliffs as I was easily able to capture a significant portion of the cave’s interior details while peering out through the cave openings.

The Niagara Escarpment at Georgian Bay on Bruce Peninsula National Park

All in all the outing to this area was short. We spent a mere 4 hours photographing the wintry details of the Georgian Bay coast. We had hoped for another opportunity on Sunday, but our plans were thwarted by significant winds and rain. Nonetheless, I created some of my personal best winter landscape imagery on the outing.

The Niagara Escarpment at Georgian Bay on Bruce Peninsula National Park

I was so impressed with the winter landscape opportunities along the Georgian bay coast in Bruce Peninsula National Park that I may offer a winter landscape photography workshop to this region in 2020. Folks that may be interested in such an event should contact me by clicking here to be added to my workshop email contact list.

The Niagara Escarpment at Georgian Bay on Bruce Peninsula National Park

 

The Niagara Escarpment at Georgian Bay on Bruce Peninsula National Park

 

 

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2nd Annual Muskoka Winter Waterfall Spectacular Photographic Workshop Wrap-up

Hatchery Falls on the Skeleton River, Rosseau, Ontario

The 2nd Annual Muskoka Winter Waterfall Spectacular Photographic Workshop wrapped up on Sunday February 10th around 12:00 noon. We began the workshop on Friday February 8th at 1:00 pm after driving through a wicked snow squall in Bracebridge, Ontario with near zero visibility. The snow squall left about 6-8 inches of fresh snow on the ground and coated the surrounding forests with a lovely dusting of snow – a perfect winter wonderland was created for photographing throughout the course of the weekend event.

We had four fabulous and talented participants of which three were repeat clients.

We began with a glorious morning at Hatchery Falls near Rosseau, Ontario. As the sun began to rise it cast beautiful soft light on the distant forest behind the Skeleton River, as can be seen in the opening image. It would appear that this waterfall has been visited very seldom this year as we had to blaze a trail through significant snow depth on the ground, but it was worth the extra effort.

Potts Creek, Bracebridge, Ontario

We made two trips into Little High Falls on Potts Creek. The first trip in was on Friday afternoon, followed by a second trip on the Sunday morning. Both days were equally good, but totally different. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly waterfalls and rivers can change during the winter months when ice formations take on new shapes overnight. A light dusting of snow on Sunday morning help to accentuate openings in the thin sheets of ice that had formed on Potts Creek overnight. This can be seen in the above image and two images below.

Potts Creek, Bracebridge, Ontario

 

Winter River Details, Bracebridge, Ontario

 

Potts Creek, Bracebridge, Ontario

During brief breaks in Friday afternoon’s intense snow squalls the fresh fallen snow created beautiful clean winter scenics.

My choice of gear for this trip was kept rather simple. As usual my Laowa 12mm Zero D lens was given a workout. The Nikkor 28-300mm lens was a close second as it is such a versatile lens and great for capturing icy details along the river. When I needed focal lengths in between the 12mm and the 28-300mm lenses I worked with the Nikkor 18-35mm lens. Every image was photographed using a polarizing filter to help reduce or eliminate glare from the scene. Do note that I said “reduce or eliminate” as not every scene will warrant full polarization. There are times when a bit of glare can be used for creative effect within the composition.

Little High Falls, Bracebridge, Ontario

On Saturday afternoon we trekked into Skeleton Falls through 3 feet of snow until we reached the forest where the snow on the ground was much easier to walk through as we made our way down the forested slope to the river.

Winter Details on the Skeleton River, Rosseau, Ontario

 

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Snow Days

Snowy Owl in Flight (Nikon D500 & Nikon 200-500mm Lens)

Over the last couple of days we have received several inches of heavy, wet snow around my home, which has coated the trees and turned the area into a lovely, winter wonderland. I was excited to get out and explore the surrounding farmland near my home for scenics as well as snowy owls. Every year several snowy owls over-winter on the farmland around my home. They gather to feast on mice and meadow voles that are scavenging the soy beans and corn that is spilled during harvest. Pictured above is the only image I have been able to create of a snowy owl so far this year. I do like the over-the-shoulder stare that the owl is giving me as it flies out over one of the fields.

Pictured below are a few of the scenic images that were created during my search for the snowy owls.  My choice of lenses for these images was the Nikon 200-500mm lens or the Nikon 28-300mm lens on either my Nikon D500 or Nikon D800 body.

Winter Tree in Snow Storm (Nikon D500 & Nikon 200-500mm Lens)

 

Winter Farm Scenic (Nikon D800 & Nikon 28-300mm Lens)

 

Winter Tree (Nikon D500 & Nikon 200-500mm Lens)

Winter Trees (Nikon D500 & Nikon 200-500mm Lens)

Winter Trees (Nikon D500 & Nikon 200-500mm Lens)

 

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Siena International Photo Awards – Honourable Mention

Snowy Owl in a near blinding blizzard near Thornton, Ontario, Canada.

 

I am pleased to announce that my Snowy Owl image has been awarded an Honourable Mention in the “Animals In Their Environment” category of the 2018 Siena International Photo Awards, which received the highest international participation ever with close to 48.000 images submitted from amateur and professional photographers from 156 countries worldwide.

To view the gallery of amazing and inspiring, winning images please click here.

I am always fond of creating animate landscape imagery. When I discovered this Snowy Owl roosting on the ground, in a field near my home, during a near blinding snow blizzard I immediately chose to create this small in the frame image of the owl within its habitat during the inclement weather.

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