A Photo Walkabout – A Low Cost Method

A few days ago I was walking around downtown during my regular routine of getting out at noon hour and enjoying some fresh (relative) air to that of the office environment. The city of Ottawa is quite fortunate in that since it is the capitol of Canada there is a large amount of greenery through the downtown core.

This year we did not have our first frost until the end of Oct and therefore, while the maples had all lost their leaves, (they seem to be on their regular schedule for colour) the other trees such as elms and willow were much later with their leaves turning yellow.

When I returned to the office I wished that I had brought my camera with me. It was a bright sunny day and now with the sun a little lower on the horizon the yellow leaves seemed to glow, even though it was at noon hour and the shadows were now longer.

I then realized that I did have a camera with me, as I had previously bought a Sony Ericson K790 that includes a Sony Cyber shot 3.2 Megapixel camera with auto focus.

It’s amazing how at times we seem to get set in our preferred methods and forget how useful improvisation can be.

I decided that the next day, I would take a similar route and shoot only with the cell-phone camera during my stroll.






I liked how the brightness of the yellow leaves contrasted with the colder blue shadows on the concrete terrace and walls. In this image your eye is first drawn to the brilliance of the leaves and then moves downward on right to the yellow flowers in the pot and then to the person sitting on the bench. The stone triangular rock helps to move your focus back up to the yellow canopy. There are many places in the image where the colour yellow is kept as the dominant theme.

It is hard to believe that you can find such tranquil forest like setting in an urban environment.





With the wide-angle lens in the cell-phone and standing further along the street in order to remove the street post, it becomes tricky to get the perspective perfect. I kept the main horizontal line of the building level and let the remainder lines fall where they may. In this image I used the 2 smaller yellow shrubs to both compliment the colours and provide a visual route around the photo as we travel back up the dark tree trunk and branches. I also like how the blue reflection in windows provides the contrasting colour to yellow.






In this scene, the 2 small trees and the dark bottom frame of the skylight and far building create a frame around the reflection of the green copper roof in the glass. The 2 other clusters of green leaves helps to create the compositional element of 3 to anchor the image. The analogous colours of the yellow leaves, the browns of building and tree branches and also orange in the rust all re-enforce each other.






The copper clad building panels have a bluish tint because they are in the shade and pickling up the colour of the clear blue sky and this is used as the complementary colour of the yellow flowers to add dynamic contrast.







The red-orange leaves on this tree become more intense when contrasted with the colours of green from the other shrubs and the blue green reflections in the glass panels. The vertical line on the right, along with the evergreen topiary and then the walkway light helps to create the visual movement around the image. The image was cropped on the right to remove the distracting streetscape.























I like this image because of the strong opposing colours of red and green and the fact that each colour is contained within a specific grid and almost divides the image in two. Due to parked cars and road traffic it is not always possible to get just the right angle to crop distraction out.






















Sometimes the local businesses provide good ready-made graphic patterns that are almost begging to be photographed.


I cannot emphasize enough that take whatever camera you have access to and take it often with you and capture images as soon as your eye catches a glimpse of something interesting. Don’t wait for the perfect shot as these you may already have, after a re-visitation to what you have already created.



Niels Henriksen

A Photographer’s Adage

I prowled the streets all day, feeling very strung up and ready to pounce, determined to 'trap' life - to preserve life in the act of living. Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes. -Henri Cartier-Bresson

Fall Colours Up Close and Personal

Last week’s blog dealt with the fall colours on a broader landscape palette, which is how we normally think about fall scenes with its broad expanse and vista of brilliant colours.


There is, just at your doorstep, another set of artist colours to be gathered and painted by the camera.

With landscapes we normally think it is all about Location, L… , as the famous real estate saying goes. With close-up photography the analogy is somewhat the same but it is more about position, position and once again position.

You do not need to trek great distances to find great subjects. Many times these can be gathered in the backyard or near by fields. Depending on the subject you need to position yourself so that the way the light is striking the image best enhances the colourful details or you need to position yourself around the object to find the best background to highlight the and complement subjject.


The image below is fall leaf that is just slightly underwater in a gently moving stream. The slight current and ripples are causing the abstract texture in the object. A polarizer is a definite benefit to remove the sky reflections and bring forth the colours underwater.








In fact for fall colours a polarizer is almost a necessary tool to remove any glare of the leaves.

Even an ordinary weed with just the right background can create a captivating image.

In the photo below I moved around until I found a vibrant colorful background and then used a shallow DOF to ensure that this background was well blurred that almost creates an aurora borealis effect of colour. The background pattern creates a similar hanging downward effect to compliment the flower clusters.









Sometimes even a singular well-textured and abused leaf can create a compelling image. In this image the colours of the tree bark (blue and red tints) is complemented by the bokeh colours of the background, but out-of-focus bark keeps our attention on the leaf.






There is nothing quite a grand as a strong fall reflection in a sunlit still pond. I used the weeds that were in the shadow and the tree truck reflections to frame the image and provide for eye movement around the scene.





















Niels Henriksen



A Photographer's Adage

Color is very much about atmosphere and emotion and the feel of a place. -Alex Webb

The Colours of Fall on the Landscape

This week’s blog deals with the wonderful and exciting colours that paint the landscape during the special 2 week period of Fall, at least for those who will also soon experience of the white of winter.


This image was taken just as the sun was coming up over the horizon on an early thinly frozen pond. The early morning light has caused the rocks to have a bluish tint which compliments the reds and oranges. One day I may decide to clone out the distracting hoar frost which is just catching the sunlight using a upside image.















This scene is captured during the early morning light as the overnight fog is just starting to lift on the river.














The darker pine boughs frame the fall foliage and create an abstract pattern of colour and kight.















In late evening the golden glow of the sun is helping to add a yellow vibrancy to all the leaves on the trees.










In this image the spectacular colours of the leaves in sunlight are bursting through the a whole in the canopy of the forest.



















Niels Henriksen



A Photographer's Adage

A painter works with color as the medium, a photographer works with light. -Carlotta M. Corpron

Perth on the Tay River

Last week as I was heading out to the ghost town of Balaclava (pervious post), I decided also to drive by the town of Perth since it was somewhat in the general direction I was heading.

Perth is a very picturesque town about 75 km west of Ottawa that has a small meandering river winding through the town. Perth has become an artistic and retirement community and also a tourist destination with its many craft shops and restaurants

I was hoping that the fall colours would be at their peak but this was not the case. Most of the maples were in brilliant plumage but many of the other trees, which add the many hues of yellow, were still in the finest green with just a hint of yellow on their fringes.

In one of the parks along the river, this one behind city hall, there was a group of ornamental grasses that I managed to position in front of a colourful orange maple. A shallow DOF keeps the background colours.

















In a corner of the same park along the river I saw this perfect tranquil setting with a picnic table under a larger willow tree. It just seems to call you to sit, ponder and reflect on the rich and colourful world we live in or to enjoy reading a great novel in the warm morning sun.







In another park I was able to look up the river towards the central areas of the town and capture the river winding around the buildings surrounded by a canopy of trees.

I can definitely see why this has become such a popular retirement location.


















Earlier in the summer in a pervious visit (I do like dropping by), I captured this image which I think clearly demonstrates the tranquility and beautiful vistas of this town.

Here we have a couple sitting on the bench and starting to share a lunch while this magnificent panorama unfolds before them.
















One final parting image, I couldn’t resist the contrast of the brightly lit ornamental grass against the old stone wall.




If you have a chance, do take the time to drive to Perth and enjoy some the local and fine hospitality of this interesting town with a river winding through it.




Niels Henriksen




A Photographer's Adage


Seeing, in the finest and broadest sense, means using your senses, you intellect, and your emotions. It means encountering your subject matter with your whole being. It means looking beyond the labels of things and discovering the remarkable world around you. -Freeman Patterson, "Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Patterson , ISBN: 1550130994 . (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1979), page: 7

Balaclava an Ontario Ghost Town

After reading an article several years ago in the local newspaper about ghost towns in Ontario I have always wanted to go visit some of these old towns and see what photographs I could get. Many of the old ghost towns found in eastern Ontario are today, no more than a few rock outcroppings on farmer fields. One town, Balaclava is more reminiscent of our typical perception of how a ghost town should look.

There is a water-powered sawmill along Constant creek and a few other abandoned buildings along the windy road. Balaclava is only a few kms north of Dacre and about 100km MW of Ottawa.

The dammed up creek fed power to the old sawmill, which was founded in 1855. A fire destroyed the mill in 1936 and was subsequently rebuilt and later abandoned in 1967 when it was no longer profitable to operate the mill. The store continued into the mid 70s.

As you approach the town there is one large 3 storey abandoned sawmill and a dammed up creek forming a small lake on the other side of the road. A little further along there are few boarded up building one being a store the other side of the road. I am showing some images that are from a different view than those normally found on the ghost town web sites.






This is part of the old sawmill looking down from the road. Much of the siding has been removed, I suppose by locals cashing in when there was a barn board craze for remodeling.







On the other side of the mill where the creek both runs underneath and beside the mill are several fallen logs across the creek, which covered, in colourful moss and lichen.


















This is also on the creek side of the building and I guess it was too dangerous for the locals to remove the barn boards as was done on the other side.













From behind the mill there is a large stone chimney about 60 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

















This is one of the buildings on the other side of the road.














Back up on the dammed part of the river there is an old collapsed boat house.





Niels Henriksen

A Photographer’s Adage

The photograph isolates and perpetuates a moment of time: an important and revealing moment, or an unimportant and meaningless one, depending upon the photographer's understanding of his subject and mastery of his process. -Edward Weston

A Walkabout with a Camera

There are certain expressions from other countries, I being from Canada, that I just enjoy. The Australians have many unique words and one of these is “a walkabout” which just suits perfectly as a photographic creative technique.

Trying to expand your photographic style or shooting modes can be challenging at times. It is only when I enter the unknown that both my technical and compositional skills will improve. I may not always be able to capture stunning shots, but I do learn from these endeavours.

Taking a walkabout either in city neighbourhood or within a specific landscape locale, with the specific goal of shooting at least dozen shots no matter what you encounter, is just plain good for the creative soul.

These image are from the downtown area of Ottawa and a little towards the canal where homes can be found.

I just love the graphic lines created by this building. In the full size image it is easier to make out the brick details on the dark sides.









Since this was early afternoon and with a bright sky it was difficult to capture the full tonal range in one image I therefore used a High Dynamic Range (HDR) technique to blend 2 shots together to create the final image. One for the highlights and the other to bring out the shadows. This was actually done in RAW mode where I adjusted the exposure for each as I was able to recover these extreme end ranges.



Below is the mask used to blend images together.







Below is a detailed crop of the brick work, with the blue of the sky refelcted on some bricks. The detail shows up in the print (15x10") but it is hard to see on web sized image.



















The image below, as with a lot of large cities now, shows an older church being engulfed by the tall skyscrapers.

I decided to create a fall scene by use of selective colour changes. Not really sure which image I like better.


















The door image is from a store just as you are entering the Chinese section of town. It is great to people who are not afraid of bold colours as this gives you interesting photo opportunities.


















Along the walkabout I came across a vine covered wall with a small window. What caught my eye, was the varied reflections in the diagonal window panes and the slight tonal shifts in the green of the ivy.


















When looking at the next shot it is hard to believe that this is in the heart of a 1 million person city as it seems to convey a tranquil rural setting where you can sit on the porch with your pets and peruse the country side.




















Niels Henriksen



A Photographer's Adage


There is no art which affords less opportunity to execute expression than photography. Everything is concentrated in a few seconds, when after perhaps an hours seeking, waiting, and hesitation, the photographer sees the realization of his inward vision, and in that moment he has one advantage over most arts - his medium is swift enough to record his momentary inspiration. Right at the start I must confess that I have never met such a spontaneity of judgment in a man, who was a competent character reader, artist, and photographer in one person. -Sadakichi Hartmann

Reversing a 50mm lens for Macro work

I have a special fondness for the abstract and sometimes subtle tones created by macro photographs. Good macro lens can be expensive and if you have a good quality 50mm lens then by purchasing a reversing ring the lens can be used for macro photography by connecting the lens on backwards.


A reversing ring connects to the front of the lens were the filter normally goes and the other end of the ring has the appropriate adapter connection for the specific camera model.


In the photo below I like how the collection of petals creates an effect of waves crashing on a shore. I reduced the contrast to keep the image soft and flowing.





A reversed 50mm lens provides greater than 1:1 magnification but also requires you to be very close to the subject about ½ an inch. These types of macros are best suited to a studio type setup where you have better control of the environment than in the field.


This is a photo of Queens Anne Lace, a common weed, that I had placed in front of some red flowers to complement the green in the stalks.






It is very difficult because the very narrow DOF to either move the camera on a tripod or the subject for focus and I recommend that a focusing rail be used, which provides a dial to finely tune the focus distance.


These are the flower heads that were used for the background in the Queens Anne Lace image above.













A reversed lens does not provide any coupling information to camera and therefore you must manually adjust the f-stop ring for depth of Field and use the ev scale to adjust for proper exposure. The use of the histogram also helps to fine tune the tonal range.


These are the same flowers as above but are a slight variant and they both produce colourful dense flower head late summer and into fall.













The self-timer is also recommended to reduce any camera shake.


This is a tiny rose bud about an inch high just opening up.



















Niels Henriksen

A Photographer’s Adage

The second, third and fourth time you photograph something will produce more refined composition than the first time. These may or not be better photographs. You will never know, however, unless you make the second, third and fourth photographs. (Lens Work Issue #50 - anonymous)

Experimenting at the Experimental Farm

Normally my photography, when it comes to flowers, tends to be close-ups and macro shots. I like being able to isolate singular elements and with a shallow DOF I can get beautiful soft a colourful mosaic background patterns to complement the photo element.

The Experimental Farm in Ottawa has some very lovely flower gardens that provide unique and changing opportunities thought out the seasons to capture some of nature’s best without having you having to toil in the garden.

This time I wanted to change my approach somewhat and see if I could find lager areas that would lend then selves to some interesting compositions and also to try different approaches to composition.

In this first photo I wanted to capture the exquisite sea of yellow and at the same time have some visual anchors for interest.












I used the 2 main flower groups to give focus and provide for eye movement as you go up one side and down the other. When shooting bright saturated colours with digital cameras even when the histogram (luminous channel) shows no blown highlights there is still a tendency to clip one of the RGB channels. I always underexpose by 1/3 to ½ stop to make sure I have all the detail.

Even without the reduction in exposure these almost monochromic saturated colours tend to appear a little dark on the screen and not as vivid and bright as I remember. I apply a generous curve enhancement to lighten the mid-tones to give the image more visual punch, as with these image, high contrast is not a critical element.










I used the 2 main flower groups to give focus and provide for eye movement as you go up one side and down the other. When shooting bright saturated colours with digital cameras even when the histogram (luminous channel) shows no blown highlights there is still a tendency to clip one of the RGB channels. I always underexpose by 1/3 to ½ stop to make sure I have all the detail.

Even without the reduction in exposure these almost monochromic saturated colours tend to appear a little dark on the screen and not as vivid and bright as I remember. I apply a generous curve enhancement to lighten the mid-tones to give the image more visual punch, as with these image, high contrast is not a critical element.


















With the ornamental grasses I was trying to convey movement, which can be hard for a still photo. If everything is blurred because of movement and slower shutter speeds it becomes hard to find interesting focal elements. With fast speeds all become pin sharp but movement harder to detect.

In the above photo I used a shallower DOF to give the back grasses some blur and the appearance of movement and waited for the front grasses to be bent over to help support perception of wind.















But as always I cannot resist reverting sometime back to the close-up elements when you are surrounded but all the wonderful background colours.



Niels Henriksen



A Photographer’s Adage

The ongoing lengthily discussions between, which lenses, digital or film cameras, digital sensors, camera models or any kind of technology is almost a complete misuse of time. The perception that better technology will make better photographs is akin to saying bigger and faster cars make better drivers. Better photographers make better photographs. Technology and equipment is not the solution to producing great works of art, but with skill and vision, may assist with these goals. (Niels Henriksen)

Hogs Back Fall - Ottawa

Photography, while visually documenting the landscape or action in front of you, does provide you with many opportunities to creatively interpret this scene.













The use of different shutter speeds has the ability to change the perception and the emotions of an event.

The use of faster shutter speeds (1/60s) above, captures some of the high action and drama of waterfalls.

A longer shutter speed (1/20s below) can change the same location to a place of contemplation and introspection.














Hogs Back Falls is part of a small gorge along the Rideau River within the city of Ottawa. There is public access with fencing to both sides of gorge. There is also a set of locks nearby for boaters to bypass these falls.
This looking south, towards the sluice gates that re visual in the far background.

















In the Spring, when the Ottawa River is higher, this area is a raging torrent of water as the sluice gates are opened up to control rising water levels.
This photo is looking down the river towards downtown Ottawa.















With any place where there is water and pubic access, there is also the likelihood of finding people fishing.




















Niels Henriksen

Blue Hydrangea in Clay Bowl

While visiting friends, particularly those who enjoy plants, it can become an opportunity to capture some different shots of common plants in different settings and occasionally new types you might never have seen before. This is one of the reasons why I always pack my camera and tripod in the car when I head out.

The people I was visiting out in the country always have a great garden with lots of flowers and I was looking forward to some great shots. The lady of the house had picked a blue hydrangea and lay the flowers in a handmade clay bowl and set on the patio table. Since these were in the shade it gave me perfect lighting conditions in the afternoon sun.

I took several shots and while I like the image above I am not sure that it will be the final definitive shot. The final selection and any reworking normally happens months later when I go back and review the set as I may have different approaches to bring out detail elements.

As I turned around I noticed a collection of other plants that provided interesting compositional material. There was a flower with this brilliant orange petal and a black center. The orange colour was almost too bright to look at, as it seemed to glow. With the camera I could not catch the surreal orange vividness. Therefore in this shot I opted to bring out the details a little more. I noticed that when I converted to sRGB from aRGB that some of the orange was lost and I had increase the saturation a little as well as moving the hue a little to the red as the conversion had brought out more yellow.

There was this other interesting purple flower in a pot that with use of a shallow DOF I could bring out the soft patterns in the background.


















When you visit friends especially those who enjoy plants don’t forget to bring your camera and tripod.

Niels Henriksen