Parks
Brook at Bechtel Park
22/01/11 13:29
This image, of which I am very proud, resides in the archives at The NewYork Institute of Photography. When submitted as a first term project, my instructor, Elinor Stecker-Orel, was quite taken with the image and its use of motion while retaining a certain clarity and vibrant color.
This is another shot from my days on film, a time when I feel that shooting images was considerably less technologically involved. I could concern myself more about composition and capturing light then worrying about histograms and white balance.
Scrub Tree on the Trash Heap
22/12/10 09:57
This image was taken at what we in Waterloo Region affectionately call "Mount Trashmore", an old heap of a reclaimed garbage dump. The landfill was relocated in the 1970's and the surrounding area built up to what is now known as Country Hills, Laurentian Hills and Glencairn. The landfill was covered and eventually naturalized into what is now the cherished McLennan Park.
For decades sledders braved the winter chill to tackle the regions most popular tobogganing site, and in the warmer seasons, joggers have used the steep slopes to kick their workout into overdrive. The hills geographic location and higher altitude relative to the surrounding area also make it the best place in Kitchener-Waterloo to fly a kite. The community has long since embraced "Trashmore" as their own.
In recent years there has been multi-phased construction projects at the park to make it an official community recreation area. With the addition of Ottawa Street access and a parking lot, the park has become accessible to all. Park benches, landscaping and even a regrading of the sledding slope were some of the first signs of a revitalization, an ambitious and sophisticated bike park soon followed.
And now, land to the immediate north of the giant hill is being developed to accommodate a skatepark, accessible play-structure, splash pad, washroom building, beach volleyball, basketball courts, picnic shelter and more.
Flower Macro at HNA
08/11/10 13:10
One of my favorite places to shoot is Huron Natural Area, a wetlands park and sanctuary in Kitchener. One of my favorite shooting styles is macro. One of my favorite subjects is small flowers... very small flowers. That's all I really need to say. Shot with a flash on a cable so I could stop down to f22.
Photography Is Thicker Than Water
08/10/10 13:19
Photography runs in the family I suppose. In the fall of 2010 I sent my 13 year old son on a mission to the Huron Natural Area–take 10 images of vistas that moved him. This is one of the 10 images he came home with.
I set the camera to fully automatic so all he had to worry about composition. I was quite impressed with the balance between the horizon and it's reflection, it's almost a perfect mirror image.
Path at Bechtel Park
22/09/10 10:57
This image was taken many years ago in the days when I still shot film. I took this shot on one of the many walking paths at Bechtel Park in Kitchener. I originally had not thought much about it when I took it but once the image was developed I was quite moved by the haunting feeling of it. I ended up submitting the image as a project shot for a course I was taking at the time (NYIP) and as it turns out, my instructor, Elinor Stecker-Orel, shared my feelings and submitted the image, along with another image of mine, to be archived by the school.
Sky and Water Blur Normal Realms
08/09/10 13:06
Look at this image... and then take a closer look... it looks as though those leaves might be on those branches in the sky... but their not.
The beaver has been going to town at the Huron Natural Area in Kitchener and had recently felled this tree. Now here it lays submerged in the water. Meanwhile, the trees above stand leafless in the sky.
It was a very haunting, ghostly image when I came upon it. I am happy it turned out as well as it did. These things never seem to quite look like you remembered but this one comes pretty close.
Photographed with a Sony DSLR-A100 and a Minolta 70-210mm f4 (beercan) at an effective focal length of 112mm, handheld.