I decided to take a group of Barrie Photo Club members to Springwater Provincial Park last Saturday, with great results. The animals were cooperating for the most part and, while it was a little chilly, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I tried to get photos of different animals this time, so first up is the coyote:

I also ran into this little guy, completely unexpected as it landed on a tree that I was standing next to:

And probably my favourite from the outing, these Trumpeter Swans making a wonderful display:

It was a great day for photography, and I hope than the other club members came home with some great photos as well. While it can be bitterly cold, the winter landscape is full of amazing things.

 

I got a great e-mail today – saying the winners were announced to the Barrie Picture the City photography contest. This is a contest that I wanted to enter, and didn’t – initially. The rules were a little… draconian. Many photography contests (this one included) stated that any submissions (regardless of if they win) would become exclusive property of the contest holder (the City of Barrie in this case). I really didn’t like this, and complained. Long story short, I ended up re-writing the contest terms of use and policies which were subsequently adopted.

So, then I entered the contest.

Here’s a photo of some of the winning photos, currently displayed in the City Hall rotunda:

You might notice some familiar photos in this shot. Here’s a closer look:

These were the runners-up. Photos that didn’t win, but still deserved to be displayed. I don’t like the way they printed my Maple Leaf Flag photo – far too dark. I’m glad it is being shared though. Well, how about the winners?

Here are the first and second place winners, as well as the honourable mentions. Great photos, Barrie has a lot of photographic talent. Some of you may recognize the photo in the top left. Here’s a closer look at the label:

So, this is the first award that I have won from my photography. The contest was partnered with Henry’s, a camera store chain. The prize was a gift card and a few little freebies (a tote bag and a pin) – I’ll put the gift card to good use for sure! I’m very glad that everything turned out great. I talked to the contest coordinator when picking up my prize and she said that they were surprised by the overall quality of the submissions. This means even more to me that I won when up against such impressive competition.

This made my day.

I like the artistic effect that I can get from processing my images differently – specifically HDR. Bringing out details in highlights and shadows can make an image have an entirely different feel, such as this one from February 2009:

This was taken in Port Severn. I was driving by on my way home from Family Day weekend which I spent in Sudbury. The sun was setting and I chose to get off the highway for a few minutes to try and catch the last rays of it. I think it turned out really well. The original image I took is this:

I personally love both images.

Desi and I have made a wonderfully artistic tradition. Every January 14th, the anniversary of us starting to date, we make a painting together. Last year’s was the first oil painting I ever made, even in part, and it turned out great. This year we tried something a little different. I painted the bottom and Desi painted the top, and then we overlapped and contributed to the whole. Enjoy!

And for those daring, here is a larger version. I actually took the photo in segments, and combined them in a vertical panorama. The full version is 54 megapixel, perfect to reprint it if we ever want to make a copy. What do you think of this tradition? I love it, and I am already looking forward to next year.

A day like today I usually make a point of sleeping in as late as possible. Today however, I set my alarm for before sunrise.

Winter isn’t my favoruite season, but it is quickly becoming one of my favourite seasons to photograph. Today I wanted to head to a few places before the sun was high in the sky. The first stop was just outside of town at Springwater Provincial Park – they have a small outdoor zoo with some interest animals. They were just waking up when I arrived, and this guy was quite vocal when I came into sight:

I admit it – I edited this one a little. I put the trees in the background, to make it a bit more natural looking than what looked like a dog house and a chain-link fence. It was tricky shooting through the fence in the foreground to get it to disappear! I think the shot turned out great. I went around and visited more of the animals, the deer were quite affectionate but unfortunately not very photogenic (they wouldn’t stay away from the fence, making it very hard to remove it from the picture). It was a great little walk and not a soul in sight at 8am.

Next stop was Milligan’s Pond. This is a small pond/creek area in Barrie that has flowing water in the winter, and as such attracts a lot of ducks. While I might have traveled here for the birds, I was more interested in the hoarfrost at the water’s edge:

The frost forms in areas of high humidity (the edge of a pond or creek is perfect for this) and melts quite quickly in the morning after the sun’s light hits it. I’m glad I got here just as the sun was poking through the trees, and lighting up certain patches of frost. The frost wasn’t just on the ground, but in the trees too:

Something I never noticed before – the dead needles don’t attract the frost. I wonder why! There are so many wonderful things to see on a winter morning. I was home with all of these photos before I normally even wake up. It has been a great day so far.