I have a love hate relationship with 4am wake up calls. It means going to bed at 9pm if I can and I still need to drag myself out into the darkness in the morning. But when the sun comes up on the beach it makes it all worth while. It was beautiful and quiet in Port Stanley, summer is definitely in the air. Surprisingly lots of people out getting the town ready for summer.
Here’s how my day looked:
4:00 am – wake up call
4:40 am – load car and leave for Port Stanley, gear was packed the night before
5:30 am – arrive at the beach in Port Stanley, set up and begin photographing in pre-sunrise light
6:00 am – sunrise, keep shooting
6:30 am – wrap shoot and head back to the studio
7:20 am – arrive back at the studio and unpack the car
7:30 am – begin downloading and backing up files
8:45 am – breakfast
8:00 am – choose selects, tweak images for colour, contrast, lightness, and darkness, process raw files
10:30 am – caught up on client orders and emails
1:00 pm – retouch
1:30 pm - send test prints to the lab and archive final image
Oh and I just about forgot! A little video from my morning on the beach {if you’re reading via email or RSS you’ll likely need to click through to our blog to see it}:
Where do you dream about spending your spring mornings?
Spring Seduction, Lake Erie Landscape Photograph, Blenheim, Ontario, Canada, 2012
The evening of Easter Sunday found us standing out on the shore of Lake Erie, at Burn’s Beach making photographs with full bellies. We ate so much we could hardly walk. I still can’t believe we were able to carry our gear and march down the steep lane to the water’s edge and back.
Burn’s Beach is a spot that’s been on my list for a while now. We originally did a preliminary location scout there over a year and a half ago, in August 2010. The beach is a few minutes southwest of Blenheim, Ontario, about 1 hour and 40 minutes from London. We’d decided that since we were taking a four day weekend for Easter (Friday to Monday) that Sunday would be a great opportunity for an evening on the beach. Especially since we hosted Easter dinner at our house on Saturday, filling our fridge with lots of leftovers and making it easy for our escape to the lake.
The weather was looking pretty good and getting even better as the evening progressed. Initially we were expecting drizzle but the sky broke around mid afternoon and by the time we got on location there was barely a cloud in the sky.
Our initial location scout and online research showed that there were a few rows of old wood posts running perpendicular to the beach, these were to be our subject. I figured this was going to be an evening shot because the beach is a little slightly secluded and down a fairly steep road so I’d definitely be needing Darren to come with me. Plus the angle of the sun promised a more flattering light at dusk rather than dawn.
Here’s a peek at our schedule that evening…
4:30 pm – pack gear and car
5:15 pm – dinner
5:50 pm – leave home
7:30 pm – arrive at location, set up and begin photographing
8:02 pm – sunset
8:45 pm – wrap up shooting and head home
10:30 pm – arrive home and unpack the car
10:45 pm – download cards and backup files
It’s pretty tight timing, but I’ve done this kind of photograph many times before and I’d done my research. I knew what to expect in terms of direction of light, and we had a good idea of what the weather was going to be like.
As you can see, we travel pretty light. Typically just one camera bag with the basics, a tripod, and a backpack that I like to call my bag of tricks. It sounds exciting but it’s really just flashlights, bug spray, and snacks.
Twilight Breeze, Lake Erie Landscape Photograph, Blenheim, Ontario, Canada, 2012
Feel free to ask any questions you have about the photographs, and definitely watch the video below for a better taste of how our evening was.
{If you’re reading this post by RSS then be sure to click through to our blog to see the accompanying video}
I spotted this pile o’ rocks way back last summer when I was scouting out locations for upcoming seascape photographs. Oh how I miss summer! Darren and I first discovered Port Glasgow (where this photograph was made) when we took a mini road trip / scouting excursion along the north shore of Lake Erie from Port Stanley to Point Pelee. Such a lovely way to spend some hot lazy days in August. We jumped in the water at every public beach (and a few private ones) along the way. It was magical! I hope to do something equally as memorable this summer.
I’ve wanted to photograph these rocks ever since. You can imagine my surprise when the stars aligned (by stars I mean mother nature) and I was able to capture this image the same evening as Lake Erie #9! Two photographs in one evening! Imagine that! The beautiful light that glows throughout this scene is caused by the sun that has just set mere minutes ago and it doesn’t last long, sometimes twenty minutes, usually a lot less. Combine that short window of opportunity with the long exposures that I use and there isn’t much chance of creating two of these images in one night.
The lovely, muted purply-grays from Lake Erie #9 carried over into this photograph which is why I think they work so well together, don’t you think?
To kick off the launch of Lake Erie #10 we’re going to give one away! This time we’re going to include our Facebook fans in the giveaway too.
Lake Erie #10 Landscape Photograph Giveaway
Prize: Two 8×10 photographic prints of my newest image Lake Erie #10
Contest Closes: March 10th, 2011
Eligibility Requirements: All you need to do to enter is leave a comment with words describing Lake Erie #10 and/or where you would hang it, on our Facebook posting of this image here:
Winner Selection: We’ll be drawing three winners via random.org on March 11th, 2011, and announcing them here on our blog the week of March 14th, 2011.
I made this photograph on a cold, drizzly evening in November. The sky hung heavy, raining in varying amounts as the day drew to a close, temperature hovering just above zero. It was not a day I wanted to be out photographing. The week prior, when the weather was better, I had scheduled to photograph in Port Glasgow with a friend. Many times I thought about calling her to re-schedule for a better day, but it was November, how many “better days” were there really going to be.
Port Glasgow is a spot I’ve photographed at several times before, lots of nooks and crannies in which to make beautiful images. On my previous visit the beach was empty, save for a boy with a guitar serenading a girl in the water, so sweet. I remember whispering to Darren what a lovely evening it was. It was on that trip that I spied a cluster of rocks that I thought I’d explore with my camera on a future visit. Those rocks were my subject that damp November night.
After showing Sylvia around I set up my tripod nice and low, practically in the water, before my seaweed draped stones. It wasn’t until then that I noticed the wooden rails mysteriously disappearing out into the water. Three in total, only two of which appear in my final image. What are these relics from the past? An old dock? Perhaps.
And then, I wait. Close to an hour passed from when I first set up my tripod to when this image was captured. Waiting for the light. Calm. Quiet. Peaceful.
Rocks and rails,
and sea of fog,
eye of newt,
and toe of frog,
wool of bat,
and tongue of dog…
Lake Erie #9 is now available in our photography shop. If you’d prefer a size that you don’t see listed there, please contact us and we’ll make the perfect print just for you.
Lake Erie #7, Moonrise, 8 x 10 inch minimalist landscape photograph
A peaceful full moon photograph for helpless romantics and werewolves alike. Head to the beach and woo your lover or beckon your inner beast with September’s harvest moon.
Ho hum. That’s how I feel about my most recent shoot in Erieau. Seems along with the changing seasons the sun is moving further south, putting it in a less than ideal location for photographing the wooden posts. I’m really happy with how the water turned out in this image but the spiles are lacking the drama they had back in August and September.
I may get another shot or two in if I a choose a different angle but I’m not sure if that possibility is worth the nearly two hour drive. Although with the recent time change the sun is now setting an hour earlier so at least I’d be home at a more reasonable time.
On a brighter note I got to spend the evening with the lovely Sylvia and we were given a fantastic photographer’s tour by the infamous Bob and Val. Oh how my heart flutters at the thought of meeting up with photographers in the real world! Thanks for a great evening everyone!
Lake Erie #4, 8×10 inch minimalist seascape photograph
I have been dying to photograph at Erieau. We finally made it out there last week and came back with this gem: Lake Erie #4.
For those of you that have been asking, this image was created entirely in camera. The only work that was done in Photoshop was retouching a few bits of sand that had found their way onto my lens, which is inevitable when photographing on the beach.
Lake Erie #2, 8×10 inch modern seascape photograph
Three days in the making and we’re finally ready to release our newest photograph, Lake Erie #2! A ribbon of rocks forming a wave break remind me of a delicate pearl necklace. Read More »
