World Travel

In retrospect, I look back as to why I picked up a camera in the first place – it was to capture the best moments in my life. These include travel, events and people. The truth is… I’ve always been jealous of those who could capture a moment in a single photo and make it look amazing. As in the case while flipping through many National Geographic magazines. While there were many amazing images, one struck me as memorable – the vibrant green moss growing on vastly tall trees of a forest. I have also been in awe of those I knew personally who took photos of landscapes and family. They looked so professional.

This is when I decided to buy a DSLR and learn. Here are some of my travel photos put together in a short video clip.

Locations in this video:

Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse and Welcome Centre, Nova Scotia
Spencer Gorge Conservation Area, Hamilton, Ontario
Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina
Point Pelee National Park, Leamington, Ontario
Cavendish, Prince Edward Island
Beagle Channel, Patagonia, South America
Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park, Ontario
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Crack, Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario
Anne of Green Gables, Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

I look forward to creating more memories and capturing them on camera.

A Waterfall of Turqouise and Sun

Well, okay….I took that title from a game one of my publishing classmates put on Facebook where you fill in the blanks to create a title – place, birthstone and weather.

This said, I made a few visits to Niagara Falls to capture the Wonder of the World in winter. I have been eyeing photographs posted on a photography group’s Facebook page and wanted to capture the same. I came in after the deep freeze and did not have the same effect – frozen waterfalls and icy river. I still managed to capture some beautiful scenery. And so, here it is:

Sunrise at Niagara Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Winter at Niagara Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Sunrise at Niagara Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Sunrise at Niagara Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Sunrise at Niagara Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Winter at Niagara Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Winter at Niagara Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Sunrise at Niagara Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Sunrise Time Lapse

Cloudy Sunrise Time Lapse

Ghost Tour at Fort George, Niagara on the Lake

Ghost Tour at Fort George, Niagara on the Lake//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

For the first time, I attend a Ghost Tour and it’s at Fort George. While I do not know what to expect, there’s a bit of excitement growing as groups of people gather in the gift shop. Tours run every 30 minutes and each tour is approximately 1.5 – 2.0 hours long. This tour does run throughout the year, but it is seemingly more special as Samhain approaches.

Kyle, our tour guide, has been working at Fort George for over 20 year. He wears a period cape coat/Victorian cloak similar to what Sherlock Holmes would wear except in black. He lights a candle in a lantern which would guide us through the darkness.

Aside from the basic warnings of staying on the path since it’s so dark and we could trip and fall, he asks us not to call attention to group from the spirit world when it’s so close to Hallowe’en. The group is seemingly in agreement since we probably don’t want to be put in a vulnerable spot if something were to really happen. Or at the very least, I don’t want anything to happen to me and therefore would never dare to call attention from the spirit world. Kyle mentions that he doesn’t know if anything will be seen that night. It really is unpredictable if, when or how something will show up.

According to Kyle, all the stories told during that evening are true. Before its inception, they had to research and ask those who have lived and worked there. Of the many stories that come through, only a few were worthwhile to tell. As the tours began, stories also started coming from those who worked there as well as from visitors who have taken the tours. Many years later since its inception, they have a good collection of stories to tell.

As the tour begins, I could tell from the way Kyle speaks that it’s going to be good. Because it’s not like the amusement parks Hallowe’en themed events, Kyle has to rely on how he tells the stories to entertain everyone. Honestly, he did a very good job of it. The intonations, the pauses, the humour and honesty of having to think on the spot as we stop at one point for the tour group ahead of us to finish.

At the end of the evening, I personally didn’t see anything. This said, I did feel a pressure on my head that I know for sure wasn’t a headache. It comes and goes real quickly. This was just before Kyle mentions that a few psychics refuse to go beyond a certain point. While I don’t want to give too much away (you must go to find out for yourself), there’s this uneasiness as we head down the hill towards the tunnel and into the tunnel. While I tell myself not to go inside, I start taking small steps. I tell myself to stay near the back or outside. But no….being vertically challenged, I stay ahead of the pack because I want to see and hear better. I’m worried nothing of the spiritual world would be behind me but I still continue moving forward to stay near the tour guide, Kyle. I keep my back against the wall to….you know….be sure no one else or thing is behind me. I’m scared at this point. As soon as we’re out of the tunnel, I feel better. While Kyle mentions that the tunnel is nothing really significant aside from the fact that it’s a lookout point, he does tell a few stories that sends shivers to everyone (or to me at the very least). Kyle gauges how well the tour is going from how reactive we have been to the stories throughout the tour.

By the end of the tour, I am satisfied I attended. I wasn’t able to get many photos since it was held in the dark except for the lanterns that helped guide us. I recommend this tour.

Inside the tunnel

Ghost Tour at Fort George, Niagara on the Lake//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

A lantern in the barracks

Ghost Tour at Fort George, Niagara on the Lake//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

An electric lantern in an officer’s home

Ghost Tour at Fort George, Niagara on the Lake//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Autumn

I love fall because of the moderate temperatures and the changing of colours. Here are some of what I captured – old and new. The first few locations are taken in Hamilton and it is known as the Waterfall Capital of the World. While I’ve only been to a handful, I hope to see more in the next few weeks while the weather is great. Many of these trails are located along the Bruce Trail which run about 900km from the Niagara Escarpment to Tobermory.

Tiffany Falls

Tiffany Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Tiffany Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Tiffany Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Tiffany Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Tiffany Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Devil’s Punch Bowl

Devil's Punch Bowl, Hamilton//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

<Devil's Punch Bowl, Hamilton//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Devil's Punch Bowl, Hamilton//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Albion Falls

Albion Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Albion Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Albion Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Albion Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Albion Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Albion Falls//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Rattlesnake Point (Milton)

Rattlesnake Point, Bruce Trail//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Springridge Farm (Milton)

Fall Season at Springridge Farm//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Springridge Farm//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Springridge Farm Tractor Trailer Ride//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Springridge Farm Store//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Springridge Farm//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Chudleigh’s Farm (Milton)

A day at Chudleigh's Farm//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

A day at Chudleigh's Farm//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

A day at Chudleigh's Farm//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

A day at Chudleigh's Farm//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Tractor ride//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

A day at Chudleigh's Farm//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Riverwood Conservancy (Mississauga)

Red Maple Leaf, Riverwood Park//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Scenes from Point Pelee National Park

Revisiting Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Did I ever tell you how much I like going to Point Pelee?

I never really knew this place existed until, oddly enough, I played Hangman on the computer. The word Point Pelee kept coming up. It was an odd word and I never knew it existed. One day, curiosity got the better of me and I did more research on it.

Located in Ontario, it’s the southernmost point in Canada and lies just below the 42nd parallel. It is as far south as Rome, Northern Spain and the northern border of California. It is also known as the Carolinian Zone where the average temperature for the year is 8°C. As described on the official Parks Canada site, “Early scientists called this region the Carolinian zone. Now, it is more generally referred to as the eastern deciduous forest, except in Canada where the term Carolinian is still popular because of its southern flavour.” Considering the massive size of Canada, this zone is only a tiny fraction of the country. The reason it stays warmer than Laramie, Wyoming (which is considered the center of the continent and on the same parallel as Point Pelee) is because it is surrounded by large bodies of water that helps to maintain heat better. It serves as a migration center for birds in the spring and fall and plays host to 370 species of birds.

This year, I managed to make two trips to the park and only because I was working on location in nearby towns. With the three hour drive from where I live to get to Point Pelee, it’s difficult to make it there on its own, unless I make a weekend trip to the area. It just makes it more difficult for sunrise and sunset photography. The park does operate from 6:00am – 10:00pm in the summer and it does change depending on the time of year it is. As you can imagine, if I really wanted to, I’d have to make an effort to leave at 3:00am just to make it to the gate at sunrise. That is why when I did so, I appreciate being able to get the sunrise shots all the better.

Without further adieu, here’s what I captured in recent weeks:

Lookout Point
Lookout Point, Sunrise at Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Lookout Point, Sunrise at Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Lookout Point, Sunrise at Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Marsh Boardwalk
Marsh Boardwalk, Sunrise at Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Yellow Pond Lily (Spatterdock)
Yellow Pond Lily//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Revisiting Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Revisiting Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-

Revisiting Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Yellow Pond Lily//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Revisiting Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Revisiting Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Revisiting Point Pelee//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

A Beautiful Day

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

On Saturday, May 3rd and Sunday, May 4th, I grabbed my camera and decided to learn how to do time lapse. Initially, I took a cable release and stood there as the sun started to set. I set my Nikon D7000 on timer with 9 photos per click and 3 second delay between photos. I ended up spending almost 50 minutes. While the sunset was beautiful, I’m sure there was a more efficient way to do time lapse as I’ve seen several examples of night photography with star trails. There are cable releases specifically made to have a timer on them. My camera can also do intervals. You can set how long you want it to run with x number of photos to be taken and how many seconds or minutes you want it to wait between each shot. This is far more effective as I went online to do more research. I was limited to the number of shots I can take since I only had a 16gb SD card and I shot in both RAW and Fine jpeg formats.

Uploading and doing minor edits took a long time but in the end I was happy with what I got. On the fourth try, I took a little more time in ensuring the camera was set perfectly, i.e. focus. It was an oversight. I focused on the subject and switched the lens to manual mode thinking it would help time lapse run smoother. I did learn how to do animated gifs over a year ago and tried to apply the same principles on Photoshop to create a time lapse. I also wanted to compare how much better, or easier it would be to create a time lapse on Lightroom. I found that it was a lot of work to manage all the layers on timeline in Photoshop. At the most for one time lapse, I had about 500 photos and at the very least, I had about 150. On the other hand, Photoshop has a lot of good editing features as well as having a lot of options when converting to a video for rendering. With Lightroom, there is a plugin to create a video. I did see online that there are some extra features if you have it. In this case, I did not. After completing my edits, I went to Slideshow, converted the photos to create a slideshow and exported it as a video. Here are the results:

Click on the links:
A Sunday in Mississauga

Mississauga After Dark

For more, check me out on Flickr:

Spring is here! Cherry Blossoms