Category Archives: Photography

Blog, Inspiration, Photo Wednesday, Photography

Sunset magic – Photo Wednesday

April 20, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: from the archives, a particularly moody August sunset from 2009, over Navy Channel, in the Southern Gulf Islands of the British Columbia coast.

Several days in a row this week, the sunsets have been very special. All warm shades, with a little contrast for good measure.

Above, that was on April 18, to the right of the horizon. Golden mellow.

At the same time, all the cool shades were gathered on the left of the horizon…

I started taking pictures of sunsets from my perch on this island right from the get-go. Here is why:

That photo is from December 2005, early days of digital cameras. The pixels are little “rough”, but they do convey the magical quality of the light, and bright colours at sundown. That boat was in a hurry to get home before dark…

But let me show you a few more examples from various seasons, to give you an idea of the range of colours and cloud patterns involved.

One evening, that was the sight: the sky on fire above Pender Island’s forest.

The sky show can be spectacular. I love the light on the water, above.

And clouds can create some truly dramatic effects.

I did mention that I love the sunset reflection in the water. Here is my shot of that liquid gold, rippling after a boat went through the sound.

And there are bonus points if you can observe the sunset from a high vantage point, on a cloudy evening. Big payoff!

I leave you with this “sunset blues” version. Play some Mozart at sunset, it suits the mood.

Blog, Just Because, Photography, Wanderings

Spring flowers on Saturna

March 20, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: today’s header photo is a budding Fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum), a sweet sign of spring if there ever was one!

First day of spring, and here is a report of the flowers that are starting to appear on this shore.

Took a walk at Winter Cove, an area that is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (there’s a mouthful) and pointed my camera at assorted blossoms. Above: salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), looking a tad bedraggled after an iffy late winter.

And this warm golden yellow is a gift of the Oregon grape (Mahonia oregonum), which was blooming on a bluff, out of the reach of our ravenous black-tailed deer…

Above: the assertive pink flash of Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum), another sure sign of spring on this island.

Above: another shot of a Fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum), starting to open up.

And if you wonder about the setting, here is a shot of the salt pond by Winter Cove.

On the right, above, you can spot a weed – Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) – that is incredibly invasive. It’s the tall thing bearing yellow blooms.

At my house, I keep pulling seedlings out of the yard, the neighbourhood paths and meadows… But it is a losing battle. The park is losing the broom battle, and the weed keeps marching forward, taking over. More info on this link.

Scotch broom blooms in the spring, and its blossoms redeem it somewhat…

And finally, because my garden is also offering interesting yellows of a more tame variety…

Spurge (Euphorbia), starting to get its alien-like flowers into position.
And the stars of my spring garden:

Blog, Inspiration, Photography, Wanderings

Ferry travel = Stunning show

February 28, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: the view from the back of the ferry, as it rounds the corner at the end of Navy Channel, heading into Village Bay, on Mayne Island. (About 30 minutes after leaving Saturna Island…)

Friday morning’s sunrise was exceptional.

This is one of the first shots I took, about 15 minutes after we left Saturna Island, heading down the channel. I could tell it was going to be a promising sunrise. I love cloud cover, it adds drama!

Pretty soon, several other travelers looked up from their computer, device, or book, and came out on the deck to snap pictures with their phones. It was a spectacular show, and it kept getting better…

Above, the pointy silhouette of Mount Baker, in Washington State (did you know it’s a volcano?) in the far distance. To the right, the silhouette of Saturna’s Mount Fisher.

And in the other direction, the still dark blue part of the sky, and the ferry’s motion cutting a swath in the water. Those dark hills are on Mayne Island.

I slowed down my camera’s shutter speed, to get the motion blur on the wake.

Here is another shot of the ferry’s wake, down Navy Channel, in the direction of the sunrise:

And then… hang on to your hat…

…or to the railing, because those colours are about to get boosted to the max!

and one more, for good measure…

And after a stop at Mayne Island, where the Victoria-bound travelers transferred to the Skeena Queen, another ferry, about 30 minutes later, the bright oranges began to fade, and became more subtle.

And then the sky went into the pastels. Still absolutely gorgeous…

Light on water: pure magic.

Blog, Inspiration, Photography

Saturday thoughts

February 21, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: yesterday’s sunset, mellow sundown.

Yesterday’s walk in the forest yielded the following images, with which I played.

Renewal, that is the lesson. Out of massive old stumps of fir trees, new growth, both well established (above)…

…and just starting out.

And back in my garden, there was evidence of new growth, pushing through and up!

Toward sundown, the light shone through the trees.

And sundown concluded on a very mellow note.

Blog, Just Because, Photo Wednesday, Photography

Where the newts live – Photo Wednesday

February 17, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above photo: hunting for newts in the pond, the photographer wore rubber boots…

There was a break in the rain. A little sunshine even… So I went for a walk in the forest, and headed for the pond.

On the path, I noticed some Black earth tongue mushrooms (Trichoglossum something…). Sorry about the fuzzy photo, forgot to bring a flash and it was very dark in the woods.

And very close by, an old White worm coral mushroom (Clavaria vermicularis Sporocarp), which looked like it had been stepped on… Life is tough in the forest.

And then, at the pond, I enjoyed the quiet surface of the water.

A forest pond = prime newt habitat.

Say hello to my little friend: Rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa). Here is a link with lots of information on this interesting salamander of the Pacific Northwest. Did you know that they have few predators because they are highly toxic?

There were a few in the water today, but the crowd will gather in a few weeks, when the sun warms up the water, for the big Spring Party. Reproduction involves a behaviour called “amplexus”, which – to the uninitiated – looks a lot like wrasslin’… Here is another link to inform the curious.

And to conclude this post, a slightly manipulated photo of the water that is quickly draining down the logging road, bending grasses as it goes, and creating a lovely abstract pattern in its wake.

Andrée Fredette