Tag Archives: sunset

These waters – Photo Wednesday

Above: classic shot of the Fog Alarm Building at East Point, Saturna Island, British Columbia.

And below, I tried to catch the sky reflected in a puddle left in sandstone hollows, on the “other side” of East Point.

The other side of East Point, Saturna Island, British Columbia. Photo by Andrée Fredette

If you like blues, this is the place. In these waters, an entire palette of blues is deployed every day.

Islet with approaching fog. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above: an islet before the approaching fog engulfs it… Viewed from the ferry.

HMCS Oriole, oldest commissioned vessel in the Royal Canadian Navy. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And the same morning, again from the ferry, an apparition: the HMCS Oriole, the oldest commissioned vessel in the Royal Canadian Navy. It is a  31 m (101 ft 8 in) sailing ketch built in 1921. (I had to look it up.)

 Evening sail, by Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And I leave you with these sailors, stretching the day into evening.

Navy Channel Sunset. Photo by Andrée FredetteSummer is here. How about a tequila sunset?

Witty’s Lagoon – Photo Wednesday

Above:  Spring wildflowers abound at Tower Point, Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park in Metchosin, close to Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC.

The Haystack Rocks are just offshore and with their cloud crown, the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, supply the backdrop to a lovely sunny afternoon.

Grassy blooms, seaside. Witty's Lagoon, Metchosin, Vancouver Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

These alien-looking blooms are everywhere on Tower Point. Very eye-catching in the afternoon sunlight.

 

Macro of inflorescence. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Here is a macro look at the panicles. Anthers like little orbiting planets around the main spike, maturing in sequence from the bottom up… Click on the photo above for a really intimate view!

Here is another shot of these interesting “weeds”…

Spring inflorescence. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And then there were the spring classic flowers, the Camas lilies (Camassia quamash). Intense blue!

Camas Lily and its intense blue. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And Menzie’s Larkspur (Delphinium menziesii)… Bright purple.

Menzie's Larkspur, most intense colour! Photo by Andrée Fredette

After eating my picnic in the flower meadow, I made my way around to the beach at low tide. It’s quite a walk…

Ocean and mountains. The view at low tide, Witty's Lagoon, Vancouver Island, BC. The Strait of Juan de Fuca, Race Rocks and the lighthouse in the middle distance, and the mountains of the Olympic Peninsual in Washington State. Majestic.

Ocean and mountains: that is the view at low tide, from the beach at Witty’s Lagoon, Vancouver Island, BC. The Strait of Juan de Fuca, Race Rocks and the lighthouse in the middle distance, and across the international line, the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.   Majestic.

The water leaves intriguing marks in the sands of Witty's Lagoon. Photo by Andrée Fredette

I loved the ridges left in the sand by retreating tides.

 

Here is a special effects photo close-up.

Sand ridges, close up and with special effects. Photo by Andrée Fredette

 

And besides the dog walkers, there were young boogie boarders, getting to the water’s edge.

Boogie board teens, on the way to the water's edge, Witty's Lagoon, Vancouver Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And on the way back to my car, the shady trail revealed this treasure, a tall – as yet unidentified by me – flower spike. There was an entire colony of those, almost three feet tall, in the deep shade…

Trailside shade flower, Witty's Lagoon Regional Park, Vancouver Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And on May 1st, back at home, this was the sunset moment. A great end to a lovely weekend…

First of May sunset, viewed from Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Quand l’heure se fait plus douce…

Sunset magic – Photo Wednesday

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.

April 18 sunset, all liquid colours. Photo by Andrée Fredette

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

April 18 sunset, all cool shades. Photo by Andrée Fredette

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:

December 2005 sunset with Pender Island in the background. Photo by Andrée Fredette

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.

Sunset magic over Pender Island forest. Photo by Andrée Fredette

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

Sunset magic, Southern Gulf Islands, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

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

Dramatic November sunset over Pender Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And clouds can create some truly dramatic effects.

Sunset drama over Navy Channel, Southern Gulf Islands, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

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.

Sunset reflected in the water. Photo by Andrée Fredette

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

Sunset blues over the Southern Gulf Islands. Photo by Andrée Fredette

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

Soulful Sunset – Photo Wednesday

Soulful Sunset. Photo © ¸Andrée Fredette

This is the photo I wanted, over a week ago. A golden meltdown at dusk, with no trees in the way.

To get that shot, I clambered down below the house, in front of the tree curtain. Took many shots of the sun traveling toward that hill on the right, over Mayne Island.

Then I turned around to get back to the house, started climbing back up the hill… and broke my ankle after dislodging a rock. “Was it worth it?” someone asked. Well…