Author Archives: untouchedtcphotos

Under the Canopy of Fall Colors

13 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in Autumn colors, Canada, Canadian Fall Foliage, Fall Colors, Fall Foliage, Leaves, Northern Ontario, Ontario Fall Foliage, Ontario Fall Foliage 2014, Ontario in the Fall

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This photograph sums up the feeling of the Autumn season. It was taken on a warm afternoon in the Fall in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada, on the Hub Trail. The Fall Colors were amazing and vibrant.

I am not a person who enjoys lying on the dirt ground and look up to the sky. But this view could compel me to do this.

It would be interesting if there is some sort of instrument that could inform us as to how many colors and hues there are in this fall display of color. It is fascinating to imagine the variation of shades and colors.

We often forget to look up and gaze up to the sky. We are missing out by not looking up and perhaps focusing too much on looking down at our circumstances and problems. If we spent more time just staring at the sky and scenery, we would realize just as there are a tremendous array of fall colors in this canopy, there could be an infinite number of possibilities for our life.

 

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What does the Shadow Know?

11 Wednesday Sep 2019

Posted by in Autumn colors, Canada, Canadian Fall Foliage, Fall Colors, Fall Foliage, Leaves, Northern Ontario, Ontario Fall Foliage, Ontario in the Fall

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Here’s an interesting photograph from the Sault Ste Marie Area of Ontario, Canada. I love the variety of autumn leaves.

The variation of the jagged outlines are interesting as well as the vein patterns in the leaf.

One of the interesting things about photography is to enjoy the shadows in your images.

Shadows can give different shades of colors – you can search for my “Blue Aspen Tree” photos from Aspen, Colorado which show how the shadows and lighting transformed white colored bark Aspen trees to have a beautiful blue color.

Shadows give interesting images as in this leaf photograph. What do you see in this leaf and shadow photo? I see the “Beast’s” (from Beauty and the Beast) head on top right facing to the left. He’s looking at the post on the left.

So what does the Shadow know? I remember there was a show which had a saying – “Only the Shadow Knows”. I am not old enough to have ever listened to the radio show or watched the old TV show. But I googled to see what the saying meant. It refers to an avenger character known as “The Shadow”. The saying was “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?….The Shadow Knows!”. So perhaps the idea is with the darkness of a shadow, there can be evil.

But with photography, the shadow knows that dark and light can create beautiful images together. Explore taking photos including the shadows to see what can be seen with dark and light combination. See what colors and images can be derived when the shadows come into the light.

Info about “The Shadow”

 

Have you seen the Swirling Foam in Northern Ontario, Canada?

05 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Canada, Northern Ontario, Ontario in the Fall

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This photograph was taken at a river off of the King’s Highway 129, commonly referred to as Highway 129, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. My wife’s cousin took us to this location as she is very familiar with this area.

One of the things I love about photography is capturing unique scenes like this one. It was truly an adventure to go hiking and shooting photos during this trip. This pattern is so interesting. It shows us how a random mixture of elements can still look interesting and attractive. It teaches me there are no absolutes on beauty. There are no standard recipes to create beauty.

Seeking adventure in life does not necessarily mean being a daredevil and trying to do dangerous feats. I am not a risk taker when it comes to physical activity. I will not venture into ocean waters. I will not try to do any sports that involves fast speeds or great upward heights.

But I do like exploring and seeking adventure in examining nature. You never know what you will find. The possibilities can be endless.

Finding art in nature is the best. When was the last time you went on an adventure? Finding this swirling foam pattern was an excellent discovery.

I plan to go on some future adventures soon. Stay tuned to see what other patterns in nature I discover.

As usual, I did not do any computer alterations to this photograph.

It is real, and is pretty remarkable!

Foggy Morning on the Trans-Canada Highway in Northern Ontario, Canada

02 Monday Sep 2019

Posted by in Autumn colors, Canadian Fall Foliage, Fall Colors, Fall Foliage, Leaves, Ontario Fall Foliage, Ontario Fall Foliage 2014, Ontario in the Fall

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My wife’s relatives took us on a great road trip on the Trans-Canada Highway from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. The morning started off overcast and foggy with a lot of moisture in the air.  It was nice we could just pull off the road to explore. We found this clear lake showing the reflection of the red trees.

I love this photo since it shows off the bright red trees in the center of the green trees. The bright red trees stand out in the midst of the green and foggy sky. The contrasting colors emphasizes the differences between the trees and the white sky.

Sometimes we want to stand out in the midst of others. For example, we want to stand out when applying for that exciting job opportunity. We want to be noticed for our skills and talents. We want to be chosen to go a particular university and strive to write an exceptional essay and get high SAT scores. Or maybe we desire to be outstanding in our sports abilities to play on a team or to do well in a marathon race.

How can we stand out in the midst of a crowd? Striving to be the “brightest” is an honorable goal. If we are seeking our true passion, then our brightness will shine and be reflected in our achievements.

 

What we did on a Warm Autumn Day on the Hub Trail in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada

29 Thursday Aug 2019

Posted by in Canadian Fall Foliage, Fall Foliage, Leaves, Ontario Fall Foliage, Ontario in the Fall

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The color contrast is amazing looking up at the Golden Orange leaves of a Sugar Maple tree in front of a sparkling clear cyan sky on a warm fall day on the Hub Trail. It was mid September in 2014 as we were visiting family in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.

My wife had never been to this trail during her previous visits to the Soo. Fortunately, since I am a photographer, her cousins led us to this wonderful area.

We do not see Fall colors like this in California. This is why I went crazy shooting photographs during this trip. I fell in love with this Canadian Fall scenery.

Shooting these pretty fall photos is important. These scenes are one time events. They will never occur quite the same way again.

When shooting pictures, look for scenes with contrasting colors. This will make the photograph almost seem unreal. When you look at my photos, you can be assured I did not tamper with these colors. I like “real”. So I did not alter the contrasting colors at all. These colors are real.

As I review these pictures, it has renewed my love for Autumn. I am contemplating to return to the Soo to see what new fall scenes I can capture in my photography.

This is what I love about photography. It never gets old since there are always new scenery to appreciate and capture.

How about finding a pretty Autumn scenery and shoot lots of photographs to find the amazing color contrasts of this season. Or maybe you can join me at the Hub Trail in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to witness the changing Fall colors.

Don’t Badger the Badger

28 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by in Badger, Living Desert, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, The Living Desert, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

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These badgers are interesting to watch. As per the description at the Living Desert in Palm Desert, the badgers prefer being alone other than during their mating time. It is also interesting, the badgers are respected in the animal kingdom.

We all would like respect from other people. But instead our lives are interrupted by “our” people – family, boss, co-workers or friends. They may not mean to interrupt   whatever we are doing or irritate us. But life is about interruptions and irritations. People may pester us with requests, questions or habits.

I like this warning to not harass, pester or badger the badger, otherwise there could be consequences for a person’s safety.

How many of us feel we need to wear this sign as a warning to other people when we are stressed by constant interruptions and pestered – justified or not.  The badger’s instinct is to defend himself if he is “badgered”.

How should we handled getting badgered? Do we feel we are being pushed into a corner? Is there a civilized way we can defend ourselves from serious harassment? For the normal irritations, interruptions and pestering, can we just roll with the badgering and find a calm response?

How about retreating to our corners, breathe and pray to find those calm responses? Putting up a sign – “Don’t Badger the Badger” might help too.

Queen Butterfly at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert

26 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by in Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Queen Butterfly, The Living Desert, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

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We went to the Palm Springs area a few years ago. Normally we think of Palm Springs as an area of golf courses, desert, and senior citizens.

We visited the Living Desert which was interesting to see the different species which live in this area.

I have always loved butterflies. When I was a boy, I captured butterflies and studied them. I love the detailed pattern of their wings.

I raised Anise Swallowtail caterpillars indoors by feeding them wild Anise plants that grew in our yard. The caterpillars grew fairly fast and metamorphosed into pupa. When the butterflies emerged from the pupa shell, I released them into the yard and it was cool to see them fly away.

The Queen Butterfly is larger than a regular monarch. This species of butterflies (male and female) have multiple generations per year.

Wikipedia link for info about the Queen Butterfly

I used my Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens to take these photographs.  You have to be quick to take photographs of these flying butterflies. I shot multiple photographs to capture the correct position of the butterfly. Imagine what could be the perfect picture of the butterfly. Then attempt to follow the butterfly to gain that photo.

Photography requires patience and perseverance to get that “Perfect” shot.

Keep looking for beauty in nature which is often right under our “nose”.

On the Road in Fall Foliage Country

22 Thursday Aug 2019

Posted by in Canadian Fall Foliage, Fall Foliage, Ontario Fall Foliage, Ontario in the Fall, Trans-Canada Hwy

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Welcome to the Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario, Canada. It was exciting to see the Fall Colors in the hills when I traveled there in 2014.

We visited my wife’s relatives in Sault Ste. Marie. This was our second experience to see this panorama of color. We never saw such a beautiful site at home. Fall foliage does not happen in California with these variety of colors.

My wife’s cousins were the perfect hosts to take us around this area, so we could see the diversity of colors. I was driven to shoot lots of pictures to capture the different scenes. Our cousins encouraged me to do “something” as a photographer.

This trip was a turning point for me. I returned home, and my wife found a coffee shop to show my photographs. I also remembered I had a collection of photographs of Candlestick Park which were in storage. I realized those photographs could be valuable since Candlestick Park was demolished. I also started this blog to show my photos.

As we travel on our life highway, there are multiple turning points to lead us to our future destiny. Can we be flexible to take the quick turns or the high hills to follow where we are led? I am not sure where my journey is going to. But I am learning it is important to try and seek new steps to continue my journey.

Just make sure to enjoy the pretty scenery traveling down the road of life.

 

Have you experienced Fall Foliage at Chocorua Lake in New Hampshire?

20 Tuesday Aug 2019

Posted by in Chocorua Lake, Fall Foliage, New England Fall Foliage, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Fall Foliage

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I am a California guy where our fall foliage is not as extensive. I am always anxious to travel to some place where saturated multi-colored fall foliage is an annual event.

A couple of years ago, I traveled to visit a good friend back east. We took a day trip to New Hampshire.

This tree trunk almost looks endless as it ascends up into the sky. I am curious how many colors could be in this multi-colored natural painting. The array of colors, shapes and patterns is a wonderful natural art.

I could have laid on the ground and kept staring at this natural display.

Often times we are racing thru our day doing work, taking care of responsibilities and the daily necessities of life.

Can we at least once a week take time to look up and around to see the natural art in our environment? Fall foliage is coming. Don’t miss out on this natural art which is always unique.

Sunset with Lake Cochichewick in the background

19 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by in Massachusetts, North Andover, Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center

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Welcome to the beautiful Rolling Ridge retreat and Conference Center in North Andover, MA.

Here is the link to Rolling Ridge

Fall Foliage is right around the corner. Anticipating the color changes in the leaves gets me very excited. I love seeing the transformation of leave colors and capturing the different patterns. Every fall leaf is unique in the array of colors.

I traveled to Lake Cochichewick in the fall a couple of years ago. As seen in my photograph, my timing to see the changed colors in the leaves was off.

But I do love the tall trees with the shadow projections on the ground. The green trees have their own glow in front of the lake. At the time of this photograph, the trees will be changing colors later.

Reflecting on this photograph reminds us how life is full of changes. No matter how much we want life to remain the same, life continues to evolve for better or worse. But as these trees stand tall and beautiful with their shadows, so we should learn to stand in the same way even when change is inevitable.

Let’s learn a lesson from the trees at Lake Cochichewick in Massachusetts to stand strong to face life changes to become our best.