Tobermory Sunset

I tend not to shoot much in the winter months. It's a combination of a hatred of the cold and low levels of interest in snowy landscapes. This winter has been especially bad. So in these dreary months I find myself looking back through my folders of photos from the previous summer. 

Recently I went back to the photos from a trip to Tobermory in June. The photos below are from the best sunset I got to shoot in all of 2013. I had already edited and posted these photos when I got home from that trip. But something was lacking. I liked them, but they're weren't great. I didn't spend much time on them at the time because I had a week's worth of beautiful photos from one of my favourite places in Ontario. 

So the other day I revisited these two photos and gave them the attention they deserved from the start. Not only was this my favourite sunset of the year, I think these two photos are the highlight of my photography in 2013. 

Area 53 - 2011 - Photo #26

This weeks photo is one of the last ones I shot in Tobermory. I shot many of our dock on Lake Huron. This was quite late in the sunset, and I used a small flashlight to light up the foreground.

One day during our time in Tobermory, Laura and I did a little exploring to some abandoned places on the Peninsula that I found on the internet. This is the stairs at a tiny old schoolhouse.


A typical night for us at the cottage, drinks by the fire until the howl of coyotes in the bushes at midnight sends us back indoors. Me on the right, Laura on the left. My sister and Rob behind Laura.


Anyone who's been to the area is no stranger to bratty Red Squirrels.

Area 53 - 2011 - Photo #25

So, I'm a week late but I have a good reason. I spent the last week in Tobermory gathering photos (1245 to be specific). I spent a good hour last monday trying to post these photos from my girlfriend's iPhone but I couldn't get it to work and decided to give up and enjoy the campfire on the lake.

The first photo is from one of my nightly sunset photo sessions along the water behind the cottage we rented. We didn't get any really stunning sunsets but they were decent at least.



This is a photo of our cottage from the view of our campfire on the lake with the full moon rising. I had already brought my camera gear back to the cottage for some reason and rather then walk a few feet to retrieve it, I used my girlfriend Laura's Camera. I also lit the trees up with a hefty flashlight.


I also have a couple panoramas from Bruce Peninsula National Park. This first is from my favourite little overhang tucked in the trees away from the rest of the tourists that I like to hide in for some peace. This is the same location as my cliche feet-hanging-over-the-edge photo that I've shot on a few separate occasions.


Finally, here is a panorama of the outside of the grotto. Surprisingly there was no one else here at the time. Usually this time of year its packed with at least a class worth of kids on a school trip. Stay tuned later for THIS weeks post. I just need to make a few last edits.

Sunsets and Black Flies

Sunday - June 14

The weather forecasts weren't great heading into the week, but as usual, they were way off the mark, thankfully. Instead of 60's and a chance of rain we enjoyed 80's everyday and only a little rain late Friday night. Here's my favourite from out first night at the cottage.

(Click the photos to enlarge)


Monday - June 15

I enjoy solitude but once the sun goes down its nice to have some company. We were pretty much the only people in the area. Almost all of the cottages in the area were empty so we had the whole beach to ourselves. Well more of a coastline than a beach, it was all rock, no sand. But it was beautiful still. This photo is taken from the water, looking towards our cottage. Perfect clouds for a Circular Polarizer.


Tuesday - June 16

I shot this same photo a couple of years ago the last time I was here, but it was cheap film and there was an ugly line through it, so I tried it again. I tried to capture the vastness of the water and maybe even the calm and silence. It's about at least a forty foot drop to the water...but its not quite as dangerous as it looks. However it IS a little tricky with a backpack, camera bag and a big camera hanging off you. This is along the Bruce Trail, near The Grotto, not far from Cyprus Lake Campground (where I usually stay when I'm up there).


Wednesday - June 17

We picked up a giant bag of peanuts at the store in town, probably around five pounds worth. By the end of the week they were gone, thanks to this Red Squirrel, a couple of Chipmunks and a Cardinal.


Thursday - June 18

Our campfire on Lake Huron. This was a massive day. Up at sunrise to catch the ferry to Manitoulin Island, about 12 hours later we got back into Tobermory and headed to the Beer Store, 6:01 and all we picked up was disappointment and a little panic. Luckily we had enough to last...but we had to go easy.


Friday - June 19

I shot a lot of photos along the water near the cottage. Whenever the colours were dull I'd switch to black and white. I usually just shoot all colour photos then convert some to black and white after. But this time I shot a lot of black and white only.


Saturday - June 20

I finally got some nice scenery to shoot sunsets. I try sometimes in Windsor, but its hard to find interesting settings that don't have power lines or buildings in the shot. So every night when the sun started going down I'd grab a beer and my camera bag and head down to the water to spend some time with the Geese and Sandpipers. This is one of my favourite sunset shots from the last night there. Most of the sunsets were rather boring but this final one was quite interesting, plus the rain from the night before filled all the craters in the rock and gave me plenty of reflection opportunities.


Sunday - June 21

This is the very last photo I shot on the trip, Sunday morning before we headed back to Windsor and all its unpleasantness. From left to right: Me, my sister Lisa, her husband Rob, and his brother David who was visiting from England.