From the photoblog department:
I try to go to the cottage for at least a day, if not the whole weekend, on Thanksgiving. I figure if I have anything to be thankful for, it’s this special place where I can go to enjoy a life as removed from the city as I can get it.
This trip I spent most of my time staining the new deck, built with the help of friends. I also brought my camera along to try and capture some of the beautiful fall colours. On the way up, I stopped by this lake:
Fall Lake
I particularly like the deep blue sky, the variety of colour in the trees behind, and the bare trees in front. Then there’s this one:
Glory of Fall
Which I horked a bunch to exaggerate the fall colours – kind of a painting effect versus photo. I like the extra greenocity of the trees on the left in back, the ripples in the water, the path of the lake (wide on left sweeping through narrow on right) and how the branches in the foreground frame the sides.
After staining the deck, I had to jump in the lake – it’s not a true Thanksgiving trip unless I take a dip in the lake. It was as chilling as the lake at Thanksgiving always is (I could stay in for maybe 10 seconds before the “get the hell out NOW” instinct kicked in) but the awesome weather meant sunny warmth after getting out. So of course I went back in again. Then I took a picture as proof of the insanity:
Chilled Lakemonster
Three things prove how cold the lake is: the timestamp in the file; my upper body which is a bit nipply; and my lower body with the classic shrinkage, which I appear to be checking – either that or I’m about to trip over my own foot. This photo also proves that the white swim trunks should probably stay at the cottage. I suppose I should be embarrased but hey, if you can’t embarrass yourself on your blog, why have one? Besides, I don’t think I look that bad for a 28 year old geek.
I also like the blue tinge on the water – it gives it an icy feel – and the greens and yellows on the left, plus the four vertical elements in a row – evergreen, birch, bare maple, me.
On the way back to the city, I stopped at Ye Olde Wooden Silo for more pictures. I managed to get there right when the sun was setting, too. In the digital darkroom, I punched the colours a bit on both ends of the blue-yellow spectrum to bring out both the sky and the golden light of the sun. Then I flip-flopped between the new and the original and decided the sun’s glorious golden cast didn’t need any help, so I merely touched the sky to bring it closer to the blue it had in real life.
Ye Olde Silo
Again there’s the fall beauty in the various tree colours. I also like how clearly the distant background trees come through – the setting sun in the clear sky makes for amazing visibility. Then there’s the silo on the left balanced by the shadows cast on the right, and finally the subtle mixture of greens and yellows in the fields mid-picture. Reminds me of crayons a little bit.
I heard from someone that this is a popular spot for painters – I believe it!