CHRIS WALTERS PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
  • Tips & More
  • Contact
  • About
SCROLL DOWN

Still Waiting For Light

30/9/2021

0 Comments

 
In keeping with my previous post on the subject of waiting for light, I recently found myself waiting for the light once more.  

This time, a planned trip to Kananaskis for a sunset shoot turned into an opportunity to shoot light bursts through heavy cloud. It was bitterly cold beside The Wedge Pond alongside highway 40, but with clouds clawing at the mountain tops and autumnal colours on the hillside in the foreground, it was too good a location to pass up. 

My 15 year old canon 100-400 lens, handheld, was raised and lowered repeatedly as the light failed to fall on that autumnal foreground. I was out with a friend and as the time slipped by we discussed calling it off at the location and moving on, but we both knew a beautiful image was likely if the light just fell in the right place, so we stuck it out. 

As you can see by the adjacent image, it was eventually worth the wait and another portfolio worthy image was captured. 
Picture
0 Comments

Waiting for Light

24/9/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
While shooting the stunning larch trees at Highwood Pass earlier this week, I found myself repeatedly having to wait prolonged periods for the light to break through the snow squalls overhead. So for some time I just huddled into the boulders keeping  out of the cold wind.

Maybe it was easier to sit and wait after the hike in and that appealed to my lazy nature, I don't know, but I suddenly realised there was more to see all around me beside the wonderful larch valley. I watched the light as it crossed the mountains filling the shadows and darting in and out of the deepest crevices, cloud shadows have always been a favourite of mine as they chase across undulating ground, it turns out that light splashes are just as interesting and equally rewarding.

I picked up the telephoto lens and began an often frustrating game of 'Predict the path of the light', what might seem a straightforward task turned out to be both difficult and entertaining. I confess I made a number of entirely useless images, but one shot capturing the corner of Highwood Ridge made the game worthwhile. The dramatically sheared rock face has captured various peaks of falling rock over time that now appears as a small "range" clinging to the fractured grey wall and, after only four attempts, I managed to capture the light splash in just the right place. 

I still need to remind myself that a long telephoto lens is incredibly valuable when chasing mountain landscapes, even if I really don't fancy hiking miles with it.  
0 Comments

Autumn on Pocaterra

19/9/2021

0 Comments

 
It has been 7 months since I posted from Canada, simply because I haven't been here at all. You can see my last post below was made from my home in the UK where I have been for almost 9 months. The unexpected hiatus was brought about by the continuing Covid 19 saga allowing a prolonged stay in the UK using the 'work from home' mandate. 

I returned to Canada just a couple of weeks ago showing unintentionally perfect timing for the autumn displays in Kananaskis. I climbed a few hills and made a few hikes in an effort to regain some mountain fitness and to remind myself of the effects of altitude, something we sea level dwellers don't normally have to deal with. 

Once I knew the larch were changing I made my way to the car park at Highwood Pass and hiked up to the boulder field trapped between Mt Pocaterra and Mt Tyrwhitt. I love this location for an autumn hike because of the stark contrast between the bare rock and the autumnal foliage always makes for beautiful images. There are many shots to be made in this relatively small area on and around the boulder field, from individual larch trees right through to a full panoramic landscape that you can see below. 

So, if you're chasing autumn colours in Kananaskis, make your way to Highwood Pass, but don't follow the masses up Pocaterra Ridge, instead head up the boulder field and get a new perspective. 
Picture
0 Comments
    Picture

    Chris Walters

    You can read more about me in the 'about' section in the menu above, on the homepage, or by clicking here

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017

    Categories

    All
    A Beautiful 'Miss'
    Abstract Anxiety
    Aurora Borealis
    Autumn On Pocaterra
    Autumns End On Mt Rae
    Bull Elk
    Cairngorms National Park
    Calgary Sunrise
    Cannery Astoria Oregon
    Castle Mountain Sunset
    Chicago Skyline
    Christmas Past
    Cloudy Days
    Composition - Shoot In Daylight
    Composition Tips
    Converting Clinton Mo
    Cowboy Classic
    Coyote Captured
    Creating A Photo Series
    Daytime Composition
    Fairholme Range Reflection
    Fall Larch Kananaskis
    Finding A Frame
    Fire & Light Spinning
    Framing Winter
    Glorious Isolation
    Grasslands National Park
    Grizzly 164
    Grotto Creek
    Handheld Macro
    Harsh Daylight
    Ice Chandeliers
    Ice Sharks In Kananaskis
    Image Analysis
    Keep Chasing
    Landscapes In Portrait Format
    Layers Of Scotland
    Lightning On The Ridge
    Lovely Leadenhall Market
    Loving London
    Lucky Photography
    Lunar Eclipse
    Magical Methane Ice
    Make & Shoot Freezing Bubbles
    Mayfly Sunset
    Mercury In Transit 2019
    Merlin The Magician
    Missed Opportunities
    Mt Rundle Moonrise
    Mt Rundle Sunset
    My Favourite Sunset Spot
    Natural Monochrome
    Neowise & Noctilucent Clouds
    New Year Roundup 2018
    Night Photography
    Night Workshop Calgary
    Not Feeling It
    Oklahoma Prairie
    Perseverance Pay Off
    Pileated Woodpecker
    Prairie Sanctuary
    Prairie Storm
    Prairie Surprises
    Rain In Las Vegas
    Rattray Head Lighthouse
    Remember To Return
    Revisiting Old Images
    Ripples In Las Vegas
    Rowley Alberta
    Santa Monica Pier
    Saved By A Snowstorm
    Series 5
    Shooting Sunset
    Shooting The Same Topic
    Silver Island Mountains
    Simple Winter Shots
    Spring Blue Jay
    St Hybald's Church
    Storm Over The Wedge
    Stormy Separation
    Summer Solstice
    Summit Sunset
    Sunrise At Wedge Pond
    Sunset Shoot
    Telephoto Landscapes
    The City Of York
    The Painted Desert
    The Sea Cliffs Of Home
    To Clean Or Not To Clean
    Total Solar Eclipse 2017
    Troll Falls
    Upper Lake Sunrise
    Ursa Major & Me
    Vancouver Island
    Vermillion Blues
    Vertical Panoramas
    Welcome
    Wide Angle Woes
    Winter Respite
    Winter Woes

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
  • Tips & More
  • Contact
  • About