A quick post and run today. This image was taken during last year's trip to shoot Niagara Falls. After shooting the falls at sunrise, I headed out to St Catharines and Lake Ontario to see what I could find. I stumbled on this marina that had a long jetty along with two lighthouses. The marina was surprisingly deserted and I really liked these benches that extended out toward the lake with one of the lighthouses in the background.
Lake Ontario Reflection
Last year, I headed out to Niagara Falls to photograph this wonder of nature. I had been to the falls in the early 90s on a family vacation but was not taking photos at the time. I spent a couple of nights at the falls (travel tip - go in April on the Canadian side - I was able to book a hotel at the edge of the falls for $120 including a breakfast buffet). The best time to photograph the falls is early morning or late evening, so what is there to do during the day? I headed out to the town of St. Catharines located on Lake Ontario. I had remembered seeing images of the two lighthouses in the Port Dalhousie section of town. When I got there, I spotted two piers that extended into Lake Ontario. For some unknown reason, both of the lighthouses are on the same pier rather at the end of each pier. This image is of the lighthouse at the very end of the pier. It was very windy and the water was splashing over the side of the pier. In between splashes, I was able to catch this shot of the lighthouse its reflection in the pier.
Floating City
Today, we revisit Niagara Falls. I had just taken this shot that I had posted earlier this year and wanted to get a different view of the water. I walked along the path alongside the Niagara River so I could get a view of the water before it plummeted over the edge on its way from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. As I looked back toward the falls, the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario actually looked like it was floating in the river. From my vantage point, the huge gorge between the American side and the Canadian side had "disappeared" giving the appearance that the city was on an island. The only indication that there might be a gorge is the mist from the American Falls (on the right) coming up from the bottom.
Springtime at Niagara Falls
I was hoping to be up before dawn to set up for a shot of Niagara Falls. Must have been overly tired from the long 8 hour drive yesterday and I woke up at 6 am (sunrise was at 5:56 am). Fortunately I was able to book a hotel room on the edge of the Falls so I was able to be set up by 6:15 am. I have been taking Trey Ratcliff's excellent Webinar of how he takes and processes his fabulous HDR photos. HDR photos are best taken using a tripod but as I walked the length of the Canadian side, I was disappointed to see that the fence was in the way of getting the composition that I wanted. So to get the shot I wanted, I was going to have to hand hold for the shot (I was taking a 5 shot HDR so any slight movement could pose a problem). I ultimately found this one spot where I was able to frame these daffodils along with the budding tree on the right. All in all, it was a beautiful spring morning.