Look mom, no feet!

 

This turtle was sunning himself at Petrie Island. If you are in a kayak the turtles out sunning themselves dive pretty quickly when you get near. I was on the trail that follows the bank of the inlet and was able to get quite close. He was not at all disturbed by the people walking by, so I had time to move around to get a mirror image. The water was moving slightly so the reflection is not completely clear but I think the mirror effect still works. Remember to click on the image if you want to view it in a larger format.

 

© Copyright Beth Walsh Photography. All rights reserved.

 

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Light & Water Abstract.

 

This was one of my earlier efforts that I have revisited in my quest to bring order to my archives. I am very pleased with this image which I think is so much better than my first effort. I was taking photos by the Rideau River when I noticed the play of light on the water. It was a sunny summer day, early in the afternoon before I really understood how harsh the light can be during the day. However, it’s also a good example of how sometimes things work out despite what you know to be the rules. Because this is an abstract, I experimented with the white balance in order to warm up the colours. The water was also full of tiny dots of reflected light of which I removed. That was very time-consuming and had me, at times, questioning my sanity. But the end result is an abstract of the wonderful patterns of light reflecting off the water.

 

© Copyright Beth Walsh Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Beaver @ Lyndhurst, Ontario

 

One of my favourite activities is to go kayaking with my family and if I’m really lucky I combine kayaking and photography. I use my D5000 and my 70-300 lens. This allows me to catch wildlife that I would otherwise not see or get close to. Typically, we head anywhere within 2 hours’ driving time of Ottawa. Kayaking and photography is not without its challenges, which is why I don’t use my D600. I have not tipped over yet and hopefully I won’t but just in case I use my backup camera. Often I just enjoy kayaking because the wildlife sees me coming before I see them or they are very shy and we only hear them. This photo of a beaver was captured during a trip to Lyndhurst Ontario.

 

We have taken a number of trips this year and the paddling was wonderful but the animals were either not there or very shy. So my camera stayed strapped to the top of my kayak. This trip was very different. I spotted many animals and had some success in capturing them. When out on the lakes or rivers, we have spotted a lot of beaver lodges but the beaver themselves are a very rare sight. This beaver was swimming along the waters edge in beautiful light when I first spotted him. He was moving very fast and I thought that I would not get my camera out in time to catch him when he stopped to eat something. I floated towards him and as soon as got my camera out, I took some quick pics. Then I tried to get closer to him. As soon as my paddle touched the water, he heard me and dived. This happens a lot when kayaking, which is why you can’t count on taking pictures and just have to enjoy the outing. Much less stress that way.

 

For those who have never encountered a North American beaver, it is a large, web-footed, semi-aquatic rodent with brown fur and a wide, flat, dark tail. The tail acts as a rudder while swimming, as a prop for standing upright, as a lever when dragging tree logs, and as a noise maker for producing a warning signal when it is slapped on the water. The fingers have long claws, and the legs have small webbed feet and claws. The beaver has a large, wide, head. It has sharp, renewable, self-sharpening, enamelled teeth that can cut through wood and fell a tree.

 

© Copyright Beth Walsh Photography. All rights reserved.