Light along Guelph's two rivers
Sep. 12th, 2004 07:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vaneramosI had just finished telling Danny that I have felt less interested in photography since the summer ended. I spent two days in Toronto this week and took no photos. I told him this as we walked along the Eramosa River at noon, camera hanging listlessly at my side. It was last summer that I splurged on a new memory card, allowing me to experiment to my heart's content. So I have completed the full cycle of a year with the Eramosa. Most of what I see now I have tried to photograph before.
The words were barely past my lips when we passed through a meadow full of goldenrod, asters, jewelweed and butter-and-eggs. My apathy evaporated like dew in the hot September sun. I call this flower porn. There's little compositional merit to this photo. It is just a riot, and I love it.
After that, everywhere I looked I saw things in a new light. Monet light, you might call it: wonderful effects in the sky and water. I pondered aloud to Danny that still images can't capture moving reflections the way the eye sees them.
This afternoon I had to drop Danny off at the bus station. But before he left for home, we drove over to The Boathouse, one of places that contributes to Guelph's peculiar, almost European charm. It had stood derelict for decades on the bank of the Speed River until someone renovated this 1930s building and opened it as a tea room. As a special bonus, it's the only place around this part of the province where you can buy Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream. If you visit Ontario cottage country regularly and like ice cream, you'll know this was a good business decision. The Boathouse closes for several months during the winter, but otherwise is open for light lunches and special events such as poetry readings.
I had some fun with the next image. I took two photos with Danny![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
djjo in precisely the same pose. The other was taken a little further back, his figure was smaller in relation to the building, and the composition didn't appeal to me as much. But in this shot, the woman in the doorway was missing. I loved that woman. So I cut and pasted the contents of the doorway into this photograph. I don't manipulate photos very much other than cropping, but this pleased me.
Despite my complaints about losing interest in photography, I had trouble choosing what to post today, so there are six more photos behind the cut. The first three were taken around the boathouse, the next one on the nearby covered bridge, and the last two were taken on our walk along the Eramosa River earlier in the day.
In my peculiar state of mind, the first scene reminded me of Georges Seurat's painting, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, or Bathers at Asnieres. In my experience, most North American cities do not bother to create waterfront spaces like this.
This place overlooks the Speed River. At the extreme left, beyond the two people sitting on the flood wall, is the place where the Eramosa River emerges. The two are facing a small garden, which is a memorial to the 13 women who died in the Montreal Massacre.
Light effect over Gordon Street bridge.
On the flood wall.
From the traditional covered bridge, a view of the pond at the confluence of the Eramosa and Speed Rivers.
At the foot of Old Man Willow, someone has rolled one of the park benches into the Eramosa River again.
To anyone who follows my journal regularly, the last scene will be familiar by now. I missed all of August without seeing it, so this photo represents my homecoming. It was a hot, sunny day; in fact we have had more deep summer weather this week than in all of July and August combined, it seems. With this cheerful aspect on the pond at my favourite place along the Eramosa River, I look forward to a long, pleasant autumn.
The words were barely past my lips when we passed through a meadow full of goldenrod, asters, jewelweed and butter-and-eggs. My apathy evaporated like dew in the hot September sun. I call this flower porn. There's little compositional merit to this photo. It is just a riot, and I love it.
After that, everywhere I looked I saw things in a new light. Monet light, you might call it: wonderful effects in the sky and water. I pondered aloud to Danny that still images can't capture moving reflections the way the eye sees them.
This afternoon I had to drop Danny off at the bus station. But before he left for home, we drove over to The Boathouse, one of places that contributes to Guelph's peculiar, almost European charm. It had stood derelict for decades on the bank of the Speed River until someone renovated this 1930s building and opened it as a tea room. As a special bonus, it's the only place around this part of the province where you can buy Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream. If you visit Ontario cottage country regularly and like ice cream, you'll know this was a good business decision. The Boathouse closes for several months during the winter, but otherwise is open for light lunches and special events such as poetry readings.
I had some fun with the next image. I took two photos with Danny
djjo in precisely the same pose. The other was taken a little further back, his figure was smaller in relation to the building, and the composition didn't appeal to me as much. But in this shot, the woman in the doorway was missing. I loved that woman. So I cut and pasted the contents of the doorway into this photograph. I don't manipulate photos very much other than cropping, but this pleased me.Despite my complaints about losing interest in photography, I had trouble choosing what to post today, so there are six more photos behind the cut. The first three were taken around the boathouse, the next one on the nearby covered bridge, and the last two were taken on our walk along the Eramosa River earlier in the day.
In my peculiar state of mind, the first scene reminded me of Georges Seurat's painting, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, or Bathers at Asnieres. In my experience, most North American cities do not bother to create waterfront spaces like this.
This place overlooks the Speed River. At the extreme left, beyond the two people sitting on the flood wall, is the place where the Eramosa River emerges. The two are facing a small garden, which is a memorial to the 13 women who died in the Montreal Massacre.
Light effect over Gordon Street bridge.
On the flood wall.
From the traditional covered bridge, a view of the pond at the confluence of the Eramosa and Speed Rivers.
At the foot of Old Man Willow, someone has rolled one of the park benches into the Eramosa River again.
To anyone who follows my journal regularly, the last scene will be familiar by now. I missed all of August without seeing it, so this photo represents my homecoming. It was a hot, sunny day; in fact we have had more deep summer weather this week than in all of July and August combined, it seems. With this cheerful aspect on the pond at my favourite place along the Eramosa River, I look forward to a long, pleasant autumn.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 04:52 pm (UTC)me. it could be my friend Norla, who is there at
least three days a week right now. she's staying
in New York, but commutes at least three days a
week, and is working at some sort of women's center
there in Guelph. i think my favorite is the flood
wall, though.~paul
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 04:59 pm (UTC)Good heavens, New York is a long commute!
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 05:14 pm (UTC)The light fixture is quite elegant - especially sitting there amidst those clouds and cloud shadows.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 05:22 pm (UTC)after i thought about it for a bit, it struck me
that she probably comes up there, stays three
days, then goes back. still, it is magical,
isn't it?~paul
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 06:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 06:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 06:50 pm (UTC)I love the paradox of the foreground with Danny hiding behind the ice cream cone and the woman in the background. What interesting stories this suggests.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 07:03 pm (UTC)Do look after my sweetie cub next week!
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 07:28 pm (UTC)more i wonder. i should email her
again, but i'm afraid that she would
probably tell me something even more
confusing. lol.~paul
awwwww
Date: 2004-09-12 07:31 pm (UTC)They are all great pictures. And your were right about the rippling of the light on the water. The pictures can't really show how it looked, or more accurately, how it made me feel. But they are great pics anyway!
HA! Funny that about the woman maybe being a friend of a friend!
yes, the world can be a very small place at times.
Hugs there love.
That cone made me feel like a kid!
Date: 2004-09-12 07:36 pm (UTC)My tonque was really sore after eating all that. It was melting to fast in the heat, so I had to lick really fast to keep it from running all over the place. I usually like a cone to last longer, but this had to be eaten fast.
Thankfully no icecream headache - man I HATE those!
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 08:32 pm (UTC)Re: awwwww
Date: 2004-09-12 08:37 pm (UTC)xoxo
no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-12 09:07 pm (UTC)The lamppost appears to have its own private sunbeam, and the submerged bench conjures up saddened feelings from me.
I'm so glad the inspiration came back to you all at once. It often happens that way, doesn't it? ;)
no subject
Date: 2004-09-13 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-13 06:42 am (UTC)Re: That cone made me feel like a kid!
Date: 2004-09-13 06:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-13 06:58 am (UTC)And I can almost see stephe doing that.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-13 07:02 am (UTC)Ahem, yes well <G>
Date: 2004-09-13 07:28 am (UTC)Yes, I'm really a sweet 12 year old
Date: 2004-09-13 07:29 am (UTC)Scuse me, I must go look at something sparkly and lick myself and take a nap.
Re: awwwww
Date: 2004-09-13 08:01 am (UTC)As they say on Usenet, I Just Wanted To See That Again.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-13 11:40 am (UTC)