Landscape Photography Fail

I don't take anywhere near as many photos as I did a few years ago. Then I would routinely come home with 2 or 3 hundred shots. Now I think I work a little harder to get it right before I click the shutter. However, I still have some shots that just don't do it for me. I thought it might be interesting for you to see a shot that doesn't do it for me. There's two things that don't work in this photo - one is the sky - there are some lovely wispy clouds but they are all focused/aimed at the horizon, not the lighthouse. Secondly, the main leading lines that do focus on the lighthouse are the road lines on the ground. The only trouble with these is that the road is not a very interesting object in itself - it's a little cracked and junky looking. I'd prefer a dirt track with some grass and dandelions, etc. I'll be interested in any comments on this photo, especially in comparison with yesterday's photo (taken the same afternoon).

Landscape Photography

I decided to take a break from the causeway and its summer bustle and rode out to the Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site. While the above photo doesn't look a lot different from my usual photos of this landmark, it was an attempt to put into practice some hints and tips on landscape photography I've lately been picking up (mostly from YouTube tutorials). Well, at least I've got the horizon fairly level in this shot.

Esquimalt Lagoon

The Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site is directly adjacent to the Esquimalt Lagoon Nature Sanctuary. The above photo was taken from Fort Rodd Hill looking towards the lagoon. The stream in the foreground is the tidal flow into and out of the lagoon.

The Postcard

I'm not a very adventurous photographer - usually what I strive to achieve is picturesque rather than striking or unique and this shot is a good example of what satisfies me.

Garry Oak Learning Meadow

A few years ago Fort Rodd Hill was little more than a preserved coastal defense site. But in the last few years new features have been added that make it more interesting, educational and relevant. One of my favorite new features is the Garry Oak Learning Meadow, a garden area stocked with a wide variety of plants that are a part of the Garry Oak Ecosystem. Above we are looking at the entrance to the meadow through its attractive new gate. The learning meadow is well worth a visit quite aside from the other attractions of the park and there is usually a helpful Parks Canada person there to describe how and why the meadow was developed.

Fisgard Lighthouse

Under blue skies and bright sunshine I went out today to Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site. I was pleased to discover that in celebration of Canada's 150th Birthday this year, all National Historic Sites have waived their admission fees. The entrance fee to Fort Rodd Hill has always been quite modest but the feeling that I could come back again, often, subtly changed the tenor of my visit, so that I was able to concentrate on one part of the site and reserve the rest for further visits. Above is a slightly different view of the Fisgard Lighthouse viewed from Fort Rodd Hill.

Pink Fawn Lily

Here's another unusual spring wildflower from my recent visit to the Garry Oak Learning Meadow at Fort Rodd Hill. It is a Pink Fawn Lily (Erythronium revolutum) It's a little bit unusual for being a double but what makes this outstanding for me is that it is pink, whereas the Fawn Lilies I have seen in this area (in and around Victoria) are all the white variety. The pink variety is apparently more common further north on Vancouver Island, though nowhere very common.

Chocolate Lily

I mentioned yesterday that I enjoy looking around in the Garry Oak Learning Meadow at Fort Rodd Hill. One of the reasons is that there is a knowledgeable and personable Parks Canada staff member there who patiently answers questions and also points out interesting or unusual plants. He pointed out the flower pictured above, an extraordinary Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria affinis) with seven flower heads. When I've come across these in the wild they generally only have a single flower though I have seen double-flowered plants occasionally.

Fort Rodd Hill - Garry Oak Learning Meadow

Just above the tenting facility pictured yesterday is another relatively new project at Fort Rodd Hill, the Garry Oak Learning Meadow. As well as fairly common wildflowers such as the Buttercups and Camas Lilies in the photo above, there are less common indigenous treasures such as the Red Columbine on the left. In addition there are personable Parks Canada staff working in the meadow who are very knowledgeable and happy to provide information about the Garry Oak Ecosystem.

oTENTik

For the last couple of years Parks Canada has offered tent accommodation within Fort Rodd. The tents are visible on the upper right of the above photo. It seems that it might be a fun and relatively inexpensive idea for families with three or four young children who want to spend some time "camping" in the historic park environment and avoid most of the work involved. You can find out more about the program by clicking HERE.

Fisgard Lighthouse

Regular visitors here will know that I never miss a chance to photograph our famous local lighthouse and last week was no exception. Usually I try to see it f rom a new angle or in dramatic weather but for this shot I opted for the classic postcard view. Fisgard Lighthouse shares its grounds with another National Historic Site, Fort Rodd Hill. This photo was taken from the top of the cliffs where the Fort Rodd Hill gun emplacements are. There's lots to see out there and we'll have a look at some new developments later this week.

Fisgard Lighthouse

By the time I had walked out to the lighthouse the fog bank had blown clear - you can see its remnants off to the right.

Fisgard in the Fog 2

Along the shore there are some aspens or poplar trees whose leaves are just turning into coppery disks that shiver in the slightest breeze.

Fisgard in the Fog

Those of you who visit here regularly will know my fondness for the Fisgard Lighthouse. Thus you will understand why I was happy to see it on a foggy morning recently. I have not photographed it in the fog previously so the first thing I did when I arrived at the Fort Rodd Hill/Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site was take some shots of the lighthouse. It was only later I noticed the Steller's Jays and the deer romping around.

Out of Season Fawn

While stalking the Steller's Jays through the bush yesterday I was suddenly confronted with this fawn. This is a little strange since this little deer looks like it's just been born and foaling season for these Black-tailed deer is May and June. I hope this one's late arrival doesn't mean he will have a hard time of it this winter. At least while he's living at Fort Rodd Hill he won't be bothered by predators and the weather here is generally mild enough so that he should be able to find something to eat until spring.

Steller's Jay

Here's a bird I have been hoping to see for some time. Once again, although this Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is not a rare bird it is the first time I have seen any. I encountered quite a group of them, maybe ten or fifteen, foraging in some Garry Oaks at Fort Rodd Hill. They move around in the trees quite quickly and it was some time before I was able to get a clear shot.

Fisgard Lighthouse

On January 2nd I posted a photo taken from Macaulay Point with the Fisgard Lighthouse just visible in the far distance. Here from nearly the same vantage point but with a much more powerful lens is a closer look at my favorite model. To the left of the lighthouse one of the gun emplacements on Fort Rodd Hill can be seen.

Fort Rodd Hill

The Fisgard Lighthouse, a National Historic Monument, lies just offshore and is more or less surrounded by another National Historic Monument, Fort Rodd Hill. Fort Rodd Hill consists of a number of buildings and gun emplacements designed to protect Esquimalt Harbour from attack from the sea during various wars of the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the gun emplacements remain, a sombre reminder of the horror of war. The photo above looks ominous and it should since the sole purpose of the structure was to position guns where they could most easily destroy incoming enemies.

Blacktail Deer

A trip to the Fisgard Lighthouse and Fort Rodd Hill always yields some good photos of the lighthouse but I often see deer and other wildlife when I am out that way. The Esquimalt Lagoon Bird Sanctuary is very close and Fort Rodd Hill is also surrounded by quite an extensive forested area that is home to this deer and others. They are quite tame although they discreetly move away if you approach them.

Along the Coast

Continuing to browse through the May 2010 folder that yielded yesterday's post, I came across this one taken the same day. The photo is taken from Fort Rodd Hill (you can see the gun emplacement on the right of this photo) looking westwards and shows the proximity of Esquimalt Lagoon, created by that long spit of land that cuts across the water in this photo. Esquimalt Lagoon is a bird sanctuary and one can almost always depend on seeing a half dozen different species of duck, blackbirds, swans, geese, herons, shorebirds, seagulls and terns as well as the occasional otter. The lagoon is only a few minutes drive from Fort Rodd Hill. Much of the forest in the right center background belongs to Hatley Park, another splendid place to visit and see the wonderful gardens and Hatley Castle. Directly behind me as I took this photo was Fisgard Lighthouse. This catalog is just to indicate how rich and varied is this section of coastline that lies on edge of the Greater Victoria area.