Introduction
It was the year when everything changed. It was also the year when the things and people that most mattered in our lives came into clearer focus.
The year began innocently enough, much as other years began in the past, with only a few news reports of a viral outbreak far away. Then came reports from local authorities that the virus had come here too. Even so, we all expected that it would all be over soon. Except it wasn't over soon and it kept getting worse. Slowly we realized that recovery would take years, not weeks, and prolonged lifestyle changes were now the new normal. And as the year came to a close, the emergence of hope: vaccines developed though massive global effort becoming available to fight the scourge.
The trajectory of my photography during the year parallels that of the pandemic. It began at my usual pace, fell into a lull as the implications of the pandemic became evident and as my energy went into other things, and then accelerated as I adjusted to the new normal. Overall, I did more photography during 2020 than I had in many years. While there were a few outings organized by the RA Photo Club that I am a member of and that I attended, the majority took place with friends as we strove to stay connected and have fun together during this difficult time.
If you wish to delve deeper, my journal website, www.lingerinthelight.com, provides a fuller discussion of my activities, and more of my photographs, than given here.
Winter
Vincent Massey Park and Hogs Back Falls
The year began with a combined outing to Vincent Massey Park and Hogs Back Falls in Ottawa with a friend. The day was mild and overcast, which was perfect since it offered nice even lighting without any harsh shadows. We had a great time photographing the ice formations along the Rideau River and especially at the falls.
Mud Lake and Ottawa River
The Nature Group of the RA Photo Club organized an outing to Mud Lake and the adjacent Ottawa River. While I took a few photographs at Mud Lake, I was captivated by the Ottawa River and I spent considerable time there.
Mechanicsville and Hintonburg
The Urban Group of the RA Photo Club organized an outing to photograph the Mechanicsville Winter Carnival. Mechanicsville is one of Ottawa’s oldest neighbourhoods. To be honest, the Carnival was a very small affair and didn't attract my interest. Instead, one of my friends and I chose to explore the Mechanicsville and nearby Hintonburg neighbourhoods. In this old area of the city we found a goldmine of old weathered doors and other subjects of interest.
Bate Island and Hogs Back Falls
I went with a friend to explore Bate Island in the middle of the Ottawa River. The Champlain Bridge linking Ottawa and Gatineau provides easy access. It was there that we found some amazing patterns on the river surface.
With half the morning still available, we decided to pay another visit to Hogs Back Falls. While our earlier visit featured an overcast sky, this time we had some sun, and that presented an entirely different set of photographic opportunities.
Limerick Forest: Chalet Loop Trails
Limerick Forest is one of my favourite venues for Nature photography. It consists of several tracts of land in the vicinity of Limerick Forest road in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, near Oxford Station, about an hour’s drive south of Ottawa. For this outing, friends and I photographed on the “Chalet Loop” set of trails during the annual forest Open House.
Spring
At Home in the Backyard
Alas, at the onset of Spring the COVID-19 pandemic had taken hold in Canada and much of the country entered a period of lockdown. We were asked to stay home and only venture out for essential needs. Even walking for exercise was restricted, and one risked being fined merely for sitting for a moment on a park bench to catch one's breath. Parking lots at nature trails were barricaded off, bridges across the Ottawa River to the neighbouring province of Quebec were effectively closed, and everyone was very nervous. With so much change taking place so quickly, my energy was consumed with adapting to this new reality, and I had little time or inclination for photography.
But slowly things settled down. I adapted to the new rhythm of daily life, precautions began to feel routine, and the urge to make photographs returned. I decided to start small, and take advantage of the private oasis in the backyard of our home.
Summer
Ottawa River near the Champlain Bridge
With the arrival of Summer I had enough experience sharing paths with others while social distancing that I felt comfortable doing photography at the same time. I chose to take a walk along the path next to the Sir John A Macdonald Parkway. This path follows the Ottawa River, and there are many opportunities to reach the water's edge. Over a couple of hours I photographed three areas along the river, on either side of the Champlain Bridge.
Ottawa River from Remic Rapids to Lemieux Island
By this point my photography friends and I had begun discussing joint, socially-distanced, outings. The first of these took place along the Ottawa River from Remic Rapids (that feature the rock sculptures of John Felice Ceprano) to Lemieux Island. As we walked East the sun was setting and we were treated to some lovely golden hour scenes.
Experimental Farm
A friend had been visiting the Central Experimental Farm (CEF) and suggested that I join him for an outing. For those not familiar with Ottawa, the CEF is near downtown Ottawa, is an active research centre, and is also a wonderful recreational resource. Walking and cycling paths crisscross the farm. Such a large and diverse area can't all be photographed in a single visit. For this outing we confined ourselves to the western part.
Ottawa River and Mud Lake
I returned again to the Ottawa River with a friend. This time I photographed from the Deschenes Rapids parking lot on the Sir John A Macdonald parkway, past the delta of Pinecrest Creek, and then onwards to the eastern edge of Mud Lake.
The walk along the river, creek, and parkway offered a variety of different subjects ...
... and Mud Lake did not disappoint either, especially with the low-angled sun.
Lansdowne and Environs
With the arrival of September, the RA Photo Club restarted after having ended its 2019/2020 programme early when the lockdown began in March (it normally runs from September through May). Activity took place virtually, except for one outing that the Urban Group organized to Lansdowne Park and its surrounding area. This area is in Ottawa's fashionable Glebe neighbourhood. It features TD Place Stadium, the historic Aberdeen Pavilion, and several restaurants. The Rideau canal and associated parkway are also nearby.
This was a nighttime outing, so dealing with low light levels was a key consideration. A photographer might normally use a tripod and a slow shutter speed in this situation. But for this outing we were asked to work handheld and explore high ISO settings instead. I was pleasantly surprised by what I could achieve through careful technique and with the use of advanced noise reduction software.
Mud Lake and Ottawa River
I returned to Mud Lake and the adjacent stretch of the Ottawa River yet again, this time as part of a socially distant group outing. I was particularly interested to revisit the segment of the Ottawa River that I found so interesting in the Winter, as well as to walk the trail that follows the perimeter of the lake.
I'm glad that I included the Ottawa River since I found several interesting shots ...
... and Mud Lake proved interesting as well.
Experimental Farm
When we visited the Experimental Farm earlier in the Summer, my friend and I resolved that we would return in a few weeks. There is simply so much to see at the farm that one outing isn't enough. Moreover, the farm changes with the seasons, so every visit offers something of a surprise.
On this visit Harvest season was well underway. And while there was little wind during our previous outing, this time we had strong gusts. The combination made for a completely different and very enjoyable experience.
Pinhey Forest
My next outing with a friend was to Pinhey Forest. The forest is located in western Ottawa and is full of trails that are well used by individuals or families enjoying Nature. For the most part it is typical of the forests around Ottawa ...
... But what we didn't realize when we started exploring the forest was that it also contains something quite unusual: sand dunes. These dunes are a remnant of an old shoreline of the Champlain Sea. This is the sea that had inundated Ottawa and area as the last ice age had retreated. The sand dunes are protected areas, surrounded by a perimeter string barrier, and the dunes we found on this outing are Site 2.
Milky Way from Pakenham
The RA Photo Club intended to have an outing to photograph the Milky Way in September. Unfortunately, for COVID-related reasons, it and all subsequent club outings planned for 2020 could not take place. But one of my friends suggested that some of us could go ahead anyway, and do it as a personal outing. So, that's what three of us did. Pakenham had been scouted for the club outing, and we chose to go there. That venue had the advantage of being within an hour's drive of Ottawa. It also featured a nice flat rock extending into the Mississippi river where we could set up.
This was my first taste of astrophotography, and my goal was quite modest: to come away with one decent shot of the Milky Way. Actually, I got several good shots and I feel encouraged to do more of this type of photography as opportunities present themselves.
Fall
Limerick Forest: Chalet Loop Trails
With the arrival of Fall, COVID-19 numbers had fallen quite substantially, restrictions had consequently relaxed somewhat, and a few of us felt comfortable doing a socially-distanced outing to Limerick Forest. This outing qualified for the Fall Challenge organized by the Nature Group of the RA Photo Club and I submitted some of my photos from this outing to that challenge.
Princess Louise Falls
Princess Louise Falls is in the Orleans suburb of Ottawa and I finally had the opportunity to visit with a friend. It was an amazing Fall day where I found something interesting to photograph everywhere I looked. This outing also qualified for the Fall Challenge organized by the Nature Group of the RA Photo Club and some of my photos from this outing were submitted to that challenge.
Vincent Massey Park and Hogs Back Falls
I returned to Vincent Massey Park and Hogs Back Falls yet again with a friend in the Fall. This time around we explored the Northern end of the park and I also brought my tripod so I could do some long exposures of the falls.
Petrie Island
A friend and I had been talking about Petrie Island for some time, and the chance for an outing finally came in the Fall. Located in Ottawa's Eastern outskirts, it is a large park with about 12 km of shoreline. It has something for everyone: a sandy beach, nature trails, birds, and waterways.
Pinhey Forest
The discovery of the sand dunes at Pinhey Forest in the summer was quite exciting. Google Maps shows four such areas in Pinhey Forest. Thus was born in my friend's mind the idea of a Grand Tour of all the sites. She organized this as a small group outing so that we could all maintain social distancing. For my part, I photographed both the dunes and the surrounding area at each site.
First we paid a return visit to Site 2 ...
... then we saw Site 1 which has beautiful white sand ...
... then onwards to Site 3, ...
... and finally to Site 4.
Home Studio
I've had the idea of doing some studio photography at home for an embarrassingly long time. With the limitations to outdoor activity enforced by COVID-19 I felt the need to move this forward. So, between being enticed by end of year sales and being idle while waiting for snow, I bought a few pieces of equipment and set up a space to work. My first efforts were directed to playing with light and simple objects at a small scale.
Conclusion
2020 was a challenging year for all of us. Many people died, became ill, or suffered hardship of various kinds. We were all thrown into an unfamiliar situation and needed to make significant lifestyle changes in a hurry. Even keeping our spirits up could be difficult at times.
Yet most of us made it through more or less intact. And with the arrival of vaccines we can begin to visualize a return somewhere in the second half of 2021 to something approaching the normality that we once had.
In the midst of all this, I had a good photographic year. I was more active, more involved with friends, and experimented more with new things than in past years. I'm hoping to build on this momentum through 2021.