Nicky Trees on the Lake – Summer at Canada’s Sugar Beach
If you’re a regular follower of my blog (and why wouldn’t you be?) then you’ll know that Sugar Beach here in Toronto is one of my most frequent photographic subjects – you can catch up with my many photographs of Sugar Beach right here on my personal website or on my artist’s website. If you have been really following my blog then you will know that many of my most recent art photographs of Sugar Beach have shown it shuddering under a freezing carpet of snow, ice and fog. Beautiful, but very cold.
Vive la différence at Canada’s Sugar Beach!
You may find it hard to believe, but the latest addition to my art portfolio is a picture of Sugar Beach; or at least the tree-lined pathway heading towards the lake by Sugar Beach. As much as I love winter for the unique, almost alien landscapes it can create and the unique photographic opportunities it provides me with, you just cannot beat summer for vibrancy, inspiration and above all, colour.
Even if I say so myself, I am really proud of this shot, and the way the colours just seem to explode out of it and draw the viewer in. Isn’t nature simply amazing – whilst we mere humans toil and fret and experiment endlessly to create things of beauty, with nature it comes naturally. Why is that? Whether or not you personally believe there to be some master-plan lurking beneath existence, nature does seem so effortlessly to get things spot on when it comes to creating beauty and inspiration. It’s my job, as a humble fine art photographer, simply to spot and capture the opportunities that nature so readily provides.
Path to the Lake
What I really like about this shot is the welcoming invitation the trees are giving the viewer – to walk forwards along the path to the water beyond to enjoy even more natural beauty. I love the feeling of peace, and still feel amazed that I captured such a serene moment just by being there. Taking this shot I had a strong feeling that the trees were suddenly very happy about being fully dressed trees again and that distinct impression is still there when I look at the resulting art print. Their branches are no longer bare but are instead decked out in their beautiful green finery. Who wants to be out and about when not looking their best? These poor old trees have spent the winter standing completely naked in front of everyone.
Thanks to the endless circle of the seasons the trees are at last able to start showing off a little, and they seem very cheery about it. In fact, if you look carefully at the top of the closest tree on the right of the photograph, you can see a huge, happy smiley face. Okay, you might have to squint a little, I confess, but I promise you it is there!
I managed to capture this photograph when no one else was actually on the path. It was a “magic moment” for which I waited patiently. As it’s summer people are out and about at Sugar Beach very early. The beach is a beautiful spot for us all so I just had to wait and grab my moment – my patience definitely paid off. Sometimes I like to include people in my shots, as they can add interest. Sometimes I don’t have a choice, people are part of the story. This time I was pleased that no one else was on the path as I wanted nothing to distract from the wonderful, colourful scene that nature had created for me. I hope you think that I have done the opportunity justice!
You can buy Trees by the Lake at Sugar Beach on my Artist’s website
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