Boardwalk, Point Pelee Nat'l Park

Really a beautiful, intelligently composed photo, Len. The diagonal of the boardwalk carries us deep into the picture while the two strollers give us a reference point in the foreground. The distant line of trees on the horizon almost seems like another world.

Taken from an observation tower at the beginning of the mile long boardwalk.  The boardwalk is constructed on pontoons and oscillates up and down when people walk on it.  Makes the use of a tripod almost useless as there are always people walking by.   Serendipity was triggered as the two hikers walked on to the wooden pathway just after I composed this.  Didn't really have to wait too long.  I felt this B&W version trumped the colour one.  Thanks for your thoughts.  Best, LM.

Hi Len

I like the classical presentation of this landscape capture. The placement and shapes of the subjects made the composition in its perfect sense along the way to horizon. Best regards

Fine image and with good contrast too.

 

there is a long way to walk.

It looked good to me at the time of exposure.  The only surprise for me was that it looked better in B&W than in colour.  Thanks for your visit & validation.  Best, LM.

Always good to have your input.  I walked the whole length, a bit less than a mile (1.4 Km.) but must say that this view was the best of the tour.  When converting to B&W via 'Channel Mixer' I used 100% red.  This would account for the higher contrast.  I burned in the brighter portion of the boardwalk where the hikers are.  It was a tad too bright for me.  Best, LM. 

Great point of camera, it covers the place from begining to nearly  the end, and gives the visitor a good impression of the view! It looks a great place to walk from/to....;-)) and enjoy the natural scenery close by. Beautiful place and I join Jack that wrote ... an intelligent point to present the landscape.

Beautiful DOF, and B/W composition.

Excellent composition with a full range of tones . The figures are placed perfectly with nice lighting . Bill

The boardwalk starts on the right of the observation platform and ends (unseen in photo),  on the left side of it.  Lots of turtles and water lilies to be found on the way.  A must-see on any visit to Point Pelee.  Thanks for dropping by.  Best, LM.

Thanks for your thoughts.  I haven't printed this one yet but will probably do so soon.  It's a favourite of the trip photos.  Best, LM.

I googled point Pelee, it is so interesting I wish it was not so far away.....I hate the long fligts.;-))

Point Pelee is about 425 km. from where I live so it's a good 5hr drive.  (took us 6 hrs due to a traffic delay on the highway)  You could probably have reached it by air faster than me.  :-)  Canada is usually thought of as a cool northern country but it's interesting to know that Point Pelee is at about the same latitude as Rome & Barcelona.  On the other hand Canada claims territory to within 500 miles of the north pole so there is some validity to the 'cool northern country' designation.  Best, LM.

Thanks for the information, but you forgot the long looong! flight to Canada!;-))

Len, fantastic work. Well scaled, with a touch of reflection and wider than digital dynamic range (your A540 makes a miracle!). Soft river line and harsh boardwalk graphic - max!

Good to have your vote of confidence on this recent favourite of mine.  The entry level Canon A540 keeps on surprising me, even after 6 years.  I don't necessarily agree with everything he writes but there is a strong element of truth in Ken Rockwell's article seen here.  Best, LM.

Great perspective, proportions and angle, the walkway looks like it goes on forever! the position of the tree and walking couple are perfectly placed and I do like that diagonal light gradation in the sky. I read some of the Ken Rockwell article from the link you kindly provided and I must say there is a lot of common sense communicated there, I don't agree with everything though, the issue of quality for instance must be a factor when it comes to printing large sizes.  Nice work Len!

Best Regards

Alf

Thanks for dropping in and for your take on this favourite of mine.  I too don't take everything Ken says as gospel but I find him entertaining and correct on the majority of his observations.  He even tells us that his site is not to be taken as the definitive answer and that much is said in jest.  Some, notably over in the Nikon forum, have difficulty sorting the fly s**t from the pepper from his writings, taking even his tongue-in-cheek findings seriously.  It's gotten so anal that any link to Ken's site is blocked from the Nikon forum.  Saving us from becoming confused  I guess.  If one is comparing quality from, say, Holga and Hasselblad, then obviously your camera DOES matter, but I've always thought he was referring to the photographer's thought process in capturing an image.  My results from my P&S satisfy me.  Your mileage may vary.  Best, LM

A great photo and very suitable for B&W. An aside comment...brings to mind a very similar scene of a wooden walkway in the Florida  Everglades.

Yah, similar.  With one big difference:  this swampy marsh has no 'gators.  :-)  Thanks for your most welcome visit.  Best, LM.

Beautiful Capture Len! My favourite BW photos are those with high contrast, like Ansel Adams'. I really like the brightness of the boardwalk underscoring the point that this is a photo, primarily of a scenic boardwalk. It's perfectly composed and exposed in my opinion. I really liked the article by Rockwell that you pointed us too as well. It makes a lot of sense. Take care!

Thanks for the kind words.  I'm happy you like this one.  Once I saw it in B&W I knew that was the superior version.  Great area for photography, especially if you are interested in birds.   As for Ken,  well I agree, not all of his preaching is BS.  Best, LM.

A classic, pure classic! The technical quality is perfect among other and the composition is strictly by the rules! Bravo my friend!

 

Best regards

 

PDE

Thanks for your input.  I have to stay with these classic  (cliché ?) types of photos because I don't have your imagination (or Photoshop skills).  It's a pretty straight shot composed 'to look good' in the viewfinder, and a bit of luck with the hikers entering bottom right at the appropriate time.  Chalk one up for the often disrespected P&S.  And another for serendipity!  Best, LM.

Lovely tonal range, very good composition and depth. Of course catching the walkers at that point IMHO is just perfect. I have a photographer friend in Montreal who makes a spring pilgrimage to this place almost every year and one of these days I will do the same to catch the plethora of bird life in this area.

 

PS I like the image in B&W.

 

Here is what Parks canada has to say:

 

Probably the most impressive part of Pelee's spring migration is the diversity and huge numbers of northbound warblers that descend on the area.

As such it has gained the reputation as "Warbler Capital of North America." Point Pelee is perfectly situated far enough north so as to receive both the warblers which fly north only through Texas or only through Florida. Yet, it is also far enough south to attract the "southerners" such as hooded, kentucky and worm-eating warblers.

As many as 39 warbler species have been seen during a single migration, as was the case in 1979. On one day that year three birders each found a phenomenal 34 species!

Thanks for weighing in here.  This is my favourite of the frames exposed that day.  The B&W version does it for me.  Found the colour version uninspiring.  I saw enough birders' camera equipment that day that could buy and sell my total net worth.  Would love to see their photos.  Best, LM.