With COVID-19 keeping us in lockdown for much of the year and with travel restricted, I often found little time to pull out my cameras and capture images around the Ottawa area and a few places in Ontario.
I should clarify: I had no interest in subjecting myself to other people's germs. I went to the grocery stores as seldom as possible and stayed away from restaurants, pubs, gyms, and any place where there was even a remote chance that people could get too close to me. I did get out as often as I could, and when I did go out, I usually picked up a camera of some kind to capture whatever was out there.
With two D-SLRs, two 360-degree cameras, and a smartphone, I did manage to take advantage of the greater outdoors to capture some images that I'd like to share in my annual, end-of-the-year post.
Warning: as is typical with these posts, there is some content that may be considered not appropriate for the work environment. Actually, there's only one, but this year I'm starting with the NSFW photograph. If you're reading this blog post in a public venue, where there are eyes about, you may want to either wait till later to read this post or scroll quickly to the second image.
But if you're still working from home or if you're in a place where you have privacy, feel free to continue.
You've been warned (and hopefully, I've added enough content that this post opens such that the first image is not immediately visible). You're welcome.
I didn't take many photos before the March lockdown kept me mostly inside. In January, I attended a model shoot, before even the first case of COVID-19 was discovered in Ottawa.
The photo project focused on shooting a nude subject with coloured gels. One of my favourite images from that meetup was with the use of red and blue gels. The pose of the model, Roxanne, celebrates the female form and the colour provides an artistic touch.
In the first couple of months of 2020, DW and I commuted together because DW had broken a toe on her right foot and was unable to drive. My commute took me, once again, over the Champlain Bridge, and on one afternoon, as I was on my way to collect DW on our way home, the sky over the Ottawa River turned dramatic as the sun set in the west. I pulled onto Bate Island and took this shot.
The first weekend of the lockdown saw clear skies and warmer temperatures. DW and I would often go for walks, and on the Sunday morning, we made our way down to the Chapman Mills Conservation Area, a short drive from home. As we walked the trail and neared the Vimy Memorial Bridge, I caught the contrasting colours of a sumac, with the white bridge before the blue sky. I couldn't help but capture that image.
On a subsequent walk--this time, at the Central Experimental Farm--I saw another contrast of red and blue:
As spring came, I was feeling more and more cooped up. So when my company gave everyone a free day off, I got up before the sun, hopped in my car, and headed to three Ottawa Valley towns to catch some pre-dawn, sunrise, and early morning photos. Here are my favourite shots from that outing:
When the Tulip Festival opened, in May, the regular vendors and attractions were absent but the flowers still made an appearance. City regulations for the pandemic eased so that people could go to parks, but social distancing remained in effect. The National Capital Commission, who had previously prohibited people for stopping in parks, allowed you to come to Commissioner's Park to enjoy and photograph the tulips and daffodils.
One evening, I headed out to take some evening shots downtown. The streets were largely deserted of people, so I had no issue taking pictures around Major's Hill Park and the National Gallery of Canada. My favourite shot of the night was of Maman: this photo is now my lock screen on my smartphone.
To stay active, DW and I purchased kayaks, the ultimate social-distancing activity. We managed to get out dozens of times over the warmer months, from paddling near our house, on the Rideau River, to Algonquin Park, the 1,000 Islands, and several other waterways.
One of my favourite shots of 2020 isn't that great a photo, but it sums up our time in our kayaks. Shot with my Insta360 One X, it's a distorted selfie of me in my trusty craft, in Algonquin Park. Try not to look too closely at the stitch line.
Of course, there are other shots that I've taken from my kayak, and here are a few of my favourites:
In late July, I thought I would try my luck in capturing Comet NEOWISE as it passed the night sky. I headed to Shirley's Bay, where I actually found and captured an image of the comet. But before the sky got dark enough to see this celestial body, I took a few shots of the fading sunset along the Ottawa River.
My favourite time to take photos is during twilight, either just before sunrise or just after sunset. During blue hour, you can capture some pretty dramatic sights. One summer night, in Pakenham, I took photos of the Five Span Bridge. Initially, I couldn't decide whether the post-sunset shot or the blue-hour shot was the best, but finally I have come to a decision:
Sunsets in Ottawa can be pretty spectacular, but sunsets with a storm rolling in are breathtaking. I was relieved that the thunder and lightning didn't turn to rain.
DW and I spent a lot of time at a friend's house, but always socially distanced and outdoors. Our friend owns a farm about an hour east of Ottawa, and there was always something interesting to capture with a camera.
But downtown Ottawa, especially after sunset, was the best place to be. With so few people out, especially after dark, there was no problem keeping my distance.
Hopefully, with the vaccine rolling out, 2021 will be much brighter. Stay safe and be happy.
Happy New Year! Thanks for your support.
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