There are famous horseshoe bends on the world's rivers, and obscure ones, such as this. I may be the only photographer who has ever photographed this one, in a remote part of Grasslands, far from the nearest road. The day was virtually cloudless, so I composed to minimize the sky and allow the river to dominate. I wasn't totally confident that this would work, but ended up liking the outcome.

I really like fall on the northern prairie, after the summer heat has departed, before the winter cold arrives. I tend to run late with my latest images, in part because I like to sit with them a while to find out whether they're just a flash in the pan or have some long-term merit. If a photo still interests me after a month or two, it goes into the queue.

And so, a new image set starts today, with a couple of shots from two months ago and then two more from 13 years ago. Seriously. I'll try to explain when I get to them.

Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Tags:   landscape river water hills grasses fall autumn pano panorama wild prairie Frenchman River Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2024

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Spring seems to be arriving early this year. Evidence appeared as early as February, via stretches of open water on the river that had been covered with ice and snow for a month or two.

In photography we often work with contrasts: colour contrast, tonal contrast, warm-cool contrast, size contrast, and so on. Here, the contrast is between stillness and movement.

I could not have made this shot without a tripod. I needed the camera in a fixed position for a long exposure, which would allow the water to blur nicely, and a small f-stop, to ensure the ice was in focus edge to edge.

After that it was a matter of shooting multiple exposures, because every shot produced different highlights in the water as it splashed over hidden rocks, creating white frothy bubbles that blurred and added a touch of abstraction. This is the start of a new image set, Hints of Spring, as we northerners say goodbye to winter. Am I grasping at straws? Absolutely! But I have seen Canada Geese during my last two outings, and they are a pretty good indication that it's really happening.

Photographed on the Frenchman River in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Tags:   landscape ice icicles water river flow flowing hints of spring pano panorama motion blur cold late winter Frenchman River Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2024

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The river... I never get tired of photographing the river. Flowing water soothes the soul. The motion, the sound, and a kind of deep resonance from feeling connected to something vital and alive and life affirming. I suppose any river will do, provided it isn't polluted beyond recovery. My river is the Frenchman, draining the Cypress Hills to the west, allowing wildlife and agriculture to flourish in our valley, finally meandering southward into Montana, where it is (correctly) termed a "creek", before it empties into the Milk, which in turn joins the mighty Missouri. These waters are on quite a journey!

I particularly love this spot along the river. I've posted one or two wide shots at this location, but this is where my macro lens gets a good workout. The direction of flow, height of the banks, and other factors combine to produce wonderful, warm reflections off the water surface, especially during winter months. If yesterday's post was mostly cool blue shadows with gold highlights, this is all gold!

Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2023 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Tags:   river water flow flowing rocks motion blur square warm highlights reflections reflected light beauty Wow! wild prairie Frenchman River Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2023 4tografie naturesquare

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Same river as in yesterday's post; different rock, though. And in this one I wanted to show the ice creeping outward from the shore as cold conditions take over. As mentioned yesterday, my macro lens gets a good workout here, but occasionally I switch over to a wider view. My ancient (1981) manual focus 24mm is still a useful lens, in addition to being very small and lightweight.

Again we see reflected light on both ice and water: cool blue from the sky, warm yellow and orange from the bank. Strangely, most of this colour isn't visible from a standing position. Only by squatting low does it show. And it doesn't happen every year at this spot. A year ago, water levels were lower and the ice formed farther out, where it didn't pick up the reflections as well. Two years ago, a big snowfall blanketed the ice shortly after it formed. I never know from year to year what I'll find - but that's half the fun!

Photographed along the Frenchman River in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2023 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Tags:   river square water flow flowing landscape close wide angle ice cold winter reflections beauty Wow! warm-cool contrast motion blur wild prairie Frenchman River Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2023

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Last three ice photos from this winter, starting today: a different location, farther downstream, and one I chose not to crop square. The dark water looks steely-cold (and it was). The distance and height of the banks on either side produce a different reflective quality at this site, though - not as colourful as my preferred spot.

Photographed along the Frenchman River in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2023 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Tags:   river water flow ice cold winter panorama pano wild prairie Frenchman River Grasslands National Park Saskatchewan Canada copyrighted James R. Page 2023

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