I ended up taking these photos by chance. My family and I were off to Ashbridge’s Bay for some fresh air when we happened upon this view while looking for parking. I couldn’t help but be drawn to the colour of the sky and the way its colours reflected off the frozen Lake Ontario. Sunset wasn’t due for another little while but if I didn’t know any better, I would think it was already happening.
A sunny, winter day spent by the lake at Humber Bay Park. Usually, I’m not a fan of sunny days for photography as the lighting can wash objects out and cast harsh shadows. But on this day, the sunlight turned the lake a gorgeous shade of blue and I loved the backdrop the clear, blue sky provided.
On this mid-winter day, snow started moving into the city which resulted in these moody, winter cityscape shots. It was very cold out by the lake and very, very windy. Snow was being blown around along the frozen landscape and I was in awe at the pretty patterns the snow and ice created.
If you read my previous post, I mentioned that my next would contain the sunset from that same evening. What I was expecting was definitely not a sunset this vibrant. I ended up shooting these photos at another spot a little ways off. To get down to the shore to achieve that, I had to go down a steep and snowy hill. I’m so glad I wasn’t alone as that made the trek easier lest I fall on my face into the snow.
When I looked up at the landscape before me, I felt like the main character in a movie. It was so unreal, I couldn’t believe it. I was also really relieved I had this vantage point, as I wouldn’t have been able to see the sunset in its entirety like this had I stayed in my original spot. Shout out to my brother who found this area while I stayed to take photos in the other one!
When the swans came out to play, I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. A vibrant sunset and two swans playing around in the lake? How lucky was I? I really wanted to get a photo of the both of them above the water but it’s almost as if they were teasing me. When one would resurface, the other would lower its head into the water. After a while, the sunset faded enough that there was no point in waiting any longer. But even so, I was far from disappointed!
A trio of another few of my favourite images. This frozen landscape felt so quiet and serene that I almost felt like an intruder being there. I found a spot to sit and observe the beauty around me since these aren’t sights you can experience year round. In the back of my mind, I was hoping be treated to a sunset but I didn’t want to ask for too much, either. Truthfully, with the current cloud cover, I wasn’t expecting a memorable sunset at all. But since I was already there, I figured might as well wait. Even if I got some blue hour photos, I wouldn’t have been disappointed. You won’t see it in these images but in the next just how vibrant the sunset turned out to be. The glowing horizon only added to this landscape but honestly, with ice textures like this, any time of day would yield beautiful results.
A cold winter day by a frozen Lake Ontario. I love the way winter and frigid weather can transform a landscape from something unassuming and typical to something mesmerizing.
Gina Staios Photography 