Digital, 2022.
Some winter landscape photos taken by Lake Ontario on a sunny afternoon. Winter days like this are my favourite kinds of winter days: where the sky is blue and the sun is out in full force. It can be very deceiving on cold days, though. On this day, it was definitely very decieving!
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Digital, 2022.
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.
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Digital, 2022.
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.
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Digital, 2022.
A frigid series on landscape photos depicting Lake Ontario in a semi-frozen state during winter in Toronto.
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Digital, 2022.
A row of swans swim across a partially frozen Lake Ontario during golden hour on a chilly, winter evening.
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Digital, 2022.
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!
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Digital, 2022.
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.
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Digital, 2022.
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.
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Digital, 2022.
A frozen and icy landscape during a deep freeze in Toronto. It was around -20°C on this evening and it didn’t take long for exposed skin to turn pink. Observing this landscape, I felt so calm and at peace. All I could hear was the gentle lapping of the water in the distance, restless birds, and the sounds of the ice cracking from one side of the shore to the other. I thought it was super interesting how the ice resembled water lapping up the shore. Obviously, this was the way the water froze but the jaggedness of the ice was fascinating to me as other frozen areas of the lake consisted of smooth ice. When we visited after a few “warmer” days, the ice had melted a bit, so I’m very glad I got these shots when I did.
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Digital, 2022.
When it comes to getting the right photograph, sometimes you have to be at the right place at the right time. This was one of those instances. The sun was starting to set and I was so excited at the possibility of seeing a beautiful sunset while here. The lighting began to turn a lovely purple-pink colour and with the reflections on the blue ice, the scene looked magical. When I looked off to the side, I noticed a group of four swans swimming to the icy shore. They kept coming closer and I kept taking photos. Eventually, they swam off to the side but I was extremely happy and eager to get home to see the outcome of my shots.
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Gina Staios Photography 