The town of Ladysmith, where I’ve lived for three years now, is not only known for its picturesque hillside views and sheltered harbor but also for its meticulously softscaped First Avenue, which was selected by the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) as Canada’s 2017 Great Street. The CIP’s review of 17 submissions from across Canada was based on a set of criteria of planning best practices, which included elements such as design and landscape. And since moving here, I’ve enjoyed many walks into town where a natural shade canopy, created by splendid boulevard trees along First Avenue, welcomes both year-rounders and visitors alike.
Oftentimes, I only bring my telephoto lens with me as I love to capture all the birds I see along my way, calling from their high perches or foraging on low branches. And the fall, in particular, is one of my favorite times to create portraits of my winged friends amid the ripening berries and richly hued foliage of the ornamental trees and shrubs.
And so, one morning in October, after following the raucous crows all the way down to First Avenue, I stopped to admire the honey locust trees, named after the sweet, sticky pulp inside their seed pods. But for me, as I peered into this arboreal landscape, that name seemed to have arisen from this exquisite scene where feathery leaves, backlit by the soft autumnal sun, were aglow with golden honey hues.
I was entranced by these intriguing seed pods, the way they created undulating shadows through these deep russets and yellow-greens. And so, I decided to spend some time composing abstract designs with a bokeh backdrop. For me, this particular image seemed to perfectly capture that warm, velvety stillness autumn brings.
