Ile St-Bernard

I’ll openly admit, that this 2nd wave of what is increasingly heading to another lockdown, has hit me harder than the 1st wave. I’m not sure if it’s because this time around, I’m in my own place (feeling more alone) or if it’s because it’s heading towards winter, which in and of itself is already a mellow time for most people. I have tried to find ways to keep myself zen (not listen to the news, working, reading and blogging), but the fact of the matter is- I’m not immune to all the feels that Covid-19 has brought up. I could write about my shedding of major tears some nights, but that’s probably another post. All that to say, that I have been trying to find solace in nature. Taking walks and just getting out into the outdoors has lifted my spirits even just temporarily. After finding a lovely, beautiful spot just off the island of Montreal, near Châteauguay which took my breath away, I knew I wanted to share some of the shots I took, because it was just such a jaw dropping location. Happy perousing!!

Driftwood Beach
2020

It’s often been said that Canada is a beautiful country, but sometimes when it’s this close to you, you don’t appreciate it as much. I didn’t have to do much in order for this view to be captivating- it was like that on its own. The blue skies went on for what seemed like miles and I just loved how this piece of driftwood seemed to point you in the direction of such a wonderful view.

Shrooms
2020

I have a thing for mushrooms, ok, maybe I’ll rephrase that- I just love how mushrooms look. There is so many different varieties but also the textures, colours and shapes, I can’t help myself when I see them. I know nothing about mushrooms and in some ways, I don’t really want to know about them- I just enjoy shooting them. Especially if I can play with the focus on them and get such great detail.

I love how seagulls/landgulls look when they’re simply sitting and looking out at the water. I often wonder, just what are they thinking about? Does the water relax them as much as it relaxes us? I’m not sure if they’re always looking the same direction, but I found these ones so interesting because they were all looking the very same direction. Also, I love the tones of this shot and just how (to me), it makes me feel just as serene as the birds.

This shot is one of my favourites from our trip, I know it’s not exactly spectacular, but I love how it looks and how it came out! The uprooted trees look so massive and the detail in the texture of the roots really are beautiful. One thing I really liked was the tones of the water, especially as it changes from the front of the shot to the back. I loved how all of the colours seem to blend so effortlessly. Who knew dead trees could look so nice!

So this mushroom made me super happy and I didn’t even have to smoke it- lol. From the vibrant colour, to the cute little curls- but I will say it felt really weird. Then I realized that maybe I shouldn’t have touched it, because I know NOTHING about mushrooms. Lol. And well, that might have been low key dangerous. LOL. If you missed the reason why I’m so excited, read the previous post about mushrooms- lol.

Ripples, they are such a wonderful metaphor for life, but also have you ever seen ripples that aren’t pretty? I loved how it’s framed and how it looks like a mandala, but that was definitely a fluke. The blues of the water are so nice and sometimes I enjoy looking at water because it’s so relaxing and soothing. A friend of mine told me once I should just record the sound of water and at first I thought she had kinda lost the plot, but in all seriousness, if you just listen to the sound of water- it really is one of the best noises. The only one I can’t quite seem to enjoy is the dripping sound of water, but anything else is good with me. It never gets old, but it also continues to reaffirm my love for nature and just how different and the same it can look all at the same time!

Rocky Birds
2020

I wanted to take another shot, but from another perspective, this time bringing in more of the rocks into the forefront. I have always loved how different something might look if you only change your perspective (crouch down/look through a tree), anything! It can look like a completely different shot of thing, simply because of that! But also, I really liked taking shots of the seagulls.

Blue Skies Beach
2020

This is one of my favourite shots, the balance of the blues from the sky, to the browns on the ground makes me very happy, but it’s also a very wonderful representation of what it really looked like in really life. I think that’s one of the reasons, I love photography- it has the ability to capture more than just a memory, but also a feeling and sometimes put you right back where you were. I genuinely love how so much can trigger you and I guess in some way for me that’s water. I was born on an island, moved to Canada to live in Montreal- another island- lived in the England for 7 years, yet another island. Lol, so maybe water and I have a thing going, why ruin it now? Kind of ironic since I’m a Sagittarius, which is a fire symbol and I shouldn’t necessarily be drawn towards water. Anyhow, this shot brings me joy- I think I may frame it and hang it in my house.