A photographic journal by Brian Mazur

Fall Challenge

The Fall Challenge is an annual friendly competition organized by the Nature Group of the RA Photo Club. The 2019 challenge took place along Trail 56 in Gatineau Park, and I suspect most participants limited themselves, as I did, to the section between Ramsay Lake and Kidder Lake. I’ve participated in the challenge many times (and you can see my earlier efforts by browsing past years in this journal). The rules are always the same: only photos that were taken from the designated location on the day of the challenge qualify, photographers can arrive and leave whenever they like, and afterwards, each photographer submits eight of their photos for judging. Of course, being a Nature competition, the “hand of man” is generally not allowed to be visible. Any member of the club can attend the judging session and cast their votes (although not for their own photos). The results are compiled, and the best photos and winners of the competition are revealed during one of the club meetings. A friend and I travelled to the competition together, and we agreed on a fairly leisurely literary, arriving at about 9:00 am and leaving around 2:30 pm. (We would have been there a half-hour earlier except I, as navigator, missed the turn-off and we had to double back). Excluding about half an hour for a packed lunch back at the car, we had about 5 hours of shooting time. There were scattered clouds in the morning and light rain showers in the afternoon. That actually worked out fairly well, since it gave us two different environmental conditions to work with. In total, roughly 30 people participated, mostly in the morning, and only a handful of us in the rainy afternoon. I think everyone was happy they went since the fall colours seemed to be especially spectacular this year, and we were on the outskirts of the park without a lot of other visitors. And I'm especially happy because the judging of the Fall Challenge entries awarded me an Honorable Mention.

In this shot, I placed the crack in the rock to divide the frame diagonally with the round patch of lichen on one side and negative space on the other side to balance it.
In this shot, I placed the crack in the rock to divide the frame diagonally with the round patch of lichen on one side and negative space on the other side to balance it.
I love backlighting. These ferns were growing a few feet above my head at the top of a boulder and I strove to isolate the nearest ones using selective focus. The insect eggs are a further bonus that I didn’t notice in the field.
I love backlighting. These ferns were growing a few feet above my head at the top of a boulder and I strove to isolate the nearest ones using selective focus. The insect eggs are a further bonus that I didn’t notice in the field.
Trees are an ongoing fascination. Here, the roots divide the frame diagonally and a group of fallen leaves to one side add some drama on the opposing diagonal.
Trees are an ongoing fascination. Here, the roots divide the frame diagonally and a group of fallen leaves to one side add some drama on the opposing diagonal.
I invariably end up on my knees during nature outings and that’s how this shot was taken. I wanted to emphasize the ribbing structure on the mushroom, and the red leaves along the diagonal also helps to add some punch.
I invariably end up on my knees during nature outings and that’s how this shot was taken. I wanted to emphasize the ribbing structure on the mushroom, and the red leaves along the diagonal also helps to add some punch.
The small red tree is the subject of this shot and was framed to stand out from the colour that surrounds it. The large area of green on the left helps to balance the dominance of this small red tree.
The small red tree is the subject of this shot and was framed to stand out from the colour that surrounds it. The large area of green on the left helps to balance the dominance of this small red tree.
The muted brown background and green edges serve to frame and draw attention to the structure of the bright yellow part of this leaf. Texture and geometry are the main subjects here.
The muted brown background and green edges serve to frame and draw attention to the structure of the bright yellow part of this leaf. Texture and geometry are the main subjects here.
This shot is framed to sandwich the trees in the context of the sky above and the reflecting water below. The red tree and bright driftwood on the left are positioned to balance the strong area of red on the right.
This shot is framed to sandwich the trees in the context of the sky above and the reflecting water below. The red tree and bright driftwood on the left are positioned to balance the strong area of red on the right.
This shot is all about the structure and texture of the decaying leaf, and a red/green colour contrast. I think the fall off of focus towards the edges of the frame probably help rather than hurt this photograph.
This shot is all about the structure and texture of the decaying leaf, and a red/green colour contrast. I think the fall off of focus towards the edges of the frame probably help rather than hurt this photograph.
There are a couple of contrasts at work in this shot: predominantly the yellow/blue colour contrast, but also opposing diagonals of the lines in the bark and the veins in the leaf.
There are a couple of contrasts at work in this shot: predominantly the yellow/blue colour contrast, but also opposing diagonals of the lines in the bark and the veins in the leaf.
In this case, my camera is sighted directly down. I wanted to capture the semicircular green patterns in the mushrooms. The slight diagonal framing also helps to add more life to the shot.
In this case, my camera is sighted directly down. I wanted to capture the semicircular green patterns in the mushrooms. The slight diagonal framing also helps to add more life to the shot.
The forest was an explosion of colour wherever you looked, including overhead. Here, I’ve got the dominant red leaves on a diagonal with some backlighting to give them some extra glow.
The forest was an explosion of colour wherever you looked, including overhead. Here, I’ve got the dominant red leaves on a diagonal with some backlighting to give them some extra glow.
I took several shots of this tree trunk looking for the most pleasant and balanced composition. The trunk is the subject with the riot of colour serving as background.
I took several shots of this tree trunk looking for the most pleasant and balanced composition. The trunk is the subject with the riot of colour serving as background.
Arguably this photograph could be split into two, but I think this composition also works, where the eye travels between the mushroom and the leaf, and the line formed by the leaf contrasts with the circle of the mushroom.
Arguably this photograph could be split into two, but I think this composition also works, where the eye travels between the mushroom and the leaf, and the line formed by the leaf contrasts with the circle of the mushroom.
As the rain began to fall, there were many opportunities to capture shots of droplets on fallen leaves. Of the shots I took, I like this one the best, where the stem of the leaf adds to the composition.
As the rain began to fall, there were many opportunities to capture shots of droplets on fallen leaves. Of the shots I took, I like this one the best, where the stem of the leaf adds to the composition.
I love the soft, subtle, colour graduations in this shot, which is otherwise strongly geometrical. I didn’t have much depth of field to work with, and the slight breeze was working against me too.
I love the soft, subtle, colour graduations in this shot, which is otherwise strongly geometrical. I didn’t have much depth of field to work with, and the slight breeze was working against me too.
I came back to get this shot before we left for the day because another photographer was working the area when I was there earlier. Perhaps we took the same photograph, perhaps not.
I came back to get this shot before we left for the day because another photographer was working the area when I was there earlier. Perhaps we took the same photograph, perhaps not.
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