Stephanie and Sherman Falls

It was another beautiful week in Hamilton this week...though some cooler evening breezes hint that summer is indeed winding to an end.  With the days getting noticeably shorter too, I'm trying to take every opportunity I can to get out after work while there's enough light for some photography.

This week it was off to Stephanie and Sherman Falls in Ancaster (just west of Hamilton).  I'd never been to the Tiffany Creek-fed Stephanie Falls before and was thoroughly impressed by its beauty.

The majestic trees of the surrounding Carolinian Forest make for some pretty stunning scenery too:

Sherman Falls is fairly close by.  It's a much larger waterfall (17 metres compared to 9 metres) and is fed by Ancaster Creek:

I've said it before...but man oh man, I love this city!

Exploring Chedoke Creek & Falls

Last night I went on a hike and discovered the most amazing place - Chedoke Creek and Falls.  Beyond the breathtaking beauty of red clay cliffs, limestone boulders, and multiple waterfalls, the thing that makes this place utterly spectacular is its location - just steps from Hamilton's downtown.

Despite its proximity to the heart of the city, it's not the easiest place to access.  There's a side trail off of the Chedoke Radial Trail, just east of Chedoke Golf Course.  The trail only gets you so far, after that its a tricky hike along steep embankments and a rocky creek bed.  After a very dry summer, the water was very very low, so it made travelling along the creek bed a bit easier and a lot drier.

I brought my trusty tripod along and had lots of fun taking some long exposure shots of the water, giving it a silky smooth appearance.  Here are a few of my favourite shots:

The eroded clay banks and massive limestone boulders must mean this creek becomes a pretty powerful river in the rain-filled spring.

It's pretty neat to think that the bricks of our house are made from that very same red clay.  These next few shots are of Lower Chedoke Falls.

Bridges, Industry, and a Cemetery View

It's been one of the hottest weeks on record here in Hamilton, but despite the heat, I managed to get out for some photos the other evening.  I ended up on a pier under the Skyway Bridge (that's the one you Toronto people go over on your way to and from Niagara Falls / the U.S.) and was able to get some pretty great shots.  Here are a few of my favourites:

It was actually really windy at the end of the pier.  It made it a bit tricky to keep the tripod steady, but made the water look all smooth and silky from the extended exposure.

There it is, that iconic view of the steel industry that so many people associate with Hamilton.  Hopefully if you're a regular reader, you know that Hamilton is so much more than these steel mills.  Still...it makes for a pretty cool shot.  The wind made getting this shot particularly difficult, so I hope to go back on a calmer evening.

These next three shots are of the Skyway Bridge itself.  The original steel structure bridge was built in 1958.  In 1985 the bridge was twinned, though with a much simpler concrete structure.

The Burlington Canal Lift Bridge is also visible in the above image - it's the low one in the distance with the dramatic lighting.

I've gotta give my friend Ray credit for the last one, he captured the composition first...then I copied.  I love the juxtaposition in both of the above two shots between the complicated steel girders and trusses of the 1958 bridge compared to the minimalist concrete of the 1985 bridge.

The next two shots were actually taken from Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Burlington (across the bay from Hamilton).  As creepy as it was to be in a cemetery late at night, the view of Hamilton's skyline was spectacular and it's not one often seen (at least not by the living...)

As you've probably guessed, I've been really into night photography lately.  I love the way the camera can capture things at night that the eye can't discern - like a glow on the horizon long after the sun has set, or the twinkling lights of a distant city. 

I also love that I'm discovering new places in the city I love that, despite having lived in the area my entire life, I've never been to before!