the spectacle, killarney ridge, killarney provincial park

It was a rainy spring this year in Killarney Provincial Park. I had been frequenting the crack trail in the hopes of catching some lightning in distant areas of the park. The conditions changed so rapidly through the evening, and eventually a large airmass was pushed up the ridge, blanketing the ridge in a dense cloud. This prompted my mad dash back to "the crack" to make this photograph. I had been hoping for isolating conditions for this scene to work, as I found the distant, tree-lined hills quite distracting in my many photographs of this subject. Everything decided to come together, and I was grateful to miss the lightning.

storm light at the chik, chikanishing trail

The spring in Northern Ontario was abundant with mood, both in the atmosphere and locally. I had returned to Chikanishing Trail in Killarney Provincial Park to find a composition I liked from Autumn 2025, but with higher water levels, the scene had sunk into Georgian Bay. I adjusted, and aimed to find something new, that illustrated my appreciation for this area. I rarely use a polarizer, but found it useful in showcasing the considerable difference in tone between the exposed and submerged pink Shield Granite. This area is constantly changing, and even the most subtle changes can change the way a place looks and feels. Not long from now, this scene will morph once again, creating a small bay on the right hand side.

northern lights and pines, above a.y. jackson lake

After spending most of the solar maximum in Jasper National Park, my hopes were low for strong shows during my return to Killarney Provincial Park. This doubt was quickly rectified, as I have seen three displays here in one year that made my lifetime top ten. This night came by complete surprise, as there was forecasted activity, but not to this degree, with the display reaching overhead at some points. The night could not have been worse for a good display either, with a near full luminance moon, and a thick nighttime haze with clouds. I find my favourite photographs of the Aurora Borealis include clouds, but rarely haze. This night was an exception. I had ran all over the park, some returns to scenes where I had botched a photo or two, but l always mix in a new scene somewhere in my exploration. I used to take groups to this view hen I was a park interpreter, and felt it would work nicely with the strong, near overhead display.

Daybreak

Owen Point at low tide on the West Coast Trail.

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The Silent Watcher

Check out that very long body in the water! That is one big water snake checking me out along the shores on a beach in Murphy's Point Provincial Park. She cruised the shoreline, never taking her eyes off me because this girl was very curious. Water snakes are non venomous, so there’s no need to worry if one comes across your path. These snakes are famously known for being very curious creatures and less weary of humans, so it shouldn't be a surprise if one comes across your path in the water. Female water snakes are also larger and heavier than males with females growing up to 32 inches or more (with a maximum of 4.5 feet) and males averaging 27 inches. When she was done her investigation, she retreated into a whole in an underwater rock.

Eyes Above Water

I wasn’t alone on the beach @murphyspointpp yesterday afternoon. Poking its head out of the water was a very curious female water snake checking me out. She cruised the shoreline, never taking her eyes off me. But it wasn’t to attack, she really was just filled with curiosity. Water snakes are non venomous, so there’s no need to worry if one comes across your path. And the chances of that happening near a body of water might be higher than you think because these snakes are famously known for being very curious creatures and less weary of humans. Female water snakes are also larger and heavier than males with females growing up to 32 inches or more (with a maximum of 4.5 feet) and males averaging 27 inches. When she was done her investigation, she retreated into a whole in an underwater rock.

A Winter Gathering

A beautiful herd of caribou pauses along the winter road, surrounded by the quiet beauty of the forest. And then there’s that one happy little soul looking straight at the camera, as if to say, “Hey there! Glad you stopped by!”

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Rockin' Robin

An american robin resting on a branch on warm summer day in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary.

This is Canada!

THIS IS CANADA! Where people and wildlife share the same SPACE and RESPECT. 🇨🇦

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Dowitcher's Degrit

Short-billed dowitchers ingest certain amounts of grit, sand, and hard shell fragments as they quickly probe along the shoreline. Occasionally they open their bills wide like in this capture to adjust heavy food items in their throat or to get ready to expel a pellet, which involves compressing and regurgitating indigestible pieces of shells and exoskeletons.

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Fish in the pond

Fish in the pond

natural imposition, grace lake

A tense scene in the wilderness, as a red-tailed hawk circles over a large group of juvenile Common Mergansers. Canoeing on Grace Lake in Killarney Provincial Park is a trip full of wonder and awe, with stunning, tree-filled islands dappling the waterway, creating fairly narrow channels on the lakes east-end. I noticed the large group of Mergansers with a colleague, and we were taken aback at the large number of juveniles, led by one grizzly-looking mother. When they all bunched together, it seemed odd, until we looked up and noticed the circling raptor. There was much tension in this scene, with the hawk above and the 14+ Mergansers falling tightly in a group, likely to avoid being singled out.

just in time, george lake

The George Lake Campground marks the starting point to many visitors of Killarney Provincial Park. From frontcountry camping, to backcountry canoe trips and hikes, many will pass through these mountains in some manner. I often refer to this scene as "the gates of Killarney", as for canoeists, the passage is geographically marked by the George Lake contact, where the Pink shield granite of Georgian Bay meets the White Orthoquartzite of the Killarney Interior. This view is from a famous spot in the campground, aptly named "Sunset Rock".

Moonrise

August 29 2026 at 8:32pm in Brighton ON

Embers Of The Atlantic

A lone Atlantic puffin cuts through a world of fire and shadow, its wings caught in a fleeting moment above the restless ocean. What appears to be a blazing sunset sky is actually the reflection of the evening light dancing across the water—deep blacks, burning oranges, and crimson tones blending into an almost surreal backdrop. The puffin emerges from the darkness of the reflection, suspended between the fiery glow and the depths below.

User Avatar

the spectacle, killarney ridge, killarney provincial park

It was a rainy spring this year in Killarney Provincial Park. I had been frequenting the crack trail in the hopes of catching some lightning in distant areas of the park. The conditions changed so rapidly through the evening, and eventually a large airmass was pushed up the ridge, blanketing the ridge in a dense cloud. This prompted my mad dash back to "the crack" to make this photograph. I had been hoping for isolating conditions for this scene to work, as I found the distant, tree-lined hills quite distracting in my many photographs of this subject. Everything decided to come together, and I was grateful to miss the lightning.

storm light at the chik, chikanishing trail

The spring in Northern Ontario was abundant with mood, both in the atmosphere and locally. I had returned to Chikanishing Trail in Killarney Provincial Park to find a composition I liked from Autumn 2025, but with higher water levels, the scene had sunk into Georgian Bay. I adjusted, and aimed to find something new, that illustrated my appreciation for this area. I rarely use a polarizer, but found it useful in showcasing the considerable difference in tone between the exposed and submerged pink Shield Granite. This area is constantly changing, and even the most subtle changes can change the way a place looks and feels. Not long from now, this scene will morph once again, creating a small bay on the right hand side.

northern lights and pines, above a.y. jackson lake

After spending most of the solar maximum in Jasper National Park, my hopes were low for strong shows during my return to Killarney Provincial Park. This doubt was quickly rectified, as I have seen three displays here in one year that made my lifetime top ten. This night came by complete surprise, as there was forecasted activity, but not to this degree, with the display reaching overhead at some points. The night could not have been worse for a good display either, with a near full luminance moon, and a thick nighttime haze with clouds. I find my favourite photographs of the Aurora Borealis include clouds, but rarely haze. This night was an exception. I had ran all over the park, some returns to scenes where I had botched a photo or two, but l always mix in a new scene somewhere in my exploration. I used to take groups to this view hen I was a park interpreter, and felt it would work nicely with the strong, near overhead display.

Daybreak

Owen Point at low tide on the West Coast Trail.

User Avatar

The Silent Watcher

Check out that very long body in the water! That is one big water snake checking me out along the shores on a beach in Murphy's Point Provincial Park. She cruised the shoreline, never taking her eyes off me because this girl was very curious. Water snakes are non venomous, so there’s no need to worry if one comes across your path. These snakes are famously known for being very curious creatures and less weary of humans, so it shouldn't be a surprise if one comes across your path in the water. Female water snakes are also larger and heavier than males with females growing up to 32 inches or more (with a maximum of 4.5 feet) and males averaging 27 inches. When she was done her investigation, she retreated into a whole in an underwater rock.

Eyes Above Water

I wasn’t alone on the beach @murphyspointpp yesterday afternoon. Poking its head out of the water was a very curious female water snake checking me out. She cruised the shoreline, never taking her eyes off me. But it wasn’t to attack, she really was just filled with curiosity. Water snakes are non venomous, so there’s no need to worry if one comes across your path. And the chances of that happening near a body of water might be higher than you think because these snakes are famously known for being very curious creatures and less weary of humans. Female water snakes are also larger and heavier than males with females growing up to 32 inches or more (with a maximum of 4.5 feet) and males averaging 27 inches. When she was done her investigation, she retreated into a whole in an underwater rock.

A Winter Gathering

A beautiful herd of caribou pauses along the winter road, surrounded by the quiet beauty of the forest. And then there’s that one happy little soul looking straight at the camera, as if to say, “Hey there! Glad you stopped by!”

User Avatar

Rockin' Robin

An american robin resting on a branch on warm summer day in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary.

This is Canada!

THIS IS CANADA! Where people and wildlife share the same SPACE and RESPECT. 🇨🇦

User Avatar

Dowitcher's Degrit

Short-billed dowitchers ingest certain amounts of grit, sand, and hard shell fragments as they quickly probe along the shoreline. Occasionally they open their bills wide like in this capture to adjust heavy food items in their throat or to get ready to expel a pellet, which involves compressing and regurgitating indigestible pieces of shells and exoskeletons.

User Avatar

Fish in the pond

Fish in the pond

natural imposition, grace lake

A tense scene in the wilderness, as a red-tailed hawk circles over a large group of juvenile Common Mergansers. Canoeing on Grace Lake in Killarney Provincial Park is a trip full of wonder and awe, with stunning, tree-filled islands dappling the waterway, creating fairly narrow channels on the lakes east-end. I noticed the large group of Mergansers with a colleague, and we were taken aback at the large number of juveniles, led by one grizzly-looking mother. When they all bunched together, it seemed odd, until we looked up and noticed the circling raptor. There was much tension in this scene, with the hawk above and the 14+ Mergansers falling tightly in a group, likely to avoid being singled out.

just in time, george lake

The George Lake Campground marks the starting point to many visitors of Killarney Provincial Park. From frontcountry camping, to backcountry canoe trips and hikes, many will pass through these mountains in some manner. I often refer to this scene as "the gates of Killarney", as for canoeists, the passage is geographically marked by the George Lake contact, where the Pink shield granite of Georgian Bay meets the White Orthoquartzite of the Killarney Interior. This view is from a famous spot in the campground, aptly named "Sunset Rock".

Moonrise

August 29 2026 at 8:32pm in Brighton ON

Embers Of The Atlantic

A lone Atlantic puffin cuts through a world of fire and shadow, its wings caught in a fleeting moment above the restless ocean. What appears to be a blazing sunset sky is actually the reflection of the evening light dancing across the water—deep blacks, burning oranges, and crimson tones blending into an almost surreal backdrop. The puffin emerges from the darkness of the reflection, suspended between the fiery glow and the depths below.

User Avatar