Originally from Northern England, Alan Norsworthy has been a photographer since the late 1960's.

He moved to Canada in 1973 and has made Guelph Ontario his home for the last 24 years.

" I remember visiting the CN Tower in the early 70's and the guide said that as far as you could see in any direction is the best farmland in Canada. That comment echoes down the years as I watch subdivisions eat up the landscape."

The area around Guelph offers up a plethora of rural images which Alan captures with his artistic vision. His work covers everything from macro photographs of flowers, sweeping landscapes, historic buildings and old abandoned farms in both colour and Black and White.

"This is where I find my inspiration, I have a need to show people the beauty I see as I walk the woods and fields of Southern Ontario"


Sunday, October 31, 2010

Fifty Point Conservation Area - Dock O' the Bay


Fifty Point Conservation Area - Dock O' the Bay
 
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy


I love mornings.
If I sleep past 6:00 am I feel like I have wasted half the day. :^)

On Saturday morning a few brave souls (Doug, Grant and Karen) and I set off long before dawn to capture the sunrise at Fifty Point Conservation Area.

Was it worth it ? Of course !

The sun is but a morning star. ~Henry David Thoreau, Walden 

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Ignatius Centre - Whitewash


Ignatius Centre - Whitewash
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy


Wandering the trails at the Ignatius Centre this weekend was something that is not new to me by any stretch of the imagination.
However this day I felt a thankfulness that there are still those who work the land in concert with the way it should be worked. That there are still those who love it as much as I do but are lucky enough to make it their life.

In the old orchard I stopped and plucked an apple and was reminded of the old song "Hey farmer farmer, put away the DDT now. Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees" by Joni Mitchell.

Yes it was covered in spots but it still tasted good :-)

But it did make me think .....

Will urban sprawl spread so far that most people lose all touch with nature?
Will the day come when the only bird a typical American child ever sees is a canary in a pet shop window?
When the only wild animal he knows is a rat - glimpsed on a night drive through some city slum?
When the only tree he touches is the cleverly fabricated plastic evergreen that shades his gifts on Christmas morning?
~Frank N. Ikard, North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, Houston, March 1968

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Dundas - Pure Gold


Dundas - Pure Gold
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

Fortune still smiles upon us here in Southwestern Ontario.

We are in the midst of our "Indian Summer" and the world is lit by a golden glow, well at least my world is.

My friends and I decided that this year Autumn is definitely a time of yellows and golds as opposed to the reds of previous years.

Even though there is frost in the air come morning, everywhere the leaves and the woods are suffused with warmth and the smell, oh yes! Trampling through the carpet of fallen leaves releases the musty smell that only this time of year can produce.

The rustle of the dried leaves whispers of things to come, promises to be kept as the wheel turns and another year draws to a close.

But not yet, not yet ....

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

Monday, October 11, 2010

Photo of the Weekend - Falling Water, Fallen Leaves


Falling Water, Fallen Leaves
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

This is my time.
Fall is here bringing warm days and cool nights.
The forest sounds are changing as the leaves dry, change colour and begin to fall. The forest floor is covered in a carpet of red and gold.
Ah Autumn at last, I wait all year for this.

This Thanksgiving weekend Doug, Karen and I visited a couple of waterfalls; Progreston and Grindstone Falls in and near Waterdown Ontario.

Grindstone Creek tumbles along a rocky course below the falls and is flanked by the Bruce Trail. Following that trail gives so many opportunities to make photographs, Scenes like this are plentiful.

Autumn by a river or a creek provides a great place to sit, think, watch and wait and listen for the voice inside that says 'yes there, fire the shutter quickly before the moment is forever gone '

Through my lens I hope to convey more than what I see. I hope to convey what I feel, what Autumn in the woods means to me.

...it does seem to me that Capa has proved beyond all doubt that the camera need not be a cold mechanical device. Like the pen, it is as good as the man who uses it. It can be the extension of mind and heart... John Steinbeck

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Photo of the weekend - Gray Dawn



Gray Dawn
 
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy


A brief glimpse of the sun as it rose on Saturday morning, before the rain came .
This was a happy accident, I had left my camera set for "Monochrome" and this was the first shot of the day.

I liked it then and I like it now.

Sadness flies on the wings of the morning and out of the heart of darkness comes the light. ~Jean Giraudoux