Ian Coristine -
24 Oct 2007
Fellow Thousand Islanders,
I was quite certain that very few 1000 Islanders would recognize last month’s scene as it is literally the extreme western tip of the region, exposed to the waves and weather of Lake Ontario, where only very brave or very foolish boaters venture unless it is extremely calm. I was wrong. A surprising number of correct IDs arrived, again with several interesting stories, but alas only one, Hugh Cowan, can be the winner - for this:
“The angle this picture was taken from does tend to throw one's perspective off but I am convinced that it is a shot at the western end of Wolfe Island, looking approximately NE toward the US Mainland (in the distant background) with Long Point in the foreground and Bear Point toward the top of the picture, with Big Sandy Bay in between.
The beautiful beach at Big Sandy Bay is one of our favourite spots, until the last couple of years reachable only by boat, and hardly noticed by boats passaging between Kingston to the North and Sackett's Harbor to the South. Many boats sailing past that area fail to take note of the very shallow water off Long Point (and the small marker quite far out into the Lake which one has to be on the Lakeward side of) with the result that they pass too close to Long Point and come to a quick stop when they hit its off lying rocks. At least 20 years ago, having been told about the beautiful sandy beach at Big Sandy Bay, we stopped in on our way to, or from, Sackett's Harbor for a swim and walk on the beach, and it has become a favourite destination of our family ever since, with its long shallow sandbars making for a wonderful way to cool down on a hot summer day. I can remember one afternoon, several years ago, when we anchored off the beach, had lunch and a swim, and thought how deserted the place was, but then counted at least 30 other boats anchored off the beach as well. As I recall, we have only anchored overnight in Big Sandy Bay a couple of times, when we were very sure the wind was not going to revert to its normal Southwest, as the anchorage is largely unprotected from that angle and in any sort of a blow can become a very dangerous place to be.
Within the last two years, the Friends of Big Sandy Bay (www.bigsandybay.ca) have opened up a 1.3 km walking trail from a parking lot down to the beach, so that the area has become much more accessible to the public at large, but still it retains its remote charm. Hopefully, and despite humans being humans, those visiting the beach by the trail will deposit their garbage in the containers provided, or take it back out with them so that the nature of the area can be preserved. Huge sand dunes separate Lake Ontario from the lagoon behind the beach, and with the prevailing Southwest winds in the area, large breakers can often re-arrange both the off lying sand bars and the dunes themselves, so the terrain is often different each time one visits the area.”
Thank you Hugh. A set of three posters of 1000 Islands scenes is headed your way.
Over the years, the most frequently asked question I get is - "How do you shoot pictures while flying a plane?" The answer is - surprisingly easily. I have an incredibly capable and forgiving floatplane called the Challenger that after 23 years I have come to know rather well. It allows me to fly low and slow quite intuitively and provides me with what I have always considered “the privileged view”. There’s a new video on the site, accessed either from the “Media” or the “CAM” page that will give you a better idea of the airplane that makes all this possible. As always, a picture (or video) is worth a thousand words:
http://www.1000islandsphotoart.com/Cam/Capturingthearea/tabid/356/Default.aspx
This is the last wallpaper image of the season, so I should mention that I have long been urged to produce a small, inexpensive booklet for the visitor and this past winter I finally decided to try. The 1000 Islands is blessed with world class beauty so I have tried to produce something with a quality that reflects that, while keeping the price down to $10. It took an enormous print run to allow that to happen, but I’m thrilled with the results and hope you will be too. It will be in shops along the River within a week or two.
Without knowing it, you have already had a sneak preview of the book as the February and March images as well as this month’s are taken from it and no, there is no map with page numbers as in the other books to show this month's photo location, so you can’t cheat by looking it up. You’ll simply have to make exploring the River to find it one of this summer’s fun projects.
As it's now time to get back to the River, the island camera (CAM page) that has been showing you the passage of the seasons is now turned off, but you might enjoy what I have to share in its place. Over the winter, I've been collecting its images and have distilled them into a slideshow that will take you from fall through spring in just eight minutes. I've long known that the River has infinite moods, and this confirms that, all from the season most of us have never seen.
Have a wonderful summer on the River. We'll pick this up again in the fall.
While surfing the Web to find a scenic wallpaper for my computer’s desktop I ran across your picture of “the dining room” with the chairs by the water. The chairs look like they are inviting you to sit down, relax, and enjoy the beautiful view. It has a nice calming affect when I see it each day on my computer. I noticed your web address on the side of the picture and proceeded to see what other pictures you might have to use as my computer’s wallpaper. Of the wallpaper pictures you have, I find I favor the pictures with the ground level views the most. My next favorite wallpaper picture of yours would have to be the view of the river from Fernbank. The way it slowly goes from the vibrant and crisp colors of an up close view of the shore to a ghostly image of a distant shore does a great job of drawing you into the picture. Of the aerial views, the wallpaper picture of Sifton Estate is definitely my favorite. The hint of colors in the trees, the peaceful and fantastic view from the house on the hill, and the powerful river in the background makes it look like a place you would want to visit.These are beautiful pictures. Thank you for making them available for desktop wallpaper.
Robert posted on: Friday, October 23, 2009
