I Challenged Myself To Take Creative Photos Within A 15Km Radius Of My Home
My name is Trevor Pottelberg. I am a fine art landscape photographer from Brownsville, Ontario, Canada. I don’t live in an area of the world where amazing landscapes simply jump out at you. There are no oceans or mountains anywhere near my home. The local landscape is primarily comprised of flat farmland for as far as the eye can see, but there are some rolling hills and valleys if you know where to look. Still, at times I find myself frustrated when I see landscape photographers from various other places around the globe posting beautiful imagery of snow-capped mountains towering over shimmering emerald lakes or jaw dropping aurora borealis dancing in the non-light polluted skies… all captured from the comfort of their own backyard. I often long for the day where I find myself engulfed in this natural beauty without having to search for it. Knowing that this is not going to happen in the foreseeable future, I decided about three years ago to challenge my creative abilities and attempt to create beautiful artwork within a 15 km radius of my home.
I knew that I would have to work extremely hard and put in hours of my time in order to capture anything meaningful that could compete on the same level as other professional landscape photographers from around the globe. I decided to start scoping out the local landscape on my way to and home from work. After a few weeks of searching various backroads and hiking off beaten paths, I was able to find a number of hidden gems that were within a stone’s throw of my home. The experience really started to change my entire outlook about our home turf and got me excited to get out there to explore. For the next three years, I would return to these spots at various times of day throughout the four seasons, resulting in some truly unique imagery for my portfolio. My end goal is to inspire others to get out there and create beautiful imagery from their own backyard. You may not feel that you live in the most scenic part of the world, but if you take the time to see the beauty that surrounds you, great results can be achieved.
More Info: tpottelberg.com | Instagram | Facebook
Moonset Kiln
This image won the Best in Class Award in Pictorial for all of Canada at the 2015 PPOC (Professional Photographers of Canada) National Image Salon Competition. This image topped all aforementioned images comprised of mountains, oceans and coastal vistas. The feeling of winning such a prestigious award in my very first year with the organization was priceless. Knowing that I created the artwork within 5 min from my home was even better! Sadly, the kiln has recently been torn down, making the image even more unique
Oak Sunrise
The morning sun rises behind a mighty oak tree with an autumn fog blanketing the landscape. Photographed in South-West Oxford Township, Ontario, Canada.
Moonlit Wildflower Field
The rising moon backlights a low lying fog and an abandoned set of tobacco kilns sitting amongst a wildflower field. Photographed in South-West Oxford Township, Ontario, Canada. Again, these tobacco kilns have since been torn down, making the images that much more unique.
Pump House Under Milky Way
An abandoned pump house rests under the Milky Way on a warm spring evening. Photographed in South-West Oxford Township, Ontario, Canada.
Forest Sunrise
I discovered this gem while out driving in a thick overnight fog. The light in the scene is actually coming from a street lamp mimicking the rising sun. Photographed in South-West Oxford Township, Ontario, Canada.
The Snowstorm
A small shed sits amongst a set of mature trees during a heavy winter snowfall. Photographed in South-West Oxford Township, Ontario, Canada.
Into The Woods
A winding road leads through a forest on an overcast December morning. Photographed in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada.
Winter At The Bridges
A bridge spans over the Big Otter Creek into a winter wonderland. Photographed in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada.
Falltime At The Bridges
Beautiful autumn colours reflect in the Big Otter Creek at The Bridges at Tillsonburg Golf Course.
Sunset Shack
Post sunset colours fill the evening sky over an abandoned pump house. Photographed in South-West Oxford Township, Ontario, Canada.
The Pasture
The rising morning sun attempts to burn through a thick fog surrounding a field of grazing cattle and a lonely donkey. Photographed in South-West Oxford Township, Ontario, Canada.
Winter Wonderland
A late autumn ice storm transforms the landscape into a frozen wonderland. Photographed in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.
Midnight Train
A train heads down the tracks on a foggy autumn night. Photographed in South-West Oxford Township, Ontario, Canada.
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Nice photos, but the post work goes so far that it's like you are on an alien planet. Can't you dial it back just a bit?
I think those are meant to be more surreal than real.
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I love all of them. I also love your approach, to stick to an area near home. We can't always hop on a plane to capture the images we'd most like to, and I'm trying to do the same myself - find the beauty in my direct surroundings until the next time I get to travel. Excellent series!
Amazing work, I bet it took you a lot of time and energy to make these... just astonishing! Can you tell me, photos like 'Moonlit Wildflower Flower' and 'Sunset Shack' are made out of 2 photo with different timing? Clouds are blurred, and grass looks crystal crisp... ;) fantastic idea and results, I will look for you on fb and instagram :)
Thanks Hrvoje! The images definitely took a lot of time and effort to create, even if some people don't think so. For the image titled Moonlit Wildflower Field, I actually just did a long exposure of a few minutes long to achieve that effect. You can see that both the stars and clouds moved during the exposure. I hid the moon behind the kilns so that you wouldn't see it blurring from the long exposure. There was no wind that night, so the foreground stayed still. I also set my camera's white balance to tungsten to give me that blue look. This is one exposure and contrary to some people's belief, it was not photoshopped. I lightened the levels and played with contrast in lightroom. For the second image named Sunset Shack, I again used a long shutter speed on a dead calm evening to give movement to the clouds while keeping the foreground still. I waited for the sun to drop below the horizon so that it did not show any signs of movement. See below for more...
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Really stunning photos! I love all of them. Especially Sunset Shack. Did you use a wide angle lens for that one?
I am absolutely in love with your work!! I find your photo's breath taking and stunning. I will be purchasing some of your beautiful work sometime in the near future. The hardest thing will be trying to decide which one's to buy for I am in awe and in love with several. I am truly looking forward to having your work hanging on my walls!!
Lovely photos. There is beauty in all types of surroundings no matter where you live. Some people bumble through life with 'eyes wide shut' not seeing anything.
Beautiful - most of them evoked such surprisingly sentimental emotions as I looked at them!
Great, great photos ! :) I want to try somenthing like you, I have a question. Do I need any special lens to be able to take such great photos at night or am I good with the lens I got with the camera ? ( EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DC III) .
Thanks Jaroslav! You should be able to shoot night images with that lens. Just be sure to use a high ISO setting on your camera and low aperture number (i.e. f3.5).
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I'm intriqued with "Winter Wonderland." How did you achieve two colors...white and red. Your pictures are amazing. Do you always use a tripod? What kind of a camera do you have?
Thanks Joanne! I pretty much always use a tripod for my landscape work. Currently, I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III.
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Some fantastic shots, with great composition and tones, however I do agree with a few people who have pointed out that the post work can make a few too look quite cartoonish and over-saturated. This was possibly on purpose. Either way, I think there are some fantastic shots in there.
Thanks Brenton. I agree that my style is quite bold/saturated and not for everyone and yes, the images look like this on purpose. I am an artist and create works that match my artistic vision. If I were a documentary or press photographer, then yes, I would have to create ultra realistic imagery. Instead, I make creative artwork that sticks to my unique style and vision. It's funny to think that if I had painted these with a brush, nobody would question it. Everyone is open to his or her own opinion and that is what makes art so subjective. It's just too bad that people jump to conclusions about the images without knowing the amount of in camera work that went into them. As I explained in a comment below, much of the colour, lighting and effects are done in camera, not photoshop. I appreciate you taking the time to view my work and I respect your opinion. ;)
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These pictures were so unbelievably breathtaking. and you should really go to the Kawartha's in Northern Ontario, I remember in the winter at our cottage I would always beg to sleep out on our closed in summer porch just so I could see the Aurora Borealis and sometimes I would sneak out on our deck and you could hear the snap of it, so unbelievable.
I will definitely try to make it up there someday Dot. It sounds beautiful!
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These are all very beautiful photos. I'd be happy to have any one hanging in my house.thank you.
Thank you Audrey! If you are ever interested in purchasing one, you can do so at tpottelberg.com.
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very nice picture but it's not photography. it's image retouching work.
Fantastic! Shows a ton of time, experience, patience, & a good eye! Bravo!
Very nice pics but I think you need to think twice when you say you don't come from a place with beautiful landscapes... or redefine beautiful...
Thanks Capucine! I didn't say that I don't come from a place with beautiful landscapes. I said that I don't come from a place where amazing landscapes jump out at you. I just meant that we live in an area where you have to really search for something meaningful. There are miles and miles of flat farmland surrounding us. These places I have discovered are hidden away from view. Hope that helps clear things up. :)
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You can follow me on FB at facebook.com/tpottelberg or Instagram (tpottelberg). Thanks. :)
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Your work is beautiful. What ever magic your doing ... keep on doing it. If I had money I would buy some of your photo's. I love some of the winter ones, and I am not a fan of winter, but your work makes me rethink things over.
Thank you so much Leanna! Maybe one day you will have one hanging in your home. :)
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I am from Ontario Canada the Kawartha lakes, these pictures are breathtaking.
Thanks Dot! I've never been up to Kawartha Lakes, but I've heard that it's beautiful!
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Thanks Alejandro! I use a Gitzo GT 2541 Tripod.
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Nice photos, but the post work goes so far that it's like you are on an alien planet. Can't you dial it back just a bit?
I think those are meant to be more surreal than real.
Load More Replies... I love all of them. I also love your approach, to stick to an area near home. We can't always hop on a plane to capture the images we'd most like to, and I'm trying to do the same myself - find the beauty in my direct surroundings until the next time I get to travel. Excellent series!
Amazing work, I bet it took you a lot of time and energy to make these... just astonishing! Can you tell me, photos like 'Moonlit Wildflower Flower' and 'Sunset Shack' are made out of 2 photo with different timing? Clouds are blurred, and grass looks crystal crisp... ;) fantastic idea and results, I will look for you on fb and instagram :)
Thanks Hrvoje! The images definitely took a lot of time and effort to create, even if some people don't think so. For the image titled Moonlit Wildflower Field, I actually just did a long exposure of a few minutes long to achieve that effect. You can see that both the stars and clouds moved during the exposure. I hid the moon behind the kilns so that you wouldn't see it blurring from the long exposure. There was no wind that night, so the foreground stayed still. I also set my camera's white balance to tungsten to give me that blue look. This is one exposure and contrary to some people's belief, it was not photoshopped. I lightened the levels and played with contrast in lightroom. For the second image named Sunset Shack, I again used a long shutter speed on a dead calm evening to give movement to the clouds while keeping the foreground still. I waited for the sun to drop below the horizon so that it did not show any signs of movement. See below for more...
Load More Replies... Really stunning photos! I love all of them. Especially Sunset Shack. Did you use a wide angle lens for that one?
I am absolutely in love with your work!! I find your photo's breath taking and stunning. I will be purchasing some of your beautiful work sometime in the near future. The hardest thing will be trying to decide which one's to buy for I am in awe and in love with several. I am truly looking forward to having your work hanging on my walls!!
Lovely photos. There is beauty in all types of surroundings no matter where you live. Some people bumble through life with 'eyes wide shut' not seeing anything.
Beautiful - most of them evoked such surprisingly sentimental emotions as I looked at them!
Great, great photos ! :) I want to try somenthing like you, I have a question. Do I need any special lens to be able to take such great photos at night or am I good with the lens I got with the camera ? ( EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DC III) .
Thanks Jaroslav! You should be able to shoot night images with that lens. Just be sure to use a high ISO setting on your camera and low aperture number (i.e. f3.5).
Load More Replies... I'm intriqued with "Winter Wonderland." How did you achieve two colors...white and red. Your pictures are amazing. Do you always use a tripod? What kind of a camera do you have?
Thanks Joanne! I pretty much always use a tripod for my landscape work. Currently, I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III.
Load More Replies... Some fantastic shots, with great composition and tones, however I do agree with a few people who have pointed out that the post work can make a few too look quite cartoonish and over-saturated. This was possibly on purpose. Either way, I think there are some fantastic shots in there.
Thanks Brenton. I agree that my style is quite bold/saturated and not for everyone and yes, the images look like this on purpose. I am an artist and create works that match my artistic vision. If I were a documentary or press photographer, then yes, I would have to create ultra realistic imagery. Instead, I make creative artwork that sticks to my unique style and vision. It's funny to think that if I had painted these with a brush, nobody would question it. Everyone is open to his or her own opinion and that is what makes art so subjective. It's just too bad that people jump to conclusions about the images without knowing the amount of in camera work that went into them. As I explained in a comment below, much of the colour, lighting and effects are done in camera, not photoshop. I appreciate you taking the time to view my work and I respect your opinion. ;)
Load More Replies... These pictures were so unbelievably breathtaking. and you should really go to the Kawartha's in Northern Ontario, I remember in the winter at our cottage I would always beg to sleep out on our closed in summer porch just so I could see the Aurora Borealis and sometimes I would sneak out on our deck and you could hear the snap of it, so unbelievable.
I will definitely try to make it up there someday Dot. It sounds beautiful!
Load More Replies... These are all very beautiful photos. I'd be happy to have any one hanging in my house.thank you.
Thank you Audrey! If you are ever interested in purchasing one, you can do so at tpottelberg.com.
Load More Replies... very nice picture but it's not photography. it's image retouching work.
Fantastic! Shows a ton of time, experience, patience, & a good eye! Bravo!
Very nice pics but I think you need to think twice when you say you don't come from a place with beautiful landscapes... or redefine beautiful...
Thanks Capucine! I didn't say that I don't come from a place with beautiful landscapes. I said that I don't come from a place where amazing landscapes jump out at you. I just meant that we live in an area where you have to really search for something meaningful. There are miles and miles of flat farmland surrounding us. These places I have discovered are hidden away from view. Hope that helps clear things up. :)
Load More Replies... You can follow me on FB at facebook.com/tpottelberg or Instagram (tpottelberg). Thanks. :)
Load More Replies... Your work is beautiful. What ever magic your doing ... keep on doing it. If I had money I would buy some of your photo's. I love some of the winter ones, and I am not a fan of winter, but your work makes me rethink things over.
Thank you so much Leanna! Maybe one day you will have one hanging in your home. :)
Load More Replies... I am from Ontario Canada the Kawartha lakes, these pictures are breathtaking.
Thanks Dot! I've never been up to Kawartha Lakes, but I've heard that it's beautiful!
Load More Replies... Thanks Alejandro! I use a Gitzo GT 2541 Tripod.
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