Stunning Bluffs Photos

A lot of people enjoy taking photographs of the Scarborough Bluffs but few of us have been able to capture their beauty as well as Larry Herscovitch.

Herscovitch is an engineer by trade who started getting serious about photography when he got his first digital camera in 2003. He lives in North York but visits the Bluffs regularly because he finds them inspiring.

“I like it there, it’s a beautiful place,” Herscovitch says. “It’s not that far, you have the cliffs, you have beautiful views of Lake Ontario from quite high up, which I like. The Bluffs were kind of formed millions of years ago by glaciers so you’re looking back in time in some ways.”

This first photo titled Ice Storm Over Lake Ontario is his favourite. Herscovitch says the weather that day was very unusual and his view at the top of the Bluffs was “almost surreal”. “It’s basically a moment that photographers dream about – being in the right place at the right time,” Herscovitch says.

Ice Storm Over Lake Ontario. This photo was taken on December 24, 2004 in the early afternoon. I saw an interesting sky with icicles everywhere and headed to Cathedral Bluffs Park hoping to capture some nice photos. When the sun popped out from the clouds it lit up the icicles along with intense rays of sunlight on Lake Ontario, I captured this magical moment in time with a point and shoot camera on a tripod. Camera: Canon G3 Power Shot, Aperture: F5, Exposure 1/1250 sec

All of Herscovitch’s early photos were taken with a simple point and shoot camera because that’s all he had.

Fall Glory is a lovely photo of the Bluffs in their full autumn splendor, also taken with his point and shoot.

Fall Glory. This photo was taken October 29, 2005 from Cathedral Bluffs Park looking east towards Pickering. I have been coming to the Scarborough Bluffs since 2004, and had never seen the colours as intense as this day. I was looking to capture the beautiful fall colours along with this great blue sky with puffy clouds. This was taken with a point and shoot camera on a tripod. Some photos almost take themselves. Camera: Canon G3 Power Shot, Aperture: F4, Exposure: 1/1250 sec

In some ways, Herscovitch says his interest in nature, and the sky in particular, was inherited from his father who is a retired meteorologist and avid photographer himself.

The two sometimes shoot photos together and in 2007 Herscovitch got his first DSLR, a used Canon Rebel XT, from his dad.

In 2010, Herscovitch purchased a Canon 5D Mark II and he started to experiment with filters and exposures. He used the Canon 5D to take this stunning photo titled Pastel Sky Sunset.

Pastel Sky Sunset.This photo was taken April 23, 2011. In this photo I was trying to capture the pastel coloured sunset reflecting on the water of the rocky shore line. I used a 2.5 second exposure on a tripod to get a silky appearance of the water contrasting with the sharp hard-edged rocks. I also used a 2 stop graduated neutral density filter to balance the contrast between the sky and water to more accurately show what I could see more with my eyes. Camera: Canon 5D Mark II, Aperture: F16, Exposure: 2.5 sec, Polarizer

Larry Herscovitch

Photography is Herscovitch’s hobby. In his day job, he works on experimental research and development tax credits for Magna International.

The two fields may seem worlds apart but Herscovitch, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, points out that visualization and drawing skills are helpful for engineers who design things.

“There are more people who have technical jobs who are very good photographers than you would think,” Herscovitch says. ” Some of that is because when you’re using a digital camera you’re manipulating technology to some degree.”

Afterglow. This photo was taken June 23, 2012. Some nights after sunset when you would think it would be getting dark, you get this beautiful faded crimson afterglow of the clouds in the sky. Also sometimes during the time between sunset and full darkness the camera will capture beautiful colours which the eye cannot see. At this time I used a 25 second exposure along with a polarizer and 1 stop graduated neutral density filter and fluorescent light balance to capture this beautiful sky reflecting in the Bluffers Marina water. Camera: Canon 5D Mark II, Aperture: F11, Exposure: 25 sec

Silky Water Sunset This photo was taken December 24, 2010. In this photo I was trying to capture the dusk light reflecting on the water of the rocky shore line. I used a 25 second exposure on a tripod to get a silky appearance of the water contrasting with the sharp hard-edged rocks. I also used a 2 stop graduated neutral density filter to balance the contrast between the sky and water to more accurately show what I could see more with my eyes. Camera: Canon 5D Mark II, Aperture: F11, Exposure: 25 sec, 2 stop graduated neutral density filter

Herscovitch’s passion for capturing the beauty of landscapes goes beyond photography.

He’s also an accomplished painter who has won honourable mentions in a couple of juried art shows. He started oil painting in 2001 and studies under Vladimir Ribatchok.