Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Forget-Me-Not & Ferns

Photo quote for today: "When your mouth drops open, click the shutter." -Harlod Feinstein


I find the best way to enjoy a Forget-Me-Not is under a macro lens. These flowers are so small it's easy for the passerby to overlook these fragile beauties.



Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Tiger Swallow Tail & Blue Flag Iris

Photo quote for today: "A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it?" -Ernst Haas

This image was taken while kayaking behind my home. Blue Flags grow in abundance along the river, and usually come into full bloom around Father's Day. They can be a challenge to capture because they grow in wet areas, and are usually well protected by black flies.




Garden Blooms

Photo quote for today: "Parks and gardens are the quintessential intimate landscapes. People use them all the time, leaving their energy and memories behind. It's what's left behind that I like to photograph." -Michael Kenna

It's hard for me to add any other words to today's quote, so please enjoy. -Mike



Monday, May 19, 2008

Solitude

Photo quote for today: "Nothing is ever the same twice because everything is always gone forever, and yet each moment has infinite photographic possibilities." - Michael Kenna

As I was struggling to make my way down a foggy road one morning, I came to a fork in the road and was greeted by this composition. With snow on the ground and fog as back drop the tree just stood out as the perfect opportunity to make this solitary image.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Antique Center

Photo quote for today: "Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field." -Peter Adams

Not every image I make has a story to go with it, but this one does. I first say this building late one Sunday, on my way home with my wife and dog after a day of hiking in New Hampshire. At that time of day the lighting was all wrong so I decided I would return the next morning, before going to work, and shoot some film. Even though nature photography is my first passion, there was no way I was going to pass-up an opportunity to add this one to my files. I returned the next morning and shot about half a roll of slide film before the light started to change and it was time to head to work. For the rest of the week all I could think about was getting back there to finish off the roll, I really wanted to see the results on film. The following Thursday I again headed out early to complete my roll. When I arrived all I found was a bare wall; the building had been raised in order to straighten it out and add a foundation. It has never been returned to its former glory.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Trillium

Photo quote for today: "On one hand you want to see your subject well. On the other hand, you want to be caught off guard to retain the spontaneity. If you know your subject too well you stop seeing it." -Harold Feinstein

I very much agree with today's photo quote, you do need to retain that spontaneity with your subject otherwise you can become apathetic. When I find myself in that situation, my cure has been to really work the subject hard, exploring every angle until you see that something that rekindles your interest. Back when I was shooting film that approach would tend to run up my tab at the processors, but now with digital imaging you can go nuts without breaking the bank. The Trillium below is a good example; after some stiff editing I probably have twenty slides of the same bloom from different angles. This one however is my favorite, it's the one that peaked my interest when stopped long enough to really see my subject.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Fog over MDI

Photo quote for today: "A good photograph is knowing where to stand." -Ansel Adams

This is one of those images where less is better. Without some help from mother nature, it would have been an image cluttered with homes, but thanks to some early morning fog it became a very simple composition.



Monday, May 12, 2008

Spring Stream

Photo quote for today: "Perhaps most intriguing of all is that it is possible to photograph what is impossible for the human eye to see - cumulative time." -Michael Kenna

At this time of year Maine, like so many other places, has an abundance of seasonal streams, and once the winter snows have melted they quietly go to rest until the next year.

Spring Thaw

Photo quote for today: "Photography teaches that how well you see has nothing to do with how well you see." Anonymous Author

Took this image in an area near the Appalachian Trail. I had been photographing more broad landscapes, when the ice formations covering the rocks caught my attention.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Oak Leaves Under Black Ice

Photo quote for today: "I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn't photograph them." -Diane Arbus

This image is just one of those finds. I was walking down an old abandoned road near my home and came across a frozen puddle. The ice was exceptional clear, and just below the surface you could see the leaves frozen in-place.


Thursday, May 8, 2008

Ferns

Photo quote for today: "Art is not to be found by touring Egypt, Chine, or Peru: if you cannot find it at your own door, you will never find it." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ferns from along the river bank.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Bald Eagles at Sunrise

Photo quote for today: " A photograph does not speak, it does not smell, it makes no sound, it does not move, it is just a two dimensional piece of paper, but a good photograph can do at least one if not all of the above." -Eryk Fitkau




This image is from a page in a book of self-published work that I did on Maine back in 2006. When I arrived, only a few minutes before sunrise, both birds were in total shade. At that time I was thinking it was going to be an uneventful morning, then the sun made it's appearance and illuminated just the head of the Eagle facing my direction. With light being such an important part of any image, timing can sometimes mean everything to an image.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Loons

Photo quote for today: "A painter works with color as the medium, a photographer works with light." -Carlotta M. Corpron

Photographed these Loons from my kayak on a nearby lake known for its large loon population.



Saturday, May 3, 2008

Bald Eagle

Photo quote for today: "There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." -Ansel Adams



Grabbed this shot one morning while paddling down river from my home near an island with an active nest. Look forward to seeing the Eagles every season, and this year did not disappoint. Last week, after John and I set the dock, we launched the kayaks for our first paddle of the season. Went across the river to explore a large cove, and as we came around one of the islands noticed one perched on a branch above the water.



Thursday, May 1, 2008

Fun in the Sunflowers

Photo quote for today: "It matters little how much equipment we use; it matters much that we be masters of all we do use." -Sam Abell



I took this image on the same day as my earlier post of the sunflower field. This little guy seemed to be really enjoying himself among all those flowers.