Tag: nature

Return of Spring

After a brief struggle with Winter, Spring has returned to New England, bringing warmth and sunshine.

After a couple of days during which Winter tried to claw its way back, Springtime returns once again in New England! The Sun is featured prominently today and temperatures are on the way up!

To celebrate this moment, I thought of this image…

Return of Spring

This is an image from 2013 and a side-capture from a photoshoot for a yet unfinished project. Yes, it is a rather intricate project, for which I have all the source material, and need the inspiration to complete my vision.

Playing with the contrast between the regeneration of Nature against the impact of time and elements on the human-made structure, I placed my wager on our dear Mother. After all, it is Nature that brings us both hope and (sometimes) despair, elates us and depresses us. She is the true force of our lives…

iPhone Friday

It’s fun seeking patterns in beach scenes, particularly with shells.

As we’re getting prepared for our vacation, a quick post of a beach shot from a couple of years ago. As I walk along beaches, I love looking for patterns that might work well in a photo. A lot of that involves experimentation, which is always fun. I find that shells are always a great subject matter, especially when they are relatively undisturbed.

Here’s an image from 2021…

Shells on the Beach

This image is actually uncropped, as I like all of these shells and the pattern they create. I did rotate the image 180 degrees; I’m not sure what it is, but I find I do this quite often on these types of shots. With ACR, I used the Artistic 04 filter, as I like the tonality and pop. After that a bit of sharpening, soft light and contrast, and voila!

This will be an image that I will print later, as I think it will pop rather nicely on the right paper.

iPhone Friday

A 2015 capture with the iPhone 5s; a simpler smartphone camera, still capable of catching an interesting scene.

After last week’s iPhone Friday with a gorgeous image from a recent iPhone, I’m going back to the iPhone 5s that I had in 2015. The camera didn’t have all the bells and whistles that it has now, but nevertheless it could create some interesting shots.

Let’s take a look at 2015…

Rocky Pond Autumn

I captured this autumnal scene of Rocky Pond in Boylston, Massachusetts. I would take backroads into work and regularly make a stop or two for photography. Some mornings, I’d look at the sky and decide to go one way or another to check the views.

Even though the iPhone 5s was a lower pixel-count camera without some of the smart adjustments that we have today, it’s still a fun shot! The cold air creates a haze across the pond, the lens flare offsets the dark trees. Just some fun items that still come together well for me.

iPhone Friday

That must be a really good camera! A striking image of Joshua trees at Gold Butte National Monument

You must have a really good camera! I’m confident that each of you have heard that from someone, when they looked at a particularly successful image of yours. It’s a comment that always makes me snicker (at least internally). I have heard this in all forms. As we all know, the best camera is the one you have with you!

In this case, I took this shot with the lesser of my 2 cameras…

Joshua Tree Sun

During my Valley of Fire State Park trip from two years ago, we took a side trip to Gold Butte National Monument. This area is best known for its stunning rock formations. There also were some amazing looking Joshua trees to be found.

The trees in this shot struck a wonderful pose for me, and the Sun cooperated as well. It was much quicker to take this shot with my iPhone, so I went for convenience.

And, no, I didn’t crop this shot, as I like it just the way it is. To my eye, it has a nice balance and lines and shapes that work. It’s just a really good camera…

Thursday Throwback – 11

From 2012, a photographic exploration of patterns on Cape Cod.

In this instance of the throwback series, we go back 13 years. If memory serves me, this was a day spent scouting a location for some doggie rescue photography. As I was on Cape Cod already, why not explore a bit more and find some interesting locations.

Her’s one of the captures from my wanderings…

Rock and Roll

I am rather partial to finding patterns in Nature, but in this case I am the creator of any pattern. As I walked around the beach, I looked carefully at the various organizations of these pebbles. In the end, I used the orientation of my lens to create a semblance of organization. I am curious to find out what pattern, if any, you see in this image. I’ll refrain from providing hints, as that would guide your mind’s eye.

Later that day, I also photographed the lighthouse seen in Thursday Throwback – 7, Nobska Lighthouse. Overall, not a bad day!

Shades of Blue

From 2015, a highlight of the Myvatn region with a vista of stunning blue waters.

Welcome back to Iceland! This time, I’m taking you back to my trip in 2015, when I spent just four days in this lovely country. Clearly not long enough, but I made good use of this stopover on my return from the Netherlands. As a matter of course, I tend to prefer the less touristy locations in any country. I find that it’s much more enjoyable to not have to hurry from location to location. It’s great to kick back and breathe in the scenery and get a sense of the overall atmosphere.

Here’s one of my wonderful encounters from that visit…

Shades of Blue

This location is in the Myvatn region just before one gets to the fumaroles in Hverir (cf. Otherworldly post). It is stunning to see the shades of blue in the water that are the result of the silica deposits.

In reworking this capture, I have taken a much subtler approach than I did in a previous treatment. You can see the older image by going back to my 2019 Myvatn Geothermal Area post.

I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on the rather different treatments.

Persistence

Images have the power to captivate our imagination long after they are taken, inviting unique interpretations from each viewer.

Some images that we shoot with our cameras have the ability to capture our imagination well beyond their sell-by date! They provide us with something that pulls our mind’s eye into the layers of the image. Of course, there is no guarantee that an image has the same impact on all of us, as each of our minds builds its own unique story with every picture that we see.

Today’s image is one of those that pulls me back in…

Persistence

I photographed this scene less than a mile up the road from our house in West Boylston. There was something in the lines of the wispy clouds, and the story that this tree tells. It’s a story of enduring the elements, as it stands atop the hill, exposed to the wind and snow. To me, this is a tale of Persistence, despite everything that Nature and humanity can throw at it.

Do you also have images that tell you stories?

Playful Verdant Moments

Part of the joy of photography, is seeing familiar places in new ways.

No matter how long I photograph, I always enjoy those moments of seeing the world around me anew. I think that discovering familiar places in new ways opens not just our eyes, but, more importantly, our minds. It’s almost akin to a moment of meditation that enables us to be in the present and escape the mundaneness of much of our lives.

This particular image came from a bit of this openness to new inputs…

Verdant Serenity

It’s not that this is a superb photograph, as there are numerous flaws in the way I put this together. Despite its flaws, this image still draws me in, as it tells me of Nature and her delightful green palette. The interplay between sunlight and leaves creates patterns and shades of green that pull my mind into the image; and with that pull I find serenity.

I hope that you also find peace within your day!

Forest Floor Serenity

Photographic opportunities are all around us, including the forest floor at our feet.

For this Sunday, I am going back to an image from quite a while back. I often refer to the need to look for photographic opportunities in all directions. This includes looking down from time to time, as sometimes we find a gem right at our feet.

This image came from one of those moments of observation…

An image of two mushrooms on the forest floor, surrounded by pine needles.
Forest Floor

As I was walking back to the parking lot during a dog agility event, I noticed these beauties on the forest floor. As there were plenty of people around, I took the opportunity right away to capture this little scene.

The composition of this image violates some of the standard rules for good photography, but it works for me. I have actually looked at this image mirrored along the vertical axis, and it feels off in some way. I think that the part that works is created by the lines that I managed to capture, even though the hero is on the left hand side. I’m curious what you think about this.

Another example of what might be captured right at our feet is in ‘A Thursday Throwback – 3‘. Also, I was lucky to get this shot while I could, as both mushrooms became casualties of foot traffic later…

Sunday’s Serene Path

Walking through a tranquil forest brings clarity to the mind, surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature.

I thoroughly enjoy walking through a quiet forest, as it truly helps still my mind. Of course, the forest is not entirely silent, as the wind plays through the trees, birds share their songs, etc. This mixture of sounds provides a soothing symphony to the sometime cacophony that might play in my head.

Today, let’s take a walk through a forest…

Forest Path

I captured this moment in Baxter State Park, which is a fair way up in the great state of Maine. During a photography, trip I had the pleasure of sauntering a distance from the rest of the group and found this lovely path. It just pulled my imagination in, as I could only wonder what might lie at its end…

Also, the mosses on either side of the path were extremely inviting. I tested their softness, as I listened to the silence around me.