LIFE IS A BIRCH

Southern Vermont- summer 2004

With the arrival of fall I turn into somewhat of a tree stalker in stark comparison to the other three seasons when they are just part of the scenery as far as I am concerned. I did run into these two bare trees mid summer a few years back. I thought they made a terrific natural 'frame' for the shot of the tractor and the barn. I waited with baited breath after sending the roll of film in for processesing; it is that delayed gratification that I enjoy so much about film photography, the anticipation of how the pictures will turn out never grows old.

The stark white of the leafless trees provides an awesome contrast to the green mountain background and the azure sky.

Central Vermont - fall 2004

I was pretty surprised then to see a birch tree show up in this shot. I forgot that birch trees tend to be real 'show offs'. They seem to shed their leaves sooner than their neighbors the Sugar Maples and while I thought I was taking a picture of a Vermont covered bridge this birch inserted himself to the left of the subject. He sticks out like only a leafless birch can providing the only white among the plethora of fall colors.

Never digital - always film and is it just me or do leafless birches tend to jump further than those bogged down with leaves?

EASY TZ

Tappan Zee Bridge, Tarrytown, NY- 1990

When we lived in our first apartment in South Nyack we were blessed with spectacular views of the Hudson on an almost daily basis. I became quite spoiled because getting the perfect shot only involved walking the ten feet from my couch to the balcony at just the right time of day. This photo took a little more effort; to shoot a sunset I needed to drive the three miles across the span and park my car. I like how the shadows obliterate the traffic and construction which were and still are a constant on the span.

The bridge opened for traffic on December 15, 1955 and I remember my mom taking me and my two sisters for a ride across which was free that day.

A short blog entry for an easy picture.

Never digital - always film and (sigh) there were a lot more film options back in the '90s.

You CAN take it with you...

Highland Falls, summer 2001

I loved our first house. I would have married this house except for the fact that I was already married. We landscaped this house within an inch of its life. We painted it, added on to it and yes, named it (Whispering Waters for the stream - Buttermilk Falls actually, that ran just behind the 1,000 square foot deck and patio). We even went as far as having a playhouse replica made for our daughter.

I found a company ( http://www.exposuresonline.com/ ) that will take any photograph and recreate it in pen and ink so back in the early years (before the addition of our son resulting in the addition to the house) I paid thirty bucks even though I never dreamed we would ever leave our little corner of heaven....

but alas, my wife was unhappy with the school system and while the house was adequate for two small children we had an inkling they wouldn't always stay that small. So we moved to Cornwall on Hudson, seven miles up the line and over Storm King Mountain where we lose electricity at least once a month and have given up landscaping which we found is just a really expensive way to feed the deer. Our Highland Falls neighbors warned us in a variety of ways that we would miss this house; one thought the new property would be too overwhelming (it has been), another cautioned us about winter travel over Storm King Mountain (horrendous) but the most poignant going away sentiment came from our neighbor Nancy who built a birdhouse rendition of our house and better than a photo it's a 3D reminder of the good ol' days.


Never digital - always film and a story for each and every photo.

It's not all fun & games

Cornwall on Hudson- October, 2003

Sometimes composition, lighting and f stops don't mean a thing. Although I am loathe to admit it there are occasions when traditional processing proves to be too lengthy and a digital camera might be just the ticket when say .... homeowners coverage is the issue. Suppose out of nowhere (oh okay, after three days of rain followed by heavy winds) a forty foot oak was to fall on your house.... admittedly you'd want the expediency of digital vs the art of film.

One day, out of the blue (oh okay, after three days of rain followed by heavy winds) my wife received a call from our neighbor, who in the understated manner only the very British can pull off reported... "I was walking your dog Winter (in case we'd forgotten our dog's name) when I noticed a rather large tree was resting on your house."

This was not an entirely accurate description. The 'rather large tree' was a live oak, which defying all odds grew EXACTLY on the property line fell first on our neighbor's house and somehow found itself... (if a tree falls in the neighborhood and no one is there to see it does it roll or bounce? Your guess is as good as mine...) on ours. Our house looked worse but supposedly

theirs sustained more structural damage. One worker from the local gas company, dispatched to ensure we were not at risk for blowing up the neighborhood, in an attempt at gallows humor, told me we needn't worry about a Christmas tree that season; we could simply add lights to the intruder tree.

Yes, you had to see it to believe it. Unfortunately the turnaround time on these prints was upwards of five days and about a year and a half before my wife got her digital for Mother's Day.

Oh well, as I've been known to say

Never digital - always film- but in the end neither can argue with a forty foot oak.

IT'S A KEEPER

"The Baths" Little Dix Bay

British Virgin Islands- May, 1984

This print and I recently celebrated our silver anniversary (it was a private affair and please, no gifts). It has occurred to me that this shot, taken on my honeymoon, far outlasted my first marriage and is older than my three children. I've had it blown up to 2 feet x 3 feet, entered it in contests (the print, not the blow up), made it into notecards and most recently laminated it onto wood using an amazing company out of Maine www.artiplaq.com

Over the years the 2 x 3 blowup has graced the walls of five offices at three colleges and two high schools. "We" retired yesterday. Last week, cleaning out my office I brought "The Baths" to my sister Kathleen's house for an undermined stay but I have a feeling it will be coming home just as soon as I can clear out some wall space.

Never digital - always film - protected from moisture, dust and harmful UV rays courtesy of Artiplaque.