ART IMITATES PHOTOGRAPHY

Vero Beach, FL - June, 2006

Yes, occasionally I do take pictures of people. When my children were little by the time I adjusted the lens, f- stop and other settings on my camera, they'd moved on to more important things. I can't imagine how many photo opportunities passed me by while I was busy lining up the shot. Mountains, trees and oceans are very forgiving; they more or less stay where they are supposed to so a photographer can position himself and his camera. The animal kingdom will work with me on occasion- birds and butterflies seem to have more of an attention span and can hold a pose longer than your average two year old.

I didn't even notice that mother and daughter were positioned exactly the same as they gazed out over the ocean that summer evening. When we got the print back my wife brought it to my attention. We both liked the picture so much that we requested our painter friend Rebecca Darlington to paint a mural inspired by the shot. The mural takes up a wall in my daughter's bedroom.

Now everytime my daughter gets mad at her mother, she doesn't need to look any further than her bedroom wall to realize they aren't so different after all.

Never digital- always film (except in the case of the mural which was shot using a Kodak Easy Share)

It's a Wrap!

Manchester Centre, New Hampshire- Fall, 2000

It was a new place. I had been photographing New England in the fall for decades and had my favorite haunts (one example- an obscure hill Vermont where I stood for hours with a Japanese film crew waiting for the sunrise. When they send people all the way from Japan you know you've picked the right location!). We'd blown into Manchester Centre late the evening before in the rain so I didn't get the opportunity to scout the area and found myself working under extreme time constraints. We were there after all to visit my daughter at prep school not to spend the day wandering around like a camera happy tourist (or so I was told).

I love this shot. It is one of those once in a lifetime pictures. Try as I did in subsequent visits, I was never able to recapture the leaves wrapping around the steeple creating a natural frame for God's house.

Never digital - always film

Dare to be Different

Manchester, Vermont- fall 2005

My annual trip to Southern Vermont to photograph the foliage- It helped that my brother bought a house seven years before (actually by this time he was on his second house in the area but that is a story for another time) saving me the big $$$ on hotel accomodations.

Route 7A is always picturesque at this time of year. While it seemed that the foliage had come and gone (despite extensive research on the part of the photographer) there was one holdout. Surrounded by bare birch trees, this sugar maple stood proud in all his glory. It was late afternoon, the Indian summer sun was angled just so and once again yours truly was in the right place at the right time.

Never digital- always film.

Breakfast on the Beach

Vero Beach, FL - date unknown

Okay, I admit it! You've got me on this one. I've photographed in Vero for over fifteen years so now and then one will slip by without me remembering the date. I can't even look for contextual clues since the sandpipers have zero fashion sense and have been sporting the same look since the beginning of time.

In any case I wouldn't have considered this an ideal day for photography. There was considerable cloud cover so a sunrise shot was out of the question. No one was enjoying the beach that early in the morning except for these three who didn't give me a second glance as they persevered to find whatever it is sandpipers like for breakfast.

Never digital- always film

Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 2005

Sometimes, you just can't go wrong.... We visited my brother in law during a heat wave in Colorado 104 degrees plus. Under normal (aka east coast conditions) the humidity would be so thick that I wouldn't even bother to take my camera out. God has blessed Colorado with low humidity (and no bugs, no screens required) so even on the hottest days each and every shot in this extemely picturesque setting comes out looking fantastic. The most difficult part was picking out my favorite.

Thank God for APS film. They still make it. I use it. I love the panoramic options APS affords me.

Never digital- always film (now you see why)

Basking in the sun

McKee Botanical Garden, Vero Beach, FL - April 2008

Sometimes I wonder (or actually my wife wonders) how much film I go through before I get my shot (aka "the shot or the perfect shot") I prefer not to think about such things. Here is an example of the price one pays in terms of film and time to "get the shot"

Last year I spent a day at McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach where we had recently purchased a townhouse (the week that the mortgage crisis started, but that is another story). I'd always wanted to photograph the gardens, which are quite extensive. When I got the prints back this was the only one that did anything for me. This photo was taken with my minolta telephoto lens at 200mm using Kodak APS color film. I also laid on my stomach and shot through a fence in case anyone is interested....

Never digital - always film

Here's looking at you kid

Sea World, San Antonio, TX- July 1996

On a trip to visit my brother we encountered one of the two seasons in Texas. For the uninformed, the two seasons are summer and HELL!!! We experienced the latter. My brother suggested we visit Fiesta, Texas and Seaworld. While visiting Seaworld, I walked up to the dolphin tank and met up with the CEO of the Dolphins. I was so close I didn't even need my telephoto. I shot this picture with my 50 mm lens. Those Texas dolphins are COOL, both literally and figuratively.

Never digital - always film.

Early Morning Light

"Portland Head Light"

Cape Elizabeth, Maine, August 2006

If you are going to title a shot "Early Morning Light" it involves much more than setting your alarm clock to go off early. First you'll need to research the exact time for sunrise. You'll need to get up and out without disturbing the other occupants of your hotel room. Next, jump into your rented car and drive to the park surrounding the lighthouse in hopes that the gates will be open before sunrise. One condition you might not have accounted for...... bugs ..... thousands of them with nothing better to do than feed on your exposed flesh while you await the light to hit the Atlantic just right to bathe the lighthouse in an early morning glow.

Never digital- always film

Crimson & Gold

Seven Lakes Drive, Rockland County, NY- October, 2008

Once again the photographer lucked out. The weather was sunny and crisp, the leaves were at their peak but best of all it was a Saturday and I could devote the entire day to capture that perfect fall photo. Although there were some promising prospects along the way it wasn't til late in the afternoon that the sun perfectly reflected the leaves onto the water. As soon as I saw the shot I knew I had to have it. There was only one thing standing between me and the perfect shot; specifically there was no place to pull aside and it was illegal to stop. What kind of photographer hating sadist concocted that traffic law? No matter, I pulled over as far as I could, threw the car into park and jumped out for my shot.

Even if I had gotten arrested the shot would have been well worth it (assuming they wouldn't take my camera into evidence).

Never digital- always film

Awaiting Summer

Squam Lake, NH- May, 2004

It was the weekend of my daughter's graduation from prep school. It was Memorial Day, you know- the "official" start of summer. Call it what you want, it was COLD!! The graduation held outdoors was long, very long, and we were woefully underdressed. We brought our dogs, left them in the van where they snacked on the post graduation fruit salad (who knew dogs liked fruit?) and later developed kennel cough, which would have been understandable had they been in.. oh I don't know.. a kennel? Someway, somehow, without anybody saying a word it seemed to be a given that I was blamed for the entire folderol.

The next morning I awoke early to escape the contemptous looks of the dogs and the rest of the family. I drove in search of the Sunday Times and a hot cup of tea. I wasn't five minutes from our lodgings and this shot literally landed in my lap. The adirondack chairs seemed confused. Wasn't it summer after all? Did someone get the date wrong?

This shot was taken using a Minolta Vectis S-1 camera ASA 400 APS film

Never digital- always film

Ice Spectacle

Storm King Mountain, December 2008

December brought us some interesting weather up here on the mountain. We were hit with an early season ice storm that caused hundreds of trees to snap and fall, electric was out for nearly twenty four hours and roads were impassable. Despite all that misery there was but one goal in the mind of the photographer; that was to capture the beauty of ice against the cobalt blue sky.

Cost of the storm:

tree and limb clean-up $300.00

repair to electric dog fence $264.00

one night at hotel $79.99

pictures from ice storm.........priceless

I can't estimate the cost of trying to keep my fingers warm while attempting to photograph in subzero windchill temperatures. My photos are taken with my trusty Minolta Vectis S-1 camera using ASA 400 APS film.

Never digital- always film

Silhouette Sunset



Mallory Square-Key West February 19, 2009 - sunset 6:02 pm


This looks easier than it actually was. People who aren't into photography probably figure hit Mallory Square at sunset and take the perfect picture. Unfortuanately, it's not that easy. First you need optimal weather conditions; a cloud or two, but that's all! Three or more clouds hide the sun, killing the effect. Second (and this is important) you've got to lay your claim on the pier. It might mean making friends with the wait staff and bartender of the restaurant overlooking said perfect spot. It could very well mean ordering your dinner an hour before sunset and timing your consumption of say... the perfect soft shell crab sandwich to beat the crowds who show up at six o'clock for a 6:02 sunset. I'd like to take credit for the boat showing up and sailing through at just the right time, but some things just have to be left up to chance.

Never digital- always film