Water and Tree

This was one wet day. It almost looks like the water is coming out of the ground and headed out into the field but it was actually running to me and into a culvert. I thought shooting through my fogged up window helped with the feeling I had, wet and cold. It was slushy, wet, winter, and one of those days one should stay home. The tree was right at home. It's probably been through many of these days.

Hidden Horses

I'm as elevated as I can be and still can't get high enough. I think the horses knew I was coming, so they did what they could to hide themselves. The trick worked during the summer but not today. I'm perfectly willing to shoot this way. If I can shoot through dirty car windows, grass, and broken beer bottles, I can shoot through a bush. To bad horses, I got you again!

Ice Tractors

I couldn't stop the car fast enough when I saw these tractors. You know how your car slides when you lock the brakes up on ice. What an addition to my tractor series. I shot this through the passenger side window (it was down), and made a few more when I got out of the car. It didn't seem right to step on the icy grass, everything was crystal. I think the weed ice blocking the lower part of the tractor adds to the the ice effect since the background says white and not ice. It's like a fence. Makes sense.

NEX Ice Cold

Yeah, this was one cold late winter morning. Great for an image but I'm talking cold! What to do,.. get some cold weather gear on and shoot comfortably or hop out, try to deal, and get the shot before something changes? I get frantic sometimes and usually when the moment shouldn't be taken for granted. This was here, I was cold, I had to go in for work, errrrrr, get it done. And then I'm back to happy. It's usually that fast. This is of the same building as my last post, aimed a little to the right(012406-7:40am).

French King Bridge

I've always liked this bridge. It's a marker for me when I'm coming or going on a long trip. This view is just a short trip from where I work (a mile or so). On this day, I knew with the snow I'd have just a few colors to work with. No challenge here, just a matter of how am I going to approach the subject. I ended up filling my shoes with snow as I trudged through the snow to find the spot. I aimed around and blew one possibility when I jumped two swans from right where I would have wanted them. Cuss cuss, (really). I like the organic parts of the image and the "people-made" subject. With the crop and the weather, this image ended up with a good representation of the day, quiet and snowy.

Winter Berry Fields

Verticals, diagonals, horizontals, all kinds of good photographic material. Normally, for me, I have a hard time with a place like this on a summer day. As I've said before, leaves and color can get in the way. My worry about the background and horizon were not an issue. Seems like it all came together with the weather and light. I wonder how much value or use the farmers put on their land in the winter months. I wouldn't expect them to be out making images. But at least they should be out admiring their patterns of rows. I would be.

Blue Trees

This was one of those great winter days when nobody should be on the road. Seemed it would blizzard and then let up completely. Sometimes it's nice just to be out enjoying the snow so photography isn't important if you don't find anything. As it turned out, the images were all over the place. What drew me to this, was the line of swamp grass and the tree line. With the cloud cover, I knew it would be easy to get the blue to pop and the grass to stay warm. Warm on cool, helps strengthen an otherwise dull image. I've tried this image in B/W and like it equally. I thought the subtle color was what made this image relevant.

Ice Fishing

I like the thought of ice fishing but not actually doing it. Being cold in the cold all day to "maybe" catch some fish? I've stopped at many fishing places and tried to come up with something in the past. It's never worked out. This angle is from a pull off, and I had a nice (and different) view from above. I had to take advantage of this. The trees seem to separate the quiet day on the ice with the rest of the world. The snow paths show the activity, and the shadow on the side of the shanty seems to add a fifth person, almost more human the the people. These guys are doing what you do on a good day when your not catching anything, hanging out and throwing things when the urge strikes. It's a guy thing. Maybe I am missing out!

Snowy Hill

The steep field of snow is what first caught my eye. I wasn't overly excited but had this idea for composition. My surprise was when I noticed a reflection through my car side window. Now I had an illusion. I played with my distance, angle, and even rolled the window down partially and finally had it. The image only makes sense when you know about the window. Now I was excited!

House and Tractor

I saw the tractor and knew I had to get a shot. I didn't know what to do until I noticed the house in the background. I didn't think anyone lived here but still parked up the road from the driveway (just in case). I walked around a little, found a few things but wasn't happy until I started playing with the angle of the house. The tractor could be leaning in any direction. We started to hear voices to the left side of the house (behind the bush), so it was time to sneak away.

Barn in Snowfield

I watched and wondered what the rest of the barn was going to look when we saw all of it. I was already intrigued. Luckily I stopped to "try" something. It's a simple photograph. A lot of sky, a little bit of a big field covered in snow. I like the connection of the roof and field. You'd never see or do this image close to the barn. This is the view that makes this barn special.

Horse's Ass

This was going to be a totally different shot when I stopped the car. I think the horses saw me and said, "OK, let's do something totally different when he comes up to the fence". So as I approached, they both turned around 180 degrees. I didn't want them to move, figured they would, and when it happened it still aggravated me. First I thought, "they don't get it". I didn't say it out loud, but I'm glad they turned around. Maybe the horses got it before I did? Nice pose.

Pasture Trees

It strikes me how day to day things change. These trees just sit here, day to day. They were noticed the day before when they were covered in ice, and times like summer when the cows use them for shade. There were crews doing their thing, clearing roads of limbs and trees, homeowners still worrying about power for their Christmas lights, and photographers looking for an opportunity. I wasn't excited about the destruction, and making images of plight. These trees "weathered" the storm, and sat quietly while I exploited them.

Winter New England

I had been driving all morning with the dirtiest of windshields. I'd get an image through it or crash before I cleaned it. When I saw this I thought, "this is so New England". In a weeks time, some kid will be running this trike off the picnic table while the mom is putting out laundry! The windshield took the edge off, and helped give this a more the dreamy look.

Winter Horse

I think this image works. It's part of my winter series. Winter is a season of bad weather. I have to remind myself that just like a rainy drizzly day presents opportunity for photographers, rotten winter does. I could have shot the horse many different ways. I feel, without the edge of the tree (for the beginning of depth), without the branch laying in the snow (breaks up all the foreground white), the fence (more depth and color!), the horse, wind blown snow, and background would be just another image. My eyes move all around in this image. Do you think the horse is enjoying winter?

Tsunami

It looked like a giant wave coming ashore. The two trees looked so vulnerable. It was a good day, right after a snowstorm. Not many people out. There seemed to be images everywhere. This was shot right by the spot my previous post was made. Aimed ninety degrees to the left, and obviously at a different time of the year. No bugs this time!

Fence

I like making color images that are black and white. This is easy in the winter. The yellow tension wire on the left holds the color and helps add depth to the shot. The fence has nothing to do with a boundary or confinement, it's purpose is all about winter and snow. I felt pretty lucky when we came upon this field. On this gray cold day, the fence seemed to pose.

Winter

This was one of those days everyone was supposed to stay home. I didn’t have much for a camera that day, so I chose one that would excel in a snowy looking situation. I was thinking B&W, there was no color. My feet were wet and cold, with snow blowing down my neck, I wasn't planning on leaving the car!