Monthly Archives: January 2014

Morning on the Androscoggin River

Winter morning sunrise on the Androscoggin River

Winter morning sunrise on the Androscoggin River

I hadn’t been out on a photo expedition in a while, so last weekend I decided it would be good to go out for some morning shooting.  We had had some warm temps with freezing rain, and the weatherman said the following morning would be dry but foggy. Fog in the morning can lead to some interesting photos, so I decided to head out for a sunrise photo shoot on Sunday morning.

Well, I woke up about 15 minutes before my 6:30am alarm. I got up and looked out the window to see what the conditions were. To my surprise the eastern sky was not only showing a clear dark blue, but not a hint of fog was to be seen. So even though a foggy sunrise was not going to happen,  there was certainly the possibility of a colorful sunrise… So I got dressed and headed out.

My first challenge was to find a location that would make the best of a sunrise image. I was looking for a location that looked east to view the rising sun, but would also include some water or ice to reflect the colors of the eastern sky. The two locations that I had scoped out the night before on Google Earth didn’t quite pan out, so I kept driving and looking for the perfect location, all the while fighting the clock.

Leaves embedded in the ice on the Androscoggin River

Leaves embedded in the ice lead the eye into the photo

I ended up at a location in Lisbon along a bend in the Androscoggin River that looked directly at the rising sun, with only a few minutes to spare before the the crucial moment. I set up my tripod and camera and waited a short while before the sun started to rise above the trees on the horizon. The recent rain had turned the snow that was on the river’s surface into a nice reflective surface, so I was ready for whatever was to occur.

As it turned out, the sunrise was less than spectacular, and without the ice to reflect the sky’s color the photo wouldn’t have been worth taking. But by being at the right place at the right time I was able to come away with some better-than-average images.

After shooting the actual sunrise I turned my attention to some scenes in the opposite direction. Embedded in the ice along the river’s edge were a myriad of dead leaves. These lent themselves to some close-up photos. So I changed my wide angle lens for my 100mm macro lens and focused on the leaves. The low angle of the rising sun created some nice highlights and shadows that a mid-day sun would not have allowed for. Then, after the close-ups, I noticed how the leaves in the ice created a line  leading into the distance that was custom-made for a wide angle long depth of field image. I changed back to my wide angle lens and looked for the the best composition that would focus on an up-close leaf leading to a long-distance landscape image. The foreground leaves created a main focus point, while the string of leaves would lead the viewer into the photo… the perfect use for a wide-angle lens in the landscape.

So even thought I wasn’t able to capture what I originally set out to, I was able to get several different type of images from one location by using the the unique light of a sunrise. These images, and others, were all taken within an area of about 20′ x 30′, and all in a span of about 30 minutes. It’s all about working the scene.

Leaves and twigs embedded in the ice

Leaf, pine needles and twig are pleasing arranged in the ice

Daniel J. Marquis Photography Home Page

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No Northern Lights; Oh Well

Fence and bare tree sillouetted against night sky

Lacking any anticipated Northern Lights, This bare tree and fence on a downward slope made an interesting composition.

So the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, was supposed to be quite visible to us here in Maine. That’s cool, I’ve seen the pictures. I’ve always wanted to see and photograph them myself. This seemed like a good opportunity. One problem; well, two really: First, the night time temps were around 10 degrees. Secondly, in order to see them well I would need to get out of the city away from the ambient light. I was thinking Turner perhaps.

So did I really want to see them? Yes. Did I really want to go out there in the cold and dark? No. But I knew I would be kicking myself  if woosed out and then saw all kinds of Northern Lights photos from Maine on Facebook the next day. So I bundled up and headed out to Turner with my camera and tripod.

About half way along Upper Street I found a side road that allowed me to get off the main road and gave me a perfect view to the north. So I parked and opened my thermos of hot cocoa and sat waiting and watching…. and nothing was happening.  I was getting updates by phone from my wife, who was back home snug and warm, checking up-to-the-minute updates on line. Her info said I should be seeing something… but still nothing.  You see where this is going.

Fence and bare tree sillouetted against night sky

Don’t forget to explore vertical options of the same subject. The pink glow on the horizon is from the glow of city lights back in Lewiston

Long story short, the lights never appeared. But I didn’t want to waste this trip. Kind of like ‘all dressed up and no place to go.’ So I started looking around. The sky was perfectly clear with a good half moon out illuminating the surroundings. So I decided to do a little experimenting with some night shots, which isn’t easy in below-freezing temps. First off you have to hold a flashlight while trying to set up the camera and get the correct settings. Then you have to “try” to see through the viewfinder to get a pleasing composition. Then set the proper focus manually because it’s too dark for auto focus… and then refocus every time you move the camera. And of course your fingers are getting more numb all the time, making it harder to push the necessary buttons.

So anyway, I didn’t get to see the Northern Lights. In fact, don’t ask me to get excited about the possibility any more because I just won’t be interested. But  I did come away with two or three interesting shots on a cold night that I couldn’t have gotten during the day. So the trip wasn’t a total waste.

…And I’m starting to get some feeling back in my thumb.

Daniel J. Marquis Photography Home Page

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Taking What You’re Given

Apple trees encrusted with ice at sunset

Apple trees encrusted with ice at sunset

The other day I went out with fellow birder and photographer Jim Walker to look for a Snowy Owl that had been spotted and photographed in Sabattus. Now, being bird watchers first, our main objective was to first and foremost actually see the bird. After all, a Snowy Owl is not a bird that a Mainer can see just any day.  But as photographers, our hope was to see the bird in a setting and situation that would enable us to get some decent photos as well. So out we went, well equipped with both binoculars and 500mm zoom lenses.

Being familiar with at least some of the Sabattus countryside, we cruised slowly around all the field and farm areas that a Snowy Owl should like to frequent, scanning posts and roof tops along the way. Needless to say we didn’t have any luck.  However, as the sun was getting low, along with our hopes, we happened upon an apple orchard with its trees still encrusted in ice. The setting sun was behind the orchard, which created a very interesting setting. So even though we weren’t set up for landscape photography, with our long zoom lenses, we quickly stopped and got out of the car to take advantage of the scenery that we were given.

With our long lenses we weren’t able to shoot any wide shots that encompassed the whole orchard, so we settled for some tighter, more intimate images of two or three trees. As the sun was low on the horizon with a milky white cloud cover, the sky was quite bright, or hot, anyway, so eliminating most of the sky from the photo made more sense. Here I was able to include enough of the sky to show the warm light from the setting sun without blowing out the background. But I still got the back-lighting illuminating the ice-encrusted branches.

So, the moral of this story; Don’t lock yourself into a preconceived notion of what your photographic outing will be. It’s good to have the extra equipment to change to to fit the situation. But you need to be ready to roll with the changes and take on whatever situation is presented to you. Because you never know when you’ll come across a good photograph.

Daniel J. Marquis Photography Home Page

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