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The Early Springtime Itch

Water rushing over rocks in stream
It’s been a long, hard, cold winter. So cold in fact, that it tends to prevent one from going out to photograph the beauty of all the snow that we have put up with. But now winter is over (sort of), and spring is on the way… or at least the calendar says it is. And so Sunday’s warm temps made me want to go outside on a photo excursion, even though I was pretty sure there wouldn’t yet be much of what I like to photograph. So let’s call it a reconnaissance mission and leave it at that. I would go see how the natural world was progressing into spring, and just in case, I would bring my camera.

A pair of Ring-necked ducks

A mated pair of Ring-necked ducks

My first stop was more of a birdwatching exercise than photographic. There was an uncommon duck being seen on the Androscoggin River along the Riverwalk in Auburn, so that’s where I headed; in search of the female Long-tailed Duck. The Long-tail is common in Maine in the winter, but only on the coast, not on inland rivers. So I had hoped to get some closer photos of it than I usually have the chance to. Long story short I didn’t find it. However, I was lucky enough to find a pair of Ring-necked Ducks; perhaps more photogenic than the Long-tail. The Ring-neck is common on Maine lakes and ponds, but only during spring and fall migration, so it was nice to find this pair basically in my own back yard.
This is not meant to be a lesson in birding, but I thought it would be nice to let you know that when it comes to ducks, we do have more than the ubiquitous Mallard here in L/A.

My next stop was to one of my favorite local sites for photos; Bobbin Mill Brook on North River Road. I wanted to see how the snow was receding to open up the stream. The walk into the woods, along an obvious deer trail, was not very easy. The snow was still a foot or so deep, and soft, so my feet kept sinking in under the weight of my fully loaded gear bag. The stream was partially open and running in the middle. But most of the rocks that create the interesting cascades were still under a good cover of ice and snow. I had to search hard to find any interesting compositions. The deep snow also made it difficult to set a tripod, which is necessary to make interesting moving water images.  I shot what I could, but I didn’t go far; it just wasn’t worth it.
rock and pine cone on snowHowever, the snow in the woods was littered with pine cones that had fallen during the winter. These had some photographic potential. After a little searching, I found this cone next to a partially exposed rock. It was partly in the sun, which made the composition a little more interesting; although the exposure was tricky, trying to get the snow a clean white without blowing the highlights. This made for a good exercise to brush up on my photography skill.

 

After I left the stream, I headed up the road to some farm fields. I was looking more for birds here than for photo subjects. I thought there was a good possibility that there might be some migrating geese looking for left-over kernels  in the corn fields. I didn’t really expect to find anything photogenic. But that’s where I was wrong. Sometimes the most captivating images happen when I least expect them, and that often happens to me with the moon. Sometimes I go out seeking moon scenes, and sometimes they just happen. And that’s how it was with this last image. It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time. The moon was out early, and still fairly low in the sky. By itself it wouldn’t hold much photographic interest. But when I looked up at this one specific tree (looking for birds), the moon was hanging just off to the side of the branches. I had to work fast before it got much higher in the sky, changing to my 500mm lens to get the most magnification. After finding just the right position and taking a couple of test shots (God bless digital), I made this image.
So although I didn’t have the most rewarding photo outing, it felt good to get out  with my camera again, knowing I’ll be ready when Mother Nature is.

Moon rising above tree in blue afternoon sky

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A Clash of Seasons

A newly fallen Japanese Maple leaf rests on top of an early snowfall

A newly fallen Japanese Maple leaf rests on top of an early snowfall

Generally we can’t tell when one season ends and the next season starts. Certainly there is an overlap, but for the most part it’s not very obvious. But there are two instances during the year when two seasons collide head-on, and it becomes apparent to even the casual observer. These two times are in the early spring, and again in the late fall. Snow is the common denominator in these instances and it makes us very aware that there is no straight line in the change of seasons… and for the nature photographer it can be a boon.

Snow rests on top of the leaves of a still viable shrub

Snow rests on top of the leaves of a still viable shrub

When an early snowfall hits the landscape in late autumn we have a very visual indication of two seasons colliding; Colorful leaves of autumn still clinging to the trees and shrubs that gave them live, and the winter snow that is trying to take that life away, as it inevitably will. This juxtaposition of life and death in the natural world can lend itself to some compelling photos. If you’ve read my earlier blogs you know that colors and shapes catch my eye. And often the colors and shapes present contrasts with each other. And contrast is what these particular images are all about. Some of them are contrasts in colors, some in shapes. But they are all contrasts between one season and the next; between what was and what is to come; between life and death.

Early snow on maple leaves still clinging to the tree

Early snow on maple leaves still clinging to the tree

Contrast in an image creates a visual tension, and it is precisely this visual tension that makes an image interesting, or even compelling, to look at.

Usually when we have these instances of an early spring- or late autumn- snowfall the effect is very fleeting, because the day is usually warm enough to melt the snow away quickly. So we have to move quickly to capture images that define the phenomenon. Indeed, while I was taking these photos I had snow falling on my head as it was melting from the leaves above me. And I won’t get another chance to shoot such images again this year, as most of the leaves from the trees in these photos were gone the next day…. But there is always next spring, when a late winter/early spring snow will cover some early blooming flowers. I can’t wait.

Early snow on top of Purple Coneflower

Early snow on top of Purple Coneflower

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It’s Not Over ’til it’s Over.

The sun dips below the horizon behind a ridge in Lisbon

Photographing a sunset can be rewarding. After all, the colors can be stupendous, and no two are ever alike. But even though the sun sets every day, there’s no guarantee of a great sunset every day. Many atmospheric conditions have to come together; don’t even ask me what they are, because I don’t know. I do know that some conditions have a better potential for a good show than others. For instance, having clouds in the sky is almost paramount; they give the setting sun something to reflect color off of as it sinks out of sight. But even with a cloudy sky sometimes a rewarding sunset just doesn’t materialize.

Getting great sunset photos takes a little luck. It also takes a little planning, because by the time you see a great sky show, if you aren’t ready for it, it will likely be over before you get your gear and get to a good location. But probably more than either luck or planning, you have to have patience. Sometimes you can see a great sunset coming before it even gets started. But other times (probably more often) a sky that shows little or no promise can suddenly go crazy with color… and if you had already given up and packed it in you will miss it.

Such was the case with Sunday evening’s sunset. I had initially set up along a stream, looking westward. The sky was looking promising around 4:30; nice bands of clouds, sky reflecting on the water in front of me. I took a few test shots of the scene I wanted, then I turned my attention to some other water shots as I waited. Unfortunately, as time passed, more clouds rolled in and totally obscured the sun and horizon. Around 5:00 it didn’t look likely for a good sunset, at least from this location. So I packed up and headed to another location, up on a ridge about a mile away. When I got there I started walking along the road assessing the situation. From this vantage point I would have a good view of the sun as it dropped below the horizon. I had some foreground objects, in the form of snow fences, to add a little foreground interest. But what I didn’t have was a sky that looked like it held much potential to make my time there worthwhile. I took some shots anyway, trying different compositions with the fence and farm buildings, but they weren’t doing anything for me. By this time, about 5:15, the sun was just a little above the horizon, and behind some clouds. I started walking back to the car, about 200 feet away.

sunset over packard-littlefield ridge in lisbonAs I was walking the sunset gods must have felt my lament, because I looked over at the western sky one more time, but this time I saw something that gave me hope. I said to myself, “that could turn into something, maybe I’ll stick around.” And so I started walking back to my chosen spot and waited just a little longer. And that’s when it happened. Just as the sun came through the low-hanging cloud cover and reached the horizon, the sky began to light up. The clouds did what they were supposed to; reflect the warm colors of the setting sun. In the space of five minutes the sky went from boring to spectacular… and I had been ready to go home. I almost missed it.

While this was certainly not the most incredible sunset I have ever witnessed, my point is made; Never give up on a sunset just because you don’t think it will pan out. You’re there already anyway, so you might as well wait it out. And what’s more, even when you do get a good sunset,and you think it’s over, stick around. Sometimes the second act is just about to begin. Because it’s not over til it’s over.

Daniel J. Marquis Photography Home Page

 

 

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Color, Shape and Form

Parking Garage snow scene

This image exhibits the epitome of shapes and colors in a photographic image

Maybe it’s my artistic and graphics background; maybe it’s just something that has been in me since I was a child. Whatever it is, it’s not something that I ever thought about consciously as I was developing my photographic style. Indeed, I wasn’t even aware of it until several years in when I started seeing a common theme to a lot of my work. But once I realized it, there it was, staring me right in the face… I was attracted by strong color, shape and form. It seemed that most of my best and most striking images contained at least one of those qualities; and often they had all three.

Now that I realize this propensity and ability to see blocks of shape and color I seek them out even more, and I see them in some unconventional locations. This image was taken during a snowstorm last winter. I don’t often go out shooting during a storm, because it can cause problems with the gear. You have to be careful which direction you shoot. But anyway, I made my way down Lisbon Street, mostly documenting the downtown in a storm, but at the same time trying to be a bit artistic about it. When I got to Oak Street the shelter of the parking garage beckoned, offering a bit of respite from the wind and snow; so I obliged. Once inside I was free to point my camera in any direction without getting the lens wet.

ice and light reflections on the androscoggin river

This image is a good example of shapes and color in a nature image

As I walked around, looking from the inside out, a whole new world of possibilities opened up to me. I was seeing the same buildings I saw before, but now they were framed by the columns and rails of the garage. What was before just a couple of buildings with no special qualities now became the backdrop of an image that was broken up into blocks and shapes by the columns directly in front of me. And furthermore, the red and yellow of the two distant buildings now added the color that I crave in an image… and these colors themselves created more shapes. And to top it off I was blessed with horizontal line, vertical lines and diagonal lines. I had it all.

The two buildings by themselves, viewed from outside the parking garage, while interesting for their contrasting colors, do not have the same impact on their own. Not until I viewed them from inside, framed by the rails and columns did the whole picture come together for me. It now had everything that attracts my eye in a photograph. These images are all around; in nature and man made. One just has to be attentive to their surroundings, and learn to look at the details, rather than the big picture.

My Web Site: Daniel J. Marquis Photography

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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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