HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Taking a walk with Santa - how cool is that?!??

That magical time of year is here again! I know the kids think it takes forever, but to me, it seems as if we just finished last year's holiday season. I have to admit, though, I still get excited about it every year, and there's no more fun than celebrating the holiday with a child.

I hope you and yours have the most wonderful holiday ever!
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OH, SANTA....

You won't believe how good I've been this year!

Let's not forget our furry friends this year. They love us, no matter how bad we are (and WE still get presents!). They listen like we're the most fascinating conversationalist ever. They never disagree with us, and they're always up for a run. Or a nap. Whatever we decide. True friends....cherish them always!

FRIENDS

What a good time I had with this session! As I mentioned before, I love working with this age. They're young enough so they don't feel the weight of the world like older kids do, and they can choose their extracurricular activities based on what they like, rather than on what is going to look good on their college application. Here are couple of photographs from a session earlier this week:

And a more serious, wistful expression:

I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of them. Thanks, kids, for being such wonderful subjects!

PLANNING AHEAD

I know. It's not even Halloween yet. But I walked into the mall a couple of weeks ago, and found myself walking by displays with artificial fir trees, decorated with glitter and all the trappings of a season that's not even here yet. So I decided I'd better get on the ball and gear up for the inevitable. I am again offering holiday cards this year. With the purchase of cards, my clients will be entitled to a complimentary 5 x 7 of the image on the card.
Custom designed cards are unique and distinctive. These are the cards that recipients keep, instead of tossing them come the New Year. There are a number of designs available, some with more than one image (for those large families).
This is a great time of year to have that family portrait created, just in time to use it on a holiday card! You can contact me by email, or click on my website link at the right and check out the "What's New" page.

KISSING SUMMER GOODBYE

Wow - it's been quite some time since I last posted. It was summer then! Now the leaves deep inside the sumac are beginning to turn. Soon the whole bush will be a blaze of color.

The pasture grasses that used to bend gracefully in the slightest breeze now stand stiff against the wind, in stark contrast to the bright maple leaves at the edge of the field.


As a photographer, this is absolutely my most favorite time of the year. I love the rapidly changing landscape, the crisp air, and yes, even the rain! It's still warm enough to do family portraits outdoors (think holiday cards!), without the bugs of summer. Portraits indoors are also an option, maybe with a fire burning in the fireplace. Did I mention I really love this time of year?

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Just a few quick edits from this afternoon's session. I finally found a lovely model who was willing to pose for a few infrared shots (thanks, Ashley). I haven't done much with infrared in the way of portraiture, but I think I'll be doing more, as long as I have willing subjects who are looking for something different. It's a little more edgy, a little different-looking. I love the glow and the porcelain skin!


Meanwhile, this is what she REALLY looks like ...

I LOVE THIS AGE

Thirteen is a wonderful age! I wish I were able to do more clients at this age - newly minted teens :-). I'm glad some people realize that milestone occasions (graduation, wedding, etc.) aren't the only times to have custom photography done. It's so much more important to remember those we cherish at EVERY age. They will never be the same from one year to the next - and that's how it's supposed to be. It's so nice to be able to remember the in-between years. I was finally able to get some pictures of Anna just being Anna, age 13. No special occasion, other than the celebration of who she is, right now.

SHOWTIME!

Remember my friend Emily from the May 21st post? Well, she was finally riding in a show that was close by. This horse is not Hershey, from the previous post; his name is Murphy, and he's 19 years old (but don't tell him that!).








Murphy loves to jump! He and Emily came home with a second place ribbon in her first Jr. Training Event. Not too shabby at all....

ABOVE THE CLOUDS

One of the things I like best about Acadia is its accessibility. You can drive right up to the top of Cadillac Mountain, where you can see the blue sky above the clouds. What a liberating feeling!




Of course, I had to do some infrared work while I was there. So once the cloud cover burned off and it turned sunny, I drove down to the Shore Path and photographed Otter Cliffs. The cliffs are used by rock climbers for practice, and there were indeed some people going up and down that day.

AT LAST!

I've always loved infrared photography - the white grass and foliage, dark skies, moody ethereal feeling - but hated infrared film. It had to be handled in absolute darkness, it required the use of filters I could barely see through, and necessitated putting the camera on a tripod because the shutter speeds were so slow. Processing was a nightmare. So I gave up on it for quite a while.

Recently, I found a company which will convert a digital camera to an infrared-only camera. Since my original camera was just sitting around collecting dust (displaced by two others), I gave it a try. I'm pleased to say that I'm now hooked on infrared again, and having a much easier time of it. I don't need those opaque filters, I can hand-hold the camera, and the processing is no different from any other digital image. Here are a couple from today:

This is the country's most-photographed lighthouse, Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park -


















This is an early-morning shot -




The blackest skies only appear when the sun is directly behind you -
























Yet even on a cloudy day, there's still plenty of infrared to go around:





I'll be going up to Acadia again in early August; can't wait to take my "new" camera with me!

BEAUTIFUL ACADIA

Last weekend I spent a lovely few days in Bar Harbor, home of Acadia National Park. I had the opportunity to photograph a family here at Jordan Pond, with its view of "The Bubbles." These two mountains were given their nickname by a friend of Mr. Rockefeller, who thought they resembled the physical attributes of one of his lady friends :-)

AFTER THE STORM

The other day we had some thunderstorms pass through. While I don't stand outside with a tripod when lightning is striking nearby, I do like to photograph from indoors and also the aftermath of the storm. On this day, the air was still humid and steamy afterwards, which didn't bring much relief, but the fog rising up from the front pasture was kind of pretty. It's early enough in the summer that the grass is still a very intense green.

MORE DETAILS

I've mentioned before that I love to photograph details. I'm fascinated by the way small objects, like this half-inch chain, can look like something really strong and imposing when viewed through a macro lens. From a normal viewing distance, the chain wouldn't have attracted any attention, but upon closer examination, the brilliance of the rusted metal and the rough texture of the chain itself were revealed.




I also appreciate details in the human form, such as a baby's beautiful eyelashes - most ladies would kill for lashes like these. Too bad they're wasted on the boys...

GIRLS AND THEIR HORSES

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing my friend Emily with her horses. There's something about girls and horses....It seems as if the equine world, at least as far as the upper levels of competition are concerned, is dominated by men; however, worldwide, I would bet that the "ridership" is predominantly female.





This is "Hershey," a 6-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred. He seems to be adjusting to backwards seasons (or does he even think about that???), and I'm sure he will do well in whatever Emily has planned for him.

THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK

Oh, well.....the saga continues. We decided to set up a Havahart trap to humanely capture our critter. Of course, after capture, we have no real plan as to what to do with her. Someone suggested we take her far away and let her loose. Maybe out at the local golf course. There are plenty of "starter holes" she could take advantage of there.

Anyway, we discovered that the trap sometimes springs itself. Too bad it couldn't have sprung after friend woodchuck got in there. As it was, she was mightily frustrated at not being able to get at the grain inside.

We're now working on Plan B....

HAS IT BEEN THAT LONG?

Wow - it's been a while since I've posted! I've been busy, busy...However, I did get a chance to photograph the plant I received for Mother's Day (thanks, Dave & Jennifer!). Flowers are right up there as one of my favorite subjects. Maybe it's because they stay put and don't talk back. I just hope I can keep it alive for a decent length of time. My record with plants is not so good...



The first post on this blog made mention that I am a "detail" person. I love getting in close, and typically could not resist it for this flower. The weather so far this month has been dreary, but it won't be long before there are more flowers to photograph!

WHAT A SWEETIE!

Didn't I say babies were cute? Here's a little doll from last week's session. I've been photographing her at 3-month intervals, and it's amazing how they change and develop their own little personalities. The next session will be her one-year milestone. We have fun things planned for her!

EXHIBITS

Every once in a while I enter some pictures in an exhibit. The picture below is an exhibit at a local bookstore (Cook's Corner Bookland in Brunswick,Maine), which will be up through the month of April.

This shot was taken last July in Bar Harbor, Maine. There was a big fogbank just offshore. It never got any closer to shore than this, and the spot where I was standing was sunny!



Bar Harbor is home to Acadia National Park, one of the most-visited national parks in the country, and my most favorite place in the whole state. Here's another image at sunrise from my favorite place:

UGH.......THEY'RE BAAAACK....!

Every year these lovely little creatures make their appearance, coming out of hibernation to eat the new grass and see how many holes they can dig. Their holes and tunnels are everywhere, for me and the cows (I live on a dairy farm) to step into.

This one has decided to make a home under my front steps, just like last year. I think that was where it hibernated. I've plugged the hole with rocks, which were immediately thrown back out onto the lawn (that one cost me a lawnmower blade). I rented my neighbor's dog, who I was told was a "great woodchuck dog." I was hoping he would catch one and preferably do his thing while I was away, or at least frighten them so badly that they'd take off for safer territory. No such luck. The dog did not live up to his reputation.

I can't tell from the closeup whether this one is a male or a female. I think it's safe to assume that, just like stray cats, they're all female and pregnant....

PHOTOGRAPHS AS HOME DÉCOR

What makes a house a home? Personalization; you want to make your surroundings reflect you. What you choose to hang on your wall expresses your sense of taste and style. As a photographer, I would naturally like to see photographs on your walls, especially family photographs, which provide a connection and sense of place. Beautiful images of your family can reconnect you to them, and also to the moment the photograph was taken.

Photographs can decorate bedrooms:





They can lend a spot of color to an otherwise austere dining area:





Or a lovely family portrait over the fireplace can become the focal point of the living room:




I have been scheduling many clients already for family portraits this summer. I can't wait to get started!

APRIL SHOWERS WITH A VENGEANCE!

I could have had a beach portrait session in my yard today. Except there were winds gusting up to 50 mph...rain falling sideways...and of course we lost our power, thanks to a tree that fell on a wire, effectively keeping me prisoner all day. No lights, no tv, no computer, ugh. I didn't even have any unread books. The only mechanical thing that was working was my camera, but I couldn't go outside with it. Then a couple of bottles on the window caught my eye:




That first shot was kind of boring, so I thought about the water slowly seeping into my cellar, bottles floating in the ocean, etc. I wanted some colored water to put in the bottle, but I couldn't find any food coloring. The only colored liquid I could find was some wine. I guess that would have to do....and I could always drink it when I was done. The wine and a little bit of Photoshop to make the "ocean," and I was happy. The power came on around 3 PM, just as it was getting uncomfortably chilly in the house.


Now that my creative urge has been satisfied for today, I can get a decent night's sleep! Although it's supposed to rain and be nasty until Wednesday.........

A NEW BLOG HAS LAUNCHED

Welcome to my blog. This is going to be an experiment for me; I hope to be able to post at least once a week, if not more often. (I have a tendency to put things off.)

As my profile says, I'm a photographer in Falmouth, Maine, just outside Portland, the largest city in the state. I got my start in photography by photographing horse shows, combining my love of horses with my love of photography. I loved the horses, but my job at that time got in the way and I dropped out of photographing for other people for a bit. I did, and continue to, shoot for stock, and I have a number of images with a stock agency. It was while shooting for stock that I realized photographing people was fun - and my portrait business was born. I've been photographing people from all walks of life, and I can say that I enjoy them all. I'm especially fond of high school seniors, pre- and early-teens, and I've just discovered that whole families can be a lot of fun too. Then there are younger kids.....and babies........and we can't forget Moms and Dads......well, I guess I like them all at some point!

I would like to make my blog about personal photography as well as the photography business. I'm attracted to the little things we tend to pass by, such as the detail in a leaf or an animal's eye. I also love abstract renderings of photographs. I would like to share whatever catches my eye, and I hope to inspire others to look at their world with a more discerning eye.

To start off, I'll post my tribute to spring. It will be a while before we see this around here, but there's always hope...:



Once again, welcome to my blog. I hope you find it interesting.