Monthly Archives: January 2013

After the Rain

I grew up playing sports.  I tried just about everything.  I even spent a couple years BMX racing at one point, but my number one love was always baseball and it still is today.  Since I don’t play anymore, golf has crept into the scene as a contender for the top spot, but baseball remains because of the many memories and life lessons I learned both in practice as well as games.  I was blessed with some great educators for coaches (most of the time), and I learned early on how important practice was for trying out new techniques or refining old ones.

 

After the Rain – Middlebury, CT

When I decided to use this photo for today’s post, I wasn’t sure what to write about.  I thought back to the day I captured it and remembered it was right after I had bought my first “real” camera.  It was a Nikon N70 if anyone cares, but what I recalled was that it rained all morning and how much that bothered me because I wanted to be outside playing with my new toy.

That thought triggered the many memories of my youth, starring out the window on a rainy game-day, wishing for it to stop before it was too late.  On this day, Mother Nature was on my side and soon after the rain stopped, the sun came out.  I couldn’t get outside fast enough to go practice my craft and I remember the feeling to be just like when the rain ended on game day, early enough to still get it in!

After the Rain

 

Fireworks tomorrow!

 

Chapman Falls – Devil’s Hopyard State Park

Waterfalls

Ever since I first picked up a camera, I have loved photographing waterfalls.  It’s easy to understand why.  Who doesn’t like them?  They offer up beauty, power, and for photographers, endless shooting possibilities.  By adjusting the shutter speed, you can go from a high speed shot, stopping the water in its tracks, or you can slow it down to make it silky smooth,  which is the way I like to shoot them most of the time.

 

Chapman Falls

It was a beautiful early spring afternoon back in 2010 when I took my first ever trip to Devil’s Hopyard State Park in East Haddam, CT.  I took my time walking around the park along the various marked trails, noting a couple of spots that would be nice to photograph after the leaves turn in the fall.  By the time I made it back to Chapman Falls, the park’s most crowd pleasing feature, it was just starting to get dark out.  The lower light helped in slowing down the shutter speed but it was still faster than I wanted, so I added a circular polarizer bringing the speed down another couple of stops.

This was one of first ever HDR images I ever produced and it solidified my choice in which software to use.  Photomatix Pro is still my favorite HDR software but I also use Photoshop and Nik HDR Efex Pro once in a while.  I am most comfortable with Photomatix and it continues to produce the results I am looking for most of the time so it remains on top as I move forward in HDR.

Chapman Falls

 

Tomorrow? Another from the darkroom days.

 

Cardinal In The Park

Riverside Park – Hartford, CT

Every once in a while, I will grab my camera on my lunch break and take a walk along the CT River out of Riverside Park in Hartford. I’m never sure what I’ll see there and quite often, due to the high noontime sun, it isn’t very much photographically. But on some days there might be a boat passing by or a row team practicing for an upcoming regatta. Herons are sometimes perched on the trees lining the river and there is a pretty cool train bridge a short walk from the parking area so always worth bringing the camera just in case.

 

Cardinal In The Park

On a late November walk back in 2010 there was very little to photograph as I made my up the trail. I had switched to my long lens plus a teleconverter early on because it was clear that a wide angle shot wasn’t happening with the bright sun. As I was getting ready to turn around and head back to my car, I heard the chirp of a bird behind me. I like taking photos of birds, but I am not a “birder” so I had no clue as to what it was. I turned slowly and found this guy right in my viewfinder. I snapped off a few shots before he took off and was gone. Cardinal In The Park

 

One from Devil’s Hopyard State Park tomorrow.

 

Winnemaug Sunset

Setting the Mood for the Weekend

To stay true to my post from last Friday, this will be a short post heading into the weekend.

 

Sunset over Lake Winnemaug – Watertown CT

I come over a hill as I near my house every night on my way home from work.  As I do, I get a perfect view of the western hills.  Well, not always so perfect on those blinding nights, but certain times of the year line up perfectly for seeing dramatic skies developing quickly with the setting sun.

On this particular November night, the sky was just about as red as I’ve ever seen.  I immediately called my wife to let her know I’d be a few minutes late.  I knew it wouldn’t be much longer because in November the sun sets quickly and a few clicks of the shutter is all I’d have before darkness sets in. Winnemaug Sunset - Watertown CT

 

Busy weekend, so will have a quick photo post tomorrow. Not sure what yet. Any photography or website questions? Contact me at afterthe9to5@gmail.com

 

Duck Soup at Hubbard Park

Hubbard Park – Meriden, CT

Blog750_17b_20081024_058Located about 20 minutes from me in Meriden is this wonderful park that is home to numerous waterfowl and other wildlife. I have been going there ever since I took up photography, mainly because it is one of those places that’s different every time you go and it seldom disappoints. This is where I go when I have the itch to take photos, but can’t think of anywhere to shoot. The park is great itself, but there is also a road and hiking trails that lead to a tower called Castle Craig, where you can climb the observation deck and peer out at Meriden and beyond.

All four seasons offer something new. The summer has a wide variety of birds, from gulls flying above to swans gracefully swimming past the fountains. The fall brings amazing color to the otherwise green surroundings, and during the holidays, the park transforms into a nighttime treat for both kids and adults alike in its “Festival of Silver Lights”. Then comes my favorite time of year at the park. Early spring brings in hundreds of mallard ducks and always me with my camera.

 

Duck Soup at Hubbard Park

On March 6th, 2011, I stopped for one of my usual photo fixes. A couple of young children were throwing bread in for the ducks to fight over and I hurried over to capture the action. I am proud of this image on its own, but a lot of Photoshop work went into it to get it this way, so I have a little extra appreciation for it.

I carefully removed all of the flying bread that was all over the scene. I also removed a couple of the green headed troublemakers that didn’t understand composition fully. Finally, I went into the normal adjustments of color, but with this image, it seemed to go on forever before I was pleased with it. Images like this one are why I get so behind in editing and have a backlog of some shoots going back to 2010.

Duck Soup at Hubbard Park

I’ve created an album on the Facebook page so you can view the original photo. See for yourself.

Nubble in Black and White

Black and White Photography

I’m not sure exactly why, but my favorite images tend to be black and white. It’s probably because I shot mostly without color when I was just starting out. Well, I really started with those throw away cameras with the film preloaded, then quickly onto a point-n-shoot where I learned I needed more control of what I was doing. So I purchased my first SLR and signed up for an intro photography course that was all about developing black and white film and making prints from the negative.

I really got into the course and loved using the various developing techniques we were being taught. I read everything I could find on photography and developing and I loved thumbing through old photo books trying to figure out what the photographers did to produce those images (see note below). Since I was already working in black and white, I gravitated to the same when I was looking at images from others. I read most, if not all, of Ansel Adams books and like most people, fell in love with his images. I also liked learning the history of photography to see how we got to where we are. There weren’t too many color images in any of those books either so, I guess you can say I was brainwashed into liking black and white photography, but I embraced it and am not complaining at all.

 

Nubble in Black and White

After my friends and I left the lighthouse, we went to eat at a great seafood restaurant down the road. When we were ready to burst from all the fantastic food, we left and headed to my buddy’s place to relax for the night . We all sat around drinking adult beverages and chatting until someone suggested we play the board game Risk. I had never played or don’t remember playing as a kid, but it didn’t take long to learn and the competition in it made for some fun moments. As competitive as all four of us were however, meant that nobody was willing to give in and the game went late into the night as did the consuming of beverages.

Luckily, because of those late drinks, the fact that I never set my alarm didn’t cost me an early morning trip back to Nubble. Nature’s alarm clock woke me right around sunrise and after screwing my head back on, I jumped in the car and rushed over to the lighthouse. There were still lingering effects from the previous days’s storm, but the sun did come out a little. I took photos for about an hour before my headache brought me back to the house instead of my planned trip north to Kennebunkport. That would have to wait for another time.

I went back and napped for a few hours before I had to head home. After saying my goodbyes, I decided, even though it was noontime and probably not the best light, to stop at Nubble one last time. Because of the increased light and therefore contrast, I thought a black and white image would look best. I bracketed to make sure I captured the full range of light giving many options in edit later on. A few more clicks of the shutter and I was on my way home.

Nubble in Black and White

 

Tomorrow, providing the cold I’m fighting doesn’t take me down for the count, I’ll be posting a wild scene of ducks.

 

Note: Studying Images: Studying various images is a great way to learn. Look all around the images you like. See where the light is coming from. See what they let go all black or blown out white. How much detail was left in the shadows or how much grain there is. After that, ask yourself what you would have done different if you were the photographer (Just don’t tell them unless they ask! Most people don’t take that very well).

 

Nubble Lighthouse – York, ME

Before I get into any photography related information, I wanted to share a new site related to the Newtown tragedy.  It’s the Sandy Hook Promise website and I am proud to have taken their pledge earlier today. You can too by clicking the link above.  I also updated the Newtown the Beautiful page that you can always get to by clicking the ribbon that’s at the bottom of the right hand column. I added some new links as well.

 

Who To Follow – Zach Frailey aka…The Uprooted Photographer

I first found out who Zack was back when I was learning about HDR photography. I had been following a few photographers already on the subject and one of them, Trey Ratcliff, had just launched a new, member based website, HDR Spotting.  I really wanted to become one of those members, but team Trey had an ingenious caveat to joining.  You needed a unique code to get in, and that code was only given to current members in good standing.  I’m not sure how many codes were given to Zack, but when I googled around, looking for a way to get my own code, I came across an offer he had.  It basically said, like his Facebook page, The Uprooted Photographer, and he would give you the code.  So I did, but unfortunately, I was too late.  Someone else received his last code before me.  Oh well, search continued on, but I didn’t drop his page and still haven’t today.

Zack Frailey might not be the biggest name right now, but if he’s not in the Major Leagues of photography, he’s certainly in the minors about to be called up.  I’m envious of Zack in many ways because, at least from what I can tell, he lives photography most of the time.  I always enjoy seeing his images and reading what he has to write.  Both his blog and the Facebook page are updated frequently with insightful information.  I think I would be more that way myself if I didn’t have my 9to5 every day, but that’s the price to pay for having two work loves. So yes, I am envious, but not jealous. I’ll just have to keep following Zack to  satisfy that need for knowledge.

You can get his info and links to all his social media outlets at The Uprooted Photographer.  Definately worth the follow.

 

Nubble Lighthouse – York, ME

After I left Gloucester(see previous post here), I continued up the eastern coastline till I reached York, Me.  I was about an hour early for meeting my friends, so I headed right for the place I was looking forward to the most; Nubble Lighthouse.

It’s really a remarkable view right from the parking lot, but of course I didn’t stay there.  No, I climbed down onto the lower rocks so I could capture a dramatic view of the lighthouse as the waves came crashing in.  They weren’t very large waves, but they would splash wildly as they careened onto the rocks.  I studied them for a short time to see where I could set up without getting soaked and then moved in when I felt comfortable.

It was starting to get dark out, and the cool fall air was starting to really howl as I snapped a few sets of photos.  I remember feeling very excited to be there, but also tired from the long trip I’d been on so far that day.  A few seconds after I took the set for the image below, a larger wave came in and soaked me and my equipment when it crashed. I quickly moved to a higher spot, but getting wet on a cold windy night like that was enough for me to pack it in.  My friends would be showing up a few minutes later anyway.  I did managed to get some personal shots of all of us when they showed up, but I don’t look to happy in any of them. That couldn’t be further from the truth however.  I had a great day of photography and was about to hang out with some friends I don’t get to see very often.  I just needed to warm up!

Nubble Light - York, ME

 

Come back tomorrow as I wrap up my trip with another of the lighthouse and find out why playing the game Risk almost cost me my morning photos!

The Perfect Photo – Gloucester, MA

Ok, I know the image today isn’t the perfect photo, if there even exists such a thing, but I couldn’t resist the name.  If you didn’t put the two together, Gloucester is the location for the movie “The Perfect Storm.”   You see?  I love disaster movies. I can, and usually do, watch “The Towering Inferno,” “Poseidon Adventure,” “Earthquake,” etc., every time they’re on TV.  I think I like them because I like putting myself into the different, crazy situations and wonder what I would do. I get so mad when they make stupid decisions, but love to guess how I’d react to the same thing. How would you handle the screaming, out-of-control women who are always in these flicks?

They also tend to have happy endings. Well, maybe not happy as mostly everyone dies other than the main character(s), but at least a heroic story of survival concludes most of them.

“The Perfect Storm” is different for a disaster movie, however.  First, it is based on a true story.  Of course poetic license is used to create a script that Hollywood would go for, but the movie mimics the real life disaster that Gloucester-based lobster boat, The Andrea Gail, had to deal with back in 1991. The other reason it’s different, and makes that last point even more important: The boat was never found and there was no happy ending.  Every time I watch, I wonder what it was really like for those seaport families as they waited anxiously for their loved ones to come home and then the realization that they wouldn’t be.  It would be different if it was just a script, but the reality behind it changes that.

 

The Perfect Photo – Gloucester, MA

So, a few years ago, when a friend invited me to his place in York, Maine for the night, I decided to take him up on it and also turn it into a mini photo trip.  I took off early from work on Friday September 30th, 2010. Once I left CT, I jumped off the highway and road the coastline north towards Maine.  I wasn’t too sure how long anything would take, so I never planned out where i would stop. Just noted some possibilities that looked good on a map. This freed me from worrying about time whenever I did stop (rushing to take a photo seldom works out great), but I saw that Gloucester was along the way, so I made sure that there would be time for that.

The weather wasn’t great that day, so I passed over some of the earlier stops I had circled.  When I made it to Gloucester, I had more than enough time to explore. Unfortunately, the weather still wasn’t the greatest, but I thought that to be appropriate for the first time I visited the town once devastated by bad weather so many years earlier.

I drove around for a while until I found a good place to park and then grabbed my gear and went off on foot.  I needed my umbrella to keep everything dry, and of course make everything harder to carry, but eventually found a bridge that allowed me to look out over all the boats in the water and houses along the sides.  I couldn’t help but to think back to that earlier time…

The Perfect Photo - Gloucester, MA

Tomorrow I will continue this 24 hour trip to Maine with an image of Nubble Lighthouse.

Blueberry Lake Before Sunrise

Mad River Valley Vermont

I first started going to Vermont and the Mad River Valley about 13 years ago when my then-girlfriend and future wife invited me to her grandparents’ cabin in Warren.

It was at a time when I was still getting into photography and I was blown away at all the beauty everywhere we went.  I would go out every day and explore all of the roads In the area, trying to make mental notes of the ones I liked the best.  The next morning I would wake up early and head towards one of those places to photograph the early morning light.

We’ve gone back up to the cabin almost every year since. Some years we would take both a summer and a fall trip, getting two very different vacation and photo experiences.  The summer trips meant 4 a.m. wake up calls to be out for the early light, but also being back at the cabin just as the family is waking up.  I can sleep in till 5 in the fall, which may sound early, but that extra hour makes a big difference to me.
The location of the cabin is perfect!  It is a quick drive to route 100 for easy access north towards Stowe or south towards Rochester.  Most mornings, however; I prefer to take one of the most picturesque drives there is and the cabin sits right at the beginning.   Just over a mile down the road is one of my favorite spots and I don’t pass it up often. On every trip to Vermont, I end up with more photos of Blueberry Lake than any other location. The cool mountain air usually makes for low flying clouds along with steam rising as the water warms.  This means it really looks different every day, but almost always dramatic.

 

Blueberry Lake Before Sunrise

The problem with having such a beautiful spot so close to the cabin, is that I end up missing my intended locations quite often. I might get there, but it’s usually after the golden light is gone, so on our most recent trip this past summer, I made a point to get to my spots on time. As you can see in the “Mad River Morning” post, I was successful at least once.  In fact, I took this photo that same morning.
Instead of waiting for sunrise like I normally would, I decided to stop while it was still dark out and use long exposures to grab what little light there was.  This was my final shot before heading towards Moretown, but I was delayed again when I saw the fighting deer along route 100.  It was quite the morning!

Blueberry Lake Before Sunrise

 

This morning had some amazing fog. Actually. too thick for most of the morning, but as it started to lift I was able to capture some nice, moody photos.  I hope to have something to share later in the week.

Also…if you like this blog, stay up to date with post updates, links to other photographer’s pages and more on the After The 9 To 5 Facebook page.  Like it here.

 

Late Sunrise – CT Shore

One thing about nature photography is that the length of time for really good light seldom lasts very long.  There is the time just before the sun comes up till just after it rises. There is also the time around sunset as well as times of dramatic cloud cover.  Most other times prove to be either too dark or too bright.

For me, that means photographing in the morning most of the time.  My 9 to 5 as well as family time makes shooting sunsets a little less frequent.  I will usually check weather.com the night before a trip to see what time sunrise is then plan when I need to leave the house so that I will have plenty of time to setup before that good light comes.

 

Late Sunrise – CT Shore

So I planned a morning trip in the winter of 2011 to photograph the snow covered shoreline.    We had been hit with a few storms that year which left plenty of the white stuff all over, including the beaches which don’t often hold the snow for very long.

The only problem was that I overslept by about an hour. I could already see it was getting light outside and it’s a 45 minute trip to get to the shore.   I fought myself for a while on whether it would be worth it, but in the end, I decided to go find out.  As I drove closer to the shoreline, I could see that a line of clouds had formed along the horizon, blocking the sun.  I started to perk up a little as I might still get that sunrise after all.

I found a small beach parking lot that only had handicap spaces in it.  I never did find out where the rest of us were supposed to park, but I figured it was early on a 30 degree day.  Not too many people would be heading out to the beach, so I parked my car and trudged through the thick snow.  Once I found a good spot, I cleared an area for my tripod, set up the camera, and a minute or two later, the sun started to show — like it had waited for me!

Late Sunrise - CT Shore

 

Tomorrow I will be sharing another from Vermont.  Before sunrise this time.