Category Archives: Connecticut
Gulls
I have heard them referred to as the rodents of the sky. I have probably reused the phrase a handful of times myself, but for the photographer just starting out, they can be the perfect subject.
For one, if you live or take trips near the water, they are always available for their close up. 
And if you can get to a fish pier, the numbers of seagulls are overwhelming when the boats come in with their catch of the day.
Sometimes they add a different perspective to a common scene. 
And they are always around to practice portrait work.
Gulls – Hubbard Park, Meriden, CT
This is a rare event for me and not one you should get used to, but I’m posting an image from a photo I took today. I needed to leave work early in order to be at an award ceremony for my oldest daughter. She is a very talented piano player and one of only two students from her school to receive this special award for the arts (OK, proud daddy moment done).
So traffic ended up being much better than I expected and I had a few extra minutes to head over to Hubbard park for an image to finish this post. I was actually looking for an image to be up above, but when I saw this one, I decided to make it the feature image. The light from the setting sun was perfect and it took less than 5 minutes to get some nice photos including this one. Happy with what I captured; I was off to the ceremony. I’m really happy with this image but it doesn’t come close to how happy and proud my big girl makes me as a dad. Congrats Cailin!
Squirrel
They usually are bothersome; they usually ruin any bird feeder in the yard; they have no idea how to react to an oncoming car; and yet they are pretty cute when you can zoom in and get up close to them. I had the luxury of our storm door between us on this day, so the outside reflections let me get close without surprising him. After I got a few decent shots I wanted to get one of him looking back at me, so I lightly tapped on the glass with the front of my lens. As soon as he looked up, I captured this shot of the little guy!
Incoming Pigeon
Since the birds won the big superbowl game tonight, I thought it fitting to post one of favorite bird shots. This was the first assignment for the only photography class I took in college. It was a simple, go to a park and shoot what you see. Well, I saw a boy and his mother throwing popcorn for all the pigeons and then running away from them to do it again from another spot.
There were hundreds of birds flying around and I finally got into a good position for capturing them with my camera when the boy tossed up the popcorn for the last time. I focused on one pigeon as he flew near and snapped off three quick shots. Unlike today, I had no idea whether I captured anything worth keeping, but when I processed the film, I was very pleased with this image.
I was learning to use the darkroom at the same time and I remember focusing a lot of my first few days on this image. I tried many different techniques, but in the end, a straight forward, normal exosure was all that was needed.
Buttermilk Falls
Images For Sale
Back when I created the about page on January 1st, I mentioned that my plan was to have the images for sale by the end of the month. Well, with very little time to spare, I have accomplished that goal. As of now, you can click here to purchase any of the featured images from every post (minus the Newtown images. You can download the full sized versions of those here)
25% Off For Fans of After The 9 To 5 on Facebook
Stay up to date with the latest posts, see before and after shots, and more! Like After The 9 To 5 here, then click on the coupon tab that appears to get 25% off on all prints.
Get Into The Woods To Get Out Of The Light
If you listen to most nature photographers, the best times to shoot are the “golden hours” (The first and last hours of sunlight each day). I completely agree with that philosophy, but that doesn’t mean the opportunities to shoot are gone if you can’t be out during those early or late in the day events.
Sunrise and sunset times are less important when it’s cloudy out, and depending on the type of cloud; the light can be spectacular even in the middle of the day. There is also night photography where you can shoot a moonlit landscape with a long exposure. it’s always interesting to see how the camera picks up the colors that our eyes can’t under the low light. On a clear night, bring the stars into the frame and let their streaks create arcing patterns, or zoom in see what details you can capture on the moon itself.
But when I’m itching to get out and photograph even when I know the bright midday sun could cause problems, I head into the woods. The trees offer a nice canopy, providing the shade needed to get decent results and sometimes the sun shines through the branches, creating different and interesting lighting effects.
Buttermilk Falls – Terryville, CT
It was one of those days when I wanted to be shooting and the “golden hours” weren’t going to fit my schedule. I always like photographing waterfalls, so I Googled around for a while and came to a website with a description and photos of Buttermilk Falls. One of the notes was about the wooded trail to access the falls, so i figured it was a good midday location. With it being pretty close to my house, perfect for that day.
Because there was snow on the ground, the hike down the trail was a little dicey at times, but I took away more than a handful of keepers plus this little gem from the trip, so I say it was worth it. I’ve been back a couple of times and it always is. No matter what time of day. Photo
2011 Jumpfest Weekend
After photographing the red barn in Washington, I drove around for another hour or so and found a few other spots to shoot, including another red barn (it turned into a theme that winter). But before heading home I saw a sign for a ski jumping meet in Salisbury, CT in a couple of weeks. I mentioned in an earlier post that I played sports growing up. I’m still a fan and play a few sports once in a while, so I took the opportunity to photograph the jumps as a self-made assignment to see how I might fare in sports photography. I even managed to get a media pass after the nice man stopped me as I was walking up the press only area next to the jump (I must of missed the sign). After signing the media pass paperwork, I was free to wander around and shoot. One by one the jumpers slid down the ramp and soared through the air towards the mass of people at the bottom. I’m afraid of heights, so just being on the very steep stairs near the top made me uneasy and wondered if I could ever do what these young men and women were doing.
2011 Jumpfest Weekend – Salisbury, CT
Well, we are 2 weeks away from the 2013 Jumpfest Weekend and I am finally making good on the story I told the man to get the pass. I told him I wanted to shoot for my blog. I already owned afterthe9to5, so it could have been true. I did send a CD with all of the images from the day to the head of media relations for SWSA (Salisbury Winter Sports Association) though. I really did just take them for practice so I was happy they might be getting some use. Shooting that day was a lot of fun. I would climb the stairs all the way up so I could get a good perspective of the crowd below as the jumpers landed.
Half way down the stairs, I took photos looking up at them as they rocketed through the air, learning that for me to get the best results (for my camera at the time) I needed to use one jumper to lock focus on and then shoot in manual focus and snap away as the next jumper passed the same spot. I think the autofocus on my newer camera would have been able to handle the speed of these high flying daredevils, but I didn’t have that luxury then.
The bottom of the stairs allowed me to capture the jumper’s often less than graceful landings, but when they were smooth, the crowd would go wild, electrifying the cold winter air.
And if the crowd or the hot cocoa couldn’t keep you warm, the large bonfire certainly helped take the edge off.
A little hill near the concession stand gave me a nice vantage point for my final shot of the day. Well, not really; I stopped to take another red barn photo on the ride home (I can’t drive passed them without stopping).
If you want to attend this year’s jumpfest, take a look on www.jumpfest.org for the full schedule of events.
Snow Covered Farm
Snow
It snowed here in the northeast today and that gave me the idea to post one my favorite snow images. I kind of have a love/hate relationship with the winter and it’s accompanying precipitation. My work commute, is bad enough on dry days, but throw a little of the slick stuff on the ground and my ride ends up like leaving Gillette Stadium on AFC Championship Sunday (bumper to bumper and a lot of disgruntled drivers!). I also have many fond memories of the snow though: Sledding as a kid, or even as an adult with my daughter; snowboarding trips to Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire; watching my dog run wildly and chomp at the pile I tossed her way while shoveling; and many others that brought an equal amount of joy even on the coldest of days.
Snow Covered Farm – Washington, CT
On those snowboarding trips up north, I remember looking at all the snow covered farm land and admiring it’s beauty. All the trips came during a long stretch where I wasn’t taking any photographs at all. That’s a story for another day, but those trips were the one time I wished I was still shooting.
So, a few years after digital imaging took off, and I let go of my grudge with photography, I took a drive out to the northwest area of Connecticut. It came after a winter storm had come through the days before. When I turned onto Painter Ridge Road in Washington, I knew I found a great spot to shoot. I loved the way the red barn contrasted with the snow and how all three main elements created a nice triangular composition. I took away a few favorites that day including a close-up I really like of the barn, but this one wins out for me.
The Four Paths
Perception
Place 5 people in a location and give each the same kind of camera. I’m willing to bet none of them produce the same image. The main reason being that we all see beauty differently. Past experiences send us down different paths that skew our perceptions. A sandy beach can mean relaxation to one person, while it can bring another to thoughts of a recent rainy vacation. Both would be looking at the same exact thing but only one would really want to highlight its beauty. A level of passion impacts all photos. Without it; I’m not sure how anyone would ever produce a great image.
The Four Paths – Project River, Seymour, CT
I’ve mentioned an image as being a top 5 or top 3 in the past, but I’m always careful not to say it’s my favorite. Unless I am talking about this one that is. This image is my all time favorite and the reasons go way beyond just how it looks.
I do love how it looks, but there is much more to it than that for me. I always think of the four separate falls as the end result for each drop of water. Starting out as a rain drop somewhere up the river with the journey taking them together at times and abruptly separating them at others. All of those misdirections eventually leading them to their ultimate fate; a wild forceful ride quickly to the bottom; a smooth gentle fall that takes some time; or a mixture of the two; smooth and quick or rough and slower.
There is one other aspect to this photo that really makes me smile when I look at it. The location. You might be asking where is this place and why isn’t it a big tourist spot, but the reality of this image is much different than the reality of the scene it sits in.
Just above the falls lay two giant cement pillars and they are holding up a highway that spans across the entire view. I almost didn’t stop when I saw it because I didn’t want to have to do all the editing work to remove the unattractive objects. The falls were just amazing to look at though so I pulled into the parking lot across the street and headed over.
I took a few wide angle shots before I decided that it wasn’t worth the editing effort. That’s when I took the camera all the way to the ground and got as close to the water as possible without getting soaked. I tried a few different angles but this was easily my favorite. Editing was relatively simple with minor exposure and color adjustments.
You can see the wide angle photo over on the Facebook page.
Kim
In the spirit of a post I have seen on Facebook, and it totally relates to what I’ve been going through this week, I am including the message at the end of this post. If you aren’t going to read anything else, please read that at least.
This week has been a difficult one for me. It had been a couple of years since a single txt message from a friend stopped me in my tracks with overwhelming sadness and grief. I’m not going to go into the details here about what happened this time. That is private to those involved, but it has brought back so many memories for me that I thought I should share the story of a true inspiration.
Kim
It was fall of 2009 when I received an out of the blue txt message from my friend Kim. This was a much different message then the one I would be getting from her a year later, but it was right after she went through a tough battle with cancer and she was taking some much needed R & R time with her family. I don’t have the old txt, but it basically said:
Hi Chris, I am at an beautiful photo gallery in Vegas right now and was thinking how cool it will be when your work is displayed like this.
It touched me that she took the time to do that, but even more, was her confidence in me. When I laughed back at her, she made sure I understood she was serious. But that was Kim. She always found a way to make the people around her feel special and I was very fortunate to be one of those who got to know her. I am definitely not alone though. She was a teacher and I always thought that to be the perfect fit for her and a real treat for those lucky enough to be in her class.
When I received her txt message many months later, telling a group of us that the cancer returned and now it was terminal, I was at a loss for words. I assumed she would go silent as well, but I was very wrong. She was on Facebook almost every day liking a post or commenting on a friend’s status. Always trying to pick up their spirits and never looking for sympathy.
Before she left us, she made me promise to have a gallery show some day. I simply nodded, but I understood she meant it, and when I feel my work is good enough, I will honor her wish and give a little wink up to the sky, like I did the night we had to say goodbye. When I did, the image below was what I saw.
Did you know the people that are the strongest are usually the most sensitive? Did you know the people who exhibit the most kindness are the first to get mistreated? Did you know the one who takes care of others all the time are usually the ones who need it the most? Did you know the 3 hardest things to say are I love you, I’m sorry, and help me. Sometimes just because a person looks happy, you have to look past their smile and see how much pain they may be in. To all my friends who are going through some issues right now–Let’s start an intention avalanche. We all need positive intentions right now. If I don’t see your name, I’ll understand. May I ask my friends wherever you might be, to kindly copy and paste this status for one hour to give a moment of support to all those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just need to know that someone cares. Do it for all of us, for nobody is immune. I hope to see… this on the walls of all my friends just for moral support. I know some will!! I did it for a friend and you can too. You have to copy & paste this one, no share button, because kindness is a effort given from the heart not the press of a button!!!
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!
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.
Tomorrow? Another from the darkroom days.
