Category Archives: Nature
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!!!
Sesuit Harbor
Who to Follow – Scott Kelby
If you work in Photoshop at all, chances are that you already know who Scott Kelby is. I think of him first as the president of NAPP, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, but lately he has been blowing me away with his photos of NFL football games. The reason I thought to highlight him this week was from seeing his photos of the NFC championship game this past Sunday. On Facebook, he posted the results from 4 simultaneous photos of Falcon’s Cornerback Asante Samuel as he came out of the tunnel. They all look really cool, but what I like even more is that he explains, with photos, how he set it all up. He’s always teaching and if you have an itch to learn photography, Photoshop, Lightroom, or any other Adobe Creative Suite product, Scott should be on your list to follow. His main website/blog is scottkelby.com and if you are truly serious about Photoshop, visit NAPP today.
Sesuit Harbor, East Dennis, MA
When the weather didn’t cooperate for an ocean side sunrise, I headed back towards the bay to photograph the Sesuit Harbor. I stayed around the boats for a while, getting in close and capturing different crews as they headed out for the day and then the sun started to break through the clouds. I walked a few hundred feet north and found this beautiful site before me. I took 10 to 15 photos of the scene and a few more of an old dune fence before heading back to the family. It was another fine start to the day!
Tomorrow: Setting the mood for the weekend.
Mad River Light
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. We’ve all heard that saying before, but the question is, have you listened to that advice? Sometimes I think I know better and give up, figuring it will save the wasted time. It’s a toss-up between giving it (whatever it is) another try or listening to that other phrase I’ve heard before; insanity is the repeating of something over and over again, expecting different results.
Mad River Light – Warren, VT
I learned a while ago to never expect the same results when it comes to photography. Too many changing variables make it an impossible task, although it might be a fun experiment to attempt: Try and take the exact same photo on two separate days. I doubt an exact match could happen, but it would be interesting to see how close the two could get.
By the end of my most recent trip to the Mad River Valley, I was beginning to wonder if getting mediocre results was all that I was going to get at this one particular spot that week. I had been there every day of the trip. Sunrise, sunset, cloudy, sunny, and each night when I looked through the days captures, I would be disappointed with the results. Not always bad, but just not the beautiful scenes I was seeing in person. I was missing something and made it a goal to go back on my last day and figure it out.
I sat there for about 15 minutes, just looking around while remembering the photos that had come up short. I knew I needed to showcase the light better for this scene, but until then I had missed what I was doing wrong and I concluded that it was nothing. The cloudy days simply lacked the punch that the scene needed and the photos from the previous sunny days had way too much contrast in them to ever photograph well in one exposure.
It was about an hour prior to heading home from our summer vacation before I figured this out, so I was feeling a little embarrassed, but I was also glad I hadn’t given up. There was still time to shoot and I probably had some good sets from the previous days to edit as well. They just needed some HDR and color work.
That was still unproven to me though and I wasn’t going to rely on speculation for what I knew could be a beautiful image, so I grabbed my gear, setup, and refocused on the same rock I had the previous 4 days. This time, paying close attention to the histogram on the back of my camera to make sure I captured the full range of light.
Processing was done with the following applications and in the sequence listed: Lightroom; Photomatix; Lightroom; Photoshop; Lightroom; Nik Color Efex Pro; and Lightroom. Not every image I work on is quite this involved, but you can see that Adobe Lightroom is the goto program in my workflow. After every step of the process, I look at it in LR and almost always make a tweak or two. When I’m finally happy, the image gets added to a fav collection where I can export it in just about any format I need. There are limits to everything of course and LR is no different. That’s where the other programs come in. Cloning and masking are done in Photoshop. HDR processing is done in Photomatix, and color tweaking is done with the Nik product. They are all just tools in box. If the vision is there, the results will follow. This image was one of the last from the trip, but it is very high on my list of memories from it and it proved again, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
I will add the before photos to the Facebook page soon if you want to see the transformation for yourself.
Tomorrow I’ll have a “who to follow” and an image from Cape Cod.
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.
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. 
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. 
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
Located 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.
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.
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!
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!
