“Maine gets about two weeks of this each June, sometimes less.”
Maine gets about two weeks of this each June, sometimes less. The lupines come up all at once and the whole hillside goes purple. I waited for the clouds to do something interesting with the light — overcast turned out to be exactly right.
order a print“I was in position well before first light.”
I was in position well before first light. Just before the sun cleared the ridge behind me, the atmosphere did this — the shadow of the Earth sitting in the sky as a deep blue band, the air above it catching the first color. It lasted maybe four minutes before the sun came up and changed everything.
order a print“The sky went orange so fast I barely had time to find the frame.”
The sky went orange so fast I barely had time to find the frame. The Bridge of Lions and the old city behind it just disappeared into the light — everything reduced to shape and color. One of those sunsets that makes people stop their cars.
order a print“Ten seconds or so — long enough to lose the waves and keep the rocks.”
Ten seconds or so — long enough to lose the waves and keep the rocks. The person at the end of the causeway had no idea I was there. They were watching the sunset; I was watching them watch it.
order a print“Four in the morning, maybe five.”
Four in the morning, maybe five. These two were already out there, rods in the water, not talking. The city behind them was still dark. I stood on the seawall and tried not to make any noise.
order a print“219 steps to the top.”
219 steps to the top. I shot this on the way down, leaning over the railing, trying not to think too hard about what I was doing. The geometry only reveals itself when you're directly above it. Worth every step.
order a print“Strong early morning golden sunlight seeping through the woods, lighting up the pines.”
Strong early morning golden sunlight seeping through the woods, lighting up the pines. For a few minutes the whole wood went gold - the kind of light which makes most of the people stop and admire! For me, it was reaching for my camera and frame before it was gone!
order a print“I almost walked past this.”
I almost walked past this. The light was flat and I was packing up — then I turned around and the red tree was doing that in the water. The figure wandered into frame just before I shot and I left them in. They complete it.
order a print“I didn't know them.”
I didn't know them. They were two stranger photographers who unknowingly became my subjects! I am not complaining and thank you!
order a print“Nobody was sitting in them.”
Nobody was sitting in them. I don't know whose chairs they were or whether they'd been there all summer. They were just there, facing the pond, facing all that color. I didn't move them. Didn't need to.
order a print“This mill has been standing since the 1700s and the stream has been turning that wheel for most of it.”
This mill has been standing since the 1700s and the stream has been turning that wheel for most of it. I got low to let the water fill the foreground — the red wheel needed something to pull the eye towards it.
order a print“Found the sun between the branches by moving a few inches at a time until the starburst appeared.”
Found the sun between the branches by moving a few inches at a time until the starburst appeared. Shot in color, converted to black and white afterward — the color version had nothing the monochrome doesn't do better.
order a print“Held up against the sun to see what was inside it.”
Held up against the sun to see what was inside it. The spots and holes are a summer's worth of living. I wanted the imperfections in the frame — a perfect leaf wouldn't have told the same story.
order a print“It had just stopped raining and the hydrangeas were still holding the water.”
It had just stopped raining and the hydrangeas were still holding the water. Shot wide open to lose the background entirely — just the petals, the drops, and that particular blue you only get in the hour after a summer rain.
order a print“Williamsburg does this every December — wreaths made entirely of fruit and greenery on every historic door.”
Williamsburg does this every December — wreaths made entirely of fruit and greenery on every historic door. This one stopped me cold. The teal paint behind it had been there for a century at least, cracking exactly right.
order a print“She comes back to the feeder every twenty minutes or so.”
She comes back to the feeder every twenty minutes or so. I had the camera pre-focused and waited. I went with slightly lower shutter speed hoping to catch the motion of fluttering wings and still an in-focus eyes!
order a print“Same bird, same afternoon, same feeder.”
Same bird, same afternoon, same feeder. This time she paused just long enough to look around before committing. That half-second of stillness — that's the frame.
order a print“Overcast light is brutal for white birds — one stop over and you lose everything.”
Overcast light is brutal for white birds — one stop over and you lose everything. I was watching the exposure constantly. When it lifted off I had maybe three frames before it was out of range. This is the one.
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