Landscapes « Photographs by Frank

20 June 2019

A Short Drive in the Rain*

Filed under: architecture,Landscapes,Monadnock Region — Frank @ 9:30 PM

This afternoon, despite the rain, I headed out to Tenney’s , our local farm stand. I was in need of a real local** strawberry fix; the first of the all-to-short season.

Of course, I took along my (current) favorite optical tool… the camera obscura. After the strawberries were safely stowed behind the seats in my truck, I decided that the rain was light enough for some photography and thus went on a short drive.

Bandstand & Vestry (Hancock, NH)

Bench, Hancock (NH) Green

Meetinghouse (Hancock, NH)

Dam & Powerhouse (Bennington, NH)

Meetinghouse (Greenfield, NH)

Bench, Greenfield NH

Bandstand (Antrim, NH)

Coke & Wood Pile

* The fourth post today. I think that that is a record!

** We have been subsisting on those inferior substitutes — the grocery store variety — for some weeks now. They are better than nothing, but not by much.

Comments Off

Camera Obscura Photos / River Project

Filed under: Landscapes — Tags: River Project — Frank @ 1:04 PM

I am a little behind in my blogging…

Last Friday (the 14th) I headed out with the camera obscura towards Hillsborough and Henniker. The intent was to add to my river project collection. Not all of the resulting photos are “river project” material, but such is life!

Hedgehog Mountain

Farm Pond (Bear Hill Farm, Hillsborough, NH)

Contoocook River RR Bridge Piers (Near Henniker, NH)

Downtown Henniker / Contoocook River Bridge (from upriver)

Coverd Bridge Across the Contoocook at NE College (Henniker, NH)

Jones Road Bridge (Hillsborough, NH)

Riverine Field Near Contoocook River (Deering, NH)

Comments (1)

8 June 2019

The River Project

Filed under: Landscapes — Tags: River Project — Frank @ 12:00 PM

Over the past several days I have headed out four times to explore (photographically) the North Branch and the Contoocook Rivers. One of these excursions was in the morning; the others were afternoon trips, after the clouds began to build as they tend to do in the summer. Clouds can make or break landscapes.

I have learned two things from these explorations. The first is that I think that I am going to stick with the camera obscura for this project. The softness of the camera obscura helps hide distracting details in the landscapes. I also simply like the unique nature of the photographs.

The second thing that has dawned on me it that this is going to be a long term project. In these four sessions, (totaling more than a dozen hours) I have covered the small fraction of the rivers that I know best. As I go further afield the process will slow down further as I will need to do significant scouting of locations. However, I am in no rush.

Powdermill Pond/Contoocook River at its Confluence with Moose Brook (Elmwood Junction, Hancock, NH)

Powermill Pond/Contoocook River -- Crotched Mountain View

Covered Bridge Across the Contoocook River (Forest Road, Hancock/Greenfield, NH)

Contoocook River: View from Forest Road Bridge

Contoocook River by the Paper Mill (Bennington, NH)

River Bottom Farm Field (near the Contoocook River, Deering, NH)

North Branch River near River Road (Antrim, NH)

North Branch River near Loveren's Mill (Antrim, NH)

Contoocook River Railroad Trestle (Bennington, NH)

Crotched Mountain Across Powdermill Pond/Contoocook River (from South Elmwood Rd, Hancock, NH)

Contoocook River at its Confluence with Nubanusit Brook (Depot Square, Peterborough, NH)

Comments (1)

30 May 2019

Contoocook & North Branch Rivers

Filed under: Landscapes,Monadnock Region — Tags: landscapes — Frank @ 11:30 PM

Inspired by a discussion at yesterday’s conservation commission meeting, I took a drive along our local rivers this afternoon .

The Contoocook River runs roughly seventy miles, from Jaffery (south of Antrim) to Pennacook (north of Concord) where it joins the mighty Merrimack. It forms the eastern border of Antrim.

The North Branch (of the Contoocook) River runs about seventeen miles, from Stoddard to its confluence with the Contoocook in Hillsborough. Most of its run is through the north part of Antrim.

I took both my “normal” camera and my camera obscura with me on the drive but I was moved to use only latter.

I am mulling beginning a larger project involving photographing along the entire length of each river. We’ll have to see how this pans out. Watch this space for future developments!

Iron Bridge Over the Contoocook River between Bennington and Antrim, NH

Contoocook River Near the Iron Bridge between Bennington and Antrim, NH

Riverine Field Near the Contoocook River, Deering, NH

Riverine Field Near the Contoocook River,Antrim, NH and Hedgehog Mountain, Deering, NH

Contoocook River from the Second NH Turnpike Bridge (Antrim and Deering, NH)

North Branch River Near River Rd., Antrim, NH

Comments (2)

15 May 2019

Springtime in New England

Filed under: Garden Flowers,Landscapes — Frank @ 12:00 PM

Ahhh… springtime in New England!

How come that statement never conjures up visions of warm sunny weather?!

Yesterday, we awoke to snow on the ground. Not much… just enough to cover the bare ground in the garden and coat the vehicles. But it is the middle of May!

The snow was gone by mid-morning.

After lunch, I headed out on some errands. I wanted to get materials for building an electric fence. I want to try to keep the bears out of the bird feeders. Additionally, the paper for the Limrik had to get from the mill to the printers and for some reason they don’t make it with legs!

While I was out and about, I stopped and made two photographs.

Springtime Barn

Springtime Bench

Comments (1)

5 May 2019

Foggy Morning

Filed under: Landscapes,Monadnock Region,Spring — Frank @ 10:45 PM

This morning dawned cool and damp… par for the course around here these days.

I had a couple of hours to spare this morning so I headed out, cameras in tow, to see if I could find something to photograph.

Here are the results:

Meetinghouse Hill #1

Meetinghouse Hill #2

Meetinghouse Hill #3

Meetinghouse Hill #4

Havoline

Animals

Church, Hillsborough Center

Yellow

Comments (1)

22 April 2019

Pavement

Filed under: Landscapes — Frank @ 11:15 PM

We live on a dirt road. I spend a lot of the time walking on our road, or in the woods, or on the ice of the lake. Pavement is, to me, quite exotic!

There is plenty of pavement where my mother lives.

Pavement #1

Pavement #2

Pavement #3

Pavement #4

Pavement #5

Pavement #6

Comments (1)

Springtide in Maryland

Filed under: Landscapes,Spring — Frank @ 11:00 PM

Joan and I spent the past week in Maryland tending to my Mom after her second cataract operation. We left NH still in the grips of that drab in between season with ice still on the lake. Maryland, on the other hand, was to our eyes brilliant green with spring. We were about a week late for the cherry blossoms but the redbud trees were putting on a show which made up for the cherries.

Vernal Tree #1

Vernal Tree #2

Sycamore #1

Pasture in Spring

Vernal Tree #3

Redbuds

Vernal Foliage

Sycamore #2

Made with the camera obscura.

Redbud #1

Clubhouse

Redbud #2

Forsythia

Stable

Redbuds

Comments Off

10 April 2019

A Foggy April Day

Filed under: architecture,Landscapes,Monadnock Region — Frank @ 12:30 PM

What is the difference between the first day of spring and the first spring day?

The answer, at least here in northern New England … “Six weeks!!!”

Over the past few days we have had periods of sleet. Just a thin coating accumulated on things and most of this disappeared pretty quickly. However, it has been cold enough and cloudy enough that that, even more than a day after it fell, traces of sleet were still hanging on in some spots.

Yesterday dawned foggy and stayed that way most of the day. After lunch I headed out for a walk to see if I could capture the “feeling” of our lovely spring day; the temperature was 33 degrees F.

About half way back on the return leg of my walk it began to rain lightly. About a half-hour after I got back inside, it began to snow. The snow lasted roughly an hour. When it stopped we had an inch or so on the ground.

Ahhh… Springtime in New England!

I ended up with two series of photographs from my walk.

Jane’s Barn:

Jane's Barn #1

Jane's Barn #2

Windmill

Barn Board

Untitled

Bran Door Window

Along a Foggy Woods Road:

Foggy Woods Road #1

Foggy Woods Road #2

Foggy Woods Road #3

Foggy Woods Road #4

Foggy Woods Road #5

Foggy Woods Road #6

Comments (1)

16 March 2019

The M’s of March

Filed under: Landscapes,March,Monadnock Region — Frank @ 12:30 PM

Most folks associate March with “Madness”. For me, March is associated with three other “M words”… Maple, Mud and Meeting. Maple as in maple sap/syrup. Mud as in mud season. Meeting as in Town Meeting. This past week we have had all three of these “M words”.

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a walk. At the end of our driveway, I had a choice… left and the mud of the “civilized” section of the road or right and the slush of the un-maintained section of our road. I opted for the slush.

Of course, I took my camera with me.