Photographs by Frank

14 May 2017

Star Island – May 2017

Filed under: Birds,Landscapes,Spring,Wildlife — Tags: , , — Frank @ 11:30 PM

I spent this past Friday and Saturday on Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine. The trip (which is organized by Eric Masterson) was timed to coincide with the spring migration of birds.

Joan and I went on this trip back in 2014 (see this post for birds and this one for landscapes); this year I went by myself as Joan was occupied with editing the June issue of the Antrim Limrik.

The birding was not as spectacular this year as it was in 2014 but I had a good time anyway. One can always find something to photograph if you spend time looking carefully.

Birds

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Other Work – Color

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Other Work – Black and White

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26 April 2017

Seashells

Filed under: Wildlife — Frank @ 5:00 PM

I brought home (from our recent trip south) a handful of small shells (none larger than a half dollar) from some warm sunny beach on the Florida panhandle. This morning here in NH, with the weather cool and wet, I spent a bit of time in my basement “studio” making photographs of these shells.

Warning… photographer talk ahead!

The shells were photographed on a black background with a single light source at camera right. I used a reflector to control the shadows. The general “room lights” were turned off. The “in camera” background (which is never quite dark enough and often shows dust and other crud)  was replaced by masking the shells in Photoshop and adding a background layer of uniform black.

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22 April 2017

Recent Meanders/Photos

Filed under: Early Spring,Landscapes,Monadnock Region,the White Mountains — Tags: — Frank @ 7:15 PM

On Monday, I meandered home from Peterborough via Temple, Wilton, Lyndeborough and Francestown… I know, it was not exactly the direct route!

On Tuesday I meandered through the western White Mountains… Kinsman Notch and Franconia Notch.

On Wednesday, I had an errand to attend to in Warner… I meandered back home stopping in Bradford Center to make some photographs using my camera obscura.

Here are some of the photographs I made:

White Mountain Landscapes

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Roadside “Attractions”

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With the Camera Obscura

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6 April 2017

2017 Trip South

Filed under: Amphibians,Birds,Odontates,Other Insects — Tags: , — Frank @ 3:30 PM

If two years makes a tradition, we headed south after (a snow-delayed*) town meeting for our “traditional” trip south. Our destination this year was the Florida panhandle.

We spent a week camped at the Wright Lake campground in the Apalachicola National Forest. Each day we headed out to explore from this base. We ranged from the Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the east to the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in the west. In addition, we hit a number of Florida Birding Trail sites within the National Forest, the Saint George Island State Park and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve  (their Unit 4 tract on St. George Island was particularly productive photographically).

Since we had such a good time last year at the Okefenokee NWR/ Foster State Park in SE Georgia, we stopped there for a day on the way back home. This time we were able to kayak some of the swamp on our own. It was quite an experience sitting low to the water with dozens of alligators all around.

Birds (many IDs needed but in the interest of a timely post, they will be added later)

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Other Subjects

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* Two feet of snow will do that… even in NH! We arrived back home on the evening of 3 April to find a knee high pile of snow at the end of the drive way (the result of another foot of snow dumped a few days previously). It took about 45 minutes of work with snow blower before we could get the car and camper into the driveway.

 

11 March 2017

A Short Walk

Filed under: Landscapes,Monadnock Region,The "New" Yard & Environs — Tags: , — Frank @ 2:03 PM

Woke up this morning to 4 deg. F and a stiff wind blowing. The temperature finally made it to double digest by noon.

I’ll have to head outside eventually… we need a resupply of wood

Yesterday was not so extreme weather wise. We had flurries most of the day but it was in the high 20s F.

By mid afternoon cabin fever kicked in and the dusting of new snow looked tempting.

I headed out, camera in hand, for a short walk around the neighborhood.

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20 February 2017

A Few from Keene

Filed under: architecture,Monadnock Region,Winter — Frank @ 1:00 PM

About a week ago (Tues., 14 Feb, to be exact), I headed to Keene to run some errands.*

I parked in the Gilbo Street lot.

As I returned to my truck, I noticed the nearby snow-covered skate park. Upon wandering over to investigate, I noticed the tracks of a single individual going into the park and over to a pile of stuff on the ground. The pile of stuff turned out to be a memorial for a Pabst-drinking skateboarder.

After photographing the memorial under snow, I pointed my lens at some of the nearby structures.

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* I know… I’ve been a bit slow in processing these!

 

26 January 2017

Thursday Meander #2

Filed under: architecture — Tags: — Frank @ 10:30 PM

This morning I had some VCP business in Brattleboro; after I finished I headed west on another meander.

This one took me through Marlboro, Newfane, Townshend, Saxons River and into Bellows Fall; all in Vermont. After crossing the river back to NH, I headed more-or-less straight home, stopping only in Acworth as I wanted to try photographing the church there with my camera obscura.

I gave in to the temptation — the light was great as I passed through Newfane — and photographed some “foreign” building tops, but not as part of my project!

The weather was warm (around 40 deg. F) but all over the place… rain at times, short breaks in the clouds and nice light, but mostly gray overcast. Twas an interesting drive anyway.

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21 January 2017

Thursday Meander

Filed under: Landscapes,Winter — Tags: , — Frank @ 8:00 PM

Thursday evening was the first session of the new Photo Salon at the VCP. I left in the early afternoon so that I would have plenty of time to meander and still get to Brattleboro by six.

My route took me through Troy, NH then down through Hinsdale and into Northfield, MA. I crossed the Connecticut River in Northfield and headed back north on route 142 into Brattleboro.

Despite the heavy overcast (and dull light) I added to my collection of “building tops” in both Troy and Hinsdale. I resisted the urge to add more as I passed through Northfield.

One has to have limits and thus far the building tops series is pure NH; I have also resisted the urge in Vermont!

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Derelict trucks are another issue. I’ll photograph them where ever I find them.

These three and the “steam” shovel were sitting at the edge of a field along route 142 in Northfield (or possibly Gill).

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15 January 2017

Early Morning Light

Filed under: architecture,Landscapes — Tags: , — Frank @ 1:00 PM

On Friday morning I had coffee and talked photography with my friend Jeff.

I headed out early enough so that I had time to stop and make some photographs on the drive to Peterborough.

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January Thaw – Wet and Foggy

Filed under: Landscapes — Tags: , — Frank @ 12:30 PM

We had our traditional January thaw in the middle of last week. The temperatures were in the upper forties during the day and the lows were right around freezing. Things were wet and, in the evenings, foggy.

There was an artist’s talk at the VCP on Thursday evening. I headed out early afternoon and meandered towards Brattleboro looking for photographs.

The drive home after the lecture was ugly… lots of patchy ground fog but fortunately no ice. I spent a half hour stopped on the narrow part of route 9 in Sullivan; there was a tractor-trailer on its side.

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