Landscapes « Photographs by Frank

11 October 2021

Great Lakeshores (2021 Road Trip)

Filed under: Landscapes,Road Trips — Frank @ 9:30 PM

After our trek on “the 200s”, we spent the next five nights in Michigan exploring the Lake Superior and Lake Huron shores. We spent two nights near the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore area, two nights further east on Whitefish Bay (both Lake Superior) and one night in Harrisville, MI on Lake Huron.

While at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, we did a 10 mile hike visiting both Chapel Rock/Beach and Mosquito Beach along the way. The four mile stretch between these two beaches is reached only on foot or by boat. The scenery was spectacular although the weather (heavy overcast and some fog) was not ideal for photography. This was true for most of our visit to Pictured Rocks.

Lakeshore #1 (Raven/Chapel Rock)

Lakeshore #2 (Chapel Rock)

Lakeshore #3

Lakeshore #4 (Grand Portal Point)

Lakeshore #5

Lakeshore #6 (Grand Portal Point)

Lakeshore #7

Lakeshore #8

Lakeshore #9

Lakeshore #10

Lakeshore #11

Lakeshore #12

Lakeshore #13

Lakeshore #14

Lakeshore #15

Lakeshore #16 (Lake Huron Sunset)

Of course, where there is shore there are lighthouses. I photographed a few! Perhaps the most interesting of these was the lifesaving station at Vermillion. It is a little off the beaten path! I was looking at the map of the Whitefish Bay area and noticed a point marked Vermillion on the Lake Superior shore. It was at the end of a dirt road about seven or eight miles from the main road. Intrigued and knowing nothing more, we headed for Vermillion and were glad we did. At the end of the road was a nature preserve and a well preserved lifesaving station, but no lighthouse. It was well worth the trip.

Whitefish Point Light and Foghorn, Lake Superior (MI)

Lifesaving Station (Vermillion, MI)

Point Iroquois Light, Lake Superior (MI)

40 Mile Point Light, Lake Huron (MI)

Old Presque Isle Light, Lake Huron (MI)

New Presque Isle Light, Lake Huron, (MI)

While we were camped in Harrisville, MI we decided that it was time to head home. The distance from Harrisville, MI to Antrim, NH is roughly 800 miles. We made this distance in two days. We stopped for the night in a motel near Rochester, NY and made it home late afternoon on Friday (8 October)… exactly one month and 6,772 miles after we set out.

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The Bitteroot Valley (2021 Road Trip)

Filed under: Landscapes,Road Trips — Frank @ 6:03 PM

After our raft trip we spent four nights visiting Joan’s brother and his wife in Hamilton, MT.

During our visit we made one long (about 8 mile) hike to Coquina Lake in the wilderness area of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. Additionally, we did two drives (with a little walking) on Forest Service roads; one drive in the Bitterroot Mountains, (on the west side of valley) and one in the Sapphire Mountains (on the east side).

The autumn colors were in full swing in the Rockies so many (but not all) of my photos from these trips are in color.

Color Work

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Black and White Work

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Untitled #13 (Coquina Lake)

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Untitled #15 (Gird Point Fire Lookout)

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Untitled #19 (Blue Nose Fire Lookout)

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9 October 2021

River of No Return/Frank Church Wilderness Raft Trip

Filed under: Autumn,Landscapes,Road Trips — Tags: landscapes — Frank @ 10:34 PM

Joan and I returned from a month long road trip yesterday (Friday) afternoon. We left two days after Labor Day and made more-or-less a beeline for Salmon, Idaho.

We made overnight stops in western New York, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, Wyoming and central Montana. The last day of the outbound leg, we made a brief stop at Joan’s brothers house in western Montana to drop off our camper before proceeding to meet the folks we would be rafting with in Salmon.

The river we ran is the main stem of the Salmon River. This stretch of the river is also sometimes called the River of No Return* and runs through the Frank Church Wilderness which is the largest wilderness area in the lower forty eight states. We were on the river for six days/five nights. The boats were oared rubber rafts and inflatable kayaks.

Our truck was shuttled to the takeout and after we got off the river, we headed back to Hamilton, MT where we had left the camper. We spent a few days visiting Joan’s brother and sister-in-law before beginning our meander back east. (More on rest of of the trip in subsequent posts.)

Of course, I made a few photographs along the way!

The first batch shown below are photos I made while we were in camp… usually before breakfast or in the late afternoon/early evening before dinner. They were made with my main (dSLR) camera.

The second batch of photos are those made during the day (either at lunch stops or while on the river) using a small fixed (wide angle) lens camera.

As the regulars know, my landscape work in mostly black and white and thus the large majority of these photos are of that ilk.

However, I have snuck a few (three, to be exact) color photos in at the end of the first batch. Not even I would try to photograph a rainbow in black and white!!! As for the last photo (made early on our last morning on the river), the sky was just to luscious in color to convert.

So without further ado…

Batch 1 —

Salmon River Trip #1

Salmon River Trip #2

Salmon River Trip #3

Salmon River Trip #4

Salmon River Trip #5

Salmon River Trip #6

Salmon River Trip #7

Salmon River Trip #8

Salmon River Trip #9

Salmon River Trip #10

Salmon River Trip #11

Salmon River Trip #12

Salmon River Trip #13

Salmon River Trip #14

Salmon River Trip #15

Batch 2 —

Salmon River Trip #16

Salmon River Trip #17

Salmon River Trip #18

Salmon River Trip #19

Salmon River Trip #20

Salmon River Trip #21

Salmon River Trip #22

Salmon River Trip #23

Salmon River Trip #24

Salmon River Trip #25

Salmon River Trip #26

Salmon River Trip #27

Salmon River Trip #28

Salmon River Trip #29

* This name is not as bad as it sounds. Early settlers (ranchers and miners, in the main) would build boats in Salmon (and up river) and then float the river to their camps. Upon arrival the boats would be dismantled and the (valuable) lumber used for other projects. Thus, is was boats that did not return not people.

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12 July 2021

Barns, Flags, Vanes, Etc.

Filed under: architecture,Landscapes,Summer — Frank @ 8:30 PM

I had business in Newport (NH) today. I headed north via Hillsborough, Windsor, Washington, and Goshen. My return route took me through Unity, Lempster, Marlow and Stoddard.

Although the light was drab and it rained lightly on and off the entire trip, I made photographs on both legs of the trip.

Barn with Flag (Windsor, NH)

Sugarhouse with Flag (Windsor, NH)

Barn with Flag (Goshen, NH)

Barn (Newport, NH)

Shed (Unity, NH)

Firehouse Vane (Unity, NH)

Bandstand Vane & Swallow (Unity, NH)

Bandstand Bunting (Unity, NH)

Polaris and Santa (Unity, NH)

Schoolhouse (Lempster, NH)

Schoolhouse Interior (Lempster, NH)

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7 July 2021

Wednesday Olio

Filed under: Landscapes,Monadnock Region,Summer — Frank @ 11:00 PM

I have had my eye on the barn with the flag painted on it for sometime. However, there has been a large RV parked next to the barn for months.

Yesterday, as we drove back from dropping off our little camper for service, I noticed that the RV was gone but I did not have a camera with me. This afternoon, I headed back with the camera to make the photograph I had in my head for months.

The rest of the photos in this set were also made this afternoon and evening as I wended my way though life.

Barn Flag

Day Lily

Grass Seed Head

Flower Shop

Semaphore

Still-life in Window Light

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A Man and His Dog

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19 June 2021

On The Way Home, Redux

Filed under: Landscapes,Summer — Tags: Infrared (IR) — Frank @ 11:00 PM

Wednesday morning I met my friend Bill in Keene for coffee and then I had lunch with my friend Al, also in Keene. I took an indirect route home via Sullivan, Marlow and Stoddard.

Of course I made a few photographs on the way.

Odd Fellows Hall (Marlow, NH)

Gazebo (Marlow, NH)

Town Hall (Marlow, NH)

A Fine Summer Afternoon (color)

A Fine Summer Afternoon (IR)

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13 June 2021

On the Trip Home

Filed under: Landscapes,Monadnock Region,Summer — Tags: Architecture, Infrared (IR), landscapes — Frank @ 10:34 PM

This morning, I headed to Brattleboro to see what was up at the Vermont Center for Photography’s “tag sale’. Not that I need much in the way of ‘photo junk’, but I like to support the VCP and can always find something that will be useful. I came away with a few books, some mats and developing trays.

On the way home, I meandered and made some photographs. I made a few with the camera obscura but mostly, I made infrared (IR) photographs. It was a bright sunny middle of the day… good for IR landscapes and not much else.

Town Hall, Chesterfield, NH (camera obscura)

Mount Monadnock (Camera Obscura)

Mount Monadnock (IR)

Mount Monadnock & Pasture (IR)

Mount Monadnock & Newly Mowed Hayfield (IR)

Harrisville Mill Building #1 (IR)

Harrisville Mill Building #2 (IR)

Lake Skatutakee (IR)

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2 June 2021

New Salted Paper Prints

Filed under: Alternative Processes,Landscapes,Salted-paper Prints — Frank @ 4:00 PM

I have been ‘mining’ my archives looking for photographs that I think would do well as salted paper prints.

Here is the latest batch made yesterday evening. The images are 6×7.5 inches or 6.5 inches square on 8×10 inch Hahn. Platinum Rag paper. I made two copies of each.

Bass Harbor Light (Mt. Desert Island)

Birches & Fence

Stone Church (Antrim Center)

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18 May 2021

More IR Landscapes

Filed under: Landscapes,Monadnock Region,Spring — Tags: Infrared (IR), landscapes — Frank @ 9:30 PM

This morning, while running errands, I stopped at a few of my favorite ‘photo spots’ and made some infrared (IR) photos.

IR is a good way to keep photographers entertained. One can make interesting IR landscapes at mid-day on bright sunny days. That is, at times and under conditions where ‘normal’ photos are generally uninteresting.

These photographs were made in the hour surrounding noon under partly sunny skies. I was thoroughly entertained. I hope you are too!

Hedgehog Mountain (IR)

Contoocook River from the 2nd NH Turnpike Bridge

Contoocook River Near the Papermill

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15 May 2021

Landscapes in Infrared

Filed under: Landscapes,Monadnock Region,Spring — Tags: Infrared (IR) — Frank @ 10:15 PM

A bright sunny day, harsh light… what is a landscape photographer to do?

Make infrared (IR) photos of course!

Warning… photo talk ahead!

These photos are made by placing a filter* on the camera that blocks all but the longest wavelengths of light from getting to the sensor. Straight out of the camera the photos have a deep red color and very low contrast. Processing the files on the computer gives the results you see here.

Green foliage is very reflective in the IR and so it appears bright white in these photos. Water, on the other hand, efficiently absorbs IR light and thus can appear very dark.

Untitled (IR)

Weeping Willow (IR)

Contoocook River #1 (IR)

Contoocook River #2 (IR)

Farm Field (IR)

Farm Pond (IR)

Bear Hill Farm (IR)

* Specifically, I used an ‘R72’ filter which blocks all light below 720 nm (a deep red color). The filter looks black. If you hold it up to the sky, you can barely make out the disk of the sun.

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