What Draws You Back Again and Again?

I recently visited Fonthill, the concrete and tile home of anthropologist and collector Henry Chapman Mercer. The folks here are adamant about no pictures on their tours…Don’t even try to sneak a cell phone picture. And I was once accosted outside and grilled about my intentions when I was taking a photo outside while using a tripod.  When a photographer friend of mine was offering a workshop there, I HAD to go back with the camera. The place is a complete visual feast…overwhelming in all there is to look at.

In our few hours in this special place, I kept coming back to this little nook above the fireplace with the skull tucked in. When I first spotted it, the light was much too harsh to get a nice shot…but I wandered back through the room several times, waiting for the light to soften. Then there are the processing decisions…color or black and white?

What makes an image evocative and compelling to you? What draws you back again and again trying to see the same image from a new angle and with a new set of eyes?

If I can get just one good shot: The Blacksmith

It has been a long time since I have posted a photoblog…and a long time since I shot today’s photo. At Christmas time here in Pennsylvania they re-enact George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River with his troops. Only this year, the water level was too high and moving too swiftly, so there was no re-enactment. In addition to the costumed soldiers who do the crossing, there was a man working in the old blacksmith shop. The shop was dark and too full of spectators…but there was a moment that the light started to stream through an upper window…and the crowd in front of me started to disperse, and for a full 4-5 seconds, this scene appeared. It was the only “keeper” of the day.

Returning Over Time

On a trek to a distant meeting yesterday, I brought the camera along in case an opportunity presented itself during prime leaf season here in PA. I have photographed this tree before (see below), even though it is a good distance from my house. I knew I would be going past it with the light on the right side and I was hoping for some stunning red or yellow leaves. When I got there, I was sad that the leaves were already down. I didn’t get the photo I was hoping for…but it made me determined to get back a little earlier next year…or perhaps venture out in the snow to get a series of images from this lovely little farm.

Revolutionary

Chatting up the docent at Washington’s Headquarters in Valley Forge Park, Pennsylvania, led to his donning his jacket and posing for a few quick shots. I liked the focused shot just on the uniform best.

Just one more shot…

I was on a weekend photo workshop with friends. It had just finished raining so everything was particularly green and lush. I was already late back to the bus, but I wanted to grab just one more shot and continue my lingering appreciation for the beautiful place we shared together. I didn’t have time to work the scene…to climb down and remove the dead branch in the lower left (yes we photographers can be a bit compulsive and we do remove broken branches and risk soggy feet to clean up trash in pretty places like this.) I had to take it exactly as it was…a lovely little scene. I can still remember how it smelled and the sound of the water whooshing over the rocks.

Breaking the Rules

I was playing with what a photographer friend of mine calls “swipes” where you move the camera while you are shooting. Most photographers are firmly of the mindset that you want a rock solid camera when shooting. I usually use a tripod or if I shoot hand held, I hold my breath when I depress the shutter to prevent any movement from blurring my images. But the whole point of swipes is to move the camera and see what happens. I call this image, “Falling out of the Tree,” because I imagine this is what it would look like on the way down. What I like about playing with the technique is throwing rules out the window.

Photo Mission: Arizona Cattle Country

I spent nine days in the southwest with a team of veterinarians on two Native American reservations. The most heart-pounding day was the day I accompanied cattle vaccinations.  Imagine the whistling from the opening of The Good the Bad and the Ugly. That was what I heard in my head when I started photographing this steer. He was a wild one. They ran him through the chute, attempted to restrain him for vaccinations and vitamins, but had to let him go before he injured the team. I took refuge in the back of a pickup truck when they released him. He tumbled out of the chute in a bolt of fury and ran off. My friend Ferdinand here appears in my book Photo Mission: People, Places and Pets of the Hopi and Zuni Reservations.

Boat Reflection

One of my photographic obsessions is reflections. I was so taken by this little red dinghy on an early morning photo shoot with a handful of photographer friends. As the light came up, I became even more absorbed by its reflection in the smooth as glass water. I was standing on a dock near the boat and decided to bounce to get the ripples going! I love it as much with the water smooth as I do with the various ripples. Is it “cheating” to impose yourself on a photo in this manner?

An Earlier Time

This little wooden water bucket completely sent my imagination back to an earlier time. Such a simple little scene, but one that conveys an era in which life was both simpler and more difficult. Life had fewer distractions…but more hardships. Clean, running water is a blessing we all take for granted!

Yosemite – Glacier Point

Taking this photo became a defining moment in my life. Taken with film in October of 1995, it is the shot that re-ignited my now ridiculously satisfying obsession for photography. And the way it was taken also made me begin to find countless lessons in life through nature. I was tired of hiking on this morning. I was hungryand I almost quit just before the best part…Here’s an excerpt from my journal:

I had hiked for several miles on this icy October morning and all I was thinking about was breakfast, but I hadn’t reached the end of the trail. I had engaged in a sensual feast of smells and textures and I had found moments in which no man-made sound was audible, only the birdsong, the chatter of small mammals, the beating of my own heart in reaction to the splendor of this place. When I reached a point of having to scramble over rocks to complete the last leg of the hike, I decided to call it quits and head back. Something urged me on. “Push yourself. Finish.” So I climbed up the rocks toward an apparent summit. I could not have been more thankful that I did. Those last few yards gave me one of those lifetime moments.

Out of the top of the rocks grew a twisted pine which had weathered the winds of time for hundreds of years. While it had recently died, the tree had a grace that was amazing to me. The harsh conditions it had endured…the cold, the wind, the lack of soil, the ages. But the Jeffrey Pine was not the half of it. Looking out from those rocks gave you a 360-degree view encompassing Half Dome, El Capitan and the Yosemite Valley. It was a chilling experience. It was breathtaking and life giving. And I completely forgot about being hungry.

Art Museum Moonrise

When it’s cold outside, I like to revisit summer images to remind me that winter won’t last forever.

I spent a stimulating and productive day of shooting in Philadelphia, ending at the Art Museum when the sun was setting and the moon was on the rise. Should you find yourself in the city, I encourage you to spend a summer afternoon exploring this culturally vibrant and historic area, where you’ll find the architectural beauty of Boathouse Row, Waterworks, and of course the Art Museum itself, all along on the banks of the Schuylkill River.

The Dogs of New York’s Central Park

I love to photograph in New York’s Central Park.

Since falling completely in love with my dog, I have developed a new passion for photographing dogs. I believe this is a whippet.

Fishing for Serenity

This image is taken in one of my favorite places in Pennsylvania near Cedar Run. It is accessible by dirt road and you have to hike in. The fly fisherman is my son, Justin. The tastiest fish I have ever eaten were caught by Justin!

The Curious Hawk

This was one of my life’s special wildlife moments. I encountered this hawk while visiting the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. This bird was completely unphased by my very close proximity. In fact, he seemed quite curious about my interest in him. This photo was taken WITHOUT a telephoto lens.

A ghostly path

Taken on the grounds at Ft. Ticonderoga in New York, this scene lent itself nicely to infrared, a non-visible spectrum of light. I use a camera filter which is virtually black to block out all visible light, allowing only the infrared to reach the sensor.

Brown Pelicans at La Jolla

Several photographers had told me about “the pelican spot” in La Jolla, CA. I wandered in before sunrise to catch them waking and testing their wings in the early morning hours while the sea lions made comically cinematic sounds on the rocks below. The pelicans were the highlight of my San Diego trip.

Waterfront Refections – Camden, Maine

I spent a few evenings this past summer sitting along the Camden waterfront watching and engaging with people and their dogs … and of course taking photos. It is a fabulous spot to meet locals and visitors alike and to watch the comings and goings of beautiful watercraft. I was captivated by the gentle motion of the ship in the water and how the undulating water caused the reflection of the boat to swirl and contort.

Life at Fort Ticonderoga

A Revolutionary era re-enactor at Fort Ticonderoga, NY. I don’t consider myself a people shooter, but I love this photograph. I had only had my Canon a few days and was not adept at working it yet. The light situation was difficult…but overall I like the effect. It reminds me of a Vermeer painting.

Castle in the Park

Central Park in New York City is a fabulous place to people watch and soak in a more relaxed city pace away from the crazy cabs and honking horns. This is a window detail on Belvedere Castle.

A different perspective

It was a rainy morning in Maine when I took this photo. I was with another photographer whose primary interest was finding a cup of coffee. I hopped out of the car to shoot this boat in dry dock. I love the bold colors and the simplicity of this image.