Too Much!!!
I learned the other day that there is actually a time when it is possible to have too much of a good thing. I never would’ve though this was possible- all the other good things in my life I can’t get enough of but yesterday things changed. This last week we have had a series of snowstorms that left a couple of new feet on the ground already covered with several feet. This is the most snow we’ve had on the ground in the 12 years I have been in Vermont. Remembering a shot I have always wanted I called my friend Pete and together, with his snowmobiles, we rode up into the Green Mts. near my house. Our destination Black Brook and the Appalachian trail crossing that is 6 miles from my house. To anyone who has been to one of my Vermont workshops this is a favorite location of mine. It is also where the cover of my book The Nature of Vermont was taken. I have the shot in every season except winter- it is a three season road- so snowmobiles are essential. Waiting for a snow day for the winter wonderland look, Pete and I drove up and I stumbled through the deep snow to the one opening I could see in the stream. Unfortunately, with 4 feet of snow on the rocks and a winter’s worth of freezing the rest of the stream was hidden to the point of being invisible. The shot I got is okay but certainly not great and probably not worth all the trouble of getting up there. What did I learn? In winter, if you wait too long streams can freeze over and snow-up to the point where they are not picture-worthy. You need to be able to see mostly water to call it a photo of a stream. I now know that I need to do this shot in December right after or during an early snowfall. Then there would be lots of water showing and the rocks would all have great pillows of snow on them. That is the shot I wanted! Oh well, there is always next year, and the year after, and the year after, forever. By the way, I handheld a 16-35mm Nikon lens on my camera at ISO 1600 and f16. My shutter speed was 1/250th.
Hugh in the Barn
I am often asked what it is like in the barn in the winter. My response is usually, “It is not as cold as you might think inside and it is much colder than you can imagine outside.” Today, I got a different answer to the question care of Hugh.
Serious snow on the farm
Here is what happens on the Bromley farm when we get lots and lots of snow followed by a day or two above freezing. This is the side (an alcove) of the horse barn- what is called the calf barn- where the new calves are kept during the cold months. When the snow slowly crept off the roof it formed an arching wall about 4 feet in front of the door to the calf barn. So Roger got out his trusty chainsaw and cut a nice new ‘door’ in the nice new ‘wall.’ So what is wrong with this shot? No, its not the light although it isn’t great. Two things I should’ve done better- First, I should’ve waited until Roger was coming out on the ‘door’ with the wheel barrow. Adding a person to this scene gives the picture some life and a nice sense of perspective. As it is now it is just a still life, as in no life. Without a person there is no story. Second- I shouldn’t have said to myself “I’ll come back and do it right tomorrow.’ because tomorrow the entire roof slid and the door is no more! I know better than to put pictures off but sometimes I just don’t pay attention. Let this be a lesson!!!
Working Locally – Underground
Back to one of my favorite topics- the advantages of photographing locally. This morning, after being in Danby for 10 years, I finally got the chance to take some pictures in the local marble quarry. While most people don’t know anything about this quarry, it is a big deal here in town. The quarry produces the purest white marble in the US and Danby marble is part of many important buildings in Washington DC and throughout the world. It is also the source stone for all the gravestones in Arlington National Cemetery. I had been in the quarry several years ago but had not had the opportunity to take any serious photos. Since then I have often thought of the amazing potential images I saw- quarrymen covered in marble dust, a 50′ marble-cutting chainsaw, the enormity of the dimly lit galleries- and have been trying to find a way back inside (it is closed to the public) to take some serious shots. Who knew that all I had to do was replace our kitchen countertop with Danby marble! So this morning, while picking out the exact slabs that will be fashioned into our countertop I took a few shots. These I showed to Mike, the guy in charge, and he was very gracious and generous and said I was welcome to come back and do it right! Yippppeeeee! Here are a couple of shots from inside- all hand held, shot at 6400 ISO- to give you a general sense of what it is like inside Danby Mountain. There are a couple of miles of passages down under the trees and much to photograph. All this goes to show that poking around locally, even poking around underground, can be a very worthwhile endeavor. These pictures are nothing to brag about but the ones I will take when I go back will be and it is only 5 miles from my house! I bet there are even stories to be found there, covered in marble dust, aching to be shared. I’ll keep you posted.
Death Valley
Just got back from a quick trip to Death Valley National Park to try to get some of the shots that I saw during my workshop there in November but because I don’t photograph while teaching I never got. Trips like this for me don’t usually work out- the old saying ‘You can never go back again’- is usually true for me. But this time it did work out and I got just the shots I wanted of the dunes.
Some More Winter
Greetings Everyone! February here in Vermont and it is as wintery as I have ever seen it. Since the middle of December there has been a steady parade of big winter storms and they have all been snow, snow and snow. No January thaw this year and it doesn’t look like the pattern is going to change soon. We couldn’t be happier! Anyone who lives in northern New England over the winter months likes snow and winter and cold. If they didn’t they have moved south long ago. So here are a few of my favorite winter storm pictures. The secret to getting storm photos? Go out in the middle of the storm! Protect your camera when you can but otherwise get it out there and start snapping away. Your camera is as weather tolerant as you are- when you are miserable your camera is too. I do keep a dry towel or two in my camera to wipe off the moisture that accumulates but that is about the only concession I make to the weather. So get in the wind and cold and snow/rain and see what you can get!