Little Purgatory

These photos were taken on a wintry walk at Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, MA.

We are teetering between the time of ice and water. Running water rolls uncovered into ponds that are ringed with ice.

In a small enclave at Little Purgatory... 

Nearby a message awaits those who take the time to look around.

Icy Puddle in December

This large ice-covered puddle at Purgatory Chasm first caught my attention because of the beautiful patterns that reflected light in natural but geometric forms. Leaves suspended in the ice remind us that fall has only recently passed but that winter is already upon us. 

Views from the Clark Library

Those who have attended Clark University know that there is a great view from the fifth floor of the library. I decided to capture some of these scenes since it is my last year at Clark.

The Kneller gymnasium to the west. This view always reminds you that even though we are in a city, the country is not too far away.

Port of Worcester to the east. The rows of triple deckers with the trains in front speak Worcester.

Woodland St with the downtown Sky Mark building in the background. This one makes Clark feel close to downtown.

The beautiful Woo church with Atwood Hall in the foreground.

Yuval and Allen

My friends Yuval and Allen have been together for a long while now but have relatively few photos together. I decided that we would go out and rectify this situation. I'm very fond of the photos that I came back with.

At first they were a bit nervous and uncomfortable with the camera.

But we got to laughing and they loosened up.

 The setting sun really made them glow.

They were willing to pose for me and I got some cute shots of them lying in the leaves on one of the last warm days of the year.

This is by far my favorite photo from the shoot. I think you get a sense of their character in this one. I also love the red leaves framing them.

Transit Infrastructure - South Worcester

 For a group project I am doing in my Planning and Zoning course, we have been tasked with examining the transportation infrastructure in South Worcester. For those familiar with Worcester these photos were taken in the area near the South Worcester industrial park in the triangle that is defined by the two railroad tracks on either side and Cambridge St on the South side.

Although I was mostly taking photos to document the infrastructure and provide visuals of our plan I also tried to take some that showed the area.

This photograph was meant to document Grand St. It is one of the only SE/NW roads in the neighborhood but is unfortunately cut off by the railroad tracks on both sides. It has the potential to be an important through-way for the area but doesn't have as much action on it now. There are many residences and a couple of small businesses on the street which make it a small center of the neighborhood. I liked this photo because it had a bit more liveliness and shows some of the character of the residential part of the neighborhood.

Although this photo is of the railroad tracks I took it because of the feeling of abandonment. The shadow has a lonely feeling to me and there is a sense of forgotten-ness in the tracks which lie much below street level in this particular location. Although the tracks are still used, the area around faces disinvestment so the tracks also begin to feel abandoned. 

This was by far my favorite photo from the shoot. These old silos are iconic of the South Worcester Industrial Park. The barrier of the fence and the Road Closed sign add to the feeling of desolation. Despite large investment by the City of Worcester to make this land appealing to incoming industry, the plots still lie vacant. The hope is that one day the 20 acres in South Worcester will become a location for industry which creates jobs for the local residents. The plots have great rail and highway access so it could be a good location for industries in need of easy transportation access.

Mornings in Downtown Worcester

 Often in the morning I have extra time before work in downtown Worcester. Over the last month I have take photos during this free time.

I have taken photos of this statue on several occasions. The first time the light did not fall on their faces but this one is the best so far because the lighting fall on all of the statue but not the background.

I love all the lines in this photo making arch shapes. The blue and yellow colors complement each other and I like how the statue is in brightness. 

I would not have spotted these men working if it hadn't been for a man washing the windows of another building at ground level. He was not envious of the work these men had to do at over 10 stories up. I waited for the morning light to hit one side of the building and also managed to get the workers' reflection in the window to add to the dynamic. 

This is an iconic statue of Major Taylor which stands outside of the Worcester Public Library. I utilized the morning light to create a bright image of him and his shadow.

On a cloudier day I walked around the Pleasant St, and Crown Hill areas. This is Liberty Church on Chestnut St. As I took photos of this church a woman came up to me and told me about her conspiracy theories about this church. 

This church door seemed very warm and inviting. It is part of the All Saints Church on Irving St.

Cat Sisters

Last week I did not get much chance to get out of the house and take photos so I decided to take photos of something that is inside my house -- my cats! 

These are the two cat sisters. The closer one with longer hair is Ada and the further one away is Copper. I love this photo because they are looking in the same direction and have the same expression.

In a way I was adding to my family portrait collection from the last couple weeks with this one. It took this photo of my cat Ada to go along with my other family portraits. Unfortunately, I haven't got a good picture of  Copper, yet. I found Ada to be more patient and photogenic.

I liked the sense of motion in the one but wish Ada's face was clearer. I was trying to catch the kitties' playful side.

Ada is a wild lady. Although she's just yawning in this photo she does look a bit frightening.

The cats paused for a moment while wrestling which allowed me to get this shot without any blur. 

The angles of the legs here are what I like the most about the composition. The kitties often clean each other which is always a good time to capture a sweet moment of them.

Fall Art Tour in NH

The fall art tour is a great event which happens in southern NH each Columbus Day weekend. Art-lovers from all over the area can enjoy the fall colors while visiting artists' studios and viewing their work. The event has grown over the years and had over 40 artists participate this year. My mom and I go each year to see all kinds of art - oil paintings, fiber arts, woodwork, glassware, and photographs, of course. I took these photos as we were travelling around the area.

A photography exhibit awaited us in this refurbished mill in Harrisville, NH

Beautiful paint colors in one of the artists's studio.

Flower pedals led the way to one exhibit as the afternoon sun beamed through the window.

The center of town in Harrisville, NH has nearly half a dozen studios. It is a great small town to be an artist. They have also managed to maintain its historic character.

I took this particular photo in Harrisville as well. My nephew said he liked the way that yellow birch leaves shine against the blue sky in the fall so I took this photo for him. 

Outside of Fiddlehead's Cafe in Hancock, NH a nice pumpkin scene was waiting for us. I love how all the little branches lead back to the pumpkin in the center.

This is a series of photographs blended together to make a panorama of a wetland in Stoddard, NH along Route 9. You can click to make it larger, too!

Family Portraits

Last weekend I had the fortune to visit my family up in New Hampshire. I was lucky they were willing to let me take their photographs too!

On the Road: Mount Monadnock

Along our drive this weekend I was also able to stop and take some photos of Mount Monadnock. I have passed both of these locations dozens of times and have been meaning to stop and take photographs there. I was pleased that the weather was being cooperative this weekend.

Taken off Route 12 in Fitzwilliam, NH

Taken from Mountain View Cemetery in Troy, NH

On the Road: Cheshire Rail Trail

On the way up to NH, we also stopped at an old stone bridge that is now part of the Cheshire Rail Trail. This particular location is off of Route 12 in Marlborough, NH.

I tried some of these in black and white but realized that the photos are more about this particular location an dhow it looks in the fall. Particularly this one of Mike was much better in color.

On the Road: Route 140 in the Fall

I went up to New Hampshire to visit my family this past weekend and was able to take some fall photos along the drive. These photos are mostly unedited. I basically just adjusted the shadows and highlights before saving.

I was pleasantly surprised by how this one came out. I like the sense of movement, the fall colors and it's always nice to get a photo of yourself.

I also liked this one for the fall colors. I don't normally dabble in abstract photos but there's a lot of time to spend in the car experimenting with new things!

Mike and I stopped at Redemption Rock along Rt 140 to take some photos. The colors were nice and bright because it had just rained. It took me quite a while to figure out the self-timer on my camera but luckily Mike was willing to be patient.

I am not totally thrilled with this one but I liked the pine needles contrasting with the background.