Surry Dam - Keene, NH

 Ashuelot River coming out of Surry Dam

Surry Mountain Lake from the top of the dam

Portrait of our Cat

This is one of my favorite photographs of our cat. She loves sitting in the sunny window as most cats do.

Children at Crane's Beach

In August I went to Crane's Beach to see the Strandbeest exhibit which featured the art of Theo Jansen. Before the exhibit and demonstration started the children had a nice time playing at the beach despite the chilly weather.

Outdoors in November

I didn't take a whole lot of pictures this fall but managed to get out for a few short photo shoots. These first two photographs were taken in Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, MA.

On a cold November day we went for a walk in Maudslay State Park. I managed to get Mike to stop and take one photo with me on the condition that I wouldn't take any more pictures of him for the rest of the walk.

This photo was shot on the trail near the Maudslay homestead. Lucky for me the sun was setting over the Merrimac River.

On another quick walk to the Waterfront Park in Newburyport, I stopped to take a photo of the cormorants which adorn the docks. Across the bay are the buildings in Salisbury, MA. 

Just as we left my mother's house after our Thanksgiving visit we saw a band of wild turkeys crossing a neighbor's yard. Such a pleasant sight to see on Thanksgiving weekend. This was taken in Stoddard, NH. 

I continued my photographs of Black and White wet stones with this one at Goose Pond in Keene, NH on Thanksgiving Day. 

Thanksgiving Day with our Nephews

We spent Thanksgiving Day with our nephews. We had a great time taking them on a short hike at Goose Pond, Keene, NH and played some football in the yard.

Korbin and his brother took a break from throwing rocks in the pond to take a picture for their mom.

Our nephew Caellan getting ready to be in the NFL.

James and Uncle Mike wrestle for the football while dinner is prepared inside.

Hiking Mt. Lafayette

For Mike's birthday we hike part of the Franconia Ridgeline Trail in the White Mountains. The trail we hiked is about nine miles long and goes along the treesless ridgeline over three 4,000 ft peaks - Little Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette.

The cairn on Little Haystack is reflective of the shape of the peaks Mt Flume and Mt Liberty in the distance. 

This is the view of Mt Lafayette from the top of Mt Lincoln. It's a lot further away than it may appear!

Here you can see the ridgeline which we hiked with Lafayette, Lincoln and Little Haystack from left to right. 

Storm King Art Center

The Storm King Art Center in Windsor, New York is a great place for inspiration.

Butterfly House in Hershey, PA

On one leg of our honeymoon we did a road trip through Pennsylvania. On our way, we stopped in Hershey, PA to go to the Hershey Rose Garden where they have a Butterfly House.  These are some of the photographs I took there.

On the Road: West Virginia

On the way through West Virginia

Green Banks Telescope

Shenandoah National Park

The main stop on our honeymoon was Shenandoah National Park. We spent four days hiking, camping, driving the 100 mile Skyline Drive and visiting waterfalls and mountaintops.

Skyline Drive in Northern end of the park

Big Meadows Campground

Hawkbill Mountain

Stony Man Mountain

Bee on Flower

One of the first close up photos I have tried with my camera and lens. I hope to improve on these types of pictures since I don't have as much practice with them.

This one was taken outside of The Tannery in Newburyport, MA. 

Joppa Flats Sunset

The sunset over the Merrimac River mouth new Newburyport is a beautiful sight. One of the quieter places to watch it without straying far from the downtown area is at Joppa Flats on Water St.

Whale Watch

 Mike took me on a whale watch for my birthday. We took a boat out of Gloucester, MA to the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary. We were fortunate to see two pairs of humpback whales.

By far my favorite photo from the day! The whales came quite close to the boat and were amazingly large. 

Not only are the whales very large but they are also very majestic.

Another whale watching boat also came to visit the whales. 

I was interested in the way that these wild animals have become a spectacle and event for humans to watch. 

Gloucester Bay

I recently took a Whale Watch out of Gloucester, MA. It was a beautiful summer day so the colors were very vibrant and the fisherman were out in force!

Yankee Homecoming 2015 - Newburyport

Each year Newburyport, MA has a week long celebration of the town's history and culture. I attended the opening ceremony at the Bartlett Mall on Old Fashioned Day and took some pictures of the people enjoying the day.

Children played carnival games and enjoyed the bouncy castle and this blow-up obstacle course.

Children's shoes of all colors outside the bouncy castle.

Kids loved the train going around the Frog Pond.

The pony rides were also popular.

Meanwhile speeches took place as part of the opening ceremony. This little boy looked longingly at the carnival games from his seat on the stage.

Adults also socialized with their friends.

Once they had exhausted the games at the event, children made their own fun like these boys rolling down the hill.

By the end of the day the children seemed pretty tuckered out!

Historic Photos of New York City

I haven't been getting many photos done lately. My wedding in two weeks hasn't left me with a whole lot of time for editing photos. I hope to get more photos up in late July.

I recently stumbled across this series of photos released by the New York Municipal Archives.



Although I haven't spent much time in New York City, I felt a deeper connection to it after seeing these photographs. Not only is the history interesting but the photographs are quite striking. Below are my thoughts on a couple specific photographs in the link above.

#1 - I particularly love the first photograph of Grand Central Station. The light streaming in creates pools of light on the floor where ghostly figures stand conversing in small groups.

#11 - The eleventh photograph has a similar feeling of a ghostly figure. The distant figure is visible through the fog on Queensboro Bridge.

#24 - The twenty fourth photograph features painters suspended in the Brooklyn Bridge. The diminishing perspective coupled with the various heights where the men are standing provides a really intriguing composition. Meanwhile the city peeks out of the background.

#43 - Similarly the city peeks out of the background giving us a sense of place in the forty third photograph. The lighting on the steel beams are impeccable and the dark silhouette of the man looking out of the city was well seen.

These photographs are very beautiful and there is a lot to learn about the power of photography from them.

Flower Walk in Maudslay State Park

If you ever go to the Newburyport area I highly suggest going to Maudslay State Park. It is a wonderful place for a walk. In May and June it is full of blooming Azaleas and Rhododendron. Bald eagles nest there in the late winter and it has some wonderful paths through a pine grove, along the Merrimac River and in historical gardens.

They frequently offer programs for the public such as historical tours, painting days or flower walks. I was able to attend one of these flower walks. My favorite photograph from the one hour tour was this one of a flying ant suckling at a white peone.

It was difficult lighting at first but I was able to get the ant in mid-flight. The peone's were beginning to lose their petals so I made it just in time to get a good picture of the peone before it passed for the season.

I had good luck with insects that day. I was also able to get this pretty good picture of a bee at a Catawba Rhododendron. The photograph was underexposed but I thought I captured the bee well enough that it is worth posting. On the flower walk I learned that this is a rhododendron and not its close sister the azalea because it has more than seven stamen. Azaleas look very similar but have only five stamen and do not have thick waxy leaves like the rhododendron.

I hope to do much more photography of the special flora at Maudslay State Park over the summer. It is a truly beautiful place to visit.