I’ve just returned from 5 days camping at Buck Pond Campground in the northern Adirondacks, where I enjoyed some great weather, lots of canoe time, and great photographic opportunities. I’ll have some images to share in the next day or so, but in the meantime, I just wanted to highlight two images that are part of a local show.
River Palettes
This image titled “River Palettes” was made during a fairly recent outing to Esopus Meadows, and I was fortunate to find this amazing sky reflected in the calm waters of the Hudson. The strong lines of the clouds really dictated the composition to me, and I immediately thought of the brush strokes of a painter sweeping across the sky. It is certainly one of those images that is better appreciated as a print rather than on a computer monitor, something which is often over looked by many photographers. I’m never really 100% sure if an image is successful until I print it, and only then will I make the final adjustments if any to the master file. In this case not many were needed, and I printed directly from Lightroom.
Little Stony Point
I’ve been working more on my panoramas recently, and “Little Stony Point” is one that I’m quite pleased with. I love venturing out at the tail end of storms when the weather is very active, and conditions are very dynamic and exciting. When I arrived at this spot on the Hudson just 4 miles south of where I live, there was heavy cloud cover and a strong wind. But withing 30 minutes, the scene had changed dramatically, and I knew I had the potential for expressing how I felt about the view before me. The cool refreshing breeze, the calming water at low tide, and setting sun behind the sweeping and dark shapes all combined to create a very calming and lyrical atmosphere. I wished the conditions never to change, but all too quickly the soothing light was gone and I walked back to my car in darkness. This photograph was composed of 3 images stitched together in Photoshop, then cropped and processed in Lightroom. While the print in the show is 36″ wide, I am making a 90″ wide canvas version for the lobby of a corporate clients office – I’ll have the full details in a future post.
Both of these images, as well as five others are part of a new exhibition at the Riverwinds Gallery in Beacon, NY titled “Salute to the Hudson River Through a Photographers Eye“, which opened this past Saturday and runs for one month. There are 4 other photographers in the show all showing their personal views of the Hudson, and I was very excited to be invited to participate. You can read more about the show at the Hudson Valley Press website.
Mt Beacon Firetower
My wife Brenda and I hiked up to the summit Mt Beacon and then proceeded to the historic 78 yr old South Mt Beacon firetower yesterday evening. The Scenic Hudson trailhead is a very short drive from our home, and once at the top, the views are fantastic from the Catskill mountains all the way to new York City. Reaching the tower half hour before sunset after a mile hike, the light was changing rapidly, and dramatically as well. It was one of those instances when I barely had any time to react to the changing conditions, and I just enjoyed the views and had fun with the camera. Though I often have preconceived ideas of how I’d like to approach a location, experimenting is always the best way to learn, regardless of the outcome.
It really helps to know your gear well, as a few seconds making adjustments can make all the difference between capturing or missing something special. Most cameras have presets that you can program to give you one click access to common settings, and I have one as a starting point for landscapes: Manual Mode, f16, ISO 100, mirror lock-up, and 2 second timer. All I need to adjust afterwards is shutter speed, and aperture depending on the composition. Of course, this is a very basic explanation, but the concept is to eliminate the technical, and focus on composition and emotion.
Cloud Patterns
Improvising visually felt very much like my younger days playing bass in a jazz band as the leader looked in my direction and nodded for a solo. When the rest of the band stopped playing except for the drummer and all eyes rested on me, I said “oh $@%@” in my mind, and attempted to make believe I knew what I was doing.
I learned much from those valuable experiences, as well as countless mistakes, and in the process gained the confidence to follow my instincts. Always follow your instincts, regardless of what you do, and more likely than not, you won’t be disappointed.
It felt good descending in the dark after enjoying a great evening in the outdoors. And the company couldn’t have been better. Map and More Info.
Hudson River View
“I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.” – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
It’s been a busy 6 weeks, so I thought I would share some recent news and upcoming events.
On the art fair scene, I’ve exhibited in art and craft shows in New Paltz, White Plains (where I won the second place award), Beacon, and Rhinebeck. Though they are certainly a lot of work, I enjoy meeting new people as well as past customers and workshop students. The response to my new canvas prints has been very enthusiastic, and I continue to improve both the quality of the printing and framing as I experiment with different materials. I hope to get a new 44″ printer this summer which will allow me to create larger pieces for those with bigger spaces. I’m working on a future post about how I make my canvas prints, so stay tuned.
I’ve also been given the opportunity to display my prints and posters at a few retail locations in the area, including Mountain Tops in Beacon, and the EMS store in Poughkeepsie, NY. In addition to the publicity, it’s a great opportunity to expose shoppers to some great hikes and views in the Hudson Valley they may not be aware of.
EMS Poughkeepsie
I’ll be featured in a new show at the RiverWinds Gallery next month titled “A Salute to the Hudson River – Through a Photographer’s Eye” as well as a solo show at the Bannerman Gallery in August. I’m looking forward to both since they are in my hometown, and it’s always great to see the local community. The Riverwinds show will include other photographers, and I’m looking forward to seeing their perspectives of a familiar subject.
There will be more in the upcoming July issue of the “Beyond the Lens” Newsletter, so subscribe here, and read past issues here.
