Viewpoints

Deep Winter Laurel

Despite the illusion of warmth, the picture was taken in a foot of old snow in a hemlock swamp; a secluded caress in a tangle of Mountain Laurel. The temperature was well below freezing here; a frost deep enough to make June seem like a universe away. This close to the subject, you need to remember not to step backwards on your snowshoes.

Behind the lens, I find myself circling winter from all directions. Is the light warm or is it frigid? Does monochrome confuse or clarify? Can snow and ice be seen in endless variation? The answer is always “yes,” depending…

New Hartford CT

home

Plowscapes

Lately, it’s been hard not to notice that the ridges created by snowplowing are a subject worth considering. After the recent storm, there’s endless piles of these formations along every road, and late in the day, they can be seen with a surprising dose of drama. These were taken in Massachusetts a few days ago, on an isolated road in Granville State Forest.

In this group, the pictures slide along a gradient of contrast (left image, the softest). I wanted them to look like there was a cyanotype common ancestor, and thus the dusky blue shade of toning.

home

Winterscript / Group 3

For the third group, I snowshoed into a wetland yesterday and took some pictures of the snowy hummocks that formed over the top of a creek. In the summer, this is a leafy place; a swampy maze of rocks, hemlock, maples and birch.

In the pictures, you’ll notice that the shadows are deeper than in my previous two posts. I wanted to remain faithful to what I saw: the curving shade of snowy undulations; mid-winter scenes laced with the shadows of branches and twigs.

home

Winterscript / Group 2

The pictures in the series were taken in 18″ of snow on snowshoes. That required a few days of grooming trails around our property (and in the adjoining woods) so that I could swap my trekking poles for my camera.

The pictures were taken in soft light, so I avoided ratcheting up the contrast. There’s ample light reflected in snowy woods, so I wanted to communicate that. Aside from that, it’s been very cold, so I’m picking my pictures carefully. That sort of selectivity can be a good thing and reminds me of when I was shooting 12 images on a roll of 120 film.

The pictures are square format black and whites taken with a short telephoto prime. Sometimes these lenses are called portrait lenses, but to me, they bring intimacy into whatever they’re being aimed at. There’s a coziness in that focal length, and that quality can be manifested in any number of ways when using the shallowest depth of field.

home

Leaning In


The three landscapes are from a week ago; taken at Phillips Pond here in New Hartford.

Today we’re being visited by the fifth winter storm of the season, and this one has what it takes to refashion perspective. It’s currently 4°f; 12 to 18″ inches of snow (in progress and could go higher). The storm is blanketing a huge swath of the northeast, turning to freezing rain along the coast.

home

Freosan

Froesan refers to an Old English verb meaning “to freeze.”

It’s true that here in southern New England we’ve been visited with what we once called “real winter,” but the observation is made with an awareness of the planet’s crisis and the muddled response in dealing with the problem. My own country’s reaction has been an embarrassment and a disappointment. Greed, gaslighting and contempt seem to be the only ingredients our current cooks are working with.

With that in mind, I use an archaic word from Middle English for a group of of ice pictures. Nostalgia for the former world, perhaps, before the fever was yet to start…

home

Collinsville / The January View

A thaw has moved into southern New England, one that I’m hoping will only be temporary.

A visit to Collinsville yesterday resulted in some pictures of the riverfront and surrounding neighborhoods. The village is situated on the Farmington River; the site of an historic factory complex where edged tools were made. It was here that John Brown came to purchase spears, an acquisition which ultimately led to his failed rebellion and execution.

Yesterday, the Farmington was dressed with large patches of melting ice, and snow was beginning to fade from the riverbanks. There’s an elevated section of rail trail next to the factory that provides the downward gaze. The patchiness of the snow looked especially interesting in black and white.

home

Blanket

During yesterday’s walk on Phillips Pond it began to snow. I took a series of pictures with faster shutter speeds and and another group with shallow depth of field. One method freezes the flakes’ movement and the other blurs the flakes closest to the lens, such as is the case with this image. What I wanted to see is how enriched the real images of falling snow are when you compare them to the various apps and plug-ins that try to recreate it.

The pictures take in the wetlands across the ice with occasional glimpses into the surrounding woods; all with a veil of snow.

New Hartford CT

home

Brook Ice / Leadmine

I found these jagged ice forms recently in Leadmine Brook (Roraback Wildlife Management Area in Harwinton). It may sound odd, but they do resemble the migraine auras I’ve been experiencing most of my adult life, albeit with less scintillating effects and color.

The rivers have been presenting a different wintry face with every visit, depending on the temperature and strength of current. There’s another winter storm in the queue for this evening.

home

Barn at Rest

A few days ago we spent some time after dinner looking at Andrew Wyeth’s winter paintings from Maine. Sadly, this wasn’t a museum visit or even a coffee table book; just a half hour online. I was struck by how he conveyed a feeling for winter color using much of the same antiqued palette that he’s known for. I also realized how well he conjured up the flavor of New England loneliness; quite different from that found in Edward Hopper’s work.

My picture was taken after a recent hike in the Roraback Wildlife Management Area. Despite cold fingers, I snapped a few pictures before starting up the car. This is not how Wyeth would’ve painted it, but I liked the lacey light of a winter sunset, and the lines of trees and blue canoe. Harsh shadows would’ve turned this picture into something else but they were retired for the evening.

You can check out some of Wyeth’s work from Maine here. Happy holiday week, ya’ll.

home

Freeze Frame ii

When I unpacked the second picture in the series, it looked complicated enough to come with operating instructions. You’re looking at a close-up view of ice at the edge of a pond; the last rays of sunlight skirting across the surface. Those are reflecting branches in the upper right and leaves encased in ice below. That adds up to three subject planes, if I’m counting correctly.

This picture, as well as the previous one, were taken during a frigid walk to the pond adjacent to Indian Council Caves in northwest CT. As usual, my camera was in the saddle bag, but alas: I’d forgotten my memory card. So, you’re looking at a relatively rare capture from my cell phone.

home