Last Post 2011

Happy New Year's to each and all !

Sunset in the Woods

I took this photo walking in the woods at , " Three Sisters Lighthouse " in Cape Cod. They are some of the prettiest and most interesting woods I have ever seen.

Color from Jersey

Feeling refreshed

back home , sitting here with a nice hot cup of tea , I'm feeling refreshed after a week of strolling the beaches and broadwalk, spending time with family , old friends and a few new ones . I can't help but look back and realize that even with the few potholes along my wacky trail , it has been a very good year for me. there is still lots of time left in this year 2011 but looking forward to the next one with high hopes and dreams.

below are a few black and white photos from the trip with color photos coming in a couple of days. hoping everyone enjoys them as much as I did taking them.

on a lighter note , it appears my Japenese is worst then my English , with everyone asking me to translate a post from earlier. while my words have changed a little since then , I will write it out the way it is posted.

O beautiful girl
feelings of sorrow , so sad
burning eyes so wet

so hard to see friends so near
to accept their hearts so clear

( I know , it sucks ! Cut me some slack. )

to my heart and soul

looking south

looking north

window reflections

Holiday Season

talking with one of my brother's today and a few other friends , arranging dinner plans for Atlantic City next weekend. it occured to us that this will probably be the last time we see each other this year. sitting here digesting that I was thinking about family and friends that I won't see at all for the holidays.

 I don't want anyone one to think I could have forgotten them ( yea right , like anyone could forget these wackadoos ! ) . so here is a christmas wish for each and everyone of you.

                                             

love ya all !

Jersey Shore

after more then a year of planning , unplanning , frustration and disappointment i'm finally going to make it to the Jersey shore next week , yippee !!! I can't wait to just walk the beaches , photograph and plan my year ahead . the ocean is the place that enables me to release and rejuvenate. another good thing about the trip is that I can never travel to Jersey without running into old friends , you just never know who it will be this time. first stop !   59st.  pier , Ocean City and all points south.

a moon lit walk in the woods.

reruns

since fall color was so bad this year I decided to upload one from last October . this was taken a few miles west of Lake Placid.

another pan from the beach this year.

Play day !

Today was a play day for me . Just to go out and walk with my camera and have fun. To explore an area for later and to relax. I arrived a little early for photographing the small stream and waterfalls so I setup at the swings to experiment with motion. Off in the distance I could hear children coming my way , it was a dad with his two little girls and they wanted to play on the swings . while they were playing I asked if it was ok to pan photos of the girls. These are a couple I liked and will give copies to their dad should I hear from him.

    
     

waiting for the sun to move a little farther west.

Overlooking Albany County

A collection of my words

I carry these 4 note books everywhere I go . they are never more then a few feet from me. with a stack of them , they are easily replaced as they are filled. then locked away from the outside world.

there is one that is a collection of my thoughts , observations and ideas. another of poems that I have been working on , changing , growing and maturing as I do. more people have seen the dark side of the moon then the words I scribed between the cover of these two books. hopefully , one day , some of these ideas combined with work from my other passions , will be available to the general public. if not , the whole collection can travel to the heavens on the same sparks as my ashes.   


a third book is where I keep my photography notes. seasons , situations and ideas I want to work on when I find the time. And lastly , I keep a notebook of the workshops I have attended. it usually takes me a few times at a location to really capture my feelings of a place. I don't have that special talent of just seeing everything the first time around. taking notes while i'm there and then evaluating my work to see what to do differently the next time.

attending a workshop at Martha's Vineyards earlier this month I have a few photos I like but many more that I screwed up and as you can see from my notes , I'm ready for next year.


There are also a couple of books like this one I keep handy to remind me of the things to watch for.

They're coming !!!

Sacrifices for the scarey little monsters , goblins and witches.


           Trick or Treat !!!

I love autumn

I love autumn !!! the colors,the little we got of them this year,due to the massive storm Irene,is fadding away to winter smell.this is exactly the point that I get so excited about.autumn's last struggle of winter's charging grip,fighting the nod until collapse.winter winning over it's time,for me,makes for the most dramatic seasonal moments of the year.heading into the long cold stressful struggle for spring!


now if I can just find my soul within this fold, I may be able to shoot it as I feel it.this one here may be just a tad over the deep end. but I'm getting there,hopefully.

Donaroma's nursery

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Our colorful future

Alison Shaw's , Martha's Vineyard Photo Workshops

Alison Shaw: She is always happy, always smiling, always laughing.

This is not your typical cookie-cutter workshop. Right from the start, instead of  lining up waiting to drive off  like some camel caravan, we always met at our assigned shooting locations. Donna Foster, who is the hardest working workshop assistant I’ve ever had the honor of meeting, devised the daily critiques in such a simple and ingenious way that it’s shocking no one before has ever come up with it in any workshop I’ve attended . But the most impressive difference with Alison’s workshop was her “One on One “sessions.

We were each given 20 minutes to talk privately with Alison to discuss anything photographically that was on our mind. Let me tell you, that takes moxie. I personally wanted to talk about my plans for the future. I came away feeling better about where I’m at and where I’m headed. Donna, even with all she had on her plate, spent almost two hours over the next couple of days helping me with my ideas, along with other options available.

Working in the field with Alison and Donna, I knew that if there was something I needed help with, both were always close at hand to offer their support. They helped me to work with a quiet confidence without feeling any pressure. It made for a very comfortable and secure atmosphere. No one’s needs are ever overlooked.

For me, the highlight of the workshop was the tour of Alison’s gallery. It was the first time I’ve seen a pro photographer’s studio, top to bottom. As we arrived, Claire was on hand to answer all our questions about the process from photo to print, storage, or anything else that came to mind. This was capped off with Alison and Sue talking about fine art, prints, and the business of photography. They are so attuned to each other that it was like listening to two musicians performing together. Needless to say, I walked away impressed.

I have been very fortunate over the years to attend workshops with some great photographers/teachers, but for me Alison sets the standard for conducting a workshop. One would be hard pressed to find anything better than the team Alison assembled for her Martha’s Vineyards workshops.

I want to thank Alison, Donna, Sue, and Claire, along with all my classmates, for the help, ideas and wonderful time spent together.

I would also like to give special thanks to Tess and Eli, whose work is inspiring.

Oak Bluffs MV

Martha's Vineyard

Nobsha Lighthouse

The Cape

The weather is beautiful. wish everyone was here , ;O)

Down time is coming

October is almost here and it's my favorite month of the year. not only is it the beautiful colors and weather but I always take most of the month off   ;O) . Lord knows I need it. The first few days will be spent in the Adirondacks and Vermont shooting the fall colors, moving onto the Cape and Martha's Vineyard , finishing up the road trip at Watkins Glen .

below is a photo I took tonight at sunset with the idea of montaging it with a coastal shot from my vacation . if not then maybe I'll get the shot I need when I head to the Jersey shore in December.

Leaving under a black cloud

A little bit of Blues

It was nice to have a little down time today

After 5 straight days of 12's at work and 3 days at the gym , my mind , body and soul deserved a little bit of the blues.

The Adirondacks

are simply the friendliest mountains in America.

Irene

by now most everyone knows about hurricane Irene rolling up along the east coast with the possibility of MAJOR damage . as of this moment it is just reaching North Carolina . with the eye of the storm still forecasted to hit Albany , NY some time Monday. This is the area where I live.

arriving at work this afternoon I was handed a letter issued from the , " U.S Department of Transportation " Federal Railroad Adminstration . This letter basically gives me authorization to cross police lines , road blocks , and control points in direct suppport of any and all infrastucture which supports interstate commerce.

I can't help but think if the situation should get as bad as they say , what makes them think for a moment I'm going to be out running around trying to keep it all together? with winds calling for 65+ mph and 14 - 16" of rain here , a 150 miles inland of the ocean , I don't think so.

stay safe everyone and here is a photo from Rock harbor on Cape Cod Bay ( 2009 )and Kills Devil Hill ( 2010 )on the Outer Banks.

Water : Life begins