I don’t get out early that much but when I saw the fog one morning I decided to push myself out to see what I could find. What is great about foggy conditions is that the backgrounds all but disappear so that it does not distract from the foreground subject. These critters seemed to be just as happy munching on the grass in the fog as any other time.
For the second half of last year my primary efforts were focused on the “Asylum” project so I have neglected finishing work on the few images I captured over the last few months of 2012 and the first few months of 2013.
I’m going to try to catch up posting some of my recent images and so I’ll start with this one from Potoma Falls, located about a mile downstream and across the Potomac river from Harpers Ferry.
This is one of the first images captured with the Nikon D600. It allows shooting as low as ISO 50 and combined with a polarizer I was able to use a longer shutter speed to blur the water. The blurred water technique has become somewhat of a cliche but in this case I thought it was worth doing.
The lower levels of the fort had a number of rooms that were used for storage and probably also for prisoners at different times.
This was a single image capture that demonstrates the amazing dynamic range of the Olympus OM-D/EM-5. I used the excellent Olympus 12mm (24mm equivalent) f/2 lens.
(Click on the image for a larger view.)
It’s been close to 50 years since I visited Fort Washington so one day I started heading in that direction and decided that I would go for it. Here is the amazing view of the Potomac River from the fort. In the distance you can see the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and DC beyond.
The image is a stitched composite of several images to make up the panoramic.
My newest photo book is being released on May 11 in conjunction with my exhibit at the Triple Brick Museum in celebration of Martinsburg Heritage Day, Saturday May 11. The book contains all of the exhibit images plus about 20 more images from the interior of the General Adam Stephen House.
I will be at the museum at 313 East John Street in Martinsburg on Saturday from 10am – 5pm to talk about the project and sign the book for anyone who wishes.
The book, which retails for $19.95, will be also available at the Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitors’ Center and at the George Washington Trail visitors’ center at the Capterton train station. Or if you can’t get into town and you would like a copy it can be ordered online here.
Sam Abell discussing prints from Frank Robbins during the workshop in Shepherdstown
It’s not often a we have an opportunity to spend four days with one of the great photographers and teachers of our day not to mention being able to do it right in our own neighborhood. I had that opportunity a couple of weeks ago to participate in a “four day intensive” workshop with Sam Abell in Shepherdstown. I have been been meaning to report on it but my Keron Psillas beat me to it and she did it far better than I could have.
Keron is a brilliant photographer in her own right and was Sam’s assistant for this workshop. So here is her report of it on her blog along with a selection of images from the participants.
http://keronpsillas.com/2013/05/05/another-fantastic-sam-abell-workshop/. (While you’re at it, browse the blog to see some great photography and fine writing.)
All I can add is that I was energized and inspired to break out of my winter doldrums and I’m ready to go out and make some new images.
For another trip down memory lane from 20+ years ago, here are some images from the early 1990s when I attempted a bit of street photography on a Sunday afternoon in Annapolis, MD. The weather was overcast and on the cool side, but that did not discourage the crowds from hanging out around what is called the Town Slip – a small and sometimes very crowded dock area where visiting boats can tie up for the day. They also come for the Chesapeake Bay seafood that’s in abundance around the harbor area. Neither did the cool weather discourage the boaters, who crammed their yachts into the small harbor so they can hang out and be seen.
If I remember correctly, these were shot with a Nikon F3 and a 35-105mm zoom on T-Max 400 black and white film. Although I remember making prints of some of these, I’ve never shown these images anywhere before. I don’t do much photography like this these days, so it was interesting to assemble this small group of images.
On Saturday, May 11, I will be opening and exhibit of photographs of interior of the General Adam Stephen House in Martinsburg. The photographs were captured over two summers and have been assembled into an exhibit in the Triple Brick Museum, which is adjacent to the Adam Stephen House, as part of the Martinsburg Heritage Day celebration. The house was donated to the City of Martinsburg and has been restored and furnished with period antiques and artifacts.
The General Adam Stephen House, Martinsburg, West Virginia
I will also be introducing a new book of images from the Adam Stephen House, which will be available for purchase in the Triple Brick Museum and in the Adam Stephen House.
The Triple Brick Museum was originally built to house B&O Railroad workers who were passing through Martinsburg. The building was restored and now houses a collection of locally historic articles.
The Triple Brick Museum, Martinsburg, West virginia
The Adam Stephen House is located at 309 East John Street in Martinsburg. The Triple Brick Museum is adjacent to the house at 313 East John Street.
Here are a few images from Adam Stephen House exhibit.
Between the long, cold winter and Berkeley Arts Council activities, I haven’t done too much photographing over the past few months.
So I grabbed a little time here and there to browse through my old negative files and scan some of the more interesting images. I will be offering some of these in the coming weeks as I sort out my favorites and clean up the scans.
For today, I go back to 1991. While in the Atlanta area on a video project, I had some free time over a weekend and visited a large open-air market. I encountered the guys from JW’s and they graciously agreed to stay still long enough for me to capture this group portrait.
This is an unusual image for me because even back then I rarely photographed people.
Last weekend I attended the 4th Annual Peters Valley Photographers’ Retreat at the Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, New Jersey.
I had the chance to meet and talk with some very accomplished photographers, received some feedback on some of my prints, and actually got out to make some photographs. Of course, I was photographing some of my favorite kinds of subjects. 🙂
Click on the image to see available books.
Light, Shadow, Form, and Texture 