Nirvana :: RI
“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” – Sarah Williams, Twilight Hours
The Milky Way season is winding down. 3/4 of a year has flown by. Does anyone else wonder where the time goes? I blinked and it’s officially the first day of fall.
On the plus side, that means apple cider donuts…
The Guardians :: OR
“We men and women are all in the same boat, upon a stormy sea. We owe to each other a terrible and tragic loyalty.” – G. K. Chesterton
These sea stacks were found along the Oregon coast on an overcast, not so sunset-y sunset. But then, I’m a landscape photographer, and I enjoy the weather that no one else likes because it’s so darn photogenic! lol
I’m working on a new tutorial project to help supplement my teaching materials for the Members Area over at Light & Landscape. You know….a few free videos to help you learn, my gift to you! Can’t beat the price, right? 😉
If you want to keep informed about the upcoming tutorials as they are released, make sure to sign up for my newsletter.
…(did I just score some points with Game of Thrones fans?? ;-D)
Anyway, this is a photo of the iconic Portland Head Light. It’s one of those places that has been photographed from every possible angle, with all possible lighting and and weather conditions. So obviously, I had to have a version of my own. haha
Like most heavily visited areas, the image and the reality of the place are a little different. What you don’t see is a fence line keeping tourists away from the rocks so they don’t fall into the ocean, a worn dirt and gravel path along the fence line as far as you can see, and at least a handful of other tourists who were braving the cold with me.
What you also don’t see is photogs like me doing yoga with their tripods over the fence trying to get a better angle than what the state determined to be safe. Or the sagging spot in the fence where it would seem (because obvi, I didn’t do it! *cough cough*) most people hopped over to climb the rocks.
Most of these iconic spots – the places you associate with…well…places – are now a handful of scenic surrounded by regulations. It is, without a doubt, a beautiful place. But the images of a rugged coastline are somewhat decieving.
Makes me crave a little bit of the unexplored, of the undiscovered, of the wild. There are days where I want a secret, beautiful spot that I can call my own, creating unique photos that will wow.
But for now, until I’m independently wealthy and able to finance a trip to where the wild things grow…this little bit of Maine will do. 🙂
The Quiet Before the Storm
As a wee lass growing up in New England, I always counted myself lucky in the weather department. New England skies are known to change quickly, but the circumstances were rarely extreme.
Earthquakes? Nope.
Tornados? Never.
Hurricanes? Unheard of….
While I still feel fortunate to have avoided the major devastation of Tornado Alley, Katrina and the fault lines in California, it would seem that us New Englanders will have to start developing a thicker skin. In the last three years, we have had tornados rip through the states leaving hallways of destruction that still haven’t been repaired, earth shakes, record snowfall with a side of power outages and most recently, coastal towns in ruin due to Sandy.
Although I don’t live on the coast, I actually had reason to visit the shore a few times over the last few weeks (weddings and lighthouses are a magical photo-combination!) and wanted to share a few snaps of the Atlantic’s calmer side.
Rendezvous at the Cape
For those of you who are able to do so, the Red Cross is looking for donations to help the people affected by Sandy. Also, as a bonus, I found a great list of donation safety tips online here.Stay safe, stay positive.
XOXO
Shann
PS – Tomorrow Will from WhereToWillie and I will be announcing the November Photo Challenge! Put your “be creative” pants on and join us! 🙂
Beavertail Lighthouse – RI
Let me start by saying, I’m not a “water” person. I’m definitely an “I like my feet to be on solid ground, where sharks and alligators can’t eat me” kind of person. I am also an “I almost had a panic attack while kayaking the other day” when my friend pointed out a snapping turtle in the water near us.
That being said, as much as I love being dry, I am drawn to be close to the water. It’s a powerful, beautiful force of nature and it makes a great addition to most photos.
Being at Niagara this weekend reminded me of how incredible, impressive and intense water can be. There is a spot on the American side (in the Cave of the Winds) where you can stand under just a sliver of the Bridal Veil Falls. The water slams into your skin, and the wind from the falls pushes you around on the deck – it is an experience that always takes my breath away.
As I walked away from the Bridal Veil this weekend, I turned to my friend and explained my feelings about water. I don’t love the idea of being in it, but boy do I respect it. And I love, love, love to photograph it in its various forms. In fact, in the next few blog posts, you will definitely see some photos from the weekend. But first…!
Today’s photo is one I’ve been sitting on for a few weeks. It wasn’t what I envisioned when I drove to the coast in Rhode Island to take photos. I have hopes of a colorful sunset on the horizon, rock formations in the foreground, leading lines, and somewhere in there, a lighthouse. What I got was fog. And some crazy powerful waves. And lots of wind. And raindrops on my camera lens. And dangerous footing. And about an hour of reflection – when nature acts up, it reminds me that we are just small (but mighty!) creatures in a gigantic (amazing, beautiful, wonderful!) world.
As I’ve had time away from the photo, it’s grown on me. It is a pano, with only the rocks processed for HDR. This was taken around 8:45pm, so obviously long exposure was used. Also, as us photographers all know, the details make the shot. It took me a few versions of this image before I realized I was missing the light from the lighthouse. With it being socked in, I was hard to make out exactly what it was without the light so I had to begin counting the seconds per rotation. Seven seconds per revolution, two second timer to allow the vibrations from my finger to dissipate. So I set my focus, and began counting…at five seconds, I’d press the shutter and hope for the best. =)
Looking for other bloggers, book reviewers (if you can read, you're in!) and photographers who want to join forces to save the world! (Or something like that.)
SeeingSpotsPhoto.com 