Chasing Bubbles.

playful innocence

the gamboling sprite

cheerful, brimming with glee

impishly giggles to the delight

of familial woodland attendants

Then and Now #4.

In 1899, increasing financial difficulties pushed Miss Florence Griswold to open her old family home to boarders. Among the first few to stay there was Henry Ward Ranger, a landscape artist from New York City. It is said that he was so taken with the pastoral estate he told Miss Florence he would return the following summer with more artist friends. Thus, the famous artist colony of Old Lyme, CT was born.

Below is a photo from 1905 of several resident artists and their wives--the Hot Air Club--taking their lunch in the shade of the side porch. And, of course, below that is that same porch today.

“How little people know and realize what a student in art has to pass through in order to master his profession – the deep thought and patient labor to put upon canvas some event of daily life, or spot on this green earth. It is no play, but hard earned work – work that has no end.” ~ William Henry Howe. One of Old Lyme's resident artists.

How 'bout a Pint?

Mmmmm... beer!

Challenges.

Every now and again, when I go out to shoot, I try to give myself a little challenge. I may decide on only one lens--a 20mm f2.8 for instance. Must shoot with that, nothing else. I may decide to shoot with no flash at all in a very low-lit venue. I may try to shoot with a flash in manual mode only... no TTL.

This morning I decided to shoot only verticals. Whether it was a scenic or still life or action... vertical only. Here a few from that challenge.

Now, the only thing even remotely interesting about this next shot is that it is a Bald Eagle. (Hard to tell, I know, but I swear it is!) I keep forgetting that Conn Island, just north of Great Falls has a nesting pair or two up there. Will endeavor to return with a somewhat more impressive capture in the coming weeks!

 

Cheers.

Then and Now #3

In 1945 after the liberation of Paris, a Colonel in the U.S Army made a photograph of the Eiffel Tower from Place du Trocadero. 63 years later an American traveler, owing his very freedom to visit places like France to said officer/photographer, found himself in the same area and made his own photograph.

Photograph by Col. Philip B. Foote

Photo par moi!

'Tis the Season.

"There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot." ~ Steven Wright.

Can you sense it? Feel it? Smell it? It's in the air! Time to get the waders out. Dust off the Shimano. Put the roof-rack on the car. Time to do a little fishing!

Springtime in Washington.

Yes, the Tidal Basin is all abloom (ablossomed?) with our favorite Japanese Cherry Trees. I last strolled around down there a couple years ago with my main man, a very 'insiteful' artist, (and brand new papa!) Matt Hood. We got up at "Oh my fucking god!" o'clock and caught a beautiful sunrise over the Jefferson Memorial then watched as the Gooolden Ooorb (sorry, inside joke.) bathed the cherry trees in a spectacular warm light.

Eh... Not so much this time around. The morning was overcast with intermittent light drizzle. That's OK though. I wanted to approach this supremely over-photographed subject and make it mine! Not too sure this was accomplished. But I did at least try.

Cheers.