I’m really pleased to share that InsideOut Magazine has included me in their second annual Art Special, part of the July/August 2009 issue. It is a well written and produced periodical, and the quality of the printing, with great color and detail, has always caught my attention. Titled “Art & The River”, the article features seven artists “who have dedicated enormous amounts of creative time to the task of celebrating the river’s beauty, and its defense”.

In addition to images of me and my work,  it has a VERY edited part of an interview conducted at their offices in Athens, NY a few months ago. After the photo shoot, I sat down with managing editor Amanda Schmidt, and she asked me several unrehearsed questions while she recorded my responses into an iPod with an external microphone.  While most interviews start with the normal and expected questions, such as “how did you get started”, these questions caught me by surprise in a positive way.

“Why do you photograph the river” and “how do you feel when you’re working” made me think about the many reasons I love what I do, and putting that into words was the only difficult part. When you’re passionate about something, sharing that enthusiasm becomes almost habitual, so I was in familiar territory where sometimes I have to be told when to stop. I gave several reasons, then we moved on to other questions. Yet after the interview was over, and I drove to my home 60 miles away, I had the nagging feeling that I really hadn’t given the best response to the first question.

I photograph the valley because it is what I know best, and like a close friend or a favorite song, there is something about the familiar that feels good, natural, comforting, and reminds me how good life can be. While this specific response didn’t get into the article, it stuck with me the most, and it’s one I’ll think about more and more as I continue to photograph both local and non-local landscapes. Why non-local? Because I know that until a place feels as familiar as a good friend, I will not be able to make the kinds of images I prefer, where my feelings become more important than the scene itself.

Workshop students know I repeat this over and over again, and I believe it is a major part of growing as a landscape photographer. Regardless of how technology improves the tools we use, it will always come down to the reason and purpose behind your images, and those that mean something to you will mean something to others.

I’ve just returned from 5 days camping at Buck Pond Campground in the northern Adirondacks, where I enjoyed some great weather, lots of canoe time, and great photographic opportunities. I’ll have some images to share in the next day or so, but in the meantime, I just wanted to highlight two images that are part of a local show.

River Palettes

This image titled “River Palettes”  was made during a fairly recent outing to Esopus Meadows, and I was fortunate to find this amazing sky reflected in the calm waters of the Hudson. The strong lines of the clouds really dictated the composition to me, and I immediately thought of the brush strokes of a painter sweeping across the sky.  It is certainly one of those images that is better appreciated as a print rather than on a computer monitor, something which is often over looked by many photographers. I’m never really 100% sure if an image is successful until I print it, and only then will I make the final adjustments if any to the master file. In this case not many were needed, and I printed directly from Lightroom.

Little Stony Point

I’ve been working more on my panoramas recently, and “Little Stony Point” is one that I’m quite pleased with. I love venturing out at the tail end of storms when the weather is very active, and conditions are very dynamic and exciting. When I arrived at this spot on the Hudson just 4 miles south of where I live, there was heavy cloud cover and a strong wind. But withing 30 minutes, the scene had changed dramatically, and I knew I had the potential for expressing how I felt about the view before me. The cool refreshing breeze, the calming water at low tide, and setting sun behind the sweeping and dark shapes all combined to create a very calming and lyrical atmosphere. I wished the conditions never to change, but all too quickly the soothing light was gone and I walked back to my car in darkness. This photograph was composed of 3 images stitched together in Photoshop, then cropped and processed in Lightroom.  While the print in the show is 36″ wide, I am making a 90″ wide canvas version for the lobby of a corporate clients office – I’ll have the full details in a future post.

Both of these images, as well as five others are part of a new exhibition at the Riverwinds Gallery in Beacon, NY titled “Salute to the Hudson River Through a Photographers Eye“, which opened this past Saturday and runs for one month. There are 4 other photographers in the show all showing their personal views of the Hudson, and I was very excited to be invited to participate. You can read more about the show at the Hudson Valley Press website.

I recently produced a 5 minute film for Scenic Hudson titled “Spirit of the River”. Narrated by actor Oliver Platt, it highlights both the amazing natural resources of the Hudson Valley as well as the challenges faced by Scenic Hudson now and into the future in their effort to preserve as much of it as possible.

Together with cinematographer Tom Moore, I traveled to many of my favorite locations on the river, hoping to capture both the feel and beauty of the region. It was one of the toughest projects I’ve ever worked on from a creative and technical standpoint, but in the end mother nature came through for us as usual. Tom handled most of the camera work, while I directed and did all of the audio and video post-production.

It was an amazing learning experience, and it left me eager to continue to share my passion and excitement for the conservation work I am fortunate to be a part of. A big thank you to Scenic Hudson for the opportunity. Stay tuned for more…

PS- For those who subscribe and don’t see the video, please visit the blog here.

Rain Drops

We’ve had a tremendous amount of rain here in the northeast for the last month, and like many others, I’m ready for dry weather and plenty of sunshine. Yet it is this changing weather that can so often provide opportunities for dramatic photography, regardless of where you are. “Rain Drops” was made in my own backyard, as in 20 ft from my kitchen!

Finding the right composition was the hardest challenge as I worked with two distinct design elements. The drops and their implied lines, and the patterns of the leaf.  As usual I favor strong diagonals and lines that move the eye through the image, yet always trying to keep the composition as simple as possible. The drops provide wonderful resting points, a distraction from all of the detail, so soothing for the eyes and the mind. Perhaps that is what attracted me to this leaf in the first place, and soon after another rain fall washed the moment away.

Mt Beacon Firetower

My wife Brenda and I hiked up to the summit Mt Beacon and then proceeded to the historic 78 yr old South Mt Beacon firetower yesterday evening. The Scenic Hudson trailhead is a very short drive from our home, and  once at the top, the views are fantastic from the Catskill mountains all the way to new York City. Reaching the tower half hour before sunset after a mile hike, the light was changing rapidly, and dramatically as well. It was one of those instances when I barely had any time to react to the changing conditions, and I just enjoyed the views and had fun with the camera. Though I often have preconceived  ideas of how I’d like to approach a location, experimenting is always the best way to learn, regardless of the outcome.

It really helps to know your gear well, as a few seconds making adjustments can make all the difference between capturing or missing something special. Most cameras have presets that you can program to give you one click access to common settings, and I have one as a starting point for landscapes: Manual Mode, f16, ISO 100, mirror lock-up, and 2 second timer. All I need to adjust afterwards is shutter speed, and aperture depending on the composition. Of course, this is a very basic explanation, but the concept is to eliminate the technical, and focus on composition and emotion.

Cloud Patterns

Improvising visually felt very much like my younger days playing bass in a jazz band as the leader looked in my direction and nodded for a solo. When the rest of the band stopped playing except for the drummer and all eyes rested on me, I said “oh $@%@” in my mind, and attempted to make believe I knew what I was doing.

I learned much from those valuable experiences, as well as countless mistakes, and in the process gained the confidence to follow my instincts. Always follow your instincts, regardless of what you do, and more likely than not, you won’t be disappointed.

It felt good descending in the dark after enjoying a great evening in the outdoors. And the company couldn’t have been better. Map and More Info.

Hudson River View

“I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.” – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

It’s been a busy 6 weeks, so I thought I would share some recent news and upcoming events.

On the art fair scene, I’ve exhibited in art and craft shows in New Paltz, White Plains (where I won the second place award), Beacon, and Rhinebeck. Though they are certainly a lot of work, I enjoy meeting new people as well as past customers and workshop students. The response to my new canvas prints has been very enthusiastic, and I continue to improve both the quality of the printing and framing as I experiment with different materials. I hope to get a new 44″ printer this summer which will allow me to create larger pieces for those with bigger spaces. I’m working on a future post about how I make my canvas prints, so stay tuned.

I’ve also been given the opportunity to display my prints and posters at a few retail locations in the area, including Mountain Tops in Beacon, and the EMS store in Poughkeepsie, NY. In addition to the publicity, it’s a great opportunity to  expose shoppers to some great hikes and views in the Hudson Valley they may not be aware of.

EMS Poughkeepsie

I’ll be featured in a new show at the RiverWinds Gallery next month titled “A Salute to the Hudson River – Through a Photographer’s Eye” as well as a solo show at the Bannerman Gallery in August. I’m looking forward to both since they are in my hometown, and it’s always great to see the local community. The Riverwinds show will include other photographers, and I’m looking forward to seeing their perspectives of a familiar subject.

There will be more in the upcoming July issue of the “Beyond the Lens” Newsletter, so subscribe here, and read past issues here.

Castle Fog

I’m reading and thoroughly enjoying a new book by acclaimed landscape photographer David Ward called “Landscape Beyond: A Journey into Photography“. Very well written and full of amazing images, my copy is now full of my own notes and highlights. One in particular will become a part of my workshop lectures:

“One of the most useful things anyone has ever told me is that you need an opinion in order to make good images. Great artists are able to present complex things in a simple fashion because they have feeling for the essence of what they are trying to explain or portray. They strip away the clutter in order to reveal this essence. Cultivating this knack is vital…to a photographer.”

Castle Fog is an image that comes to mind when I read this quote, since it was my attempt at conveying simplicity of a complex subject. It could have been simpler, but at the time, it was what I saw and felt that influenced my composition. Fascination with this subject keeps me thinking of new ways to both photograph and share how I feel about its mystery and beauty.

I’m happy to say that the 20 x 30 canvas print “Sunrise at Lost City” that I donated to the Mohonk Preserve for their annual auction was sold for $800 this past weekend. There were also photographs from Hardie Truesdale and Steve Jordan, and those sold handsomely as well. It was an honor to be included in this group of established and respected landscape photographers, and inspiring to come together for a common cause.

Being present at an auction where your own work is being sold can be a bit stressful. The possibility that no one will make an offer did cross my mind, expecially after the short but eternal silence that occurred when my print came up for bidding. But the bids did come, and I breathed a big sigh of relief when the words “sold” were shouted. While I will definitely donate again next year, I will probably skip the event and wait to hear from my trustworthy sources for the outcome. In the meantime, I can rest assured that one of my favorite places will remain protected and wild.

There will be a huge gathering in Beacon this Sunday June 7th for the “Welcome the Fleet Festival“. It will take place at Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park next to the train station and there will be music, food, kayak rentals, and an overall party atmosphere as everyone awaits the arrival of the Quadricentennial flotilla coming from the NYC harbor. It celebrates the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic voyage, and it should be a real sight to see, so bring your cameras!

I’ll be displaying much of my Hudson Valley photography in a dedicated booth, and hope to spend as much time as possible photographing all of the days events. For anyone who has an interest in the Hudson River, and can make the trip, this is one historic event you don’t want to miss.

UPDATE: For those who read my blog entries via email of RSS reader, there seems to be a problem with Vimeo videos not displaying properly. Yesterdays post titled “Valley Fog” contained a short video – if you didn’t see it, please go here. I am working on a solution for the future. Thanks!