Life Immortalized Photography: Blog

Fireworks - 4th of July 2024

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 22:14:25 GMT

Literally a year since my last post to share photos. Lot of life changes, all for the better and Inshallah, even better to come. This year caught the fireworks show in Salem, MA at Shetland Park... just around the corner from the main area at Derby's Wharf. Forest River last year wasn't too bad, but far too many mosquitoes. Had a great elevated view where I was, too. Someone actually walked by and noted I was lucky to have the best seat in the house.

So without further ado... some samples.

Fireworks - 4th of July 2023

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 22:38:52 GMT

After 9 years, finally got out to take in a fireworks shoot for the 4th! A bit overcast after a rainy couple days and did the shoot from a distance, but came out fairly well. Maybe now that I've kinda gotten my life in a better place, I can start getting out again. No more pandemic or other ridiculous restrictive forces against me... time to get back out shooting.

4th of July Fireworks 4th of July Fireworks 4th of July Fireworks 4th of July FIreworks 4th of July Fireworks 4th of July Fireworks 4th of July Pictures 4th of July Fireworks 4th of July Fireworks

Fall Foliage at Wachusett Reservoir & Coggshall Park

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 08:55:59 GMT

Yet another trip despite the fall colors not really being all that spectacular in Massachusetts at the moment. I found a couple new places to check out (new to me anyway), so off I went! Sawyer Bluff on the Wachusett Reservoir wasn't too bad... some nice scenery by the water, but nothing too spectacular. The Old Stone Church on a different area of the Reservoir was nice... great landscape around the old structure. Then there was Coggshall Park which was definitely the highlight of the day. Really nice place to unwind with some decent foliage considering!

Sawyer Bluff

Wachusett Reservoir

Coggshall Park

Fall Colors at Breakheart Reservation

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 09:45:50 GMT

Finally after over a year, got back out hiking again. With things back to normal more or less this year and really nice weather, it was the perfect opportunity to get out for some shots of the Fall colors. Wasn't overly impressed to be honest, but I guess it's changing over slower this year.. at least in MA.

Breakheart Reservation

Fall Foliage Leaf Color

Breakheart Reservation

Real Estate Shoot

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 06:24:48 GMT

Still haven't been out on a leisure shoot, but work is still a thing! Past work I've done are kept private for the people involved, but when it comes to real estate photography, it's out there for any and all to see to sell the home, so I can point out where those are. Great property out in Danvers, MA Immaculately kept with a nice chunk of land.

EDIT: Now in the process of being sold and some listings already removed the images. In the portfolio it goes with some samples to follow.

Home Exterior

Home Interior

Home Swimming Pool

Home Bedroom

I’m Still Here!

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 01:55:36 GMT

I don’t actually have anything new to share, but wanted to touch base. I haven’t abandoned the site or anything, just due to the whole COVID thing, I haven’t been out shooting. All the restrictions and such weigh a bit on my patience, so ended up not going anywhere for the entirety of 2020. I’m hoping things loosen up a bit this year and maybe I can get out a bit again. Maybe a small trip to get the feel again… feels like an eternity after that horrid year.

In the meantime, I got into investing and back into a little web design. Fully redesigned my old website from the ground up to look a bit more like 2021 and less like 2007… when I stopped. So still keeping busy! Hopefully soon I’ll have some shoots to share again.

Fall Foliage @ Kancamagus & Franconia Notch

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 06:07:51 GMT

A perfect day for my annual run up to New Hampshire to catch the Fall colors show. Last year I did the Kancamagus, ended up with a lot of fog... perfect clear skies this time around! First hit a few stops along the Kancamagus Highway for some views, then over to Artist's Bluff for a hike up the relatively small mountain for some spectacular views of Echo Lake. Then of course back down for a quick walk down by Echo Lake itself to cap off the day.

New England Aquarium

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 19:26:28 GMT

Thanks to a local city charity, admission to the Aquarium was free this month, so why not take in a visit? Nice ride in and out of Boston on a ferry made for a relaxing day trip. Nothing much ever changes at the Aquarium, but still an interesting visit. Did shooting around a little different this time with just using an 85mm prime.

Giant Pacific Octopus

Weedy Seadragon

Pacific Sea Nettle

Cownose Ray

Lionfish

African Penguin

Indo-Pacific Coral Reef

Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 06:36:52 GMT

After doing a mountain hike for the last trip, I figured it was time for a more relaxing one. Looking for new areas to explore, I happened upon this farm out in central MA that looked fairly interesting and it certainly didn't disappoint. A fully active farm complete with hiking trails and something of a nature reserve all rolled into one... couldn't go wrong! Beautiful day, lots of dragonflies around keeping the mosquitoes away and not too crowded. Well worth the trip.

Red Barn

Cow

Crystal Ball Shot

Dragonfly

Goat

Sheep

Chipmunk

Frog

Sheep

Mt. Major

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 06:28:38 GMT

The warm weather is finally back, so time to get out hiking! Haven't done Mt. Major in 3 years, so figured I'd see how much my fitness has improved over that time... was not disappointed. Took on the blue trail up for a pleasant hike and rock scramble to the summit. New bug spray worked a charm as I wasn't bit or bothered the whole way. Great views of the Lakes region from up top... some of the best in the area actually and for a quick mile and a half up, quite the "bang for the buck" so to speak.

Mt Major Summit

Zoolights @ Stone Zoo

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 07:47:59 GMT

Tardy... oh so very tardy on this entry. This shoot I did around the end of November, just never got around to updating the site. A mix of gearing up for the holiday and gaming were to blame. Ironically a part of the latter has me taking photos throughout a game world, so I have sorta kept up with shooting... at the least, it's sharpening my creative composition skills. I find myself stepping away from taking the average typical shots and going for more unique points of view... looking to maintain that mindset when I get back out shooting in the real world when the warmer weather kicks back in and I get out more again.

But anyway, last holiday season I decided to take in the zoolights display over at Stone Zoo. I knew going in it was going to be a lot less grand than the Tower Hill one I attended the year prior, but it was still a nice unique display. A good little walk and my last shoot to date before I went into winter hibernation (holiday shooting with family aside).

Zoolights at Stone Zoo

Fall Colors: Kancamagus Highway

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 09:44:33 GMT

This entry is coming in really late... did this shoot second week of October, but it ended up being my last Fall colors shoot. The following week after this shoot, went up to New Hampshire again for another run and got rear ended, totaling my car. So with no transportation of my own and a boatload of stress, I lost the Fall season this year. Finally finished all that madness today and got a new car.

But anyway, this run was to the famously scenic Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire... one of the most beautiful Fall drives you'll ever make. Lots of nice stops along the way to see different views of the scenery.

Kancamagus Highway

Kancamagus HighwayLily Pond

Kancamagus Highway

Kancamagus HighwaySugar Hill Overlook

Sabbaday Falls

Diana's Baths

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 06:24:11 GMT

With this, I'm finally all caught up on vacation shots. This from day 4... my final day out. Didn't plan too much, before setting off for home, took a quick walk around Echo Lake again and then went up to Diana's Baths... a very quick hike to see a nice collection of small waterfalls. For anyone not adept at hiking, this is probably the easiest trail you'll ever do that pays off with nice waterfalls. After the more difficult runs I made all week, this was a nice relaxing end to a great vacation. Next entries upcoming will be Fall colors... already made a return run to New Hampshire to shoot the Kancamagus highway.

Echo Lake State Park

Diana's Baths

Echo Lake State Park & Cathedral Ledge

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 06:07:15 GMT

Day 3 of vacation was one I thought wouldn't happen at all. Forecasts all called for severe thunderstorms that day, but being that all I saw were threatening clouds and no rain after breakfast, I figured I could at least take a short walk over to Echo Lake... if it rained, I was close enough to run back, so why not? By the time I get to Echo Lake, I start seeing the sun breaking through the clouds a bit. So being that the case, I figured what the hell? Kept on going and hiked right along up the Bryce path (quite the upward hike) to Cathedral Ledge to catch some views. And what views I did see. Thanks to those threatening clouds, I was treated to an outstanding sky to backdrop my shots... another great vacation day in the books.

Echo Lake State Park

Cathedral Ledge

Cathedral LedgeAmazing cloud formations over Cathedral Ledge in New Hampshire.

Cathedral Ledge

Arethusa Falls

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 09:36:01 GMT

Day 2 of my vacation trips took me to Arethusa Falls. Took the Bemis Trail to take in a few smaller waterfalls along the way... some of which actually looked nicer overall even if much smaller. Of course, this was a rainy day as well. Maybe a mile and a half into the hike, it was near downpour which made all the rocks slick... meaning I couldn't really get close to the actual Falls at the end of the hike... wasn't about to traverse soaked slippery rocks and potentially wreck myself and the camera. Was a good hike anyway! A lot more than I expected from a waterfall hike.

Arethusa Falls

Welch and Dickey Loop Trail

Sat, 29 Sep 2018 02:56:59 GMT

Due to severely hot weather and a good bit of rain, it's been something of a quiet season for me, but I made up for it this week! This was vacation time at last, so for once... instead of staying home and making day trips... I went up to North Conway in New Hampshire and just stayed up in the White Mountains for 4 days... and a great week it was. Stayed at the White Mountain Hotel and Resort which I would definitely recommend if looking to stay in the area and have reasonably fast access to everything worth seeing. In my case, I'm a hiker and photographer, so it was perfect... right next to Echo Lake State Park and situated at the base of White Horse Ledge. Outstanding service all around and the food... phenomenal. Not sure they'll ever see this, but a shot out/thanks to my awesome waitresses... if I remember their names right... Trudy, Bernie & Lexi.

So with that out of the way, my trips! First up was the Welch & Dickey Mountains Loop. First time I've hit two mountains in one day, but was a great hike on a beautiful Fall day. Made even better for the fact there were no bugs out at all. So here'll I'll put out a couple shots from my home away from home and then some views along the trail. The rest of my trips will follow in entries next week.

White Mountain Hotel and ResortShot of the White Mountain Hotel and Resort. My vacation stay for 2018.

White Mountain Hotel GazeboBeautiful view of the Gazebo at White Mountain Hotel and Resort with a scenic mountain backdrop.

Welch DIckey Loop Trail

Welch Dickey Loop Trail

Welch DIckey Loop Trail

Welch Dickey Loop Trail

Sunrise - Forest River Park

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 06:21:06 GMT

This was just a quick spur of the moment run to do a sunrise before going to bed (yes, you read that right... I typically live on vampire hours). Took a run down to Forest River Park (ironically where I take actual runs for exercise). Decent morning... reasonable amount of cloud coverage, but not quite as much as I'd like for good color pops at dawn.

Sunrise at Forest RiverBands of light from the sun beam out with a sense of the divine.

Dawn Breaks at Forest River

Sunrise at Forest River

Southwick Zoo

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 06:59:16 GMT

It's been a long time since I've done a zoo. This zoo in particular? 6 years. Being that I wasn't satisfied at all with my performance of 2012 when last I went, I had to give it another go... much happier with the results of this outing. Beautiful day, all the animals were out and active for the most part (when it comes to zoos, you really have to stay the day and visit certain animals multiple times... never know what they're going to do next). So a nice trip as usual... quite possibly the best zoo in Massachusetts. Only Franklin Park can compare.

Boston Harbor & Spectacle Island

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 07:43:39 GMT

My latest adventure takes me back to the Harbor Islands for a day spent at Spectacle Island of the Boston Harbor Islands. This after another shoot I did out in Portsmouth, NH for a few friends... beautiful subjects all.

Haven't been out to the islands in a few years, so figured I was due for a return. This time I floated around Christopher Columbus Park as well by the waterfront to kill time before my ferry out to the Island. Nice relaxer day overall.

Christopher Columbus Park

Boston Skyline

Spectacle Island

Spectacle IslandView of the Boston skyline from Spectacle Island.

Spectacle Island

Spectacle Island Gazebo

Spectacle Island

Mt. Monadnock

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 06:07:07 GMT

This one was an adventure and a half. Weather was perfect... beautiful morning. Only problem that presented was it made for a perfect day for the black flies to come out in a swarming feeding frenzy. So along with this hike/climb being a true physical test, I had to constantly be swatting around like a mad man. Not that it helped much... still got eaten, but I tried. Insects out in parts of NH like that really don't care what repellent you have on. I did spray myself, but those little buggers laughed it off and dined on me all day anyway.

That aside, it was a great hike and climb... tons of rock scrambling all the way up with phenomenal views as soon as half way up. Took a couple hours each way on the steep white dot trail... great hike.

Mt. Monadnock

Mt. MonadnockSummit views on Mt. Monadnock

Mt. Monadnock(iphone 7 shot) (iphone 7 shot)

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Sat, 12 May 2018 07:31:13 GMT

Spring has definitely sprung and away I go! This week checked out Tower Hill in Spring time as opposed to my summer excursion last summer and winter run for Winter Reimagined. Also did a shoot with a few lovely subjects out in Rockport, so it's been a good week out with the camera.

Tower Hill was great as usual.... tons of colorful tulips all over and of course, my main reason for checking it out for Spring, the enormous daffodil field. Keep this great weather rollin!

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

DaffodilDaffodil at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

DaffodilDaffodil at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Flower

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Daffodils at Tower HillDaffodils at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.

Spring at Greenlawn

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 08:17:26 GMT

Almost a couple months since last entry... can you tell I don't like the cold weather of winter? Since the last entry, I did have one pretty cool happening... one of my shots from my January non-profit shoot was selected as the cover photo for a local University magazine as well as a big two page spread shot inside, so I've actually been published!

Now that the weather has started kicking up and Spring is finally making it's way out here, took in a little trip to Greenlawn Cemetery for a lil wildlife shoot.

Water Drops and Product Photography

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 07:53:56 GMT

Obviously I've been in hibernation as per the lack of entries here. I did do one private shoot for a non-profit early last month, but aside from that... fairly inactive with shooting. So the other night I experimented with shoot water droplets again and also broke out my fotodiox studio and tried out some product photography with a few things in my collection.

Water Droplet

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II Lens

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II Lens

Canon 85mm f/1.4L Lens

Winter Reimagined

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:31:28 GMT

With this, I'm finally all caught up with my trips... hallelujah! So this one was the "Winter Reimagined" event over at Tower Hill Botanic Garden. A very impressive and large holiday lights display set across a large portion of the grounds. This is one of those rare places that legitimately feels magical to walk through. The lights were immaculately set.... some interesting ones were animated like snow-lights falling off the trees. Then one of my favorites was walking through a portion of the wooded area and seeing nearly the entire woods high in the treetops, twinkling all around... felt like being in some kinda fantasy setting. I only wish they had more, but totally realize what an enormous undertaking it was to create what they did. Very worth a visit.

Winter Reimagined

Halloween in Salem 2017

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 08:30:24 GMT

This was to be the last of my backlogged shoots to enter in here, but of course... I found something else. Last week I attended "Winter Reimagined" over at Tower Hill Botanic Garden for their holiday lights show, so I'll have that up here before long.

This shoot was very, very casually done... I mean, I was barely looking through my viewfinder (or LCD in liveview for that matter) for the majority of these. Literally I was walking through downtown and just quick shooting stuff as I seen it. It's hard to just stop and set up a shot when everything (and everyone) are moving right along their merry way. Still, was a fun night... met up with a couple friends I hadn't seen in a while along with walking down with my sister and brother in law. Didn't seem as busy this year, though... and not as many costumes... very weird. But anyway....

Fall Foliage Finale 2017 - Breakheart Reservation

Sat, 25 Nov 2017 08:35:16 GMT

Almost all caught up with my season's adventures here. One more with some quick snapshots downtown Salem, MA from Halloween night and I'll be set. The foliage finale is typically my end til it warms up, but then sometimes I feel compelled to do snow shoots (if there's anything significant) and other times... random creative stuff... light painting's been a thought for a while... maybe.

So anyway, this was my last hurrah for Fall at Breakheart Reservation. The day was gloomy and threatening rain all day, but it made for just the right kind of diffused light to get the colors popping pretty nice. An enjoyable little hike to cap off the season.

Breakheart Reservation

Franconia Notch Run - Fall 2017

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 09:01:23 GMT

Naturally this would be another delayed posting. Made this trip last month at what was pretty much the height of the foliage season up in the White Mountains of NH. Wasn't as vibrant as last year and ironically, I went at nearly the exact same time. Regardless, it's always awesome up north in the Fall. Despite a deep fog up on Cannon Mountain, I was able to wait it out and get a few decent shots up there anyway. Aside from that hike, also did a run through the Flume. Reasonably nice day overall.

New York and Digital Painting

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 08:10:25 GMT

I am massively backlogged with my updating... yikes! Since the last posting, I ended up getting a couple weeks more vacation this year and totally fell off my routine. In that time I shot an international henna party (private party, so those pix won't be here)... took a trip with a friend to Providence, RI (didn't get pix for that one.... was an interesting adventure that didn't exactly go to plan, but enjoyed her company anyway). Then next day we drove from MA to NY. Another trip that went a little crazy due to my GPS going crazy in the city and kinda getting lost, but I enjoyed it... aside from the insane drivers out there. Tip to travelers.... never EVER drive through NY. I did manage a couple quick pix that night out in Manhattan to follow. Then after those, I have a couple digital paintings I did on the ipad pro. Never really painted anything in my life outside of elementary school art class, so not bad considering.

But anyway, I'll try to get myself all caught up... I still have a couple Fall foliage shoots and a couple from downtown Salem on Halloween.

And here are my digital paintings

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Sun, 17 Sep 2017 06:41:27 GMT

A little late getting this up, but been a bit active as of late with a baby shoot for my nephews first child and then another fun shoot with a couple friends... finally into my updating. So this was an amazing 6 hour hike through Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary... beautiful scenery and the most cooperative wildlife I've ever come across. Normally skittish little birds everywhere else I've gone were literally following me through the woods and let me get so close! Without a doubt, my best nature experience yet.

Cardinal

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Frog

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Heron

Weir Hill

Sun, 03 Sep 2017 07:15:06 GMT

Finally... at long last I'm able to get out again. Massive road construction where I live hindered greatly my ability to get out in the morning for trips. Made for a very unproductive June and July, but at long last to cap off August, I fit a couple trips in... hopefully I'll have more active time heading into Fall.

So this first trip was to Weir Hill in North Andover (pronounced "wire" not "where") for a nice lil 5 mile hike all around the area. Nice scenic spot I discovered quite randomly.... really just felt great to get out again.

Weir Hill

deCordova Sculpture Park

Mon, 29 May 2017 05:08:34 GMT

A new destination found! Even in a small state like Massachusetts, there seems to be a near endless supply of interesting places to discover. Of course also a matter of how much drive time I'm up for... especially when it comes to central and western MA... pure traffic hell. This one was a short 45 minute run in Central MA... a park full of abstract sculptures all around the grounds and a small museum with abstract paintings. Personally, the sculptures were more my thing, so I spent the majority of my day out shooting those.

deCordova Sculpture Park

Butterfly Place

Fri, 19 May 2017 05:33:11 GMT

This is actually a very delayed entry... went here in late April and completely forgot to load the shots onto the site. Shot my first wedding here, so always nice to come back for a relaxing stroll through the butterfly garden. Also wanted to test out a close up filter I recently acquired, so here we go!

Moooore Greenlawn

Mon, 15 May 2017 07:22:11 GMT

One more Spring run of birding at my favorite little local hotspot. I have some new destinations in mind to shoot this season, but some don't open til after Memorial Day... some I prefer nicer weather, so filling time with a little birding locally. Not too much out this run, but caught a few nice shots in the mix.

Black-Crowned Night HeronBlack-Crowned Night Heron at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

CormorantCormorant at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

CormorantA cormorant and turtle sunning out together at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

CormorantA cormorant and some turtles hanging out together.

Wildlife / Birding at Greenlawn

Sat, 08 Apr 2017 07:36:14 GMT

Slowly but surely the warm season is starting to kick in. I got one random nice Thursday with nothing pressing to do, so out I went for a little walk through Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA. Truly a wildlife treasure... I have better luck out there than most runs to Plum Island. Maybe just the fact it's a smaller area with full access to every corner of the grounds whereas Plum Island limits your wandering a bit.

In any event! It was a nice nature walk... always peaceful (as it should be and always remain).

DucksDucks at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

Common GrackleCommon Grackle

American RobinAmerican Robin at Plum Island in Newburyport, MA.

CormorantCormorant at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

Mourning DoveMourning Dove at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

Night Photography: Salem Willows

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 09:31:15 GMT

Since I've done a fair share of night shots now, I've split the night photography gallery into location specific galleries... a bit more organized for it all. So with that little site update news out of the way, this was a random winter excursion on a freezing cold night. I think it was in the teens by the ocean... 3 am and even with two sets of gloves on, my hands were still numb trying to shoot. Clear night though, so had to give it a shot. Only bad thing is there's so much light pollution out there... and everywhere really around this area, but not a bad run overall.

Salem Willows after Dark

Halibut Point - 1-26-17

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 07:24:15 GMT

So with a bit of urging from a special someone, I've broken winter hibernation and getting out on photo missions. So far the winter's been a blessing with very little snow, so I've been able to get out. This was just a quick run out to Halibut Point in Rockport, MA. Mainly was out to do some winter birding, but was a quiet day on that front... thus a landscape shoot it became. Not a bad day out aside from getting rained on.

Halibut Point State Park

Fall Foliage Finale!

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 09:38:40 GMT

Only a week behind with this entry... not bad! Did my last foliage shoot for the season and typically my last outing as the temps begin to cool down and the colorful foliage is all but gone. Time for my season of hibernation sans any random shooting inside I may get into. So this last run was to Walden Pond in Concord, MA... then to the Grist Mill around the Wayside Inn area of Sudbury, MA... and finally finished off the day with a quick stop to Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA. Reasonable colors for the end of the season.... and another fun season of shooting it was from Spring to Fall.

Walden Pond

Martha Mary Chapel

Grist Mill

Fall Colors Show in Franconia Notch

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 07:45:22 GMT

Though it's been a while since I've made an entry, I've definitely been active in my shooting. First of the month I shot a wedding solo, so a lot of prep prior and then busy after preparing the final package. The wedding itself was a total blast, though... most fun I've had in a good long while.

So with that all finished, I made my way up to Franconia Notch in New Hampshire and had myself a little Fall Foliage tour! Started off hiking the trails of 'The Basin'... then made my way to Cannon Mountain for some high scenic views on what was the most beautiful day they'd seen up there in a long time. Upon descending the mountain, took a walk around Echo Lake... short drive over to Artists Bluff and hiked up to the top of that area... and finally capped it off around Profile Lake... close to the once home of the 'Man of the Mountain.' Great day overall! The drive up and back is always brutal, though.

The Basin

Little Basin Falls

Falls of the Basin

The BasinClassic shot of the Basin.

Falls of the Basin

Foliage at the Basin

Echo LakeBeautiful view of Echo lake from the ride up the tram to Cannon Mountain.

Cannon Mountain

Cannon Mountain FoliageVibrant color across the countryside of Franconia Notch in New Hampshire from atop Cannon Mountain.

Cannon Mountain Foliage

Echo Lake Foliage

Artists Bluff ViewView of the foliage filled scenery from atop Artists Bluff.

Profile Lake

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 09:41:10 GMT

I really wasn't planning any more trips for the summer season, but ended up sneaking one last one in. Completely random find as I was searching for botanic gardens around MA and NH. Came across Tower Hill out in Central MA and was floored with how nice the place looked from images taken around there. When I arrived and covered the entire grounds, they didn't even begin to do the place justice. Absolutely awesome botanic garden... without a doubt the best I've seen thus far. Many varieties of garden styles, statuary with a flair for ancient Greece. The central area is almost like a resort in it's appearance! As much as I dislike driving back and forth from central MA due to the traffic insanity, I could definitely see myself returning. Also made a quick stop to Colby Farm this day, but didn't stay long... late day and super crowded.

Rainbow FountainRainbow over a fountain

Sunflowers SunburstNice sunburst over the sunflower fields of Colby Farm.

Water Drops Experiment

Sun, 11 Sep 2016 07:11:29 GMT

Totally random in-house shooting. I had actually planned to go out, but got rained out last day off. So not to allow it to completely kill my day for photography, I set up a water droplet experiment. In hindsight, I should've gotten a pic of the rig set up to do it... kinda ghetto, but innovative in it's simplicity. Color in the drops were achieved by an external flash aimed towards a winter blanket backdrop (blue snowflakes designed) and the tint of purple was brought in by an adjacent swiffer refill box. Also had another flash rigged to the camera using a bounce card. Came out decent considering! Then the last shot was oil mixed in water with one of my red shirts under the container to bring the color. The weird light on the bubbles is via my macro flash.... kinda gives them mouths.

Water Droplet

Oil & Water 2Olive oil, water, macro lens and a red shirt underneath.

Fort Williams Park

Tue, 30 Aug 2016 06:50:40 GMT

And with this, I'm all caught up with my trips for the summer. It's looking like this was the last of the summer runs as the season comes to a close. And a good season it was... some good new trips off my bucket list and now I can start thinking about the Fall season.

So this run was to Cape Elizabeth in Maine... Fort Williams Park and home to supposedly the most photographed lighthouse around, Portland Head Light. Having read of that, I had to go see it and of course, add it to my experience collection. The unfortunate part of it all was that it was a rainy day... a lot rainier than I had thought it'd be, so I didn't spend as much time shooting as I normally would. But despite the weather, it was an adventure of a day. Portland Head Light

Squam Lake & Rattlesnake Mountain

Fri, 26 Aug 2016 05:31:00 GMT

My piece by piece summer tour of New Hampshire continued earlier this month with a run to the Squam Lake Natural Science Center... just north of Winnipesaukee. Got there too late to take in one of their boat cruises, but had a nice hike through the nature trails. Which were more like a very small zoo with very well kept animals in completely natural habitats. After that hike, took a short drive up to West Rattlesnake Mountain. Very nice views of the lake region for such a short hike up a relatively small mountain!

Red FoxRed fox at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.

BobcatBobcat at Squam Lake Natural Science Center.

Mountain LionMountain Lion at Squam Lake Natural Science Center.

Squam Lake

Great Horned OwlGreat Horned Owl at Squam Lake Natural Science Center.

Bald EagleBald Eagle at Squam Lake Natural Science Center.

Squam LakeBeautiful scenery at Squam Lake Natural Science Center in New Hampshire.

West Rattlesnake MountainView from atop West Rattlesnake Mountain.

Mt. Major - 7-28-16

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 07:23:02 GMT

Another late entry... got a bit lazy before vacation... busy during it... then lazy again after it, but I'm back again to get this thing up to date. Two more trips to add after this one at some stage. So this was a hike up the fairly difficult "blue trail" of Mt. Major in Alton, NH. Only a 1728 footer, but a reasonable challenge! Especially considering I did it in 93F weather and super humidity that sucked the breath right out of ya. Great views at the top, though and nice hike for my first run up a mountain from base to summit. Would definitely do again... just not in that hot of weather.

Mt. Major SummitViews from the summit of Mt. Major

Mt. Major Blue Trail

Mt. Major Summit

Night Shooting @ Fort Sewall

Sat, 06 Aug 2016 07:16:46 GMT

And my second post of the night to catch up will be some night shooting I did at Fort Sewall in Marblehead in the middle of July. (I do have one more trip I did a week ago I still have to put up... catch up in baby steps). So this was a reasonably clear night aside from a deep fog settling over the horizon where the sun was preparing to rise. For the first time in this light polluted and air polluted state I managed to catch a small glimpse of the Milky Way! Unfortunately MA isn't full of black out spots that are safe and open to the public, so I make due with what I got. If nothing else it was a nice night!

Milky WayA somewhat vague glimpse at a portion of the Milky Way from Fort Sewall in Marblehead, MA. Light pollution is hell out here, so lucky to even get that much.

Fort Sewall at Night

Stairway to the Stars

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Sat, 06 Aug 2016 06:52:03 GMT

This trip was actually in June... early June and I totally forgot to put the pix up. First time I ever completely forgot to get a trip in here, so now I have to play catch up with a couple simultaneous posts. From what I recall, it was a beautiful crisp morning though extremely windy... to the point the birds trying to fly seemed to be in stop motion before getting blown backwards from the gusts. Regardless, it was a nice hike around for my return to Plum Island after a year away.

Plum Island Hellcat TrailScenery from the Hellcat trail of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge.

Plum Island Hellcat TrailScenery from the Hellcat trails of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge.

Parker River Wildlife RefugeA long walk back from one of the beach trails of Parker River Wildlife Refuge.

Mourning Dove

Great Blue Heron

WilletWillet at Plum Island in Newburyport, MA.

Mount Washington

Sat, 09 Jul 2016 09:07:33 GMT

Now this was one hell of an adventure. If the 3 hour drive just to get there wasn't enough, the 30-40 minute drive ascending the mountain along the infamous Mt. Washington Auto Road was something else. Increasingly narrow roads as you make your way over treeline.... sharp corners with no safety barrier allowing one to look out their side window and see a nice 5-6000 ft drop. Definitely not for the faint of heart if afraid of heights. Such is no issue for me, so I loved every minute of the ride up and down. Amazing views once reaching the summit and a beautiful day considering how bad it can get up there.... I had the pleasure of a 50F summit with a mere 45 mph winds. I think that's the equivalent of paradise on top of that mountain. It's known for having the most unpredictable fast changing insane weather anywhere... where the beauty I beheld on my trip could be instantly turned to a blizzard at the snap of one's fingers. I got lucky for my run... no problems. This is one trip anyone and everyone around the northeast should see at least once.

Mt. Washington Auto RoadView from one the stops along the Mt. Washington Auto Road... just above treeline.

Clouds Atop Mt. WashingtonClouds forming right in front of me at the summit of Mt. Washington.

Mt. Washington SummitView from the summit of Mt. Washington.

King of the MountainThat of course would be me in my "king of the mountain" shot from the summit of Mt. Washington. Someone was nice enough to take shot with my phone.

Weather Observation TowerThe Mt. Washington Weather Observation Tower.

Mt. WashingtonScenic view from atop Mt. Washington.

A Banner Well EarnedMy new Camry SE atop Mt. Washington... totally earning it's sticker of glory for getting me up the insane Auto Road.

Mt. WashingtonScenic view from atop Mt. Washington.

Mt. WashingtonScenic view from along one of the trails heading down Mt. Washington.

Odiorne Point State Park

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 07:23:23 GMT

This was a trip taken more to give my new car a good long drive than it was to enjoy my destination... Though as it happened, this turned out to be quite the exceptional scenic destination! New Hampshire's not exactly known for it's coastal areas, but in the small portion there is, this was a nice little park! Had no idea it actually housed a World War II fort as well. Nice area to spend a few hours hiking along the coast.

Odiorne Point State Park

Odiorne Point State ParkThe rocky coast of Odiorne Point State Park.

Odiorne Point State Park

Odiorne Point State ParkWhere the woods and ocean meet.

Odiorne Point State Park

Ocean SplashSmall waves crash on the coast of Odiorne Point State Park.

CormorantsCormorant comes flying in to join the group.

Sunrise at Fort Sewall

Sun, 26 Jun 2016 07:04:43 GMT

My last attempt at capturing a sunrise at this location was a complete bust... not one shot taken due to the cloud cover completely obliterating any kind of shot. No colors, bland sky... total let down. This trip however was a completely different animal. From the moment I began my ascent to Fort Sewall, I KNEW this was going to be a great sunrise. First photo in the sequence to follow will show what I mean. The awe inspired cloud formations and colors as the sun broke through dawn were phenomenal. Such a rare treat I was happy to have been out to see.

Fort Sewall SunriseDawn breaks en route to Fort Sewall.

Fort Sewall SunriseView of Chandler Hovey Park from Fort Sewall at sunrise. Amazing hues that morning.

Fort Sewall SunriseBeautiful color and perfect cloud cover illuminated at sunrise at Fort Sewall in Marblehead, MA.

Fort Sewall Sunrise

Fort Sewall Sunrise Fort Sewall Sunrise

Minuteman National Park

Sat, 04 Jun 2016 07:04:59 GMT

Here's what I'd call the official kick off to my summer season. I haven't been to this area since childhood on a school field trip, so barely remembered a thing about it... so effectively it was like seeing it for the first time. All the better as one tends to appreciate these things more a little later in life anyway. Not that I'm old by any stretch, but ya know. So this national park is also where the Revolutionary War actually began. The famed midnight ride of Paul Revere... the "shot heard round the world" that started it all was here. The hike begins in Lexington and goes straight through to Concord down the Battle Road. Made that run before driving over to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to visit the graves of a few literary greats... then made my last run to the "Old North Bridge" to wrap up the trip. Very interesting walk and a beautiful area considering the war that once took place there.

Paul Revere Capture SitePaul Revere Capture Site

More Nature at Greenlawn

Sat, 04 Jun 2016 06:34:40 GMT

Just playing catch up here... first of two posts I have to back to back. This shoot was actually May 21... wrap up of the Spring nature shooting as summer starts kicking in and more likely to come. Quick run through Greenlawn. Usual birds and Squirrels... plus a random sighting of a particularly evil looking snapping turtle.

GeeseA pair of Geese at Greenlawn Cemetery's Sargent Pond.

Red-Winged Blackbird

Snapping TurtleLarge snapping turtle patrolling the pond. Looks like a dinosaur.

SquirrelSquirrel watching intently.

ChipmunkA chipmunk having a little snack.

Birding at Greenlawn

Sat, 23 Apr 2016 19:36:50 GMT

Finally, the nice weather is starting to kick in and I can get back out to shoot in comfort. Spring has sprung, so time to get some bird shooting in. Not a whole lot of action that afternoon, but was a nice walk at least and great to get back out shooting.

Duck in FlightA duck soars over Sargeant Pond in Greenlawn Cemetery, Salem, MA.

American RobinWhen composition elements just fall into place perfectly... The patriotic American Robin.

CormorantA cormorant stretching it's wings on a warm Spring day at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

Mallard DuckMale mallard duck quacking away.

Mallard Duck

Eastern Painted Turtle

Squirrel

Night Shooting at Forest River

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 07:53:26 GMT

Last year at this very time, I was buried in like 6ft of snow and steadily growing... this winter it feels like Fall without a bit of snow on the ground. No complaints after 110 inches last year, that's for sure. So on a brisk 20F night, I broke hibernation and took in a little night shooting over at Forest River Park. Nice clear night and the ultra-wide lens did reasonable.

On an unrelated side note related to site organization, I split my macro work out of the random gallery and created a macro specific gallery. If lifesize insects are your thing, could be worth checking out: Macro Photography

Forest River Park under the stars

Forest River Park under the Stars

Playground under the StarsA playground at Forest River Park in Salem, MA... under the stars.

Cement Slide to the StarsA view up the cement slide at Forest River Park... leading up into the infinite universe.

Patriots Game vs Eagles @ Gillette Stadium - 12-6-2015

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 07:12:32 GMT

And in the middle of my photography hibernation comes a random trip. I was fortunate enough to win tickets to the Patriots game and official tailgate party prior to the game on Dec. 6, 2015. Not a game anyone wants to remember per the end result, but it was a great day for me personally as I had a lot of fun regardless. Great time at the tailgate party with an awesome buffet... got to photobomb...er.... take a pic with the Patriots cheerleaders... meet and get autographs from some Pats legends. Then of course the game that started great and fell apart something horrific for the Pats, but overall had a nice first trip to a Pats game.

Didn't bring the DSLR with me for this one, though... shot all pix with my iPhone 6s.

Gillette Stadium

Tailgate Party at Empower Fieldhouse

Me with Patriots CheerleadersMe photobombing in the back along with the Patriots cheerleaders.

Tailgate party at Empower Fieldhouse

Gillette StadiumView from my seats for the Patriots vs Eagles game.

Massachusetts Fall Foliage Finale

Thu, 05 Nov 2015 06:32:48 GMT

And so another season comes to an end. Unlike some years, I have no complaints on this one. Got a great bunch of shoots in to a handful of new destinations... expanded my runs to New Hampshire and Maine all with great weather... really couldn't go wrong. So this run was pretty much my last major run for a good long while. I don't typically do a whole lot in the winter aside from potentially a snow shoot. Unless I toy with photo experiments.... always a possibility of adding more to the random gallery.

But anyway! Last run here was to the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus and also a quick stop at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem. Great color show at peak to cap off a fun season.

Breakheart Reservation

Fall Foliage Peaks in Maine

Sat, 24 Oct 2015 05:52:48 GMT

Round 2 of the Fall foliage shoots for the month took me back to York, ME. For one because it reached peak foliage and for two, wasn't entirely satisfied with the last run in the fog. Perfect cool crisp Fall day out with a clear semi-cloudy sky... just right for a good shoot. So got to see all the views I was hoping to see in the summer... only made better with the colorful show nature was providing. Same spots as last time... Wiggly Bridge/Steedman Woods... followed by the Cliff Walk... quick spin up to Cape Neddick and finished off at Mt. Agamenticus.

Wiggley Bridge

Steedman Woods

Cape Neddick Light

Fall Colors at Castle in the Clouds

Sun, 18 Oct 2015 08:39:14 GMT

And so my Fall season officially begins. Used to do a foliage preview where I'd go out early and see the starting changes, but this year I'm banging out the higher color and peak times to cap off the season... not to mention expand my locations. First run was up to the Castle in the Clouds / Lucknow Estate in New Hampshire... which looks absolutely amazing throughout the state around this time of year. The drive up in itself was a natural work of art wherever you looked. On my way to the top of the mountain holding my destination, I got to see a waterfall... the Fall of Song. A bit further up, the first of many scenic overlook views overlooking the surrounding areas of Lake Winnipesaukee... then to carriage house for a delicious lunch and finally the trolley up to the Castle in the Clouds. Perfect day for leaf peeping. More to come as the month rolls on should weather behave for me.

Castle in the CloudsView of the Lucknow Estate or "Castle in the Clouds" from the garden area.

Fall of SongThe Fall of Song en route to the Castle in the Clouds of New Hampshire.

Fall Foliage Scenic OverlookSecond stop en route to Castle in the Clouds. The scenic overlook of Fall Foliage.

Scenic Fall FoliageLooking out from the grounds of the Castle in the Clouds... more scenic views of the Fall foliage of New Hampshire.

Fall Colors SceneryBeautiful Fall colors highlight the surrounding area of the Castle in the Clouds of New Hampshire.

Wolf Statue Shannon PondA wolf statue sits watching the Fall foliage by Shannon Pond... just a ways down the road from the Castle in the Clouds of New Hampshire.

Winnekenni Castle & Colby Farm - 9-4-15

Sat, 19 Sep 2015 21:15:18 GMT

With this set, I'm finally caught up with my summer trips. The last one til the Fall colors kick in which should be any time within the next two or three weeks. This trip was a double header... first to Winnekenni Castle/Park in Haverhill, MA. Then a quick drive over to Newbury, MA to check out the sunflower fields of Colby Farm. Both beautiful areas. The sunflower fields were outstanding.... never actually seen anything like that before. Maybe small compared to some across the country, but large enough to me!

Winnekenni Castle

Winnekenni CastleShot from the grounds surrounding Winnekenni Castle in Haverhill, MA.

Winnekenni ParkThe scenic grounds of Winnekenni Park in Haverhill, MA.

Colby Farm SunflowersThe sunflower field of Colby Farm in Newbury, MA.

Colby Farm SunflowersThe sunflower fields of Colby Farm in Newbury, MA.

Colby Farm SunflowersAnd expansive field of neverending sunflowers at Colby Farm in Newbury, MA.

Colby Farm SunflowersThe sunflower fields of Colby Farm in Newbury, MA.

A Foggy Morning in York, Maine

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 07:33:36 GMT

Another late addition as this trip I actually took August 20. An unexpected set of areas to explore I found thanks to my sister having taken a trip out to Maine with a friend. Having seen the pictures she took while out there, I HAD to check it out for myself. Of course as fate would have it, I got caught in a thick fog that morning, so didn't quite get the shots I was hoping for, but it wasn't anything that would have me pack it in and go home. In a way I guess it creates a somewhat interesting view on the area for some shots. Of course on the other hand, not being able to see anything along the coastline killed what I imagine would've been great views. I will be back out there though... hopefully this Fall when the colors change pending nothing unforeseen.

So while out I visited the Wiggley Bridge & Steedman Woods, the Cliff Walk, Cape Neddick and Mt. Agamenticus. Made the most of it despite the fog and look forward to returning under better conditions.

Wiggley BridgeThe wiggley bridge heading into Steedman Woods in York, ME.

Wiggley BridgeShot from upon the Wiggley Bridge on the Steedman woods side.

Cliff WalkA foggy walk on the Cliff Walk of York, ME.

Cliff WalkA foggy walk through the Cliff Walk in York, ME.

Cape Neddick LightA foggy view of Cape Neddick Light in York, ME.

Mt. Agamenticus SummitScenic view from the summit of Mt. Agamenticus in York, ME.

Mt. AgamenticusA small path hiking along the summit of Mt. Agamenticus.

Mt. AgamenticusScenic view from the summit of Mt. Agamenticus in York, ME.

2nd Annual Dunk Tank Fundraiser for MS - 8-9-2015

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 07:17:46 GMT

Officially my latest backlogged posting... and I still have a couple more trips to add! I have to say it's been a great summer season... got lots of new trips in I just randomly found and had no prior plans for and went places I didn't think I'd ever get to. Now there's Fall to look forward to and there'll almost certainly be trips to Maine & New Hampshire in that mix... I'm hoping.

But anyway! This shoot was a fundraiser for MS. Second year for me doing it and as last year, was happy to do it for charity. Thankfully this year it didn't get rained out, so a good time was had by all.

Erik Rodenhiser's Evil Eye

Flume Gorge & Cannon Mountain

Sat, 22 Aug 2015 07:42:09 GMT

Finally on the road to catching up with my backlogged adventures. This trip was about two weeks ago and the most enjoyable I've ever taken on. Not so much from a photography perspective (though I did thoroughly enjoy that too), but just the experience. Being in the white mountains.... being floored as I drove closer and saw those enormous mountains over the horizon and then hovering high above me as I approached closer. I've never been out there or anywhere near mountains of the caliber, so I was in awe from start to finish. The long drive was rough, but totally worth it. Anyone that ever visits NH MUST go the white mountains... if you love nature, hiking and/or photography, it's an amazing experience.

Flume Gorge Waterfall

Flume Gorge Waterfall Flume Gorge Cannon Mountain Cannon Mountain Cannon Mountain

Star Trails, Perseids and a Horse Fly

Sat, 15 Aug 2015 19:13:25 GMT

Once again massively backlogged. For this post it's just getting in the random shots, then I'll get up my other two missions up in the coming week... one to New Hampshire up in the white mountains, the other being the annual dunk tank fundraiser. For now I got more dabbling in night photography with a couple star trails and a shot of a perseid streaming down. Also an inch long horsefly I managed to trap for some shots.. thing was a beast!

Star Trails around PolarisStar Trails circling around Polaris at the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower. Only one shot through the scene in the half hour exposure.

Perseid Meteor Amongst the StarsA lone perseid meteor shoots through the starry night sky at Forest River Park in Salem, MA.

HorseflyA large 1 inch horsefly captured for some macro close ups

HorseflyA large 1 inch horsefly captured for some macro... full body shot.

HorseflyPortrait headshot macro of a large horsefly

Boston Harbor Islands: Peddocks Island & Spectacle Island

Sat, 18 Jul 2015 07:13:02 GMT

Finally a post that's not a week delayed! This week took in a very long day and explored two of the Harbor Islands in one shot. Caught a 7 am ferry into Boston... another to Peddocks Island and yet another to Spectacle before returning to Boston and then catching the ferry home. Left home at 6 am, got back at 7 pm. Looooooong day. But an enjoyable one! Perfect weather and got to spend a few hours exploring each island. So that leaves one more I'm considering and that's Little Brewster Island to tour Boston Light. That'll be another early bird special for a later date... need a break from that for a bit, so maybe next week I relax and figure my options after.

Peddocks Island ChapelPeddocks Island chapel amongst some colorful lounge chairs. Had a comfy view there as I awaited my ferry to Spectacle Island.

Peddocks IslandView of Georges Island from Peddocks Island of the Boston Harbor Islands.

Peddocks IslandAlways love the leading lines of fences... can't help but shoot them wherever I go.

Spectacle Island ViewA nice view from the highest peak of Spectacle Island... overlooking the port.

Boston Skyline via Spectacle IslandA nice view of the Boston skyine from Spectacle Island of the Boston Harbor Islands.

Spectacle IslandA lone boat floats along the harbor around Spectacle Island.

Spectacle Island

Sunset at the Salem Willows

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 04:54:01 GMT

And my delays continue! A couple weeks removed of this one! Pretty sure I shot this on the 2nd... must've been as I took a total day off for my b'day last week. Could've been productive and done it then, but a lazy day it was. This shoot ended up a really beautiful night both weatherwise and the layered clouds made for a nice colorful show after the sun fell past the horizon. Love when the sky paints up a work of art.

More Adventures in Night Photography

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 05:30:29 GMT

Another little shoot I'm a week behind on. Took a little excursion to Derby's Wharf and Forest River Park in Salem, MA at around 2 AM to do a little night shooting. No moon out like last time, so conditions were fairly optimal. Other than the insane amounts of lights over the horizon, but still works out for shots under the stars. Gives a unique perspective I think that most never really see... snoozing away while night owls like myself are out and about.

The Friendship at NightNight shot of the Friendship of Salem, MA on Derby's Wharf.

Derby's Wharf at NightNight shot of the Friendship of Salem, MA.

Forest River at NightNight shot at Forest River Park in Salem, MA.

Forest River Park at NightDawn begins to break into the night sky at Forest River Park in Salem, MA.

Forest River Park at NightThe night sky glows at Forest River Park in Salem, MA.

Boston Harbor Islands: Georges Island

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 08:35:14 GMT

The first in what will probably be a three part series as I'm considering a trip to Spectacle Island and taking the tour of Boston Light at some point this season. I'm a little late with posting this trip... actually took it last Thursday, but got lazy bones about site updating. Aside from photography, I have a bit of a Marvel Puzzle Quest addiction that tends to cause some procrastination at times.

So anyway! Took the Salem Ferry out to Boston and from there was off on another boat to Georges Island. Beautiful scenery out there to backdrop an old Civil War fort, Fort Warren. Took in the tour of that, taking shots where I could a long the way... some spots inside are pitch black. Being an old fort, it made for a good excuse to do a couple black & white shots as well. Fun trip and worth a visit at least once!

Georges Island SceneryA nice relaxing seat to overlook the harbor and Boston skyline at Georges Island.

Fort Warren B&WAnother seized opportunity at doing a black & white photo from within Fort Warren of Georges Island.

Georges Island SceneryA scenic path just outside the Fort Warren entrance on Georges Island.

Fort Warren Courtyard EntranceA view of the entrance into the Fort Warren courtyard from within the courtyard.

Fort Warren CannonA small cannon faces the Boston skyline on Georges Island.

Stone Zoo Trip 2015

Sat, 06 Jun 2015 07:45:07 GMT

That time again to make my yearly run to Stone Zoo. Primarily to catch the Masters of Flight: Birds of Prey show to practice capturing birds in flight, but the zoo itself is nice for a small zoo and seems to have improved a bit. For the first time in the 5 years I've been going, every animal supposed to be on exhibit was actually out! Usually there's a bunch missing and many empty exhibits, but this year they were all out, so it was a refreshing visit. And of course an enjoyable shoot.

Bald EagleBald Eagle at the Masters of Flight: Birds of Prey show at Stone Zoo.

JaguarJaguar resting at Stone Zoo.

Barn Owl in FlightBarn Owl in flight at the Masters of Flight: Birds of Prey show at Stone Zoo.

Snow LeopardsSnow leopards at Stone Zoo.

CougarCougar resting at Stone Zoo.

Arctic FoxArctic Fox at Stone Zoo.

Forest River Sunrise

Sat, 30 May 2015 20:00:43 GMT

Just a quick run here. It was the morning before a storm was set to hit during the day, so figured the clouds would be interesting enough for a decent sunrise. This one at Forest River Park in Salem, MA.

SunriseA zoomed in view of the sunrise at Forest River Park in Salem, MA.

Sunrise at Forest River ParkSunrise at Forest River Park in Salem, MA. Forest River ParkA scenic view at Forest River Park just after sunrise.

Halibut Point State Park

Sat, 23 May 2015 06:52:02 GMT

Finally found myself a new area to explore. Out in Rockport towards to the northern tip of Massachusetts is an old inactive granite quarry. Doesn't sound like much a scenic area, but is it ever. The quarry is filled with water with wooded areas all around making it one of the more scenic areas to be seen in eastern, MA.

Halibut Point State ParkScenic granite quarry of Halibut Point State Park.

Halibut Point State ParkWater, granite and a tree.... every element of the granite quarry of Halibut Point.

Halibut Point State ParkScenic view from the granite quarry of Halibut Point State Park.

Stone Henge of Halibut PointGranite rocks made to create a miniaturization of Stone Henge at Halibut Point. This shot was done with an ultra-wide angle lens down low to create the illusion of the miniaturization being life size.

Halibut Point State Park

Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens

Sat, 16 May 2015 19:40:11 GMT

Spring has finally sprung in full, so time to get out and shoot the flowers. Nice little hidden gem I found in Beverly, MA that even many residents of the city have no idea it's there. An old house sitting on a reservation and garden area. I had read it looked great in Spring, so off I went! Definitely the ultimate relaxation spot if ya find a time it's not too busy.... some people can tend to be loud.

Bleeding Heart BeeA bumblebee collecting from a bleeding heart at the Sedgwick Gardens.

Spring PagodaA small pagoda sits in the tranquility of Sedgwick Gardens.

Flowers of Sedgwick Gardens

House of Long HilllThe old federalist house at the center of the Sedgwick Gardens of Long Hill in Beverly, MA.

Sedgwick Gardens

Quick Bird Shoot

Sat, 18 Apr 2015 07:47:59 GMT

After a hellish winter, the nice weather is finally kicking in as Spring sets in. The over 9 ft of snow long gone and the migratory birds are back... which means I'm back out as well. Armed with a new 7D Mark II to compliment my 5D Mark III along with the new 100-400mm II, I'm very ready for some nature shoots. So of course having just gotten the 7D II, had to give it a test drive.

Northern Cardinal

White-Throated Sparrow

Turtles Sunbathing

Mallard Duck

American Robin

Blizzard of 2015

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 07:00:21 GMT

Ok, so here's the part where I hear the continuous echoing of the old saying, "be careful what you wish for." Where's my big storm? I ask myself. Where's my snow to shoot? *insert smack to head here*

So yeah... as I'm sure the whole country knows, the northeast got hit with a major blizzard... winter storm Juno. A little over 24 hours and we ended up with well over 2 feet of snow. Just a little more than I was looking for, but whatever... it worked. Although a buried car and a parking ban means I was on foot, so I took a few hours walk around the city of Salem from Forest River out to Derby's Wharf and around the downtown area to see the aftermath. Wasn't too bad considering... Salem does a decent job on clean up. Pix ahoy!

Blizzard of 2015 Shots

Ducks in the SnowDucks in the snow at Forest River Park in Salem, MA.

Forest River SnowA winding path in the snow... Forest River Park post-Blizzard 2015.

Derby's Wharf LighthouseThe lighthouse at Derby's Wharf after the Blizzard of 2015.

Salem Commons GazeboThe gazebo at Salem Commons after the Blizzard of 2015.

Quick Sunset Stroll

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 08:14:45 GMT

Still waiting for decent snow, but in the meantime.. took a little walk through the cemetery and then off to the Willows to get the sunset. Clouds were looking at least somewhat interesting, so I braved the cold for a bit to get a few shots. Surprised to see there's still birds hanging around.

SparrowSparrow at Greenlawn Cemetery.

And this is totally random, but I found the tree texture interesting... almost looks like a big entrance.

Winter Hibernation - Beetle Macro

Fri, 09 Jan 2015 07:16:30 GMT

Yes, I'm still alive.... but this would be the time of year I generally don't do a lot of shooting in between the end of the Fall season and before the snow comes. There hasn't been anything more than a dusting out here so far this year, so my "off-season" is extending a bit more than I'd generally like. By this time last year, there were already two big storms! Not that I LIKE them, but it does inspire me to shoot with ample snow cover. And it takes a lot of inspiration to get me out on a freezing cold day. I did find a macro subject very randomly.... a beetle carcass. Totally croaked, but still eerily looks alive.

BeetleMacro shot of a beetle

BeetleMacro of a beetle

Fall Foliage Finale @ Breakheart Reservation

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 05:02:42 GMT

I almost thought I was gonna miss out on the season after we got pelted with crazy amounts of rain and a nor'easter in consecutive weeks, but figured I'd give it a try anyway and see if there's any colors left to be found... and yes there were. Though noticeable the season's coming to a close, there was some nice vibrancy to be found in the trees, still. Could be a freeze over the weekend, so this really was the last chance.

Fall Foliage at Breakheart ReservationMy favorite scene of this collection... nice reflections on the water and an interesting cloud formation for the end of season Fall foliage at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, MA.

Fall Foliage at Breakheart ReservationEnd of season fall colors at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, MA.

Eastern Mass. Foliage Preview 2014

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 06:39:06 GMT

At last the Fall season is kicking into full swing. Although I have to say it's not looking exceptionally impressive as yet. Seems to be a good bit of leaf drop, but the colors aren't very widespread in the area. Foliage Network reports have us in the moderate range right now, but isn't quite looking it. Hopefully by next week it'll be better... gotta make my Breakheart Reservation run next when the colors reach a high. These shots here were taken at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

Rainbow FountainRare catch of a little rainbow appearing through the fountain.

Crashing Waves

Sat, 04 Oct 2014 06:59:45 GMT

Totally unplanned pix, here. Originally I was planning to head down to the Salem Willows to catch the sunset, but hit a road block as they shut down a portion of downtown Salem... Halloween in Salem is hell for residents. The fact it's only the first week of October and it's already a madhouse out here is scary. So anyway... I took a detour and went to Marblehead instead. By the time I got there, all the interesting cloud formations were gone and I was late for sunset by about 5 minutes, but did notice the waves crashing like crazy out there, sooooooo a few quick shots ensued. Not a total loss.

Crashing WavesWaves crashing at Chandler Hovey Park in Marblehead, MA.

Sunset in Marblehead

Sat, 27 Sep 2014 20:38:40 GMT

Another instance of spotting interesting cloud formations around sunset. A rarity for me when I actually have time to get out and shoot a sunset with them... more often than not, this kinda thing only happens when I'm working and don't have the opportunity to get a good shoot in. Nice way to cap the warm season... now I can look forward to the Fall colors to come. These were taken at Chandler Hovey Park in Marblehead, MA.

Sunset in MarbleheadSunset at Chandler Hovey Park in Marblehead, MA.

Sunset in MarbleheadSunset at Chandler Hovey Park in Marblehead, MA. The old brick oil house lends some nice character to the composition... always like old structures in shots.

Sunset in MarbleheadSunset at Chandler Hovey Park in Marblehead, MA. This shot I found interesting as it almost looks like the earth is opening up below the horizon with an almost hellish glow of red shooting up to the clouds.

Adventures in Night Photography

Sat, 20 Sep 2014 05:41:19 GMT

Did something a little different on a recent run... it was one of the clearest nights I've seen in a while and the moon was popping nice and bright, so figured I'd go back to the wharf and do a little night shooting... starry skies to backdrop the scene rather than my usual sunrise/sunset kinds of stuff. I don't see too much of it done around here, so figured it'd be a little unique, too.

The "Friendship" of Salem under the StarsThe "Friendship of Salem under a starry night sky.

The MoonRandom shot of the moon on a nice clear night with some great crater detail.

Sunrise at Derby's Wharf

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 05:56:41 GMT

Still on the sunrise kick... this time a quick run to Derby's Wharf on Salem's waterfront. Has a couple nice spots for composing a sunrise with the old lighthouse and the "Friendship." When I saw the clouds looking a bit interesting, I knew I had to catch it. No really good dawn colors going, but once the sun started popping out, it got a bit more interesting.

Derby's Wharf LighthouseThe lighthouse at Derby's Wharf at sunrise.

The "Friendship" of SalemThe "Friendship" of Salem at Derby's Wharf on a cloudy morning at dawn.

Sunrise at Lynch Park

Sat, 06 Sep 2014 06:12:26 GMT

Getting in my sunrise shoots while I can... they're getting later and later and eventually too late for me to stay up until. I'm not an early bird, so waking up in time just isn't an option. So this one was at Lynch Park in Beverly, MA. Most notable to the area is the rose garden which is a must visit if ever in the Beverly area. Sunrise was the perfect time to be there as I had the place all to myself... perfect for a quick shoot before bed.

The Falconer at DawnShot of the Falconer statue at dawn... Lynch Park, Beverly, MA.

Sunrise at Lynch ParkSunrise at Lynch Park in Beverly, MA.

Lynch Park Rose GardenThe rose garden of Lynch Park in Beverly, MA.

Coolidge Reservation

Wed, 27 Aug 2014 08:30:11 GMT

Last run of vacation week ended up at the Coolidge Reservation in Manchester by the Sea, MA. It's a small area with some light hiking, but a very nice woodland area with a large pond. Then of course there's the Ocean Lawn a bit further in which is a landscape shooters dream... so many possibilities and even some birds out by the shore for the nature lovers. A fun end to a good week of shooting.

Ocean Lawn

Seagulls

Plum Island - 8-19-14

Sat, 23 Aug 2014 03:30:05 GMT

Next trip of the week was to Plum Island... or the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge that takes up about 3/4 of the island. Great place to go for anyone into nature and good scenery. Great bird watching, too.... I always find people out doing that when I go.

Plum Island Observation TowerObservation tower on the Hellcat trail of Plum Island.

Egret

Salem Ferry, Whale Watch & Aquarium - 8-18-14

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 00:49:59 GMT

Full day to kick off a week off. A ride to Boston on the Salem Ferry.... then off one boat and into another to do a whale watch. And as usual, I don't have the best of luck with that... just a couple backs popping outta the water.... no tails or heads :p Then to kill the rest of the time before the ferry outta Boston, hit the Aquarium for a bit. Then to cap it all off.... a sunset.

View of Boston SkylineView of Boston skyline as seen from the Salem Ferry.

WhaleNot a successful whale watch trip... this was about the best I saw while out there.

Leafy SeadragonLeafy Seadragon at the New England Aquarium.

Return to Crane Beach

Thu, 14 Aug 2014 23:48:00 GMT

With the Greenheads away, I can finally play.... or rather relax. My beach day consists of walking the length of the 4 mile beach front, snap a few shots of the shore birds... then lay back and relax in the sun for a while. Can't do that when there's blood sucking vampire flies around, so I hold off til August when they're gone to get out there.

Crane Beach

Ropes Mansion Garden

Fri, 01 Aug 2014 05:49:09 GMT

I actually skipped a mission or rather forgot to post about it, but had a fun endeavor last Sunday shooting a charity fundraiser to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis treatment and research. A local team out here by the name of Wooshie's Warriors hosted a dunk tank event with games, raffles and of course the aforementioned tank. I was asked if I could cover the event and was happy to oblige.... great group of people and a great time had by all... including Salem's police chief Paul Tucker, who's now running for State Rep of Salem.

So that brings us to today's mission which was just a couple hours relaxing out at the Ropes Mansion Gardens... and of course shooting everything in sight.

Ropes Mansion Gardens

Bee on a flower

And capped it all off with a sunset. Unfortunately some thick cloud cover on the horizon killed it prematurely, but at least caught a quick one out of it.

Sunset at Salem Willows

Franklin Park Zoo

Sat, 19 Jul 2014 08:33:09 GMT

The only zoo in my home state of Mass that I've never been to, I finally visited. Not quite as good as Southwick, but a nice sized zoo with lots of variety and a bit more open areas not covered in fences and slightly cleaner barrier windows. They're also the only zoo around with Gorillas, so that made it unique to check out. Also took a quick stroll through the Public Gardens.

TigerTiger in hunt mode at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, MA.

Public Garden Bridge

Hammond Castle Museum

Sat, 12 Jul 2014 20:36:07 GMT

Another nice perfect weathered day called for a run over to Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA. Probably the only castle-like structure in the immediate area and an interesting place to check out! Lots of great photo ops inside and out on the grounds.

Hammond Castle BelltowerView of the Hammond Castle bell tower from the drawbridge gate.

Hammond Castle Courtyard

Independence Day Fireworks 2014

Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:38:49 GMT

It took two schedule changes thanks to tropical storm Arthur, but got to catch the fireworks again this year and with results I'm quite a bit more happy with than last year's first attempt. My only gripe is some goofball stood his big head right in my frame towards the end, so lost a handful of shots that may have otherwise been good... threw me off my game when the happened, but still got some good ones despite that.

Fireworks at Derby's Wharf

Stone Zoo Trip

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 08:02:22 GMT

Made the annual trip over to Stone Zoo. Even though it's rather small and more often than not a lot of animals are either off exhibit or they're reconstructing something, it does have a great "Masters of Flight" bird show, so worth a swing by to shoot. Needed in-flight practice and being in a tight area provides a challenge to boot.

Bald EagleBald Eagle in flight at the Stone Zoo "Masters of Flight: Birds of Prey" show.

Butterfly Place

Fri, 30 May 2014 01:40:04 GMT

First day off of reasonable weather (can't believe it's late May and it hasn't even cracked steady 70s yet), so took a run to the Butterfly Place out in Westford, MA. Very nice and relaxing place to visit during the week when it's not too busy. Of course I can't JUST relax... primary motivation is always pix. Easy without lens switches... banged the whole deal out with the 70-200.

Giant SwallowtailGiant Swallowtail butterfly

Spring at last!

Thu, 08 May 2014 23:50:17 GMT

Finally the warm weather is starting to kick in.... everything's coming back to life and looking nice again and that means it's time to get out of winter hibernation and back into full shooting mode. Starting small with a stroll through Greenlawn Cemetery.

Sargent Pond Greenlawn CemeteryThe always scenic Sargent Pond of Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA.

Nice scenery and even some nature to shoot:

HeronHeron flew to a higher tree... still caught it!

The Moon

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 06:02:14 GMT

Still in seasonal hibernation as I await Spring/Summer to kick in, but saw the moon looking especially big and bright tonight, so had to pop a shot of it. Wish it was this clear when the eclipse was on... all I got was thick clouds that night. Hopefully the next one in October will work out better.

The MoonRandom shot of the moon.

Icicles

Thu, 13 Feb 2014 10:10:43 GMT

This is a very random post... haven't done any shoots lately as we haven't gotten significant snow and it's just been cold.... cold makes me lazy for outings, so that's really my only excuse. Walking in from the car the other day, I did notice icicles hanging off a fence and a frozen plant of some sort by the gutter, so took a couple quickies... something's better than nothing!

*hurry up Spring & Summer...*

IciclesIcicles hanging off a fence on a cold winter day.

Frozen plant iciclesRandom plant frozen with icicles.

Mooore Snooow!!

Fri, 03 Jan 2014 22:23:19 GMT

As noted in my last post, I can't help myself... I don't want to, but I see snow and I HAVE to go get some shots... have to! Even if I have to freeze my arse off temps below 10F by the ocean. It was so cold, the moisture of my breath created an icicle on the chin of my face mask. Caught a few good ones, though.

Snow WreathA wreath hung on a bench at Forest River Park, Salem, MA.

Snoooow

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 07:40:20 GMT

So this is the time of year I generally hibernate and don't get out shooting much, if at all. Especially when it snows. While it does provide potentially interesting shots, it tends to be insanely cold and windy out which makes shooting less than a pleasure. Such was my scenario a couple days ago after the second of two consecutive 6 inch snow drops, but after shoveling at 2am I felt like taking a walk. Got to the ocean and quickly turned back after blistering winds shot through both my jackets and soaked feet under the snow.

I'm suddenly reminded why I don't go out in this... but... I'll probably do it again. Can't help myself.

Snowy NightForest River Park in Salem, MA on a cold snowy night.

Flower House

Wed, 27 Nov 2013 07:56:13 GMT

Needed a centerpiece for Thanksgiving, so took a run to the Marblehead Flower House to get an order in. Naturally while there I HAD to take a few pix around the place. The owner's a friend, so I'm tolerated :)

Halloween in Salem

Fri, 01 Nov 2013 07:04:02 GMT

How could I not get a few shots of the madness that is Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts. Took a walk down with my sister, niece and nephews and caught a few shots of the characters parading around the downtown area. Good time to cap off the season before the deep freeze sets in and snow buries me.

Pumpkinhead

Fall Foliage Peaks in Massachusetts

Sat, 26 Oct 2013 06:43:15 GMT

Well, almost... according to reports, we're still in high color as of Wednesday, but it looked at peak to me today. Went to the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus and the colors were phenomenal! Possibly better than last years and that was a hell of a show. Took in a 6 hour hike around the 640 acre area to capture some of the magic. A little sore doing that carrying about 20lbs of gear over one shoulder and my camera mounted tripod over the other, but worth it. Going up the 200+ ft elevations can be brutal, though.

Fall foliage at Breakheart Reservation

Eastern Mass. Foliage Preview

Sat, 12 Oct 2013 08:38:28 GMT

Today was run #1 of the foliage season. Colors are running a little late compared to last year, but there were a few nice shows of color to be had. Such is why I call it a preview... not quite there yet, but should be soon!

Greenlawn in Autumn

Then after color shooting, caught another sunset down the Salem Willows. Wasn't planning on it initially, but when ya see perfect cloud formations forming that could put on a good show, ya gotta do it!

Sunset in Marblehead

Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:07:18 GMT

It was an unseasonably warm October night, so had to take advantage and get a shoot in. That and for once there were actually clouds in the sky to make for a nice scene. So went to Chandler Hovey Park at the end of the neck in Marblehead, MA. Nice little area for great ocean views and an old skeleton of a lighthouse.... which I found bizarre as dusk kicked in and the thing lit up green... alien lighthouse. Hoping to get a couple Fall foliage shoots in before the month is out!

Foggy Morning at Forest River

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 20:50:07 GMT

Set out in the wee hours hoping the sunrise would break through the intense fog this morning, but to no avail. At the least, I was able to capture a few moody shots around the park. Kind of a horror movie style effect... complete with loud arses fishing off the rocks in the distance :p

Foggy woods of Forest River

Just Testing

Sun, 22 Sep 2013 08:33:24 GMT

I don't expect I'll be doing a whole lot with the blog thing, but then... one never knows! Maybe I'll be inspired as I'm popping pix out and going out on my lil adventures. So yeah, I'm here! See how this goes... never done before.