Sharing within the Photographic Life

ARRIVING                                Monhegan Island, Maine

For this photo I worked on practicing what Sam Abell taught us during the first day of our workshop.  

Compose the picture Sammy and wait - is going through my mind.  

The excitement of not knowing how the hand off would take place was certainly part of the fun.  

I feel what worked was the young man with the pole was framed within the boat.  

The pole didn't touch the back layer and was at a similar angle to the shoreline.  

The pilings balanced the photo and gave it a foreground.  

The gent on land was positioned well and the moment of him "grabbing" the pole tells the story.  

I managed to keep my camera level within the composition - which is something I struggle with.   I am absolutely one who shifts with what's happening as I see it through my lens.  

I need to work on that.

This will be one of the photos that will go into our "Moving Forward in Photography" book.  A compilation of photographs from Sam's students during our week together in Maine.  I'm so looking forward to continuing down the road with this group and look forward to our journeys that lie ahead.

enjoy,

k

Sweet Ride

Along with Denis in a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible

Sweet ride...

enjoy,

k

Back Layer First

Back layer ~   Mainland

Next layer ~    Buoy

Next Layer ~   Friends

Foreground  ~ Boat

Extras:  Internal framing and the boat roof is above the horizon line.

Does it work?  I'm not really sure.  

It works for me because of the people. 

Backs are important.

Back Layer ~ The Ocean

Front Layer ~ The Wake of the Boat

"Moving Forward in Photography"

enjoy,

k

Walkabout and Listen

When I travel I tend to gravitate off the beaten path and experience a new place in a quieter way.  Not compelled to go where it's busy but rather venture off the main street and take a back road here and there.

When I arrived on the island of North Haven I walked around the port for a short while and then wandered off down the road to see what I could find.

Overlooking the harbor of this small island people were coming and going.  I smile when I look at this photo for there is a micro composition of a person walking out a doorway.  I was timing the two boats approaching the docks with the person walking in their direction from the dock.
 

As I looped around I came upon a quiet street and heard music coming from one of the homes.
I stopped and backed up to hear better.  Then I just stood and listened to what I thought may have been a violin being played.

I stood for quite a while and watched a gentleman walking up the street.  He saw me standing there with my camera over my shoulder and asked if I was waiting to take a photo of him?  I responded "no, I'm listening to the music coming from this house".  His response "that's my house, my son is practicing the cello".  A "moment" - not photographed - but certainly one I'll remember.

Sometimes in life it's best to just listen

enjoy,

k

The Many Colors of Light

As we were leaving Vinalhaven the sun was just starting to set.  Our charter would be taking us back to Rockland for the night.... a most glorious night out on the water.

Sam Abell hanging over the rail to catch the sun as it was setting among the islands and fog.

I too was hanging over the rail watching the buoy get closer with its red flash of light giving that extra splash of color mirroring the pink sky.  Pink sky at night sailor's delight!

Once the sun went down our captain flipped on an interior red light.  Such a wonderful contrast to the dark blue sky.

Who cared that we navigated into Rockport instead of Rockland.  It all worked out in the end and all was good on land and sea.


enjoy,

k

Seeing Layers

The ferry ride over to North Haven was a perfect place to apply what we'd learned with Sam Abell.

Start with the back layer

Frame within a frame

Separation - it's about what's in the background

Compose the picture Sammy and wait
Micro composition 

This photograph is driven by a conversation with these two women sitting in their car on the ferry to North Haven.  Diane and I were talking with them.  I composed the back layer with Marcia and the horizon line framed within the cars.  The two women and Diane were having a nice moment in their conversation.  The conversation by the way was about the "swarm" of photographers on board the ferry.  The photograph was anchored by the door frame of the car.  The bonus for we was the micro composition of the flag in the rear view mirror.  That I did not see until after I uploaded the photos.  A happy surprise within a photograph of a shared moment during our ferry ride.

enjoy,

k

Touching Moments

Looking straight down from the Breakwater Light jetty I noticed the rock, algae, lily strand and lone feather.  My attempt was to compose a thoughtful photograph.   

The lily strand's color was my driving force.  

I was waiting for the gentle waves to bring a composition that appealed to my eye.  

I am humored when I look at the photo now that I'm home.  

Everything is touching.  

I still like this photograph regardless of that fact. 

This is a photograph from day 1 of a workshop spent up in Camden Maine with Sam Abell and 11 other students.   To say this was a great experience would be an understatement.  I feel many stories will be shared as we all go through recollections of our week together.

Thank you Sam for your care.

enjoy,

k