Rum Doodle

Prairie Wanderer

Wed, 13 May 2009 03:00:00 -0800

Another in a set of the Buds & Blooms motif.

Spring Blooms

Mon, 11 May 2009 03:00:00 -0800

Phew, I needed a few months off to get a crushing workload done, but I sorely missed posting and seeing what you've all been up to.

Last night's opening reception at our local downtown gallery got me motivated to re-start this blog. Im really amazed at all the spectacular work pixyBlog photographers have been doing.

This is one of my entries into the Buds & Blooms show, appropriate for the springtime that is just now coming around to New England.

Swooper

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 06:00:00 -0800

This was our summer neighbor's tree that we used as a marker to get to the islands in the fog beyond.

Tomorrow, I'm off for a week in St. Johns with my borther-in-law and our two young daughters. Depending on the internet connection (or lack thereof) I may not be posting for a while.

Itsy bitsy spiderweb

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0800

Mornings on the dock obscure the background with a wonderful soft fog, and leave the many spiderwebs with a good amount of dew.

I don't know which spider left this one, but I don't think it was the giant (3, maybe 4, inches leg-to-leg) swimming spider that lived on the floating dock and watched us have our fun.

As months pass, the stories of the spider's size grow in proportion to time passed. Next summer we'll be talking about the three-foot spider that was eating the lake trout in one bit.

Gimme that Soul

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0800

A few more band shots. I really like the expressions of blues and folk singers - they really get into the feeling of the music.

Because I'm shooting in low light, and because I'm using a noisy D200 at higher ISOs, I do away with some of the color issues by converting to momochrome with a slight tint. Brownish for folk and bluish for jazz & blues.

Corn-ucopia of more Corn-y photos

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:14:57 -0800

Jamie guessed yesterday's mystery straight wawy. I was hoping to get a few days of throwing more photos of Indian Corn up, some of which look like coffee beans, some like marbled glass beads, some like Jelly Beans.

Here's the rest in one shot. Happy Halloween everyone. And an early happy Guy Fawkes Night to our cousins across the Pond.

Pop Quiz: What are We?

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:27:49 -0800

What are we? Hmmm? Any guesses?

Soulful

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:08:59 -0800

I've taken to snapping at music events lately. I find folk and blues artists to be especially photogeneic.

This is a musician taking a break and enjoying his band's music from the back of a church where the NH Folk Festival was held. Although I'm not a folk music fan, the Jake Armerding band really hit a sweet spot in me.

More of my photos of blues and folk band (with animated videos), if you feel the spark, at Cuzin Richard Entertainment - Past Events

Misted Dock

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:30:00 -0800

A quick trip back to summer before the snow starts here in the north.

I had to get up early to catch the morning fog surrounding our dock on Trickey Pond, Maine's cleanest lake accoroding to the EPA.

Night Photography III

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:27:39 -0800

Last one of the night photo series. Like the previous two, this one is of the JFK Library in Boston. The various types of lights light the varying segments very differently, and although what you see is mainly structures, the shadows of the trees give a bit of an organic tough to it.

Night Photography II

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:20:48 -0800

More night photography at the JFK Library in Boston. See yesterday's post for more on that.

This is a shot of the tall grasses at the edge of the library back lawn, backlight by bight factory lights behind the grass. The tops are fuzzy because of the long exposure (~4 minutes). And yes, that's the moon up there, not the sun.

Night Photography I

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:36:36 -0800

This past weekend, I took a night photography adventure with Lance Keimig in Boston. He chose the JFK Library in Boston as the spot because the various lights make for interesting images.

Lance curates the Darkness Darkness exhibit of works by various night photography pros. You can see the gallery at DarknessDarkness.com

Wall Street

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:31:08 -0800

The Stock Exchange building in Manahattan. If the tone of the image is a bit bleak, well, that's fitting for these days, ain't it?

Manhattan II

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 09:03:31 -0800

I love Battery Park for the walking, outdoor displays, waterfront vibrance... But mostly for the photo opportunities.

Manhattan

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 08:44:38 -0800

A recent trip to NYC for the 42-mile five-borough bike run allowed for some time in the newly-expanded Battery Park area at the southern tip of the island.

If you're adventurous, view the six-hour trip compressed to nine minutes, as taped by an RCA Wonder clipped to my handlebars.

And now for something completely different

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 20:00:00 -0800

I grabbed some Gerber Daisies for a Fall colors shoot for a local gallery. Some flowers and buildings are made for an inking effect, where I use a number of Rapidograph pens to draw lines around edges directly onto the printed photo. Long, painstaking, precise work.

I thought that since I had Photoshop and a tablet available, I might try it directly on the electornic image rather than hand-ink each printed photo. At least my hand-cramping was minimized for a day.

The effect is more cartoonish here than the hand-inked version. I need to work on a better ink look. Suggestions and criticism are welcomed and encouraged here.

Second photo is a simple low-chrome version.

Cityscape - Gehry's Stata Center in Cambridge, No. 2

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Additional highlights of Gehry's Stata Center buildings in Cambridge, MA

Cityscape - Gehry's Stata Center in Cambridge

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 08:45:51 -0800

Whimsical architect Frank Gehry created this magnifiscent structure as part of the Stata Center in Cambridge, MA

Alma Mater

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:55:37 -0800

In the 1980's I was a photo buff while studying Biology and Engineering at Syracuse University.

The Niagara Mohawk building, an outstanding example of Art Deco architecture, always drew me to downtown. Little wonder I headed back there during a reunion visit.

The first shot is a closeup of detail many stories up. The second a crop from another nearby building.

Old Man Pepper

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:52:20 -0800

One of my favorites is this old, crumbly pepper with the most vibrant color.

Sunset Trees

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Near my sister's old place in Kent (southeastern England) I spied the final photo of the day before it got dark.

Art in the Park

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

European cities seem to have substantially more works of art in public places than this side of the pond. This is one of the statues in the courtyard near my borther-in-law's flat.

For the Birds

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

This was about a tenth of the birds swarming around chemical tanks a few hundred yards away. Telephoto lenses sure come in handy.

Backlighters

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:03:21 -0800

Wandering London during mid-day

Blue Fence Series - Cages

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Behind the fence at one point were piles of sand and gravel, behind which I spied all manner of what appeared to be structural frames for very large tanks. I never found a finished tank.

Blue Fence Series - Abandonement

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Much of what I saw while peeking through the blue metal fence in Chelsea consisted of what appeared to be abandoned industrial buildings like this one.

Blue Fence Series - Barbed

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

A while back I was wandering the Chelsea part of London with my brother-in-law. I took a series of photos through and over a blue metal fence. This barbed wire topped much of the fence.

Speeding Bottles

Sat, 9 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

A quick private tour through one of the region's largest breweries and I forget my tripod. These bottles were speeding and jiggling by me and my handheld telephoto.

Beer Tank in the Shadows

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

A quick private tour through one of the region's largest breweries and I forget my tripod. Well, to make lemonade of lemons, a photographer looks for abstracts?

Tentacled

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

The lighting in the Boston Aquarium can be fantastic. The trick is to get a shot with 450 children bumping you out of the way.

Frowning Jellyfish

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

He didn't want me taking his picture, I guess.

Fishies. Who doesn't love fishies?

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

The Exeter Eagle, Part IV and Final Shot

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

When I saw this shot after downloading it from my camera, I thought i looked like a ray beam shooting a hole in the sky.

This, and the photos from the prior three days, are some of the photos I used to make a book that will be presented to the Exeter Fire Department on its arrival from the printer.

See the book here

I recommend Blurb to all of you thinking about publishing your work in book form. It's easy to use, and works well as a proofing basis for a lower-cost publisher should you decide to sell larger quantities.

The Exeter Eagle, Part III

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

The Exeter Fire Department does a fantastic job of showing off the equipment. It's quite a bit of work to maintain this intricate antique machine, never mind firing her up and getting it to pump its impressive stream.

The Exeter Eagle, Part II

Sat, 2 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

The Exeter Eagle is a horse-drawn, steam-powered fire wagon purchased by the Town (Exeter, NH) in 1873.

It worked for the Town until the 1940's, and was completely refurbished in 1971. The steamer is pumped annually the second Sunday in June on Swasey Parkway for the viewing pleasure of Exeter citizens.

These photos are from that day in 2008.

The Exeter Eagle

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Lately I've taken to attending local events and finding something worthwhile to shoot. It's usually all wrong for shooting - direct midday sunlight, crowds of people and pets, no way to frame a good shot, yadda yadda. That once put me off, but now I consider it a challenge.

A few weekends ago, I spent an hour shooting the annual showing-off of our town's nineteenth century fire wagon. Our fire department does a fine job keeping this fine equipment in excellent working order. More tomorrow.

Yellow Lily

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0800

The last of the lillies.

Orange Lily

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Another lily from our garden.

Red Lily

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0800

The time I have for serious gardening diminishes each year, it seems. Then again, perhaps I've created too many gardens to take care of. In any case, I cannot stop the lilies from growing, so on a slow day I head out to the yeard and...

Fire Flower

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0800

This fireworks shot is from this year's Exeter, NH Independance Day celebration.

He's back with a Bang

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:06:22 -0800

My apologies for the long time away. I was only without a computer for half a day, but then there was a backlog of work, summer vacation, family obligations, travel.... You get the picture.To the dozens of you who emailed about my lack of posts - a huge thank you! You made my summer.

These are shots of Independence Day fireworks from my first and second years shooting fireworks. The second year I shot handheld. Yes, it's well past July 4th, but in 1776 it took weeks for word to spread to Exeter, NH via Pony Express, so we celebrate quite a bit later than most.

I've seen enough typical fireworks shots and they all look the same to me, so I was going after a more abstract look.

One Cool Goose

Sun, 4 May 2008 02:00:00 -0800

At the time this photo is posted I'll be lining up with 30,000 other ~~idiots~~ adventurous bikers in the Bike New York event. Five boroughs and 42 miles in what is expected to be a rainy day. I bought a Flip Video type camera and handlebar mount in an experiment to capture 7 hours of accident-prone riding and compress it down to a 7-minute street-level flyby - and see if it's even remotely interesting. I hope some stills might be good enough to turn into grainy Holga-like photos.

This photo, on the other hand, was taken in Boston's Public Garden on a sunny day. Canadian Geese always appear so sure of themselves. Park geese are downright huffy.

Wish me luck today. Cheers.

Give me your tired, your poor

Fri, 2 May 2008 16:33:17 -0800

This is a New York shot from a walkabout last year. I was born in New York, and now that I live in New Hampshire I find myself going there an awful lot, taking more pictures each time. It's become a wonderful city, very safe and no end to photo opps. When I get my laptop back I'll post some shots of a recent walk around lower Manhattan.

This is a shot into the setting sun behind the Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn Bridge.

Thanks to everyone for all the kind and encouraging comments, they are truly heartening.

My name is Deco. Art Deco.

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:01:25 -0800

Well, I was going to present some shots from my recent walk around lower Manhattan because of my upcoming visit this weekend for the five-boro bike tour. Unfortunately, my laptop went kaput and in order to keep up my regular job I'm going to forego Photoshop/Lightroom activity until my laptop returns in good order. Syracuse is not east of Vermont, but New York State is so I'm taking some liberties.

This is a closeup of one of my favorite buildings, the Niagara Mohawk building in Syracuse, NY. It is one of the best examples of Art Deco I've seen. This is one small detail from the NiMo building.

Jenne Farm Infrared

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:43:39 -0800

This is the last of the Vermont shots for a log while, I promise.

Jenne Farm is near Woodstock, VT and purportedly America's most photographed farm. It's not all that easy to find, but worth an early morning sunrise trip. When you get there, you'll find a dozen or so photographers lined up already, some jovial and helpful, others snooty and condescending.

Since this farm has been photographed so many times, and since I didn't find anything compelling about it, especially after having spent time at Shelburne Farms, I swapped out my regular SLR for my dedicated infrared camera.

You can see the dawn sky looking the other way in this previous post, and a nearby farm in this previous post (and my friendly posing horses here).

That's it for Vermont farms for a while. Tomorrow I move eastward.

Sniff, lick, moooo

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:23:23 -0800

I thought I'd break up the string of farms landscapes with a fond memory of those trips.

It was suggested I hop the fence and play with the cows. Turns out play was a good word, as these cows act more like puppies than one would expect. In between getting licked by what felt like a cheese grater, I managed a couple shots with my fisheye.

Painted Barn

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:55:37 -0800

The original was nothing much to excite me and even the most careful corrections couldn't help my lack of proper focus.

So, throw it out or try something new? I happened on a discussion which suggested the latter is always worth a try, and sometimes works better with otherwise poor photos (in the same way that Mimosas often taste better with cheap champagne, perhaps).

Here's my feeble attempt at artifying this photo rejection.

Posers

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:55:17 -0800

Farm animals in Vermont are different than what I was used to in upstate New York. In Vermont, they see a photographer, walk up, and pose-and-hold. At least, this has been my experience the past few years of travel to Vermont farms.

Sunrise at Jenne Farm

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:20:10 -0800

Jenne Farm claims the title of Most Photographed Farm in America. I'll post the shot everyone else takes soon. This one is in the opposite direction, shooting toward the rising sun.

Moody Moon

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0800

It was a dark and stormy night.... OK, it wasn't stormy but it was dark and very windy, hence the ghost-like clouds.

Morning Silhouette

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:00:00 -0800

This barn silhouette works well as a foreground with a full moonrise, too, though I haven't had the pleasure of being there on a moonrise. The wonderful morning sky is what captured my attention, the barn was simply a good frame.

Dragon of the Lake

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:00:00 -0800

The dragon on the right guards the entrance to a secret island on Lake Champlain.

Misty Morning at Lake Champlain

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:15:49 -0800

The weather near Lake Champlain in Vermont is predictable only so far as you can expect it to make photography interesting. Not that this is a very intersting shot, but it was interesting to shoot in the early mist of the day.

Drifter

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:00:19 -0800

Shelburne Farms is one of the most scenic, calming places I've been since the old Nantucketof some decades ago. Twelve hundred acres of rolling fields, woods, Lake Champlain, beautiful giant barns and manors, and views of the NY Adirondacks.

This weather-beaten tree stump sits on a private beach along Lake Champlain. The moody sky is typical of every visit I've made here and always adds, never detracts, from the beauty of the place.

LA Mini Gardens

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:45:49 -0800

I didn't spend a lot of time in California, and mostly to visit with a friend of mine, so this is the second of two I was pleased with from that trip.

Lawns in the the singular homes along the beaches in towns south of LA are measured in square feet or inches, and usually taken up by flower gardens like this one.

California Dreaming

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:06:21 -0800

South of Los Angeles was an odd, inviting place for me. Everyone is in shape, everyone is beautiful, everyone is friendly.

The coastline, and especially the Palisades, were beautiful, save for the haze that obstructed a clear view of anything more than 1000 feet away.

This is a pier on Manhattan Beach. Only one person in the photo (can you spot him?)

Green River Overlook

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:17:33 -0800

This is the last of the Utah shots from this trip. We thought we'd lost the day since the sun was higher in the sky, but then the storm clouds moved in and we happened to end up at the Green River Overlook. This shot is a combination of two images taken to alleviate the lower dynamic range of digital cameras.

Mesa Arch Sunrise

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:11:29 -0800

Another arch in Utah. This time Mesa Arch at sunrise. The rocks in this area are a dullish grayish-brown until the morning or evening sun hits them and they turn into a laval red.

It's difficult for photographs to convey the breathtaking nature of red rock in dusk or dawn light until you see it for yourself. It usually means getting up very early or skipping the normal dinner hour, and then 1-2 hours of hiking, but it's worth it. Fly to Salt Lake City, UT or Page, AZ and getto Moab or Escalante and see for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

One Double Arch

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:44:18 -0800

This is a shot of one of the two arches that make up Double Arch in Arches National Park, Utah.

I've spent a week or so in Utah with my brother-in-law and fellow photographer Mark each of the past couple years. At one point, I thought I might become a landscape photographer, as it combined outdoor activity, travel, and photography of beautiful things. I still love landscape photography and quite a few final shots appeal to me, but they simply sit on gallery walls and receive oohs and aahs, yet no new parents.

I'll post a few more in the coming days to get it out of my system before migrating where I think my photography is heading.

- John

Spring Rush

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:06:08 -0800

The final in the duotone series of the Fort Rock photos. The coming of Spring means a lot of water in the woods of Exeter's town forests. A few days later, the snow would be gone, the land turned to mush, and "Mud Season" officially heralded in.

Leaf Creatures

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:50:28 -0800

Third of four duotones from the local wood, near Fort Rock in Exeter, NH.

These creatures have the look of leaves all year round.

Water logs

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:23:07 -0800

One day this Spring, walking a new trail in the local woods, we came across a serene section below the trail filled with the last of the Winter's snow. The normally marshy area was brimming with water, which was running off to other parts at the speed of a small brook.

This is one of a series taken the same day within the same 25 square meters.

Winter into Spring

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:22:19 -0800

Each day I walk with my dog for 1-3 hours in one of several forests and trails in our otherwise suburban New England town. Most days, I'm joined by my friend Kevin and his dog, sometime we bring one or more of our children. Months later, there's still a great deal to explore, and often a very interesting find. When I walk alone, I bring my camera.

This photo is but one of a series of duotones taken one weekend day as Winter turned to Spring.

Welcome

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 19:32:58 -0800

Welcome to the RumDoodle Photo Blog. I hope to post at least one photo each week from studio work and wanderings about, but I make no promises.

If you are interested, you may find more photos at online locations listed in the Links section, or at galleries throughout New England - just ask where.

Thanks for looking! Cheers,

John