We spent summer vacation again in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada. We time our visit annually to coincide with Canada Day on July 1st, our wedding anniversary on the 3rd, and of course US Independence Day on the 4th which we celebrate from afar. We had generally great weather and the food and people we experienced were terrific. See you all next year!
Last week I once again had the pleasure of attending an on-the-water workshop with the estimable Onne van der Wal in Newport, RI. This year I chose the New York Yacht Club Regatta simply because it fit my work schedule.
Equipment was my venerable Lumix duo, a G9 with the Leica DG 50-100mm [e-100-400] f2.8-4 ASPH, and a GX85 with the 8-16mm [e-16-32] f2.8-4. I have a two-camera harness which makes moving around the boat very easy...one must keep at least one hand available for handholds at all times of course. I'm a decade plus from having my sailboat live-aboard sea legs and it was choppy, so extra care was in order for the first hours. There were four classes of racing with the largest and most elegant, the 12 meter boats, miles offshore. So, given our trawler's speed and the 'sporty' conditions outside we opted to stay in the bay and enjoy the smaller classes. These are relatively modern boats and the teams go hard and really compete. It was fun to watch. But from now on it's only the antique and classic boat regattas for me. I miss the varnish. :) Ah, these are the days. Sunrises over the neighboring farm are golden. Last day of school was yesterday. The garden is planted...peas are already feet high. The pool was 53F when we opened last month [brrrrr], but much warmer now. Summer in Maine can't be beat.
Yay! The telescope is back from Celestron. They tell me that the auto-nav features are working perfectly for them...we'll see. Looking forward to the next clear night.
Meanwhile, I've been thinking back to the moon photography I used to do at the last house...where I could walk to the ocean with tripod and camera slung over my shoulder. The shots above were from last year, doing just that. Nice. Well, we had a little more snow.
We love the landscape here, but are a bit distracted by the ongoing renovations on the first floor. Looking forward to the final result. All the best in 2024! I contribute on occasion to a travel photography site, and they solicited favorite photos of the year from us. Not 'best', but photos that meant something to us. So I thought I'd post mine here as well.
Happy New Year to all! Photo 1 was taken in Halifax, NS late in the afternoon. It has remained a favorite for the mood and the timeless story that it tells. Photo 2 is from the back porch of the house we bought this year. The wonderful views to the north-west were a revelation after years of living in the deep woods here in Maine. Sunset photos typically leave me unmoved...but this view and the amazing contrast was special for me. Photo 3 is also from our new community. For years I've enjoyed photographing the beach, and especially surfers. I actually had a gallery show of such work years ago. This image just barely holds together at 10,000 ISO on an MFT camera. But I love the ethereal nature and skewed colors. Meetings over, beautiful day, thought I'd take a walk around the new property.
--Lumix G9 w/ Leica DG 50-200mm f2.8-4 ASPH Well, Hurricane Lee was not that big a deal down here where we now reside, but apparently it hit our old neighborhood pretty hard. Hope all is well up there. I actually drove up to Portland Saturday morning for a concert that evening, only to find out that it had been postponed...I'm not a social media maven but I checked a lot and saw no notice online. No bother. I had a nice evening out in a great small city and made new friends. Calling this one a win.
Shooting through water with an iPhone the other evening. What interesting and unpredictable results.
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Thoughts and musings on the photographic process by a recovering film lab owner.
Some photo sites we enjoy:
Magnum The Online Photographer John Paul Caponigro Onne van der Wal Kirk Tuck By Thom Steve Huff B&W Mag LensRentals DearSusan Archives
November 2024
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