Posts in Category: brook

Maine! Filigree Ice

While out looking for Eagles on a very cold December morning, I had to check the Mousam River for interesting ice formations. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 340mm equivalent. Program mode. Processed in Photomator and framed in LikeAFrame.

Maine! Above Old Falls Pond

It would not be fall in southern Maine (or at least to me), if I did not get out to photograph the stretch of stream above the bride at Old Falls Pond. This is the Sony a5100 with the E 10-18 f4 zoom at 15mm equivalent. Superior Auto with Landscape Mode selection. Processed in Photomator.

Costa Rica! Lesson of the day

Being part of a photo workshop here in Costa Rica has pushed me to try new things…or at least to try the lesson of the day my way. This is the Savegre river high in the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica, and the lesson of the day was, you guessed it, moving water. Olympus OMD E-M5Mk111 with 12-45mm f4 zoom at 70mm equivalent. Shutter preferred at about .6 seconds to silk the water. Processed in Photomator.

The ledges…

Another celebration of autumn in Southern Maine. The ledges on the Batson River at Emmon’s Preserve in Kennebunkport. The low flow of water has the leaves to contend with as well as gravity. iPhone SE with the Sirui 18mm ultra-wide lens. Apple Camera app with Smart HDR. Processed in Apple Photos.

Batson River autumn panorama

This is one of the upper pools on the Batson River at Emmon’s Preserve in Kennebunkport, Maine, USA. Nothing spectacular but an interesting place for a panorama with the fall foliage. iPhone SE with the Sirui 18mm ultra-wide lens, held in portrait position and swept from left to right through only a portion of its 360 degree reach. Smart HDR was on in the Apple Camera app, but I have no idea if it works with sweep panorama. Processed in Apple Photos.

swirly ice :)

The other thing, besides yesterday’s Mallards, that I found on my hike into Wonderbrook, was this swirly ice on the stream. To be fair I am always looking for swirly ice in the winter, as I find the patterns that ice forms while freezing fascinating. I can’t quite figure out the physics of it…no, that’s not right…I am no where near figuring out the physics of it. 🙂 The beauty only has to seen. We can appreciate what we can not fathom…and often do. Sony Rx10iv at 227mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. (Just because I was too lazy to switch to another mode.) Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 1600 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

And the sky above… Happy Sunday!

Back Creek Marsh, Kennebunk Maine

“If your eye is generous, your whole being is full of light!” Jesus

I could see from my yard that drama was building in the sky to the west, and would sweep over us in the next rew hours, so I packed my cameras and headed out to catch some of it. We live a forested landscape…so much so that there are few places with a broad horizon…at least to the west. To the east, of course, we have the sea, and as broad a horizon as anyone could want, but weather systems move over us from the west, and the best you can do on the east is catch the storm going away. Still, the beach, and the marshes behind the dunes, do provide enough sky so that is the first place I headed in search of photos of the coming storms.

This is a sweep panorama of the western sky and the marsh from just behind the dunes. The clouds high in the sky are just the harbingers…the real storms are still down on the horizon just above the trees. I drove further inland, to the Kennebunk Plains, to catch those. Still, the sweep of the creek, the line of the road on the right, the trees on the horizon, and the balance of the sky make for a beauty worth seeing…and worth sharing.

I think our love of moving water and stormy skies comes from somewhere very deep within us. I think we see the power of our God, and the beauty, in such a landscape. God speaks presence and present action. “I am here and I am working. See what I make. See my making.”  Or at least that is what the generous eye sees and hears.

It took the storms on the horizon about 90 minutes to reach the coast. Heavy rain, high winds, and thunder. I was out on the Plains when the weather and the drama reached there. Beauty runs ahead of the storm. Beauty runs in the storm, and beauty comes after. God is all in all.

Happy Sunday!

Fisherman in the Sunset

Fisherman at Back Creek at sunset

I went looking for the sunset last night…both because I like sunsets, and because I have a new camera to try out. Sunset is always a reminder, in the summer, that we live in the NORTH: 8:24PM. It was worth it though. I found a fisherman on Back Creek, behind the dunes at our local beach. Back Creek is one of the few places where you can get the sun reflected in the water along our section of east facing coast. Add a little in-camera HDR, and some processing in Lightroom, and here you have it. Fisherman in the Sunset.

Sony HX90V at 81mm equivalent field of view. In-camera HDR. Nominal exposure: 1/25th @ ISO 80 @ f5.

Ebony Jewelwings

Ebony Jewelwings, Batson River rapids, Emmons Preserve, Kennebunkport ME

Ebony Jewelwings, Batson River rapids, Emmons Preserve, Kennebunkport ME

It is just about Ebony Jewelwings time of year again. After my encounter with the River Jewelwings a few weeks ago (here), I went back to the rapids on the Batson River on Saturday to check for early Ebonys, and there were indeed a number of males dancing over the rapids and pools. All Ebonys, no River…which is, I think, an interesting thing to note. And I found no females, either near the river in the forest, or in the meadows. Maybe next week. There is, of course, nothing like the iridescent blue/green of the Ebony Jewelwing’s body…sometimes bright blue and sometimes bright green, depending on the angle of the light.

The center image is from the Sony HX90V and the surrounding images are from the Nikon P900. All are processed in Lightroom and assembled in Coolage. Coolage is such a great program for this kind of panel!

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Happy Easter.

Back Creek and Mousam River, Sunrise, Easter 2015

As the dawn sweeps over the globe today, Christians are gathering on mountain tops, hilltops, roofs of buildings, and beaches to witness the sunrise. It is Easter Sunday for most Christians, and the sunrise this day symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, and celebrates his ongoing life through the spirit in each of us. And whatever you think of Christianity, the promise of new life, of being better at loving and giving and living, is one that speaks to us all. In the dawn, as the sun rises yet again on a new day, surely we can all believe a little more deeply that forgiveness is possible, that love is all that matters, and that joy is not only within reach, but our birthright. Surely this day, we can all believe that peace on earth begins with us, with each of us, facing the dawn with hope and open hearts. He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Happy Easter Sunday!