A pair of rock climbers escape the confines of everyday life on the face of Cathedral Ledge. Conway, NH.

Having recently added a Canon 70-200 f/4L IS lens to my camera bag, I needed to go out as soon as I could to test it. Reported to be one of, if not the, sharpest zoom lens Canon has ever made, you might think I’d be out shooting trying to see just how sharp it really is. You’d only be partly right.

While I did come away with a good hand-held shot of a favorite wildflower, the purple trillium…

…my favorite photo of the day is this abstract reflection titled “Water Colors.”

Sometimes you want it sharp, sometimes you don’t.

Sharpness does not make a photograph, there is so much more. And in the case of “Water Colors,” capturing a tack sharp image was the furthest thing from my mind.

I eagerly await the arrival of the false hellebore every Spring. This extremely toxic plant, with its deeply patterned leaves, is one of my favorite plants to photograph.

Patterned In Ice.

On my way home from a winter photo shoot I took a route I seldom travel. I’m very glad I did. As soon as I saw these wonderful patterns in the ice floes I couldn’t turn my car around quickly enough. In my excited haste, I then nearly tumbled down the snow-covered bank of the river as I searched for a good composition.

Patterns In The Flow.

This morning (May 10th, 2013) I found myself standing in the middle of the Mad River in Farmington, NH photographing a favorite waterfall. The long white streaking patterns on the waters surface were created by the bubbles on the water flowing towards the camera during the 30 second exposure.

Reblogged from The SmugMug Blog:

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Think your camera is your best friend? Think again.

Your camera is a marvel of amazing technology, but you still need to use your brain when you shoot. Even if you're in full Auto mode, don't assume your camera knows what's best for you!

Here are five common bloopers and how to avoid getting tripped up on your next shoot.

Read more… 648 more words

(Click on the photo to see the full image)

From above on a 50 – 60 ft (15 – 18m) ledge, looking down on Bridal Veil Falls. Castle In The Clouds, Moultonborough, New Hampshire.

From above on the Mount Washington Auto Road, the headlights of a lone vehicle pierce the pre-dawn darkness. Mount Washington, New Hampshire.

Not for the faint of heart. Looking down from above over the lip of Falls Of Song at Castle In The Clouds. It’s a long way down, 49 ft (15m),  from the top!

The answer: 

Immediately after photographing the scene horizontally of course!

Personally I find that in a scene like this the vertical composition adds more depth to the photograph. Which is also why so many of my waterfall and stream photos captured this way.

One of my favorite views in all of New Hampshire is this one looking out over Cherry Pond towards Mount Washington and the Presidential Range.

Cherry Pond sits on the Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson, NH. It’s a beautiful place, and if you ever find yourself in New Hampshire I highly recommend a visit. It’s an easy hike of just under 2 miles along an old railroad bed.

I look forward to returning again and again.

First I spent some time looking “Up”-stream at one of my favorite waterfalls. That’s Bridal Veil Falls at Castle In The Clouds peeking out from between the walls of the gorge.

Then I spent a bit of time on my knees looking “Up” at the ruins of the abandoned Redstone granite quarry in Conway, NH. 

(A great big thanks to my friend Nate for letting me test drive his Tokina 11-16 f2.8)

 The following morning it was “Up” at 1:30 a.m. for a hike “Up” for another sunrise visit to one of my favorite locations in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Tuckerman Ravine. 

As Tuckerman Ravine is on Mount Washington, “Home of the worlds worst weather,” the weather can be, shall we say, unpredictable. Living up to its reputation, the scene below is what greeted us as the sun came up. Extremely high winds, snow, and often near white-out conditions. 

(Take a close look in the base of the bowl in the photo below. What was once “Up” has come down, in the form of an avalanche. You can see the debris field in the center of the frame.)

That sign wasn’t there a month ago!

Since sun-”Up” was a slight disappointment, we decided to simply enjoy the weather. And take a few shots of ourselves. When the wind wasn’t trying to blow us over that is. You can really see the wind whipping the snow behind my friend Tracy. 

You just gotta love April in New Hampshire!

A gentle reminder.

I’m still seeking donations for the upcoming “Seek The Peak” hike-a-thon to benefit the Mount Washington Observatory. You can read more about the history behind the Observatory and all the work they do by clicking on this LINK.

Please click HERE to make your tax deductible donation. Each $10 donation enters you in a chance to win a signed 16″ x 24″ print of the photo below. To sweeten the deal even further, the largest single donation(available to residents of North America only, sorry) wins you a 20″ x 30″ stretched canvas gallery wrap of the same image. 

Thank you for your support.

From the striped, almost clumsy appearance of the caterpillar, to the fluttering gossamer wings of the Monarch butterfly. 

And what better motivation to get me on the trail than to be able to support the Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) in the process.

This coming July 19-20 I plan on participating in the “Seek The Peak” hike-a-thon to raise money for the non profit MWOBS.

Rarely will I subject my readers to appeals for donations of any kind, but I truly believe this is for a worthy cause. If any of you would like to help, please click over to my fund raising page HERE to make a small donation.

“What’s in it for me?”

I know only a small number of my subscribers or fans of my photography live anywhere near Mount Washington, and may not have any interest in supporting the work they do. So to sweeten the deal, how about a chance at a signed 16″ x 24″ (41cm x 61cm) print of the image above?

For each $10 U.S. donation you’ll be entered in a chance to win an archival quality, hand signed print of “Mount Washington Summit In The Alpenglow.”  All you need to do to enter is click HERE, and then follow the instructions to make your donation. That’s it!

Thank you for your support, and I’ll see you at the summit!