Sunday’s Hidden Treasure
Livermore Falls, Campton, NH.
I’ve always loved the patterns and colors in the ice along the cliff and now I’m finally getting around to doing something with this image.
I’m coming to realize that winter might very well be my favorite time of year to make photographs.
Original date of capture: 2/6/2010
Camera body: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f4L
iso 100, 40mm, f16 @ 1/4 second.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflections
Reflections, times three.
North American Beaver cautiously checking out the guy with the long glass eye.
Louvers and flames meticulously painted on the hood of a hot rod.
Fly fisherman patiently waiting for a trout to rise and take his fly.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Green
Green,
My first thoughts are of Spring, and new growth. But with Winter rapidly approaching, and the snow that will hopefully come with it, the vibrancy of Spring green is a long way off.
However, several of the images below were captured in the dead of winter.
For those of you thinking “I’d like to create amazing photographs but I don’t have a big fancy DSLR.” Take a close look at the image of my friend Melissa sprawled out on the ice. That’s a Canon G11 in her outstretched hands. Now take a look at the images she makes with it, here. I often envy her ability to put all her gear in her pocket when we get together to shoot.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Blue
Blue Cars, A Blue Bubble, Blue Ice, A Blue Damsel, and A Blue Abstract.
A little bit of everything, all of it blue.
This last one is for Alice.
Since the “official” challenge was so late in coming, and I had already posted one for the “unofficial” challenge started by Ailsa, I almost didn’t post one for this weeks challenge. But thanks go to Paula, for yet again giving me a push.
Yep, that’s a lot a blue!
Ice, Ice, Baby
Water, as a solid, as sculpture, as art.
Spring is almost upon us here in the northern hemisphere, with warm weather, waterfalls, and wildflowers right around the corner. With these warm thoughts in mind, I hope these images send chills down your spine.
Crystal Clear Or Icy Blue.
I love to photograph ice. From frozen waterfalls to stream side ice sculptures, I spend quite a bit if my winter photography time traversing steep icy slopes and laying prone, freezing, freezing in places no man wants to freeze, all in search of the wonders that await when water becomes cold and hard.
There’s a waterfall in there somewhere.
Wine glasses, beer bottles, mushrooms, what do you see?
Frigid and flowing, where does one begin and the other end?
The Pemigewasset River crashes over Livermore Falls in trying to escape winter’s icy blue jaws.
My friend Melissa in one of her favorite positions for making photographs.
Almost complete, the ice works to imprison the stream below.
For those of you who are now stuck with Vanilla Ice rapping in your head, you are welcome! 
Weekly Photo Challenge: Distorted
Distorted, and then some.
Here are a few, all taken on the same day, on the same small section of stream.
A special thanks to Rochelle, for the updated title / caption of the last image. Hers was much better than mine.
Get Some Traction
Kahtoola MicroSpikes, I can’t say enough about them. Short of full on crampons, you will not believe the grip these slip on goodies offer. I picked mine up at the local EMS store for $59.95, which I thought was a very reasonable price. And, when you consider where they will get you, and the images you will be able to create from these harder to reach vantage points, I feel it is money well spent.
They are extremely simple to put on, just find the portion of the red elastomer harness marked “front,”(there is no right or left) slip it over the toe of your shoe and stretch them over the sole. A little adjusting of the chains that hold the spikes may be needed to get them aligned evenly across the bottom of the shoe, but other than that, as simple as pulling on your slippers. I did have one issue while wearing them that resulted in a fall that was not the fault of the MicroSpikes. The problem had two causes. The first was wearing them with my hunting boots, the deeply lugged sole caused the chain to ride deep in the lugs where it was unable to contact the ice. The second was operator error. I would normally try to get a grip on a steep hill by side stepping down while digging in the side of the aggressive boot sole. This caused too much rubber and nowhere near enough nice grippy metal to contact the ice. A less aggressive boot sole combined with placing my foot as flat as possible on the ice would have allowed maximum contact of the spikes to the ice, and prevented a nicely bruised shin at the same time.
I don’t believe these would be ideal for general use such as shoveling the driveway, since I don’t think the spikes would last very long being used on asphalt, and only time will tell home many stretches the elastomer will be good for before breaking. Other than those two reservations I would highly recommend these to the outdoor enthusiast wishing to get off the beaten path, and not let a little frozen water get in the way.
