Repeat

Today on a walk in the park with my grandson, I saw the first forsythia blooming. With my dog in tow too, I hadn't brought my camera on this sunny yet cold day. Returning home, I thought I'd run out again, but once I sat down my energy waned. Fortunately I recalled this image taken in 2007 along a back road in Riverhead.

Displayed on my website as part of my Lines series, I'm still pleased by how the double yellow lines mimic the blooms so beautifully. Sometimes a repeating pattern or color is enough to make an image memorable. Its a simple tip that seems appropriate to share as we wait for spring until the bitter end...

Beans

After spending most of last week indoors due to back trouble, I was itching to get outside with my camera yesterday, especially since I was overdue to post here. Driving toward Greenport on the North Fork, I was sure I'd see some signs of spring, pansies on the side of the road or tractors back in the fields.

Although the sun was shining and tiny buds tipped branches, vistas remained bare. Nothing caught my attention nor stirred my imagination. I had all but given up, tucked my camera way under my arm, when we stopped at Aldo's for a pound of coffee before heading back.
Well known for his premium beans (and biscottis), Aldo is one of the few who continues to roast his own. As we ordered Ethiopian, I noticed an apparatus attached to the roaster, spinning in the window, stirring a tub-full, cooling the beans.

Drawn to the sight, I set my shutter speed at 1/5 sec to blur and thus, emphasize the motion. Then I held steady, snapping many frames in order to get one where the blur is in just the right place.

In photography like in literature, "the best laid plans of mice and men (and women) often go awry" or perhaps, amount to a hill of beans...

Bottoms Up

Despite their ornery nature, swans seem to be one of those subjects that photographers just can't resist. They fall into the postcard category like sunsets and sailboats.

Last weekend after I photographed my "Turner"--a rather moody comment on the change of seasons--I swiveled around and was tickled when these two caught my eye on the other side of the waterway.

Beyond the chuckle and humor here, I'm amazed at how the mood and light can vary so drastically in one location, from one spot to another under the same sky. It just depends which way you point your lens.

Turner

During these last weeks of winter, it's been quite a challenge to find anything other than mud to photograph. So despite the damp weather this weekend, I was pleased when I visited this special spot in Quiogue--a tiny hamlet tucked between Westhampton and Quogue--and noticed the dappled grey overhead.

As the March winds made it difficult to steady my camera, I was reminded that dramatic skies signal a change in season. Spring may finally be on its way!

After shooting a few frames I decided to underexpose by 2/3 of a stop to enhance the contrast making the sky even more striking. And again, I've created an image that's almost black-and-white.

Although it lacks color, it also reminds me of the skies painted by William Turner, the British artist, in the 19th century. Hence the title and the romance...