Blue Moon....

Yup, I'm still alive and well and in pursuit of that next shot...

It's been a wonderfully busy month. Getting prints done and framed for a client, working at the Weare old home day, and watching the summer wind down...Summer has gone much to quickly as always. Sue and I really had a blast at Cold Springs this summer. Met some great people and made many new friends. We only have 6 weeks left and then it's back to Gilford.
I rented a Canon 100-400 lens for the week from GlassAndGear.com. I was thinking of buying one but I'm torn between that and a 70-200. A guy at Hunts Camera said I should try renting first. So I did that for the week. If, you are ever in the same situation, it may pay to rent first. Very inexpensive. Still haven't decided yet. Think I need to rent the other one first before making my decision.
Anyway, I've been trying out this lens all week (And loving the heavy thing). I was out at the pond on the 31st, trying to get the shot of the Blue Moon (2nd full Moon of the month), when a bunch of boys came by to check out what I was doing. They seemed very inquisitive, and I promised to post a pic from that shoot. So, here's my Blue Moon...

F/8; 1/160s; ISO 100; 400mm

WB: Tungsten

(ok, and a hint of blue in Photoshop)

Ok, there you go guys. Enjoyed talking to you, and sorry I didn't get your names.

And here's another, just plain natural...

I'll post some other pics from the new lens once I get a chance to view the results myself.
Happy Labor Day!

Em

Where has the summer gone?

   Jeeze we're almost halfway through August. Almost 2 months since my last blog. Not for lack of desire that's for sure. Just been a wonderfully busy summer. As most of you know, Sue and I moved to ColdSprings campground in Weare to be closer to my office. And also, just to see how we like the campground life. We've thought about RVing it in the future and this gives us an opportunity to see if we like living in a 30ft trailer. So far, so good! Meeting lots of great people and making good friendships.
   Two months from now,  we'll be heading back to Gilford,  and I'll start making that miserable 1 hour commute to work. Unless we can sell the house. But I don't think that will happen in this economy, so I'll have to suck it up.
   When I haven't been doing laps in the pool (ie: floating on a noodle), or chasing a white ball around my new home course (Stone Bridge CC), or celebrating the "Summer of Beer", I've been exploring Manchester. A client gave me the assignment of decorating their new office with scenes from around town. So before, and after work, I've been exploring the Manchester waterfront on my bike.  Found lots of beautiful locations, and got some great shots. I was up at dawn scouring the town and catching the sunsets after work. I had a blast! And not only did my hard work make the client happy,  but my eyes were opened to what a really cool place this is. Wish I had more time to explore. It's made the move down here quite bearable.
  So that's what I've been doing for the past 2 months. And now I need to get ready for Weare Old Home day on August 25th. I'll have a booth there, and I've got a week to finish getting some shots from around town for the locals.
And now for your viewing pleasure, some sample shots from Manchester...

Fishercats Stadium

Sweet-talked a hotel concierge to 

let me go out on the hotels patio to 

get this shot one morning.

Shoes on a wire...

Over the Merrimack Rover

Pedestrian Bridge over the Merrimack River

Queen City Bridge

Taken from the Pedestrian Bridge

My office is at left above the trees

Downtown Manchester

Taken from the Queen City Bridge

Mill Building

Taken from Granite Street Bridge

Topaz Low Vibrance effect used.

Mill Building

On Commercial Street

Joker's Lair

Under the Granite Street Bridge.

6:30am and all is quiet

Pandora Building

Commercial St.

Side of Pandora Building

Commercial St.

Opalotype effect

Downtown Mill Buildings

Tracks Downtown

If you're in the area, come see us in Weare.

Weare is where we are.

:-)

Em

Connections

Been reading a lot lately. Mostly photography business books and techniques, as well as that Steve Jobs book, and listening to the Girl with the dragon tattoo trilogy audio books in my car. Good books are easy for me that way. I can listen to the audio for my 1/2 hr ride on a Friday, and pick it up again on Monday. Or I can read 2 pages of a book late at night on my kindle, fall asleep, and pick right up the next night as if I'd never put it down.
Good friendships are that way too. It's tough when people grow up and everyone goes on with their own lives, moves away, etc. There is a loss for sure, but many times you're too busy with your own life's events to dwell for long. Anyway, good friendships are like those good books. You may not keep in touch for years. But then if you do get the opportunity to pick it up again, it's as if you saw each other yesterday. Just continuing on with the next chapter, or conversation. I posted this picture on fb the other day. It was just a random shot of some wild flowers near the campground that Sue and I are at for the summer. I posted it as a way to brighten everyone's day. A huge part of my passion for photography is the connection you can make to people and the emotion that you can possibly create for them.

Russ, an old college buddy, messaged me "Awesome pic Em". Now, I saw Russ a year or so ago, prior to which was about 20 years earlier.  We were just 2 victims of the "life getting in the way of things" stage. But that comment made my day, and reminded me that good friends (and family for that matter) never go away. The connection is open and conversations continue as if they never stopped. Hey Russ, you're like a good book! But mostly, a really good friend.
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On another note, it's father's day. Thinking of my dad, and step father, and father-in-law who are gone.... :-(

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But on a lighter note, it is father's day and I have wonderful kids who I am crazily proud of. And while we won't all get a chance to be together today, it doesn't matter. We're all connected and it will be as if we were together yesterday. Love you guys! (I will see one of them today, and I'm going to whip his butt at golf!)
And right now, I'm sitting outside drinking my "Jamaica Me Crazy", looking at the beautiful trees, while chipmunks scamper back and forth across the yard. Gonna be a great day. Life is indeed good!

Have a wonderful day people...
Em