Unexpectedly inspired by a road

I wouldn’t have thought a highway could motivate me to write a blog. However, a trip to The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina energized a few sparks.

If you enjoy the sheer pleasure of driving your car or riding a motorcycle, I would encourage a trip on this pristine treasure. It is a two-lane tour atop some of the oldest mountains on earth. No Commercial vehicles, no billboards, no utility poles, no convenience stores. Just 469 miles of yellow lines on curving black asphalt embraced by diverse forests.

Conceived specifically for cars, it is possibly the most unique of our National Parks. It connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia thru North Carolina to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. This park-to-park highway, developed in the 1930’s during the depression, used the Civilian Conservation Corps to develop the landscape along the road. As you gaze at the haze, you see hues of blues. (A bit of poetry?) The seemingly unnatural scene is a blend of biology, chemistry and physics that reveals short blue wave lengths. Instead of trying to understand the science, I accept the results and enjoy the view.

I appreciate photographers and their dedication in creating dynamic landscape images. That genre of photography doesn’t motivate me therefore do I excel at it. In my minds eye, a landscape photograph can trigger memories or encourage a visit. Panoramas are needed to capture the Grand Canyon or the Appalachian Mountains. But images cannot recreate the multi-sensory awe in seeing places like this first hand. The humble feeling of being inconsequential is something I can only enjoy experiencing in person.

The many turnouts on the 45mph drive offer vistas mostly to the east and west making the sun-time an important factor in capturing quality light. Often, I would be looking east and know that sunrise plus 30 minuets would be close to perfect. Maybe that is one reason I do not excel in this genre. A fresh cup of coffee in my hands first thing in the morning overrules grabbing my camera.

This spectacular roadway has been the backdrop to many car commercials. A hairpin curve leading up to Grandfather Mountain was in the montage of Forest Gump running across America. The scenic value of this region is unmistakable.

Without a doubt this was the most dramatic display of transitioning from summer to fall I have ever been privileged to witness. The quilt like softness and colors of the autumn foliage massaged the gentle tops of mountains and sky.

Seeing the frost line on the mountain was a reminder of the selective impact weather has on the environment. It also was a foreshadowing what mother nature will bring in the next few months.

As memorable as the landscape and pallet of the season was, the most enjoyable part of the trip was sharing it with long-time friends. Side trips for hiking, that accommodated my strolling pace, were memorable. Wandering the towns of Blowing Rock, Black Mountain and Asheville were reminders that the pace of society doesn’t need to be fast…especially when you are retired.

For my taste, snapshots of waterfalls quickly become mundane. The cotton-candy effect of slow shutter speeds is a cliché that doesn’t motivate me. My enjoyment of waterfalls is hearing the sounds and feeling the spray as I watch the endless journey of the water. Surprisingly, my eyes saw this framing and form and I captured a shot of a waterfall I like!

After leaving the relaxing tour of The Blue Ridge Parkway we entered the crowded Smokey Mountains National Park. Weather wise it was a beautiful Saturday. Fall weekends plus a warm sunny day equals crowds that were annoying. Driving was like leaving a Steeler game with only 1 narrow road out. Bumper to bumper traffic in the mountains made it easy to abandon the idea of returning the next day.

On one of the few stops we made in the park I made the most of a not-as-expected situation. I can now honestly say I hiked The Appalachian Trail. Albeit about 100 yards but hey…I never claimed to be into serious hiking.

Strolling on a flat trail just outside of Gatlinburg we saw 3 bears. While these beautiful natural parks attract many tourists, we are only visitors to the homes of the creatures of the forests that live there.

The Sidecar Inn, our B&B outside of Pigeon Forge was the prefect escape from the crowds. The soft light of an early morning fog on a farm presented the kind of moment that that keeps me taking pictures. After having my coffee and a great breakfast, I grabbed my camera and began the day with what I think is my favorite image from the trip.

Our last day of the getaway we ended up in the city of Knoxville. The weather was perfect and the urban environment was a casual exit from the solitude of the mountains. Public sculptures, murals and the playfulness of the people were unexpected making for a serendipitous afternoon.    

Looking back, exploring the River Arts District in Asheville is likely the source of the inspiration for this blog. It reinforced what I already knew. You need to share your work if you want to express to your perspective.

In one galley I was impressed by how the display highlighted the work of collective glass sculptures artisans.

Cheryl Keefer, an artist with a predominant amount of her work being red umbrellas in the rain, made me realize a creativity vision can create a beautiful perspective to what others may consider an unappealing subject.

The words of ceramic artist Angelique Tassistro in a statement about her work moved me. “As a child, my mom used the word “imagination” but what I heard was “magic nation”. I desperately wanted to know where this “magic nation” was…and when I could visit. She said, “It’s the place you go where all your dreams come true”. That’s where I live now, in my own magic nation where I make art, work in my garden and play with my dogs…a world where anything is possible.

Motivation, inspiration and an another attempt at creative writing were not something I expected to find on this trip. I guess you never know until you look around and discover you are in Magic Nation.

Looking Back for Tomorrows Goals

 

I begin 2018 looking back & evaluating how my perspective of photography has evolved. Any capture by a camera immediately becomes a document of history. This image of my grandfather relaxing on the porch in Stow connects me with a man I barley knew but am deeply indebted to. It reinforced the connections a photograph can create. Operating the Bemus Point Stow Ferry I ran into a son of one of my fathers fishing pals Dr. Robert Schmalz Jr. He shared this image which was taken before I was born.

A highlights of ‘17 was this image taking 3^{rd place} in The Eddie Adams Show. It’s an honor to have any connection with this influential photojournalist. From the moment I snapped the shutter in Sarajevo in 2014, I knew I captured the character of the subjects. To have it recognized in a juried competition was very satisfying. The endless diversity of people & the human condition on streets are subjects that still motivate me.

I’ve got comfortable with the ethics of editing my images that don’t touch on journalism or documentary. I still have the goal of capturing what my eyes see. HDR, can assist in adding details our eyes see but camera sensors can’t. I still believe over-saturated HDR  lacks an “actuality aesthetic”. Other images I’ve edited made me realize there is a 2nd opportunity to tell a story. A wildly over-exposed shot became a B/W image I’m happy with. A slightly out of focus image was manipulated into a frame capturing the moment I was after. OBTW I realize it’s in focus or not but I also remember Bresson said… “Sharpness is a bourgeois concept.”

Although I doubted I would take my enthusiasm for photography into the world of printing, I did. I learned printing, matting & framing require different perspectives. The image on the left was cropped for the web. To get a well-proportioned print & ensure a solid presentation hanging on a wall I went back & included more of the original shot on the right. Is it an improvement? It depends on if you are looking at the print hanging on the wall or the screen of your desktop. Obviously my PS work has improved.

I enjoy spectacular landscape photography & I enjoy the opportunity to experience impressive vistas. However, I’ve discovered I don’t have the kind of dedication to this particular genre to take it to another level. I will still wander with my camera, however I will try to improve my photography skills with other subjects.

Part of my family’s history,as well as my own, is connected to Chautauqua Lake. When I saw the Steamship Replica the Chautauqua Belle along the port side of The Bemus Point Stow Ferry I was transported to an earlier time when few other vessels on the water had mechanical power. In the months ahead I may try some Photoshop wizardry on this shot. Too bad I’m not really a wizard.

It has been almost 1 year since my trip to Cuba. The process of sorting/editing my images was a terrific opportunity for reflection on my abilities. It encouraged me to look forward to what I will do with photography. I’m hoping to cultivate connections for a showing of 15 or so of my portraits of Cuban People. A recent review I got from Lens Culture said my work “had incredible humanism in the portraits of Cuban people.” I liked that. The reviewer also said that, after looking at my blog, a book is something I should start working on. I don’t think that is going to happen.

My own opinion of my sailing images is they are just slightly better than mediocre. That however will not stop me from pursuing this challenging subject I really enjoy. I’m in the planning stages of a trip to Newport RI to catch the 65 foot Volvo Racing beasts in May. Anybody care to join me???

I also would like to further develop a portfolio of dance photography. Dancers have balance, form, color, The Moment, texture & space. What better subject for a camera. They blend emotions & athleticism into statuesque animation for our eyes.  Any connections in this area would also be appreciated. Happy New Year.

 

 

A Confluence of Motivations

Our road-trip took us to The White Mountains, Camden ME & Acadia National Park. Although landscape photography isn’t high on my list of motivational genres, I enjoy experiencing the dynamics of nature. Understanding weather, the suns position & atmosphere is crucial to capturing a memorable image. After we returned, I went to a Climate Reality Training conference. The presentations about changing weather patterns linked to destructive storms grabbed my attention. Mother Nature is giving  clues to the damage we are doing to our atmosphere. In preparing this posting I realized a transition in my perspective that shifts my motivation. I may not become a nature photographer but I’m going to advocate for eliminating fossil fuels to help preserve the natural world.

At Climate Training I learned the atmosphere that supports life is only 6 miles deep. In that very thin layer we’ve been putting 33 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year for way to long. Looking at the pristine beauty of Acadia National Park our thin atmosphere doesn’t look like it has problems. That may be part of the challenge. We all must realize how urgent it is that we switch to green energy sources like wind & solar.

One of my motivations with a camera is the challenge some subjects provide. The skittishness of chippys fits this category. Their home in the forest is not at immediate risk from climate change. Until drought becomes a pattern. Then wild fires will become a threat. Long-standing patterns of the Jet Stream in North American & around the world are changing. Static weather has become common & can lead to drought or floods in places where we rarely see these extremes. The agriculture community, which keeps eyes on the weather, is watching those shifting patterns & recognizes the need to evolve.

The small tidal ports along the coast of Maine are jewels. The tighter constriction of landmasses in the northern latitudes results in severe tidal changes in these areas. Routinely, 8-foot tides are a part of the NE coastal community. This rugged coastline is not anywhere near the risk as communities in lower latitude with flatter land. Rising temperatures are melting ice that will bring life threatening conditions to many coastal areas around the world. Sea levels are rising & the circulation of our enormous oceans is being impacted. Fishermen, who depend on the ocean for their livelihood, realize these changes will have a negative impact on our food supply.

Grabbing the power of the wind in your sails is a wonderful experience. The unseen energy is to be respected. But, it is a force we can harness on the land. Building wind turbines is an industry we can further develop creating jobs & careers. A simple day-sail on the Gulf of Maine gave first hand exposure to some simple parts of the solution. The sun warmed the body & the wind carried us across the waves. When you are on a sailboat some of the answers to renewable energy are right in your face.

With my mind & eye in the viewfinder I was looking for the perfect composition. Initially, I was annoyed by the solar panels. I now see the solar panels as part of a dramatic story. The Curtis Island Light was built in 1835 & likely used whale oil for its beacon. Now solar power illuminates the path to a safe harbor. Change is inevitable for societies to advance.

The sun does amazing things if you take the time to observe. Capturing this classic fall reflection was the luck of being in a great spot at the right time with perfect weather. I learned that in a 24 hr period the sun puts enough energy onto the earth to power everything for a year. I have come to better harness the sunlight in my photography & I have learned about the challenges of a changing climate. I think I am in the right place at the right time with advocacy for sustainable energy.

The left face of that hill is what I climbed to take image #2. These old knees go slow but they do still go. It is an excellent trail for younger climbers that can safely scamper up a rocky path. It might also be an analogy for my journey with the Climate Reality Corps.

Water is a subject I enjoy incorporating in my pictures. I also enjoy landscaping with rocks so this perspective of Jordon Pond was a real magnet for me. As I was marveling at the lack of development my appreciation for our National Parks was rejuvenated. They are inspiring parts of our country. After the Climate Conference, I realized these places are being impacted by a warming climate. The changes happening to glaciers are far removed from most of our lives. However, these cathedrals to nature could also suffer. Fortunately there is hope with new opportunities to harness renewable & stop adding tons of carbon into our world. The inspiration provide from nature motivates me.

As always, never pass up the opportunity to include red in the frame or it the blog. I highly recommend visiting the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Located in Boothbay there are almost 300 acres that will inspire meaningful connections with nature.

In life, timing is an interesting thing. The training immediately after Acadia lead me to examine my own perspective & put a variety of pieces into place. Although I am not a devoted landscape photog, I enjoy the natural world. The roots go back to the Boy Scouts. Appreciation of boating/sailing is part of my Chautauqua Lake DNA. Still photography inspired a career in video and now I have returned to stills. Like everyone else I can’t tell you where the path of my future will take me. However, I do know a confluence of motivations will help me to focus on a sustainable energy future.