Trying to find a unique perspective of the Washington Monument, I came across these two soldiers guarding the entrance. Captured during a brief business trip to DC earlier this week.
Canon Powershot G12
ISO 100
f/8
1/250 sec
Author Archive
Guarding the Washington Monument 1 comment
Car Wash 1 comment
Abandoned car wash in rural Pennsylvania:
Canon Powershot G12
ISO 100
f/7.1
1/400 sec
Lift off Leave a comment
Caught near Reagan Airport in Washington, DC. Spring is here, while its still freezing in CT. What’s up with that?!?
iPhone, edited with Lightroom Mobile
Chalk Hill Motel 3 comments
Found this abandoned motel in Pennsylvania. Click on any picture to see them in slideshow view.
Canon Powershot G12
Old-fashioned Gas Station 2 comments
This gas station sits at the outskirts of our little town, and doesn’t seem to get much traffic, but it keeps hanging in there, off the beaten path and not far from large-brand gas stations.
Canon 5D Mark II, EF 16-35mm f/4 USM
ISO 800
f/4.0
1/30 sec
New England Cemetery Leave a comment
More shots, this time in color, from the Madison cemetery, featuring many graves of Civil War soldiers. I posted some black&white pictures from here in an earlier post.
Canon 5D Mark II, EF 16-35mm F/4 USM
Madison Cemetery 2 comments
This cemetery, started in 1691, has many old, beautifully-worn tombstones from the 1700 and 1800’s. Decided to experiment with my new ultra-wide lens to try some close-up angles and some wide angles.
Canon 5D Mark II, EF 16-35mm f/4 USM
edited in Nik Silver Efex 2
Saturday Morning Breakfast Leave a comment
Here’s a shot of my breakfast at one of my favorite places, G Cafe in Branford. The goat cheese and spinach omelet with toasted fitness bread is very yummy.
Shot with my new ultra-wide lens, which is turning out to be a fun piece of equipment.
Canon 5D Mark II, EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
ISO 500
f/4.5
1/50 sec
Josiah Kelsey House 3 comments
This house, built in 1760, is located on Main Street of our little town of Clinton. Unfortunately it’s in terrible shape and I always hope, when I pass it, that someone will take pity and restore it to its former splendor.
Canon 5D Mark II, EF 16-35mm f/4 USM
ISO 100
f/6.3
1/500 sec
Late Night at Union Station 3 comments
Caught these two while I was on my way back from New York and waiting for my connecting train at New Haven’s Union Station.
Canon G12
ISO 1000
f/3.5
1/25 sec
Chicago Skyline 1 comment
Shot during a visit to Chicago a while back:
Canon 7D, EF 12-22mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/100 sec
Tobacco Barns 1 comment
Found these barns near Bradley International Airport in Connecticut:
Church Mouse 3 comments
Actually I found this one in a barn in an abandoned mining town in Montana.
Canon 7D, 15-85mm
ISO 2500
f/5.6
1/10 sec
Montpelier, VT 2 comments
A brief stop in Vermont’s capital afforded me an opportunity to snap a few views of downtown. Click on any picture to see them in slideshow format.
Full Moon and Fresh Snow 2 comments
Captured this in Guilford, CT:
Canon G12
ISO 2000
f/2.8
0.8 sec
Big Sky Vistas 3 comments
Driving through Montana I am always fascinated by the wide open spaces, probably because there aren’t many in Connecticut. The bottom one is of the battlefield of the Little Bighorn, site of Custer’s Last Stand.
Thrill Ride 4 comments
Captured this rollercoaster ride at Six Flags in Massachusetts.
Canon Powershot G10
ISO 100
f/5.0
1/10 sec
Storm Brewing 1 comment
I loved this ominous sky. It never did rain:
Studying Hard 2 comments
Caught at the New York Public Library. ‘Nuff said.
Zeppelin Mooring Leave a comment
Who knew that the top of the Empire State Building was designed to be an anchor for giant blimps, or dirigibles?
However, it was tried only a few times, and when the Hindenburg burst into flames six years after the construction of the Empire State Building, dirigible traffic dwindled and the true purpose of the docking mast became obvious – it made the building the tallest building in the world at the time, beating the Chrysler Building. (Claiming that title was considered poor form – how refreshing, considering the incessant striving for superlatives these days!).
Old and New in New York 2 comments
I like the juxtaposition of old and new in New York. Here is the beaux-art facade of Grand Central Terminal from 1913 in front of the MetLife Building, built 50 years later in the International Style.
By the way, the statue is called ‘Transportation’, weighs 1500 tons, is 48 feet (16m) high, took 7 years to build, and the Tiffany clock has a diameter of 13 feet (4m)!
Winter Loneliness 8 comments
This lonely tree is in the marshland behind our house.
Water for Gotham City 6 comments
Found this water tower on a building in midtown New York. I like how this antiquated structure was framed by the modern building behind it.
Goodbye Spruce 13 comments
Yesterday our dear little Sprucie, a 9-year-old German Shepherd and retired guide dog who was with us only 15 months, passed away rather suddenly. I will miss her tail thumping against furniture to express her happiness, the sound of her trotting to the door to see who’s there, the long walks we took together along the beach, and her dopey smile. Here are the last pictures of her. I love you, Spruce!
Clinton Harbor 1 comment
A black&white shot of our little town’s harbor in the winter.
Happy New Year! 2 comments
Dear Readers,
Thank your for reading, visiting, or following my blog, which is a great source of satisfaction, creativity, and expression for me. The folks at WordPress.com sent me some encouraging stats as part of their annual blog report:
- In 2015, I added 114 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 548 posts.
- Visitors came from 118 countries, most of them from the US, France, and Germany.
- 243 pictures were uploaded in 2015. That’s about 5 pictures per week.
- My most commented on post in 2015 was No photo, just a holiday message
Here’s an excerpt from the full report:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 22,000 times in 2015. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 8 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report.
Happy New Year everyone, see you in 2016!
No photo, just a holiday message 9 comments
Watching the news about various political campaigns around the world I am reminded how I loathe people who speak in absolutes. I know they believe that their words are more powerful if accompanied by ‘always’, ‘everyone’, or ‘never’, and to those too tired to think for themselves this type of speech has great appeal. Black and white. Right and wrong. Don’t think, just follow. But to those who still have the strength to question, those who yearn for and practice free will, to them these absolutes ring hollow, and thus these absolutes negate the credibility of even the tiny kernel of truth that they may contain. How can anyone claim to know everything, which is the only circumstance under which one could truthfully use words like ‘everywhere’ or ‘nobody’? I know that life, history and the universe is not black and white, but a rainbow of possibilities, truths, and perspectives. Unfortunately, many people are just too tired, lazy or incapable of parsing the multitude of opinions to establish their own, and instead they follow those who yell the loudest and who use the seductive vocabulary of absolutes, of demagoguery, of fear. Because fear is easier to ignite than hope, and motivates people faster than love. Yet love, of all things, is what deserves more attention, as it is the only thing that can provide peace, harmony, and happiness. So this holiday, let’s not focus on absolutes but on nuances, not on differences but on shared origins, not on fear but on love.
Holiday Greetings from Burma Shave Leave a comment
I spotted this take on the classic 40’s roadside billboards from Burma Shave right here in Connecticut. Well done, whoever did this, and happy holidays!
To learn more about this iconic advertising campaign, check out the wikipedia page.
Canon 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm
ISO 400
f/8.0
1/100 sec
Unknown Star Wars Location? 5 comments
No, this is not some strange world out of the Star Wars saga. I captured this picture of Meteor Crater while flying over Arizona.
Cacti Heaven 1 comment
A visit to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix provides some great opportunities for black&white shots. Click on any pic to view them in full-screen slide show format.
iphone, Hipstamatic
ISO: 32
1/580 sec
f/2.2
lens: John S
Film: BlackKeys B+W
Hartford Factory Leave a comment
This one is located just south of downtown Hartford:
Artist Colony in Old Factory Leave a comment
I passed this old factory in Bristol that looked abandoned and decided to explore it, only to find out that it houses a variety of small artsy businesses:
Canon 7D, 28-70mm EFL f/2.8
Fashion Shoot Leave a comment
Well, not so much a shoot as just a few shots of my son. But I liked how glamorous this one turned out when adjusted to black&white.
Canon Mark II, EFL 24-70mm
ISO 100
f/2.8
1/2000 sec
adjusted in Lightroom and Color Efex
Boating season is over 2 comments
Captured in Clinton Harbor:
Bark 2 comments
Walking through the Vermont woods, I was struck by the beautiful birch tree bark everywhere. Click on any picture to see them as full screen slideshow.
Canon 5D Mark II, EFL 24-70mm f/2.8
Full Moon Rising 2 comments
Caught in Vermont, after the leaves were gone.
Canon 5D Mark II, EFL 70-200mm f/2.8
ISO 2000
f/5.6
1/640 sec
Have Airstream, will travel 7 comments
Found this old battered and slightly crumpled Airstream trailer on a vacant lot in Vermont. What places this thing must have seen!
iPhone, Hipstamatic
Vermont Barn 2 comments
Spotted near Stowe, VT:
Canon 5D Mark II, EFL 24-70mm f/2.8
ISO 200
f/4.5
1/640 sec
Frozen Foliage 1 comment
Found these leaves frozen in a pond in the Vermont woods:
Canon 5D MarkII, EFL 24-70mm f/2.8
ISO 400
f/5.0
1/160 sec
Last Fall Sunset 2 comments
Just one week later, all the leaves were gone. Good bye foliage, welcome stick season!
And happy Thanksgiving, everybody! 
iPhone. Edited with Snapseed
Bridge to Nowhere 1 comment
Found this abandoned dock in the marshlands of Clinton, CT:
Canon 5d Mark II, 24-70mm lens
ISO 100
f/2.8
1/2000 sec
adjusted in Analog Color Efex 2
Still Life of Milk Weed and Bug Leave a comment
No need for further description:
Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm lens
ISO 100
f/2.8
1/2000 sec
Heron Stalking at Sunset 4 comments
This heron was stalking his prey during a beautiful sunset in our local marina:
Canon 7D, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
ISO 100
f/7.1
1/400 sec
Old Railroad Bridge 3 comments
I pass this bridge every day, but with the fall foliage at peak, I finally decided to stop and take a few pictures.
Canon 5D Mark II
ISO 100
f/11
1/80 sec
Fall Moonrise Leave a comment
Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm lens
ISO 100
f/5.0
1/125 sec
Let the raking begin 1 comment
This is when beautiful fall turns into a lot of work:
Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm lens
ISO 100
f/2.8
1/800 sec
Fall Morning 1 comment
Sunrise in early November in Connecticut.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed.
Yellowstone Wildlife 2 comments
On a recent trip to Yellowstone, my son and I saw just about every major animal except moose: Bison, elk, coyote, bear (with bear cub), wolves. Here are a few shots I liked:
Canon 7D, 70-200mm f/2.8
ISO 640
f/10
1/100 sec
Fall Foliage 2 comments
Shot these two near Bristol, CT:
Forest Fire Aftermath Leave a comment
Hundreds of acres of forest in Yellowstone Park were destroyed in massive fires in 1988, requiring over 9,000 firefighters and affecting almost 800,000 acres of forest (bigger than Rhode Island). The remnants of that destruction can still be seen:
Canon 7D, 10-24mm
ISO 400
f/20
1/160 sec
Snapshots For Sore Eyes 