Characters

I recently had a chance to revisit one of my favorite historical landmarks in Manchester. That day my goal was to boost my depth of field skills and push a couple of "affordable" lenses to their limits. And I'll admit, I also wanted to keep up with my fearless colleagues who had risked frostbite and hypothermia to capture some gorgeous shots during last week's cold snap. I found the railroad roundhouse as I had last left her — abandoned, decaying, swathed in graffiti, languishing under the beating of another brutal New York winter. Some of the refuse had been cleared in preparation for a future renovation, but there was still plenty of chaos. "If this spectacular old girl could talk," I thought. "The stories she could tell." As I set up bracketed shots to compare with their HDR counterparts, bits and pieces of bygone conversations bounced around in my head: travelers saying goodbye or being welcomed home, railroad workers kibitzing, f...

Seems like everyone takes snapshots of precious little Bootsie, Snuggles or Muffin.  But each time I see other people's pet pics I think... WHY are mine so much cuter? And for that matter... why are my KIDS so much cuter too?  Just lucky I guess.

Here are a couple of grunge frames I was experimenting with in photoshop.  One single brush and a couple of layer masks are all I used...

Odd as it may sound, a local cemetery is one of my favorite spots to visit no matter what the season. It's so more than just a "final resting place." Nature runs amok at every turn with a bubbling stream, a vast collection of well established trees (many ancient and able to tell stories of their own), colorful shrubs and perennials, fabulous, well etched stone work, architecturally stunning buildings and bridges, statuary dating back to the 1800s... all beautifully landscaped and maintained. This solitary figure is one of my favorites - she sits and ponders deep thoughts day after day, year after year, decade after decade.  Here she is - featured in several composite photos.

Sometimes you've just gotta have fun.  I did one night recently on main street - peeking in a music store window decorated for Christmas.  Nothing was open at that hour, but I definitely got what I came for.