This rustic old sleigh was decorated for fall along a country road. Would love to see it in the snow.
Category Archives: Close-up
Brattleborough Vermont
The stone in the foreground is weathered and falling apart, leaving only a few details to the imagination.
A Gift From Above
This brand new chain saw carving was just finished in the last few days and showcases the artistry of Dean Fox, a man with a unique gift and the vision for seeing something special within trees that are past their prime and destined to come down. This angelic figure was carved from a large tree that had died and church members decided to have this done with the large remaining trunk. One church member commented to me that the tree had a huge lean to it,but with the artists skill,it now appears straight.Thankfully a church member met me this evening to turn on the sanctuary lights,which I felt was important to bring the photo to life. The fresh lacquer gives it a strong golden glow,but that will fade over time. The bottom photo shows the artist in the beginning stage of carving with his chain saw. John 15:5-I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Lower Kaaterskill Falls
This is lower Kaaterskill falls in the Catskills of New York. We came down the road,saw there was two spots for cars and quickly parked. I thought how lucky we were to get the second spot until I heard the State Troopers Siren chirp directly behind us. I look and he points at a sign directly above our car that says absolutely no parking. We never saw it and he was nice enough to just warn us,so we drove up the road to a parking area and I had to walk a hundred yards or so to get the shot. There is a more dramatic falls up the hill from this but after I started the first thirty feet climb over boulders,I basically decided I did not have it in me with my gear along.
Autumn Backdrop
A touch of flash helps bring out the beauty of these tombstones in mount auburn cemetery. Fall leaves adds a splash of color in the background.
Winding Vermont Road
The cool gravel road contrasts with the warm fall foliage on a Vermont back road. A birch tree adds a touch of white and the winding road leaves the viewer wondering what is around the bend.
Fishing Memories
If these buoys could talk,the stories they would tell would be amazing.
Window Shopping
I was pretty happy with my result on this image featuring an Antique store called the Moravian House in Lititz,Pa. The hardest aspect was getting the word antiques on the window to glow and stand out.The shop owners remembered me from the past and gladly left me inside to fire my flash out through the letters from behind. This can be a rather complicated process to get the look I want,and changing camera white balance and getting the flash at the right angle help me get the color the way I envision it.
Fall into Church
This was just a quick handheld snapshot in new england,but I actually wish I had shot more angles now that I finally got to work on it. The doors with the big black hinges and the fall foliage make for a nice view.
Scots’ Charitable Society
The Scots’ Charitable Society is the oldest charitable organization still existing in the Western Hemisphere. Founded in 1657 and incorporated in 1786 the organization exists to help people of Scottish heritage. The society is devoted to the cultivation of personal and social relations of the members, cherishing the associations of the land from which they originated, and instilling in their fellow-countrymen a zeal for carrying on their time-honored traditions. This gate and fence at Mount Auburn cemetery is stunning and pays tribute to this organization. I shot it in both infrared and color.
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Intricate Carving
Shot this on my new england foliage trip. It was at a store along the road in Massachusetts and was about six feet across. Very impressive carving and I was surprised it was just sitting out in the elements like it was.
The Relaxation Zone
This is my back yard fire pit and I would never have thought to shoot it till the leaves covered everything and looked nice. I should have waited till dark so I could have lit my tiki torches on the fence too,but I was a bit busy. I built everything you see in the photo from the fence to the arbor in the corner with the gazing ball and the fire pit too. I lit the fire to have a flame,but later would have been more impressive. A few weeks ago I was sitting in the dark out here by the light of the fire and tiki torches and the flame was at least twice as high when something moving catches my eye. I turn my head and a skunk literally walked right between the chair and fire pit. I was about 6 feet from him and for whatever reason I decide to clap my hands to get him moving along. He spun directly toward me with his main weapon and the tail went up,but he cut me a break and did not fire. In hindsight,that was a stupid move.
A Spooktacular Evening
This is the view from the sidewalk at the Halloween home I was invited to shoot this past weekend. These are the three pumpkin figures behind the fence,but the third one was hard to get with the angle I settled on for my main shot. The pumpkin figures were very simple but very menacing,which was very cool. My image from yesterday included the pumpkins on the porch,which are just visible in the distance. Other cool decor included flaming pumpkins,one of which is seen burning behind the figures and that involved soaking a roll of toilet paper in kerosene and letting it burn inside the carved pumpkins,which was awesome,and a ghost on a pole which was made to move by using an oscillating fan behind it,which was simply ingenious. The cool blue of nightfall and red leaves on the trees rounded out the fall scene. I had to shoot the closeup on bottom before the owners lit them because I had to get set for my main image.
Produce Auction
A local produce auction was recently brimming with countless pumpkins grown in county fields. I spoke with one buyer who was hauling a load all the way to Connecticut.
Gates of Greatness
A fence of ornate axes rings this plot in Mount Auburn cemetery
Matching Boats
A pair of small boats appear to be a matching set for the bigger fishing boats in the background. A fishing shack with lobster buoys provides the perfect backdrop.
Fall Farm Harvest
A roadside stand in rural Lancaster county offers pumpkins,mums and other fall goodies for sale. I would have liked to see the orange mums a little more in bloom,but despite that minor issue,the shot turned out great in my opinion.
Scarecrows
A pair of scarecrows got my custom light painting treatment.
Dawn at the Fishing Shack
This fishermans shack caught my eye with its nautical touches on the blue door along with the Rockport sign and lobster traps all ready to go. This was taken at dawn on the seacoast.
Angels of Autumn
This monument caught my attention because of its intricate stone carving and the fallen leaves. I gave it two pops of the off camera flash to reveal its beauty.
Milmore Sphynx
This sphinx is a bit out-of-place in a cemetery but it still is quite impressive and I shot this image in infrared. This is Martin Milmore’s Sphinx commissioned by Jacob Bigelow in commemoration of the preservation of the Union and the end of slavery. It sits facing the Bigelow chapel in mount auburn cemetery and was carved at this site from a single block of granite from Maine, it was completed in July 1872.
The inscription on the monument:
American Union preserved
African slavery destroyed
by the uprising of a great people
by the blood of fallen heroes
Beauty in a Window
As we drove down the street in Rockport Massachusetts, an art gallery caught my eye because of the warm light inside and the cool light of dusk outside. The owner was getting ready to close for the day so I was only able to get four exposures taken before the lights went out. The title of my image refers not only to the window overall but the lovely portrait showcased in the center. This is the gallery featuring the art of Luisa F.V. Cleaves, a contemporary artist and painter from this coastal town. Next time we pass this way, I will try to slow down and visit the many quaint shops in town. My friend says I get tunnel vision when I am photographing and I know this to be true, because when I was here 10 years ago with my wife, I never stopped to even realize they had shops. We got the absolute best croissants in this town from a place called Helmut’s Strudel shop. If you are ever in Rockport,take some time to visit this talented artists gallery and the many unique shops located along main street in town.
Autumn Arrives
This small roadside stand is packed with a variety of items for decorating the home. From colorful mums, to gourds and pumpkins. to corn shocks, and even hay bales,there is something for every decor. My current favorite is the cinderella variety perched on the hay bales. Sitting in the lower left corner are apples and pears that have the most appealing scent.
Dawn At The Farm Stand
I actually got out of bed to shoot a local farm stand before sunrise. I had been counting on a colorful sunrise but never expected the sun to rise exactly in the spot it did and for a layer of fog to spice up the shot. The hardest part was trying to focus in the dark before hand.
Take Your Pick
This farm wagon is overflowing with a variety of unique pumpkins for fall decorating. From the green one that looks like an apple to the white ones devoid of color,there is one for every taste.They say this was a great year for pumpkins,so prices should stay very reasonable.
Artistic Pumpkins
Stopped at a local produce auction to get a few shots and came across this pair of hand painted beauties. I was rather impressed with the time someone took to paint these and the pair sold for under thirty dollars,which was a deal in my opinion.
Looking Back
Mom takes the boys for a ride out to the mailbox to retrieve the mail. The keen youngsters heard my car slow up and turned to see what the sound was. A long lens helped get the shot.
Busy Fields
An older Amish man heads back towards the barn while a young whipper snapper guides an empty wagon up the field.Notice the bare feet on the closer driver.
It’s Crunch Time
This little fellow was safely sandwiched between his older sisters as they went for a trip to town on their fancy cart. This youngster wasn’t going anywhere without his sisters approval and he probably will fondly remember taking trips like this as he grows older.
There She Stands
Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country on september eleventh of 2001. For me, like countless others, this day is permanently etched into my mind and like most I remember the exact moment it unfolded. For me it was a crystal clear fall day out in the country photographing blue morning glories on a farm, when the radio began to crackle with hints of something unspeakable. I recall driving as fast as I could to get to a television and being glued to it for days. Take a moment today to think of and pray for those who were lost that day, and especially their families who were left to cope with such heartbreak.
Every anniversary of this event, I find myself watching the documentaries on television and each and every time I am instantly taken back to that moment and overcome with a sense of deep despair, and I can’t begin to imagine the heartache for those who never got the chance to hold their loved ones again. I have never been to the twin towers memorial, but I have been to the Shanksville crash site in Pennsylvania and while it is not an over the top memorial, I can definitely say it is a place of quiet reflection that really hits you. I felt this Angel statue from a cemetery in New York was a fitting image for today. It is among my favorite infrared images that I have shot. If you have a moment and care to hear Michael W. Smiths tribute song to 9-11 called ”There she stands”, I posted a link here.
Donald Reese Photography 