The first light of dawn skims across this fallen cross in a local cemetery.

Light skims across this cemetery as dusk approaches.

Gingerbread characters enjoy a day along the italian coast.

This black and white rendition brings out the ruts in the snow from those who traveled this road before me.

Imagine waking up and sitting out at this table to drink your morning coffee. A creek flowing at the bottom of the hill and farms in the valley create a vista that just melts your cares away. Might be a little nippy on mornings like this,but maybe you could substitute hot chocolate for coffee. The owners claim they regularly see eagles,osprey and herons who fish the waters.

Freezing rain leaves an icy coating on top of the snow which creates this shimmering effect.

This serene scene is located along a dirt road that is part of a state wildlife preserve in our area. Both myself and a good friend were snapping a few photos during the last week of december here during this snowstorm and tragically about four days later two young men murdered a young woman less than a half mile from this spot. They knew her and for reasons unknown they not only repeatedly stabbed her but poured gas on her and burned her too. Then to top it off,they came back at a later date and burned her again to hide any evidence. A very strange incident happened when we were here,as we were packing up,a vehicle passes and we start up the road behind them and as we crest a hill,the one guy is out of the vehicle throwing a live rooster into the woods and then they take off. It was the most bazaar thing but since it was days before,we figured it had no relation to the crime.

This is another image from the sanctuary at St Luke’s Church. It highlights The Eagle lectern which was made by J. & R. Lamb of New York.  It is made of polished bronze and stands about six feet high from the pavement to the Eagle’s beak.  It rests on a heavy bluish marble cross at its feet, laid horizontally on the pavement. The bronze shaft rises from the middle of the cross and is rectangular with chamfered angles.  At the summit of the columns, the shaft swells into a large knop with four faces on which appear the four emblems of the Evangelists in raised medallions.  The cylindrical shaft above the knop is encircled by four angels, each above his own medallion, and holding scrolls bearing the names of the Evangelists.  The eagle stands about 20 inches in height and 2 1/2 feet across the back and wings.  On the extended wings of the eagle is the book rest to hold the Bible.  This lectern is the second largest in the country, the only larger one being in Trinity Episcopal Church, New York.

the following was supplied by the church historian concerning who actually donated this amazing piece to the church.

Many in Lebanon County know the Coleman family as the first family of Lebanon. Owners of the Cornwall Iron Mine, the largest iron ore deposit east of Minnesota and the nation’s primary source of iron in the early 19th century, since 1798, they also build iron furnaces in Cornwall, Colebrook, Lebanon, and other locations. William Coleman was one of the principle heirs in the first half of the 19th century. He married a Southern belle, Sue Ellen Habersham from Savannah, before the Civil War. They had 2 children before he died at a young age in 1861, Robert Habersham and Anne. Sue Ellen remained a dominant force at St. Luke’s and in Lebanon County for 30 years after William’s death (http://www.lebcounty.org/Womens_Commission/Documents/Womens_History/Coleman_Women_LCCWrev.pdf). William was the driving force behind the construction of Old St. Luke’s in 1862-3.

When Robert came of age, he and his sister (obviously with the encouragement of their mother) built the current church in 1879-1880 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Habersham_Coleman). The entire church is their memorial, although Anne also donated the angel mosaic on the south wall. The lectern was given in honor of William Coleman by his widow when the church was built.It apparently was modeled after the lectern in the previous building of St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City, Mrs. Coleman’s church when she was at her New York residence, although eagle lecterns are common in Anglican and Episcopal churches). If you don’t know the tragic story of Robert and his first wife Lilly and his fall from eminence in the Panic of 1893, there are several books about it that make interesting reading

I walked out of the house yesterday morning to go get a fog shot and almost fell on my back on a frozen sidewalk. Turns out the area was covered in what was referred to as frozen fog. Supposedly a rare weather occurrence that included roads covered in black ice. I shot this image using my nitecor flashlight

A long abandoned church is now privately owned and this entrance made for an inviting shot.

A group of pines trees stands out against a darker barn in this winter landscape.

A brutally cold morning with temps around zero called for stoking the fire on this rural farm. Smoke rises from the chimney as day breaks across the landscape and chores get under way.

A single leaf is locked in pond ice and is split in half as the ice shifts.Temperatures that went as low as three below froze this pond in two days and forecasts calling for temps near fifty will see a thaw in the coming week.

A light drizzle freezes on top of the snow and helps reflect lantern light at this historic site.

A set of red barns are covered in a fresh blanket of white.

An antique shop has an old sleigh and santa outside,which is covered in a dusting of snow.

This elegant Victorian was originally owned by attorney Josiah Funk in the 1800s and later became home to a woman’s club,and now is in private hands and is used as a meeting place for weddings,receptions and the like.Of all the types of architecture ,the Victorian style always seems to capture my imagination with its intricate woodwork and fancy construction. I recently purchased a camranger wi-fi box for my camera and a tablet to shoot this type of subject. In the past I would have to walk up on the porch,light the scene and walk back to the camera to check the exposure,etc each time. Now the camranger sends a wi-fi signal from the camera to my tablet and I can stay on the porch and get real-time views of the shots and then I can adjust without all the walking.The camranger is possibly the best piece of equipment I have purchased in a long time. Shown in the bottom photo is my setup which shows the scene captured by the camera and displayed on the tablet,which is carried by me as I light the scene.The camranger is the little white box on my camera grip.

A fresh snowstorm coats the scene in a glorious blanket of white/

Another view from the Italian themed gingerbread village at RLPS this year.

Another view of a thick coat of hoar-frost on a tree located beside a stream. Remember this is not snow but ice crystals formed under certain circumstances. Take note that the tree only a short distance away is almost bare, as well as the top of this tree.