Tag: Warren

Sunday October 30, 2011

Post author By Woody
Post date Saturday November 5, 2011

WARREN CONNECTICUT – It finally stopped snowing around noon. We got a devastating 21 inches of wet, heavy snow. Most of the trees still had all of their leaves so the snow collected on them, breaking or uprooting trees in absolutely record number. Power, telephone and cable and internet are out over most of the state. This is been called the most damaging storm in Connecticut’s history. We have a backup generator for occasions like this (we loose power several times each winter; without power the heating system doesn’t work; if the house gets below freezing there is massive damage to the plumbing). Anyway, I took my Alpa (with the 35mm Schneider) out after the storm cleared. Here’s what it looked like – a typical January scene on October 30.

These images exploit the amazing dynamic range of the Phase One IQ 180 back.

It’s me again, this time at 6:03 on February 14, 1999. As I’ve said quite a few times now this is one of a series of hourly self-portraits shot with an Arca Swiss 8×10 view camera.

Tags Connecticut, Snow, Warren, Winter

Garden Landscape

Sunday October 23, 2011

Post author By Woody
Post date Saturday October 29, 2011

WARREN CONNECTICUT – I went out hunting for late fall landscape today, mostly in the garden. I used my Leica M9 and 24mm Summilux, which if you follow these posts closely you will have noted is my most used camera/lens combination by far. But I also found a new tool, a new iPhone 4S. The camera is surprisingly good. Dynamic range is only so-so – highlights tend to get blown, and prints are marred by jpeg weirdness (white fringes is the like) but this thing is surprisingly usable and always at hand. It’s quite serviceable for web resolution.

First the Leica and then some iPhones.

The iPhones, with a little help with post-processing in Lightroom.

Finally, what post would be complete without a self-portrait from the 24 hour series. If you think that you’re getting tired of these, image how I felt sitting for them and pushing the cable release, then processing the film, etc. Part of what I’m doing with these ix exploring repetition and the passage of time. Anyway 11:05 PM on February 13, 1999 with an Arca Swiss view camera.

Tags Connecticut, Warren

Events and holidays Family and friends

Saturday October 22, 2011

Post author By Woody
Post date Friday October 28, 2011

WARREN CONNECTICUT – A friend had a birthday celebration at has house under construction in Warren. There was no heating so we build a large fire in the fireplace. There were no kitchen appliances so we grilled the food. the wine selection was over the top with a 2000 Ch. la Conseillante (one of my favorite Pomerols) and 1996 Pichon and Latour. Not bad. Pictures taken with my Leica M9 and 24mm Summicron lens.

Here’s my boring self, from my hourly series, at 10:03 PM on February 13, 1999. Again taken with an Arca Swiss 8×10. This is the only image in the series where I’m wearing glasses, which we will see as we display some of the variants on these pictures (probably in mid-November at the pace we are moving at) has odd consequences.

Tags Dinner party, Warren

Garden Landscape

Monday October 10, 2011

Post author By Woody
Post date Sunday October 16, 2011

WARREN CONNECTICUT – I got a bit confused writing the posts for October 9 and today. Today’s pictures were originally published as October 9 – probably because I forgot that I was in Warren (rather than New York) today, which is Columbus Day. (I typical write these posts about a week after the fact.) Columbus Day really isn’t a national holiday, but what the hell, I’m an adopted Italian so so it’s a good excuse not to go to the office. Anyway, here are two pictures from a walk around our Warren property, taken with my Leica M9 and a 24mm Summilux lens (I’ve stated elsewhere that this is my best friend ever, lens-wise.) Back lit ornamental grasses, and a Balinese Garuda.

On this day one year ago: Waterfall, New Preston.

Tags Connecticut, Warren

Garden Landscape

Saturday October 8, 2011

Post author By Woody
Post date Friday October 14, 2011

WARREN CONNECTICUT – Twelve or so years ago I did a series of projects where i set a camera up on a tripod and took an image each hour over a 24-hour period. I generally used a 4×5 view camera, but also an 8×19 view camera and a 35mm (generally my Leica M7). I typically shot images that were set up to mimic a well known piece of art, “appropriating” the organization and subject matter. For example I did a 24 hour series at our pool in Connecticut and a Balinese statue after Jennifer Bartlett’s study of her pool in Italy. (See Jennifer Bartlett pool for example.) I stopped doing the 24 hour sequences after I went digital. The fact that you can put a digital camera on a tripod and set it to take a picture every hour made it too easy and took the life out of these projects;

Enter the Alpa and the Phase One IQ 180 back. The aesthetic is similar to 4×5 or 8×10 and it’s entirely manual – you really can’t automate taking a 24 hour sequence. So I decided to give a 24-hour project a try. No reference to any only other works of art – just a shot of a tree line at our place in Connecticut. I shot 24 images, one each hour from late afternoon October 8 through late afternoon October 9. I’m please with the results and have resolved a couple of technical issues, so I’m starting work on a serious series, again borrowing from a well-known work. Here’s the image from 5:57 PM (local time). My self-imposed rule is that all images need to be taken within 10 minutes plus or minus the hour. Precision (i.e. exactly on the hour) really isn’t possible because of the vagaries of cat napping and so on. I’m pleased with the results so I’m searching for a project with a fine arts referent. By the way, I’ve also included an image of the Alpa set up to capture the tree line.

On this day one year ago: Seagrams.

Tags Autumn, Connecticut, Warren

Home Interior

Sunday September 11, 2011

Post author By Woody
Post date Saturday September 17, 2011

WARREN CONNECTICUT – Well here we are, 9/11 ten years on. We decided to ride this out in Connecticut. Our son was on the street outside of his office two blocks from the WTC when the first plane hit and was one of those running to escape the dust cloud as the first tower collapsed. We’re all lucky that he got through it alive and unhurt. We watched the ceremonies on television. The whole thing was done with great dignity, a relief given the circus atmosphere that has surrounded some aspects of 9/11. Photography tasted stale so I discharged my obligation to take a picture by shooting a hallway in our house with m Alpa TC. Four images focus stacked.

On this day one year ago: Ornamental grasses.

Tags Connecticut, Warren

Landscape

Sunday September 4, 2011

WARREN CONNECTICUT – It was rainy and foggy today. The fog provides an opportunity to isolate elements of the landscape that might otherwise be lost in clutter. Here are three trees at the top of Tanner Hill Road in Warren. Taken with my Alpa TC and 72mm Schneider XL. Three frames stitched. I was unfortunately in flip flops (I was just on my way to buy a paper when I saw this) and there was poison ivy underfoot.

Sunset in Warren

Tags Connecticut, Fog, Warren