Drinking from a Hose and Playing the World’s Tiniest Violin

Hi, everyone

First, I would like to welcome all the new subscribers. I appreciate you joining our little community (at least, I would like to think of it as one).

Life has been very busy for me this fall (hence the first part of the title of this “definitely not a blog”). In fact, I got so busy with things ranging from business travel to participating in multiple art fairs that I barely had time to take new images and edit older ones (yes, I am still severely behind in my editing process, and that’s all I am going to say about that).

The second part of the title, is just to remind myself that despite being so busy, I am also very lucky to be able to do all these things, and I shouldn’t complain. In fact, I had a pretty good fair season so far, and also managed to combine some business travel with capturing some great images (more on that later).

All that being said, I finally got a little breather now, and am able to get ready for new art fairs and photographic adventures.

Let’s start with a few updates:

Art Fairs

I will be participating in the Paradise City Marlborough November 22-24, and then in the Annual Castleberry Fair in Wilmington November 29th-December 2nd (yes, right after Thanksgiving). I am also waiting for an answer from another fair that would happen December 8th, but that is not yet confirmed. If you are in the mood of visiting a great art fair for the holidays, and maybe get some amazing gifts, come and stop by my booth.

Exhibits

Two of my images were juried into the Fall National exhibit at the Cape Cod Art Center. The exhibit is currently on and will run through November 8th. It is an amazing exhibit, and if you are in the area, do check it out. Both images look amazing framed and are also available for sale, and if you are interested, drop me a line.

Rising from the Morning Mists. Juried into the Fall National exhibit at the Cape Cod Art Center.

The Path to the Sveti (Saint) Jacob Church. Juried into the Fall National exhibit at the Cape Cod Art Center.

Two of my images also made it into the Small Stones Arts Festival that will start in January 2025. Since they haven’t yet put out an official announcement (I got the notice this week), I will hold off on posting the images here for now. If you have been following me for a while, you would know that I participated in the festival for the last two years. It is an amazing event co-sponsored by the Worcester County Camera Club (of which I am a member). Do check out both the online exhibit, which would include significantly more images, and the physical exhibit when it runs. It always looks great, and has some additional programming like lectures by the jury for you to enjoy.

Epson Pano Awards 2024

This was the second year I participated in the Epson Pano Awards competition. It is a unique competition where all images need to have at least 2:1 aspect ratio. As always, the winners and the shortlisted images are absolutely stunning. For those of us who enjoy landscape and travel photography, perusing them is an absolutely awe inspiring experience, and I am just imagining what it would be like seeing these printed large on the wall…

Although I didn’t make it into the shortlist (wouldn’t that be an absolute cherry on top), I did improve over my last year’s submissions. I improved my scores across the board. Two of my images made it into the silver tier, and two into the bronze tier. Given the intense competition, I consider that to be a pretty good achievement.

Interestingly, the images that got the silver certificate were taken a while back (before I got really serious with my photography). A few months ago I was going over some older shots and decided to reedit these. I wonder what I would have been able to do now in those conditions.

After the Storm. Silver badge at the “professional” Epson Pano Awards for 2024

After the Storm at the Dead Horse Point. Silver badge at the “open” Epson Pano Awards for 2024

One of the images that got a bronze badge was also a reedited version of an older image. The second one is from a newer shot taken close to home. All of this just goes to show that you can create amazing images anywhere and with virtually any equipment.

Morning Light. Bronze badge at the “professional” Epson Pano Awards for 2024.

Breakers at Cannon Beach. Bronze badge at the “open” Epson Pano Awards for 2024.

Some Photography Updates

As I mentioned at the beginning, I didn’t have a lot of time to focus on my photography recently. However, I did manage a few things :-)

In early October I went to Virginia for a business trip. Initially, I was planning to spend a few days after I was done there in the Asheville area in North Carolina. It is an amazing area which I visited before, but haven’t yet fully explored. However, the devastation left by hurricane Helene made this impossible. I hope the area is able to recover quickly from the damage.

Instead, I spent a couple of days in the Blue Ridge Parkway area in Virginia, and then headed for a couple more days in the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia. The park is amazing, and I hope to go there again in not so distant future. I was a little early for the peak fall colors (by probably a week or so), but it couldn’t be helped, and I tried to take full advantage of the conditions I had.

I enjoyed some of the craziest foggy conditions I have ever seen. One morning I hiked one of the trails for a sunrise shoot, but there was so much fog, that I was not able to see anything more than a few feet away. Not really ideal conditions for a sunrise shoot, unless you have a drone (maybe). As a result, I had to change my plans, and go to plan B (always have a plan B when you only have a short time in the area :-) ).

I am still working on editing most of the images from the trip, but here are a couple to give you a taste.

Dunloup Creek Falls

Glade Creek Grist Mill

In addition to the trip, I was also able to shoot a little locally.

While I was participating in the Paradise City Northampton festival, I was treated in the morning to some absolutely stunning conditions on my way. Mostly, I didn’t have time to stop and go exploring (in places where stopping was even an option), but I did manage to capture this beautiful barn on a misty morning not five minutes away from the art fair.

Falling Apart

On another morning, I took my camera with me as I went to work. I was planning to maybe go explore in the evening, but was treated to some interesting conditions along the way. As I was driving, there were pockets of heavy fog. As I got closer, I stopped at one of my favorite spots. The pond in that area always looks amazing in the morning (especially in fall), but I always struggled to create a good composition there as the image always looked too busy to me (this just goes to show that not everything that looks great in real life can be translated to a good photograph). This time, because of the heavy fog, I was able to simplify the composition and got something unique (in my view) with a very oil-painting feel.

Misty Morning at the Pond

This, again, goes to show that you can create beautiful images everywhere.

Well, I think I have rambled enough for one time. I hope you enjoyed this “definitely not a blog” post.

Thank you for being a subscriber

Have a great rest of your weekend

Dimitry

The Year that Was 2022 — Stories Behind My Favorite Images of 2022 (Part 3 — New England Fall)

Happy Holidays!

This is the third installment of posts featuring my favorite images of 2022. You can find the first and the second at the links.

This year the fall colors came out in force in New England. In the few years I’ve been here, I believe this one was the best from Fall colors perspective. I am still wading through the many images I took during this period, but I already have several that are among my all time favorite shots.

Click on the image to go to the product page. Let’s get going…

On one of the weekends we went to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. We started at the Little White Church in Eaton, hoping for some mist above the lake, but it didn’t materialize. We drove into the mountains and, as often is the case, noticed a dilapidated farm on our way to Conway. I doubled back and we stopped for a few minutes to photograph the barn. This image also has a very nice black and white version, which didn’t make it onto this list.

Abandoned Barn near Conway, New Hampshire

We drove through the Cancagamus highway, stopping in several locations. most of the images from that drive are still waiting to be edited. In the afternoon we climbed the Artists Bluff hike near Franconia Notch for sunset. The location was extremely crowded to the point of people creating a traffic jam on the way down. We stayed at the overlook until the sun hid behind the mountains. I took out my long lens and took shots of the trees on the mountain slopes across from us, basking in the light of the settling sun, glowing gold.

Fields of Gold. Trees in the Light of the Settling Sun at Artists Bluff, New Hampshire

Last Call. Fall Trees at Franconia Notch as Seen from Artists Bluff, Bathed in Last Rays of Settling Sun

After going to the White Mountains, I spent a couple of days in the Berkshires. On one of the mornings I went to Bash Bish falls for my first visit to that staple of Massachusetts Berkshires. I came early enough for sunrise and was the only person at the falls, giving me the opportunity to take my time and photograph the falls framed by Fall-colored trees.

Bash Bish Falls in Fall Colors

This year I participated in the art fair at the Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut. The fair is organized by Historic New England and is one of several I did with them. All the fairs were very well organized and well attended in beautiful locations across New England. At this show I was contracted to do custom work. while doing that I took one of my favorite fall shots this year, which I am including in this list with the clients’ permission.

Light through the Canopy

Often the images we love the most are the ones from our local area or those which remind us of great experiences. There are several locations near Lancaster, Massachusetts, which I pass every day on my way to and from work. One of them is a small wooded area. I always wondered how it would look with some fog. So, one day, I woke to a nice misty morning, grabbed my camera and headed out. When I was almost done and was about to head back, I captured the following image of the most beautiful God Rays breaking through the trees, with the last of the morning mist helping bring them to life.

Let There Be Light

Another location, which I see every day, and which was the source of endless frustration for me is a large wetland area near highway 70. My frustration comes from the fact that the area looks amazing, but there is just no place to stop without risking being run over. One day, I finally got so jealous of the amazing light and mist in this area that I went to google maps and tried to figure out how I can get to it. I found an access point from a cemetery in the residential neighborhood near by. Although I didn’t get the full view of the wetland area, I got enough to capture a few of my favorites this year. Two of them make it to this list, but there are several more, which were “almost”.

Misty Morning in Lancaster

I came early enough to be able to explore a little, to capture the heavier mist during the blue hour, and to capture the rising sun backlighting the mist over the wetland.

Of Sun and Mists

Kimball Farm is another location I pass on my daily commute. One morning, I just had to stop to capture the misty trees there. The wisps of mist backlit by the rising sun created this eerie atmosphere straight out of the Lord of the Rings.

Misty Morning at Kimball Farm

Old Stone Church in West Boylston is a location I keep going back to. It is only a few minutes drive away from my house, and offers a variety of shots in different conditions. I am still missing some good winter shots of the location, but I was able to capture a few good Fall shots this year.

Colors and Reflections

Sunset and Mist at the Old Stone Church

We finished up our Fall season this year with a two-day trip to Cape Cod. This is the first time I went there, and I will definitely go back. On the first evening we stopped at Race Point beach for sunset. This was one of the most amazing sunsets and afterburners I have seen, and it resulted in two images to cap off this installment of my favorite images of 2022. A perfect ending.

Sunset at Race Point Beach

Watching the Sunset

Happy Holidays!

The Year that Was 2022 — Stories Behind My Favorite Images of 2022 (Part 2 — Quintessentially British)

Happy Holidays!

This is the second installment of my favorite images of 2022. You can find the first installment here. Check it out!

At the end of May I went to UK for business, and spent a few days in the beautiful Cotsowlds region of England. It was an intense trip during which I got up at 4am to go and shoot a sunrise, go work, and then go shoot a sunset, getting back to the hotel around 10pm. After spending a few days in the Cotswolds, I went for one intense, amazing day at the Jurassic Coast. It was all, oh so worth it, as I got many of my favorite images ever. To my shame, I am still not done with editing my images from that trip, but even though it is a hard job to select just a few to share in this list.

Special thanks and a shout out to William Gray for his extremely helpful tips about locations in the Cotswolds. Make sure to check out his amazing work.

Click on the image to go to a product page. And now…

Misty Morning at the Water Meadows Near Burford in the Cotswolds

I spent my first morning in the Cotswolds at the water meadows near Burford. Burford is a town on the River Windrush, in the Cotswold hills, in the West Oxfordshire district and is often referred to as the “gateway” to the Cotswolds. When I arrived at the location, morning mist covered most of the area. I had some time to set up before the sunrise and to meet the two swans nesting there. Once the Sun rose, it backlit the mist and created an absolutely amazing atmosphere.

Panorama of the Water Meadows Near Burford in the Cotswolds

After spending some time at Burford I stopped at the Woxholes conservation area. Unfortunately, I was pretty short on time, and the light was not great, but I did manage to take this image. It might not be the most artistic, but the fact that all the sheep were looking at me as I took the shot, makes it one of my favorites and so Quintessentially British countryside that I had to include it in my list.

Somebody’s Watching Me. Sheep Grazing Near Foxholes Conservation Area in the Cotswolds

Sunset at the St. Barnabas Church in the Town of Snowshill in the Cotswolds

I came to shoot St. Barnabas Church in the small town of Snowshill three times while exploring the Cotswolds. For those who like trivia, the movie Bridget Jones Diary was filmed in Snowshill. The first evening was a miserable rainy gray. I enjoyed a nice dinner at the Snowshill Arms that can be seen here behind the church. I returned the next day for a sunrise and got some nice shots, but nothing spectacular. Finally, I came back once again for a sunset two days later. I was rewarded for my persistence by a spectacular susnet and a nice dinner at Snoshill Arms. If you are in the area, check them out for a great atmosphere and food.

Sunburst at the St. Barnabas Church in the Town of Snowshill in the Cotswolds

Wild Garlic Galore

End of May is the season when wild garlic is in full bloom. during one of the days I went to the local woods in Winchcombe. the floor was covered with wild garlic, and you could tell the direction of the best spots covered with these flowers by following your nose. To get this image all in focus, I had to focus stack shots. Thankfully, there was no wind.

The Cotswolds houses are sometimes described as coming from a chocolate box. The architecture and the atmosphere doesn’t get any more British and feels as if it came straight out of old Miss Marple movies. One of the best examples of this atmosphere can be found in Chipping Campden, a market town in Gloucestershire. To my great shame, I have not edited most of the images from Chipping Campden, except for St. James’ Church.

St. James’ Church in Chipping Campden

On the last day I had in the Cotswolds, I went to the Sherborne Estate for the sunrise. This was again at William Gray’s suggestion. The sunrise on that day was beautiful, and I had a lot of fun photographing the different trees in the area. It is a beautiful area, and these images remind me of the calm atmosphere I experienced when I was there all by myself.

Between the Light and the Shadow

Sunrise at the Sherborne Estate

Castle in the Sky. Corfe Castle Rising from the Mists at Sunrise

After spending some more time at the Gloucester Cathedral and taking some pictures with ghosts I headed South to the Jurassic coast. I spent some time in the evening scouting the area of Corfe Castle, and returned in the morning well before the sunrise. Corfe Castle is a royal castle, now a majestic ruin, was established by William the Conqueror and partially destroyed in the English Civil War. The location is known to have temperature inversion and beautiful mists that give the castle ruins an eerie feel straight out of Tolkien’s works.

When I left the hotel to go to my scouted vantage point, I was a little concerned as there didn’t seem to be any sign of a mist. However, as I got closer to the castle, the mist started to appear. It ended up being a beautiful morning with the mists rolling in and out over the hills. I had a wonderful session photographing the area. I started out alone, but after approximately forty minutes I was joined by a few other photographers as well as some cows.

Misty Morning at Corfe Castle

After finishing up at Corfe Castle I headed to Old Harry Rocks, the most Eastern point of the Jurassic Coast. Sun was already up, but it was cloudy, and I had the location all to myself. Because I was the only person there, I could walk around the location and capture it from different directions with nobody getting into my shots. I took several long exposure shots to smooth out the water and to add to the atmosphere in the images. Two of the shot of the Old Harry rocks make it onto this list.

Storm is Brewing

Morning at Old Harry Rocks

I’ve spent the rest of the day photographing different locations on the Jurassic Coast, and some of these shots almost made it to the top choices list, while others still wait to be edited on my computer. Before heading back to my hotel, I spent the sunset at Durdle Door, a natural limestone arch near Lulworth. There I captured the shot that caps this installment of my favorite shots of 2022.

Sunset at Durdle Door

Looking back on this trip, I am amazed just how many locations I managed to cover in the few days I was there, and just how many shots from there are among my favorites ever. I hope to go back in the not too distant future and spend some more time in these beautiful locations.

Happy Holidays!