Tapestry of life

Life contains an endless tapestry of shapes, patterns and textures. A gentle breeze can change the configuration on a whim. I am fond of saying "I'm glad the world slowed down long enough for me to peer in." Show schedule updated: LoudounLandscapes.com/shows.html

Deer in flight

While at Sunny Ridge on Sunday, (see previous post) I encountered this young fawn. Before she disappeared out of sight I managed to capture her in mid flight. I finally managed to photograph an interesting action shot of a deer. Not as easy as it sounds.

A top ten place on earth

Sunny Ridge is wedged between three ridges with views that spill all over Loudoun. Gentle breezes and summer insects made the high grass appear animated. White puffy clouds sailed by without care. Sunny Ridge is one of my favorite places. This north facing photo was at f22 for 1/25 of a second.

Sleeter Farm House

Taken in April of 2005, this photo was captured along Sleeter Lake in Round Hill. This old house could have been part of the Sleeter Farm which was flanked by peach and apple orchards. It appears that the original portion may have been wood and the rear stone section (left) was added later. It must have been quite a site in its day. Today it's reminiscent of the hotel in the Hitchcock movie, Psycho.

It's a woman's world....

...if you're a spider. This large Dolomedes Fishing Spider was found under a bridge in my neighborhood. After my son claimed to have found a "nest of massive spiders", I went to investigate. We waded through ankle deep water under a bridge with little light. A four inch spider counts as massive in my book. I've since learned that these harmless creatures spin no web but instead hunt below the water for up to a half hour. After inspecting the photo at home I noticed a really big female hiding (lower left) in the gap surrounded by devoured males. The camera flash gave her away. Get out of there fella!

View from atop the grain silo

The view from atop an 85 foot grain silo is exhilarating, I climbed one tonight. The sight of green rolling hills, blue ridges and lush pastures could be seen for miles. This photo was taken from the top, which is located south of Purcellville. Farmer James was gracious enough to grant permission for me to pursue this vertical hike.

Silence of the sheep

I guess these guys never saw a photographer before. Either that or I looked liked sheep food. Taken on a foggy Loudoun morning south of Round Hill.

Painting in the darkroom

Back in college I was quite the creative lad and often carved my own path. Early in my Darkroom 101 class I became more interested in experimentation than actually making prints. I would crumple photo paper, expose it to light and paint on it with the developer chemical. Occasionally the outcome would be striking. I received a B in the class without developing one print from my camera (I took the class again in a proper fashion and aced it).

Pink Thistle and Blue Ridge

As unspolied stretches of land along Loudoun's Blue Ridge decreases, appreciation for such beauty increases. Spending time in these open spaces is becoming more meaningful and special by the day. The sweet smell of Loudoun air is found nowhere else that I've traveled. Filling my lungs with the stuff means that I'm home. Taken near Bluemont for 1/13 of a second at f16.

Showing in Leesburg tonight

I will be showing in Leesburg tonight at Gallery 222 for the First Friday gallery walk. Stop by from 6-9 PM and say hello.

Fireworks, Loudoun style

Happy Fourth of July all! After a really hot and steamy day in Loudoun, the night cooled off just in time for some excellent fireworks. Shown here are a sampling of the Purcellville fireworks show from about an hour and a half ago. No, Franklin Park did not expand their show. I arranged this collage to bring you the highlights in one image. Most of these were shot at f10 for about 30 seconds each.

Haleakala Sunrise at 10,000 feet

Haleakala is the dormant volcano that towers over eastern Maui. At 10,200 feet, nearly the entire island is in view. One must begin the drive at 3 AM to watch the sunrise from the edge of the earth. The foreground ridge is draped in clouds that hover at 7000 feet. Unlike Maui at sea level, high winds and 40 degree weather dominate the crater. This photo was taken on Saturday at f16 for 10 seconds.

Oheo Gulch of Maui

This is a photo of southeastern Maui which definately not western Loudoun. The first inlet leads to the Seven Sacred Pools which cascade down from the mountains. If you are wondering why I've not posted in a week, this is it. More to come....