| Sustainability |
| Winter spinach harvest. Sustainability is a word being used a lot by conservation groups these days. Typically they use the word in conjunction with forestry, energy, agriculture, corporations, communities, etc. - all human activities. Of course, nature on its own is inherently sustainable, but here we are in the 21st century, dealing with a host of environmental problems, from climate change to cancer causing chemicals persisting in our soils and water. By creating sustainable industries and living more sustainably as individuals, we have a chance of ... |
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| Getting Back to My Blogging Duties. |
It has been a while since I spoke on here. Needless to say I've had some busy months, trying to finish my latest book project and organizing my 2010 workshop schedule. Today, I mailed the completed manuscript and photos to the publisher, so I'm feeling some relief! I'll be posting more soon, but in the meantime you should know that I have posted a bunch of good stuff on my blog, In the Zone, at Outdoor Photographer during the last ... |
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| Harvesting Compost. |
 The Merrimack River in Canterbury, New Hampshire. From a conservation project spearheaded by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. I just checked and it has been 22 days since my last post - sorry about that! I've been shooting 5 or 6 days a week for the last 5 weeks, working on a new book project as well as shooting assignments in Maine, New Hampshire, and western Connecticut. To top it off, my car died on I-91 in Vermont last Wednesday as I was driving up to a presentation I was giving for NH Audubon in Littleton, NH. I never made it (sorry folks!) and Marcy ended up having to drive the two hours to pick me up a couple of days later (my car was towed back to Portsmouth today.) In the meantime, we bought another car, and I'm trying to fight my way through 500GB worth of RAW files. Today I left the studio about an hour early to dig in the dirt in our vegetable garden. It's a cliche and a pun, but working the earth really does ground me when my brain is a little overwhelmed as it has been the last few days.  Fall foliage in the forest surrounding the Quabbin Reservoir in Ware, Massachusetts. I cleaned out the remaining skeletons of tomato and bean plants in our small little vegetable garden, which I must say provided the whole family with more pleasure than I could have imagined this year, especially for a plot of dirt only about 70 square feet in size. (For about a month in late August and September, we were harvesting a pint of cherry tomatoes and green beans every couple of days.) I pulled a few weeds then harvested about 150 pounds of compost from our bin in the backyard where we've been composting weeds and food scraps all year. As I raked the compost into the garden, I realized that at the end of every fall, I start treating EcoPhotography like the garden. First I clean out the remaining plants (editing and processing the remaining images from various shoots of the past year.) After the weeds are gone, I turn over the soil and add in the compost (in this metaphor, the compost would be the year's worth of used and unused ideas combined with the experience gained while shooting.) Then I start planning what to plant (shoot) for next year, by thinking about what was successful this year - what the kids liked to eat (what images the clients bought,) - what didn't grow well (the unsuccessful parts of the business), and what new veggies would be fun to plant (new ideas to grow the business.)  Kelly Stand Road in Vermont's Green Mountains on a windy day. Of course, there are some differences between gardening and running a photography business. For one thing, I'll pretty much leave the garden alone between now and May, but I'll be shooting again as soon as the snow flies and I'll be working on business plans and marketing ideas pretty much full-time between now and then. I'm pretty sure next year is going to include a more robust workshop schedule than this year, as well as a move to including high-def video to my repertoire - I'm really excited to add some short video clips that will help describe the conservation projects I work on.  Rainbow and farms in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. By the time the first bean sprouts are pushing through the soil next May, I'll have a full schedule of workshops filling up, and hopefully I'll be shooting a new year's worth of conservation projects, complete with video stories. With any luck, we'll get the rain we got this spring and I'll be able to concentrate on shooting without worrying about watering the veggies. Okay, enough of the gardening metaphor. I'm off to Rhode Island and Connecticut to shoot the last bit of fall foliage before the trees are bare. Until next time... -Jerry |
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| Fall Colors are out in Northern New England. |
 Morning fog in Milan, New Hampshire. My full travel schedule is making it hard for me to write much these days, but I thought I'd at least share some photos from the last week. Fall color in peaking north of US 2 in northern New England and it is shaping up to be a banner year for foliage.  Fall color along the Magalloway River in Wilsons Mills, Maine.  Dawn light paints the Presidential Range in New Hampshire's White Mountains.  A bird's eye view of the Balsams in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.  Coos Canyon in Bryon, Maine.  Smalls Falls near Rangeley, Maine. Until next time... -Jerry |
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| Getting Loony, Stepping on Porcupines, and Surfboards on Semis |
 Loons on White Lake in Tamworth, New Hampshire. I just wanted to share a few photos from the last few weeks. Enjoy!  White Lake State Park in Tamworth, New Hampshire.  Kayaking near the Porcupine Islands in Maine's Acadia National Park.  Paddling past the cliffs of Bald Porcupine.  Bish Bash Falls in Mount Washington, Massachusetts.  Biking in Maine's Acadia National Park.  Surfboard on truck cab in Rye, New Hampshire. You can also check out my recent post at Outdoor Photographer here: www.outdoorphotographer.com/community/blogs/in-the-zone/risking-gear-to-get-the-shot.html. Until next time, -Jerry |
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| Stepping off the cliff. |
 Climbing Top of the Prow on Cathedral Ledge in New Hampshire's White Mountains. Twenty years ago, before I had the bug that drives me to be a professional outdoor photographer, I worked in a Nature Company store in a mall in Massachusetts. As awful as working in the mall was, this 8-month gig had a big impact on my life, as I met Galen Rowell and discovered the world of adventure and nature photography. One memory from that job was a comment I overheard one of our regular customers make to my manager one day. This guy was a bird photographer (I'll call him Fred,) and actually he was pretty good at shooting birds. After showing off what seemed like hundreds of bird portraits, he brought up the photography of Galen Rowell, who many consider one of the greatest adventure photographers of the 20th century. Fred commented that while Galen's pictures were nice, they weren't that great because anyone in that location with that subject matter and light would have made a great photo. Even though I hardly ever took up a camera at that point in my life, I knew Fred's comment was about as far from reality as possible (actually, I think I muttered something about Fred being an F*&?# idiot, but I digress.) In my mind, until Fred actually endeavored to take the kind of photos that Galen Rowell accomplished, he would never understand what goes in to making a transcendent landscape or adventure photo. There's a certain quality of mood, emotion, and unique beauty that the great ones can create that the rest of us will never achieve even if we put or tripods in the same place.  Climbing Cathedral Ledge. I was reminded of Fred's comment this morning, as I was in the middle of shooting rock climbers on Cathedral Ledge in New Hampshire's White Mountains. Except for a day of shooting a couple of guys climbing boulders in Pawtuckaway State Park, I had never photographed rock climbing before, and had in fact never tried the sport myself. In preparation for today's shoot, I bought a copy of the Climbing Magazine photo annual and looked at the images, thinking "Gee, these are no big deal - I could have taken these shots if I were up on that rock." Of course, I'm as big an idot as Fred for thinking that. A great fashion photographer doesn't go to the World Series, sit in the pit with two dozen photographers, and make photos that match the best of the sports shooters. Not the first time anyway. To really shoot a certain type of photography well, you have to do it on a regular basis and be immersed in it, understand the story behind the action and the minds of the participants. An accomplished photographer can translate some skills immediately, which I think I was able to do with these climbing photos, but to be a master takes time, effort, and passion for the subject.  The hardest part for me on this shoot was that first step over the edge. As I mentioned, I've never climbed rock before (I once climbed a wall of ice on a glacier in Alaska, but that's a distant memory, and honestly I sucked at it.) There were a few seconds before heading over the edge that I considered backing out, but a few deep breaths later and I stepped over and worked my way down about 20 feet or so. I have WAY more respect for climbing photographers now. Dealing with 20+ pounds of camera gear while hanging from a rope is harder than I thought. Another big challenge is framing the photos. If you don't like your perspective and need to move over ten feet or so, it takes a lot of work. Thankfully, my guides (and models), Beckett and Shawna of International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway were real pros and had me working comfortably in no time.  Looking up. I'm hanging off the green rope. I had a great time with this shoot (which only lasted about 3 hours,) and I'm hoping to try my skill at this again soon. If you're unfamiliar with Galen Rowell's work, you should definitely check it out at http://mountainlight.com/. And if you want a good climbing guide, check out the International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway, NH. Until next time... -Jerry |
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| Black and White in the digital age (and an update on Errol) |
  Rob Sheppard over at Photodigitary has written a nice post about the resurgence of black and white photography in the digital age. It's a great explanation of how black and white photography has fallen in and out of favor over the years based on the technology of photography. Here's the link: http://www.photodigitary.com/?p=315. Like Rob, I have embraced the tools in Photoshop and Lightroom to convert a digital file to color. I recently explained how to do this in my blog at Outdoor Photographer here: http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/community/blogs/in-the-zone/using-camera-raw-or-lightroom-to-convert-to-black-and-white.html. The above example of the kayaker I shot last summer and I felt a sepia toned treatment was more compelling than the original color image. Below is a more straighforward black and white conversion from my recent shoot in Errol, NH.   Fly fishing on Little Greenough Pond in Errol, New Hampshire. As I mentioned in my previous post, Conservation Photography in Northern New Hampshire, the Trust for Public Land is working on several conservation projects in the Errol area, which is well-known for its moose, whitewater paddling, and excellent fishing. One correction to my previous post is that there are currently 31,000 acres (not the 25,000 acres I stated) slated to be added to the land already conserved in the area. Also, a portion of that land will be retained by Plum Creek as working forest, but subject to a conservation easement. Until next time, -Jerry |
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| Democracy on Display in New Hampshire |
 Protesters outside the Portsmouth, New Hampshire high school where Barack Obama spoke at a town meeting publicizing his health care reform bill. I did something I rarely do today - cover a political event. I wasn't planning on it, as I have a book to write by the end of the month, and a couple thousand photos to edit, but with helicopters circling the house and secret service agents down the street, it was hard to resist. President Obama came to New Hampshire today. Specifically, he came to Portsmouth High School, which is a five minute walk from our house. He spoke at a town hall meeting about reforming health care in the U.S. Not having a ticket to attend the event, , or press credentials (hey, I'm a nature photographer...) I hung out outside in the 85 and humid heat, and photographed the protesters, who were definitely out in force. There was a fair amount of yelling back and forth between the two sides of the street where the protesters were lined up, but from what I saw, no one got violent. There were of course, all kinds of folks out there, but these two gentlemen in the flannels just seemed like New Hampshire to me. To see a few more photos, check out this gallery at our Photoshelter site: http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/ecophotography/gallery/Health-Care-Reform-Protesters-in-Portsmouth-NH-8-11-09/G0000WK1Au73stw0 Until next time, -Jerry |
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| Conservation Photography in Northern New Hampshire |
 Moonset, Long Pond, Errol, New Hampshire. Errol, New Hampshire is home to two of the jewels of the Northern Forest in New Hampshire: 13 Mile Woods and Lake Umbagog. The area is rich in undeveloped forestland and wetlands that team with wildlife. Amazingly, before the establishment of the Lake Umbagog National WIldlife Refuge in the 1990's, this area was primarily owned by timber management companies and the woods and wetlands were completed unprotected from development. The conservation effort in the area is an ongoing effort. The refuge and other conservation lands now protect most of the shoreline of the 7000 acre lake as well as 7000+ acres of forest in the 13 Mile Woods section of the Androscoggin River.  That's me paddling on Little Bear Brook Pond in Errol, New Hampshire. This is the third time I have been asked to photograph land in the area that is in the process of being protected. The area has become one of my favorite places to work, and it became more special to me and Marcy last year when the USPS used an image from a previous 13 Mile Woods project for a 72 cent stamp. (See http://blog.jerryandmarcymonkman.com/2008/05/21/the-stamp-ceremony-etc.aspx) Not only was the stamp a huge honor, the people I met during a ceremony celebrating the stamp proved to me that the community in the area is strongly behind the conservation efforts here. The people in the Errol area are proud of their scenic wild places and the diversity of wildlife that lives here.  Steeplebush blooming on the banks of Little Bear Brook Pond. Currently, the Trust for Public Land is working on preserving an additional 25,000 acres in Errol. Some of this land will become part of the refuge, some part of the town forest, and the rest will be managed by New Hampshire Fish and Game. Most of this land is currently owned by Plum Creek Timber, and its protection will keep some important wetlands and ponds from being developed as well as insure that some timberland will be sustainably managed.  Long Pond in Errol, New Hampshire.  Clouds above evergreen trees, Errol, New Hampshire. I shot these five images early this morning before thunderstorms moved in. I was especially interested in the clouds. I think this was because of recently seeing a beautiful cloud image by John Paul Caponigro from his recent Antartcic series, which also reminded me of the cloud images by Richard Misrach. I won't begin to say these images compare to the work of those modern masters, but it is fun to use their imagery for inspiration when I'm out making pictures. I'll be shooting here for the next couple days, and if anything interesting comes of it, I'll post more photos here. To see other images I've shot of the Northern Forest, head over to www.ecophotography.com and check out our Northern Forest Portfolio. Until next time... -Jerry |
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| Acadia National Park Photography |
 Dawn in Somseville, Maine near Acadia National Park. I'm nearing the end of a ten day road trip where I have been shooting in Acadia National Park and Errol, New Hampshire. In Acadia, I spent five days shooting on the western side of Mount Desert Island. Known as "the quiet side", this part of Mount Desert Island is much less busy than the eastern side of the island which sports iconic locations like Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach, and Jordan Pond. Marcy and I have been visiting the park for twenty years, and when I looked at our collection of Acadia images, I was surprised to see how little we have actually shot on the western side of the island. Since we're working on a photographer's guide to the park (to be released in spring 2010), it seemed important that we include locations that are less-visited and hence less-photographed.  Barnicles and periwinkles at Wonderland in Acadia National Park. I camped 4 nights at Seawall, a National Park campground that is just a few minutes walk from miles of undeveloped shoreline. (It was great to fall asleep to the sound of crashing surf.) It was really fun to be in a familiar place, yet photographing a lot of scenes for the first time. It was also great to shoot several days in a row with good light! As you New Englanders know, it has been pretty gray and cloudy for most of the summer, but that trend seems to have broken over the last couple of weeks. Of the several new locations I shot, probably my favorite was Great Cranberry Island, which is a 30 minute ferry ride from Mount Desert Island. If you ever make it over there, be sure to check out the mile-long trail behind the island's museum. The trail goes through a preserve recently protected by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, winding through mature spruce woods, on its way to a great sandy beach bordered by cobblestones and bedrock ledges. Here are a few more images from this trip:  Sunset, Great Cranberry Island, Maine.  Skiffs and fog, Southwest Harbor, Maine.  Boats in Mansett, Maine.  Dock in Mansett, Maine. To see previous images we've shot in Acadia, search on Acadia at www.ecophotography.com or check out this gallery on photoshelter: http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/ecophotography/gallery/Acadia-National-Park/G0000Pr5_dinIIVk/ Today, I'm in Errol, NH working on a conservation project. I'll post some photos I took this morning in a few hours. Until next time, -Jerry |
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