Anyone who has ever even casually studied the art of photography has heard a lot about keeping the camera steady in order to create a sharp photo.  There are techniques for hand holding a camera properly in order to prevent movement and it is a good idea to use a tripod when possible for the absolute sharpest photos.  These are good things to learn and adhere to most of the time but, as with any rules, the real fun starts when we begin to break them to obtain creative results.  You can enter the world of abstract photography by intentionally introducing motion blur into an image for creative results.

In the world of art I’ve always admired the impressionists such as Monet and the post impressionists such as Vincent van Gogh.  The abstract swirls of color evoke different emotions than a more literal interpretation of the scene.  The photographer can create the same time of image using some simple techniques, some experimentation, and a lot of trial and error.

I took the pictures shown here using a slow shutter speed and I intentionally moved the camera a little during the exposure.  How slow you set the shutter speed and how much you move the camera is really a matter of personal preference and the effect that you’re after.  I usually prefer just a little camera movement so that the objects in the scene are still identifiable but more movement can be induced to create totally abstract swirls.

In the old days, when we used film, it was much more difficult to use techniques like this because one had to wait to get the film processed to see the results and since this method requires so much experimentation you ended up with a lot of wasted film.  Now, with digital cameras, you can get an immediate idea of the effect by using the playback feature on the camera.  The other advantage of using digital is that once the images are downloaded onto the computer those that didn’t work can be simply deleted.

As with most digital pictures, some post processing work needs to be done on the computer to optimize the image.  This is purely personal preference.  I find that some contrast and color saturation usually needs to be added as the slow shutter speed and camera movement markedly reduces both.

This is a technique, at least in my experience, where one needs to take lots of images because I delete far more than I keep.  It’s not easy to get just the right amount of movement for just the right image.  But, in my view, the effort is worth it.  The world of abstract photography opens up a whole new world of creative possibilities.

One last thought:  If you try this technique and get some images that you like try printing them out using watercolor paper in your inkjet printer.  It really brings out the “painterly” quality in the pictures.

Yet another last thought:  I’ve added an “Abstracts and Impressions” album in my Gallery featuring these and other images.  I hope to continue to add more of these types of pictures in the coming days as I continue experimenting with different techniques in the art of abstract photography.

                                        

There’s an old adage that says, “It’s better to be lucky than good”. Certainly, this is frequently the case when pursuing photography. Sometimes, by chance, we just happen to be somewhere when something interesting is happening or just the right light is striking just the right subject. The only requirement on our part is to be observant enough to notice these unique encounters. I experienced just such a chance encounter recently. I was in Lubec, which is a small coastal village in the “downeast” Maine area where I live. A bald eagle was perched peacefully out on the end of a breakwater that juts into the channel that runs between Lubec and Campobello Island which lies in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. I walked slowly out on the breakwater snapping pictures of the posing eagle as I went. The sun was going down and I was rapidly losing my light. The above picture is the last one I took just before he flew away. He’s striking a perfect pose against a great background. The world around us still makes for the best studio.

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.”    Henry David Thoreau

One of the true gems of the “downeast” Maine area, in which I live, is the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. I’m fortunate to live just a few miles from its boundary and I frequently utilize its many roads and trails to go running, snowshoeing and hiking. It’s also a great location to search out photo opportunities. There’s abundant wildlife and numerous ponds and streams which provide endless settings for the nature photographer. It’s particularly appealing in the autumn when the fall colors are putting on their annual display. Now that the trees are bare and winter is once again knocking at the door, I thought I’d share some of the photos I’ve shot in the refuge over the last few months.

I photographed this group of loons during an early morning kayak venture on Bearce Lake, which is located within the wilderness area of the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. Other than the loons, I had the lake to myself and they seemed to not be bothered by my presence in the least bit.

Below are a few more shots I took while out trying to capture the autumn colors.

  
One of the great things about living in remote Washington County, Maine is that the area is largely unspoiled and is sparsely populated.  It is as scenic and beautiful as anywhere in the state but the bulk of the tourists who make Maine their vacation destination rarely get up this far.  Most make it up the coast only as far as Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.  That’s unfortunate for them but lucky for those who do, because they can enjoy what’s here in relative solitude and don’t have to fight the tourist crowd.

 A case in point is the Bold Coast Trail near Cutler, Maine.  This is as fine a coastal hiking trail as anywhere in Maine and some say on the entire east coast.  It has been featured in national publications but even on a gorgeous summer day it can be enjoyed in relative solitude. 

I’ve always been an avid hiker and the trailhead is only about 35 miles from my house so it is a convenient destination for me.  I recently hiked it again and have included a few of the photos I took. 

It was a beautiful sunny day in August but there were fewer than 10 cars in the parking lot when I arrived at the trailhead at about 11:30 AM.  In the 8 hours I spent on the trail walking and photographing, I saw fewer than a dozen people. 

The trail does not begin on the coast.  There’s about a 1 1/2 mile walk through the woods and then you emerge onto some stunning cliffs with magnificent views of the coastline and the Bay of Fundy, with the Canadian island of Grand Manan in the distance.  The trail then winds along the coastline for about 4 miles providing great views and numerous rocky beaches.  There are even some primitive campsites if you want to spend the night.  You can complete the loop by taking the inland part of the trail back to the trailhead.  The entire loop is almost 10 miles.  If you’re not up for that long of a hike there is a cutoff trail to the inland portion cutting the loop to about 5 miles.

If you ever visit this part of Maine and you like to hike, the Bold Coast Trail is a “can’t miss” destination.  If you want more information a Google search of the “Bold Coast Trail” will provide all you need.