A Saturday of Shooting and Friends

Last Saturday I hosted a gathering of some photographer friends.  We met at my house and enjoyed catching up and a bite to eat.  Folks seemed remarkably content to hang out but eventually, the troops were restless and off we went.   The first stop was one of NH's best examples of a kettle bog and a National Natural Landmark called Heath Pond Bog in Freedom, NH.  The light was mezza mezza... it was mid-afternoon after all... and the bog was difficult to get too close too without getting ankle deep in it.  But we enjoyed a nice walk exploring and all snapped an image or two.  Right out of the car, someone found the remains of a red tailed hawk.  It wasn't objectively pretty, but I thought the contrast of the green and the brown, the growing and the dying was interesting.

We returned to my house to grab a drink and kill an hour waiting for late day light.  Our plan was to visit Foss Mountain in Eaton, NH for sunset.  It's a small peak that is as much blueberry barren as it is mountain, but it's a beautiful place with amazing views in all directions.   The awesome clouds that had been swirling about the valley all week hung around for the sunset and we were all treated to an amazing show.  We stayed out until it was dark, not wanting to miss a thing.

It was a great day with a great finish.  I really enjoy the way that photography allows me to focus (no pun intended) and let the outside world slip away.  I am in my element pursuing something that only I perceive, working out the technical problems of making the image and finding the unique elements that make a photo special.  It's completely absorbing for me and I'm in the moment.  As a result, I don't get together with fellow photographers near enough.  But,  I'm always so glad when I do.  I'm continually amazed how a group of people can arrive on a scene and see such different things and deploy different tools.  The shot below is an example... I was low to the ground with an 11-16mm lens while a friend was shooting at 200mm on a tripod at eye level.  Another was breaking out a flash while others were on completely different ends of the summit.  Group shoots never disappoint as a great experience of friendship and learning.   I look forward to the next one!

A big thank you to the good friends that gathered for the day!  Check out their work!
Jeff Sinon,  Justin Macomber, Kris Smith, Tracey Streeto and Melissa Greenawalt  .