Photography has been a major part of my life since the mid-1980s. The love of nature got a hold of me even earlier. My mom taught me to be kind to all living things (well, except hornets) and helped foster my young curiosity. After a childhood of flower-picking, tree-climbing and toad-wrangling, I still have a fascination with the natural world. I hope that is what you find in my images and writing.
After more than 40 years in New Hampshire I’m now in northern Wisconsin and love it because I’m almost in the middle of nowhere. There are plenty of nature preserves, back roads and quiet waters to explore.
You’ll find me out in all seasons – hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Most of the time the camera comes with.
In 2021 I became a member of Nature First: The Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography. I hadn’t heard about them before, but after reading what they stand for it seemed like a no-brainer. All my life I’ve tried to follow the Nature First Principles:
- Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography.
- Educate yourself about the places you photograph.
- Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.
- Use discretion if sharing locations.
- Know and follow rules and regulations.
- Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.
- Actively promote and educate others about these principles
The blog isn’t about me. Not really. Not per se. It’s about how I escape. Civilization isn’t all that civilized if you ask me. So I get out. Not far. Just far enough. To think. To see. To hear. To be.
Then I bring it back.
This is a long way around the horn to tell you that I appreciated your comments on my Maine gallery on smugmug. I have taken the opportunity to look at your photos and find a lot in common with you photographically. I especially appreciate the fact that you too are still learning to “see.” That’s what this is all about for me also and the photos are only a way to share the “seeing” experience with others. Keep on seeing and photographing.
Dick Tompkins
Mill Creek, WA
Hey thanks for taking the time and the compliments on my output. SmugMug makes it impossible to track comments and have any meaningful dialog, so I appreciate the effort.
Hi–just found all this since my irisis and violets are looking blue instead of purple and yes, violet. Purplse stuff in the house, like sweaters and scarves looks ok but the outside flowers–no. Just bought a Panasonic FX200 –have tried different adjustments; calls to Panasonic and wondering if there’s anything way to fix this –i can on my Macbook Pro “adjust” the blue to purple but the surrounding leaves turn yellow (in effect it’s all making me blue)–anything to advice?
It sounds like you’re still using white balance to get to purple, which is making the leaves all yellow and muddy. You need an editor like Lightroom with individual color channels you can adjust. Which photo editor are you using?
Bravo! I enjoy your blog. Crisp writing. Focus on photography. Perfect.
Thanks, Tim. I appreciate the feedback. I don’t have much of an audience yet, but hopefully I find a few like-minded souls.
I love your photography and blog. Life is good when you have
a passion and if’s it photography the beauty of the world is never far away from the click of the shutter. You are truly blessed for you can see!
Beautiful photos! I enjoyed them. But if the focus is truly on “what is seen” rather than “the person who sees,” then maybe give us more information about the places? The names of the streams, the counties, something that tells us where this really is, something to shift the gravitational force to the terrain rather than the person behind the camera?
I can appreciate how you want to escape. I am envious and thankful that you have the skills to share with us those beautiful photographs. I am trying to escape as well but somehow the sense of freedom I get isn’t quite as your blog portrays or as you have achieved. http://bit.ly/Livxdes
beautiful pictures
I like your “About Me”description! 🙂 And your pictures are really good!
I am am amateur photographer and what attracts me the most is nature and other life forms. I especially love B&W photography. I do have some photos I posted on my blog, would love to hear what you think of them.
Modern Art
The photo you see on my header image is a picture of the Yosemite Valley (Northern California) that I took.
Wow! I really like those words above! I can really relate to you, I get this need to escape sometimes, too.
And your photos are beautiful! I especially like your header. (Where is this place if I may ask?)
Hi! 🙂
I like your blog a lot!
It’s original and artistic!
I wish you a great day!
Alina
You bring it back very well
Dear, wicked dark photography. Your photos are precious! I like your idea of simplicity in your photos! Very professional and absorbing!
This is a great about me post!
You have some amazing pics on here!
Enthralled by your wonderful photographs, I have become a subscriber to your blog.
I am not a blogger, but I do a lot of web surfing for ideas and inspiration. Reading this blog was very enjoyable, found that it related a lot to my own photographic ‘journey’, and appreciated the honesty and humor throughout. So I joined it, thank you. Your photos and style are very similar to my own approach. And I cannot agree more on your views about travel photography; the excitement, the stress, the spouse. We have been to Hawaii several times and I went through all that! Keep getting out there and enjoy!
great blog man, exactly what mine is for
I’ve enjoyed your blog very much! Thanks for sharing. I look forward to following you on your photographic journey.
In your comments about the Zuiko 90 f2, you mentioned that “I think adapters from the Olympus mount (OM) to almost any digital body are available.”
If you use an adapter to put this lens on a digital camera, what adapter do you suggest?
Well, I have an adapter from Olympus to a digital Olympus body. I’ve heard that there are generic adapters available, mostly from Chinese manufacture, and lots of people find them on ebay. I think you’d have to search for OM to Canon or Pentax mount or something like that. Maybe a google search would bring up some as well. Be sure it’s a digital mount though as many mfgs changed the bayonet when they went to digital.
I nominated Wicked Dark Photography to receive the Kreativ Blogger Award! There’s no obligation for you to accept or give the award to anyone else. I enjoy your posts and wanted to thank you for sharing. Please check out the nomination page below to get the award and see who else I nominated. Rules for nominating your favorite blogs are there as well 😀
http://blastedgoat.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/i-recieved-the-kreativ-blogger-award-thanks-eldy/
Have a great day!
It is nice to see a fellow Olympus user. I came across your blog today on Google + and am looking forward to following you.
I love your photography! I also wanted to inform you that I am nominating you for a *sunshine award* Kindly check out my blogpost for more details.
Regards,
Amrita
I happened upon your blog when I was doing a search for images of High Bridge — especially hoping to find a historic one. You say your favorite river is the Piscataquog. Are you a member of the Piscataquog Land Conservancy? If not, you probably would like to be! (www.plcnh.org) I see that you have visited some PLC properties. I edit the PLC newsletter and we are always happy to have good photographs (and yours certainly qualify!) for the newsletter, the website, the Facebook page, mailings, etc. I take many of the photos, but it’d be nice to have other volunteer photographers who enjoy exploring and photographing protected lands. The next issue will have a cover story about the completion of the High Bridge restoration project. If you would like to be in touch with me, send email to PLC from their website and ask it to be forwarded to the newsletter editor. Perhaps we already know each other, but I didn’t see your name on a quick perusal of your pages. Or perhaps my email will show up privately to you when I enter this comment?
Lovely photography and right in my backyard!
MarthaJeanne passed your link on to me. Well done – I like especially the low perspective shots. Now I have to find my best shots of the year.
How many times can I say, “Wow!” Absolutely phenomenal photos – I am truly inspired!
Thanks so much Maya. I try my best every time I go out.
wow great shots 🙂
Wow I love your blog, and your insight into your world, you have such a great talent to see the little things, the really beautiful things and reveal it to us through your photography.. its very moving.. I am So inspired…..
Hi! I really enjoy your blog and wanted to share that I nominated you for “The WordPress Family Award”, you can find the criteria to accept here: http://sabrinacarvalho.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/the-wordpress-family-award/ if you would like to accept. Congrats!
I am thinking of getting the GH3 now. You think it is too late or should I wait for a update ? I want something other than a dslr which I have never owned anyways. I am looking for a camera that is good with food photography and video. Is ithis good with food photography ? same result as expensive dslr ?
If you’ve never worked with a DSLR before, a GH3 is a lot of camera for a beginner. Image quality is very high and even though I don’t do food photography, with the right lighting and post processing, the images should be excellent. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Lovely photos of Royalston Falls. Are they easy to access and how do I get directions to the? Please advise Best to your travels.
If you google it I think there’s a map available. I printed one ages ago. The parking lot is a bit hidden, but there is one and there’s a bonus cemetery right there, too.
Hi, Thank you for following my photography blog, Jane’s Lens. I hope you enjoy my work. Enjoying your photos and look forward to more.
If l couldn’t get out with my camera l think l would go quite mad. It is my escape from the ugly realities that seem to be engulfing our planet.
Regards
Dan