A Window In Time: New Salem, MA

Architecture , , , , , 0

Old Academy Building, New Salem, MA built in 1838

About 20 years ago I was bicycling around the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts and stumbled across the tiny village of New Salem. I found a long town green lined with mature, old trees, surrounded by 18th and 19th century homes and buildings. There was no sign of a traffic light, convenience store, gas station, or of any modernity what-so-ever. I felt as though I had stepped  through a window in time to the year 1830.

I half expected to see a movie crew  appear from behind the false facades of each of the buildings. But, these building were real on my first visit, and just and fantastic today when I returned to New Salem on the way home from a photo shoot in Hadley, MA about 15 miles away. A sign indicates that this is indeed an historic district.

It is so important to preserve windows in time like New Salem. I imagine that each of the 50 US states has precious little villages like this one, seemingly unaffected by the giant footprint of development and economic growth. I’ve felt the same sense of wonder and excitement while “discovering” a silver mine in Colorado, the remains of a logging camp in Maine, and a farm valley in Rochester, Vermont known as North Hollow.

If you know of secret little villages like New Salem, please let me know. Maybe this will the beginning of a photo essay or book!

 

Kids, it’s dinner time!

Nature 0
A mother robin pauses after feeding her chicks in the nest.

A mother robin pauses after feeding her chicks in the nest.

I’ve been watching this little family for some time. When Mom is away at the Worm-o-Market the kids pass the time by arguing and tussling a bit and grooming easy other. Every once in while, one little one will make some practice wing flaps. Mom returns from the hunt and lands or a nearby branch, scanning the area for predators and photographers. She deftly lands in her nest and hands a worm or bug to one of the kids. How does she choose who gets fed?

She hangs around a bit, scolding and teaching, then decides to take a rest and plops her plump body protectively on the babies. Some time passes and she flies off again, searching for another juicy morsel. The lives of robins in the spring.

B&W or Color Version — Which Do You Prefer?

Nature 0

This evening I returned to a favorite freshwater marsh at the Ipswich River Wildlife Refuge. Back in the digital darkroom I made 2 versions of the same scene. Which do you prefer and why?

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Ipswsich River Wildlife Refuge, Topsfield, MA – color version

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Ipswsich River Wildlife Refuge, Topsfield, MA – monochrome version

These files are available as fine art prints and also licensed for commercial use. Contact me to learn more.

Saugus River From Above

Editorial, Outdoor Activities 0

Today I photographed the Saugus River in Massachusetts from the air. The river meanders 13 miles from its source in Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield through the towns of Lynnfield, Saugus and Lynn  to Broad Sound in the Atlantic.052114-174

I enjoyed several flights in a single-engine, top-wing Cessna over the past few years. On this occasion the pilot was very specific in his instructions to me. He said, “If something were to happen to me, please take the controls and land on the nearest flat surface. It doesn’t have to be an airport. If we are near Logan airport just follow their instructions. Push this red button so  you can talk to them. If we need to land in the water we will probably flip over. You’ll need to unlock the door before we land so we can open it after hitting the water. Can you swim? The barf bag is here. And, if you would like to drive a little while on the way back that would be fine with me.” I did, but not very well.

 

Spring Branch Over A Pond

Nature 0
Branch over pond, Harold Parker State Forest, Andover, Massachusetts

Branch over pond, Harold Parker State Forest, Andover, Massachusetts

On a walk in the spring woods, faced with flat light and a mass of uniform green, I found this small watercolor-like composition. Sometimes it pays to take one last look around before leaving a place without a photograph.

Local Fish Is The Best Fish

Editorial , , , , , 0
Fishermen from the trawler Teresa Marie III, docked in Gloucester, MA, off haibut from a one week voyage in the fishing grounds of the north Atlantic.

Fishermen from the trawler Teresa Marie III, docked in Gloucester, MA, offload halibut from a one week voyage in the fishing grounds of the north Atlantic.

Today when I visited the piers in Gloucester, MA and spoke to the deckhands and pier crew offloading several tons of halibut, I couldn’t help but think about the fresh, farmed, and frozen fish from China that is sold in our local supermarkets.

A load of halibut is transferred from a trawler to a pier in Gloucester, MA

A load of halibut is transferred from a trawler to a pier in Gloucester, MA

Bare Trees in The Great Marsh

Nature 0

Trees in The Great Marsh
Bare trees in early April stand out against the backdrop of The Great Marsh in Rowley, Massachusetts. The property is in the Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, jointly managed by The Essex County Greenbelt and Massachusetts Audubon. Click image to see larger version or the purchase an archival print or license image use.

 

Amarylis in The Dining Room

Instruction, Nature 0
Amarylis in the dining room

Amarylis in the dining room

This was lit with one CFL bulb in a five dollar gooseneck, hardware store lamp clamped to a light stand. The only fancy gear was a 30 inch reflector disk on a stand. The background was a length of plain black clothe hung from the ceiling with 2 pushpins. Oh yes, it was 3 exposures combined to maximize front to rear sharpness.