Change you can believe in

     

The light is always changing on our lake. And moving from our southwestern window toward our western ones. We love it here. The shadows from the Oaks that pointed so diagonally across the lawn are now moving toward the house. The snow on the lake has turned to a ice cone crush. Drops of water from the melting snow are coming off the roof like rain. The wind was still blowing hard yesterday, and there was a chill, but Spring is in the air. It's change we can believe in...

Ireland, rediscovered

I was thinking of The Emerald Isle while in the shower... not sure why. Anyway, I was compelled to dig out our images of Ireland and needed to run them through Lightroom. Wow... transformed.  (Adobe Lightroom is truly amazing.What a boon to us digital photographers.)  I've posted a selection from our trip, clockwise from Dublin to Wicklow to Waterford to Killarney to Dingle to Limerick to Galway to Westport to Sligo to Glenveagh National Park in Donegal to Bushmills in Northern Ireland, and finally back to Dublin. We sere chasing the big trees all the way, and in Bushmills we found a little used path with a Beech tree "hedge" that was amazing. I have been told that farmers used to grown Beeches close together, and "pleach" them, ie. cut them like a hedge, using the wood for their hearths, and the hedge to keep the cows home. Visit my gallery and you, too, will be transported to that wonderful land of the Celts.

Three Crows Ascending

Seen in Goddard Park yesterday.

Single Oak Leaf On White

Some famous artist (Picasso???) once said,  "All art is play." and yesterday morning I got in some playing. While wandering in Goddard Park I was moved to toy with the double exposure feature built into my camera. One can double, triple, quadruple, or even lay up to 9 exposures on one image with the Nikon. Here are some of the results.

Ice is Nice!

Cold, cold, ice... but so visually very nice. Powerful forces have created myriad patterns, and crazed abstractions right out our back door! The ice along the lake mirrors the clouds, and reflects the colors of the sky at sunset. I am intrigued and amazed by the rich possibilities here at any time of day.

Recently I was out in the middle of the cove with the fishermen, and found large swaths of delicate cracks like giant needlework woven across the frozen water. Here were decorative designs created by some mysterious hand of nature. Here is yet another opportunity for fine art photography.

Perhaps a bit smaltzy but sunsets really are inspirational

Corny perhaps, but I am always awe struck, and feel moved in my heart when I experience a magnificent sunrise or sunset. I feel so fortunate now that we open out to the west, across Indian Lake. On Tuesday evening the combination of the contrails of airplanes, and a dusty gray sunset combined to create this spectacular visual scene. I wax philosophical when such beauty presents itself to me. I cannot help but think, "I have been alloted another special life moment. Thank you." And I am reminded once again, this is why I am a fine art photographer.

Spectacular sunset, again...

Last night we were overwhelmed by another spectacular sunset. Here three doves are enjoying the show with us. As I was about to put my camera away, the geese began to swarm in the southwest, and finally settled on the only patch of open water on Indian Lake. Totally quiet, everything glowing in the orange light, and a flock of geese gliding in for a landing. Perfect.

Winter Snow Storm in Wakefield, RI

Our driveway has disappeared and the cars are once again buried, and this is only Feb 11th. Time to brave the elements and clear the white stuff away. I was out yesterday PM doing some shots. This storm is lovely to look at, inspiring, in fact, but treacherous to drive in and difficult to deal with. I found a pretty little white church on a lonely road near the URI Oceanography campus. It looked beautiful, barely visible in the swirling storm. Right across the street there was a wonderful tangle of trees behind some ancient tombstones.

Frozen Sunset on Indian Lake

The Light on the lake.

We have been living here on Indian Lake for about six weeks, and we are constantly amazed at how our view over the water is always changing. The early morning clouds above the far shore can be soft, pink, wisps, or dark warnings of a bleak day to come. As the sun raises higher our world lightens, our trees increasingly sharp and defined. In the afternoon the sun begins to fill the house with light, moving shadows across the walls. Each evening we wait for our sunset, usually with a glass of wine and conversation. The oaks on our lawn cast long diagonal shadows. Some days the sunset has been so spectacular I am compelled to take yet another picture. Other evenings, when it is cloudy, the lake darkens quietly, and the clouds turn a subtle violet. Finally, and rather quickly, the scene before us darkens, and another of our alloted days is done.

(See recent images of our lake on my website.)

just another (spectacular) sunset

lakeside last evening

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Jan Armor's posterous

Ice on our lake

Monday AM, 12/28/09

Posted via email from Jan Armor's posterous

Happy Holidays!

From Jan and Kathy

note new address and email:

8 Indian Trail North, Wakefield, RI 02879

janarmor@verizon.net

Posted via email from The Silver Circle

December 21st on the lake

Cold, windy, bright, and the lake has disappeared under 20 inches of snow.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Jan Armor's posterous

Winter in Bayville 1

via flickr.com

a wonderful set from my friend John on Flicker http://www.flickr.com/photos/dilello/

Jan

Posted via web from Jan Armor's posterous

Ice

The ice on the lake last Saturday and Sunday created many interesting patterns.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Jan Armor's posterous

Last Light on Indian Lake

Yesterday at 4:30.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Jan Armor's posterous

First Light at the Lake House

yesterday early AM

Posted via email from Jan Armor's posterous

Zenfolio | The Light On Indian Lake

Please login to your Facebook account to continue.

If you close the login window by mistake click the Retry button to try again.

Retry Cancel

via zenfolio.com

The light on the lake is constantly chaning

Posted via web from Jan Armor's posterous

First Light on Indian Lake

ARM_5556.jpg

Posted via email from Jan Armor's posterous

Abstract at Lake House

Foam on the lake last evening.

Posted via email from The Silver Circle

The Lake House

The lake was in quiet a lather yesterday, with wild water and wind pushing against me like a hand. Lines of white foam undulated on the waves as they splashed on the shore. The last of the leaves clutched at branches and our  lawn was  swept clean. The setting sun finally quieted the storm and another day passed away.

Posted via email from The Silver Circle

The Lake House

The lake was in quiet a lather yesterday, with wild water and wind pushing against me like a hand. Lines of white foam undulated on the waves as they splashed on the shore. The last of the leaves clutched at branches and our  lawn was  swept clean. The setting sun finally quieted the storm and another day passed away.

Posted via email from Jan Armor's posterous

--CATHERINE HALL STUDIOS--

via catherinehall.net

Absolutely stunning travel photography! I'm jealous....

Posted via web from Jan Armor's posterous

portrait of Sheila

A scan from a BW negative, circa 1990

Posted via email from The Silver Circle

Stone Harbor Stack, Bristol

a texture overlay

Posted via email from The Silver Circle

Search for 'nude' - Posterous

via posterous.com

This is an amazing video, no idea how it was done...

Posted via web from The Silver Circle

from a recent Saturday Seminar with Danna

Thanks to Eric, we had a great model for this seminar.

Posted via email from The Silver Circle

egrets

At the Deblois holiday show.

Jan

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from The Silver Circle

Hey, Silver Circle's got a group blog!

Just discovers Posterous.  It uses email to post and comment to a private blog... so I thought perfect for our group...  I'll try it out  with this set of four egrets I did a couple of weeks ago. Please comment, and add your own pictures, videos, by posting yourself to the address above.

Jan

Take a look. 

http://silvercircle.posterous.com

Posted via email from The Silver Circle

Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology

via ted.com

This is truly amazing... really looks like black magic to me... is this where it is going... my god!!!!

Posted via web from Jan's posterous

egrets

A set of four egrets the Deblois Holiday show.

Posted via email from Jan's posterous

WashFair_9408.jpg

WashFair_9408.jpg
Originally uploaded by jandarmor

A grab shot at the Washington State Fair this summer. This was the girl who runs the hammer bang. Slam that thing, ring a bell, and get the Alien prize.

The Lightroom Teaching Experience

I've had a busy teaching experience as the leaves are begining to turn. I led a workshop several weeks ago at Blithewold Gardens and Arboretum called "The Fall Of The Leaf." We roamed the lovely grounds and made beautiful images of the change of seasons. This class was really about inspiration, and when my charges left, I could feel their creative juices flowing... and this inspires me!

I have begun a new educational adventure at Salve University called "The Circle Of Scholars." The excellent COS program is run for senior citizens by Salve partly to strengthen public relations with the community, and also for enrichment. My class is basic digital photography, "Making Digital Photographs," for newbie digital shooters. Wow, what a facility I have to work in; The Pell Center for International Studies is a gorgeous old brownstone mansion with large murals on the walls, and exquisite detailing everywhere. The AV department spoils me, as a specialist comes over and sets up my projector promptly 15 minutes prior. My students sit in comfortable swivel chairs while I pontificate. We wander the grounds and shot the autumn lanscape. Last week we discussed shutter speeds, and I could tell that many of my "kids" got lost, or bored talking tech. I'm changing course next week... composition is something they will find more to their liking, I hope.

But the real teaching challenge has been Lightroom, a class I'm holding at 2701 East Main, the old studio. It is a tight fit in there for 8 students in my camera room. I'm finding my pace, after a rocky start the first week. I've just realized that many, if not most of my gang hasn't a solid understanding of the file structure on their computers. The first class was on the Library Module, and what with two operating systems going, two versions of Lightroom cooking, and my students possessing a wide range of computer experience from none to lots, I had so many questions that we didn't cover as much ground as I would have liked.

Last Saturday morning was better. The subject was Lightroom Develop Module, and I could tell that things were beginning to sink in. Our little group actually enjoyed the 3 hours staring at my projections on the white wall.

I find that I really love teaching this program, and teaching in general. More classes are in the works.

The Shaker Village Detour

Traveling with spontaneity is our style. While Barreling down I93 we noticed the big brown sign that said "Shaker Village, this Exit." So we took it. Six miles of scenic country back roads later we pulled in the Shaker Village parking lot, paid our $17 each, and went on a most interesting guided tour of one of the last of the Shaker settlements. We learned the Shakers were first Quakers and that they loved to dance. They were a very industrious sect: their motto was "Hands to work, Hearts to God." They manufactured brooms, furniture, and many other inventions they sold throughout New England. I've always loved their minimalist furniture, so of course we bought a beautiful Bird's Eye Maple reproduction. Check out the video!

I have been reorganizing my old imges, after the  Big Crash. Lost from 2000 up to 2008... Yes, I had it all backed up, but to CD and DVD, Yeah, great, but having to go back and reload many, many disks and transfer the files to the new hard drive... well,  let's just say, I missed a lot of beach time.  So to commerate the job, here's one from a new series I'm doing... maybe called  "Summer Breezes."  And BTW, Lacie  gave me lousy support on the dead drive. So this time I bought Western Digital .

Big Sky County

We attended my favorite niece's wedding, then spent two weeks in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Cody (the rodeo... yahooo), and Covered Wagon Dud Ranch. Thye're not kidding, there's a big sky out there... Dramatic landscapes, and riding into the backcountry of Montana on Louie, Louie was truly spectacular!!! Kathy and I have been invited back to the ranch in Sept. on assignment, to do a photo shot. A trade... should be great fun!!!

Sukhothai

Sukhothai
Originally uploaded by jandarmor

Kathy and I visited the birthplace of Thailand... Sukhothai. Ancient ruins, wonderfully preserved statues and sites of worship. Thi s image was a collaboration... Kath did Buddha, I did the PS. I'll have more images posted on Flickr and my own website soon.