The last few months I have attempted to share new imagery and the thought process on completing a portfolio that will be unveiled at the Photo Arts Xchange gathering of photographers in Rocky Hill, CT.   Film and digital photographers from across the country, as well as one from Canada, will be in attendance for this 3-day event.

   These last few images will complete my Winters Reflection Portfolio shared in this month’s Story Behind Every Photograph.    The Photo Arts Xchange was approaching and my Winters Reflection portfolio was not yet complete.    A portfolio of no more than 20 images was still in need of several more winter images and it was my hope to find creative ways to render the shapes and light of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. 

A bit of History… 
   I met Tim and Darlene Jones in 1981, each of us new members to the Connecticut Professional Photographers Association.  While photography may have been the initial bond we shared, raising young families of 2 boys and a girl and a love of baseball are likely what fueled a flourishing 35 + year friendship between the four of us.   Several years ago through my first cousin who has done extensive research on the Sherman family genealogy, we learned that Darlene is my distant cousin, 8th removed I believe !   For a long while my wife and I owned the adjacent building lot next to the Jones’s second home in Bethlehem, New Hampshire.  For the last 4 years, my wife and I spend the first weekend in December in Bethlehem with the Jones. The girls are busy postmarking their Christmas cards at the Bethlehem Post Office and spend the rest of the day at the outlets Christmas shopping for grandchildren.   Tim is a serious Black and White large format photographer and my equal, albeit making 8×10 contact prints at this point in his career.   A dawn to late afternoon day of photography easily keeps the boys occupied.   

    The 1st weekend of December 2018 found Tim and I out early hoping for great light and interesting winter conditions.   As we came thru Franconia Notch the wind was blowing newly fallen snow everywhere but the potential for dramatic light was imminent.    We crested a hill and found this type of landscape scene unfolding in front of us. We stopped at a roadside turnoff where I quickly set up the 5×7″ camera.   The sun was rising quickly, unfortunately, the morning fog had all but blown away leaving a still glorious sunlit snow scene, seen in the following image.   With today’s cell phone technology the general viewing public probably doesn’t realize just how many challenges a large format photographer has to overcome.   Fortunately my second neg is crisp and sharp producing the following image.

   During these December visits, we always plan a stop at the Mt. Washington Hotel to see the Christmas Holiday decorations.    This particular weekend the four of us planned to enjoy a Saturday night dinner at one of the last remaining “Grand Hotels”.   I treated myself to a generous pour of George T Stagg,  barrel strength 126 proof bourbon as yet another highlight to our trip to the “Whites”.  

   Less than 2 weeks later a serious foot injury would derail my plans for any serious hiking and a return weekend in February was canceled.    Thankfully, we rescheduled for St. Paddy’s Day weekend and the last chance at completing my Winters Reflections portfolio. As the March weekend approached Darlene learned she had a conflict with a civic organization and could not attend the New Hampshire weekend.   I’m grateful Tim still wanted to make the trip so we met Friday night as planned and arrived in Bethlehem by 10 pm.   We organized outdoor gear and camera equipment for the next day had a nightcap and turned in for the anticipated early dawn departure.  

   The morning was overcast, so any dramatic light would not be in the forecast.   We then headed over to the Flume trail and no sooner onto the trail and we came upon a large pool of standing water over the top of milky colored ice. At a certain angle looking thru some scrub bushes, I could see a large tree reflecting in the pool.  I quickly knew the potential for a high key reflection would be yet another creative opportunity for the Reflections portfolio.   Once off the beaten path, I would quickly sink down well above my knees in snow.    I continued on the trail never forgetting the potential of this shot, if I could get to a vantage point.    

   Along the trail to the Flume, we would see scores of hikers and even families all outfitted with snowshoes.    Staying on the packed trail we made our way up close to the Flume where we had gone back in December.   This time, there was some ice but it was snow covered and while I did make a negative it was not an image I was outwardly excited about.   Tim found a shot and stayed behind while I continued back towards the milky pool of water and ice.    Hiking back up a steep incline I came upon a sign indicating there were some glacial boulders strewn around the area.  I’m a nut for triangles in my compositions and here as I came down a small incline and looked thru the trees to find a huge lone triangular shaped boulder partially covered with snow.   As I looked from my vantage point thru various sizes and shapes of trees I thought this is very different from something I would ordinarily shoot.   The exact reason I am in New Hampshire was to search for different and creative ways to add to the Winters Reflections portfolio.   

  The packed snow on the trail was not too wide and I knew I needed to get out of the way of other hikers.   Setting up the tripod in the crusted snow was frustrating and a few slight snow flurries would soon turn to falling snow.   Repositioning the camera a few times in the heavy snow took time but I finally composed the image so there were no overlapping trees to help preserve the sense of dimensionality in the final image seen here.    By now it’s snowing and the camera is wet and I’m eager to make an exposure.  Naturally, there are hikers coming up the trail adding time to how long my camera remained in falling snow. Finally, I made the exposure seen here and quickly wiped the camera off of heavy snow.    Tim and I met back at the car and packed the gear away and headed to our next destination of the day.    Frankenstein Falls held the potential of a wall of ice where we’d likely encounter some ice climbers.   Tim hoped we’d be able to isolate an area for photography.   About a 1/2 mile into our hike we encountered some serious ice climbers who explained the logistics of getting to the falls.    We learned from the climbers the possibility of making a photograph was not realistic with the time that remained in our day.   During that last hike of the day, Tim would continue to coach me up on being respectful and preparing for winter extremes.   Tim has climbed and summited several of the highest peaks in the lower 48 States as well as Denali in Alaska, at 20,310′ above sea level.    The wisdom and experience I would glean on all things cold weather outdoors is world class.    

   Our photography for the day ended and we found ourselves at a local Microbrewery in the midst of St Paddy’s Day weekend.    We had a couple of stouts over dinner and discussed the next day’s photography options over the noise of the Green Holiday.     Tim said, “this is your weekend Steve, wherever you want to go, that’s where we’ll go”.   Friendships like ours shouldn’t be taken for granted, I said I’d really like to get to the pool and reflection I couldn’t reach the day before because of deep snow.   Tim indicated he had an extra pair of snowshoes and once back at the house we outfitted our boots for the next morning’s hike.    

   During the course of our 1st day, we passed through a small town and saw this very interesting building seen here.    I told Tim I’d really like to get a shot of that early the next morning so long as there were no cars obscuring the storefront window and its character.   First thing Sunday morning we made our way back to the Pie company about an hour before sunrise.    As we got close to the Pie Company I said to Tim “I hope I haven’t wasted your time, because if there is an Audi SUV sitting in front of the store I have no interest in making a photograph”.     The street was clear and I quickly set up the camera and composed the image.   I meter the scene and I’m ready to make the negative.   Damn, it’s not an Audi but close enough,  a Range Rover SUV pulls up in front of my picture.   Fortunately, the car rolls slowly past and out of my photograph.  Lady gets out of the car and starts across the street towards me.   Are you kidding me I think, this woman gonna give me attitude when I’m just ready to make the exposure !!   She approaches me and asks “what are you doing” in a pleasant voice.  If ya got any charm, Steve, now is the time to turn it on, I respond “I’m making a photograph of this wonderful little storefront, it has such character”.    She smiles and proudly says, “that’s my store”, I say “well you have wonderful taste”!   She returns “please stop over before you leave, I’d love to learn more”.   We did, both Tim and I had a coffee, chatted for a bit and I promised to make her a Black and White photograph when I return.    We left with a terrific story…and my favorite blueberry pie to boot !!  As coincidence would have it, the Thursday before the Sunday I made this photograph was national PIE symbol day, notice the symbol in the pie crust that I am holding !!   Please consider “liking” the Facebook page linked in the title for the Woodstock Pie and Coffee Company, the owner is such a gracious Lady, and the pies are outstanding !!

    As rewarding as the morning had been, we still had another treat waiting.  We left the Pie Company and got to the Flume trailhead head shortly after sunrise.   Got our snowshoes on and were soon on the trail to the location where I wanted to make a photograph.  Unfortunately, it was a much colder morning and the pool of standing water had refrozen and the reflection was gone, no reflection, no interest for me.   With a clear sky and soon to rise sun, the potential of low and crossing light now offers the opportunity for a dramatic image.   Tim and I found ourselves on the same trail but set up several hundred feet apart.   My first experience on snowshoes rewarded me with access off the trail and into the area of glacial boulders we passed the day before.    I came upon this area with the sun rising behind and to the side.    I quickly looked through the viewing card and choose my 10″ lens and composed the image seen here.    The sun was still low and provided the long dramatic shadows. The angular shadows were interesting but the light skipping across the uneven drifts of snow highlighting the wonderful texture of newly fallen snow is what really drew me to make a negative.   That full-size image was seen in the opening photograph of this month Story Behind Every Photograph !

   I made my exposure and I hiked back down to where Tim was set up.   I suggested taking a cell pix of him as he finished up.  He, in turn, suggested I jump in next to his camera with the snowshoes on and we came away with a couple of fun shots to cap off a rewarding weekend of photography and advancing my understanding of being efficient and comfortable in the backcountry during the wintertime.

  As it happens, next month’s Story Behind Every Photograph has been in the planning stages for close to 18 months.  The last week of May 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their famous “Bed-In” in Montreal, Canada.   I’m a huge Lennon fan and have the “Give Peace a Chance” book that chronicles that week-long event in 1969 and I will celebrate the 50th anniversary with my story and what Lennon meant to me.  During that bed in the iconic song “Give Peace a Chance” was written and performed in room 1742 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel.   Once the Lennon Blog is complete I’ll be back to sharing more tech-oriented photographs and explanations.  As always, thanks for your interest !