Images

"Penney Sky"
Location: West Sayville, NY Year: 1988 Camera: Sinar F1 4x5 inch film Lens: Schneider 210mm f5.6 Apo-Symmar L The subject of this photograph is the Frank F. Penney Building, which is part of the Suffolk County Marine Museum, on Long Island, NY. It was taken on a very cold October day. The film was Polaroid Type 55, which provided both a traditional Polaroid print and negative. The negative was professionally scanned, providing the file to produce this image. A print of this image was awarded first place in the 2003 PSA (The Photographic Society of America) ICPC (International Club Print Competition).
"Follow the Moon"
Location: Bayport, NY Year: 2010 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Carl Zeiss 24-120mm f2.8 When I saw this moon from my house, I grabbed my camera and drove the half-mile to the beach. As I parked, I realized that there was more than just a late day moon to photograph. The cloud formation was unlike any I had ever seen on the south shore of Long Island. I setup and took one shot of the clouds, moon and water. Moments later, the magic happened, as the sailboat, which I hadn’t seen earlier, came into the frame. This is the second of the two photographs taken.
"Boat Builder"
Location: West Sayville, NY Year: 1979 Camera: Bronica EC 2¼ square medium format film Lens: Nikon Nikkor PC 75mm F/2.8 This is a photograph of the Frank F. Penney Boat Building taken not long after it was moved from Centerport Long Island to the Suffolk County Marine Museum, in West Sayville, Long Island, NY. It pre-dates the “Penney Sky” image by about nine years. This view is from the back of the building. I went to this location soon after a heavy rain. I wanted to photograph it before the puddle dried up and the reflections were lost.
"Rocky Beach"
Location: Lloyd Harbor, NY Year: 1999 Camera: Bronica ETRs 6 x 4.5 medium format film Lens: Bronica Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 EII Caumsett State Park, on Long Island’s north shore, has great potential for photographers. For this visit, I referred to local tide tables to ensure I would arrive at extreme low tide. I didn't want to make the two mile walk, from the parking lot, only to find the rocks under water, at high tide. To compensate for the high contrast, I reduced development time of the negative. This helped lower the bright values to maintain detail in the print.
"Beach View"
Location: Bayport, NY Year: 1984 Camera: Bronica EC 2¼ square medium format film Lens: Bronica Zenzanon 50mm F/2.8 MC lens. Since I had recently bought the camera/lens mentioned above, I wanted to test them along with my new film choice, Kodak Panatomic X. I had never photographed at this location, so I headed there. I was thrilled with the quality of the camera/lens/film combination.
"Wet Lands Tree"
Location: Boynton Beach, FL Year: 2015 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f1.8 This was taken in the Green Cay Nature Center in Boynton Beach, Florida. I wasn't planning on taking any photographs that day. Fortunately, I had my pocket size Sony camera with me. When I came upon this scene, there were several birds sitting on the branches. Since I only wanted to photograph the tree and its reflection, I had to wait for the moment when all the birds were gone. That wait lasted almost 30 minutes. Once the birds were gone, I only had a minute or two with empty branches. Soon after I took a couple of shots, the birds began perching on the tree again. This location is great for bird lovers.
"39 Truck & Barn"
Location: Hallockville, NY Year: 2008 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Carl Zeiss 24-120mm f2.8 My photographer friend, Frank, and I spent several hours at this farm, on the north shore of Long Island. This was my favorite photograph from that day. The lighting was ideal, casting deep shadows, while highlighting the front end of the truck. However, due to the high contrast, and because early digital cameras didn’t have the dynamic range they do today, I tried exposure bracketing for the first time. I think it worked out well, as I was able to capture much of the detail in the barn’s shadows.
"Abandoned Church"
Location: Waxhaw, NC Year: 2013 Camera: Panasonic Digital Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 This is an abandoned church, in Waxhaw, NC, as it appeared in 2013. I thought this building was a very interesting subject, especially when I realized it had been a church. The overcast, drizzly conditions complimented the dreary look of the building and property perfectly.
"Late Day Farm"
Location: Monroe, NC Year: 2019 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G This is another example of finding an interesting scene with “bland” lighting. Since the barn faces west, I knew a clear blue sky and late afternoon sun would create a dramatic image. A couple of days later, I had the conditions I wanted and returned. I added a polarizing filter to darken the sky and reduce glare on the sunlit side of the barn. The conversion to B&W turned out as planned.
"A Lonely Barn"
Location: Monroe, NC Year: 2018 Camera: Olympus Digital Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro I passed this location several times, but the lighting never seemed "right". I felt the best lighting would be late in the afternoon and would be enhanced by a “dramatic” sky. Since dramatic skies are fairly common in the Carolinas, I only had to wait about a week.
"Greenhouse View"
Location: West Sayville, NY Year: 1983 Camera: Bronica EC 2¼ square medium format film Lens: Bronica Zenzanon 50mm F/2.8 MC lens. I photographed this scene just outside the Suffolk County Marine Museum on Long Island, NY. This image is very special to me. It was the first time that I successfully used The Zone System process to create an image that appeared almost exactly as I “visualized” it.
"Sunlit Pasture with Shack"
Location: Waxhaw, NC Year: 2018 Camera: Olympus Digital Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro Like several other scenes I have photographed, I passed this location many times. However, it never excited me enough to photograph it. On this day, however, everything fell into place: The grasses in the foreground were not too tall. The shaft of sunlight was in perfect position to highlight the shack. The sky was packed with more clouds than I have ever seen. All-in-all, I thought the conditions were "ideal" for the scene. Homes are now being built on this property.
"Denver Art Museum"
Location: Denver, CO Year: 2021 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G This image is of the Denver Art Museum. It is one of the most unusual public buildings I have ever seen.
"Disparate Design"
Location: Denver, CO Year: 2021 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Pentax 55mm f4, 6x7 medium format lens. This image is of the Downtown Denver Library Complex. I used a medium format lens fitted with a Tilt/Shift adapter on my Sony full-frame camera. I was attracted to the different shapes of the buildings, which makeup the library complex, as well as the rectangular shaped building, on the left.
"Tenacious"
Location: Fort Mill, SC Year: 2022 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G I came upon this scene while walking one of the wooded trails in my community. I returned the next day when the lighting was more diffuse. The immature vine growing out of, and clinging to, the rotting base of the tree stump, for me, made this a compelling subject.
"Ascension"
Location: Fort Mill, SC Year: 2022 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G In this scene, I was taken with the way the vine was climbing and wrapping around the host tree in the opposite direction the tree was leaning.
"Rarefied Air"
Location: Waxhaw, NC Year: 2019 Camera: Sony A7RII Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G At a distance, I could see this one sunflower towering over the others. I couldn’t resist. To keep everything in sharp focus front to back, I took six photographs, at varying distances. I then combined them in Helicon Focus Software.
"Hay There"
Location: Waxhaw, NC Year: 2019 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G At a distance, I could see this one sunflower towering over the others. I couldn’t resist. To keep everything in sharp focus front to back, I took six photographs, at varying distances. I then combined them in Helicon Focus Software.
"Derelict Truck & Shed"
Location: Monroe, NC Year: 2017 Camera: Olympus Digital Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro I returned here several times so I could find the property owner home and ask permission to enter her property. Many thanks to Margaret, who allowed me to spend all the time I needed there.
"Come In"
Location: Monroe, NC Year: 2020 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 This is another scene with great detail. I found this perspective the most interesting. I think it best projects the feeling of desolation and decay I felt, while viewing this building. Thanks to Wayne for allowing me to photograph on his property.
"Barn Wood Detail"
Location: Wesley Chapel, NC Year: 2018 Camera: Olympus Digital Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro This is a photograph of the siding on a 90+ year old building. I met the owner, who gave me its history. This particular camera has a “pixel shift” setting which can produce an image file 64MP in size. This is comparable to actually using a camera with a 64MP sensor! It certainly brought out the incredible detail of the old weathered wood.
"Both Sides"
Location: Lancaster, SC Year: 2021 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G I was attracted to the incredible detail throughout this scene. The “straight on” view was rather boring, so I decided to break a “rule” and compose with a corner perspective.
"Horse Stall Door"
Location: Lloyd Harbor, NY Year: 1990 Camera: Sinar F1 4x5 inch film Lens: Schneider 210mm f5.6 Apo-Symmar L I found this subject, at Caumsett State Park on Long Island. It is a photograph of one of several doors on the horse stables near the visitor parking area. I was attracted to many things about this subject. The X shape on the door, the wide tonal range, the weathered paint, the paint drips on the ground, the hardware, and the overall feeling of “age”, made this a scene worth recording.
"Stall Door Detail"
Location: Lloyd Harbor, NY Year: 2000 Camera: Bronica ETRs 6 x 4.5 medium format film Lens: Bronica Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 EII As the name implies, I took this photograph strictly for the shadow cast by the knob and the detail in the weathered paint. It is a close-up study of one of the horse stall doors, at Caumsett State Park, on Long Island, NY.
"Striped"
Location: Indian Land, SC Year: 2021 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G I found this combination of different types of clouds very interesting. I don’t recall ever seeing stripped clouds, like those at the top.
"Lion-ized"
Location: Indian Land, SC Year: 2021 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G This is actually a single cloud formation. It has three distinct “sections”, separated by the intensity of light striking each section. Do you see the lion?
"Bouquet"
Location: Indian Land, SC Year: 2021 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G I saw this formation on my way home from a photography outing. At first glance, I was attracted by its similarity to a bouquet of flowers.
"Alto Nimbus"
Location: Fort Mill, SC Year: 2021 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G You never know what you can photograph if you look up and have a camera nearby.
"Roosevelt Barns"
Location: Sayville, NY Year: 2008 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Carl Zeiss 24-120mm f2.8 This was taken at the Meadow Croft Estate, in Bayport, Long Island, NY. The building on the right is the original barn/storage building on the property, which was in a state of decay. The building on the left is the replacement. I was attracted to the path leading between the buildings and the amount of detail in the new building and oak tree.
"Florida Mountain"
Location: Boynton Beach, FL Year: 2016 Camera: Canon Digital Lens: Canon 24-105mm L This "mountain" scene was actually a couple of piles of construction sand. Each was about thirty feet high. When isolated from their surroundings, and photographed from a low angle, the illusion of “extreme” height is achieved. The illusion of “snow” was created by a rain shower that had stopped about an hour earlier. Different areas of the sand dried at different rates. The areas in direct sunlight, dried sooner and give the appearance of snow, compared to those areas that stayed wet longer. This is especially true on the far right side. The large clouds add to the illusion.
"Horses, Mules & Cattle"
Location: Waxhaw, SC Year: 2013 Camera: Panasonic Digital Lens: Panasonic 14-45mm f3.5 I found this subject right off of Main Street in the town of Waxhaw, NC. This building and its facade have recently been renovated. The building is now a working wood shop.
"Rusting Relic"
Location: Monroe, NC Year: 2017 Camera: Olympus Digital Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro Bobby, the car’s owner, moved a few heavy items out of the way so I could photograph his 36 Buick. He insisted on doing it himself. He was in his 80's! I used the camera’s “pixel shift” setting which produces a 64MP file. This resulted in an incredibly detailed image.
"Two-Tone Beauty"
Location: Indian Land, SC Year: 2022 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G I came across this 1940 De Soto while trying a shortcut home. I would like to thank Wayne for allowing me on his property to photograph it.
"Rest Stop"
Location: Monroe, NC Year: 2019 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G My photographer friend, Gary, and I found this old International Truck, while out looking for a good subject to photograph. We agreed this was.
"Monte"
Location: Waxhaw, NC Year: 2013 Camera: Panasonic Digital Lens: Panasonic 14-45mm f3.5 This scene was literally around the corner from my former home in Waxhaw, NC. I found the owner and got permission to photograph on his property. I especially like this photograph because, in 1972, I bought a brand new Monte Carlo, like this one, in the same color.
"Working 39"
Location: Hallockville, NY Year: 2008 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Carl Zeiss 24-120mm f2.8 This is the front end of a 1939 Ford Truck. It was still in use on the farm, as of 2008.
"Old Woody"
Location: West Sayville, NY Year: 2008 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Carl Zeiss 24-120mm f2.8 This photograph was taken at the Suffolk County Marine Museum, in West Sayville, NY. To isolate the main subject from the other elements in the scene, I decided to remove the color from all but the foreground boat and dock.
"Fairplay, CO"
Location: South Park City, CO Year: 2021 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G This image was taken at the open air museum (Fairplay) in South Park City, Colorado. It is a grouping of 43 original mining town buildings from the 1880's. At an elevation of 9,000+ feet, the views are breathtaking.
"Caumsett Rock"
Location: Lloyd Harbor, NY Year: 2003 Camera: Nikon 8008 35mm film Lens: Nikkor AF 24mm f/2.8 I came upon this scene in Caumsett State Park on Long Island. This spot is about three quarters of a mile from where I took the "Rocky Beach" photograph.
"Dairy Farm"
Location: Waxhaw, SC Year: 2013 Camera: Panasonic Digital Lens: Panasonic 14-45mm f3.5 I passed this active dairy barn many times and wanted to photograph it. However, it wasn't until this day that I felt the lighting conditions were "just right".
"Red Barn & Silo"
Location: Wesley Chapel, NC Year: 2018 Camera: Olympus Digital Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro I took a wrong turn on my way home and came upon this scene. The property owner, Nicole, allowed me to spend time photographing there.
"Roosevelt Porch"
Location: Sayville, NY Year: 2008 Camera: Sony Digital Lens: Carl Zeiss 24-120mm f2.8 This was taken at the Meadow Croft Estate, in Sayville, Long Island, NY. It was built by Teddy Roosevelt’s cousin, John Ellis Roosevelt. The Loughlin Vineyard is located behind the estate. It’s a great place to visit.

The so-called rules of photographic composition are, in my opinion, invalid, irrelevant, immaterial .” – Ansel Adams

Images