nature photography | At Home with Tech

June 25, 2023

Why an Overcast Day can Offer the Best Conditions for Nature Shots

Cloudy conditions at the Prydden Brook Falls in Connecticut can still offer a photographer great imagery to capture. Here’s what I humbly learned…

Last summer, my family and I went on a beautiful hike along with friends up to the Prydden Brook Falls in Newtown, Connecticut. For me, the waterfall was the highlight of our eight-mile hike through the Paugussett State Forest on the Zoar trail.

I focused on capturing silky smooth photos of the rushing water with my small Panasonic Lumix LX10 camera. That, of course, took slowing down my camera’s shutter speed.
This effect is the opposite of freezing fast motion. Instead it blurs it, while the surroundings remain crystal clear.

Packing my Gear
This year, we returned to our Zoar trail hike. (It’s actually the fourth time… We started during our series of ‘pandemic hikes’ back in 2021.)

On this trek, I brought my beefier Panasonic Lumix GH5 II with me. I had it stashed comfortably in the bottom of my Peak Design V2 Everyday Backpack designed for camera gear. I also carried my compact Manfrotto Befree Live carbon-fiber video travel tripod vertically in the other side of my Peak Design backpack. (It has adjustable internal compartments that enable this kind of trick.)

My goal was to capture more 4K video along with some additional stills.

Discovering the Beauty in Darker Conditions
Unfortunately, the conditions weren’t optimal. it was overcast when we arrived at the falls that afternoon. (And the sun came out as soon as we left.)

Of course, the darker environment gave the space an entirely different feel. The water wasn’t sparkling in the sunlight. The rocks didn’t glisten.

I was disappointed, but I still proceeded to get my shots. But when we returned home and I reviewed my videos and photos, I was surprised by what I saw…
I liked the darker imagery after all.

It has a moody energy. But the water is still bright… coursing through the darker scene. There’s plenty of contrast. Dark doesn’t have to mean murky.

I often feel the creative urge to brighten up my shots. But mother nature forced me down a different path this time. And it was a great lesson that I humbly learned.

My Waterfall Video Montage Continues
Last year, I created a little video montage of my Prydden Brook Falls shots. So I happily decided to update it with my newer and moodier clips.

Weather Conditions are Irrelevant
As our Zoar trail hike has become an annual event, I’ll plan on capturing and adding more clips to my little video montage in the future.

Nature’s beauty displays itself in countless ways… through sunny or cloudy conditions. The next time, I’ll try to remember that and simply show up to appreciate the unique magic that’s on display that particular day.

April 23, 2023

Photos from our Weekend Stranded on an Island

When you’re cut off from the world by a body of water, anything can happen. Here’s little more from our adventure on Rose Island…

Well, we weren’t exactly stranded. We intentionally decided to spend a couple of nights on Rose Island in Newport, Rhode Island. No, we weren’t exactly the keepers of the Rose Island Lighthouse, where we stayed along with another couple who were in the apartment above us. But we were on our own to handle any unforeseen circumstances.

We’re Going on an Adventure!
Sure, we were tethered to civilization via cell phone, but remember, we were on an island in the middle of the Narragansett Bay. That’s the vacation my family chose. Well, actually, it was my idea, based on a predisposition that our experience might contain a little adventure. (I guess that’s my inner Bilbo.)

I think my lighthouse fascination has developed over time from the movies I’ve seen that feature a lighthouse.

Those weren’t actually serene movies, were they?

False Alarm
So, when we were paid a little visit by a rescue boat from the Newport Fire Department, during breakfast on our first morning… should I have been entirely surprised?

Probably not. It’s actually the perfect plot set up for our own lighthouse movie, coming to a theater near you in 2026. (I’ve still got to write the script.)

For the record, even though the fire alarm had been tripped, everything was absolutely fine.
It was exciting to host this great team of Newport firefighters for thirty minutes. And our own hosts responded appropriately and generously to the situation.
Still, I would say this piece of our lighthouse vacation falls under the category of ‘unexpected adventure.’ Right?

Vacationing in a Lighthouse
After that, a more normal pace quickly resumed… well, 19th century normal. But that was always part of the plan.

And I’ve chronicled those details in my blog post from last week.

My headline remains… Staying in this lighthouse is a bucket-list trip. It was simply awesome.

Here are a few more photos that reflect the more serene parts of our experience living in a lighthouse and being so close to nature…

April 2, 2023

Hello Spring!

It’s my annual tradition to welcome springtime by walking through my neighborhood with camera in hand to witness all of the sprouting colors.

I looked out the window this morning. It was sunny, cool and blustery, but I knew it was finally time. So, I grabbed my Panasonic Lumix LX-10 camera and strolled around the neighborhood in search of spring. I didn’t have to look too hard. Nature is ramping up. The explosion is still to come, but we’re close.

I am so ready. So, let’s do this!

Here are my early spring 2023 photos…