New Hampshire was part of the total solar eclipse frenzy that hit the United States on April 8th. The northern part of the state was in the path of totality and experienced about 3 minutes of near darkness and the blazing corona of the sun as the moon passed between the earth and sun. Shooting the eclipse was a last minute decision made 2 days prior, as the predicted crowds, traffic, and hype didn't sound that appealing. But in the end, I didn't want to regret not seeing it especially since totality was almost in my backyard. So after driving a little over 3 hours to Errol, NH, I found a roadside ditch that kept me out of the wind and away from the crowds to set up my camera and wait for those 3 minutes of wonder. These are a couple of images from during those 3 minutes. The intense corona was during totality. Solar prominences are also visible - loops of solar plasma that are part of the surface of the sun. The 2nd image reveals the Diamond Ring Effect, as the sun breaks free from totality and light bleeds beyond the moon's surface. A spectacular event.

I am excited and extremely honored to announce that my image Tempest - Crawford Notch captured during a spring snowstorm in New Hampshire was selected as the Black & White category Winner in the international 2023 Natural Landscape Photography Award competition. From the Award's Website:" The competition aims to represent landscape photographers who recognize the power that comes from truthful depiction of the natural world, whether shooting digitally or on film. While other competitions may allow complete freedom in digital manipulation (sky replacement, adding/subtracting elements from the scene, blending images from different times and/or place, AI generated aspects of image etc), this competition represents those who chose to work within the more traditional bounds of the medium, while still expressing themselves creatively. It addresses the unique quality photography has over other artistic mediums is in its grounding in reality - showcasing images revealing the wonders of the natural landscape...A great landscape photograph is able to transport the viewer to relive a moment in time, distant location, or smaller scene through the eyes of the photographer...By constraining the photographs to represent the natural world in a truthful manner, we create trust in our artform's unique position to pair real experiences with artistic creation. This does not preclude the use of editing tools such as Photoshop, which when used with sensitivity, can enhance the viewer's experience without misleading them." The competition consisted of over 11,000 images representing 54 countries.

I use Photoshop to manually process my RAW digital files from the camera, something Smartphones do automatically these days. For this image, there were some warmer areas on the trees that I felt did not add to the mood of the image, so I converted to BW.

Winning images in other categories can be found Here.

I recently returned from exploring Iceland's Litli Hrutur volcano eruption and Highlands prior to an intensive 10 days on the East Coast of Greenland. The eruption was surely a highlight and a bucket list moment to witness as well as to photograph. I had planned my visit to Iceland, which is generally the jump off point to visiting Greenland, months earlier and the latest eruption happened to coincide with my travel plans. I had arranged a Cessna charter months earlier, and the volcano was close enough to the south coast and highlands that I was able to view from above as well as during a hike. Just incredible to see in person. I drove to the West Fjords briefly and the Highlands before flying into Kulusuk, Greenland. Our pilot needed to abort the first attempt to land in Greenland due to dense fog. So, back to Iceland we flew for an extra day until weather was clear enough for a landing on the following day.

Greenland is a wild place, where ice river inlets connect to the North Atlantic. Not much green to report, mostly ice covered igneous rocky shorelines with the Greenland Icecap creeping toward the water's edge. I encountered all types of weather during my short stay. Brief periods of clearing sandwiched between rain, thick fog, and even some high elevation snow. Seas were generally calm, with long periods of profound stillness that made for some great photo opportunities. Many whales were spotted, just not in photogenic conditions so I just enjoyed them without taking photos. My Iceland images are probably more exciting to view, as the incredible vastness, emptiness, and harshness of the Greenland landscape was a challenge to convey in photos. With little direct sun, sunrises and sunsets were generally muted at best. Chances of Polar Bear encounters were slim, but safety concerns limited my ability and freedom to roam for compositions as I am usually accustomed to.

Here are some favorites from the locations. Galleries for the trip may appear in the near future. Enjoy!

Appledore Primary Care medical office in Rochester, New Hampshire recently completed a renovation of their office space, incorporating 35 large format Artiplaq images in the new space. Below are some examples of how the images were used to enhance the beauty and interest of the space, highlighting the diversity of the area throughout the seasons. If you have a space that might benefit from fresh and unique landscape fine art, feel free to Contact Me by Email or phone me at 603-969-4127. In addition to recognizable scenes and views, I offer many images that are abstract and detail oriented that take viewers deeper into the natural landscape. Many images taken on my travels might allow viewers to go on a visual journey beyond what they may encounter during day to day life and are a engaging alternative to the typical nature images found in public spaces.