clawed foot tub

Posted on by Tim McMurdo
Clawed foot tub
Clawed Foot Tub

 

Wouldn't you like to have a steaming soak in this tub for an hour or so? I can imagine that all of your troubles would melt away in no time at all. Here in this house, there are no bath people. We are all fans of the shower. However, I could make an exception for this tub located in the Westcott house, here in Springfield.

When my son, my nephew, and my nieces were young, they all got baths in my parent's huge tub. There were lots of toys for them to play with and they all loved it. However, to them, nothing was better than getting their bath in my mom's kitchen sink. The sink had a double basin and they could play with plastic cups and bowls on one side while my mom washed them on the other. Messes were encouraged. Unfortunately, they grow fast and soon outgrew the sink. As you can imagine, there are plenty of family photos on the subject. I can tell you this much, the kitchen sink is easier on this adults back than the bathtub.

 

lake experiment

Posted on by Tim McMurdo
Foggy lake
Lake Experiment 1

 

Do you ever get inspired to try out new techiques in your photography? I am always in pursuit of some hidden or undiscovered photography knowlege. I am convinced that after years of experience, I still have a lot to learn.

During a recent foggy morning outing, I decided to experiment with low contrast images. My goal was to create images that were recognizeable (no abstracts) while at the same time, use a minimal number of tones.

 

Foggy lake experiment
Lake Experiment 2

 

This is a new approach to landscape photography for me. The images certainly lack any sense of drama. On the other hand, they have a serenity and calmness to them that stands out. While they were shot in color, black and white seemed to be the way to go. I made the conversion from color in Aperture, adding 15% sepia to the images in the process.

 

Foggy Lake Experiment
Lake Experiment 3

 

Sometimes the value of an experiment is in the learning that the process triggers. Other times, it's in the end results. For me, I am pleased with the results in these images. It's taken me some time to get used to the low contrast tonality of the images. However, I am beginning to think that they can stand on their own. They certainly bring a new look and feel to landscapes. I think the emotional content has changed as well. I suppose that you could say that they have grown on me.

What do you think about the results of the experiment? Would you take this approach to your landscape images? What recent photography experiments have you conducted?

 

bath time

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

 

I always wonder about cats and their bathing habits. One can be walking along and suddenly, they fall to the ground and start licking away as though the planets had suddenly aligned into their perfect bathing position. Drop whatever you are doing, it’s time to wash up. Just as suddenly, they can stand up and resume their walk, satisfied that they got that one spot perfectly clean.

I have other wonders about cats. However, they can keep for another day. Do you have a cat? What kind of cat behavior do you wonder about?

cooking lessons

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

 

 

Everybody needs to start someplace. Why not grilled cheese and apples? Life never gets too complicated at Carriage Hill Farm and that is one of the reasons the farm has become one of my happy places.

From a photographic standpoint, I've shot the farm, its workers and its animals in thousands of images. Still, each time that I return, I find something to point my camera at. It seems to me that the more familiar I become with the farm, the more I find to capture.

I'm sure that every one of us has a place to retreat and relax. What are your favorite places to get a way for a few hours?