Around & About: Shooting the Familiar

Thanks to Jessica at Jessica Rogers Photography and her weekly photo gallery, I've been inspired to get out on a regular basis to shoot pictures. And I've found there is plenty to photograph right in my own neighborhood. (Click on images to enlarge.)




Sunday I spent some time at the Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, located about 3 miles down the road from my place.



There is a community garden there, and while exploring it I came across this lovely double lily (below). I've submitted this photo to both Jessica's Photo of the Week and Illustration Friday, where this week's theme is Double.



I also discovered some marvelous outdoor sculptures made of metal.



These huge animals make a striking statement with the meadows as a backdrop. A quick online search brought up the details about the massive pieces:

"Wendy Klemperer salvages industrial materials to construct expressive gestural sketches in steel. This exhibition features extirpated wildlife species including life size wolves, elk, caribou, and mountain lions along with native deer, fox and porcupines. Sculpture will be sited along the entry drive, woodland trails, by the pond and apple orchards of Gilsland farm, re-imagining these species on the Maine landscape."



I'm looking forward to seeing what I'll find this week during my quest for the next great photo!

Light through the Trees

[please click on photos for a better view]

We're deep into winter here in Maine, and it's easy for me to become a total couch potato.



But yesterday I managed to get up, get out, and take a walk at our local Audubon center.



I took my camera and got plenty of shots even though I was not there long.



I'm so glad I made the effort, because it was exhilarating!



The recent heavy rains had washed away a lot of the snow so walking was easy.



And since it was nearly sunset, the light through the trees was really lovely.



It was the ideal way to end the day and wrap up the month of January.

Funky Friday ~ October 2nd

I've borrowed a friend's Nikon and am practicing with it so I can take photos at her wedding reception on October 11th. The other day, I took the camera with me to the local Audubon Center. Just as I was leaving, I spotted 4 wild turkeys as they made their way across the parking lot and into the woods. I think turkeys qualify as funky!



Earlier, I took a nice, relaxing walk through the woods and fields. The center used to be a private farm, and the land borders the Presumpscott River.



There were signs of fall everywhere, from crimson leaves...



... to apples on the trees.



The fading light bathed the marsh in a golden yellow glow.







As the sun set, I prepared to drive home...



...happy in the knowledge that the Audubon Center will be there, just down the road, whenever I am ready to go back and explore it again.