John Lehet Photgraphy -- Picture of the Week

Rose Hips and Snow, Lyme, NH, 2008

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:39:15 -0400

This is another photo that creates its own feeling and sense of time and space. While a snowfall piled that deep and fluffy is always dream-like, I don't think the feeling outside my door was quite as dreamy as this photo suggests. I've always liked to try to convey the sense of delicacy of "five shades of white," to quote the poet Jorie Graham.
"...I try to wind my way
between what's here: chalk, lilly milk
titanium, snow --"

This makes me want to have more roses and rose-hips in my life...

Volcanic Hills Panorama, Iceland

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:56:11 -0400

Volcanic Hill, Iceland
12" x 39.5"
Another Iceland panorama, infrared. I like the contrast between peacful slopes and the intensity of the jagged hill on the right. And I like the rythm of the land.

Cliff-side Settlement, Waterfall,Iceland

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:31:44 -0400

I've dusted off an image from last year in Iceland for this week. Of course this image should be seen at a much larger size and resolution than I can display here. In the lower left there's a little shed, which I believe is a hydro power station for the farm, which is tucked away at the lower right, under the huge waterfall. One thing very unusual about this for an iceland image is the forest in the foreground. Here in New England that wouldn't be a forest by a long shot, but in Iceland that's quite a big bunch of trees.

Screen, Fallen Wasp Nest, Snowbank, Courtyard, Windhorse: Karme Choling

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:11:09 -0500

This was last Tuesday, I think, if Tuesday had any meaning at the time. At Karme Choling. Walking from a break back to the meditation hall, this wasp nest caught my eye, and I thought maybe the whole thing would work: the window, drops on the screen, the snowbank and bright trim in the courtyard beyond. I think it does. At least onscreen it's splendid at large size.

Post Pond, Yellow Hill Curve, 2007

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:14:35 -0500

I missed the photo of the week last week, and this week is passing fast.

It's not just work that's tying me up; I've started logging the time I spend working on photography, and it's a staggering amount of time.

This exposure was one morning last October, after driving my daughter to school. When she's late, my self-preservation instinct keeps me from stopping on the way to drop her off. But afterwards, it can take me a long time to get home.

Glacial Pools and Fjord, Iceland, 2007

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:44:34 -0500

I'm working on gathering a collection of photos from the Iceland trip. This was a lovely spot where I made a good handful of exposures. I have another panorama that's also worth pulling from the archive, made not far from this spot.

Slicing a Coconut, Hawaii, 2006

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:46:39 -0500

I was inspired to pull this from my catalog by my photography buddies on The Well , where February's theme is "Markets." This is to me an example of how a photograph is its own world sometime. In this case the image has nothing to do with what I was feeling at the time, or really much of the tone of the tone of that open air market. I like the simple story it tells, and the tones and shapes together.

Two Black Sheep, Iceland, August 07

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:22:02 -0500

13" x 26.5"

I was looking back at the backlog of good images, which is huge, and this one jumped out at me. It's funny that in this spot one might think that The Photograph might have been actually 180 degrees behind me, where there was a huge waterfall. I of course made some exposures there too. But I like this one.

One Snowmobile, Four Ice Fishing Huts, NH Primary Election Evening, January 08One Snowmobile, Four Ice Fishing Huts, NH Primary Election Evening, January 08One Snowmobile, Four Ice Fishing Huts, NH Primary Election Evening, January 08One Snowmobile, Four Ice Fishing Huts, NH Primary Election Evening, January 08

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:18:39 -0500

I was late picking up my daughter, and I didn't have my tripod with me. Well, I was even later when I finally got there. And as it happened, Image Stabilization is a good, good thing. I would have been happier at ISO 100 than the 400 that I used, but I think it's all OK with the D200 and a stitched panorama like this.

As for the election, it seems the state I live in is generally quite a bit more fond of war than I am. On this evening hope was still in the air, and it seemed like there was a mood for change instead of more war.
It's too bad, at this small screen size you can't see the reflection of the sunset on the puddles in the tiretracks so well.

Sunset, Trout Brook, January 08

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:33:01 -0500

16" x 24"

I took my brand new Canon G9 out for a walk on Friday. The light was quite nice, and of course I brought along the Big Camera too. This exposure was made with The Big Camera, but hopefully we'll have something from the G9 up sometime. I'm really lucky to live where I do.

Sand, Shell, Little Tybee Island Georgia

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:14:36 -0500

When I was traveling last, on Islands near Savannah Georgia, I spent some time on sandscapes -- panoramas using pieces of the beach. I like this one.

Old Church Panorama, Iceland, 2007

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:14:05 -0500

I have more images of this old farmstead/churchyard. It was quite a spot on quite a day. Unfortunately the light was nearly failing, and it was freezing, both limiting our time here. Also the range of tonal values exceeded the ability of my conventional camera much of the time. Highlights would blow out or shadows would drop, but I couldn't keep it all working. The infrared camera managed to hold the entire tonal range, luckily. I have more...

Puffin, Iceland

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:00:52 -0500

This photo is sort of low-hanging fruit in a busy week. I doubt it will ever make it up as a "real" photo on the site, but it makes me feel good to look at it.

Gold Panorama - New Hampshire Looking to Vermont, Fall

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:14:46 -0500

8" X 40"

This is from a few weeks back, one of those days when I took over an hour to get back home after dropping my daughter off at school. It's another case where a panoramic composition works and gives a sense of the space, which would have conveyed a very different sense in a conventional format.

Five Sand Pipers, for Qi Baishi

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:20:44 -0500

Last week on Tybee Island Georgia, the friend I was staying with was passionate about her study of Chinese Brush painting. She had some great books of prints of brush paintings by masters, too. I experienced a jolt of recognition in Qi Baishi's work. The use of empty space is exactly what I've been working with in panoramas over the last months. Qi Baishi was a huge success in China in the 20th century, but it's a little hard to see his work in other places, I find. His books are expensive, and there isn't a lot to see on the net. It's worth the trouble to find.

Ten Pelicans, Off Tybee Island, Georgia, November

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:32:31 -0500

On Monday, 11/4, I had the good fortune to be with a friend on a beach in Georgia. There were dolphins too, but in this photo only pelicans.

Aquatic Grass, Leaves, October

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:06:42 -0400

This image is a few weeks old now, and it's holding up well. I like it more and more. Lately life has been a bit hectic, to say the least, and I find this memory of a moment to be refreshing.

Apples on Tree, Autumn Panorama

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:25:02 -0400

I'd like to glue the leaves on the trees and stretch the quickly shortening days. Can't hold on to this beauty, and it's going fast.

Five Water Striders, Autumn, Vermont

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:02:30 -0400

Last week I was stalking an old ruin of a bridge near this pool (stopping my car between a client meeting and a very late lunch – I was starving). I quickly saw that the bridge wouldn't work out photographically, but this pool was more than a little interesting to me. It was hard to choose from among all the good exposures I made at this spot. Next week might continue the flow of new Iceland images, or maybe autumn in New England will continue to take the stage.

Abandoned Farm, Vapor Trail, Iceland

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:06:29 -0400

This needs to be a big print to see the ruin of the farm clearly, or the plane at the leading edge of the vapor trail. This is another Icelandic scene where a mind-boggling vast space is full of only elemental energy. Humans are just a passing trace.

Empty Boat Panorama; Iceland

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:03:10 -0400

Though it's not the same kind of boat, it reminds me of a story.
A man is in his boat by the shore on a foggy evening. Through the mist he sees a boat coming at him. He shouts at the oncoming boatman, getting more and more agitated. He yells, and is ready to clobber the guy in the oncoming boat. He's getting more and more worked up, ready to have a stroke. "This is my nice new boat! I just painted it! You're an idiot!""
The other boat gets close enough to bump him, and he finally sees there's no one in it. It's adrift, and the other boatman -- so vividly stupid, obnoxious and worthy of a whack on the head -- was only in his mind.
When the empty boat is about to bump you, you can start flinging nukes at Iran. Or you can wake up and see what's real, and sort that out from your own projection and the advice of your inner or outer Cheney.

Eighteen Cows, Sunset, Farm: Iceland Panorama

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:26:00 -0400

Another cow panorama, though quite different from last week's. This of course needs to be a huge print for scale, and to see the cows. Interestingly, we were in a hurry to get somewhere else while the light was good, to see the icebergs breaking off a nearby glacier. As is quite often the case, the amazing place is right here, maybe not there. Or maybe there too. But certainly, quite often, here, now.

One Cow, Thirteen Hay Bales: Iceland

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:58:58 -0400

I need to go back to Iceland to extend this panorama to the right a bit. I have other exposures from related series that include the interesting spires and island off beyond the right of this composition. What was I thinking? Maybe there was a method to my madness. I like the sense of space here.

Two Horses, Iceland

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:21:06 -0400

The horses in Iceland seemed in general to have a good, strong spirit. While sometimes I saw them fight, I more often saw signs of love and friendship between them.

This fits my mood on coming back, one facet I'm glad to have resonating in me still -- the great spirit of animals on the land; hills and light; space and energy.

And thanks to Kate, my new bride, traveling through light, space, and energy with me, patient when I want to stop the car. She fills the world with light.

Three Beauties

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:27:08 -0400

The photo of the week will be taking a week or two off to celebrate and relax. See you in a bit!

Queen Ann's Lace, Monks, and Giant Horns

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:43:28 -0400

It's really high summer when the Queen Ann's Lace starts to flower. It always takes me by surprise. It's all changing so fast -- the weeds, flowers the light. We often think of summer as somewhat steady, but it's just as ephemeral and transitory as winter, with its morning frost and new snow on trees that's gone by noon.

This was last Sunday, 7/29, in Hanover New Hampshire. Monks were in town to chant and meditate for peace. This was a procession of the sand from a sand mandala down to the river, with the hope that good wishes, good energy, and peace would spread through the river to the ocean, and to the whole world. I made a lot of exposures of the monks; tonight this is my favorite. It candidly shows their dignity and serenity.

Three Cows Panorama, Canaan, New Hampshire

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:02:33 -0400

Luxuriating in the space that the panorama format allows. This was exposed a few days ago.

Yucca, Hills, Evening Panorama

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:15:33 -0400

Getting to the backlog, back to April in the desert. This image shows some of the pitfalls of showing images online instead of printed. On my desktop calibrated monitor the thills on the left show detail and subtle, rich tones. On my laptop, with a similar calibration, those hills are showing up as dark. I'm going to have to look at this on some more systems and maybe re-do the online jpg.
I think that working in panoramas lately has changed the way I'm using space in a composition. I can use a sort of tension between the edges, and then there's a lot of space in between. I'm going to use a lot of paper and ink printing these big when I get a chance.

(new) Round Hay Bales Panorama, Canaan, NH

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:54:19 -0400

This was from the same session as last week's round hay bale infrared panorama. The light really looked like this, though the infrared makes it a bit more dramatic. The meadow was in cloud-shadow, with the trees and hills beyond in full sun.

Round Hay Bales Infrared Panorama, Canaan NH

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 14:09:40 -0400

I was waiting for some friends to finish the part of the party I wasn't invited to, a hundred yards away from this spot. Or maybe for this exposure I ducked out of the party to photograph. I can't remember. Indoors was great, outdoors was great. I have several panoramas of round hay bales from that day, which I'm still evaluating and processing. The indoor photos feature people laughing, hard, and they won't be posted here.