32 images Created 3 Jan 2011
Barn Island
The photographs in this project were made over the course of the past two years at Barn Island, a natural preserve located in Stonington, CT. It is a former farm with many stone walls, marshes, and fields which are now being overtaken by the grasses, vines, and trees of the surrounding woods. I do not feel that Barn Island is a majestic place. It does not have soaring mountains or endless dunes, but is a beautiful place with marshes and trees typical of the New England coast..
Typically I tried to photograph early in the morning from predawn until around two hours after sunrise regardless of the weather. Not surprisingly the worse the weather the better the images and I found myself drawn here as winter set in. I often found myself alone there in the cold with my camera on the tripod waiting for the sun, occasionally sharing the space with one or two hunters hoping to shoot a duck. They would blend in with their camouflage and I would stick out in my blaze orange coat.
I have found Barn Island to be a transformative place. The space could be so bleak in winter and if I was feeling a bit off myself it was easy to see images which reflected this. I would try to capture this but generally these images would be boring. The best images would come when the understated beauty of the place would get in the way, mixing with the cold and my feelings, and transform them into something beyond a simple mood. This what I found most exiting about making these images - searching/waiting for this synthesis - which often I would not see until several days had past from making the images.
I look forward to getting back to Barn Island next winter. And if I happen to be feeling a bit uninspired the long walks in the predawn, making images, and returning home to a hot cup of coffee would lift my spirits every time.
Typically I tried to photograph early in the morning from predawn until around two hours after sunrise regardless of the weather. Not surprisingly the worse the weather the better the images and I found myself drawn here as winter set in. I often found myself alone there in the cold with my camera on the tripod waiting for the sun, occasionally sharing the space with one or two hunters hoping to shoot a duck. They would blend in with their camouflage and I would stick out in my blaze orange coat.
I have found Barn Island to be a transformative place. The space could be so bleak in winter and if I was feeling a bit off myself it was easy to see images which reflected this. I would try to capture this but generally these images would be boring. The best images would come when the understated beauty of the place would get in the way, mixing with the cold and my feelings, and transform them into something beyond a simple mood. This what I found most exiting about making these images - searching/waiting for this synthesis - which often I would not see until several days had past from making the images.
I look forward to getting back to Barn Island next winter. And if I happen to be feeling a bit uninspired the long walks in the predawn, making images, and returning home to a hot cup of coffee would lift my spirits every time.
