The barn at Elmwood Farm in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Today I'm working on one of the dozen or so one-day conservation photo projects I get to work on every year. I'm shooting at a small, old family farm in Massachusetts that is in the process of being conserved both for the open space and to provide some community garden opportunities. Like I have to do for many of these projects, I drove about two hours in the dark this morning to arrive at the farm about 20 minutes before sunrise. It's not an ideal way to shoot, especially when you've never seen the place, whether in person or in photographs, but I love this kind of challenge and I think these types of photo projects have made me a better photographer.
Milkweed pod at Elmwood Farm in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
I'm blessed to have the opportunity to shoot in some of New England's most iconic locations several times a year. Places like Acadia, the White Mountains, and Vermont. While I love shooting in these spots, it's easy to get lazy and just shoot the same dramatic landscapes that look good from year to year. However, shooting in a less impressive location like where I was this morning makes me work a lot harder and faster. I literally had about 10 minutes to take a quick look around, and then I had to start shooting (heck, today I wasn't even sure I was in the right place.) This place definitely isn't as dramatic as Monument Cove in Acadia or the summit of Mount Monroe in the White Mountains, so it takes some effort to quickly surmise the scene, break it down into those few elements that I feel define it, and then find a simple composition that works with the light at hand. These types of locations also force me to look a little closer for those interesting details that can be easy to overlook in a more dramatic landscape.
Dawn at Elmwood Farm in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
What starts as a groggy feeling around in the dark approach soon becomes a mad dash to capture as much as possible when the golden hour commences and the Dunkin Donuts kicks in. I'll be sticking around to shoot some more later this afternoon after some good leisurely walks around the place, but clouds are already moving in, so the photos I shot during my whirlwind hour this morning might prove to be the best shots I get.
Lily pads and pond reflections at Elmwood Farm in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Cherry Mountain and the distant Presidential Range as seen from Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge in New Hampshire's White Mountains.
I am currently spending a few days in New Hampshire's White Mountains thanks to a couple of speaking engagements. The White Mountains are the place where I became hooked on nature photography 20 years ago. Marcy and I had just moved to Boston and for some reason we decided to give hiking a try even though it wasn't something either one of us grew up with. I still remember our first two hikes like they were yesterday – an easy valley walk into Zealand Falls followed the next day by an above-treeline adventure on Mount Jefferson. To say these hikes changed our lives is a bit of an understatement. At the time, we lived and worked in the city, Marcy in human resources and me in computer programming. Going to live music clubs and Fenway Park were our usual forms of entertainment, but after glimpsing the vast Pemgiwasset Wilderness and the world of glacial cirques and alpine wildflowers so close to home, we quickly converted to weekend backpackers and peak baggers. Within a year, I met Galen Rowell at a book signing and I suddenly knew I had a new calling in life. It took another decade to hone my skills and shake the chains of the programming cubicle, but it was worth the wait.
< .div>
"The Whites" were easily my biggest inspiration when I became a photographer and most of my favorite images from my first ten years of shooting come from there. At first, my main goal was to make the best "calendar" style images I could, but as I learned of the history of the region I became more interested in conservation. In the second half of the 19th century, the White Mountains became one of the premier tourist destinations in America, as the region became known through the paintings of Hudson River School painters like Thomas Cole and writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ironically, by the early 20th century, the Whites were also the scene of some of the most unsustainable logging practices in the country. Through the efforts of groups led by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the Weeks Act was passed in 1911, establishing the national forest system east of the Mississippi and then the White Mountain National Forest. Our book, White Mountain Wilderness, tells the story of the "rewilding" of the region that followed.
My experiences in the White Mountains led to my decision to focus my photography efforts on conservation in New England, and I have since worked on close to 100 land conservation projects in the region since I left that cubicle job. Ironically, that means the bulk of my time is spent in places other then the White Mountains, as these projects primarily involve unprotected private lands outside of the Whites, so it is great to have times like this weekend to get a few moments to shoot familiar landscapes like the opening shot in this post from Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge. While nature photographers as a group like to explore and shoot in new and exotic landscapes, I find it is equally important to have favorite places you can revisit time and time again. This gives you the opportunity to see a place in different lighting conditions and seasons, and as you get to know a place you inevitably start to see the place in new ways. I also find that going back to the same place over and over results in a more relaxed approach. Last Friday night at Pondicherry (a place I've shot probably a dozen times), I felt no pressure to produce because I already have plenty of Pondicherry images in my files. This freed me from the need to produce a bunch of images that describe every inch of the place and instead I could focus on just looking for one or two nice images if the light worked out. (It also allowed me to not regret missing some photo ops while I sat for an hour hoping the black bear I saw ahead on the trail would return – he didn't.)
Big Cherry Pond, Pondicherry National Wildlife Refugre in New Hampshire's White Mountains.
I find that shooting in familiar places is a necessary diversion from other work and the best place to practice new techniques that you can then use during those trips to new places or when on assignment. Nailing down technique when there's no pressure can make or break a photo shoot in a new location when you have limited time. Soon, I'm heading to the Lake Sunapee region of New Hampshire for a one day assignment on a property I've never been to before. Having tricks in my bag that I know how to execute ahead of time gives me the confidence that I'll do a decent job as long as the weather cooperates.
Until next time…
-Jerry
Find out more about Jerry at his website, and follow him on Twitter at @jerrymonkman
No image, no matter how good, unique or special it may be, is worth stressing, endangering or otherwise harming wildlife. As wildlife photographers, we all need to be advocates for wildlife, after all, if we, who love to photograph them, are not, who will?
As wildlife photographers we need to set the example for others, we need to take responsibility for our actions and make every effort to lessen our impact on wildlife and the environment. There any number of organizations promote their own code of ethics for safe and respectful enjoyment of nature, and I will list a few of those at the end of this article.
Here is my basic set of guidelines that I follow. I’ve made these simple and to the point in an effort to make it easy to remember and stick to.
First do no harm – The foundation of the wildlife photographers ethic. You must always ask yourself if the next action you are about to take will bring any harm to wildlife. Sometimes it’s is very clear cut, sometimes it’s a little more difficult to discern what consequences your actions make have. In any case you should always be considering the welfare of your subject first and foremost.
Leave no trace behind – We have all heard this before. This means not to alter, modify disturb or destroy any habitat, food source or surroundings. Leave your location in the same state than you found it.
Never harass wildlife – This means never to never taunt, bait or force an action out of your subject. Be patient! The most beautiful wildlife photographs result from natural behavior. Never interfere with animals engaged in breeding, feeding, nesting, or caring for young. Learn the habits of your subjects; Respect and protect your subject, look for signs of stress. If you notice your subject is altering it’s behavior as a result of your actions, stop. Learn to recognize wildlife alarm signals for the safety of both wildlife and yourself.
Enjoy yourself – We all have to remember why we wake up early in the morning, endure mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, leaches and whatever other nasties mother nature throws at us when we are sitting in a blind for hours on end. We are out there to enjoy wildlife, and if we are so lucky, we get to make some great images in the process. So enjoy yourself.
Editors note: Welcome to Jerry and Marcy Monkman! They will be posting on our blog from time to time, and we are pleased and honored to have them.
Jerry and Marcy Monkman are "EcoPhotographers" featuring distinctive adventure, nature, and travel photography. Known for their conservation work in New England's wild places, the Monkmans have spent the last fifteen years artfully documenting the mountains, forests, and coastlines that define the region.
Onion seedlings in a greenhouse in South Hampton, New Hampshire.
This is the first time in eleven years that I am not working on one or more book projects (I tortured myself with three last year.) I love working on books most of the time, but add in the usual bunch of commissioned photo projects that I do every year, and it’s rare for me to have the time to shoot just because I feel like it. I think this is a problem. Always working under deadlines makes it hard to grow as a photographer. You are less likely to experiment with new techniques, explore new subject matter in depth, or just have fun being a photographer.
I think emerging photographers often create such unique and compelling work because they have yet to be hemmed in by years of running a business and fulfilling the demands of clients. Us veterans need to get back to the freedom of our early days once in a while by regularly tackling personal photo projects. These projects are a a great way to have fun, while stretching your skills to new levels and sometimes unexpected places. Besides giving you a chance to grow creatively, they are an important way to let photo editors and art buyers see what you are interested in, new directions you are exploring, and that you can find new ways to make art and tell stories. It’s sometimes hard to do that with commissioned work, as the client hires you based on what you already do. Sure, you can experiment on those projects too, but you better get it right using tried and true methods first.
Seed flats planted with onion seeds in a greenhouse in South Hampton, New Hampshire.
My wife Marcy and I are members of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) on the New Hampshire Seacoast called Heron Pond Farm. CSA members give the farm capital at the times of the year when they need it most, and the farm pays back its members with fruits and vegetables once a week or every other week during the course of the year. Heron Pond Farm, offers both a summer share, which runs from June through October, and a winter share that pays out from November through March. (By the way there is still room to purchase this year’s summer share if you’re in the area – from our experience, I can tell you that you receive much more value than you pay out.) I’ve decided to make chronicling the work at Heron Pond Farm a personal photo project that I can work on over the course of the year, and beyond. I feel that the CSA movement has benefits on many levels – it strengthens community, it keeps open space from being developed, and it encourages people to eat locally, which reduces carbon emissions. As a personal photography project, it is ideal for me for several reasons: 1) it is different than my usual nature and adventure photography, 2) it has a conservation theme, which is something I am passionate about, 3) it is close to home (about 15 miles) so I can shoot an hour here or there without feeling like it is getting in the way of my “real” work, 4) it is a story I can easily follow long-term and develop a body of work that has meaning and is marketable, and 5) it lets me support people and a business I believe in.
Farmer Greg Balog training tomato plants in a greenhouse in South Hampton, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse.
I’ve spent 6-8 hours/month so far since January with the Heron Pond Farm crew, and I’m really just getting started photography-wise. While I have photographed farms before, it has typically been from a scenic standpoint, while this project is inspiring me to take a more in-depth approach, learning what’s going on and why, and capturing the course of events from planting to harvest to market. Of course, starting a photography project focusing on a vegetable farm in New Hampshire in January may seem less than ideal, but it has been a great time to get to know the farmers and their crew as well as shoot the farming that happens in the winter in greenhouses. I never understood the extent of winter farming in New Hampshire, and to me that’s a new story that I can pursue. (Plus, the light in a greenhouse has a great diffuse quality, so you can shoot any time of day using natural light. That will end soon as planting moves outside.) What’s nice about working on a story like this as a personal project is that there is no deadline or client, and if I get to the farm and just feel like goofing around with my new lens baby for 3 hours, that’s o.k. The goal for me is to use that time to try new things and techniques and see what happens. If it sucks, who cares? But maybe I’ll figure something out that is pretty cool
A greenhouse at Heron Pond Farm that was damaged by a rain and wind storm in South Hampton, New Hampshire. Thankfully, the plastic sheeting was due to be replaced soon, and the warm weather meant the crops were not lost.
I’m excited to see where this project goes as the weather warms up and I get to spend time out in the fields. I feel like the creative opportunities will get even more inspiring as this story progresses, but I already feel like I’m better off just for having started it. Now I just have to find the time for the other three or four projects swimming around in my head!
Heron Pond Farm Greenhouse – Images by Jerry and Marcy Monkman
Until next time,
-Jerry
You can find out more about the Monkmans at their website, and follow Jerry on Twitter at @jerrymonkman
Wildlife Week: Respect Wildlife
Saturday, May 29th, 2010Pileated Woodpeckers, Chatham County, NC
No image, no matter how good, unique or special it may be, is worth stressing, endangering or otherwise harming wildlife. As wildlife photographers, we all need to be advocates for wildlife, after all, if we, who love to photograph them, are not, who will?
As wildlife photographers we need to set the example for others, we need to take responsibility for our actions and make every effort to lessen our impact on wildlife and the environment. There any number of organizations promote their own code of ethics for safe and respectful enjoyment of nature, and I will list a few of those at the end of this article.
Here is my basic set of guidelines that I follow. I’ve made these simple and to the point in an effort to make it easy to remember and stick to.
Eastern Bluebird Nest, Chatham County, NC
Keep up with Juan on The Digital Photo Experience and learn about Juan's workshops at Wild Nature Tours.
Tags: Conservation, Juan Pons, newsletter, Photo Tips, respect, Wildlife
Posted in Articles, Commentary, Viewpoint, Wildlife | No Comments »