2016 Fine Art Favorites

 Every time I start to feel like I didn't accomplish a lot this year, all I need to do is look through my large album of images for the year to tell me how wrong I am. I've encountered some pretty epic moments and feel like I'm finding my voice through the lens. My camera is only just a tool for me to be able to portray the emotion when the beautiful light hits something in just the right way. It may be as simple as a sunrise or sunset, but when Mother Nature and God paint the skies, the possibilities are endless. While Autumn is certainly my most favorite season, I truly love to witness how the landscapes change through all the seasons. My favorite season wouldn't be as sweet without anticipating it through the other three seasons...  I believe I'm lucky because I live in a place where all 4 seasons can be so very different, from the harsh and bitter cold but beautiful snowy scenes in winter, the earliest signs of new growth, first days without wearing a jacket or sweater, and longer days in spring, the sounds of children playing all day in the warmth of summer, and the beautiful array of colors adorning the landscapes, the crunch of the leaves on the ground, and the crisp air in autumn...

Below are only some of my favorite images of the past year. (If I shared all of my favorites we'd be here for days!) Some of these I've shared before and some I haven't.

Often I'm struck by the way light hits at certain angles, the shadows they create, and the way those shadows play out. Here, I was sitting at brunch with my husband and a friend and the light hit the blinds just right. Within 5 minutes, the optical illusion disappeared. I guess being in the right place at the right time mattered that day.

The first real snowstorm of 2016 hit in February, and my company released us early to be able to get home before "rush hour". It seemed that the storm stopped the moment I got into town, The clouds were starting to break up and sunset was only about an hour away. So I found a place to watch the most amazing sunset I've ever seen. All the trees held just the right amount of snow to highlight every branch and the setting sun illuminated the clouds overhead with this alpenglow, creating one of the most unique and exquisite scenes I've ever experienced.

Over the past few years, I've been lucky to be able to experience the incredible phenomenon of sea smoke, but none has ever lived up to the Valentine's Day sea smoke sunrise I witnessed! It's exciting when the forecast calls for the right conditions to produce sea smoke (very very cold air over much warmer water) on a weekend when I can actually get out to experience a sunrise when it's -15°F. I get so chilled to the bone, but the adrenaline rush I got as I turned the corner to see the bay for the first time and could just see the smoke billowing made up for it. The wind is blowing, the smoke is constantly moving, and so often the lighthouse disappeared from my view! 

2016 also brought my first ever work trip to the large corporate office my company's parent company in Jacksonville, Florida. I was bound and determined that I was going to get myself onto the shores of Jacksonville beach for a Florida sunrise in February, and I was going to dip my toes in that water. What this photo doesn't tell you is that, at sunrise, it was 47°F and warmer back home. The locals all had winter coats on. I had a light jacket and my flip flops, and I put my toes in that water! I wanted to capture what it meant to me to be there, to be watching a Florida sunrise in February so chose a shallow depth of field to focus only on my flip flops, the shell, and the close sand and let everything else fall out of focus. Sometimes it's important to choose the small details instead of the large scene.

Easter morning offered me another opportunity to meet up with a friend for sunrise. While the clouds mostly won out on the sunrise, I was able to slow it down a bit and watch the waves come in.... Moving with the waves, I could feel the ebbs and flows and find the rhythm. 

On Mother's Day weekend, I took some time to wander through some local gardens. Between the showers, the birds were singing and the flowers were blooming, including these beautiful tulips. I loved finding this pair of tulips that appear to be like mother and child, with the large flower protective over the small bud, shielding it from the world's trials, if only for a short time.

When my friend was here visiting from Texas for the better part of a week we decided to take a whale watch. The past few times I had been, I always wanted to be able to capture the dripping tail of a humpback whale! The humpback whales were very active around the North Atlantic this summer. But the reality exceeded the expectation when a young humpback whale was very very playful right next to our vessel! 

One of my favorite types of scenes here in New England is the beautiful foliage-surrounded waterfalls. My friend and I took a day trip to Vermont and took the scenic route home. We were on the lookout for incredible landscapes, covered bridges, and waterfalls. This waterfall has been on my list for quite a while. I'd really love to get back to it and explore more. It was raining pretty steadily the time we were there so I got lucky while standing under an umbrella that I held with one hand and the camera in the other...

A dear cousin of mine holds Nubble Light close to his heart. When he made a special request for to capture it for him, I took the task on, always watching for when there'd be some great light either at sunrise or sunset on a weekend when I had nothing else going on. Everything finally came to fruition this past summer. A good sunrise was predicted, and I had a friend to go with me for the long ride to make it there in time... I love the pastels above the lighthouse and the hint of color in the water. The wispy clouds holding those colors are what I imagine to be an angel's wings... 

Flowers are always so incredibly intricate, beautiful down to every last detail. The symmetry and design that nature implements into each individual flower and petal are amazing. Flowers are beautiful from every angle, even the back side...

So oftne, I'm searching Autumn out for the grand landscapes, the scenes that showcase every possible color under the sun. It is one of the best things about living in New England. But every so often, looking for those delicatee details can unmask more beautiful colors... 

Not to be outdone, I did find beautiful scenes of golden grandeur! I'm going to let this scene speak for itself!

The November supermoon was one of the most talked about stories of 2016. The night before the actual full moon was beautiful weather and, with the moon rising right before sunset, offered me the best opportunity to capture the moon rising over the horizon. The "largest full moon until 2068" really didn't seem that much bigger, but the scene was gorgeous! Sharing the moment with several friends and a few hundred other photographers, professional and otherwise, was surely quite the experience!

One of the things I love is creating abstracts, especially when it involves the objects of my favorite season! On this morning there was a pretty thick fog behind this fence and the individual chain links created intriguing fractals of color!

The evening after the first real snow, the warmer air created a pleasing snow fog in the meadow across the street. I thought it was rather magical, and then I saw the moon rising just as the sun was setting. The best part of all of it was I didn't have to go anywhere - I captured it right from my driveway!

Add a little snow, warming temps, and some light rain in a forest, and another incredible fog formed... I find fog mystical. It hides imperfections and leaves some things unknown... I can just imagine a deer wandering through this scene... I guess that's something to quest for!

Thanks for following along with me on this journey through 2016 and thank you for the never-ending support for my view on the world around us! Be sure to check back here often. I do plan on blogging a bit through the year! 

I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year! May 2017 bring you all health and happiness!

~Keri