Lori A. Davis, Photographer

Publicity!

2011-10-31T09:17:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!

I guess I've still been working too hard, because I see it's been awhile since my last entry. Unfortunately, I didn't get out photographing much this fall... too busy trying to make a living I guess. No, that's not a complaint. Over the weekend during our recent October snow storm, I was reminded yet again, how truly fortunate I am. While the storm was causing havoc with so many other folks, I was in my workshop cutting mats and printing images, music playing as the wood stove made my house nice n'cozy. Can't complain about that!

October has been a busy month. My show schedule brought me to my home town of Woodstock, Connecticut where I got to visit a bit with family & friends. I don't get home enough, it was so good to see everyone. During the week or so that I was away from my home office, I was contacted by "The Scene" magazine, a free publication from the mid-coast Maine area. They are promoting the upcoming ARTFULL GIFTS show in Northport, Maine in November and wanted to use one of my images as their cover shot. Hopefully, this will be great exposure for both my business and for the ARTFULL GIFTS show. I will also have an advertisement in the November issue of THE SCENE, which is distributed along much of the Maine coast. It will be exciting to see how much new traffic it may bring to my website!

Another message I received while still in CT was from a wonderful reporter from the ISLANDER newspaper, in Bar Harbor. Mel Rice called & said she'd like to do an article on me to accompany my month long exhibit this November at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, on Mount Desert Island. At first, she wanted to join me on a photo shoot, which sounded like fun! However, the more I thought about it, the more nervous I got. Although I make every effort to ensure a productive photo op, when it comes to Mother Nature & wildlife, neither is ever quite as predictable as I'd like. We opted for her to come to my workshop to do the interview instead, since weather & lighting had not been cooperating with my attempts to get out all week. After I had the chance to get to know Mel, I realized she would have been great company if we had gone out, even if the photo shoot was not as productive as I would have liked. We sat & discussed why I do what I do and I shared some of my experiences with her, the progress I've made over the years and the frustrations of the slow pace, considering that I am self taught at all of this. I'll be anxious to see her story when it runs later this week. If anyone has the opportunity to see the article, please let me know what you think!

Typically, this time of year my show schedule is winding down and I only have one or two shows left. This year, I have FIVE more to come! Check out my schedule online and see if I'll be doing a show near you: Lori Davis Photography Schedule If there's merchandise that you'd like and I'm coming to your area, let me know ahead of time and I can bring it to the show & save shipping fees!

In the meantime, please remember my website as you are doing your holiday shopping. I just added gift certificates, which can be emailed or snail mailed. What a great way to give the gift of photography, but allow your recipient to select the image they like the best! My website also allows you to select merchandise, have it gift wrapped & shipped to someone on your holiday gift list! Over the years, many of my customers have used this service and compliment me not only on the convenience of their shopping experience, but also on "how good I make them look" once the gift arrives!

www.LoriDavisPhotography.Com

Thanks for reading! I guess I'd better get back to work now! :-)

Kayaking & Seals...

2011-06-30T20:19:00.001-04:00

WELL! I am finally able to say my kayak has gotten wet... other than by rain water, that is. I'd be embarrassed to admit how long it's been since I've been kayaking. Facebook has been a good way to meet new people with similar interests. My new photographer friend Bill, who has a place a few towns over from me was kind enough to share an amazing location with me! Although I've been kayaking for a few years now, this was my first time in salt water. Even though it was a protected bay along the Maine coast, I was a bit nervous about tides & waves. After all, I'm used to ponds, lakes & calm rivers at best!

I did make sure the insurance policy on my camera gear was paid up before heading out. (It's scary, there is a list of "friends" who are more than willing to claim my photography equipment, should anything happen to me. I could even say there's a waiting list!) Lucky for me, they were all disappointed yet again.

I invited my friend Ed to go with me, since he was wanting to try out his kayak & I was new at the coastal kayaking. It just so happens that he's also a Maine Guide who specializes in traveling water ways & rivers. Figured it couldn't hurt to take him along... besides, he was great company!

Ed Warren

I ventured out two days, hoping to get some photographs of harbor seals with pups. Bill has a number of wonderful images of the seals that he's captured and he made it look so easy! Boy, was I humbled!! It probably doesn't help that I took my 7 pound, 500mm lens out in the kayak with me. The seals with pups were right out on these rocks ... how hard could it be, right? Well! As soon as I came around with the kayak, they were off the rocks, in the water & on the move! Do you have any idea how frustrating it is, to try to steer a kayak to photograph a seal in the water? As soon as I would get lined up with a face in front of me & in my lens, they would dive and come up on my side. In a kayak, you can't hang a 7 pound lens over the side and turn to shoot without the risk of tipping over. So... the lens had to be put down, the paddles picked up and I'd attempt to steer again. Ed would give me subtle little whistles or signals, as they seals would pop their heads out of the water BEHIND me! I'm completely convinced they knew what they were doing... in fact, I'm pretty sure they were laughing at me! Although it was very frustrating, it was also a blast! It felt so good to get out on the water and the seals were so cute & fun to watch.

The next day I tried again, but used a different approach. I stayed even further away from the rocks where the seals were and came way around off to their side. That approach worked much better, however, the water was much more rough in the bay that 2nd day. One minute I'd have a seal face in my lens.. and when I'd click the shutter, I'd end up with a picture of sky!! It was laughable! Frustrated again, yet still had a blast! That day, I went with my friend Gail Cleveland, an artist ( painter.) Check out her work at Smart Studio. While she was laughing at me out on the rough water attempting to photograph, she was also relaxing on the beach of a nearby island, creating some wonderful paintings. She made some comment about how I looked like "Charlie Brown trying to fly a kite..." or something silly like that. I don't think it was meant to be a compliment!

Lori in Kayak. Photo by Ed Warren

The second day did not produce seal images, however I did get some interesting bald eagle shots. A number of them (5-6) had gathered on the rock feeding on something they'd found. In this photograph, you will see one adult bald eagle and varying ages of immature & juvenile eagles as well. I've never a variety like this together before. It was really quite interesting.

Thanks again Bill for sharing this magical spot with me! And for Ed and yes... even Gail, for keeping me company!

Neighborhood Bear Cub...

2011-06-03T13:13:00.000-04:00

The phone rang the other night, it was my friend & neighbor RJ. He very casually asked if "I was busy, or did I have a minute?" I told him I could talk and his next question was "So... what do you feed a bear cub?" Needless to say, I dropped what I was doing. He had my full attention! RJ is also the animal control officer for my very small town. Typically, his calls are for roaming or misbehaving dogs. This call was different. Someone had told him about this little bear cub they had seen, staggering around alone. He showed up fearing he may have to destroy the animal and instead, tossed a blanket over it and brought it home! The cub appeared to be dehydrated, hungry and quite wobbly. From my previous experiences w/ wildlife rehabilitation, I knew not to give it pasteurized milk, as it's little body would not be able to digest it. Instead, Lauren (RJ's wife) gave her a little canned cat food. Before we knew it, she was on her 2nd little can. They didn't want to feed her too much, as we didn't know how long she had been without food.

Look at this sweet face! All you wanted to do was scoop the scared little cub up in your arms and give her a "bear hug!". But, she was only handled enough to move from a carrier, to this pen, then back into a carrier to be delivered to the game warden. I hate to think of how many "photographers" would have taken this opportunity to exploit the young, sick cub and pose it for some pictures. I can't say it didn't enter my mind, but as soon as that thought was there, it was gone again. It was important to me, especially if the cub were to be released again, that she not be handled anymore than was necessary. And even though it didn't seem to traumatize her too much, she was sick and scared. And always, you need to remember that cute & cuddly or not, this is still a wild animal. My parents taught me well! I wish more folks would think in this manner.

Lauren transferring cub to dog crate for transport

Lauren & RJ ... had to get one photo of everyone, on the way to the dog crate

I was very pleased that they thought to call me! This was a wonderful experience! The game warden suspected this was a 2nd year cub. RJ has invited me to go along when they go back to the wildlife rehabilitator's place to find out more. When he got his crate back, he was told it was a female. Don't worry Mom, I didn't try to check myself!! Perhaps I'll have an update before too long.

RJ thinking.. "Honey, are you SURE we can't keep it??"

Beautiful Bald Eagles!!

2011-03-30T14:32:00.000-04:00

Soaring Eagle

What a wonderful experience I was able to have this weekend, thanks to some awesome friends and my new Master Maine Guide friend! Anyone who knows me, knows how much I respect wildlife. For that reason, I'm not listing the names of folks who led me to this wonderful new location, or where it is. Whenever someone trusts me enough to share a proven wildlife location or especially a nesting or den location with me, I vow to keep the location private and not compromise the privacy or safety of the animals or birds.

With that said, I'd like to share a bit of my experience with you. One of my Maine Guide friends got me in contact with his Master Maine Guide friend, who impressed me immensely with her knowledge of wildlife & birding locations in her area & beyond. Her enthusiasm was contagious! A friend & I met her at the location and even before the car had stopped, I saw the most gorgeous bald eagle soaring overhead! Most eagle nests I've seen have been rather cluttered and hidden with branches, trees & sticks blocking a clear view for photography. This location was about as perfect as it gets! A clearing allowed me to setup my tripod & lens a good distance away & have a clear view of the nest and an even better view of the eagles as they soared overhead.

Bald Eagle in Nest

Lori photographed by KTGAW

Saturday was an extremely windy day, gusts were estimated to be around 40mph. I was on my way back from visiting family & friends in Connecticut and I'd been hit with spring fever. I didn't even have hat, gloves or a warm coat in the truck... how unlike me! The conditions were so windy, that for over an hour & a half, we watched as two, and sometimes FOUR bald eagles soared directly overhead. The pair kept trying to get back into the nest, but the wind had definitely compromised their steering abilities. It was exhilarating and frustrating at the same time! I found myself cheering out loud for the eagle each time they came at the nest... imagining they must be getting exhausted from all the failed attempts to land. Finally, we went back to the house for a hot cup of tea & homemade cookies, leaving the eagles to continue their struggle. I felt guilty... not that me staying there cheering them on would have made a difference.

Eagle fighting the winds

Determined Eagle

On the way by the nest later that afternoon, I was relieved to see a white head peeking over the edge of the nest. Thankfully, one of them was able to make it back. The next morning, my Maine Guide friend & I (with hot coffee cups loaded & peanut butter on toast) headed back to the nest. It was 23 degrees sometime after 7am and the wind was just starting to pick up. Rather chilly, but thankfully, with borrowed warm clothes, I was more prepared. There was one eagle in the nest and within an hour, the second one appeared. Soon, they were both up in the air again! We weren't sure if there is an egg (or eggs) currently on the nest, but judging by their behavior, I'd say not yet. Both eagles were bringing nesting materials to add. I'm guessing that they're preforming last minute prep work. Incubation for bald eagle eggs is 35 days. My Master Maine Guide friend says they are nesting late and should have eggs already, but they are a young couple. Perhaps something happened to their first clutch and they are preparing to lay a second.


Eagle bringing nesting materials

Eagle bringing nesting materials


Lori & her lens Photo by "Bad Jimmy"

I will try to check back on the progress of this nesting couple and will keep in touch with my Master Maine Guide friend, who I know will also be keeping an eye on their progress as well. All I can say, is I wish them luck! The top of that tall tree, on the hillside overlooking the water doesn't seem like a very warm, dry place where I'd be wanting to sit for 35 days this spring in Maine!

Thanks everyone for checking in! I'll be adding some of the eagle shots to my website over the next few days. As always, I welcome feedback!

Thanks for the input!

2011-03-30T08:34:00.000-04:00

Well, it's pretty much unanimous. Folks like the first Acadia image from my last post much better than the second. The blue sky and contrast seems to be much more appealing. Thank you everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to share their thoughts with me! That is the image I printed large and framed for my upcoming show season. And if I may say so myself, it looks pretty good!

I would LOVE your input!

2011-03-07T15:19:00.000-05:00

Hi folks!

Perhaps spring really is on its way? Its been raining here in Maine for the past day and a half. The snow in my back yard is now only knee deep! What a nice change. I may feel differently as "mud season" approaches...

I've been plugging away in indoor work much of the winter but have gotten out photographing a bit. Last week, I took a ride to Acadia National Park and Mt Desert Island early, early on some very chilly mornings, in search of some nice lighting and sea smoke.

WELL! The first morning I was out the door before 5am, but that wasn't quite early enough. By the time I got to Ocean Drive, the sun was peeking over the horizon already. Of course, it didn't help that the roads were very messy from the snow the night before and the folks ahead of me on the roads didn't seem to care that I was racing against the sunrise! It was 5 degrees when I captured this image that morning.

A)

It didn't feel too cold and would have been nice to just sit, take in the view & sip on a hot cup o'coffee. Unfortunately, my coffee was long gone and would have been pretty darn cold at that point anyway! Still, couldn't think of a more beautiful spot to start a morning of "work"!

The next morning I was up & out even earlier. Out the door before 4:30 AM! You'll notice the difference in lighting on these two images. The image below, I had to wait for things to brighten up, since I was there way before sunrise. I did make some images prior to sunrise, but they were so flat compared to the natural light and glow on the red rocks!

B)

The second morning, the temperature was 9 BELOW zero! I was pleasantly surprised that once I was out there & busy photographing, I hardly noticed the cold. I was disappointed that even though the temperature & lack of wind seemed ideal for sea smoke, there really wasn't any. Perhaps next time, conditions will cooperate a bit more. Looking at these results and the beautiful location, the first light of the morning and the sounds of gulls & crashing waves, I wouldn't dare complain!

So, here's the question. Which image do you like better and WHY? I find there are attributes to each image that I like and I do like one slightly more than the other. But before I influence your decision, I'd love some feedback.

Thanks!

Digging out...

2011-01-11T07:41:00.000-05:00

You would think, coming into another Maine winter, I'd be talking about snow! But I'm not. I have started the rather daunting task of digging out my workshop space, now that my busiest season yet has slowed down to a crawl. Yes, it was a busy season. You have no idea how grateful I am to be able to say that, after struggling through all this "poor economy" fearing for my financial security and desperately hoping to be able to continue to do what I love so much. I have watched so many of my fellow artists & crafters struggle with poor sales, bad shows and the stress of it all. Trust me, I've experienced my share as well. I am just so very relieved to have made it through another season! With the economical situation starting to sound a bit more positive, I'd like to think the hardest times are behind me now. We'll see. I have never taken my situation for granted and hope that as we enter a new year, my good fortune will continue.

In case you haven't noticed, the old website hosted through Hostway is no longer. Thankfully, my site has been transferred over to PhotoShelter and I must say, I've been quite impressed with their capabilities. If you go to www.LoriDavisPhotography.Com it will now bring you to the new site. Some pages of the old website may still be found on the web floating around as saved pages or bookmarks. However, if you attempt to make a purchase on that old site, I expect you will get an error. If you have time, check out the new website format and let me know what you think. I still have to do some cropping on images, add file names and do some tweaking, but that will all get sorted out this winter. Both positive and negative feedback are welcome.

The Maine Crafts Association Holiday Store at the Bangor Mall was a huge success! I had more sales than I had expected and with my show season winding down, the extra money was a welcomed addition heading into another long, Maine winter. Too bad it was probably only a one time thing, since the mall had a store front that they wanted to fill during the holiday season. NICE JOB MCA. Thank you!

Now, the 6x10 enclosed trailer that hauls all of my product to shows is protecting my lawnmower from snow. All of the show merchandise, racks & tables that filled my 10x10 craft tent now clutter my one car garage "workshop". That clutter accompanies the merchandise I've taken back from shops & galleries that have closed for the season. Add this, MORE clutter I've left behind while rushing to get out the door after working all night preparing for a show and I've got quite the cluster going on! If there was room for a backhoe, that would probably be the most effective way to clear a path! However, there certainly is not enough room for that! One of my many winter projects, is to organize my workspace. Its a much bigger task that you'd think. Once I have found table tops again, I can then take on the next daunting task of taxes. After that, mat cutting, printing and production getting ready for another season of art shows. I certainly hope I can produce enough merchandise in the off season, so I can get out & "play" a bit more this upcoming season. With shows every weekend and producing more merchandise during the weeks in between, there hasn't been much time to get out & photograph. That needs to change this year.

Amongst the winter projects, I plan to enjoy a bit of quiet time unwinding in front of the cozy wood stove. I've been on the go so much, its nice to have some quiet time to myself to regroup and recharge for the upcoming season!

Belated Happy New Year to all! Thanks for checking back!

New website...

2010-11-29T14:32:00.002-05:00

Just packaged my first order from the NEW website! All seemed to process quite smoothly! Yay!

One show to go...

2010-11-27T19:29:00.000-05:00

But, who's counting, right? ME! Twenty shows in a five month period feels like a lot to me. .The production work in between is what's keeping me the busiest. Printing, matting, framing, the new website... I didn't get out photographing nearly as much as I would have liked this past season. I'm hoping to get ahead on some of the production work over the winter and allow myself more time to get out and "play" next season.

I am not complaining. Every day I am grateful to be self employed. Grateful to be able to make a living doing what I enjoy most. It is worth every ounce of hard work and I know that there are many people out there struggling to find work, to keep their homes and worse. I am grateful (just a little tired!).

The new website is up and running pretty smoothly. www.LoriDavisPhotography.Com There are still many images to be added, which I hope to work on over the next couple of weeks. The old website will remain online through the holidays or at least until I get all of the images transferred to the new site. To access the "old" website, follow this link: http://store.valueweb.com/servlet/loridsp/StoreFront The shopping cart feature is still safe, secure & ready for holiday shoppers!

It's embarrassing, but its been a year since my last newsletter. I didn't get one out this spring, due to the Florida trip and other time commitments. This evening, I sent out my holiday newsletter. It went out later than I would have liked, but still in time to hopefully encourage some holiday shopping. Gotta pump up that savings account for the winter! No shows until June 2011 and the winters here in Maine are long & cold.

I'll be in Hartford, CT this coming weekend (December 3,4 & 5) for the Castleberry Christmas Craft Expo. Visit this link for more a list of exhibitors, directions, times and a coupon off admission. Castleberry Fairs
I hope to see you there!

Let me know what you think of the new website. Thanks for checking back.

Sorry for my absence...

2010-11-17T16:54:00.000-05:00

I can't believe its been almost a month and a half since my last post. Thank you for those who have taken the time to check back. I apologize for not keeping up. I've had shows every weekend and have been going crazy w/ production of prints, matting, framing, note cards, filling orders, etc... You'd think I'd be RICH by now!

Another project that has been taking up much of my time is the new website. The site I've had for a few years now, has really been very disappointing for tech support. In a desperate rush to get a new site up before the holiday rush, I've been working on that most of the past two weeks, when I'm not at or preparing for shows. Those of you familiar with my collection of images will notice some changes. The old site had over 800 images, the new site, at this time, only has 235 or so. Once this is up & running, I will be able to add more images, however, I didn't want to invest lots of time adding images until I was sure the new site could do what I wanted. The design of this site will be very different. You will hopefully be happy to see much larger thumbnails and there will be much less clicking required. I welcome feedback, both positive and negative.

This afternoon, I've made the attempt to transfer my domain name of www.LoriDavisPhotography.Com to the new site. It can take up to two days, but hopefully all will go smoothly. You may have to update your bookmarks, since the new site will actually be LoriDavisPhotography.Com and not the shopping cart site that you were directed to before. I'd like to thank my friend Gene Thompson for all of his hard work helping me figure out the new site. He's been a huge help!

I've only got two shows left for the 2010 season. My body & mind are both looking forward to a break! I'll be in Northport, Maine this weekend. Then the first weekend in December, I'll be in Hartford, CT for a three day show. After that, I'll be working on adding more images to the website... even scanning some slides from trips that no one has seen yet! I'm kinda looking forward to that.

Thanks again for checking back. I appreciate your support!

Busy, Busy...

2010-09-03T18:58:00.000-04:00

I haven't even had the chance to catch up online since I got back from the Lobster Festival in early August, now... somehow, it's SEPTEMBER already! I must be working too hard, time is just passing too quickly. That's not a complaint, considering my season is only about 5 months to make a year's worth of income, BUSY is GOOD!

Although Hurricane Earl, now Tropical Storm Earl has weakened, he is still likely to cause harm & damage in Bar Harbor tomorrow if the Village Green were filled with craft tents. Thankfully, the town of Bar Harbor has allowed the Island Arts Association to reschedule our craft fair until Sunday. PHEW! Its only one day during Labor Day weekend, but I would still hate to miss out on the opportunity to share my work & make a bit of money at the same time. The weather for Sunday is looking sunny & COOL! It's been so stinkin' hot & humid up here the past few days, I can't get any work done without something sticking to me! It will be a welcomed change in weather for sure. Its hard to think about ordering enough fire wood for the winter now, but that will be next!

Website Status...

2010-08-16T10:32:00.000-04:00

After countless phone calls over the past few weeks to Bulgaria (yes... BULGARIA) I still have made little to no progress on getting my website issues corrected. ValueWeb, which was once an American based company was wonderful to deal with in all the years I have been their customer. Since they "migrated" to HOSTWAY, there have been some major inconveniences. They have "lost" the back pages to my website, even though I have backed them up online. My pages SHOW SCHEDULE, ABOUT MY PRODUCT, NEWS and other links have now disappeared. Many of the links just lead back to my BIO page... I can only imagine how conceited folks out there must think I am, if all links just lead back to the "ABOUT ME" page! Anyway, after countless hours on the phone w/ tech support, no progress has been made. I was able to get into the code of the homepage and add the comment about my show schedule being available on my BLOG now. I have had a few of you contact me to let me know the pages weren't working properly. Thanks for keeping an eye out for me.

I don't know how soon I can find a new hosting company with all of the features that I require, but at least there's peace of mind knowing that although these website issues are frustrating, the images, the shopping cart and security features have not and will not be compromised. The website will not see any further changes until I can build a new one w/ a new host.

Enjoy the images, feel free to continue to shop securely. The issues is just that the back pages have been lost & nothing else. Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Bangor State Fair...

2010-07-29T08:09:00.000-04:00

Had fun last night with some of the folks from the Eastern Maine Camera Club. They invited me back again as one of the judges for the photography contest they organize for the Bangor State Fair. We had a fun group of judges and some very nice images to choose from. There were a few images there that I wish I could have claimed as my own! I think I was most impressed by the YOUTH category, 13 and under. There was some composition & creativity displayed that I know I hadn't yet developed by that age. You can see the photographs on display at the Bangor Civic Center during the dates of the fair. Check them out if you're in the area! Bangor State Fair

Website Issues...

2010-07-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

It could not have come at a worse time. I'm cramming to get merchandise ready for my upcoming show in Bar Harbor this weekend ( Castleberry Fairs ) and five very long days in the ART TENT at the Maine Lobster Festival . Its been almost a week now since my first reports of the smaller thumbnail images on my website taking excessive time to download as larger images. Thanks to Diane & Jim (also affectionately referred to as my "guinea pigs" ) for their patience in testing download times for me.

It seems as though (at the moment) the speed issue may have been addressed, however now, my HOMEPAGE is severely compromised, with the wrong logo and missing most of the navigation tabs at the top of the page, not to mention valuable links I had personalized at the bottom of the page. It seems as though in the WEEK its taken them to fix one issue, they've created MORE. The drop down menus are not working properly, as with other features.

... and just in time for my nice article in the Bar Harbor Times and additional publicity that my new friend Terri Mahoney has arranged for me on VillageSoup news pages. I expect to be on the phone more time today than I had planned, but hope to get issues corrected as soon as possible.

In case you come upon this BLOG, please be patient and check back regarding my website issues. I hope that folks out there visiting my website for the first time will not hold this against me.

Article in the BAR HARBOR TIMES !!

2010-07-28T11:56:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my friend Gail Cleveland and her invitation to exhibit at her gallery SMART STUDIO in Northeast Harbor, Maine... the Bar Harbor Times has run a very nice article on my and my photography. You can view it online, including some sample images. Check out the link: Bar Harbor Times

Nesting Loon...

2010-07-14T21:19:00.000-04:00

I was able to make it back to the loon nest again, to check on her progress. I was excited to still find her there! A bit more familiar with the situation this time, my arrival there was under better lighting conditions. The late day sun was warm and beautifully lit nest from the front. I would make a few pictures, then the clouds would cover & I'd lose my light. Every time this happened, I'd think, "well, at least I got a few images before I lost the sun". And then, the clouds would clear. I spent over three hours with her that evening. She was a very cooperative & beautiful subject, although I was concerned for her well-being. It was one of those incredibly HOT & humid days and she had been sitting in direct sun all day long. There she was, a black bird under the blaring sun with no shade for relief. Panting, she looked very uncomfortable. Each time I'd get ready to pack up my gear, something would make me stay just a tad longer. I was excited to see the male loon arrive and switched to a zoom lens to capture the pair switching off the nesting responsibilities. I was anxious to see her get off the nest and into the cool water. However, the male never traded places with her. With loons, both the male & female take turns sitting on the egg. This male however, made to attempt to releive her. Finally, she left the nest, though only for a few minutes. She dipped into the cool water, approached the male and then as if she couldn't convince him to trade off, she returned to the nest again. This is the image below, where is returning to the egg. She could not have been more cooperative. A few minutes after settling back on the nest, she pulled her body up and turned the egg, then rested back down again.

Most people don't realize how challenging the circumstances are for loons to successfully hatch a chick or two. Unlike ducks, their legs are positioned way back on their body. They are unable to walk on land. Loons only touch land to nest and even then, it has to be at waters edge so they can get on & off the nest. They push their bodes up with their legs and thrust themselves forward. The nests are incredibly vulnerable. Subtle rising or dropping water levels will either flood the nest and drown the egg, or make their nest unreachable for the adult. This is why the man-made floating nests are getting more popular. The fact that they float, at least eliminates the water level issue. Still, they are susceptible to predators, muskrat, raccoons, eagles, gulls and so on. I haven't taken the time to see what their success rate for nesting might be, but I know its got to be rather low. The pair I'd bee following in Acadia for three season now, didn't even try to nest this year. Last year, the heavy rains flooded their nest. It breaks my heart to sit with them, watch them patiently lie in the blaring sun hour after hour, day after day, only to have harm come to their egg, via circumstances beyond their control. You can tell by their behavior that they're in mourning at the loss of their chick.

Just as I was finally getting ready to leave, a man who fishes the pond came to talk with me. He informed me that this loon had been on the nest since late May. Gestation period for a loon to hatch is 28-30 days. He said that the "preserve" which monitored the damn had flooded it shortly after she laid the egg. There is no way she should still be on that egg, if it were viable it would have hatched by now. He also told me that the male no longer switches off with her on the nest. I'm a firm believer that the loon knows if her egg is viable or not and hope that they've laid a second egg and she knows what she's doing. The optimist that I am, is hoping this fisherman who's property borders the pond, is wrong and that she will soon be hatching a healthy little loon chick. I will get back to check sometime next week and will hopefully have a positive update.

Belfast Art in the Park...

2010-07-14T20:23:00.000-04:00

Well, as always, it was a good show and I would like to thank the organizers for doing such a fine job. HOWEVER... I must admit, that in all of my years of exhibiting at art shows, this show presented the worst weather to take down the display at the end of the show & attempt to pack up.

The picture below actually was Saturday afternoon. The rain held off for as long as it could, but then the skies just opened up and it POURED! Thankfully, it only rained hard for 20 minutes and then the precipitation subsided. On Sunday, we were not so fortunate. When the rain began on Sunday afternoon, it really came down hard, and kept coming down... within a half an hour, I could no longer see my feet when I stood in the lower corner of my booth. I had changed from my leather sandals into my crocs, and it was a good thing, because anything at my ankles or lower was under water. My cloth cooler was flooded, the tote bag that holds my rain gear & clothing was waterlogged & water was pouring into the bottom drawer of my tower where I store my supplies. I always bring my LL Bean goretex rain coat & pants, but I have never had to resort to wearing my rain pants at a show. I was extremely grateful that I had them, especially when I ended up along side other artists behind a minivan spinning in the mud, attempting to push it from its stuck position.

The show ended at 4pm and I was driving away just before 7:00. Vehicles that had driven onto the green when the rain first started, were getting stuck in the mud. Ruts formed quickly and made it very difficult for those trying to get their vehicles out, or use hand trucks or wagons to get their artwork into their vehicles. I'm sure there were unfortunate souls who had their merchandise get wet.

My jeweler friend Wendy graciously offered to help me finish taking down, since she was already packed. I first said no, but quickly changed my mind. I'm so glad I did! Having an second person to help fold up the white tent walls and keep things out of the mud was invaluable! Somehow, I was able to transport the contents of my tent into my truck & trailer without any real damage. It has however, taken 3 days to dry everything out after the show!

For as challenging as the take-down was, I must say that I was very impressed with everyone's behavior & attitudes. I didn't hear any yelling or swearing. All the artists appeared to keep their cool, even those soaked to the skin, those spinning their vehicles in the mud & those who were trekking back & forth through the mud to the parking lot w/ hand trucks. Photographer Scott Perry was all packed up and could have been on his way to a nice, dry home . Instead, he came back to help a neighbor pack up and hooked up a tow strap to the stuck van & pulled it out. Others, once packed up, returned to help their neighbor pack up their displays. I was really quite impressed. During the hour & a half drive home, water dripped down my back, my hair was soaked, I kept picking grass out of my hair that the minivan spit up... Oh what fun! For as hot as I've been the past week or more, I couldn't believe I was cranking the heat all the way home!

I would like to thank everyone who came out this past weekend to support local artists. I'd especially like to thank those who braved the weather and made the extra effort to come out when the conditions were less favorable, to say the least.

I've recently been informed by the "Friends of Belfast Park", who organize the event, that I was selected as their "2011 ARTIST OF THE YEAR". When they first told me, I was flattered, but had no idea what that meant. They have chosen my work as the artwork that will be used next year to promote the 2011 art show. Selected images of mine will be used on post cards, posters and bookmarks as well as in some press releases and yes, my name will accompany my images. Its very flattering, especially since there are so many quality artisans at this show. I will keep you posted as the new publicity falls into place. I must say, I'm honored to be associated with such a fine show. Let's hope that the weather next year will cooperate better next year!

Nesting Loons...

2010-07-05T15:04:00.000-04:00

I got a tip the other day about the location of a nesting loon. Yesterday I took a ride and sure enough, there she was! It's a bit of a drive, so I fear I won't be able to check back often enough to be there when the chick hatches. However, I'm going to try. I'll keep you posted.

It sure was quick & easy to upload this images. Many less hassles than if I had tried with my old BLOG software.

What do you think?

New BLOG...

2010-07-05T14:48:00.000-04:00

I'm trying a new BLOG. I started my previous BLOG using software that was linked to my website. It came in handy to share my experiences over the winter as I drove to Florida on a photography assignment. However, as I attempted to keep the BLOG updated, I found the previous software didn't offer as many features as I would have liked. Therefore, I am trying this version to see how I (and those who would like to post comments) like the new layout & features.

The advantages to this new BLOG appear to be many. I can have a list of followers and know if anyone is really keeping track of my progress, or if I am just writing to entertain myself. :-) It will be easier to share updates on Facebook and other social networks. It will be easier to add photos. With my previous version, I could only attach images that I'd already added to my website, which is no small feat. That alone, prevented me from adding images from the road, that would have been fun to share. It seems as though I can easily upload images, even if they are not yet added to my website. I will be able to link videos, podcasts and hopefully, this new BLOG will offer more exposure as it is linked to the blogspot.com community.

Please feel free to leave comments, either positive or negative. I do still have to approve all comments before they post, so please don't be discouraged if they don't appear automatically.

Thanks!