Like many photographers I am drawn to windows and doors as a photographic subject. After reviewing some images I took this week I thought about how they have been a strong recurring theme in my work. In March of last year I wrote about windows in my post, ‘Exploring Themes’ and I recall that my first favorite photo in that B&W I was that of a window. I am drawn to all the ideas that windows and doors can represent; looking in, looking out, coming and going, the history, the lives that lived beyond those windows and doors, etc. I like to explore reflections in the glass that can enhance the image and add interest. Below are two window images shot last week at some historical sites in Berks County, PA. The interior shot, from Hopewell Furnace was created buy combining five exposures. This was necessary in my intent to get a correct exposure on both sides of the window, preventing the trees outside, from being blown out. The second shot, from a historic home in Morlatton Village, was created by combining three exposures which seem to have helped in a situation where the light was fading. In conclusion I think about how many photos of windows and doors I have taken, and will take, before I am done!

'Sunlit Room' © Denise Bush

'Looking In' © Denise Bush


Last weekend I saw the strangest thing …

There was a light snow on the ground and I decided to drive out to Pakim Pond, in the Bendan Byrne State Forest and take a little hike with my camera and new waterproof boots. I set off on the trail that circles the pond and stopped at the dam to have a look. I looked ahead on the trail and noticed tracks from a couple of mountain bikers who had come through earlier. Then I saw them … bare footprints in the snow! They came out of nowhere and when I followed them they disappeared!

'Footprint in the Snow I' © Denise Bush

'Footprint in the Snow II' © Denise Bush


A photo trip into Philadelphia over the weekend yielded the scenes below. An earlier scouting trip helped in getting closer to the results I am after. City traffic was shot with a small aperture for the starburst effect and to ensure sharpness throughout the image. A long exposure of 30 seconds created the blurred tail lights of the passing traffic.

'Center City' © Denise Bush

'Art Museum & Water Works' © Denise Bush

'City Traffic' © Denise Bush

'Philly Night' © Denise Bush


Now for something completely different, I have posted some recent shots from Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. I was fascinated with the the history, the magnitude of the place and all the lavish detail. Abundant in Victorian Era cemetery symbolism there is a lot to see and photograph. I was particularly interested in the statues. Many were on tall pedestals, symbolically reaching toward the heavens. I was drawn to those that were weathered and worn … one missing a hand, another a finger and a mother and child whose identity has been obscured by time. I was fortunate to be there at a time when there was some cloud interest which I have enhanced in processing.

'Hey, Where's My Hand?' © Denise Bush

'Angel on Pillar' © Denise Bush

'Mother & Child' © Denise Bush


As it is my tradition to add a new gallery to my website each year I am proud to announce the online opening of my 2009 Gallery. The 36 images I have chosen for the exhibit are those from 2009 that I am most pleased with. Please click on the image below and step inside!

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DENISE BUSH - 2009


WinterBRRRRR!

05Jan10

On Sunday I went to Winterthur, DE with some photo buddies. OMG was it ever cold. We stayed warm while on the Yuletide Celebration Tour, displayed in this grand DuPont Estate and the history was interesting. Our guide did a great job of hurrying us along just as we got our cameras into focus! The decorations were both nostalgic and charming and I have posted a few below. Included are a still life of Mr. DuPont’s breakfast and a scene in the girl’s play room. In one room there was a tree decorated entirely with dried flowers. We walked the grounds a bit and in addition to it being way too cold, did not find much to photograph at this time of year. We warmed up while having lunch in the cafeteria before leaving. On the way home we stopped at the old Newlin Mill in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. The sky was uninteresting so I focused on the face of the building and all that texture. There were a few smaller buildings on the property including the cabin pictured below. It was so cold we had to be quick and get back in the warm car after a half hour or so. It was a fun day and a good way to finalize ‘the holidays’. Did I tell you how cold it was?

'Cabin Before Sunset' © Denise Bush

'Winter Mill' © Denise Bush

'The Girls Play Room' © Denise Bush

'Mr. DuPont's Breakfast' © Denise Bush

'The Sitting Room' © Denise Bush


I went to the local farm market this week and asked permission to take some photos of their poinsettias and flocked trees. It was fun … like a Longwood Gardens experience but in Tabernacle! Here are a few of the results.

'Flocked Christmas Tree Detail' © Denise Bush

'Red Poinsettias Detail' © Denise Bush

'Sea of Poinsettias' © Denise Bush

'Snow Coated Tree' © Denise Bush

'Burgundy Poinsettias' © Denise Bush


Nature Studies

10Dec09

At the end of last month 3 of my friends from the South Jersey Camera Club (Joanna, Terry, Jeanne) and I met in the dark and headed out to Whitesbog for sunrise. Our plan was to catch the Tundra Swans sleeping and make award winning photographs of them in the early morning light. As so often happens in the world of nature photography things did not go exactly according to plan. We found a group of four swans but they were quite far away … even for my 500 mm lens. Then a truck came along and scared them off, so that was that. In search of something to photograph we went to the village where we photographed the buildings and looked for nature subjects uncovered by close examination of the grounds. Here are some of my ‘nature studies’ from that morning.

'Dried Pitcher Plant Flower' © Denise Bush

'Ice Pattern' © Denise Bush

'Moss and Lichen' © Denise Bush

'The Trees Have Ears' © Denise Bush


Sunrise on our 2nd morning in Cape May is pictured in the two photos below. Since the sky lacked cloud interest, I concentrated on the reflections in the sand and water. I enjoy shooting sunrise. Quiet anticipation and a sense of awe are constant emotional ingredients to the experience.

'First Light, Cape May' © Denise Bush

'Sunrise in Cape May' © Denise Bush


After Sunrise

16Nov09

After sunrise at the pier last Saturday (see previous post) we headed to Hereford Lighthouse in North Wildwood. What makes the sight unique is the flowers that surround the building, now past their prime. It was November after all, so I was surprised to find this pretty dahlia. On our way back to Cape May we stopped at a random commercial fishing marina. We managed to shoot a few pictures before seeing the ‘NO TRESPASSING … Property Under Surveilance’ sign and a man with a walkie-talkie gave us the boot!

D Bush_Trespassing at the Shipyard 2280

'Trespassing at the Shipyard' © Denise Bush

D Bush_November Dahlia

'November Dahlia' © Denise Bush