15 Comments

Very good Erik. I particularly like the first image with the yellow leaves in the foreground. Did you stack images here or was it a very calm day to get those leaves looking so crisp?

Expand full comment

These are all single images and each day was very calm. In the first image I think I placed the focus point on the yellow leaves on the right side, which is why they are so sharp. The exposure wasn’t all that long, maybe 1/6 or 1/8 sec. In the last image I put the focus point in the foreground and it was darker outside, so around a 3 second exposure. That led to the yellow leaves towards the back being a bit blurry. I should’ve bumped up the ISO, but the air was still and I didn’t think it would be a problem at the time. Thanks for reading!

Expand full comment

Thanks Erik, appreciate the insights!

Expand full comment

Well said! There are so many variables that impact the special places where we visit outdoors that over time they take on unique character. Weather, wildlife, varied fall color, companions, etc. all play significant roles in defining both the experience and the passage of time.

Expand full comment

Exactly! Thanks Keith!

Expand full comment

The concept of time...your thoughts on time stirred something in me. Made me want to write about time. I really loved your description of time and how it passes. I especially like the line about how the river and the person change with time. Oh and I love love the photos. The river between two trees and the splash of red from the leaves contrasted with the dark stones is beautiful.

Expand full comment

Thanks so much Meka! My thoughts in this piece definitely feel just a bit… unfinished. Let me know if you do end up writing more on the topic. I’d love to see where you take it!

Expand full comment

Since the pandemic, time feels like a time warp. Like, I can talk about events before 2020 as if they were last week and then realize 4 years has passed.

Time was literally chopped in half that year. I now refer to pre-2020 as B.C. (Before Curtis died). Some things changed forever and most things stayed exactly the same.

Time is such an anomaly and an intriguing topic to reflect on.

Expand full comment

Wow, I can only imagine! Events during and since the pandemic have been pretty crazy for me, too. It seems like time moves quicker in the chaos.

Expand full comment

I'm right with you on your thoughts about time! I don't know what time it is generally, and if it weren't for my kids school schedule, I wouldn't even know what day it is. LOL

I have several spots I've been photographing for years, during all seasons, and it's fun to look at them as a collection. Beautiful pictures!

Expand full comment

Haha! I’m right there with you on losing track of days! Photographing one spot in different seasons is another interesting concept. I don’t know why, but I’ve never been tempted to photograph Easley’s Mill in any other month but November. Maybe it just earned its place with that first magical discovery.

Expand full comment

Lovely images Erik, and I really enjoyed your reflections on time. For me time seems to fly by but where work is concerned there never seem to be enough hours in the day.

I have undertaken a few photography projects recently, some over a shot time period and some over several years. However I always feel that I finish them too soon and if I had continued I would have made better work. I suspect we never really complete a project.

I am now feeling that I would like to work on more focused bodies of work where I commit my time to nothing but that project for maybe a month or two. Unfortunately I am not sure I can afford this luxury, but I like to dream! 🙂

Expand full comment

That would be a very interesting project and result in a very compelling body of work! This ‘project’ of mine just kind of evolved on its own. Obviously, I have no idea where I’ll be a year from now, but I would definitely like to continue it. Its like you said- it feels like it needs to be continued. I’m only beginning to think of my photos in terms of projects, but you’re showing me how much value there is in that. Thanks, Gill!

Expand full comment

Great post Erik. Looking back, time seems to have travelled so fast. Where has it gone? But photographs are so good at transporting you back to a certain place and time - like your Easley's Mill. This superpower may be even more important as the world changes more and more quickly.

Expand full comment

Exactly right! Thanks James!

Expand full comment