Photographer’s Choice – Kim Hadley

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The Bleakness – And Beauty – of Winter in Ashe

Kim Hadley - Winter in Creston

Kim Hadley – Winter in Creston

All photographers know the great advantage of rolling out of bed early and getting out for that elusive first light in the morning. It requires a particular dedication to venture out into a windy, 22-degree morning after a snowfall with a hope the morning will be special and offer an opportunity to capture a unique and memorable image. “It was barely pre-dawn…and I was facing North. The sun had not yet broken the horizon to the east and actually when it did, it was quite uneventful due to how cloudy it was – so the only show of color was during these few minutes before dawn”, says Kim. “It is a very mild HDR…I wanted to preserve the pink in the sky without losing all the details in the valley to darkness.” She found an opening between the near trees to frame the distant mountains. The closer, darker mountain and the black pond provide a clear focal point to bring order to the scene. The early light had a definite blue bias which could be corrected in post processing, shifting the snow to white, but that would alter the reality of the light, remove the “cold” one feels and take away the very pleasing contrast with the pinkish sky. On this particular morning, Kim was rewarded for her efforts.

Canon EOS 50d fitted with an EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens
Focal Length – 18mm
Shutter 1/60 sec @ f/3.5 aperture
ISO – 400

Member Favorites From “Still Life” Assignment

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A “Still Life” gives the artist perhaps more freedom to convey a specific message in a visual presentation than other categories such as portraiture or landscape. Every element of the work is under the direct control of the artist, from the objects chosen, to the arrangement of the objects, to the lighting and background. There’s no rush to catch the perfect time of day or a fleeting light or changing weather. Elements can be removed or added over an extended time until the artist is satisfied with his arrangement. Or, in the case of photography, multiple shots from a different perspective or different light sources can be attempted, until a finished work reflects the artistic intent. The ACC members who participated in this assignment took advantage of this freedom and produced some excellent results, making the voting a very difficult choice to determine the member’s favorite.
The overall favorite below was created by Kim Hadley, a very simple but powerful composition of times past with a pocketwatch and pair of glasses, all set in a warm environment of soft light and a muted, wqrm sepia color. The handwriten paper makes an ideal background. The shallow depth of field is perfect.

Times Past - Kim Hadley - Member Favorite

Times Past – Kim Hadley – Member Favorite


The second place winner goes to Sandy Pinto for an autumn themed look at an artistic and colorful arrangment of objects typically associated with that lovely time of year. Set in a weather beaten and peeling chair and in a somewhat muted light, the feeling of the end of summer, the coming winter cold and the passage of another year is conveyed to the viewer
Sandy Pinto - Fall Scene - Voted 2nd Favorite

Sandy Pinto – Fall Scene – Voted 2nd Favorite


Only one vote behind Sandy is this work by Martin Seelig successfully portraying his love for film photography using vintage cameras. It’s obvious that he selected the various pieces carefully and arranged them exactly as he wished. He included not only the Ciro-flex twin reflex camera but all the items that would come with the purchase. The addition of the lightmeter completes the story. It’s only natural that he would choose b&w for his presentation.
Martin Seelig - 3rd Place Favorite - CiroFlex Still Life

Martin Seelig – 3rd Place Favorite – CiroFlex Still Life