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The Magic of Water
September 2004
Water is magical to a photographer because of the many different images that can be discovered in its various forms. There is nothing quite like it in the landscapes we see around us. The surfaces of water can be affected by winds that create ripples, by cliffs that create waterfalls, by rocks on the shore that create splashing waves, by a stillness that produces reflections. This month's portfolio consists of photographs that show some of the many different variations of water that we can discover with our camera eye.
Our cover, called "Stony Clove Creek" by Herb Chong, is this year's grand prize winner of our Catskill Mountain Region Guide annual photography contest. We received more entries this year than ever before, and more fine photographs for the many different categories. This photograph won first prize for our "Water Scene" category, and then won first prize for the whole contest. It is an amazing image, reminiscent of painting by Turner. The tones of the water, foam and rocks are subtle yet clearly defined. The composition is superb. The impact of the overall scene is very strong. We congratulate Herb Chong for capturing this beautiful image in his camera eye.
The second prize in this category is "Autumn Impression" by Jennie A. Meares. We are always intrigued by photographs of reflections, especially when they are clear enough to see the whole scene, but blurred enough to make it clear that we are looking into the water rather than at the landscape. It is especially impressive in this photograph to see how well composed it is, with the large tree on the left, the house off center and a bit to the right, the distant foliage rising at an angle, and a bit of blue sky seen under the clouds.
The third prize is also a photograph of still water, this time reflecting the sky, partially covered by clouds, intermingled with some foliage on the surface of the pond. Once again it is a well composed image.
The other photographs came close to being winners and were admired by all the judges. One shows a thin waterfall flowing down rocks surrounded by trees. Another shows branches of a tree stretched out over a pond and, judging from the glowing colors reflected in the water, it was taken at sunset. A third shows a single flower with yellow petals emerging from a pond. A fourth is called "Sundown on the Ashokan Reservoir," and the photographer apparently finds his image after the sun has dropped below the horizon. And finally there is "Backyard Pond," a lovely composition of green, white, orange and purple forms floating on the still surface of the water.
These are all fine photographs, and we are delighted to be able to include them in this month's portfolio.
David Finn
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