"Now wait."

One of our daughters always used to say, “Now wait.” It was one of those useless annoying statements that was always in response to our wanting her to go somewhere or do something. “Now wait,” she would reply. Naturally, as parents, we had developed an equally annoying set of responses that eventually wore the statement into oblivion, never to be said again, until now, that is, when I need it to photograph.

It seems that no matter how dark it may be, there is always light, we just have to wait until it builds up enough in the camera to create an image. This particular image of a white hydrangea was captured in a 52 second exposure, with the help of a few swipes of a flashlight, more than an hour after the sun had gone down. My camera was actually beginning to talk back to me after a long day of shooting, as if it wanted to quit and go home. But I said, “Now wait,” I just need 52 more seconds of your time.

Finally, that annoying statement of so many years ago meant something.

Dandelion, weed or wildflower?

It was suggested today that I mow the lawn or else rent a bailer next week before I cut it, but as I looked out over my carefully manicured field of yellow and green, I thought it was time to declare the ever present dandelion a wildflower that should not be recklessly mowed down like common grass. I chose to admire its beauty for at least another day.

To justify my decision, I did a Google search to support my wildflower theory and to see if is used for anything other than dandelion wine. I was blown away by what I found. So, sit back and read on to see if you should mow or harvest your field of yellow.

The fresh juice of Dandelion is applied externally to fight bacteria and help heal wounds. The plant has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Staphococcus aureus, pneumococci, meningococci, Bacillus dysenteriae, B. typhi, C. diphtheriae, proteus. And if that wasn’t enough, the latex contained in the plant sap can be used to remove corns and warts.

Dandelion is also used for the treatment of the gall bladder, kidney and urinary disorders, gallstones, jaundice, cirrhosis, hypoglycemia, dyspepsia with constipation, edema associated with high blood pressure and heart weakness, chronic joint and skin complaints, gout, eczema and acne. As a tonic, Dandelion strengthens the kidneys. An infusion of the root encourages the steady elimination of toxins from the body. Dandelion is a powerful diuretic but does not deplete the body of potassium.

Dandelion can be used as a tonic and blood purifier, for constipation, inflammatory skin conditions, joint pain, eczema and liver dysfunction, including liver conditions such as hepatitis and jaundice.

When placed in a paper bag with unripe fruit, the flowers and leaves of Dandelion release ethylene gas ripening the fruit quickly. A liquid plant food is made from the root and leaves. A dark red dye is obtained from Dandelion root. A cosmetic skin lotion made from the appendages at the base of the leaf blades distilled in water, is used to clear the skin and is effective in fading freckles.

Dandelion is a very easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils and my lawn, of course. So now, I’m beginning to wonder if there is a viable market for my precious and abundant yellow wildflowers growing randomly throughout my yard. Should I mow or harvest? Only time will tell, unless of course Lois tells me first. Then I guess I’ll have to wait for a new crop next week.

A man in a window

I have had the unique opportunity to photograph thousands of people in every culture and every social class over the years. While a who's who list of subjects is nice if you're compiling a "gee-whiz" list, or a client list, one thing that is so personally rewarding is visiting a third world culture to capture the images of people who are so thankful for what little they have.

First time travelers are always concerned about the culture shock of seeing people with so little when we have so much. I tell them the real culture shock is when they come home and realize how much they have in comparison.

This man lives in a 300 square foot home in Teupasenti, Honduras. There are just two doors and one window with no glass or screens. Inside there is a chair, a bed, wash basin, one light bulb and an antique Singer treadle sewing machine by the window. He's the town tailor. I don't know his name, and neither of us spoke each other's language, but somehow we communicated.

We had a nonverbal connection that seemed to transcend language. It created a bond of trust that freed him to show a sense of peace, satisfaction and accomplishment on his face. He was a man of character, a proud man despite his "poverty." You see, unlike so many of us, he doesn't know what he doesn't have.

To see more of my friends, take a look at our portfolio "People we meet," on our website.

The Sydney Opera House

Empty beaches are fascinating places, especially in spring before local residents have had a chance to clean up the driftwood, seaweed, and seashells washed ashore by winter tides. They are great places to carry a camera and look for the patterns and shapes of nature. Many people tend to focus on crashing surf, fishermen, and lonely individuals walking their dogs at the edge of the surf. While they do set a mood or a tone, we tend to look down most of the time to see what’s right in front of our toes.

Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, designed the Sydney Opera House based on the shape of a simple sea shell. Yet it is one of the most recognizable architectural structures in the world and is in fact, one of the architectural wonders of the world, too. I’m not sure where his design originated, but I think God beat him with this prototype on the beach in Milford, Connecticut.

Do you see what I see?

Some would call this the good life. Others would say, “Is that all there is?” Some people watch people, like the two on the right, and other people just watch, like the gentleman on the left. In either case there is nothing like a bench at the beach to watch every kind of humanity known to humanity, or to just sit and stare at the ocean and dream, or perhaps remember great times from the past.

These three people fascinated me as I watched them watch. Sometimes they spoke. Sometimes they just watched. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were related to each other, how often they came to sit on their boardwalk bench, where they lived, what kind of life they had lived, where had they traveled and what were some of the best memories of their past?

There’s a part of me that wants to know, and for those of you who know me, you’re probably wondering why I didn’t ask them and photograph them from the front. But this time, I really didn’t want to know the answers. Instead, I too just wanted to enjoy the scene in front of me.

Bald is beautiful.

Bald really is beautiful in so many ways, and nothing gets your attention more than the penetrating stare of the American bald eagle. Is it any wonder why it was chosen as America’s symbol more than two hundred years ago? We see him on our money, our national seal, and our military emblems. He’s recognized all over the world as a grand symbol of power and freedom.

So, next time you want to poke fun at someone’s baldness, think of the penetrating, steely-eyed stare of the American bald eagle, and most of all, remember he’s at the top of the food chain, and you are not.

Jimmies on Savin Rock

When you live along the coast, you have to enjoy seafood, or at least pretend to enjoy it. One of the New England rites of passage from spring to summer is eating a lobster roll and french fries at Jimmies on the beach in West Haven, Connecticut. There are a few brave souls lying in the sun and below the still cool wind, but the strollers are out, seniors are sitting on park benches, and it seems everyone has at least one dog on a leash.

Jimmies is perhaps our favorite local outdoor restaurant. We have been there in the winter and watched the cold breakers roll in from a booth inside, but it is nothing like sitting at a table under an umbrella next to the boardwalk in summer.

It’s a great place to sit and photograph people as they go past. Sometimes they catch me and wonder what I’m doing, but usually they just ignore me. Try it sometime, but if you’re a little shy about getting caught, just put your lobster roll on the rail beside your table and pretend you’re photographing your lunch. It works every time

Raptor sunset

What started out as an evening of tagging horseshoe crabs during mating season ended up being an evening of photographing along the Connecticut shoreline at dusk. The tagging event was scheduled to start at 7:30 and last an hour, but I think word spread through the crab community and they decided to come out later to party, after we left.

Photographing the sun setting over water on the East coast is a challenge, but there are enough inlets and marshes to make it interesting. I found this pair of nesting Osprey on a platform above a salt marsh adjacent to the Audubon Society of Connecticut's Milford, facility. One posed and the other couldn't be bothered.