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Summer Treasures
July 2005
We walk in the fields, look at the flowers, see the green mountains in the distance, enjoy the warm weather, relax, enjoy vacation time – that’s what summer means to us. Now that it’s here, we wish it could stay for a long time. We know that’s not the way the world works, but we can certainly make the most of the many lovely days and weeks of this happy season.
Our cover photograph, entitled “Morning Glory Rain,” by Jo Mainetti, was one of several prizewinners in our photography contest included in this portfolio. It seems a perfect image to celebrate the season. The stunning blue color of the petals is enriched by a few lovely raindrops and stands out with striking beauty against the rich green background. Seeing it is a superb way to welcome our summer months.
Then we go into the “Virgin Red Spruce Forest on Cornell Mountain” which fascinated the camera eye of Anton de Flon. He sees the fallen trunk and branches not as impediments but as part of the beauty of the wooded scene. The colors are rich with the orange layers on the ground, the brown tree trunks, and the green foliage in the background. On the right side of the spread is an equally beautiful landscape photographed by Michael Sibilia, this time with geese in the foreground, standing in front of a body of water. The image is particularly impressive because of the sharpness of the foreground and the soft colors in the distance.
Next we have an unusual double spread of “Tree Reflections” by Loraine Arnold. It took a sharp eye to realize that those trees on the shore would make such a dramatic reflection in the still water – and also a bit of luck! The blue sky above, with a few clouds floating by, make the image seem jewel-like.
In the following spread, we see two lovely close-up shots. One, called “Awakenings,” is a photograph by Linda Wilkinson. It’s amazing to realize that these beautiful day lilies close up at night as if going to sleep and burst forth the following day with their beautiful shapes and colors. The other photograph, called “Silver Morning Mist” by Heather Burrill has a spectacular image of a spider web that is perfectly formed. Not a line is missing from the marvelous composition.
We end with a lovely image of rows of corn rising up a hill. The sky is clear blue, but we see a cloud on one side, and we wonder if part of the landscape is in the shade. The photographer, Matthew L. Petricone, must have been on another hill when he took the photograph, since there are bright close-up views of the plants at the bottom of the photograph.
-David Finn
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