An online exhibit of prints and photography
Recent Exhibit:
“Natural Light”
at Lawrence Library, Pepperell, MA,
12 February - 11 March 2005,
during library hours
This exhibit has closed at the library, but it can still be viewed online here.
Artist’s statement & quick bio
I was born in England, grew up in North Carolina, came to Massachusetts to get an education, met my wife, liked what I saw, and have been around here ever since. I’ve been photographing since my teens (and that was a LONG time ago) when I bought my first camera with money earned mowing neighbors’ lawns. I have had an interesting and varied career since then, as a hardware and software engineer (designing music synthesis and computer graphics systems), technical writer, consultant, teacher, and artist. While I still consult occasionally in technology, my main focus is to establish and expand my photographic business, Apple Tree Studios.
Much of the retail photo business is highly seasonal: family, school & sports portraiture have strong peaks in demand. In-season, one is frantically busy, taking huge numbers of portraits daily. Off-season, one can kick back, catch one’s breath, and explore other things.
Portraiture is pretty demanding, to do well. Basic technique is straightforward, but there’s a lot of psychology involved - many intangibles they don’t teach in art school. And there are definite hallmarks of good portraiture that set it apart from bad.
Light is the heart and soul of photography. The very name, “photo” + “graphy”, means “painting with light”. There are so many kinds and qualities of light to work with. And like a painting, a photograph need not be realistic. There are likewise so many means of abstraction available for creative expression.
Studio portraiture uses a lot of artificial light. This provides precise control of the light, in a tightly controlled setting. This is good, for production. In candid portraiture, and in photojournalism, where the environment is largely beyond the photographer’s control, natural or existing light is often relied upon, with at most a small flash for “fill-in” light.
I have nothing against artificial light. I use it when appropriate. But all good artificial light is an imitation of natural light. So when photographing natural subjects (as I often do to “decompress” from photographing people), I stick with natural light exclusively.
Even though nature photography is in some ways an escape from portraiture, there are good things from portraiture I do try to take with me. Whether photographing a flower, bird, insect, animal, or landscape, I apply certain principles of good portraiture – posing, composition, expression, light – to the task. I think of it as making “portraits of flowers”.
Any of the photographs exhibited here can purchased.
Payment is currently accepted via money orders and personal checks in US dollars,
or online via PayPal.
For inquiries, send an e-mail to
bill@appletreeimaging.com
or a phone call to 978-302-6696.
Thanks. Hope you enjoy the show. --- Bill Mixon, 12 February 2005
“Winter Solstice Blossom”
My wife is an avid gardener. Even in the winter. A few years ago she had this amazing amaryllis blossom open up in the dead of December, indoors. I photographed it backlit against the window, to highlight the delicate veins and markings in the petals.
This image appears twice in the exhibit, printed in different sizes, just for comparison.
“Blue Heron”
Herons are among my favorite birds. So awkward and at the same time so graceful. Seeing one in flight it's not hard to imagine the reptilian roots of the bird family tree – like watching a pterodactyl.
There are a number of heron rookeries in the Central Massachusetts area, though they are under constant threat from nearby residential and industrial development. It would be so sad to see them disappear.
Herons like to hang out around the edges of rivers and swampy areas, especially around dawn and dusk, to catch a meal. Woe to the hapless frog who happens by then!
“Olympic Coast Sunset 1”
In 1995, while on assignment at Microsoft to develop some software for my employer at the time, I decompressed from a week of hard coding by taking a weekend road trip, a grand tour of the spectacular natural scenery around Seattle. One of the destinations was the Olympic Peninsula.
This whole area is volcanically active, and earthquake-prone. In fact, it is just marking time till being swallowed up by the Big One. Ouch. Till that happens, I can still see how so many people think that the beauty of the area justifies the risk of living there.
“Olympic Coast Sunset 2”
Another scene from my Olympic Peninsula trip. Glacially-formed islands dot the coast. Serendipitously, I happened upon them just at sunset.
Really, if you get the chance, you should visit this area at least once.
“Northern Cascades Fog”
Another leg of my Washington road trip took me through the Northern Cascades, a rugged range of volcanoes splitting the state in half. I set out early in the morning, in misty weather. Fog still lay in the valleys as I climbed into the foothills of the range.
“Nubble Sunrise 1”
A favorite childhood haunt of my wife’s, the Cape Neddick / Nubble Point area in Maine. This is the famous lighthouse located on an island off Nubble Point. It’s one of the most photographed motifs in America – though I hope this is a slightly different point of view.
“Nubble Sunrise 2”
This is just an exploration of light, a classic sunrise over the ocean.
“Coneflowers”
These were in my wife’s garden. The play of light on them, especially early and late in the day, was most interesting.
“Shell”
This is a token image in artificial light, the only one in this exhibit. Just to make a point, as an aside, that artificial light does have its place.
Spiny conch shell on the light table.
“Palms”
On a software business trip to Silicon Valley in California, I came across this intriguing arrangement of palms. Since I am rarely without a camera, I recorded the moment.
“Northern Cascades Peaks”
On the Northern Cascades leg of my Washington state road trip, I passed through this rugged scenery. One has to walk out on a narrow trail to a rocky ledge, to take in this vista across a deep valley. Not for the faint of heart, but worth forcing yourself.
“Butterfly Feeding”
Prescott Park , in Portsmouth, NH, is a mecca for butterflies (and other flower lovers) in late summer. Caught this little sucker backlit against the sky. The extremes of light do interesting things to the colors.
“Aster”
A straightforward flower portrait. She was dressed in her Sunday best, not a hair out of place. I sat her down on the posing stool and click! We got this.
“Grapevine”
Snagged near the glacial potholes in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. Backlighting, though tricky, is one of my favorite kinds of lighting.
By the way, the Bridge of Flowers , also in Shelburne Falls, is not to be missed if you’re in that area during gardening season.
“Autumn Leaves”
The wonders you find in your own backyard! As a once-upon-a-time potter, I was fascinated by the surface texture and color of these leaves.
“Daylily”
The Garden in The Woods , in Natick, Massachusetts, is run by the New England Wild Flower Society. You can think of it as a museum of wildflowers. Or you can think of it as a wonderful place to stroll. Either way, recommended.
“Seed Pod”
The Tower Hill Botanical Garden , in Boylston, Massachusetts, is run by the Worcester County Horticultural Society. Outside of Arnold Arboretum in Boston, it is probably the premier arboretum in Massachusetts. In the dead of winter, their indoor Orangerie is a priceless oasis.
“Nubble Surf”
Taken in Maine, at Nubble Point. I had just married my wife, and the world was all sparkly.
(Thirteen years later, wear and tear notwithstanding, the world is still all sparkly.)
“Cormorants”
These two were found at the Wachusett Reservoir in West Boylston, Massachusetts. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but it looked like a pretty lively conversation.
“Oriental Motif #1”
Witch hazel, growing wild in the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, in Still River, Massachusetts. There is an oriental quality about this composition, hence the name.
“Blue”
Sometimes I’m a bit lazy about names. But then again, I don’t like to over-specify. Some photography is like visual poetry, and like its written counterpart, needs ambiguity to breathe. What an image means to me, is not always what it means to you. Make your own name if you don’t like mine.
This was taken in woods near the Wachusett Reservoir just after a heavy ice storm a few years ago.
“Coneflower”
Returning to a favorite subject in my wife’s garden, and exploring the never-ending play of light on it.
“Brown”
Another “lazy” name, or call-it-what-you-like. I see all sorts of metaphors in this image besides the literal interpretation some names might imply.
From a small, out-of-the way nature preserve in Bolton, Massachusetts.
“Crocus”
Winter is not really my favorite season in Massachusetts. That’s why I’m always happy when these little guys poke their heads up in late February or so.
“Vines”
I found these intricately entwined vines along the Sudbury River in Concord, Massachusetts. I was so intrigued by them I did a whole series of photos on the theme.
“Apple Blossoms”
We’re surrounded by orchards here in Sterling. I didn’t have to travel far to find this. The morning light did wonderful things to the colors.
Obviously I find apple trees an inspiring subject. I use this sometimes as a “signature image” for my photography business, Apple Tree Studios.
IMPORTANT NOTE
These images are copyrighted by the photographer.
Please do NOT copy these images without the artist's permission!
Thank you.
Directions to the
Lawrence Library
in Pepperell
The library is located at
15 Main Street
Pepperell, MA 01463
which is on Route 113, just west of the intersection with Route 111 at the rotary.
Get a map from
(InfoSpace)
or
(MapQuest)
.
The library's hours are:
Tue 1-8PM
Wed-Thu 10AM-8PM
Fri 10AM-5PM
Sat 10AM-4PM
Thanks to
Kathy Low, gallery coordinator;
Ann Parsons, library director;
all the rest of the very helpful staff & volunteers at the Lawrence Library;
and to
Joy, my wife and muse.
Webpage design by Apple Tree Studios.
Webpage: copyright ©2005, Apple Tree Studios, all rights reserved.
Apple Tree Studios logo: copyright © by Apple Tree Studios, all rights reserved.
All images in this exhibit: copyright © by Apple Tree Studios, all rights reserved.
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