Tractor pulling at the Brooklyn Fair

For the past few years I have been photographing a group of guys who pass their time at the Brooklyn Fair (in Brooklyn CT) pulling large cement blocks with their antique tractors. The tractors have to be pre-1950 and in their original state meaning that they are not “souped up” in any way. These tractor enthusiasts compete at many agricultural fairs around New England throughout the year but every August the oldest continuously running agricultural fair in the US convenes and this is where I meet up with them.

They are “tractor pulling”… For those not familiar with this event here’s a quick primer. The tractors are broken down into groups based on weight. So for example, there are 4500lb, 6500lb & 8500lb groups all with “stock” specifications. Tractors are hooked up to a sled that has progressively more weight added to it as each round progresses. Each tractor has to pull the sled as far as it can until it completes the specified distance where it is considered a “full pull”. A full pull is required to progress to the next round. This continues until no tractor can complete a full pull and then the actual distance traveled is measured. The driver and tractor to pull the most weight the furthest distance wins! The rules are a lot more complicated than I have stated but if you are interested in the full rules they can be found here http://www.cstpa.org/ at the Connecticut State Tractor Pullers Association.

(The previous video is a mix of still photography and video that were shot with a Canon 5D MkII.)

Here is a closer look at some of the images in the video that will give you a better introduction to some of the competitors.

Craggy rockface, ‘Stair Hole’ and limestone crumple west of Lulworth Cove, England

Lulworth Cove, where this was taken, is on the beautiful Jurassic Coast of England. It is referred to as the Jurassic coast because of the rich fossil resources that are everywhere in the area. Fossils are easily found at the surface when walking in this area due to the continual erosion of the coastline and the continual revelation of new fossila that accompanies it. Many significant fossils have been found here including intact ichthyosaur and plesiosaur skeletons. These finds were famously attributed to probably the worlds first female fossil collector and palaeontologist, Mary Anning, who lived in the early 19th century.

This area is probably one of the most photographed areas of the south coast of England where people flock every year to see Lulworth Cove and the amazing rock  formations. The most famous of these is called Durdle Door and is a large natural arch reaching out into the ocean. This photograph is taken between Lulworth Cove & Durdel Door and is called Stair Hole.

I took this particular view of Stair Hole as I loved the various layers, textures and colors that are compressed into such a small area here. In the foreground there is the rich red soil and flowers that abut the rocky beach. Behind you can see a limestone crumple that shows exactly how much the earth here has been twisted and forced into these layers of rock that almost seem like a roller coaster designer has gone wild here.

To get the shot I needed  to be able to get a good depth of field so that everything from the flowers in the foreground right through to the ocean and cliffs was nicely in focus. I used a 15mm lens to frame the shot and then set the exposure at 1/60th of a second and f11 with ISO set at 100.

Where ocean meets sand, Cranes Beach

This shot was taken why flying over the Cape Ann area. It shows low tide at Cranes Beach and the patterns produced with the interplay of the receding ocean and the sand that it exposes. The little white dots are actually birds taking advantage of the low tide and most likely looking for stranded fish or crabs. This is a somewhat abstract image with nothing in the shot to denote scale or context.

As you fly over coastline you realize how quickly it is changing before your eyes and will look completely different in a few hours or the next day. It provides a treasure trove of possible images to capture and is always a favorite place to fly over.

This shot was taken with a Canon 5D MK II and a 24-105 f/4L lens. Exposure was 1/800 second at f4 at ISO200. The focal length was at 100mm and I was flying at an altitude around 1000 feet.

Springtime lambs in the UK

I saw this little guy while walking around a place called Stowe Gardens in England. I happened to be there just as the lambs were becoming frisky and starting to explore a little further afield than their mothers. The sheep are left to run wild around Stowe Gardens and run around they do. This little one was starting to look a little nervous and look around for its mother. I had focused in on him because of the composition I could see with him near the tree and the shapes of other sheep behind. I was using a 70-200 2.8 zoom with a 1.4x extender attached. The 1.4x increases the minimum aperture of the lens as it adds 1 stop. So, a 70-200 2.8 becomes a 98-280 f4. This was perfect for me to be able to maintain my distance also allowing me to shoot at f4 to make sure the trees and sheep behind are nicely blurred. Just after this shot was taken, he spotted his mother and ran off.

South Bostons Old Harbor coastline

I love to fly over Boston as it has become the best way for me to become intimately familiar with the city and its layout. Often, when you look down over Boston you see things that don’t seem to quite belong. This is a great example. At first glance this does not look like a beach scene you think of as typically Bostonian. This shot was taken on a beautiful spring day last year when the sea was calm and the beach was deserted. I love the contrast of the tranquility of the ocean with the checker board pattern of the housing as well as the opposite colors they have. I have often walked and driven around this area but this was the first time I had really been able to appreciate the real beauty of the area.

Rain drops in the grass, Allagash Maine

This is another image taken while vacationing in the Allagash Wilderness in Maine. No matter what month in the summer you go there is always a good chance you will end up with some rain and often quite big storms as well. This shot was taken on a walk I frequently take in the Allagash to some abandoned steam trains that were left there in 1939. Its about a half mile walk each way with a mostly muddy trail with trees either side. Occasionally there are small meadows of tall grasses close by and this shot was taken at the edge of such a meadow after a rain shower.

What drew my attention was the way the rain drops were laying on the grass and I decided to see if I could get a shot that captured the mood of what I was seeing. The shot was taken very low to the ground with a 17-40mm lens placed close to the grasses. I wanted to get a pretty intimate view of the grasses and decided the wide angle lens would give me what I was looking for while also maintaining a good depth of field. I was happy with the result but in full color it was an average shot. I decided to see what a monochrome view would look like and did a black & white conversion that I then warmed up with a little brown tint. This enabled the rain drops to jump out more prominently which is what I was really looking for.