Photos of Distinction Spring 2022 announced

Imagining Lyme – A Visual Exploration of Lyme’s Preserves

The Lyme Land Trust is excited to announce the Photos of Distinction for the Spring 2022 session of Imagining Lyme. We wish to thank all of the talented photographers who submitted work to our showcase gallery. This is not a contest but rather a place to share your favorite photos of nature in Lyme. The judges choose three photos of distinction that stand out to them and explain why. Here is the list of those photos with judges’ comments in italics. 

Dogwood (Lyme Pollinator Habitat) by Rochelle Davis.  “Rochelle has captured the subtle beauty of our native dogwood tree. The petal-like bracts elegantly frame a treasure trove of developing seeds. The sharp relief of the barren branches and placement of the flower create a dynamic composition. Rochelle Davis uses a narrow depth of field to separate the flower from a relatively busy out of focus background. The soft green and yellow tones blend harmoniously.”

Vernal Pool Reflections, (Johnston Preserve) by Kip Bergstrom. “Kip takes a technical, multilayered approach to his subject of trees reflecting in a vernal pool. Through his technique of adding a second layer, Kip softens what would normally be a contrasty picture. The layers fill in the shadows, lighten the blue sky and add a transparent yellow shape to the to forest floor and brush. Kip then made a fairly extreme vertical crop of the photo emphasizing the vertical nature of the trees and their strong reflections, crisscrossed by horizontal shadows.”

Tree Highlighted in Overcast Sky, (Jewett Preserve) by Ann Hefter.  “Ann isolates the shape of a dead tree by placing it against the sky and framing it with the surrounding trees. The photo touches on the themes of life and death as seen in the aged tree in contrast to the vibrance of the green plant life. Ann uses a strong tonal range to add an appealing yet almost abstract element to the photo. While there are many tools available to build this effect, the most handy are saturation and vibrance.”

Honorable Mention: Dew on Spider Web (Lyme Pollinator Habitat) by Rochelle Davis.  “We would like to give an honorable mention to Rochelle Davis for her keen eye and excellent technique in capturing this photograph. The photo speaks to Rochelle’s keen powers of observation, curiosity about the natural world, and sense of beauty and grace.”

Visit our webpage imagininglyme.org to submit your photos and to view the showcase galleries. The deadline for summer photos is September 30, 2022.

Dogwood - Photographer: Rochelle Davis (Photo of  Distinction) May 4, 2022 Private land The blooming of our native dogwoods [Cornus florida] mark spring for me. Peppered throughout old farms and Lyme's preserves, dogwoods seem to be honored members of our community. This single last blossom, surrounded by the new leaves that will nourish the tree, serves as a reminder to celebrate their beauty.
Vernal Pool refection - Photographer: Kip April 23, 2022 Johnston I took this photo on a LLT group hike led by Tony on April 23rd to see salamander eggs in the vernal pools of the Johnston preserve. I love reflections as they are windows into another world. In this case, the subtle colors hint at the coming of spring, while looking back to the fall.
Tree Highlighted in Overcast Sky - Photographer: Anne Hefter (Photo of  Distinction) June 2022 Pleasant Valley From the Walk with Joe Standart
Dew On Spider Web - Photographer: Rochelle Davis (Photo of  Distinction - Honorable Mention) May 2022 Private land In the meadows in spring and summer, the spiders build their webs between the grass stems. The dew catches on them and shines like a string of pearls in the morning sun.