Greg Molyneux Photography

Tag: stafford forge wildlife management area

  • Beset by light

    HDR photograph taken at Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area featuring a fiery sunset offset by a few blowing blades of golden marsh grass in the foreground. The grasses look touched by sunlight.
    Beset by light — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    It’s been a while. Thanks to poor weather, uneventful skies, the return of major league baseball season, and poor scheduling I haven’t been out shooting in almost two weeks. And while it’s good to step away, double digit sabbaticals get a bit too long for me. Suffice to say, I’ve been jonesing.

    With what looked to be a solid setup I made for the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area. It had recently gone through a scheduled controlled burn and all the undergrowth had been taken down to sooty black earth weeks ago, yet low green was already beginning to thrive in the nutrient rich remnants. Fire is life down here in the pines. It’s just amazing how quickly this place can transform in a manner of weeks. I took a picture of the clearing riddled with nascent grasses that I’ll post tomorrow.

    As for tonight’s picture, well after some largely meh long exposure attempts I switched on the fly and transitioned to bracketed exposures as the sky really started doing its thing. It played it coy tonight, colors were tempered and muted well past the sun slinking under the horizon until suddenly the lights really came on. I particularly like how the offset oranges and reds to the right reach across to kiss the golden marsh grasses to the bottom left. For me, it makes the photograph. I hope you enjoy.

  • I’ve got the time

    An HDR photograph taken over the front lake at the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area. This photograph features a foreground of long yellow grasses and a large fallen branch with a stunning background sunset radiating through middle ground clouds. Atop the image, barren branches frame out the scene.
    I’ve got the time — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    I took my time leaving work today. There were no pressing needs at home and pictures were not on my radar. As I walked to my car I felt good about my leisure pace, there were no clouds to be had, and, ostensibly, no worthwhile sunset to chase.

    Time to drive.

    And drive.

    62 miles of drive. Each way. But hey, who’s counting?

    People usually balk at the distance, and right fully so. Me? I mostly shrug it off and enjoy the four wheels of solitude.

    I was 30 miles from home when I first caught glimpse of a solid cloud layer off in the distance. I unscientifically gauged this as being right over my town. 25 miles later would reveal my best guess was correct. Only I was up against the clock.

    6:23: Seven miles from home and running against a 7:04 sunset. Knowing I needed to stop home called for haste—I immediately settled on Stafford Forge, a 12 minute drive door to lake. Making it the closest in my sunset rotation.

    6:32: enter driveway. Quickly I toss aside my work bag inside—OK, it’s a satchel—and grab my camera, tripod, ND filter (would later prove unnecessary), sweatshirt and jacket. Oh, and I ditched the loafers.

    6:36: exit driveway.

    6:48: arrival.

    Bored with my usual Forge setup, I eyed a little patch of woods near the park entrance. Camera in hand I worked through the branches and settled in under a tree. Overlooking the lake with long yellow grasses and a fallen branch in my foreground I knew I had my spot. I dashed back to the car for my tripod, got set up, dialed in and made my bracketed exposures. Above is the result.

  • Mirrored Worlds

    A long exposure photograph taken during blue hour overlooking the lake at Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area. The picture creates a near perfect mirrored reflection.
    Mirrored Worlds — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 50 | EXP 121 sec

    Pictures aside thank you Daylight Savings Time. It’s a real victory being able to chase light and photograph after the long commute home. It changes the game for me as extended weekday shooting is back in the fold.

    I had some time to kill before dinner tonight—and in the interest of full disclosure, dinner tonight consisted of pepper steak at the folks’—I quickly hemmed and hawed over the beach or Stafford Forge as I grabbed my gear and loaded the car. Once I remembered we were negotiating evening high tides all along Long Beach Island, I opted for the Forge. Long exposure jetty rock tidal pictures will just have to wait.

    Some quick thoughts on the ND filter:

    • Set up is more laborious—especially with the care needed in handling the filter so as to be sans prints (fingers)
    • Loading in the outer slot and leaving the inner slot empty will cause light leaks
    • The filter itself seems to cast a blue hue; not certain if it’s common but the filter’s not as neutral as its name would suggest
    • Enjoying the challenge—gonna be a bit before I get something really gripping

  • Ben Wurst, Dialed In

    Photographer and reclaimed wood extraordinare sends out a text to Joe.
    Dialed in — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/60

    It’s not often I photograph people. In fact, it’s pretty damn rare. However, while awkwardly positioned and semi-inverted, I fired off this shot while Ben was texting out our location to friends while we were setting up for sunset at the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area this past Sunday.

  • Out where we cannot be

    Out where we cannot be

    A dark sepia HDR photograph of a frozen wetland of the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area taken just before sunset
    Out where we cannot be — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    I got wet today folks. That’s right, I did what we shan’t do and fell through the ice. Levy any and all criticisms here, and yes I was immediately reminded of what we all learned from our parents as children. Now, while I was very near to shore and hardly in peril, the ordeal was still a bit of a stunner. Between the freezing temperatures as my right leg plunge down to the knee or my discarded camera and tripod, my immediate attention was to my camera, lens, and their collective well being. Frost bite be damned, I’ve dropped this pair once before and was having not so great flashbacks—I didn’t have time to be fretting over a wet foot. As it turns out, the camera and lens seem fine despite the fixed lens hood acting as something of a snow plow. But I digress.

    Fractured ice aside, I had a blast shooting with Ben Wurst of Reclaimed today. We took advantage (mostly) of the unusually cold temperatures and ventured out on foot over wetlands we’d otherwise never have access to. While we were clouded out at the key moment rendering the idyllic sunset palette a bit stale, the array of clouds made for an interesting composition; made all the more dramatic with the dark sepia treatment. This is a composite of seven exposures to extract the great dynamic range from the scene.

    With any luck if the cold stays, I can avoid falling in and successfully return to this spot for a more winter stunning sky.