by Paul Schmitt

At our annual photo exhibit, the members of Cayuga Nature Photographers selected by a strong majority as Best in Show the image Fire Island by Adam Baker.

The scene was a foggy sunrise at a lake in Vermont during autumn.  There was a magical light that found a path through the fog layers to illuminate the colorful trees on a small island.  While the trees are clearly a primary subject of the image, there is an added interest developed by the foreground rocks combined with the gentle reflection of both trees and rocks underlying the rocks.  These two subject areas create multiple areas of interest for the viewer to explore.  Adam used a 70-200mm telephoto lens at 135mm to compress the distance between the rocks and the trees.

Adam remarked that he was the only person present at this popular scenic location on that foggy morning.  Perhaps we need to remember that even discouraging conditions can yield a magical scene for a brief time, and we need to be prepared to quickly seize the moment.

Congratulations, Adam!