Viewfinder: Covered Bridge at Stratton Brook State Park

About the Photograph

Stratton Brook State Park Covered Bridge: There wasn't much snow in the winter of 2011-12, so when I woke up to a white powdery blanket of snow one day I grabbed my camera (and my two border collies) and went to see what I could find at Stratton Brook State Park. It was such a beautiful winter wonderland that it was hard not to get a few good shots of the red covered bridge standing guard over the fishing pond.

About the Photographer

Photography is my way of being creative and seeing the magic of the world around me. I am always looking for the things in our world that entice me to look further, and since I am out walking my dogs every day in Simsbury or West Simsbury, I can't help but notice the beauty that surrounds me, within just a few miles of where I live. I take my camera (or my phone camera) with me everywhere I go to capture the moment, and will make special trips to my favorite places to make sure I get the right light, often in the early morning before the cars and people fill the scene. 

My photographs are often of the natural world, but can include images of the interaction of humans with that world. In my photographs of Simsbury, I have tried to show some of my favorite, most picturesque places, where people will often go to enjoy the colors and flowers, like the flower bridge, or where they may only gaze at from afar, as the historic cemetery set on a hillside overlooking the center of town. Getting up close to things allows you see it in a different way, and see the details that are easily overlooked, such as the Eno headstones from the 18th century set in front of the Phelps tomb high on the hillside. 

I am currently working on a publication that will identify scenic sites to photograph in Connecticut, but find that there are so many places close to home in Simsbury and the surrounding towns that it's hard to pick just a few. I do not yet have a website for photographs, but I add photos to my blog that I created when my two border collies were puppies (www.emmaandwill.blogspot.co

The Simsbury Camera Club is a local group of professional and non-professional photography enthusiasts. Founded in 1955 the club is interested in "enhancing the photographic skills" of members, according to their website. New members are encouraged to attend meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at the Simsbury Public Library at 7 p.m. and on the third Wednesday of every month at Eno Memorial Hall at 7 p.m. Meeting dates are subject to change. Visit www.simsburycameraclub.com for updated information.