COLORLABS
PHOTOGRAPHy by THOMAS PORTER
Thomas Porter is an awarded photographer living on a 200-acre farm named "Thimbleberry Farm" in Northern Virginia. Its name is derived from the large patches of thimbleberries on the farm. When not in the studio, I've made it my mission to shoot farms, parks, animals, & other landscapes that inform & enrich our existence.
Art is art. Everything else is everything else.
→ About Thomas
Autumn
There are more than four seasons. Many photographers understand this, but most do not.
Understanding the various phases of the seasons is crucial for landscape photographers in the middle latitudes – those places that have a traditional cycle of seasons. For instance, the light in early Autumn is significantly warmer than the thin light in late Autumn. This knowledge allows photographers to anticipate & capture the unique moments of the season, much like the changing phases of the moon.
The calendar year unfolds not merely into four chapters but into an anthology of moments, each defined by its own unique light, colors, shadows, & subjects. For photographers, each season is less of a span of time & more of a mosaic of fleeting lights & colors. Autumn, particularly, is a wild distribution of unique moments.
Early Autumn is a precious time for photographers to chase that sometimes elusive golden hour. Here, the light lingers, wrapping the earth in warmth, allowing the lens to capture the day’s last images in hues of amber & gold.
Early Autumn is a precious time for photographers to chase that sometimes elusive golden hour. Here, the light lingers, wrapping the earth in warmth, allowing the lens to capture the day’s last images in hues of amber & gold.
Young Autumn brings a subtle shift, the light retreating as if it senses the coming winter. The trees start to show speckles of gold, their first change of the season. This cooler, gentler light, & crisp air offer a canvas ripe for capturing the changes from active life to dormancy. It’s a period of subtle transformation where each snapshot encapsulates the promise of rebirth.
Middle Autumn casts a sharper, starker light as the sun bows in a lower arc, creating long, dramatic shadows that delight the photographic eye. The first frosts dust the earth, inviting the contrast of warm colors against the cold blue of the dawn. Cloudier skies prevail, painting the landscape in a somber palette that challenges photographers to find beauty in that flat light.
winter
Late Winter begins a gentle shift towards renewal. The light slowly softens, inviting the thaw that brings intricate textures & patterns in the snow and ice. Storms sweep through, their dramatic light conditions providing fleeting moments of brilliance just before the darkness returns. This period challenges photographers to capture the dramatic interplay of light & shadow; the gratitude of another death survived.
Early Winter offers photographers stark contrasts and the sublime beauty of simplicity. This is a time when every frozen detail, every sparkle of ice under the sun's gaze, can be captured as a testament to nature’s grandeur.
Middle Winter finds the season at its nadir, with ridiculously short days & the sun a distant, low-watt bulb in the sky. Handling the camera becomes challenging as we fumble with buttons through thick gloves. The prevailing light is soft & often imbued with a bluish hue, painting the world in the colors of solitude. For photographers, this light offers a canvas to capture serene landscapes where the quiet of nature whispers in each frame.
Spring
Spring unfolds both as a season & as a series of transformative phases, each with its own details, capturing the essence of awakening.
Early Spring arrives like a whisper, breaking the winter's silence as the first foolhardy buds pierce the snow. This is the time when we wait impatiently for the first Redbuds, Daffodils, Dogwoods, Wild Cherry Viburnum, & Yarrow to appear – for the first vivid colors of the new year. The light during this phase is crisp & luminous (although it can still be quite flat). This light is a photographer’s friend, emphasizing the delicate color of petals & the fine structure of new leaves, perfect for capturing the beginnings of nature’s reawakening.
Middle Spring is a celebration of life. The air fills with the scent of blooming flowers & the lush, vivid greens of new growth. As the sun rises in the sky, the light begins to warm as it moves through less atmosphere, causing the entire day to bask in day-long warm light. It is the perfect time for photographers to capture the fullness of landscapes in bloom.
SUMMER
The transition from Late Spring to Young Summer is seamless, as the cool, gusty winds give way to warm breezes & longer days. For a photographer, Young Summer is an extended golden hour, where the unfiltered sunlight bathes the world in warm light. Early morning shoots are filled with a lazy amber light that flows across the landscape -- where the dew glistens on new growth.
The world feels fresh & vibrant.
Early Summer continues this narrative of growth, extending the days under a sun that illuminates the world with direct light. This brilliance can cast annoying deep shadows but also highlights the dozens of flavors of greens --from new light greens to lush darker greens & the short-lived splashes of floral colors – all red, blue, orange, white, gold, yellow & purple. Photographing during these hours requires an eye for the subtle play of light, as the overhead sun creates a mosaic of high contrasts.
Middle Summer's (or Midsummer’s) light shifts; it becomes more direct, a high-arching sun that – at midday -- leaves few shadows. This can be a dynamic time for capturing the chaotic energy of nature.
