Old-Fashioned Bleeding Hearts

Photowalks are my main method for connecting to world-wide photography community. I started participating a few years ago. At first I was a bit nervous. I was concerned that my low-budget Nikon D40 and my rudimentary knowledge would make me seem like a n00b1. But I soon found photowalks were typically organized by someone with a passion for photography. Like me, these people -- amateurs and professionals alike -- loved photography and didn't care much gear. The people I met on these photo-walks were there to learn and to share. Not to glare.

This image of dicentra spectabilis, commonly known as Bleeding Hearts, was taken at the Sayen Gardens in Hamilton, New Jersey during a photowalk with the Mercer County Photography Club. I was the organizer for this walk. We had a small turnout but everyone was enthusiastic.

So what is the Sayen Garden?

Situated in historic Hamilton Square, Sayen House and Gardens provide a welcome sanctuary for nature lovers, garden enthusiasts and history buffs alike.Sayen Gardens

The air was cool and moist. Someone remembered seeing a pond on the last trip to the gardens so we walked around trying to find it. It was like a treasure hunt but we made sure to stop and enjoy the journey. I found these Bleeding Hearts while walking along one of the paths. It was early spring and I found the foliage with arching stems of delicate, heart-shaped flowers, attractive.

In some ways, the walk through Sayen Gardens reminded me of the many childhood walks through the Kingstown botanical Gardens with my mother and brothers. During the rainy season in St. Vincent the air is always moist and "sweet". A mixture of the rainwater from the mountains and the salt water from the Atlantic Ocean.


  1. Quite frankly I was. 

Dance in The Blue Hour

This is one of many pieces of sculpture to be found at the Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey. My night and low light course instructor, Rick Wright, took the class on a field trip. The Grounds are a favorite spot for New Jersey photographers. I'm not fan of sculpture and the sky was overcast and I was doubtful I would find anything to photograph. I walked around looking for something to strike my eye. I was convinced the field trip would yield nothing.

All the artwork is sculpture based on famous paintings. The sculptures are placed and organized among a scenic and nicely landscaped property. Shrubbery, flora, and several other nature based aspects help to highlight the sculptures that are placed all around the grounds.

It's easy sometimes to forget the simple things that give us pleasure. If we open our eyes, life is marvelous. The human spirit triumphs, if only for moments in a day. I try to have my work call attention to those moments.Seward Johnson

Henri Matisse painted a piece known as “Dance,” which depicts a boy laying under a circle of dancing women, holding hands and surrounding the boy as he lays in both relaxation. Seward Johnson interpretation of the original painting of “Dance” is a larger than life-size sculpture that is selectively lit for viewing at night.

I focused my efforts on this re-imagining of Henri Matisse's "The Dance". I walked around looking for a composition that worked for me. Once I found my spot I sat on the nearby park bench and waited. "The Dance" was going to be my project for the night. I took a few shots during the Golden Hour and then waited for blue hour. I took a set of images at various exposures and messed around with the white balance setting. Of the set of images, this one is my favorite.

I like how the sculpture is reflected in the pond and how the pond water darkened the purple-blue-red of the sky.