March 2016 Image of the Month: Dam at Aziscohos
Constructed to create a storage basin on the Maggalloway River in western Maine, Aziscohos Dam was completed in 1911. When it was built, it was one of the largest storage reservoirs in the country, and with other dams in the region, it is part of one of the largest water storage systems in New England. The lake formed by the dam at Aziscohos is a headwater and one of the major tributaries to the Androscoggin River.
Details of the small buildings above the retention structure with their arches and brackets caught my attention, as I drove past the dam during a mid-winter snowstorm. Streaks made by falling snowflakes add a pencil-like texture to the dark areas of the large arch openings, and I felt the linear bridge, arriving from the left side of the frame, strengthened the composition.
Hasselblad H3D, HC 50-110mm zoom lens at 110mm,1/8sec @ f16, ISO 50, manual focus, spot metered, tripod mounted
On a gray day on the Amanoosic River in New Hampshire near Littleton, I was attracted to views along the river, framed by tree forms with strong branching patterns. Distant fog, dark skies and muted colors on the riverbank were difficult to capture in a single exposure in the low light. I was able to articulate the gray tones and subtle late season color by making several exposures and combining them as a high dynamic range photograph.