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Bennetts love to capture nature
Submitted photo
Local photographers James and Mary Bennett enjoy capturing Quincy's natural beauty.
Gorgeous wildflower photographs are just in time for spring at the Quincy Library.
An exhibit called “Nature’s Small Surprises” shows photographs created by James and Mary Bennett, Quincy school teachers from Ephrata. The exhibit will be featured at the library’s Mary Kazda Art Space from now until June 30.
Their photographs taken on Monument Hill and surrounding areas are a delight for nature lovers. It requires many hours of patient waiting and proper timing to catch the opening of the first wild blooms of spring or the stillness of a butterfly or a bird on the wing.
Their new hobby began when they took a class that included a trip to Monument Hill to view wildflowers. The guide was very knowledgeable. This sparked a desire for the Bennetts to photograph this part of nature.
“I became interested in photography several years ago when point-and-shoot digital cameras became popular,” James said. “However, it wasn’t until I bought my first digital SLR camera that I began to develop a passion for photography…with a particular purpose in mind —photographing wildflowers. The lenses incorporate very high quality glass that enhances the camera’s ability to capture true-to-life images.”
He was able to capture the beauty of wildflowers from a new perspective — extreme close-up.
“Mary noticed that I was having all the fun,” he said, “and she soon had her own SLR camera, too.”
James’ expertise is the very close work. He works “to get a portrait-like picture that reveals all the delicate detail of petals and leaves,” he said. “An example is the mariposa lily.”
He finds the inner detail amazing. The macro lens makes it look “larger than life.”
“While Mary does similar close-up work, she is much better at seeing the aesthetic arrangement and combinations of flowers to make an interesting picture,” he said. “She has the patience for capturing photographs of butterflies, such as the fritillary butterfly on a yellow hawksbeard that is beautiful.”
Results have been immensely satisfying. Friends are awed with their pictures and passed on their enthusiasm.
“Mary feels that her bitterroot and buckwheat photo is her best so far,” James said. “The textures and brilliant colors of both flowers complement each other, resulting in a very pleasant arrangement. Butterflies are always moving, but Mary has the patience for that. “
James feels that his greatest achievement is “capturing the unfolding petals of a shooting star.” He focused his camera and waited for the bud to unfold. “The last photo (of three) showed the fully opened shooting star with its brilliantly colored petals sweeping skyward in elegant pose.”
James and Mary are disturbed when some people do not value or respect the land. It is disheartening to witness the dumping of trash such as mattresses and large appliances. “Last June a group of men from our area and I spent a day with the Nature Conservancy picking up junk from along the roads up to and around Monument Hill,” he said. “It is not only the visual mess it creates but it destroys the habitat for growing wildflowers.”
The Bennetts added, “We encourage people to drive to Monument Hill sometime during April and May to see the glorious pageant of wildflowers. It is a wonderful exhibit of the cycle of life in the shrub-steppe land that happens every year like clockwork.”
Roxa Kreimeyer can be reached at vlkrfk@nwi.net.
