Marcoclicks

Marcoclicks Fine art photography that focuses on abstractions grounded in the natural world.

POSTED THE WRONG IMAGE
08/30/2026

POSTED THE WRONG IMAGE

I walk around Peters Hill most mornings, pretty much first thing. For me, that’s usually 5:30 or 5:45. I love that time ...
08/30/2026

I walk around Peters Hill most mornings, pretty much first thing. For me, that’s usually 5:30 or 5:45. I love that time of day when the world is still quiet and hasn’t yet decided what it will bring my way.

Even though the days start to shorten as we head toward the end of summer, my morning walk still happens at the same time. Creature of habit, I guess you’d say. And these late summer mornings, I am often walking near the orchard on Peters Hill in time to get a glimpse of the sun peaking over the ridge. This morning the color was joined by a gentle hint of mist, adding to the mystery.

Lately my morning walk has become a masterclass in gratitude, given the clear, non-humid air and the quiet. It isn’t always like this, heaven knows! So I’m particularly glad that I have noticed it in time to deeply appreciate and enjoy it!

It’s that lush, late summer time, when the infinite greens have become almost commonplace. Almost. It sometimes feels be...
08/20/2026

It’s that lush, late summer time, when the infinite greens have become almost commonplace. Almost. It sometimes feels beyond my eyes’ ability to discern the subtleties, the nuances of color. “Green” as a description seems inadequate.
But actually, it works fine.

After all, what’s the big deal about describing something that is really meant to be looked at. It isn’t as though I have to name all these distinct hues. (Thank heaven!) But I do get to look at them, to notice them, to pay attention to them. And it seems more likely at this time of year, at the risk of overwhelm from green, to be able to be comfortable in the abundance.

It doesn’t last that long. Few things do. So I’m pleased to have noticed it, come a bit closer to capturing it, but mostly just having my life enriched by being in its presence.

Perhaps because I was recently injured, I have been struck by this beech tree missing a significant section of bark. I h...
08/04/2026

Perhaps because I was recently injured, I have been struck by this beech tree missing a significant section of bark. I have no idea what losing this outer layer was like for the tree, but with the feeling of my injury being so fresh in my mind, I can’t imagine it was fun. I know, it’s dangerous to anthropomophize. But it seems to me it’s a useful exercise, a way to bring a bit more compassion to our interactions with the natural. world.

I walk by this tree most mornings and I’ve always been aware of the missing bark But since my injury, well, it’s had a very different, much more personal, feeling for me. So while I can enjoy this image as a topographic map or some other abstraction, I’m more inclined to just look and hope that the tree’s healing takes away some of the pain.

Perhaps you can tell that the right side of this image is dominated by a tree while the remainder is a boulder. With sim...
07/26/2026

Perhaps you can tell that the right side of this image is dominated by a tree while the remainder is a boulder. With similar coloration and texture, you’d be forgiven if that was not what came immediately to mind.

I’m surprised that, as attracted to texture as I am when I’m shooting, it’s never occurred to me before to put attention on rocks of all sizes as suitable subject matter. And yet, walking on Hemlock Hill, this boulder grabbed my attention..

As similar as these two objects are visually, they are very different, obviously. Right now, the difference is that trees are “flexible” while boulders are “stolid.” But when we shift from universal descriptions to more specific situations, we can see both their differences and their similarities.

It’s worth the effort to look, and closely.

We were staying near a lake, very near in fact. I walked down at sunrise hoping to see the clouds against the hillside w...
06/27/2026

We were staying near a lake, very near in fact. I walked down at sunrise hoping to see the clouds against the hillside with rising sun breaking through. But it wasn’t anything like that . The hills were far, the lake was a dull grey and the sun muted. I was disappointed. Still, I took some shots of the water reflecting the clouds. I wasn’t excited about this: the shrubs got in the way and I was, for some reason, feeling a bit cranky.

When I got home, I didn’t check out the images right away. There was lots going on, so it was a few days until I uploaded them to see what I’d gotten. Needless to say, my expectations were low. Then much to my surprise this image jumped out at me. The haze of cloud reflections behind the sharpness of the leaves made a startling juxtaposition, just about my favorite effect!

I won’t go too far in looking for a moral to this entry. But it’s clear that beautiful images can show up under virtually any circumstances. It helps if you’re open to that happening. But sometimes, it happens even if you’re not.

It’s striking that the leaves on some trees are fully out while others have barely begun to blossom. I guess that’s dive...
05/19/2026

It’s striking that the leaves on some trees are fully out while others have barely begun to blossom. I guess that’s diversity in the natural world (where it’s still acceptable?). It means we get to see the progression from bare branch to graceful leaf again and again, with trees of different species and even within the same species.

That’s a bit academic. What attracts me is the contrast that now focuses on color - the play of yellows and greens and everything in between. I love the way they play together, the light greens leaning toward the yellows and the dark greens speaking a bit of blue. Go figure!

Or just look!

These mornings as the days get longer, I catch the sunrise as it’s further along on starting the day. What a blessing! T...
05/09/2026

These mornings as the days get longer, I catch the sunrise as it’s further along on starting the day. What a blessing! The array of colors gracing the crabapple trees in the orchard on the slope of Peters Hill is not as dense as the lilacs across the street, but that makes each one stand out. I was about to say “dramatically” but somehow that doesn’t seem the word for crabapple trees. Perhaps that’s my limitation!

For me, it’s mornings like this that allow me to put aside what is going on in our world, our country - just for a little while - and rejoice to live near such a wellspring of natural beauty. I thrive on the juxtaposition of everyday urban images and sounds with glimpses of the natural world. It creates the opportunity, the possibility of remembering what’s really important. Useful, nowadays.

The cherries, what a delight to witness their subtle variations of pink and rose and almost-red. Perhaps it’s a good pre...
04/30/2026

The cherries, what a delight to witness their subtle variations of pink and rose and almost-red. Perhaps it’s a good preparation for the lilacs and their colors.

As much as I’ve enjoyed the cherry blossoms, I’m captured by their slow transition into their full summer regalia. As their blossoms fade, their yellow-green leaves begin to grow and we are given a much more complex symphony of colors.

These colors work well together. Indeed, for me at least, the more colors working together, the more complex the resulting image. I like this diversity, there’s nothing to be frightened of; challenging yourself can be worthwhile.

In nature, and in art, and in our public life, we are enriched by complexity and diversity. Maybe we’ll find some leaders who can see that.

It’s a bit confusing to see what’s going on here, looking at just this image. When I stood in front of this tree, it was...
04/18/2026

It’s a bit confusing to see what’s going on here, looking at just this image. When I stood in front of this tree, it was pretty clear - a bunch of vines circling the tree’s trunk. It didn’t look like a death grip but it also didn’t look like a warm embrace.

And that’s where I ended up - not sure exactly what I was looking at - not sure in the sense of the why rather than the what. I have no training in botany so I’m not surprised that I’m a bit lost. And I actually don’t mind. It gives me license to imagine my own explanation.

Honestly, I didn’t come up with anything more profound than “boy, what a lovely collection of textures!” And I’m content to leave it at that. Not everything has to be really deep.

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