Charles River-4: Natick, Newton, Waltham

To Waltham, to Newton Lower Falls, and to South Natick, all in devotion to the river. Our last outing of 4, the weather graced us with sun, warmth, dryness. Then folded in at our last stop: Waltham, around 7:15 pm after 4 hours in the field. Heavy clouds, some wind, turning colder suddenly. Just as I was walking over the Moody St dam, I noticed the warm, not lasting, late reddish light of the day making down river glow. Then the clouds. Variations on Spring Light.

Exercises included awareness (“wariness”?) which this time consisted of walk backwards, walk head down attending to the ground, walk head up attending to the sky and trees above, all this to see further, deeper, wider. And one shot (which they reminded me we'd done before, but no matter, always a good exercise); light on dark, dark on light; human impacts, i.e., New Topographics (how humans have altered the environment); figure in landscape vs. portrait; and wild mind photography. A full session's work.

I discovered I must return to this area, maybe by bike, and fully explore it. Simply bike the entire route—Cambridge to Watertown Square, and then hug the river to and past the Waltham dam, upriver as far as feasible, cross, and return. Not that far. An area rich in photographic and historic possibilities.

photos by skip schiel & teeksa photography

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