Colin McGahan - Photography

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Colin McGahan - Photography

Western Massachusetts based Photographer specializing in Aerial, Astro, Landscape and Wildlife Photo
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05/11/2024

Just wanted to come on here and give a HUGE shoutout to the 40+ people who have supported my work by purchasing a 2025 calendar from me! Great news - first round is hitting the presses and should be on your doorstep in the next two to three weeks!

Also if you haven’t gotten yours good news! It’s not too late to order yours to get here by the holidays, every purchase helps support my work! I love this area, and love sharing the beauty of it. Your support is so appreciated and I am so inspired to continue highlighting the beauty of our region 🧡

https://www.colinmcgahan.com/print-shop/p/0zl9eh0si0kcxa5kxiu7eli4799awk

31/10/2024

Simply moody autumn details. Falling leaves lead to season changes. It’s a great time to reflect, recollect, and cozy in for the next few months.

I’m trying to be more intentional with my work, capturing scenes but telling a story with each and every image. I also want to work to find a way to make “stick season” beautiful, because the browns, greys, and rust last so dang long and I’m sick of being uninspired by it.

29/10/2024

Throwing it back to another shot I had envisioned since I first drove by this pond prior to moving to Easthampton. Thankfully I lucked out, got a great morning sky and relatively low fog, conditions I had hoped for about a year prior.

The first image is the cover image of my 2025 Scenes From Western Massachusetts calendar, which highlights some of my favorite places in the 413, and hopefully some of yours as well.

Just a reminder, I’m running a preorder special for 2 more days - so if you want one & can support me it would mean the world!

Link in bio if you’d like to support!

https://www.colinmcgahan.com/print-shop/p/0zl9eh0si0kcxa5kxiu7eli4799awk

28/10/2024

Low flow, we need some rain and dare I say ❄️?

Leaves are falling quick - many spots I had planned to hit have dropped their leaves due to some pretty wild winds over the weekend. I will say though, it was a good weekend to relax and enjoy some seasonal favorites while mentally preparing for what is to come.

Stick season brings a bit of a pause, a time to recoup and prepare for the longest season of them all here in New England.

I’m truly hoping for a little rain just to fill the waterfalls and to make some local spots shine.

Due to low flow, here’s a 2 minute exposure showing the water movement at one of my favorite places in Western Mass. Thankfully it was too wet & chilly that day for any surprise skinny dippers that seem to always show up when I usually have this place to myself. Makes it a lot easier when I don’t have to restrict what I can shoot here 🤣

25/10/2024

Scenes that make me want to make this place my home

24/10/2024

Crazy to think about how much this roadside park has changed at night over the past few years. It used to be my quick escape to dark skies, and now, the light pollution in this location is stronger than it ever was.

Although this image is a bit busy, I liked the story it tells. The Deerfield river rose in the short time I was there, so any chance at a solid foreground down by the water was impossible. Thanks to some passing by cars though for lighting up the trees in this image.

I love the Mohawk Trail, always have and always will, but the days where the dark night sky was the brightest thing around are slipping sadly.

23/10/2024

Visualizing images pays off. Last night after work I raced the setting sun to get to North Adams in time to attempt capturing this. Peak foliage tends to hit this spot much later than most areas, and this year color was full of reds and deep oranges, while Florida mountain brought signs of what is to come. Cue the Noah Kahan.

Ever since I got my first drone, I’ve wanted to capture this image. Thankfully now technology is at a point where I can take longer exposures with the drone with little to no camera movement.

Light trails in general can be difficult, but add being 350ft up on the side of a mountain to the mix and I’m really surprised at how this came out. This image is a blend of about 35 images - 3 for the panorama landscape (to retain as much detail as possible) and the remainder shot at 6 second exposures for the light trails. Thankfully my Mavic 3 classic is a beast not only with long exposures but lowlight.

It can be hard to create something “new” in a place that is adored by many New England photographers, but that’s why I love being local & thinking through ideas, often attempting multiple times before the stars (or in this case foliage) align.

22/10/2024

Hillside Havens in the NEK - just gotta let go and the scenes will find ya.

Honestly I feel like I’ve hit a creative crossroad, seems to always come around now too. It’s not burnout but I think a sense that I don’t want the season to end & spending my time sorting through the catalog is hard to become inspired for.

This Fall has had its wins and its frustrations too. Not gonna lie - seeing a majority of the US getting to witness the massive Aurora storm a few weeks ago while I was in, what should have been the perfect place, hurt a lil (lotta) bit. Ms Aurora and I have really somehow evaded each other, sometimes from faults of our own, but usually by just unlucky circumstances. Tracking that storm, learning about what makes these events happen, and just being teased with it but knowing full well I was in the wrong place at the wrong time made it difficult to want to even interact with it.

Life & especially nature is a game, and every little setback or event comes with a lesson. I know for a fact I have to focus on continuing to do the things that bring me joy & the results will present themselves.

Sorry to get deep on a Tuesday afternoon, now off to capture a shot I’ve been visualizing for the better part of 4 years - hope it works out.

18/10/2024

Odd conditions presented themselves last weekend on the trail. Rain came quick and so did cool temps. This area always perplexes me when it comes to foliage yet it’s my favorite place to fly the drone in Mass. Just a bit up the road on top of the mountain trees are past peak, in the small valley caused by the Cold River some spots are past peak and some haven’t even turned, and down towards the center of Charlemont bright yellows were present.

There are so many factors that play a role in good color and when it happens, it’s crazy to me that just a few miles from this place north and south, color is typically peak at the end of September meanwhile this area lags behind.

I think if anything I’ve learned from chasing peak conditions, is that if you don’t like how it’s looking in one area, drive a little bit, you’ll probably be amazed by the change around you. I think this year also was a subtle reminder to and myself that we have to spend more time enjoying some of the places in our “backyard” more as they really wowed us this year 😅🍁

16/10/2024

C/2023 a3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas over Northampton, MA tonight, 10/15/24 at approximately 7:20pm.

This image is a panorama of multiple exposures at differing lengths / ISOs via my DJI Mavic 3 Classic. My friend challenged me to shoot it with the drone, and I’ll say I’m shocked at the result.

Please note: this image was taken legally, using anti-collision lighting flown under my Part 107 license.

09/10/2024

Happy Wednesday from my happy place 🍁

04/10/2024

Was a good morning chasing some local scenes often overlooked. Thankful to live nearby & even more thankful for Vermont. One slight hiccup - drone decided to yolo into a tree and destroyed the propellers.

Coincidentally I had already ordered replacement props that were supposed to come in today.

Lesson learned, always have backups and always remember that the drone can have a mind of its own 😅

03/10/2024

Morning light at this roadside gem. Didn’t have long to shoot it as the clear skies do not play well with waterfalls that are as open as this one, but loved the way the sun peaked over the top of the cascade shining rays through the pines lighting up some of the morning mist.

As always, this is my favorite time of the year. The time I can solely focus on my photography with little distractions and live the life of a full time landscape photographer (even if it’s only for a short time). Maybe someday I’ll get to do this stuff for a living, but until then, this week of vacation will be my saving grace :)

02/10/2024

Contrasty daytimes end at Dixville Notch. I like this single frame, far different than my usual shooting style in terms of lighting, but as my friend says, gotta get creative with our comps.

2 more days until more 🍁 chasing for me. Currently considering shooting the next few sunrises though. Glad to see the colors are coming through nicely!

01/10/2024

The Great North Woods of New Hampshire always provides. Consistently in awe of the beauty of this area and already planning on spending much more time up there next summer 🫎

Saw a moose thanks to looking behind me as we were about to leave a remote pond. Have been manifesting this forever and while the photo is not something I’m proud of (because I was unprepared), watching a bull moose with a full rack during the rut swim across a pond surrounded by peak fall foliage will live on in my brain as one of the best things I’ve witnessed in nature. I can’t knock myself too much though, I had said all week leading up to our trip that we would see one like this, and I truly wouldn’t care if I got a good photo.

30/09/2024

Found peak foliage not where we were completely expecting but man was it worth adding 2 hours to our drive home yesterday! Both Saturday and Sunday up north were plagued by bluebird skies which led to less than ideal daytime photography conditions.

When it comes to my work, I’m truly a picky shooter. Bad lighting often leaves me not even picking up the camera. I’m my own worst critic and if a scene is not how I imagine it - I usually don’t even attempt. Sometimes this mindset is worth it (I hateeee seeing bad conditions when sorting through photos and post processing) and other times ya leave your camera in the car and a bull moose with a full set of antlers crosses your path and you miss the chance at a shot you’ve been dreaming of. Win some you lose some, but that’s what makes this art form difficult. Hoping for my “ideal” conditions over the next few weeks cause truly I don’t like sunny days in the fall 🤣

Shot: 9/29/24 🍁

24/09/2024

An odd year for foliage that’s for sure. This weekend I thought a majority of the area around Jay Peak would be much more colorful. There were definitely colorful patches but I’d say the area still has a little while to go.

Caught this at sunset from the A-frame we stayed at this weekend! Thought this line up with the pop of foliage & right timing with a sunset sunburst highlighted Jay Peak pretty well!

Shot 9/21/24

23/09/2024

Little foliage update from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont this weekend! Stumbled on some good color, and some areas that still look and feel like Summer! The next two weeks should be very interesting, let’s just hope the weather plays nicely.

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Videos

Quick tip for finding Barred Owls 👇 Anytime you’re in the woods - especially around dinner time, keep an ear out for screeches/ whistles like the one in this video. Young barred owls use this call to beg mom for food and often will do it continuously if they’re awake. If you get a group of them, it can be a whistle fest for hours on end! Love that these lil guys are so trusting & so curious. Last time I was with them, one jumped to about 6 feet in front of @johnnardacci and I!

Happy #beeskneesweek y’all! In case you didn’t know, my favorite cocktail - of all time - is the Bee’s Knees. A prohibition era cocktail that has made a resurgence largely in part due to the folks over at @barrhillgin! This week all throughout Vermont, New England, and the United States, bars and restaurants are participating in Bee’s Knees Week to help save the bees! @barrhillgin is also planting 10 sq ft of pollinator habitat for each post with the tag! In honor of #beeskneesweek, I decided to challenge myself to come up with a Bee’s Knees- inspired cocktail to reflect my favorite time of year. I present to you the “Autumn Buzz 🍁🐝” (thanks to @jackalach for help naming it.) Recipe: 2 oz @barrhillgin 3/4 oz Honey Syrup (50%water 50% Wildflower Honey) 3/4 oz Boiled Cider Syrup 1.5 oz @duttonberryfarm Fresh Apple Cider Shake with ice, Garnish with a cinnamon stick! Enjoy! This cocktail tastes like dipping your apples in some fresh raw honey with a bit of cinnamon spice! Hope you get to try one, or if you go out this weekend order a Bee’s Knees! You won’t regret it! Now let’s save the bees and have a great fall!

(17) My first Barred Owl in Mass thanks to @johnnardacci! These birds are my favorite to photograph and this encounter was a real cool opportunity. Since this I’ve seen a handful of owls locally but still no more photos 😅 #barredowl #wildlifephotography #owl #owlsofinstagram

(21) Bronco during Stick Season An unexpected but much needed addition to my life in 2022. I’m not much of an automotive photographer, but for some reason this car makes me want to shoot it. Can’t wait to see where the bronco takes me in ‘23! #fordbronco #broncosport #bronco #ford

Schoodic Point, Acadia NP 5/31/22

The land where there is the only territorial dispute between the US & Canada supplies a nesting ground for these beautiful seabirds!

IF YOUR AN AVID NATURE GO-ER PLEASE READ ⬇️⬇️⬇️ POV: A random stranger walks up to this owl you've been watching with his Sony A1 and 200-600 looking for Great Horned Owls that don't exist with his dog by his side. The presence of the dog scared momma owl here to retreat back to her fledglings. If you're looking for wildlife, especially owls, please leave your pets at home. They can put a stress on these animals that you may not even get to witness. Additionally, if you're using dogs to get those "owl stare" photos, shame on you as well. I saw this momma multiple times, and the last time I saw her, she was stressed out because a pack of coyotes was coming near her and her babies. Your pup might not intend to harm, but nature knows best. I am upset with the ignorance of the individual that caused this clip, and his lack of change in behavior after I explained why the owl left. He returned doing the same thing the next day, safe to say I went home after to let these owls be.

Nights on the lake

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