The Project
On January 3, 2003, I began this photoblog to visually document the residents, visitors, plants, animals, architecture, landscapes and farm life of Durham Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (where I live), and nearby areas in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Unless noted, all photos are taken within a ten-mile radius of my home.
This project is my ongoing attempt to become a better photographer. Some images work, some don't -- you're witnessing a permanent work-in-progress! I hope to visually convey the intricacies and joys of rural living and the critical importance of farmland, open space and uncluttered horizons to our wildlife, our watersheds, our food supply, our health and our sense of well-being.
New photos are posted three to four times a week and are described in the "Photo Info & Viewer Comments" section underneath the photographs. Previous photos are available in the Archives. The Best Pictures page (my favorite shots) is updated about once a month.
Thank you for visiting Durham Township!
--Kathleen Connally
Camera Equipment
2006-2008 -- Canon 5D
Digital Camera HQ is a great place to read consumer reviews of the Canon 5D (my camera!) and the new Canon 40D, which looks like an amazing camera.
2004-2005 -- Nikon D100
2003 -- Canon Powershot
Digital Camera HQ also has reviews on what I'd consider to be a great starter camera for those new to digital photography, the Canon 400D Digital Rebel XTi.
Camera Settings & Post-Processing
My digital photography has evolved over the years. I've gone from wild post-processing experimentation with Photoshop (which was fun at the time, I admit) toward a distaste for post-work beyond basic darkroom adjustments.
With digital photo 'perfection' available to anyone with a monitor and a mouse, I prefer the more traditional challenge of relying and improving upon my photographic skills versus my post-processing skills. My goal is to put my camera and lenses to work to take thoughtful, interesting, thought-provoking and occasionally beautiful photographic documents, and to spend less than five minutes post-processing any single image. I want to be behind the lens and not in front of a monitor.
I shoot in RAW+JPEG format, always in manual mode, and use Photoshop CS2 to
increase/decrease contrast and saturation and adjust tonal values, mainly with the Curves tool and the Color Balancing tool. Detailed EXIF and other post-processing information can be found
in the "Photo Info & Viewer Comments" section near the bottom right of each photo. The depth and vibrancy of colour and contrast in my digital images is due to
working with 16-bit versus 8-bit digital files. Photoblog Software/Content Management System
This site currently uses Movable Type version 3.34. It was custom-designed and hand-coded by myself and other designers.
Contact Information
I value your thoughts, opinions and questions. Leave a comment on an individual photo, sign the Guestbook or send an email: info @ durhamtownship.com
Kathleen Connally * PO Box 127 * Durham, PA 18039-0217 * USA
Interviews, Press, Awards
January 2008: 2007 Photoblog Awards: "Best American Photoblog"
January 2008: 2007 Photoblog Awards Finalist: "Best American Photoblog", "Most Popular Photoblog"
January 2008: 2008 Bucks & Hunterdon Area Guide Book - 4-page feature article by Kathryn Finegan Clark
November 2007: VFXY Pick
November/December 2007: Pennsylvania Magazine - 10 pages of photos and cover.
May 2007: Yahoo Picks
April 2007: 2007 Photobloggies - "Best American Photoblog"
February 2007: 2007 Photobloggies - Finalist: "Best American Photoblog" "Best Landscape Photography" "Best Photojournalism" "Photoblog of the Year"
January 2007: Soup Questions interview
January 2007: 2006 Photoblog Awards: "Best American Photoblog"
January 2007: 2006 Photoblog Awards Finalist: "Photoblog of the Year" "Best American Photoblog" "Most Popular Photoblog"
November 2006: 2006 Weblog Awards Finalist for "Best Photo Blog"
August 2006: Bending Light Magazine interview
July 2006: NJ Star-Ledger review of Gallery 14 Show
July 2006: Time Off Magazine interview
July 2006: Upstage Magazine article
May 2006: 2006 Photobloggies - Finalist: "Best American Photoblog" "Best Landscape Photography" "Photoblog of the Year"
May 2006: The Baltimore Sun "Bloggernaut" interview
April 2006: The Morning Call "Bloggernaut" interview
February 2006: 2006 Bloggie Awards Nomination for "Best Photography of a Weblog"
January 2006: The Daily Shooter interview
November 2005: 2005 Weblog Awards Finalist for "Best Photo Blog"
September 2005: Courier News interview
September 2005: Delaware Valley News article
August 2005: PhillyFuture.org interview
Summer 2005: Camera Arts Magazine interview
May 2005: 2005 Photobloggies Winner "Best Landscape Photography of a Photoblog" and "Photo of the Year"
May 2005: Bedsheet Kid Interview, San Francisco
January 2005: Shutterbug Magazine
August 2004: Photoblogs.org Featured Photographer
Shows & Exhibitions
February 2008 - May 2008, Solo Exhibition - Community Artist Series, Palisades Gallery, Kintnersville, Pennsylvania
July 2006 - September 2006, Solo Exhibition - "The Value of the Land" - Gallery 14, Hopewell Village, New Jersey
June 2006 - January 2007, Solo Exhibition - Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
June 2006, People's Choice Award winner, Phillips Mill Photographic Exhibition, New Hope, Pennsylvania
October 2005 - April 2006, Solo Exhibition, Indian Rock Inn, Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania
Licensing * Commercial & Editorial Assignment * Events * Weddings
Please contact me to license images, shoot editorial and commercial assignments or photograph your event or wedding. I also develop blogs & photoblogs for commercial clients and lecture on photoblogging and photography. A portfolio site will be available in 2008.
Email: info @ durhamtownship dot com
Style tags:
Digital - Color - Available Light - Location - Portrait - Outdoor - Americana - Landscape - Rural - Photo Essay - Lyrical - Painterly - Real People - Children
Copyright and Usage Information
All text and images from A Walk Through Durham Township are subject to U.S. and international copyright laws (© 2003-2008 Kathleen Connally). No text or image may be reproduced, copied, stored, manipulated or used whole or in part of a derivative work without the written permission of Kathleen Connally. All rights reserved.
Email: info @ durhamtownship dot com if you wish to use these images for any purpose.