Photo Portfolio: Sharing the Beauty by Stephanie Foster

“Nesting Ospreys”: Each year, I look forward to seeing the ospreys and was fortunate to have my camera with me at dusk on a Barnstable Harbor Ecotour when the sky turned apricot and a mating pair returned to their nest.

Harwich photographer Stephanie Foster vividly remembers the first photograph she ever took, on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston on a gray day. “A group of women were sitting on a bench talking. They wore dark coats and most had kerchiefs tied under their chins and bulky pocketbooks on their laps. Their hands looked swollen with use and their cheeks ruddy in the cool air. The word ‘charwomen’ came to mind. I asked if I could take their photograph. One woman left, saying she was told to never have her picture taken by a stranger. The rest stayed. It was the beginning of my love of photography.”

Foster, who has had two solo shows at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis and exhibits her work exclusively at Addison Art Gallery in Orleans, had an earlier career on the other side of the camera, as a model. “My early photography work revolved around fashion. Having modeled, I had a good sense of mood and composition,” she says. “Then I moved to Cape Cod and fell in love with the open spaces, huge skies, shifting waters and magical light. I never tire of it because every day is unique. And a challenge.”

A master gardener, Foster is an avid grower of flowers, which she sells at the Orleans Farmers’ Market spring through fall. Her flowers, of course, make irresistible subjects for her photography, but she loves landscapes and seascapes as well. Her book, “Farms of Cape Cod,” captures the beauty and life of the Cape’s agriculture world.

Photography, she observes, attracts many people. “Anyone wants to live their life in beauty. Photography is my way of sharing it,” she says. “I remember my first photograph, but I haven’t taken my last.”

Here Foster shares the stories behind some her captivating photos.

“Reflections”
Artists say light is everything, but timing plays a part too. I had already photographed the dory “Hero” in the Herring River in West Harwich for a Sense of Place show at Addison Gallery in Orleans when I saw this spectacular sunrise.

“Foggy Path”
We are fortunate to live in a land of fog on the Cape where edges are blurred and our dreams are just around the corner. Sometimes that feeling can be captured in a photograph.

“Provincelands”
At the very tip of the Cape are the Provincelands in the National Seashore and my favorite place to go. The boundless space and timelessness frees my spirit.

“The Flower Girl”
When photographing my book, “Farms of Cape Cod,” I saw a vision skipping through a field of flowers. Her name was Julie Davis, and she was right out of Central Casting. When she saw my camera, she laughed and shyly looked down. It became the cover of the book.

“Sea Fog in the Dunes”
I thought my camera couldn’t possibly capture the shimmery beauty of the sky and sea at Race Point or the velvety softness of the fog. I thought I was wasting my time, but mercifully, I was wrong.

“Flowers for Sale”
The bright colors of flowers, their happy faces, endless shapes and textures make me happy. In April, I plant tiny seeds and patiently wait for them to become gorgeous blooms. It’s a miracle. I bring them to this flower cart at Whimsy’s in West Harwich and to the Orleans Farmers’ Market to share that beauty with others.

“Last Light”
I was walking in the Provincelands at dusk when time suddenly stood still. The last rays of sunset lingered on the roof of a dune shack while a full moon rose in the sky, capturing both the end of day and the beginning of night.