All prints are handmade by Peter Ralston on archival rag paper with an archival ink set.

Small Matted Prints - This collection is printed on 8.5 x 11 inch sheets, matted, ready to be framed.

New Work - This open edition is a collection of images created since January 2004. They are printed on 17 x 22 inch sheets.

The Master Prints - This limited edition (LE) print is limited to 50 prints of this image plus ten artist proofs (AP). They are printed on 24 x 36 inch sheets.

Custom sizes of this image are available by special request. 

The story behind Winter Hours

This evening (which in late November means about 4:30 pm at this latitude) I was driving home after a day photographing on a small island in the Muscle Ridge Channel. It was a nice day, out there with friends with no one else around, exploring an island upon which I had never before set foot.

As I crossed the river in South Thomaston, with dusk coming on fast, I saw a boat tied up at the wharf there and, across the river the church, glowing against the rapidly darkening sky. 

The working deck of the boat was lit up inside and from the road I could see two guys hustling to get their gear aboard as the tide was rising to refloat the boat after a day of being grounded out for fiberglass work. So I introduced myself and they sort of knew who I was and allowed that it was okay.

And on a basic level, that’s it…that’s about all there is to it.

But I knew, as I was standing there on the top of the wheelhouse, shooting down, that I had something special going on. The light, the light…it’s always about the light.

I have to admit to liking this one…maybe that’s a function of the excitement of the moment still with me, but I think there’s more to it than that; the slight blur of movement as they lug the bait tote across the deck, the Maxfield Parrish light in the sky, the contrast of the harsh light and frenzied activity against the cool and calm of the background.

I was excited enough about this image to immediately email it to a couple of friends. One, knowing something about life's turmoil, simply responded, “Messy in the foreground; serenity on the horizon.”