Echo Lake is a state park located mear Conway, New Hampshire and is the scene of this fall foliage image. In 1943, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests joined with the state to raise funds to buy Echo Lake, protecting it from commercial development. Echo Lake is open to the public for swimming, canoeing, kayaking and picnicking. There was no one to be seen when we got there before dawn. As the 20+ photographers in our group quickly set up their tripods and cameras, I am sure that there was no part of the lake that wasn't captured that morning. The water was still and the fall foliage was reaching its peak. I wanted to capture the reflections in the lake and was intrigued by the small dock with it's sign "No Private Boats". I started to wonder what a public boat was in contrast to a private boat.
The High One
I have to admit it, I love mountains. I can't get enough of them. They are my favorites subjects and I always try to visit them whenever I travel. The one that I have always wanted to visit is Mt McKinley in Denali National Park, Alaska. Mt McKinley is the highest peak in North America. The mountain was originally named Denali or "High One" by the Koyukon Athabaskan people who inhabit the area around the mountain. A gold prospector later named it "McKinley" to provide political support for then-president William McKinley. I was fortunate enough to visit it this past summer. When planning the visit, I found out that Mt McKinley was visible only 30% of the year. I read about visitors who stayed a week and never saw it. We would only be there for three days and were hoping to get a view of it. When we checked into the lodge, it wasn't visible and I was worried that this was a bad omen. A few hours later, as we were about to board a bus to Talkeetna, I wandered around to the back of the lodge and saw this scene. The clouds at the top of the mountain had cleared out and it's majesty was revealed. Just to give you a size of McKinley, this image was taken from about 90 miles away.
Sunlit Treetops
I would like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you as you visit family and give thanks for all that we have been blessed with. I have been writing this blog for about 6 months and would like to thank each of you for your visits and kind words. In the process of starting my blog, I have discovered a wonderful group of photographers that are truly a community that gives and shares. Thank you all. Sequoia National Park is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains in California. It is about a 4 hour drive from Yosemite National Park. The park is famous for its giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree, the largest tree on Earth.
Sequoia is not nearly as visited as it's more famous cousin to the north, but it is a beautiful place to visit and an unspoiled treasure. The lack of crowds, even during the summer months, allows you to roam freely amid these majestic trees. I headed to visit a grove near our hotel and spent a good two hours walking the grove taking in my surroundings and the serenity. I didn't once see another person despite the beauty of the sunrise streaming through the trees allowing me to be one with nature.
Boathouse Reflections
Today, we return to Lake Louise in the heart of Banff National Park and Lake Louise. The boathouse on the lake is located very close to the hotel (Chateau Lake Louise) so you can roll out of bed, walk out of the room and be set up in minutes (my way of shooting). I almost had the whole lake to myself as there were few photographers to be seen. The morning was very still and the water was like glass. The boathouse is cast in shadows in the early morning and is a subject better suited for the evening sun. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the serenity and the scene.
Autumn Reflections
Every year, when the leaves change color in the fall, I try to drive from my home in central Connecticut and visit the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. The drive is a pretty one, passing through the Litchfield Hills before crossing the border into Massachusetts. The first major town in Massachusetts is the city of Pittsfield, which is home to Pontoosuc Lake shown in this image. The lake gets it's name from a Mohican Indian word meaning “a field or haven for winter deer”. I had stopped for lunch and wandered over to the picnic area to eat. After eating, I grabbed my camera and took a walk around the lake. Along the way, this scene fascinated me with the nice color of the trees and this dilapidated building. I am pretty sure that the building is no longer used and was unsure whether the boats were abandoned or not. They looked like they were in pretty bad shape. Regardless, I was happy that I picked there to have lunch.
Island Light
After viewing Steven Perlmutter's wonderful shot of Nubble Light Monday, I took a look at one of the images that I shot there this past August. This image was taken during my tour of New England lighthouses with my son as he searched for a location for his movie short. Since the light was located on an island, he didn't consider it seriously since getting all of the equipment onto the island would be a logistical challenge. We were actually planning to skip visiting it, but he changed his mind and wanted to take a look. Once we got to the light, we fell in love with it. He wanted me to take some photos but I really didn't want to as it was mid-day and the light and glare was terrible. He insisted, so I snapped a few hand-held 5-bracketed series that he could refer to it when we got back home. After editing this particular image, I wasn't happy with it and simply put it out of my mind until Monday. After looking at it a second time, I realized that it wasn't that bad and it actually had a fairy-book story feel to it. I decided to post it today and see what everyone thinks about it.
Storm's Approach
This image is from my trip to Jasper National Park a few years ago. I had looked forward to visiting Jasper and the iconic Spirit Island on Maligne Lake. As all best laid plans, it rained pretty much all of the three days we were there. I was determined to take the boat ride to the island. We got to Maligne Lake during one of the brief moments the rain had stopped. This was the scene as we started walking to get the tickets for the boat ride. I thought that the gray of the mountains and the stormy skies contrasted well with the red roof and boats. It was one of the better shots of the day as we did encounter a significant rain on our ride to Spirit Isalnd.
Early Morning Sentry
Today we are headed back to one of my favorite lighthouses, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. I wanted to show a different perspective of this lighthouse. There are two classic views that are normally captured. The first one is from the vantage point from the rocks on the southern side, which usually has the lighthouse reflected in the collected water. The other classic view is from the rocks on the other side that show the strata in the rocks that lead toward the lighthouse and the sea.
This perspective is from the ground level and is probably the best angle to capture the early morning sunrise. While it doesn't have the drama that the rocks provide from the classic shots, it is still a pretty sight with the right light. This particular morning, the skies had cleared up significantly from the night before (check out this post for the previous night's weather). The warm glow from the rising sun cast a wonderful light on the scene and promised a great day ahead.
Branching Out
Of all of the seasons of the year, my favorite one is the fall. Maybe it is the need to escape the heat of a long summer or the promise of hiking through the woods with a sweater on. For most, it is the wonderful colors of the foliage which dominate the landscape. The anticipation for me begins when there is a crispness in the air. New England is a prime destination for the foliage season. Thousands of "leaf peepers" try to guess when the peak of the foliage season will occur and make travel plans. Every year, the timing of the peak is determined by temperatures and moisture, which are very difficult to predict. I've seen the peak as early as the first week of October and as late as Thanksgiving. Maybe part of the attraction of the fall is playing this foliage "lottery", the winner of which gets to experience the peak. For those of us living here in New England, the lottery is pretty much rigged in our favor as we don't have to travel far when it does indeed peak.
This image is of a tree at a church in Sutton, Vermont. The sunlight was falling just right on the leaves which contrasted nicely with the bark of the tree.
Echo Reflections
Wow, what a long strange week it has been. Not sure how much national press was given to it, but here in New England we got hit with a storm 8 days ago. It was a typical northeaster that dropped up to 18 inches of snow. What wasn't typical was that it was October and the foliage had not yet fallen. The unusually heavy snow weighed down on the leaves and caused a massive number of trees to fall. The end result was a massive power failure that affected over a million homes. What made in even more challenging was that huge areas were 100% out which resulted in no available food or gas. We lost power on October 29th and were only restored Saturday night. Seven days of no electricity, limited gas, no heat and no hot water. We are still without internet and TV, but that seems insignificant now as there are thousands still without power.
This event has given me a new perspective on how much we take for granted and rely on power. It also gives me a new perspective on what others have gone through with the recent hurricanes and floods in CT. We only lost power and still have our homes to go back to. Victims of the recent flood and hurricane haven't been as lucky.
This image is from my recent photography workshop and is of Echo Lake in New Hampshire. I hope to have the internet back soon and will be back to posting.
Rolling Fog
Finally back to posting after a great two weeks off. The first week was spent on my first photography workshop hosted by famed photographer, Bill Fortney. I must say that it was time extremely well spent. I learned more about photography during the week than I had in the past year. Bill has a wonderful way of teaching and making you think differently about approaches to shooting and composing images. More importantly, the fellowship exhibited by Bill, his team, guest instructor Matt Kloskowski and the other participants was wonderful. I highly recommend Bill's workshops. Hopefully, you will be seeing some new looks in my photos. The second week was dedicated to a little R&R including an extended family party to celebrate my Aunt's 105th birthday. God bless her!
Anyway, this image is from Cathedral Ledge in North Conway, New Hampshire that was taken during my workshop. We had gotten to the ledge to photograph the sunrise but instead were faced with some great fog that quickly covered the valley after we got there. While we were hoping for a spectacular sunrise, the fog made for an even better subject against the backdrop of the White Mountains.
Sunrise at Portland Head
Arguably the signature lighthouse of Maine, the Portland Head Light is actually located outside of Portland on Cape Elizabeth. The light was initially commissioned by George Washington in 1787. The light stands 80 feet above the land and 101 feet above the water. Edward Rowe Snow wrote about the light: “Portland Head and its light seem to symbolize the state of Maine—rocky coast, breaking waves, sparkling water and clear, pure salt air.” The lighthouse is surrounded by a huge park and when I visited it the day before to scout, it was swarming with people. I was sure that I would not be alone the next morning when I went to shoot the light at sunrise. Much to my surprise, the only other person there was a cameraman from the local television station who must have been telecasting a live shot of the light. As a result, I had the run of the park and shot the light from all angles. This is the first one that I have posted and it is the most familiar composition. The sunrise was beautiful and it was very serene except for the fog horn which blasts every 15 seconds 24 by 7. Look forward to posting other compositions of this wonderful light in the next few weeks.
On the Rocks
I relearned two Photography 101 lessons on this one. We went to Camden, Maine where I had been many years before. I remembered the rocky beach in nearby Camden Hills State Park and I wanted to get a sunrise shot there. Rather than visit the site the night before, I thought I knew exactly where I would go the next morning. Up before dawn, I drove down to the park and walked down toward the beach. Mistake number one: I forgot to pack any light. It wasn't pitch black so I wasn't too worried. At the end of the trail, I hit a T intersection. Mistake number two, I didn't remember which way to turn because I hadn't scouted the night before. I seemed to think it was to the left and went that way. Couldn't find the trail and hit the end of the park. I quickly turned and went to the other end hoping that I would find the access point before sunrise (good thing it wasn't too long of a trail).
I finally found what I thought was the access point and quickly scrambled down to the beach. Only problem was, there were no rocks. I was able to shoot some images, turned around and saw the rocky beach about where I had originally looked.
I ran up the slope, and hurried back to the other end. Since the sun had already risen, I spotted a very small access point which got me to where I wanted to originally get to. Out of breath, I was able to get this shot while the light was still good.
I have relearned my lesson and will not make these mistakes again!
Cliff Living
Southwestern Colorado near Durango is home to the wonderful Mesa Verde National Park. Like most national parks, Mesa Verde contains some beautiful scenery but it's ancient cave dwellings are what make it world famous. In fact, it's Cliff Palace, shown in this image, is thought to be the largest cliff in North America. The Cliff Palace was inhabited by ancient Pueblo people between 550 AD to 1300 AD and often referred to as the Anasazi (Navajo for "Ancient Ones" or "Ancient Enemy"). The Anasazi kept no written records and it is hard to learn about their life other that the men were hunters and farmers while the woman were skilled in basket weaving. They mysteriously disappeared from the Cliff Palace and it is speculated that they left the are after a 24 year drought.
Walking among the adobe structures is like walking on hallowed ground. The Cliff Palace is a remarkable structure that is even more amazing that it was built about 1,500 years ago and still is in great shape. I highly recommend a visit to Mesa Verde if you are ever in southwest Colorado.
Low Clouds
Just back from Maine. While it wasn't a photography rich trip as the weather did not cooperate for most of the week, it is always good to travel with good friends. I was able to get a few decent shots that I hope to post shortly. For now, we revisit one of my favorite places: Johnson Lake in Banff National Park. The weather had been a bit overcast and was starting to clear. By the time I got to the lake, all that was left of the overcast skies were a few low clouds covering the mountain tops. The lake is a destination for families to have a nice, easy hike with a nice view of Cascade Mountain. Picnickers, hikers, sunbathers, fishermen, and swimmers congregate here during the summer months. The lake is also part of Banff's Minnewanka Loop.
Rushing By
Just a quick post today. I am headed to Maine for a few days and will not be posting the rest of the week. This is an image taken from the middle of the Yukon Suspension Bridge in Fraser, BC. I didn't have my ND filters with me and the light was pretty bright. Fortunately, the bridge was pretty sturdy so that I was able to slow the exposure a bit.
Hope to have some new images from Maine next week.
Stormy Skies at Pemaquid Point
Today's post is another in my series on New England lighthouses. Located at the tip of the Pemaquid Peninsula, the lighthouse sits above the Atlantic Ocean as a beacon to passing ships. This is the same lighthouse whose reflection I posted a few weeks ago. This image was taken the night before as part of my scouting out the location. I wasn't planning to shoot any photos as it rained pretty much the whole 5-hour trip from CT and the wind was blowing pretty hard. My main goal was to pick some vantage points for the next morning's shoot. As I looked around for a way to climb down the slippery rocks, the stormy skies began to lighten. I decided to grab my tripod from the car and finally found a relatively easy way to climb down. As I began to compose the scene, a break in the clouds on the horizon added some great contrasts to the sky. I am always surprised that some of my favorite images come when I least expect them.
Quiet Time at Dead Horse
Eastern Utah is home to two wonderful National Parks (Arches & Canyonlands). Tucked in between the two is Dead Horse State Park which is often overlooked. The signature image of the park is this one, where the Colorado River has carved the rock over thousand of years to leave us with this spectacular view which rivals any in the area. The park itself was named after the mustangs that used to run wild in the area. The overlook from which this image was taken from, acted as a natural corral where cowboys would drive the herds so they could be captured for personal use or for sale to others. According to legend, a group of mustangs remained on the overlook and were somehow trapped there. As there was no food or water available, they supposedly died of thirst within sight of the Colorado River.
Path to the Light
Continuing our New England lighthouse tour, today we visit the Eastern Point Lighthouse in Gloucester, Massachusetts. This is the third lighthouse to reside on this spot and was built in 1890 (the original light was built in 1832). The location of the lighthouse is at the entrance to Gloucester Bay and watches over very treacherous waters. In fact, between 1830 and 1910, 779 vessels and 5,305 persons out of Gloucester were lost at sea. If this lighthouse looks familiar, you may remember it from the movie, The Perfect Storm. This image was shot from the breakwater that extends into the harbor. The 2,250-foot breakwater was built using 231,756 tons of Cape Ann granite blocks to protect the harbor. Before the breakwater was completed, nearly forty ships had crashed into it, demonstrating the need for a light to mark the outward end of the obstacle, and one was added in 1905. Today, visitors and fisherman frequent the light.
If you are interested in visiting the lighthouse, follow Eastern Point Blvd. past a beach on the right and the main road will turn to the left. Continue to the right on Eastern Point Blvd. through the granite pillars (ignore the "Private - No Entry" sign as it is not a private drive). Follow Eastern Point Blvd. to the end and park in small parking lot next to the breakwater.
Glacier Approach
After sailing through the Icy Straits, as described in a previous post, we entered into Glacier Bay en-route to the Margerie Glacier. Along the way, we passed wonderful scenery and wildlife, including hump-back whales, seals and eagles. Glacier Bay is a pretty amazing place and even more amazing is that it was a wall of ice in 1791 when explored by George Vancouver. The ice has retreated 65 miles since then leaving 16 major tidewater glaciers (a glacier which generates sufficient snow to flow out from the mountains to the sea). As we approached Margerie Glacier, it was hard to believe the it has a total height of 350 feet, of which 250 feet rises above the water level. It is one of the most active glaciers in the park with respect to calving where chunks of the glacier break off of the forward ice wall into the water with a resounding roar. This is probably the main reason why most cruise ships visit this particular glacier. As can be seen in the photo, the glacier is surrounded by rugged mountains where pieces of the mountains collect on the glacier making it look "dirty". Margerie Glacier has tones of blue color as the ice crystals in the glacier absorb light of longer wavelengths (i.e. red) leaving the blue color.