I often love to capture an image that I hadn't planned for or wasn't expecting. We were on our first Mediterranean cruise and were entering the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. I was pretty excited as I had seen images of the location beforehand showing these large mountains that almost fully surround the bay. We were scheduled to dock early in the morning and I woke up just as we were leaving the Aegean Sea and entering into the long winding entrance to the bay. When I looked out of the cabin window wall I saw was thick fog. Fortunately, as we traversed the fiord-like entrance (15 miles long), the fog began to lift and took on this really cool blue hue from the brilliant sky. I took a few photos and wasn't sure if they would properly convey the beauty of the scene. This is one of those photos and I am pleased to say that it came out pretty well.
Beacon
Quick post and run. Lot's going on today as my niece is getting married and the house I am staying in will be crazy. Arguably the signature lighthouse of Maine, the Portland Head Light is actually located outside of Portland on Cape Elizabeth. The lighthouse is surrounded by a huge park. This image was actually taken on my scouting trip for the following morning pre-dawn shoot. The day was beautiful and, although it didn't have the soft early morning light, I was pretty pleased with the result.
Dammed Up
The Glen Canyon Dam is a dam located just north of Page, Arizona. The dam was built to provide hydroelectricity and control water flow from the upper Colorado River Basin to the lower. It is actually situated on Federal land (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area) and is run by the Federal Government. When it was built in 1966, it created Lake Powell which is the second largest artificial lake in the country. It took 17 years for Lake Powell to completely fill for the first time. The city of Page was created in 1957 to house workers and their families during the construction of the dam and now thrives as a tourist destination. Tours of the dam are conducted daily and I highly recommend taking the tour if you are in the area. Security measures are high at the dam for obvious reasons. This vantage point is from south of the dam looking north toward Lake Powell.
Golden Hour Reflection
The Icefields Parkway connecting Banff National Park and Jaspar National Park in Alberta, Canada is probably my favorite road to take photos. That's saying a lot as it beats out California Highway 1, the Alaskan Highway, Montana's Going to the Sun Road and Arizona's Apache Trail. It is probably the combination of pristine mountain lakes, beautiful glaciers and towering mountains that makes it my favorite. I am often asked how far I had to hike to reach some of these lakes and my answer sometimes surprises them -- very little. Of course, there are some lakes that hiking boots and a long hike are required, but many are just a short distance from the highway. The lake in this image, Herbert Lake, is a prime example. I literally had to walk about 20 feet to set up my tripod, wait for the golden hour glow (in this case just past dawn) and shoot the shot. The biggest variable for photographers is the light which can never be predicted. I was lucky this morning to get some great light.
So what are your favorite roads to photograph? If I don't have them on my "to visit" list, I will be sure to add them.
Emerald Tranquility
Many people travel to the Canadian Rockies in western Alberta to experience the wonderful national parks, namely Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. Traveling north on the Icefields Parkway (which connects the two national parks), there is a fabulous side trip (or even overnight stay) that many do not know about or visit, namely Yoho National Park in British Columbia. To reach Yoho, take Route 1 west just north of Lake Louise from Alberta into British Columbia. Not knowing what to expect, we came upon Emerald Lake and were blown away by Yoho’s largest lake. We spent the afternoon there having lunch and strolling around the lake. As you can see, the beautiful emerald water is to die for. Definitely a place to spend more time on on our next visit.
Spider Woman's Home
On our recent southwestern trip, we headed out of Monument Valley for a full day of driving to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We had planned to stop at Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeastern Arizona but there were really high winds and visibility was almost nonexistent. As we reached the town of Chinle, we decided to stop at the canyon anyway. Amazingly, the wind seemed to stop and we were able to drive the full length of the south rim. For those who have never visited this National Monument, it is a majestic canyon lined with towering red sandstone. It is unique in that it is owned by the Navajo Tribal Trust Land and is administered by the National Park Service. The highlight of the canyon is Spider Rock which can be seen at the very last lookout on South Rim Drive. Spider Rock is actually twin 800-foot towers isolated from the canyon walls. Navajos believe this is the home of the Spider Woman, who taught Navajos how to weave and also devoured disobedient children. It is said that the white caps of the towers are children's bones.
The Other Side of Half Dome
Yosemite National Park is one of nature's most beautiful places. Yosemite Valley, where most visitors head, offers more natural wonders than just about anywhere else. From most spots in the valley, one can see El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, Sentinel Dome and Half Dome. All of these have been photographed many times over and it is very hard to get an original perspective. One of my favorite "off the beaten path" places in Yosemite is Olmsted Point. This location is about 45 miles from Yosemite Lodge on Tioga Road. Olmsted Point looks southwest into the valley giving a view of the northern side of Half Dome and a view of Tenaya Lake to the east.
On this particular evening, we had eaten dinner in Lee Vining (home to Mono Lake) and we were heading back to the valley. I just had to stop at Olmsted Point when I saw the beautiful glow of the setting sun on Half Dome's sheer face.
Morning Serenity
For those who have followed me for a while, you can't help but notice that one of my favorite places to visit and shoot is Banff National Park. I would go there every year if my wife would agree to it but she has her own bucket list of places to visit and, of course, they are places that I want to visit too. That doesn't stop me from remembering the serenity I feel every time I set foot near one of the park's great lakes like this one -- Lake Louise. Lake Louise is turquoise colored and is located about 45 minutes from the town of Banff. The lake is surrounded by numerous snow-capped mountains and the head of the Victoria Glacier as can be seen in this image. It is also home to a five-star resort hotel, the Chateau Lake Louise -- very expensive but worth it. It is so easy to wake up before dawn, grab your gear and be pretty much alone as the sunrise hits the peaks of the surrounding mountains and the head of the glacier.
Stone Rainbow
Rainbow Bridge National Monument, located near Page, Arizona, is one of the world's highest natural bridges with a height of 290 feet. It is almost as long as it is high with a length of 270 feet. Rainbow Bridge was known by Native Americans who have long held the bridge sacred as a symbol of the deities responsible for creating clouds, rainbows and rain--the essence of life in the desert. They named the bridge "Nonnezoshe" or "rainbow turned to stone." One of the natural wonders of the world, the bridge was formed by erosion of the sandstone by water flowing from Navajo Mountain towards the Colorado River. Rainbow Bridge can be reached by a two-hour boat ride on Lake Powell from either of two marinas near Page. After a wonderfully scenic ride on the lake, boats drop you off at the National Park wharf in Bridge Canyon and, to reach the bridge, there is short mile-long walk. The only other alternative is to hike several hours from a trailhead on the south side of Lake Powell but requires a permit from the Navajo Nation.
When planning for photographing the bridge, I realized that I would not be able to shoot it in great light as the earliest boat reaches it at almost 10 am. For those of you that have seen images of the bridge and it's reflection in the water, it is not possible to capture. One of the Park Rangers told me that due to the low water levels on the lake, the last time water flowed through the arch was almost 20 years ago. Regardless of the not perfect light and lack of water, the bridge is still an impressive subject.
Red Rock Evening
The first day on our trip, we stayed in Sedona, Arizona. We had caught an early flight out of Hartford and landed in Phoenix. After stopping for an awesome barbecue lunch at Thee Pitts Again (found this place through the Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins television show - I try to eat at these places whenever I can), we headed to Sedona. I had been through Sedona twice before but only passed through on my way to the Grand Canyon. This time, I wanted to stay overnight to take in the beautiful red rocks that surround the town, particularly Cathedral Rock. Cathedral Rock is a famous landmark on the Sedona skyline, and is one of the most-photographed sights in Arizona. It was a gorgeous evening as we headed out to Red Rock Loop Road (there is an upper and lower section of the road that forms the loop). The only thing that was missing were clouds but when I asked someone about it, their reply was, "It's the desert, we don't get clouds too often.", (duh). Clouds or no clouds, the light was just about perfect, giving the rocks the famous red glow that they are famous for.
Return to Mars
Today we return to wonderful and spiritual Monument Valley located on Navajo land in southern Utah. The first time I visited the valley in 2005, I felt I was transported to a very beautiful but alien place. I remember remarking to my son that we had landed on Mars. After spending time there then and more recently, I realize that the true benefits of the valley beyond the landscape was to be exposed to and learn a little about Navajo culture and traditions. The Navajo name for the valley is Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii meaning "Valley of the Rocks". The structures in this image "Yei Bi Chei" on the left and "Totem Pole" on the right hold deep spiritual meaning for the Navajo. “Yei Bi Chei” means Navajo spiritual gods and is viewed as a formation of dancers emerging from a Hogan. A dance called the Yei Bi Chei dance originated in the valley and is performed for healing purposes in a very sacred nine day ritual called the Night Way Ceremony.
So Grand
So how do you capture the magnificence, vastness and the wonder of the Grand Canyon? The answer is that you don't. The best that you can do is to capture a small slice of the canyon and hope that a little of it's beauty comes through your image. There are two times to best photograph the park: sunrise and sunset. When the sun is near the horizon, it's light casts long shadows and adds great definition and depth to the canyon walls. Any other time, photographs seem flat with little or no definition because the sun is higher in the sky thus casting very shallow shadows. This image was taken just before sunset from Yavapai Point on the South Rim of the canyon. The sun cast a great golden glow onto the rocks creating terrific long shadows in the canyon itself. While many shoot into a rising or setting sun, my tendency is to shoot away from the sun to capture the great warm tones on the surrounding scenery.
Sunset on Lake Powell
The Glen Canyon Recreational Area is located adjacent to Page, Arizona. The area is named after Glen Canyon which was carved by the Colorado River in the shadows of the Vermilion Cliffs. Lake Powell, a reservoir, was created by the Glen Canyon Dam. In fact, if it were not for the building of the dam, Page would not exist as a town. Lake Powell is the second largest man-made reservoir in water capacity in the United States. It starts in Page, Arizona at the Glen Canyon Dam and extends to the Bullfrog Marina in southeastern Utah, 186 miles away. It has a shoreline of almost 2,000 miles. The lake is a favorite destination of vacationers who rent houseboats (pictured here in the image) during the summer months.
We had arrived in Page earlier in the day and wanted to scope out the Wahweap Marina where we were scheduled to take a 5-hour round-trip cruise to Rainbow Bridge early the next day. The setting sun cast beautiful light on the rugged mountains in the distance.
Keyhole Beauty
Back from an excellent vacation touring the American Southwest. Visited many spots in Arizona and New Mexico, many of them for the first time. While this wasn't a photography trip, I still managed to take a boatload of photos. We had great weather although a bit hotter than expected. I typically don't edit my photos right away as I am often disappointed with my shots because they don't seem to match the beauty I saw. I will be making an exception to that "rule" this week. My last post, "Go West, Young Man" was from my favorite place in the Southwest, Monument Valley. It was taken in 2005 on a hiking and photography trip with my son. It was there that my photography passion was rekindled. It is only fitting that my first post from my trip is from Monument Valley. This image is of a hole in Submarine Rock toward the back of the park. The only way to visit it is to hire a Navajo Guide (I used Simpson's Trailhandler Tours - Highly Recommended). I am not sure exactly what the hole is called. It is sometimes referred to as Keyhole Arch or Pottery Arch which is interesting as it is obviously not an arch. Whatever it's name, the view through the hole shows the beauty of the valley and it's structures lit by the setting sun.
Go West, Young Man
"Go West, Young Man" is a quote attributed to Horace Greeley in an editorial published in 1865. Living on the east coast all of my life, I have been attracted to the west ever since my first trip there. I am very happy to report that tomorrow, I am headed to Arizona and New Mexico for the next two weeks. While it is not specifically a photography trip, you can bet I will return with quite a lot of images. In selecting an image for today's post, I decided to pick my favorite place in the Southwest, Monument Valley. This is a view of the valley that I took on a guided tour with a Navajo guide (the only way to see Monument Valley off of the public road). It was the trip that re-ignited my photography passion in 2005. I am really psyched that I will be hiring another guide on this trip to capture the wonderful scenery and colors of the park.
I will not be posting to my blog during this trip, so I will see you when I return. Look forward to catching up with you all when I get back.
The Fishing Pier
One of the best places to spend the summer is the Jersey shore (don't in any way attribute the Jersey shore to the reality show). Every year, thousands of people from the surrounding area (South Jersey, Philadelphia, New York and Delaware) head to Wildwood, NJ. Wildwood's beach is arguably one of the best beaches in NJ with it's two mile boardwalk. The crowds were sleeping in on this early summer morning so I had the beach to myself along with my nephew. I really liked the lines of this fishing pier and shot off a couple of brackets.
Breaking Through
Earlier this week, I posted an image of Mt McKinley Lodge's cupola. After having breakfast, I headed to Byers Lake in Denali State Park with a small group of other guests at the lodge. While the adjacent national park of the same name is world famous, I discovered that Denali State Park was well worth a visit. I might even venture to say that it is the best state park I have ever been to. The lake was about 20 minutes away from our lodge and is accessible from the Parks Highway that connects Anchorage and Fairbanks. The park is undeveloped wilderness with the exception of the two day-use areas, three campgrounds, and two trailheads, one of which leads to Byers Lake.
Alberta Morning
I know that I have been posting a lot of images from Alberta but I can't help it! I just love the Canadian Rockies and it's surrounding lakes and towns. I would probably go to Banff every year if my wife said it was okay. Okay, now that I have warned you, today's image is of Cascade Mountain from the town of Banff. It was very early in the morning, shortly after sunrise. The town was pretty deserted, especially for a summer morning. I am sure that it is very hard to shoot a bad photo when the subject is so magnificent, the light so nice and soft and the weather being just about perfect. Just another day in paradise (at least to me).
Merced Light
The Merced River is a 145-mile tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada to the central valley of California. The most famous section of the river is where it travels through the renowned Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. The Merced drops over the Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls and passes into the valley, where it flows in the pine forests that fill the valley floor. Visitors to Yosemite Valley can go almost anywhere along the Merced's banks and see the famous granite cliffs and formations. This image shows one of the most famous formations, El Capitan. It was early morning and the light started to bathe the formation and the opposite bank. It's no wonder that the Yosemite Valley is one of the most visited national parks in the US.
Rugged
Last week I posted the shoreline of Bow Lake located on the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park. Today we travel further north on the parkway to Upper Waterfowl Lake. The lake is easily accessible from the parkway and is surrounded by the awe inspiring mountains of the continental divide including the rugged Mount Chephren that is shown in the photo. The mountain was originally named Pyramid Mountain but was renamed after a Egyptian pharaoh when it conflicted with the identically named Pyramid Mountain in Jasper National Park.