Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is a mecca for Urbex photography though it is a historical site and museum. The penitentiary was built in 1829 and continued operations until as recently as 1971 (hard to believe the amount of decay since then). When the building was erected, it was the largest and most expensive public structure ever constructed, quickly becoming a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. One of the revolutionary intentions of the time was the idea that inmates were to be reformed rather than be punished (thus the word penitentiary rather than prison). In fact, the warden was legally required to visit every inmate every day as a form of rehabilitation. Two of the more famous inmates were Al Capone and Willie Sutton. This image is of one of the barber chairs that still can be found in the building. The urban decay is evident on the walls along with the algae growing down the back wall.
Basin Flow
A great place to visit if you are ever driving through the White Mountains in New Hampshire is Franconia Notch State Park. One of the easy to get to attractions in the park is "The Basin". The basin was created over thousands of years by rushing water from a waterfall, which has eroded the rock into a smooth, circular cave-like formation. It looks like a granite pothole of about 20 feet. The setting is very beautiful and relaxing and is accessible via a short hike on a paved trail. When photographing the Basin, a Neutral Density filter is required to get that silky smooth water flow contrasting against the stark rock. As can be seen in this image of a cascade leading to the basin, shooting in the fall adds some color in the form of fallen leaves.
Rustic Getaway
Earlier this year, I posted this image of the Fort Wilderness Lodge from my first trip to Disney World in over 10 years. We had been invited to Disney by very good friends to stay with them at their timeshare. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Disney Vacation Club, some of them are separate buildings that are adjacent to an already established resort. While they are not as big as the resort itself, they are still pretty impressive in their own right. This image is of the ceiling of the one attached to the Fort Wilderness Lodge. As is the Disney fashion, you could imagine yourself somewhere in Wyoming instead of Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
The Hand of God
I am sure that everyone with an imagination has looked up toward the sky and imagined all kind of different "images" in cloud formations. This same imagination has been applied to the many of the mountains, rock formations, buttes and mesas on the ground. Nowhere is this more true than in the American Southwest, especially Monument Valley. Almost all of the structures in the Valley have a descriptive name and it is often unknown whether the name was originally created by early settlers, the Navajo people or someone else. Mentioning names like "The Mittens", the "Rain God Mesa" or "The Three Sisters" to people who have visited the Valley will conjure up great memories. Our recent trip to the Valley was my wife Carol's first trip there. Although I told her how beautiful and stunning it was, it wasn't until she saw it that she understood my love for it. She was fascinated by the names of the structures and was trying to memorize them all. The image in this post is of a rock formation known as "The Hand of God" whose fingers can be seen on the right side of the formation.
Iron Spaceship
I commuted to New York City on and off for about five years when I lived in Pennsylvania (a long train ride) and then again when I moved to Connecticut. All of my visits there never took me to the location of the famous Flatiron Building. I always wanted to visit and photograph it but never had the chance. My first opportunity was this past March when I headed to the Big Apple with friends to catch a Bruce Springsteen concert. The plans were to visit Eataly (an incredible Italian market) for an afternoon lunch. Eataly is located right across the street from the Flatiron Building. When I got there I knew that whatever I shot was going to be a challenge as the mid-day sun was harsh and anything I shot would be barely passable. My only thought was to place the sun behind the building and shoot a hand-held 7-shot bracket to bring out the features of the building. While the resulting image is not perfect, the building reminded be of the shape of a spaceship readying for take-off.
Awaiting Boats
At the end of the Akamina Parkway in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, is the secluded Cameron Lake. Often overlooked by its two more famous national parks to the north (Banff and Jasper) and the adjoining Glacier National Park in Montana, Waterton is a hidden gem. Being overshadowed as a park adds a great laid back atmosphere to its wonderful and compelling attractions. For example, this image of Cameron Lake was taken in the middle of the summer around 10 am. There were only a few people at the lake and, as can be seen by these empty boats, one could just walk up to the dock, hop in and have the lake almost all to themselves. Try doing that in Glacier. The backdrop of the mountains make this such a wonderful place to spend time relaxing and taking in Mother Nature. If you haven't visited there yet, make sure to add it to your next trip to Montana or Alberta.
Path to the Light II
This image is from the archives that I recently found on CDs. It was taken during our cruise of the British Isles in 2007. I probably passed over it then as my processing skills were not great. I knew there was a good image there but wasn't sure if I could pull it out. Five years later with my skills improved, I knew I could do something with it. The subject is the Brough of Birsay, which is an uninhabited tidal island just off the coast of the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The island is accessible on foot at low tide. It is separated from the mainland by approximately 800 feet from where I composed this image. The weather was rainy and overcast and I was intrigued by the deep green colors and the worn path from the old house to the unnamed lighthouse.
This is another example of seeing parts of the world for the first time. I never had a desire to visit the Orkney Islands but it turned out to be one of my favorite stops on the trip.
Cape May Light
This image is from the southernmost part of the Jersey Shore in Cape May. The Cape May Lighthouse was built in 1859 and continues to provide light to the cape. The light is the third of its kind although the first two would be under water today due to beach erosion. The lighthouse tower is about 157 feet tall. The walls were designed to withstand winds several times above hurricane force. The lighthouse is owned by the state of New Jersey. This image was taken from the grounds of the lighthouse shortly after dawn. The light gave the clouds some wonderful color that acted as a nice backdrop to the white lighthouse tower.
Sandstone Elephant
Back from a short respite from the blog. My first trip to Monument Valley was in 2005 and I wanted to make sure that I captured an image of Tear Drop Arch. I had seen it on the cover of a Grand Circle travel magazine and was captivated by it. The resulting shot was the one in this post. The arch is actually outside of the park on Navajo Tribal land and one can only get to it by hiring a Navajo guide. It was quite the spiritual experience.
This past May, I revisited Tear Drop to recapture the shot. As we left the guide's jeep and walked up toward the arch, he told me that if you looked closely at the scene, you can see the "Elephant" in the sandstone with the left side of the arch forming the head and trunk. I was so focused on the arch itself that I had never noticed the shape. Suffice to say, focus is all well and good but make sure to step back and take everything in.
Side Street
A quick post and run today as I am headed off to a sunflower farm in New Jersey. This image was taken in Portland, Maine last September after we had visited the Victoria Mansion. Located on the southern part of the city, we were headed down to the main drag and I spotted these row homes. Their unique colors just jumped out at me. Have a great weekend everyone.
Yukon Bound
The port of Skagway, Alaska is a popular stop for cruise ships and one of its star attractions is the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad. Given my love of both trains and mountains, I Was really excited to travel over the mountains to the Yukon. The train climbs almost 3,000 feet in just a short 20 miles and, as a result, has severe grades. The train travels along many winding turns that run along the edge of the cliffs. Before reaching the Yukon, it will negotiate numerous tunnels, bridges and trestles. This image, taken from the back of the rail car, is indicative of the terrain that the train travels through. The waters surrounding Skagway can be seen in the distance as the train approaches the Canadian border.
Venetian Gothic
On any visit to Venice, one can't help being captivated by it's architecture, especially the ones that were built during the Gothic Period in the 14th century. This architecture was unique from the rest of Europe in that it was far more intricate in style and design. One of the other distinguishing characteristics was how lightweight the buildings were constructed. This was done to better provide stability the instability of the city due the canals. This image is of St Mark's Basilica in the Piazza San Marco. The details in the Basilica are very indicative of the Gothic style.
Rugged Reflection
The drive north on the Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park passes a number of lakes that are reachable from the road. One of my favorites is Bow Lake which can be seen from the parkway. The Crowfoot Glacier hangs suspended over the lake. We pulled into the parking lot of the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge and got out to stretch our legs. Walking around the property, I took a number of shots including this one. It was taken in mid-morning and the sun was starting to lose it’s soft light. The hard light helped highlight the ruggedness of both the mountain and it’s reflection.
Inviting
Last week's focus on New England left out the Green Mountain State of Vermont. Today will will finish our trip through the region by visiting a farm located in the heart of Vermont's beautiful Northeast Kingdom. The Northeast Kingdom has received numerous awards including "Best of New England"by Yankee Magazine and, looking at this scene, you can understand why. The fall season had begun with the leaves displaying wonderful orange color. Contrasting with the foliage was the beautiful green lawn which still retailed its color. The scene was so inviting that you could envision yourself sitting in the lawn chairs for hours absorbing in the beauty of the fall.
Guardian
We finish the week of touring New England on the blog by visiting the Ocean State otherwise known as Rhode Island. I know some of you might ask, "What about Vermont? Isn't it part of New England?". The answer is yes and I plan to post an image from Vermont on Monday. Now to the tip of Rhode Island to view a closeup of the Beavertail Lighthouse located in Jamestown. It is a unusual lighthouse in that instead of the typical circular shape, it is actually a square structure. It offers a panoramic view of the Narragansett Bay. The lighthouse is surrounded by rugged rocks on three sides as can be seen in this previous post.
This is the third iteration of the lighthouse with the first one originally built in 1749. Alas, it was made of wood and burned down four years later. It was rebuilt in 1753 and lasted until 1856 when this iteration was built. It stands 45 feet tall and its light is on 24 hours a day.
New Hampshire Beauty
Our New England week on the blog takes us to New Hampshire and the White Mountains. This image was taken from Cathedral Ledge in North Conway. It is an easy location to get to as long as you don't miss the road leading to it. There is a circular parking lot and it is a short walk to the ledge. The sun was setting, casting beautiful light over the countryside. The ledge overlooks the White Mountains, in particular, the Presidential Range whose peaks are named after American Presidents. It is a wonderful view that I have posted previously. One of the things that I have learned when shooting landscapes is to take time to examine the scene and you will probably find numerous photos in it. This was one of those times. I spotted this small farm and zoomed in for a composition that would catch the fading light and wonderfull fall colors.
Remembrance
Our week long photo tour of New England takes us to it's biggest city, Boston, Massachusetts. I have spent a lot of time in Boston as it is only two hours from my house and have visited it often, especially when my son attended Boston University. One way to take in the history of the city is to walk the Freedom Trail which takes you past many of the historical sites of the Revolutionary War. While walking the Freedom Trail, you encounter one of the most sobering memorials that pertains to a different war, namely the New England Holocaust Memorial. The memorial consists of six glass towers with each tower symbolizing a different major concentration camp. Engraved on the towers are six million numbers which represent the Jews killed during the Holocaust.
This photo was taken very early in the morning to catch the light and shadows as well as to beat the many tourists that visit it. In order to try to capture the numbers inscribed on the panels, I shot a hand-held bracket with the intent of processing an HDR image. I had posted this image last year but was unhappy with the result. As a result, I have re-edited it to better reflect the scene and am much happier with it.
Rugged Coast
This week's trip through New England takes us to Maine and arguably it's most famous attraction, Acadia National Park. Acadia is the only national park located in the northeastern US and is a very popular tourist destination. The Maine coastline is extremely rugged and Acadia contains some of the most breathtaking scenes on the Atlantic Ocean. As I was setting up the shot on Otter Beach, I could hear the crashing waves on the rocky beach and knew I was in a race before the clouds moving east would extinguish the beautiful warm glow of the rising sun. I was able to take this long exposure image as the light from the rising sun was still hitting the adjacent cliffs. It was a very short time after this shot that the clouds covered the golden light for good.
Foliage in New England
As I was preparing this post, I came up with the idea of making this an all New England week. I will take you to some of the States that comprise New England and where I live. Today we will start in my home state of Connecticut. There is nothing better than fall foliage in New England. If not a resident of the area, finding the right time to visit can be very challenging. Some years the foliage comes early, some years late. Often the timing depends on the weather during the summer: dry vs. wet; hot vs. cool. Living in Connecticut, it is easier to decide what day to pick, hop in the car and drive around. On this day, I visited Lake Waramaug State Park. The weather was great and the colors outstanding. On the far side of the lake, you come around a curve and see this line of trees that line a beautiful house. The trees are on private property so I hopped out of the car to take some shots. It was late in the afternoon and the shadows were getting long. This location has become one of my favorites and I try to go back each fall.
Before Dinner Snack
A quick post and run today. This image of a grazing horse was taken at the Inn at Mountain View Farm in Vermont. It is a 440-acre historic farm on top a mountain with picturesque views of the surrounding Vermont countryside. The Inn is a wonderful place to visit and stay. During the fall months, the colors of the foliage area outstanding.