Just a quick post wishing you and your families a wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season. I hope Santa was good to everyone. This is one of the Christmas trees at Epcot's Candlelight Processional taken right before the orchestra and choir began singing holiday songs.
Mickey Meets Mario
Here is a shot from our Disney World trip earlier this month. We decided to visit the Magic Kingdom during "Mickey's Very Merry Xmas Party". In essence, Disney closes the park at 7pm and sells a second admission price for those who want to attend the party (leave it to Disney to figure out how to get more money). Despite the price, the party is well worth it with an elaborate parade, fireworks and a hard to describe animation that uses Cinderella's Castle as a "movie screen".
The castle show is hard to describe and there are a large number of scenes, pictures and animations that flash quickly before your eyes over a 15-minute interval. It is very difficult to describe, but it is quite amazing. People line up to get a good view about 90 minutes before the festivities start. It is extremely difficult to photograph given the lighting, speed of the animation and the crowds. I shot with my Sony NEX-7 at 6400 ISO and just kept shooting.
This is one of my favorite scenes. A 1980's depiction of an old-time video game (I think it may be Mario Brothers but could be wrong). If you ever have the chance to visit Disney World at Christmas time, don't miss Mickey's party.
Deep Blue
Back from a two week hiatus from the blog in time for Christmas week. Our trip to Disney World was terrific and while I didn't shoot that much, I will be posting a few shots this week. Before I do, today we revisit a really cool location in southern Oregon, Crater Lake National Park.
There are two things that I remember vividly from the park and that is Wizard Island and some of the bluest water found in the world. The water is some of the purest that you will find anywhere, and the blue color is simply amazing. When researching the reason for why the color was so blue, I found the answer on the National Park Service's website (paraphrased in the next paragraph).
The water is so blue because there is hardly anything else in it. The water molecules found in Crater Lake contain no sediments, algae, pesticides or pollution, making it very pure. The water molecules absorb all of the color spectrum of sunlight except for the blues. The key to creating the deep blue color is having enough water to absorb the other colors. Since there are 4.6 trillion gallons of water in the lake, there is no problem.
Headed to Disney
As you are reading this, we are in transit to Disney World as part of what seems to be an annual visit to see the park all dressed up for Christmas. I won't be posting next week and I will try to catch up when I get back. This photo is actually from Disney's resort in Hilton Head. There was a chair that was missing and I chuckled as even the rust left by it was in the shape of Mickey's head.
The Lone Buffalo
There are many diverse attractions that make South Dakota a vacation destination. It wasn't until I started planning a stop there as part of our cross-country trip that I realized how diverse it was. Within a days drive apart, there are two National Parks. One, Badlands NP, has some of the most rugged landscapes that I have visited, while the other, Wind Caves NP, is contained below the ground. From a historic perspective, the gamut runs from granite memorials (Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse) to the rolling hills of Custer State Park (shown in this photo). This area is definitely a hidden gem that I plan to revisit soon.
When I composed the scene above, I wanted to capture the beauty of this park nestled in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota. It wasn't until I began editing the photo that I noticed the lone buffalo in the upper right portion of the frame. I wanted to leave him in (lone buffalo are almost always males) to give some scale to the scene.
Humbled
Mountains are my destination whenever I feel the calling of the road. There is something about them that are spiritual and give me a sense of serenity. Maybe it is also a need to get away from the masses that is life in the northeast. It is hard to know exactly why. Others on the east coast flock to the miles and miles of beaches for their relief, but, for me, it offers little attraction unless I am there at sunrise or sunset shooting images.
It is interesting to me that mountains were created through very violent collisions of the Earth’s tectonic plates, yet they provide such peace and solace. Many Native American tribes have cultures that believe in and pay respect to the spiritual nature of mountains. I mention Native Americans as, that if family history is to believed, I may have some Indian blood in me. So maybe I am channeling those inherited beliefs.
Sorry to get all philosophical today. When I sat down to write this post, I was going to talk about the mountain range along this portion of the Alaskan coastline, and talk about how insignificant and humbling it feels when being in such a wonderful place.
Savannah Charm
One of the places that I have always wanted to visit was Savannah, Georgia. Savannah came onto my must visit list after I read the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in 1994. I was not only captivated by the story, but also the history and architecture of Savannah that has earned it's reputation as the center of southern charm.
It took me almost 20 years to get there and I am very glad I did. The architecture in the city is very diverse and includes Federal, Georgian and Gothic Revival to name a few. I am known as a quick walker, but I stopped on almost every street to shoot another beautiful home. I don't know where this was taken, but I remember thinking to myself that I could see me living there, although I probably couldn't afford it.
Portland Head Light
This lighthouse is probably the most photographed in New England. One of the reasons is it's proximity to Maine's most populated city, Portland. Another reason is that it is adjacent to the 90-acre Fort Williams Park, with access to hiking, sporting fields, recreation areas and, of course, Fort Williams. I think the real reason is that it is quite the beautiful structure, and sits on a lovely stretch of the Maine coast on Cape Elizabeth.
The lighthouse was commissioned by George Washington in 1787. It is the oldest lighthouse in the State of Maine, although, when it was built, Maine was not yet a state (it was part of Massachusetts). The light measures 80 feet in height (about 100 feet above the water) and can be seen for 24 nautical miles.
This sunrise photo was taken on a beautiful August morning and I had the whole park to myself, except for a local cameraman that was there to show the sunrise as a lead-in for the local news.
Catching Some Rays
I hope all those who celebrate Thanksgiving had a great holiday. Many of us have eaten too much and just want to lay around the house (at least I do). So here is to relaxing for the day as this alligator was doing in the swamps of South Carolina.
Happy Thanksgiving
It has been a great year for me from a photography perspective. I have visited more places this year than I ever have in one year before. It all started with Key West in February, and was followed by an unscheduled drive cross-country with my son in early April. Home for a week, and then off to South Carolina for two weeks. A couple of months later, I was in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, home for two weeks, and then off to Maryland and Oregon for almost all of August. Back home for a week, followed by another cross-country trip back home. So I am very thankful that I have been able to enjoy the travel and photography.
I am also thankful for those of you who stop in to view my photos, leave comments, or simply "+1" on Google Plus or "like" them on Facebook. They make all of the efforts in editing my photos and writing a post all worth it. So thank all of you.
In closing, I found this image of a barn that I shot in Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. For those of you who are not familiar with Sturbridge Village, it is a living museum of life in the late 1790's. I am sure that Thanksgiving back then had a different meaning than today.
Rural New England
There are many hidden gems in New England, and one of my favorite ones is the The Inn at Mountain View Farms in East Burke, Vermont. The farm was built in 1883 as a "gentleman's working farm". The owner built it to provide meat and dairy to his New York City hotel. The cow barn, pictured on the right, is one of the largest farm structures in existence in Vermont, and once was home to 100 cows.
Today, the farm is an active bed and breakfast from May to October ,and is also home to a non-profit organization that provides sanctuary to needy farm animals. It is a great place to explore, and, in addition to the farm structures, the inn has a spectacular view from the hilltop that is second to none, especially during foliage season.
Mural
The two things that you can be assured of when visiting the Vatican are that you will see (1) some of the most amazing art and architecture and (2) lots and lots of domes. I am not sure which dome this is (if anyone recognizes this, let me know its name) but I just fell in love with the mural in it. Even though the colors are fading a bit around the edges, it still is beautiful. Shooting at the Vatican can be challenging with all of the crowds and not being able to shoot with a tripod.
Overcast, Rainy and Foggy
Don't worry. There is nothing wrong with your computer's monitor. This photo is actually black and white on purpose. I know that the majority of my photos are color, as I love nicely saturated colors. I don't want anyone to think that I don't like B&W ((I do), but I believe that some photographers can see a scene and immediately see the B&W possibilities. Unfortunately for me, I am not one of those photographers.
On this wet, dreary, day on the Oregon coast, I was determined to shoot despite the weather. To add some interest to the image, I took a number of shots with a long exposure. When I went to edit this, the color version wasn't good, even though I really liked the scene. I decided to try a number of treatments to bring out the felling that I had when I shot it. The B&W version really worked and conveyed the mood I wanted.
Reflections of Fall
"All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray." Those lyrics from the Mamas and Papas song California Dreaming come to mind as I am writing this blog post. Fall in Connecticut is well past its prime, and, not being a winter person, I am already dreaming about California or anywhere else where it is warm.
Fall is my favorite season, but it doesn't last long enough. This photo was taken not far from my house in the American Legion State Forest, Barkhamsted, Connecticut. While not taken at the peak of the colors, it still was a beautiful scene to behold.
Mule Wash
No trip to Charleston, South Carolina, would be complete without a horse-drawn carriage ride through this historic city. The ride takes you down tree-lined streets and the differing styles of architecture of the southern homes. It is also a great way to start a visit that gives an overview of the museums and attractions. There are a number of carriage companies that give tours of Charleston but the one we recommend is Palmetto Carriage. They have won a number of awards as the best in the city and they are easy to find. Just look for the big red barn. I couldn't help snapping a shot of this unique sign. I now know where I am taking my mule to get washed and have my hoofs shined. What a bargain.
Fallen Window
This is another visit to the Lonaconing Silk Mill in western Maryland. The mill is quite large with many areas to explore. We literally spent the better part of 12 hours wandering around every nook and cranny of the place. Every time I thought I was finished, I found another hallway or room to explore. When I headed to the basement, it was quite dark in many areas. I spotted a dim light toward the back of the mill, and, when I turned the corner, I spotted this scene where the window had either fallen onto the machinery, or someone had placed it there. Not really caring how it ended up there, I fired off a bracketed series that I knew would be a terrific HDR subject.
Gondola Ride
What better way is there to take in the great city of Venice, Italy, than on your own gondola ride? The number of gondolas once numbered above 10,000, when horses were outlawed in the 14th century. Only about 500 remain today, and they are used primarily for the tourist trade, as their cost is exorbitant for everyday transportation. Rates are regulated, and if you try to negotiate a lower price, the gondolier will reduce the length of the ride accordingly. This photo was taken from our gondola with the famed Rialto Bridge in the background.
Morning Light
This past July, I posted this pre-dawn image of the historic Thomas Moulton barn, located in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The reason photographers get up before dawn and set up for this shot is that the window of opportunity to get the morning light shining on the front of the barn is quite small. There are many mornings when the cloud cover to the east blocks the sun totally. That is what we worried about on this morning. There were enough clouds and fog that threatened the light, but the sun finally made its appearance, which gave the barn this golden glow. The moment lasted for only 10 minutes before the magical light disappeared. The fog in the background was simply icing on the cake.
Out for a Ride
This photo is from my archives and is one of my favorite subjects. I originally edited this when my post processing skills were poor. I came across this when looking at my Lightroom library and thought it deserved a new life. The plane is actually a statue outside the Air Force Academy's Chapel in Colorado Springs. I composed the image from an angle that only had the sky as the background. A little Photoshop magic to make the support column disappear and there you have it.
September 1957
One of the coolest things about shooting in abandoned buildings is capturing the grit and decay of walls in disrepair and machines that haven't been used in decades. This is what attracts the Urbex photographer. A side benefit of visiting these abandoned places is discovering the history of days long gone. The Lonaconing Silk Mill in western Maryland is one of those places where history is on display. The mill, also known as the Klotz Throwing Company, closed its doors in 1957. Its closure ended the industry in the United States and it is the last intact silk mill remaining. Who knows when this mill will disappear, despite the owner's attempts to continues to transform the mill into a museum.