Glorious - Manhattan, New York

St Patrick's Cathedral, Manhattan, New York

This past September, I joined fellow photographers Rick Louie and Chris Nitz on their trip to New York City before we were to meet up with the NxNW crew on Boston. This was Chris's first visit to NYC, so of course we had to show him some of our favorite places. I hadn't been back to St Patrick's near 30 Rock since 2008 and I was excited to shoot there again, as it is a magnificent church. When we walked in, we were in for a surprise, as there was scaffolding everywhere to be seen. Seems like St. Patrick's has been under restoration since 2012 and is not scheduled to be completed until December of this year, at an estimated cost of $175 million.  

I still wanted to post an image of the inside of the church without scaffolding, so I dug out an old image and processed it as you see here. I can't wait to revisit there after the restoration is completed, as I am curious to see what it will look like.

Glacier Wildflowers - Glacier National Park, Montana

Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana

Logan Pass is a must stop destination for anyone visiting Glacier NP. It lies on the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains and is the highest point on the Going- to-the-Sun Road at almost 6,700 feet. It is unusual to see wildflowers in the middle of August (when this was taken), but the summer season was a short one in 2014. The road to Logan Pass was opened in mid-July and closed in late September, so the growing season was quite short due to the snow melt. This vantage point is near the Visitors Center and is the beginning of the Hidden Lake Trail that takes you past Reynolds Mountain. The hike to Hidden Lake is on a boardwalk with some decent elevation change, but it is so worth it for the view.

The Road - Colorado River Scenic Byway, Moab, Utah

This is a photo that I might not have taken a couple of years ago. Fortunately, in the past few years, I have been able to connect with other photographers that I have known for years online. Shooting with other photographers can't help but change your personal perspective, especially when you love their work. This particular shot is a tribute to my friend Jeff Clow. Before shooting with Jeff, I didn't shoot many road shots nor did I shoot much black and white. It is now part of my repertoire. I know he has picked up a few ideas from me too, especially when there are puddles around. Thanks Jeff.

Out for a Hike - Bloomfield, Connecticut

Pennwood State Park, Bloomfield Connecticut

Being a landscape and travel photographer, I am often in front of some pretty impressive subjects. I sometimes forget that there is beauty in all corners of the world even if they are not prime destinations. Case in point. I hike around a reservoir that is pretty close to my home. It is a 3-mile hike with a good portion of it being a tree-lined dirt road. I try to bring my camera with me on these hikes, as there are times when the light and shadow paint such a photogenic picture. I shot this photo on one of those hikes and it is a favorite of mine. Don't forget your camera wherever you go. You just might run into a place where the scene is screaming "shoot me."

Awaiting Canoe - Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

Cameron Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada

I like going through my Lightroom library and looking at some old stuff that I have shot over the years. Sometimes I come upon one that takes me back in time like this one did. Back in 2006, we hit most of the national parks, from Glacier in Montana to Jasper, Alberta. What a great trip it was. One of the places we stopped at was Waterton Lakes National Park. This little gem of a park abuts Glacier and is a wonderful place to explore. It doesn't get nearly the number of visitors as Glacier or the parks to the north, but it should. We seemed to have the park pretty much to ourselves. When we drove up to Cameron Lake (pictured here), there was no one in sight except for a couple of canoes on the lake. This canoe was just sitting there waiting for someone to take it out for a spin. 

Temple of Poseidon - Cape Sounion, Greece

I am a lover of architecture and there is no better place to see some of the really old structures than Europe.  After visiting the Acropolis in Athens, we decided to get outside of the bustling activity of the city and took a bus to Cape Sounion to visit the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon. Along the way to the cape, we passed some stunning coastal views as well as many great beaches. Pulling up to the entrance of the temple, it was obvious why the temple was built on this site. The ruins are situated on top of a rocky hill, where views of the beautiful Aegean Sea are visible in almost every direction.

The Temple of Poseidon was built around 440 BC and these columns are all that remain. According to Greek legend, Cape Sounion is where Aegeus, king of Athens, leapt to his death off the cliff, thus giving his name to the Aegean Sea.

On the Way to Moraine Lake - Banff National Park, Alberta

Valley of the Ten Peaks, Banff National Park, Alberta

Did you ever have that one photo that you took a long time ago and wanted to reshoot it again? This was one of those. I took the original shot in 2006 somewhere along the road to Moraine Lake. The composition was okay, but I knew that it could be improved upon. I was with Jeff Clow and Cody Kahl, and, as we drove past this scene, I yelled "There it is!" Not wanting to miss out on the sunrise on Moraine Lake, Jeff said that he would stop on the way back. So, after shooting Moraine, we tried to find the exact spot of my 2006 shot again, but it proved to be elusive. Sure there were nice places to shoot, but they weren't THE one. Thank God Jeff is patient, and after about 10 or 15 minutes, I found it. Mission accomplished.

Colorado Vista - Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Moraine Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

I spent a few days exploring Rocky Mountain National Park on my own this past September. My previous visits were drive-throughs on vacation and not for photography. The weather was a bit hit and miss, but this is one terrific place. The park has a great mix of mountains, valleys, streams and wildlife. I took this shot on a windy afternoon. I was driving down Moraine Road and I noticed this scene in my rear view mirror. On my way back, I stopped and hiked to this point of the steam. Even thought the light wasn't great, the clouds and blue sky gave some nice interest (at least to my eyes) to the scene.

Spires - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado

I have always liked photographing architecture, particularly unusual buildings. I uncovered this shot that I took a long time ago while I was perusing my Lightroom catalog. I remember being fascinated with photos of this chapel well before I ever saw it with my own eyes. It certainly is an unusual chapel in many ways, apart from its unique look. Because it serves all of the academy cadets, the chapel has five distinct areas for differing religions (Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist and Islamic). Each chapel has its own entrance so that services may be held simultaneously. For anyone who visits the chapel, the inside is as beautiful and modern as the outside is.

Badlands Sunrise - Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Norbeck Pass, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Although I only visited Badlands about a year and a half ago, I can't wait to go back. This happens whenever I edit a photo from this rugged place (it is called Badlands for a reason). I was lucky to visit in September when it wasn't hot, and there were very few people out and awake before the sun rose. I remember getting up and driving about 20 minutes to shoot this scene of Norbeck Pass. I was the only one in sight and there were some great clouds that lit up as the sun came over the rock formations. I love how most of the formations in the park have the layers of strata that show how these might have been formed.

New York Lights - Manhattan, New York

Times Square, Manhattan, New York

I dare anyone who doesn't live in New York City to stand in the middle of Times Square and tell me that it is not mesmerizing. Even though I have been there a number of times, I still have to stop and try to take it all in. For a photographer like me, you want to try to convey that feeling through a photo, but it is nearly impossible. A photo doesn't have the sense of movement, the sounds and the smells. The best I could think of was to shoot a panorama to show as much as I could.

Desert Wonder - Moab, Utah

Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab, Utah

Whenever I think of Moab, two National Parks come to mind (Arches & Canyonlands). Many visitors don't realize that one of the best views in the area is this one from Dead Horse State Park. This signature image shows the effect of erosion, where the Colorado River has carved the rock over thousand of years, to leave us with this spectacular view that 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 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.

I have posted images from this location before, so I changed it up a bit with a black and white interpretation. The shadows in the canyons along with the early sunrise light made the tones pop.

Towering - Denali National Park, Alaska

Mt McKinley, Denali National Park, Alaska

This mountain does indeed tower over everything, at least in North America. Its name to many is Mount McKinley, but to local Alaskans, it is known simply as Denali. A little history is in order. A local prospector gave it the name Mount McKinley after the newly elected president in 1897. The name stuck and was even more solidified when, in 1917, President Wilson signed into law the establishment of Mount McKinley National Park. In 1980, a federal law was passed to combine the park with the Denali National Monument, and the combined park was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. The federal law did not change the name of the mountain from Mount McKinley to Denali. The state of Alaska legally changed the mountain's name to Denali, but that change is not recognized by the federal government. Regardless of its name, the mountain is an amazing sight to see. Visible only 30% of the year due to cloud cover, I was lucky enough to shoot this on our first day.

Cell Block - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

And now for something different. I am known primarily as a landscape and travel photographer, but I have been known to dabble in some urbex subjects. I know that this is not technically an urbex location, being a popular museum in Philadelphia, but it sure seemed like one when we visited there. The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia was once (it was built in 1829) the largest and most expensive public structure in the country. The penitentiary resembles a hub-and-spoke, consisting of an octagonal center connected by corridors to seven cell blocks. It has been home to many convicts, most notably Willie Sutton and Al Capone. This shot is from one of the cell blocks that is not open to the public, but our group was given access to it. While it is quite run down now, even when it was new, it probably was a scary place to live.

Road to the Glacier - Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Columbia Icefields, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

I have shared the majesty of the Icefields Parkway many times on the blog and it seems that I can't stop doing it. Every time I look at the ruggedness of the Canadian Rockies along this famous road, I get the urge to hop in a plane and head there. This particular stretch of the 140-mile road is just north of the Banff - Jasper boundary and the Columbia Icefields. A well known saying is that "A picture is worth a thousand words." I prefer this one, "A picture of the Icefields Parkway is worth a thousand different feelings." I don't know if anyone has ever said that before. If not, I own it.

New England Weather - Ogunquit, Maine

Perkins Cove, Ogunquit, Maine

When the NxNW crew headed to Acadia for our October outing, we stopped along the way to visit some favorite spots along the coast. The weather was quite dreary with intermittent rain. Despite that, we stopped in Ogunquit, Maine, to check out Perkins Cove. The cove is a small little harbor that is quite quaint and is a popular destination on most days (not so much when we were there). Not only is it where boats head out to the Atlantic Ocean, it also is at the beginning (or end depending on where you start) of the Marginal Way, a coastal trail.

After editing this in color, I wasn't feeling the mood that I felt when I shot this. I came to the conclusion to convert it to black and white and the mood came shining through.

Monolith - Yosemite National Park, California

El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California

I shot this image back in 2010 and it quickly became one of my favorite images. I was on a family vacation, and, as normal, I was up before dawn (and anyone else) and headed out into my favorite national park, Yosemite. The morning light was awesome, and I had the run of the Yosemite Valley with no one else in sight, except for the occasional bear. As I drove along the valley loop, I stopped at a few places, and wandered into this picnic area along the Merced River. Here I had a great view of El Capitan and its reflection. This granite monolith is such a great sight.

You might be wondering why, if this is one of my favorites from Yosemite, am I posting it only now. The truth is that I have posted it before, but, when I looked at it last week, I realized that I could do much more with it. Not only has the editing software improved greatly in the past four years, but my editing skills have improved also. So this is a re-edited version and I am much happier with the result.

Island in the Sky - Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Grand View, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

In case you are wondering why so many Moab area photos are showing up on the blog, I am finally beginning to go through all of the images I shot in 2014. You can tell how far behind I am as this is from March and I will probably spend most of the winter hopefully catching up. This image is from Canyonlands National Park. The park is divided into three main sections: Island in the Sky, the Needles and the Maze. The most accessible section is Islands in the Sky and is where most visitors visit. The Needles is a bit less accessible, but still not that hard to get to as long as you don't mind driving. The Maze is very remote and a four-wheel drive is a must. Not for the faint of heart which is why I haven't visited that section of the park.

This particular photo was taken from the Islands in the Sky section from the Grand View Overlook. As you can see, the overlook is aptly named. The orange sandstone is a staple of the American Southwest and is always beautiful to see. Our group shot this in the morning hours and if you look very closely, you will see one of us in the distance (Rad - that is you!) along the edge composing a shot.

Sunlit Formations - Colorado National Monument, Colorado

Colorado National Monument, Fruita, Colorado

Tucked away near the Colorado - Utah border is a real cool National Monument that I try to visit whenever I visit Moab. Located about 20 minutes outside Grand Junction, the 23-mile Rim Rock Road rises 2,000 feet to give visitors to the park great vistas of the surrounding landscape. There are some amazing canyons along the road with sandstone and granite formations that tower above the canyon floor.

I had flown into Grand Junction and planned to shoot sunset and sunrise in the park before heading to Moab. When I landed, the rain started and continued through the afternoon. I was almost ready to hang it up but something told me to at least drive the road and scout out for the next morning. As I started up the road, the weather began to clear and some great golden hour sun began to peek through. At one of the pullouts, the sun lit the tops of these formations just right and made it worth the trip.

La Sal Vista - Moab, Utah

La Sal Loop Road, La Sal Mountains, Moab, Utah

I have been to Moab quite a number of times and thought that I had been to most of the locations in the area. I was proved absolutely wrong when my buddy Jeff Clow took a few of us onto La Sal Loop Road into the La Sal Mountain Range in March. The La Sals are visible from Moab and Arches National Park and are a great backdrop to the desert especially when they are fully snow-covered. The road provides very different vistas overlooking unique formations. This particular photo was taken on a very cold, windy day and the color contrast of the green with the orange made it the scene pop for me. Quite a different Moab that I have seen before.