Where does the time go? I was going through some photos and came across my Badlands trip images. I was amazed that the trip was almost four years ago. It seems like a short time ago. I visited this amazing park for the first time as part of a cross country trip with my son. We stayed at a hotel just outside the eastern entrance to the park. Talk about remote! Only one restaurant for 30 miles (and it was one of the worst I have been to) and no stores either. The only advantage was that I had the park almost to myself at sunrise. One of the classic scenes to shoot in the park is this one at Norbeck Pass. I remember getting up and driving about 20 minutes to shoot this scene. 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.
Sunglow - Edith Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta
Last year, after a photo tour of Banff, a few of us headed north to do some scouting of Jasper National Park. Jasper NP is not as well known as Banff NP but it is just as beautiful. That works in Jasper's favor as it is less crowded than Banff. That, coupled with the size difference (Jasper NP is not quite double the size of Banff NP) makes the chances of being able to enjoy the scenery alone much more likely. Despite the size difference, there is one thing that is consistent between the parks and that is the amazing and majestic Canadian Rockies, along with their pristine glacier-fed lakes. These lakes are very accessible in both places, with many of them being within the town boundaries of both towns. For landscape photographers, that is a godsend especially in June, when sunrise happens before 5am. This photo of Edith Lake is an example of how easy they are to get to. A mere 4 miles from downtown Jasper, we got to the lake and had it all to ourselves. It was a beautiful morning and the clouds cooperated with the sun, creating a great sun ray effect from behind the mountains.
Staircase - Oliver Bronson House, Hudson, New York
Last week, I was fortunate enough to be able to shoot the Oliver Bronson House during a workshop with photographer extraordinaire, Denise Ippolito. Denise is an amazing photographer as well as one of the most creative artists that I know. Her work is amazing and, if you don't follow her, you need to. Beyond those attributes, she is a talented teacher that is always willing to go the extra mile to help her clients evolve into better photographers.
Now, on to the house that was the main subject. The house was built in 1812 by a local builder. If there was an architect involved in the design of this Federal style residence, he is unknown. The house was sold to Dr Bronson in 1838 and went through two remodels that resulted in changing the house into a Hudson River Bracketed style. The house was sold in 1853 and was ultimately absorbed into the grounds of a penal institution. For many years, the house served as the home of the prison superintendents until the early 1970's. It has been abandoned since then. In 2003, it was declared a National Historic Landmark. In 2008, the house and its immediate grounds was leased by Historic Hudson, Inc., who have begun a restoration program.
Some of the restoration can be seen on the outside of the house today, while the inside of the house has not been significantly restored. This photo shows the staircase, which is the centerpiece of the house from just inside the front door.
Fins - Arches National Park, Moab, Utah
There is something about the rock formations in the American Southwest that always makes me wonder how they were created. Of course, the answer is usually erosion, but it is hard to put my head around it. Whenever I see the many different and unusual ones, usually in close proximity to one another, I think of what combination of wind, water and ice made each the way they are, especially since they were exposed to very similar conditions over time. On the opposite hand, there are rock formations like these sandstone fins that have a very similar shape as far as the eye can see.
I decided to find out how these fins were created and here is what I found out. Fins are actually an intermediate stage in the erosion of sandstone. The fins may have started out as part of a plateau. Through the uplift of the underlying rock, deep vertical, parallel fractures to begin to be formed. Weathering and erosion enlarge the fractures and the sandstone falls away until they form the shape that you see in this photo.
What's next for these fins? The next stage is the erosion of sandstone below forming either windows or arches. Over time, even these erode causing the arches to collapse, resulting in hoodoos. This helps me understand how the rock formations in Arches National Park were formed.
Dolphin Play - Pine Island Sound, Florida
My trip to Florida last month has become an annual event to escape the New England winter. This winter has been one of the milder ones in recent years, but it still isn't Florida. After spending a few days in Disney World and then Punta Gorda, we headed to Sanibel. Although I had brought my camera equipment with me, I decided that I wasn't going to take it out of the bag much. Catching up with old friends was more important and I shot primarily with my iPhone when the urge came over me.
One of my favorite things to do in Sanibel is to take a speedboat trip around the island, and for this I knew that camera equipment was coming out. Why? Because there would be dolphins following us for a portion of the trip. The boat itself is a fifty-five foot super-catamaran, and two 440 horsepower engines power it. If memory serves me right, it reaches a speed of 40 miles per hour. When the dolphins are spotted, the captain slows down and the dolphins jump in the boat's wake. It is not easy capturing them, but I was lucky to get these two in mid-leap with one of them looking directly at me. A moment worth getting the camera out for.
Lake Mist - Herbert Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta
The Icefields Parkway connecting Banff National Park and Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada is my favorite road to take photos. That's saying a lot, as it beats out others that I have been on, including 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. It also doesn't hurt that the scenery doesn't stop for its full length of 166 miles.
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 sunrise and shoot the shot. I was lucky this morning to have some great clouds and mist rising from the lake's surface.
On the Backroads - Banff National Park, Alberta
Banff National Park provides beauty at almost every turn. Even on the backroads there seem to be compositions that have the road acting as a leading line to the beautiful Canadian Rockies. This particular photo was only a few miles outside of the town of Banff. We were headed to Johnson Lake one morning and saw this staring us in the face. Being that I was with Jeff Clow, who stops for any and all road shots especially when there are mountains, we pulled over and shot the golden hour light bathing the mountain in golden hour
Mustard Canyon - Death Valley National Park, California
Death Valley National Park had been on my bucket list for quite some time and I was lucky enough to finally visit it in December. It was quite different than I expected, in a positive way. I remember thinking that it was nothing but desert and sand dunes (maybe from watching the television show Death Valley Days as a child) but was quite surprised to find plenty of mountains and canyons. Beyond the well known spots that every photographer visits (Zabriskie Point, Mesquite Flat Dunes) there are a number of dirt roads that take you to different kinds of beauty. Near the old Harmony Borax Works, there is a road that takes you through Mustard Canyon. As you can see in this photo, the canyon gets its name from the mustard colored rocks that line the road. I liked this scene, as the Panamint Mountain Range provided a darker background to the mustard color.
River View - Potash Road, Moab, Utah
If you had to pick a river in the United States to explore, which one would you choose? For me, it is an easy choice - it would be the Colorado River. Why? Not because it is the longest (it is actually the fifth longest) but rather because it is the most picturesque. Originating in the central Rocky Mountains in Colorado, it traverses 1,450 miles to its terminus into the Gulf of California, between Baja California and Sonora. Along the way, it travels through no less that eleven National Parks. Its waters can be quite calm or quite tumultuous depending on where you see it (it has two whitewater rapids on the top ten list of notorious rapids in the world). It has carved many canyons throughout the American Southwest (the biggest being the Grand Canyon) as well as numerous famous "goosenecks" (Horseshoe Bend, Dead Horse). I had the great fortune back in 2005 to stay on a working ranch along the river, which was quite exciting. This photo was taken just outside of Moab along Potash Road. As you can see, the waters along this section are quite calm, allowing the sandstone rock formations to be reflected in its waters.
Garden Key Light - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
The Florida Keys are an archipelago that extend from the southeastern coast of Florida and westward past Key West into the Florida Strait, which separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago is made up of 1,700 islands. The last inhabited key is Key West, and the furthest keys from the mainland are the Tortugas chain, home to Dry Tortugas National Park. There on Garden Key sits the lighthouse in this photo on top of Fort Jefferson. The lighthouse actually predates the fort by over twenty years. The lighthouse construction was completed in 1826 and the fort began construction in 1846. The fort was never finished even though over 16 million bricks were used, and construction stopped in 1861 over fears that the island might not be able to support the weight that finishing the fort would require.
Waterfowl Reflections - Banff National Park, Alberta
We just got back from Florida after spending almost three weeks there escaping the New England winter. The first week, we spent time in Disney and Punta Gorda. The remainder of the time was spent in Sanibel. It was nice and relaxing, although it seems the traffic in Florida seems to be getting worse and worse. It's pretty terrific once you get to your destination, but getting there can be challenging. My visit there also reminded me that, while I love the beach, my heart belongs to the mountains. Pristine glacial lakes surrounded by majestic mountains with hiking trails to explore is my definition of nirvana. When I am in this element, I don't worry about traffic or people everywhere, but rather think about how serene it is when you only have birds and wildlife to contend with. This early morning scene of Waterfowl Lake along the Icefields Parkway (I am literally mere steps from the road) is just what I mean. There was no one to be seen or heard other than my four friends to share this moment with. Don't get me wrong, I will still travel to Florida in the winters and enjoy my time there, but the mountains are always calling me.
Pyramid Island - Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
I have posted a number of photos from the town of Jasper. The town is located within the borders of Jasper National Park, which was recognized as a national park in 1930. The town itself was only recognized as a municipality 71 years later in 2001. The town's southern border begins at the northern terminus of the iconic Icefields Parkway. It is surrounded by two mountain ranges and one mountain to the north. To the west of Jasper, the Victoria Cross Ranges provides a border. To the east, the Maligne Range provides another border. To the north, Pyramid Mountain forms the third border.
Pyramid Mountain, pictured in this photo, is quite close to the town (approximately 6 miles from the center of Jasper). It is an easy place to visit and it almost seems that it is part of the town. As you approach the mountain, it seems that everything here is named Pyramid. In the photo, the mountain is reflected in Pyramid Lake. That man-made walkway leads to, you guessed it, Pyramid Island. The island is quite nice, but I prefer to capture it from the eastern lakeshore where you can get a great view of all three. If you have a good sunrise like I had on this morning, the whole scene seems magical.
Rising Above - Sanibel Island Light, Sanibel, Florida
Just about time for my annual visit to Florida to escape the New England winter for a short time. I never thought that I would become a part-time "snowbird". For those of you who don't live in the Northeast, snowbirds refer to the many people (usually retired) that flock to Florida to escape the winter cold. Truth be told, the winter here in New England has been quite nice. Not a lot of snow and the temperatures have not been bad at all (of course, I just jinxed us). Over the past few years, we have visited many parts of Florida to see which areas we like the best, looking forward to some time in the future when we become full-time "snowbirds" in the winter months. Our favorite so far are the many towns on the western coast of Florida (we have yet to visit the panhandle). This trip we will be visiting Sanibel Island for a short time and I will get an opportunity to visit some of my favorite stops there like the Sanibel Island Light, pictured here.
Many Glacier - Glacier National Park, Montana
I am still going through the photos that I shot last year and I am starting to make a little dent in them. As I go through my 2016 photos (probably over 25,000), they bring back so many memories of the locations I was fortunate to have been able to visit and the many friends I was able to shoot with. Memories come back quickly with almost each photo. I also remember the many days when Mother Nature shut us out (I try not to remember them) and the days when we were blessed by Mother Nature. The must be a scientific equation out there that tells us how many bad days are forgotten when you get one great day. My unscientific conclusion is probably 4-5 times.
In any case, this morning that I spent at Many Glacier Hotel with Jeff Clow was certainly one of the great days for me. The sunrise was simply amazing, lighting up the majestic Mount Grinnell and its surrounding mountains with the soft light you dream to get. On this morning, the wind was a bit strong, creating some serious ripples in Swiftcurrent Lake. Fortunately, this little section of the lakeshore was surrounded by a wall of stones giving me some still water so that Grinnell's mountaintop was reflected perfectly.
In the Weeds - Banff National Park, Alberta
Many of those who follow me will remember my now infamous encounter last year with a grizzly bear in Banff National Park. I was fortunate to walk away from that meeting. On that same trip, we encountered quite a number of bears, including this black bear that seems to be right next to me. I am happy to report that, unlike my meeting with the grizzly, this black bear was pretty far away. I captured him with a focal length of 550mm, which for me is a much safer distance from a wild bear.
If you are into wildlife and you are planning to visit Banff, head there in June. The wildlife is plentiful and they are just coming out from the winter snows. If you are real lucky, you might find some babies along with their mothers (be careful not to get too close when there are babies around). An added bonus is that the mountains have a lot of snow that give a much different look than in the later summer. It has become my favorite time of year to visit my favorite place in the world (so far). If you can't make it in June, don't get discouraged, Banff is always awesome any time of the year.
Rising Mist - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
What can I say about a location that is iconic and photographed millions of times over the years that hasn't been said before? Almost every photographer that is semi-serious who visits the Grand Tetons will head to Oxbow Bend and take photos there. The serious ones are there for sunrise hoping to get the classic shot. What makes Oxbow fun is that the weather patterns often make what sunrise looks like so different on a daily basis. There are days when the clouds are so thick that you can't see Mount Moran, or the sun for that matter. On those days, sometimes a quick break in the clouds will light the top of Moran for seconds. Other days, like the day I shot this photo, there's not a cloud in the sky. Then there is the mist of the Snake River. Sometimes it's there and sometimes not. Then there is the wind that dictates whether you will get a great reflection in the river or not. I could go on and on with the variables. That is why I keep going back. I am never sure of what this iconic scene will look like.
Winding Road - Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Before my trip to Death Valley, Jaki Good Miller and I visited Valley of Fire State Park about an hour north of Las Vegas. The red sandstone formations in this park conjure up what I think Mars might look like if I ever visited (it is not called the Red Planet for nothing). The Valley of Fire was formed from shifting sand dunes 150 million years ago. Whether on Mars or millions of years ago, I doubt there would be an asphalt road leading through the landscape. Having shot so many times with Jeff Clow, a master of road shots, I know a great one when I see one. This is one of my favorite ones as it curves through the rock formation, seems to disappear, and then reappears in the distance in the upper right before it turns left creating a vanishing point.
Above it All - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
There is a saying among landscape photographers, "Always look behind you". This happens when something majestic is in front of you and your focus is fixed on it. Sometimes there is a very compelling scene that you are missing that may not be quite as majestic but is beautiful nonetheless. The back story - I was in Mount Rainier National Park for two night and was totally shut out on the first night. The fog had settled on the mountain and I could hardly see in front of me. The next morning, I wanted to get a reflection shot of Rainier from the hopefully still waters of Reflection Lake. It was clear when I left, so I had high hopes for "the" shot. As I drove down into the valley where the lake is located, the fog reappeared. "The" shot was not to be, as the fog was gone from Rainier but not the valley. I headed back to the hotel and started hiking up the Skyline Trail toward the towering mountain. I was mesmerized by the snow-covered peak, and then something in my subconscious told me to turn around. When I did, I saw the valley with the fog that had caused me to miss "the" shot but gave me a different one.
Harvest - Steptoe Butte State Park, Washington
Last week I posted a photo of a scene from the backroads of the Palouse and compared the golden colors of the harvest to the green colors of spring. I won't retell that story. Instead, I'll take you to the number one destination in the Palouse of every serious photographer who visits -- Steptoe Butte State Park. It doesn't matter at all what season of the year it is, the views from the top of the butte are simply outstanding, particularly at sunrise and sunset. From the top of the butte, you get a 360° view of some of the most fertile farmland in the world. Your first temptation is to capture all of the scene that you can, going as wide as you can. In my opinion, the beauty of the surrounding landscape is lost shooting wide. Shooting a panorama is even worse. The best bet and my favorite way to shoot there is to put a long lens on the camera. Then pick out sections of the landscape, trying to capture the undulations and details of the scene using the golden hour light to accentuate them. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of compositions that can be captured that show the beauty of the Palouse. This is one of my favorite compositions, showing the Whitman County Growers building in the distance.
Chairs With a View - Jasper National Park, Jasper, Alberta
There are so many places that you can visit in Jasper National Park (it is 4,200 square miles, after all) that it can be overwhelming to prioritize what to do next. Even places that are not on anyone's list have views to die for and you can imagine yourself taking it in for hours. Jeff Clow and I did a day trip from the town of Banff one day up the Icefields Parkway to visit the town of Jasper. That is a long day, but when you drive one of the most beautiful roads in the world, it doesn't seem that long. As we reached the outskirts of town, we noticed these colorful chairs at a roadside motel/hotel, but our stomachs were growling so we keep on going. After lunch and a quick stop at Pyramid Lake, we headed south to Banff. Remembering the chairs, we pulled into the parking lot to see the views from the chairs. Even though the weather had changed a bit to the worse, it was clear that the view was a million dollar one that we would have to visit on another day.