The Achilleion Palace on the island of Corfu, Greece was built in 1890 by the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth of Bavaria. The palace was named and designed after the mythical hero, Achilles. The palace itself is a monument to Achilles with paintings and statues of him throughout the building and its surrounding gardens. The back of the palace is impressive with its checkerboard marble patio that is surrounded by impressive statues. Off to the side of this patio is a terraced walkway that leads to a viewpoint that overlooks the surrounding countryside. This image was taken from the viewpoint looking back toward the palace. It was early morning and the light was streaming through the gardens leaving streaks of light and shadow on the terraced walkway. I was taken with the textures of the stone and wanted to make sure I composed as much of it as I could leading toward the vanishing point of the walkway.
Looking for Nuts?
While walking around Washington Square in New York City, I spotted this squirrel coming down this tree. It was late in the day and the sun was just beginning to set. The tree was in shadow except for this small patch of light. As I approached on the sidewalk, the squirrel stops in the sunlight and just poses for me, daring me to take his image. I move closer but the squirrel doesn't move at all, not even a twitch. So I figure the squirrel is an out of work actor and needs a shot for his portfolio and take it for him. I'm not exactly sure why animals in NYC seem to give me these looks (see my post with the annoyed cat) but I am guessing that he was looking for nuts and found one.
Boat Building Reflections
This image is of Hartford's semi-famous Boat Building with the Travelers Tower in the background. Hartford, often referred to as the "insurance capital of the world", is also the capital of Connecticut. You may not be able to tell, but the Boat Building is actually a two-sided building that looks like a football from above. Built in 1963, it was the world's first two-sided building. The building is located on Constitution Plaza adjacent to the Connecticut River immediately to the east. When approaching from the east, the building looks like a sail of a boat that is docked against its moorings. The building itself has a lot of meaning for me as I moved to Hartford from the Philadelphia area for a job in 1992. I worked in that building on and off for about 10 years. I shot this image during Scott Kelby's "Worldwide Photowalk". I was drawn to the contrast between the glass of the building with it's refections against the more traditional Travelers Tower.
Path to the Light
Continuing our New England lighthouse tour, today we visit the Eastern Point Lighthouse in Gloucester, Massachusetts. This is the third lighthouse to reside on this spot and was built in 1890 (the original light was built in 1832). The location of the lighthouse is at the entrance to Gloucester Bay and watches over very treacherous waters. In fact, between 1830 and 1910, 779 vessels and 5,305 persons out of Gloucester were lost at sea. If this lighthouse looks familiar, you may remember it from the movie, The Perfect Storm. This image was shot from the breakwater that extends into the harbor. The 2,250-foot breakwater was built using 231,756 tons of Cape Ann granite blocks to protect the harbor. Before the breakwater was completed, nearly forty ships had crashed into it, demonstrating the need for a light to mark the outward end of the obstacle, and one was added in 1905. Today, visitors and fisherman frequent the light.
If you are interested in visiting the lighthouse, follow Eastern Point Blvd. past a beach on the right and the main road will turn to the left. Continue to the right on Eastern Point Blvd. through the granite pillars (ignore the "Private - No Entry" sign as it is not a private drive). Follow Eastern Point Blvd. to the end and park in small parking lot next to the breakwater.
Salerno Rooftops
I have always considered Italy my destination of choice. There is something about it aside from the fact that my maternal grandparents were born there. I was especially excited about my trip last September in that I was going to visit the Amalfi Coast. The last time we were there, we opted to spend the day on the Isle of Capri. This time, we had just one day and had to choose whether to travel along the coast via a small tour bus or take a boat that would cruise down the coast to Amalfi. We decided on the latter and took a bus out of Naples toward Salerno to meet up with our boat.
I had always wanted to visit Salerno as it is my mother's family name and I am sure some of my ancestors originated from there. As we approached the city, the rooftops became visible. While it wasn't the golden hour, the light was still pretty good as I pressed my camera against the bus window. Luckily, I was able to capture the scene without any reflections from the windows or buses passing by in the opposite direction.
Weather Beaten
Today, we revisit the Bay of Kotor, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Located in Montenegro in between Croatia and Albania, it is surrounded by towering mountains making everything seem small in comparison. We had spent the morning touring the bay and taking in it's wondrous sights. The afternoon was set aside to walk trough the town of Kotor. Walking through the streets and alleyways, we felt like we had been transported to a time long ago. Everywhere we turned, the old buildings looked and felt that they had thousands of stories to tell. This house was illustrative of the look and feel of the town. Obviously the weather had worn away at the facade, shutters and unusual chimneys. The rustic look was prevalent and set against the backdrop of large rugged mountains, it begged us to stay a little longer than we were able. I hope to be able to revisit Kotor for an extended stay sometime in the future.
Glacier Approach
After sailing through the Icy Straits, as described in a previous post, we entered into Glacier Bay en-route to the Margerie Glacier. Along the way, we passed wonderful scenery and wildlife, including hump-back whales, seals and eagles. Glacier Bay is a pretty amazing place and even more amazing is that it was a wall of ice in 1791 when explored by George Vancouver. The ice has retreated 65 miles since then leaving 16 major tidewater glaciers (a glacier which generates sufficient snow to flow out from the mountains to the sea). As we approached Margerie Glacier, it was hard to believe the it has a total height of 350 feet, of which 250 feet rises above the water level. It is one of the most active glaciers in the park with respect to calving where chunks of the glacier break off of the forward ice wall into the water with a resounding roar. This is probably the main reason why most cruise ships visit this particular glacier. As can be seen in the photo, the glacier is surrounded by rugged mountains where pieces of the mountains collect on the glacier making it look "dirty". Margerie Glacier has tones of blue color as the ice crystals in the glacier absorb light of longer wavelengths (i.e. red) leaving the blue color.
Rocky Sentinel
As I mentioned in a previous post, my son and I spent the better part of a week scouting New England lighthouses as potential sites for his movie short. This is the first of a number of lighthouses that you will be seeing on my blog in the upcoming weeks. Today, we take a visit to the tip of Rhode Island to see the Beavertail Lighthouse located in Jamestown. The lighthouse got it's name after the southernmost part of Conanicut Island which is known as Beavertail, for its shape on the map. The lighthouse is now part of Beavertail State Park.
The lighthouse was built in 1749 and is considered the premier lighthouse in the state. It stands 45 feet in the air and its light is on 24 hours a day. The light provides navigation for boats entering the Narragansett Bay between Conanicut Island and Newport, Rhode Island. As can be seen in the photo, it is surrounded by rugged rocks on three sides. It is not only a destination for tourists but it is also popular with the local fisherman. In fact, I had to maneuver between fisherman to get this shot. We observed quite a few fish being caught during our visit.
All in all, the beauty and location of the lighthouse keeps it on the short list as a potential location for my son's movie short.
Force of Nature
This past weekend, we all watched with fascination and horror as mother nature roared. Hurricane Irene left a destructive wake in her path up the eastern seaboard of the US. At times like this, we realize that nature can be quite devastating. This past May, I visited another force of nature that possesses the same brute force but in a beautiful and non-destructive way. I am talking, of course, of Niagara Falls. Standing alongside the edge of the American Falls, you can feel and hear the power of the falls as the Niagara River plummets over the edge on its way from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. While setting this shot up, I made sure that I had a rain cover for my camera and lens. It is a necessity as the spray from below can drench anyone and anything close to the edge. The river rushes over the edge so fast that you almost don't need an ND filter to get the silky smooth look to the water. For this shot, I used a 3-stop ND filter and fired off a 5 bracket set of images.
Vineyard Light and Shadows
A quick post today. Back in June, we attended the wedding of our friends daughter. The wedding and reception was held at Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, Connecticut. I had never heard of the vineyard but the location was quite beautiful especially for a wedding. As I was standing on a balcony and the sun began to set, the soft light and the shadows that the buildings cast on the vineyard grounds were lovely.
What's All That Racket?
As you may have noticed, I shoot primarily landscapes and cityscapes. Once in a while, I will shoot different subjects. As I was looking through images that I have pegged to be edited, I came across this shot. Now, I'll bet the last thing you would expect from me is a photo of a cat but this cat reminded me of a great couple of days I spent with my son, Greg, in New York City. He was attending the New York Film Academy and had written a story of a young girl whose mother had passed away. This mother was a photographer who was in the middle of a project. Greg needed some photos of New York City to use in his film so he asked me to come to the city to shoot different areas with him. After a long day taking photos, we ended up in Brooklyn where we passed this window. The cat stuck his head out and looked at us as if we were bothering him. He had this great expression that I couldn't resist.
The photo reminded me of the great time I had with Greg on his movie short. My photos can be seen as props in his movie, The Theory of Everything that can be watched on YouTube.
Num-Ti-Jah Dreams
The Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. The three hour drive (only if you don't stop) from the town of Banff to Jasper traverses through the Canadian Rockies. It is famous for it's scenic mountains and lakes. About an hour and fifteen minutes north of the town of Banff lies Bow Lake. The northern shore of Bow Lake is the location of a great old lodge, the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. It is a family owned lodge and it's history can be found here. When we first pulled into the lodge's parking lot, we saw the rugged mountains reflected in the water. I immediately got my camera and shot quite a number of images, this being one of them. Every angle produced a beautiful composition. This image is just a very small slice of what you will find along the Icefields Parkway. I haven't been back there in a number of years but I still dream of my next trip to Num-Ti-Jah Lodge.
Pemaquid Reflections
As I had mentioned in my post last Wednesday, my son and I were scouting New England lighthouses to find locations for his upcoming movie. We drove to our hotel in Edgecomb, Maine which is located close to the Pemaquid Peninsula. The next morning, we headed about 30 minutes from Edgecomb to the tip of the peninsula where the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is located. The lighthouse is situated on top of a huge rocky promontory with dramatic views in every direction. The surrounding rocks have deep ridges caused by the perpetual pounding waves of the ocean. The lighthouse was commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1827. Today, visitors can visit the lighthouse and museum. If you climb down one side of the rock promontory, there is a small collection of water where you can see a reflection of the lighthouse. On this morning, it was quite windy causing non-stop ripples in the water. It was a waiting game and the wind never totally stopped blowing to get the glass-like refection I was hoping for. After a while, the wind died down a little for a minute or two and I snapped this shot.
All Aboard the Alaskan Rail
After our stay in Denali National Park, we boarded an Alaskan Rail train. The train would take us to Whittier where we would board our cruise ship. This 8-hour train ride is something everyone should have on their bucket list. The scenery is spectacular and when the weather is right (as it was on this day), Mount McKinley can be seen in all of it's grandeur. Our train car had a glass dome for viewing the gorgeous Alaskan countryside. I quickly determined that shooting through the dome was not going to work due to the reflections, so I quickly headed for the open-air observation decks to shoot images from the speeding train.
This image was taken from the caboose of the train shortly after leaving Denali. The locomotive was chugging alongside a river bend in front of some of Denali's beautiful mountains. This is a train ride that I will never forget.
Shadows
Newport, Rhode Island has been a summer resort destination for a long time. In fact, during the Gilded Age, many rich industrialists built some of the most opulent summer "cottages” of the era. They came to Newport for the short summer social season. Their "cottages" had large receiving areas, dining, music and ballrooms, but with few bedrooms, since the guests were expected to have "cottages" of their own. The social scene at Newport is described in Edith Wharton's novel The Age of Innocence. The biggest of all of the mansions is the Breakers which was built by the Vanderbilt family. The Breakers has 70 rooms and contains approximately 65,000 square feet and cost $12 million to build in the 1890's.
This image of a small portion of the front entrance to the Breakers caught my eye before entering the mansion. The sunlight painted great streaks of shadows on the marble columns and walkway.
Giant Spoke
I thought I would give you another uncommon image of a very famous icon. When looking at this subject, I was trying to figure out how to capture it in a way that showcased the size of this popular attraction in a way that was different from the thousands of other photographs of it. The spindle in this photo is approximately 225 feet in the air. The cables include 16 rim rotation cables and 64 spoke cables, which are similar to bicycle spokes, holding the rim tight to the central spindle. Did you guess what it is? No, it's not a big bicycle spoke in the sky but rather London's very famous tourist attraction, the London Eye. Have a great weekend everyone
Early Morning at the Lodge
As I have mentioned in my previous posts about my Alaskan trip, we stayed at the Mt McKinley Lodge for a couple of nights before heading to Denali National Park. The lodge is located off of Alaska's Parks Highway (Milepost 133) that connects Anchorage and Fairbanks. This remote location (the nearest town of Talkeetna is 45 minutes away) guarantees that there is always a crowd in the lodge relaxing and taking in the view of Mt McKinley and the surrounding scenery. The lodge is beautiful and and well appointed with several restaurants, viewing rooms and outside decks. As you can tell from my website, I rarely take photos of the inside of buildings (not sure why) but I really wanted to capture the beauty of the lodge's main viewing room. I figured that in order to shoot the room without anyone in it, I had to get there very early in the morning. I was happy to see that at 5:30 am, I was the only one there other than staff. I wish that the weather was not overcast as having Mt McKinley visible through the window would have been great but I am pretty pleased with the result. I think that I will making an effort in the future to shooting more inside subjects.
Cape May Light Sunrise
I have always had a fondness for lighthouses and love to visit them whenever I can. In fact, I am currently touring New England lighthouses with my son who is an aspiring screenwriter. He has recently written a short story in which a lighthouse is featured prominently and we are in the process of scouting possible locations for a shoot. You can see more about his project and itinerary at his website. You can probably expect some of the New England lighthouses we visit in future blog posts. This image is of Cape May Light near the southern tip of New Jersey. I was visiting my brother-in-law who has a place in Wildwood and took my nephew out before dawn to shoot the lighthouse with the sunrise in the background. I hadn't done any scouting beforehand (I know, this should be done whenever possible) and there wasn't a great angle to get both the lighthouse and the sunrise in the composition. Instead, I went out to the beach and was quite pleased with the scene of the lighthouse basking in the soft light of the sun against the blue of the dramatic clouds.
Ruins
We only had a day to spend in Athens, so with so many options, we had to narrow down where to visit to a couple of things. Of course, you must visit the Acropolis but what to do next? For something a bit different from the bustling activity of the city, we decided on taking 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.
I chose this composition as I thought the colors of the columns would contrast nicely with the cloud cover.
Open Range
Continuing our adventures in Alaska, we visited Denali National Park on a pretty dreary day. While it didn't rain much, it was pretty raw out. Since we didn't have a car, we took a tour of the park hoping to see some wildlife. Even with a car, you can only drive as far as we did on the tour. To be able to go further into the park, you must arrange an expanded tour (wish we knew that going in). Unfortunately, while we did spot a few animals, they were mere specks in the distance. Despite the lack of wildlife and the gloominess of the weather, the scenery was outstanding. I was struck by the amount of open range in the park and how the mountain range contrasted with it. The clouds added to the gloomy mood. As I studied the scene, I was reminded of the words "...Purple Mountain Majesty..." in the song, America the Beautiful. It seemed to me that the words were inspired by these mountains.