Just back from Maine. While it wasn't a photography rich trip as the weather did not cooperate for most of the week, it is always good to travel with good friends. I was able to get a few decent shots that I hope to post shortly. For now, we revisit one of my favorite places: Johnson Lake in Banff National Park. The weather had been a bit overcast and was starting to clear. By the time I got to the lake, all that was left of the overcast skies were a few low clouds covering the mountain tops. The lake is a destination for families to have a nice, easy hike with a nice view of Cascade Mountain. Picnickers, hikers, sunbathers, fishermen, and swimmers congregate here during the summer months. The lake is also part of Banff's Minnewanka Loop.
Rushing By
Just a quick post today. I am headed to Maine for a few days and will not be posting the rest of the week. This is an image taken from the middle of the Yukon Suspension Bridge in Fraser, BC. I didn't have my ND filters with me and the light was pretty bright. Fortunately, the bridge was pretty sturdy so that I was able to slow the exposure a bit.
Hope to have some new images from Maine next week.
Inside Looking Out
I am often asked about my workflow and I thought I would start documenting it. It's an ever evolving process and what is good for me may not work for you. Today I will describe how I organize my photos and choose them for editing. First a little history. When I first started shooting as a full time hobby, I would identify my keepers and immediately process them and put them on the web. I quickly began to realize that I wasn't being selective enough and was spending way too much time processing images that, quite frankly, were not worth it. I also felt a bit overwhelmed when I got home as I felt the immediate pressure to process all of the images. As a result, I became more critical of my work and only kept the images that I really liked and thought had potential.
My digital darkroom skills back then were pretty rudimentary. So, I began to edit a few photos from each shoot and saved the other ones for future editing once my processing skills improved. I quickly discovered that finding the unprocessed keepers was a challenge due to how I organized my photos. I organize my images in a "Master Photo" folder location that contains sub-folders for each year . Inside each year's sub-folders were additional sub-folders for each shoot (labeled with the shoot name and date). While this structure worked (and still works) for me, it made looking for these unprocessed keepers a bit tedious.
It wasn't until I started using Lightroom's collections feature that I stumbled upon a way of finding these older images a lot easier. The first step was to lose the mindset about folders. Yes, I still store my images in the same folder structure, but after they are imported into Lightroom, I no longer use them. Immediately after import, I review the photos, rejecting the obvious ones and giving 5 stars to the obvious keepers that I want to process some day. These are automatically sent to a collection named "To Be Processed". The remaining photos are reviewed a second time, usually to evaluate similar photos that I haven't made a decision about yet. On this second review, some images are deemed keepers and given 5 stars. I have done that for all of my images.
Now when I want to process an image, I don't care which folder an image is in. Instead, I simply look through the "To Be Processed" collection and pick the ones that feel right to me that day. The image could be one I took last week or one that I took years ago.
How does my workflow differ from your yours? I welcome any comments, suggestions or questions.
This image was shot a few years ago from inside one of Old Sturbridge Village's cabins. The light from the outside gave a great glow on the old window frame.
Glass Canopy
When planning our recent vacation in Alaska, we decided to end our trip in one of my favorite cities, Vancouver. We elected to stay at the Pan Pacific Hotel that is part of Canada Place so we didn't have to go very far when our cruise ship docked. We were very lucky to have some great weather and spent a lot of time exploring the city. The last night of our stay, before we headed home, turned out to be the best night for shooting. There was a golden glow everywhere we walked and the reflections on the surrounding buildings were some of the best I have seen. This view is one of my favorites of the night and I took it as I was leaving the hotel. The hotel's glass canopy with it's geometric shapes nicely framed the buildings that surrounded the city block. As I processed the image, I noticed what I thought were halos but after careful inspection, they turned out to be reflections from the light on the glass.
Stormy Skies at Pemaquid Point
Today's post is another in my series on New England lighthouses. Located at the tip of the Pemaquid Peninsula, the lighthouse sits above the Atlantic Ocean as a beacon to passing ships. This is the same lighthouse whose reflection I posted a few weeks ago. This image was taken the night before as part of my scouting out the location. I wasn't planning to shoot any photos as it rained pretty much the whole 5-hour trip from CT and the wind was blowing pretty hard. My main goal was to pick some vantage points for the next morning's shoot. As I looked around for a way to climb down the slippery rocks, the stormy skies began to lighten. I decided to grab my tripod from the car and finally found a relatively easy way to climb down. As I began to compose the scene, a break in the clouds on the horizon added some great contrasts to the sky. I am always surprised that some of my favorite images come when I least expect them.
Quiet Time at Dead Horse
Eastern Utah is home to two wonderful National Parks (Arches & Canyonlands). Tucked in between the two is Dead Horse State Park which is often overlooked. The signature image of the park is this one, where the Colorado River has carved the rock over thousand of years to leave us with this spectacular view which 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 from, 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.
Palace Walk
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.