Today we visit Corfu, Greece, the second largest of the Ionian Islands. The island's Greek name, Kerkyra, is related to Greek mythology, namely Poseidon, the god of the sea. In 2007, the island's old city was designated for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The old city, where this image was taken, is a labyrinth of narrow streets paved with cobblestones. The buildings, as one would expect, are old and, while a lot of them are kept up, there are a few like this one that shows it's age.
Sky
This image is from my recently found archives. One of the most visited national parks in the southwest is Arches National Park. Located in eastern Utah, the park is home to over 2,000 sandstone arches, many of which are not easily accessible. This was the first stop on a 2-week trip that Greg and I took in May, 2005. May is perhaps the best time to visit as the weather is not too hot and the park is not crowded at all. We had gotten into Moab the previous afternoon after a five hour drive from Salt Lake City. The bad news was that my luggage, including my tripod, was not on our flight. It finally showed up at 5:30 am (of course after dawn). Once we unpacked and hit the road, we headed for Arches. Our first stop in the park was Double Arch where I captured this image. Even though I had missed the sunrise, the light was amazing as the blue sky really enhanced the contrast with the orange sandstone.
King of the Concrete Jungle
A quick post and run today. This image is from the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Genoa, Italy. The Cathedral, reconstructed during the 12th century, has since the time of the Crusades protected the ashes of Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of Genoa. The entrance to the cathedral is protected by this statue of a lion. The statue usually has tourists hanging all around it but the rain seemed to keep them away for a few moments.
Look, Up in the Sky...
On a very frigid day (about 2 degrees) in Manhattan, the sun was shining and the air was crisp. Every few blocks we would run into a store or a building lobby just to warm up. As I left one of these "shelters", I happened to look up and saw this wonderful reflection in the building across the street. The scene had a lot of contrast so I decided to hand hold a five bracketed burst and hope that the reflection of the building would come out okay. The dynamic range in this image is where HDR really shines, even without a tripod.
Perfect Morning
Back from my vacation to the warm climate, or so I thought. Our first few days in Florida, the temperature was in the low to high 30's, almost as cold as it was in Connecticut. Fortunately, the weather warmed up significantly into the high 70s and low 80's for the balance of the week. I have lots of photos to look at so stay tuned for them. Today's post takes us to Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta. The park borders Glacier National Park in Montana and the combined two parks are known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Waterton was Canada's fourth national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake, in turn after the naturalist and conservationist Charles Waterton. The lake is composed of two bodies of water, connected by a shallow channel known locally as the Bosphorus. The lower part of the lake is known as Lower Waterton Lake and is located in Alberta and the upper part of the lake is known as Upper Waterton Lake and is located in Montana. It is pretty confusing as the lower part of the lake is north of the upper part.
Regardless of it's name, the lake is simply a beautiful part of the Rockies especially on a perfect morning like this one where the water is smooth as glass and perfectly reflect the rugged mountains.
One at a Time
Today, I will be headed to Florida for a week or so to get a little warm and to visit Disney for the first time in over 10 years. Our good friends from New Jersey invited my wife and me to stay with them at their time share. As a result, my time spent writing posts and viewing blogs will be limited. Thanks to all of you who visit and comment on my blog. It is very much appreciated. I will try to catch up when I return. Today's image is from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. While Lancaster County is famous for it's Amish people (over 50,000 live in the area), it is also home to 29 covered bridges, many of which are in operation. The one in this image is the Zook's Mill Covered Bridge. It is typical of covered bridges in the area, many of which are located near farms on back country roads with only one lane allowing only one car to cross at a time. Lancaster County is a great place to visit and I would encourage anyone that is passing by the area to stop and spend some time there.
Alley Way
Sometimes when you visit a place that you have heard a lot about, you get this image in your head of what it would be like to visit there. Often times, it turns out to be a bit different from your preconceived notion. That sort of happened to me when I visited Monte Carlo, Monaco. Everything I ever heard about it was that it was the playground of the rich and that opulence was everywhere you looked. You know what I mean -- shiny new buildings, streets and yachts. Yes, there is money to be seen throughout the city (the streets are not lined in gold) but what was unexpected was the old time feel of some of the alley ways and the architecture there.
As we walked around town, what impressed me the most were not the riches to be seen but rather the alleys like the one in this image. I felt like I was transported somewhere to a different time and the architecture was far from opulent. Quite the contrast of what I expected to like the most.
The Other Side
Today we revisit the Portland Head Light located outside of Portland, Maine on Cape Elizabeth. Arguably the signature lighthouse of Maine, it is often seen from the vantage point of this earlier post. The lighthouse is surrounded by a huge park and the parking lots are located on this side. What many people don't realize is that there is a trail that leads away from the lighthouse along the cliff. It is from the "other side" that I went to after taking the first series of shots. As you can see, the view of the lighthouse is very different but no less beautiful. Just goes to prove to look at a subject from all angles.
Sailing Into the Fire
Great finish to the Super Bowl game last night after a relatively boring first three quarters. Congratulations to all of the Giant fans out there although being a Eagles fan and living in New England, their win was a little painful for me. Anyway, a quick post and run today. This shot was taken from a cruise ship after leaving the port of Kotor in the country of Montenegro. As we sailed though the winding entrance from the Bay of Kotor to the Mediterranean Sea, the sky was a brilliant color reminiscent of a blazing fire. An awesome sunset.
Straw Protection
New England's winters can usually take a toll on people living there. Not being a "snow" person, I like to get away from the cold and ice and head south to the warm climate of the Caribbean. This past winter was no exception and we took a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale to visit the Western Caribbean for the first time. One of the destinations of the cruise was Roatán, Honduras. Roatán is an island located near the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea (second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef). We opted to take a tour of the island which took us to various parts of the island including a beautiful resort on the north end. We stayed at the resort for about an hour and I was fascinated with the straw umbrellas that protected visitors and residents from the rain and sun. I thought the textures in the umbrella would make an excellent subject.
Spiritual
Every visit to Jaspar National Park in the Canadian Rockies should include a trip to Spirit Island. In this earlier post, I described the rainy conditions as we approached the boat house on Maligne Lake. The boat trip to Spirit Island takes about 45 minutes and circles the small island from the right. The boat leaves its riders off at a dock on the lake's shore allowing passengers to disembark and walk a short trail to get this iconic view of Spirit Island. The lake is famed for the color of it's water with it's surrounding mountains and the view of Spirit Island is one of the most photographed in the world. It is truly a spiritual experience for those who have visited and the island is aptly named.
Early Morning Line-Up
When thinking of Venice, the first things that come to mind are canals and gondolas. The ultimate appeal to romantics visiting Venice is a gondola ride with a singing gondolier showing you his beautiful city. Gondolas became the main way to get around the islands of Venice when horses were outlawed on the streets around the 14th century. At one point in time, there were over 10,000 gondolas in Venice. Today only about 500 gondolas remain and they are used primarily for tourists. It is easy to find gondoliers hawking a ride through the many canals. Gondola rides are not cheap, although the rates are officially set. The rides are about 40 minutes long and if you negotiate a better rate, the length of the ride will be reduced accordingly.
This image of gondolas was taken early in the morning before the crowds descended on St Mark's Square. It is one of the few times during our visit that you could find them unattended without crowds milling about.
Autumn Mirror
Living in Connecticut, it is easy to take advantage of the fall foliage. I don't have to worry about the peak time to go as I just look out the window to see if it is time. One of my favorite places to shoot is Lake Waramaug State Park which is not far from my house. The park is usually pretty deserted on fall weekdays, which allows me to set up the tripod without any distractions. Only a portion of the lake front is accessible to the public but a road goes around the full length of the lake. While there is no easy place to park outside of the park, if you are willing to walk, there are great vantage points from the road. This image was shot from one of those vantage points and shows the far side of the lake which is also private land. The colors of the hills contrasted nicely with the blue skies and the water was relatively still. Just another great fall day in New England.
Disappearing Bridge
If I had to pick one city in the US that I would like to visit, it would be San Francisco (sorry San Diego, you come in second). It probably stems back to my first time there years ago when I visited an old friend who had moved there from Philadelphia. I stayed with him at his place for a week and we walked all over the city. My best memory of it was a Sunday morning when we took the ferry to Sausolito to have brunch. I enjoyed it so much that I try to take the ferry there every time I visit San Fran. This visit was no exception. It was late morning when my wife and son boarded the ferry and headed across the bay. As we passed Alcatraz, the fog began to roll in. For anyone who hasn't experienced this, it is a sight to behold. I snapped a few photos before the Golden Gate Bridge disappeared.
Monumental
A quick post and run today. This is another image from the archives that takes us back to Monument Valley and the famous view from Artist Point. It is a spectacular setting and is aptly named. The butte seen in this image is the East Mitten Butte and it is tremendously large, dwarfing the houses that can be seen along the road. You can truly understand why so many westerns and commercials were shot in the valley. It is one of my most favorite places to visit and I am looking forward to retrace my footsteps there in May. Have a great weekend, everyone.
Rainy Day on the Thames
There are so many sights to see in London that you can get overwhelmed what to do next. We wanted to take a ride on the London Eye but the line was hours long. As much as we wanted to ride it, we weren't willing to stand in line so long. Instead, we spied boat tours to Greenwich at Westminster Pier and decided to take the trip. Our trip down the Thames to Greenwich was quite nice although a bit windy. The cruise takes you on a journey through London, passing through Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and London's Docklands, finally arriving at Greenwich, from where time all around the world is measured. After spending a few hours in Greenwich, we headed back to London. Unfortunately, the weather worsened and we started the return trip though a constant rain. As we came around a bend in the river, we came upon this scene of the famous Gherkin Building and I was able to get a decent shot of it.
Ice Cave
Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska is a World Heritage Site with 3.3 million acres of spectacular sights and wildlife, including 11 glaciers of which 8 can be seen from the bay. It is a very remote and rugged park as there are no roads that lead to it. The only way to get to Glacier Bay is by either boat or plane. There is only one lodge within the park (Glacier Bay Lodge) and there are no campsites. Campers can stay in the park in almost any area that they want. This past July, we spent almost a full day cruising the bay, taking in it's glaciers. One of the coolest things we saw was this ice cave in the Lamplugh Glacier. The cave was huge, towering about 30 feet at it's highest point, and we had just missed some kayakers that left the cave moments before. The most interesting thing about the cave was that it was temporary. The National Park Forest Ranger told us that it didn't exist several weeks prior to our arrival and that it would likely collapse in the near future.
Venice Rooftops
When one thinks of Venice, the first thing that comes to mind are it's canals and rightfully so. But there is some wonderful architecture in Venice that is pretty amazing too. One of the hidden gems that we had read about in Rick Steve's excellent guide book was Scala Contarini del Bovolo. It is a unique structure with it's external spiral staircase and arches. We would not have found it without Rick's directions as it is located in a less-traveled side-street near the Campo Manin, near the Rialto. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there. The next day, we went up into the St Mark's Campanile (bell tower) to take a look at Venice's rooftops. Much to my surprise, I was able to spot the Scala Contarini del Bovolo contrasted against the red roofs.
Cliff Walk Golden Hour
Newport, Rhode Island is a great place to visit and has something for everyone. Whether you want to tour the famous mansions, shop, sail, or visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame, it is a must visit destination. For photographers, it is a great place to shoot, especially on it's famous Cliff Walk. Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile public access walkway that lies on Newport's eastern shore, in between the Newport mansions and the bay. In 1975, the walk was designated as a National Recreation Trail, making it the first in New England. About two-thirds of the walk is in easy walking condition. The balance is a little more challenging but not too strenuous.
This particular October morning was crisp and clear and the colors were spectacular. This composition is from the more rugged end of the walk.
Beach Dreams
Just a quick post and run today. The weather in New England has been quite cold this past week so when I came across this shot that I took last year in Fort Lauderdale, I started thinking about how nice it would be at the beach. The good news is that I will be headed to Florida in a few weeks and hope to get warm.