Cathedral Rocks and Spires are a prominent group of cliffs and pinnacles located on the south side of the Yosemite Valley near the entrance to the valley. There are three main sections of Cathedral Rocks aptly named Higher, Middle, and Lower Cathedral Rocks. Adjacent to Higher Cathedral Rock are the Higher and Lower Cathedral Spires, the most impressive spires in Yosemite. Bridalveil Falls flows between Cathedral Rocks. Like almost every formation in the park, Cathedral Rocks beckons to photographers to capture them. While trying to get a different perspective of the formations, it is most likely impossible as Yosemite is probably the most photographed national park. Regardless, I and many others, continue to try to capture their beauty.
After the Fog
The Bay of Kotor in Montenegro is a 15-mile winding bay leading from the Adriatic Sea. The bay is composed of four smaller gulfs and, due to its many twists and turns, is often called Europe's southernmost fjord. The bay is actually a submerged river canyon of the Bokelj River which used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen. Numerous cities and towns are located on the bay such as Kotor (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Perast (a UNESCO World Natural and Historical Heritage Site) and Prčanj. When we entered the bay, the fog was so thick that we could hardly see anything as we traversed the length of the bay. After we docked in Kotor (at the far end of the bay), the weather took a turn for the better and began to clear. By the time we started our tour of the bay, the fog had dissipated and we discovered one of the most beautiful places that we have ever visited. As we passed along the shore, we were able to observe these wonderful towns and the surrounding mountains.
Ice Calving
One of the stops on most Alaskan cruises will be to some of the many glaciers that have their terminus on the coast. Favorite spots are Glacier National Park and Hubbard Glacier. Not only are these glaciers beautiful, there can be actual "action" opportunities to photograph. What types of action can be captured? Ice Calving. Ice calving is the sudden release and breaking away of a mass of ice from a glacier. Calving of glaciers is often preceded by a loud cracking sound before blocks of ice up to 250 feet high break loose and crash into the water. The entry of the ice into the water causes large and potentially dangerous wakes.
Trying to photograph an ice calving can be challenging. The first challenge, especially if you are on a cruise ship, is finding a vantage point. You would be amazed to see almost every passenger on the rail of the cruise ship (for some ships, that number could be 1,500- 2,000). The next decision is at what focal length to shoot at. That depends on how close you are to the glacier and how wide the glacier is. Because you never know where along the glacier the calving will occur, too tight of a shot may cause you to miss it and too wide of a shot makes the calving hard to see. A third challenge is anticipating where along the glacier wall the calving will occur. The only notice that you have is a large cracking sound. Unless it happens directly in front of you, there are a scant few seconds to turn toward the sound, aim the camera and shoot a burst. The last challenge is patience. A cruise ship may spend up to an hour in front of a glacier, and many times, there are no calvings.
This image is of an ice calving on the Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. To put this into perspective, the height of the glacier is 350 feet, 250 feet visible above water and a width of about a mile.
Tioga Road Beauty
Many of the visitors to Yosemite National Park enter the park from its western entrances as it is the closest to the major California cities. The western part of the park is also home to the famed Yosemite Valley where many of the major attractions are located. Many visitors stay in the valley and never travel to the eastern side of the park. That is a shame as there is a lot to see and has a unique beauty of its own. To drive from the valley to the town of Lee Vining (home to the famed Mono Lake), the only choice of roads is Tioga Road. The trip is about 75 miles one way and the road peaks at nearly 10,000 feet at the Tioga Pass. This is one of the most scenic drives in America and is only open in season which is generally late May to October, depending on snow. We left around noon to explore Tioga Raod, making stops along the way and ultimately having dinner in Lee Vining. When we left town, is was approaching sunset and the light was phenomenal. Along the way, we stopped along the road to take this image. I highly recommend taking this road the next time you are in Yosemite.
Taking Flight
As many of you who follow this blog know, I am primarily a landscape and cityscape photographer. I rarely take photos of people although I do snap a few family and friends portraits, usually when on vacation. I do take shots of animals and birds which I did on last year's trip to Alaska. I was determined to get some shots of Bald Eagles in flight during our trip as they can be seen just about anywhere in the state. What I didn't realize, however, is that bird photography is HARD (either that or I am really bad at photography). I have more blurred shots of Bald Eagles that I do of in-focus mountains. Perhaps shooting them from a moving boat didn't help or that I only had a 28-300mm Nikkor lens which is much too short and slow. I think that even on firm ground with the right lens, I still would have been challenged. Anyway, my hat is off to you bird photographers out there. I have a much greater appreciation for your photographic skills. Oh by the way, this is probably my best Bald Eagle shot of the trip.
Touring Corsica
One of the places that we visited when we were in the Mediterranean was the French Island of Corsica. The only thing we knew about the island was that Napoleon was born on the island in the city of Ajaccio. Being primarily a landscape photographer, we took a tour to the lakes region of the island. When we boarded our bus, the tour guide asked if there were any French on the bus. When she found out that there were not any French, she exclaimed "good" and we found out that Corsicans do not like France at all. I thought that odd until she proceeded to tell us the history of Corsica. Corsica has been occupied by numerous other countries throughout it's history. It was first occupied by the Carthaginians followed by colonization by the ancient Greeks and then by the Etruscans and ultimately by the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the island was invaded by the Vandals, the Visigoths, the Saracens, and the Lombards. The Genovese took possession of the island in 1347, and governed it until 1729. In 1729 to 1755, the inhabitants fought for independence but while they took control of parts of the island, never had total control. In 1764, France purchased the island from the Genovese. The island changed hands a number of times since between France and England through the many wars until World War II, when France ultimately took control for good.
The history of the island was fascinating to me and I understood why the Corsicans might not like the French. Anyway, the highlight of the tour was this stop at Lake Tolla. As can be seen in this image, the lake is nestled between the mountains and has an extremely interesting shoreline.
Dilapidated
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.