Path to the Light II

Orkney Isalnds, Scotland

This image is from the archives that I recently found on CDs. It was taken during our cruise of the British Isles in 2007. I probably passed over it then as my processing skills were not great. I knew there was a good image there but wasn't sure if I could pull it out. Five years later with my skills improved, I knew I could do something with it. The subject is the Brough of Birsay, which is an uninhabited tidal island just off the coast of the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The island is accessible on foot at low tide. It is separated from the mainland by approximately 800 feet from where I composed this image. The weather was rainy and overcast and I was intrigued by the deep green colors and the worn path from the old house to the unnamed lighthouse.

This is another example of seeing parts of the world for the first time. I never had a desire to visit the Orkney Islands but it turned out to be one of my favorite stops on the trip.

Cape May Light

Cape May, New Jersey

This image is from the southernmost part of the Jersey Shore in Cape May. The Cape May Lighthouse was built in 1859 and continues to provide light to the cape. The light is the third of its kind although the first two would be under water today due to beach erosion. The lighthouse tower is about 157 feet tall. The walls were designed to withstand winds several times above hurricane force. The lighthouse is owned by the state of New Jersey. This image was taken from the grounds of the lighthouse shortly after dawn. The light gave the clouds some wonderful color that acted as a nice backdrop to the white lighthouse tower.

Sandstone Elephant

Tear Drop Arch Monument Valley, Navajo Reservation, Utah/Arizona Border

Back from a short respite from the blog. My first trip to Monument Valley was in 2005 and I wanted to make sure that I captured an image of Tear Drop Arch. I had seen it on the cover of a Grand Circle travel magazine and was captivated by it. The resulting shot was the one in this post. The arch is actually outside of the park on Navajo Tribal land and one can only get to it by hiring a Navajo guide. It was quite the spiritual experience.

This past May, I revisited Tear Drop to recapture the shot. As we left the guide's jeep and walked up toward the arch, he told me that if you looked closely at the scene, you can see the "Elephant" in the sandstone with the left side of the arch forming the head and trunk. I was so focused on the arch itself that I had never noticed the shape. Suffice to say, focus is all well and good but make sure to step back and take everything in.

Side Street

Portland, Maine

A quick post and run today as I am headed off to a sunflower farm in New Jersey. This image was taken in Portland, Maine last September after we had visited the Victoria Mansion. Located on the southern part of the city, we were headed down to the main drag and I spotted these row homes. Their unique colors just jumped out at me. Have a great weekend everyone.

Yukon Bound

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, Skagway, Alaska

The port of Skagway, Alaska is a popular stop for cruise ships and one of its star attractions is the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad. Given my love of both trains and mountains, I Was really excited to travel over the mountains to the Yukon. The train climbs almost 3,000 feet in just a short 20 miles and, as a result, has severe grades. The train travels along many winding turns that run along the edge of the cliffs. Before reaching the Yukon, it will negotiate numerous tunnels, bridges and trestles. This image, taken from the back of the rail car, is indicative of the terrain that the train travels through. The waters surrounding Skagway can be seen in the distance as the train approaches the Canadian border.

Venetian Gothic

San Marco Square, Venice, Italy

On any visit to Venice, one can't help being captivated by it's architecture, especially the ones that were built during the Gothic Period in the 14th century. This architecture was unique from the rest of Europe in that it was far more intricate in style and design. One of the other distinguishing characteristics was how lightweight the buildings were constructed. This was done to better provide stability the instability of the city due the canals. This image is of St Mark's Basilica in the Piazza San Marco. The details in the Basilica are very indicative of the Gothic style.

Rugged Reflection

Bow Lake, Icefield Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta

The drive north on the Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park passes a number of lakes that are reachable from the road. One of my favorites is Bow Lake which can be seen from the parkway. The Crowfoot Glacier hangs suspended over the lake. We pulled into the parking lot of the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge and got out to stretch our legs. Walking around the property, I took a number of shots including this one. It was taken in mid-morning and the sun was starting to lose it’s soft light. The hard light helped highlight the ruggedness of both the mountain and it’s reflection.

Inviting

The Inn at Mountain View Farms, East Burke, Vermont

Last week's focus on New England left out the Green Mountain State of Vermont. Today will will finish our trip through the region by visiting a farm located in the heart of Vermont's beautiful Northeast Kingdom. The Northeast Kingdom has received numerous awards including "Best of New England"by Yankee Magazine and, looking at this scene, you can understand why. The fall season had begun with the leaves displaying wonderful orange color. Contrasting with the foliage was the beautiful green lawn which still retailed its color. The scene was so inviting that you could envision yourself sitting in the lawn chairs for hours absorbing in the beauty of the fall.

Guardian

Beavertail Lighthouse, Jamestown, Rhode Island

We finish the week of touring New England on the blog by visiting the Ocean State otherwise known as Rhode Island. I know some of you might ask, "What about Vermont? Isn't it part of New England?". The answer is yes and I plan to post an image from Vermont on Monday. Now to the tip of Rhode Island to view a closeup of the Beavertail Lighthouse located in Jamestown. It is a unusual lighthouse in that instead of the typical circular shape, it is actually a square structure. It offers a panoramic view of the Narragansett Bay. The lighthouse is surrounded by rugged rocks on three sides as can be seen in this previous post.

This is the third iteration of the lighthouse with the first one originally built in 1749. Alas, it was made of wood and burned down four years later. It was rebuilt in 1753 and lasted until 1856 when this iteration was built. It stands 45 feet tall and its light is on 24 hours a day.

New Hampshire Beauty

Cathedral Ledge, North Conway, New Hampshire

Our New England week on the blog takes us to New Hampshire and the White Mountains. This image was taken from Cathedral Ledge in North Conway. It is an easy location to get to as long as you don't miss the road leading to it. There is a circular parking lot and it is a short walk to the ledge. The sun was setting, casting beautiful light over the countryside. The ledge overlooks the White Mountains, in particular, the Presidential Range whose peaks are named after American Presidents. It is a wonderful view that I have posted previously. One of the things that I have learned when shooting landscapes is to take time to examine the scene and you will probably find numerous photos in it. This was one of those times. I spotted this small farm and zoomed in for a composition that would catch the fading light and wonderfull fall colors.

Remembrance

New England Holocaust Memorial, Boston, Massachusetts

Our week long photo tour of New England takes us to it's biggest city, Boston, Massachusetts. I have spent a lot of time in Boston as it is only two hours from my house and have visited it often, especially when my son attended Boston University. One way to take in the history of the city is to walk the Freedom Trail which takes you past many of the historical sites of the Revolutionary War. While walking the Freedom Trail, you encounter one of the most sobering memorials that pertains to a different war, namely the New England Holocaust Memorial. The memorial consists of six glass towers with each tower symbolizing a different major concentration camp. Engraved on the towers are six million numbers which represent the Jews killed during the Holocaust.

This photo was taken very early in the morning to catch the light and shadows as well as to beat the many tourists that visit it. In order to try to capture the numbers inscribed on the panels, I shot a hand-held bracket with the intent of processing an HDR image. I had posted this image last year but was unhappy with the result. As a result, I have re-edited it to better reflect the scene and am much happier with it.

Rugged Coast

Otter Beach, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine

This week's trip through New England takes us to Maine and arguably it's most famous attraction, Acadia National Park. Acadia is the only national park located in the northeastern US and is a very popular tourist destination. The Maine coastline is extremely rugged and Acadia contains some of the most breathtaking scenes on the Atlantic Ocean. As I was setting up the shot on Otter Beach, I could hear the crashing waves on the rocky beach and knew I was in a race before the clouds moving east would extinguish the beautiful warm glow of the rising sun. I was able to take this long exposure image as the light from the rising sun was still hitting the adjacent cliffs. It was a very short time after this shot that the clouds covered the golden light for good.

Foliage in New England

Kent , Connecticut

As I was preparing this post, I came up with the idea of making this an all New England week. I will take you to some of the States that comprise New England and where I live. Today we will start in my home state of Connecticut. There is nothing better than fall foliage in New England. If not a resident of the area, finding the right time to visit can be very challenging. Some years the foliage comes early, some years late. Often the timing depends on the weather during the summer: dry vs. wet; hot vs. cool. Living in Connecticut, it is easier to decide what day to pick, hop in the car and drive around. On this day, I visited Lake Waramaug State Park. The weather was great and the colors outstanding. On the far side of the lake, you come around a curve and see this line of trees that line a beautiful house. The trees are on private property so I hopped out of the car to take some shots. It was late in the afternoon and the shadows were getting long. This location has become one of my favorites and I try to go back each fall.

Before Dinner Snack

The Inn at Mountain View Farms, East Burke, Vermont

A quick post and run today. This image of a grazing horse was taken at the Inn at Mountain View Farm in Vermont. It is a 440-acre historic farm on top a mountain with picturesque views of the surrounding Vermont countryside. The Inn is a wonderful place to visit and stay. During the fall months, the colors of the foliage area outstanding.

Chessboard

Achilleion Palace, Corfu, Greece

The Achilleion Palace on the island of Corfu, Greece is our destination for today. The palace was built in 1890 and was named after the Greek mythical hero, Achilles. This image is of the patio in the rear of the palace. The patio's black and white marble squares reminded me of a life-sized chess board. The numerous large marble statues were lined up in similar manner as the start of a game. The early morning light and shadows enhanced the scene.

Falls View

Niagara Falls, New York

People that have never visited Niagara Falls don't realize that it is actually two falls. The two falls are formed by the Niagara River which flows from Lake Erie to its destination of Lake Ontario. The two falls are actually created as the river rushes around Goat Island which sits close to the New York side of the river. The American Falls are created as the water rushes in between Goat Island and New York while the Horseshoe Falls are created as the water rushes in between Goat Island and Canada. Given the positioning of the two falls, one has to move up-river on the New York side to get an image of both falls (it is possible from the Canadian side but the image is not as dramatic). This image shows the two falls along with the Canadian city of Niagara Falls. The toughest thing to do when photographing either falls is keeping the camera dry.

Alaska #3011

Talkeetna, Alaska

This image off Alaskan Railroad #3011 was taken in the town of Talkeetna, Alaska. We were staying at the McKinley Lodge and decided to take the 45-minute bus ride to civilization, in this case, Talkeetna. There were two draws to visit the town. First, it is known as a very liberal town that has sort of a "hippie" culture. The second reason is that we wanted to visit the Roadhouse, a restaurant that was featured in the television show, "Man vs. Food". We weren't disappointed in either. Talkeetna is indeed a different type of town. It is a very eclectic and entertaining town. We had a few drinks and enjoyed the bands playing outside the bar. The meal at the Roadhouse was excellent.

Talkeetna was established in 1919 when the railroad surveyed and auctioned 80 lots. It serves as the jumping point for all sorts of outdoor activities including rafting, mountain biking, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting. A cat named Stubbs has been the honorary mayor for the past 15 years (as of July 2011) following a successful write-in campaign by voters who opposed the human candidates. My kind of town.

Early Morning at Peyto Lake

Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

There are so many beautiful lakes that can be found along the famed Icefields Parkway that connects Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta. Everyone has a a favorite and mine is Peyto Lake. Located about 25 miles north of Lake Louise, the viewing area can be found off the parkway and is well marked. Park your car and climb the short distance to this viewpoint and you are greeted with this scene - one of the best views in Canada (in my humble opinion). The lake is located in a valley that is surrounded by magestic mountains and forests. The water source for the lake is the Peyto Glacier (located to the left of this view) which gives the lake a magnificent blue-green color due to the mineral content.

City Patterns

Manhattan, New York

On my recent trip to photograph Grand Central Terminal, I caught an earlier train to New York than I had planned and had about an hour to kill. I decided to walk around and take a few photographs of the surrounding area. I didn't have to walk that far before I spotted these two buildings across the street from the Terminal. I was attracted by the patterns and textures in the buildings as well as the blue sky reflected in the windows. It can be challenging to get vertical lines when shooting so close to architecture but I was able to do a pretty good job with Photoshop 6's new filter, Adaptive Wide Angle. Pretty awesome tool.

Three Amigos

Monument Valley, Navajo Reservation, Utah/Arizona Border

I have posted a few images of my recent trip to Monument Valley. They were taken from parts of the tribal park that require the hiring of a Navajo guide. The guides are not inexpensive but are well worth it for their local knowledge, stories of the Navajo culture and even playing musical instruments and singing Navajo songs. If you cannot afford to hire a guide, you can still see wonderful scenery as well as all of it's famous landmarks for a $5 per person entrance fee. This fee allows you to drive a 17-mile dirt road that winds throughout the park. It is a fabulous drive and I recommend doing it at least twice - early morning and evening. The light is so different at these times that the formations take on very different looks. This image of the world-famous East and West Mittens and Merrick Butte was actually taken from the visitors center in the early evening. The dirt road can be seen below as well as the shadows of the visitor center. I left the cars on the road to give the image scale - those buttes are really huge.