Wizard Island

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, my recent trip allowed me to check off two national parks from my bucket list. This is an image from the second park that we visited - Crater Lake National Park. It is an amazing place to visit and I wish I was able to fit it in during the golden hours. Due to our travel schedule and it's remoteness, we were only able to get there in mid-morning. Even then, the visit was well worth it.

The lake and the island were created almost 7,700 years ago when a volcano (Mount Mazama) erupted and left a 4,000 foot hole where the mountain once stood. Wizard Island was formed over the next few hundred years as a result of numerous smaller eruptions that formed large cinder cones on the bottom. Wizard Island is actually the top of the tallest cone that rises over 2,700 feet. 

Once the crater's walls solidified, water from the surrounding mountains' melting snow slowly filled the crater (it is estimated to have taken 720 years to reach its current level). Since Crater Lake (the lake) has no inlets or tributaries, the waters of Crater Lake are some of the purest and bluest in the world. 

 

Meandering Creek

Kings Creek, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

One of my many bucket list items is to visit all of the US National Parks. I have visited most of the major ones but it is the lesser known that will be a challenge to get to. Many of the remaining parks are a bit more remote and not ones that you plan a whole trip around. The next best thing is to try to squeeze them into other vacations and trips. Such was the opportunity on my trip to Oregon last month. After I made my plane reservations to fly to Portland, my son decided that we would take a 10-hour drive to San Francisco, which is our favorite city in the US. 

I probably would have flown to San Fran had I known but, after looking at the map, I saw that I could check off two national parks from my bucket list. This image is from the first park we visited - Lassen Volcanic National Park. I didn't know anything about the park but after reading a bit about it, I expected something that resembled Yellowstone on a smaller level. I couldn't have been more wrong. Most of the park is very scenic and, while there is a vey small section that has thermal features, Mount Lassen is the major feature. 

The park road only allows glimpses of the mountain but there are stretches like this one where an unobstructed view is possible. This composition called to me as I spotted Kings Creek meandering through the open field toward Mount Lassen. I just loved the scene and, while I would have preferred sunrise light (this is a westward looking shot), I was quite happy with the colors and the leading line that the creek provided.

Coastal Beauty

Myers Creek, Gold Beach, Oregon

Hard to believe that it has been a month since I last posted. This summer has been a blur with all of the traveling that I have been doing. I am back from my 3 week vacation to Oregon and California, but I will be headed back out on Thursday for another couple of weeks. We had a great time there although, from a photography standpoint, the coastal fog made some days a bit of a washout. Despite that, I still had some days that were outstanding and the fog can add so much interest as long as it is not as thick as pea soup.

 The Oregon Coast, particularly the central and southern portions, have outstanding beaches and rugged landscapes. This was my second trip there and I think that this particular stretch of beach, just south of Gold Beach, is my favorite. The first glimpse of this area, called Myers Creek, is when you drive down Route 101 through the trees and the mountains. The first thought that enters your mind as you round the corner and see the landscape is "Wow".  I shot this long exposure the first afternoon we got to Gold Beach.  Little did I know that for the next few days, I would be fogged in except for one evening.  Lesson learned - take advantage of the nice weather when you can, especially in coastal areas.

The Roar of Nature

Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California

I am headed off today on another trip out west and will be gone for almost 3 weeks. I know I just got back from Wyoming, but the west is still calling out to me. I am meeting my son, who has been living in Oregon, and we will be spending some time in San Francisco and northern California. Next week, my wife will be joining us and we will be spending almost all of the time in Portland and the rugged Oregon Coast.  I hope to be able to post a few images while I am on the trip but, whenever I say that, it seems I never get to it. Perhaps this time will be different. Anyway, today I am posting an image from my favorite national park, Yosemite. While I will be probably passing only 4 hours from there this week, I just couldn't get to fit it in to the itinerary. 

Caboose View

Alaskan Rail, Denali National Park, Alaska

I have such a great love of railroads and trains that I sometimes wonder if I was born in the wrong century. Maybe it is not just the train rides but also the combination with great scenery that makes them so special to me. I have been fortunate to travel some of the great train routes in North America. That is why I was so psyched about my Alaska trip that I took a couple of years ago.

Part of the trip itinerary was an all-day train ride from Denali National Park to Whittier to board our cruise ship. As soon as we boarded, I had a prime seat on the observation deck with great views all around me. Then I realized that I wasn't going to get some of the prime photos that I wanted because of the reflections from all of the glass in the observation car. So what to do? I quickly headed down to the caboose of the train and hung out there for most of the day shooting the Alaska countryside. This is one of the many shots I took from there. Trust me, picking out which image of train tracks to post was tedious work, but now I can rest.

Andrew Pinckney Inn

Charleston, South Carolina

Wandering the streets of historic Charleston, South Carolina, is a special treat for someone who loves history and architecture. As you see all of the quaint houses and streets, you feel like you have been transported to a different time. For a photographer, the feeling is that you have gone to an architectural Disney World. There are no tall and overly modern buildings, but rather the differing architectural styles that were built over the span of almost 350 years since it's founding.

As I was on one of my numerous walks around the city, I came upon the Andrew Pinckney Inn and was attracted to its bold color. Built in 1840, it was originally used as a cotton warehouse. When it opened as an inn, it was named after a freed slave that was originally owned by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a prominent plantation owner and and one of the signers of the United States Constitution.

Where the Buffalo Roam

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

I know I said that I was going to take a rest posting images from Wyoming but as you can see in today's blog post, I have not been able to do so. When visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, the wildlife that you are almost always guaranteed of seeing are buffalo. They can be spotted grazing just about anywhere and are often either crossing the road or walking down the middle of the road. Most of the time they are in large herds, so when one crosses the road, they all do. When you see your first buffalo, you are fascinated and immediately want to photograph them. By the end of the week, you don't even stop anymore. 

Occasionally, you will see one where you don't expect them, such as wandering through the cars in a hotel parking lot. Other times, you will be lucky enough to see a buffalo calf alone with it's mother in front of the Tetons around sunrise. As you can see, I was lucky to spot these two one morning. 

Hudson River View

View from Rockefeller Center, Manhattan, New York

This image of Manhattan, Central Park and the Hudson River was taken a few years ago from the top of Rockefeller Center (aka 30 Rock). It is a wonderful view and well worth the wait in any lines. In this case, there was not much of a line at all. Why, you may ask? Well it was early in the morning right after they opened and it was in the middle of January. In fact, the temperature at the time we reached the observation deck was -2 degrees with a brisk wind (I have no idea what the wind chill was - just trust me, it was cold). 

As you can see, the day was really clear and the rising sun gave the buildings a great warm color (the only thing that was warm that day). While the traditional shot from 30 Rock is looking south at the Empire State Building, the sun in that direction had a terrible glare and nothing that I shot was anything close to decent. Sometimes, you have to take what the scene gives you and, while I wanted that southern looking shot, there was no way I was going back up there later that day. I would save that view for another (warmer) day.

Late Afternoon Shadows

Lake Edith, Jasper National Park, Alberta

I reluctantly am leaving Wyoming behind (it will be back soon enough) and taking a ride north into Alberta, Canada to Jasper National Park. This park, about 3 hours north of Banff, is reached by traveling the fabulous Icefields Parkway. I had high hopes for my first visit there, and on the first day, the weather was great. After checking into the hotel, we headed out for a hike around Lake Edith (shown in this image). The late afternoon sun shed some great light on the mountains, and the trees' long shadows added some nice foreground interest. Across the lake, there is a small beach where people can relax and have a nice cold swim. Having enjoyed Day 1, Mother Nature had other plans and it rained for the next few days. While we still toured the area, I have made it a point to revisit Jasper to see it in better light.

Wildflowers and the Tetons

Hedrick Pond Overlook, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Today, I am heading to Western Maryland to shoot the Lonaconing Silk Mill, which is the last intact silk mill in the United States. Before I leave, I wanted to post one more image from Grand Teton National Park. This image is one of the reasons that hiring an excellent tour guide like Jeff Clow is more than worth it. 

Jeff has spent considerable time in the Tetons and has grown a network of locals that keep him informed of what is going on, from animal sightings to wildflower locations. July is prime wildflower season in the Tetons, but with an unusually hot summer this year, the wildflowers were nowhere to be seen in Jackson Hole. Jeff took us to one of his favorite locations and there they were along with this beautiful view of the Tetons in the background. 

Have a great weekend, everyone. 

Roadside Wonder

Undine Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

By now, you may be getting tired of Wyoming being that I have posted images from there for about two weeks. Next week, I will get back to my routine of posting from different locations. I wanted to give those of you who haven't been to Yellowstone an idea on how diverse the landscape is. This image is of Undine Falls and is located right off the road, requiring no hiking. As you can see in this image, the water flows from Lava Creek, plummets 60 feet to the rocks and then an additional 38 feet over the rocks. It is only one of the 300 known waterfalls in the park.

Just to prove the diversity of Yellowstone's landscape, check out this blogpost  from last week. Undine Falls is a mere 7 miles east of the thermal wasteland shown in the image. Pretty amazing.

Glorious Morning

Blacktail Ponds Overlook, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

On Monday, I posted an image of the Old Faithful Geyser and talked about one of the challenges of landscape photographers, namely getting up early. In case those of you who think I am crazy for getting up so early, this image is the reason why.

We were staying in Jackson, Wyoming and the alarm clock went off at 4 am. By 4:30 am, I staggered into the lobby to get a quick bite to eat with the other photographers. Wheels were up at 5:00 am for the drive to the Blacktail Ponds Overlook. Sunrise was scheduled for 6:00 am and we wanted to be fully set up before the sun peaked above the horizon. We all thanked God that there were these wonderful clouds in the sky because we knew that they would light up as the sun rose in the sky. I shot this image just as the peaks were getting their first touch of soft sunlight. 

You may be asking yourself, why not get there a little later, get a little more sleep and still get the shot. The answer is that this light probably lasts 5-10 minutes tops and then it is gone. There is always time to sleep in the afternoon when the light is harsh.

Ceaseless

Brink of the Lower Falls Trail, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The major attractions in Yellowstone National Park are the numerous thermal features that can be found throughout the park.  There are many other attractions that are well worth seeing in other parts of this very large park (almost 3,500 square miles).  One such attraction is the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  Located on the eastern side of the park, this Grand Canyon is much smaller than its namesake located in Arizona, but it is still quite impressive, measuring 23 miles in length and featuring two magnificent waterfalls.

The canyon was formed over thousands of years by the ceaseless erosion of the Yellowstone River. There are classic views from viewpoints along the north and south rims that are easily accessible from parking lots and result in a great view of the lower falls. I wanted to get a different view and composition of the area and decided to take the 1/4-mile trail from the overlook. While it is a very short trail, it drops 600 feet from top to bottom.  It is an easy walk down but not as easy going up, especially being about 7,000 feet above sea level.

The trail ends at the top of the lower falls and this is the view of the Yellowstone River looking toward the upper falls (they can't be seen from this spot due to a bend in the river). The lighting along the river is a bit spotty as the canyon walls blocked a lot of the sun. Pretty impressive example of erosion. 

Thermal Drama

Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The challenges that landscape photographers face are many. Non-photographers think that it is simply going to a location, shooting a dramatic image and that is it.  It is not so simple.  First, we have to get up well before dawn so we can get to the location before the sun rises.  That may mean a walk outside our hotel or an hour drive.  Then we have to hope that the weather will cooperate.  I can't tell you how many times a driving rain has ruined a planned shot.  Then you are competing with other photographers for a great spot if the location is iconic. Of course, there are times when you don't think that you are going to get a good shot and the stars align for one you are surprised at. This is one of those shots.

I was staying at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and wanted to get a shot of Old Faithful. Fortunately, I didn't have to be up at dawn as Old Faithful is not a prime sunrise shot. What I wanted was deep blue skies so that the details of its steam would stand out against the sky (if the sky was cloudy, the details of the thermal release would be lost). When I left Lake Yellowstone, the sun was just rising and the sky was perfectly blue. An hour later, I pulled into the parking lot and that great blue sky was gone, replaced with totally white clouds - my worst nightmare. After getting the gear out of the car, I walked towards Old Faithful and noticed the crowds were starting to appear, meaning that the geyser was getting ready to erupt.  I set up despite the clouds, ready to shoot. Fortunately, the geyser eruption was late and these dark threatening clouds appeared on the horizon. I prayed that Old Faithful would not be faithful this time and wait until the dark clouds were above the geyser. As you can see, my prayers were answered.

The scene was quite dramatic, almost making Old Faithful look like a tornado billowing into the sky. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. That being said, get yourself in the right positions and sometimes the photography gods smile upon you.

 

Waiting for Sunrise

Thomas Moulton Barn, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Anyone who has either visited Grand Teton National Park or looked at photos from there has probably seen the Thomas Moulton barn pictured in this photo. It is probably the most photographed barn in the United States, and it is a mecca for photographers who want to capture the sunrise with both the barn and the top of the Tetons lit up (I did get that shot and will posting it in the near future). Every morning there can be dozens of photographers lined up to shoot the barn.

I am sure that when Thomas Moulton built this barn in 1913 (it is celebrating it's 100th birthday this year), he didn't realize that he was building a photographic landmark. All he was doing was building shelter for his horses so that they could survive the harsh Wyoming winters. 

The barn is located off of Antelope Flats Road in an area known as Mormon Row (Thomas was a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints). On the other side of the road, another barn still stands that was built by his brother John, but is not as famous.  

There is an effort to raise money to help restore the barn as the National Park Service has run short of funds and private fundraising is being solicited by those who revere the barn. For those of you who are interested, here is the link to the fundraising site. 

Green Hills of Wyoming

Red Hills, Kelly, Wyoming

One of the advantages of taking a photo tour with a guide that knows a National Park well is that you often get to shoot areas that not many visitors get to see. This is one of those areas, known as the Red Hills (yes, I know that these are green) located about 30 - 45 minutes from Grand Teton National Park in Kelly, Wyoming. 

The Red Hills area is very idyllic, with great scenery including a horse ranch, red and green hills (predominantly red) and the top of the Tetons peeking out to the west. Why did I choose to post the green hills as  the first image from the location?  I guess because it was the only spot of green among all of the red ones. I will be sure to post some images of the red hills in the coming weeks.

Teton Magic

Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

As many of you know, I just got back from a great trip to Wyoming. The reason for my trip was to attend a Grand Teton Photo Tour and then stay on to visit Yellowstone by myself. For those of you who are wondering, a photo tour is essentially the hiring of  a guide who knows the area well and provides transportation to the prime locations at the destination. There are no workshops or teaching done on a tour, just a bunch of photographers getting together to shoot some iconic locations.

The tour guide company, "Dirt Cheap Photo Tours" is owned and run by Jeff Clow.  For those of you that haven't heard of Jeff, he is well known in photography circles, especially within photography sites such as Flickr and 500px.  In any case, the tour was one of the most enjoyable times that I have had, and I will definitely attend future tours hosted by Jeff.  I give the tour my highest recommendation.

On our second morning of the tour, Jeff took us to one of the iconic locations in the park, Oxbow Bend.  Here the Snake River flows past Mount Moran, and if you get there early enough (we left at 5am to be set up at sunrise), you are able to capture great light as well as smooth-as-glass water resulting in wonderful reflections.  Get there a little late and you lose both the light and the reflection.

As you can see in this photo, the timing was right, and I shot this panorama from the river bank that included Mount Moran on the right with the Snake River leading to it.

Wasteland

Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

I just got home from a 10-day trip to Wyoming where I spent an equal amount of time in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. These two parks abut one another but could not be any different. The Tetons are a magnificent mountain range, while Yellowstone contains the largest volcanic system in North America. The Yellowstone landscape contains large numbers of thermal features such as geysers and hot springs. In many places the scenery looks similar to this photo of Angel Terrace, located in Mammoth Hot Springs.  The trees are usually dead or petrified, and the hot steam rises from the volcanic ground. There is also the sulphuric smell of "rotten eggs" in the air that accompanies the thermal features. Although many will think the landscape is a wasteland, I believe that it still has a beauty to it.

Day's End

Tioga   Road, Yosemite National Park, California

This will be the last regular post that I will be making for the next week and a half. I am heading to Wyoming tomorrow for a nine day photography shoot of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Two very diverse parks in northwest Wyoming.

I wanted to post a photo today from Wyoming, but the only time I have been to these parks was in 2004, when I was not very skilled in photo editing.  I baked in some horrific processing in JPEG files and deleted my original files. I am posting this shot from Yosemite National Park's Tioga Road instead as it is my favorite national park. While Yellowstone is the granddaddy of national parks, Yosemite is the second oldest.

I will try to post some of my images if time and internet access allow.  

Summer Getaway

The   Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island

It sure is hot in New England this week, which is normal for July.  Like people everywhere, when it gets hot, they try to spend time near the water.  In New England, that means the shorelines of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The beaches here are not the greatest (having grown up an hour from the Jersey Shore, I feel qualified to say that), so when I think about where to go, I always seem to lean towards Newport, Rhode Island. While being close to swimming and sailing is a definite plus, for me the bonus is the grandiose mansions along Cliff Walk. This building is of the Breakers, which was one of the Vanderbilt Family's summer "cottages". Totaling 65,000 square feet with 70 rooms, it must have been quite the getaway for them.