Savannah Charm

Savannah, Georgia

One of the places that I have always wanted to visit was Savannah, Georgia. Savannah came onto my must visit list after I read the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in 1994. I was not only captivated by the story, but also the history and architecture of Savannah that has earned it's reputation as the center of southern charm. 

It took me almost 20 years to get there and I am very glad I did. The architecture in the city is very diverse and includes Federal, Georgian and Gothic Revival to name a few. I am known as a quick walker, but I stopped on almost every street to shoot another beautiful home. I don't know where this was taken, but I remember thinking to myself that I could see me living there, although I probably couldn't afford it.

Portland Head Light

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

This lighthouse is probably the most photographed in New England. One of the reasons is it's proximity to Maine's most populated city, Portland. Another reason is that it is adjacent to the 90-acre Fort Williams Park, with access to hiking, sporting fields, recreation areas and, of course, Fort Williams. I think the real reason is that it is quite the beautiful structure, and sits on a lovely stretch of the Maine coast on Cape Elizabeth.

The lighthouse was commissioned by George Washington in  1787. It is the oldest lighthouse in the State of Maine, although, when it was built, Maine was not yet a state (it was part of Massachusetts). The light measures 80 feet in height (about 100 feet above the water) and can be seen for 24 nautical miles.

This sunrise photo was taken on a beautiful August morning and I had the whole park to myself, except for a local cameraman that was there to show the sunrise as a lead-in for the local news.

Catching Some Rays

Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina

I hope all those who celebrate Thanksgiving had a great holiday. Many of us have eaten too much and just want to lay around the house (at least I do). So here is to relaxing for the day as this alligator was doing in the swamps of South Carolina.

Happy Thanksgiving

Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts

It has been a great year for me from a photography perspective. I have visited more places this year than I ever have in one year before. It all started with Key West in February, and was followed by an unscheduled drive cross-country with my son in early April. Home for a week, and then off to South Carolina for two weeks. A couple of months later, I was in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, home for two weeks, and then off to Maryland and Oregon for almost all of August. Back home for a week, followed by another cross-country trip back home. So I am very thankful that I have been able to enjoy the travel and photography.

I am also thankful for those of you who stop in to view my photos, leave comments, or simply "+1" on Google Plus or "like" them on Facebook. They make all of the efforts in editing my photos and writing a post all worth it. So thank all of you.

In closing, I found this image of a barn that I shot in Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. For those of you who are not familiar with Sturbridge Village, it is a living museum of life in the late 1790's. I am sure that Thanksgiving back then had a different meaning than today.

Rural New England

The Inn at Mountain View Farms, East Burke, Vermont

There are many hidden gems in New England, and one of my favorite ones is the The Inn at Mountain View Farms in East Burke, Vermont. The farm was built in 1883 as a "gentleman's working farm". The owner built it to provide meat and dairy to his New York City hotel. The cow barn, pictured on the right, is one of the largest farm structures in existence in Vermont, and once was home to 100 cows.

Today, the farm is an active bed and breakfast from May to October ,and is also home to a non-profit organization that provides sanctuary to needy farm animals. It is a great place to explore, and, in addition to the farm structures, the inn has a spectacular view from the hilltop that is second to none, especially during foliage season.

Mural

The Vatican, Vatican City

The two things that you can be assured of when visiting the Vatican are that you will see (1) some of the most amazing art and architecture and (2) lots and lots of domes. I am not sure which dome this is (if anyone recognizes this, let me know its name) but I just fell in love with the mural in it. Even though the colors are fading a bit around the edges, it still is beautiful. Shooting at the Vatican can be challenging with all of the crowds and not being able to shoot with a tripod. 

Overcast, Rainy and Foggy

Harris Beach, Brookings, Oregon

Don't worry. There is nothing wrong with your computer's monitor. This photo is actually black and white on purpose. I know that the majority of my photos are color, as I love nicely saturated colors. I don't want anyone to think that I don't like B&W ((I do), but I believe that some photographers can see a scene and immediately see the B&W possibilities. Unfortunately for me, I am not one of those photographers. 

On this wet, dreary, day on the Oregon coast, I was determined to shoot despite the weather. To add some interest to the image, I took a number of shots with a long exposure. When I went to edit this, the color version wasn't good, even though I really liked the scene. I decided to try a number of treatments to bring out the felling that I had when I shot it. The B&W version really worked and conveyed the mood I wanted.

Reflections of Fall

American Legion State Forest, Barkhamsted, Connecticut

"All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray." Those lyrics from the Mamas and Papas song California Dreaming come to mind as I am writing this blog post. Fall in Connecticut is well past its prime, and, not being a winter person,  I am already dreaming about California or anywhere else where it is warm. 

Fall is my favorite season, but it doesn't last long enough. This photo was taken not far from my house in the American Legion State Forest, Barkhamsted, Connecticut. While not taken at the peak of the colors, it still was a beautiful scene to behold.

Mule Wash

Palmetto Carriage, Charleston, South Carolina

No trip to Charleston, South Carolina, would be complete without a horse-drawn carriage ride through this historic city. The ride takes you down tree-lined streets and the differing styles of architecture of the southern homes. It is also a great way to start a visit that gives an overview of the museums and attractions. There are a number of carriage companies that give tours of Charleston but the one we recommend is Palmetto Carriage. They have won a number of awards as the best in the city and they are easy to find. Just look for the big red barn. I couldn't help snapping a shot of this unique sign. I now know where I am taking my mule to get washed and have my hoofs shined. What a bargain.

Fallen Window

Lonaconing Silk Mill, Lonaconing, Maryland

This is another visit to the Lonaconing Silk Mill in western Maryland. The mill is quite large with many areas to explore. We literally spent the better part of 12 hours wandering around every nook and cranny of the place. Every time I thought I was finished, I found another hallway or room to explore. When I headed to the basement, it was quite dark in many areas. I spotted a dim light toward the back of the mill, and, when I turned the corner, I spotted this scene where the window had either fallen onto the machinery, or someone had placed it there. Not really caring how it ended up there, I fired off a bracketed series that I knew would be a terrific HDR subject.

Gondola Ride

Venice, Italy

What better way is there to take in the great city of Venice, Italy, than on your own gondola ride? The number of gondolas once numbered above 10,000, when horses were outlawed in the 14th century. Only about 500 remain today, and they are used primarily for the tourist trade, as their cost is exorbitant for everyday transportation. Rates are regulated, and if you try to negotiate a lower price, the gondolier will reduce the length of the ride accordingly. This photo was taken from our gondola with the famed Rialto Bridge in the background.

Morning Light

Thomas Moulton Barn, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

This past July, I posted this pre-dawn image of the historic Thomas Moulton barn, located in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The reason photographers get up before dawn and set up for this shot is that the window of opportunity to get the morning light shining on the front of the barn is quite small. There are many mornings when the cloud cover to the east blocks the sun totally. That is what we worried about on this morning. There were enough clouds and fog that threatened the light, but the sun finally made its appearance, which gave the barn this golden glow. The moment lasted for only 10 minutes before the magical light disappeared. The fog in the background was simply icing on the cake.

Out for a Ride

Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado

This photo is from my archives and is one of my favorite subjects. I originally edited this when my post processing skills were poor. I came across this when looking at my Lightroom library and thought it deserved a new life. The plane is actually a statue outside the Air Force Academy's Chapel in Colorado Springs. I composed the image from an angle that only had the sky as the background. A little Photoshop magic to make the support column disappear and there you have it.

September 1957

Lonaconing Silk Mill, Lonaconing, Maryland

One of the coolest things about shooting in abandoned buildings is capturing the grit and decay of walls in disrepair and machines that haven't been used in decades. This is what attracts the Urbex photographer. A side benefit of visiting these abandoned places is discovering the history of days long gone. The Lonaconing Silk Mill in western Maryland is one of those places where history is on display. The mill, also known as the Klotz Throwing Company, closed its doors in 1957. Its closure ended the industry in the United States and it is the last intact silk mill remaining. Who knows when this mill will disappear, despite the owner's attempts to continues to transform the mill into a museum. 

Behind the Tetons

The Teton Range, Alta, Wyoming

When I headed to Grand Teton National Park for a photo tour this past July, I arrived in Jackson, Wyoming, in mid-afternoon. I always try to fly out very early when I travel to make sure that if something goes awry, I have some time to make new arrangements. Even though I was tired from the travel, I hadn't been to Jackson in almost 10 years so I wanted to make sure that no time was wasted. 

When planning my trip, my fellow blogger, Rick Louie, suggested that I spend some time on the far less visited Idaho side of the Tetons. To get there, you head out of Jackson and travel over Teton Pass, and then head north toward the town of Driggs. Once downtown, turn east, and you come to Alta. The town is quite small (less than 400 residents), but the attraction is a very different look to the Tetons. While not quite as captivating as the national park, the landscape is still pretty compelling. I thoroughly enjoyed this drive, and fully expect to revisit it the next time I head to Jackson. Thanks for the tip Rick.

Kotor Reflections

Bay of Kotor, Kotor, Montenegro

When embarking on a cruise, first impressions of each stop can be deceiving. The areas where these ships dock are more than likely not the best ones. They are typically industrial areas on the outskirts of the port of call. So it came as a pleasant surprise when we docked in Kotor, Montenegro, on our Mediterranean cruise a few years ago.

While Kotor is technically a port on the Adriatic Sea, to get there requires entering a twisting and winding journey through the Bay of Kotor. The bay is actually 17 miles long, and, along the way, there aren't any industrial areas to be seen. In fact, the bay is surrounded by large towering mountains with scenic little towns. I guess that I shouldn't have been surprised, as the translation of Montenegro is Black Mountain and 60% of the country is made up of mountains. The scenery can't be beat, and it remains my favorite port of call.

The Spectacles

Arches National Park, Utah

The southwestern region of the US is home to the largest concentration of national parks, national monuments, state parks and scenic roads. The area known as the Grand Circle includes five states (Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada). Nowhere else in the country has the diversity and colors of the landscape. It seems like everyone who visits there has a favorite spot, and it is hard to argue with any choice. My two favorites are Arches National Park and Monument Valley.

The formations in Arches all have their own names. This one is comprised of two "windows", the North Window and the South Window. These openings in the formation are huge, as a person standing at the bottom of one would be a mere speck in the photo. Many visitors go to visit each window separately but unless you look at it from the side, they don't realize that the whole formation takes the form of eyeglasses, resulting in the name of "The Spectacles". 

Ghosts of the Past

Pennhurst Asylum,  Spring City, Pennsylvania

There is a type of photography generally described as "Urbex" (for Urban Exploration), where the subjects are abandoned buildings of all kinds. It is becoming a very popular genre of the hobby. While I don't go out of my way to shoot urbex, when I see a photo tour to abandoned places in the northeast, I usually try to attend. This past June, I visited the abandoned Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City, Pennsylvania. 

 The Asylum was built in 1908 and was designed "for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic". It closed it's doors in 1987 after being exposed for horrific conditions and tales of abusing patients, including those in wheelchairs. The visions of what may have happened there was clear in my mind when taking and editing this photo. I wonder if this wheelchair was involved in the atrocities, and what the purported ghosts that are rumored to still walk the floors of the asylum could tell me. 

 

I Love Bark

Moose-Wilson Road, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park is a terrific place for landscapes, which is why I love going there. I never go looking for wildlife ,but many others do. The rule of thumb when looking for wildlife is to look for them early in the morning and the hours approaching dusk. Another is to look for other cars that are pulled over at the side of the road for no apparent reason. That usually means that there has been a wildlife sighting.  

On my photo tour to the park in July, our tour leader, Jeff Clow, was driving back and forth on Moose-Wilson Road (a favorite area for spotting wildlife), scouting. Just when we were ready to give up, he spotted this beaver in the underbrush. We piled out, and before you know it, there were probably 10 cars there within 5 minutes (there must be some communication network that I am not aware of). Despite the crowd of people and photographers, the beaver was only interested in eating the bark off of tree branches to be used in building his dam. It was quite amazing to see how fast he could get the branch clean as a whistle.

Golden Rock

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

It has become obvious to me that I have developed quite an affinity to Badlands National Park. Ever since I visited the park in September, I find myself gravitating toward the South Dakota folder to pick photos to edit for the following week's blog. This "elite" status has often been reserved for my favorite places, namely Yosemite, Banff, Grand Teton and Arches. It is clear to me that they need to move over to make room for Badlands. The only regret that I have is that it took me so long to finally visit there.

While it is remote and can be harsh during parts of the year, once you get there the landscape is among the most diverse and accessible and is worth the trip. Where else can you walk out of your hotel room and within minutes get sunset shots like this one? I hope that you bear with me as I continue to post images from my new favorite location.