Glacier Walk

Columbia Icefields, Icefields Parkway, Alberta

Yesterday I posted an image that I took while walking around Heidelberg, Germany. Today's post is another shot that I took walking around, but in a polar opposite location. This image was taken just off the Icefields Parkway in Alberta, Canada.

The walk on the Athabasca Glacier is a really cool (pardon the pun) thing to do. In order to get onto the glacier, you must take a tour where specialized buses known as Ice Explorers leave the parkway and travel onto the glacier. For their size (they hold about 50 people), these vehicles have very small engines, and the top speed they can travel onto the glacier is 19 miles per hour. It is usually a lot colder on the glacier than it is on the parkway, and you only get about 20 minutes on it to walk around. Even with limited time, it is still an experience you won't forget.

Heidelberg Stroll

Heidelberg, Germany

I love to wander around the streets of cities admiring the architecture with the hope that a scene will scream out to me to capture it in a photo. I particularly enjoy doing that in the cities of Europe. The history of each European city we visit always fascinates me, and the architecture is so different from the cities in the US.  When walking along the streets, I have a particular habit of looking at alley and side streets just to see what is down them. Oftentimes, they are not attractive at all, but sometimes you end up with a place worth shooting. This is one of those shots that I found when walking around Heidelberg, Germany. I loved the brick road and how the light and shadows gave it a great look.

June Snow Squall

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

When planning a vacation, we try to visit places when everyone's kids are still in school. Typically we shoot for May/June and September/October. The crowds are thinned out, the weather is usually not too hot or cold, and many of the seasonal businesses are either just opening up for the summer or not yet closed for the winter. This works the majority of time, but, once in a while, mother nature has a surprise for you.

This was the case when we visited Colorado a few years ago in June. We had spent some time in the western part of the state and the weather was wonderful. The last of the trip was going to be in Rocky Mountain National Park before we headed home. We stayed overnight in Vail and found out that there was going to be some snow the next day. We had planned to drive up the west side of the Rockies, over them, and head to Denver. We found out that the road over the Rockies was closed due to the weather. Undeterred, we drove up the east side as far as we could go. Along the way, we stopped to shoot some images that showed the the snow over the valley.

Worn Arches

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys, Florida

Friends of ours just escaped the frigid northeast and headed to Key West, Florida. Since we were there last year, they asked what some of our favorite restaurants and places were. One of my suggestions was to visit Dry Tortugas National Park. I must admit that if it weren't for my desire to visit every US National Park, I might not have gone there. Once I did, it became a must visit at least once spot. Located about 70 miles west of Key West, it is accessible only by boat or plane. Visitors are treated to a wonderful place where they can enjoy snorkeling, explore the coral reef, immerse themselves with the marine and bird life and, if none of these things interest you, you can tour Fort Jefferson.

The fort was built between 1846 and 1875 to protect the Gulf of Mexico. Like some government projects, the fort was never completed, due to the fears that the island might not be able to support the weight that finishing the fort would require. Walking around the fort and seeing the amount of brickwork there, I can understand the concern, although one would have thought that particular concern would have surfaced before starting construction. This composition shows the arches that provide the foundation for the upper levels.  

When the Shadow of the Grasshopper

San Francisco, California

Last summer, my son and I visited San Francisco for a few days. My son is a writer and musician and he always wants to visit the haunts  that his favorite author, Jack Kerouac, frequented. One of Kerouac's favorite places to hang out and drink was Vesuvio Cafe, located in Chinatown, just next to one of the most famous bookstores, City Lights. Kerouac spent so much time there that the alley between the two businesses is named after him. Vesuvio Cafe was frequented by Beat Generation celebrities, as well as other notable cultural figures such as Dylan Thomas, Bob Dylan and Francis Ford Coppola.

Of course, we had to head into the bar for a drink. Afterwards, I spent some time in the alley shooting photos of all of the murals and pavers that are on display. This image on Vesuvio's wall was my favorite mural.

Dangerous Jobs

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

I am sure that many of you have seen or heard of the television show, Dirty Jobs, where the host would spend a day working in the dirtiest of jobs. When I walk through the cities that I have traveled to, I often see different types of jobs being performed. When I see these instances, I will snap a shot of the work being performed. i guess if I ever started my own television show about them, I would call it Dangerous Jobs. In this case, I headed out of our hotel in Vancouver just after dawn to see if I could get some reflections in the buildings in the great morning light. As I was looking around (and looking up), I noticed these window washers cleaning these towers. My first thought was that they were crazy doing that job. My second thought was how long it was going to take them to finish.

Idaho Beauty

Route 20, Idaho

After leaving Boise, Idaho, on our drive back to Connecticut in September, we decided to take a 45-minute detour to check out Craters of the Moon National Monument. Neither of us had ever been to that portion of Idaho, and didn't know if we would ever be back. When deciding to take unfamiliar roads, you never know whether you are going to be bored to tears or see outstanding scenery. As you can see from this photo taken somewhere on Route 20, we were blessed with the latter. The low-hanging fog set a great mood for the mountains and rolling hills. Of course, the light and shadow play also helped.

Down in Monterey

Monterey, California

The title of this post refers to a song sung in the sixties by Eric Burdon and the Animals entitled "Monterey". I was in grade school in 1967 when the song was first sung at the Monterey International Pop Festival, and it became one of my favorite songs growing up. Truth be told, I still love the song. Every time I see an image of Monterey, the lyrics of the song always come into my mind. After editing this image of Monterey's waterfront, I knew what the title of this post was going to be. Many of you are too young to remember the song so, I  have put the lyrics to it below. Maybe you will even listen to it on your online music service and sing along.

 

Monterey

The people came and listened
Some of them came and played
Others gave flowers away
Yes they did 
Down in Monterey
Down in Monterey

Young gods smiled upon the crowd
Their music being born of love
Children danced night and day
Religion was being born
Down in Monterey

The Byrds and the Airplane 
Did fly
Oh, Ravi Shankar's
Music made me cry

The Who exploded
Into violent light (yeah)
Hugh Masekelas music
Was black as night

The Grateful Dead
Blew everybody's mind
Jimi Hendrix, baby
Believe me
Set the world on fire, yeah!

His majesty
Prince Jones smiled as he
Moved among the crowd
Ten thousand electric guitars
Were groovin' real loud, yeah

If you wanna find the truth in life
Don't pass music by
And you know
I would not lie
No, I would not lie
No, I would not lie
Down in Monterey

Three days of understanding
Of moving with one another
Even the cops grooved with us
Do you believe me?
Yeah!

Down in Monterey
Down in Monterey, yeah
Down in Monterey
Down in Monterey, yeah

Wildflowers

Blacktail Ponds Overlook, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Early morning in Grand Teton National Park during wildflower season. What could be better? We headed out before dawn and headed to Blacktail Ponds Overlook.  Eating breakfast at 4:30am and on the road at 5:00am sounds awful, unless the scenery is worth it and the weather cooperates. In this case, both conditions were met. Some people have asked me why it is necessary to leave so early to shoot, and I often explain the golden hour light as the reason landscape photographers shoot then. The truth is, that for some locations (like this one), the golden hour only lasts for 5-10 minutes. This is a result of how fast the sun rises, coupled with the clouds and the parts of the peaks the photographer is hoping to have lit. It is often a hit or miss endeavor, but mornings like this one make missing it on other days worth it.

Thoroughbred

Boone Hall Plantation, Mt Pleasant, South Carolina

Our first visit to Charleston, South Carolina, last year had been on my list for quite a while. I really enjoyed this historic city with all of its southern charm on display. As I typically do before a trip, I made a list of places I wanted to photograph. One of them was Boone Hall Plantation, where I wanted to take the classic shot of the road leading to it that is lined with oak trees and hanging moss. I got up before dawn and headed there to shoot. When I got there, the gate was locked, and I couldn't get the classic morning shot. 

Later that afternoon, we headed back, and unfortunately the weather turned bad. The bad weather proved fortuitous, as the plantation, known for it's thoroughbred horses, let them out before it started to rain. Watching these magnificent animals frolic  made up for missing the tree-lined road shot.

Relentless

Niagara Falls, New York

Last week I posted a cityscape photo of the Canadian city of Niagara Falls. Usually when you look at a photo of  Niagara Falls, you expect to see one or both of it's two falls.  I thought I would make up for the post by posting a more traditional photo. For this composition, I decided to shoot a long exposure of the Niagara River from Goat Island. As I was setting up, I watched  the relentless nature of the river in motion and the power that it generates. It is hard to stand there and not be mesmerized by the scene.

Carved Rock

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

We are back to my new-found favorite location in 2013, Badlands National Park. I have posted quite a few photos from this amazing park, and I keep resolving to myself that I have posted enough. That is before I look at my "to be edited" collection in Lightroom. As I peruse the hundreds of images in it, I seem to gravitate to the images from this wonderful South Dakota location. I am a believer in editing photos that match how I feel at the time. I am not sure where exactly this is in the park, other than at the western end of the park road. 

Florence Lines

Florence, Italy

Europe has so much history on display, and much of it can be seen in it's architecture and museums. Everyone seems to have a favorite country, but nowhere do I feel more at home than in Italy. I suspect that I feel that way because my mother's family immigrated to the US from Italy. I have been there twice and  I am always  looking to go back again to revisit the homeland. Today's photo is from the capital of the Tuscany region, Florence.

Florence has the architecture and museums that make it one of the most visited cities in Europe. This image has both facets, namely the famous Uffizi Gallery, which is one of the oldest and most famous art museums of the Western world. This composition was taken from the courtyard between the two wings of the museum. I just love the leading lines of the architecture.

Time for Reflection

Herbert Lake , Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada

Just solidified my photography trips for the year and am quite excited to head back to some of my favorite places on Earth. It is always hard to pick them, as there are so many places that I want to visit for the first time that need to be balanced with a need to revisit places in order to capture them properly. One of those revisits is Banff National Park, shown above. I was last there in 2006 when I wasn't really as into photography as I am now. I have some pretty decent shots from there (I'd like to think that this image of Herbert Lake is one of them) but I know that I will be approaching this landscape- rich region with a much improved skill set from both a photography and processing perspective.

I have already begun to think about how I will be setting up some favorite compositions and coming up with many new ones. A side benefit to the trip will be driving the Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park. On my only visit to Jasper, it rained constantly for three days. Hopefully Mother Nature will be more kind on this trip.

Moored

Cape Porpoise, Maine

The Maine Coast is a wonderful place to hop in the car and see all sorts of attractions. There is a reason that the state nickname is Vacationland.  Beaches, lighthouses, quaint towns, lobster shacks and rugged coastline are just some of the things to see on a drive. Of course, many of these things are less enjoyable when it is overcast and rainy, especially when you want to capture some photos. Driving through Cape Porpoise, I spotted this lone boat and decided to compose a minimalist image.

Niagara Falls Cityscape

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Niagara Falls is a famous tourist attraction that many easterners flock to, especially in the summer. I have been there twice, and have  stayed both times on the Canadian side. The first time, we stayed in the small town of Niagara on the Lake, which is about a half - hour drive north of the falls. It is a great little place located on Lake Ontario. The last time, I decided at the last minute to drive the eight hours and stayed a few days in Niagara Falls (the city) so I could jump out of the hotel before dawn and shoot the falls. After shooting more shots of the falls that I could count, I walked around this small city and really enjoyed myself. This is a shot of the cityscape, and, yes, that is a rainbow. Seems like rainbows are quite common on sunny days due to all of the water spray from the falls.

Follow the Road

Theodore Roosevelt National Park - South Division, North Dakota

I am sure that I have mentioned that one of my bucket list items is to visit all of the US National Parks. I haven't come up with a detailed road trip to do so, but, whenever I visit a new place, I always try to get to any national parks that are nearby. That is how I discovered Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I was planning out our return trip from Oregon to Connecticut and made sure that I stopped in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. I had never heard of the park before, maybe because it only became one in 1978. Whatever the reason, I decided to visit it although I stretched out the definition of "in the area" (the park is about a 7 hour drive from Badlands.

Located on the western side of the state in the Little Missouri Badlands, I was expecting to see  terrain similar to Badlands. Instead, I found that the park has a different look to it, and it is known as a great place to view wildlife. This image was taken in the southern division (there are three divisions that make up the park) as I was driving the 36-mile scenic loop. The park was pretty deserted (I only saw about 10 other cars along the way), and I was able to take my time to enjoy the solitude.

Comfort Station

Vista House, Columbia River Gorge, Corbett, Oregon

This often viewed and photographed structure sits on a rocky promontory known as Crown Point, about 725 feet above the Columbia River in Corbett, Oregon. Known as the Vista House, the building has a long history and is actually a memorial to the pioneers that traveled west and settled in Oregon. Built in 1917, its purpose was to provide a "comfort station" for travelers to rest and relax as they explored the Columbia River Gorge. The only access to the building is via the historic Columbia River Highway. 

There was road construction on the highway throughout most of 2013, but, even so, I was a little surprised that we had the memorial almost all to ourselves. Very unusual for an August morning. Saved me a lot of time setting up and taking the image without people wandering through the scene.

 

Side Trip

Reflection Lake, Lassen Volcanic National California

This past August, my son and I drove south from Portland heading for the city by the bay. We stopped overnight in Redding, California, hoping that the weather would hold up so we could take a side trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park. The drive from Redding was about 45 minutes, but since my son isn't a morning person, we didn't get to the park until 9 am. We would have stayed closer, but there isn't lodging near or in the park. We came into the park at the northern entrance, and stopped at the very small station there to find out the main attractions to visit (I know that I violated the scouting requirement of photography). I wandered across the street and found this view of Reflection Lake staring me in the face. The lake is named for the reflection of Mount Lassen. Unfortunately, the reflection is viewed from the other side of the lake, and is best reflected in evening light, both conditions that I did not meet. I will remember that for next time.

 

Impressions

Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester, Massachusetts

A short post for today. What does a photographer do when they are up and out before dawn?" Look for early light wherever they are. This early morning, I found myself on Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts. I was looking at the coastline to shoot and just loved the way the light emphasized the wet beach.