Crowfoot - Banff National Park, Alberta

Crowfoot Glacier, Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

I guess by now, you have figured out that I have been going through my Banff images from my trip last June. I was fortunate enough to travel on quite a number of trips this year, and I have quite the backlog of photos to go through. Good thing that I hibernate in the New England winters, when I can catch up on them. 

On Monday, I posted an image of one of the numerous mountain lakes along the Icefields Parkway. Many of these lakes are fed by the glaciers in the Canadian Rockies. Some, like Crowfoot Glacier, pictured in the upper left of this photo, are visible from the parkway. The runoff is the main source of water for Bow Lake, which can be barely seen below the glacier. Crowfoot has retreated and has lost an entire "foot", so it no longer resembles the shape for which it was originally named. Even with its missing part, it is still magnificent and provides a breathtaking view, especially in morning light.

Library Arches - Manhattan, New York

New York Public Library, Manhattan, New York

A rainy day in Manhattan led Rick Louie, Chris Nitz and I to take shelter in New York Public Library. We had planned to visit it anyway, but the raindrops got us there pretty quickly. Located just a few blocks from Grand Central, I can't believe that I never went inside after all of the years of passing it. A few steps past security, I realized what a photographic-rich destination it is. After climbing the stairs to the railing that overlooks the lobby, I spotted these marble arches that are over the stairway. I loved the textures in the stones and knew that I would be able to bring them out in post-processing.

Herbert Lake Panorama - Banff National Park, Alberta

Herbert Lake, Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Thought that I would start the week with a panorama from the Icefields Parkway. Followers of my blog certainly know about my love for the Canadian Rockies and its beautiful mountain lakes. This panorama of Herbert Lake was taken on a pristine June morning when the weather was just about perfect. The thing about Herbert Lake is its accessibility. To show how accessible it is, this scene was shot from the shoulder of the Icefields Parkway with a wide-angle lens. The lake sits at the very beginning of the parkway just north of Lake Louise. 

 

Rain and Shine - Banff National Park, Alberta

Bow River, Banff National Park, Banff, Alberta

Near the end of Jeff Clow's photo tour to Banff, he asked me if there was anywhere that I wanted to shoot that I hadn't on this trip, My answer may have surprised him, as I mentioned that I wanted to shoot Bow Falls from town. It was a pretty dreary afternoon and there were occasional raindrops. After parking and checking out the falls themselves, I knew that it wouldn't turn out the way I wanted (I took a couple of shots anyway). I turned away from the falls and noticed that, around where the Bow River turns a curve, there was some sun shining on the mountains in the distance. I wanted the river to be a bit smooth and not show the raindrops in the river so I popped on a ND filter. I think it came out exactly how I wanted it to.

Swiss Architecture - Lucerne, Switzerland

Near the Court Church of St. Leodegar, Lucerne, Switzerland

On Tuesday, I posted an image of a door in Venice that led to the water. Today I decided to post an image that people can actually walk to. Near the end of our stay in Lucerne, Switzerland, we had time to kill and we headed out to explore part of the city we hadn't walked around yet. This old door was located right near the Court Church of St. Leodegar. I have tried to do some research on what this building is used for and whether it is associated with the church. The only thing I know is that it was built in 1711 (obvious) and you can tell from the old wood that it seems to be original to the building. In any case, it attracted my attention while my wife and friends were shopping (I usually can be found shooting whenever they enter a store).

Pullover - Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Sorrow Peak, Edith Cavell Road, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

My history with Jasper National Park usually revolves around rain, sometimes a lot of it. When I left Banff National Park on my way to Jasper, the weather was terrific. I was able to get some great shots at Two Jack Lake at sunrise and headed north on the Icefields Parkway. Somewhere about an hour south of Jasper, the heavens opened up for the rest of the day. My planned sunset shoot was history, and my only hope was that the weather would change for sunrise the next day.

When the alarm went off the next morning, a quick look outside was not promising, as it was still drizzling. In the past, I have had good luck heading out into bad weather, so I thought I would give it a try. I decided to head up Edith Cavell Road toward the Cavell Glacier, as I thought that, even if it was raining, the glacier might still be a good subject to photograph. It turned out to be fortuitous as the weather began to clear slightly. Edith Cavell Road is heavily treed, so getting views of the surrounding valley is hard. Fortunately, I found this two-car pullover that gave me this great view of Sorrow Peak.

Watery Entrance - Venice, Italy

I don't know about anyone else, but I have this fascination with architecture. I love taking photos of all types of structures, and, for some reason that I don't understand, doors have become a common subject for me. I especially love taking photos of the different doors of Europe, probably because they are so different from the ones you find here in the US. This door is one of the more unusual ones that I have seen, but it seems everything that is found in Venice is a bit different. You just don't hang out on the doorstep waiting for a ride to pick you up, but rather a knock on the door from someone in a gondola.

High Above it All - Yosemite National Park, California

Washburn Point, Yosemite National Park, California

Next year, one of my favorite national parks will celebrate its 125th anniversary. In 1890, through the efforts of naturalist John Muir, this amazing landscape tucked away in the Sierra Nevada mountain range was designated a national park by Congress. The park's popularity skyrocketed when famed photographer Ansel Adams published his compelling photos showing the beauty of the terrain.

One of the great places to get an expansive view of the Yosemite Valley is to head up to Glacier Point. Although it is only 1 mile away as the crow flies (looking up), it is a 30 mile drive to get there. It can get quite crowded there, as it gives a great angled view of Half Dome. For a more secluded view of the valley (and much less crowded), take a hike to Washburn Point (the trailhead is quite near Glacier Point). From there you get a 360-degree view that includes Half Dome (although its face is not as visible) and two of Yosemite's waterfalls, Vernal and Nevada Falls. The only regret that I have is not shooting a panorama that would show more of the valley. Something for my next trip there.

Ghosts Live Here - Ashcroft, Colorado

Ashcroft Ghost Town, Ashcroft, Colorado

This will be my last post this week, as it is Thanksgiving holiday weekend here in the US. I wanted to post something that said something about the first Thanksgiving, when the pilgrims gave thanks with a meal with the local Native Americans in 1621. This is as close as I could get. Instead of 1621, this building was built in 1880. Instead of being in Massachusetts, this building is located in Colorado.  Okay, it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but it is rustic.

This abandoned building is actually one of nine buildings that make up the Ashcroft Ghost Town just outside of Aspen. We had just left Maroon Bells and were headed back to Denver. Rick Louie wanted us to shoot a few photos here of the buildings against the mountains and golden aspens. I am so glad that he did, as you could see how beautiful this location is.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, and I will see you here on the blog next week.

Towering Aspens - Telluride, Colorado

One of the more memorable memories from my photo tour with Rick Louie was traveling up a one-lane, narrow dirt road that started behind the Double RL Ranch near Ridgway, Colorado. The road was very muddy, and we encountered some tough stretches trying to maneuver past cars coming the other way. If not for the expert driving of Chris Nitz, we would have had to drive back down in reverse. Near the end of the road, we hadn't found anything worth shooting, and, right when we were ready to turn back, we came to a clearing where Mt Sneffels could be seen. There were lots of high fives, and we spent hours there.

Not only did we have the mountain in front of us, behind us was this great stand of Aspens. I ventured into the grove and up a trail. I couldn't help myself, and shot off a few frames looking up at the aspen treetops.

Pyramid - Jasper National Park, Alberta

Pyramid Island and Mountain, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

A while back, my buddy Jeff Clow nicknamed me "panorama man", as I enjoy shooting wide panorama shots. Looking back on the blog, I realized that I haven't posted one in quite a while, at least until today. This view is from Jasper National Park, with Pyramid Island to the left and Pyramid Mountain in the background. Of course, the foreground includes Pyramid Lake.

When I first drove down to the lake, I decided to head out onto the island (there is a wooden walkway to get access to it). The island is quite small, and I walked around to see if there were any good compositions. As I walked around, I noticed another photographer onshore, and I determined that his location was better than mine.  So, over I went, and I was able to shoot this photo capturing all of the Pyramids.

Road to the Falls - Telluride, Colorado

Closing out this week is a photo I took in Telluride, Colorado, on Rick Louie's Fall Photo Tour. Most of the tour was spent exploring the great destinations that surround Telluride and the countryside. On this afternoon, we headed back into town and took a gravel road (you can see it winding up on the right side), with the Bridal Veil Falls as the ultimate destination. Thanks to the great driving skills of our co-pilot, Chris Nitz, we safely reached the ridge of this one-lane road, and exited the car for this great view of Telluride and the valley it sits in. This is only one of the spectacular scenes that you will find on Rick's Fall Tour. For more information about it, check out his website at Rick Louie Photography

Cruising the Harbor - Newport, Rhode Island

Newport Harbor, Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island, is a great New England destination for many reasons. It is best known for it's opulent mansions that border the city's Cliff Walk. The mansions that were built by the ultra-rich during the Gilded Age are a must-see attraction (I have posted numerous photos of them). Newport is also well known for its sailing, and it is a sailing mecca for the sailing enthusiast. In fact, it has hosted twelve America's Cup races (the last time was in 1983). 

My wife and I visited Newport in September with friends, and the city was bustling with a boat show in town. The weather was terrific the first day we were there, and we decided to book a cruise the next day, Of course, the weather turned cold and became quite windy, but we headed out anyway. When banking for turns, the boat seemed to go almost straight up, and there were times I was looking almost straight down into the water when I looked across from my seat. I can only image what it must be like in one of the America's Cup races. Anyway, on the way back to port, I spotted this beauty heading in the same direction.

Fall in Acadia - Acadia National Park, Maine

Eagle Lake, Acadia National Park, Maine

There are two large lakes in Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island, and both have views of the Bubbles (two mountains that look like bubbles). Earlier, I posted this photo of the Bubbles from Jordan Pond that was taken in the morning, after the rain and clouds began to move on. Later in the afternoon, the NxNW crew headed to Eagle Lake to shoot a bit. As you can see, the weather front had totally moved on, leaving us with a great fall afternoon. From the northern edge of the lake, one of the Bubble's back side (could be the front side) can be seen in the distance. The lake was pretty still, especially for the middle of the afternoon. A bonus is the silhouette of a crane and it's reflection that can be found in the middle of the lake (you can see it better by clicking on the photo).

Empty Epcot - Walt Disney World, Florida

Epcot, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida

After my trip to Colorado, NYC and Acadia, I actually spent a couple of weeks at home before my wife and I headed to Disney for two weeks with great friends. Given all of the photos I have shot this year, I went there with the intention of shooting very little and just enjoying the warm weather. That doesn't mean that I didn't shoot at all, but I shot less over these two weeks that I normally shoot in a day. The park was relatively busy, as Disney was hosting it's annual International Wine and Food Festival. We signed up for a French breakfast in Epcot at the Les Chefs de France restaurant. Since the breakfast began before Epcot was open to the general public, I was able to capture this shot with some terrific morning light, and there was not a soul to be seen (that is right, no pixels were erased using content aware fill). I only wish that we had the park to ourselves for the rest of the day.

Guarding Acadia - Acadia National Park, Maine

Bass Harbor Light, Acadia National Park, Maine

I hope that you enjoyed my photos in the Black and White Photo Challenge last week as much as I enjoyed participating in it. Now we are back to normal and posting color images. I haven't focused much on my recent trips to Colorado, Acadia, Newport and Disney and will try to over the next few weeks.

First up, we head to Acadia National Park and one of my favorite subjects, lighthouses. The Bass Harbor Light is located in the southwest portion of Mount Desert Island in the park. It is one of the iconic shots that commonly shows up when searching online for Acadia. Given its popularity, photographers are drawn to the location at sunset, when the soft light glows on the lighthouse. The challenge is to get there early enough to get a spot. It is not unusual for photographers to climb down on the rocks (you definitely must be sure footed) to get there two hours before sunrise to secure a good spot. 

For this shot, the NxNW crew (all ten of us) got there a little later than we wanted, and we were really lucky to get a spot in the very small parking lot. After unpacking and scrambling over the rocks, we barely had enough room to get a decent angle at the light. It is always fun shooting with a group because time passes quickly with a lot of laughs. Once the sun started lowering to the horizon, all talk was gone and only the sound of cameras clicking was heard.

I tried quite a few compositions, and I really like this one--a bit wider shot that captured some of the water in the foreground. 

Dirt Road - Moab, Utah

Professor Valley, Colorado River Scenic Byway, Moab, Utah

Five Day B&W Photo Challenge - Day 5

A few weeks ago, I was nominated on Facebook to participate in the 5-day B&W Photo Challenge by three fellow photographers (Jimi Jones, Edith Levy and Bobby Strader), and on Google+ by another photographer (James Howe). As a result, the blog will feature only Black and White images (all edited this past weekend for this challenge) this week.

For my last photo on this challenge, I am taking you to sunrise along the Colorado River Scenic Byway (aka River Road). This was taken back in March, as part of Jeff Clow's Moab Photo Tour (not to be missed). This particular dirt road is part of the Professor Valley area of Moab. I really like how the different layers of light pop in this black and white version. The well-lit road and the partially-lit peaks contrast well with the dark shadows below the peaks.

I really enjoyed this challenge, as it made me really think hard about selecting images for black and white treatment. One of my goals for 2014 was to process more B&W images, and I think that I have posted more of them this year than in the previous five years. Many thanks to Jimi, Edith, Bobby and James for offering me the opportunity to participate.

Island Flow - Jasper National Park, Alberta

Sumwapta Falls, Jasper National Park, Alberta

Five Day B&W Photo Challenge - Day 4

A few weeks ago, I was nominated on Facebook to participate in the 5-day B&W Photo Challenge by three fellow photographers (Jimi Jones, Edith Levy and Bobby Strader) and on Google+ by another photographer (James Howe). As a result, the blog will feature only Black and White images (all edited this past weekend for this challenge) this week.

One of the subjects that I think really benefits from black and white treatment is flowing water that has been captured during a long exposure. I think that the movement of the water is accentuated, making it more visual to the eye. I took this image just off of the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park. The water flows toward the Sumwapta Falls, which can be found downstream. The little island in the middle is a little reminiscent of Spirit Island, also located in the park.

Lighting in the Storm - Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Five Day B&W Photo Challenge - Day 3

A few weeks ago, I was nominated on Facebook to participate in the 5-day B&W Photo Challenge by three fellow photographers (Jimi Jones, Edith Levy and Bobby Strader) and on Google+ by another photographer (James Howe). As a result, the blog will feature only Black and White images (all edited this past weekend for this challenge) this week.

This past September, I spent a couple of days in Rocky Mountain National Park before joining Rick Louie for his excellent Colorado Fall Photo Tour (highly recommended). The first full day the weather was pretty bad, and the beautiful sunrise and sunset I had planned to shoot was not going to be. Of course, bad weather has it's own benefits that can result in some pretty dramatic shots. This was the case as I was driving the Trail Ridge Road that connects the eastern and western sides of the park. I spotted these sun rays lighting up a small part of the landscape and pulled over quickly to capture it. Since the colors of the scene were a bit muted, I felt that this photo screamed black and white.

Stark - Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Five Day B&W Photo Challenge - Day 2

A few weeks ago, I was nominated on Facebook to participate in the 5-day B&W Photo Challenge by three fellow photographers (Jimi Jones, Edith Levy and Bobby Strader) and on Google+ by another photographer (James Howe). As a result, the blog will feature only Black and White images (all edited this past weekend for this challenge) this week.

For my second day of this challenge, we head to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. It is a mecca for Urbex photographers even though it is now a historical site and museum. The prison was built in 1829 and was the largest and most expensive public structure in the country at that time. It is an eerie place, with all of the ghosts of past prisoners probably floating around. I thought that a black and white treatment would convey the starkness of the place.