I have shared the majesty of the Icefields Parkway many times on the blog and it seems that I can't stop doing it. Every time I look at the ruggedness of the Canadian Rockies along this famous road, I get the urge to hop in a plane and head there. This particular stretch of the 140-mile road is just north of the Banff - Jasper boundary and the Columbia Icefields. A well known saying is that "A picture is worth a thousand words." I prefer this one, "A picture of the Icefields Parkway is worth a thousand different feelings." I don't know if anyone has ever said that before. If not, I own it.
New England Weather - Ogunquit, Maine
When the NxNW crew headed to Acadia for our October outing, we stopped along the way to visit some favorite spots along the coast. The weather was quite dreary with intermittent rain. Despite that, we stopped in Ogunquit, Maine, to check out Perkins Cove. The cove is a small little harbor that is quite quaint and is a popular destination on most days (not so much when we were there). Not only is it where boats head out to the Atlantic Ocean, it also is at the beginning (or end depending on where you start) of the Marginal Way, a coastal trail.
After editing this in color, I wasn't feeling the mood that I felt when I shot this. I came to the conclusion to convert it to black and white and the mood came shining through.
Monolith - Yosemite National Park, California
I shot this image back in 2010 and it quickly became one of my favorite images. I was on a family vacation, and, as normal, I was up before dawn (and anyone else) and headed out into my favorite national park, Yosemite. The morning light was awesome, and I had the run of the Yosemite Valley with no one else in sight, except for the occasional bear. As I drove along the valley loop, I stopped at a few places, and wandered into this picnic area along the Merced River. Here I had a great view of El Capitan and its reflection. This granite monolith is such a great sight.
You might be wondering why, if this is one of my favorites from Yosemite, am I posting it only now. The truth is that I have posted it before, but, when I looked at it last week, I realized that I could do much more with it. Not only has the editing software improved greatly in the past four years, but my editing skills have improved also. So this is a re-edited version and I am much happier with the result.
Island in the Sky - Canyonlands National Park, Utah
In case you are wondering why so many Moab area photos are showing up on the blog, I am finally beginning to go through all of the images I shot in 2014. You can tell how far behind I am as this is from March and I will probably spend most of the winter hopefully catching up. This image is from Canyonlands National Park. The park is divided into three main sections: Island in the Sky, the Needles and the Maze. The most accessible section is Islands in the Sky and is where most visitors visit. The Needles is a bit less accessible, but still not that hard to get to as long as you don't mind driving. The Maze is very remote and a four-wheel drive is a must. Not for the faint of heart which is why I haven't visited that section of the park.
This particular photo was taken from the Islands in the Sky section from the Grand View Overlook. As you can see, the overlook is aptly named. The orange sandstone is a staple of the American Southwest and is always beautiful to see. Our group shot this in the morning hours and if you look very closely, you will see one of us in the distance (Rad - that is you!) along the edge composing a shot.
Sunlit Formations - Colorado National Monument, Colorado
Tucked away near the Colorado - Utah border is a real cool National Monument that I try to visit whenever I visit Moab. Located about 20 minutes outside Grand Junction, the 23-mile Rim Rock Road rises 2,000 feet to give visitors to the park great vistas of the surrounding landscape. There are some amazing canyons along the road with sandstone and granite formations that tower above the canyon floor.
I had flown into Grand Junction and planned to shoot sunset and sunrise in the park before heading to Moab. When I landed, the rain started and continued through the afternoon. I was almost ready to hang it up but something told me to at least drive the road and scout out for the next morning. As I started up the road, the weather began to clear and some great golden hour sun began to peek through. At one of the pullouts, the sun lit the tops of these formations just right and made it worth the trip.
La Sal Vista - Moab, Utah
I have been to Moab quite a number of times and thought that I had been to most of the locations in the area. I was proved absolutely wrong when my buddy Jeff Clow took a few of us onto La Sal Loop Road into the La Sal Mountain Range in March. The La Sals are visible from Moab and Arches National Park and are a great backdrop to the desert especially when they are fully snow-covered. The road provides very different vistas overlooking unique formations. This particular photo was taken on a very cold, windy day and the color contrast of the green with the orange made it the scene pop for me. Quite a different Moab that I have seen before.
Strolling the Canal - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Walking around Amsterdam for me is a head turner. Everywhere I turn there seems to be another canal leading somewhere else. You can easily spend days, maybe weeks, exploring each of the 165 canals in the city. Connecting these canals are small bridges, lots and lots of bridges. In fact, there are almost 1,300 bridges in Amsterdam, almost three times the number in Venice. I find that mind-boggling. Then there are the houseboats where many residents live, almost 2,500 of them. Most of them are residential, and, as you pass them by, they are unique from one another (you can see one in the left center of this photo. Then there are the bikes. It seems that there is almost one per person (600,000 bikes vs. 750,000 residents). I could go on an on about the city. Needless to say, Amsterdam fascinates me like most cities in Europe do. I don't know exactly where I took this photo, but it is very indicative of any canal.
2014 - My Year in Review
Grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. This post is a bit longer than usual.
I have been posting on this blog for almost four years, and I have never written a year in review before. I don't know why I haven't posted one before, but 2014 was a big change for me photographically, so I thought I would touch on the significant ones. Before I start, let me first state that I am pretty lucky and thankful for the past few years. I know not that many people have the opportunity to travel the world and get to document their travels in photos. I have been fortunate over my corporate career to financially plan and achieve the goal of being able to do this. There were many times that I wasn't sure if it was achievable, but perseverance won out over time. I am also very thankful for the support I get from my wife and son, who put up with my travels and passion for taking photos. So, without any further ado, here we go.
Goodbye Nikon, Hello Sony and Fuji
I have been a Nikon shooter since they came out with their first digital camera, the D100. Over the years, I acquired way too many lenses and spent a lot of money on them (I usually went after the fastest lenses I could afford). I also upgraded my camera faithfully with every iteration until the D700. It is and may always be my favorite camera ever. Nikon's failure to update the D700 (even though Nikon introduced the D750, it isn't truly an update - just marketing of an update to the D610), coupled with the size and weight of my equipment led me to experiment with the Sony A7. I was immediately impressed with the camera, and, after shooting with it awhile, I was hooked. The downside was the lack of lenses. I knew that my Nikon days were numbered and when the reviews for the Fuji XT-1 came out, I bought one. The Fuji had a full complement of lenses that are quite impressive. I brought all three cameras to Banff with me and ended up shooting with the Fuji and Sony almost exclusively. I posted this writeup on it, which became my most viewed post. From there I sold eleven of my Nikon lenses, and the remaining lens and D700 will be sold in 2015. I am very happy with the change and I am not looking back.
Editing Software
If you read any photography blogs, you usually end up reading an article that states that photographers should develop a style that is theirs. This stumps many who think there is a defined style that they must come up with. There isn't. I believe a style is an evolution of experimentation of using different editing software, and, that over time, a style will emerge. I have used almost every editing software out there, from Capture NX to Photoshop to Lightroom to Nik to OnOne to Topaz. That is a lot of experimentation. For the first time, I am settling with mainly two: Lightroom and OnOne. I believe that OnOne is evolving to become a Photoshop replacement. Full disclosure: I will likely use Photoshop for some of its functions, but it will be few and far between. Don't think that I am stating that everyone should follow my choices. Your choices should be dictated by your own style and what tools get you there.
Travels
- Moab - I joined my buddy Jeff Clow on his March tour. Jeff's tours are memorable outings, and attending one of them is like visiting him at home, only his home is some very impressive landscapes. His motto is "Stand in Front of Better Things" and boy does he ever make sure that you do. Moab is one of my favorite places, and Jeff always seems to find new locations to shoot at, like the La Sal Loop Road. Moab is a home base to Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse State Park and the Colorado River Scenic Byway. Here are a few photos from the trip.
- Banff National Park - Another trip with Jeff in June. Banff is in my top three favorite places, and the drive up the Icefields Parkway is the most spectacular drive that I have ever done. It was a long six years since I had been to Banff, and I took the opportunity after the tour to shoot for a few days in Jasper National Park. Truth be told, I would go to Banff every year if I could. Here are a few photos from the trip.
- Glacier National Park - My final trip this year with Jeff in August. Glacier is one of those places that I have been to before (in 2005), but that trip was almost totally rained out. This was the first year that Jeff offered a tour of Glacier and I am very happy to have attended his inaugural trip. The Glacier weather was much better this time, although we still had some moments of challenges. Unlike his other tours, there is a lot more driving due to Glacier's configuration. This was made so much more enjoyable as the other participants were flat out great. I never laughed so hard and for as long as I did on this trip. That is one thing about tours and workshops. You meet some very special people on them, and, in some cases, you make life-long friends. I know I did this year. Here are some of my favorite photos from Glacier.
- Newport - A quick trip to this seaport town with my wife and great friends. A must-visit destination for terrific architecture, sailing and quaint town charm. Not a photography trip per say. Here are two images from Newport.
- Colorado - Another photo tour in September, but this time with long-time blog friends Rick Louie and Chris Nitz. This was my first time meeting them in person, and they are just as great in person as they are online. This tour was run by Rick and it is a pretty impressive one, exploring Colorado foliage in western Colorado and a few other places along the way west from Denver. I flew out a few days early and shot a little in Rocky Mountain National Park. My favorite shot of 2014 is the one at the top of this post of Maroon Bells. Along with that shot, here are some of my favorites.
- New York City, Boston and Acadia National Park - After our Colorado tour, Rick invited me to join the NxNW crew on their Acadia trip. The crew are a bunch of photographers that get together once a year. Many of them I have followed for years. The full group was to meet in Boston and then head to Acadia. Rick and Chris had decided on a pre-trip to New York City and I tagged along. All in all, it was a terrific experience, even though I have shot many of the locations before. It was great to show off some of the places in my "backyard" to those from other parts of the country. We dealt with some typical New England weather, but managed to get some great shots. Here are a couple of mine.
- Disney - My last trip of the year was with my wife and friends in late October. We spent two weeks in Disney during its International Wine and Food Festival. I didn't shoot much at all, as I was probably a bit tired of shooting after my September and October trips. I didn't think that was possible, but there it is.
2014 Goal - Shoot in Black and White
My major project going into 2014 was to shoot more black and white photos. I love color photography, but I wanted to start thinking about my early days in photography and see what I could do with it. I shot more B&W this year than I had in the previous five years. I am happy with the progress I made this year and look forward to continuing with it in the future. Here are some of the results of my project.
Closing
If you have stuck with me this far, I thank you for your patience. It has been a fantastic year for me in 2014, and I am looking forward to reshooting with some of the new friends I made this year. While not all of my trips are totally in concrete, here are some of my destinations: Florida's West Coast, Maine, Grand Teton National Park, the Palouse, California coast and Europe. Most of all, I am grateful to those of you who follow, comment, like and favorite my photography here on the blog and on social media. I hope each of you have a great New Year's Day and 2015.
Acadia Sunset - Acadia National Park, Maine
I hope everyone who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a great holiday. This will be quite the short post today. This shot was taken from the top of Cadillac Mountain, looking toward Bar Harbor. As you can see, a fall foliage cruise was underway, and the ship was anchored in Frenchman Bay. The NxNW crew was there in full force to catch the sunset light, since we had totally struck out in the morning due to fog. Have a great weekend everyone.
Ornamental Glow - Merry Christmas 2014
I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas has a wonderful day full of great gifts. You may recognize this from ornament from a couple of years ago. I wasn't intending to re-post it but Jeff Clow had never seen it before and he asked me to re-post it. I didn't want to be too lazy so I pulled out my new favorite tool, Topaz Glow, to enhance the ornament.
Aspen Light and Shadow - White River National Forest, Colorado
One of the stops on Rick Louie's Fall Colorado Tour was the Aspen Snowmass area. I think it was the first time he had visited there on one of his tours. To get there, we took Capitol Creek Road, which is a one-lane dirt road that has some spots to park along the way. The objective was to get some shots of Capitol Peak towering over a valley of aspens. The weather did not cooperate much in that regard, as the peak was covered in clouds and fog (we did get a small peek at the peak - pardon the pun). That was okay, as the colors of the aspens were pretty amazing, but there just wasn't much sun to light them up. A little patience proved to be the correct approach, as we got a good play of light and shadow. The challenge was to spot where the sun was, and quickly compose, focus and shoot. That didn't always work, as the light would disappear quite quickly. In this case, I managed to pull it off.
Melting Ice - Icefields Parkway, Alberta
In the middle of June, I headed out to Banff to join my buddy, Jeff Clow, for one of his great tours. The first day it was only the two of us, and we headed up the Icefields Parkway. It had been eight years since my last visit, and to say I was excited about the trip was an understatement. One of the things that I didn't expect at that time of year was ice covering the lakes. We stopped at Bow Lake, and, as you can see, there was still a thin layer left from the winter. There was not a lot of direct sunlight on the lake due to a mostly overcast sky, so I decided to edit this photo in black and white. There was just enough of the lake showing to get a decent reflection. Good thing we stopped, as the ice was gone for good the next day.
Arch Glow - Canyonlands National Park, Utah
The most photographed icon in Canyonlands is, without a doubt, Mesa Arch. It is a classic sunrise location and is much sought after by every serious photographer. The biggest challenge in getting "the shot" is to get there very early to make sure you get a good position. That is because the area where you can get the classic view of the sun peeking over the distant mountains is very small. In fact, there may be space for only 12-15 people, and there are some that camp out overnight to get a prime spot.
Our group of eight left the hotel in Moab at 4:30am, and, when we got there, we barely fit. I don't think that any one of us got the perfect position, but we all had a decent view. Once set up, all we had to do was wait for sunrise. Unfortunately, the best-laid plans did not account for cloud cover that hid the sun until well after sunrise. As a result, the classic shot was not to be that morning. A little later, the sun did peek through, and I tried some different compositions to capture the orange glow of the arch. This one is a bit different from others that I have seen, and it still conveys the arch's beauty. I guess that a future trip is in order to capture the classic shot.
Light at the End of the Road - Banff National Park, Alberta
Well, here we are on the famed Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park. I have posted so many images from Banff, you are probably tired of seeing them. But you know what? Banff is one of my top three places that I have visited and, since this is my blog, I think I will keep publishing them. I am at a loss to find new words to describe the Icefields Parkway that I haven't posted before, so I will let the photo speak for itself. Here I am channeling my inner Jeff Clow (the Yoda and Godfather combined of road shots) with the leading line of the road taking the eye to the spot of light at the end of the road.
Stretching a Neck - Cape May, New Jersey
There are times when we photographers go out to shoot and we are almost sure that we won't get anything worthwhile. This past summer, I headed to Cape May to stay at my sister-in-law's beach home. The main reason for the trip was to take my nephew Michael out to shoot. Michael has developed a quick passion for photography and is in the beginning of what I think will be a life-long love. Of course, the best laid plans don't always work out. It rained pretty much the whole weekend we were there. On Saturday afternoon, the rain stopped for a short while, and Michael, his dad and I headed to Cape May Light. Once we got there, it was clear there was nothing I was going to like, given the weather. We decided to walk to Bunker Pond, adjacent to the Light, and we spotted this swan and we shot away. It started raining and we headed back home with one more photo that I thought I would get.
Wilson Peak - Uncompahgre National Forest, Colorado
I will bet that most of you have seen these mountains before, even if you haven't ever traveled to Colorado. Why do I know that? Because I assume most of you drink beer and have picked up a Coors Light at least once (probably more than once). For those of you who don't drink beer, it is impossible not to have seen the Coors commercials on TV. That mountain on the Coors Light label is Wilson Peak, featured in this photo. Of course, the one on the label was photographed in the winter with snow covering the peak. I really don't like the cold, and I would rather shoot mountains during my favorite time of year, Autumn.
This was taken just after sunrise, when the peak was being touched by the golden sunlight. While we weren't there during the peak of foliage season, you can see that some of the aspens have already turned to their golden color. We probably missed the full foliage by a week or two, but this is still a beautiful scene.
O Ye Winter and Summer - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you noticed last week that I have been playing around with a new editing plug-in to Lightroom and Photoshop named Topaz Glow. If you want to check out these shots, head on over to my Facebook Page. Topaz Glow brings out my creative and artistic side and can be used in both subtle and extreme ways. I have always been a photographer who likes to push my editing to the limits of realistic but not beyond them. I want the viewer of my photos to feel like they are seeing the subject in real life.
Most non-photographers don't realize that their cameras only capture photos in two dimensions, while our eyes see in three dimensions. That is why people are always disappointed in their images right out of the camera. In order to bring back the look of three dimensions, photographers use editing tools like Lightroom, Photoshop and third Party plug-ins like Topaz. I look at these plug-ins as new tools in my editing toolbox, each serving a particular purpose.
Take this photo of a stained glass from the Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park. I processed it a while back, and it has been sitting in my "to be published" pile, always passed over for the blog. Why? With the editing tools that were available to me, all I could do with them is get the glass almost to three dimensions but not quite there. When I played around with Topaz Glow, I thought that I could bring a true stained glass look with it. Obviously, I am quite pleased with the result by the fact that it is now on my blog. Topaz Glow will occupy a permanent place in my toolbox.
What a Drive - Ophir Pass, Colorado
There were many highlights of Rick Louie's Fall Colorado Tour. There were so many that it is hard to pick just one to talk about, but the drive up to Ophir Pass certainly is in the top three. To get to the pass, we took Forest Road #630 from the historic mining town of Ophir, and climbed over 11,814 feet to the crest of Ophir Pass. The trip was challenging due to a narrow one-half mile section, which allowed only one car to pass, and our drive was expertly navigated by Chris Nitz (if you have a challenging drive, enlist Chris). Along the way, we had this great view of Ophir and neighboring peaks. Making sure no one was coming down from the pass, we hopped out of the car and shot away. I knew that to capture the whole scene required a panoramic shot. After shooting for a while, we headed over the pass toward the Million Dollar Highway (towards Silverton).
Ocean Run Off - York, Maine
No matter how well you plan a photography trip, the biggest unknown is always the weather. The NxNW crew's trip to Acadia this year proved that point. A number of us had pre-trip plans, with a small group shooting in NYC and another group shooting in Boston. We ended up north of Boston overnight as a full group before we headed up the Maine coast toward Acadia. It was clear the next morning that we would be fighting raindrops most of the day. Our first stop was to shoot Nubble Light in York, Maine. This picturesque lighthouse sits on an island a little more than a stone's throw from the coastline. It is one of my favorite lighthouses in Maine and I have shot it on a number of occasions. Unfortunately for the NxNW crew, they would not see the light in perfect weather. They still ended up with some great shots. I spent some of my time there shooting long-exposure images of the water flowing over the rocks, like this one.
Bare Trees - Glacier National Park, Montana
A trip to Glacier National Park means a drive on the challenging Going-to-the-Sun Road. The road is the only way to get from the west side of the park to the east side, and it takes a good 2-3 hours to do so. The road has terrific scenes, but the challenge is that there are very few pullouts along it, and the ones that are there have room for only a couple of cars. This means fighting with other tourists for prime spots, difficult during the day. The road is only open 2 months of the year due to heavy snows. This shot from the Heavens Peak area is an indication of the beauty along the road. It shows the valley and a whole lot of trees that are bare of leaves.