On our scouting trip in April to Maine for Jeff Clow's Fall Maine Lighthouse Photo Tour, Jeff, Jaki Goode Miller and I spent a few days in Acadia National Park. It was the third week in April, and New England's terrible winter was still on display. In fact, the day we drove into the park, the waves near Thunder Hole were probably 30 feet high and were barely visible through the fog. It was a pretty impressive scene. The next morning, when we headed back out toward Thunder Hole, the scenery was decidedly calmer. Driving along Park Loop Road, we stopped at this lake to catch a few reflection shots of the trees. While they still were a ways from sprouting their leaves, I really liked the starkness of their barks as the early morning sun began to light up the scene.
Fog No More - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
I spent two nights in Mount Rainier National Park before my trip to the Palouse. I really wanted to get a sunrise shot of the mountain in the water of Reflection Lake. When I got to the hotel in the afternoon, everything was fogged in and would be for the rest of the night. I went to bed with high hopes of the fog clearing the next morning. The alarm went off at 4am (twilight was at 4:43am), I looked out the window and could see Rainier. I was so psyched, but it would not last for long. As I headed to Reflection Lake, I slowly realized that the valley was fogged in. Sure enough, you could barely see the majestic mountain. Landscape photographers are used to disappointment and always have a Plan B. Mine was to head back to the hotel and hike the trails.
Undeterred, I decided to head back around 10am to see if the fog had cleared. Sure enough, it had. As I took in this scene for the first time, I knew that a panorama was in order to capture the width of the lake. It wasn't the soft early light that I wanted, but it still was a beautiful scene.
Palouse Morning - Steptoe Butte State Park, Colfax, Washington
I am not apologizing anymore for posting so many photos of the Palouse. It's landscape has captured my imagination in so many ways. I have fallen in love with the area and I kick myself for waiting so long to visit it. The landscape is great most of the day, but there is no denying that the sunrises and sunsets when viewing from Steptoe Butte State Park are mesmerizing. It won't be long before I head back there.
Cascade - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Photography purists will insist that you can't get decent shots in mid-afternoon because of the bad light. While that may be true for some subjects, I still believe that if you do a little exploring, you can find some that work out great. When I was in Mount Rainier National Park this past May, I was up well before the crack of dawn to get some sunrise shots. I hiked the rest of the morning and headed back to Paradise for some lunch. The early afternoon light wasn't great but I went out to explore anyway. Driving east from Paradise, I passed this little sign that said Sunbeam Creek. Just past the sign, I spotted this waterfall out of the corner of my eye. I knew immediately that I was going to shoot a long exposure to get the water cascading over the rocks. I also figured that the end product would probably be a black and white, as the colors were washed out because of the light. I also composed the shot to eliminate the drab sky.
So, take your camera out with you when the light isn't great. Maybe exploring will not pay off but when you see something that may work, give it a try.
Eastern Point Lighthouse - Gloucester, Massachusetts
It has been a while since I have posted a lighthouse photo, and, since it is the middle of summer, I thought it was a good time to do so. Not all of the great lighthouses of New England are located in Maine. This one sits at the outskirts of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and is a terrific one to visit. The lighthouse was built in 1832 and has gone through a couple of renovations since then. It sits on Cape Ann and was built to protect boats when entering the east side of Gloucester Harbor. If you plan to visit it, be aware that the locals have put a sign up that indicate the the access road is private. It is not, it is a public road, so proceed through the sign. Once there, the best view is to walk out on the extremely long stone walkway and look back toward it.
Mount Battie Tower - Camden Hills State Park, Camden, Maine
The coast of Maine has quite the number of great locations for visitors to check out. When we were doing some scouting for Jeff Clow's upcoming Maine Lighthouse Photo Tour this past April, I took Jeff to Camden Hills State Park to see what he thought of it as a possible tour stop. The park is just north of the town of Camden and you get a great view from the top of Mount Battie of the surrounding area. Mt. Battie is quite small in comparison to other mountains, topping off at only 800 feet, but, since the surrounding area is so flat, you get great views of Camden Harbor as well as the Maine coastline. Also at the top of the mountain is this cool tower that looks like a turret from a castle. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the Camden area.
Olmsted Point - Tioga Road, Yosemite National Park, California
Yosemite National Park is my favorite national park in the United States. In the summertime, the tourist flock to it in droves. Try getting a lodge or campground reservation inside the park and you know what I mean (there are few hotels outside the park). Yosemite Valley gets the bulk of the traffic for good reason. When it gets crowded, I like heading out on Tioga Road where the volume of people is significantly less. Not only is the scenery still beautiful, you also get different looks to some of the famous rock formations, like this one of Half Dome. Try it if you want to try something new and avoid the crowds.
The Mighty Colorado - Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The Grand Canyon is one of nature's wonders that continue to amaze everyone who visits there. The canyon itself is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide at its widest point, and reaches a depth of a mile. I think what amazes me the most is that this canyon was created by erosion over a 2 billion year period by the Colorado River. Hard to believe that water could have carved this masterpiece, no matter how long it took. I thought of this when I composed a closeup of the river as it slowly moved its way westward to the Gulf of California between Baja California and Sonora.
Miniature Car - Endicott, Washington
This is my obligatory post of the week from my Palouse trip. I have previously posted some shots of abandoned barns in all stages of disrepair. This time I am actually posting a shot of the inside of a functioning barn. This barn was unique in two ways. First, it is completely round and is surprising known as the "Round Barn" (very creative). Second, this barn actually had a miniature car sitting inside the doors. A number of us took turns composing different shots. I liked this angle the best, as I wanted to use the angle of the right wall to lead the eye toward the car. The fact that there was a lot of texture in the wood was a bonus.
Going to the Sun - Glacier National Park, Montana
The Going-to-the-Sun Road is the main (and only) road that runs west to east through the park. From the western entrance to the eastern entrance, the 50-mile road passes along great vistas and valleys that make up some of the best landscapes in the west. On this morning, our group stopped at Lake McDonald to shoot the sunrise. Leaving the lake and heading east, we stopped along McDonald Creek to get some shots of the mountain tops as the clouds began to disperse. I thought the scene screamed for a panorama and I promptly accommodated it. I took this before several members of the group waded out to the middle of the creek to take some shots looking east.
Big and Mean - Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
On my cross country trip a couple of years ago, I tried to hit as many national parks as I could, especially those that I had never visited. I also wanted to visit the few states that I had yet to travel through (still have six more to go). My son wanted to stop in North Dakota, and, after a little research, I found that there was a national park there that I had never heard of. So, off we went to kill two birds with one stone.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park was named a national park in 1978 and is located in the badlands area of western North Dakota. This area was made famous by Roosevelt well before he became president, and his love for it sparked the conservationist policies that he espoused during his presidency.
It is a remote park and we didn't see many visitors other than ourselves. We did find a lot of bison, and, when we pulled into a parking lot, we spotted this guy. He was doing a lot of snorting, and I had to get behind our car as protection as I took a few shots of him.
Road to Fisher Towers - Colorado River Scenic Byway, Utah
While Moab is known for its proximity to two fabulous national parks (Arches and Canyonlands), the star of the area may well be the Colorado River Scenic Byway. The road also known as Utah State Road 128 or River Road connects Moab with Grand Junction, Colorado. One of the great stops along River Road is Fisher Towers, about 21 miles from Moab. The Towers are made up of sandstone and are very popular with photographers and rock climbers.
I went out for a drive along River Road in the late evening to catch the golden hour light that I knew the sunset would deliver. I pulled over as soon as I turned off of River Road to use the dirt road as a leading line to the Towers.
Fertile Ground - Steptoe Butte State Park, Colfax, Washington
Okay, you guessed it. I am closing the week with another shot of the farming landscape of the Palouse. This was taken from the best view of the countryside, namely Steptoe Butte State Park. This view is looking west, just after the morning sun has cleared the top of the butte. I loved the leading line of the creek, taking the eye from the shadows to what I believe is a dirt road that take you to the rolling mounds of farmland.
The Back Barn - East Burke, Vermont
A few years back, I was lucky to be part of a group that was able to visit The Inn at Mountain View Farms in Vermont. We were given access to the whole property, including the interior of all of the barns on the 440 acre property. The Inn is located in northern Vermont, about 2 hours from Montreal (Canada is a mere 45 minutes away) and 3 hours from Boston. The property is located in an area known as the "Northeast Kingdom" and has been called the "One of the most breathtaking hilltop views in Vermont" by Vermont Life Magazine. Hopefully, I will be able to actually stay there for a few days during the Fall season.
Two Medicine Lake - Glacier National Park, Montana
On a cold, windy, day last August, our group ventured to the east side of Glacier to visit Two Medicine Lake. It is almost a two and a half hour drive from the western entrance of the park along the narrow and winding Going-to-the-Sun Road to get to this spot. Is it worth it? No question about it. No visit to Glacier is complete without seeing the lake with Sinopah Mountain towering as a backdrop. For me, my hope is to get a great morning light reflection of the mountain in the lake. This morning, the wind proved to be dramatic, so I opted to shoot a long exposure and capture the movement of the water and clouds. I was lucky to spot these rocks to act as a foreground for the composition.
Venice Side Alley - Venice, Italy
I can't believe that it has been almost seven years since I have walked the "streets" of Venice. Of all of the European cities that I have visited, I keep coming back to Venice as the most unique and mysterious. Maybe it is my Italian heritage that comes into play. Even with the passage of time, I still remember wandering aimlessly through the city, looking down small side alleys in search of scenes like this one. The funny thing is, they aren't that hard to find. It seems every alley has its own story to tell. I don't get that same feeling anywhere else and I hope to experience it once more down the road.
Last Light - Myers Creek, Gold Beach, Oregon
This section of the Oregon Coast has captured my imagination since the first time I drove around the curve and spied this scene. In my opinion, this is the best section of the coastline, and I make sure that I take an extra few days to experience it. Beyond its obvious beauty, this terrific beach is a mere steps off of the highway. Gold Beach is also the terminus of the Rogue River, with a world class resort and spa (TuTut Tun Lodge) on its banks. It is one of the premier areas along the Pacific coastline.
Cruising the Palouse - Pullman, Washington
I almost went a week without posting a Palouse photo, but with this photo, my addiction continues. One of the interesting thing about the landscape in the Palouse is the lack of trees. Every inch of the rich farmland is usually dedicated to the crops that the area is known for. Many of the trees that existed were cut down by early settlers. There is an effort underway to plant more trees there to help with erosion of the land. Until that time, when a lone tree is spotted, a photo stop is required (it might actually be a law).
In this case, I was driving aimlessly on my last evening there. I spotted this tree and thought that the great clouds would only augment an already beautiful scene.
Everett Covered Bridge - Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
On my cross country trip a few years ago, I tried to stop at as many national parks as I could fit in. The highest priority was given to ones that I had not visited before. Near the end of the trip was Cuyahoga Valley National Park and I knew very little about it. After seeing the great national parks in the western part of the country, I was a bit taken aback with this one. There were no huge mountains, lakes or other spectacular attractions. Instead, there were lots of quaint scenes like this one that dot the park. Detracting from the park's feel is the fact that the park is nestled in and out of neighborhoods, giving it a disjointed feel. Nonetheless, as I now look at the photos that I took there without the comparisons to the parks I visited earlier in the trip, its beauty shines through.
Totem - Monument Valley, Navajo Reservation, Utah/Arizona Border
Is it possible to have ten number one locations? I think it is possible depending on what day you ask. Monument Valley, located on an Indian Reservation, is certainly my favorite southwestern location. The Navajo name for the valley is Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii meaning "Valley of the Rocks". The structures in this image "Yei Bi Chei" on the right and "Totem Pole" on the left hold deep spiritual meaning for the Navajo. “Yei Bi Chei” means Navajo spiritual gods and is viewed as a formation of dancers emerging from a Hogan.
To get this shot, one needs to hire a Navajo guide that will take you off of the 17 mile drive that you can do without one. I am planning to revisit this spiritual place next March.