Teton Worship - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Chapel of the Transfiguration, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

When one thinks of our national parks, the last thing that they think of are places of worship. If you think about it, what better places to build them than in front of the Earth's most beautiful sites?  There are two that are in Grand Teton National Park, and this one, the Chapel of the Transfiguration, has the best view of the Tetons. Built in 1925 before the establishment of the national park, this Episcopalian chapel has a view of the Cathedral Group of peaks from both inside and outside the chapel.  It was originally built to serve the many dude ranches that were located in the area. 

I shot this one evening when the soft light was on full display. This is probably a much better sunrise location, but with the many other stellar sunrise locations, it didn't make my early morning cut. If I were able to spend a longer visit to the park, it would make my sunrise list of locations to shoot.

Finally - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Lower Schwabacher's Landing, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Just about caught up with this year's photo trips and selecting photos to edit. I have spent the most time this year in Grand Teton National Park, and so this week's blog posts will focus on this beautiful place.

You might question my title for today's photo. Schwabacher's Landing is one of the iconic places to shoot in the park. I have visited this location numerous times in the park and have been totally shut out. On four of my visits, the mountains were socked in. On two other visits, the National Park Service, in its infinite wisdom, closed down the access road and I was unable to get there. So on this past visit with my buddy Jeff Clow, all I wanted was to get a decent shot of the Tetons from this spot. Jeff delivered big time (okay, Mother Nature also played a big part) and I was able to snag this shot on a beautiful morning. Normally, I might have wished for some nice cumulous clouds, but beggars can't be choosers. This location is often referred to as Schwabacher's Landing, but, in actuality, it is Lower Schwabacher's Landing, More on the lesser known Upper Schwabacher's Landing later this week.

Red Hills Ranch - Kelly, Wyoming

The Red Hills are located just east of Grand Teton National Park and are rarely visited by tourists. The main attraction of this area are the hills, which have a beautiful red color that I believe are caused by mineral deposits. It is an area that I have photographed a number of times. You might ask where they are in this photo, and my answer is that they are not, but rather to my back. On my visits here before I have tried and failed to get a shot looking west toward the Tetons, because, prior to this visit, the haze has always negatively impacted the scene. This time, the haze was almost non-existent, and I was able to get a decent shot. I composed this using both the split rail fence of Red Hills Ranch and the dirt road as leading lines to the top of the Tetons.

Roof Shadows - The Palouse, Washington

There are times as a landscape photographer that I shoot way too wide and sometimes miss an important feature of a scene. Sure, the scene is usually in a wide-angle photo, but so are a lot of other details that confuse the viewer's eyes and they miss the important part. That is why I find myself trying very different compositions of the same scene, trying to capture the "right" one. Why not just shoot the "right" one in the beginning? My answer is that you don't always know which composition is the one until you get home and edit the image. All you know is that something in the scene caught your eye and compelled you to want to take the photo. 

For this photo, I took probably 25 shots of this abandoned farmhouse in the Palouse. I took wide shots, tight shots and photos from all different angles and heights. It wasn't until I reviewed the images that I discovered what attracted my eye in the first place. It was the shadows of the roof line and how the sunlight came through the openings in the roof that drew my eye to see inside that window. Had I not varied my shooting, I might never have found what inspired me. My advice is to mimic this behavior and you might realize what drove you to take a photo. After all, shooting digital doesn't cost anything but time. 

 

Road to the Tetons - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

What can you say about the Grand Tetons that somebody hasn't said already?  I am usually at a loss when trying to describe their beauty to someone who has never been there. These craggy mountains dominate the landscape and look different from almost every angle. I have visited these majestic peaks many times before, usually in the summer months. I visited the Tetons this past May and I saw them in a different light. As you can see in this photo, they were almost fully covered in snow. I had never seen them this way, and I think that they are even more beautiful with the snow covering. For this composition, I wanted to compose this photo in a way that would make the viewer feel like they were standing next to me  when I took it. I thought that using the dirt road as a leading line and shooting a bit wide would accomplish the goal. After I processed the image, it didn't feel as rustic as I wanted it to, so I converted it to black and white. Hopefully, I succeeded in creating the right mood.  

 

Buffalo Fork Cottonwoods - Teton Wilderness, Wyoming

One of the best things about taking a tour with my great friend Jeff Clow is that he always finds a new location that will surprise you. I have been on three photo tours with Jeff in Wyoming, and, on my last one, he sprung this great landscape on me. Just outside of Grand Teton National Park in the Teton Wilderness, the Buffalo Fork River (a tributary of the famed Snake River) meanders through the cottonwoods. While this scene must be beautiful all year round, it is even more so when the foliage begins to peak and the cottonwoods turn a brilliant shade of gold. 

Standing on a promenade looking down on this scene, this shows the main reason that autumn is by far my favorite season to photograph landscapes. You can argue forever which area of the country has the best colors during peak foliage season. In my opinion, the only right answer to that argument is wherever you happen to be when you see the change of seasons.

Desert Wonder - Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab, Utah

There are scenes of the American Southwest that evoke great emotion and memories of the old time westerns. I am sure that the scenes that brings out those feelings are different for each of us. For me, the quintessential scene is one from Dead Horse State Park. This small park is nestled next to Canyonlands National Park, which has a great variety of different landscapes. This little park is more of a one-hit wonder, but what a great hit it is. In my opinion, this one scene is better than any one scene that can be found in Canyonlands.

Just looking at the erosion that the mighty Colorado River has created kind of boggles the mind. Standing about two thousand feet above and looking down on this natural gooseneck in the sunrise light brings chills. Add to that the legend of how this place got its name (wild mustangs were trapped there without water and passed away) just takes you back to the 1800's when settlers headed west.

Whatever comes to mind when you first see these iconic scenes of the west, I am sure that it will stir your mind to a time long ago.

Patiently Waiting - Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado

I have posted photos of Maroon Bells before and described the unbelievably crowded lake shore that teemed with photographers. Tripod legs interlocking, it was hard to get different composition. It was the peak of foliage season and I thought I would change it up by posting an image of the scene without the mountain reflections. I also changed it up by taking the great color of the foliage out with a black and white rendition. I wasn't sure I would like it this way, but the variations of the tones appeal to me. 

Welcoming Committee - Green Hollow Road, Colfax, Washington

There are moments that just happen that bring a smile to your face. Our group was driving through the Palouse headed toward one of the many landscapes with rolling farmlands. As we made a turn, someone spotted this barn and horses down a side road. We turned around and parked quite near the horses. It was real early in the morning when we parked near the horses, and we weren't sure if it was private property or not. We kept as quiet as we could be, and walked up to the fence around the barn. These horses must have been used to people stopping, as they were the friendliest horses to be around. Quite the welcoming committee.

Yavapai Point View - Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

To say the Grand Canyon is immense would be a huge understatement. With an area that encompasses over 1.2 million acres, a length of 277 miles and about a mile deep, it is impossible to capture its magnificence in a single photograph. When you do try to photograph it, you must pick small microcosms of the landscape and have the best light possible. That is why photographing it in the early morning and at sunset is a must to get a decent shot. Photographing the canyon during the rest of the day only results in terrible haze (at least that has been my experience). With that in mind, I camped out at Tavapai Point during the last hour of sun and tried to get the light on the point and the background as clear as possible to show the crevices and shadows. 

Waiting for a Train - Glacier National Park, Montana

After a morning shooting in the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park, we drove and parked in a rest area. There was a short trail that meandered parallel to this valley. It was drizzling a bit, but I had the cover of over-hanging trees. As I looked at the opposite side, I noticed these train tracks in the dense forest. I stood there for about ten minutes hoping to see a train cross them. Alas, it was not to be, but I still thought the scene was worth capturing.

Nubble from the Rocks - Nubble Light, York, Maine

Sometimes when you shoot a familiar subject, especially one you love, it is hard to come up with a different look. I have visited this island lighthouse a hundred yards off of the Maine coast several times and have photographed it from every angle. I have shot it from the south, straight on, from the north and even taken a boat to get its back side. You might ask yourself, then why does he keep visiting it? The answer is quite simple. It is the conditions that you encounter that makes each shot different. Whether it is great clouds, fog, evening light or early morning light, each of these help create the mood of the shot. At the end of the day, you can probably find tens of thousands photos of this lighthouse. The ones that stand out are the one that recreate a mood and feel that tell a story.

Teton Morning - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Blacktail Ponds Overlook, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Wildflowers and mountains during the early morning light, what could be better? This scene makes getting up at 4am on a June morning well worth the lack of sleep. Of course, there is no guarantee that the weather forecasts will be correct, and it usually takes until we get on the road that we get a sense of whether or not we will get a magical sunrise. On this morning, we stopped at the Blacktail Ponds Overlook and weren't sure whether we would get any decent clouds. We ultimately didn't get them, but beautiful light on the Tetons along with the wildflowers in the foreground made up for it. I chose to take a few shots in the portrait orientation and I really like the depth that I got. I always try to make sure I get a couple of shots that way. While they don't always come out to my liking, when they do, it jumps right out at you.

Overgrown - Steptoe Butte Foothills, Colfax, Washington

There are lots of deserted farmhouses, barns and equipment that dot the broad landscape that is the Palouse. Some of them are famous stops that numerous photographers have found and given names. Others are not as widely known (as least to me) that you stumble on and you fall in love with. That is why it pays to take a photo tour or photo workshop to take advantage of the local knowledge. This abandoned barn was located somewhere in the foothills of Steptoe Butte. It was a bit of a dreary day, but the orange equipment in the tall green grass seemed to be a great subject. Working with my friend and workshop leader extraordinaire, Denise Ippolito, we worked this scene from all angles. This composition was my favorite.

Carefree - Arches National Park, Moab, Utah

Whenever I visit national parks, all of the stresses of everyday life seem to disappear. I think that Mother Nature has created these oases of beauty to replenish the soul and wipe away all cares. There are some times when the weather, the company, and the scenery take it to the next level. Such was the situation when I took this shot in Arches National Park a couple of years ago. 

As you can see, the weather was wonderful, there were great clouds in the sky, and the colors of blue and orange, which are dominant in the American Southwest, were on display. A number of us had just taken some shots of the Balanced Rock and ventured a couple of hundred yards out onto the ridge. Waiting for the sun to set, we just relaxed, shot the breeze and enjoyed a special moment.

The Broadmoor - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Having spent my career in a corporate job, I was able to travel to places that I had never visited before, and I was fortunate to stay in some fine hotels. Unfortunately, I wasn't into photography on many of those trips and so I don't have anything to show for them except memories. Whenever I now travel (on my dime), I check out some of the places that my friends traveled to on their business trips that I was unable to go to myself. One of those places was the Broadmoor Resort and Hotel in Colorado Springs.

My friends and I wanted to check out the grounds of this resort as we were in the area, and, I must say, that we spent a nice afternoon wandering the spacious and gorgeous grounds. On our walk around the back lagoon, I stopped to take in the back of the resort and composed this shot. It is quite the idyllic scene and I wish that I  still had my previous companies paying for a stay there. 

Reflection of an Icon - Pemaquid Point Lighthouse,Bristol, Maine

I can't believe that it is a month until the start of Jeff Clow's Inaugural Photo Tour to Maine. Known as the Maine Lighthouse, Laughter and Lobster Tour, it promises to be a special event. I am fortunate to be co-hosting with Jeff, and, if our scouting trip that we conducted this past April is any indication, we will deliver on all fronts. We have a couple of late openings, so if you have an interest to attend, drop Jeff a message. 

This shot is of my favorite lighthouses on the tour, taken a few years ago. I shot quite a few snaps on this late afternoon, one of which hangs on my wall showing the lighthouse and its reflection. For this composition, I decided to make the reflection the main subject. 

Tribute - 9/11 Memorial, Manhattan, New York

Today is a sad day for America as we remember the horrific attack on the World Trade Center buildings in New York. For those of us who frequented the area during our lives, it is a somber remembrance of what was. I commuted through the Twin Towers once a week for five years. The Path train from Newark dropped commuters off at the base of the World Trade Center and we all took the escalators on our way out to the streets. I was lucky in that I had changed jobs ten years before the attack and had moved to Connecticut. 

It took me thirteen years after the attack to finally revisit the area. The 9/11 Memorial, pictured here, is moving and brought tears to my eyes. The Memorial consists of two twin reflecting pools that were built on the site where the towers stood. The manmade waterfalls trickle over the edges of the outside walls. It seems almost unreal that the center of the pools is where millions of commuters like me once hurried past to our jobs in the city. It is a very moving tribute to the victims and a reminder that we should never allow this to happen again.

Osprey - Hungry Horse Dam, Glacier National Park, Montana

I have resolved that I will get through my backlog of photos from my past trips. This photo is from my trip last year to Glacier National Park with Jeff Clow. It was my second time to Glacier, and I had never been to the Hungry Horse Dam area. Jeff knew of a number osprey nests there, and, while I don't go out of my way to shoot wildlife, I do try to get a decent shot if I can. I was not sure that my lens was long enough to get a good shot, but, thanks to some cropping, I was quite pleased with the result.

Spirit Island Bound - Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta

One of the absolute must dos for any visitor to Jasper National Park is to take a 90 minute (round trip) boat ride to see the iconic Spirit Island. The tour begins at the northern end of the 14 mile long beautiful waters of Maligne Lake. All along the shoreline of the lake are some of the most amazing mountains that the Canadian Rockies have to offer. I have taken this trip twice, and the anticipation of waiting for the departure of your scheduled boat just builds and builds. As I walked along the lake, I couldn't stop taking photos of the Maligne Lake Boat House, with the mountains off in the distance that I would be shortly seeing close up.