A couple of months ago, I headed out to Moab to join my friend Jeff Clow on his Spring Photo Tour there. Every time I head west, I try to add some days to the trip to visit some new places or revisit some great places. This year, it was to revisit Monument Valley, which should be on everybody's list to visit. I convinced Jeff and Jaki Good Miller to join me there before the tour. I normally would fly in and out of Grand Junction when I visit Moab, but due to the timing of flights, I was forced to fly into Albuquerque. Jaki met me there and we headed out on the five hour drive. It was great catching up with Jaki during our drive, but as we got nearer to Monument Valley, I wanted to speed up and maybe catch the sunset at the Mile Marker 13 that was made famous in Forest Gump. That was not to be. I had never visited Monument Valley from the south and, as we past the town of Kayenta, we saw this very unique rock formation. We both immediately agreed to stop and shoot this. Turns out that this 1,500 foot formation is actually a volcanic plug that has blocked a vent of a volcano. As you can see, it really sticks out because of all of the flat land that surrounds it.
Aegean Gem - Oia, Santorini, Greece
It has been quite a while since I have posted a photo from Europe. We try to get there every other year or so, but we had to miss last year because of illness. There are so many places to see and never enough time or money. The architecture there is so different from the United States and I love learning about it and documenting it through my photos. The architecture is not limited to mainland Europe and can be found on its many islands. Up near the top of great islands and architecture to visit is the Greek Island of Santorini. Famous for its blue-domed churches, it is a mecca for photographers and vacationers alike. A great place to see them is in the town of Oia. If you are simply looking for the blue domes though, you would miss out on some terrific scenes in other parts of town. After I shot the domes, I walked around town to the other side and was able to capture this scene. The uniqueness of the architecture is still apparent with the two unusual windmills in the distance. You can also get a great appreciation of how tightly together people live on the island.
Banff Magic - Banff National Park, Alberta
In about a month from today, I will be headed back to the majestic Canadian Rockies. No matter how many times I visit there, I always want to go back. June is a special time of the year for visiting and photographing. There is usually lots of snow left on the mountain peaks and there may also be a thin layer of ice on the lakes. The wildlife seems more plentiful during the month and there are sometimes babies to be seen. Lastly, the summer crowds are yet to make their way to this popular vacation destination.
Whenever I have an approaching trip, I start reviewing my photos from previous trips to see what I may have missed. I also spend some time looking at other photographers works to see what I may have missed or maybe a different way to look at a scene. In any case, I am starting to get quite excited about my trip to Banff, as it is my number one destination of all of the places I have been.
This photo of Herbert Lake is from my last trip there. All you have to do to get this shot is to wake up very early, hope that the weather cooperates, drive the fabulous Icefields Parkway to the lake, park on the shoulder of the road, get out of the car, and compose and take the shot.
Clouds Above Pemaquid - Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Bristol, Maine
Okay, I couldn't resist posting a different photo of my favorite lighthouse. One of the reasons that this light is my favorite is that it looks very different depending on the side of the lighthouse you are on and the time of day. I have shown people many different photos of it from all angles, and they are amazed to find out that it is the same lighthouse in each one. To put perspective on the different looks, check out the reflection shot of it in the puddle that I posted on Monday. If you walk (okay, climb) from where I am standing to the lighthouse and then climb down some rugged terrain, you will find the puddle. Quite the different look from this photo. To get where I am standing, you have to climb down along the fence and then climb up and over a bunch of rocks to get to this view. For this composition, I thought that including more of the amazing clouds that we had this morning would give a sense of scale of the bluff that the light stands on.
Mount Desert Reflection - Little Long Pond, Mt. Desert, Maine
I have been to Acadia National Park a number of times and have thoroughly enjoyed everything that the only national park in the northeast has to offer. It wasn't until I started to co-host Jeff Clow's Maine Lighthouse, Lobster and Coast Tour that I explored outside the park. There are some great spots that many visitors don't realize are there without some driving around.
Acadia is actually on an island off of the coast of Maine. It is the largest island in the state, which consists of 3,165 other islands (yes, you read that right). Acadia was formed by donations of land by many philanthropists led by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in the early 1900's. While the park takes up a significant portion of the island, there are many small towns and homes that dot the landscape. On the southern part of the island near Seal Harbor is this "little" pond, aptly named Little Long Pond. It is privately owned, but the signs indicate that the public may use it as long as they respect the property. On the morning that I shot this, the water was as smooth as glass. The building on the right is actually a swimming hole for kids in the summer. The landscape in the background is actually the southern back of Acadia.
Sunrise in Acadia - Thunder Hole, Acadia National Park, Maine
If you want to be one of the first people to see the sunrise each day in the continental United States, head to Maine. A great place to capture the first light is Acadia National Park. While it is not the most eastern part of the state (West Quoddy Head is), it is pretty close. You also won't find a more beautiful part of the coast to shoot it from. The Maine Coast in Acadia is one of the most rugged in the US. Jagged rocks and boulders of all shapes and sizes are the norm for the coast. Every step might land on what looks like solid rock, but sometimes the rocks move unexpectedly.
There is nothing like the feeling of climbing to your spot on the rocks before the sun rises above the horizon. As you stand there waiting, the sound of the waves hitting the rocks, and the clouds beginning to light up in different shades of colors make you feel insignificant in the overall scheme of things. On this morning, the tide was out, so Thunder Hole was rather silent for the most part. Then the sun crests the horizon and you are glad that you were out of the hotel by 4:45 am to experience the scene.
Perkins Cove - Ogunquit, Maine
Jeff Clow's Maine Lighthouse and Coast Tour started off with some challenging weather. Jeff and I arrived the day before to do a little pre-scouting before the group met for the first time. The weather was predicted to be rainy most of the day, but we were hopeful we would catch a break. Out just after dawn, the weatherman's prediction was actually accurate for a change and it was raining. As we drove around all morning, we encountered a little more than we bargained for. Heavy downfalls changed to ice and then to snow. To me the snow was just a little dusting, but Jeff, being from Texas, was positive it was more than an inch in some places.
Luckily, when we met our group in the afternoon, the rain, ice and snow stopped and we headed to Perkins Cove. The cove has an interesting history. The cove was originally unprotected, and fisherman had to bring their boats onto land each evening to protect them. In order to solve this issue, they purchased land and dug a channel across it to create a tidewater basin now known as Perkins Cove. The cove has a footbridge crossing it to allow boats with high masts to pass as they head out to the Atlantic Ocean. I shot this from the footbridge that shows the quaint cove and the dreary weather.
Return to Pemaquid - Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Bristol, Maine
Back from Jeff Clow's Maine Lighthouse and Coast Tour and I have started to look at the photos that I was able to shoot. Other than some stormy weather on the first afternoon, we were blessed with nice weather, although it was a bit cold and windy. Over the next week or two, I will be posting from the trip.
To the surprise of anyone who has been with me in Maine, my first photo is of my favorite lighthouse, Pemaquid Point Light and its famous puddle reflection. Many people have asked if that puddle is real and did I Photoshop a reflection in it. I can state unequivocally that the puddle is there year round (or at least over the course of my 15+ visits). The puddle may be bigger or smaller on each visit depending on the weather. The better question to ask is "Was the wind blowing?" That question is easily answered in that, if there is any decent wind, there will be no reflection. Our group visited the puddle in the late afternoon and the wind was pretty steady. While we got some reflections, the ripples made it barely recognizable. Fortunately, we visited Pemaquid on our last day at sunrise. After shooting from the front and the other side, some of us revisited the puddle, even though the wind was blowing. With a little patience, the wind died off periodically in order to get some still reflection shots.
Waiting for Dawn - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Many photographers stumble out of bed well before dawn to shoot sunrises during the time known as the "golden hour". This time is typically when the sun peeks above the horizon each morning and casts a very soft light that takes on wonderful colors of red, orange, yellow and sometimes purple( and the colors change very rapidly). The length of an hour is not literal. It can last shorter or longer depending on the season, latitude and the sun's altitude. Sunset also has "golden hours".
It is clear from this photo of Mount Rainier that is was not taken during the "golden hour". This was taken before sunrise during, you guessed it, the "blue hour". The blue hour actually occurs during the twilight, when the red light of the sun passes into space and the blue light is scattered into the Earth's atmosphere. It is a great time to take photos, but it requires photographers to get to locations even earlier than sunrise, many times a good hour before.
Sunlit - Stone Mill, Lawrence, Massachusetts
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join fellow photographers and friends Bob Lussier and Steven Perlmutter on their Light Painting Workshop at Stone Mill. I posted a photo of an Urbex subject early this week and, while this is not quite the abandoned property that defines Urbex, it is still a slice of history of days long past. Bob was kind enough to take Mark Garbowski and me to the mill before the tour, and we were able to get some images during the daylight hours.
The mill was built in 1846 and was one of oldest mill buildings in Lawrence, and one of the only mills built out of stone. Over the years the mill was a small cog in the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing locomotives and fire engines. The mill was purchased in 1981 by a local family, and today some of the floors are used for commercial businesses. There are still some abandoned floors like the one pictured here. Even though it wasn't very sunny, the light coming through some of the windows without the decayed shades was enough to attract my attention.
Badlands Ruggedness - Badlands National Park, South Dakota
It is often hard to explain the landscape of the Badlands. I had seen photos of it over the years, but it wasn't until I set foot in this national park that I truly saw it. The diversity of rock formations range from jagged peaks to erosion-carved rock. The park has one main road that runs 31 miles from end-to-end. Every curve in the road brings you to a different type of scene. The road follows a portion of the famed 100-mile "Wall" that acts as the spine of the park. If you were driving along Interstate 90 in South Dakota, you drive somewhat parallel to the Wall, but you would never know it because the landscape is relatively flat. I am sure many don't realize that if they headed south, they would be seeing a landscape that they might think was on another planet.
Silk Tags - Lonaconing Silk Mill, Lonaconing, Maryland
And now for something completely different. Some of you may recognize that line from the British television show Monty Python's Flying Circus. It was one of my favorite shows and I can still remember many of the lines and skits. I think I have a two-volume book with every script of the show. They used this catch phrase to transition to something that was outrageously different.
My transition is not as outrageous as the show, but many of you know my work as a nature photographer that focuses on documenting my travels. I often try new things and, over the years, I have found a love for Urbex (urban exploration) Photography. Simply defined, Urbex is the exploration of man-made structures, mainly (in my case) abandoned buildings that once housed the unusual. I don't regularly post these photos, but I should, as I really enjoy taking them. They are not everyone's cup of tea, but I like the history of the places that I explore, and try to document what urban decay has done to once thriving places.
This photo of tags in Lonaconing Silk Mill is an example. The silk mill closed in 1957 and was the last operating mill of its kind in the United States. The years have not been kind to the mill, but much of the interior is unchanged from the day it closed it's doors. The owner of the mill is trying to raise funds to repair it and allows photographers access to shoot it.
Fall Splendor - Jordon Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine
Jeff Clow's Lighthouse and Lobster tour ended up with a post-tour excursion to Acadia National Park. One of the few national parks on the east coast and the only one in New England, the beauty of this rugged place attracts many visitors from far and wide. No matter how many times I visit, I always seem to come home with thousands of photos that seem different from the trips that have come before. That is not unusual, as the weather and lighting dramatically changes what landscape photographers capture on digital film.
We had lots of long days in the past week. Out of the hotel by 4:30am and not returning to 8:00pm or later. That, along with being a co-host for the tour, meant that I barely had time to look at my photos, let alone edit them. As a result, I present to you an image that I shot on last October's tour of the Bubbles with their foliage colored trees from the far end of Jordan Pond.
Sanibel Sunset - Pointe Santo, Sanibel, Florida
Finalized some plans to revisit Sanibel Island next year. We will be spending a week there next February with friends. The condos that we will be staying at are right on the beach, with easy access for sunrise and sunset walks and photos. This is one of the shots that I took one evening, when the cloud cover was nice enough to allow for a gap where the sun could show off its beauty before sinking below the horizon.
The Magic Sky - San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, Taos, New Mexico
Okay, I'll bet that if you read the title of the post before you saw the photo, you were expecting a beautiful sunrise or sunset sky, with beautiful clouds and color. Instead, you get this brick building with gaudy color. I found this building right next door to the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Taos. Being a fan of Ansel Adams, I knew of the Mission Church, as his photographs of it are wonderful. Of course, I visited the church at the wrong time of day and my shots of it were nothing special. I was intrigued by this abandoned Magic Sky building, as it offered such great contrast to the beautiful church next door.
I tried to find out more about the Magic Sky, but I couldn't come up with any history for it. I was surprised that my interest in it was shared by quite a number of other photographers. In looking at the dates the other photographers shot, it seems that the Magic Sky building has been for sale for quite awhile. Maybe a spot for a photography studio...
Speeding By - Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta
I was talking with my buddy Bobby Strader last week about our upcoming June trip to Banff National Park. He had seen one of my posts a few weeks ago of Spirit Island in Jasper National Park and wanted to know whether he could fit in a day trip there from Banff. Spirit Island is one of the most iconic scenes in Canada and I could understand why Bobby wanted to get there. The bad news was that it is an awful lot of driving, and the actual face time in front of Spirit Island is only about 20 minutes unless you charter a private boat. If Spirit Island was the only attraction, driving at least 8 hours for a 20 minute view probably wouldn't be worth it. There is no question that Spirit Island is the highlight of Maligne Lake, but one has to take into account the surrounding scenery.
Let me explain. The main way to get to the island is to take a boat. Regularly scheduled boat tours are conducted in the summer months and last about 90 minutes. Excluding the 20 minutes at Spirit Island, that leaves roughly 35 minutes each way that allow the Canadian Rockies to show off their splendor. The lake has towering mountains on either side of the boat almost the whole way that are simply amazing. This photo was taken from the boat as we sped by on our way to Spirit Island. So is the driving worth it when you factor in the scenery on the lake? It might be, depending on how much time you have available.
Siesta Chilling - Siesta Key, Florida
Nothing beats heading to the Florida beaches to escape the cold Northeast winters. Before I retired early, I didn't think that I would be one of those "snowbirds" that flew south for the winter. We haven't yet made the commitment to go there for the full winter yet, but an extended stay there is always in the plans. When faced with the choice between piles and piles of snow with frigid temperatures and walking along the beach seeing a sailboat just passing by, the decision is quite easy. This photo was taken from Siesta Key. I wanted to choose a minimalist feel to how I felt, and thought that the birds anchored the sailboat quite well.
Slowly Melting - Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta
There is no question on how the Icefields Parkway got its name. Along the 140 miles that connects Banff and Jasper National Parks, there are no fewer than 100 glaciers along the road that traverses the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies. Some of the glaciers can be seen from the many parkway pullouts, while others require some serious hiking. The two most popular ones are the Athabasca Glacier, where you can actually be driven onto the glacier, and this one, Crowfoot Glacier.
The Crowfoot Glacier's runoff is the main source of water for Bow Lake, which can be seen between the parkway and the glacier, and it also feeds the Bow River. The glacier 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 when seen in the glow of sunrise.
Bridal Veil Falls - Telluride, Colorado
I have traveled throughout the US and have seen quite a few waterfalls. Each one is unique in its own way, whether it is how far the water falls, how fast it flows, or how wide it is. The one thing that always seems the same about them wherever I travel is the name Bridal Veil Falls. It seems like every state in the country has a waterfall named Bridal Veil Falls. I wouldn't be surprised if some states had multiple Bridal Veil Falls. I did a search to see if every state did indeed have one but the results were inconclusive. While my curiosity is there, searching each state seemed to tedious, so I can't say for sure. Maybe someone else has the answer.
In any case, this is Colorado's contribution to the Bridal Veil Falls family name. Located in Telluride (in doing research on these falls, I discovered that Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado has one too) it is the tallest free falling falls in Colorado at 365 feet. There is a hike that takes you to the falls but we were expertly driven on the jeep road by Rick Louie.
Carriage Bridge - Bubble Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine
In just a few short days, I will be co-hosting Jeff Clow's Maine Lighthouse and Lobster Tour. No matter how many times I have been to the stops that we have planned, I still get excited. I thought I would post a shot from my last visit to Maine today. You might have expected to see a shot of the rugged Maine coast, but I decided to feature a lesser known attraction in Acadia National Park, namely carriage roads.
Acadia National Park came into being through generous donations from landowners on both a Federal and State level. Its first incarnation was as a National Monument named Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916. In 1919, it became a National Park named Lafayette National Park. The park's name was officially changed to Acadia in 1929. The origin of the carriage roads actually started in 1915 before it became a National Monument. John D Rockefeller Jr. was the primary sponsor of the carriage roads. Rockefeller was one of the donators of the land for the park's creation. He wanted to be able to ride horses (he was an experienced horseman) or be drawn in a carriage when he was visiting the park without encountering cars. He led a project that resulted in 45 miles of carriage roads and the construction of 17 bridges throughout the park. Today, the roads are a great attraction for hikers, horses, bicyclists and snowmobilers who visit the park. They are also great subjects for photographers.