Almost all Alaskan cruises travel through the Gulf of Alaska (an arm of the Pacific Ocean), which has some of the most beautiful landscapes that exist. Traveling the Gulf treats you to a unique combination of mountains, forests and glaciers along the way, not to mention the numerous bays and inlets and the inside passage. The scenery along the Alaskan Coast is simply breathtaking. You could literally take a photo every five minutes and get different rugged mountains that rise from the waters of the Gulf. I took this particular photo just before the 16-mile wide entrance to Yakutat Bay on our way inland to view the Hubbard Glacier. The lush green forest that stops partway up these mountains contrasted well with the brown rock and snow- capped peaks.
Mosaic Beauty - Basilica di San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy
Have you ever been on a trip where you have heard of all of the famous locations you will be visiting but it is the unknown ones that you remember most? For me, our visit to Ravenna was one that has stayed with me the longest. Our main destination there was the Basilica di San Vitale that promised to be a must visit. Talk about an understatement. The place is awesome. Why? The age and history blows my mind. Built in the year 547, it is one of the most important examples of Christian Byzantine art and architecture in Europe. When you walk in and walk to the center, you are surrounded by eight walls that rise to the central dome. On each wall, the art made up of small gold mosaic tiles depicting scenes that are simply beautiful. As you look at all of the walls, it is so overwhelming to take in that you feel insignificant in the scene of things. While I tried to capture its beauty in photographs, I failed miserably. That's okay. It is hard for anyone to capture the scale of what you are seeing. The best thing is to visit in person--you will be astounded.
Cruising Lucerne - Lake Lucerne, Switzerland
A few years back, we took a river cruise from Amsterdam down the Rhine River, ending up in Basel, Switzerland. We decided to head to Lucerne in order to experience Switzerland for the first time. We are so glad we did. What a combination of a terrific city to explore with the wonders of the Swiss countryside to enjoy.
On one of our days, we opted to take a cruise on Lake Lucerne that would lead us to taking the Pilatus Railway (the world's steepest cog railway) to the top of Mount Pilatus. As we began our cruise, the Swiss landscape was exactly how I envisioned it -- very green surrounded by mountains with Swiss chalets dotting the scene. We had beautiful weather and I was able to get this photo of Mount Pilatus in all of its glory. In what seemed like a short time, we were standing on top of the mountain looking down at the lake.
Morning Color - Glacier National Park, Montana
The darkness starts to give way to the light. The majestic subranges of the Rocky Mountains in the distance are silhoetted in the distance across the lake. The right amount of clouds are in the sky and are beginning to light up like a fire. The ten-mile long Lake McDonald has a few ripples, but not enough to destroy the mountains reflection. The lone boat in the lake sits there like every other time I have been there, turning slowly as the current moves beneath it. To my left, a group of boats on the dock await the morning sun when visitors will take them out for a spin. Only one thought goes through my head as I observe and capture this scene -- "There is nowhere else that I would rather be than standing along this shoreline on this particular morning."
Halfway There - Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, Florida
Want to get some exercise and take photos during it? I suggest looking for a tall lighthouse and climbing to the top and then back down. I am not a big fan of step machines, but give me a 175 foot tall lighthouse and I am all in. That is what I found in Ponce de Leon Inlet. The lighthouse there is the third tallest in the United States, with 203 steps up and 203 back down. The lighthouse is quite beautiful from the outside, being fully restored in 1998, and it has been kept in pristine shape since then. As beautiful as it is, I have a fondness for shooting up and down the spiral staircases inside. This photo was taken about halfway from my descent down. It sure was a lot easier than the the climb up.
Grinnell Glow - Glacier National Park, Montana
When the alarm goes off at o'dark thirty, your first inclination is to turn it off, turn over and go back to sleep. In fact, the majority of people do just that, especially when they are off from work. If they do, they don't know what they are missing, particularly when Mother Natures provides you with a picture perfect morning. They don't realize how quiet it can be in the pre-dawn hours when no one is around. They do not realize how thrilling it is to stand on the shoreline of a major glacier- fed lake. They don't realize how majestic the unique-shaped mountain on the opposite shoreline is. They don't see in fascination how the sunlight first lights the top of the Mount Grinnell and then gradually begins to work its way down until it hits the water. They don't know how rewarding it is to witness what just happened and only share it with a few friends. The more I think about it, don't tell them and keep it to ourselves. Let them sleep while we experience it.
Inviting Pool - Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California
This summer, the temperatures are setting records across the US. When that happens, any swimming pool looks so inviting. If you want to really enjoy the swimming, don't just hop into any pool, find an epic one to explore like the outdoor one at Hearst Castle.
The Hearst Castle is one amazing place located off of the Pacific Coast Highway and is a must stop for everyone. There are ten different tours that a visitor can take through the grounds. The castle was built by William Randolph Hearst over a period between 1919 and 1947. Hearst spared no expense in the castle's construction, spending an estimated $500 million in today's dollars.
The Neptune Pool, pictured here, is just a small example of how Hearst built his castle. This pool features an ancient Roman temple, transported in pieces on an ocean liner from Europe and was rebuilt onsite. According to some stories, the pool was rebuilt three times before Hearst was satisfied with the end results. Some facts about the pool for the Hearst Castle website, "The final version of the pool as it stands at the Castle today is 104 feet long, 58 feet wide and 95 feet wide at the alcove. It is 3.5 feet deep at the west end, 10 feet at the drains, and holds 345,000 gallons of water. "
Desert Road - Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada
If I have learned anything from Jeff Clow (and I have learned a lot), it is to recognize a road shot. Like the old saying goes, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." I am modifying that saying to "When a landscape photographer comes to a road shot, park the car, get out and take the picture."
That's exactly what happened on a trip to Death Valley. Jaki Good Miller and I decided to visit the Valley of Fire State Park for a couple of days before heading to Death Valley. I landed first in Vegas and, while I was waiting for Jaki, I took a look at the driving routes to the Valley of Fire, I saw that there was possibly a more scenic but slower route that meandered a little west of Lake Powell through the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. What a great choice it was. While we didn't see much of Lake Powell, the route provided some wonderful desert scenes, with all kinds of mountains and rock formations displaying the great desert colors. As you can see, the road was newly paved and provided a great leading line taking me through the scene.
Tutshi River Canyon - Yukon Suspension Bridge, Yukon Territory
Earlier this week, I posted a photo of the Alaskan Range before our last Alaskan cruise. Fast forward to the cruise, one of our stops was in Skagway, Alaska. For those who haven't been on a cruise before, the cruise line offers several excursions that you can sign up for while spending the day in each port. When I read the descriptions of the excursions for Skagway, there was no question which one I was taking. Why? Let's see. Board a narrow gauge train and ride 20 miles to the White Pass Summit over a railroad that was built as part of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898. After spending some time there, head through British Columbia and into the Yukon Territory to visit the Yukon Suspension Bridge. That's why.
The suspension bridge is a 200-foot long pedestrian bridge that traverses over the Tutshi River Canyon. Standing on the bridge, directly over the middle of the Tutshi River, gives photographers a great leading line to some beautiful mountains looking in either direction. I don't know the name of the mountain in this photo but it is sure beautiful.
Canal Cruising - Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
How I miss Venice. I can't believe that it has been almost 10 years since I visited this unique city. The city is unlike any I have ever been to as it is situated on 118 small islands that are separated by canals and connected by over 400 bridges. There are no streets in Venice, only canals. The only traffic jams are in the alleyways and footbridges and consist of people instead of cars. The main way to get around is by boat and the city has as its public transportation a fleet of motorized water buses known as vaporetti.
For photographers, the architecture alone is worth the trip. The age of the buildings, along with their bright colors, make for wonderful subjects. Whether you are walking over the footbridges or riding in a boat, as I was when I took this photo, the subjects are endless.
Soaring - Alaskan Range, Denali National Park, Alaska
The Alaskan Range is the highest mountain range in North America, running 400 miles through southern Alaska. The range actually follows the shape of the coastline to the south. The main attraction of the Alaskan Range is Denali National Park and its namesake mountain Denali (once named Mount McKinley), the highest mountain (over 20,000 feet above sea level) in North America.
On our last cruise to Alaska, we elected to stay in a lodge near Talkeetna before heading to the national park. We had made arrangements for a eight-seat plane ride that would allow us to get up close and personal with Denali. When we took off from Talkeetna, it was raining, but as we began to soar above the Alaskan Range, the sun began to break through. While Denali was the star of the trip, the mountains below it aren't too shabby as can be seen in this photo.
Celebrate the Fourth - Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Wishing everyone in the US a great Fourth of July holiday with plenty of celebrations on our country's birthday.
Reynolds Mountain Panorama - Glacier National Park, Montana
Logan Pass is probably the favorite destination of visitors to Glacier National Park. Located on the Continental Divide, it is home to the park's Visitors Center. If you plan to visit, make sure that you get there before 10am, as the parking lot gets full and stays that way most of the day. The Visitors Center is also the place where two of Glacier's most popular hikes originate. The Hidden Lake trail is the most popular and climbs past Mount Reynolds to an overlook that shows the picturesque Hidden Lake below. Most visitors stop there and then head back to the Visitors Center. You are almost guaranteed to encounter mountain goats at the overlook. The other trail, the Highline Loop, is my favorite, as it travels along the Continental Divide with meadows and wildflowers. There is a portion along the Garden Wall where those with a fear of heights might have some issues. It is not a long section but only one person can pass. There is a cable for those who need a handhold to make it through. Regardless of which hike interests you, Logan Pass is amazingly beautiful.
Morning Glory - Portland Head Light, Portland, Maine
It has been a long time since I have posted a photo of a lighthouse. I have had a love affair with them and often go out of my way to visit them when I can. This photo is one of my favorites that I have taken in Maine as it brings back memories of the trip that I shared with my son in 2011. He had written a screenplay in which a lighthouse was key to the story. He wanted to scout a lot of the lighthouses in New England to see if there were any that he might consider as location for a movie short.
One of first stops was the iconic Portland Head Light. Many believe that this is the crown jewel of the Maine Coast. When we got to the location, I was amazed that there was only one other person there - a news cameraman. He was there to film the sunrise for the news station's opening for the morning news. In essence, we owned the area. I have been back to this location many times since and have a few images that are better than this one, but photos are more than being technically correct. Photos that elicit emotions and memories are more important to those who view them and this one does it for me.
Montana Dreaming - Lake Sherburne, Glacier National Park, Montana
I have been looking at some old photos that have been in my Lightroom catalog from a long time ago and found this one that I shot back in 2006 while on vacation. With all of the modern cameras that you can buy today with all of the megapixels and technology, this one was shot with Nikon's very first digital SLR, the D100. Introduced in 2002, the D100 boasted an amazing (at the time) 6 megapixels. While the resulting file would not support a photo on a billboard, the quality of these old photos are still pretty good.
This photo was taken on a vacation to Glacier National Park in the Many Glacier region that is located north of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, on the east side of the park. We had come down from Banff National Park for a quick visit before returning to Calgary. The weather was quite atrocious and we arrived after a major wildfire in the area was finally extinguished, but we had a decent day when we visited Lake Sherburne. The lake is actually a reservoir that was formed when the Lake Sherburne Dam was constructed in 1921.
Long Shadows - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Its funny how the time of the year really impacts a photo more than you'd ever expect. I have been to the Thomas Moulton Barn many times and have posted a lot of early morning photos of it in different conditions. The barn is perhaps the most photographed barn in the world. All of my previous visits had been during June and July. On this trip, it was late September. We had performed what I refer to as the Mormon Row ritual that almost every serious photographer follows. The first step is to get up well before dawn, drive to the barn's location, park and set up their tripods in the dark. The second step is to look to the east to see if there are any clouds that might block the early morning sun. The last step is to patiently wait until the sun gets high enough to start lighting the face of the barn. At some point, the whole front of the barn glows in the golden light. You have about five minutes to get your shot before the light loses its magic for the day.
During the last step on the morning I took this shot, I was surprised to see a shadow on the front of the barn. In all of my visits there, I had never experienced that. Turns out that the sun is in a different position in September and, as a result, the top of a tall tree's shadow appears on the barn doors. In addition, you can see the long shadows of all of the photographers there taking photos. I originally planned to crop this photo to a panorama to eliminate them but I kind of like them there as it is different from many of the photos of the barn that I have seen.
Powerscourt Gardens - Enniskerry, Ireland
Shortly after I retired back in 2007, I took a cruise around the British Isles with my wife and great friends. This may have been the trip that rekindled my passion for photography. Even though I had started into photography back in the late 70's, I literally took off several decades when my family and career took up almost all of my time. I shot occasionally during vacations and I actually thought I was pretty good (I wasn't). On this trip, I finally had some time to spend on learning what photography was all about. It was also around the time that I began to understand how important editing was to one's creative vision (I never seriously edited my photos until I got home from this cruise).
In any case, we signed up for many of the cruise's excursions and I was excited to visit Powerscourt Gardens outside of Dublin. The gardens are located on the Powerscourt Estate, which was originally a medieval castle. It was transformed by the 1st Viscount Powerscourt in 1741 to the house that exists today. The gardens and property are quite large and beautiful, which lends itself to being explored. We spent almost a whole morning wandering around and I thought that this composition gives a good view of the house and its "backyard".
Icefields Beauty - Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta
It has been a few weeks since I have posted due to a non-photographic personal trip to Pennsylvania and Virginia, but I have now returned home. I thought I would kick off with a photo of one of my favorite places in the world, Banff National Park.
When I shot this photo, I had no illusions that it would be a masterpiece (and it is not). I was with Jeff Clow back in 2014 driving down the Icefields Parkway and we pulled over to take a few shots. It was around noon and the light was pretty bad. In fact, I remember not wanting to stop, but Jeff wanted to. As we shot this scene, I commented that my shots were never going to see the light of day. His response was that there was a good photo here. I replied that it was wishful thinking. A few months after we got home, he posted his version of this composition and I thought to myself that he was right (make you feel better that I put this in writing, Jeff?). I edited this version shortly after and simply forgot about it. I came across this recently and realized that, although it is not a masterpiece, it still is pretty good, so here it is. One thing to note--if I were shooting film, I would have never even shot this scene, but since digital is "free", why not?
Palouse Glow - Palouse, Washington
There is no doubt that Steptoe Butte is the gem of the Palouse. Most of the photos that you might find on a Google search of the Palouse are most likely from there. Despite that, there are plenty of other spots throughout the Palouse that can compete. The problem is knowing where they are. The Palouse is so big (encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, western central Idaho and parts of northeast Oregon) that the only way to find them is to do extensive scouting. When scouting, you need to look for spots that have a decent elevation that give a decent view of undulating landscape. The prime time to shoot this landscape is during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset. When scouting during other times, factors like time of year and the sun’s path is a major consideration. Once you find what you think is a great spot, you must remember how to get back to it on a future trip. This can be a challenge since most of the Palouse has no cell access and you may not even know the name of the dirt road you are on.
One other consideration to consider is that what may look like a great spot when you scout, you may discover that it is not when you return back to it on a future trip. Some of the crops that had great views to it when you scouted may be not great when you revisit them. One factor is time of year. Spring (new planting) and late summer (harvest) can give totally different views. Even if you scout in the spring and revisit during a future spring, things can change dramatically. Late plantings due to weather or crop rotation can really throw a great spot to a bad spot.
The best way to avoid these is to plan a day or two to re-scout the locations and have enough backup spots in your inventory to replace the once that need replacement.
Dilapidated Barn - Endicott, Washington
Photographing the Palouse is both exhilarating and sad. This barn definitely brings some sadness with it. The land that it sits on is also home to an abandoned house and a windmill. The sadness comes in when you consider this was home to a family that farmed the land and, for some unknown reason, they disappeared. Walking in the house's backyard, we found some old toys, household appliance and a deflated basketball. On the hill is an old-time antenna that looks like it is from the fifties or sixties. What happened? Maybe some locals remember, but this place is pretty remote with no one living close to ask.
I first found this location by accident a couple of years ago. The barn was in much better shape back then. The hole you see above the door was maybe half the size that it is now. I am sure that in a few years, it will collapse when the support for it rots away. This too will be sad.