Slickrock and Shadow

Watkins Glen:  classic view of falling water, bridge and pools Watkins Glen is both a town in the Finger Lakes region of New York as well as a state park.  Among photographers it is most famous for the view pictured above:  the bridge, stone stairs clinging to a cliff while water is falling all around is surreal.  To me it felt like I had entered Rivendell from Lord of the Rings.  During my trip to New York, I went to this location twice.  I went in the afternoon with my family.  During that trip, several hikers were always to be seen in front of and behind us.  I wouldn't call it crowded but it was not empty. That same day, early in the morning I came here alone at the time of sunrise and saw two people total during my entire hike from the top of the gorge to the bottom and then back up.  I really had the whole place to myself and was delighted to discover waterfall after waterfall all the while walking on a perfectly maintained stone...

Cavern Cascade in Watkins Glen State Park I wanted to photograph Cavern Cascade from behind from the moment I walked underneath the falls.  This is such an exciting experience to have, I hoped to capture the feeling of being there.  My camera lens is simply not wide enough to capture the path coming down on the left, passing behind the waterfall and then continuing on to the right and then down into the light of the canyon.  I took the photograph by standing behind the waterfall and, using a tripod, took many photos in nearly every direction. Immediately I thought of stitching multiple photos together.  Adobe Lightroom make this a much easier process.  I shot more than 20 frame in a portrait orientation at different exposures to allow for the darkest shadows and the brightest rays of morning light.  Then I walked away with hope of salvation in the digital darkroom.  Back home, Lightroom (LR) could not stitch it together.  Some images a...

Fallen Leaves in the Sacred Grove with Green Trees lit up I visited the Finger Lakes of New York in Autumn and explored some of the nearby attractions.  There are so many, it was hard to choose.  One worthwhile stop if the Sacred Grove in Palmyra.  This special grove of trees is where Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ.  Held sacred by the LDS faith, this lovely spot is ideal for wandering and reflection.  I arrived just as leaves were falling yet the trees still had plenty of green foliage.  To capture my best pictures, I got quite low to the ground and focused on one or two colorful leaves while aiming the camera up to catch the tall trees. Typical path through Palmyra's Sacred Grove Rough wooden benches allow time to sit and reflect Gordon's hike rating: Hike Difficulty:                   ★ Easy Trail Condition:                  ...

Empire State Building at Dusk:  seen from Top of Rockefeller Center Unquestionably the best view in Manhattan is from the top of Rockefeller Center at sunset.  Looking to the north, central park stretches out as far as you can see, into Harlem and beyond.  Looking to the south, the Empire State building, the freedom Tower, the Statue of Liberty and countless other skyscrapers fill the landscape.  Standing over 70 stories tall, Rockefeller Center looks down on almost everything. Reservations are accepted.  Wanting to be there for sunset, I planned my reservation 2 hours before the sun went down.  There is a bit of time taken before you actually reach the top.  You wait in line, you see a presentation, get assigned to an elevator and up you go. On the top of the building, there are several platforms for viewing.  The highest one has an unobstructed view.  The middle platform has tall glass walls.  Between these glass walls, there ...

Brooklyn Bridge and downtown Manhattan New York City has so many amazing things to see, it is impossible to do them all in one trip.  My previous visit several decades ago included the most famous landmarks such as the Empire State building and the Statue of Liberty.  Slightly less famous is the Brooklyn Bridge.  This incredible structure has been standing for over 100 years.  Millions of cars, bicycles, and pedestrians have made the track into and out of Manhattan from Brooklyn.  I decided to give it a go.  On a nice day, the walk is delightful.  As far as photography is concerned, the views are somewhat constricted.  Pedestrians must walk in the center of the bridge and there is a lot of rails, cables and other supporting structures to block the view.  I found better creative photography using my 70-200 mm lens and choosing to isolate parts of the bridge and parts of Manhattan.  I've seen very good wide-angle pictures as well....

Spectacular Autumn Colors of Central Park tree During my recent trip to New York City, I wanted to see some of the famous New England fall colors. My schedule didn't permit a side trip out of the city and I was more than excited to see Central Park.  I visited in the last week of October.  Many trees were in their most saturated colors.  I shot some wider shots (above) and some isolated leaf pictures (below).  It great to feel like a landscape photographer even when you are surrounded by the city! Amber leaves of autumn Hanging Red, Yellow, Orange and Green leaves

Inside Guggenheim Looking Up I won't put too much text here.  I just thought the Guggenheim museum was wonderful as a place of art and architecture.  I left my wide 17mm lens on my camera as I wandered up the circular incline.  I snapped a photo from the bottom and top.  These are great to compare side by side. Inside Guggenheim Looking Down