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For those of you that have never been to a hot air balloon festival you're missing out on one of life's little hidden gems. I've yet to meet a person, regardless of age, who isn't mesmerized by a balloons simplistic functionality and beauty. Hot air balloons were the first form of manned flight and even today these magnificent aircraft (requiring the same certification and inspection as an airplane) continue to perform at events around the world.
My first experience with hot air balloons started in my college days when several friends and I flew from Auburn University (War Eagle) to Dallas, TX for the weekend... Of course the primary purpose of the trip was to build flight hours (pilots in training), but we were hoping for other adventures as well (calm weather + Texas = ballooning fun). The weather was great, the people were fun and the whole experience verified how unique aviation really is. Needless to say when I get the opportunity to participate in a ballooning event I jump at the chance. Whether it’s one balloon on a Sunday morning or a thousand at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, you’ll be welcomed with open arms by the ballooning community. It really is a fun group of people who participate.
This site wouldn’t be complete without some new photos to show you and that’s exactly what I’m leading into... So without further delay you can click HERE to see more of my recent trip to the “1st” annual Anna GlowFest in Anna, TX. You can also visit the Anna GlowFest website for more information about upcoming events. For those not in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area or who are interested in learning more about hot air ballooning you can visit the Balloon Federation of America website as well. Of course you can do a quick online search for local clubs or groups in your area so any way you slice it I bet there’s a balloon pilot flying somewhere near you! Get out and have some fun even if you don’t own a camera.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
New Images Now Online!
After a rather hectic few months things are beginning to settle down. As you know from my previous blog updates many areas of Colorado, West Virginia and Tennessee were rather dull this year as far as the 2009 fall color season was concerned. Certainly there were brilliant patches or even individual trees that would spark interest, however overall this year was rather blah in comparison to years past. I did hear that Ohio and a few points up into Main were exceptional, however the large amounts of rain that have accumulated in the southeastern US muted the show down south.
A quick overview of the 2009 western odyssey.
Due to the poor weather I’ve had time to work on a my images sooner than expected from my 2009 fall trip. Even though I felt like the weather god’s conspired against me this year I’ve accumulated a few great, printable images. Just as Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors which can be placed on an integrated circuit will double every 18 months I find that one great image per month (one image per week if on a multi week trip) is all I can expected to achieve for my efforts. So far this prediction has held true... Even if three printable images are taken within a single week, when all is said and done I inevitably average one printable image per week. Sure, many other nice prints are taken during this time, but I’m talking about images that speak to me personally. They may or may not speak to you, but I think you get the point.
"Yearning for Yesterday" is the latest addition to the gallery.
With that I’d like to post a few links from this blog to help ease the burden of finding the 42 newest image uploads to my site. There are two new galleries located under Landscapes named Canada (with 16 new images) and West Virginia (6 new images). Other galleries which I’ve added to include:
Smoky Mountain Waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes.
I was really pleased to meet back up with Reb, Ron, Ed and Brian this year. Others, such as Doug Sprock and Andy Waddington I just met, but I have no doubt we’ll keep in touch and hopefully do a few trips together in the future. Actually, Andy and I have been keeping in touch via email after we met in Aspen, CO. Andy is from the UK and is a very passionate photographer... He just finished up a multi-month adventure around the 4 corners and is even crazier than I am by hiking into the Crystal Mill 12 days in a row! I thought my 5 day adventure last year was nutty. Needless to say you really need to check out HIS SITE!
Never too late to check out fall colors, even if on the ground.
After meeting Andy and others I realized I’ve lost a little bit of the reason I’m out photographing to begin with. I’ve been concentrating on the photos themselves, rather than just the enjoyment of seeing nature and all her beauty. Sure, everyone has an mental picture of what images they’d like to capture while out, but if that mental image doesn’t transfer onto paper, then the trip is somehow a “failure”. I was certainly feeling this way after a lack luster 2009 fall season, however it was a great season for me personally in retrospect... I met back up with old friends, made new ones and traveled to destinations yet seen in many years of traveling. Not bad given the circumstances.
You grow as a person (and professionally) not when times are good, but when they don’t work out the way you expected. Certainly none of us want to stumble or feel like we’re hitting our heads against a wall, but these are the days that make me appreciate the successes even more. I’ve noticed in life that when one “door” closes (bad weather, clear skies) another always opens up (exploratory hike, meeting people) and you should never try to fight it. I of all people should know that trying to get a specific image will require many years of going back to a location (if a specific image/look is what you want) so just look forward to next year and don't worry about the past. You have to be flexible and open mined in the approach to your photography or you will ALWAYS be disappointed.
Always great to be back in TEXAS!
Well, I’m out in Texas now visiting friends. My love of aviation has brought me back for the newly organized Anna Glow Fest in Anna, TX. Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is a sight to behold, but the little events have a home town feel to them that are just as unique. Hope to post those images online within the coming weeks along with plans for new adventures.
A quick overview of the 2009 western odyssey.
Due to the poor weather I’ve had time to work on a my images sooner than expected from my 2009 fall trip. Even though I felt like the weather god’s conspired against me this year I’ve accumulated a few great, printable images. Just as Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors which can be placed on an integrated circuit will double every 18 months I find that one great image per month (one image per week if on a multi week trip) is all I can expected to achieve for my efforts. So far this prediction has held true... Even if three printable images are taken within a single week, when all is said and done I inevitably average one printable image per week. Sure, many other nice prints are taken during this time, but I’m talking about images that speak to me personally. They may or may not speak to you, but I think you get the point.
"Yearning for Yesterday" is the latest addition to the gallery.
With that I’d like to post a few links from this blog to help ease the burden of finding the 42 newest image uploads to my site. There are two new galleries located under Landscapes named Canada (with 16 new images) and West Virginia (6 new images). Other galleries which I’ve added to include:
- Colorado (5 new images in the Aspen Colors gallery)
- Montana (3 new images located in Glacier NP gallery )
- South Dakota (6 new images in The Badlands & More gallery)
- Tennessee (2 new images in The Great Smoky Mountains gallery)
- Various Places (1 new image of the St. Louis skyline)
- Wyoming (4 new images in the Grand Tetons gallery)
Smoky Mountain Waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes.
I was really pleased to meet back up with Reb, Ron, Ed and Brian this year. Others, such as Doug Sprock and Andy Waddington I just met, but I have no doubt we’ll keep in touch and hopefully do a few trips together in the future. Actually, Andy and I have been keeping in touch via email after we met in Aspen, CO. Andy is from the UK and is a very passionate photographer... He just finished up a multi-month adventure around the 4 corners and is even crazier than I am by hiking into the Crystal Mill 12 days in a row! I thought my 5 day adventure last year was nutty. Needless to say you really need to check out HIS SITE!
Never too late to check out fall colors, even if on the ground.
After meeting Andy and others I realized I’ve lost a little bit of the reason I’m out photographing to begin with. I’ve been concentrating on the photos themselves, rather than just the enjoyment of seeing nature and all her beauty. Sure, everyone has an mental picture of what images they’d like to capture while out, but if that mental image doesn’t transfer onto paper, then the trip is somehow a “failure”. I was certainly feeling this way after a lack luster 2009 fall season, however it was a great season for me personally in retrospect... I met back up with old friends, made new ones and traveled to destinations yet seen in many years of traveling. Not bad given the circumstances.
You grow as a person (and professionally) not when times are good, but when they don’t work out the way you expected. Certainly none of us want to stumble or feel like we’re hitting our heads against a wall, but these are the days that make me appreciate the successes even more. I’ve noticed in life that when one “door” closes (bad weather, clear skies) another always opens up (exploratory hike, meeting people) and you should never try to fight it. I of all people should know that trying to get a specific image will require many years of going back to a location (if a specific image/look is what you want) so just look forward to next year and don't worry about the past. You have to be flexible and open mined in the approach to your photography or you will ALWAYS be disappointed.
Always great to be back in TEXAS!
Well, I’m out in Texas now visiting friends. My love of aviation has brought me back for the newly organized Anna Glow Fest in Anna, TX. Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is a sight to behold, but the little events have a home town feel to them that are just as unique. Hope to post those images online within the coming weeks along with plans for new adventures.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Strike Two...
After seeing only mediocre color this year in Colorado I decided to cut my losses and head back east in preparation for the mill shot in West Virginia. I even canceled my reservations at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for October 8-10th so as to not miss an early peak leaf season back east. Well, good thing I did arrive early as the second day in West Virginia turned out to be the best day of the trip... October 9th as a matter of fact. I was planning on first driving into northern WV and then back down to the mill, however since I was going to pass within 50 miles of my October goal anyway I thought I would take a quick look to see what the condition of the trees were like before heading north.
Boy... Am I glad I did stop at the mill. One tree next to the mill had begun to drop its leaves and a few more in the area were already bare! The green and yellow combination that was behind the mill also gave a more 3D effect to the surrounding area -vs- the all yellow color I'd see in photographs from years past... For a quick peak visit the YouTube section of this website. What’s strange is that once I was done photographing the mill I continued north to find only spotty color as best. Many of the colors I did find around the state were muted, what I would describe as a sickly yellow color. I’m thinking this is due to the fact it's been relatively warm this year and the trees just don’t know what to do. When the trees do turn they do so quickly and loose some of the oomph when it comes to vibrant color. So this year has been hit-and-miss out east just like Colorado. My batting average is quite low right now and I’m hard pressed to find any great images given the effort involved. Not to say that I don’t enjoy getting out and seeing the sights, after all that’s what life’s all about, however ending each day with an empty compact flash card in my camera leaves me a little bummed.
Glade Creek Grist Mill during a cloudy October morning.
Since both my Colorado and West Virginia trips have been less than spectacular (vs. last year when both areas were great) I’m feeling a little under the weather photographically speaking. It doesn’t help that it’s been raining four days straight since returning home, but I’ve gotten some editing done and printed a few of the Canadian Rocky images. Unfortunately to add insult to injury a software update for OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) has given me a few headaches along the way. I'm not sure if they're related, but my HDR software update is giving me images that are less than sharp along with added noise. So editing of my Fall 2009 images is being delayed until I can figure out the problem (it’s probably user error as usual).
A nosy Longtailed Weasel was the main attraction at Grand Teton NP.
Photo of my boot by Erik Mosvold
For anyone using an Epson Professional printer with the Snow Leopard update you don’t need to wait for an driver update. In my case, the driver version epson12789.dmg dated 09/19/08 for the Epson 7800 is the correct driver, apparently OS 10.6 will override the printer drivers and install “Apple” drivers. To correct this problem simply remove your Epson printer from the Print & Fax dialog in the System Preferences and then reinstall the printer. Once the printer has been re-installed make sure you have the Epson driver selected and not the generic “Gutenprint” version (Apple’s print driver for OS 10.6). You’ll know if OS 10.6 has overwritten the Epson driver if you can’t see all of your original print options in the drop down list of Photoshop CS4. It’s little problems like this that’ll drive one batty... Especially since the online forums talk about a driver update around Mid-November from Epson (not true... I called Epson about this little tidbit of information and they stated all the above to me).
Working with problems like these takes time away from my prints, but hopefully it’ll be worth it in the long term. Snow Leopard is now 16 bit and the performance and stability enhancements should be worth it, once everyone else catches up (hello X-Rite with your Eye-One Match software). Now if my HDR software would work like I’m used to I could do some more printing...
Boy... Am I glad I did stop at the mill. One tree next to the mill had begun to drop its leaves and a few more in the area were already bare! The green and yellow combination that was behind the mill also gave a more 3D effect to the surrounding area -vs- the all yellow color I'd see in photographs from years past... For a quick peak visit the YouTube section of this website. What’s strange is that once I was done photographing the mill I continued north to find only spotty color as best. Many of the colors I did find around the state were muted, what I would describe as a sickly yellow color. I’m thinking this is due to the fact it's been relatively warm this year and the trees just don’t know what to do. When the trees do turn they do so quickly and loose some of the oomph when it comes to vibrant color. So this year has been hit-and-miss out east just like Colorado. My batting average is quite low right now and I’m hard pressed to find any great images given the effort involved. Not to say that I don’t enjoy getting out and seeing the sights, after all that’s what life’s all about, however ending each day with an empty compact flash card in my camera leaves me a little bummed.
Glade Creek Grist Mill during a cloudy October morning.
Since both my Colorado and West Virginia trips have been less than spectacular (vs. last year when both areas were great) I’m feeling a little under the weather photographically speaking. It doesn’t help that it’s been raining four days straight since returning home, but I’ve gotten some editing done and printed a few of the Canadian Rocky images. Unfortunately to add insult to injury a software update for OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) has given me a few headaches along the way. I'm not sure if they're related, but my HDR software update is giving me images that are less than sharp along with added noise. So editing of my Fall 2009 images is being delayed until I can figure out the problem (it’s probably user error as usual).
A nosy Longtailed Weasel was the main attraction at Grand Teton NP.
Photo of my boot by Erik Mosvold
For anyone using an Epson Professional printer with the Snow Leopard update you don’t need to wait for an driver update. In my case, the driver version epson12789.dmg dated 09/19/08 for the Epson 7800 is the correct driver, apparently OS 10.6 will override the printer drivers and install “Apple” drivers. To correct this problem simply remove your Epson printer from the Print & Fax dialog in the System Preferences and then reinstall the printer. Once the printer has been re-installed make sure you have the Epson driver selected and not the generic “Gutenprint” version (Apple’s print driver for OS 10.6). You’ll know if OS 10.6 has overwritten the Epson driver if you can’t see all of your original print options in the drop down list of Photoshop CS4. It’s little problems like this that’ll drive one batty... Especially since the online forums talk about a driver update around Mid-November from Epson (not true... I called Epson about this little tidbit of information and they stated all the above to me).
Working with problems like these takes time away from my prints, but hopefully it’ll be worth it in the long term. Snow Leopard is now 16 bit and the performance and stability enhancements should be worth it, once everyone else catches up (hello X-Rite with your Eye-One Match software). Now if my HDR software would work like I’m used to I could do some more printing...
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sometimes You Just Can't Win.
After my fairly successful stint in the Canadian Rockies I decided to drive back down into Glacier National Park since the weather at Moraine Lake was becoming boring again... Clear skies were forecast for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, this years weather just hasn’t been cooperative to great images and a forecast of clear skies also loomed at Glacier NP as well so I elected to continue driving south into Jackson Hole, WY and try my luck with the weather there.
A moody sky is always a nice welcome to landscape images.
Day one at Grand Teton National Park greeted me with a luke-warm welcome. I discovered that no snow had accumulated after the recent storms and without the added detail from the white stuff I felt my images lacked that final touch. Magnificent as the Tetons are, if you don’t have three of the five key elements ( 1... Clouds, 2... Glowing light on said clouds, 3... Snow, 4... Fog (or some sort of weather in general), 5... Critters (buffalo or a moose in your shot)) you just don’t have a great image in my opinion. Those of us who did arrived at Schwabacher Landing on day one were greeted to a thick film of fog. This was to be expected after a day of constant rain, however the fog lifted after sunrise and no ethereal light greeted us on this morning. Still, it was nice to socialize with other tripod huggers and I elected to stay a few more days to see what might transpire.
Another day another opportunity. Just not the look I was after though.
The second day wasn’t much better and the lack of snow just grated on my nerves. I’ve been to Grand Teton National Park several times before and without three of my five key elements mentioned above I find these images are only just so so. Day three and four greeted me with clear skies and warm weather... As in 80F in the middle of September. That may be fine for the southern US, but I’m at an elevation of 6200 ft. above sea level and it’s autumn! I could see that the following week would greet me with better colors at certain locations around Grand Teton National Park, however I couldn’t risk missing peak leaf season at The Maroon Bells in Colorado, so I headed south into Denver.
Dream Lake on a rather windy and cold morning.
During my travels I meet some really nice photographers and we begin to correspond and plan trips. Since the next few days were going to be clear and Aspen, CO hadn’t yet peaked I stopped by to see several of these friends in the Denver area. One such friend was Eddie. He’s a real wealth of knowledge about the west and he’s very sociable as well. We decided to try our hand at photographing Rocky Mountain National Park which meant leaving his place at 4:00 a.m. Not to be outdone once we arrived, we also needed to hike 1.2 miles to reach our target, Dream Lake.
All photographers know about Dream Lake and since I was less than 50 miles from its location Eddie insisted that we photograph it, besides this would give Eddie a good excuse to photograph Dream Lake for a fourth weekend in a row! Unfortunately, as with many attempts this trip Eddie and I were greeted to clear skies and windy conditions. Still, a slight morning glow did present itself and I received some good information for future winter expeditions, plus Eddie was a great tour guide.
After leaving Eddie I stopped by to see another friend who also teaches photography in the Denver area. Brian and I met in the canyons around Blanding, UT four years ago and we’ve been friends ever since. Last year you may remember we even met back up for a few ruin shots in Utah. Hopefully we’ll do it again, sooner rather than later. My final stop was to see an aviation friend who’s really supported me in my photographic endeavors, however after checking the forecast and receiving a text from another photographer I immediately changed plans and drove west to be in position for The Maroon Bells. Snow was my goal and snow is what I received...
The Maroon Bells, perhaps the best day of the 2009 season?
One thing is for certain about The Maroon Bells, you’re not going to be alone. It reminds me of Moraine Lake in The Canadian Rockies as it’s just too photogenic and easy to reach. So be prepared to meet a few (sometimes hundred) colleges while you're there... To see a quick video of this location visit the YouTube section of the website. Actually as I was setting up in the pre-dawn hours I ran into two such people from treks past, Reb Babcock and Ron Flickinger. Fortunately, this was a weekday so only 35ish photographers lined the banks of the lake... However, I’m thinking that this day was the day at The Bells this year. Snow and yellow aspens are required for a good image and that’s what greeted us as the Sun peaked over the horizon... That and a fog bank. The fog and clouds muted any morning glow, however it did give some nice effects and I’ll have to wade through those images once back at home. Unfortunately, (once again) not all the key elements were in place for a fantastic image. The aspen trees around Maroon Bells had been hit by windy conditions the previous few days and were showing signs of wear... As in dropped leaves. Still, I believe this may have been the best (overall) morning so far for me at this location.
After the show was over I socialized some more with Ron and Reb and then returned to Aspen for some much needed rest and food. Since the remainder of today is guaranteed to be overcast (forecast of a 70% chance of snow tonight and up to 1” accumulation) I figured I’d get some administrative tasks accomplished as well. The next few days are iffy at best, but I’m hunkering down as I did in Moraine Lake to see what I can see. The forecast for more snow is wetting my appetite, but if reports further south say that snow and even better color await, I’ll pack my bags and head that way. So as usual I’m not sure when the next blog update will be. Maybe in a week, maybe three... But I’ll keep my trusty iPhone handy and "tweet" images when I can.
A moody sky is always a nice welcome to landscape images.
Day one at Grand Teton National Park greeted me with a luke-warm welcome. I discovered that no snow had accumulated after the recent storms and without the added detail from the white stuff I felt my images lacked that final touch. Magnificent as the Tetons are, if you don’t have three of the five key elements ( 1... Clouds, 2... Glowing light on said clouds, 3... Snow, 4... Fog (or some sort of weather in general), 5... Critters (buffalo or a moose in your shot)) you just don’t have a great image in my opinion. Those of us who did arrived at Schwabacher Landing on day one were greeted to a thick film of fog. This was to be expected after a day of constant rain, however the fog lifted after sunrise and no ethereal light greeted us on this morning. Still, it was nice to socialize with other tripod huggers and I elected to stay a few more days to see what might transpire.
Another day another opportunity. Just not the look I was after though.
The second day wasn’t much better and the lack of snow just grated on my nerves. I’ve been to Grand Teton National Park several times before and without three of my five key elements mentioned above I find these images are only just so so. Day three and four greeted me with clear skies and warm weather... As in 80F in the middle of September. That may be fine for the southern US, but I’m at an elevation of 6200 ft. above sea level and it’s autumn! I could see that the following week would greet me with better colors at certain locations around Grand Teton National Park, however I couldn’t risk missing peak leaf season at The Maroon Bells in Colorado, so I headed south into Denver.
Dream Lake on a rather windy and cold morning.
During my travels I meet some really nice photographers and we begin to correspond and plan trips. Since the next few days were going to be clear and Aspen, CO hadn’t yet peaked I stopped by to see several of these friends in the Denver area. One such friend was Eddie. He’s a real wealth of knowledge about the west and he’s very sociable as well. We decided to try our hand at photographing Rocky Mountain National Park which meant leaving his place at 4:00 a.m. Not to be outdone once we arrived, we also needed to hike 1.2 miles to reach our target, Dream Lake.
All photographers know about Dream Lake and since I was less than 50 miles from its location Eddie insisted that we photograph it, besides this would give Eddie a good excuse to photograph Dream Lake for a fourth weekend in a row! Unfortunately, as with many attempts this trip Eddie and I were greeted to clear skies and windy conditions. Still, a slight morning glow did present itself and I received some good information for future winter expeditions, plus Eddie was a great tour guide.
After leaving Eddie I stopped by to see another friend who also teaches photography in the Denver area. Brian and I met in the canyons around Blanding, UT four years ago and we’ve been friends ever since. Last year you may remember we even met back up for a few ruin shots in Utah. Hopefully we’ll do it again, sooner rather than later. My final stop was to see an aviation friend who’s really supported me in my photographic endeavors, however after checking the forecast and receiving a text from another photographer I immediately changed plans and drove west to be in position for The Maroon Bells. Snow was my goal and snow is what I received...
The Maroon Bells, perhaps the best day of the 2009 season?
One thing is for certain about The Maroon Bells, you’re not going to be alone. It reminds me of Moraine Lake in The Canadian Rockies as it’s just too photogenic and easy to reach. So be prepared to meet a few (sometimes hundred) colleges while you're there... To see a quick video of this location visit the YouTube section of the website. Actually as I was setting up in the pre-dawn hours I ran into two such people from treks past, Reb Babcock and Ron Flickinger. Fortunately, this was a weekday so only 35ish photographers lined the banks of the lake... However, I’m thinking that this day was the day at The Bells this year. Snow and yellow aspens are required for a good image and that’s what greeted us as the Sun peaked over the horizon... That and a fog bank. The fog and clouds muted any morning glow, however it did give some nice effects and I’ll have to wade through those images once back at home. Unfortunately, (once again) not all the key elements were in place for a fantastic image. The aspen trees around Maroon Bells had been hit by windy conditions the previous few days and were showing signs of wear... As in dropped leaves. Still, I believe this may have been the best (overall) morning so far for me at this location.
After the show was over I socialized some more with Ron and Reb and then returned to Aspen for some much needed rest and food. Since the remainder of today is guaranteed to be overcast (forecast of a 70% chance of snow tonight and up to 1” accumulation) I figured I’d get some administrative tasks accomplished as well. The next few days are iffy at best, but I’m hunkering down as I did in Moraine Lake to see what I can see. The forecast for more snow is wetting my appetite, but if reports further south say that snow and even better color await, I’ll pack my bags and head that way. So as usual I’m not sure when the next blog update will be. Maybe in a week, maybe three... But I’ll keep my trusty iPhone handy and "tweet" images when I can.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Hello From Canada.
Because of the successful morning I'd had after the last blog update I was thinking about heading for points south of the Lake Louise area however, since the cost of doing business (living arrangements) is so expensive anywhere in the Canadian National Park system I elected to stay three more nights at the Hi-Lake Louise Hostel. You couldn't beat the price at $38.00 per night as the next cheapest rate for a regular hotel room was $169.00, if you were lucky enough to find one. Part of the delay was also due to a weather system that was approaching the Lake Louise area. I figured I'd take my chances at another moody sky or snow topped peak shot as I'd seen lots of photos of Moraine Lake with bland skies or barren peaks. Hanging around could only help my chances at an interesting Lake photo and I did need a place to sit as I waited for the aspens to turn yellow in Colorado. Boy, was my hunch to hunker down successful...
A cold, breezy morning at Moraine Lake!
Unfortunately after my last blog update the hostel’s internet took a dump on everyone. Without it the occupants of Hi-Lake Louise were left to fend for them selves. Whether that meant passing the time by watching the latest movie I Love You, Man, keeping up with loved ones by snail mail (remember the original email which we called a post card?) or eating at Laggan's Cafe everyone seemed to find something to do. Because I couldn't check the weather on my iPhone or MacBook Pro I was forced to improvise by going to the Lake Louise visitor’s center and asking to see a radar map of the area. A strange request as most visitors simply ask if the forecast is going to be for clear skies. I, on the other hand, wanted clouds and clouds were exactly what I received along with some rain and wind for good measure.
Day two after the storm presented some nice cloud formations.
I never decide on the day's composition until I actually arrive at a location. If there are only thin clouds that look like they might dissipate after sunrise I setup for a wide, landscape orientated shot. If clouds look thicker and more wide-spread then I'll try a vertical (portrait) composition. Half the mornings greeted me with completely drab, overcast skies resulting in no images at all, but the resulting snow covered peaks that resulted when the rain did stop were well worth the aggravation.
As with all my blog images I simply pulled a few random sets to see what the initial results would look like. There may very well be much better images on my hard drives, however I just don’t have time right now to wade through all the files. I’m rather happy with the initial results above to be quite honest. The first four days of images will probably be tossed out as the snow makes for a much more dramatic print vs. no snow on the mountains. I’m really thinking late September or even November might be a better time to visit in the future... Or the first of June when most peaks are still sprinkled with snow.
Lingering rain gave way to clearing skies a little too late for sunrise.
I'm back in Calgary (mainly to check my email and resupply) and I'm trying to determine my next move. No easy task as I’m tempted to wake up early tomorrow for one last try at Moraine Lake, but honestly the snow is quickly receding and the chance of anything other then high cirrus clouds are quite low according to the forecast. Glacier NP has clear skies forecast as well for the next five days and Grand Teton National Park has no color yet so I'm stuck as to what to do? I’ve been getting reports that parts of Colorado are actually turning yellow and I don’t want to miss the show at Maroon Bells, but reports are out that due to a wet season, tree mold is causing the trees to turn and drop early at The Bells. Either way I’ll probably be out of touch until next Tuesday. Decisions, decisions...
A cold, breezy morning at Moraine Lake!
Unfortunately after my last blog update the hostel’s internet took a dump on everyone. Without it the occupants of Hi-Lake Louise were left to fend for them selves. Whether that meant passing the time by watching the latest movie I Love You, Man, keeping up with loved ones by snail mail (remember the original email which we called a post card?) or eating at Laggan's Cafe everyone seemed to find something to do. Because I couldn't check the weather on my iPhone or MacBook Pro I was forced to improvise by going to the Lake Louise visitor’s center and asking to see a radar map of the area. A strange request as most visitors simply ask if the forecast is going to be for clear skies. I, on the other hand, wanted clouds and clouds were exactly what I received along with some rain and wind for good measure.
Day two after the storm presented some nice cloud formations.
I never decide on the day's composition until I actually arrive at a location. If there are only thin clouds that look like they might dissipate after sunrise I setup for a wide, landscape orientated shot. If clouds look thicker and more wide-spread then I'll try a vertical (portrait) composition. Half the mornings greeted me with completely drab, overcast skies resulting in no images at all, but the resulting snow covered peaks that resulted when the rain did stop were well worth the aggravation.
As with all my blog images I simply pulled a few random sets to see what the initial results would look like. There may very well be much better images on my hard drives, however I just don’t have time right now to wade through all the files. I’m rather happy with the initial results above to be quite honest. The first four days of images will probably be tossed out as the snow makes for a much more dramatic print vs. no snow on the mountains. I’m really thinking late September or even November might be a better time to visit in the future... Or the first of June when most peaks are still sprinkled with snow.
Lingering rain gave way to clearing skies a little too late for sunrise.
I'm back in Calgary (mainly to check my email and resupply) and I'm trying to determine my next move. No easy task as I’m tempted to wake up early tomorrow for one last try at Moraine Lake, but honestly the snow is quickly receding and the chance of anything other then high cirrus clouds are quite low according to the forecast. Glacier NP has clear skies forecast as well for the next five days and Grand Teton National Park has no color yet so I'm stuck as to what to do? I’ve been getting reports that parts of Colorado are actually turning yellow and I don’t want to miss the show at Maroon Bells, but reports are out that due to a wet season, tree mold is causing the trees to turn and drop early at The Bells. Either way I’ll probably be out of touch until next Tuesday. Decisions, decisions...
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Canada or Bust!
After months of anticipation the British Columbia fires that were causing the haze around Glacier National Park wasn’t giving me warm feelings about traveling to points north, specifically Banff and Jasper National Parks. Because weather plays such a vital roll in great landscape images I was toying with the idea of heading to Washington State for some Seattle and Olympic National Park images, but after some phone calls and assurances that Banff wasn’t being hurt by the smoke I decided to give Canada a try. If nothing else I could do a quick few days of research for future jaunts.
The Banff Springs Hotel on an early Fall Morning.
As I drove along Highway 2 into Calgary I noticed the Canadian Rockies to my west... Or should I say lack of the Canadian Rockies as they were being blocked by the same haze that gave me fits in Glacier. The Haze persisted as I continued north and I initially planned on being in the area for only a long weekend. However, even though the next four days greeted me with perfectly clear skies, the haze would be muted at times due to the upper level winds. This was giving me hope and after several days I decided to stick it out until a weather system came through to clear out the area.
Peyto Lake away from the viewing platform (see YouTube video).
The goal for my Fall Photo Trip 09 was Moraine Lake. The images I’d seen online and in print amazed me. The area reminds me of the Maroon Bells in Colorado. An amazing view that takes little effort to hike to... Actually there’s no real hiking involved, just get up really early (5:00 a.m. in my case) and be on top of the “rock pile” by 6:00 a.m. Of course with any great image a little leg work is required and I drove up to Moraine Lake my first evening to check things out. I took a few photos (I just couldn’t help myself) and found three spots I really liked. I would determine where I would setup my camera for the next day based on that mornings weather (clouds or lack thereof), but I also need some alternatives just in case the crowds of photographers precluded me getting my first choice. Surprisingly I arrived the next morning to find myself all alone to bask in the glory of Moraine Lake. I had heard that this location, because of its relative ease of access, was a hornets nest of activity at sunrise. Guess whoever said that was referring to July or early August?
Moraine Lake and its canoes. One of the many "classic" shots.
I was honestly surprised that I had Moraine Lake all to myself. There wasn't a person in sight until well after sunrise... Strange as this location is inaccessible (by automobile at least) during the winter and spring making the photo season rather short. The second morning did give way to eight tripod hugging zealots like myself, however many were setting up in locations I thought were less than ideal, but who am I to say what effect or composition they though looked best. Just as with the first two days the following three greeted me to clear skies. After many mornings of clear sky compositions, from all three of my original locations, I elected to try other lakes until clouds arrived. It didn’t take long. On my seventh day in the Canadian Rockies a weather system came through that brought with it not only the clouds I was seeking, but the wind as well. I received a brief amount of color, but no reflection due to the wind. Later I hiked back down to the boat dock and photographed the image you see above.
A few more days of clear skies (and returning haze) had me thinking about leaving again. The cost of staying in Banff or Lake Louise or anywhere within the Canadian Rockies was getting a little out of hand. I think the next time I arrive (maybe mid-June) I’ll rent an RV as the distances from the few cities to good morning shots is a little too much. The price for food in the area is a little nutty too. My seventh day (9th total for the trip so far) gave way to clouds and light winds. Only problem was that the clouds were scattered along the eastern horizon and my target was south. Not good, but I had to take a chance... Besides clouds were moving very quickly and the forecast was for scattered rain later in the morning. I knew from past experience that 15 minutes can make a big difference...
Moraine Lake in all here majesty (see YouTube video)!
When I setup my equipment for the image above it was 6:30 a.m. and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky (facing the mountains at least). There was a nice light show going on behind me and I began to question my stubborn decision to return, once again, to Moraine Lake. Sunrise was around 6:52 a.m. and I knew light would begin hitting the peaks by 7:05 a.m. At around 7:00 a.m. I began to see wisps of clouds creeping over the southwestern horizon. Clouds! Now it was just a matter of time. Would those same eastern clouds that put on such a nice display behind me mute the newly forming western clouds? Would there be any show at all or would the 3-5 minute window I was hoping for be blocked by one, large cloud sitting between me and the Sun? Then it happened. The show began and my camera roared into action. I had placed a .9 (three stop) graduated neutral density filter in front of my lens to mitigate the bright light along the upper part of the scene. Without such a filter you’d see only bright sky if the mountains were to be properly exposed. I tried a series of overlapping .6 and .9 filters, but the effect was a little too obvious to me.
I made a new friend while waiting at Peyto Lake.
I’d say that over half the mornings at Moraine Lake were lonely... As in I was the only person there! For a few lucky photographers they had arrived on the day. The only problem was that while the show was going on I witnessed several of them moving their tripods and reaching into their bags?! If you’re lucky enough to be at the right spot when a show like the one above appears you'd better be ready... It usually only lasts a few minutes. I was a little dumbfounded by their luck and then their nonshalaunt attitude when the show did arrive. This type of display at Moraine Lake happens maybe eight to ten times a year... That's a maximum of 50 minutes a year and I'm being generous with my figures at that.
Well, even though I have “my shot” for Canada, I still went back out to try my hand again at some vertical compositions the following day. Clouds and wind greeted me, however a nice couple from Calgary had shown up with their children and we chatted while waiting for the light. The light never did arrive, but having someone to talk “shop” with was a nice change of pace. Speaking of change of pace I’d also like to give a big shout out to The Hoffrage Family. The hike we did as well as all the socializing really made for a nice time in the Lake Louise area... Thanks guys!
Currently it's raining outside so I thought I’d try to post a quick blog before heading back to bed for a few more hours of needed sleep. I have two more days at the Lake Louise Alpine Centre (a very nice hostel located in the heart of Lake Louise) after which time I’ll head back into Calgary and then the Waterton section of Glacier National Park. I’m hoping to capture a few Teton NP photos as well, but timing for fall may be an issue as I believe both Teton NP and the Maroon Bells can peak at about the same time. Internet coverage is spotty around Banff and Lake Louise and I don’t have cell phone coverage so updates via Twitter or this blog have been spotty as of late. Also, I’d like to reiterate that the images on this blog are dumbed down samples that lack the color fidelity of the originals. After viewing the blog update on my iPhone, MacBook Pro and the Alpine Centre computer I've come to the conclusion I'll always have less than accurate examples online (e.g. washed out look) vs. my printed images. This is due in part because of the limited sRGB color space of your monitor, but also due to the fact that I do not assign a color profile to the images. I've found that not assigning a profile will slightly dull the overall image, but keep other issues from arrising such as displaying images with overly saturated reds and greens. A technical issue you needn't worry about, but wanted to comment on because the original images look much better than the online versions. Needless to say I can’t wait to get home as I know the prints themselves are going to be fantastic.
One last item regarding the technical aspect of my photographs. I've had a few people (jokingly I hope) comment about if an image has been "Photoshopped". NO. I have not added or enhanced anything you see. The images come from hard work, persistence, a LOT of patience and going back time and time again to work the area. Yes, luck is involved, but you make your luck by doing the things mentioned above. My split neutral density filters along with bracketing the exposure also allows for the results you see. One piece of equipment that goes without saying for moody sunrise and sunset shots is the tripod. You must use a tripod since hand holding your camera just won't cut it for the soft, dark light of early morning and late evening. Some of my exposures are over 30 seconds long. These longer exposures allow the sensor (or film) to capture subtle colors even your eye won't detect when in the field! I find more times than not when someone makes a blanket statement regarding Photoshop they have little idea of what is really involved in taking a great landscape image. People who think a mid-day image can be modified in Photoshop to look amazing are only looking for an excuse to justify why they didn't bother to get up at 5:00 a.m. (sometimes as early as 2:00 a.m. if a longer hike is involved). If you see an image you admire at a storefront or online gallery and you hesitate to purchase it because of its asking price, think about the effort the photographer put into capturing that image. Think about the days and days he or she hiked into the wilderness that resulted in no image at all! The investment in time, let alone money, more than justifies the cost of any great landscape print. This is something even I didn't realize until I tried it myself. With the exception of one photograph on this website, all of my proudest images took days, if not weeks, of going back and seeking out better compositions and light. No amount of computer trickery will substitute for hard, honest work... Off my soapbox.
The Banff Springs Hotel on an early Fall Morning.
As I drove along Highway 2 into Calgary I noticed the Canadian Rockies to my west... Or should I say lack of the Canadian Rockies as they were being blocked by the same haze that gave me fits in Glacier. The Haze persisted as I continued north and I initially planned on being in the area for only a long weekend. However, even though the next four days greeted me with perfectly clear skies, the haze would be muted at times due to the upper level winds. This was giving me hope and after several days I decided to stick it out until a weather system came through to clear out the area.
Peyto Lake away from the viewing platform (see YouTube video).
The goal for my Fall Photo Trip 09 was Moraine Lake. The images I’d seen online and in print amazed me. The area reminds me of the Maroon Bells in Colorado. An amazing view that takes little effort to hike to... Actually there’s no real hiking involved, just get up really early (5:00 a.m. in my case) and be on top of the “rock pile” by 6:00 a.m. Of course with any great image a little leg work is required and I drove up to Moraine Lake my first evening to check things out. I took a few photos (I just couldn’t help myself) and found three spots I really liked. I would determine where I would setup my camera for the next day based on that mornings weather (clouds or lack thereof), but I also need some alternatives just in case the crowds of photographers precluded me getting my first choice. Surprisingly I arrived the next morning to find myself all alone to bask in the glory of Moraine Lake. I had heard that this location, because of its relative ease of access, was a hornets nest of activity at sunrise. Guess whoever said that was referring to July or early August?
Moraine Lake and its canoes. One of the many "classic" shots.
I was honestly surprised that I had Moraine Lake all to myself. There wasn't a person in sight until well after sunrise... Strange as this location is inaccessible (by automobile at least) during the winter and spring making the photo season rather short. The second morning did give way to eight tripod hugging zealots like myself, however many were setting up in locations I thought were less than ideal, but who am I to say what effect or composition they though looked best. Just as with the first two days the following three greeted me to clear skies. After many mornings of clear sky compositions, from all three of my original locations, I elected to try other lakes until clouds arrived. It didn’t take long. On my seventh day in the Canadian Rockies a weather system came through that brought with it not only the clouds I was seeking, but the wind as well. I received a brief amount of color, but no reflection due to the wind. Later I hiked back down to the boat dock and photographed the image you see above.
A few more days of clear skies (and returning haze) had me thinking about leaving again. The cost of staying in Banff or Lake Louise or anywhere within the Canadian Rockies was getting a little out of hand. I think the next time I arrive (maybe mid-June) I’ll rent an RV as the distances from the few cities to good morning shots is a little too much. The price for food in the area is a little nutty too. My seventh day (9th total for the trip so far) gave way to clouds and light winds. Only problem was that the clouds were scattered along the eastern horizon and my target was south. Not good, but I had to take a chance... Besides clouds were moving very quickly and the forecast was for scattered rain later in the morning. I knew from past experience that 15 minutes can make a big difference...
Moraine Lake in all here majesty (see YouTube video)!
When I setup my equipment for the image above it was 6:30 a.m. and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky (facing the mountains at least). There was a nice light show going on behind me and I began to question my stubborn decision to return, once again, to Moraine Lake. Sunrise was around 6:52 a.m. and I knew light would begin hitting the peaks by 7:05 a.m. At around 7:00 a.m. I began to see wisps of clouds creeping over the southwestern horizon. Clouds! Now it was just a matter of time. Would those same eastern clouds that put on such a nice display behind me mute the newly forming western clouds? Would there be any show at all or would the 3-5 minute window I was hoping for be blocked by one, large cloud sitting between me and the Sun? Then it happened. The show began and my camera roared into action. I had placed a .9 (three stop) graduated neutral density filter in front of my lens to mitigate the bright light along the upper part of the scene. Without such a filter you’d see only bright sky if the mountains were to be properly exposed. I tried a series of overlapping .6 and .9 filters, but the effect was a little too obvious to me.
I made a new friend while waiting at Peyto Lake.
I’d say that over half the mornings at Moraine Lake were lonely... As in I was the only person there! For a few lucky photographers they had arrived on the day. The only problem was that while the show was going on I witnessed several of them moving their tripods and reaching into their bags?! If you’re lucky enough to be at the right spot when a show like the one above appears you'd better be ready... It usually only lasts a few minutes. I was a little dumbfounded by their luck and then their nonshalaunt attitude when the show did arrive. This type of display at Moraine Lake happens maybe eight to ten times a year... That's a maximum of 50 minutes a year and I'm being generous with my figures at that.
Well, even though I have “my shot” for Canada, I still went back out to try my hand again at some vertical compositions the following day. Clouds and wind greeted me, however a nice couple from Calgary had shown up with their children and we chatted while waiting for the light. The light never did arrive, but having someone to talk “shop” with was a nice change of pace. Speaking of change of pace I’d also like to give a big shout out to The Hoffrage Family. The hike we did as well as all the socializing really made for a nice time in the Lake Louise area... Thanks guys!
Currently it's raining outside so I thought I’d try to post a quick blog before heading back to bed for a few more hours of needed sleep. I have two more days at the Lake Louise Alpine Centre (a very nice hostel located in the heart of Lake Louise) after which time I’ll head back into Calgary and then the Waterton section of Glacier National Park. I’m hoping to capture a few Teton NP photos as well, but timing for fall may be an issue as I believe both Teton NP and the Maroon Bells can peak at about the same time. Internet coverage is spotty around Banff and Lake Louise and I don’t have cell phone coverage so updates via Twitter or this blog have been spotty as of late. Also, I’d like to reiterate that the images on this blog are dumbed down samples that lack the color fidelity of the originals. After viewing the blog update on my iPhone, MacBook Pro and the Alpine Centre computer I've come to the conclusion I'll always have less than accurate examples online (e.g. washed out look) vs. my printed images. This is due in part because of the limited sRGB color space of your monitor, but also due to the fact that I do not assign a color profile to the images. I've found that not assigning a profile will slightly dull the overall image, but keep other issues from arrising such as displaying images with overly saturated reds and greens. A technical issue you needn't worry about, but wanted to comment on because the original images look much better than the online versions. Needless to say I can’t wait to get home as I know the prints themselves are going to be fantastic.
One last item regarding the technical aspect of my photographs. I've had a few people (jokingly I hope) comment about if an image has been "Photoshopped". NO. I have not added or enhanced anything you see. The images come from hard work, persistence, a LOT of patience and going back time and time again to work the area. Yes, luck is involved, but you make your luck by doing the things mentioned above. My split neutral density filters along with bracketing the exposure also allows for the results you see. One piece of equipment that goes without saying for moody sunrise and sunset shots is the tripod. You must use a tripod since hand holding your camera just won't cut it for the soft, dark light of early morning and late evening. Some of my exposures are over 30 seconds long. These longer exposures allow the sensor (or film) to capture subtle colors even your eye won't detect when in the field! I find more times than not when someone makes a blanket statement regarding Photoshop they have little idea of what is really involved in taking a great landscape image. People who think a mid-day image can be modified in Photoshop to look amazing are only looking for an excuse to justify why they didn't bother to get up at 5:00 a.m. (sometimes as early as 2:00 a.m. if a longer hike is involved). If you see an image you admire at a storefront or online gallery and you hesitate to purchase it because of its asking price, think about the effort the photographer put into capturing that image. Think about the days and days he or she hiked into the wilderness that resulted in no image at all! The investment in time, let alone money, more than justifies the cost of any great landscape print. This is something even I didn't realize until I tried it myself. With the exception of one photograph on this website, all of my proudest images took days, if not weeks, of going back and seeking out better compositions and light. No amount of computer trickery will substitute for hard, honest work... Off my soapbox.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
2,170 Miles Later...
I left East TN at 11:00 a.m. on Monday the 17th and arrived into Glacier, NP the following Friday afternoon. The 2,170 mile trip could have been accomplished in three days, however why rush a journey without any particular end? My planned route took me through St. Louis then west into Kansas City and points north after that. I discovered little facts along the way such as there’s a Maryville, Missouri and that most mid-western cities aren’t much bigger than my home town.
If you’ve been keeping up with me via Twitter, I was pretty sure St. Louis was going to be a photographic bust again. Traveling north on Interstate 57 I began to see the sky darken and with my handy-dandy iPhone and The Weather Channel app I began tracking a series of storms which merged together just west of St. Louis. It was 5:00 p.m. when I ran into the gust front so I figured my day (photographically) was over. However, after the heavy rain had passed (I sat out the really bad weather in a Subway Sandwich shop stuffing my face) I began driving westward once more. Keeping track of the storm I noticed this little car symbol on my Weather Channel app. I clicked on it and it brought up a list of interstate web cams. What a marvelous idea! Even though I didn’t know the street names I could at least get an idea of traffic vs. weather. To my surprise the traffic was rather light and on one web cam I began to see glimmers of blue sky in the background.
St. Louis and her Arch.
I had estimated arriving into St. Louis about two hours before sunset, however with my early dinner and weather stop I re-calculated my arrival to be about 45 minutes before sunset. This was still plenty of time to find a suitable position, set up my camera and wait for the potential light show. The image above is a basic panorama after sunset... Just after official sunset the sky was better than I could have hoped for, but I don’t have time now to work on those images. So I though I’d give you a little teaser. As a note to any St. Louis readers out there... Why did the city fathers put high tension power lines along the waterfront? The waterfront view is the city. Several great angles are now ruined because of this poor planning on the cities part. There, I said it and hopefully someone from Missouri reads it.
Even though I had just driven 9 hours, spent two hours running around the St. Louis water front looking for good images and been up since 7:00 a.m. I wasn’t tried so I elected to continue driving west until I was. This happened just prior to Kansas City and with the help of a new blogger (affectionately known at Flight Control, Desk 3 (FCD3)) I found a motel for $40.00. The following evening FCD3 found me a room for $35.00! As I arrive into National Parks I don’t think my luck will hold out, especially now that FCD3 has to work the next few evenings. I must say this trip is becoming much more fun than past events.
Stopping along the way is always fun.
I arrived into Badlands on Wednesday and found one room left within the park. Based on the weather I knew it was time to capture a good landscape shot of the area as the ten day forecast showed only clear skies and very windy conditions. I re-traced my old GPS coordinates and found myself waning interest in the area as I’ve seen so many amazing sites since my last visit to Badlands. I hate to say this as the area is still very beautiful and if you’ve never been to Badlands National Park I’d highly recommend it. I do have plans to return, but only during the stormy summer months.
Badlands, SD during a stormy evening.
Storms did indeed arrive in the area and I found a great little nook on the side of the road to photograph the above image (visit YouTube for a quick video). I have several very nice panoramic versions which I believe will print out wonderfully on canvas, however at 400 pixels wide the multi-image panoramic images are just too small to view -vs- the single image photograph above. So you’ll just have to wait until I can post them to the main website. Sorry about that, but I only have so much time while on-the-road. Sunset was muted by the storms and I called it a night by 8:00 p.m. in anticipation of an early sunrise wake up.
I’m definitely not an early bird, however knowing there is a potentially great shot looming keeps me from getting a good nights sleep and the following morning came much earlier than expected. I woke to an eastern horizon blanketed by clouds. I had a good idea that no sunrise would avail itself yet my giddiness kept me from falling back to sleep so I packed my things and began driving west again. I did stop to take a few morning images of a neat spot in the road and believe those images might have promise, but as with many of my images on this blog I have simply posted a reference shot from the previous day for you to view...
Test shot of an area that caught my attention while driving around.
While packing my gear a ranger stopped by to see if I needed assistance. Guess I looked suspicious packing gear into the back of my truck at 6:00 a.m. Actually I probably looked like a nutcase since who (other than the critters) gets up this early? After giving the ranger my business card and saying hello I found out that the ranger had only been in the Badlands area for two months. She loved the area, but stated that most days were very clear and I’d been lucky. I’ll take any help I can get. We chatted for about 20 minutes and then parted ways.
This field of flowers along I-90 caught my eye... And camera.
After driving all day I stopped in Bozeman, MT for the evening. Once settled into the hotel I decided to check out the downtown area and found a music festival going on along Main Street. I treated myself to Ted’s Montana Grill and the meat loaf was amazing. Seriously, it’s not nearly as “boring” as it sounds. As I walked along Main St. I noticed a nice accumulation of cirrus clouds towards the west. After dinner those same clouds put on an amazing light show for everyone in Bozeman. Western sunsets, with their dusty, desert-like air, can put on a show. They don’t call it “Big Sky Country” for nothing. Easterners who’ve never been out west just won’t understand.
Skies were brisk and clear the entire way to Glacier. Just south of Missoula I began to notice the mountains taking on a rather grayish look. The closer I drove to Glacier, NP the more my heart sank. I had a sneaking feeling that fires were in the area and smoke was causing the unusually drab conditions. When I arrived into Kalispell I had time to take my CRV to the Honda dealer for an oil change. I asked about the weather and a few mechanics stated that there were fires in British Columbia. After a few phone calls this information was confirmed.
Smoky conditions make for an iffy Glacier, NP experience.
After dinner the urge to check out the park was too great and I drove the 40 miles to try my hand at a sunset shot of Lake McDonald (visit YouTube for a quick video). As I suspected the usually crisp viewing conditions were overshadowed by the residual smoky fallout from Canada. Of course this lead me to fear that all my plans north were going to be ruined. I regrouped my thoughts and decided that in a worst case scenario I’d just try to photograph points south or maybe even head into Seattle for some shots. I called Banff National Park this morning and they say things are very nice... So I’m hoping that maybe the fires will only cause a week or so of poor weather and are isolated to certain valleys. As I type up this blog the hazy conditions still persist in Glacier, however a good storm or weather system would clean out the air, even if for only a day or two. Of course this will happen after I leave... But since I’m still planning to drive north as of right now I can always catch Glacier on my way back south. That's the plan for now.
If you’ve been keeping up with me via Twitter, I was pretty sure St. Louis was going to be a photographic bust again. Traveling north on Interstate 57 I began to see the sky darken and with my handy-dandy iPhone and The Weather Channel app I began tracking a series of storms which merged together just west of St. Louis. It was 5:00 p.m. when I ran into the gust front so I figured my day (photographically) was over. However, after the heavy rain had passed (I sat out the really bad weather in a Subway Sandwich shop stuffing my face) I began driving westward once more. Keeping track of the storm I noticed this little car symbol on my Weather Channel app. I clicked on it and it brought up a list of interstate web cams. What a marvelous idea! Even though I didn’t know the street names I could at least get an idea of traffic vs. weather. To my surprise the traffic was rather light and on one web cam I began to see glimmers of blue sky in the background.
St. Louis and her Arch.
I had estimated arriving into St. Louis about two hours before sunset, however with my early dinner and weather stop I re-calculated my arrival to be about 45 minutes before sunset. This was still plenty of time to find a suitable position, set up my camera and wait for the potential light show. The image above is a basic panorama after sunset... Just after official sunset the sky was better than I could have hoped for, but I don’t have time now to work on those images. So I though I’d give you a little teaser. As a note to any St. Louis readers out there... Why did the city fathers put high tension power lines along the waterfront? The waterfront view is the city. Several great angles are now ruined because of this poor planning on the cities part. There, I said it and hopefully someone from Missouri reads it.
Even though I had just driven 9 hours, spent two hours running around the St. Louis water front looking for good images and been up since 7:00 a.m. I wasn’t tried so I elected to continue driving west until I was. This happened just prior to Kansas City and with the help of a new blogger (affectionately known at Flight Control, Desk 3 (FCD3)) I found a motel for $40.00. The following evening FCD3 found me a room for $35.00! As I arrive into National Parks I don’t think my luck will hold out, especially now that FCD3 has to work the next few evenings. I must say this trip is becoming much more fun than past events.
Stopping along the way is always fun.
I arrived into Badlands on Wednesday and found one room left within the park. Based on the weather I knew it was time to capture a good landscape shot of the area as the ten day forecast showed only clear skies and very windy conditions. I re-traced my old GPS coordinates and found myself waning interest in the area as I’ve seen so many amazing sites since my last visit to Badlands. I hate to say this as the area is still very beautiful and if you’ve never been to Badlands National Park I’d highly recommend it. I do have plans to return, but only during the stormy summer months.
Badlands, SD during a stormy evening.
Storms did indeed arrive in the area and I found a great little nook on the side of the road to photograph the above image (visit YouTube for a quick video). I have several very nice panoramic versions which I believe will print out wonderfully on canvas, however at 400 pixels wide the multi-image panoramic images are just too small to view -vs- the single image photograph above. So you’ll just have to wait until I can post them to the main website. Sorry about that, but I only have so much time while on-the-road. Sunset was muted by the storms and I called it a night by 8:00 p.m. in anticipation of an early sunrise wake up.
I’m definitely not an early bird, however knowing there is a potentially great shot looming keeps me from getting a good nights sleep and the following morning came much earlier than expected. I woke to an eastern horizon blanketed by clouds. I had a good idea that no sunrise would avail itself yet my giddiness kept me from falling back to sleep so I packed my things and began driving west again. I did stop to take a few morning images of a neat spot in the road and believe those images might have promise, but as with many of my images on this blog I have simply posted a reference shot from the previous day for you to view...
Test shot of an area that caught my attention while driving around.
While packing my gear a ranger stopped by to see if I needed assistance. Guess I looked suspicious packing gear into the back of my truck at 6:00 a.m. Actually I probably looked like a nutcase since who (other than the critters) gets up this early? After giving the ranger my business card and saying hello I found out that the ranger had only been in the Badlands area for two months. She loved the area, but stated that most days were very clear and I’d been lucky. I’ll take any help I can get. We chatted for about 20 minutes and then parted ways.
This field of flowers along I-90 caught my eye... And camera.
After driving all day I stopped in Bozeman, MT for the evening. Once settled into the hotel I decided to check out the downtown area and found a music festival going on along Main Street. I treated myself to Ted’s Montana Grill and the meat loaf was amazing. Seriously, it’s not nearly as “boring” as it sounds. As I walked along Main St. I noticed a nice accumulation of cirrus clouds towards the west. After dinner those same clouds put on an amazing light show for everyone in Bozeman. Western sunsets, with their dusty, desert-like air, can put on a show. They don’t call it “Big Sky Country” for nothing. Easterners who’ve never been out west just won’t understand.
Skies were brisk and clear the entire way to Glacier. Just south of Missoula I began to notice the mountains taking on a rather grayish look. The closer I drove to Glacier, NP the more my heart sank. I had a sneaking feeling that fires were in the area and smoke was causing the unusually drab conditions. When I arrived into Kalispell I had time to take my CRV to the Honda dealer for an oil change. I asked about the weather and a few mechanics stated that there were fires in British Columbia. After a few phone calls this information was confirmed.
Smoky conditions make for an iffy Glacier, NP experience.
After dinner the urge to check out the park was too great and I drove the 40 miles to try my hand at a sunset shot of Lake McDonald (visit YouTube for a quick video). As I suspected the usually crisp viewing conditions were overshadowed by the residual smoky fallout from Canada. Of course this lead me to fear that all my plans north were going to be ruined. I regrouped my thoughts and decided that in a worst case scenario I’d just try to photograph points south or maybe even head into Seattle for some shots. I called Banff National Park this morning and they say things are very nice... So I’m hoping that maybe the fires will only cause a week or so of poor weather and are isolated to certain valleys. As I type up this blog the hazy conditions still persist in Glacier, however a good storm or weather system would clean out the air, even if for only a day or two. Of course this will happen after I leave... But since I’m still planning to drive north as of right now I can always catch Glacier on my way back south. That's the plan for now.
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