World War II and Lincoln Memorials 2007

Not that the prior image isn't what I wanted to say but I could resist posting this one as well. I was aiming to capture the World War II Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial centered above it when the couple just happened to stop directly in line with Lincoln's statue and my camera. I could have edited them out, but to me their presence helped better portray the solemn mood I was attempting to capture. So too does the individual standing in front of the 4,000 gold stars on the Freedom Wall. The stars commemorate the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives during World War II.

Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, The Capital

My parents first took me to Washington D.C. as a pre-high school teenager. I have the family pictures to prove it. The memory that has stayed with me years later is how magificent the capital building and monuments looked at night. I am fortunate to travel there on business (or otherwise) fairly frequently. I look forward to slipping out after dinner to take a few photographs.

I had hoped to post this in time for Veterans' Day but computer "issues" (I now have a new system board) delayed it. I selected this image over others because the conjunction of the water from the WWII Memorial (foreground), the towering Washington Monument and the distant Capital Building. So, as a diverenge from the natural beauty I like to portray here, I thought this would be a way of remembering the dedication of others so we have the privileges we do.

Cathedral Rocks, Bridalveil Falls, Leaning Tower, Yosemite National Park 2007

I could write much about Yosemite but most of it has been better and more authoritatively done but others. It is enough to let the photograph say it.

We went to Yosemite (our second trip) in June of 2007. Yosemite has a great hotel, plenty to do, and, to my family's delight, the setting sunlight makes beautiful photographs. Morning is good too, but good photographs can be taken in the evening. The photograph above was taken near sunset (the sun was behind me) from the Merced River near Fern Springs and the Pohono Bridge. It is a popular spot, often photographed, though many photographs include El Capital (which would be to the left in this photo).

What astounds me is that Cathedral Rocks (the two visible peaks nearest the falls) reaches 6,644 feet in elevation (compared to an elevation of 3,881 feet where this photograph was taken) but yet King Huber and François E. Matthes, the USGS experts, state glacier covered the valley above the summit of Cathedral Rocks, with Mathhes saying they reached a depth of not less than 300 feet above the peak.

The only modifications to this phtograph I made was to brighten it and increase the contrast slightly. The beauty of the light from the setting sun did the rest.

Moraine Lake, Wenkchemna Peaks, Clearing Clouds, Banff National Park 2006

My prior post introduced this area. This image was taken 30 minutes after the one in the prior post. It is a close call, but I believe this image better portrays the majesty I felt on seeing this view for the first time.

Moraine Lake, Wenkchemna Peaks, Banff National Park 2006

After leaving the Town of Banff (we actually stayed in Canmore), we drove to Lake Louise where we were to stay for a few days. We stopped briefly at Lake Louise and then took a spur to the Moraine Lake area. I was losing my optimism. It was raining off and off and it s was mid-afternoon, not the optimal photographic conditions. As luck would have it, however, by the time we arrived at Moraine Lake, the ran had stopped and the clouds were clearing, just about the most optimal photographic conditions. Getting my tripod, I walked toward Moraine Lake, to see what there was to see. The short path to the lake is at the end of the parking lot so when I arrived at the lake, I was rewarded with this view, one which any adjective could not possibly describe.

The clearing clouds gave some drama to the view but the afternoon sun made the lighting most difficult. After I took several photographs, including the one above, we walked around the lodge and store, before I returned to the lake to take more photographs (those will be posted later). This is one of those photographs, like the Rainbow Falls photograph, where the mood changes depending on whether it is in black/white or color.

The color photograph shows the deep green color of Moraine Lake, a color caused by glacial silt. Obviously, that color is lost on the black and white image:

My initial inclination was to not try to make a black and white image, after all, if you can't see the green in Moraine Lake, what is the point? But the more I adjusted the settings, the more I grew to like the black and white image. Once I figured out that I shouldn't attempt to replicate the green color in the lake and let the black and white image stand on its own merit, I liked it much better.

The view is understanably famous, having been featured on the back side of the Canadian $20 bill from 1969-1979 and a postage stamp in 1985, among other things.

Cascade Mountain and Clouds from Banff Springs Hotel 2006

Two years ago, we spent about 10 days in Calgary and Banff. Both towns were fantastic places to visit. After a few days in Calgary, we drove to Banff and Canmore where, we stopped at the Banff Springs Hotel for high tea.

Now, I enjoy hot tea (though coffee is my preferred hot drink) but being amongst the mountains, I am sure I was anxious to go somewhere I could take some photographs. (Patience, particularly when it comes to phtographs, is not one virtue I possess.)

As we were waiting for tea, we explored the grounds of the hotel. It was mid-June and while the weather was pleasantly cool, the gardens were full of flowers. After a few photos of the view from the hotel (and of the hotel), we walked around to the north corner of the hotel when this view appeared between the trees. Like many of my favorite photographs, I remember how it looked (and how I felt on seeing it) vividly.

I too often form the prejudice that beautiful photographs of mountains may only be found in the wilderness or far away from civilization. Banff, however, is a small resort town in the middle of a national park. It seems pointless to debate whether or not it should be there (in an aesthetic sense). It is, but the point of this is that no matter where you are, it pays to keep an open mind and try (at least, to enjoy the moment).

In the end, the trip to Banff and Calgary was probably one of the most photographically rewarding vacations I have had in years. The weather was moderate, the humidity low and there were clouds enough to make for a number of dramatic photographs. More on that later.

This digital photograph has superimposed a red filter to decrease the blue sky in between the clouds and bring out the light on the mountain. I also increased the contrast for the drama of the clouds. Of course, the real point is that I and my camera were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

Oh, high tea was quite enjoyable as well.

Mt. Stratus, Mt. Nimbus, Never Summer Range, Rocky Mountains National Park, 2001

While on the subject of the Rockies, I thought I would add a photograph from my 2001 visit. This is aview of Mt. Stratus (left) and Mt. Nimbus (center-right), in the Never Summer Range, as seen from Trail Ridge Road on the western side of the Rockies. The horizontal line along the bottom of the photograph is the Grand Ditch, which diverts water from west of the Continental Divide to the east.

One habit I have is wanting to return to the place where I took some of my favorite photographs. It isn't that I hope to take another "great" photograph, just that I enjoy seeing how the view "actually" looks. I remember the view by the photograph and the mood it inspired. Obviously, I thought the mood at the time quite dramatic. I knew I had been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

I didn't make it to the point where this photograph was taken when I returned last month. I just ran out of time. Given why this happened, I can't say I was too disappointed. By the time I could have driven to this location, the setting sun would have made a quality photograph difficult. It is one (of many) reasons I have to return.

Unlike the 2008 photographs, this was not taken with a digital camera. At the time, I didn't own a digital camera (short of a 320x240 one that relied on my laptop) and this is a scan of the 4x5 black and white negative. I have several black and white negatives from this trip - not as many as I now take with a digital camera, of course. As is true of any digital photograph (or non-digital one, for that matter), the contrast has been adjusted and I have erased some of the minor blemishes that appeal on the negative (or the scan).

Ypsilon and Fairchild Mountains, Clouds, Rocky Mountain National Park 2008

Toward the end of my one full day in the Rocky Mountain National Park, the weight of the day-long drive was getting the best of me. Still, I made my way back down from the top of Trail Ridge Road reluctantly, having just taken what I thought was a fanstastic photograph. I missed taking some interesting photographs because there were no pullouts or because the sun intruded too greatly into the photo. I came to that part of the road above Hanging Valley where the light and the pulloffs converged to permit this photograph.

I have to admit I did not know the names of the peaks at the time, and tonight, spent several hours pouring over topographic maps and photographs of others (relying heavily on the wonderful photographic index of the Rockies prepared by Gordon S. Novak Jr.) before seeing two peaks Ypsilon (left) and Fairchild (right) that looked familiar. I look forward to returning with more time and a detailed map.

In this digital age, we no longer have only one or two images of a subject, the way it was when sheet-film photograph negatives were the only means of capturing images of light. I have many images of this view but none balance the light on the lower left part of the photo without losing the definition in the clouds. Even digital photographs have limits, in some ways, more limits than good black and white negatives. While I think the image would profit from more illumination in the lower left, but on the whole, the image demonstrates the emotion I experienced at the time. I took a few more images as I made my way down the mountain toward Estes Park but the setting sun was low enough to make the shadows photographically prohibitive.

I took a few snapshots of rentals along Fall River (to stay in future trips), stopped for dinner and made my way back to Denver, knowing I should not wait another 7 years before again returning to the Rockies.

Indian Peaks Wilderness, Apache Peak, 2008

The Indian Peaks Wilderness and Arapaho National Forest border, to the south, the Rocky Mountains National Park on the Grand Lake area of the Park. The late afternoon sunlight on the clouds and far-off peaks gave the glow impossible to resist. When I took this image, I had still not reach the National Park and was eager to arrive there. My impatience might have cost me other, equally or more impressive, photographs of these peaks. Having only a day and a half, however, I had decided to stay with the known and leave exploring unknown areas for a later time. These views confirmed the worth of returning to explore the wilderness area south of the National Park at some point in the future.

About all I did to this photograph was increase the contrast to illuminate the clouds as they appeared at the time. Of course, I converted the original color to black and white.

Long's Peak and Clouds from Trail Ridge Road

There are so many opportunities along Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in any US National Park, for breathtaking views. This photograph attempted to capture one that literally stopped me in my tracks. When I saw this one, I hurriedly steered the car into the pullout and setup my tripod and then waited for the clouds to move over Longs Peak (the highest peak). Nature won't be rushed for any photograph.

As true in any photograph the intensity of this one is an attempt to match the emotion and thrill of the live experience. I adjusted the contrast and imposed a red filter in the conversion to a black and white image.

Shadow Mountain Lake, Rainbow and Sunset, Rocky Mountains National Park 2008

I spent two days in mid-September 2008 driving through the Rocky Mountains National Park. The Park received its first snow only a few days before, closing Trail Ridge Road. Rather than spend the day on the eastern side (in the Estes Park area), I drove to the southern part near the Grand Lake entrance, hoping the Park would open Trail Ridge Road the next day (more on this in later posts).

I spent the evening attempting to view and hopefully photograph the wildlife in this area of the park. After not having much success, I headed back towards the hotel area for the night when I spotted this rain cloud over Shadow Mountain Lake. As I waited, sitting beside the road, the rainbow formed (between Mount Bryan, in the foreground, and Mount Craig, the snow covered peak in the background) and the golden light, reflected from the setting sun, intensified. The word "vibrant" is meant to capture this mood but words are a poor substitute for the view I experienced.

Achieving the best balance between the clouds and the rainbow was not simple. The raw photograph did not reflect the actual intensity of the actual view but a simple increase in saturation restored the image to the actual view.

Mount LeConte from Clingman's Dome May 2008

Until the end of May 2008, I was never particularly enamored with the view from the observation tower at Clingman’s Dome. I’ve enjoyed hiking from the parking lot to one of the open fields along the Appalachian Trail, but by and large, can’t remember when I last hiked up the tower. (I can remember the day; it was winter, cold, and the leaves were off the trees.)

The day was a relaxed one, meet my family at the parking lot and we hiked from there (avoiding the paved trail) to the open area about a mile or so from the trail head. The forecast has been for clear weather but obviously that was wrong. The hike was interesting. We ran into a ranger and a solo hiker who said he averaged 25 miles a day on his summer-long hike from Georgia to Maine. I took few photographs from the fields as the only view was of the clouds. I’m not one to stick around and wait too long for the clouds to change so we headed back.

Because the grandchildren had not been to the tower at Clingman’s Dome, I suggested we divert to it. It was fairly crowded. I took several photographs with my D200 but decided the better view was a panorama with my Kodak digital. The sun was so bright I had to use my hat to shade the screen to align the images.

I took several panoramas, my family waiting patiently (or not, but they are used to waiting after all these years). This image was the last panorama taken. I thought I had overexposed it but a small adjustment to the contrast curve brought out the drama in the clouds without losing the luminosity of the mountain range.

In case you are wondering, Mount LeConte is the peak to the left of center, visible through the clouds.

Mount LeConte, Clouds, May 2008

Another photograph from May 2008, before the weather turned hot and the view turned hazy. This was the same late afternoon weather system that spawned the cumulus congestus clouds seen in yesterday's post. As before, this photograph was converted to black and white from the digital color image using a red "filter" and carefully adjusting the contrast to bring out the mood of the clouds and definition in the ridges. The actual view wasn't quite as dramatic as shown in the photograph - but it was pretty close. No photograph could do this view justice, however.

Thomas Ridge, Cumulus Congestus Clouds

Spring the Smokies is a wonderful time. (Of course, any day, no matter the season, is wonderful in the Smokies.) Spring, however, brings rain and beautiful clouds, before the haze of late spring and summer obscures the peaks and valleys. Seeing cumulus congestus clouds in and around the Smokies isn't exactly rare or unusual but seeing them when the view of the mountains is still sharp doesn't happen terribly often.

One day in May 2008, after school let out for the summer, my daughter and I set out on an afternoon hike to a waterfall. After a half mile of hiking, I realized the clouds were too beautiful so we turned around and drove to Newfound Gap, taking pictures along the way. The weather had not yet turned hot (it now has) and the clouds floated above the peaks without obsuring them. These were the kind of days that got me through law school. (Some now call them "mental health" days.)

Picking one image from this day was most difficult. I have another image of this view I especially enjoy. It, however, was taken with a "longer" lens (60 mm v 51 mm for the one above). While the clouds are more brilliant in the other image I picked this one because in the other, the magesty of the mountains does not seem as prominent.

I took this with my Nikon D200 digital camera and converted the color image to black and white. I carefully manipulated the contrast of the color image and then, in the conversion to black and white, added a complete red "filter" to add drama. I will shamelessly admit I edited out the overlook parking lot.

Mount Guyot, Moonrise, Clouds, 2005

The area between Pittman Center and Cosby has a number of fantastic views of the Smokies. There are several roads leading up the ridges that are west of highway 321. One evening in July of 2005, my wife and I drove up to where were were married for sentimental reasons. We stayed for as long as we could but the gnats quickly became intolerable. As we were driving down the winding road, the moon rose and the setting sun lit up the clouds. I stopped the truck, grabbed my camera and took as many photographs as possible before the light and mood changed. The timing was perfect. Much earlier and the moon would have been behind the clouds. Much later and the sunlight on the clouds would have darkened. For once, I was thankful for the gnats on Webb Mountain.

As it is, the original file is somewhat flat, necessarily so to obtain definition in the moon and the brightest part of the clouds. The file requires considerable adjusment in order to portray the exitement of the original "live" view without rendering the image too grainy.

Anthony Creek 1997

The Anthony Creek trail orginates at the Cades Cove picnic area, follows the creek, and connects with the Bote Mountain Trail which reaches the Appalachian Trail at Spence Field.

The hike on this occassion was in the fall, the goal was Spence Field, carrying my 4x5 camera, a tripod and several packs of film. I was hiking with an associate from my office who wanted to do some hiking. I think I about wore him out on this trail. It was an uphill climb the whole way.

The Anthony Creek Trail is one of the more beautiful trails in the park. It wanders through forests and beside streams. On the right kind of day, the sunlight streams through the leaves of the trees. The effect can be breath-taking.

This photograph was meant to capture those impressions. The water movement, the glow of the light on the trees behind the water, all make this photograph one of my personal favorites. I also have fond memories of the hike especially as we accomplished our goal of making it to Spence Field.

Thunderhead Mountain, Cades Cove, Clouds 1990's

I usually avoid Cades Cove due to the traffic. Yet, Cades Cove has its contribution to the beauty of the Smokies. Thunderhead Mountain is one of my favorite peaks and, perhaps that is why I return to this spot along the Cades Cove Loop Road for this view of the peak.

I returned to this spot just this last weekend. While the day was not as dramatic as show in this picture, will post those photographs later.

Mount LeConte from Maloney Point on Little River Road

I had one rule in law school: if the clouds were beautiful, the day was wasted being indoors. This was probably one of those days when I packed my cameras into the truck and headed to the mountains. As seen, the clouds were not just spectacular, but the recently cleared storm brought a clarity to the air, rendering an unusual detail to the distant mountain range. There are several places in or near the Smokies to see beautiful, sweeping vistas of the moutains themselves. The Little River Road, just up the hill from the National Park visitor center near Gatlinburg, has three pullouts, Maloney Point is the last one. (In the 20 some-odd years since this picture was taken, the trees have now grown up and now block the views on the right side of the photograph.) Since this is not the typical view of Mount LeConte, I should explain that it is behind the clouds on the right hand side. Just to the left, outside of the photograph, is the Park Vista Hotel, making it important to carefully compose the camera.

This was taken with my 4x5 view camera on black and white sheet film. Even 20 years old, the negative holds amazing clarity and resolution. Oddly enought, in contrast to the Ramsey Cascade picture, the scan of this negative is much more satisfying than any print I was ever able to make.

Ramsey Cascade 1984

My all time favorite hike. It is demanding but rewarding, in so many ways. It is four miles (one way) starting in the Greenbrier section of the park. The elevation at the start of the trail is about 1800 feet. The first 1.5 miles of the hike gain 800 feet along an old jeep trail. The falls are about 4600 feet so, as anyone knows who has hiked it, the hike is an uphill climb with the hardest part loaded at the end.

This trail is best hiked in late spring or early summer. I am always tempted to hike this trail in early to mid-spring before it turns hot but by the time the trail reaches 4000 feet, the rocks can be icy or snow covered, making passage very difficult.

Despite its difficultly, it is a very popular hike and well worth it. Most of the trail walks along the Little Pigeon River and then the Ramsey Prong. At times, Ramsey Prong flows over rocks that the trail crosses, which is why, when there is ice, the hike can be slippery.

(The Mount Guyot topo map shows a trail to the Greenbrief Pinnacle Lookout Tower. If you look closely you'll see the makings of a trail but it is no longer marked. Some experience hikers and clubs still traverse it.)

There are numerous spots for photographs of the stream or the woods but stopping means delaying the arrival at the Cascades so it is tempting to pass them by.

This photograph was taken on my first hike to Ramsey Cascade. At the time, I had a new large format camera (this was long before digital cameras) which required me to carry it, the loaded sheets of film and a tripod. I like this perspective on the falls better than other photographs I have taken or seen. Most are taken above the lower section of the falls so they are by necessity close to the falls. While still beautiful, the viewer of these photographs does not get the full sense of the complete falls.

The print of this negative is much more rewarding than the digital scan. The rocks glow with illumination (even though the print is over 20 years old) and the whites of the water have more definition or tone than the digitally scanned version.

Rainbow Falls - November 2003

These identical photographs (of Rainbow Falls) illustrate my point (see prior post) about the different moods of black and white v. color photography. I like the color photograph immensely but it is a "snapshot" compared to the black and white photograph. By that I mean the color hasn't the expression of the black and white. I don't find this an absolute, but I do have an unapologetic bias for black and white.

What surprises me about Rainbow Falls (from a photographic point of view) is the absence of good quality photographs of it online. A Google search reveals some photographs (of this Rainbow Falls - there are quite a few others) but other Smokies waterfalls are more and better photographed. None show the rainbow.

The 2.7 mile (one-way) hike to Rainbow Falls is moderately demanding but compared to the hike to Ramsey Cascades (4 miles), it is a breeze. The only difficulty I've found in photographing it is that other hikers enjoy crawling around on the rocks under the falls (a very dangerous adventure as the water makes the rocks quite slippery). This hike, however, was on a cool, slightly rainy day, so there were only a few hardy hikers out and they respected the dangers.

The view of Rainbow Falls looks to the east so it is better as an afternoon hike. The falls have the sun behind them or are in shadow most of the morning. As the sun lowers on the horizon, the rainbow appears. The park service reminds us that the falls can also freeze over in very cold weather.

Porters Creek, Greenbrier

Porters Creek is in the Greenbrier section of the National Park. The trail to Fern Falls crosses the creek several times. We hiked the trail in May when the greenery along the trail was freshly grown.

This view struck me as we were hiking to the falls and upon the return, it was an irresistible photo opportunity (and, as usual, I ended up making us later for dinner).

The digital color image is quite different from the black and white image. The color image is so Wizard of Oz (emerald green) that it overwhelms the palette. The black and white image, on the other hand, captures the tonal relationships in a way the color could not.

Snow, Rainbow Falls Trail 2003

When it snows in the Smokies, familiar trails change their complexion. There are far fewer people on the trails, giving them a peaceful quality, and the fragility of the snow perched on branches of a bush or tree limb makes what would be an ordinary view, unusual. The snow, of course, absorbs sounds so it is much quieter.

This was actually a late March snow. While snow in March is not unusual for the Smokies (there appeared to be a dusting on the peaks this evening), at this elevation (about 2600 feet), in early spring, it warranted special attention and I was glad we went. I'm quite sure we followed this walk in the snowy woods with dinner at the Park Grill.

This view caught my eye because of the contrast between the tree trunks and the snow covered branches and bushes. (If you look closely in the lower left portion, you'll see a rhododendron bush under the snow.)

Mount LeConte, Clouds, Late Winter

I was on my way to a morning meeting when the view at Campbell Lead overlook made me rather late. (I would have been late anyway but this was a better excuse.) Shortly before 10 Am, I crested the Gatlinburg bypass and realized, I have a wonderful life.

The crepuscular rays, lined up with the foreground peaks as if they agreed to pose for the picture.

I've always been a sucker for clouds and mountains.

Lynn Camp Prong

There are numerous opportunities for beautiful photographs along the way to Indian Flats Creek. This is one, along the way, that captures for me the essence of a stream in the Smoky Mountains. The leaves in the lower right were natural, not arranged.

I originally photographed the stream at a higher angle but upon reflection, I wanted the water in the stream to be more prominent so I lowered the tripod to get the camera as close to the water as possible.

As mentioned in the prior post, this is the view of all the falls at Indian Flats Creek. This 2002 photo was taken after a muddy crawl down the bank and precariously stepping out on (dry) rocks while balancing the tripot in the stream. The rhododendron bush in the lower right corner is a distraction but a necessary one as there was no other place to take this photo.

Indian Flats Falls

This lovely little water fall is the upper fall in a series of falls on the Indian Flats Creek near the Tremont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail (to the falls) departs from the Lynn Camp Prong trail and is unmarked but can be located without too much effort. It is a short crawl through several rhododendron bushes to this fall. The lower falls are less accessible - getting a picture of all of the falls involves crawling down the bank and perching on pointed rocks in the stream while your tripod gets its feet wet.

Despite being unmarked, these falls are quite popular as every time I've been to them, it has had other visitors.

New Photographs

It isn't that the web need yet another blog about photography. I just need a creative outlet. My photos will show the beauty of East Tennessee and, from time to time, elsewhere.