Fortunately, this week has allowed me to get out for that hike through the woods. Mid-week was beautiful (raining now - but you cannot have everything)! Perfect conditions to get out and explore some of Scenic Kentucky! Our state boasts a very diverse landscape, one that includes miles of hiking trails through woods, over mountains and along clear streams. I like to get out for a nice hike. You add a waterfall into that hike and I'm as happy as a kid on Christmas morning! There are many waterfalls in Kentucky and my self-charged mission is to photograph as many as possible.

Below is one of my favorite shots from this week. This little hidden gem was my oasis at the end of a brisk hike that led me along a clear stream meandering through the woods. Most of the trees are still leafless, so that makes shot composition important. Thankfully, this scene still allowed a wide angle shot without too many "naked" tree branches interjecting themselves into my composition. The trail came down to the water in the right of the scene. I had to traverse the water to get to this location for the shot. I'm sure it would have been comical to watch me walking over the slick rocks, trying not to fall into the water. Fortunately, I made it without dunking my camera equipment into the chilly water!

Hopefully you can get back out on the trail soon too! Get out and enjoy the warmer temperatures and be thankful that you don't have to shovel snow anytime soon!

Until next time…Happy Shooting!!!

When we think of the equipment that is important in photography, there are some obvious choices. Certainly, you cannot get any shots without the camera, the lens, a memory card (or film for those of you older than 25), and a charged battery. I'll spot you those! Many of you would also be correct that a good sturdy tripod is essential for a shot of longer exposure (I would also argue that a tripod helps in essentially all landscape shots - but that is a topic for another day!). Other than the obvious items listed above, the most important piece of equipment for this shot was - drum roll please - the hotel room hand towel! That's what you were thinking, right?

I've been a little unfair. I didn't tell you about the conditions. This shot was taken on the beach, although not what most people would consider a typical beach day. First of all, it was 40 degrees. Fahrenheit, not celsius! It was very windy, with gusts up to 35 mph (not sure what that makes the wind-chill factor, but take my word for it - it was cold! This is the first time I've ever stood on the beach with a winter parka, hiking boots and five layers of clothing on. It might just be the last time too! It was windy enough that the sand was blowing so much, that I could feel it grinding in my teeth. So where does the towel come in?…it was raining too! One of those constant all day rains. So, the shot would not have been possible without wiping off the front of my lens between each and every shot. Otherwise, the scene would have been obscured, and distracted, by water spots on the lens.

Hopefully, the weather is better where you are! And I'm hoping the weather breaks here soon too! A nice colorful sunrise/sunset, in dry conditions, would be a welcome sight! Oh, and by the way, waterproof hiking boots don't keep your feet dry when the surf crests the top of the boot! That, as well as enduring the conditions described above, was a small price to pay to get the shot I wanted!

Until next time…Happy Shooting!

P.S. - Here are a couple of companion shots:

With or Without You

Tropical Bliss

Tropical Bliss

Escape

Escape

Sunset Moment

Sunset Moment

You can see more in my Beach and Tropical gallery!

Until next time...Happy Shooting!

As beautiful as a fresh snow scene can be, the bottom line is: a snow scene is COLD! Don't get me wrong, I love living in an area where we have four distinct seasons and I love to enjoy, and photograph, the beauty each brings! However, I also love outside activities with the warmth of the sun that are better enjoyed in warmer seasons.

So, while enjoying the winter scene out my window, I decided to escape to a warmer climate and review some pictures I had taken this past summer while at the beach. I ran across this shot:

Take Me There I was out very early one morning shooting around a pier that stretched out into the water. You can see some shots of the pier in my Beach and Tropical Gallery. I actually came to this spot two different mornings and the scene was much different each day due to differences in light due to a storm passing through one morning. As I was walking back up from the beach, I noticed this scene. The glow of the warm morning sky in the background against this grassy dune in the foreground caught my eye. This was not a planned shot of the morning, but one of those jewels that you just "happen" upon, which is one of the great things I love about landscape photography (see my Photography..."is like a box of chocolates" blog)!

I call this shot "Take Me There", because when I see a scene such as this, it just allows me to escape from whatever my current reality is for a while! This beach could be just about anywhere, so imagine your favorite beach when you see this shot and allow it to take "YOU" there!

Until next time...Happy Shooting!!

Last weekend I was out in search of a great shot of the sunrise over one of my favorite farms. This farm has an old barn sitting atop a hill. I knew the forecast was for some clouds to be moving through. I kept my fingers crossed that it would all come together. We had everything but the low lying fog! Below is one of my favorite shots from that morning. I don't often like to put such a dominant structure, such as a barn near the center of the scene, but I positioned myself to place the rising sunlight in the right of my shot and an interesting tree on the left to balance it all out. A day or two before this, some fairly heavy rain moved through the area. There was still a large puddle of water within a rut in the gravel road running through the field. I placed my camera so that the water would show the reflection of light and color from the sky to add additional interest.

Farmland GrandeurFarm near Lexington, KY The "golden hour" is a landscape photographer's best friend. The hour near sunrise and sunset is when the colors are the deepest, shadows are the longest and reflections on clouds and water are the most pronounced. It is always amazing to me just how much a scene can change within an hour. Of course, that also means that you must work fast to not miss the show. Sometimes colors in the sky can be gone within a matter of minutes! Other times, one set of colors can fade into a completely different set of colors. See the two shots below. They were taken on the same morning, from nearly the same spot, on the same farm within about 30-40 minutes.

This was just as the dark night sky was being overtaken by predawn blues and purples. The next shot was, obviously, just after sunrise. Those predawn blues and purples were completely replaced by the deep oranges of the sun itself in the second shot. 

So the next time you are out during the golden hour near sunrise or sunset, take the time to slow down and enjoy the show of fleeting colors and reflections!

Until next time...Happy Shooting!

As a landscape photographer, I love natural light! That dramatic lighting that comes near the beginning and ending of the day can take a scene that might otherwise be pretty, but uninteresting, and make it a “WOW” moment. We photographers love to be able to capture those fleeting moments in time!

One subject of such interest is a beautiful sunset or sunrise. You know the kind - the kind where the sun, as a big ball of fire, is near the horizon and there are multiple shades of color, such as, orange and red and yellow bouncing off the clouds around it. The nearby landscape is illuminated and shadows are cast, creating interesting lines and giving depth of field to your photograph. I love that time of day! Incorporating the sun, and it’s rays of beaming light, into my scenery is one of my favorite ways to compose a shot.

However, it can become very easy to become so focused on the “light show”, starring the sun, that I forget to look around me! This not only creates a beautiful scene looking into the sunlight, but the scene BEHIND you can be just as dramatic. During this magical time of day when the sun is low in the sky, it’s light will create wonderful colors throughout the sky and the landscape. If you turn around and place the sun to your back, often you will see shades of red to orange to pink to purple reflecting off of the clouds in the sky. Hardscape objects such as rocks and tree trunks - and softer objects such as foliage, will begin to change appearance during this marvelous time. Shadows are also cast and the scene can become very interesting, as the shadows can also help to create perspective and depth of field.

Take for example this shot of the lake and the clouds. I actually had just been shooting the sunset (which was the other direction). The sun that night had been strong and very bright, diffused very little by overlying clouds. However, the clouds adjacent to the sun were reflecting it’s colors beautifully. There were some hills towards the setting sun in the west that then obscured it as it fell lower in the sky. I was just about to pack it up and head in when I turned around to this wonderful scene! The light was still enough to reflect off of the clouds and the colors of the fading light were just inspiring. Of course, the reflections on the water did not hurt either! This attenuating light lasted about five minutes or so. The thing is, when I started shooting earlier that night, this scene was relatively blah and uninteresting and the view actually looking toward the sun was the best.

So, the next time you are out shooting into that grand sunrise or sunset, don’t forget to simply turn around and look at the scene behind you. It may be just as - if not more - dramatic than the view of the sunrise or sunset. This seems so basic, but it can be easy to become so focused in one direction that you may miss the best part!

Until next time...Happy Shooting!

Our plan for the afternoon was to head out north of town along a road with a series of beautiful mountain lakes. Initially, that was a great plan as the weather was wonderful - bright sunshine and temps that were not too hot.  We were having a very relaxing drive, stopping along the way at each lake. The lakes there are gorgeous, each with their own tint of turquoise and blue. The kids were having the time of their lives - skipping rocks off the shore and occasionally throwing in a large "boulder", seeing who could make the biggest splash! Our destination was a lake near the end of the drive where you could take a ferry boat out to a beautiful island on the other side of the lake. I was looking forward to it, as it is a very picturesque place! However, just as we pulled into the parking lot, it began to sprinkle the rain. Then a little harder...then a slow steady rain, the kind that usually sticks around for a while.

Some of our crew needed a potty break and Dad decided to catch a couple of "zzz's" in the car. Me, well, I know that some of the best pictures are taken right before or right after stormy weather moves through, so I told the "potty breakers" to meet me down near the lake's edge when the rain stopped. I grabbed my camera and headed out. I was able to catch several good shots as I stood under some trees to get shelter from the rain. However, I just wasn't getting a shot I truly loved. Then, as I was looking around for my next shot, I noticed two deer coming out of the woods into an open field close to the water's edge. This was my shot! I slowly moved closer, being careful to not spook them. The rain had tapered off to a soft mist. I got as close as I dared to not scare them away and took a series of shots. You can see one of my favorites on the right and a couple of others in the "O Canada!" gallery. As I was standing there in the moment, I was thinking of a close friend of mine. He is a "man's man" and true lover of the outdoors and hunting. I was thinking that he would love to be there seeing what I was seeing too. Funny thing is, a few weeks after posting the gallery on this site, his wife decided that one of the shots reminded her of him too. It is now framed above their mantle. When she picked it out as a gift for him, she had no idea that I had thought of him while I was shooting it! Great how that worked out!

As it seemed that the rain would be sticking around off and on, we decided to head back into town and catch an early dinner and then the rain might have time to move out. We were hopeful that we could catch a nice sunset later that evening. It was my parents' turn to pick where we would eat. Dad said that there was a place he had seen advertised that sounded great. So we drove back into Jasper and found his choice. There was no parking near the restaurant, so I dropped everyone off and searched for a parking space. I ended up having to park a few blocks away. As I was getting out of the car I thought, "is there really any need to take my camera?" I nearly left it in the car, but thought I may want to snap a few shots around the town between there and the restaurant. I didn't take any before I got there. Everyone was seated when I arrived. My dad was pretty disappointed as they had come to the realization that this place was Jasper's version of Denny's. I was fine...bring on the pancakes!

Promise After dinner as I was headed back to the car I was SO glad I had actually brought my camera to dinner with me. I turned the corner and looked out to the east of town and saw one of the largest rainbows I have ever seen! It was perfectly positioned on a hill of green vegetation headed up to a mountain. I was so happy that I not only had my camera, but also had my polarizer on the lens to really capture the vibrant colors! 

So what were the chances that I would see this beautiful scene? Well, I don't know, but I certainly could not have captured it if I had left my camera in the car. What were the chances I would see the two deer "posing" in front of the mountain? Don't know, but would not have captured it if I had let myself get rained out. So...chance (whatever that may be) favors the prepared. As Louis Pasteur said, "Chance favors the prepared mind." What are you prepared to do today?

Until next time...Happy Shooting!

There are various reminders in scenic landscapes and nature, itself, that can remind us of God and His love for us. Consider butterflies.  Just think of how a butterfly starts out as a caterpillar.  It cannot fly, it crawls around, and is often less than attractive.  Then it undergoes a metamorphosis, a complete change, and becomes this beautiful butterfly. This is a great reminder of how God transforms us. He takes us when we are broken and helpless and transforms us into a new life with a hope and a future. 

Jeremiah 29:11-13  - "For I know the plans I have for you" - this is the Lord's declaration - "plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future, and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you."

Rainbows. Rainbows are such a magnificent reminder of His love as well. They are hard to miss. He stretches them across the sky like the ultimate of all billboards, advertising His presence in our lives and His promises to us! Sometimes He even sends two, saying "Love you double!" I feel that rainbows can also remind us how He takes us through the storms in our life, and on the other side of the storm is a beautiful ending, or new beginning!  The rainbow, if we were able to see it in its entirety, is a circle. So, the next time you see a rainbow, let yourself be reminded of His love encircling you and promising you that He is with you!

Genesis 9:12-15  - "Here is the sign of the covenant I am making (for all time). I have put my rainbow in the clouds. It will be the sign of the covenant between Me and all of the earth. Sometimes when I bring clouds over the earth, a rainbow will appear in them. Then I will remember my covenant between Me and you and every kind of living thing. The waters will never become a flood to destroy all life again."

How about just rocks? Simple smooth rounded rocks? I love mountain streams. Not only photographing a mountain stream and reflections within it, but I like to wade in one too! There is something so refreshing about having that cool, often very cold, mountain water running over your feet and ankles. The next time you are by a stream, look down in the clear water and notice the small smooth stones. They are so beautiful wet with the stream water. It really brings out many different colors. 

These smooth stones offer a couple of reminders from above for me. First of all, if you think of the water in the mountain stream as God's love, grace and mercy, it washes us clean and makes us beautiful. It brings out our best colors! I often wonder if these stones started out rough and jagged, but became smooth over time as the water reshaped them and made them new, just as over time God can take our rough edges and make us new.

The more obvious symbolism of the smooth stones is the story of David and Goliath. God achieved what many thought was impossible through David. This boy, David, killed the 9 foot tall giant, Goliath with a slingshot and a stone, a feat many thought to be impossible! What obstacle in your life seems impossible? Just think how God used David and one of these five smooth stones to achieve the impossible and take encouragement from that!

1 Samuel 17:40, 49-50. David went out to a stream and picked up five smooth stones and put them in his leather bag. Then, with his sling in hand, he went straight toward Goliath...He put a stone in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the stone flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull, and he fell facedown on the ground. David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone. He killed him without even using a sword.

I like to find a small stone to bring back with me. When I find it later, I am reminded of the enjoyment I had in the mountain stream and these reminders from above! So, the next time you are out enjoying God's creation, look for the butterflies, the rainbows and the smooth stones and be reminded of how God can change you, His promises to you, and how He can do the impossible through you!

What other reminders from above do you see in nature? Maybe a sand dollar or a dogwood tree? The symbolism associated with those is so wonderful! What else? Leave comments below about symbols in nature that remind you of our Creator!

Until next time...Happy Shooting!

This past week my dad and I went to Red River Gorge in the middle of the night on a quest to photograph the Perseid meteor showers. We knew that we were a day or two past the peak activity, but on the night of peak activity, it was raining buckets around here.  The night we chose was predicted to be clear.  We had some idea of where we would go, and grabbed our gear including camera, sturdy tripod, remote shutter release, flashlights, and of course, plenty of snacks and caffeinated drinks!  We were ready!  I picked dad up around 1:30 am and we drove to Red River Gorge.  The spot we had in mind for our trophy pictures was around the Gladie Cabin historic site.  We hiked in to the grassy field near the cabin and set up.  

It didn't take long for us to see that we would not be getting pics of spectacular meteor showers.  The activity just wan't enough.  So we switched gears and decided we would do some star trail pics with the forest line or the cabin in the foreground.  Just as we were getting our technique down and getting some good shots, the stars started to disappear!  Unfortunately, some low lying, dense fog had completely covered our subject.  We waited it out for another hour or so, but it seemed obvious that the fog was there to stay.  So when you are given lemons, what do you do?  Make lemonade!

I told dad that the fog was bad for star trail and meteor pics, but would make our sunrise shots that much more interesting!  We then drove to one of my favorite spots to catch the sunrise.  We had enough time to get there and hike in and get set up.  The spot is near skybridge and is a cliff overlooking the valley.  When we arrived at the pull-off to park it was still dark.  There is a narrow trail, a tenth of a mile, that leads you out to the overlook.  Unfortunately, it is not a real trail, maintained by the park.  It is fairly weedy and knowing that we were in rattlesnake and copperhead country, we tried to make as much noise as possible!  Thankfully we didn't come across any serpents!

Hope The photo to the right is one of my favorites from the sunrise session there that morning. No, it isn't the meteor shower or the star trails that we had set out to get, but it is one that captures the mood and the essence of the morning.  I knew that we would be shooting the sunrise that morning, and even knew that it may be from this spot.  I had planned that much, but until you actually shoot the shot, you don't know what you are going to get and in that way, photography is "like a box of chocolates!"  

For me, that is part of the great pleasure I get from photography, especially landscape photography.  I can plan out a shoot and even imagine in my mind what pics I will want to get.  However, you don't know until you are finished exactly what kind of pics you will end up with, based upon the conditions of light and weather and timing.  It is sort of like as a kid, opening up presents at Christmas...you are excited and know that you will like what's in all of those pretty packages, you just don't know what you have until you actually open them!  So plan out your next shoot and eagerly anticipate what you might "open-up" when you get there!

Until next time...Happy shooting!

Here is my favorite star trail pic that I was able to get before the fog covered the stars: 

Consider the image to the left.  If you notice the grasses near the bottom edge of the water, there is curved line of grasses just below the reflection of half-dome.  This curved line is a good example of something in the image that will draw the eye into the image to see more.  I personally also like the small line of water in the middle on the extreme bottom edge to draw you in to the rest of the water, but it could be also argued that the composition could be strengthened if the bottom edge were "framed" with a solid line of grass to hold the eye into the scene as well.  So there are no hard and fast rules.  Remember, that you, as the photographer, are the artist, so do what is best and most pleasing to your eye!

Thanks for checking out my blog and my website!  Please let me know if you see something you like!  As I do more shoots, I'll continue to add more galleries.  I will also add to the blog info from certain shoots and pass along info that I find interesting, educational or entertaining!

Until next time...Happy Shooting!