Yosemite National Park in Spring (No. 2)

Ansel Adams said that "The negative is comparable to the composer's score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways." Since getting back from Yosemite National Park (about four weeks ago), I've been working on my initial digital images (the "scores") and trying to make the best possible "performance" (final image) from each one. Here is the next batch of my Yosemite photographs. If you missed my first Yosemite post, you can find it HERE. To purchase any of my photographs, visit my ETSY SHOP.

Peaceful morning on the Merced River
(seen from El Capitan Bridge).

Glacier Point at twilight
with moonrise.

Sunset at Tenaya Lake .

Three Brothers with morning light. 

Tree in Merced River at Happy Isles.

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls
in morning light.

Yosemite Falls at night with moonbow.

Merced River with reflection of
El Capitan.

Close up of Yosemite Falls.

Meadow, trees and Half Dome:  Last
Light in Yosemite Valley

Yosemite National Park in Spring (No. 1)

I recently returned from a "bucket list" five day trip to Yosemite National park.  I am fortunate to have traveled there several times before (most recently five years ago, with my wife and sons).  This recent trip was specifically to photograph Yosemite's magnificent landscapes and nature.  I chose to travel in Spring, in order to see the waterfalls and rivers at their fullest, and to see dogwoods and other wildflowers.  Below are the first ten of my images.  To see more of my Yosemite photographs, click HERE.

Bridalveil Falls at Sunset

Moonrise over Gray Peak (from Glacier Point)

Morning View of Upper Yosemite Falls and Reflection
(from Swinging Bridge)

Tunnel View Silhouette (before Sunrise)

Morning Reflection of El Capitan in the Merced River

Rush of Water:  Merced River at Happy Isles

Half Dome at Sunset (from Yosemite Valley)

Dogwood and Incense Cedar

Half Dome at Sunset (from Glacier Point)

Yosemite Valley at Dusk:  Meadow, Trees and Cliffs 

For most of my time in Yosemite, I was part of  a photography workshop led by GARY HART and co-led by DON SMITH - two extremely talented photographers (and very nice, engaging guys).  Gary has an infectious love of photography, and he consistently put us in "the right place at the right time" (for great light, wonderful vantage points, unique experiences, etc.) The other nine participants in the group were a diverse, interesting, extremely friendly and very skillful group of professionals who shared my enthusiasm for photography and the outdoors.  They not only provided companionship in Yosemite, but we learned a great deal by seeing each other's work.  On my last day in Yosemite, I was extremely lucky to have a private workshop with MICHAEL FRYE.  Michael is one of the present gurus of Yosemite photography, and he wrote several beautiful and extremely useful landscape photography books, including:  The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite

Spring Flowers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

After a seemingly endless winter, I was more than ready for signs  of spring:  warmer days, the start of the baseball season, and spring flowers.  I've gone out several times during the past two weeks to photograph flowers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  The photographs below were taken at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve (in New Hope, Pennsylvania), and various locations in Yardley, Pennsylvania (next to Lake Afton, and a Dogwood Tree near the old cemetery on Yardley-Morrisville Road).  After the grays and whites of winter, its great to see the assortment of spring colors.  To see more of my flower, nature and landscape photographs, click HERE.

Morning in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

I recently enjoyed a long spring weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  My primary reasons for the trip had to do with baseball, golf, and catching up with old friends, but I had a few opportunities to photograph the sunrise and early morning by the ocean.  Here are a few of my images:

Sunrise at Cherry Grove Pier

Seashell with ocean water

Morning under the Cherry Grove Pier

Warn seashell in morning light

Sunrise at Cherry Grove Pier

Morning Waves

Cherry Grove Pier at Sunrise

Beautiful Walls in the Inner City: Photographing Philadelphia's Murals

When people think of Philadelphia, what often comes to mind are the Liberty Bell, cheesesteaks, or Rocky Balboa.  The Philadelphia Museum of Art, whose steps were immortalized in the Rocky films, displays some of the world's truly magnificent and famous works of art.  But one of the interesting (and I think very cool) things about Philadelphia is that hundreds of beautiful and inspiring paintings are on permanent exhibition, all over the city, in plain view.  Over the past few years (most recently a few days ago) I made trips into Philly to explore and photograph these wonderful murals.  

"Famous Franks" 
345 S. 13th St. 

"Common Threads"
Broad and Spring Garden Streets

"Heavenly Hall"
40th and Poplar Streets

"Dr. J"
1219 Ridge Ave.

"It Has To Be From Here…Forgotten but Unshaken"
3263 N. Front Street

"Jackie Robinson"
2803 N. Broad Street

John B. Stetson School
320 B Street

"Father Paul Washington"
3405 Ridge Avenue

"Healing Walls (Victims Journey)"
3065 Germantown Ave.

"Philadelphia Muses"
S. 13th and Locust St.

"Philadelphia Stars: a tribute to Negro League baseball"
4304 Parkside Ave.

"Progress for Women"
1307 Locust St.

As I photograph the murals, at times I tried to highlight a particular section or detail (see my photographs of "Common Threads" or "Progress for Women" above).  Other times I tried to show how the mural is situated within a neighborhood (see "Jackie Robinson" or "Healing Walls" above).  Prior to venturing into Philly, I always map out a few murals which seemed interesting (using my online resources, below).  While I always tried to reach predetermined locations, I always had "happy accidents", in which I was looking for a particular place only to stumble upon another beautiful wall.

Most of these murals were created as part of Philadelphia's MURAL ARTS PROGRAM. Visit their website to learn more about their mission and their interesting 30+ year history.  To search murals by theme, artist, or section of the city, use "muralBase," and click HERE.  To see more of my photographs, or to purchase a print, visit my online ETSY shop, and click HERE.

"We're Not in Kansas Anymore": Photographs of a Unique Winter

"Old Man wintertime

He goes so slow

Its ten degrees below, you know

You can take your ice and snow

And let my balmy breezes blow…"

---James Taylor

I know that in the blink of an eye, I will be complaining that summer's "balmy breezes" are too darn hot.  I'll be frustrated by however many consecutive 90+ degree days, not to mention the sticky humidity, and the annoyance of getting sunscreen in my eyes.  I'll be itching for the relief of an air-conditioner.

But for now, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, this feels like the winter that never ended.  Last week our sons had three "snow days," and on two nights our family had local friends sleep at our house, as they had lost power and heat in their homes.  Walking the dog on 10 degree mornings is no joy, and I can't wait to put away the snowblower, shovels, and calcium chloride for the season.

Now that I've vented, let me say that our freezing, snow and ice-filled winter has created some truly beautiful, captivating, and at times almost surreal photographic opportunities.  To paraphrase the Wizard of Oz, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Bucks County anymore."  The thing is, we still are in Bucks county, it just looks completely different. To capture the following images, I stood outside in the snow and freezing drizzle, walked (cautiously) on a frozen pond and river, and manipulated my camera in 10 and 20 degree temperatures, when I could barely feel my fingers. With the exception of a few images of the Threadleaf Japanese Maple Tree (in Princeton, New Jersey), I took all of these photographs in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Yardley Train Bridge and the frozen Delaware River
Yardley, Pennsylvania

Rowboat stuck in the Frozen Delaware River.
Yardley, Pennsylvania.

Park Bench in Snow
Lake Afton, Yardley, Pennsylvania

Ice Hockey on Frozen Pond
Lake Afton, Yardley, Pennsylvania

Damaged Threadleaf Japanese Maple Tree in freezing Drizzle
Marquand Park, Princeton, New Jersey

Broken Branch of Threadleaf Japanese Maple Tree
Marquand Park, Princeton, New Jersey

Detail of Frozen Branches of Threadleaf Japanese Maple Tree
Marquand Park, Princeton, New Jersey

Partially Frozen Delaware River with Snow-Covered Trees
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania

Frozen Branch of Japanese Maple Tree
Yardley, Pennsylvania (in our front yard!)

Geese on Frozen Delaware River
Yardley, Pennsylvania

Canal and Tow Path in Snow
Yardley, Pennsylvania

Included in the photographs above are three images of a Threadleaf Japanese Maple Tree in Marquand Park (in Princeton, New Jersey).  Previously I had photographed this tree in a wide variety of seasons, conditions, and times of day. (To see my earlier blog post with a variety of photographs of this beautiful tree, click HERE).  Last week I eagerly returned to the tree only to find that it had been significantly damaged by the combination of heavy snow and ice.  Sad to see the condition of this wonderful tree, I thought of the  George Harrison song "All things must pass…"