2018 Year in Review: Josh Friedman's Photographs

"Be at War with your Vices, at Peace with your Neighbours,
and let every New-Year find you a better Man."
-Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard's Almanac)

The past 12 months have been one of transitions within our family:  Jason (18) is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, studying engineering; Alex (22) is a senior at Carnegie Mellon University, and he will start working in NYC as a software developer after graduation this coming Spring; and Cynthia and I have become "empty nesters."

Photography has continued to be a source of creativity, peacefulness, friendship and joy.  Over the past year I've had the good fortune to spend hours photographing the beauty and history that surrounds us in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  Some other highlights have included:  San Francisco and Muir Woods in California; the Wormsloe Historic Site near Savannah, Georgia; The Cascadilla Gorge Trail, in Ithaca, New York; the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas; Washington, DC; and various areas of interest within Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh's bridges; Gettysburg National Military Park; the Philadelphia skyline on the night before the Super Bowl; and the historic Eastern State Penitentiary).

Below are some favorite images from the past year.  Thank you to Cynthia, who helped me edit my initial collection of photographs.  Additionally, for those who may be interested, HERE is recent story about my photography in Bucks Happening magazine.  Wishing everyone a holiday season and a new year filled with peace, happiness, companionship and fulfillment. 

Lake Afton and Saint Andrew's Church in Snow,
Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California.

Painted Ladies, with the San Francisco Skyline 
(a.k.a. "Postcard Row" of Victorian Homes, as seen from 
Alamo Square Park, just before sunset).

Pittsburgh Skyline at twilight, reflected in the
Allegheny River (as seen from the Three Rivers
Heritage Trail, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).

 Stone Arch Bridge reflected in Pidcock Creek, in Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Royal Towers and The Cove, reflected in Paradise Lagoon.
Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas.

"Oak Avenue" at the Wormsloe Plantation, with Oak Trees and Spanish Moss, Wormsloe Historic Site, near Savannah, Georgia.

Late Autumn Sunrise at Patterson Farm,
Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Cascadilla Gorge Trail in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

Lake Afton and the Old Library in Winter,
Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The Golden Gate Bridge at Sunrise,
from Fort Point, San Francisco, California.

Blue Heron along the Delaware Canal and Towpath
Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC.

Lake Afton and the Old Library in Autumn,
Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Skyline in Green at Night,
Prior to the Eagles-Patriots Super Bowl.

Lumberville-Ravenrock Bridge with partially frozen
Delaware River, Lumberville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Sycamore Trees in Morning Fog, Washington Crossing Historic
 Park, Washington Crossing, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Civil War cannon on West Confederate Avenue, in Gettysburg
National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

 Andy Warhol Bridge and Roberto Clemente Bridge reflected in the Allegheny River, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Delaware Canal and Towpath before sunrise,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Historic Bridgetown Gristmill, next to the Bridgetown
Mill House, in Langhorne, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Schofield Ford Covered Bridge, Tyler State Park,
Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Barber's Chair, Eastern State Penitentiary,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Patterson Farm before sunrise, Yardley,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, New Hope,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Rachel Carson Bridge and Pittsburgh Skyline, (as seen from
the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 

Reflections in the Cabin Run Creek, near Pipersville,
 Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Late Afternoon Clouds over Patterson Farm,
Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Under the Andy Warhol Bridge, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Patterson Farm at Sunset, Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Cabin Run Covered Bridge reflected in Cabin Run Creek,
 Point Pleasant, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California.

Lumberville–Raven Rock Bridge in morning fog,
Lumberville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Cabin Run Creek in Autumn, Point Pleasant,
Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Cascadilla Gorge Trail in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

The West Trenton Railroad Bridge in early morning fog,
Yardley, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The Cascadilla Gorge Trail in Ithaca, New York: Autumn Landscape Photographs and Tips for Capturing Moving Water

"Nature is a source of truth. Experience does not ever err, it 

is only your judgment that errs in promising itself results 

which are not caused by your experiments." 

-Leonardo Da Vinci 

Early this past Saturday morning I spent two hours photographing the Cascadilla Gorge Trail, in Ithaca, New York. The combination of cascading water and autumn color was truly beautiful. As it had snowed the night before, and a cold drizzle fell as I drove to the gorge, I was lucky that the clouds began to clear as I arrived.  While I walked and photographed in the gorge, there was a stretch of nice, filtered light (although it remained quite cold - in the mid-30s) before another stretch of snow later that morning.  I started at the Treman Triangle Park entrance to the gorge (off of Linn Street), and worked my way up the trail.  Below are nine of my new images of the Cascadilla Gorge, followed by several tips to improve your photographs of waterfalls and cascading water.

1) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

2) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

3) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

4) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

5) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

6) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

7) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

8) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

9) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

Tips to Improve Your Photographs of Moving Water

In my images above, I tried to give the flowing water a soft, white, silky appearance (rather than trying to "freeze" the movement).  To create beautiful photographs of the cascading water in Cascadilla Creek, or any waterfall, here are a few tips.

1) Use a Tripod.  As you will need to use slow shutter speeds, its important to avoid camera movement. You want the land, rock and trees to appear crisp and sharp, in contrast the moving water. Whenever I use a tripod, I also use and external shutter release.  This avoids pushing (and possibly moving) the camera.

2) As with any photograph you need to find the correct balance between ISO, shutter speed and aperture.  The key to achieving the silky appearance in moving water is finding the right shutter speed.  For each of the images above, I used the following settings: 

     a) a low ISO (100 or 200).

     b) a slow shutter speed (between three-tenths of a second and

     half a second).

     c) a small aperture (for these images, my aperture ranged 

     between f/14 and f/29).  This allowed a wide depth of field, 

     so both the foreground and background are sharp.

3) Experiment.  Different situations require slightly different settings, so you will need to experiment and make minor adjustments.  After each shot, I checked the image on the LCD to see if the water appeared silky, to see if there was some detail in the water, and to make sure the highlights were not blown (overexposed and all white, with no detail).

4) Vary your composition and emphasis. For some images, I tried to give the viewer a broad perspective of the setting, usually with a wide angle lens.  These images have foreground and background elements (e.g. images 2, 4, 6 and 9).  For other images, I tried to isolate a small section (e.g. images 3, 7, and 8).  Additionally, I tried to incorporate other compositional guidelines (leading lines, rule of thirds, filling the frame, diagonals, etc.).

5) Be Patient.  While I was in Cascadilla Gorge, there were fairly frequent gusts of wind.  If I was shooting a scene with trees, the wind meant that the leaves and branches were moving.  As I was using a slow shutter speed, the leaves and branches would appear blurry in my photograph, and diminish the overall image.  I often had to wait a few moments for the wind to die down.  It generally pays to be patient, take a few shots, and keep checking your LCD.  Similarly, for my landscapes, I usually do not want people in the images.  If folks happen to walk into an area while I am shooting, it pays to wait until they pass out of the frame.

6) You generally want soft, filtered light, so its best to shoot in the early morning or late afternoon.  The early morning has the added benefit of having fewer people along the trail.

I hope these simple tips help to inspire your creativity.

Beauty in the Fog: Landscape Photographs of Bucks County, Pennsylvania on Foggy Mornings

"The truth is a fog, in which one man sees the heavenly host 

and the other one sees a flying elephant."

-Terry Pratchett

Each season offers different opportunities for landscape photographers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  As late summer gives way to early autumn, morning fog often makes the familiar appear new and interesting. At times there is a feeling of mystery. At times landscapes take on a lovely pastel tone.  At times the fog combined with the rising sun allows for beautiful silhouettes.  At times the fog alters our "usual" experience of perspective, as bridges and paths seem to disappear into the distance.  At times, as the fog begins the clear, the remaining colors have a unique richness.  What what follows is a small collection of photographs that I took on foggy mornings in Bucks County between late August and early October, 2018.

Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge in early morning fog.
Lumberville, Pennsylvania.  8/28/18.

Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge in early morning fog.
Lumberville, Pennsylvania.  8/28/18.

Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge in early 
morning fog, with a touch of backlighting.  
Lumberville, Pennsylvania.  8/28/18.

Silhouette of the Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge and a bicyclist in fog,
with backlighting from the early morning sun. Lumberville, Pennsylvania. 8/28/18.

Cabin Run Creek from under the Loux Covered Bridge, in
early morning light.  Plumstead Township, Pennsylvania.  8/28/18.

Calhoun Street Bridge in early morning fog,
Morrisville, Pennsylvania.  9/16/18.

Washington Crossing Bridge and the Delaware River, in early morning fog. 
Washington Crossing Historic Park, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania.  9/16/18.

Row of sycamore trees in early morning fog, Washington Crossing State Park, 
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania.  9/16/18.

The "Trenton Makes The World Takes" Bridges, just 
after sunrise. (from Trenton, New Jersey, looking
back at Morrisville, Pennsylvania.)  9/29/18.

The West Trenton Railroad Bridge in early
morning Fog, Yardley, Pennsylvania.  9/29/18.

The Delaware River and Bowman's Hill in early 
morning fog, Upper Makefield Twp., Pennsylvania.  10/2/18.

Delaware Canal State Park, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  10/2/18.

Frankenfield Covered Bridge and its reflection "framing"
the fall foliage in the Tinicum Creek,
Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania. (10/2/18).

Frankenfield Covered Bridge reflected in the Tinicum Creek,
Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania. (10/2/18).

Blue Heron in Morning Fog along the Delaware Canal
and Towpath, Yardley, Pennsylvania. (10/10/18).

The Delaware Canal and Towpath disappearing 
into morning fog in Yardley, Pennsylvania. (10/10/18).

Colors of San Francisco: Photographs of a few Iconic Landmarks in the City by the Bay

In early July, our family enjoyed a week-long vacation in San Francisco, California.  I spent the early mornings (while the rest of the family was catching up on sleep), out photographing some of the iconic landmarks in this beautiful city.  Last month I posted a group of my photographs of the old growth redwood trees in Muir Woods National Monument (just over the Golden Gate Bridge, in Marin County), from this trip. 

As I have lived only on the east coast of the United States, I am certainly not an expert on San Francisco.  That said, I have developed a few favorite photography locations.  I have listed them below, followed by some of my photographs from the trip.  I'm sure this list will expand during future trips.

1.  Fort Point.  This location offers a wonderful view of the Golden Gate Bridge, with the Marin Headlands in the background.  The early morning light brought out the wonderful red tones in the iconic bridge.

2.  Lombard Street.  Known as the "crookedest street in the world", the combination of red bricks, lovely flowers, bends in the road, interesting architecture, and a great view of Telegraph Hill make this a lovely place for photographers.  Beware:  If you are not there very early, you will be surrounded by tourists.  Also, it is very steep, so wear good walking shoes if you intend to walk along the "crookedest" section.  In the early morning, I was able to park near the top without any problem.

3.  Alamo Square Park.  The park is set on a hill, and offers a wonderful view of the city's famous "Painted Ladies" (a group of beautifully painted historic Victorian houses), with the city's skyline in the in background.  I took my photograph below in the evening, as the last light of the day was hitting the skyline, including the Transamerica Pyramid.

4.  The Embarcadero (near the Ferry Building).  This waterfront area has great view of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, the Ferry Building, the "Cupid's Span" statue, and the skyline, among other things.

5.  Fisherman's Wharf.  Much of the day and evening, this area is jam-packed with tourists.  In the early morning, its a great spot to shoot colorful fishing boats, as well as the the sea lions at Pier 39. One word of advice regarding the sea lions - We were there in early July, there were only a couple of sea lions (a fraction of the number we remembered from a prior San Francisco trip).  We learned that the sea lions migrate each year from approximately late June until early August.

6.  Baker Beach.  This is another iconic spot to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge, with a sandy beach and rock formations in the foreground, and the Marin Headlands in the background.  I went there just after sunset, and the bridge was backlit, which contributed to a lovely, peaceful feeling.  My guess is that in the late afternoon, there would be more light on the bridge, making it a bit more dramatic and colorful.

7.  The Palace of Fine Arts - The historic architecture, pond and variety of flowers make this a very interesting spot to photograph. The light was poor during my morning visit, so I did not include any of my shots with the building reflected in the pond.

8.  Battery Spencer***, in the Marin Headlands.  You may notice that I have not included any photographs from this iconic location, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin County side.  I had made an early morning trip there, hoping to photograph a sunrise.  A few things folks should be aware of:  a) While I was at Battery Spencer, it was extremely cold - noticeably colder than it had been in San Francisco moments earlier or in Muir Woods, about an hour later; b) It was extremely windy, and there were frequent, significant gusts of wind - e.g. a gust blew over my sturdy tripod (messing up both my camera and lens) and another gust blew my baseball cap off my head; 3) While there may be other viewing areas from the Marin Headlands that are more accessible, Battery Spencer is a fairly steep walk from the parking area.

Golden Gate Bridge at Sunrise, from Fort Point.

Golden Gate Bridge in early morning light, from Fort Point.

Flowers on Lombard Street - "The Crookedest
Street in the World"

Lombard Street:  Flowers on House.

Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower, from top of Lombard Street.

Painted Ladies, with the San Francisco Skyline
(a.k.a. "Postcard Row" of Victorian Homes, as seen from
Alamo Square Park, just before sunset.

San Francisco City Hall, on the evening of July 4th.

Palace of Fine Arts, with Lily of the Nile flowers.

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, in early
morning light, as seen from the Embarcadero.

Cupid's Span statue and San Francisco Skyline in early
morning light(near the Embarcadero).

The Ferry Building, in morning light, from Pier 7.

Fishing boats at Fisherman's Wharf, in early morning light.

Italianate-Style House on Dolores Street.

The Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach,
just after sunrise.

Finally, here are a few random restaurant, coffee and entertainment suggestions for fellow-tourists, as well as locals.  Thank you to our older son, Alex, for most all of these food-related suggestions.

Tony's Pizza Napoletana - 1570 Stockton St.  Not only are their regular pizzas delectable, but they make their own gluten-free crusts (one of our sons has celiac), which are excellent.

Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen - 401 Valencia St.  Good arepas are hard to find, and these are really delicious.

Smitten Ice Cream - 587 Hayes St. - Each order is churned in front of you, and frozen using liquid nitrogen!  Don't worry - its not just a gimmick.  The ice cream is really tasty.

Salt & Straw Ice Cream - 432 Octavia St. They have a wonderful and unique variety of delicious flavors.

Philz Coffee - I quickly became a fan of their iced mint mojito.  Each cup is made individually, as a "pour over."

Marrakech Magic Theater, starring Jay Alexander - A super fun evening of "magic, mentalism and comedy."

Walking with the Redwood Trees: Landscape Photographs of Muir Woods National Monument, California.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, 

we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe."

John Muir

Have you ever walked in a forest in which the average tree was already alive when Christopher Columbus discovered the "New World"?  During a recent week-long visit to San Francisco, I had the pleasure to twice visit Muir Woods National Monument.  This beautiful forest is 25 minutes from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge (in Marin County, California), and it is home to giant old-growth redwood trees.  My first outing was primarily for photography.  I arrived at 8 a.m., when the park opened, and I brought by tripod, DSLR, and backpack with assorted lenses.  On my second trip, several days later, I greatly enjoyed a walk through the woods with my wife and two sons (21 and 18).  All of the photographs below are from the first of these trips, in which I went around the main trail, which hugs Redwood Creek down to the fourth bridge.

The average age for the redwood trees in Muir Woods is 600 to 800 years old, and the oldest is over 1200.  The tallest is about 258 feet - not too much shorter than the length of a football field. But numbers cannot reflect the feeling one gets from walking along these beautiful giants.  John Steinbeck said:

"The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe." (John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley In Search of America).

I have been to Muir Woods only a handful of times in my life, usually with decades in-between, but each time I walk under these giants, I am filled with awe.  While the constraints of photography make it difficult, if not impossible, to capture the magnitude of these trees, I hope that a few of my photographs hint at the tranquil and humble feeling one has at Muir Woods.

For those who may be planning to take photographs during your visit, here are a few random suggestions:

1. Presently, you need to make parking or shuttle reservations ahead of time.  Use this LINK to get information and make a reservation.  If you choose to drive yourself, you reserve a half hour window in which to park.
2. If you are planning to take photographs, I suggest you go when the park is less crowded.  I arrived at 8 a.m., when Muir Woods first opens, and I had the place largely to myself.  A few hours later, it would have been impossible to get photographs of the paths without hoards of people.
3. I suggest that you bring a tripod for landscape photographs.  Although you are outside, the place is fully canopied, so you are shooting in heavy shade.  If you do not want to raise your ISO too high, you will need the stability of a tripod.
4. All of my images below of Muir Woods are taken with wide angle lenses.  If I had more time, I am sure that there are photographic possibilities with other lenses (e.g. macro shots of the fern). For me, these will have to wait for another visit - Hopefully I will not have to wait another decade!

The early morning view from Muir Woods Road,
on the way to Muir Woods.

Muir Woods National Monument (1).

Muir Woods National Monument (2).

Muir Woods National Monument (3).

Muir Woods National Monument (4).

Muir Woods National Monument (5).

Muir Woods National Monument (6).

Muir Woods National Monument (7).

Muir Woods National Monument (8).

As a long-time fan of our American National Park System, and I am grateful that this grove of magnificent redwood trees has been carefully and lovingly preserved. To conclude, here is a comment by John Muir regarding conservation:

"God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, leveling tempests and floods; but he cannot save them from fools, — only Uncle Sam can do that."