Good Water, eh?

We recently took a trip to Niagara. Everyone comes for the big show (rainbows and 80,000 gallons of water a second) but dat sneaky falls is pretty, too!

Muted :: Canada

Muted :: Canada

Golden Ears Provincial Park in the Vancouver area is dang lovely!

Wantaqo’ti (Peace) :: Canada

Wantaqo’ti (Peace) :: Canada

The title refers to an article I read talking about a family of Syrian refugees who lived in a refugee camp for three years before being accepted into Canada. They started a chocolate company and reached out to the local Mi’kmaq leaders for guidance. The owner said it was his company’s mission to translate the family’s concept of peace to all languages for all people, starting with the native tribes in his new home. In his own words, “Peace is beautiful in every language.” ❤️

One of the biggest reasons I travel so much is to experience and build an emotional connection with new people and cultures. In doing so, you gain a whole new perspective on the things that exist outside of your own little world. There is so much beauty to be found in what is different, and so much you can learn from people who have lived in a way you never imagined.

10 Must See Places You Need to Photograph This Summer (New England Area Edition)

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Exploration and landscape photography go hand-in-hand, but finding time to research potential locations can be challenging.  If your time is at a premium, but you want to see some of the beauty of the Northeastern region of the US (and beyond) has to offer…this list is for you.

Light The Sky :: Maine

1)   Acadia:  This is a no-brainer.  Acadia is a gorgeous national park that highlights the natural, rugged beauty of northern New England.  Furthermore, there is something for everyone and every fitness level in Acadia, from relaxed strolls to involved hikes.  Several of the beautiful, varied landscapes are easily accessible, with convenient parking and short walks to the site.  Personal favorites are Sieur de Monts and Little Hunter Beach.

 

Vigilance :: RI

2)      Rhode Island lighthouses: For the purposes of landscape photography, Rhode Island has some great shore line.  Although not as rugged as Maine’s coastline, there is still a great variety of rocky foreground shoreline and sandy beaches along the ocean sides of the state.   Because there is so much rocky shoreline, there are also several beautiful, accessible lighthouses in the state.  Personal favorites are Beavertail in Jamestown, RI and the lighthouses on Block Island.

 

Shades of Gray :: MA

3)      Cape Cod, MA: The small towns and beaches that make up “The Cape” are a perfect representation of what makes the shore of New England so irresistible.  There are picturesque sandy beaches, salt marshes and lighthouses mixed in with iconic New England villages.  As a bonus (depending on you how you feel about the booming population), you can likely try your hand at Grey Seal photography. Personal favorites are Grey’s Beach boardwalk and the hike out to the Provincetown lighthouses.

 

In Wildness :: NH

4)      White Mountains National Forest area:  If you are looking for rugged wilderness, hiking, camping, waterfalls, ponds and birch trees then the White Mountains are for you.  The National Forest is well maintained, but retains a strong sense of nature throughout the entire area, including the land surrounding the green space.  Personal favorite hikes are Mount Washington (mountain and waterfalls), and Pondicherry (site of our forest and ponds workshop).

 

Currents :: Vermont

5)      Vermont Green Mountains area: The Green Mountain area of Vermont is interesting in that it is interspersed with pockets of civilization throughout, but never loses the magical feel of an untouched wild space.  There are plenty of mountains views, forest hikes, waterfalls and wildlife (moose!) to be had in upper Vermont.  As a bonus, it’s not far from Lake Champlain.  Personal favorite hikes are Camel’s Hump and Sterling Pond.  Personal favorite, easily accessible waterfall is Moss Glen in the Green Mountain Forest

 

Winds of Winter :: Massachusetts

6)   Quabbin Reservoir, MA:  Massachusetts gets two listings because the Quabbin is that nice.  This reservoir used to be four towns that were removed and the valley was flooded to provide drinking water for Boston.  If the creepy abandoned relics factor isn’t enough for you, then the generally flat hikes, biking and abundant wildlife are sure to win you over. Personal favorite is Hanks Meadow on the lower Quabbin shore.

 

Round and Round She Goes :: Canada

7)      Niagara Falls, NY / Canada: For those of you who have a passport, Niagara is a MUST SEE.  The falls themselves are the kind of powerful that leaves your jaw on the floor and your knees a little shaky.  There are locations and activities along both sides of the border, but in my opinion, the Canadian side does it best.  It can be a bit “touristy” in town, including a giant ferris wheel to get the best view of the falls light show up at night, but there is a wider variety of things to participate in.  Personal favorites are Cave of the Winds (American side) and the butterfly sanctuary (Canadian side).

 

The Space Between :: Ricketts Glen, PA

8)   Ricketts Glen in PA: What if I told you there was a park with 21 beautiful waterfalls in Pennsylvania?  Now, what if I told you that 18 of those waterfalls were easily accessible along a 3 mile hike?   Ricketts Glen is a photographer’s day hiking paradise giving you a lot of bang for your buck.  (Or time, as the case may be!)  Personal favorite is Oneida Falls.

 

Breathing Dreams :: NY

9)   Upstate NY gorges: There is a reason that Ithaca, NY’s slogan is “Ithaca is Gorges.”  The area surrounding Ithaca is loaded with rock walls and stunning waterfalls.  The waterfalls vary from “eh” to “dang!”, the sheer volume of photographic opportunities makes this area worth a mention.  Personal favorites are Watkins Glen (if you’re looking for a good return on your time investment, and extremely well-manicured paths) or Taughannock Falls if you’re looking for drama.

 

Sounds of Silence :: Connecticut

10)   Connecticut’s Quaint Pockets of Nature:  Connecticut is interesting in that the entire state is the attraction.  It is loaded with small working farms, fishing villages, so much forest.  In fact, we’re kinda famous for our foliage in the Fall.  Personal favorites are Enders State Forest for waterfalls and foliage, and either Lighthouse Park or Walnut Beach/Silver Sands Beach for fun shoreline photos.

 

Now get out there and take some pictures!

Seeing Spots Photo offers day lessons, including guided site visits to some of our favorites locations.  For more information about that, check out our private sessions page.

 

The Big LE Reveal

Niagara Falls (ON, CA) Ferris Wheel – Long Exposure

Finally, the submissions are in and we can show you our interpretations of Long Exposure work!

My first submission is an image of the ferris wheel on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, which also happens to be one of my fondest memories of the place.  I had gone several years ago and really enjoyed the view from the top of the ride.  It puts you high above most of the other buildings and lights and gives you a nice view of the main attraction – the Falls.

This image is actually a composite of two different images, layered and blended by hand.  The short and long exposures of this image both had components I wanted in the final version, so it made sense to layer and mask, so I could have fine control over the fnal blend.

I contemplated desaturating this particular image, but in the end, decided the lights were indicative of the area the ferris wheel resides in (Clifton Hill) and the image was better with the color.  Tourist demand has turned Clifton Hill into a fair-like atmosphere, with lots of bright lights and gimmicks.  The Sky Wheel is a major feature of the tourist landscape and obviously, it’s own bright lights give it personality.

In the end, it is just a ferris wheel but the view of the Falls left a lasting impression.  Sky Wheel, I salute…errr…photo you!

Oh Canada!

For those of you who have been following along with our Long Exposures project, these last few posts have been a series of ideas for this month’s participants.  For those of you who haven’t been following…well…why the heck not?? =)  You can read about the project here.

Today’s idea is inspired by my upcoming trip to Canada…I’m headed to Niagara and Toronto.  I’ve never been to Toronto, so any tips and must-see suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! =)

The last time I went to Niagara, I fell in love with the place.  The falls stole my heart…I was so impressed with them.  I also enjoyed walking around the Canadian side of the river and seeing all of the shops, people-watching, etc.

Ferris Wheel – Niagara Falls, ON, CA

This shot was of the ferris wheel in Niagara…though I’m thinking this time I might do a long exposure instead.  Imagine how cool this could look, all lit up, leaving great light trails in the sky!

I’m also planning to try a slow shutter speed app for my cell phone…you guys knew you could do that too, right??  No need to sit this one out if you have no camera, but a perfectly good smart phone. =)  Don’t worry, I’ll give you a full report on how that goes. haha

So what about you guys??  Where are you going for the long weekend?  And more importantly, what are you taking long exposure photos of while you’re there? 😉