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Tag: Kodachrome
A Kodachrome Evening
It was August 2009 and we were vacationing in western Maine at the Sunday River Resort in Newry. A spectacular evening was upon us as we had just finished dinner and the boys wanted to go fishing, driving a few miles east to North and South ponds in Greenwood. Locals had told us that fishing from Johnny Bridge Road was good, so here we stood. The boys were becoming professional weed fisherman and dad an expert lure changer. Another cast another clump of weeds. Well when they reeled up this clump it began to move only to reveal a small mouth bass. To say Michael & Max were ecstatic would be a slight under statement. It would be the perfect ending to a beautiful evening with my boys.
Life on Film & Digital Media: Whitefish Point
Growing up I had the Atlantic Ocean less than twenty miles away and the Long Island Sound a mile away and I’ve never been a beach person. However living so close to these beautiful waters the one thing that has always intrigued me are “Lighthouses”. There is something very romantic yet mysterious about a lighthouse and their keepers.
This past summer we had the opportunity to visit the Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Superior. We found ourselves at Whitefish Point 73 miles northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, MI and the impressive Soo Locks. At Whitefish Point you have the Great Lakes Ship Wreck Museum and the extremely cool Whitefish Point Light Station.
At this point in our trip I was having a camera crisis of Biblical proportion. I had run out of film for one of my cameras and ordered more. The camera shop in New York City did not ship my order promptly and I never received the film. No biggie I thought to myself I have my digital camera so I’m all set. We get all the way to the Soo Locks and I’m just as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. Grabing my camera from the camera bag I turn it on, I compose my very first image of the largest lake freighter to sail the Great Lakes entering the locks. I depress the shutter release and the earth suddenly has come to a screeching halt. There it was in digital text, the dreaded Canon Error 33 message, my shutter had failed! East has now become west, up was now down and to say I was pissed is the understatement of the 21st century. Two cameras and none were functioning. If I had to submit to a blood pressure test at this point they would have admitted me. I resorted to using my cell phone and we eventually we went to lunch. After lunch I calmed down just a tiny bit but was still steaming. Getting ready to leave Sault Ste. Marie and thinking desperate times require desperate measures. As a last ditch effort I ran into one of the gift shops hoping the camera Gods would be merciful on me. Sure enough sitting on the counter of the gift shop was a Polaroid disposable camera. I Forked over the $8.00 feeling like I had just won a major award and literally ran out the door. We were now on our way to Whitefish Point. http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com
The Chicago “L”
I made my first visit to the Windy City back in July. My wife and sons have already spent time here before so this was unchartered territory for me. We were staying with family in one of the suburbs of Chicago and rode the Metra into the city the several days we were there. We navigated the city by either walking or riding the subway which is affectionately knows as the “L”. Riding the “L” opened up a whole new perspective on photography for me. I instantly fell in love with the intricate infrastructure cramped between towering buildings, parking garages and everyday life below. The photographic possibilities are endless and all you need is time.
Prior to my arrival in Chicago I had done absolutely no research on this gem so I was totally in the dark as to the “Prime” locations in which to photograph. The day I made the most of my images started off bright and sunny with weather conditions crumbling like an old building as the day progressed. I believe I have created several images that convey mood, as most of these were grab shots. I particularly like the ones where I was shooting out the front window as we rode the “L”. I shot color slide film but really liked them even more converted to black & white.
The other day I had mentioned to my wife how we need to return so I can spend a good 3-4 days photographing the “L” now that I have done my research.
Cheers!
Here you’ll find a link to an image from Lake & Wells on the Chicago “L”. It was photographed from either a parking garage or rooftop. However it gives you the perspective of its complexity. I love it! https://flic.kr/p/rUyXih
A Short Susquehanna Sojourn
As we watch the colors of Autumn slowly fade into the grays of Winter I find myself taking advantage of every opportunity to be out on the water. Undeterred by the mornings brisk temperatures I decided to launch on the Susquehanna river along Conklin Ave yesterday. Paddling my way west under cloudy skies towards the “Rock Bottom” Dam I lay witness to the remaining pops of color grasping our hillsides. On my way back the wind would let me know who was in charge and the sun randomly checked on me the closer I got to my destination.
Back in my car it was time for some coffee at my favorite place, LaVeggio Roasteria
GPS: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1422611379
Flying High on the Ti
This morning a friend and I launched our kayaks from Hiawatha Landing in Blodgett Mills, NY. Don’t blink because you’ll drive right by this very small town nestled a few miles south of Cortland. Heavy rains over the past two days rapidly brought the water levels up in the Tioughnioga river. The USGS stream gauge at Corltand, NY on October 20th was at 3 feet and this morning the gauge was up at 5 feet. The river was flowing fast turning a rather slow trip into a quick one. The weather was cool and slightly windy as we paddled through some nice riffles and dodging a few strainers along the way making this a really fun adventure. I noted quite a bit of color loss due to the storms the over the past few days but there was enough to gawk at. In theory this trip of 11 miles would take close to 4 hours under normal conditions, however today we flew completing it in 1:48.
I love to be out on the water most anytime but Autumn by far is my favorite. I hope to be able to keep at it until at least mid-late November. Hopefully Mother Nature will oblige!
Check my GPS of the trip: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1417726350
Postcards from the Road
We recently have just come off our summer vacation. I think this was one of my favorite vacations to date. We rarely get the opportunity to visit with Julie’s family as they live far away. Rather than blah, blah, blah about what we did while on vacation I’m going with a different approach. I think you’ll be able to travel right along with us via postcards from our 2,737 mile journey. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Cheers………..
July 10th-13th:
July 13th-16th:
July 16th-20th:
July 20th-21st:
