Highland Cattle in Green MountainsTrain of Nostalgic Thought, von Trapp Family Back Yard in Vermont I will tell you right here, this post is kind of out of nowhere, and may feel chaotic but I assure you, there's logic to the insanity. Well, at least that is how I see it, your opinion may differ.

The whole train of thought started while watching The Sound of Music, a DVD borrowed from the local library. The original musical that is, the one from 1965 with Julie Andrews, not the recent live version with Carrie Underwoods. Not sure that matters much, but it may. Going back to the roots is what may have started this whole thought. But then again, I am not sure what made us watch the musical again. So in fact, the remake may truly have started this wild wondering of mind.

So anyway, watching the musical and seeing the beautiful landscape scenes from Austrian Alps and knowing a little bit about where the wind took the von Trapp family, made me remember our 2012 visit to the Green Mountains of Vermont and stopping by the von Trapp lodge and having an opportunity to spend a little bit of time in their back yard, have lunch, buy some of their lager, and even play a round of disc golf. The views did not match the Alps but were so very close. And matching or not, that did not really matter. It was a beautiful summer day, fresh air, partly cloudy sky with beautiful floating puffy clouds above our heads, slight fresh breeze, just a wonderful day in the outdoors.

Pre-dawn Green Mountain ViewTrain of Nostalgic Thought, Not Farm from the Smuggler's Notch Now the Green Mountains offer plenty of grand views, during daytime and on the edges of the day. From the von Trapp lodge my mind wondered to an early morning view of the mountains. A view well before the sunrise of that morning with everything still in a blue cast of the pre-dawn light. A view with some low gentle fog filling the valleys. A view that one needs mountains for. A view that Green Mountains can provide, a view that Austrian Alps can provide. A view that's worth the early morning wake up call any day. A view I hope to see so many more times. There's something so captivating in the layers of mountain peaks disappearing in the distance. At times I catch myself counting them as they fade away.

After making it from the Alps to the Green Mountains, another twist came, in which my mind wondered right back to Europe, just a little north of Austria. I guess a dose of nostalgia had something to do with that. The mountain views took my mind to the rolling hills of Southern Moravia that I know so well, hills I always like to see, hills I miss. And not just the hills, the fields too!

Rolling Hills of Southern MoraviaTrain of Nostalgic Thought, European Fields Here in the United States, landscape photography is mostly about the unspoiled, untouched, pristine nature, or at least one that appears so in a photograph. In Europe, there are fewer places like that left and landscape photography embraces the interaction between nature and humanity.

The beautiful divided fields are everywhere, divided by dirt roads, alleys of different trees, rock walls, or just by different crop being grown. And with the right vantage point those fields can look as charming as stretches of wild landscape with mountain peaks in the distance. Sometimes, you get to see one or two humps, other times, they may seem to go on forever, just like the peaks of Green Mountains or Alps.

Add the right light to the mix and the warm glow and a mix of light and shadow can help shape the hills and run long shadows across the fields. I like to see these with a path through, whether that is just a dirt road used by tractors or a paved road. Dirt roads have a bit more old-time look to them, paved roads show a more modern version. I find both captivating.

Dirt Road through a FieldTrain of Nostalgic Thought, European Fields, Czech Republic

One can get lost wandering in these rolling hills and fields without a clear destination. These fields are not just fields of grain, they're fields with wild poppies, fields of gold tones, fields of wild flowers I'm sure the farmers don't like. And as you wander around, you can come up on tiny villages, their historic architecture, villages looking great or villages clearly not rich. Or a red roof or a steeple of a church may show up on the horizon!

Now back to the Sound of Music, as you watch the scenes from Salzburg, Austria, not only can you admire a beautiful town that dates back to the 700s, but you get to see the Hohensalzburg Castle too, another wonderful feature of European travel. The medieval ages left behind so many gems of the times of kings, and knights. Each of them can enhance a landscape and clearly scream Europe, no matter what shape you find them in. And that is charming too, that whether you come up on a ruin or a well preserved castle it still has so much character!

Pernštejn Castle, Czech RepublicTrain of Nostalgic Thought, Medieval Castles of Europe

Anyway,  from the Hohensalzburg Castle my mind wondered to a favorite castle of mine. I am not sure what it is about this castle but I suspect it is a mix of architectural beauty and complexity, and its roughness. It's a castle without polish, it's a castle one can easily imagine back in the late 1200s when it was built. It just looks and feels so authentic. And not only the castle itself but its courtyards too, and the whole surrounding area. The castle is as a castle should be, on a hill in the middle of nowhere.

So there you have it, a visit to a wandering mind. Do you ever travel in space and time like this while watching a movie?

Now, where would Thelma and Louise take one's mind?

Have fun mind wandering and Happy New Year to you all!

Orchard Park Historical SocietyDay Turning into Night, the Blue Hour Tonight, the blue hour series from Orchard Park, NY continues with a dusk photograph of the Orchard Park Historical Society Museum housed in the Jolls House. Winter is what Buffalo and its south towns are known for and snow, the essential ingredient is added to the classic blue hour combination of deep blue sky combined with artificial illumination. Watching a day turn into night is always amazing and is something I did not fully appreciate until I got into photography. The changes in lighting and color are slow, yet so fast. Those 20 minutes after sunset are like magic. Just when most people think the day turned into night is when things get better, and better yet, then it all peaks, and is over. I'm sure I'll enjoy this transition many more times!

Have fun watching days and nights trade places!

Equipment Used:

Nikon D600, Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Manfrotto tripod (055MF3) and head (496RC2), Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack,  Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2

Using my links to buy your equipment keeps me going and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!

South River FallsThe wide view In my last post Trouble with Color I talked about reasons I may choose to go with a black and white landscape photograph instead of one in color. Here, I'd like to show another way to deal with some of the same problems. If the wide scene has vastly different components, whether light and shadows or colors, walking closer or zooming in may just be the answer. Isolate a section that can stand on its own, still showcase the same subject, yet, have more consistent light and color.

Actually, even without these problems I like to challenge myself to see both the grand wide views as well as the details. I never know ahead of time which of the two approaches I will end up liking more.

Compare and decide for yourself:

South River Falls Up CloseStudy of Light, Color, and Texture

Light, colors, and textures in a close up of South River Falls, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia (VA)

Have fun selecting your favorite elements and views!

Equipment Used:

Nikon D600, Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Manfrotto tripod (055MF3) and head (496RC2), B+W 77mm Neutral Density (ND) Filter 1.8 - 64x (to lengthen the exposure), Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack,  Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2

Using my links to buy your equipment keeps me going and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!