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Shenandoah: Luray Valley Museum
Wagon WheelLuray Valley Museum, Virginia
In my last post from the Shenandoah Valley I shared my photography from Luray Caverns. To get to today's photographs you don't even have to move the car. Leave it right where you parked it for your visit to the caverns and walk just a little bit down the hill to visit the Luray Valley Museum.
After visiting the caverns this is a great place to spend some time mostly outside. You will time travel back to the 1800s and have an opportunity to slow down and think about the lifestyle comparison. See if you can soak the whole place in without peeking at your cell phone!
The Luray Caverns "complex" offers several attractions bundled in the admission and the museum seems to be the least visited of them all. Yes, it is rather small and if you visited places like this before it may feel repetitive. However, the fact that most people flock to the maze, the rope adventure park, or elsewhere, is a good thing in my opinion. It leaves you with more space and time to enjoy, look around, think about the days gone by, and yes, to take pictures without crowds.
You can take in the rural setting or focus on the details of the individual buildings or artifacts. I tried to go for a combo of both approaches to put the museum in my memory book.
ChestLuray Valley Museum
The wagon wheel, a cliché for museums, was something I just could not resist. It was placed against the wall of a blacksmith shop (closed) and the hints of fading red on its spokes matched the wall color scheme nicely. The freshly painted vent was screaming for attention too. And since two objects would not really look all that great they worked in the chimney cap in the wall to make it a trio.
A more mysterious, almost abstract, close up of a rustic chest in the museum. I loved just about everything about it. The weathered peeling paint providing beautiful colors and textures, the knob and its shadow, and the dual keyholes. While this is the most detailed photograph in this series you don't have to stop there. You can further zoom in to capture a section of only the paint, or one of the keyholes
And finally a beautiful barn, the Burner Barn, offered plenty of other photographic opportunities. The barn itself is a beauty, its door with a trio of windows, and the fences lining the driveway, all creating a never-ending supply of angles.
Overall, a very nice and relaxing visit at the end of the day, with a measured dose of history to go along.
Burner BarnLuray Valley Museum, Virginia
Burner Barn, Luray Valley Museum, Virginia
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)
Did you enjoy this post and the included photographs? Would you like to see more of my travel photographs? Visit the Travel Photography gallery or the On the Road photo collection. Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered. Looking for a present? I also offer ready to hang solutions like canvas gallery wraps, prints on metal, and matted and framed ready to hang photographs. Would you like to get more special content reserved for the subscribers to my quarterly newsletter? Please, register by creating an account on my website - just follow the Login link at the top of the page.
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!
References: Luray Caverns Attractions - Luray Valley Museum
Come and See the Photos Printed
Picture Your Walls Western New YorkA Hamburg, NY Gallery
Combining local photography and promotion, this is the Picture Your Walls Western New York framing shop and gallery where you can see and buy my photographs printed large, as well as artworks of other artists, under a beautiful deep blue sky, compliments of a late blue hour. The sun set a while back but it was not pitch back just yet. Combine that with some artificial illumination and you get a scene like this. Minutes matter at this point as darkness settles in quickly. For this photo, I also decided to add one more factor and waited for some cars to pass by and provide the light streaks on the left - red ones from tail lights and yellowish from headlights.
Is the small computer screen not enough for you to enjoy local photography? It should not be! Despite the 21st century technology and most people using small mobile devices to quickly check photographs out, they only come truly alive when printed large and displayed prominently. If you enjoy my photography but would prefer to see the finished product printed large, matted, and framed, ready to take home, you can!
Right now, five photographs, all approximately 16" x 24", matted, and framed, are available for your viewing pleasure and purchase at Picture Your Walls Western New York in Hamburg, NY (184 Buffalo St, Hamburg, NY 14075 - Tuesday 11:00–6:00pm - Wednesday 11:00–6:00pm - Thursday 11:00–8:00pm - Friday: 11:00–6:00pm - Saturday 10:00–4:00pm). They also have a dozen smaller 8" x 12" matted photographs of mine ready for you to frame in any way you see fit.
See Eric and let him know I sent you. Enjoy!
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!
Road Trip: Pecos National Historical Park
New Mexico became the 47th state to join the United States on January 6, 1912. The capital city is Santa Fe. The highest point is Wheeler Peak at 13,161 feet.
Road Trip 2013 - Day 15 - June 25 - Pecos National Historical Park (Previous 2013 Road Trip posts: Indiana Dunes, De Immigrant, Amana Colonies, Des Moines, Madison County Roads, Bridges of Madison County, White Pole Road, Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, Golden Spike Tower & Union Pacific's Bailey Rail Yard, Loveland Pass, The Resting Day at Powderhorn, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Cimarron, Colorado National Monument, Fruita Rodeo, Grand Mesa, Arches National Park, Grand Junction, Grand Mesa Creek, Arches National Park Add-On, Canyonlands National Park, The Little Big Moments of Road Tripping, Mesa Verde National Park, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Train Depot, Pecos National Historical Park)
First GlimpseRoute 66
Leaving Santa Fe, its architecture, and it's colorful trains behind we were on the road again, with each day feeling more and more like a return home. It was a Day 15 after all and the remaining days were getting shorter. I was really looking forward to a whole different type of photography on this final section. What type is that? The type that screams Road Trip!
As we left Santa Fe behind there were colors everywhere. Deep saturated blue sky overhead, and bright warm colors throughout the landscape around. Southwest as it should be in its full glory. Then, we reached this beautiful Route 66 marker made of rock and got even more excited about what was to come soon.
KivaPecos National Historical Park
We had to contain that excitement though as we identified another stop along our journey. Pecos National Historical Park was right along the way and it would be a shame not to get another dose of history and learn something new about the days gone by in this area. And, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the annual National Park pass that opens most "national" landmarks at no additional fee.
They had a nice museum at the visor center but I always prefer the in person observation and exploration, which in this case was outside. The sun was hot but the colors all around were breathtaking. I did not have much chance to think about my discomfort as I was too busy looking around thinking of what angles would work the best to capture this place for years of memories to come. The only stain on an otherwise quiet, almost idyllic afternoon was the sight of distant wildfires, a stark reminder of the extremely dry conditions in this area.
Inside Pecos KivaPecos National Historical Park
The restored Kiva located at the park was a great place to visit. Please, see the references at the bottom to learn more historic facts about the different structures and their purpose. I appreciated the Kiva, an underground ceremonial room, as an ingenious way to hide from the scorching sun. Then in winter, being underground, it surely provided a much better starting point for heating it up compared to anything above ground. The ladder opening also served as a "chimney", or a smoke escape hole for the fire that would have been located directly underneath. Despite that, the various materials I have read through suggest the inside was unbearably smoky anyway since there was nothing to direct the open fire to the opening. Even worse, the hole dwelling suffered from what a normal chimney suffers from. Once there was enough soot build up on the ceiling you can imagine what a rouge spark could cause. To make it a little more bearable inside, there was a ventilation hole on one side, separated from the fire by a stone wall.
Doesn't visiting places like this make you think? I had similar thoughts running through my head at the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, as well as here at Pecos. Comparing what we have and often complain with what people here had just several hundred years ago. How little one really needs to live. What's really needed to be happy. And more along those lines.
At the end of the park loop we explored the ruins of an old Spanish Mission. A bit of a bittersweet feeling. One one hand, it looked to be a wonderful structure back in the day, on the other, it was quite an intrusion to the lives of the Cicuye village people.
And photographically, everything remained gorgeous. Deep blue sky, wonderful white clouds floating around, by then lots of warm light from the afternoon sun traveling downward towards the horizon. I found several angles on the Mission that I liked a lot and am sharing only one of them here. However, a place like this offers never-ending opportunities!
Pecos Mission RuinsPecos National Historical Park
Mission Ruins, Pecos National Historical Park, New Mexico
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you (#etbtsy)!
Did you enjoy this post and the included photographs? Would you like to see more of my travel photographs? Visit the Travel Photography gallery or the On the Road photo collection. Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered. Looking for a present? I also offer ready to hang solutions like canvas gallery wraps, prints on metal, and matted and framed ready to hang photographs. Those are available using the "Frame It" link once you place a photo in your shopping cart. And don't forget to get some aMazing Bookmarks for the readers in your life!
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!
References: New Mexico on 50states - Pecos National Historical Park - Pecos National Historical Park on Wikipedia - Pecos National Historical Park on DesertUSA - Interpretive tour of Pecos NHP via rap music on nps.gov - Spanish Encounters on nps.gov - Pecos National Historical Park on Wikipedia - Sipapu on Wikipedia - Anasazi Kivas on abrock.com
Winter Jinx
Orchard Park Lanes in WinterNikon FE, Ilford Delta 100
I am not going to lie to you, this is not the post I was preparing for today. Neither was I in a winter mood any more, neither would I guess you were interested in looking in any more white photos. But since Mother Nature felt otherwise, I am going with the flow and throwing couple more white ones your way. And no, they are not fresh from today, they're from a snowy event earlier in the season but it did not look much different this morning.
It's a perfect jinx too, if you look at my previous post (Spring, Break, Bridges) where I felt the need to declare "I finally had to acknowledge that winter was not here any more" it explains a lot, doesn't it?
I had been looking for a signature photo of the Four Corners area of the village of Orchard Park for a long, long time. And then one day this past January I just came up on it. The snow was coming down hard and there was a bit of wind blowing the fluff around. I only took my film-based Nikon FE with me to keep things simple and enjoyed my walk through the village quite a bit.
The simplicity of the shooting workflow was freeing. I took one meter reading, added about a stop of exposure to account for the whiteness of the world, set that on the camera in manual mode, and then just walked searching for scenes I liked. Wind, focus, shoot, repeat.
This view seemed just about perfect and I was glad to see the photo afterwards as I believe it captured the mood of the moment. Did it? Feel free to leave a comment on this post if you agree or feel otherwise.
It took me so many years to find and take this photo and now there is a special dose of nostalgia embedded in it. After a long time in business (since the 1940s) the lanes closed down in 2015. Who knows, maybe the pole and the sign will stay, maybe they won't but I am glad they're to stay on this frame of film.
Orchard Park Train Depot in WinterNikon FE, Ilford Delta 100
Moving a bit south from Four Corners, the second photo is from a favorite location of mine. I like visiting the Orchard Park Train Depot in varying conditions to get different looks and moods. This day was no exception. Winter certainly provided the mood and I tried to catch it.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! (#etbtsy)
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more black and white photographs from Buffalo, NY? Visit Timeless Buffalo and enjoy! It has galleries with black and white digital, film, and pinhole photography. Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help!
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!
Spring, Break, Bridges
Morning Blues at the International Railway BridgeUnity Island, Buffalo, NY
After a bit of a vacation break I am back with another post.
First and foremost, I finally had to acknowledge that winter was not here any more (well, it never really came short of a few brief visits) and as such the site's home page has a photo selection reflective of the spring season.
And second, it was time to add some new photographs. Today, I am adding two new ones of the International Railroad Bridge to the Buffalo Cityscapes gallery as well as the Bridges of Buffalo Collection.
The first one here is a pre-dawn photo of the bridge. It was cloudy and there was not much light yet. Everything actually looked rather gloomy with a very little chance of a true visible sunrise actually happening. And while I planned shooting westward this morning I was hoping for a little assist from the sun in adding subtle color. It certainly did not look like that was going to happen. My momentary frustration was quickly replaced with focus and excitement about what was in front of me. Too many times in the past my plans did not work at all, yet, I left with even stronger images than what I had planned. Why should this morning be any different? A great old bridge, the mighty Niagara River, a new day being born, high doses of fresh air, even just being there, outside, witnessing it all. What could possibly be better?
Overall, the scene had cool blue tones. Rather than adjusting the camera's white balance to counteract those tones I tried to keep things as they were, one difference being the overall brightness of the photo. To my eyes, the scene appeared darker. The tripod mounted camera coupled with a long exposure (60 seconds) allowed the photo to become much brighter despite the prevailing darkness. I also liked the hints of color in the bridge lamp reflections in the Niagara River below.
The International Railroad Bridge behind TreesUnity Island, Buffalo, NY
The second photo is of the same bridge from almost the same place, just a few feet to the left, but 45 minutes later. I have to say, I did not spend the 45 minutes hovering around the same spot, even though I had done that many times in the past in other locations. Here, I took a walk up the river looking for other photo opportunities and to get some fresh air and eventually ended up where I started. On this second stop, the bridge hiding behind the tree branches appeared so striking that I could not resist. The straight man-made lines of the bridge versus the natural curves of the branches juxtaposed on top of each other made for such a nice contrast, yet, looked so similar as silhouettes.
What a morning!
Enjoy the Beauty that Surrounds You (#etbtsy)!
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to get more special content from me reserved for the subscribers to my quarterly newsletter? Please, register by creating an account on my website - just follow the Login link at the top of the page.
Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help!
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!