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Windy Blues at Green Lake
Blue Green LakeYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Clouds came and went several times this evening, suggesting the sunset might either be spectacular or non-existent. I hesitated, and hesitated, and almost ran out of time to act. In the end, I convinced myself to head out and simply adjust to whatever nature would throw my way. I knew it was rather windy and driving by Green Lake earlier this day saw the surface full of ripples. Not completely out of the ordinary but not all that usual either. In the back of my head a back up plan was brewing.
Once on site that plan proved to be very useful. There was not a hint of sun in the sky covered solid with dense storm clouds. It was more of a question whether I was going to get soaked or not. I moved around a small section of the shore that is a favorite of mine, varied the angles, and this night even the lenses, trying both super wide and moderate telephoto.
When the night settled in and my eyes could not really see much the conditions were perfect to take advantage of what a camera can see using a very long exposure, and the ripples. Not only does the long exposure pick up the remaining bits of light to paint a photograph in a complete darkness, it also smooths out the small but fast moving ripples on the surface. The result? A smooth surface interrupted only by the silhouette of the shoreline, rocks, and trees.
In the first photograph, I composed to include the opposite shore but still angled the camera down to eliminate any signs of civilization. Even another inch up and a few lights of the houses would show. Here, I was not going for the classic blue hour mix of blue ambient light and golden glow of incandescent bulbs. I wanted just moody blues. However, I knew from the past that quite often, things do end up looking different on location and in print and took another version with the camera tilted slightly up. That's maybe for another post though.
I also went in the opposite direction. I was not sure about the opposite shoreline. While I liked the smooth transition from water to land, and maybe triggering the question what is behind it, it also seemed unnecessary for what I was after. To get the scene that would show my state of mind, the simpler photo below was what worked best for me. No distractions, just the two elements that started me down this path
Green Lake BluesYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake Blues, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you!
If you are interested in prints or other products featuring my photographs, please, do not hesitate to contact me. You can click on the photos and order from my galleries online and I would also be happy to work with you throughout the process as I realize options are plentiful and topics like aspect rations are not always intuitive to deal with. I also offer ready to hang solutions like canvas gallery wraps, or matted and framed photographs. Those options are available using the "Frame It" link once you place a photo in your shopping cart.
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. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
Rolling Hills and Poppy Fields
Poppy Seed FieldSouthern Moravia, Czech Republic
I already had a post on this topic a while back (There are as many pubs as there are poppy seeds ..., November 2014). With spring in full flow and summer right around the corner, it's a good time to revisit the wonderful look of summer in the rolling hills of Southern Moravia, Czech Republic.
The fresh air of the morning, a slight breeze coming across the field, clouds floating above, visibility wonderful and rolling hills far into the distance in all directions. And the small village of Rataje in the valley, mostly traditional red terracotta roofs on the houses, and a steeple of a church - two steeples in this case!
With a setup like that and with a dirt road through the fields, one could wander for hours and just soak the views in. Unlike in the United States, the dirt roads (or field paths, translating from Czech) usually dividing fields of different owners, are for all to use, whether walking, running, walking dogs, biking, etc. You won't usually see any "Posted" or "Private Property" signs. I hope it will stay like that for generations to come as these dirt roads keep many traditions going, whether simply walking from a village to a village without hopping in a car, hiking, or cross-country skiing in winter. There are still many living in the villages who will walk one of these daily to and from a train station or a bus stop as they commute to work. It's nice when things remain simple.
Poppy Seed Field by RatajeSouthern Moravia, Czech Republic
Poppy Seed Field by Rataje, Southern Moravia, Czech Republic
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you!
If you are interested in prints or other products featuring photographs from my blog posts, please, do not hesitate to contact me. While you can certainly click on the photos and order from my galleries online I would also be happy to work with you throughout the process as I realize options are plentiful and topics like aspect rations are not always intuitive to deal with. The lab integrated into my online gallery also offers ready to hang solutions like canvas gallery wraps, or matted and framed photographs. That is available using the "Frame It" link in the shopping cart.
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. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
Brick & Mortar Gallery: Matted, Framed, and Ready to Hang
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, now you can!
 Daniel Novak Photo Ready to HangPicture Your Walls Western New York
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 Daniel Novak Photo Ready to HangPicture Your Walls Western New York
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 Daniel Novak Photo Ready to HangPicture Your Walls Western New York
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These seven photographs, all approximately 16" x 24", matted, and framed are now 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). You can see two of them in the store windows.
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The skyline of Buffalo, NY under a Blue Moon of 2012. Several things came together for this photo: city lights during blue hour after sunset, full moon rising over the city, and since it was the second full moon during August 2012, it came with the special title Blue Moon. |
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A photograph of a wonderful and dramatic light show over the Buffalo Central Terminal. As the clouds rolled in over Lake Erie and downtown Buffalo at sunset time and reached the terminal they provided an wonderful backdrop for the already dramatic architecture, with sun already low over the horizon the building was blasted with the direct light and the clouds appeared dark, adding mood. I felt black and white was the better way to present this historic building. The light was outstanding providing contrasty areas of light and shadow, textures looked great, and even the drama was accentuated. And it does not hurt that black and white photography provides a dose of nostalgia, |
Stormy over Buffalo Central Terminal (16" x 20") |
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Frosty Horseshoe Falls (16" x 24") |
The Horseshoe Falls of Niagara Falls moments after sunset and before the rise of a full wolf moon, the full moon of January. Also moments before the artificial illumination starts at dusk, at varying times throughout the year. January means winter and there are clear signs of it on the vegetation in the foreground. As the mist constantly rises over the falls and wraps everything around in moisture, freezing temperatures turn that moisture into a blanket of white. Winter offers a very unique view of this wonderful waterfall. There are fewer people around compared to summer, almost everything is dressed in white, it is very chilly. it is all so much more intense! |
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Skyline of downtown Buffalo to the East, skies clear, the light of the day slowly fading away after sunset, the city lights slowly turning on, the balance is just about perfect, and then the awaited moment comes. 8:07 PM, the moonrise time, the moon at full. What a magic of Mother Nature! The moon rose exactly behind and then above the city hall the night before. On this night, it chose the gap between couple buildings and was visible from the very start of its path up the sky. At this altitude, the size looks completely amazing with the high-rise buildings to compare to. |
Full Moon in Buffalo (16" x 24") |
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South Grand Island Bridge at Dusk (16" x 24") |
South Grand Island Bridge at Dusk, looking north from Tonawanda, NY along I-190 towards Grand Island. Despite the success in the downtown Buffalo sections of the I-190, the bridge remains a toll bridge. It consists of two truss arch bridges. It is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority. The bridge has a 93-foot clearance. While the twin bridges were targeted to be identical there are some differences between the one built in 1930s and the other from 1960s, like stone vs. steel faced cutwaters, different guard rails, and more. |
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Spring came late to Buffalo in 2014 but it came. And this year, there was something special about it. Buffalo held its first Cherry Blossom Festival at the Japanese Garden by the Buffalo History Museum from April 23 - May 4, 2014. The view was beautiful, once I found it. The blossoms dominating the scene with the Buffalo History Museum providing context in the background. The morning sun was finding its way through the clouds and through the trees, spotlighting the grass below and lighting up the white stone of the building. I can still smell the air! |
Through the Blossoms (16" x 24") |
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Gallagher Pier Aligned with Sunset (16" x 24") |
Sun setting in the direction of the Gallagher Pier on Buffalo's Waterfront. You can see it like this only twice a year, and each time only for a few days assuming weather cooperates and the sun actually shows up. For most of the summer the sunset is significantly more to the north (right) outside of this frame. On this particular night, clouds were unpredictable to the last minute. In the end, the promising opening on the horizon remained and the sun peeked out for a few brief minutes before disappearing behind the horizon and Lake Erie. |
I hope you've had fun scrolling through these. Clicking on any of the photos above will take you to their respective galleries and allow large viewing. Once you click the photo and the gallery page loads, you can click it one more time for a full page view. In the gallery view there is also a Slideshow button in top right. And even better, stop by the Hamburg, NY gallery if you live in the area!
Thanks for visiting today, and in the future!
Frosty Horseshoe Falls - 16" x 24" - Sample of the look a white mat and a black frame provide:
Road Trip: Mesa Verde National Park
Colorado became the 38th state to join the United States on August 1, 1876. The capital city is Denver. The highest point is Mt. Elbert at 14,433 feet.
Road Trip 2013 - Day 13 - June 23 - Mesa Verde (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, Arches National Park, Grand Junction, Grand Mesa Creek, Arches National Park Add-On, Canyonlands National Park, The Little Big Moments of Road Tripping)
Cliff PalaceMesa Verde National Park
As we drove south through Utah and turned back east into southern Colorado, our 2013 Road Trip turned into its third and final leg that would take us back to the starting point in Buffalo, NY. It would also bring us out of the nature of the national parks and into civilization.
Mesa Verde was a great place for this transition. Still a national park, however, not really protecting nature but rather cultural heritage. And the civilization that used to live there belonged to days long gone by - about 700 years.
Mesa Verde National Park is large and can easily provide activities for several days. I'd recommend one full day as a minimum. The Things To Do page on nps.gov is a great place to start planning your visit and to get an idea about what you can squeeze into a single day. We went on the guided tour of the Cliff Palace and Balcony House, and wrapped the day up on a self-guided tour of the Spruce Tree House.
Cliff Palace Window in SunlightMesa Verde National Park
The whole experience was very interactive. The guides were great, knew a lot, and their presentation was engaging for both adults and children. Talking about children, if you are planning on bringing them along and they like physical activity or gym or playgrounds they should enjoy visiting. On one hand, they will learn something new and on the other, there will be enough walking and climbing to provide some physical activity for them. Based on the tour you choose, there may be some fun tall ladders to climb that also provide great views into the valley below. If you have any concerns about your physical readiness, the high elevation the park is in (7,000 feet), or visiting with children, the park has a nice web page that can serve as your guide at Visit a Cliff Dwelling.
Photographically, this was a different ball game than either natural landscapes or cityscapes. It was so much fun though! The overall photos were somewhat of a challenge due to the frequent tour groups passing through and the dwelling never staying empty for long. I was actually surprised to catch them like that at all. Another factor was lighting as the sun was strong that day but the dwellings were hiding under a rocky overhang.
Once inside, I really enjoyed looking for details, close ups, juxtapositions, textures, and patterns. In these compositions, the strong contrast seemed to be more of an advantage than a problem. I had fun looking for brightly lit areas against deep shadows, like in the photo of the window here on the right. I soon realized that no matter how slow I moved it still felt like rushing. I could have easily spent a whole day at a single dwelling and not run out of new perspectives for my eyes and my camera.
Once we got our fix on the guided tour of the two beautiful dwellings we enjoyed a slow drive through the park towards the Spruce Tree House. It was getting somewhat late but knowing we'd be on our own and could do as much or as little as we wanted everybody was relaxed and just soaking in the days gone by.
Recovering from WildfireMesa Verde National Park
We came upon a burnt down area of dead wood that was already coming back to life even though only with new grass. It's always amazing to see the natural recovery process. Looking at the photo I am always reminded of the Devastation Trail in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park where lava eradicated anything alive in its path, yet, ferns were able to find a way to grow and start breaking the layers apart back into fertile soil. Here in Mesa Verde, it was fire that raged through but as you can see, grasses and other small plants already found their way back.
The self-paced tour of the Spruce Tree House was excellent! We could explore, move back and forth, and just do our own thing. For my photography, it worked really well too as I could work my compositions slowly and look for angles I liked the most. It was really late by then too and the crowds were gone.
I liked starting with the guided tour and finishing on our own as it helped knowing what we were looking at.
Spruce Tree HouseMesa Verde National Park
Spruce Tree House - Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you!
References: Colorado on 50states.com - Things To Do - Visit a Cliff Dwelling - Cliff Palace - Spruce Tree House - Mesa Verde National Park - Mesa Verde Fire History
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. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
So Long, Winter!
Iceberg at Wilkeson PointeWilkeson Pointe, Outer Harbor, Buffalo, New York
Happy Friday everybody! Today, I would like to share a quick "So Long, Winter!" post with you. A few days back I walked along the Ship Slip and Wilkeson Pointe on Buffalo's Outer Harbor and enjoyed the transition of seasons. Along the shore, there was still about 60 feet of broken up ice and slush, abruptly transitioning into an open water through the breakwater. Past the wall, there was still a lot of ice there!
I watched the sun disappear over Canada, and the enjoyed watching a pair of geese navigating the icy slush, climbing on, getting in water, repeat. Eventually, that show was over too with them leaving. By that time, the sky's colors intensified in a peak show for that night. There were no clouds anywhere so the colors were limited to the horizon.
And there was this lonely iceberg! It was not bunched together with the rest but rather floated on the open water. It's pure white was contrasting the warm glow on the horizon starkly and I wanted to capture that in this photograph, to symbolize the last bit of winter being consumed in defeat, even if just short term to come back strong.
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds us!
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. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!