The Blog Less Traveled

Fall is in the air. At least if you live in the North, that is. The leaves are starting to change color and the air is brisk and cool. This past summer in Michigan has been awesome. The high temperatures have pretty much stayed between 70°-80°. We only turned on the air conditioning a total of two days. That’s a first. I’m pretty much averse to hot and humid weather, so this has been the most enjoyable summer yet. Having lived in Monterey, California for 10 years really spoiled me, weather-wise. I got used to high temps being 60°-80° year round. Of course, if you’re a beach person who likes to bake in the sun and jump in the lake/ocean, you probably wouldn’t have cared too much for this weather.

Anyway, it’s been a while since I last posted a photograph, so here it is. The above photo is Mabry’s Mill. It’s located in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. This southwestern section of Virginia is known for its bluegrass and mountain music. I’ve never been there myself, but this picture sure captures the Fall colors in all of their glory. I’ve seen several pictures of this mill, but this is the best by far. The name of the photographer who took this photo is Jim McConnell. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and has been doing photography as a hobby for almost 10 years. His bio says he loves to photograph flowers, birds, and anything else that will hold still long enough. Thanks for letting me post this picture, Jim. You do great work!

If you’d like to see a higher resolution image of the above photo, click here.

To see a gallery of Jim McConnell’s many excellent photographs, click here.

The above photograph was taken at the Horseshoe Bend Overlook in Arizona. Horseshoe Bend is an enormous curve in the Colorado River as it meanders along the northern border of Arizona near the town of Page. It is slightly downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam which itself holds back Lake Powell. The town of Page was actually formed about 50 years ago to house the construction workers who built the dam. The bend is located within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

I lived in the Phoenix, Arizona area for several years. I never really went farther north than the Grand Canyon area. This particular spot is well north of the Grand Canyon and is almost on the border of Utah. Seeing this picture reminds me of the many spectacular views I had while traveling along the canyons formed by the mighty Colorado River. It’s utterly amazing what thousands of years of river flow can do to create these majestic rock formations and canyon walls. I really like the way the photographer of this picture was able to capture the entire view with such uniform lighting. It must be an awe-inspiring image when you’re actually there in person.

The name of the photographer who took this photo is Dieter Biskamp. He is from Germany and was kind enough to let me use his photograph. Thank you Dieter. Dieter has quite a diverse portfolio of pictures including landscapes, desert scenes, portraits and animals. I would highly recommend you take a look at his many fine photos. There are some really interesting shots and I’m sure you’ll find your time well spent.

If you’d like to see a higher resolution image of the above photo, click here.

To see a gallery of Dieter Biskamp’s many excellent photographs, click here.

The above photograph of Mount Shuksan was taken at the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the state of Washington. If the rest of the national forest is anything like this picture, it would make a fine destination for any nature-lover. I’ve had very little exposure to the state of Washington. I once flew into Whidbey NAS in Oak Harbor and spent a few days there in the late eighties. I remember it being a friendly and quaint little town that reminded me of the small towns in southern Maine that I once lived in.

What I really like about this picture is the contrast between the mountain peak and the foreground. The vibrant and varied colors around the lake and the deep green of the treeline stand in sharp contrast to the monolithic shading of the mountain.

The name of the photographer who took this photo is Don Paulson. He hails from the state of Washington and is an accomplished professional photographer with numerous works in books, magazines and websites.

To see a gallery of his many and varied photographs, click here.

To view a higher resolution image of this photo, click here.

Since next Sunday is Father’s Day, I thought I would select a picture that represents the occasion.

When I saw this picture, my first thought was that I wish I had one like that with my daughter. I do have many pictures of my daughter and me but none seem to capture the pure innocence quite like this photo. It’s such a great age for children. They’re little sponges of knowledge and still at the age where they think their Daddy is the greatest and can do no wrong. They’re just such a joy to hold and talk to.

What I really like about this photo is the fact that it is in black and white. There is definitely a time and place for color photography, but in this case, the photographer’s decision to use black and white was perfect. Not having color causes me to concentrate more on the character and emotion of the shot. I think color would have diluted the overall impact of the photo.

The name of the photographer who took this photo is Thomas Paul. He hails from North Carolina and is the owner of a wedding and portrait photography business in Charlotte.

To see a gallery of his recent work, click here.

To view a higher resolution image of this photo, click here.

The picture above pretty much speaks for itself. I don’t think my words will do it much justice.

When I saw this picture, the first thought that came to my mind was – pure. The sheer beauty and innocence of the face leaps out from the page. The eyes just seem to penetrate right through you. She’s such a natural beauty and would put many a Hollywood model to shame. The truly amazing thing is that she is only 15 years old!

The photographer of this beautiful photo is Bjorn Leirvik from Norway. He was kind enough to allow me to display his picture on my site. Thank you, Bjorn.

If you’d like to see a higher resolution image of this photo, click here.

To see a gallery of Bjorn’s many fine photos, click here. He has a nice variety of people, animals, landscape, seascape, etc. Definitely worth a look.

Today starts a new feature on my blog – Photographs. I’m going to start posting pictures that I find interesting in some manner or form. They may be nature shots, humorous scenes, facial expressions, current events or other items of interest.

I’ve always admired people who can see and frame a moment in time that many of us miss. Whether it’s a beautiful scenic panorama or a person’s facial expression, they manage to capture that special snapshot at just the right time. I can take a picture of essentially the exact same scene, but when I look at the final outcome, it pales in comparison to someone who has the talent to see the right way to frame it. Knowing the correct camera angle, lighting, exposure, positioning of the subject, etc., are things I will probably never get very good at. I suppose if I took a class or two or read a few books, I could improve my pictures. Until then, I’ll be using photographs from others.

I think that I’ve always had a special attraction to pictures along the ocean or other waterfront. Therefore, to start this feature out right, it only seems fitting that my first picture is a seascape shot. The picture above was taken at Turimetta Beach along the Eastern coast of Australia. It’s located about 12 miles northeast of Sydney. The photographer’s name is Jeff Grant who was kind enough to let me use one of his photographs. I was really drawn to the different textures of this shot from the coarse looking sand in the forefront to the sharp details of the rock formations. The rather muted overall coloring just gives this picture a soothing and overall pleasing balance.

If you’d like to see a higher resolution image of this photo, click here.

To see a gallery of Jeff Grant’s many excellent photographs, click here.

The Proboscis Monkey is one weird looking animal. It’s a reddish-brown arboreal monkey that is indigenous to Borneo. They’ve got big potbellies and a really long white tail. If you want to learn more about this monkey, click here.

There’s also a website that has a pretty cool video showing them feeding and flying through the trees. (click here) The monkeys don’t show up in the video until about 20 seconds into the clip.