An alternate universe?

An alternate universe?, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

And now for something completely different....

I always find Segway tourism to be a bit strange, but I suppose it has its attractions. Being able to cover a lot of area without too much physical effort would be quite attractive to many American tourists. Maybe I'll try a segway sometime. There's a faculty member on campus who commutes between west and main campus via this strange mode of transportation. Maybe it's actually fun?

Mount Cadillac

Mount Cadillac, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Steve and I had a brief visit to Acadia National Park while we were in Maine. The park is advertised as the place where the mountains meet the sea. The park was shaped by glaciation, and it's interesting to see the lay of the land.

One of the things we wanted to do while visiting the park was to go up on top of Mount Cadillac. There's a road that goes to the top. The view of the surrounding area is supposed to be spectacular. However, we visited it while it was covered in a cloud and the wind was blowing very hard. We didn't mind too much, because, photographically speaking, these conditions are much more interesting than bright blue skies in the middle of the day.

The granite is covered in interesting patterns of lichens, and the vegetation is subalpine, even though the elevation isn't all that high. We definitely need to go back for a longer visit.

Salt Pond

Salt Pond, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Steve and I discovered a gem on the coast of Maine as we were exploring the Pemaquid Peninsula. This is called "Salt Pond" and it's a large tidepool where Rachel Carson explored the intertidal zone as part of her research for her book, "The Edge of the Sea."

Row boat reflection

Row boat reflection, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Another picture from Maine - this one is from a place called Ducktrap, which is just north of Lincolnville Beach.

Blue Hour

Blue Hour, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Photographers often aim for the golden light of late afternoon or early morning, or the beautiful warm glow of sunrise and sunset. However, there is another magic time of day just before sunrise and after sunset, but after or before total darkness sets in. This time of day is known as the blue hour and the color tones are usually in the blues, pinks, and purples.

This photo is from a few days ago while Steve and I were staying at The Spouter Inn in Linconville Beach, Maine. We sat on a wall above the sand to watch the play of light on the bay.

Camden Harbor

Camden Harbor, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Coastal Maine is chock full of small, interesting harbor towns. This is a picture from Camden, which is in the mid-coast region of Maine. Some of the coastal towns have luxury sailboats and schooners - some as private vessels, some for tourism. Other coastal towns have working harbors - catering to the lobster industry. Each harbor has a unique personality, and all are interesting to photograph.

Stairway at Fort Knox, Maine

Stairway at Fort Knox, Maine, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Long exposure photographs can be very challenging. I use a Canon 7D camera, and its low-light capabilities are not so good. To overcome the noise, I did a 25 second exposure of this naturally lit stairway. A tripod is essential, of course, as is not touching the camera at all during the exposure. The 7D has a 2 second delay for such challenges. Worked like a charm, I think.

Portland Head Lighthouse - again

Portland Head Lighthouse, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

This lighthouse is so photogenic that I can't help but post another sunrise picture. This one was done with my Tokina 11 - 16 mm lens, which I proceeded to break that morning. Damn! However, I was able to find a replacement lens that was shipped overnight to me, so now I have a new lens and will have a spare after sending in the first one for repair.

Sunrise at Portland Head Lighthouse

Sunrise at Portland Head Lighthouse, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Another view of the Portland Head lighthouse at dawn. The goldenrod in the foreground add a lot of visual interest, I think.

Portland Head Lighthouse

Portland Head Lighthouse, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Sunrise on the coast of Maine is beautiful, especially when there is a photogenic object to capture. This is allegedly one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. I believe it - it's one of the most beautiful and beautifully located ones I've ever seen. There were quite a few photographers out there to capture this particular sunrise.

Reflections

Reflections, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

My photographic themes tend to be focused (pun intended) on nature or special events. However, once-in-awhile I like to capture urban scenes and architecture. This reflection pattern and the two contrasting buildings standing across the street from one another made an interesting photographic study for me.

Shadow and light

Shadow and light, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Early morning light is always interesting. When I see a patch of light in a shaded forest, my eyes are immediately drawn to the spot. There's an aura of mystery about shadows and light, especially at the crack of dawn.

Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua , a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I previously posted a picture of this scene in black and white, processed using SilverEfexPro. I reprocessed it in color to bring out the details I had tried to capture in B&W. I may process this version in black and white to see how different it looks.

Learning to use processing software is an ongoing endeavor.

Misty forest

Misty forest, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Cape Perpetua is a treasure trove of beautiful scenery. The Sitka spruce forest there is not old growth, although there are a few old trees scattered in and amongst some of the groves. However, where the forest has been protected in state parks and nature reserves, one can get a glimpse of the natural forest of the Pacific coast such as in this photo from July 7, 2011.

Dublin Irish Festival 2011 - Session 3

And here's the last of my session videos, featuring John Doyle doing a fun song.