MICHAEL MALANDRA PHOTOGRAPHY

Natures Palette

2009-10-27T12:49:00.027-04:00

I didn’t get out this fall as much as I wanted to but, it’s not over yet! With all the rain we had this summer nature is really putting on a show with all the bright vibrant colors that are around us. I was able to get up to Harriman State Park in NY a handful of times so far and found myself engulfed in so much color I thought I was walking on a painter’s palette. When I get out in nature to shoot I’m lucky enough to be able to see things the way it will look through my camera lens. People say to me all the time “what beautiful pictures you take” and my reply is “thank you and I wish I could say I created them but all I did was capture what was in front of me”. The older I get the more amazed and mesmerized I become of the natural world around us and less mesmerized I become of all the materialism our society has created. I can truly say that when I’m out hiking, kayaking or shooting that I’m in a mindset that I could never feel when in an urban landscape. The photos in this blog post were shot this fall in the New York area. I hope viewing them stirs up your adventurous side and pulls you out into the wild for a hike with the family and friends. You’ll be surprised how taking some time away from our fast paced world will clear your head, help you to think more clearly and live a healthier lifestyle.

On another note I have some cool stuff going on right now. First off Jason Melendez, an instructor at Malandra’s Martial Arts Center, and I took group of 26 people including 16 children hiking last month and let me tell you, the kids are counting down the days until our next hike in November. We heard so many comments from the children stating they never realized how cool it is in the wilderness exploring, finding new places and viewing wildlife. The group photo in this blog was taken by Susan Magnano from Magnanimous Pictures. I hope to run hiking/photography workshops for children in the spring to show tomorrow’s generation that they too can capture the beautiful photos that I do.

Well, I’ve be talking about it for a while and it’s going to happen next month. I’m finally going to have my Elements of Na ture gallery set up at the martial arts school. I'm looking at Thanksgiving weekend for a gallery opening with live music, food and beverages. I'll have 20 prints hanging in sizes from 18 x 24 to 20 x 30 inches and close to 100 prints that will be matted in print bins in sizes ranging from 5 x 7 to 11 x 18 inches. I will feature a variety of work, not only from this area but also the Southwest, Hawaii, St. John, California and Florida. As soon as I finish the details and confirm everything I’ll be posting a blog and sending out invites to everyone on my e mail list. If you’re not on my list and would like more information please shoot me an e mail at michaelmalandra@yahoo.com with your address and I’ll get you on the list. Till next time, I leave you with this quote by the world famous architect Frank Lloy d Wright : ‘Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you’.

The Summers End

2009-09-12T16:27:00.011-04:00

The summer of 2009 brought the Northeast some wet and sometimes dreary weather. While the weather may have damped our summer plans it is going to bring us brilliant falls foliage colors. I plan on taking advantage of some trips into New York State and capture all the beauty as it unfolds.

Blackbelt Jason Melendez, photographer Susan Magnano and I will be taking students from Malandra’s Martial Arts Center for a hiking trip to Pine Meadow Lake in Harriman State Park. I am using this opportunity to reintroduce the young students to the beauty of nature as a break from their high tech lives or their rigid pre-organized activity schedule. As a forty-something year old I see parents carting their children from field to field or lesson to lesson. This lifestyle is stressful to parents and children. I want to offer children an opportunity to do and see something different and give the family dinner table a new conversation.

I hope that such an adventure will turn into a monthly which could expand into Landscape Photography workshops for children and parents. Call me old school, but I would like to inspire and see parents and children taking overnight camping trips to the various picturesque locations the tri-state area has to offer.

Understand that not everyone can take advantage of camping trips I will bring snapshots of our trips to you. My new gallery will located at Malandra’s Martial Arts Center in local Suffern, New York during the holiday season. I will add to the experience with an evening of live music and refreshments so be sure to check back for details. I leave you with photos from summer 2009 from Harriman State Park and the Catskills. I hope you enjoy the photos and they inspire you, as they have me, to get out there, hike and see the amazing Fall foliage which promises to be amazing this year!

Sam's Point Preserve - Ice Cave Mountain

2009-08-17T22:22:00.010-04:00

On Friday I decided that on Saturday I should head up to Sam's Point Preserve which is the Ice Cave mountain area in Cragsmoor, NY. My goal was more toward hiking then a photography trip but, I could NEVER leave my camera home. Heading out around 9am the morning was already hot and humid. After grabbing coffee and some food I reached the Nature Conservatory around 10:15am paid for my parking permit and headed straight for the Ice Caves. WOW!!! Walking down the trail I could feel the cold air coming out of the many huge crevasses I passed. The Ice Caves are located in the heart of the northern Shawangunk Mountains just south of Minnewaska State Park. I finally reached the main opening to the cave and entered through an opening into a dark and cold environment that felt like something out of a JRR Tolkien book. Looking down at the cave floor about 30 feet below me I could see ice and snow still sitting on the stone floor. Once I made my way out I decided to hike over to Verkeerderkill Falls, a journey which took me across a ridge top of pine barrens through streams and blueberry bushes. This piece of wilderness is home to nearly 40 rare plant and animal species and represents one of the highest priorities for conservation in the Northeastern United States. The Falls were spectacular to say the least. Relaxing up there I ate lunch, hung my feet in the cool water for some needed relief from the heat and shot some photos. Due to the time of day the photography wasn't great but I was able to capture the essence of my trip. The whole trip weighed in at about 10 miles and not only gave me the workout I was looking for but some amazing views and a feeling of calmness that's has been so hard to find back home in our over achieving society. With all the hiking I do I still am amazed at all the new places I am still able to find that exist almost in my back yard. Finishing this blog I leave you with this. Children learn about the rain forests, animal life, plant life, ocean life, marine life and its importance to our planet and our existence. The question is in today’s world how many children are really getting out there to experience what they're being taught in the confines of the classroom and man-made zoos and gardens? How many children are taught that there's "natural" nature that exists an arms length from their back yard? This hands on education to our children is what's going to keep these precious places alive! Hope you enjoy the photos. Till next time, get out and experience nature for yourself - you won't be disappointed.

St. John Journey

2009-07-04T16:12:00.014-04:00

After taking a plane to St Thomas a taxi ride through some of the smallest one way streets on the island and then a ferry to St John we finally arrived at our destination. We picked up our jeep rental in the town of Cruz Bay and headed over to our tree house at Maho Bay where we would be spending the first 3 nights of our trip. Arriving at the Eco Lodge we realized that the heat and humidly was overtaking us and Sue was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. I swear they thought she was an Italian pastry from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx!! We checked in to what would be a very interesting 3 day stay. Our tent in the trees had electricity but no fan. With no breeze and 100 percent humidly the first night was a challenge. With the heat getting the best of us we decided to head back into town and grabbed a drink at our favorite ocean side bar on the island, the Beach B ar, and then some dinner. The next day felt even hotter and with a thick haze in the air that was a result of Africa’s weather pattern. We decided to bag hiking and hit the beaches for some snorkeling. It wasn’t until we reached the Coral Bay the following week that we hiked. Oh, and we did search out a local store to buy a floor fan which made our tree house a little more than tolerable at night. To improve the accommodations we also made sure we had plenty of beer from a local island brewery. Even with the heat, humidly and Sahara dust from Africa being in St. John is total paradise. The island has some of the most amazing beaches in the world, great local people that are by far some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met in America who take pride in their island. If you didn’t know, more than 3/4 of the island is a National Park with some amazing hiking trails. The three times Sue and I have been there we have hiked to some of the most secluded and pristine beaches that most people who visit the island don’t even realize exist. Most of our time on the Maho Bay side of the island was spent in the water snorkeling because of the heat and haze. It wasn’t until we arrived in Coral Bay 3 days later that the heat started to break a little and the haze was clearing up. The place we stayed at in Coral bay was called Concordia Estates, which is also an Eco Resort. Our eco tent cabin was built into the side of the mountain and was purely powered on solar energy! Our view from our porch and bedroom was of Ram’s Hea d which is a part of the island that over looks St. Croix more than 40 miles away and can be seen on a clear day. Being on this side of the island is much more laid back and life is taken at a much slower pace than the Cruz Bay side, if you can believe that. With the weather breaking a little we decided to do a hike out to Ram’s Head, check out some of the beaches and do some photography along the way. On our way we crossed a beach called Salt Pond Bay where a sail boat had been docked for 2 days. Being able to see the boat from our tent we were wondering “who are those people”? When we arrived to Salt Pond we met the couple who owned the boat. They docked there the night before took their dinghy from their sailboat to shore and hiked Ram’s Head for the day and snorkeled the bay. With no real plan they were sailing around St. John stopping where their adventurous souls would take them. By far my favorite beach on the island which happens to be on the way to Ram’s Head, called Blue Cobblestone Beach. The beach is made up of, what else but blue cobblestones and chunks of white coral. The contrast between the stones, white coral, teal green water and blue sky is so amazing that it almost puts me at a loss for words. The next day before sunrise Sue and I hiked out to Nanny Point which is off to the left of Ram’s Head and Drunk Bay to do some photography. This part of the island has some of the roughest sea due to the sea cliffs and rugged terrain. Walking on to this beach instantly reminded me of the movie the Planet of the Apes. It felt like we were on another planet or on earth thousands of years ago! The rock outcroppings and jagged cliff formations left me speechless. As I hiked around the beach taking photos and trying to set up the next “ultimate shot” I found myself climbing higher and higher into the massive rock formation that made the ocean so rough in this place. I started to climb through this vertical seam between two towering rock walls that took me through the center and out the other side to a view of the ocean that photographs or words could never explain. Sitting just outside of this crevasse, staring at the waves hitting the rocky terrain below made me feel as if I had reached the end of the world and it put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

St. John is by far one of my favorite places in the Caribbean because of its little quaint towns, great people and untouched natural landscape that will stay like that forever due to its National Park status. One of our favorite things to do when we go away is to talk to the locals and people who relocate. We found so many people who were our age that had come to this little island, loved it so much that they never left or came back to work there and live the true meaning of paradise. They may never become millionaires but that have something that is far more important, and that something is called quality of life and a dream that is coming true for them. All the photos in this blog were shot on this trip. I’m hoping to have a good amount of stuff ready for purchase in my new gallery in Suffern this coming Fall along with stuff from my journey out West that will take place next month. I now find myself on a plane flying back to New Jersey on a flight that has been delayed more than 2 hours due to rain back in the New Jersey area. Rain in NJ this summer? Really? You’re kidding me right?

If you would like to see more photos I shot from this trip goto my facebook page by clicking here. Got photos then to the St. John gallery.

A wet spring but a good one for photography

2009-06-20T16:06:00.029-04:00

So far for photography this spring has treated me pretty good. Yes the endless rainy days are testing my mental state but I'm thinking I'll be ok. At least this is what I tell myself everyday. Anyway I'm pretty happy with a lot of the stuff I was able to shoot so far this year. I'm getting some nice stuff that will make it into my gallery this summer as well as my next big show in the fall. Some cool stuff I have coming up is the trip to St. John Island in the Caribbean that Sue and I have planned for next week. We have rented at tree tent for the week at Maho Bay Eco Campground. I can't wait to sleep in the trees and listen to the ocean that will be less than 100 feet from our dwelling that we will call home for the week. I hope to post a couple of blogs as well as some of the daily photos I'll shoot while away. The other journey I have planned for the summer is my photography trip out to the Southwest in August. I've already booked my 3 night stay at the North Rim campground at the Grand Canyon. As this trip comes together I'll be posting all of the details as well as daily blogs and photos from each place I visit. Until my next blog post from St. John I hope everyone has a great weekend! The photos in this blog are some of the stuff I've shot so far this spring. I hope you enjoy the photographs. Please note, anyone looking to order prints from my website please be patient as I work out the final details on setting up my new online gallery. Once again thank you everyone for your continued support and belief in my work.

The Journey

2009-05-22T13:04:00.019-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it's almost the end of May and I haven't put up a post yet! As I sit here in my hotel room in Vermont on a business trip the only thing on my mind right now besides getting out to hike (which isn’t happening today) is the trip I’ve been planning to head out West in August. It all started this winter when the bone chilling, damp, cold weather grabbed hold of me and didn’t let go until April. At that point I said “Wow, why in the world am I here? Why would I stand for this?” Anyway, with too many responsibilities right now I knew I couldn’t just pack up and leave so I started to think about where would I go I if could. Well Maui, & Kauai did stand out in my mind but then I had a vision of Edward Abbey and I realized that traveling in the desert is where I need to be. Why? I don’t really know other than like the rainforests I’ve lucky enough to have experienced, the desert pulls me like a magnet. So what I started to plan to help keep my sanity is a 2 to 4 week photography and hiking trip to the Southwest starting and finishing in Las Veg as. The goal and purpose of this journey would be for me to hike, kayak and camp in as many places out west as possible and to get a body of work together to display in one of the many galleries in our area this coming fall. I’m also looking to not only document my journey in photos, but to also keep a daily log, track all my hikes on my GPS and to upload daily logs to my blog site. My plan is to camp for most the trip staying in a B&B or hotel only to regroup and get my stuff together for the next place I head to. Right now I’m looking to fly into Vegas and make a bee-line for Zion National Park then head to Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon North Rim and back to Vegas with a trip to Death Valley if time allows. I’d like to spent anywhere from 3 to 4 days in each place. There’s so much to experience out there that I realize I’ll have to think practical and come to grips that I won’t be able to get to every place I want on this journey. Oh Well, I guess that means another trip! As my plan comes together I’ll be posting more information along with my start date. I hope many of you find this to be exciting and inspires you to plan your own journey to where ever your passion takes you. The photos in this post were shot on my last trip out West back in Feburary of 2008. The first photo is Canyonlands National Park & the other three shots are of Bryce Canyon National Park.

Watercolors

2009-04-21T18:10:00.012-04:00

Here is a couple more Watercolors I've been working on over the dreary winter we experienced this year. I'm not totally happy with the outcome, but then again, I'm usually not when it comes to my paintings. All my paintings are done from photographics I have taken. With my photography, I try to capture the way I see the scenes I'm shooting with very little photoshop editing - other then the standard adjustments. With my painting my attempt is to capture not just what I see in the scene I'm painting but also how it makes me feel emotionally. In my paintings I always over exaggerate the saturation and contrast in many of the colors I see because for me being outside in the wilderness makes me feel excited, happy, and emotionally attached to something I really can't explain. This feeling to me is loud and in your face but not overwhelming. No matter what my frame of mind is at the time, good or bad, it takes over and gives me a sense of comfort. Ok this is probably more than one needs to know so I'll stop here lol. Hope you enjoy the paintings.

Elements of Nature - A Multimedia Concert Event (Click photo to see video)

2009-04-07T22:14:00.013-04:00

Last week - after talking about it for almost a year - my friend Mark and I finally did the first, of what we hope to be many, live shows featuring his music and my photography. His band, the Mark Sganga Trio, played live to a media presentation of my nature photography. We were both very happy with the outcome and received some great feedback from the audience. We hope to make this an event where we can book gigs throughout the Tri-State area. The show took place at NV Lounge in Suffern, NY and even though it was a rainy, dreary evening we had a good turnout with some lively fans of Mark’s eager to listen to some jazz. Mark and his band are amazing! They can play anything from Classic Rock to Jazz, Brazilian music and, of course, many original tunes of their own. My media presentation consisted of images from right here in Harriman State Park, the many National Parks in the Southwest and then one of my favorite places - the Hawaiian Islands.

I just edited down the NY/NJ State Park segment to a 5 minute piece to post on the Internet. I used some of Mark’s original music in the video. Click here to go to my youtube site and check it out and let me know what you think. I'll keep everyone posted on the next show we do together. If you're into good music and enjoy watching some incredible musicians work their craft then the Mark Sganga Trio shouldn't be missed!

Until next time, with the weather finally starting to "Spring", get out there and do some hiking and have some outdoor fun.

Saint Catherine of Bologna Art Show & Then Some

2009-03-17T17:20:00.029-04:00

Thank you everyone who came out this past weekend to the Saint Catherine of Bologna Photo and Art Show in Rin gwood NJ. This was my first year at this event and WOW it won't be my last! This show had some amazing Artists and Photographers from the NY/NJ tri-state area displaying their work. Not only was it an honor for me to be in this show but also an inspiration to see all the other work. It's so cool to see other people’s work and the passion they put into their craft. My La Sal Mountains photograph received Honorable Mention in the Photography - Nature/Landscape category. I was also happy to see that I was able to help their not for profit by selling my Rainbow Falls piece & also raising some more money for them with my Holly Berries shot I took this winter up in Harriman Sta te Park. A friend, Arthur Gilmore, who is also my painting teacher had his work in the show also. He's an amazing Watercolor painter and it showed by him winning 2 first place awards for best artist and best painting of Ringwood NJ.

On another note I've had some local business owners asking if I'd be interested in displaying my work in their establishments. The 3 places I'm in right now are Caffe Dolce in Suffern, NY, Araya Reb irth Day Spa in Ridgewood, NJ and Mr. Press Printing & Graphics in Suffern, NY. Mark McGuy owner of Caffe Dolce is a friend and what Sue and I call our personal chef due to the fact that we spend more time in his place then we do at home!!! Mark's place has some awesome food, drink & live entertainment. If you're in Suffern stop by for a visit and check out some cool photography of some amazing places right here in our backyard and from across the country while you enjoy a glass of wine and some great food! Mark put a little write up in his latest newsletter about my photography. I thought his words were kind; I’ve been called a lot of things in my life but never a “Renaissance Man” so I posted his words below. Until next time I'll leave you with a quote that I took from a photographer I met at the Art Expo in NYC this month. "There is no reason to look back. You're not headed that way." - Greg Davis

Photography By Mike Malandra- Mike Malandra is a true Renaissance Man: Businessman, Athlete, Artist, and much more - this guy is remarkable. Come in to the Caffe and see Mike's photography on display. It's absolutely breathtaking. Mike has a great eye for nature and brings it right inside for you to experience.

NYC Art Expo

2009-03-01T11:23:00.006-05:00

Friday I headed over to the Art Expo Show at the Javitz Center in NYC. My trip had a 2 fold agenda. First I knew I would be seeing some other artists and photographers whose works would inspire and motivate me to keep pushing along and second I wanted to see what the show was all about and if it would be something I'd like to give a crack at next year. The best part of the show for me was heading over to where the solo artists had their booths. I met some amazing people and had a chance to talk to them about their work. The one person that stands out for me is a photographer by the name of Greg Davis . I found his website the other day on the Art Expo site and after reading his Bio I knew I had to find him at the show. Not only is his work incredible, but so is his story. The short of the long is basically that he worked for Hewlett Packard for 10 years and decided that Corporate America wasn't for him. He left his job and traveled around the world for a year experiencing other countries and shooting photos. 3 years later his vacation pictures have turned him into a professional photographer. He is selling his prints and working on a book to tell his story along with another trip, this time to base camp on Mount Everest (my wife’s dream trip that will come true in the near future). Talk about "living" the American Dream! Go to his website and take a moment to read his story it's truly inspirational. I met some other great photographers there as well as this Watercolor artist Sinclair Stratton who does the most amazing paintings of animals. She donates part of her proceeds to many different charitable groups that help animals. After leaving the show I realized something that I kind of knew all along and that's that artists are a little "out there" but it's that being “out there” that has kept them true to living the life they choose and to follow their dreams and passions. They may never become wealthy, then again, maybe they will, but to them it doesn't seem to matter. After speaking to many of them I have found that they’re happy and a passionate group of people that live to create and keep their dream alive. For me this is so important, It's the philosophy I've taught I've my Martial Arts students for 23 years and it's what I struggle to live by in my life everyday. I've listed some websites below of some of the artists I met at the show. Check them out, their work is incredible and motivating to look at.

I've kind of been lazy about my blog this month and procrastinated getting up some other posts I wanted to write. Within the next couple of weeks I'll be posting some new paintings I've done along with some new locations and shows you can find my work in. Until next time, stay motivated and keep living your dream whatever that may be.

New Watercolor Painting

2009-01-10T17:30:00.005-05:00

Just finished this watercolor painting today. It's of Tiorati Brook Road in Harriman NY. One of the best roads to Bike or Run up. It's a winding one mile incline that connects Lake Welch Drive to Seven Lakes Drive. Talk about an adrenalin rush. The road is closed in the winter months due to snow and ice.

Covered in Ice

2009-01-08T20:20:00.025-05:00

Driving home from the gym yesterday I noticed how everything was covered in ice "bad for driving but, great for photography!" I eagerly finished all of my responsibilities and headed up to Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman. Hiking was difficult due to all the ice but I parked my car at the Reeves Meadow parking lot and started to slowly make my way to one of my favorite spots in the park. I hiked along the Yellow Trail following the Stony Brook for about 1/2 of a mile then woke up and realized that “WOW, IT’S REALLY ICEY! I better start to turn back”! Along the way I was like a kid in a candy store not knowing what to shoot first. The air was cold and damp with an icy mist hitting me in the face but the scenery was well worth having to put up with the elements of mother nature. Arriving back at my car with about another 45 minutes of sunlight left I headed further up Seven Lakes Drive to the Lake Sebago turnaround and shot some cool shots of the different ice formations along the way. Having Harriman State Park in my back yard is like a child living in Disney. Come to think of it with places like State Parks, why do we need theme parks? Hope you enjoy the photographs.

Annual Suffern DARE/ PBA Toy Drive

2008-12-26T10:37:00.013-05:00

I know this blog isn’t about photography or outdoor travel, but for me helping my good friend Clarke Osborn and the Suffern PD with their annual toy drive is an adventure and the best part of the holiday season. Next to being outdoors, helping and working with children is one of the most exciting things in my life. This year my wife, Sue, was able to get the company she works for, Liberty Travel, to have all their employees bring a toy to their Holiday Party. Thanks to Sue and Liberty Travel we collected another 25 bags of toys and more than 25 gift cards! Below is a brief history of the Suffern DARE/PBA Toy Drive history.

For the past 18 years the members of the Suffern Police Department have been sponsoring a holiday toy drive for local needy families. This program began as a result of many local families who were having a hard time receiving assistance during trying times. Since our inception we have identified and assisted these families through many avenues including working with local school districts and organizations to ensure that our toys went to truly local, needy families. We continue to assist families throughout Rockland and Bergen counties including the communities of Suffern and Mahwah.

Unlike other toy drives the items that we collect stay within our area. One of the main reasons that this drive started was because of the bureaucracy that our residents would go through to get assistance from larger programs and on many occasions our residents would be turned away and not even receive a return phone call back as they asked for help. Our drive is very unique in the fact that we identify the families and deliver the toys ourselves to ensure that the job gets done. We have a volunteer staff of over 50 officers and community members who truly lend a hand to make a difference throughout our communities.

Clarke Osborn is Chief of Police in Suffern and in my opinion (and many other’s opinions) one to the most caring and compassionate people one will ever meet.
Next week’s blog will be on the trip Sue and I took out West in early December.

Happy Holidays!

Where are the watercolors?

2008-11-16T18:31:00.035-05:00

This is the question I get when people see my business card or visit my website. The answer I give them is “they’re coming, I swear!” Well, here are some of the pieces I’ve worked on this year. I’m looking into having these reproduced so you will see more information on the site when it’s available. As for parting with the originals… well, I haven’t decided on that yet. Right now I feel like the original paintings are part of me and not sure how to say goodbye to them.

When I was younger and going to architecture school I took a watercolor class and enjoyed it but never did anything with the skills I acquired. It wasn’t until 20 years later I decided to pick up the brushes again and attempt to create something interesting. In my journey I met a gentlemen by the name of Arthur Gilmore who is a tremendous watercolor artist and teacher. His classes are 2 doors down from my martial arts school in Suffern, NY in his wife Connie’s frame shop. For the last 5 years or so I’m been painting in his class and have found that painting has not only given me another way to express myself but has also helped in giving me an “artistic eye” for my photography. Anyone wanting to give watercolor painting a try should come down to Arthur's class, Monday morning 10am to 1pm or Tuesday evening from 7pm to 10pm. Thank you again Arthur for the inspiration and motivation to see things from a different point of view. Check out his website by clicking his name above.

On a different note next month I’ll have some big news on a show/fundraiser my friend, Mark Sganga, and I will be doing in the new year for the NY/NJ Trail Conference. The show will include Mark’s live music along with my photography. More on this when we work out all the details. Until next time, remember make your daydreams a reality by acting upon them.

Fall Beauty

2008-10-17T09:49:00.018-04:00

This week I had a chance to get out at sunrise to do some photography. On Tuesday I headed up to Harriman State Park in New York and on Wednesday I headed over to Ramapo Reservation in New Jersey. Both days were warm with Tuesday being a clear morning which made for some great sunrise photos and Wednesday being overcast and foggy which gave the morning a misty "New England" feel. I hope you enjoy the photos and they help to bring you to that happy place in the corner of your mind.

A thought provoking quote

2008-10-11T09:13:00.016-04:00

I’m sitting here on a plane right now flying to Chicago to support Sue and our good friend Lori who are running the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. The other day I had a great idea (at least to me it was great) for a blog but I lost the thought when I stepped out of the shower on Wednesday. If only I could bring my laptop into the shower, this is where I come up with so many thought provoking ideas that I feel the need to act upon. The problem is once I step away from the warm water running off my body the thought to runs off my body too. Don’t ask me why ‘CAUSE I DON’T KNOW! Anyway I still feel the need to put up a post this warm weekend in October, so I guess what I’ll talk about is a quote I just read in a book by David Peterson. The quote is from his once good friend, Edward Abbey, a man who I believe truly understood what it means to live in harmony with the natural world around us. OK, OK here's the quote: “It is not death or dying which is tragic, but rather to have existed without fully participating in life-that is the deepest personal tragedy”. Reading this I stopped and looked out the window from my cramped seat in this sardine can I’m on and thought “WOW, that is a tragedy!” And wondered how many become victim to this without even realizing it until it’s to late?

As I get older I realize the importance of life and small things around me. With all that is going on in today's world that we have little control over it’s important to enjoy as much of our time here as possible—never taking a minute from our daily lives for granted. No matter how stressful life gets remember there is something positive in life to counter balance that stress and that “something” is what we need to bring to the foreground of our minds to help deal with the stress we sometimes can’t totally get away from. I know from this blog on I will keep that quote in my thoughts and when things get tough and life feels like 4 walls closing in on me I’ll look for that “something” that makes me happy and act upon it. The photos I put in this blog really have nothing to do with this short thought that I feel the need to write about. They are here to give you something peaceful and beautiful to look at and to hopefully influence you to get outside away from society and it’s mania for a short time, either by yourself or with a loved one to enjoy the natural places we so often avoid because we know so little about them.

Journey to the Finger Lakes New York

2008-09-10T11:01:00.009-04:00

Headed up to the Finger Lakes in North West NY last month. And I was able to get Sue to camp with me! We had a plan to stay in a bed & breakfast for the trip but that plan got changed due to us waiting until the last minute to book our reversions. My wife, the trooper, said to me “why don’t we camp”? It didn’t take me long to say “ummm, ok”! What we were able to do was camp for 2 nights and get a B&B for 2 nights. We had a great time the weather was perfect.
The Finger Lakes region is known for (what else) but its lakes and oh, did I mention its winery’s too? The region consists of eleven lakes ranging from 40 miles in length to an incredible 618 feet in depth. They lie within an imaginary triangle between Syracuse, Rochester and Elmira-Corning. All the lakes are fed by Lake Ontario to the north. We stayed on Seneca Lake, which is the longest of the lakes. It’s also home to most of the wineries in that area and to one of the coolest state parks, Watkins Glen State Park.

Sue and I hiked and photographed 5 state parks during this trip: Buttermilk Falls State Park, Letchworth State Park, Robert H. Treman State Park, Taughannock Falls State Park and my favorite park of them all Watkins Glen State Park. All of the parks are filled with some amazing rivers, gorges and waterfalls. Many of the photos I shot will be featured in my upcoming show in October. More on that in my next blog.

I have to finish this blog off with a word or two about the B&B we stayed at. The place is called the South Glenora Tree Farm and is owned by Judi and Steve. Steve has a story for everything and can tell you anything and everything about the area. Their place is a true country home with some of the best hospitality in the area. The Tree Farm is on 110 acres with hiking trails, streams and, of course, trees. The trees are Frasier, Douglas and Scotch pines and are for Christmas harvest. Whatever season you head up to the Finger Lakes I highly recommend staying at the Tree Farm. Tell Steve Mike & Sue, the Waterfall people, sent you.

The Catskills

2008-07-16T12:40:00.018-04:00

This past week I headed up to the Catskills to do some photography for some shows/events I have coming up this fall. More on that later. I decided that I would camp this time out and not get a hotel room. Let me tell you it was one of the best decisions I made. For me, camping is a way to get back to a “primitive” lifestyle with no societal stress. It's so great to be able to sleep under the stars and listen to the wind blow and the rain fall at night. When I was younger my dad used to take my brother and I camping every summer and there were times when I would think “Why are we doing this? Why not just get a room?” As I grew older I began to understand it's purpose. Most children today are so out of touch with the natural world around them. They are engulfed in a technology filled, over achieving society that they don't enjoy the simple things in life or to have fun without using some type of electronic machine. Technology is great but it becomes a problem when one lets it consume them to the point of not being able to live without it. Anyway, the Catskills are so beautiful and I think I was able to capture it's beauty in the photos I took. When I decided to camp this trip I wanted to find a place where I would be on a lake so I could also do some kayaking. I found a great state run campground up in Haines Falls NY called North South Cam pground which is on North South Lake. Although I couldn't get a site right on the lake I did manage to get one that was less than a 100 feet from the water. My morning started at sunrise with about 3 hours of hiking and photography then to breakfast and then to the lake for some kayaking and planning where I would hike to for Sunset photos. Some of the photos I shot are in this blog with more to come in the Fall on both my website and at the upcoming events I'm in the mist of planing right now.

Into THe Wild

2008-06-23T22:49:00.007-04:00

The other night Sue and I rented the movie Into the wild. I'm sure most of you already know the movie was based on the best selling book by Jon Krakauer. It's about the adventures of Christopher McCandless who after gradating collage decides to give up everything and head out on a road trip to Alaska and live in the wild away from society. I found the movie to be very sad leaving an empty feeling in my stomach not because of path Chris chose but because he chose not to fully prepare properly for his journey. I commend him on doing what he did in the sense of he had a desire and a dream and took action upon his desire. Having been more prepared he would be alive today to tell his own story first hand. Ok your probably thinking I'm crazy for commending his actions. It's not necessary the actions I'm commending although as I stated if better planned and thought out his trip would of turned out to be a true adventure with a positive ending. What I'm getting at here is the desire to act upon and live out his passion and dream. Society today has provided us with so many man made opinions and rules that when we act, we act thinking "what will others think?" or "will I fit in?" instead of acting on what will truly make us happy. Here's a question. How many are truly happy in their journey through life? And how many just think their happy in their journey because their following the herd and playing by all the rules? The rules I'm talking about aren't the laws we have in place to keep people safe. The rules I'm talking about are the ones that prevent us from acting out on a "daydream" or prevent us from thinking "outside the box". We live in a society today that bases one's success on materialistic possession and financial gain. I think most will agree that what truly makes a person is far more than what they own or are worth.
If you get a chance i recommend renting the movie. Not only was it a thought provoking experience but the scenery was fantastic as well.

In closing I ask two questions to all. What is your calling in life? What do you have a passion for? Take some time to think about it and then make the time to act upon it.

Hawaii one year ago

2008-05-22T14:46:00.030-04:00

Last year at this time Sue and I were in Hawaii for our 10 year wedding anniversary. Having been there 3 times I'm always amazed by the landscape and vegetation. We were up every morning at 6:30 am and out til sundown experiencing the delicate landscape of the rain forests, the remote beaches that would take us hours to hike to and atop some of the most amazing volcano's in the world. Both the islands of Kauai and Maui have two of the wettest spots in the world. The wettest being on Kauai atop Mount Waialeale averaging 460 inches a year. Doing some research I have found out that it is possible to hike to the base of this spot which is known as the "Blue Hole." I've seen it from a helicopter. Looking down into it is like looking at a green wall spilling water over a 5000 foot cliff!!! Click the link above to see what I'm talking about I promise you won't be disappointed. Our next trip back will consist of this hike. Some may think I'm crazy but to stand and photograph this place is one of the most important items on my agenda right now. The second wettest spot is on Maui in the West Maui Mountain range atop Pu'u KukuiPu'u averaging 350 inches a year. The amazing thing is at the base of this mountain range it's extremely dry and almost desert like due to the trade winds.

I hope you enjoy the photos in this blog and experience the same emotional response I felt when creating them. To see more photos of our trip goto the Hawaii gallery on my website. As far as the Photo's go I really can't take credit for creating them. I just captured what nature has created. Through my photography you will see the natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands and hopefully realize how important it is to preserve what is so important to our survival.

The Great Southwest - Part One

2008-04-30T16:00:00.025-04:00

Ok, before I start this blog, let me say that writing is by no means my area of expertise. Once I’m done I’m sure this will read like a 3rd grader’s story about their trip to the Bronx Zoo lol lol. But anyway here goes nothing. Please be easy on me. Moving on.

Last month Sue and I headed out west for a 9 day trip starting in Las Vegas, Nevada and ending in Moab, Utah. For us Vegas is our second home and hopefully our first someday. Not because of the lights, glitter and all the man-made mania but because of the desert and it's availability to all the outdoor playgrounds in the vicinity. Our trip was planned around two 1/2 marathons the first being in the Red Rock Canyon state park "one of my favorite places" and the second in Moab, Utah along the Colorado River. This trip like all of our trips out West, consisted of Running, hiking, photography and of course going to some great restaurants and shows in Vegas. I'd be lying if I said there was no shopping involved. How could there not be shopping? Sue was involved!!!

The Red Rock Canyon 1/2 Marathon was one of the greatest races I've experienced. The first 8 1/2 miles was all up hill gaining close to 2000 feet in elevation. From there it flattened out with some screaming downhill's!!! Although it wasn't my fastest time it was the strongest race I've ever run. I’ve been trying to figure out how this was possible given that the course was a difficult one. The only thing I can credit it to is the desert air, the red rocks and canyons. For me the desert has energy that makes me feel alive and pushes all my aches and pains away. If anyone has ever done some reading on the Southwest I'm sure you’ve heard of a place in Arizona called Sedona. Sedona is said to have special places within it called Vortex’s. A Vortex is where the earth’s energy comes up through the surface. This energy is what I believe is found in all natural things and is what an acupuncturist taps into when doing healing practices. It's what everything on this planet and in our universe is made up of. For me being in the desert puts me close to this energy and helps my body to heal and stay healthy both physically and mentally. One can call me crazy, but prove me wrong first. Anyway, Vegas was full of fun but can also be overwhelming. I feel that spending a couple of days on the strip is more than enough for one’s personality to handle. Being on the strip you can be engulfed in this overbearing man made playground where everyone and everything is trying to out do each other for egotistic status. Makes me wonder is this what life is really about? Does all this really matter in the grand scheme of things? Probably not. Anyway, after spending 3 days & 3 nights in the “Big City” we left Vegas behind and headed for what’s in my opinion one of the prettiest states Utah. The further we got from Vegas the more I felt all the pressures of society fall away. I knew at this point the only thing that really mattered was what’s the first side canyon that Sue and I will hike tomorrow and what time does the sun set tonight? When we arrived in Zion we found ourselves in a little bed and breakfast called Flannigan's that over looked one of the more famous rock formations in the park call West Temple. Looking up at this formation makes one realize that this is truly a place where you can connect spiritually with the planet we live on. We spent two days in Zion doing a couple of great hikes along the Virgin River and into different side canyons where the rock walls climbed thousands of feet above us on either side. The last day we were there we hiked into a canyon below the Court of the Patriarchs. About 2 miles in we found ourselves standing up against a canyon wall that stretched to the sky more than a thousand feet above us. Further up in the distance we were treated to a frozen water fall that was starting to thaw from the warm spring air making it’s way into Zion. Chunks of ice were falling off the falls that were so loud it echoed throughout the canyon like gun shots being fired. Our game plan when traveling is to get up as early as possible grab breakfast and head out on the trails. We usually hike until 3pm or so then head into town for some lunch, shopping and grab a drink while planning where we’ll head before dinner for sunset photo shoot. I never understood “sleeping in” when on vacation there’s so much to see and experience with so little time why spend it sleeping or on a beach chair? Our last day in Zion we headed out to an outdoor/adventure shop called the Zion Adventure Company and spoke to the owner, Shelly about a famous hike many talk about called the Zion Narrows. It’s basically a hike up the Virgin River and into some of the most amazing slot canyons in the area. To do this hike you need to have a wet suit and trekking poles. Sue and I are sure to do this next time we head to Zion.

Heading out of Zion we were on the road to Bryce Canyon, 80 or so miles up the road. We have never been to Bryce and couldn’t wait to get there. The documentaries and photos I’ve seen make this place look like a fantasy land. Just before getting to Bryce we went through a state park called Red Canyon, and let me tell you its name doesn’t do it justice!!! The rock formations are call hoodoos and are so red that they look like lava lamps turned on. Being much higher in elevation the temperature was much colder and the snow levels were at least 4 feet if not deeper. Because we left Zion early enough we were able to spend the afternoon in Bryce Canyon. First we headed to the National Park Visitor Center to talk to a ranger and get some information on the weather report. He informed us that the day was going to continue with high winds and cold air but heading down into the canyon should provide us with some shelter from the wind. Sue and I headed out to hike that’s called the Navajo Trial Loop. This was going to turn out to be one of the most incredible hikes we have ever done next to Kodachrome Basin (more on this later) and the Na Pali Coast in Kauai. We got to the trailhead which over looked the canyon and all its brightly colored hoodoo rock formations. To our surprise we came to realize that the trial was going to take us down into a snow packed narrow corridor that was less than 10 feet wide with massive pine trees growing up through the middle!!! After working our way through this narrow piece the trail opened up on the canyon floor and displayed these massive rock formations that we experienced when standing on top on the canyon. Hiking at the bottom of the canyon did provide us with shelter from the wind and a much warmer temperature thanks to the abundant sunshine. Being at the bottom was amazing. So many people come here get out of their car and say, “oh look how beautiful” snap a photo and drive away. Being at the bottom of Bryce Canyon, or off the beaten path in any park, is to truly feel and experience the natural environment around us. When we headed out of Bryce later that day we headed back to our little place we called home for two days. We stayed at Stone Canyon Inn, a bed and breakfast in the town of Tropic, 10 miles outside of the park. What a treat this was!!! We were the only guests there for the week and had our own living room with a fireplace and a view to die for. The people running the place were so kind, warm and friendly, and I must say also cooked a mean breakfast. Our game plan for the next day was to head back to Bryce hike a different trail and get back to that amazing canyon floor. Upon arriving there the temperature was 25 degrees and the wind was blowing even harder than yesterday. But this wasn’t going to stop us. We got out on the trail and started to walk along the canyon rim on a snow and ice covered trail. Once reality set in we realized that to the left and right of the trail was a drop into the canyon falling hundreds of feet. Seeing this Sue looks to me and says, “ummm do you really think this is a good idea?” My response before my common sense took over, was “of course it’s a good idea. Where dressed warm and will stay on the trail.” Needless to say once the common sense took hold we high tailed it out of there. Heading back to the car we pulled out our maps and turned on the GPS did some research and found that there was a State Park 30 miles down the road at a lower elevation called Kodachrome Basin. We decided to head that way. Kodachrome turned out to be AMAZING!!! The park isn’t that big in size, only spanning 2240 acres but it has some incredible views and vistas. Driving in we paid the park fee, got the map and decided to hike the Panorama Trail. What made this hike so amazing for me was that along the trail we took many side hikes following a dry river bed into some of the most amazing box canyons. We got to this one side canyon where the trail ended but off in the distance we could see these eroded sand cliff walls that were the most unbelievable color orange with a purple tint. Taking a left turn we headed up into the canyon, followed the dry and crusted river bed. Twisting and turning around the rock formations that looked like chimneys hundreds of feet tall we came to an opening underneath the “orange wall”. Sue waited at the bottom for me while I climbed my way up into this narrow crevas that took me up about 50 feet to this massive wall that I had been staring at miles away when we entered the park. Getting up close to this wall gave me this most amazing feeling that I just can’t describe. Ok, ok you’re probably saying this guy doesn’t get out much but all I can tell you is that you had to be there. After shooting some photos I made my way back down to were Sue waited for me and was at a lose of words in trying to describe what I had just experienced. We finished our hike in Kodachrome around 2 pm and decided to head back to Tropic and find a place for a bite to eat and plan a Sunset location shoot. Tropic isn’t very big only having a gas station, convenient store and a couple of restaurants. After lunch we headed back to the bed and breakfast and made a plan to head out before sunset to Red Canyon and then on to Ruby's for dinner. Most people who head out to Bryce will stay at Ruby's. It’s right outside the park and has everything one needs including a bar and fireplace!!!! Stay tuned for part 2 coming next month.

Elements of Nature Library Show

2008-04-24T09:23:00.017-04:00

I know I'm a little late in posting but, I want to thank everyone for their support who came out to my show at the Suffern Library back in February. The show was a great success!!! I hope everyone who views my work is inspired to get out there and enjoy the great outdoors, whether it be in your own backyard or traveling to some adventurous place such as a national, state or local park. Thank you again. If you would still like to purchase a print or a set of note cards please go to my website. Please e mail if you would like a print matted or framed.

Welcome

2008-04-17T08:31:00.003-04:00

Hello and welcome to my blog spot. Along with the many photos that are posted on my website I felt trip reports and different links to the places that we travel to would help others who may want to travel to these places too. I will also include information on the local hiking, kayaking, biking and photography outings that may interest you. I hope you enjoy the blogs. Feel free to post your comments and requests.