MICHAEL MALANDRA PHOTOGRAPHY

Elements of Nature - Hawaii & Beyond

2011-11-09T20:13:00.001-05:00

Well, I finally put my Hawaii work together and am ready to open it to the public! This new collection, along with some new black & white work will join my Elements of Nature series of new and old. Both Maui and Kauai, in my opinion, have some of the most amazing beaches and terrain in the world. I think I was able to capture this beauty at both sunrise and sunset on my last trip back in January. After months of photo selection, editing and cropping I sent the photos over to my friend Keith at Glen Rock Digital Photo in Glen Rock, NJ last week. He called me yesterday to let me know he had the large format prints ready. Keith does some amazing work and when I got down to his shop I was totally taken back when he showed me my new prints. I just dropped them off to Connie over at the Village Frame shop in Suffern, NY. I can't wait to see the final product after Connie works her magic. I'll have more than 15 new prints on display as well as many others in all sizes in print bins at the upcoming show.

You're probably saying "alright, alright so when is the show!?" The answer is... Ready?? Saturday, November 26, of Thanksgiving weekend from 5 - 9pm at my Martial Arts School/Gallery in Suffern (see the post card below). As always there will be plenty of wine, snacks and live music.

My goal through my work is to continue to inspire people to jump out of their chair and travel our beautiful planet to experience the natural and adventurous world around them. Whether that journey is to a far away distant place or right in your own backyard, natural beauty is all around us. All we have to do is just become aware of it. Next time you drive to and from work take a moment look at the sky, look at the sunrise or sunset, look at how the clouds dance around and form all kinds of incredible shapes, look at the colors in the landscape around you. I promise you'll be amazed if you keep your mind open and try to experience the moment without letting the crazy world distract you. Doing this will give you a sense of calmness and help you to not "sweat" the small stuff in life.

Sue and I hope to see everyone in November. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you again for all your support

Click here for my Facebook Fan Page event invite.

Adirondack Vistas, Running Water & Athletes

2011-08-17T09:27:00.001-04:00

Headed up to Lake Placid, NY last week for some hiking and photography. The weather wasn't the greatest for photography but I was able to squeeze out a couple of good shots. I'm really liking the way some of the black and white shots turned out and just might have to dedicate a section of my print gallery to black and white prints. I also included a shot of the athletes from Ridgewood Triathlete, they had a training camp going on while we were up there. What a great group of coaches and athletes!!! If you're into or want to start training for endurance sports their the people to hook up with in NY/NJ. The photo In this blog was taken after their ride to the top of Whiteface Mountain. Hope you enjoy the photos.

Some new shots from here & there

2011-07-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

Some shots from the summer, some are landscape and others are from clients I've worked for. Still have August, hoping to get some new portfolio stuff as well as some new prints for my Elements of Nature Gallery. Happy shooting everyone, enjoy the photos but most of all get outside and enjoy the rest of the summer.

Wanderlust Yoga Festival NYC 2011

2011-06-09T13:57:00.000-04:00

I was the official photographer for the Wanderlust Festival in NYC Tuesday night. Awesome event with some awesome athletes who are not only in shape but know how to have fun. It was like a Dead show with Yoga. What I love about the whole Yoga environment is that everyone is so easy going and polite, no gym egos or muscle flexing, just a bunch of people working out to improve their mind and body without the worry of what others think or say.

My office for the afternoon

2011-05-07T14:39:00.000-04:00

Went up to Harriman this afternoon to do some recon for a future sunrise shoot. I'm hoping to get back to this spot on a misty foggy morning just as the sun is coming up. I'm thinking if all the pieces fall into place this location could make for some killer shots.

I didn't find the Easter bunny but I did find these amazing compositions.

2011-04-25T15:22:00.000-04:00

Ringwood State Park, NJ on Easter morning. Flowers blooming, dew on the grass & birds chirping. Peaceful morning.

HDR & Black & White

2011-04-18T16:07:00.000-04:00

Went yesterday morning to Harriman & Ringwood State Parks to shoot but the conditions weren't the greatest. I decided this would be a good opportunity to play around with some HDR & black & white photography. I'm not a big fan of the HDR process but feel it's a great tool when used to enhance the natural look of a photo.

Man Made Eco System

2011-04-06T15:48:00.000-04:00

Shot these at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. I really loved seeing all of the school field trips there and listening to the teachers explaining to the kids about the eco systems that each hot house contained to made the perfect environment for all the plants. What concerns me is if the kids are grasping that what they are experiencing and do they understand that this is what really happens in nature when it's not disrupted by pollution and over population. Without these eco systems in place we, quite frankly, will die. I just hope our younger generations understand how important it is to respect and not exploit the place we call home.

Some fast moving water runs through Harriman

2011-03-18T17:31:00.000-04:00

Feeling the need to get outside when I saw the sun pock through I headed up to Harriman State Park with my camera. Witnessed some fast running water due to all the rain and winter run off this year.

Extreme Desert Training Photo Shoot

2011-02-26T09:50:00.001-05:00

A quick video of some action photography I did for Robert Finlay of Kayak Lake Mead during their one Extreme Desert Training sessions. The stuff these athletes were doing was insane! What an honor to be able to shoot them in action during all hours of the day and night in some of the most extreme conditions. Click below for a better quality video on youtube.

Extreme Desert Training video on youtube click here.

Winter Blues

2011-02-07T15:51:00.000-05:00

It's almost over, get through February and part of March and we're in the clear! Don't forget this winter when June rolls around and you're about to complain how hot it is outside. Let's all be thankful for each day and try our hardest to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and make the most of every sunrise. Here are a couple of photos from Kauai to help push you a little closer to that warm sunshine. ENJOY!!!!

It's the simple things in life that bring happiness

2011-01-30T18:02:00.001-05:00

The word quantity is what most strive for, but it's quality that makes the difference in life. It's not how much you have or are worth, it's what you do with you have. Happiness comes from within and not from a possession. Quality is what makes one smile from within when one becomes content and finds happiness in the simple things in life. I met many people this past week on the beautiful island of Kauai who truly love their lives that consist of very little. For me experiencing what I photoed below is what brings true happiness for me. Take away what little money I have and what little I own I will still find joy in what I experience when I do something as simple as hiking in nature.

The photo is a I look into the wettest spot in the world "The Blue Hole". Sue & I Hiked 60 plus minutes through a slippery stream bed, bamboo forest and mud that was knee deep to get this shot. Our guide was Eric from Hike Kauai with me who is a hiking guide and expert on Kauai's terrain and landscape. I'm obsessed with this spot and next time will be planning and overnight trip all the way in which puts you right at the wall and under 3000 foot plus waterfalls. I think i'm a pretty good photographer but this shot can't begin to explain what I was looking at or experiencing.

If you plan on visiting Kauai, want to experience the Islands back country and some of the most pristine spots that most will never experience give Eric Rohliffs a call. Not only is his knowledge of the island second to none but he's also a great guy with a love and passion for Kauai that shows through in his stories.

Back to the Rain Forest

2011-01-18T09:15:00.000-05:00

This coming Friday, Sue and I are escaping to the Islands of Maui and Kauai. Heading to Maui first to run the Maui Half Marathon and then on to Kauai. Kauai is one of my favorite places it's populated with down to earth people who move on island time living in the moment and not rushing through the day just to make it to the next day just to start all over again. While on this trip I plan to get a substantial body of work for an island exclusive gallery showing this spring. One of our main hikes on Kauai we will be doing is to the wettest spot on earth, Mt. Wai'ale'ale. We have hooked up with a hiking guide that will guide us through the lush canyon and into the base of the Blue Hole which is home to hundreds of waterfalls 3000 plus feet high. I can only imagine what it's going to feel like to stand inside such a magical and for me spiritual place.

I'll be updating some of our adventures around the island on FB while we're there and will also be posting many new photographs when we get back. I also have a new toy called the GOPRO Video Cam so I'll be able to get some video footage of the amazing places we will journey to. Thank you once again for all your support. Stay tuned for some magical and breathtaking photos soon to come.

Old School Italian neighborhood and the Botanical Gardens

2010-12-30T14:13:00.002-05:00

Sue and I spent the day at the NY Botanical Gardens and then made our way over to Arthur Ave. for some old school Italian food I haven't had since my mom was alive. This brought back some amazing memories that had me smiling all day. The best place we experienced was Mike's Deli at the Arthur Ave. Market. David runs the deli and has not only been on Bobby Flay's TV show but also grew up with a good friend on mine Jon Haber here in Rockland County ,NY. We got to talking and next thing I know he's feeding me food and giving me a history lesson. As Jon would say, "GOOD TIMES" :)

Snow drifts and flowing Ice

2010-12-30T13:55:00.000-05:00

I lied here is another pot for 2010. Feeling cabin fever setting in I felt the need to get outside to breathe some fresh air and be away from our fast paced society, so I grabbed my camera and headed up to Harriman St. Park in NY. The fresh air was cold but felt good on my face as I headed into Reeves Meadow along the Stony Brook. I headed out on the trail and followed some snowshoers packed down trail, Having snow shoes would of been the smart move but my hiking boots would have to do for today. I hiked about a mile along the creek shooting in snow drifts that were well above my knees and even deeper. It's amazing how being outside in such a pristine, quite and natural setting can clear the mind and rejuvenate the soul. Hope you enjoy the photos.

My Last post of 2010

2010-12-27T18:06:00.000-05:00

Well, 2010 is coming to a close and 2011 will be arriving soon. This will be my last Blog post for the old year. Here are a couple of shots I took on one of our trips out in the Southwest back in 2007. I'm going to be using some of these shots in a video i'm putting together for Kayak Lake Mead as a promo for their Extreme Desert Adventure Training Expeditions. Thank you everyone for all our support. Have a great New Years Eve and an Awesome 2011. I'll be announcing some real cool stuff I'm excited about for the coming year in the next couple of week.

Falls End

2010-11-09T17:02:00.002-05:00

I can't believe Fall 2010 is falling away and winter is rushing in. I've been so busy with the preparations for my October show at Sanctuary in Nyack, NY that I didn't find much time to get out and shoot when I wanted to. I was able to get out late this season and capture what was left of nature's work. With the winter moving in I have to keep my mind active, stay focused and keep pushing forward toward my Hawaii trip planned for January.

Great Musicians with an Artistic Flare

2010-10-08T15:09:00.000-04:00

My friend Mark Sganga Had his CD release party last week at Winberries in Ridgewood, NJ. I don't normally shoot indoor activities but since I love good music and I thought this would be a great fit. What I love about Mark and the people that play with him is that they all have a true passion for their craft. They play what they feel from their heart and sole. Marks playing can be compared to a world class painter laying paint on a canvas. He's work in animated, colorful and truly paints a picture with each ringing note. I'm excited to announce that Mark will be playing at my Gallery reception at Sancaurary in Nyack, NY next Saturday Oct. 16 from 5 to 9pm. I think I was able to visually capture The Mark Sganga Trio with my lens adding somewhat of an artistic flare. Hope you enjoy the photos.

The desert & some amazing athletes

2010-09-28T09:04:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity this month to head out to Nevada & Arizona to photo document 12, 4 person teams navigating, trekking, kayaking, mountain biking and climbing 300 miles through the desert. When the word athlete is spoken it's this kind of person that fits the bill. Every team member had all the ingredients that make up a true champion, perseverance, attitude, mental strength, physical strength and a caring and passionate attitude towards their teammates. Take this kind of person out of the Adventure Race and put them in any other facet of life and they will succeed beyond all expectations.

A big thank you to Robert Finlay for giving me this opportunity and exposing me to such an awesome group of amazing people.

In to the unknown - Desert Wind Adventure Race

2010-09-16T08:39:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I set out on a 5 day journey doing something that 3 years ago I would of found every reason why I logically shouldn't be doing this. Today I can find many reasons why I should be doing this. I'll be flying to Las Vegas, renting a car and driving to Arizona to meet my friend and world class adventure racer Robert Finlay to photograph his upcoming 300 mile Desert Wind Adventure Race through some of the most remote parts of the Mohave Desert in Arizona and around Lake Mead as well as near the Grand Canyon. Although I'm prepared; I have clothing packed for all kinds of weather, sleeping bag, laptop and of course all my camera equipment, I still am feeling that nervous feeling knowing I'm stepping into the unknown. I'll be photographing some of the best adventure racers in the country through some of the most amazing landscape in the southwest. I have total confidence in my skills as a photographer and an outdoors person being able to deal with the many different kinds of elements but there's always the "what if" in the back of the head. This is where I'll have to go with the mind set of "luck is when preparation meets opportunity". I'm prepared and the opportunity is in front of me, therefore I'll be very lucky this coming week.

Not sure what kind of cell reception I'll be getting but I'll try to post facebook status updates as well as some photos along the way. When I get home I'll be writing a trip report with many photographs documenting the weeks adventure. Stay tuned for updates.

We are all born with the tools. Some use the tools while others complain that their tools don't work.

2010-09-07T10:11:00.001-04:00

I'm reading the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho right now and am realizing that most of society is in such a hurry or always wanting to be in control that if someone randomly waved a lottery ticket in their face they would probably push the hand out of their way saying "get that out of my way I have to be somewhere!!!". Most never see the lottery ticket or their dream being presented to them because they're either too closed minded or are truly afraid of achieving what they set out to do. With the achievement of the dream comes a life change and the thought of "now what?" or "what will others think?" Most don't want to reach their dream, so instead they defeat themselves and use outside elements as the excuse of failure. I can say with confidence that I used to be one of those people, but, had my eyes opened a couple of years ago and will never defeat myself, therefore, no one or anything else can defeat me.

Life is what one makes of it. There's NEVER anyone or anything holding a person back other than their own demons. Wake up everyday and face that fear, know it's there and that it will try to consume your every breathing moment but overcome it and use it to push forward toward the goal. Once one opens up and can look past that fear they will see that the opportunities are endless. All you have to do is go along for the ride. We are all born with the tools. Some use the tools while others complain that their tools don't work. Who do you want to be?

True happiness doesn't come from financial gain or materialistic status it comes from knowing that a person is not in fear of conquering their internal demon and can now be at peace with whatever choices they make. When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.

Old School Hippies & Drums

2010-08-31T18:06:00.011-04:00

Every Sunday from 4 to 6pm in the center of the town Woodstock, NY people of all ages and backgrounds come out of the woodwork to gather in what's called a Community Drum Circle. Resident's, Hippies and tourist's all get together and just start banging away with all kinds of rhythmic sounds lead by a couple of experienced drummers. The sound is amazing and the way people can come together with little or no talent to do this and make it work is just beautiful. Music is what makes the world go round and motivate the soul if one can just relax and let it take over you'll find out it can be very healing.

Escape to the Cape - 6 guys, one chick, 290 miles in 36 hours

2010-08-23T13:47:00.036-04:00

A friend of Sue and I, Jeff Morris, was telling us last year how he was going to put together a team of people to run and bike from Mahwah, NJ to Cape Cod, MA. The reason was simple, to raise money to help in finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease. When we heard this we both said SIGN US UP!!! Both Sue and I live for stuff like this and what better reason then to do it for than for a great cause. As the time drew close to our departure date the talk became reality and then on midnight Thursday, August 20, we all assembled at Jeff’s house for our departure. 6 crazy guys, one little blonde with a ponytail, a 25 foot RV and enough water, Gatorade and nutrition supplements to open up a store took off with Rich Gandon from the Ramapo Times filming us. We broke the trip down into a total of 5 legs, three 10 mile running legs and 2 bike legs one a 20 miler and the other a 10 miler. When it was all said and done everyone covered close to 70 miles each total in distance.

We had 5 people running and biking, Jeff Morris, Dan Meyer, Glenn Haber, Susan Levy and myself. Our support crew was Don Morris, “the Silver Fox”, and Andrew Yorke who both drove, helped with navigation and moral support. Everyone came from different fitness backgrounds, but the goal was always the same: “get to the finish as a team. Dan started us off at a blistering pace in the total darkness wearing a headlamp, a reflective vest and some running clothes. Not much protection against all the wildlife we were thinking about on our way through Harriman and Bear Mountain. Jeff was the second man out in the relay and he had to conquer the hills, again, in darkness. The only thing you could se when you shined the headlamp into the woods were the eyes of the unseen animals looking back at you. Glenn was out next, again, running at such a pace we were ahead of our schedule from these first legs. My leg was 4^th and I got to run out of the darkness and into the sunrise. Sue had the early morning run with all the rush hour commuters. We rotated in that order through Friday and into Saturday as we approached our goal.

What I found amazing was how everyone was able to recover so quickly and was able to get into their next leg with less than a couple hours sleep, muscle cramping, soreness and what we hoped was enough food in our system. We all averaged about 4 hours sleep total for the trip. I’d like to say the human body is amazing but it’s not so much the body as it is the mind. The brain is an incredible tool and is more than 75% of the fight. When the brain says “NO” so does the body and one’s attitude.

At some point every member on the team had to step up to the plate and help another member in one way or another. What I learned from this was that it’s really easy to be inspiring, motivating and happy when everything is going great but a true person’s character comes through when things go south and emotions start to come through. I was amazed how everybody put the team first and didn’t let any of that negative stuff set in and take over. I think Don may have gotten the least the sleep of everyone but always made sure the RV was ready for whichever athlete needed it. Andrew took “support crew” to a whole new level as he rode two 20 miles legs of the journey. One with Sue to make sure she was ok in traffic and the other 20 mile leg with me at 4am in the morning. Dan ran to a point of dedication that is inspiring. This guy has some speed and I don’t think he ever slowed down. Glenn, on only his 3^rd bike ride of the season, rode like a seasoned pro, undeterred by flat tires, darkness and exhaustion. Jeff, well, I have no words for a guy who organized all of this, had encouragement for everyone all along the way and then busted out a half marathon to make up for a detour.

I’ve always knew this, but this trip confirmed for me that Sue is not only my wife but also my best friend. She stood by me the whole trip, gave me the Susan Levy smile when I needed it and even helped me at the end with the last running leg. I rode her bike leg because I didn’t want her out on the road at 4am riding all alone. 5 hours later Sue and I had the last 10 mile leg to run. I got out there with her and did the first 4 1/2 miles with her and then started to feel lightheaded and dizzy. I jumped back into the RV to get more water and food in my system while Sue stayed out there and just tore up the last 6 miles up hill to the finish line where we all jumped out and did the last 1/2 with her to be greeted by everyone’s family screaming and cheering us on at the end.

In closing I’d like to thank everyone who I spent this journey with. Next to the NY Marathon and my Black Belt test this was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I couldn’t have done it without the support of everyone involved. All that positive energy that was created by all of us made me realize that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!

Here are a couple of links, the first is a video taken by Rich Gandon from the Ramapo times at our departure and the second is a write up and interview with Jeff Morris from the Herald Chronicle newspaper from ape Cod.

The Ramapo Times

Newspaper Interview

Alto Music Airmont, New York

2010-08-11T15:10:00.006-04:00

Went back to Alto Musi c to shoot some other locations in their new store that weren't done when I was there last time. I remember going to the old location as a kid to but new guitar strings. The new location is bigger, better and state of the art with an awesome staff. I'm also going to be shooting their first event at the new location in September, Gibson Day. Gonna be fun, live music, great food and some of the best guitars around to checkout and pl ay.

Malandra's Martial Arts Center Hiking Trip

2010-08-09T14:28:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday we took a group of 7 adults and 10 children hiking up to Pine Meadow Lake in Harriman State Park in New York. The beautiful weather hanging with great people and exercise in the great outdoors made for an AWESOME day. Man, I love my job :)

Escape to the Cape Fundraiser

2010-08-02T15:12:00.009-04:00

Sue and I are taking part in to help raise money for the Alzheimer's Foundation. We will be part of a 5 person team running and biking our way over 290 miles from NJ to Cape Cod in 40 hours. Each team member will run 3, 10 miles legs and a 30 mile bike to the finish. We have a fundraising page set up and a Facebook page where we will be putting up status updates, photos and GPS maps while we're on the journey. See the links below. Please join our FB page to help in supporting us. You can also make a donation by clicking the link below.

Mike & Sue's Escape to the Cape Fundraiser Page

Escape to the Cape Facebook Fan Page

Flowers and the Buddha in the Garden

2010-07-26T15:24:00.007-04:00

On a hot, steamy but beautiful day I made my way up to Ringwood State Park in New Jersey in search of some beauty. I think I found some :)

Peter Shields Inn in Cape May, NJ

2010-07-20T21:37:00.016-04:00

Friends of Sue and I just took over the Peter Shields Inn in Cape May, NJ. It's charming B&B right on the ocean with great food and a relaxing atmosphere. Here are the some of the photos I shot of the Inn and one of the local farms for there upcoming PR campaign.

New Logo & Website Design

2010-02-21T09:04:00.006-05:00

Haven't written a blog in sometime due to being busy with other projects, but mainly out of pure laziness. Writing doesn't really come easy for me and for some reason in my head I make writing a simple blog seem like I’m trying to write a book so therefore I just keep putting it off. Well anyway, with the New Year I’m determined to keep up with this and write on at least one topic a month. Ok enough of that. One of the things I’ve been working on is updating and revamping my website. I wanted to give my site more of an "organic" feel with a new logo that would better represent my work and image. I also wanted to improve upon the gallery section as well at the shopping cart option for purchases. Even though this project is still a work in progress I have pretty much got the new layout down with what I think is a pretty cool logo and a much larger selection of photos to scroll through in the galleries section. Even if someone isn't looking to purchase a print, a set of folded cards or the digital rights to a photograph I would still like to keep people coming back to my site when they are looking to clear their heads by viewing some of the natural world around them. Check out the site let me know what you think! Until next month stay warm and remember, Spring is just around the corner!

www.michaelmalandra.com

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.