Iceland – I am still trying to catch my breath….
Just finished hiking the state parks in the Finger Lakes region of up-state New York. Specifically; Robert H. Tremen State Park, Buttermilk Falls State Park, Taughannock Falls State Park, and Watkins Glen State Park. That was quite a lot to cram into two short winter days, so this time I shot on my compact RX100 and iPhone 6s to stay mobile and light as possible. I must say, we were blessed with perfect weather, no entrance fees, and almost complete solitude. Judging by the infrastructure and parking, I imagine that the parks are a madhouse during the hot months.
Each park was amazing and breathtaking, both for the scenery and the stairs! Lucifer Falls was the most physically challenging, Taughannock is the tallest falls east of the rockies (besting event the might Niagra Falls), Buttermilk was a long flowing series of cascades and narrow gorges, while Watkins Glen was cut deep into the rock and had the most dramatic features.
Peacefully breathtaking.
People always talk about missing the seasons if they were to move from Virginia. While I believe that there is too much emphasis on seasons, I have to admit that autumn is one of my favorite times of year here. The humidity has gone to rest, and the hardwoods paint our lives with bright colors. This year seems to have been brighter than most for whatever reasons. These are some shots from Shenandoah National Park – Dark Hollow Falls, and shots from Green Spring Gardens.
Dark Hollow Falls is a fairly easy hike. Because of it’s ease of access and many cascades and dramatic falls, it can get fairly crowded. Nothing an early bird hiker cant avoid though. I was lucky enough to catch two fully restored Model A cars in the park.
While fall certainly isn’t over, peak foliage seems to have passed. I had a few more shots in mind at local parks and hikes, but weather did not prevail during my free time. So, perhaps with some luck I will add to this post!
A few shots from Maine’s coast. Shot almost exclusively in the golden hours, we chased the sun. Need to practice my astro-photography to really pull out the colors and contrast in the Milky Way. Several hikes were had through Acadia and around light houses around Portland. Summer’s last gasp here was a good one, crisp, clean, and cleansing to the soul.
This will be a short post, but I suppose it will be part of a New Years effort… to be a tourist in my own back yard and to revisit local places that I might take for granted. Today, Sunrise from the base of the Lincoln Memorial –
Moving to California was definitely a defining moment in my life. I had several personal reasons for moving, so when the opportunity presented itself to leave my home of the DC burbs for the California Desert – I jumped! Before moving out there I knew I wanted to make the most of my time and explore everything I possibly could, so I joined a hiking club without even having arranged my move… This was a crucial decision to exploring the area and making new friends. As time allows, I will try to retrace some of my adventures as individual stories, but for now I’ll present a few photos of my 2 years there. I was in the Mojave Desert, close to the Pacific, the San Gabriel Mountains, Death Valley, the Sierras, Sequoias… I left a few adventures on the board there, so I can’t wait to return!
Welcome to my blog, where I plan to post photos and stories from my adventures and every day life. Art has always had a place in my soul, and lately most of my artistic expression has been through the digital photography medium. I am not a professional photographer, but I do have an education in art and a degree in Graphic Design. By creating this blog, I hope that it provides me the motivation to shoot more, and therefore explore more. I hope that this blog will give me a way to reflect back on not only my experiences but changes in style and techniques for photos. For now, my primary equipment for shooting is on Sony equipment. Sony A77 and Sony RX100. Eventually, I hope to explore full frame and medium format as budget allows. Exploring yourself through different avenues is essential for growth, who knows where this goes, but I can’t wait to find out.
Kevin Kato, Photography and Stories 