Tag: New York

Photo of the Day: A Glimpse of Rivendell

Michael RappaLeave a comment

This shot is from our hike along the gorge trail in Watkins Glen State Park last month. A walk through this park has been compared to a stroll through Tolkien’s Rivendell, and it’s easy to see why.

Date: 9/11/2015
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

The park is located in the middle of the town of Watkins Glen, which sits on Seneca Lake in New York. Watkins Glen is more famous for its car racing, and the Finger Lakes area is more known for its wineries, but this beautiful park is clearly the jewel of the town and you’d think they do a better job of advertising it (you could easily drive right past it and I didn’t see any references to it around the town or in the “attractions” flyers in the hotel).

For this photo I attempted one of those long exposure shots commonly used when photographing waterfalls. However, I do not have the filter that photographers normally use for these shots to prevent overexposure, so I stopped my aperture all the way down to f/22, put my camera on a mini tripod, and took a two-second exposure. The small aperture resulted in a lack of sharpness but I still think the pic turned out pretty well considering.

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Niagara Falls Panoramas

Michael RappaLeave a comment

When we visited Letchworth State Park last month we realized that we were only about 90 minutes from Niagara Falls, so we said what the heck and took a ride. Here are a few panoramas from that day trip. Click on any photo for a larger view.

This shot features a nice view of the American Falls from the overlook on the American side.

American Falls

I took this one while standing near the Bridal Veil Falls, capturing a rainbow in the process.

Standing Near the Bridal Veil Falls

This was as close as we could get to the Horseshoe Falls because they were doing construction. I had to stand on a fence to get this shot over the construction fence.

Horseshoe Falls

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You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Letchworth: The Panoramas

Michael RappaLeave a comment

Here are a few panoramas taken during my visit to Letchworth State Park in New York last month. Click on any photo for a larger view.

This shot of the Big Bend in the Genesee River gives you a sense of why Letchworth is often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East.”

The Big Bend

This one features the Middle Falls dropping down into the gorge.

Middle Falls

This final one was taken at ground level down in the gorge, at the site of the lost town of St. Helena.

St. Helena

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Letchworth Footbridge Trail

Michael Rappa2 Comments

This photo, taken along the Footbridge Trail in New York’s Letchworth State Park, offers a view of the Lower Falls in the distance while looking back toward the steps we had just descended on our way to the stone footbridge. The footbridge is the only place you can cross the Genesee River in the entirety of the 17-mile long park.

Date: 9/9/2015
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photos of the Day: Inspiration Point in the Evening

Michael RappaLeave a comment

If you are staying in Letchworth State Park, a nighttime venture away from the populated areas will allow you to view a sky filled with infinitely more stars than most of us ever see around our hometowns. The first photo was taken at Inspiration Point, from where you can get a great view of the illuminated Middle Falls in the distance with the night sky overhead. For the second photo I just pointed my camera up at a sky so clear that you can even make out a bit of the Milky Way.

Date: 9/8/2015
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view
Date: 9/8/2015
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Middle Falls at Night

Michael RappaLeave a comment

Here’s a long-exposure shot of the Middle Falls, taken at night during my visit to Letchworth State Park earlier this month.

Date: 9/8/2015
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: The Middle Falls in Letchworth

Michael Rappa2 Comments

We visited Letchworth State Park in Upstate New York earlier this month, often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East” because of the massive gorge that runs through the park. I highly recommend a visit; it’s easy to see why it was voted the #1 State Park in the country. It’s full of scenic beauty and not as touristy as some other parks. And if you go off season as we did, you practically have the park to yourself. We only stayed for two days but you could easily spend a week there hiking its 66 miles of trails.

This is a side view of the Middle Falls, one of the park’s main attractions.

Date: 9/8/2015
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.