Early morning on the Laurel Fork. Before the morning mist burns off, walking along the river is like walking through a fantasy novel.
Kentucky Horse Farm
The grassy, rolling, limestone-based Kentucky countryside looks too perfect. Precise fencing geometries and gently rippling ponds are just too much. I’m reminded of the famous Microsoft Windows XP default wallpaper, “Bliss.” The key to making both images work, I think, is an overall very clean image with just enough small details and imperfections at the edges to show you that it must be real.
Laurel Falls
In order to get to Laurel Falls from Hampton, TN you need to inch along a narrow ledge above the river or, especially when the water’s high, take the high water route up and over. Definitely worth it.
Ancona on Monster
Pony Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky make for excellent people-watching. Designer Charles Ancona’s preferred mode of transportation is his color-coordinated Ducati Monster.
Have a Taste
Come for a taste of Bourbon among the aging casks. Woodford Reserve is a tasty whiskey.
Sand For Miles
There are few places like an ocean beach, especially those on the California coast.
Fire, Bottles, etc.
I know the clichés about whiskey and fire in a bottle, but this is just ridiculous. (From a recent trip with my co-author to Woodford in Kentucky.)
Rocky Outcrop
The view from the balds of the Roan Highlands is out of control.
Riders at the Rail
At the Kentucky Horse Park, the Kentucky Summer Classic has wound down and Pony Finals are about to begin. This particular arrangements of trainers, riders, and well-wishers was arrayed at the the warm-up ring, and the gradient of shadows beneath the tree branches brought to mind some modern take on a Renaissance painting: linear, repeating patterns and strong, horizontal lines.
Flooded Magic Island
When the water level rises in Stone Valley, the landscape gets odd, and impossible islands form where there were once minor changes in the landscape.
The water rushes through ferns and tree-roots and creates barriers in the landscape that redefine hiking for the day.
The Future
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on the University of British Columbia looks like a building out of someone’s vision for the future. In fact, it’s been used as the backdrop for buildings in the future in many sci-fi TV shows!
Strange Times at the Field
Sunset after an aggressive summer thunderstorm is a strange place of pinks and blues.
Forest Bridge
Captured on the hike on the AT from Hampton, TN to Laurel Falls, across Laurel Fork on one of several crossings. So peaceful in the morning!
Motorcycles on the Ferry
Our recent trip across Lake Champlain to Burlington, Vermont with the Mini (you can see it hiding in the bottom-right corner) included time on the ferry behind these four motorcyclists from Quebec. That medley of Ducati, Honda, KTM, and Harley-Davison, set against the backdrop of far-off sailboats and mountains, makes for a strong “adventure trip” vibe.
Movie Bridge
On this through-arch bridge going into Canton from the Adirondacks, I used the Brenizer Method to make a super-wide, narrow-depth-of-field image that brings to mind some slightly sinister movie scene.
