A big dramatic sunset sky and lake reflections provide great context to the wall of stone that is both Mohonk Mountain House itself, as well as the cliffs on which it rests.
A Double Look Back at La Jolla
Building from my “How Did I Miss These?” post from a few weeks ago, these images from La Jolla, California likewise escaped me years ago.
In this case, though, these images are a return to a return.
While I lived in La Jolla in 2007, these images of its beaches weren’t captured until I returned there in 2012.
This bright beach-going moment was also a chance to experiment with a new manifold of photoprocessing options.
Though I typically prefer high-contrast images, the soft sky and ocean hues just weren’t a natural fit for deep, dark shadows.
This is, to my memory, the first batch of photographs in which I’ve ever lowered the contrast significantly.
Lowering contrast while increasing the exposure led to these dreamlike images.
(Though a truck atop a narrow pier is perhaps a different kind of dreamlike.)
Lastly, we finish with a dramatic panorama of downtown San Diego. This one’s definitely worth clicking through to see at full size.
A Night in the Back Yard
Holiday gatherings with palms in place of pines are out of the ordinary to this northeasterner, but the strangest modification remains the outdoor dining.
Storm Rolls in View
The two people looking over the idyllic setting of Mohonk Mountain House from a clifftop gazebo makes this an official entrant in my “the view and the viewer” (alongside this one, this one, probably this one, and definitely this one.)
Rapid Patterns
Though there’s chaos in the turbulent flows of rapids through Stone Valley, I like the rhythm in the repeated lengthscale between crests. The long exposure smooths out the water, but the trees remain sharp and spiky.
Sunrise at the Golf Course
Warm morning light on palm fronds and mountain faces, placid reflections in the water hazards: I’m not much of a golfer, but images like this one help me to understand the appeal.
Garden Beyond the Gates
Much like another shot from Mohonk that I recently shared, the constructed-yet-natural space of Mohonk Mountain House makes finding these kinds of framed images a treat.
Torrent Below the Dam
Movies are filled with imagery of high castle walls holding off hordes of attackers. I suppose this picture of Colton, New York’s dam is a bit of the opposite: the chaos is caused by the wall, rather than the wall being constructed to protect from the chaos.
Zenda Drive at Dawn
Though a photographer might briefly visit many locations, actually staying in a location means being present at the moment when the light is just right. In this case, sunrise pouring into Coachella Valley lights up the mountainsides and the rooftops, but not yet the valley floor itself.
Being there to capture the sunrise picture is great, of course, but being on location in this case also meant being able to follow it up with a sunrise dip in the hot tub.
Summer Job at the Dock
Thanks to the local students working summer jobs who make relaxing afternoons possible.
Waiting for William Gibson
William Gibson’s novels—particularly the latter ones—are deeply interested in questions of design and constructed environments. That, combined with his characters’ globe-trotting tendencies, means that richly described hotel lobbies figure frequently into his works.
I’m a bit of a great hotel lobby fan myself, so the plant-filled glass space at the front of Dublin’s The Green Hotel immediately grabbed my attention. What a cozy space, sure—but the modern touches make me feel I’m more likely to rendezvous with a spy than slowly slurp a warm beverage.
Interruptions in the Coachella Valley Array
The dry seabed that is Coachella Valley provides a very flat surface for construction; as a result, modern constructions mostly fall on whatever pattern/array is convenient to the developers. In a few places, however, interruptions in those arrays stand out in an aerial view.
The palms on this golf course, for example, are on a clear grid, with the fairways and greens cut into it. Was this a palm plantation before the course was build?
Here, the green lawn of a larger home stands out, covering multiple grid positions, while neighboring homes cluster into smaller, more regularly arrayed lots.
Though this subdivision isn’t itself on a grid, the clubhouse nonetheless interrupts the pattern.
Three Views of the River Liffey
We travel to Dublin’s River Liffey today. This art installation was a less surprising find that might be expected, as the river has quite a history with Viking longboats.
Just down the way, the Millennium Bridge was decorated with rainbow hoops. Whether looking into the sunset…
…Or away from it, there was a color to match the sky. The (comparatively) modern structure against the older buildings of Dublin makes for a delightful juxtaposition.
And let’s throw in one more for good measure: this further juxtaposition from not far away in Trinity College, Dublin. I like the mix of a delivery driver in a modern van, checking his phone in front of a hall whose builders could never have imagined such a thing.
Afternoon on the Lake
Like a less-pointillist “Un dimanche après-midi à l’Île de la Grande Jatte“, a flat body of water covered in boaters on a sunny afternoon conveys placid vibes.
Bushnell Tower Watching Fireworks
Flying a drone in downtown Hartford requires some extra permissions, but they’re worth chasing for the opportunity to capture shots like this one: Bushnell Tower, the State Capitol, and a rain-checked fireworks display arrayed above Bushnell Park.
Decaseconds 