“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is to relax.”

~ Mark Black ~

Call me old fashioned… or maybe just boring… but a weekend with no plans is awesome. It’s akin to a rare solar eclipse in that it’s both unusual and special at the same time. A blissful 48 hours.

What could be better?

This past weekend was one such event. The planets aligned and a full weekend of nothing was on the schedule. Where to begin was the key question.

Driving to Orange County (NY) on Friday night seemed like a good starting point. The Black Dirt region in Pine Island offers some of the most fertile soil for farming in North America. The glacier deposits from thousands of years ago is a true marvel. For the last century, onions have been the predominant vegetable grown in this area.

From a photographers perspective… colors, lines and textures abound. The hardest decision is what to include in your frame? In a recent blog post, “25 Tips for Better Photos,” I mention the adage, ‘when you think you’re close, get closer.’ The two farm photos follow this concept. The first image is a ‘scene setter’ (i.e. old school expression for overall environment or sets the scene), but lacked a main subject and balance in my opinion. Getting closer and isolating one piece of grass seemed to provide better balance & harmony to the overall image.

Where to go Saturday morning was easy… Rockland Lake State Park (NY). The cool Friday evening allowed for a foggy, moody type morning. History reminded me the kids rowing crew on weekends this time of year would be launching their boats at 7:00 AM.

The park is only five minutes from my house, so a cup of joe and an organized camera bag (always a good rule to follow) allowed me to get there well before the boats were launched. On this particular morning, the high school kids were moving rather slow. This gave me plenty of time to assess the mood, light & fog. I tend to focus on the larger boats (see above) as they require more teamwork and tend to make for better images as well.

Sunday provided yet more time to explore as the weather was going to be cool & crisp. Fall is definitely in the air. A favorite area of Bear Mountain State Park is Perkins Memorial Drive. Having been this section of the Park so often over the years it’s like visiting an old friend. We both have a few more wrinkles these days, but fond memories and vintage stories come rushing back. It’s a gentle reminder of friendship and days of old.

After driving up the fairly steep hill for two miles, some of the most majestic views of the Hudson Valley await you at the top. The mostly unencumbered views of the tri-state area (NY/NJ/CT) is a site to see. The Hudson River and Bear Mountain Bridge are the crown jewels of the vista and certainly worth your time should you ever be in the area.

Cheers…