Assignment 3: Water

Posted on October 15, 2009 by Scott Thomas Photography

For those who may remember, at the beginning of the year I gave out a couple of fun assignments. My goal was to do one every month but life got in the way and I had to attend to other matters. Well, for this month and next, I am going to bring the assignments back. I hope you all jump back in and have some fun with them.

Water is the subject for Assignment 3. Water is unique in that it can be a solid, a liquid and a gas. Water moves, stands still, creates and destroys. Let your creative minds go here. Any photo featuring water as the main subject is allowed. However, I am a Disney fan so let’s keep it G-rated. 😉

The water in Lake George is considered some of the cleanest in the world.

The water in Lake George is considered some of the cleanest in the world.

As in the first assignments, do not send me your photos. What I would like you to do is post them on your blog, flickr or other photo sharing site, personal website or any other place on the Internet where you can place a link to it here by making a comment to this blog entry. Then we can visit those sites and enjoy all the great water photography.

Please, have your photos posted by Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Don’t have a place to post? Might be a good time to start up a blog or join a photo community like flickr or Exposure. As I did for Assignments 1 and 2, I’ll put together a recap with my comments.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I will be happy to answer them. By the way, I would really appreciate it if you would help spread the word about this so we can get lots of people to participate. Thanks!

Posted in Assignments | Tagged , , , , , | 43 Comments

Fun Run

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Scott Thomas Photography

I photographed the Apple Run events at the LaFayette Apple Festival last Sunday. Along with the 5K and 15K Road Races was the One Mile Fun Run for children aged 12 years old and younger. I knew the start of the Fun Run would be dynamic and full of energy. Remember, when photographing children, get down to their level no matter how much one’s knees complain about it.

If you are looking for photos from the Apple Run events, I posted a gallery of all the photographs I took for purchase here:

LaFayette Apple Run

The start of the One Mile Fun Run at the LaFayette Apple Festival on Sunday, October 11, 2009.

The start of the One Mile Fun Run at the LaFayette Apple Festival on Sunday, October 11, 2009.

It also helped that I used the Nikon SB-600 Speedlight to balance out the bright overcast sky and freeze the action.

Posted in Event, People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

View 94: Johnny Appleseed

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Scott Thomas Photography
Johnny Appleseed at the LaFayette Apple Festival in LaFayette, New York.

Johnny Appleseed at the LaFayette Apple Festival in LaFayette, New York.

When it comes to fall festivals in my area, the biggest is the LaFayette Apple Festival. In two days, 50,000 people attend the festival to enjoy all kinds of apple goodies, carnival rides, craft tents and entertainment. All of this happens under the watchful eye of Johnny Appleseed. Whose legend of planting apple trees makes him a very suitable mascot for the popular festival.

Posted in Travel, Weekly View | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Autumn Colors

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Scott Thomas Photography

Eleven days ago, I showed you the first signs of autumn. I’m back to give you an update.

Trees along the shore of Beaver Lake near Baldwinsville, New York.

Trees along the shore of Beaver Lake near Baldwinsville, New York.

Close up of the changing season.

Close up of the changing season.

Golden color of Autumn

Golden color of Autumn

Posted in Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Of Boats and Castles

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Scott Thomas Photography

The village of Alexandria Bay is the gateway to the 1000 Islands from the state of New York. During the busy summer months, A-Bay is filled with thousands of tourists who shop in all the souvenir shops, stay in the many hotels, eat in the restaurants, dance in the nightclubs and most take a tour boat out to see the beautiful 1000 Islands on the St. Lawrence river. For those of you who don’t like a crowded tourist area, before Memorial Day and after Labor Day is much quieter and hotels have reduced rates and weekend specials which often include meals and a boat tour.

Uncle Sam Boat Tours cruiser the Alexandria Belle taking out a group of tourists to the 1000 Islands near Alexandria Bay, New York.

Uncle Sam Boat Tours cruiser the Alexandria Belle taking out a group of tourists to the 1000 Islands near Alexandria Bay, New York.

The Uncle Sam Boat Tours has been in operation since 1926 and is the largest of the tour boat companies. I recommend their 2 Nation Tour which takes you down the St. Lawrence Seaway and over the border to cruise under the Canadian span of the 1000 Islands Bridge complex. The best part of each Uncle Sam Boat Tour is an unlimited stop over at Heart Island, the location of the famous Boldt Castle.

Boldt Castle looms above the trees on Heart Island across from Alexandria Bay, New York.

Boldt Castle looms above the trees on Heart Island across from Alexandria Bay, New York, as a tour boat heads back to port.

Boldt Castle and it’s outer buildings were left to rot after 1904 when George Boldt stopped all construction after the unexpected death of his wife, Louise. In 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority (TIBA) purchased the property and has slowly been restoring the estate. Using revenues from tour boat operators and funding from the US and Canada, TIBA has brought back to life the glory of the turn of the century grandiose rhineland style castle.

Restored reception room inside Boldt Castle on Heart Island near Alexandria Bay, New York.

The restored Reception Room inside Boldt Castle on Heart Island near Alexandria Bay, New York.

The above photo was taken back in 2007 on a previous trip before I started blogging. The others where taken last weekend from Casino Island Park in Alexandria Bay, New York.

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