“An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way”
– Charles Bukowski
The Story
Driving down Tahawus Road on a late January morning, everything was packed with snow. Outside the window was something I never saw before…the sun was beating down on the snow and a rainbow had formed. Yes, I wish I had the camera out of my bag. Either way, I knew this day was going to be something special.
Stepping out of the car, it was around five degrees which would sound mind boggling to me a few years ago. Now, I think it’ll always be necessary to go hiking even if the weather isn’t great. When nobody else wants to climb, this is where you’ll see nature’s true beauty. You could also notice it’s malevolent side which leaves you in awe. At least that’s how it left me on that particular day.
Standing in the firetower, I was getting hit with sub zero temperatures. With my eyelashes freezing over, I knew I had to make my frames count. I continuously had to duck and cover after shooting a few photos each time. I hadn’t thought much about the frame I took of Mount Marcy that day, until a few hours later. I am always hoping that people in the Adirondacks see this. Not out of ego or arrogance, it just shows the striking beauty and nickname of Mount Marcy. It was otherwise known as “The Cloudsplitter” a long time ago considering it was New York’s highest point.
Post Process
This photo was originally in color which had a more vibrant look to it and I tested it out on social media. I usually do this with a lot of my photos but only to an extent because most times, I enjoy what I create. I’ll get into that in another blog post. After thinking about it, I wanted to see this frame in black and white. It was exactly what I was looking for and now, I’ll get into the breakdown.
Stated earlier, I didn’t have much intention to specifically get this as I had to shoot photos quickly. Sometimes, your thought process behind a photo doesn’t come until the moment you begin editing. I figured that the more dramatic I made the scene look, the better. Between the application of shadows and dehaze, I wanted to make sure it was dark which worked out well. Lastly, I almost always put in vignette to my photos which helps with making a darker scene. If you want to make your photos have a deeper presence to resonate with others, I highly suggest using black and white.
To Those on Trails
My first time I began to take photos was in summer 2018 but it hadn’t become a serious endeavor until summer in 2019. What followed has been one of the greatest journeys I’ve embarked on. If nature and creativity take grip on you, good luck letting go. Now, go grab whatever camera you have for your next hike and find meaning in something you create. If you’d like to share what you’ve captured, feel free to email me at travelersandhikers@gmail.com. Until next time, go find your trail and make a memory that resonates deeply with you.
-Alex
T & H 