Penticton, British Columbia Canada

Penticton, British Columbia Canada is a beautiful location. This is actually where I first realized I have a special gift when it comes to photography – due to the flower photographs. That garden was breathtaking, and ignited a lot of inspiration in me. One interesting fact about Penticton is that Lake Okanagan (pictured below) is the rumored home of the Ogopogo – Okanagan’s very own Nessie. I have a special place in my heart for cryptozoological creatures, so I was delighted when I realized this. The stores even have some Ogopogo merchandise – like stuffed animals (seen below) and shot glasses.

If you would like to go, I would recommend going when it is warmer outside – so you can go to the beach and see the beautiful flowers. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for the Ogopogo! There are also sail boats and other water related activities you could do if you are into activities like that.

Fox Hill Tower

Fox Hill Tower in Vernon, CT is a location that holds a lot of history. The hill it sits on was originally used as a lookout back in the colonial days. If you go when it is officially open, as seen in a photograph below, you can actually go up inside the tower and get a lookout from the windows of the city. Up on the hill, you can also get a taste of what the city looks like below, you can see in another photograph below a church and some other buildings.

If you go, I would recommend going when you can go up inside the tower, as it provides a beautiful lookout. I would also advise to be careful driving up to the tower, as the hill is a bit steep and narrow. Fox Hill Tower is truly beautiful, and I would definitely recommend visiting if you ever get the chance!

Hicks Orchard

Hicks Orchard in Granville, NY is a location that holds a special place in my heart. I have many memories of going apple picking here as a child with family, I remember we would all wait to go together (Aunts, Uncles, cousins, siblings, parents, and grandparents). It was always so much fun to go up into the orchard and pick the apples, and sometimes we would even get to make scarecrows too at one the barns. When we were done picking, we would go down to the barn area and get ciders and donuts.

If you want to go and have never been, here are some things I would recommend. I believe that everyone who has tried them would agree that Hicks cider and cider donuts are possibly the best, so I would highly recommend that you try them if you never have before. I would also recommend being careful up in the actual orchard. As seen in some of the photographs, there are apples all over the place on the ground, so watch your footing. There are also some ditches and patches where the grass is tangled, so just be mindful and watch where you are stepping. Making scarecrows was also a lot of fun, granted I haven’t done it in a while so I don’t know if they still do it the same way. The scarecrow barn can also be seen above, as well as the billy goat area – where you have the opportunity to feed them. One thing I will say that is on the con side is that last year when we all went; the bees were crazy. I don’t remember them ever being that bad before, they were all over the place last year. Do you guys have any fun memories from Hicks, or any other place you visited as a child? Let me know!

Black and White

One of my favorite types of photography is black and white, which has been around since the early days of photography. I feel that when you transform an image into black and white, it has the ability to give a photograph a timeless feel. I took a photography class last year while working towards my degree where one of our assignments was to take black and white photographs. I remember one of the main tips while we were working on the assignment was to make sure that each photograph we chose had some type of shadow, light, texture, movement, or pattern to it. I thought this was brilliant advice, because if the photograph doesn’t have some defining feature to it, it could end up looking a bit blander than it would in color. The main purpose of black and white photography, to me, is to give the viewer a feeling of nostalgia.

I have chosen to show these photographs (two of them were ones I used in that class), because I believe that each one has a certain something about it that makes it look so much better in black and white. Can you guess what that “something” is? Choose from the list (shadow, light, texture, movement, or pattern) and let me know what you think!

Mystic Aquarium

Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT is a bit on the smaller side – but it does offer some gems. My personal favorite exhibits are the beluga whales, the sea lions, and the seals. The inside exhibits include a bunch of different fish, amphibians, stingrays, and a tank of small sharks – among a few other things.

One other interesting thing they have is a 4-D theater. They play short clips of movies (switching what they play every so often). The last one they played when I went the last time was some clips from “The Polar Express” which was quite interesting. They had an effect that made the air smell like hot chocolate. I have yet to experience a time that is the best to go. The couple times I have been were busy, more so during the warmer months. I recently went after Christmas, and it was less busy, but still crowded. The outside exhibits offer the best photo opportunities, as the animals out there tend to be on the playful side, and because of the natural lighting. The inside sections are dark, so it makes it a bit harder to get good pictures in there. You also want to be careful of catching reflections in the tanks, and to avoid any scratch marks that might be on the tanks.