Wickham Park, Manchester CT

Wickham Park in Manchester, Connecticut is a location that offers a lot of great opportunities for photographers like myself, and for people who just want to enjoy what the park has to offer. The park offers a variety of gardens including a sculpture garden, a sensory garden, oriental garden, etc. They also have an aviary section with a variety of birds, and owls, as well as a nature center. Another thing that makes Wickham Park so great is that they have a section where they do weddings (as seen below). If you got married here, you would definitely have a lot of beautiful wedding photographs with the background. The park also offers a view of the city of Hartford at the top (seen below).

If you go, wear proper footwear, you will be doing a lot of walking. Also, you need cash as you have to pay to get in. It’s $5 for weekdays, $7 for weekends and holidays. The park is open from April to October. Here is their website if you want to see what else the park has to offer - http://www.wickhampark.org/index.php.

Mount Baker, Washington

Mount Baker in Bellingham, Washington is a truly beautiful location. I visited this location a few times while living in Washington, but I definitely wish I could have gone more. You have to drive up the mountain, but there are plenty of spots where you can get out and walk around. There are waterfalls, and little lakes as well.

Here are some of my tips for if you ever want to go:

1)       Be careful driving up, the roads are very narrow and there are no guardrails to stop you from accidentally going over the edge.

2)      Watch out for animals – this is a mountain so there is a variety of wildlife up there.

3)      It’s not as cold as you might think it would be up there, so depending on when you go try to dress appropriately.

4)      Watch your footing, it is not a level ground so it is easy to trip (especially if you are clumsy like me).

5)      Lastly, be mindful and don’t go past any of the fences they have up for your protection!

Prospect Mountain, Lake George NY

Prospect Mountain in Lake George provides multiple gorgeous views of the lake below. There are a few lookout points that you can stop at and admire the view from. The background also provides a beautiful backdrop for portraits – as evidenced from some of the photographs below.

Here are my main tips for going.

1)      Make sure it is open when you plan to go! Prospect closes during the colder months so you want to plan to go during the times it is open. They also close at dusk.

2)      If you go when it’s hot outside, bring water – even if you drive up. You will want it, trust me.

3)      Go during the fall, definitely! The leaves will be changing and the view will be gorgeous.

4)      Bring cash, you have to pay to go up. The last time I went it was $10.

5)      Be respectful of others. There will probably be others up there as well, so just be mindful.

Also, you can go all the way up to the top of the mountain, but I believe you have to take the designated bus up. I have personally never gone all the way up so I am not sure though.

Pet Photography

Hey everyone! In today’s post, I wanted to talk about how to photograph your pets. This is something so common, yet it can be a struggle if you don’t know what to do to get a good picture of your beloved pet. My dog, Brady will be featured in today’s post as I share five tips with you on how to get precious photographs for you to cherish forever.

Number 1 – First and foremost, make sure your pet is comfortable! You want to ensure that your pet is safe and comfortable – if they seem like they are getting stressed or if it is too cold or too hot outside, don’t force them to get their picture taken! There have been times when I had to stop taking Brady’s picture because it was too hot outside and he was getting antsy. The best photographs come from when your pet is happy, trust me.

Number 2 – Let them do their own thing for some of the pictures. Sometimes when you let them play and run around, you can get interesting shots.

Number 3 – Use props! Let your pet play with their favorite toys while you snap away, or if you want to do holiday pictures – get some cheap props for them to pose with.

Number 4 – Offer them treats! It helps if they have some sort of incentive while getting their pictures taken.

Number 5 – Lastly, don’t be afraid to get dirty. Sometimes you have to get down in the dirt or grass with them in order to get a good shot.

Now you try, Send me your best picture of your furry friend!

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!