Photo Of The Day: April 30, 2008

I got a letter the other day from a student studying photography. I get these from time to time, and try to offer advice and answer questions they ask of me. This one included a question of how I plan for my photos. I explained that I almost never plan out a shoot -- instead I see something beautiful and just grab it. This is the example I gave to the writer: I was up at 4:00 a.m. to get a sunrise in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. On the way there I crossed a bridge in Dennis, MA and found a perfect shot -- an inlet that was completely calm in the pre-dawn. So I screeched the car to a halt, backed up, and put my camera on the bridge railing for the long exposure required. Here's what resulted -- a wonderful, unplanned photo that was 30 miles away from the place I was originally headed. For more pictures of Dennis, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com. And see this shot as a two page spread in my new book of Cape Cod photos.

Photo Of The Day: April 29, 2008

Yesterday I mentioned being in Lambertville, NJ over the weekend. While there, I saw a book of photographs taken of the Stonehouse Farm in New Jersey. I noted this with interest, as last year I took several shots at the Stone House Farm in Chester, NY. That farm was noted for the construction of new buildings that fit in completely with the design and style of the older buildings on the farm, which date back as late as 1854. Here's one shot of a horse taken from that farm. For more photos of the Stone House Farm, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 28, 2008

Saturday I was in Lambertville, NJ for their annual Shad Festival. Lambertville is a quaint town on the Delaware River right opposite New Hope, PA. American shad, the largest member of the herring family, begin their lives in freshwater, like the Delaware River, and later migrate to the ocean. But after three to five years, they return in the springtime to the river of their birth to spawn. Lambertville celebrates this with a crafts fair and festival, and that's what I went to see. Lambertville is a town with wonderful architecture, and yesterday, this was complemented with trees in full bloom. Here's one shot taken there. For more pictures of Bucks County and New Jersey, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 27, 2008

One nice thing about this time of year is that the seasonality changes in the Caribbean, and places that were out of reach during the worst weather of the winter can now be had for pretty good prices. Here's a secluded beach on St. John in the Virgin Islands that can be reached only by foot, walking along a long coastal route, and even crawling along some often-submerged rocks. For more photos of the Virgin Islands, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 26, 2008

I'm starting to hear the birds singing early in the morning, providing yet another sign of the emergence of Spring. I often wonder why they don't sing on a winter morning -- I mean, it can be very beautiful in the winter, and yet they only sing when the weather gets warmer. On the other hand, at least I don't have to deal with rooster crows, like the one that came from this one last autumn during a shoot in Upstate New York. For more photos of animals, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 25, 2008

Today the weather was warm enough to get to the beach for a few hours. Earlier this week, I bought my yearly pass to Sandy Hook, a beautiful seven mile spit of all-natural land off the New Jersey Shore. With the pass, I can go to Sandy Hook as often as I like to capture the beauty that pervades it. I'm there so much, four seasons a year, that I laughed when I realized I was one of the first to get a pass -- in fact, my pass is Number 0006 of thousands that will be sold in 2008. To see how incredibly beautiful Sandy Hook can be, visit my dedicated gallery called Spectacular Sandy Hook on Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 24, 2008

I've been reading that the next few days will be good opportunities to spot Mercury in the sky. It reminds me that I still owe you a close-up shot of Saturn. "Close-up" is, of course, relative, since Saturn is almost one billion miles from Earth. But it's also huge -- roughly ten times the size of Earth. So on the right night, with the right conditions, it can be photographed. Here's how it looked earlier this year. For more pictures of the sky at night, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 23, 2008

I noticed two tulips in my garden today and while standing up and looking down at them, realized there was a picture just waiting to be taken. For more photos of flowers, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 22, 2008

It's almost impossible to select the right picture for Earth Day, since so many of what I take are of the beauty and serenity of the planet. But this one had a nice combination of hills, trees and clouds, so it gets the nod for this year. For more pictures of the earth, visit the Earth & Sky gallery at Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 21, 2008

Yesterday's Photo Of The Day showed a full moon. If you ever wondered how powerful can moonlight be, well, it was strong enough that it lit up this beautiful lake in New York State last Fall. I didn't have a tripod with me for the multi-second exposure I needed, so I used the next best thing -- a post from a guard rail at the side of the road where I rested my camera and used a self-timer in lieu of a cable release. Of course, every time a car or truck went by, I had to start over, since the vibrations were enough to jiggle the camera. But it was worth it in the end. For more photos taken in New York State, visit the Hudson River Valley, Upstate New York, or Berkshire Bliss galleries at Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 20, 2008

We noted yesterday that we are in the early days of Passover. Passover always occurs during a full moon. This one was taken on the first night of Passover a few years ago. Interestingly, full moons are often less dramatic than partially-full moons. That's because when the sun is lighting the moon from the side, you get more of the shadows illuminating the craters. We'll show a photo of that soon. For more pictures of the moon, sky and earth, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 19, 2008

Today marks the first day of Passover, so I thought it was appropriate to share a photo of a bowl of matzo ball soup. This was taken at a diner, of all places, but the soup was quite good. That's all natural light, lit from the right via a large picture window at the front of the diner. For more photos of food, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 18, 2008

An earlier Photo of the Day mentioned how nice springtime is in New York City because the leaves have not yet become fully-developed. There's a nice side advantage to this, too: The Gapstow Bridge in Central Park is a relatively short, arced bridge made of stone. In the summer, this bridge is completely covered in vines -- so much so, you almost can't tell its shape or what it's made of. In the winter, the bridge's own beauty is visible because the vines have no leaves -- but unless there's a fresh snowfall on it, the scene overall is less attractive. But for about a 10 day period in the spring, the leaves of the trees are budding, the grass is a rich green, and the bridge is visible as a clean stone bridge as seen here. For more pictures of New York City, go to Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 17, 2008

With winter becoming a fond memory, even for my northern neighbors, we'll have to wait a while before seeing this kind of common site of the black-capped chickadee again. For more shots of birds and other animals, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 16, 2008

I recently got a guest book entry from someone who lived in Colorado, but was pining for photos of the beautiful coast of North and South Carolina. She found my site and got her "fix" for the day. Here's just one example of how beautiful the Carolina coast can be. For more shots of coastal Carolina, go to Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 15, 2008

Is there any more appropriate photo to use today -- Tax Return Day -- than one that shows the amount of money you get to keep after you pay your taxes for the year? For more photographs to put your mind at ease, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 14, 2008

It's been strangely misty and foggy here lately, which is perfect for the plants which have gone outside for the first time this season. So it made me think of this rain forest I had the privilege of visiting in Vancouver Islands, BC. For more photos of the earth's environment, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 13, 2008

When you want to see something truly majestic, you don't have to go much further than Tofino on Vancouver Island, BC. The mountains are high and wide and stretch back as far as you can see, and there is a huge body of blue water that meanders among the mountains. For more photos of Vancouver Island, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 12, 2008

Bucks County, PA is home to many historic homes. One such home is this log home in Fallsington, PA -- it's the oldest home in Pennsylvania still standing on its original site. It's called the Moon-Williamson house, named after two of its early residents, Samuel Moon and Mary Williamson. For more photos of Bucks County, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 11, 2008

Yesterday the temperature broke 70 degrees for the first time this season. So what better way to mark the occasion than to show New Jersey in all its summer glory with this picture from Sandy Hook. For more photos of Sandy Hook, visit the new all-Sandy Hook gallery at Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 10, 2008

My sister is a professional cellist who plays with both the Spokane and Yakima Symphonies in Washington State. Recently, she was in New Hampshire to perform a concert. When she travels, she often brings her carbon fiber cello, which is rugged and thus well-suited to baggage compartments of jetliners. Despite limitations of that instrument vs. her prized 1800s Thomas Kennedy cello, she makes it sound as rich and warm and pure as any cellist I've heard. Here is her bow in action at an invitation-only rehearsal to that New Hampshire concert. For more concert photos, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 9, 2008

Yesterday I shared a photo of The Empire State Building that appeared in Shutterbug magazine. So to be fair, here's a photo taken from The Empire State Building -- it was one that appeared in this year's Monmouth Festival of the Arts, which closes today after a five-day run. For more pictures from the ground and the sky, go to Paul Scharff Photograpy.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 8, 2008

This month's issue of Shutterbug magazine features a photo I took from the East River of the Empire State Building. The same building can look very different, depending on the time of day, the season, and the light of the particular day. This day it was bathed in the golden glow of the sun. Shutterbug magazine said, "This one caught our eye just as the building caught the dazzling light." For more photos of New York City, go to Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 7, 2008

The forsythia are perfect this time of year in New Jersey, and they look particularly beautiful along the road where I live. I took the liberty of trimming some of the overly long stalks to make a bouquet for the kitchen. Somehow the yellow flowers and a bright kitchen go together. For more pictures of flowers, go to Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 6, 2008

I was driving down the road when I noticed this cloud formation. In addition to finding it very attractive, I couldn't help but hear the intro to The Simpsons played in my head. For more photos of clouds, go to Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 5, 2008

Today marks the start of the Monmouth Festival of the Arts in nearby Tinton Falls, NJ. The juried festival features over 200 artists exhibiting work in all media, from sculpture, watercolor, wood, oil, paper, dimensional art, and of course, photography. This photo taken looking South from the East River at sunset appears on the cover of the official program. For more photos of New York, go to Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 4, 2008

Tonight I will be dining with friends at Vic's Italian Restaurant in Bradley Beach. It's about twenty miles south of the Highlands, which provides a wonderful 40 minute meandering drive along the ocean. But it also has pizza rated the best in New Jersey, and for a reason. The last time I was there, it was with a group and as a result we all threw money into the pot and paid in cash. While waiting for the server to pick it up, I grabbed this shot. For more food shots, look for a new Food gallery which debuts this weekend on Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 3, 2008

Today I'll be going to the Monmouth Festival of the Arts facilities to check equipment for a presentation I'm giving Monday night on ways to enhance your photos -- before you take them, via composition and camera settings, and after the fact when necessary, via Photoshop. One piece that will be for sale there is this long-time favorite taken down the road on the ocean in Long Branch, New Jersey. For more New Jersey photos, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 2, 2008

I just learned that about half an hour from here at the Manasquan Reservoir they have discovered a pair of bald eagles who are proud parents of adolescents -- two baby eagles born early in the year who have about four more months to prepare for life on their own. Here's a shot of a clearly in-charge alpha adult taken in Vancouver Island, B.C. For more shots of Vancouver Island, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: April 1, 2008

One nice thing about living in the Highlands here on the Jersey Shore is that you can take a boat right from the water here that gets you to New York City in just 35 minutes. Yesterday, that ferry service, Seastreak, was sold, by Sea Containers Ltd. to New England Fast Ferry. Riders were thrilled that service they love will continue unabated on Seastreak's luxurious 394 seat catamarans. Here's how it looks on the second (of three total) decks of the Seastreak Highlands vessel. For more photos of boats, trains, planes and automobiles (rickshaws coming soon), go to the transportation gallery on Paul Scharff Photography.com.