Photo Of The Day: July 31, 2008

For some reason, when I saw this swan I had a craving for a pretzel. It was the only other thing that could be twisted so dramatically. For more pictures of animals, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 30, 2008

Gowlland Harbour is a small section of a small picturesque island in British Columbia called Quadra Island. Quadra Island is a short ferry ride from Vancouver Island, and has many of Vancouver Island's characteristics -- rolling hills, pine-filled mountains jutting out into water, etc. I've read that Gowlland Harbour is, because of its geography, protected from some of the earth's fastest tides in the adjacent Discovery Passage. There's certainly no question that it's a tranquil place. And when you arrive at Gowlland Harbour and align all the elements just right in your frame, you can get a postcard-perfect picture. For more pictures of Vancouver Island and the area, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 29, 2008

Waking up this morning to the sounds of birds made me think of this shot of the warbler, which was captured last summer in Wellfleet, MA. For more pictures of birds and other animals, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 28, 2008

There's talk about another fare increase for New York City's Transit Authority. It's expected to be implemented sometime in 2009, although until it's passed into law, nothing is certain. Because of regular fare increases, each of which necessitated the development of a new subway token, the subway token was eliminated in April of 2003 in favor of the MetroCard, which you swipe to get through the turnstiles and does not need to change when fares go up. Here's one of many subway token designs that graced the subway before the advent of the MetroCard. For more pictures of New York City, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 27, 2008

There's nothing more quintessentially summer than this view of a house taken on the quaint island of Vinalhaven Island in Maine. This is the kind of place that you experience as a youth and have permanently positive memories of your days there. For more pictures of Maine, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 26, 2008

Yesterday, we showed you a photo of the Bourne Bridge, which crosses the Cape Cod Canal. Today as promised is a shot of the canal from the western bank, showing just how wide it is. For more pictures of Cape Cod, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 25, 2008

It's Friday in the summer, and that means a lot of people will be heading for Cape Cod for the weekend. They'll cross the border when they drive over the Cape Cod Canal via the Bourne Bridge, shown here. This photo is a full spread in my latest book, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket: A Photographic Portrait. Tomorrow, we'll look at the canal from the perspective of the bank. For more pictures of Cape Cod, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 24, 2008

Yesterday I showed you a shot of an egret I had startled flying away with his wings down and promised one today with the wings up. And as promised, here it is. For more pictures of egrets, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 23, 2008

While positioning myself to take photos of the dolphins in the Shrewsbury River here in New Jersey recently, I accidentally disturbed an egret who was settling in for the view himself. As he flew away, I took advantage of the telephoto lens to capture him in flight. Here's one shot with his wings down, and we'll follow that tomorrow with a shot of his wings up. For more pictures of animals, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 22, 2008

How does the beach look when the sun has just come up and the light is hitting it at a 6 degree angle? Almost electrifying, as seen here. For more pictures of the beach, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 21, 2008

Yesterday, we showed a shot of New Hampshire as an example of a place where you can get cool refreshment on any summer day. Today we get the same feeling, but from New Hampshire's next door neighbor, Maine. Maine is one of those places that feels refreshing just by uttering the word. But for proof, here's place in tiny Small Point, ME called Sunset Lagoon that will refresh your mind and your body any time you're there. For more pictures of Maine, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 20, 2008

On a hot July day, there's nothing more refreshing than being in the clear, crisp waters of Silver Lake in New Hampshire. It's one of those places that, even if you don't go in, you automatically feel cooler and cleaner. For more pictures of New Hampshire, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 19, 2008

It's hard to tell what's prettier in this photo: the sunset itself, or the design of the water as it reaches the shore. This was taken in nearby Atlantic Highlands, NJ. For more pictures of New Jersey, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 18, 2008

The Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham, MA is the Cape Cod National Seashore's main visitor facility. It has an indoor theatre with short films that rotate daily, a well-stocked bookstore, and a comprehensive museum. It's also close to the popular Nauset Marsh Trail, the Buttonbush Trail, and the Nauset Bicycle Trail. But perhaps its greatest attraction is its breathtaking views of Nauset Marsh and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. It's a view that's gorgeous any time of the day, any day of the year. But for this one, I was up before 6:00 AM to get the first sun streaming in to light it from the side. This shot is featured in my book, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket: A Photographic Portrait, available in bookstores nationwide or from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Twin Lights Publishers. For more pictures of the Outer Cape, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 17, 2008

Manhattan is filled with so many streets and tall buildings, that it's hard to get a nice sunrise or sunset shot unless you go to the edges of the island. That is, except for just a few days a year when the angle of the sun happens to align perfectly with the angle of the streets. That's what happened recently when the sun set directly along 34th Street. To make it even better, a five-minute downpour just minutes before made the road surface wet, creating a wonderfully colorful reflection. And of course, I had no compunction standing right in the middle of the street, dodging cars, delivery trucks, people and taxis until I could capture the shot that showed the street in its wide-open, reflective glory. For more pictures of New York City, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 16, 2008

What does the sewing team use when making costumes for the Miami City Ballet? Lots and lots of thread. This shot is one of just many pallets of thread that sits in their sewing room. For more pictures of objects with interesting angles and close up views, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 15, 2008

The beach looks stunning even before the sun comes up, as shown here in this recent shot taken shortly after 5:00 AM. For more shots of beaches from Maine to Florida, from the Virgin Islands to Vancouver Island, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 14, 2008

Today after years of protests, the New Jersey Department of Transportation will begin to demolish the historic Highlands, NJ drawbridge. This modest bridge in this small seaside resort town has aged over time, and despite better opportunities to either repair it at a lower cost, or replace it with one that mirrors the tone and style of the existing bridge, the NJ DOT has decided to go against the wishes of a vast majority of residents from both Highlands and Sea Bright, NJ, and replace it with a huge turnpike-style bridge that will forever eliminate the existing character of the vista. From some very careful positioning, I was able to get what may be the final shot of the original bridge that virtually eliminates any of the cranes and other heavy equipment that has been in place for several months, ever-baited for the official okay to start swinging the wrecking ball. For more pictures of New Jersey, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 13, 2008

Yesterday I showed you how nice Friday's sunrise looked. This shot shows how the day ended at sunset. This was taken along the Navesink River in Fair Haven, NJ. The Navesink River stretches from Rumson through Fair Haven and all the way to Red Bank and beyond. And at the moment, it is the new home for the New Jersey dolphins, who instead of going out to sea have decided to go further inland. For more pictures of sunsets, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 12, 2008

Yesterday I was awakened shortly after 5:00 AM by the usual cacophony of bird chirping that opens up each day in nice weather. I was a bit perturbed to be woken up as I had a later-than-usual night and needed the sleep. But I realized that both me and the sun might be coming up at just the same time. Sure enough, I looked out my window and saw the sun halfway over the horizon line. I grabbed the camera and got this shot showing why the beginning of the day is so beautiful to look at. Then to double the pleasure, I got the same treat last night, but as a sunset. I'll show you how nice that looked in tomorrow's Photo of the Day. Meanwhile, for more pictures of sunrises, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 11, 2008

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is on the island of Key Biscayne. It's named in honor of Bill Baggs, long-time editor of The Miami News who fought to prevent development of the land that is now in the park. It has over a mile of sandy Atlantic Ocean beachfront, and in 2005 was listed as having the eighth best beach in the country. I don't know if they also rank sunsets, but this recent one has to be right up there. For more photos of sunsets, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 10, 2008

Falmouth is a town on the Southwestern tip of Cape Cod. It is well known as the terminal for the Steamship Authority ferries to Martha's Vineyard, as well as the home of several scientific organizations including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, The Marine Biological Laboratory and the Woods Hole Research Center. It's also a place where you can see tremendous color, from green water of Nantucket Sound to an orange sky at sunset, as seen here. For more pictures of Falmouth and the entire Upper Cape, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 9, 2008

If you watched the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks broadcast on NBC this year, you saw a terrific fireworks show, as well as other entertainment peppered before and after the fireworks themselves. Among that entertainment was a "live" performance from American Idol winner Jordin Sparks from Times Square. Even though it certainly looked "live," NBC never claimed the performance as "live," and for good reason: it was recorded on June 16. I was at the actual performance when it was recorded, and here's one shot from it. For more pictures of people, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 8, 2008

Most cities, big and small, have a park in or near the center of downtown, and Miami is no exception. What is an exception for Miami, however, is that its downtown Bayfront Park has the usual array you might expect of rolling hills, gorgeous skylines over the grasses, and ponds with lush surroundings -- but it also has a sandy area full of palm trees right on the water that takes you away from it all in the time it takes to walk there. It's like taking your lunch hour and going to the beach. That's right -- this is smack in the middle of downtown Miami. For more pictures of Miami, look for a new gallery coming soon from Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 7, 2008

Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm, er, 68? A few weeks ago, I posted a photo of The Beatles' original drummer, Pete Best. Well to be fair and provide equal time, I thought it only reasonable that I provide a shot of The Beatles' second drummer, Ringo Starr -- especially since today is Ringo's 68th birthday. Ringo was in town the other night and as you can see, he enjoys playing the drums as much now as he ever has. Happy Birthday Ringo! For more pictures of people, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 6, 2008

For the last photo of fireworks this weekend, we travel back to Cape Cod for a shot from Provincetown Harbor. Provincetown's annual fireworks are a major event and the town starts filling up with fireworks fans by early afternoon. There are plenty of places to see them, but most gather right on the beach near MacMillan Pier where the glow of the fireworks in the sky is wonderfully augmented with a reflective glow in the water. When the fireworks are over, most people hang around town, where the shops and restaurants stay open extra-late, which helps smooth out the traffic demand spike as thousands migrate out of town on Route 6. For more pictures of Provincetown, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 5, 2008

It's hard to have a bad fireworks display. Today's photo is from the July 4th celebration a couple of years ago in neighboring Atlantic Highlands. I sat on Sandy Hook with my 500mm lens to get a first-hand viewpoint over the water. For more pictures of fireworks, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 4, 2008

Well, what did you expect on July 4th? This collection of shots was taken from a spectacular fireworks display last year in the Berkshires celebrating Darrow School's 75th Anniversary. For more pictures of fireworks, visit the all-fireworks gallery at Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 3, 2008

Here's one more shot to build on yesterday's Photo of the Day showing the dolphins frolicking in the Shrewsbury River about a mile from the Highlands here on the Jersey Shore. The tail and the streaming water make a wonderful arc that reinforces the grace and beauty of the dolphin. For more pictures of animals, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 2, 2008

The story of the local dolphins spending their summer on the Jersey Shore made NBC news yesterday -- first with a live report on the Today show, and then with a live narrative over footage taken during the day on NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams. So here's a close up showing some of the dolphins faces. We'll do one more tomorrow. For more pictures of animals, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: July 1, 2008

New York City can be a beautiful place that defies the large urban environment it really is. As proof, here's a shot taken in Sakura Park in Harlem, a place where people can just relax, reconnect, and enjoy the greener side of the city. It couldn't get more quaint if you were creating it for a story or stage. For more pictures of New York City, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.