Photo Of The Day: October 20, 2008

When people think of long, elegant suspension bridges, they usually think of large metropolitan areas, where bridges like the Verrazano Narrows, Golden Gate, or George Washington Bridge are found. But they can also be found in smaller areas, too, like this one along a small road in Rhode Island. This 6,130 feet Mount Hope Bridge is a two-lane suspension bridge in eastern Rhode Island at one of the narrowest gaps in Narragansett Bay. The bridge connects the Rhode Island towns of Portsmouth and Bristol, and its 285 feet tall towers provide 135 feet of clearance over high water. And it looks really good at precisely the perfect time at dusk, when the bridge's lights are visible both on the bridge, and off the water. For more pictures of bridges, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 19, 2008

For the Queen Elizabeth 2's final trip out of New York this past Thursday, it enjoyed a full house, with 1,800 passengers paying fares ranging from $25,445 for a duplex grand suite with veranda, to $2,992 for a plain inside single room. Despite its impending retirement, the ship is still the fastest passenger liner in service, reaching speeds of over 37 MPH, and has a tennis court, a golf driving range, a 13-car garage, a theater, a synagogue, and a full shopping mall compete with a Harrods department store, as seen in this shot. For more photos of interiors, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 18, 2008

This past Thursday evening the Queen Elizabeth 2 left New York City on its final trans-Atlantic crossing after nearly 40 years as the fastest passenger ocean liner in service. It was its 806th trans-Atlantic crossing, and 710th out of New York. In November, it will sail to Dubai, where it will become a permanently moored hotel, entertainment complex and museum. I last shot the Queen Elizabeth 2 on January 13 of this year, where I got this shot. For more pictures of cruise ships, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 17, 2008

We're going to take a break from upstate New York photos for a while, and now just pepper additional ones in from time to time in the future. For today, we actually return to Rhode Island. And from there, it's evident that you can't get much more romantic than watching a sailboat pass in front of you just as the sun is setting. For more pictures of boats and sunsets, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 16, 2008

No shoot in upstate New York is complete without a shot of a horse grazing. And a shot of a horse grazing looks even better when it's backlit by the morning sun. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 15, 2008

The autumn colors are legendary in upstate New York, and the red maples look particularly good growing out of the hills. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 14, 2008

When you think of great blue herons, you may think of saltwater marshes and other areas along the coastline. But during my recent shoot in upstate New York, far from any ocean, I saw five separate herons in a 90 minute period. One of them was this one, which stopped to pose long enough for me to change lenses to get this shot. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 13, 2008

Lake Ontario looks expansive any time, but when the clouds are out as they often are in upstate New York, it can take on a wonderfully surreal silver tone with splashes of color as if done by a watercolorist's brush. Here's just one example. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 12, 2008

Oak Orchard Creek is a tailwater fishery in upstate New York that remains ice free throughout most of early the winter. A hydroelectric dam regulates the creek's flow into Lake Ontario, and there is 2½ miles of good fishing between the dam and Lake Ontario. But even if you don't fish, there's incredible beauty there, as seen in this photo. Perhaps that's why there are several large marinas and more than 300 private boat moorings here. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 11, 2008

Sometimes, plowed fields make a wonderful abstract design element that doesn't even require making the connection to the fact that you are looking at crops or the ground. Here's one example from upstate New York last week. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 10, 2008

In upstate New York, the colors turn far sooner than they do here in New Jersey. So by going there in early October, I was able to enjoy them early, as seen here in this shot taken last Saturday. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 9, 2008

Today we take a detour from our shots of upstate New York to remember John Lennon, who was born 68 years ago today. As you undoubtedly know, this shot is from Strawberry Fields in Central Park, not far from The Dakota, where he lived and his wife Yoko Ono continues to reside. In all the years I lived in Manhattan, I never saw this memorial without some flowers or cards, and the day I took this it looked particularly well styled, so I knew I had to capture it for posterity. For more pictures of John's home of New York City, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 8, 2008

Lake Ontario is one of the great lakes, and although it's not an ocean, when you look out at it, it's as vast and unending as the sea. One thing that is interesting is that much of the shoreline is rocky -- not necessarily as much as parts of the coast of Maine, but still rocky. When the sun is just coming up, it's a stunning sight. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 7, 2008

I just returned from a shoot in upstate New York where I saw a lot of beauty that we'll showcase here for the next few days. Here's a barn I passed on the road that looks just like it came out of a calendar. I had to stand on the bumper of my car to get the extra height to get sufficiently above the corn. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 6, 2008

Fifth Avenue in New York is beautiful in many ways -- the buildings, the energy, the people and the atmosphere all make for great viewing. But sometimes you have to step back, as they say. And when you do, it still looks great, forming a razor sharp diagonal slice right through the frame of this photo taken from the roof of a building on Central Park South. For more pictures of Fifth Avenue and New York, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 5, 2008

Today is my sister's birthday. I won't say how old she is except to say that it's a milestone birthday that ends in a "0." She lives in upstate New York where the winters can be a bit tough, but the beauty of the area is very notable. Letchworth State Park, about 35 miles south of Rochester, boasts over 50 waterfalls, including the highest one in the state of New York. Here's one of them. For more pictures of upstate New York, visit the dedicated gallery at Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 4, 2008

There's something about boats sitting on the water that guarantees your mind will be put in a good place. Here's a shot from my Rhode Island shoot taken during ideal light near Bristol. For more pictures of boats, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 3, 2008

Yardley, Pennsylvania developed from an early eighteenth century mill seat and ferry crossing for the Delaware River in Bucks County. It's a very quaint town with both very old and very new buildings and residences. The old library by Lake Afton is a Victorian Gothic structure built in 1878. In the library is a collection of photographs, books, documents and artifacts relating to Yardley's history. Here's a shot of it I took on a crystal clear day. For more pictures of buildings in Bucks County, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 2, 2008

Yesterday I had some business that took me past the Navesink River in Rumson, NJ, where the New Jersey dolphins have been hanging out since moving from their earlier New Jersey home in July. So I thought I would take my long lens to see what I could get to add to my local dolphin collection. And for the first time since they arrived here on Father's Day I could not see a single dolphin. They were either resting or they went on a field trip to get more food. So I reached back to my shoot I did in July at the Miami Seaquarium to find a substitute dolphin shot. For more pictures of dolphins and other animals, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: October 1, 2008

Today my brother and his wife sail south for the winter after spending the summer in the northern states from New Jersey to Maine. Here's how they looked sailing south on the Atlantic Ocean in 2007, their rainbow spinnaker ballooned out in full formation. For more photos of boats, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 30, 2008

There's something about State Houses that make them all look elegant. Many have gold domes; others have interesting statues; most have columns or other very governmental looking ornamentation. But they look even nicer when the atmosphere, and the time of day, cooperate. Here's the Rhode Island State House from my shoot there a couple of weeks back. For more pictures of Rhode Island, look for a new gallery coming soon at Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 29, 2008

Here's another shot from my shoot in Rhode Island. When I took this shot, the light was just perfect. That's all natural light, light that you couldn't reproduce artificially no matter how much you tried. For more pictures of boats, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 28, 2008

Last night I was just outside my front door when I found a very ornate spider web. By moving to an angle where the background was simply the dark sky, and then throwing a flash on it, I was able to capture the web with a nice clarity. For more pictures of nature's creations, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 27, 2008

University Hall is the oldest building on the Brown University campus in Providence, Rhode Island. Built in 1770 and originally the College Edifice, it houses the president's office and other administrative offices. The building became a National Historic Landmark in 1962. For more pictures of Rhode Island, look for a new gallery coming soon at Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 26, 2008

Wednesday afternoon I was doing a shoot on a boat in nearby Atlantic Highlands. The water was rather choppy, which made for an interesting dinghy ride over to the sailboat where the shoot was taking place. But as rough as the waters were, the view was a calm as could be. Because, as usual, the Atlantic Highlands sunset delivered as it always does, showing this ultra-peaceful shot of sailboats resting in the water. It was so nice to see this when October is just around the corner that I thought it was worth temporarily interrupting our shots from Rhode Island, which will resume tomorrow. For more pictures of boats, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 25, 2008

The famous Newport Bridge was named the Claiborne Pell Bridge in 1992 after Rhode Island's former U.S. Senator. It connects Newport on Aquidneck Island with Jamestown on Conanicut Island. At 11,247 feet long, 215 feet high, and with 400 feet towers, it's the 70th largest suspension bridge in the world and the largest in New England. It looks good any time, but looked particulary good the day I took this shot. For more pictures of bridges, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 24, 2008

Last week I visited a relative in Providence, Rhode Island. While there, I had about 20 hours free to travel around the state and get some shots. It was a real challenge because I didn't have much time, and I know I missed a lot of beautiful places that I'll need to visit in subsequent trips. But I enjoyed getting to know the area, which is gorgeous. Here's how Mount Hope Bay looked like just minutes before sunrise. For more photos of New England, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 23, 2008

On the second day of autumn, here's a shot taken right in downtown Highlands, NJ. I mentioned yesterday that autumn comes late here, and this is a prime example -- it was taken last year on November 24. So I'll have to wait more than two months to see this scene again in person, but you can see how it will look right now. For more photos of autumn, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 22, 2008

Today is the first day of autumn. Of course in most places it doesn't look like autumn yet with its full glory. But on the other hand, even here in New Jersey where we still have some green leaves well into November, a couple of early adopters have changed colors, and one tree has even lost most of its leaves. But within a month or so, everything will be hues of red and orange. This scene taken nearby in Middletown, NJ has always been a best seller for individuals, institutions and corporations and seemed appropriate to officially launch the season. For more photos of autumn, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 21, 2008

Today I look up to the sky and know again that there's always beauty there, radiating out to all of us on earth. For more pictures of the sky, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 20, 2008

With autumn all-too-quickly approaching, I thought it was worth revisiting the buds of the cherry tree in Spring. This was taken in, of all places, Manhattan. The sun was so bright, and the sky so rich, that I just closed down the shutter enough to get the Sakura blossom in its full glory against a perfectly clean, black background. For more photos of flowers, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 19, 2008

Whether it's summer or fall, it's always a good time to fish. This was taken on South Cape Beach in Mashpee, MA. For more pictures of beaches, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 18, 2008

A cloudburst is, by definition, a short rainfall that lasts only a few minutes, but is intense enough to create minor flood conditions. In Guadaloupe in 1970, there was a one-minute cloudburst that dropped 1.5 inches of water. But when I saw this scene of the sun rising over the ocean, I thought this was a perfect alternative definition for the phrase, cloudburst. For more pictures of sun and clouds, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 17, 2008

I was just having water, not beer, the night I ordered dinner at a local pub here in the Highlands, NJ. But the glass looked so good between the Coors logo, the ice in the glass, and the sweat on the edge of the glass, it was impossible not to capture.For more pictures of food and drink, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 16, 2008

Train tracks are nothing more than parallel steel rails lying on railroad ties. Okay, that's a gross oversimplification. The rails are embedded in ballast to form the railroad track, and if it's not done to perfect precision, the train falls off the track. But the design is very simplistic. Yet somehow railroad tracks just draw your eye -- if they're straight, you want to look out into the distance; if they're curved, like this one in Cape Cod, they provide a beautiful design element into an otherwise ordinary scene. For more pictures of trains, planes and automobiles, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 15, 2008

What do you call a place that has several houses in the water built, literally on stilts? How about Stiltsville? Just over a mile due south of Key Biscayne between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is a collection of houses known as Stiltsville. Before hurricane Andrew in 1993, there were over 20 structures that dotted the seascape, but now there are far fewer. You can visit Stiltsville if you have access to a boat or plane, or if you just want a look, just go to Bill Baggs State Park and gaze out to the south, which is how this photo was taken. For more pictures of Key Biscayne, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 14, 2008

What do you get when you mix something wide and round? This beautiful entrance to a small lane in rural New Hampshire, for one. For more pictures of New Hampshire, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 13, 2008

Yesterday we looked at a photo of the Tribute In Light taken down in New York City. Today's photo is the same tribute, but taken locally in the Highlands, NJ. Highlands is 26 miles from New York, and is the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard between Maine and Mexico -- so it has terrific vistas for looking at the city. Here's how it looked after I returned from New York. You can see the Tribute In Light, lower Manhattan, and midtown all the way up through the Citicorp building. That's Sandy Hook and Sandy Hook Bay in the foreground. For more pictures, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 12, 2008

Every year on September 11, New York projects the annual Tribute In Light. This tribute to the fallen victims of 9/11 consists of 88 searchlights which create two vertical columns of blue light next to the site of the World Trade Center. Originally lit from March 11 to April 14, 2002, they have been re-lit each September 11 since 2003. They are visible only in the dark when their light contrasts with the darker sky, and their presence slowly disappears with the arrival of the dawn of September 12. On clear nights, the lights can be seen from over 60 miles away. Each year I find a new place to photograph them, and this year I selected a view from just north of the Brooklyn Bridge, where you can see the Tribute, as well as the Olafur Eliasson waterfalls under the bridge on the left. For pictures of previous years' Tribute in Light, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 11, 2008

Today we remember the somber events of September 11, 2001 with this photo of the Tribute In Light, taken on September 11, 2003.

Photo Of The Day: September 10, 2008

There's no view of an airport better than from the air. Here's Runway 13-31 from New York's LaGuardia Airport. It's a relatively short runway, at just over 7,000 feet, but two feet longer than it's sister runway, Runway 4-22, which is 7,001 feet. It runs almost exactly Southeast in direction. For more transportation-related photos, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 9, 2008

For our final shot from Sandy Hook taken the day after Labor Day, we look at the tail end of Plum Island. This is accessible only by foot, but when you're there, it's like civilization never existed. There will be many more from this day posted on the web site soon, but in the meantime, for pictures already online of Sandy Hook, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 8, 2008

This week, we've shown a lot of the black-eyed Susans which dominate the Sandy Hook landscape in September, so I thought it was only right to include a close-up of just one, taken the same day after Labor Day. For more pictures of Sandy Hook, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 7, 2008

Sandy Hook not only extends seven miles into the Atlantic Ocean, providing 13 miles of ocean and bay beaches, it has these beautiful parts that jut out into the bay, creating a beautifully sculpted design of land, sand and trees. For more pictures of Sandy Hook, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 6, 2008

One 0f the nice things about the black-eyed Susans on Sandy Hook is that they are everywhere. So a shot taken in the middle of summer of the edge of Sandy Hook Bay with all the land beyond it looks even better in September with the dotted flowers punctuating the scene with yellow. For more pictures of Sandy Hook, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 5, 2008

It may be the day after Labor Day, but as this shot taken Tuesday shows, there's no reason to lose the summer spirit. For more pictures of Sandy Hook, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 4, 2008

In addition to the water, Sandy Hook has some wonderful areas of grasses and dunes. During my day-after-Labor Day shoot there, I found this area that featured a picturesque, windy dirt road. For more pictures of Sandy Hook, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 3, 2008

To help me get over the fact that Labor Day has arrived and the general energy of the summer has passed, I went out to Sandy Hook yesterday to get some emotional nourishment. And I saw plenty that is beautiful in September. So for the next few-to-several days, I'll share some shots taken yesterday. Today's kick off features a sampling of the mass of black-eyed Susans that appear on the Hook this time of year. For more pictures of Sandy Hook, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 2, 2008

Despite my despair of the arrival of Labor Day weekend, the truth is that Summer isn't really over, and in fact there's plenty of good weather still to come. So to keep the mood of summer current, here's a shot of a boat defying the day after Labor Day. For more pictures of boats,visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.

Photo Of The Day: September 1, 2008

This picture of a man leading his boat into deeper water makes me think that he is wistfully realizing that the Summer of 2008 is officially over, and that he is trying to take in every last moment of his experience. The good news for all of us is that in just nine short months, after a chilly autumn and a long, harsh winter, Summer will indeed be here again. For more photos of Summer, visit Paul Scharff Photography.com.