Just a short drive could be the key to unlocking photography.
I live in an area full of overwhelming natural beauty. I often don’t have to go far to find photography subjects that I love. However, I love to photograph a great many things. And as they say variety is the spice of life. So, I try to mix it up in my photography.
Letchworth State Park has a landscape like no other park near me. It is also one of the biggest parks in my area. I have been there many times at this point, but there is still so much that I haven’t seen. So, much so that I signed up for a 45 mile trail race that circles the park in large part so I can see areas of the park I have never seen before. And all this is just 1.5 hours northwest up the highway.
If you asked me what kind of photographer I am, first I’d get a really uncomfortable look on my face at even being called a photographer, but then I would probably tell you I am a nature photographer. I photograph a lot of subjects but my real love is for nature. And that love expands to just about all of nature.
I try to photograph nature in as many different forms and ways it is present on our earth as possible. So, saying I am a nature photographer doesn’t really narrow down my focus too much. I like to point my lens at just about any natural thing out there.
This love of everything is a blessing and an inconvenience. While I could be content to stay local and photograph what is close to my home, if I want to see all there is to see then I have to do a little planning and travel. I am not a huge fan of either of those things. But there is so much to see if I can just make space for 1.5 ourselves of travel.
I love birds and that is really where my fascination with photography found its roots. I live in an area where our large raptors, Bald Eagles and Osprey, are making a huge comeback. And I love photographing those local birds. But if I drive just 1.5 hours northeast I arrive at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The premier destination for birdwatching in my area.
At Montezuma NWR I can see eagles, osprey, and many many more birds that I would be unlikely to see at home. And not only can I see them, the birds are present in such abundance that photographic opportunities abound. It is hard to go to Montezuma and NOT leave with nice photos of birds.
Then there is the beautiful state of Pennsylvania that I live essentially ion the border of but often neglect, much to my own regret. It was a long time before I started to explore and appreciate Pennsylvania and all the natural beauty contained there.
It seems like no matter what direction you drive into Pennsylvania you will find a state forest or state park in no time at all. If you want to truly get out into nature, go to Pennsylvania. In my area it is the shortest drive to find some truly wild lands where you are cut off from civilization. I mean no cell service, where is the closest town or city kind of wild.
One of my favorite places to go is Rickets Glen State Park. There are many aspects that make this park beautiful. But, I mainly go there for the flowing streams that make up its waterfall trail. And if you have ever read this blog in the past you may have come across a few posts where I talk about my love of waterfalls or showcase waterfall photos. And this gem of a park is only 1.5 hours south east from where I live.
There is so much to find out in the natural world. So, if you are like me and you love the variety that can be found in nature take a 1.5 hour drive to a park and see what there is to photograph.
Where is your favorite destination that is around a 1.5 mile drive for you?
