This post is really about a series of photos from one particular place: Lake George in New York State.
Upstate New York has long been a part of my life. My mother is from there, and as children we made trips to see her side of the family. I've never known them as well as I would have liked, but when it came time to go to college, I chose New York. It was nice to have some nearby family, particularly my grandmother, uncles and great-aunts. They didn't live very near Lake George however, so it would require a trip further afield than just a regular visit with the relatives to get there.
But in all that time during college, I never made it out to Lake George. The thought crossed my mind, between classes and changing majors and all the other things that occupy the mind of someone in school and away from home. My college boyfriend was in a fraternity that got suspended just after we started dating and thus, there were no formals overlooking the picturesque lake for me. (I have no idea why they were suspended, I suspect something to do with rush.) Frats often visited Lake George for their formals, and I know at least two of my friends got to go dance the night away in the romantic region, but I never did.
So when did I get to visit? Finally, nearly a decade after college, I decided to take my husband to see Upstate New York, and we decided to stay in Lake George. The first time we visited, it was spring and that was a wonderful trip. We hiked up some trails once it stopped raining and I got quite a few great pictures of leaves budding and the sun setting over the lake. It was so nice to finally be there - it felt like one of those things that I just kept putting off even though I wanted to do it. It was very restful so early in the season, and absolutely the epitome of a spring picture.
It was more than just a lovely vista though - it was on that trip that I started sketching again. Until that point I had just been picking up my camera, not really thinking about doing anything more artistic and struggling with composing pictures. But once I started sketching again, drawing, thinking about perspective and angles - photography became that much more understandable to me. It was like an art revelation.
Later, we went to visit Lake George (and my grandmother) in the fall. I was smitten after the first journey there and couldn't wait to get back. On the second trip, I got to see the mist rising off the lake early in the morning (like in the second picture), and a night rain drying on vibrant autumnal leaves and flowers. It was so gorgeous, I could hardly stop taking photos! Autumn is really a dream season for me, the light is often pretty and just cloudy enough outside, it's cool and good weather for hiking and the colors are bolder and amazing. Add in a wonderful vista, and I couldn't help but run the battery in my camera down.
Lake George is inspiring, naturally beautiful and popular during the summertime. I hope to visit again during the fall - as much as I enjoyed my first visit in the spring, it's absolutely beautiful during the fall. My love for the region was already part of me, but finally seeing Lake George makes me love it more.
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