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Category: nature photography

October 4, 2026

Why Fall is My Favorite Time of Year

Walking in a park on a warm, sunny fall day is the best. Here are a few photos I snapped to capture the kickoff of the fall foliage season.

I expect many people would pick summertime as their favorite season. Warmer temperatures. Vacations. Grill action. Beach time. General fun in the sun. What’s not to like? 

Well, all that is indeed great, but I’m wired a bit differently. I like 75 degrees in the sun with low humidity.

And summer is often hot and humid. I don’t dig that. (Humidity is my kryptonite.)

Don’t get wrong… I enjoy the summer months… just not all the heat and sweat.

Instead, I prefer the cooler conditions that fall weather usually brings.

New Beginnings

However, fall gets a bad rap for ending summer’s bliss. Sure, it’s back to work. Back to school. Back to being serious.

But I like morning chill in the air. The crisp edge. The resulting sharper focus when you’re out and about.

Yes, I like putting on my big boy pants.

Of course, as a kid, I dreaded the first day of school. But it was also exciting. A new beginning. A fresh start.

And I’ve carried that enthusiasm for fall throughout my life.

There are also two big reasons I enjoy fall here in Connecticut.

Fire and Ice

Fall brings us right to the intersection between hot and cold. And I love that space. There’s nothing better than that glorious feeling of the warm sun on your shoulders on a cool fall day.

That’s when you can really appreciate nature’s warm vibe. And knowing it’s among the last few opportunities to feel it for months makes it even more special.

Colorful Conditions

The many colors of fall, of course, provide a great canvas for nature photography. And the fall foliage projects the similar theme of a last hurrah before all the leaves snap away into oblivion.

Yes, winter’s coming, but it’s not here yet.

To celebrate this time of year, here are some early October photos I snapped in a park near my local beach on a sunny weekend morning. The fall colors were just starting to show on the trees.

Warm. Cool. Perfect.

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July 19, 2026

I Kayaked to this Lighthouse with My Drone for these Incredible Views from the Air

Standing on the rocky shore of Goat Island near Cape Porpoise, Maine, I gained a whole new perspective as I flew my little camera drone around this magnificent tower. Here’s my footage. See for yourself.

Goat Island Lighthouse has stood at the edge of the southern Maine coastline for almost two centuries. It wasn’t built to be admired. It was built to be obeyed. Established in 1833 to guard the entrance to Cape Porpoise Harbor, ‘Goat Island Light’ is still an active beacon. 

I’ve admired this brick tower for the past five summers during our vacations to the Cape Porpoise coast. 

Though Goat Island Lighthouse continues to shine bright at night, the morning sun enhances its beauty and bold elegance.

A Lighthouse, a Kayak, and My Drone

I’ve taken many photos from afar. But this year, I decided it was time to try to capture its rugged strength up close and from the air.

With my preproduction planning complete, I set out in a kayak shortly after first light with my DJI camera drone and headed off to the rocky shore of Goat Island.

As soon as I arrived, I put my little DJI Flip drone in the air and got to work recording short clips. And I’m proud to present my completed video sequence of Goat Island Lighthouse.

My experience capturing these aerial moments was exhilarating. And I’m pleased that my footage benefits from a rousing score I conjured up via Google Flow Music (another remarkable AI-powered creative tool).

I didn’t exactly follow my less-is-more creative strategy, as this video clocks in at close to two minutes. My earlier editing exercise using the DJI Fly app created snappier results. But I really wanted to explore the ‘cinematic feel’ while featuring my ‘hero.’

Five Summers of Admiring… One Morning of Finally Flying

Creative success is often a team sport. I’d like to thank Kennebunkport Conservation Trust for permission to fly my drone by the lighthouse. And special thanks go to my two friends for accompanying me on my little adventure.

I captured incredible views that few can normally see. I’m still beaming.

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June 28, 2026

How Clouds Transformed My Boring Sunrise Timelapses into Pure Magic

Watching any sunrise is a meaningful experience, but I’ve learned that recording a timelapse video during a cloudless dawn doesn’t generate enough action.  Clouds have to be in the shot for the timelapse to feature their secret dance. Here are a few examples.

I’ve effectively stopped taking photos and videos of sunrises. Why? Because every close-up shot of the early sun is the same.

Instead, I now focus on showing how the environment reflects or responds to first light. So that requires a wider angle shot where the sun isn’t necessarily center stage.

That creative approach is much more interesting to me.

The Dance of the Clouds

Often, the key ingredient is how the clouds are positioned and move throughout a sunrise. Their sped-up motion becomes the anchor for the entire scene.

Cloud support is always part of any successful sunrise timelapse video I record. 

But there are many variables… How much cloud cover is there? How fast are they moving? In which direction? What are their colors?The permutations are endless. 

Waking up at 4:30am on Vacation?

Which is why I always choose to set up my tripod for a summer sunrise timelapse whenever I’m on vacation in Cape Porpoise, Maine. (This is not a ‘once and done’ creative exercise.)

The place we stay offers a spectacular view over the mudflats near the ocean. So, if the weather forecast looks good for the next day, I set my wakeup alarm for 4:30am.

Yes, it may be counter intuitive to get up wicked early on a vacation morning. But that’s what it takes to capture the amazing colors in the sky before the sun shows up at 5am. And let me tell you… it’s worth it.

My DJI Osmo Glows with the Sun

I’ve been using my little DJI Osmo gimbal camera for my ongoing sunrise project over the past five summers, and I’ve found that each of my sunrise timelapses looks entirely unique. That’s because every morning brings a different cloud formation.

Of course, you can’t have total cloud cover. Alternately, you need some clouds in place. Otherwise, you’ll just have that little glowing ball moving slowly in an empty blue sky.

Nature Calls the Shots

I run my sunrise timelapses for an hour, auto-snapping frames at 3-second increments. That generates a 40-second video. 

A lot can happen in the sky across an hour. So, what you start with may evolve into something entirely different that can make or break your results. But there’s nothing you can do… other than observe.

Nature is in control.

Which means you’re not going to get what you hope for every morning. But I’m pleased to report that I had some success this summer in Maine. And I have a new crop of Cape Porpoise mudflat sunrise timelapses to share with you. Here are the highlights.

Start Your Day

My ‘skill’ in capturing these stunning moments is mostly just about being able to stumble out of bed and show up on time to witness nature present its magical morning show. 

And if the clouds should decide on a ‘pleasing’ sequence for a timelapse, you’re in for a treat.

What better way to start your day.

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