A Love Letter to New York State
A Landscape Photographers Love Letter to New York’s Wild Places
New York State has been my adopted home since 2009 and I have loved being able to explore such a wonderful and varied landscape. However 2026 will mark the end of my time here, last October unforeseen circumstances brought Nate’s retirement forward by a couple of years and I’ve decided that it’s time to join him. I’m going to give up LAND Gallery when the lease runs out in May and will cease operating my event photography business in mid June when the school year comes to an end. After that the adventure begins!
However rather than look forward to what is next I thought it would be good to look back and take inspiration from the glorious landscape that has inspired me to take my landscape photography to new heights. I’ve absolutely loved exploring this beautiful state but am also a little sad that there’s so much more that I’m never going to see, let alone photograph.
NYC glowing in a Winter sunset as viewed from the summit of Bear Mountain
If you expect to see more views of the City in the round up you’ll be disappointed I’m afraid, even though I only live 70 miles away there just hasn’t been time!!!! When I first moved here I fully expected to spend a lot of time in the City, who wouldn’t! However how wrong I was, who needs the City when there are mountains, rivers, waterfalls and great hiking all within easy reach of home.
Exploring my new home.
One of the first times I went out for a walk in my new surroundings I headed a couple of miles down the road from my house to a local preserve. I’d read that there was a view somewhere in the preserve towards Putnam Lake and the village that was my new home. I was the only car parked at the trailhead where there was a noticeboard with a very basic map of the waymarked trails in the preserve - basically just colored lines, no distances or contours, but hey ho, off I went into the woods with my curiosity and a sense of adventure to explore this new world of mine!
After going off trail looking for the viewpoint I finally realized that this was not the same as an afternoon ramble in England. There were trees everywhere, no views, no-one else around and then after about an hour I realized that I’d committed so many basic errors - no one knew where I was, I had no phone, no water, no backpack and no sense of where I was going, not only that but bears, snakes and other dangerous animals lived in woods like these - Time to find the car and head home!
The Appalachian Trail
I don’t remember when I discovered that the Appalachian trail meandered through New York and more especially around Pawling, the location of my second home in the State, but I was thrilled. I’ve spent some beautiful mornings on the trail, with Cat Rock, Nuclear Lake and the Great Swamp becoming as familiar in the dark as they are in the daylight. However of all the images that I have from the Trail I think I’ll remember the subtle mornings the most, those where the haze or the inversions add a touch of mystery to the view
August Morning at Nuclear Lake
The above image became an instant favorite the minute I saw it. It was a memorable late Summer morning, the mist was heavy and lingered long after the sun had risen over the adjacent hillside. This image was taken around sunrise, the mist was drifting and swirling, one minute the little island would be visible, the next it was hidden, but with nowhere to be I just set up the camera, sat on a rock and waited for the perfect moment.
Once captured I wandered down the western shore of the lake, following the AT until I got to a small rocky promontory, the perfect spot to just sit and think in the early morning Summer heat, idly watching the birds as they went about their morning chores.
A Land of Beautiful Waterfalls.
What is it about a waterfall that makes you stop and stare, or is it just me? I just think a waterfall is magical and New York State has proved to be a paradise for my camera. After checking out the many locations within an hour or so of my home I eventually looked further afield and discovered the Finger Lakes. It’s an area about 4 hours drive away and somewhere that I’d love to explore more thoroughly, although now I'm just thankful for the times that I have been able to spend there.
Elrond’s House
Late afternoon light ar Rainbow Falls in Watkins Glen, October 2021.
After seeing a photograph of Watkins Glen online I knew I just had to see it for myself and wow it didn’t disappoint! My first visit was in early October and I planned a couple of nights camping nearby. After setting up my tent the afternoon was close to ending. My original plan had been to explore first thing in the morning but tbh I was so excited to be there I decided I had just enough time to head into the gorge in order to suss out the location for the following morning, I nearly left my camera in the car because it was getting late. I’m so glad I didn’t, the light was fantastic and “Elrond’s House” above was almost the first image that I took that evening. It’s still one of my favorites and way better, imho, than the picture postcard photos I managed the next day!
Shameless plug here - It’s also part of my “signature Image” print collection that is for sale - here’s a nice convenient link if you fancy your own copy.
https://www.janehaslamphotography.com/shop/p/elronds-house
Seasons
I’m going to miss the the stark seasonal changes in the landscape - temperatures so cold and ice so thick that you can safely walk on water in the Winter. Colors so vibrant and reflections so still in the Autumn. Ridiculously warm days, fireflies and hummingbirds in the Summer. Unfurling fiddleheads and powerful flows from all the meltwater in the Spring. At least I have a few photos to remind me of my time here.
Standing Strong:
This is the spillway below Croton Reservoir, one of a complex of many that feed NYC with drinking water, it’s particularly impressive because of its size. I’ve always been fascinated by this little tree clinging to life part way down the spillway and after we’d had days of heavy Spring rains a couple of years ago I just knew that there would be a photo opportunity.
New York’s Mountains
I love hills and high points, I remember being so thrilled when I realized just what was on my doorstep. There was the sharp intake of breath the first time I saw the Bear Mountain Bridge as we drove high above the Hudson River. There’s the quirky excitement of taking the auto road to the top of Bear Mountain in the Hudson Highlands and Whiteface Mountain up in the Adirondacks. The quiet satisfaction of scrambling up the steep, exposed trails on Breakneck Ridge high above the Hudson River and Bonticou Crag in the beautiful Shawangunks all topped off by the adventure I’ve had exploring the Catskill Mountains. There is one regret though because 5 hours to the north are the Adirondack Mountains, taller, more rugged and lonelier than the Catskills, despite a couple of short trips up there I’ve only managed to scratch the surface - it sure would have been nice to spend more time there.
Breakneck Ridge on a gorgeous early Autumn morning.
I’ve climbed Breakneck Ridge a few times and each time there’s a real sense of of accomplishment. Essentially the first mile is steep, bloody steep, as it rises 1200ft from the banks of the Hudson River. It’s also exposed, involves some excellent scrambling and plays havoc with my vertigo! The first time I climbed it was a very warm midweek, early summers day. Unusually the trail wasn’t particularly busy and I was really enjoying the challenge, then I got to THE ledge it was a long flat slab sloping down towards a vertical drop and the river about 800 feet below. I froze, couldn’t go forward, couldn’t go back perhaps it was time to phone a friend and take a drinks break. It was lovely sitting in the sun talking to my friend and after about 20 minutes I found the strength to move on, well actually back. I decided that it was no shame to quit, but as I slowly climbed down off the slab I noticed a side trail heading upwards through a canopy of vegetation - looks like I wasn’t the only one who struggled at this point! I’d found a way to carry on without the ignominy of quitting.
To finish and even though I’ve blogged pretty consistently elsewhere about my adventures in the Catskills it would be wrong not to mention them here as those mountains have become such an important part of my New York DNA. I’ve had so many wonderful moments in the Catskills and am excited about the explorations I can fit in before I leave. The photographs have already led to a very successful exhibition and now I plan to follow up with a very special coffee table book, more details will follow in due course - in the meantime here’s a few images you may not have seen.
At some point I’ll be telling all about our plans and what the future holds, but whatever the future holds it is going to be hard to leave especially because I love where I live - if only we could take the house and the land with us and plop it down where ever we end up!
