Walking a path through fantasy landscapes. It feels like home. Each season brings its own magic that I can explore and capture. Hiking with my camera feels like I can breathe. It energizes me to create. This time my dog Bambi came along.
Hiking Dog
I’ve had pets since I was little. My household rarely went long without some animal. Of course, I continued the tradition when I moved out. Bambi is my second dog. I hike solo and wanted a furry companion to come with me on my photo walks.
I adopted Bambi from Brooklyn ACC in February 2024. She’s such a beautiful dog and, at 30lbs, she’s a good size. I thought of changing her name to an anime character, but I kinda like Bambi. She’s now Bambi Erza Johnson. The shelter didn’t know her breed. Bambi’s vet bill is expensive enough without a DNA test. Google says she’s a Formosan mountain dog. It checks.
I got her used to the trail by taking her on 4-5 mile hikes in my local park. I worked with her on pulling her leach. It wasn’t so bad that she was dragging me down the street. But, she was hurting my back while I was trying to reign her in. I switched to a no-pull harness and spammed her with treats. Now I need to work on getting her off-leash ready. She likes to wander while I’m photographing a scene in infrared. Sometimes her leash will hit my tripod and mess up my shot.
Trails Near a Train Station
I know how to drive but I don’t have a car. All my trails need to be near public transportation. It is limiting but I can’t afford to rent a car whenever I want to take a day trip to the Hudon Valley. Seems a waste since NY has the Metro North. The Poughkeepsie line travels along the Hudson River. It’s such a beautiful ride. I’ll listen to a podcast while staring out the window. Never get tired of that view.
When boarding at Grand Central Station, you sit on the right side of the train (when you’re on the train facing Grand Central) for the best views.
Creating Fantasy Landscapes
West Point Foundry is a short trail. The hike doesn’t offer any challenge and no mountain-top view. It’s not a place I usually visit. It takes me about 2 hours and some change to reach the trail. That’s a long time to travel just for an easy hike unless it has absolutely stunning scenery.
I visited West Point Foundry for infrared photography 2 other times. Didn’t get a good shot either time.
Third time’s a charm.
You can read about my infrared journey below:
Getting into Otherworld Infrared Landscape Photography
Turning Nature into Colorful Infrared Landscapes
I got into infrared mostly because I love creating landscapes with colorful trees and grass. Also, hiking often has me out during midday when the sun is harsh. That’s not the best photography condition unless it’s overcast or you’re doing black and white. Infrared works great at that time of day.
It took 3 years, but I’m finally getting the hang of infrared. I still don’t know how to consistently create colors other than pink. You never really learn everything. I don’t mind that there are still things to discover.
Watch the full trip on Youtube
