Upstate New York ~ Unframed Photography
So in upstate New York I now live! The land of Saratoga Battlefield, Saratoga Horse race track, Lake George, the Adirondacks and so much farm land and natural beauty, I may not be able to explore all of it in my lifetime, let alone capture it on film! There are some favorite areas that I've been concentrating on though, and that is the region between Interstate Route 87 (the Northway) and the New York State border with Vermont, from about State Route 7 north to Whitehall, NY - which encompasses Saratoga, Washington and Rensselaer Counties.
More specifically, I've been traveling north and sound along County Roads 32 & 40 where I'm finding the most bucolic farm scenes, barns, vistas and landscapes, which I or anyone else could ever imagine! Some of the farms are thriving industrial complexes; some are abandoned and left to decay into the landscape with nearly no one noticing. Still others are sitting there, elegantly preserved but not functioning, to leave the passerby (like me!) wondering to what end this farm or barn will come to! It is wondrous to see these pastoral settings and accompanying structures and at the same time, sad to know their future is not a good one and that their past is the best that they were ever going to be!
And then, when you add in the sometimes backdrop of the Catskill Mountains, Helderberg Mountains, the Adirondacks or the Hudson River Valley, it makes for what I consider to be dramatic photo/image composition! So implore you, pan through the images displayed on the pages that follow, but so too, take a Sunday drive North on Route 32 from Mechanicville to Glens Falls, New York. Next, proceed northeast on Route 32 until you find the intersection with Route 4; make a left and head northeast on that road until you reach the intersection with State Route 22; turn right and head south (or east) until you reach the intersection with Washington County Route 40. Make a right and follow that south all the way through the village of Schaghticoke, to the 2nd intersection of Route 67; make a right on Route 67 and head back towards Mechanicville. The whole route is roughly 106 miles in length and approximately 3 hours of travel time (depending upon how many stops you make!) This adventure will take you through some of the most glorious farm country that you could ever imagine! And additionally, sometimes you'll find you're the only car on the roads in these often times, desolate and un-traveled routes the region has to offer. If you'd like some diversions along this trail, stop in to tour the Revolutionary War Battlefield of Saratoga, walk the unassuming main streets of Stillwater, Schuylerville, Glens Falls, Argyle and with a short detour, Greenwich, New York, as well.
What you’ll find, in a very short matter of time, is that upstate New York is very much and agricultural region with farms, barns and pastures of every sort, shape, age and beauty. For those of you like myself who worship these tremendous landscapes and often times, architecture from a bygone era, it is a sight to behold and every back road taken, a worthy adventure!
