While we have a deep affinity for tent camping, it’s tough to beat the shelter and coziness of a classic cabin in the woods, especially on a cold and snowy winter day. We’re constantly on the lookout for dog-friendly cabins in the Adirondacks, New England, and beyond, and we enjoy capturing the essence of a cabin through photography as much as we enjoying staying in a cabin. If you’re a cabin or inn owner looking to upgrade the photos of your treasured escape, we’re here to help! Whether exchanging photos for a free stay or payment, it brings us immense joy to provide a cabin owner with images that showcase their cabin in a unique and eye-catching way. Below you can find examples of photos that we’ve taken, as well as testimonials from cabin owners that we’ve worked with. If you’re interested in working with us, feel free to use the Contact page at the top of this website.
A young buck deftly crosses a river in the Adirondacks. Seeing wildlife while out for a hike is always a treat, especially in such a beautiful setting. Prints Available.
Excited to announce that I was one of three selections for Week 1 the Fall Foliage Photo Contest for NYSDEC. You can view all three photos here https://www.instagram.com/nysdec/
Bright autumn foliage reflects in – and rests on – the still surface of a pond in Upstate New York shortly after sunrise. I nearly lost a hiking boot to the thick muck at the bottom of this pond when I waded in up to my waist to get this perspective, but it was worth it! Prints Available.
This article along with others can be found at Pure Adirondacks. Please note this article was written in 2020.
Autumn is upon us, and the vast hardwood forests of the Northeast are putting on the annual show that rivals any natural spectacle in the world. While the fall season has always been a popular time for hikers and roadside tourists alike to get out and explore, larger crowds than usual are expected this fall due to COVID-19 and the fact that being outside is one of the safest ways to get away from home during these tough times. The Adirondack Mountains have long been a haven for stressed and overworked city dwellers to get back to nature, and unsurprisingly the ever-popular High Peaks region has been experiencing record visitation throughout the summer and early fall. Hoping to avoid the maddening crowds while simultaneously exploring a part of the Adirondacks that we had yet to properly experience, my wife, dog and I recently went on a canoe camping trip to Indian Lake that quickly became our all-time favorite camping trip.
Located in the Central Adirondacks, approximately a 70 mile and 90-minute drive southwest from Lake Placid, Indian Lake is a 12-mile-long reservoir that runs southwest from the tiny town of Indian Lake. While not quite as wild (the west shore has some development) as some of the more remote ponds and lakes of the Adirondacks, Indian Lake still has a relatively remote feel to it, especially on the eastern shore which is largely Forest Preserve land. The lake is peppered with several rocky islands, ranging in size from nothing more than a few boulders to over 1,000 feet in length. The best thing about Indian Lake is that it possesses the Indian Lake Islands Campground, which consists of 55 campsites (each with a picnic table, an outhouse, and firepit) spread along the lakeshore and islands that can only be accessed via boat. Sites can be booked up to 9 months in advance, and while they’re incredibly popular during the summer, as the temperature begins to drop in the fall, so does the visitation. Note: due to COVID-19, the DEC and New York State Parks have temporarily lifted the 9-month reservation window restriction for camping at New York State Parks, including Indian Lake Islands, and bookings for 2021 are currently being accepted.
While all of the campsites offer privacy and outstanding views, nothing can beat the experience of camping on your very own private island. Of the 55 campsites at Indian Lake, five of them are on an island with no other campsites. Of this handful of select sites, the most outstanding site might be campsite 2 on Kirpens Island, which offers several advantages compared to the other sites. Situated due east from Indian Lake Marina (518-648-5459), the campsite on Kirpens Island can be quickly accessed via a 20-30 minute, mile-long paddle if launching from the marina, as compared to the 8-mile-long paddle if starting from the access point and campground check-in center on the south end of the lake. Another plus of starting from the marina is that it makes renting a canoe or kayak easy if you don’t own a boat, although rentals for the 2020 season have been suspended due to COVID-19. Kirpens Island is also one of the largest islands on Indian Lake, with countless nooks and crannies along the shore to explore, as well as some informal trails that lead to the far reaches of the island from the camping area on the north side of the island. A number of smaller islands surround Kirpens and make interesting photography subjects, especially in the fall when the berry bushes, maples, and birches that are prevalent on the islands show off their fall colors.
What really sets Kirpens Island apart from the other sites at Indian Lake, though, is its proximity to the Baldface Mountain trailhead. The trailhead is a quick five-minute paddle east from camp into a quiet bay and is only accessible by boat. This difficulty of access greatly minimizes the crowds, and on a beautiful Saturday with near-peak foliage conditions, we had the trail and summit all to ourselves. After beaching your boat on the shore near a large boulder marked with white paint, an easy 0.8-mile-long trail with red trail markers and 550 feet of elevation gain weaves through the forest before breaking out on a rocky ledge perched just above the treetops, with the long blue swath of Indian Lake and its islands spreading out in the distance. Fall views don’t get any better than this, as the predominantly hardwood forest that surrounds Indian Lake bursts with a vibrant array of red, orange, yellow, and purple in late September to early October. After enjoying the view from Baldface, head back down to the lake and explore the islands near Kirpens, marveling at the banded metamorphic bedrock that the islands consist of, which makes for fantastic photo opportunities.
Once back at camp, cap off a spectacular day of autumn exploration in complete solitude by watching the sun set over Indian Lake and Snowy Mountain from an open ledge high above the lake on the west side of the island, and perhaps raise a glass of your favorite beverage to toast your own private piece of autumn heaven.
Flaming red sugar maple leaves frame a mountain in the background, as seen from the shore of an Adirondack lake on a clear and colorful October evening at sunset. Prints Available.
To truly appreciate the colors and details of a stunning photograph, nothing compares to a fine art print. Prints not only provide a means to display a photograph at a much larger scale, they also allow for the photograph to be printed in an expanded color space beyond the sRGB of the Web. The result is a piece of art that fully captures the details, colors, and beauty of the scene as I experienced it.
Aluminum Prints My personal favorite method of photo printing and display is to print my photographs on aluminum through a process known as dye-sublimation. The result is a print of unrivaled clarity, color, and beauty. Aluminum prints come ready-to-hang using a float mount, which sets the print 1″ off the wall, giving the print the appearance of “floating” off the wall. This striking and modern look eliminates the need for a frame, matting, and glass, reducing cost and glare.
Paper Prints Traditional paper prints are an excellent and affordable way to enjoy my photography in your home or office. Prints are made on high-quality Kodak Lustre paper, which showcases the colors and contrast of the image and has a slight, almost pearl-like texture that provides added depth. This paper also has the benefit of possessing minimal glare, so that the print can be enjoyed in uneven lighting when framed.
Canvas Prints Canvas prints come ready to hang, and their lightweight nature makes hanging them a breeze. The canvas is wrapped around a 1.25 inch thick pinewood frame, and images are printed on high-quality canvas that will resist fading for over 100 years.
Finishing Touches All prints are digitally-signed, and include the year in which they were printed. While prints are typically signed in the bottom-right corner, occasionally the bottom-left will be signed if it fits the composition better. I also include a handwritten note with each print about the moment captured in the photograph, what it means to me, and what I hope it will mean to you.
Custom orders Looking to purchase a print in a different style than aluminum, paper, or canvas? Please reach out to me via the “contact” header on this website and I’d be happy to work with you to meet your needs.
These days, it seems like everyone has places to go, things to do, and lists to check off. I originally had plans to climb a mountain on this fine October day in the Adirondacks, but after arriving at this pond en route to the summit, I scrapped my plans and spent the entire day relaxing, exploring, and photographing the pond and the surrounding forest. By doing so, I was able to appreciate things that I never would have even noticed had I hustled up a mountain. Things like sunlight filtering through the colorful forest canopy, birch trunks reflecting in the pond in a hypnotizingly serene manner, and flying squirrels poking their heads out of their tree trunk abode. This day was a reminder of the many benefits to slowing down and enjoying where you are, rather than obsessing over where you’ll go next. Prints Available.
Spectacular fall foliage blankets the mountainsides surrounding Indian Lake. The many incredible paddling and hiking options at Indian Lake quickly made this one of our favorite areas of the Adirondacks. Prints Available.
Joey Priola Wilderness Photography 