POSTCARD: Canal Walk || James River Park System

Canal Walk.

It was early morning when I crossed the pedestrian bridge over the canal, making my way toward Brown's Inland. This was where the opportunity revealed itself. A few days earlier, I had scouted a spot perfect for capturing a photo of the historic Main Street Train Station, which, during the holiday season, is beautifully decorated and lit up for Christmas.

I’ve crossed this bridge countless times on my way inland, but never before had I noticed the scene before me as I did that day. Perhaps it was always there, but I’d been too focused on my morning workouts to pay attention. On that morning, everything aligned—the time, the conditions, and the right moment—to offer up this experience. Whatever it was, I’m grateful I could capture it.

My Postcard series is my modern take on the traditional postcard—a single image paired with a narrative, meant to share an experience with you. As with all the photos on this blog, I take them either with my smartphone or a GoPro. The image above was captured with my smartphone, using an app called Open Camera, which is available for Android. I then edited the photo with Snapseed, which is available on both iOS and Android.

In today’s world, many of us carry the only camera we need in our pocket: our smartphone—or perhaps an action camera tucked away in our bag. I’ll admit, I don’t fully know how to use these tools to their maximum potential yet.

So, it looks like the time has come for me to step up my mobile photography game, aiming to produce higher-quality images and videos for this blog. My hope is that these photos will not only capture the moments I want to remember but also inspire you to venture out and find your own. 

Now It's Your Turn-

I would like to hear about the tips, tricks, and gear that you use with your smartphone/mobile photography.

Navigate over to our related Postcard Series posts at:

• Postcard Pipeline Rapids James River
  
• Postcard Flatwater Kayaking James River
  
• Postcard Night Sky Festival Shenandoah National Park
  

To see more photos in this series, navigate over to Navigate To Your Adventure on Flicker.