Polarization and the Scene of the Week

I really enjoy wearing my polarized sunglasses. The blues turn to deep blues, the interface of sky against clouds becomes much more contrasted. Polarizing moves apparent dull and haze into bright and deeper colors. The act of polarization takes the randomness of the light and filters it or aligns it to one direction. Take a look at these two pictures, almost identically taken but with polarized light (top) and randomly polarized light(bottom). Notice the bluer sky, the darker picture overall, and can see greater depth or contrast to the hills in the view.

So as part of the 4th of July Celebration Ted and I went for a ride to Bear Mountain State Park. It was a windy day so we first drove to Haverstraw in search of good sailing pictures, but none stood out. We drove up along the Hudson on Rt 9W and entered the park, traveling to Perkins Memorial Drive and to the tower. I've been to the tower before two or three times, once in Spring, once in fall but this time it was a clear summer day. We didn't take many pictures- I was unable to find a way for the camera to completely capture the tone and view of the outdoors. After after the BBQ and before the fireworks, I looked at the photos on a big screen and this one took my breath away. It's the scene of the week. I love the flowing hills, fully green and presenting their shape. I love the bright blueness and the line of clouds lying starkly white against the blue. Amazing.