Upstate New York seems to come to life twice a year: in the fall and in the spring. The Equinoxes treat New York well. Summer is nice no matter what, and the lush green scenery and new blooms are always an amazing sight as well, but nothing beats the fall foliage and the anticipation of spring after getting drowned in snow all winter.
This spring was really hectic for me. It was my last semester of college, I was trying to get lots of writing assignments and papers done, finding and applying to jobs, keeping my grades up, making sure everything was in line for graduation, and my senior art show was quickly approaching! I found time one weekend to relax and hang out with some friends visiting from home. One long time friend, Alexa, who I went to high school and my second half of college with, and two friends from my old school, Kevin and TJ. They're photographers as well, so I finally got to talk shop with some pals.
It was a little rainy that day, so we spent most of the time ducking inside the antique stores and coffee shops, but we were gifted with a great rainy sunset that evening! Kevin, TJ, and I drove up to the overlooks on the Shawangunk mountain ridge outside of New Paltz, lovingly nicknamed "The Gunks", and were pleasantly surprised.
click to enlarge!
How crazy is this view?! New Paltz is really full of surprises sometimes. We got there at the perfect time. Every time the clouds moved, the light changed and it looked more and more magical.
We drove down the road to another lookout, and the rain started to clear up more as the sun started to set.
It was really nice to go up to the mountains in Minnewaska State Park and see the views that New Paltz has to offer before packing up to leave since graduation was quickly approaching! Luckily I had some time after graduation as well to squeeze in some adventures and quality time with my roommates and friends in the area.
Now I've moved back to Long Island, the flat land of beaches, malls, and traffic. I've spent the better chunk of the past three years living upstate in New Paltz, New York. I think I'll be back again soon...
Morgan Maloney is a commercial, lifestyle, and fine art photographer, based in New York. Recently graduated from SUNY New Paltz in the Hudson Valley, Morgan now resides on Long Island and spends her free time cooking, petting every cat she sees, and browsing Instagram.