Don Sutherland's photos

Early morning sunlight illuminates a gazebo and the frozen Long Island Sound (Larchmont, New York)—February 21, 2015

Fire Island Lighthouse at Robert Moses State Park (Babylon, New York)—October 5, 2014. The Lighthouse was completed in 1858. At 168-feet (51.2 meters) above sea level, the Lighthouse can be seen from as far as 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) away. Below is a photo of the lighthouse that was taken in 1952 and is available at the Library of Congress. The caption is: Richard Mahler (5) is the Fire Island School's youngest pupil and lives the farthest away. His father is the lighthouse keeper and, since the lighthouse is about four miles away, school is a long ride by jeep / World Telegram & Sun photo by Roger Higgins. The photo can be found here . There are no known copyright restrictions on this photo.

A seagull at Robert Moses State Park (Babylon, New York)—October 5, 2014

Morning dew (Larchmont, New York)—October 12, 2014

Detail of a pumpkin carved by Master Carver Ray Villafane at the New York Botanical Garden (Bronx, New York)—October 25, 2014. Ray Villafane is a Master Carver of pumpkins. He is a repeat winner of the Food Network’s “Challenge: Outrageous Pumpkins.” He is also a competitive sand sculptor, and has designed action figures and collectible statues for DC Comics, Marvel, Sony, and Sideshow Collectibles. A description of Halloween at the New York Botanical Garden and additional photos can be found in my article, which is posted here .

Sunrise viewed from Manor Park (Larchmont, New York)—August 20, 2014

Anemone Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum ‘Biko’) at the New York Botanical Garden (Bronx, New York)—October 8, 2014

A Monarch Butterfly on Goldenrod at the Robert Moses State Park (Babylon, New York)—October 5, 2014. The fall Monarch migration was underway and there were scattered areas with concentrations of the butterflies. One picture is below:

Metamorphic rocks at Manor Park (Larchmont, New York)—August 23, 2014. These rocks were once part of the Appalachian Mountains, which formed approximately 600 million years ago. More photos and information are available in my article on these rocks, which can be found here .

Patchy fog just after sunrise (Larchmont, New York)—September 17, 2014. A view of the sun’s crepuscular rays through the fog is below:

An exterior wood figure at the Forbidden City (Beijing, China)—June 10, 2014

Clouds from an approaching offshore coastal storm are illuminated just after sunset (Larchmont, New York)—September 8, 2014

View of the Great Wall of China at Jinshanling—June 12, 2014.

Relief at the Summer Palace (Beijing, China)—June 9, 2014. During the reigns of the Qing Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong (1663-1795) several imperial gardens were created around Beijing, the last of them being the Summer Palace, based on the Hill of Longevity and Kunming Lake in the north-western suburbs of the city. Kunming Lake (known earlier as Wengshan Pond and Xihu Lake) had been used as a source of water for irrigation and for supplying the city for some 3500 years. It was developed as a reservoir for Yuan Dadu, capital of the Yuan Dynasty, by Guo Shoujing, a famous scientist of the period, in 1291. Between 1750 and 1764 Emperor Qianlong created the Garden of Clear Ripples, extending the area of the lake and carrying out other improvements based on the hill and its landscape. It was to serve as the imperial garden for him and for his successors, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Xianfeng. During the Second Opium War (1856-60) the garden and its buildings were destroyed by the allied forces. Between 1886 and 1895 it was reconstructed by Emperor Guangxu and renamed the Summer Palace, for use by Empress Dowager Cixi. It was badly damaged in 1900 by the international expeditionary force during the suppression of the Boxer Rising, in which Cixi had played a significant role, and restored two years later. The Summer Palace became a public park in 1924 and has continued as such to the present day. For more information: whc.unesco.org/en/list/880

Beihai Park (Beijing, China)—June 5, 2014. Beihai Park, also known as Northern Sea Park, is one of the oldest and largest downtown gardens. The Park was first constructed during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125). It was then subsequently repaired and rebuilt during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. The Park largely took on its present form during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The Park was first opened to the public in 1925.

Sunrise at Manor Park (Larchmont, New York)—August 5, 2014

View of the Great Wall of China at Jinshanling—June 12, 2014. Jinshanling is 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Beijing where the boundaries of Miyun County of Beijing and Luanping County of Hebei meet. Its name was derived from the greater and lesser Jinshan Watchtowers. Watchtowers were constructed at distances of 60 meters and 200 meters to make it easier for soldiers to come to one another’s aid, if needed.

A mural in the Forbidden City (Beijing, China)—June 10, 2014 Dragons are found throughout the Forbidden City. The dragon was considered the most powerful creature by ancient Chinese. Over time, the dragon was identified with “enlightened and virtuous” emperors.