Luke Dow Photography

Luke Dow Photography I do landscape photography around Lake George and anywhere else my travels take me. Click my photo gallery on here or visit www.lukedowphotography.com

I am a landscape photographer who also dabbles in commercial photography. My cross country travels have taken me to all the corners of the United States including:

-Lake George And the High Peaks Regions in the Adirondack Mountains

-Vermont and New England

-Oregon and Washington

-Montana

-Utah

-Colorado

-Hawaii

-Louisiana

-Northern Arizona

-California and the Lake Tahoe/Nevada Area

To v

iew my photos that I took in these locations check out my various galleries on my website. I dont have all of my photos in these galleries, so if you would like to see the rest of my collection or order a custom print or request a more specific job, then please feel free to contact me!

So I hate to do this PSA, but seeing as tonight is going to be a low of 45° I have to announce that folks...Fall is comi...
09/11/2026

So I hate to do this PSA, but seeing as tonight is going to be a low of 45° I have to announce that folks...
Fall is coming...
And as much as I would love the warm weather to stick around, I am looking forward to scenes like this one, looking over the colors on the hill above Friends Point in Hague, while looking up towards Anthonys Nose (1,009')/Record Hill (1,262'), Rogers Rock (1,083'), and the northern end of the lake.

This part of the lake is crazy deep!
In fact, there are spots right off of Anthonys Nose that drops right down to 180' deep and some people would say that there could be a couple of spots that could give the area off of Calves Pen (in Bolton Landing) a run for it's money for the deepest spot on the lake!
There could be a couple of holes that exceed 193' deep here!

Hopefully with all the rain we've gotten lately hopefully this year's crop of colors will be really spectacular!

Near Friends Point on Lake George
Hague, NY.

October 24, 2025

Exactly 25 years ago today, 25 years ago this moment, at 8:46am on Sept. 11, 2001, the first plane hit the towers and wo...
09/11/2026

Exactly 25 years ago today, 25 years ago this moment, at 8:46am on Sept. 11, 2001, the first plane hit the towers and world changed forever.
Ill never forget that moment, sitting in my gym cloths as we sat on the bleachers in 9th grade and our gym teacher, Mr. Donnally, came out and said "America has just been attacked, please go to the auditorium to see the news feed". I still remember the pose he struct pointing with his whole hand instead of a finger.
We got changed and went to the auditorium and sat in the seats and watched the news on a projector and sat in stunned silence. The rest of that day was very quiet, no one really spoke, teachers tried to teach, but the gravity of the day squashed all hopes of a normal school day.

That one day we lost 2,977 Americans lost their lives, including 412 first responders.
But since then we have lost another 9,000 people due to the illnesses that first responders contracted from the dangerous chemicals and hazards they were subjected to that day.
Currently there over 49,000 people living with the physical complications and cancers from Sept. 11.
Now more members of the FDNY have died from these complications than when the towers fell that day.

So we are remembering today all the people who lost their lives that day and all of those brave police men and firefighters who rushed into the breach to save people and have lost their lives since. Even those, 1,103 people who still remain unidentified, who have not been able to be truly laid to rest by their loved ones. We pray that these poor people will be identified and that them and their families will finally have some closure.

To learn more about the World Trade Center Health Program and how they are doing their best to help those suffering from various cancers and illnesses caused by their exposure that day then please visit:
https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/

Snapped this shot on my phone a few weeks ago when I went out on the lake with my friends.I dont know who owns this sail...
09/10/2026

Snapped this shot on my phone a few weeks ago when I went out on the lake with my friends.

I dont know who owns this sailboat here in the southern basin, but this man has provided me with sooooooo many shots this summer.
I absolutely love it!

If anyone knows who he is, then please have him get in touch with me because Id love to get some of these shots to him!
Im pretty sure he lives somewhere on Christiana Ct. in Lake George. Or at least this sailboat is just off the point on that road.

Hope everyone has themselves a beautiful day after all that needed rain yesterday!

Lake George
New York

August 29, 2026

Here is a shot of Black Mountain Point on Lake George, with Black Mountain (2,646') and the Mother Bunch Islands in the ...
09/09/2026

Here is a shot of Black Mountain Point on Lake George, with Black Mountain (2,646') and the Mother Bunch Islands in the distance.

Here you can see a small unnamed island with some weird structures around it, those are the remains of a crib dock that belonged to the Horicon Pavilion on Black Mountain Point.
This hotel was built by Cryus Butler in the mid-late 1870s and was designed it in the rustic log Adirondack Style and it could accommodate about 30 guests.
Day travelers could access Black Mountain from here and get refreshments from the hotel, but would be charged a $1 toll to hike the trail.

The hotel could be accessed by wagons that took the same path that the Shelving Rock Road takes now. But this wagon path then continued further north and was quite rocky and steep, which didnt make for a quick and easy trip.
So in order to make it easier for guests a crib dock was built on this little island with a small bridge connecting it to the mainland.

Also in 1878, the S.S. Minne Ha Ha was retired and then purchased by Cryus and towed to the point where she was attached to the inside of the bay with chains and iron rings bolted into the rocks. She was used as a floating hotel to make more rooms available for guests.
Unfortunately a few years later (maybe 1883-1885) the ice came down from the north during ice-out and ripped the Minne off her mooring rings and smashed her up across the inside of the bay.
What was left was salvaged and her remains were dynamited and the remains were left to sink to the bottom of the shallow bay.

But the unfortunate incidents were not over for Cryus.
on April 21, 1889 the hotel burned completely to the ground and Cryus abandoned the property entirely.

Today you can still see the crib dock, the keel of the Minne Ha Ha, the iron rings in the rocks on the point, and even the stone foundation of the hotel a short distance to the right of the hiking trail. Some folks even say that further above the point they can see some old metal parts that belonged to some machines associated with the hotel.

Black Mountain Point
Near Huletts Landing, NY.

June 28, 2026

A little bit of a late start today, so Ill make this quick.Here is a closeup shot of Deers leap while looking towards Vi...
09/08/2026

A little bit of a late start today, so Ill make this quick.

Here is a closeup shot of Deers leap while looking towards Vicars Is., the Harbor Islands, with the Mother Bunch Island Group at the foot of Black Mountain (2,646') while fog swirls around the mountains.

Deers Leap is a 400' tall cliff that got it's name from early hunters who would use dogs to chase deer off the edge of the cliff.
Yea it's a rough visual, but history isnt all sunshine and sprinkles lol.

Some folks have thought about rock climbing this face, but an hour of bushwhacking, numerous dens of large rattlesnakes and what has been described as “the largest choss (loose rock) pile in the Adirondacks” has kept most rock climbers in the region away.

Happy Day-After-Labor-Day/End-of-summer everyone!

Deers Leap over Lake George
Near Sabbath Day Point, NY.

August 18, 2026

Today for Labor Day Im going to share this photo I snapped at the beginning of summer when I went camping in the Narrows...
09/07/2026

Today for Labor Day Im going to share this photo I snapped at the beginning of summer when I went camping in the Narrows. Here is a boat zipping past the clump of Brush, Sunny, Uncas, Glen, and Phantom Islands, with Juanita and Ranger Islands and Shelving Rock in the distance.

Ill be honest with you, Labor Day up here is really appropriate!
It was first recognized as a holiday by Oregon in 1887 and then recognized federally in 1894. It was made to recognize the social and economic achievements of the American Workers. The federal action followed the violent Pullman Strike in Chicago, where federal troops intervened and over 30 workers died, prompting a political need to reconcile with the American labor movement.

I say it is really appropriate up here because as America vacations, locals here work really hard. We have a couple of shoulder seasons to barely break even and then 2 months to really make our living. When the late fall and winter hit, that is when we can start to breath a little bit, but Labor Day is the start of this time.

Usually Im not the biggest fan of Labor Day, because even though this time of the year is crazy and some tourists can be not the greatest, I do love the energy that they bring to the lake.
During summer the lake feels full of energy, fun, and happy possibilities. You feel like as long as you get out there, onto the warm and inviting water, you are making great memories with friends and families while others are doing the same.
The lake is filled with happy shouts and smiles while the towns are bustling with summer traffic.
But as soon as Monday afternoon or Tuesday rolls around its like a switch is flipped, everything seems empty and a little less full of life.
My dad didnt like this shift, and I can definitely start to understand why.

But this summer has seemed to be extra tough.
Winter stayed late and then summer came early and everyone was instantly off to the races with no warm-up, then with Labor Day being a week later summer was technically longer.
Normally that is welcomed, but to local businesses it was rough. Between the increased prices of food & fuel, bad weather & wildfire smoke early on, lack of available employees or folks who would suddenly quit, schools & colleges starting earlier, and the general feeling of tension & uneasiness perpetuating throughout the country right now, it was a rough summer. Or at least to the Lake George Steamboat Company lol.

Well I didnt mean to write a piece complaining the whole time, but I guess that is what is happening.
I guess I really am just a moody artist lol.

Well hopefully after this Labor Day locals can start to breath a little bit and get out there to enjoy the lake before it gets robbed of more of it's warmth by the fall temperatures.
And Ill end it on that slightly less depressing note!
lol

The Narrows on Lake George
Bolton, NY.

June 28, 2026

Here is a shot I snapped of a hill (685') behind Gull Bay, with Gull Bay in distance and the north end with Friends Poin...
09/04/2026

Here is a shot I snapped of a hill (685') behind Gull Bay, with Gull Bay in distance and the north end with Friends Point, Hague, and Anthonys Nose in the far distance.

Gull Bay is only one of three settlements along the east side of Lake George north of Pilot K**b. Glenburnie and Huletts Landing being the other two. Unfortunately unlike Huletts, the history of when Gull Bay and Glenburnie were first settled is not quite easy to find.

But it seems that Gull Bay got it's name from the small rocky shoal/island that sits out just beyond the mouth of the bay in the lake. Im assuming that the naming of this bay was because steamboat captains or British Soldiers cruising past the little island noticed a lot of seagulls sitting on the little island, and so they just named it Gull Island. Then they would see the bay right behind the island, so they just simply called it Gull Bay.

The same thing could possibly be said for Skerrey Point (where Blythewood Estate Mansion is located). Sometimes locals call it Skerry Point. A Skerry (sometimes spelled Skerray) is a small rocky island that is usually too small for people to live on, which would make sense since this is the point that is closest to the small-rocky Gull Island. Maybe the spelling of the point was kinda skewed by whoever was spelling the name given to them and it just stuck.

Either way, it kinda looks like the island's name came first and then everything behind it along the shore came from it's proximity.

Hope everyone has themselves a happy Labor Day Weekend!

Gull Bay on Lake George
Putnam, NY.

August 4, 2026

Earlier this year I snapped a shot of the summit of the Pinnacle Hike in Bolton Landing, but with the morning sun, most ...
09/03/2026

Earlier this year I snapped a shot of the summit of the Pinnacle Hike in Bolton Landing, but with the morning sun, most of the features and the views east were cloaked in shadows, so I returned one afternoon and snapped another photo of the viewpoint of this iconic hike and there was even someone on the lower viewpoint!

Here you can see the top of the hike, while looking east-northeast towards the Narrows, Black Mountain (2,646'), and all the way down to the northern half of Bolton Landing/Green Island.
Funny thing is the way the viewpoint is on the top of the mountain, this view in the photo is not the view you see from the viewpoint! That view a 270° view where you see the southern half of Bolton Landing looking south towards the southern end of the lake and over towards Trout Lake.

Each year thousands of people climb this short/east 0.8 mile hike to this viewpoint, making it one of the most hiked trails in the region! The other ones? Prospect Mountain and the Pilot K**b Gazebo. And it's easy to see why.

This destination has been an instant classic ever since the 73 acre parcel of land was acquired by the Lake George Land Conservancy in 2015 for $525,000, which they then sold to the Town of Bolton for $150,000.
The LGLC did this because in 2010 developer, Ernest Oberer, first proposed building houses on the ridgeline. So the LGLC exercised it's option to purchase the land and after 5 years of intense negotiations (2 days before it's option expired!), it finally was able to acquire it and make it forever wild!

Anytime anyone comes to Lake George from other states, they are amazed by the lack of development around the lake and on the mountains (when compared to other lakes in their states), this is solely thanks to the efforts that created the Adirondack Park and the Lake George Forest in the early/mid 1900s and the Lake George Land Conservancy since then!

The Pinnacle Viewpoint
Bolton, NY.

August 18, 2026

On Monday I snapped a photo of the fog as it rolled over Top of the World Golf Resort, well here is another shot looking...
09/02/2026

On Monday I snapped a photo of the fog as it rolled over Top of the World Golf Resort, well here is another shot looking east as the rising sun's rays streaked through the pines and the fog on the north end of French Mountain while looking at the fog as it filled the valley between French Mountain and the far mountain ridgeline.

Love these foggy mornings in the valleys, one of the benefits of the approaching fall.
This fog actually has a name, it's called radiation fog! lol

Autumn air often holds dampness from recent rain, wet soil, or water ev***rating from rivers and lakes. So after sunset, the ground radiates that heat back out into space. Then the air touching the ground gets colder by conduction and as the temperature drops it hits the dew point, which is the exact temperature where the air becomes fully saturated and can no longer hold all its moisture.
When this happens, the excess water v***r condenses into microscopic water droplets suspended in the air, creating a visible layer of fog.

Nothing quite like fog swirling around colorful leaves and mountains in the morning sun.
I hate to say goodbye to summer, but Im looking forward to these types of shots!

French Mountain
Lake George, NY.

Aug. 31, 2026

Today Im going to share a photo of the Island House Estate on Brant Lake (799' elevation) while looking up the lake towa...
09/01/2026

Today Im going to share a photo of the Island House Estate on Brant Lake (799' elevation) while looking up the lake towards Sand Beach Mountain (1,392') along the far shore on the left, the 3 brothers in the distance (1,692' and 1,859' and 2,004'), and Stevens Mountain (2,167') in the far distance.

Now back to the Island House Estate.
This house sits on 4 of the 5 islands on Brant Lake. It is apart of a much larger estate located on the shore.
The islands of this property were the first parts to be purchased in the 1870s by Walter H. Wickes for only $75. Years later his nephew, William H. Wickes, would go on to build the house on this island in 1886.

Unfortunately William died suddenly and his property was sold to Albany Cigar Manufacturer, George VanSlyke, in 1892 and he renamed it "Seven Pines".

But then the Schultz Family purchased the property in 1942/1943 and in the past 80 years they have expanded the property. In 1970 they purchased 180 acres near the road and then in 2007 they built the main house on the property.

Today, the Island House Estate comprises 212 acres with a total of 20 bedrooms between the truss and timber-framed Main House, historic 1886 Island House , a Lakeside House, a Caretaker’s House, two garages with apartments, equestrian facilities with barns, acres of riding trails, and a Har-Tru tennis court.

All of this together definitely makes it one of the premier properties in the Adirondacks.
Well now this property is on the market for the first time in 84 years!

Yup, listed only a couple of months ago, the Island House Estate could be yours for the low low price of $14,900,000!
Well, that prices me out of the running! lol
Hope that the new owners respect the history and the buildings and keep this beautiful historic house around for years to come.

Island House Estate on Brant Lake
Brant Lake, NY.

July 23, 2026

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Lake George, NY

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+15189328433

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