barre.me, photos by Sébastien Barré

Lantern Tour at Howe Caverns

Sebastien — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:36:48 +0000

It is Saturday night and I’m 160 feet below the surface, trying not to lose sight of my girlfriend’s makeshift lantern as we make our way back through the Winding Way. The three-foot wide series of curves and corners — formed by the retreating glaciers through limestone — is the last section of The Lantern [...]

Hudson River State Hospital

Sebastien — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 14:29:52 +0000

A few weeks ago, James, Helena, Bennett, and myself headed out north of Poughkeepsie to visit the abandoned Hudson River State Hospital, a former psychiatric hospital designed by Frederick Clarke Withers in 1867. The facility, overlooking the Hudson River, was closed down in 2001 and since then has fallen into a state of disrepair. This [...]

Dundas Castle

Sebastien — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:53:07 +0000

A few days ago James, Bennett, and myself took the long ride back to Sullivan County to visit the Dundas Castle. Perched on a small hill overlooking the Beaverkill, this abandoned manor is a fine example of Neo-Gothic architecture, a movement that appeared in the late nineteenth century in North America. To our surprise, we [...]

No Skating Allowed

Sebastien — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:50:49 +0000

There was no shortage of icicles in last week’s post but truth be told, we are not getting any closer to winter — it was all CGI. What happened to Punxsutawney’s favorite oracle? Somebody please put an end to the rodent’s reign of terror, preferably Bill Murray. I captured this photo essay series of photographs [...]

Bozen Kill Falls in Christman Sanctuary

Sebastien — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:57:06 +0000

Owned by the Nature Conservancy since 1970, Christman Sanctuary is a beautiful site that offers an easy hike through a plantation of cedars, spruces, and pines. A highlight of these 97 acres located off the beaten path near Duanesburg, NY is the Bozenkill, with its 30-foot waterfall and numerous smaller cataracts. This preserve is a sight [...]

Photographer Justin Higgins

Sebastien — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:09:40 +0000

When I started this photo-blog back in 2010 I had a few things in mind I wanted to share. My interest in photography has been the drive behind my posts but I had mentioned early on my plan to shine a light on the work of like-minded local photographers and their vision of the Capital [...]

12 Hours in Columbia County

Sebastien — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:37:09 +0000

Like many in the Capital District, I often rely on the good folks at All Over Albany to keep myself busy during the weekend. They uncover places that can be enjoyed in small, one hour bite-size diversions but also feature more involved road trips to the farthest reaches of the 518. Looking for some fresh [...]

Grafton Lakes Winterfest 2012

Sebastien — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:14:48 +0000

It has been a strange, snowless winter so far in the Capital District but this didn’t stop the Grafton Lakes State Park and the Friends of Grafton from organizing their 27th annual Winter Festival last Saturday. A merciful deity delivered a few inches of snow that very morning but the bitter cold and unknown road [...]

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Times Union Center

Sebastien — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:18:08 +0000

‘Tis the Night after Christmas, hair flying, flames erupting, power-chords screaming, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra must be back in town. I’m not a progressive-rock fan but I’m a sucker for a good light show. When my friend R. mentioned she had two seats in a suite at the TU Center, I seized the opportunity to witness [...]

Vintage Postcards: Part 1 – Happy New Year

Sebastien — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:13:19 +0000

Joyeux Noël et Bonne année! I enjoyed my trip to France last winter but I’m staying in the U.S. of A for the holidays this year, comforted by a sizable amount of imports from French Feast. When I visited my mother last December, she showed me a large collection of French vintage postcards she had [...]