This video features a drive through 4 of the active tunnels of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike: Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel, Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel, Blue Mountain Tunnel.

Who doesn’t like a good tunnel… unless you’re claustrophobic? I’ll share my personal reflections in a moment.

But first, a little history… (continues below this video)

The Pennsylvania Turnpike was designed to improve automobile transportation across the mountains of Pennsylvania during the 1930s. It was built along the path of an unfinished railroad project from the 1880s and used six of the railroad’s tunnels.

The turnpike opened on October 1, 1940. The turnpike was touted as “America’s First Superhighway” and was the national standard for superhighway design and engineering.

Currently, the turnpike has four active tunnels that you’ll see in this video. They are the Allegheny, Tuscarora, Kittatinny, and Blue Mountain Tunnels.

The Allegheny Mountain Tunnel is the longest in active use at 1.16 miles or 1.85 kilometers in length.

One experience I had at the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel was a severe weather change from the east side of the tunnel to the west side. It was mid-May and the weather was beautiful with sunny skies. Temperatures were probably in the fifties or sixties. We entered the east side of the tunnel and finally came out on the west side. What was amazing is that we entered a snowstorm as we came out of the tunnel! There were cars spun-out all over the road. It was like playing dodge-cars as I exited the tunnel and proceeded to slide along the highway, narrowly missing several of the cars that were spun-out around me. But for some miracle, I managed not to hit anything and continued on my way.

The Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel measures 1.01 miles or 1.62 kilometers and is the second-longest active tunnel on the turnpike.

Now I want to share some thoughts about some other tunnels in Pennsylvania… specifically in the Pittsburgh area.

As a child, going through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel on the way to Kennywood Park was pretty exciting… almost as fun as the amusement park. I’ll never forget the continuous flash of brake lights as we entered and proceeded through the tunnel.

In college, I remember emerging from the Fort Pitt Tunnel and being greeted with an amazing view of downtown Pittsburgh from the high vantage point overlooking the city below. Seeing the convergence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers to form the Ohio River is always breathtaking. As a side note, I met my amazing wife while attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. As of 2025, we’ve been married for 45 years with two daughters, and three grandchildren!

The Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel is approximately 0.89 miles or 1.43 kilometers long.

The Blue Mountain Tunnel is the shortest tunnel in active use at 0.82 miles or 1.32 kilometers in length.

What has been your experience driving through the tunnels of the Pennsylvania Turnpike or those in Pittsburgh?

Have you experienced other tunnels in the U.S. or other countries?

Do you get claustrophobic driving through tunnels?

Please like share your experiences with a comment here.

Contact us, today, to chat about YOUR photography needs and discover how surprisingly affordable our services are: Call 440.748.6300 (NOTE: This is a landline so text messages won’t come through) or email: https://spectralight.com/Contact

The post Driving Through the 4 Active Tunnels of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

Scrapbooking takes a TON of time… if you want to do it right. And then only a few people can enjoy it. Well, not anymore!

It starts with a lot of research, gathering of photos, newspaper and magazine articles, and so much more. Then there's the design aspect… how to put it all together creatively with special adornments to make each page “pop”!

I've watched in amazement as my wife, Doreen, has taken on the responsibility of family historian – lovingly creating beautiful scrapbooks of our two daughters from birth to high school graduation. And now she's doing it for our three grandchildren – currently six, eight and ten years old.

After observing the number of hours (days, weeks, months, YEARS) that she invests in these scrapbooks; I decided to make a video of each one to be shared on our family's private YouTube channel. Now only those with the URL (web address) to that channel can enjoy those videos from anywhere in the world. What I really like about copying the scrapbooks to videos is they can not be lost in a fire, flood, earth quake, tornado or other disaster since they're hosted on YouTube's redundant servers.

Also, with our grandchildren being so young; it's impossible to monitor their handling of these large, heavy volumes. I'd hate to see Doreen's labor of love being dropped, torn, spilled on or lost. These videos are the perfect answer.

I wanted to demonstrate what a “video scrapbook” can look like but I also want to respect the privacy of my grandchildren. So I created a video of the scrapbook my wife created for the company she worked at as her final project before retiring – Christian Educators.

After she manually assembled the scrapbook, I copied each page with a digital camera attached to a copy stand with color-balanced LED lights and then added motion graphics and a music track to create the video. Watch it below.

Are you into scrapbooking? Have you ever lost a scrapbook to a man-made or natural disaster? Have you considered making and/or sharing your scrapbook in video format? Share your experiences, questions or comments here.

The post Video Scrapbooking – A Great Way to Save and Show-Off a Hard Cover Scrapbook appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

For years I've been bored with photographing fireworks. Fighting the crowds to get a good spot, dealing with hot and humid July weather, bugs, crying children… the list goes on. I'd rather stay home and chill-out with the Mrs. – UNTIL NOW!

A few years ago, I read an article by a photographer who captured some amazing fireworks photos. He gave the technical settings that he used for beautiful shots over a scenic lake. He inspired me to see if I could create images unlike any I've made before.

So I set out for the annual fireworks display in my town – North Ridgeville, Ohio. The weather was cool and comfortable for a July evening. I was able to stake out a spot by the lake where the fireworks would be launched. The bugs weren't annoying either (I think they preferred the taste of those around me.) And the crying children? It's amazing what ear plugs can mask out!

For 20+ minutes I shot photos with my Nikon camera mounted on a tripod with exposures ranging from one to four seconds at f/11 at ISO 100. If you don't have a clue about those settings – have no fear! It seems that anyone can get decent photos with just about any camera – even with smart phones. Even if you have firework photos from previous years that you wish to add some excitement to – read on!

Upon returning home, I loaded the photos onto my computer. Sadly, I was UNDERwhelmed by what I had captured. They looked similar to the old, boring fireworks photos I'd taken in the past.

Instead of using an expensive software program called Adobe Photoshop; I opened the photo, above, in an affordable program called “Studio“ by Topaz Labs. I've used this software to spice up photos from my previous travels with amazing results. The three variations of the original photo in this article were created with just a couple mouse clicks using Studio!

Pro tip: To achieve similar results in Topaz Studio, choose “Add Filter” > click the “STYLISTIC” tab > choose “Flare”. Then you can experiment with the various adjustments to make each star unique.

Topaz Labs is a company that has created several easy-to-use photo enhancement programs that can be used without even reading the instructions. It has a simple user interface that will have you creating photo masterpieces in minutes.

I found myself immersed in the software for hours as I created countless variations of each image.

See the rest of Topaz Labs photo enhancing software here: www.SpectraLight.com/TopazSoftware (NOTE: You won't see Topaz Studio on this page.)

Have fun!

NOTE: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, you'll help support this blog at no cost to you – allowing us to continue sharing information like this for your education and enjoyment. Win/Win! Thanks!

The post Fireworks photos with a unique twist… these aren’t your mamma’s snapshots! appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

On December 7, 2019, North Olmsted Evangelical Friends Church (NOEFC) members did and outdoor presentation – “A Night in Bethlehem” – recreating a market place setting in Bethlehem with live animals. The highlight of the evening was a dramatization of the birth of Jesus.

It is one of the best Christmas presentations I've ever seen that was not performed by professional actors. Here's a video I created of the evening's events…

I hope you enjoy it and have a better understanding of the “Reason for the Season.”

Merry Christmas!

Mark Madere

The post Story of Jesus Birth – A Night in Bethlehem | North Olmsted Evangelical Friends Church (NOEFC) appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

I created the video, below, in 2020 during the COVID pandemic to show how EASY and FUN it is to track Santa Claus delivering gifts around the world with the NORAD Santa Tracker app. FIRST, watch the video for tips to get more out of the tracker app. The NORAD Santa Tracking Center is fully operational beginning at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 24th.

FROM NORAD’S WEBSITE:
It all starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system has 47 installations strung across Canada's North and Alaska. Each year on December 24th, Santa and his reindeer launch from the North Pole very early in the morning for their famous trip around the world. The minute they launch, NORAD starts to track him! Come back to our website on December 24th and you can track Santa along with NORAD!

Have you ever tracked Santa with your children or grandchildren with the NORAD Santa Tracker app? What was their reaction? Please share your favorite Christmas memories with a comment here: Comments

#SantaTracker #Santa #SantaClaus #NorthPole #Christmas #ChristmasMemories #NORAD #SpectraLightPhoto

The post How to use the NORAD Santa Tracker | Track Santa Claus Around the World on Christmas Eve! appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

April 1st marks the 44th anniversary of the day I captured a “flying cup-and-saucer” hovering over a local fast-food restaurant in the sleepy town of Du Bois, PA.

Although I've lived in Cleveland since 1980, I was born and raised in Du Bois. During my senior year in high school, there were several reported UFO sightings in the area. On the evening of April 1st, 1977 – I was cruising down “The Boulevard” when the flying cup-and-saucer caught my eye as it swooped in from the east. I and the four teenagers in this photo were the only eye-witnesses of this amazing event. Fortunately I had my camera loaded with high speed film – ready to document this once-in-a-lifetime moment

Later that night, I captured a photo of four “Martians” checking out some electronic gadgets at a local RadioShack. They appeared to take on the bodies of the four teenagers who witnessed the flying cup-and-saucer earlier that evening! Check out that photo and the article that appeared in the Du Bois Courier Express on April 1, 1977.

The next day, I sent the newspaper article to Corning – the company that makes dishes that look eerily similar to the flying cup-and-saucer. Check out the reply I received from the president of Corning Incorporated.

Happy April Fools Day!

Have you ever seen a UFO or other unexplained event? Please leave a comment on this post.

The post 👽 44th anniversary of incredible flying saucer sighting appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is helping small businesses that are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic with an opportunity to be featured on their show! They are calling this initiative “Colbert's Small Biz Bump.

Our photography studio would greatly benefit from the national exposure as we in-turn are helping small businesses get more exposure with 360° virtual tours of their facilities. That allows their potential customers to get a better sense of what their business is like before visiting in-person.

To be considered for the “bump,” I had to post a video (above) on social media describing the services I offer and my location with the hashtag #ColbertSmallBizBump. To increase my odds of being chosen, would you please watch my video directly on YouTube through this link where you can click the thumbs-up icon and also comment below the video?

The Late Show began their initiative with Foggy Pine Books in Boone, North Carolina, which enjoyed a huge surge in sales after being featured on their Super Bowl special!! Click here to see that video.

Some of the businesses that I'm helping with 360° virtual tours of their facilities are:

• Eldercare Facilities
• Pregnancy and Rape Crisis Centers
• Hotels – Motels – Bed-and-Breakfasts
• Tourist Attractions
• Fire Stations – Police Stations – Government Buildings
• Colleges and Universities
• Restaurants, Banquet Halls, Coffee Shops, Retail Stores, Grocery Stores
• Places of Worship, Museums, Gyms
• Hospitals, Urgent Care Clinics, Doctor and Dentist Offices
• Any business that wants to show the look of their facilities to their prospects

Contact us TODAY with your questions or to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation to discuss your virtual tour needs through this link or call 440.748.6300 (NOTE: This is a landline so text messages won't come through.)

The post The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the #ColbertSmallBizBump appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

Every now-and-then, a rare opportunity comes along that you just gotta grab. For me, it was a flight on an “experimental” airplane that my neighbor, Bob Kelly, built in his garage a couple years ago.

Amateur-built aircraft are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as “Experimental.” Per FAA regulations, if an individual builds at least 51 percent of an aircraft, it is eligible to be registered in the amateur-built category.Bob's plane was a kit that he purchased with all the parts already fabricated. He replaced some parts with others that he felt were more superior to make his plane safer.

Recently Bob offered to take me on a flight on his plane. The adventurer in me said, “Hell, yeah!” while the saner side said, “Are you nuts?” The adventurer won out and the next day we were airborne.

Of course, I had to take some photos and video of this exciting adventure. I figured if we crashed, the digital files on my camera would probably survive – offering a glimpse of my last moments on earth before meeting my Maker.

The camera I chose was a 360° panoramic camera to capture a complete wrap-around view from inside the cockpit AND outside the plane. Click the photo, above, (or tap it if you're on a mobile device) and slide all around it to see the crazy views that a 360° panoramic camera offers.

Above is a 360-degree AERIAL VIDEO I also created during the flight. You can actually look all-around while the video plays by clicking or tapping it (on a mobile device) and moving your mouse or finger in any direction!

See the gear and software we use to create our 360° panoramic videos and photos here.

I've been using this camera for the past year-and-a-half to create 360° virtual tours for nursing homes, the Cleveland Pregnancy Center, Case Western Reserve University, hotels, commercial construction companies, government agencies and more. You can see some of those tours here. (A new browser window will open.)

Have you ever flown on an “experimental” airplane or tried skydiving? How was your experience? Click here to share your comments.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and then click the bell icon to get instant notifications when we upload a new video: https://spectralight.com/YouTubeSubscribe

See more photos and videos highlighting what is great about CLEveland on our HOTonCLE website: http://HOTonCLE.com

Please subscribe to our HOTonCLE YouTube channel and then click the bell icon to get instant notifications when we upload a new video: http://HOTonCLE.com/YouTubeSubscribe

See the gear and software we use to create our videos and photos: https://spectralight.com/Gear

The post Unique 360° Aerial View of Cedar Point Amusement Park From Experimental Plane appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

Since the 2020 Duck Tape Festival was cancelled because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic; I went through my old archives and created this video to celebrate the 2014 festival. That's when a Guinness World Record was set for the most people modeling in a duct tape fashion show. It took place in Avon, Ohio on June 14, 2014.Participants wore outfits they made of duct tape, or created duct tape fashion accessories worn with their regular clothes.

Michael Empric, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, was on hand to make the record official. He made a mistake at 8:35 in the video when called Avon, Ohio – Aurora, Ohio! Even the certificate had the wrong city name!

The festival was sponsored by Duck Brand of ShurTech.

Were you at the 2014 Duck Tape Festival? Did you participate in the Guinness record setting fashion show? Click here to share your experience.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and then click the bell icon to get instant notifications when we upload a new video: https://spectralight.com/YouTubeSubscribe

See more photos and videos highlighting what is great about CLEveland on our HOTonCLE website: http://HOTonCLE.com

Please subscribe to our HOTonCLE YouTube channel and then click the bell icon to get instant notifications when we upload a new video: http://HOTonCLE.com/YouTubeSubscribe

See the gear and software we use to create our videos and photos: https://spectralight.com/Gear

The post Duck Tape Festival – VIDEO: Duct Tape Fashion Show Sets Guinness World Record appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.

This video highlights photos taken at Schoepfle Gardens – a park in Birmingham, Ohio in the Lorain County Metro Parks system.

Schoepfle Gardens is truly beautiful – 70 acres of botanical gardens and natural woodland bordered on one side by the Vermilion River. The gardens feature collections of rhododendrons, roses, cannas, hosta, shade plants, and a variety of shrubs, topiaries and trees.

My wife and I and a couple of friends enjoyed the natural beauty of the garden as we walked along the well-maintained walkways on a sunny spring morning in May. We're visiting different Lorain County Metro Parks as part of their “Hiking Stick” program.

You can earn a stick and a pin after completing 10 hikes at 6 different Lorain County Metro Parks locations by June 30th.

Have you visited Schoepfle Gardens or any other park in the Lorain County Metro Parks system? Which one did you like best and why? Please click here to share your thoughts.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and then click the bell icon to get instant notifications when we upload a new video: www.SpectraLight.com/YouTubeSubscribe

See more photos and videos highlighting what is great about CLEveland and Northeast Ohio on our HOTonCLE website: www.HOTonCLE.com

Please subscribe to our HOTonCLE YouTube channel and then click the bell icon to get instant notifications when we upload a new video: www.HOTonCLE.com/YouTubeSubscribe

See the gear and software we use to create our videos and photos: www.SpectraLight.com/Gear

The post Schoepfle Gardens – Lorain County Metro Parks appeared first on SpectraLight Photography and Design.