Small Towns in New York's Hudson Valley: Valatie (Cycle 01)

My good friend and former coworker lives in Valtie, New York. He suggested we participate on the Cycle the Hudson Valley 5-day bike tour along the Empire State Trail from Troy to New York City. That sounded fantastic! After some training, I shipped one of my bicycles to Valatie, booked a flight to Albany, and joined him in mid-August (2025). 

Valatie is a village a short distance southeast of Albany in Columbia County. This is classic rural upstate New York, near the home of President Martin Van Buren and near the setting of Washington Irving's popular short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This is beautiful country, with rolling hills, hollows, winding roads, farms, traditional barns, and forest. 

Here are some scenes in and near Valatie (no bicycling yet)

Shop local, drink coffee local

Fred and Peter patiently waiting for me to take some pictures

Beaver Mill Falls, Kinderhook River

Harry Houdini filmed scenes from Haldane of the Secret Service on the waterfall. 

Barn (or house?), 2098 River Road (Hwy. 9J), Schodack Landing

Old house with partial asphalt shingles, 601 River Road (Hwy 9J), Schodack

Note how the original (or at least old) wood clapboards are now exposed on the front. But at some stage in its history, this house was clad with asphalt shingles. We think of them as a cover for low-grade housing, but in reality, they are durable, colorfast, moisture-proof, and resist bugs.

Barn on County Rte 2, Schodack, NY

Stuyvesant Landing Depot, Stuyvesant, built in 1880

Former State Farm for Women Prisoners

We drove on State Farm Road and came across several derelect multi-floor buildings. My friend said the county had used it for office space, but he did know its original use. To me, they had the appearance of early-20th century hospitals or asylums. With some searching, I found a reference that these buildings were intended to be the State Farm for Women Misdemeanants. More detail is in the appendix below.

I took these photographs on Kodak Portra 160 film with a Canonet GIII QL17 camera. It has a superb 40mm ƒ/1.7 fully coated lens. Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine, processed the film, and I scanned it with a Nikon Coolscan 5000ED film scanner.

Appendix: History of the State Farm

 

From the New York History of Medicine and Public Health:

By 1908, the Women’s Prison Association had successfully lobbied for 315 public acres for such a place, the State Farm for Women Misdemeanants, in Valatie, New York.8 The site was planned in accordance with the early 20th-century trend of cottage-designed prisons, which placed inmates in small cottages scattered across a rural setting. The cottages were set up like small homes, with a dining room, kitchen, and sitting room. Household tasks were divided among the women. The idea was to engender self-esteem in the inmates, who then might be better positioned to take on these roles once released.9

“Cottage on State Farm for Women.” In “The Modern Way,” 1913, page 14.

Bordered by the foothills of the Adirondacks, the Berkshires, the Matteawan Mountains, and the Catskills and Helderbergs, State Farm in Valatie offered tillable land, ample space, and a healthy environment. At completion, the farm was projected to have 27 buildings on the cottage plan, and would stress rehabilitation and careful supervision by an all-female staff (except for typically male roles, i.e. leadership roles like warden). Prisoners over 30 who had been convicted five times in two years qualified for accommodation.10

“Inmates’ Room, State Farm for Women.” In “The Modern Way,” 1913, page 17.

When “The Modern Way” went to print, two cottages were ready for occupancy. Fifteen hundred New York women were eligible. According to the pamphlet’s writers, every farm implement had been purchased, and the grounds were populated with horses, cattle, and poultry.11 And yet, the pamphlet’s frustrated authors argued, the land remained vacant. Appeals to two different governors and the Senate Finance Committee to fund the opening of the cottages all stalled.12 At the close of “The Modern Way” we are left wondering what happened to State Farm. Was it ever operational?

“Cattle on State Farm for Women.” In “The Modern Way,” 1913, page 20.

The answer was yes. State Farm at Valatie was completed in 1914. But in total, the Columbia County facility accommodated only 146 inmates. These were mostly white women between the ages of 30 and 60, accused of public drunkenness. Funding was always scarce. By 1918, all the inmates had been paroled, and the grounds were turned over to a treatment center for women suffering from venereal disease.13 The efforts of the Women’s Prisoners’ Association to install State Farm as a viable alternative to the Workhouse model appears to have been only successful in the short term. Nevertheless, “The Modern Way” captures an important moment in the history of the Women’s Prison Association of New York, an organization still very active in lobbying for the rights of women prisoners today.

Traditional Neighborhood: Central Avenue, Albany, New York (Tri-X film)

Albany, New York, is the capital of New York State. The city has a rich 300-year history of government, arts, and commerce. The Central Avenue neighborhood is an area of traditional early-20th century town homes, shops, and small apartments. According to the Central Avenue web page, 

"This isn’t your typical main street and that’s exactly the point. Central Avenue is where authenticity thrives and Albany’s creative pulse beats strongest. It’s home to rising artists, bold thinkers, small business pioneers, and innovators shaping what’s next."

This was all new to me because I had only once before been to Albany (after I completed the Erie Canal bike tour). 

My bicycling friend and I had just completed the Cycle the Hudson Valley ride. We joined family member for lunch at a restaurant on Central Avenue. While they lingered after lunch, I wandered around and took photos of the houses and stores. 

Central Avenue

198 Central Avenue

Fresh Bites Deli, 199 Central Avenue

Bob's Appliances, 224 Central Avenue

Robin Street and Sherman Streets

 

Standing alone, 217 Sherman Street

200 block of Sherman Street

201 Sherman Street

Note the asphalt shingles on the side of the house on the left. Decades ago, many of these buildings may have been re-shingled this way.

Robin Street

Memorial, Robin Street

Apartment, 351 Elk Stree

Houses, 421 Sheridan Avenue

201 Sherman Street

Lark Street

Row townhouses, 105 Lark Street

Townhouses, Lark Street

These handsome townhouses date from the 1880s and 1890s and form part of Albany's historic core. The area has been revitalized and gentrified over the last 20+ years. Lark Street has evolved into a prominent center for Albany's LGBTQ+ community.

This ends our short walk around historic Central Avenue. I took these photos in August 2025 on Kodak Tri-X film using my Canon Canonet GIII QL17 camera with its 40mm ƒ/1.4 lens. The negatives were very contrasty, and I had to reduce the contrast with the curve tool using Photoshop CS6. For some frames, I corrected converging vertical lines with Photoshop. This would be the place to use a shift lens on an interchangeable lens camera. Unfortunately, I did not have any yellow or orange filters with me to add some tone to the featureless sky.

Seattle with my $13.50 Canonet (Sea 06)

Reflx Lab light meter

Some appointments took me to Seattle in early April. My intent was to take the Amtrak to King Street Station and then use one of the Lime rental bicycles. But rain was predicted, so I left my helmet at home. Well, as per typical Puget Sound weather, rain was falling in Olympia, but Seattle was sunny. 

OK, time to walk and try one of the Seattle Stairway Walks, the one from City Hall to Pike Place. Plus, it was another opportunity to test my $13.50 Canonet GIII QL17 camera. It is equipped with a 40mm ƒ/1.7 lens, a remarkably capable 6-element double-Gauss design, single coated. 

Because the camera's built-in light meter no longer works, I used a small meter that fits into the flash shoe. Mine is a model from Reflx Lab. At least ten electronics companies in China make compact light meters to attach to vintage cameras. They appear to be very accurate when used the right way (i.e., point them at the appropriate subject). This Reflx model has one of the larger fonts in its display, perfect for my vision.

King Street Station Area

Amtrak at the King Street Station

The Amtrak is only $14.50 from Olympia to Seattle (as of spring 2025). It saves you from the constant Interstate 5 traffic congestion at Joint Base Lewis–McChord. But the train is often delayed, so accommodate your schedule.

South Jackson Street at 4th Avenue

Parking garage, 400 4th Avenue

Business District

Seattle City Hall steps

Seattle's "green" City Hall is located between 4th and 5th Avenues. These impressive steps are part of the Stairway Walk. A stream gurgles down the left side of the steps. An employee inside told me that the fountain had just been restarted the day before. 

The 1914 Arctic Club Building with terra cotta walrus sculptures 

3rd Avenue view south (with a grumpy bus)

Federal Building steps leading to 1st Avenue

1224 1st Avenue

Pike Place

Public Market entrance from Pike Place

Vendor, main floor, Pike Place Market

Mmmm, nothing better than good ice cream

Lunch means Cioppino (Samsung digital file)

Maybe a hearty Cioppino in the market is better than ice cream. Maybe? 

Belltown

Waiting for riders on Pine Street

4th Avenue view south

By about 1 pm, the rain really started coming down. I took the trolley to Lake Union, completed my appointment, and returned to King Street station for the ride home. 

I took these pictures on April 7, 2025, using Kodak Portra 160 film, exposed at EI=100. I scanned the negatives with a Nikon Coolscan 5000 film scanner run by NikonScan software on a Windows 7 computer. 

Update:  Zacks Camera Repair in Providence, RI, overhauled and cleaned the Canonet. He repaired the light meter, and I used the Canonet on the Cycle the Hudson Valley bike tour in August of 2025.

Inexpensive Gem: My $13.50 Canonet GIII QL17 Camera (Oly 18)

Long-term readers know that I periodically suffer from uncontrollable episodes of GAS. That is Gear Acquisition Syndrome, an ailment that most photographers suffer. 

Well-used Canonet G-III QL17 camera

Background

I have been bicycling more, and with the approach of dry spring weather, a compact bicycle camera might be handy. A logical choice is one of the compact rangefinder cameras from the 1970s and 1980s. But which model? The Japanese companies made millions of these cameras. But many have succumbed to age, fungus, moisture, corroded batteries, or gummed up lubricants. They were designed as mid-range consumer products, and it is amazing that so many are still functional 50 years later. 

The best summary of compact rangefinder cameras is on Steve Gandy's Cameraquest site. PetaPixel presented a summary of the Canonet models. 

I have limited experience with compact cameras:

• Some four decades ago, I used a Rollei 35S with an excellent 40mm ƒ/2.8 Sonnar lens. Why did I sell it? 
• About 20 years ago, I had a Canon Canonet QL19 camera, which took superb Kodachrome slides. But I sold it in the foolish days when I thought I would switch to digital. 
• For a few years, I used a Yashica Electro 35CC, but it failed via the infamous "pad of death." 
• My Olympus Trip 35 developed a lens alignment issue, so off it went. 
• My Voigtländer Vito BL is compact but has small fonts on the controls and a squinty viewfinder. Optically, its lens was superb, but a bit too fiddly.
• The Kodak Retina IIa was also excellent optically, but I had trouble framing via the squinty viewfinder.
• Last but not least, my 1949 Leica IIIC is a compact jewel, but is also fiddly in the field. It is a deliberate tool, so maybe not quite right for a bicycle grab-and-take camera.

Being familiar with my Canonet of 20 years ago, I decided to try one again. Some of the later models cost serious $$$ from KEH and other vendors. The days of finding such a camera at a garage sale for $5 are long gone! On a whim, I bought a GIII QL17 for $13.50 plus minor shipping from the big auction site. $13.50?

Canon made a series of these fixed lens rangefinder Canonet cameras starting in 1961. They were  outstanding commercial successes. The earlier Canonets were big and heavy cameras. In 1969, the company redesigned the line to be smaller and lighter. Canon sold 1.2 million of the last version, the GIII QL17. QL meant Quick Load, a clever mechanism to make loading the film easier. And 17 represented the maximum aperture of ƒ/1.7. Canon also sold lower price 19 and 28 models. All had excellent coated lenses. The lens on the ƒ/1.7 model is a 6-element double-Gauss design, single coated.

A problem with all of these 1960s and 1970s cameras is they depended on 1.35 volt mercury batteries to power the light meters. The mercury battery had a steady voltage output until the cell was close to exhaustion. As a replacement, many people now use a Wein Cell, which is 1.4 volts. Hearing aide batteries, which are inexpensive, also work. 

Clean design with settings visible from above. The A is for auto exposure.

Film path with Quick Load panel on the right. I replaced the old foam light seals.

My camera was dirty, but some alcohol wipes cleaned it. The foam light seal strips had deteriorated into a sticky tar. Alcohol on Q-Tips and some toothpicks cleaned most of the glop. Although the viewfinder was a bit hazy, the rangefinder was accurate horizontally and aligned vertically. Best of all, this body did not suffer from the common sticky Canon shutter blade syndrome. The shutter speeds from 1/4 to 1/500 sounded reasonable, especially after some exercise. Even the self-timer was reliable.

Trouble: the light meter was comatose. I cleaned the contacts in the battery compartment, but there was no electrical activity of any kind. Instead, I can temporarily use my Reflx Lab light meter, a compact unit that slides into the flash shoe. At least ten Chinese companies have recently introduced small shoe-mount light meters with various types of displays and button configurations. I assume many of these meters share a sensing unit and integrated electronic package. 

Olympia

One early morning in March (2025), after breakfast at Bread Peddler and while waiting for a car repair, I walked around 4th Avenue and Capital Way. The light was soft. I loaded a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 in the Canonet. (Click any picture to expand it to 2400 pixels wide)

The parking lot located off Capitol Way at the alley that runs between State and 4th Avenues is usually filthy and trashed. But the graffiti is colorful. 

116 State Avenue

Capital Way view south

Capital Way power box

Conclusions

The 40mm ƒ/1.7 lens on this little Canonet is terrific! It is high resolution and shows little or no distortion. No complaints here. However, Canon used a filter mount of 48mm, which was semi-unique to Canon products. I ordered a 48mm vented hood from one of the Chinese vendors.

The Ektar 100 film was a pleasant surprise. In the past, I had trouble with the Ektar colors in bright sunny conditions. But in overcast, the contrast and bright colors are just right. I scanned these negatives on my Nikon Coolscan 5000 film scanner, while with previous rolls, I used a Plustek 7600. Possibly, the Nikon does some internal data processing in a different way, more suited to the Ektar color palette. Regardless, I'm pleased and will use Ektar 100 again.  

Size Comparisons

Size comparison between the GIII QL17 and a Pentax MG with 50mm ƒ/2 Pentax-A lens.
The Pentax is a remarkably compact single-lens reflex camera.

GIII QL17 next to my Leica IIIC and 5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens.

The Leica IIIC is not as tall as the Canonet

The Leica thread-mount cameras are, for many people, the ultimate compact system camera (meaning, you can change lenses). But, you need an external light meter, and for lenses other than 50mm, auxiliary viewfinders.