Ending the Year in a Fog

After being below 0 F and now about 60 F, it makes for some fog in the river valley. Add in a little bit of mist, and I decided to go for it...until the rain poured down upon me :(



Camp Dennison, Ohio

Camp Dennison, Ohio

Camp Dennison, Ohio

Camp Dennison, Ohio

Stucture in Black and White

And more and more as I revisit older photos, I find myself wandering back to black and white.



Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Omaha NE

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Omaha NE

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Omaha NE

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Omaha NE

Fog in Black and White

I've been thinking of photographs in groups lately; paths, photos out plane windows, etc. Being able to go back and find photos I know I've taken over the past 15+ yrs is making me realize how important it is to consistently keyword everything. I'm wishing I did it better in the past, but it's a note I'll make for myself and add to my photography New Year resolutions.



The Golden Gate

Foothills Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Riverside Park, Milford Ohio

Out the Window

This post is a reaction to something I read/hear a lot. (actually a reply to my reply on a tweet set me off)

I'm always surprised, that people are surprised, when I book a window seat, and...
...
wait for it...
...
Keep the window open...
Why?
Because I want to look out the window!


I'm tired of seeing articles, social media posts, etc that go on and on about how you're supposed to close your window when you're on a plane. Why would you get a WINDOW seat if you don't have a window? I've been told that there's nothing to see from 30,000 ft (or whatever altitude). Well, I've seen all kinds of things when there is "nothing to see" - cool clouds, neat geographical features, aurora borealis, sunrises, sunsets and on and on. To top it all off, on the long international flights, my body has some clue as to what time it is, so I don't suffer jet lag. I've been told by more than one person after flying 1/2 way round the world, that I am a freak of nature...No, I keep the F%$#(ing window open so I know what "time" it is.



Mt. Hood

Ice

Snow

The Big City

Mountains

Different Paths

A couple days ago I started thinking about different paths. Both as a metphor and literally



The Path?

The Path?

The Path?

The Path?

Thinking About Some Photography New Year Resolutions

This past week a couple short-sighted "outings" are causing me to consider some early resolutions for the New Year.
1. When at all practical, bring a tripod
2. When I think I might like to have it with me, bring my "real" camera.

The first photo could have been heaps better, if I just brought my tripod. Ironically the tripod was sitting less than 100 ft away, just inside my back door. I could have gotten optimal focus/depth of field and no camera shake, but no...lazy took hold. The other photos I took that morning weren't even in the least presentable.

The second photo is a case of:
"I know I'm going to be walking around, I ought to bring my camera...no, I won't see anything anyway and it's heavy and it's cold outside."
So now I'm stuck with what I can capture with an iPhone 11.



Texture of a Fence Post

Golden Path, Burnett Woods

Way Back - 16 Years Back...

Looking back at some of my very first digital photos. From a trip to Egypt over Christmas and New Year 2016/2017


Morning From Mt Sinai

On the Path, Down From Mt Sinai

Three Scenes From a Graveyard

Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven Connecticut

Famous

Old

Sad

Red

Red

Without my glasses or contacts, this is similar to how things look to me - just different colors depending on what I'm "looking" at.

Red World

Winter Begins

Whether you consider Winter to begin December 1st (meteorological) or after the solstice on December 21st this year (astronomical), a snowfall here in southern Ohio is a good enough mark of its beginning. We had an accumulation of about 1" of snow yesterday. In a week, low temperatures are predicted to be in the mid-teens Fahrenheit. Winter appears to be here, if a bit early. Mr. Pumpkin is not happy (and a squirrel has been doing some dental work).

Angry Pumpkin

The Sun Sets

Each sunset is unique. Tonight's sunset also seems a little bit symbolic. Rain is supposed to start tonight, and by the time it finishes in a couple days, rain may be snow. The past few weeks of fall with a hint of spring and summer are coming to an end. The high temperatures in the mid -70s and the night time lows in the 50's are looking to be next week's low 40's/low 20's respectively.

Sky on Fire

Sky on Fire II

Natural Windows

Rock House in Hocking Hills has a number of interesting openings and "windows". I was lucky enough to be there last weekend and not another soul was in the cave, a miracle for such a beautiful Sunday in the fall.

Through the Keyhole

View Out a Window

The Other Keyhole

What is "Peak Color"?

with regards to the leaves changing color in the fall?

Different types of trees, different elevations etc etc all contribute to the "color".

By almost any measure, we were a couple weeks or so past "peak" this weekend when we were visiting the Hocking Hills area of Ohio. Almost all the deciduous trees were bare. Leaves clung to paw-paw here or there in a valley, or maybe an oak sheltered in some way from the wind and weather, but otherwise...

The exception were the beech! Along the hikes, I'd come across groves of beech trees and it was like entering a golden universe.

Rock Bridge was one vivid example.

Beech Trees, Rock Bridge Nature Preserve

Beech Trees, Rock Bridge Nature Preserve

Second Summer?

After a few weeks of warm weather, a number of plants and flowers in the garden seem to think it's late spring and summer is around the corner. Others are still giving up, convinced that winter is on the way


Someone Thinks It's Summer

The Burning Bush is Convinced Winter is Coming

It's Fall Around Here

As dry as the last couple months have been, there is still some color to be found.

A Splatter of Red

Dew Drop On Sycamore

The Little Red Tree

The Golden Tree

Letchworth State Park #2

A couple of paths I crossed in the park. The stone work is really nice.

Steps, Letchworth State Park, NY

Wall, Letchworth State Park, NY

Taughannock Falls State Park

Taughannock Falls State Park was next door (almost literally) to our 2nd stop, a visit with friends in Trumansburg, NY. The falls overlook is a 25 ft walk across the parking log and even the gorge trail is an easy stroll. Going in the fall, in the middle of the week at that, meant there were very few people besides myself.

Taughannock Falls

Near the Beginning of the Gorge Path

Taughannock Falls Water hitting so hard at the bottom of the falls that it "Falls" up

Letchworth State Park

This was our last stop, with quite a few stops inbetween which I hope to get to later. I got tired of trying to figure out an exposure that I could work with to get details in the waterfalls and see into the shadows of the cliffs, so I resorted to bracketing, figuring I'd work it out later. Later has arrived and I'm starting to take a look. Here is a quick HDR merge via Adobe Lightroom on one such set of photos

Upper Falls, Letchworth State Park, NY