Lookng Back

I retired 9 years ago

I've been going back through old photos, here's a "baker's dozen" of my favorites from that first year.



Heron, Laurel MD

When They Were Little And Full of Wonder

Azaleas, National Arboretum

Omaha, Nebraska

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Omaha

Rock House, Hocking Hills State Park, OH

Waterfall, Hocking Hills State Park, OH

Zebra Swallowtail Butteryfly

The Inaugural "Blink" Cincinnati

Old Milford Novitiate (Jesuit Cemetery), Milford, OH

Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC

Clifty Falls State Park, Madison, IN

Tulip Poplar Leaf in Fall

The "Revisit"

There are two types of "revisiting" that I've been known to do. The first type is when I wander back through my catalog of old photos and "revisit" them in terms of editing and processing. I've had a very long blog post in draft for a bit on that topic. It's so long that I'm considering moving to Substack for it and other essay style pieces I like to write...but

The second type of "revisiting" is what I'm here to talk about. Revisiting a place or setting. i.e. going to the same place on vacation every year and taking a similar photo each time. Or maybe recreating a specific pose or family portrait every year at Christmas or some other annual event. These photos show changes over the years from "hey that big tree is gone" to "that's the year Aunt Edna was sick and didn't come." It can be nice to see the changes over the years, yet get a sense of stability from the things that stay the same, visit after visit.

We make time for a getaway fairly regularly to Hocking Hills area of Ohio. The drive isn't too bad, just a couple hours or so. And the scenery, hiking, and quiet are all much appreciated. A great place to spend a few quiet days by ourselves or maybe another couple. So over the years there are a few things I've taken very similar photos of almost every trip.
Cedar Falls is the place I'll feature today.

Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills Ohio June 2017

Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills Ohio January 2021

Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills Ohio A Day Later - January 2021

Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills Ohio April 2022

Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills Ohio May 2025

Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills Ohio December 2025

I like Waterfalls

Some waterfall photos from over the years, to as recently as this past week.


Yellow Springs, OH - 2012

Ricketts Glen, PA - 2024

Plitvice, Croatia - 2012

Fallsville Preserve, OH - 2022

Taughannock Falls, NY - 2022

Letchworth State Park, NY - 2022

Charleston Fall Preserve, OH - 2024

Great Smoky Mountains and the Tremont Institute

The Tremont Institute offers a variety of programs right in the Great Smoly Mountain National Park. Their "mission is to deliver experiential learning for youth, educators, and adults through programs that promote self-discovery, critical thinking, and effective teaching and leadership."

I've been there now three times for the photography workshops. They offer a "Springtime in the Smokies" workshop (generally a weekend around mid-April) and an "Autumn Brilliance" workshop near the end of October - beginning of November. Next year's dates are already set, April 11, 2025 - April 14, 2025 and October 31, 2025 - November 3, 2025, respectively. The workshops are a great chance to get away from it all, learn something about photography and have a good time with other like minded photographers.

This past year they added a Writers Conference which sounds really interesting. A 2025 conference has its dates set too. Check out their page to see if any of their programs are of interest to you.

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite photos I took during this November's "Autumn Brilliance" workshop.


Spruce Flats Waterfall

Rushing Water and Rock

The Swirl

Ruins

Brilliance in the Fog

Rickett's Glen

Back in September I spent a couple days meeting up with an old friend and hiking around Rickett's Glen State Park in Pennsylvania. One of the hikes we did was a 7+ mile hike taking us past 21 waterfalls. Even though I didn't take as many photos as I would have had it been a photography trip, I still have a lot to go through. It's an amazing and somewhat challenging hike if you ever get a chance.

A Waterfall

A Waterfall

Another Waterfall

And Yet Another Waterfall

Looking Forward to the Colors of Fall

Some of the trees in the neighborhood are getting "toasted" on top. Leaves are falling. Going to head out on a couple hikes in the coming week and I'm hoping to see some nice colors. Here's a couple shots, the first from last year and the second from 15 years ago (time flies).


Middle Falls, Letchworth State Park, NY

Lake Bled, Slovenia

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

More Photography

More organization, more purpose, more focus.

My new goal is to get out and about a bit more locally. Take most of a day, go see and photograph new things. While at the same time continuing to expand some old ideas. So a little over a week ago, my first day trip was a drive out to Fallsville Wildlife Area to photograph the falls. I decided to take US50 east and photograph some of the old cemeteries along the way (old ideas). I also planned on driving back via SR28 west and photographing those old cemeteries. That last part along SR28, ended up being too ambitious. Although I did drive back on SR28, I didn't stop to photograph any of the old cemeteries along the way. (by then the light was pretty harsh anyway) I did get some nice photos of the cemeteries along US50 and for all but the first 5 minutes, I was the only one at the falls, so with no one to shoot around or rush me, I got a few good ones there too.

Fallsville Falls

Stonelick Cemetery, Owensville OH

Hocking Hills

Last week I went up to Hocking Hills for a couple day photography workshop. There was a bit of rain before the workshop, which was nice for waterfalls. Anyway, the idea was to get me a bit out of my comfort zone and rut of sorts. I think it did that, not that it changed me a ton, but I did see things and try some things in a new way. Here are some of the photos that came of the trip.

Ash Cave - Hocking Hills, Ohio Experimenting with the adjustment brush tool in Lightroom

Ash Cave - Hocking Hills, Ohio One of many shots I used a tripod to get, I've missed things like this in the past

Ash Cave - Hocking Hills, Ohio I even pulled out the Lensbaby

Ash Cave - Hocking Hills, Ohio Another tripod shot, even so, not as sharp as it should be

Fungi - Hocking Hills, Ohio Using the narrow focal plane to slice

Fern Through Window - Hocking Hills, Ohio Using the window to mimic a cardboard slide mount

The Milky Way - Hocking Hills, Ohio At ISO 25600