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The Parks of Orchard Park

May 05, 2025  •  Leave a Comment

Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8, 35mm Film CameraNikon FE, 24mm f/2.835mm Film Camera I'm inviting you on another photo expedition through Orchard Park, this time its outdoors side. First a quick hop to the beautiful Chestnut Ridge County Park to say goodbye to winter and then to circle the Green Lake in Orchard Park. The camera of choice? My good old buddy Nikon FE with a wide angle 24mm lens, my comfort zone that allows me to look for compositions without much struggle.

On the other hand, I have not used Rollei Retro 80s too much, possibly only couple rolls before. Also, after about a 6-month detour using the Rollei Supergrain developer I decided a Rollei film would be the point at which I'd switch back to my favorite D-23 developer. I saved 25% of my old batch ("old brown"), mixed a 75% volume of a new batch, combined, and was ready to go.

The longer lower Newton Road loop has been my favorite for several years but for this walk we're going around the upper main loop in the park starting at the signature hilltop casino building. This time, the windows called for my attention.

Casino Windows, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Casino Windows, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Casino Windows, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

Further up and a little back from the road this tall stump caught my eye as it took its last stand in the clearing. Winter and the last bits of snow were also on their way out.

Last Stand, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Last Stand, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Last Stand, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

You have definitely seen the subject of the next photo here before. The Cottage in the Woods caught my eye in a winter storm several years back and I have been returning since; in different seasons, in different weather, yet always looking between the trees whether I can find a new angle.

Cottage in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Cottage in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Cottage in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

I have been eyeing the old curvy tree for a while but have not taken a keeper photo yet until this time. I hope you like what you see below but I am a bit obsessed and can't wait to make a darkroom print and a cyanotype print. For now, I have this digital version to keep motivating me to mix some chemicals, fill the trays, and load the strip of film into the enlarger for some old-fashioned fun.

Branches, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Branches, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Branches, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

The stone well houses have also captivated me for a long time. Some of them are easy to photograph, some pose challenge based on the shape they are in and their surroundings. I have not done a search and a comparison but think I've gotten the best rendering of the below one on this walk too.

Well in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Well in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Well in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

At this point, we have moved on from the Chestnut Ridge park into the village of Orchard Park and will be circling the lake. The spring is still early and trees are bare but the sun has a nice warmth to it and brings hope after the long winter season. When I was taking the photo I thought it was just a normal log in the water in the foreground. What a surprise to see I actually captured an alligator in Green Lake! :-)

Green Lake Alligator, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Green Lake Alligator, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Green Lake Alligator, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

Turning back into the sun is not intuitive for me and I need to learn to do it more often, whether or not sun ends up included. The light in the resulting photograph obviously differs from sidelight or front light and sometimes robs the photo of too much contrast, other times turns it into magic.

Green Lake Sunrise, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Green Lake Sunrise, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Green Lake Sunrise, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

I really like the subtle midtowns of the following photograph. The other photographs in this post have quite high contrast compliments of the sunny days and the choice of the Rollei Retro 80s film, however, this one along the north shore is different as I walked the narrow trail in the shade of the trees.

Green Lake Shoreline Trees, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Green Lake Shoreline Trees, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Green Lake Shoreline Trees, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

Stepping out of that shade into the open and looking directly east against the rising sun definitely changed all that. While the geese were too far for any close-ups with my 24mm lens I was grateful they hung around to provide an extra element in my photo and differentiate it from my past takes.

Geese at Sunrise, Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Geese at Sunrise, Green Lake, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Green Lake Sunrise, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

The scene I came upon next naturally called for a scene contrasting the silhouetted trees against the bright rising sun and the also bright reflection of the surface of the lake. I like the almost abstract look of this photo especially thanks to the tree trunks on the right that extend into their reflection in the water.

Sunrise Silhouettes, Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Sunrise Silhouettes, Green Lake, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Sunrise Silhouettes, Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

And here we have the final mood change from high to low contrast as I walked home through our wonderful wetlands and an area I call The Jungle. In summer it is usually a combination of lush green vegetation and tall trees, some dead and some alive, making for a scene I would not look for in Orchard Park, NY. Maybe I'll remember to post that green look and reference this photo for a comparison between seasons and also color vs. black and white film.

Heading Home through Wetlands, Orchard Park, NY. Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, orange filter, Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, D-23 developer.Heading Home through WetlandsOrchard Park, NY

Sunrise Silhouettes, Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

Thanks for taking the two walks with me and exploring Orchard Park, New York!

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. And for more black and white photography hop over to the World without Color photo collection. 

Birdsong Park Creek, Orchard Park, New YorkBirdsong CreekOrchard Park, NY Twinkle in the Trees in Birdsong Park, Orchard Park, NY.Twinkle in the Trees in BirdsongOrchard Park, NY Birdsong Park Creek in the Woods, Orchard Park, New YorkBirdsong Creek in the WoodsOrchard Park, NY

One Tall Dead Tree, Birdsong, Orchard Park, New York (NY).OneOrchard Park, NY Phalanx of Trees Standing Guard by Trail, Birdsong, Orchard Park, New York (NY).PhalanxOrchard Park, NY


Cyanotypes XIX: Mountain Top Country Store & Music

April 21, 2025  •  Leave a Comment

This was a fun cyanotype session. Some old tricks and some new. I've played with different paper types again to see which one will fit the subject matter the best. I also did some toning to have non-blue alternatives. And for the first time I've tried introducing some color into the my cyanotypes.

Country Store, Textured Traditional Blue CyanotypeCountry StoreTextured Traditional Blue Cyanotype

Country Store, Textured Traditional Blue Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Rough Textured Shizen Design 140lbs Watercolor Paper

Both photographs here are from the same location in Virginia, a random mountaintop find on a beautiful scenic route through the mountains.

Country Store, Textured Green Tea Toned CyanotypeCountry StoreTextured Green Tea Toned Cyanotype

Country Store, Textured Green Tea Toned Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Rough Textured Shizen Design 140lbs Watercolor Paper

As you can see, for the Country Store I started with my favorite rough textured watercolor paper. It renders the photographs in low-fi, which I really like with structures of all kinds.

Country Store,  Smooth Blue CyanotypeCountry StoreSmooth Blue Cyanotype

Country Store,  Smooth Blue Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Smooth UCreate 90lbs Watercolor Paper

But I also tried a smooth paper version for comparison, and as a starting point for the next experiment. There are many ways one can introduce color to this monochromatic process but on this day I specifically wanted to try the random and abstract approach of pre-coloring blank watercolor paper and then coating the cyanotype emulsion over it. I did not have any specific color matching plan, just the opposite. For the Country Store I went with rather pronounced random patches of color. The result? see below :-)

Country Store, Abstract Colors Smooth CyanotypeCountry StoreAbstract Colors Smooth Cyanotype

Country Store, Abstract Colors Smooth Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Smooth UCreate 90lbs Watercolor Paper

For the second photo I started with the same approach, a traditional blue cyanotype on the rough textured watercolor paper. It removes most of the detail in the photograph and increases contrast providing bright highlights and deeper shadows. It works for some subject matter and not so much for other.

Mountain Top Music, Textured Blur CyanotypeMountain Top MusicTextured Blue Cyanotype

Mountain Top Music, Textured Blue Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Rough Textured Shizen Design 140lbs Watercolor Paper

I really like how the green tea toned version came out here. The low detail low-fi quality of the paper still came through but the toned version lowered the overall contrast and opened up some of the deep shadows. The old truck looks great!

Mountain Top Music, Textured Green Tea Toned CyanotypeMountain Top MusicTextured Green Tea Toned Cyanotype

 

Mountain Top Music, Textured Green Tea Toned Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Rough Textured Shizen Design 140lbs Watercolor Paper

I've also printed the smooth version as a baseline to see what I was going in with into the coloring.

Mountain Top Music, Smooth Blue CyanotypeMountain Top MusicSmooth Blue Cyanotype

Mountain Top Music, Smooth Blue Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Smooth UCreate 90lbs Watercolor Paper

Unlike the Country Store, I tried a more subtle approach here with the Mountain Top Music scene.

Mountain Top Music, Abstract Color CyanotypeMountain Top MusicAbstract Color Cyanotype

Mountain Top Music, Abstract Color Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Textured Meeden 140lbs Watercolor Paper

Well, maybe not so subtle for the second version but the smoother transitions between colors still provide a different mood than the Country Store variety of color patches.

Mountain Top Music, Abstract Color Smooth CyanotypeMountain Top MusicAbstract Color Smooth Cyanotype

Mountain Top Music, Abstract Color Smooth Cyanotype, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Smooth Strathmore 140lbs Watercolor Paper

What do you think? The Cyanotype process can be tuned to be almost as predictable as traditional darkroom printing, or it can be left somewhat unpredictable. It's all a choice. And pre-coloring the paper can add a new twist to both. You can pre-color with the final image in mind, or do so before even knowing what will be printed over it. I liked this initial experiment a lot and will definitely be doing this again.

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

Previous posts in the Cyanotypes series: 1. First Cyanotype - 2. More Cyanotypes - 3. Highlands Cyanotypes - 4. How do Cyanotypes Happen? - 5. Cyanotypes V: Tweaking the Curve - 6. Cyanotypes VI: Toning - 7. Cyanotypes VII: More Toning - 8. Cyanotypes VIII: Toning Different Papers - 9. Cyanotypes IX: Horní Rozsíčky - 10. Cyanotypes X: From Black and White or Color - 11. Cyanotypes XI: Moravian Countryside - 12. Cyanotypes XII: Prague Castle - 13. Cyanotypes XIII: American History - 14. Cyanotypes XIV: Gulf Shores, Alabama - 15. Cyanotypes XV: Different Take on Travel Photography - 16. Cyanotypes XVI: Nostalgic Pernštejn - 16. Cyanotypes XVII: Rajhrad Monastery Variations - 17. Cyanotypes XVII: Rajhrad Monastery Variations - 18. Cyanotypes XVIII: Pernštejn, Brno - 19. Cyanotypes XIX: Mountain Top Country Store & Music

If you like cyanotypes, you can explore the Cyanotypes Photo Gallery dedicated to my growing collection of them. Would you like to browse through traditional darkroom wet prints? Visit my Darkroom Photo Gallery and enjoy!

Fort Morgan Wagon Wheel Toned Cyanotype on Shizen Design Watercolor Paper, Gulf Shores, AlabamaFort Morgan Wagon Wheel Toned CyanotypeAlternative Process Photography Smith's Fort, Wine Tannin Toned Cyanotype on Shizen Design Watercolor Paper, Surry, VirginiaSmith's Fort, Toned CyanotypeAlternative Process Photography House of Memories, Tea Toned Cyanotype II, Horní Rozsíčka, Czech RepublicHouse of Memories, Tea Toned Cyanotype IIAlternative Process Photography

Chautauqua Belle Steamboat, Meeden Cyanotype, an original hand-made 5" x 7" cyanotype print from the Chautauqua Lake, New York.Chautauqua Belle Steamboat, Meeden CyanotypeAlternative Process Photography Bon Secour Alley, Cyanotype, An original hand-made 5" x 7" cyanotype print from Gulf Shores, Alabama..Bon Secour Alley, CyanotypeAlternative Process Photography


Lo-Fi Orchard Park with a Holga

April 14, 2025  •  Leave a Comment

Holga 120N, 60mm f/8 Toy CameraHolga 120N, 60mm f/8Toy Camera This was my first outing with a Holga 120N. It's my daughter's but has been sitting on a shelf for a while so I took her out for a walk to the village of Orchard Park. I had previously taken photographs with its sister, the Holga WPC, or Holga Wide Pinhole Camera. Both are plastic toy cameras of lo-fi build to get lo-fi pictures. While the WPC does not have a lens at all, just a tiny pinhole, the 120N features a 60mm plastic lens.

The camera has a zone-focusing system, i.e. you don't see the effect of focusing in the viewfinder. You just have to set the focus to one person (about 1 meter), small group (about 2 meters), large group (about 6 meters), a mountain (infinity), or anywhere in between. I guess experience can help with knowing where to set the dial. The Holga features a single fixed shutter speed, supposedly about 1/125 sec. A simple metal spring rotates a disc around to open and close a small opening behind the lens. How small? There are two settings. One for f/8 and one for f/11 (or maybe f/13) accomplished by sliding a button to a sunny or cloudy setting. Lots of people report that their Holga's aperture does not change with the slider. Something probably broke inside or a part is missing. I had to take apart and fix this one for a different problem too, they're not built with lasting quality in mind.

C's Custard Delight in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NYC's Custard Delight in Lo-FiLo-Fi Orchard Park, NY

C's Custard Delight in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a Holga 120N on Foma Retropan 320 black and white negative film, home developed in Rollei Supergrain developer

I usually like to combine opposites. I use more low-fi film in hi-fi cameras and vice versa. For pinhole photography I'll go with Fuji Acros or Kodak T-Max 100. But this time, I went a bit crazy and leaned into the lo-fi full force with a Foma Retropan 320 black and white film, the grainiest film known to me. And I developed it in Rollei Supergrain developer. Since I had not used this developer with this film before I went with the short end of the suggested time (1+9, 6.5 minutes) figuring lower contrast would be easier to deal with than losing details to high contrast. The resulting negative was very flat and I had to add contrast after scanning. I may try darkroom printing a few frames too but am not sure if contrast filter 5 will be enough. I will develop for 7.5 minutes next time, if there is a next time for this combination.

Orchard Park Train Depot in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NYOrchard Park Train Depot in Lo-FiLo-Fi Orchard Park

Orchard Park Train Depot in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a Holga 120N on Foma Retropan 320 black and white negative film, home developed in Rollei Supergrain developer

Out of the 12 frames on the 120 film roll, I ended up with about half and half split between what I could expect out of a Holga and bad results, not exactly sure why. It seems like this Holga does not like backlight, and maybe I moved the camera a few times too during exposure. It is an odd experience with the stealthy shutter.

Orchard Park Public Library in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NYOrchard Park Public Library in Lo-FiLo-Fi Orchard Park, NY

Orchard Park Public Library in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a Holga 120N on Foma Retropan 320 black and white negative film, home developed in Rollei Supergrain developer

And yes, you are absolutely right about the repeating theme of my posts. Without intending to, this is the third one in a row from Orchard Park, NY. Wondering what's coming next? We'll see what develops, ...

Orchard Park Police in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NYOrchard Park Police in Lo-FiLo-Fi Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake South Shore, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a Holga 120N on Foma Retropan 320 black and white negative film, home developed in Rollei Supergrain developer

Orchard Park Chamber of Commerce in Lo-Fi,  Orchard Park, NYOrchard Park Chamber of Commerce in Lo-FiLo-Fi Orchard Park, NY

Orchard Park Chamber of Commerce in Lo-Fi,  Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a Holga 120N on Foma Retropan 320 black and white negative film, home developed in Rollei Supergrain developer

Ginger Snap Patisserie in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NYGinger Snap Patisserie in Lo-FiLo-Fi Orchard Park, NY

Ginger Snap Patisserie in Lo-Fi, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a Holga 120N on Foma Retropan 320 black and white negative film, home developed in Rollei Supergrain developer

Thanks for stopping by!

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. And for more black and white photography hop over to the World without Color photo collection. 

One Way Do Not Enter, Orchard Park, New York. photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 camera on Kodak Double-X 5222 black and white film.One Way Do Not EnterBlack & White Orchard Park, NY Beautiful Barn in Winter, Back Roads of Orchard Park, New York.Beautiful Barn in WinterBlack & White Orchard Park, NY Barn and silos in white in winter storm in Buffalo and Western New YorkBarn and Silos in WhiteBlack & White Orchard Park, NY


Winter Color Theme at Green Lake

March 24, 2025  •  Leave a Comment

Nikon F4, AF 20mm f/2.8, Green Lake in WinterNikon F4, AF 20mm f/2.8Green Lake in Winter What can I say? If you've seen my previous post you will note we're back at the same location, the beautiful Green Lake in the village of Orchard Park. But this time, instead of a manual focus camera loaded with black and white film I came with the latest and greatest equipment. I brought along an auto-focus Nikon F4 fitted with a very wide angle 20mm AF Nikkor lens loaded with Kodak Ektar 100 color negative film with its "world's finest grain".

Definitely a few deviations from my habits, which was intentional. I usually resort to black and white in winter because why would anyone do anything different, right? Color is naturally lacking, it's usually overcast and gloomy, and black and white somehow manages to make all of that look attractive as long as there's snow. But this was a special kind of a winter day in Western New York! It was cold but sunny with clear blue skies. Thus the idea to go with color.

I also switched up from a manual focus camera to an auto-focus. While the Nikon F4 is no autofocus champion given today's expectations it was a pioneer and for the most part it does pretty well. Just make sure your batteries are in a good shape. I have found out that focus hunting and failing to establish focus can be a sign that the batteries need to be swapped even if the camera does not complain yet.

Sunrise over Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkSunrise over Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Sunrise over Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

And while the 24mm lens I used last time is plenty wide I do have one even wider and must admit that I do not use it nearly enough. Since it is an auto-focus lens, this morning was a great opportunity to attach the AF 20mm f/2.8 Nikkor to the Nikon F4 and head out. When I started in the photography hobby I thought wide and super wide lenses were literally about the width. And sure, they certainly fit in more with into the frame. However, the photo taking and thus photo viewing really is more about the front to back dynamics. I feel it is important to be really close to something in the foreground and then let the scene develop front to back.

Frozen Green Lake through Trees, Orchard Park, New YorkFrozen Green Lake through Trees, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Frozen Green Lake through Trees, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

The sunrise was absolutely beautiful and unsurprisingly the opening photo is literally of the sun rising over the Yates Park and Green Lake. I am very happy with how the camera, lens, and film combo handled the situation.

Green Lake's North Shore Trail in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkGreen Lake's North Shore Trail in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Green Lake's North Shore Trail in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

I parked at a different spot this morning and thus initially headed against my usual direction around the lake. The path was snowed in and walking was difficult but very enjoyable.

Snowed In Stairs to Green Lake, Orchard Park, New YorkSnowed In Stairs to Green Lake, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Snowed In Stairs to Green Lake, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

The stairs were not really there but the railing indicated which way to go, or slide down. I chickened out though and walked making sure my boot caught a solid footing with each step. I did not feel like nosediving.

Tracks around Frozen Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkTracks around Frozen Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Tracks around Frozen Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

Right by the lake I always appreciate the fact that I can get photographs of undisturbed snow as people usually do not venture into the knee deep snow. This morning I went for a different approach and created my own disturbance, the tracks along the lakeshore.

Green Lake Ice Crystals in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkGreen Lake Ice Crystals in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Green Lake Ice Crystals in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

Aren't the ice crystals gorgeous? They would have made for a super macro photography theme too but I tried to make the most of what I had with me. I went as close as the lens could focus without going for a swim and am glad the texture made it into the photo. Nature's magic!

Snowed In Fence at Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkSnowed In Fence at Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Snowed In Fence at Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

Afterwards I went backwards in my usual direction and not only made it back to the parked car but also looped the other way. The split rail fence always challenges me to try to find a new angle, new look. This morning it threw me a freebie as it was buried in snow.

Basketball, Anybody? Yates Park in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkBasketball, Anybody? Yates Park in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Basketball, Anybody? Yates Park in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

Clear blue sky, a basketball court, and a layer of snow covering it. I could not resist!

Tracks in Snow around Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkTracks in Snow around Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Tracks in Snow around Green Lake in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

I decided I'd finish the whole roll of film so that I did not have to wait to process it. It was a splendid winter morning with lots of beauty around so why not? Instead of returning, I headed for the south shore where the dam is and walked down to Smoke Creek below the dam. I still struggle a bit accepting this new look. The old flow through the forest was so charming. This mostly deforested plain still looks too bare, too sad to me. Maybe one day nature will find a way to reclaim some of the lost ground?

Sunrise over Smoke Creek in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkSunrise over Smoke Creek in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Sunrise over Smoke Creek in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

Here's some civilization too as we pass by the administrative buildings at Green Lake. Yes, I am pretty sure you have seen it in my photographs before too. I am pretty sure though that this was the first time with the 20mm lens.

Recreational Department in Yates Park in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkRecreational Department in Yates Park in Winter, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Recreational Department in Yates Park in Winter, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

And for this scene, the super-wide angle lens definitely came in handy in all directions. I usually struggle to fit the building in but not this time. It all fit easily and I even made a few steps closer to avoid the blank foreground scenario.

United Materials, Industrial Orchard Park in Winter, New YorkUnited Materials, Industrial Orchard Park in Winter, New YorkYates Park

United Materials, Industrial Orchard Park in Winter, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

To close, another scene I struggle with. There used to be an old wooden pier serving as a boat launch but it succumbed to the passage of time and was replaced with this plastic monster. I really don't like it and usually can't even convince myself to take a picture here. Snow came to help though and since most of the plastic is covered I found the view acceptable to occupy 1 frame on the roll of Kodak Ektar.

Boat Launch in Hibernation, Green Lake, Orchard Park, New YorkBoat Launch in Hibernation, Green Lake, Orchard Park, New YorkYates Park

Boat Launch in Hibernation, Green Lake, Orchard Park, New York
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon F4 Camera on Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, Developed in Cinestill C-41 KIT

So what do you think? Did you like this color edition better or are you a fan of the black and white one?

Thank you very much for stopping by and spending a few minutes with my photography :-)

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. And for more winter photography hop over to the Winter Photo Collection.

Green Lake Bench is Occupied, Winter in Orchard Park, NY.Green Lake Bench is OccupiedWinter in Orchard Park Warm Water at Green Lake, Winter in Orchard Park, NYWarm Water at Green LakeWinter in Orchard Park Winter at Green Lake, Winter in Orchard Park, NYWinter at Green LakeWinter in Orchard Park

Creek through the Seasonal Woods, Birdsong Park, Orchard Park, NY, Fall and Winter Battling it Out..Creek through the Seasonal WoodsWinter in Orchard Park Fall vs. Winter along the Creek, Birdsong Park, Orchard Park, NY, Fall and Winter Battling it Out.Fall vs Winter along the CreekWinter in Orchard Park


Winter Theme at Green Lake

February 05, 2025  •  Leave a Comment

There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors here in Orchard Park and they are right at our finger tips. Up on the hill south of the village the Chestnut Ridge Park is the big one. East of the village Birdsong Park is another wonderful place to escape the civilization. But even right in the village Yates Park is beautiful in all seasons.

Winter at Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYWinter at Green LakeYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Winter at Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

It's 2 miles on foot for me to get to the park and we have integrated Yates Park into our walks for a while. Sometimes, it serves as the turnaround point and we circle around before heading back. Other times, we pass by and then complete the circle on the return leg of our walks. That all depends on how much time we have on our hands to keep on walking.

Green Lake Gazebo, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYGreen Lake GazeboYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake Gazebo, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

Other times, Green Lake and Yates Park become my destination, especially when I plan on enjoying its beauty with a camera in my hand. I can easily spend an hour or more having fun here and that does not work too well with a non-photographer buddy tagging along. For these occasions I prefer to come alone. I don't feel bad slowing anyone else down and they're not driven crazy by my slow pace forward. But really, what does forward really mean in this case? Is it the progress in a certain direction? Is it the number of steps taken? Is it the number of frames captured? Or is it simply time spent enjoying the location? I bet that if you've ever accompanied a crazy photographer like me you get the idea.

Warm Water at Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYWarm Water at Green LakeYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Warm Water at Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

This post is based on photos from a single outing to Yates Park on a beautiful sunny winter's day. Sunny weather is quite rare here in Orchard Park, NY (and Buffalo or the whole Western New York in general) and when it happens it's great to take advantage of it. The timing was on my side and I was able to take an hour around noon to walk around, observe, enjoy, and find scenes to capture.

Green Lake South Shore, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYGreen Lake South ShoreYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake South Shore, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

I put on high winter boots to be able to walk through the almost knee deep snow, drove to the park, and started my mission to find 36 perfect photos for a whole roll of black and white film. Specifically, I wanted to use one of two of my expired rolls of Ilford PanF Plus 50 film. While I had used the film before and liked the results I somehow did not reach for the rolls in several years. I prefer 400 speed film as it gives me more options for handholding even with an orange or red filter attached to the lens, effectively bringing my EV to 100.

Green Lake Bench is Occupied, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYGreen Lake Bench is OccupiedYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake Bench is Occupied, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

I knew Ilford PanF has one specific quirk. While it is perfectly fine being a few years expired it suffers from amnesia. It is strongly recommended that it be developed promptly after exposing it, otherwise the captured moments fade almost like human memories. That's a paradox, isn't it? Photography is often said to preserve fleeting moments for eternity. With Ilford PanF it better be developed soon or that eternity becomes fairly short. I can't attest to this personally as I don't create long backlogs of film to be developed and I was not going to test it on this occasion. Thus, the goal was to finish the whole rolll so that I could develop it without worrying about the images disappearing like the moments in time.

Wide View of Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYWide View of Green LakeYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Wide View of Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

There were no tracks anywhere. While that is usually the case it still always surprises me. Such a wonderful area, so many sights to be had, yet, no one came to enjoy them? That's ok, I didn't mind and I came prepared with my boots. I circled around carefully to be able to frame some of my photographs with only that pristine undisturbed snow, while later including my own tracks in the photographs for different looks. I really liked this approach as it gives the photographs a different mood.

Green Lake Gazebo with a Hat, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYGreen Lake Gazebo with a HatYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake Gazebo with a Hat, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

Overall, I photograph a lot more on the north side of Green Lake. This time, I switched the pace a bit, took a few initial pictures heading towards the bridge, crossed over, and focused on the south shore first. I repeated some of my past compositions there too but also found some new ones. And the generous amount of snow provided for new opportunities. Once satisfied and soundly into the second half of the roll I crossed back to the north shore and finished the roll there.

Green Lake in White, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYGreen Lake in WhiteYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake in White, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

I had my 24mm lens mounted on the camera and focused on wide landscape photos. To darken the sky a bit I had orange filter attached. I really like that approach all year round but especially. in winter it nicely separates the white snow covered ground from the sky. Otherwise it might all get just too white, too blank. Since Ilford PanF is an ISO 50 speed film and the orange filter cuts further 2 stops of light I was at 1/60 second and f/8. I did not meter a single photo on the whole roll and went with this Sunny 16 based calculation the whole time. Id served me well in the past and yet again this day.

Green Lake Winter Theme, A Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYGreen Lake Winter Theme, A StumpYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake Winter Theme, A Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

Another successful approach might be using an incident meter as opposed to reflective, which may be rather challenging with all of that snow around. I find that going with incident readings works very well with negative films that have a pretty good leeway towards overexposure. However, since this was a nice bright sunny day and midday too, the light was constant and there really was no reason to meter for each photo. Thus the good old Sunny 16. I did the simple math once at the beginning, set my manual exposure on the dials and not worried about it. That freed me to focus on composition instead of fiddling with the technology.

Green Lake Winter Theme, Buried Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYGreen Lake Winter Theme, Buried StumpYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake Winter Theme, Buried Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

As you can see I finished the outing with some close ups of the winter scenes. With the 24mm lens that meant getting really, really close. And every time I thought I was close enough I had to crawl closer. I was down on my knees glad I came prepared for it in ski pants. A longer lens might have saved me the crawling in the snow but getting closer comes with a different perspective and I enjoyed it. Nothing wrong being a kid again and playing in snow, right?

Green Lake Winter Theme, Snow Capped Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NYGreen Lake Winter Theme, Snow Capped StumpYates Park, Orchard Park, NY

Green Lake Winter Theme, Snow Capped Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain

So that is it, a roll of 37 exposures full of new memories, camera packed in the bag, and I am heading home with the plan of developing and scanning the roll soon to prevent the PanF amnesia. And of course, I hope to take some of these to the darkroom and preserving them on paper rather than in bits on my hard drive and the World Wide Web.

35 mm Nikon FE film camera, Ilford PanF Plus 50 black and white negative filmNikon FE, Ilford PanF Plus 50 How do you preserve your photos for "eternity"? What is your goal with your photographs? Do you care what happens with the pictures once you're not around? Should they outlast us by at least a few years? A generation? Or two maybe? I am afraid not.

Thank you very much for stopping by and spending a few minutes with my photography. If you have something to say about any of it, please, drop me a note via the guestbook functionality, I would love to read what others think. I know blogs are a mostly one-way monologue but the guestbook does allow for a two-way interaction, even if underutilized.

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. And for more black and white photography hop over to the World without Color photo collection.

Hay Bales in Snow in Winter, Knox Farm, East Aurora, NYHay Bales in SnowWinter on Film Beautiful Barn in Winter, Back Roads of Orchard Park, New York.Beautiful Barn in WinterWinter on Film Winter On Draudt Road, Orchard Park, New York. Mamiya 645, Retropan 320, Kodak XTOLWinter On Draudt RoadWinter on Film

Snow Covered Spooky Winter Wetlands, Orchard Park, New YorkSpooky Winter WetlandsWinter on Film Through the Winter Landscape, Creek in Birdsong Park, Orchard Park, New York (NY)Through the Winter LandscapeWinter on Film

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