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Could not Resist - Back for More at Letchworth
Fogy Magic over Letchworth GorgeColors of the Daybreak
Yes, your eyes are not failing you, it's the second post and a second photograph in a row from the same place. As I posted the previous sunrise photo from the Great Bend on the Genesee River at Letchworth State Park, I wanted to go back for more. I wanted to be there again as night gives way to day, as the cool morning breeze crosses the gorge, as squirrels, deer, and birds enjoy the quiet morning before people start rolling in. I also hoped for some more foggy magic, and planned to witness it at a different point along the gorge. And I wanted to photograph it all and try to capture the beauties of the landscape in motion-free, sound-free, breeze-free, and smell-free images.
Weather forecast looked good, I just hoped that some clouds would interfere with the clear prediction. The numbers also indicated a good chance of fog.
About three quarters of the way in towards the park, I ran through some beautiful fog filled valleys and my expectations went up. I love fog, and when it contrasts with colors, it can be spectacular. When I arrived in the park through the Castile entrance and peeked into the gorge by the Archery Field. my hopes were met plentifully with more fog filling the valley than I had ever seen before.
I wanted to see what the Tea Table area looked like though and make some different photographs at a different angle to the rising sun, made a left turn, and kept going. Once there, I could not see anything. The whole gorge was filled with fog all the way to the rim and above, a complete whiteout. I decided I would not stay and wait what would happen, and went back to the Great Bend with the intention to return to Tea Table a little while later.
Even though I was back at the spot I had shared with you several times it was great to see it again. It's never really the same. Among other things, the sun is always somewhere else. In June, the sun would be straight in your eyes in this view whereas this morning, it was off to the right over the Great Bend cliff. That came in handy since it postponed the actual sunrise by a few minutes and allowed me to enjoy the colors a bit longer. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the rays of sun spot lighting the fog in various spots that were quickly changing! Even a few seconds apart, the light and the fog looked so different!
When the sun finally grew too strong over the Bend, I headed back to Tea Table. More on that at some future point though. Overall, another wonderful morning in the beautiful outdoors!
Have fun out there!
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Back at Great Bend for More, Letchworth State Park
Over and over, no matter how many times I visit and photograph, this place continues to amaze me. Yes, Letchworth is wonderful to photograph, but there is so much more to it. The cool morning breeze, she sharp light in your eyes, the chirping of the birds, the deer nearby, no people around, it is easy to get lost in the moment. A few times, I ran into other photographers by the gorge and they were rushing along, click here, click there, fast over to the next viewpoint. I guess nothing wrong with that but I can't operate like that. I will hold my position and just stare until I soak it all in to hold me over until the next time!
Unlike the usual small photos accompanying my blog posts, let me go big today. Just stare and imagine the rest.
Fog over Genesee River Great Bend at SunriseLetchworth State Park
Fog over Genesee River Great Bend at Sunrise, Letchworth State Park
Have fun finding your magical moments!
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Sunset Colors over Lake ErieWoodlawn Beach State Park
I have launched a quarterly newsletter with selections of photographs from the last three months, highlights, stories, and even some deals on photo products I offer through my web site. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, just create an account (or the login link in top right) and you will be included in the next round. Please, also make sure you add [email protected] to your contact list to prevent these from being intercepted by you junk mail filter.
Today's photograph is from the Woodlawn Beach State Park on the southeastern shore of Lake Erie in Hamburg, NY. Being late summer with the holidays over Sunday night proved to be very quiet on the beach with only one couple strolling along, and me watching what the sun would do. While colors were not as wild as they sometimes can be, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the formations clouds were making and breaking. With the breeze coming from across the lake the clouds were moving fast and I had to be fast when I liked a specific arrangement as it would be gone in just a few seconds.
I usually tend to go for a wide angle and include some more foreground to add depth to photos and to add sense of the location. To portray the tranquility of the evening though, I felt this worked better and allows for one's eyes do just get lost over the horizon as mine did several times while on the beach.
Have fun watching fall arrive!
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On the Road: Skyline Drive of Shenandoah
Skyline Drive CurvesShenandoah National Park
With the fall season upon us here is a very subtle flashback to fall 2013 in Shenandoah National Park. However, the color is just a background here, it is all about the road. Skyline Drive is a gorgeous road to travel and a great addition to any road trip.
Shenandoah National Park has so much to offer as far as outdoor activities go, including hiking, waterfall chasing, and nature and landscape photography, and offers views both to the east and west. On top of that, even driving through the park is fun with the road zigzagging along the mountain top and offering lots of viewpoints to pull over and soak it all in.
Both photos in this post are taken from the same spot. In the first one I was looking to my left, then turned and took another photo to the right. They're both at sunset and show the spirit of road tripping Shenandoah. Great views, and that is even before one looks into the valley below!
Skyline Drive at SunsetShenandoah National Park
Have fun road tripping!
Equipment Used: Nikon D600 (replaced by Nikon D610), Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Manfrotto tripod (055MF3; replaced by 055CXPRO3 with the convenient Q90 column) and Manfrotto Ball Head (496RC2), Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack, SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2.
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Moonlight over Lake Michigan; The Supermoon Craze
Moody Moonlight on the LakeHarvest Supermoon over Lake Michigan
Does it seem like the media is going all nuts with the supermoons this year? At least to me it feels like I had never heard the term before and this year it is everywhere. The overall mass Hunt for the Red October, ..ahmm, sorry, for the Supermoon seems to take away from its lure now that everyone does it. Or does it? There's still something special about this neighbor of ours.
I was not planning on shooting the Supermoon, and a special one at that being a Harvest Super Moon. I was scouting a location for the following day's sunrise. I arrived late, about 15 minutes past sunset, and the moon was welcoming me to the Illinois Beach State Park. While the lakeshore was my destination I thoroughly enjoyed looking over the park's land with randomly scattered trees backlit by the moonlight. Definitely something to come back for in the future.
Once I made it to the beach, I quickly looked around searching for a spot for the morning and then set up right in the sand on the beach for this and one more photographs. The moon was starting to hide in a layer of clouds and I really only had a few minutes. A 30-second exposure followed by a 2.5-minute exposure was all I got this evening. I enjoyed the moody moonlight though, however short it was.
Have fun chasing your visions!