Where have all the colors gone, ... I've been re-tuning my senses lately. Instead of the rich autumn colors nature is now full of lines and curves. I especially like the lines, curves, and patterns the bare deciduous trees create.

Here, the semi-cloudy sky provided lower contrast but the branches still stood up strong! What made me notice these and raise the camera was the tree arrangement by size. Later in the day the setting sun highlighted another group of trees but I felt this less contrasty and devoid of color scene described the transition from early to late fall better. I further decided to convert to black and white to do away with the little color that was remaining!

Have fun re-tuning your senses!

I barely made it! I really wanted to add a fall version to my collection from this beautiful location but I wanted to do that with so many other places too. This one patiently waited until very late in the season. All the leaves had fallen and the ones on the ground started lacking their freshness. Water came to rescue though and the leaves directly in the creek still kept their bright reds.

The ravine is fairly narrow and on all of my visits, I used my wide angle lenses and tried various angles, close and far. For the most part, I shot from rather close up and from the right side to make sure the flame was prominent. On this particular occasion I tried something new for this location and went for a stitched panorama. I stopped well short of 180 degrees - just enough to include the shale steps on the left, the two small front cascades, and little enough to still keep the flame visible, if you know where to look for it.

The second photo is one of my favorite angles, as mentioned above. It allows a straight peek into the little cave the flame is burning in. Still, I stepped back a little to include the top portion of the waterfall. While it is reduced to a sliver here it's there.

Rather than just talk about it I am also including a photo from the opposite left side. While it allows for a much better view of both sections of the waterfall and also allows for easier avoiding of the bright opening above the waterfall, it has one clear disadtantage. You can't see the flame from there! Too bad one can't move the flame around the little cave that looks dark in here.

Now for a little detour from photography, this location has seen a significant increase in visitors over the last ten years, rising from barely known to crowded on summer weekends. The parking lot at the original trailhead on Seufert Road was no longer enough and cars parked up and down from the little pull out, getting in the way of local residents. A new parking lot opened on Orchard Park Road (277) just before going down the hill (coming from Orchard Park). My guess is that it provides about five times more parking than the original one, which remains available. Starting from the new parking lot cuts a bit of walking out of the trail too, including couple up and downs and creek crossings. So based on how much you want to walk, you can pick where to start.

The increasing popularity comes with challenges too. There was an attempt to open an 18-hole disc golf course around this location. While that actually happened it was closed and removed soon after. My opinion? While I enjoy disc golf myself I do not think it belongs here. This area is heavily wooded with no open stretches and the ravines are rather steep and deep. The heavy flying discs would also make it less pleasant for other visitors. Another, unfortunately standard, challenge is trash. The hike being relatively short and easy, especially from the new lot, makes some people do it like a Sunday stroll in a park, with their choice of coffee in their hands. For the most part, those paper cup also make it out though. What does not always make it back out are beer bottles and cans. Please, take your trash back with you, even you will enjoy your beer better next time if you find a nice waterfall instead of the pool underneath trashed with bottles and broken glass! Ok, enough of that.

I am going to close with another less common angle for me. A head on view from a few steps back to show a bit more of the ravine floor, and the gentle sprinkle of fallen leaves Mother Nature kept around just long enough for me.

I've been back here many times, and hope to be for years to come! Have fun exploring new places, as well as returning to those in your back yard to see their different character through the year, and through the years!

Harrigan's Falls at Emery Park Did you ever try to draw a 10-mile circle on a map with the center being where you live and then hit the Internet to see what's within the circle that you have not seen yet? It could be local parks, state parks, nature preserves, but also different buildings in a city, really anything.

If you have not, give it a try. It does not matter how long you have lived in your current place, just give it a try. I bet you will be surprised. At least I keep surprising myself as this exercise is something I like to repeat. There is always more, always something new. It is truly amazing how much there is within a 10-mile radius. And should you ever truly run out, try 15, or 20 miles. Still quick to get to and visit repeatedly and the number of places must be just about endless.

This is an example of a place I've lived 10 miles away from for over 10 years. Yes, that's how long it took me to find this beautiful local park with its beautiful gentle waterfalls. Now Ive been back many times over just a few months and intend on keeping it up that way until I can say I kind of know the place.

South Emery Falls in the Fall

South Emery Falls, Emery Park, South Wales, New York (NY).

Have fun exploring places near and far!