Lake Erie on the RocksDay's End I know, I have been on a roll with the Lake Erie shore lately. I hope I am not boring you yet as I am sure there will be more to come. While I love searching for new places for variety and new challenges I also love going back, and I mentioned it on these pages quite a few times. Having been to the southern shore of Lake Erie so many times lately I feel I had neglected the area until now. Sure, I had a few photos, but given the beauty the lake has to offer I don't think it was enough. I think it goes to show that quite often we search for distant locations not fully recognizing the beauty all around us. I know, even this fact is not stated in this blog for the first time. In fact, it was that realization that led me to my slogan, enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, along with the #etbtsy hash tag. The lake just reminded me again how true that was.

I've gone through some interesting photographic times in 2016. Quite voluntarily and with a lot of excitement I picked up a film camera again, started developing my own black and white film after more than 20 years, and for the first time tried a pinhole camera. And yes, I have plans beyond those steps. At the same time, my digital photography has been both full of exciting opportunities and frustration. On the plus side, couple wonderful trips in 2016 offered excellent opportunities for seascape and landscape photography. On the negative side, I have had some technical difficulties with the camera and a lot of frustration with the vendor who just keeps doing the same thing over and over. What was the definition of insanity again? Well, the camera just came back again for the fourth time in 2016, which cost me about 8 weeks without it in 2016 alone. I will have to become a bit more knowledgeable on the consumer protection laws as I am pretty sure there will be a 5th time still. Anyway, I am not writing this to complain but rather to put the digital and film experience side by side. In a way, not having the DSLR available helped me spend more time with the oldies, learn a lot, and end up with a few shots I am truly proud of.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the wonderful looks of Lake Erie. I am offering a comparison here. A comparison of how much just a little bit of time and different camera settings can do with a scene. The photos are in a reverse chronological order and only 15 minutes apart. The first one is a 5-second exposure allowing for more motion blur of the water while the second one is only a quarter second, still enough to communicate motion, the rush of the incoming wave, but not enough to blur it into a calm and misty surface.

Rocky Shore at Sunset, Lake ErieIncoming Wave

Incoming Wave - Rocky Shore at Sunset, Lake Erie

Which one do you like more? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know why.

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)

Did you enjoy this post and the enclosed photographs? They are available in the Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes gallery. Please, let me know if you have any questions about photo products offered, or not offered. Looking for a present? I offer ready to hang solutions like canvas gallery wraps, prints on metal, and matted and framed ready to hang photographs. Oh, and should you be so inclined, feel free to follow me on Facebook. Yes, so many years and I gave in.

Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!

Hawaii became the 50th state to join the United States on August 21, 1959. The capital city is Honolulu (Oahu). The highest point is Mauna Kea at 13,803 feet (4207 meters) (island of Hawaii, aka The Big Island), a dormant volcano last erupting 2460 BC. Mauna Kea is over 33,000 feet (10000 meters) tall, making it the world's tallest mountain measured from its base to the summit; the majority of which is under water.

Previously from Hawaii: The Beginning - Seaside Pinhole Photography - Tropical Clichés

Sunset Colors over PoipuKaua'i, Hawai'i After the previous post, you know how we got here. And now that we are here, we might as well enjoy it, right? And cliché or not, who would miss the first sunset at a place like this? It definitely was not going to be me.

First, I headed to my favorite spot between Poipu Beach and Brennecke's Beach where the surf keeps working on beautiful lava rocks providing a beautiful interaction between white foaming water and the black shore. I like the area as it's always different based on the weather and waves. I usually closely focus on the rocks and water but this time, the wide view you see here seemed to scream "we are here!" the loudest. It was the perfect welcome, colorful, with a strong silhouette of the coastline and the palm trees.

After this photo, I made my way across the tip of land pictured here to see Poipu Beach as day was turning into night. It always strikes me how one can find themselves all alone in a seemingly touristy place like this. It's almost a given at sunrises but even sunsets provide plenty of people free places to enjoy and to photograph. And if Poipu is not the most touristy spot of the whole island than what is?

Poipu Beach Going to SleepKaua'i, Hawai'i There was a fairly strong breeze coming in over the water. I wanted to carry that over into the photograph and thanks to the rapidly diminishing light that was not a problem as I could easily use a 30-second exposure allowing the wildly moving palm tree leaves blur with their motion. The same rendered the ocean looking very peaceful and quiet, really the opposite of what it was. The wilder the water motion the quieter look in long exposure photographs.

Do you want to get as close to being there as possible without actually being there? Open another browser, navigate to Ikena Dupont's song, then click on the photo twice to get to the gallery, and then to full screen, ... not bad, right?

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)

References: Hawaii on 50states.com

Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more seaside photographs? Visit my Seascapes Gallery and enjoy! Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help! For a quick reference to all photo galleries and collections as well as all photo products currently offered through my site, please, visit the Products page.

Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything at all. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!

After catching hot air balloons during the Red, White, and Blue Hot Air Balloon Festival in Letchworth, I noticed timing was perfect for a detour through Curriers Corners and the train depot. The steam train should be there shortly. Indeed, we had just enough time to park and find a good spot to enjoy the spectacle as the train arrived at the depot. In the past, I had photographed the train with sole focus on the beautiful locomotive. This time around, I wanted to go wider and include more surroundings for context. I positioned myself to get the arriving train along with the eye-catching orange painted depot building, checked the camera settings, took a few test exposures, switched to continuous shooting mode, and waited just a few minutes.

As the train approached and emerged from behind the trees I took three shots. I had the ideal composition in mind but started shooting sooner just in case I did not account for some details somewhere. In the end, no surprises and the third and the last photo was the one I kept and am sharing here today.

No. 18 arriving in Curriers DepotArcade & Attica Railroad

No. 18 Steam Locomotive of Arcade & Attica Railroad Arriving in Curriers Depot

The season is not over yet, you can still catch the train on weekends at 1 p.m. leaving Arcade, NY through October. There are also special events like Murder Mystery Train, Great Train Robbery, and Haunted Train Ride. Visit Arcade & Attica Railroad for the full calendar of schedules and events.

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)

Did you enjoy this post and the enclosed photograph? It's available in the Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes gallery. Please, let me know if you have any questions about photo products offered, or not offered. Looking for a present? I offer ready to hang solutions like canvas gallery wraps, prints on metal, and matted and framed ready to hang photographs.

Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!

References: Arcade & Attica Railroad - Arcade and Attica Railroad on Wikipedia

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