After above average temperatures in December, we had serious snow and cold a few weeks ago. I went out to a local forest preserve one lovely sunny day. Lovely, but -9 degrees Fahrenheit, almost unbearably cold.
I started with a quick shot of a random burst of a rainbow in my own neighborhood.
Then, I headed off to the park for what ended up being a short hike – only difficult on account of the frigid temperatures.
Merry Christmas to all! My sister and I visited a local light display earlier this month. Sort of a sibling tradition of ours.
Depending on which of my two calendars you believe, this post is scheduled to publish on either the last day of fall or the first day of winter. I’m calling it the first day of winter. Later than I would have liked.
My last big outing for the year was a trip up to Devil’s Lake with another member of the local photo club and her husband. They are good hikers and made excellent companions for the trip. Unfortunately, it was again cloudy at the lake (I can’t win). We didn’t let that stop us though.
The day after Thanksgiving, I was having some trouble moving on and getting my Christmas decorating done, so I drove out to an old favorite spot right as the sun was going down and bid the fall farewell. Just one more time to say goodbye.
In mid October, I decided to run away to northern Wisconsin. This was probably kind of a stupid idea, but I had my reasons. One was fall color. It was a whirlwind trip: one day up, then one day down.
Day one at the state park of my choosing, Copper Falls, was sadly late and cloudy, but my policy is to do what I can with what I have. My main target was Red Granite Falls. This involved some precarious positioning, but I found it exhilarating and worthwhile.
Next, I ventured up to the main area of the park where there are several other waterfalls. The Doughboy Trail (so called because it was originally constructed by WWI veterans) loops around and at some points crosses a rather large gorge. There are fences and signs warning hikers not to go past the fences lest the offending hikers be kicked out of the park, or worse. I decided to respect the fences more for the sake of safety than anything else. It is a steep drop. It was late, so I didn’t go far. After all, I’d have a couple hours in the morning before I started back home.
I’d heard some people praise morning light, and the forecast for the next day called for sun, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, the solar angles in the morning and even early afternoon were not that great on the main falls. Time was short, so I could not wait for later in the afternoon. If you want to visit Copper Falls as a photographer, plan to be there later in the day. They do have some nice observation points built into the trail. It’s not too hard to stay behind the fences and not fall to your death.
And then there was this tree on a tall, narrow rock in the middle of everything that just happened to be in the shade.
Right now, it is late in the year, and cold, and dreary. It is time for me to buckle down and fight through some of the stuff I’ve been running from. Early this year, I upgraded my camera, which in turn necessitated an upgrade to the current version of Lightroom (I’d been using an ancient software version I hated giving up, but alas, compatibility). This does not run smoothly on my computer. Sometimes it’s worse than others. A bit of troubleshooting has improved it, but mostly I’ve run from editing my photos this year. Not good with a new camera. Editing and confronting the mistakes is half the learning process sometimes. It allows me to see my mistakes and plan to do better next time. There is a time to run, but there is also a time to sit and deal with things and make plans. Running is canceled till spring.
One of my major goals this year was to visit Yellowstone National Park. One of the places in the park I longed to see the most was the beautiful and otherworldly Mammoth Hot Springs. In late September after months of planning and a day of travel that started with my dad, my sister, and I barely managing to catch an early morning bust to the airport, I found myself in that amazing place. Sorting through and editing these shots was intimidating. With such a place, I always find myself wishing I had captured it better. This year, I also changed sensor sizes. I’m still learning I could use a little more depth of field for some shots.
This feature is called Devil’s Thumb. It follows the unfortunate practice of labeling odd natural phenomena as demonic. See also Devil’s Bathtub and Devil’s Doorway.
There are many lovely shapes and tones all around the area.
We got lucky. We never saw a real live bear on our trip. We did get to see some elk on day one though.
We spent a few days at Yellowstone. Hopefully, I will get other photos from the trip posted soon. Also, I hope to return one day in the not too distant future. So much left to see.
2023 has been quite a year: new camera, new Lightroom. I’ve been shooting, but cloud-based Lightroom is a nightmare on my computer. Not sure if I need to downgrade or eliminate other programs or maybe go for more RAM or internet speed?
Anyway, here are some spring photos from the first two shoots on the new camera. Bit of a warmup.
I keep remembering my 4-H summers promoting June as Dairy Month. I also keep seeing these frosted animal crackers that take me back to shortly before I was old enough for 4-H. Before the month completely slips away from me, here’s a quick still life in celebration.
A quick update: Yes, I’ve been on several shoots earlier this year. Mostly spring outdoor stuff. Not as many flowers as I’d like. The weather’s been a little off this year. I upgraded my camera and need to get a longer lens. Things are a bit crazy. I plan to post more when I get done with a family photo book project.
Winter, it’s time for you to leave us. We’ve done our best to appreciate the sights you have to offer: the white lands, the snow frosted branches, the ice crystals, and the cozy nights under heavy blankets.
We’ve found the beauty best we can – observing forms normally obscured by vegetation. Trying not to wish away a season of our lives just waiting it out for warmer days.
But the calendar says it’s spring now. Time for you to go. Time for what we’ve been wanting: the birds and their songs, the longer days, the warmer weather, and all those flowers we haven’t seen in months. It’s time. They’re coming.
Last year in May, my father and I took a lovely trip to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio. State Parks are free in Ohio, so all you have to do is drive there – and find a place to stay. Yeah, it was a long drive. Fortunately, we were able to visit some cousins on the way to and on the return trip. The whole thing started because I wanted to sleep in a yurt, and there is a place you can do that near Hocking Hills and still have a bathroom. I’ve been a bit yurt obsessed since I found out they existed back in geography class about 20 years ago. Finding out I could stay in one as a form of vacation housing (kind of like a nice cabin) just made me want to try it. The yurt was adorable and very clean, so for one fun night it was worth it.
Hocking Hills is an exquisite, moderately sized park with lots of lovely waterfalls. Despite the cloudy and sometimes rainy conditions, I do not regret driving all the way to Ohio.
Cedar Falls is one of the better known and longest recognized scenic areas in the park. It got a tad rainy while we were there, but sometimes that becomes a memory that you laugh at. It did limit our time a bit though, as we had to pack up our gear.
Another notable feature of the park is Devil’s Bathtub. I’m pretty sure there is also a Devil’s Bathtub in Illinois. One of my more recent posts featured Devil’s Doorway at Devil’s Lake in WI. Apparently, calling a rock formation or water feature you didn’t understand Devil’s [Whatever] was common at some point in history. I joked that Dad and I could do entire photo series on these sort of things titled “The Devil’s Bathroom”. Really though, some of them are just too wonderful for the infamy.
So, why did it take me so long to post this? I think I spend too much time intimidated by my projects, so I procrastinate. Then, I think of more stuff I want to do. Obviously, this is no way to live, so in 2023 I’m listing my unfinished projects and conquering them. I’m also trying to be less distracted/more focused. Wish me luck! My best to all of you on your goals for the year.
This is the second year the local Japanese gardens has put on a Christmas light display. Prior to last year, the gardens were closed all winter. I took my camera and headed out for a stroll around the illuminated gardens and a few shots for the blog. The colors on the trees and remaining foliage were bit magical, and the moon was full and shone almost as the star of Bethlehem. As we emerge from the longest night, I wish you all light, joy, and a Merry Christmas.
My Camera, My Friend 