A Stream Emerges from a Shadowed Gorge as it Enters the River.
I made an all-to-brief visit to David Fortier River Park, Olmsted Falls, this morning and discovered the scene had transformed with the season. Thick layers of water plants coated the rocks beneath flowing water with purple slime lining the rock stream bed. I was alone in the park at that early hour but for a fly fisherman casting his line into the rushing river; a quiet respite in my morning’s travel.
Flow
Strange Sky of Morning
Coming down the stairs this morning I gazed outward and upward through a window off our landing. Such an interesting, beautiful, and strange sky! At first I was going to grab my trusty iPod Touch and shoot only a Twitter-quality image. My good old Canon 50D, however, was close at hand. The rest of the day the sky was pretty uninteresting. I was glad I had not missed the strange sky of morning.
The air was warm. The water was cold. And where air met water there was peace.
Last Color
Autumn is in full-force. Mornings may be frosty and the light softened by cloud. Colors have faded from the brilliance of a couple of weeks ago to, now, browns and deep orange — where leaves are to be seen. Many, maybe most trees have dropped their leaves now drained of chlorophyll and useless to them. This morning was crisp, clear, and dim; beautiful in its own way.
Deer at Breakfast
This morning, venturing outdoors, I encountered a small herd of Whitetail Deer enjoying breakfast at the end of our neighbors’ drive. They were a bit wary of my presence but I was able to get my camera, shoot several photos of them, and move much closer to the group than I would have expected. Many consider them pests coming, as they do, into lawns and gardens to graze. I consider the deer beautiful and feel a bit sorry for their plight — they come into unsafe areas seeking food because we humans continue to remove their woodlands to build houses, shopping centers, and parking lots. So, my dear deer, enjoy your breakfast and have a safe day!
A Fine Day to be Stuck Indoors
I thought fall foliage color hit peak a week or so ago but this is an extended season. Even after recent winds and rains there are plenty of colorful leaf-covered trees catching today’s sunshine. It figures, I’m stuck indoors today. I did, however, sneak out long enough to shoot a couple of photos.
Closer-In Leaves Aflame with Color
Clinging to the Cliff, a Tree Shows its Colors
Typical of November, though usually late-November, today was chilly, wet, and gloomy. Braving some morning sprinkles, I ventured near the lake with my trusty old Canon EOS 50D. I thought, at the very least, I could capture some interesting cloud or mood shots; and I did. What turned out to be my favorite was, however, a surprise. I spotted a tree clinging to a lakefront cliff — one I’ve photographed before — enrobed now in deep-red colored leaves. Even in the subdued light of a cloudy morning, the tree stood out against a backdrop of gray clouds and slate waves. As a bonus, light processing brought out subtle coloration in the dark lake waters. I spent too little time on this morning of moody mists and watercolor landscapes, before light rain forced me away.
A Cold, Wet November Morning on Lake Erie
Chasing the Fiery Sky this Morning
Heading out this morning to breakfast and a bit of grocery shopping we were treated to an amazing sunrise. At first sight the appearance was one of floating bits of paper in the sky with edges trimmed with fire. While I had a decent camera with me, there was no decent place to stop for a clear view — only trees, wires, and buildings. We pressed on, looking now for an open space and, at long last, found one. The air will chill and the breeze was strong and it wasn’t long before my fingers hurt. Still, even though I missed shots of the sky’s peak color, the cloud forms and the rapidly changing hues were well worth the effort.
Early Morning Flight by a Turkey Vulture
The Broad Belt of Venus – Waking Ducks on Pond
Excited by the prospect of, at long last, getting a nice picture of the Belt of Venus phenomenon, I set out before dawn. My destination was a spot in Brunswick, Ohio where there is available the best view of the western horizon about which I know. I worried, as I sat behind a pickup truck at a red light, that I would be too late to see, much less photograph, the colorful sight. Seemingly much later I arrived and was rewarded with a commanding view of the peaking Belt of Venus. The first “best” shot is shown above, with the broad dark band of Earth’s shadow along the horizon, colorful areas above. I shot a good many more images as the minutes passed, and watched the shadow band grow more and more narrow as the sun rose behind me and the shadow dropped beyond the horizon. As the dark band disappeared I heard the calls of approaching geese. My shot was already framed and, as I’d hoped and expected, the Canada geese glided in for a landing on a small pond in the foreground of my second “best” image. I stayed a bit longer and shot a few more frames but as I watched, the colors faded and sunlight could be seen crawling towards me across the treetops below. Fingers cold and stiff, I collapsed the tripod, stowed my gear, and headed off to breakfast. That was a fine way to start my day: with a good Belt … of Venus!
Dark Band Disappears as Geese Arrive
I paid a visit to David Fortier River Park in Olmsted Falls this morning hoping to use my Canon DSLR to capture some morning scenes. I forgot, however, how cold the camera was from in-house storage and how well-insulated the camera bag was. I uncapped the lens at the park in the humid morning air and voila! Dew instantly covered the lens! It was unusable for the entire time I was at the park. So, I used my iPod Touch to capture this and a couple of other scenes. Lesson: Have the camera out the whole trip and the lens will be free of fog (besides being available for instant use)! Also, the iPod is a pretty darned good “go everywhere” camera.
In Olmsted Falls – iPod Touch Photograph
PhotonStopper 