I went to the Wolf Creek Environmental Center of the Medina Park System seeking the Green Heron. I have only ever seen Green Herons about five times and got some good photos of one at this location previously. No such luck. The only large birds in evidence were three Canada Geese. Looking around, I started playing with the lighting effects produced by the bright morning sun on the almost-smooth surface of the wildlife area’s big pond. In the shot above, the direct reflection of the sun is directly behind the blooming water lily. As I watched through the camera viewfinder, sparkles came and went as tiny waves touched bubbles and lily pads — it was amazing to see! The stars we see here were formed by the blades of the diaphragm inside the stopped-down lens, not by a filter. I may not have seen a Green Heron Friday but I did see stars on the water!
nature
All posts tagged nature
broken
Trying out some new equipment today, we visited Schoepfle Garden, a Lorain County Metropark. I shot all manner of subjects including a favorite: dragonflies. The most abundant seemed to be the Blue Dashers and they were very active! One little fellow I photographed was resting in a shaded area of water plants with a natural spot of soft light falling over him from the cloudy sky. It wasn’t until I got home and processed the image that I discovered one of the insect’s wings was badly damaged. The resulting image is somehow a bit saddening; the dragon appears to be marooned, so I gave it a sad title. Not to worry, however, as the little guy seemed perfectly capable of excellent flight!
A Cool Place on a Summer Day
A cool and ancient place is this: the deeply-undercut, rocky gorge of Chippewa Creek in Brecksville. The stream has run through this area for untold eons and has, in places, worn deep troughs through solid rock — passages for its waters. On a day like this the shadows of the rock walls offer some relief from the heat and humidity of the new summer. The curve of the creek promises new discoveries around the bend.
Hope Springs
There it was, a sprig of hope amidst the desolation of a landscape littered with broken slabs of concrete, decaying leaves, and rocks. The tiny plant was nurtured by a feeble spot of sun; sometimes that’s all it takes.
Lionfish – A Scar in Tree Bark
I was out and about this morning, enjoying the beautiful spring weather and shooting some naturescapes and scenes around town. As I was driving home, I glanced to the side and into the woods. There was a tree whose trunk was illuminated by the sun making it stand out from the surrounding shaded trees. What registered in that split-second, however, was something peculiar: an oddly-shaped scar in the smooth bark. I found the first turnaround, whipped my car about, and headed back. Parking nearby I hiked back up the road a bit, then into the edge of the woods. The tree bore a scar that had a remarkable resemblance, in my mind anyway, to a lionfish! I shot images of the tree trunk that first attracted me, then several of the scar. I’d recorded several memorable scenes this morning but, I think, my favorite may turn out to be a tree tattoo.
A Cauldron of Light at the Center
I love watching cumulus clouds billow and tower against a deep blue sky. Lately we have seen some of that with the scattered rain and thunderstorms that are a part of spring. In the early evening Sunday, the sky was changing from mostly cloudy or overcast to partly cloudy, allowing views of the cloudy blooms. I shot a good number of photos and it was difficult to choose what to show here. My shoot ended as the puffy towers passed overhead and no longer showed their profiles. A high-flying aircraft left a thin contrail, seemingly ejected from the clouds, high above it all.
Above It All
Lily pads take on a whole different feeling.
A vigorous walk around Hinckley Lake this morning provided plenty of “photo ops.” I got images of at least three Great Blue Herons, a macro shot of a slug (actually kind of pretty), some flowers, a butterfly, and fish thrashing about in the water apparently in the throes of spawning. The shot that was a standout, however, was also something of a surprise. I liked the way the morning sun was playing across some lily pads floating at the edge of the lake. Some of the pads had beaded puddles of water on their waxy tops and the sun outlined them in silver. The camera, set to automatically select a shutter speed appropriate to the light level, saw all that light and darkened the scene: the pads turned black, the puddles showed textures, and the pads seemed to levitate above the glowing surface. The scene, overall, looked somewhat foreboding. Perfect. The title sprang to mind and I couldn’t think of anything better… “Death Pads!”
At the End: Shining Like a Star
Sometimes beauty emerges at the end. This one leaf, among all of the others, is dying early yet outshines its many healthy brethern. This little scene was along the trail in Medina County’s Hubbard Valley Park.
Look out, fish, that’s no rock you’re swimming around!
We visited Kendall Lake in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park this afternoon. I wasn’t holding out hope for much to photograph but our little nature walk presented a fine assortment of opportunities, many of which were captured. Among the sights was a very large snapping turtle fellow visitors pointed out. The reptile stayed beneath the surface of the lake during the entire time we watched, occasionally stretching its neck to put up its periscope nostrils and eyes long enough to breathe. As pretty sunfish swam all around the potential predator, the turtle snapped not once. Following a park trail, we recorded woodland scenes of weathered wood and lush foliage in the understory. It was a very relaxing walk following a period of several stressful days and was a most welcome respite. On the opposite end of the lake, a spot of sunlight fell on slender, colored leaves floating in the shadows … a lovely and tranquil sight.
A Quiet Space in the Shadows
Evening Rises
A change in the weather came this week. We transitioned from days that were sunny, hot, and dry to days of dark, cold, and wet. The rapid change made for lovely sights in the wetlands and ponds. Mists rose and were shaped by chilly breezes, staged before an emerald background of fresh new leaves. Soon the weather will change again that is one of the things we can really count upon, isn’t it?
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