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
Moon and Lagoon on a Splendid Morning
Goodness! I did not realize how long it has been since my last post here! Oftimes, of late, I post favorite photos to Google+ and, if they’re really good, to my personal portfolio site(s) forgetting this space. The mornings lately, when clear, have been splendid, offering clear, early-morning light at a time when I’m out and about. The trees have reached the height of their coloration for the autumn season so, when the sun shines, the landscape is impressive. Today I stopped by one of my favorite spots, the Cleveland Metroparks’ Lagoon Area, for a few minutes enjoying the view (seen above). As I was leaving the area and pulling my car onto the roadway, a beautiful red fox emerged from brush at the roadside, trotted across the pavement, and disappeared once more into the brush on the opposite side. Although I had my camera on the seat beside me, the entire event was much too brief for me to record; I was driving, after all. It was a splendid morning, outstanding among several.
Clear Blue Sky Colors the Lagoon
In the early afternoon, I stopped by the Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation in North Olmsted for a brief visit. The air is now scented with the lovely, sweet perfume of autumn — drying tree leaves — and the sun gently warmed the air. The reservation’s lagoon was nearly dry earlier this year but now has a decent water level. Ducks could be seen paddling about, and a couple turtles were basking in the sun. As I left, I turned and shot a few images of the scene.
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
The Belt of Venus over Suburban Community
The lovely atmospheric effect called the Belt of Venus was quite visible this morning; I was able to capture it just before the rising sun wiped it out. Looking west, just a bit after sunrise, we see a dark shadow band near the horizon — Earth’s shadow projecting off through the atmosphere. Above the shadow are warm colors caused by atmospheric scattering of light. I’m hoping, some time over the next few clear mornings, to capture earlier and better views of this beautiful phenomenon.
Sculpted Vapor
I’ve not been able to get out with the camera for a while and I missed my “photo Friday” entirely this week due to miserable rain. This evening, however, a break in the clouds and precipitation gave a glimpse of what was responsible: a towering cloud was building above scudding dark remnants, set against a sharp blue sky. I found an open spot and, with my little PowerShot G11, captured what I could of the scene. In the space of about 10 minutes, the boiling dome of cloud billowed upwards. As it exploded upward, the white cloud was sculpted by high winds cutting grooves in the tower and rolling filaments into streamers off to the north. It wasn’t long before the building storm cloud was hidden by much lower, less interesting layers. It was a fine few minutes spent watching nature sculpt water vapor.
Great Blue Heron Walking Away
This morning I was driving in the Olmsted Township (Ohio) area and felt like I could use some quiet time. A favorite place is David Fortier River Park in Olmsted Falls. As soon as I got out of my car I knew the park was the right place for me. I began my stroll along a path that leads to the falls, photographing interesting and beautiful rocks and plants along the way. As I drew closer to the falls I noticed something gray standing up from the shadowed rocks and water … a Great Blue Heron was looking for breakfast! Dressed in light-colored clothing, I felt the bird would quickly spot me and flee the scene. No, it held its position, standing in the water flowing over exposed rock. I shot many images, expecting each to be my last before the great bird’s departure. The heron stayed still, until I got a little too close for comfort. The Great Blue Heron — actually a bit small – probably a youngster — warily began to stroll away from me. It walked across dry rocks, then out to the main falls, and along the edge of the cascade. Finally it reached the end of the falls across the river from me and too far for good picture-taking. The bird felt safe and I was out of time. I headed back to the car. We had made our decisions to just walk away.
A Single Leaf Glows in a Late-Day Spotlight
On a recent afternoon walk around Hinckley Lake, a glimpse of something caught my full attention. There, at the edge of the shadowy woods, was a red leaf illuminated from behind by a narrow beam of sunlight. The leaf was bright as flame and struck me as ever so beautiful. Studying the image later I noticed the leaf was not perfect in structure, nor were its neighbors on the same plant. I guess the lesson here is that, despite our imperfections, we can shine and be admired if we let the inner light shine through.
PhotonStopper 