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What’s that!

Posted by Photonstopper on November 2, 2009
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Pumpkin Lagoon
Pumpkin Lagoon

Last night was Halloween. Today was All Saints Day. She and I set off for the Carlisle Reservation of Lorain Metro Parks for a hike in the woods. What should we encounter but the quiet settings for the System's Halloween Fair which draws thousands of family visitors each year. Among all of the oddities seen along the trail oddest, to my eye, was a swampy area, called Pumpkin Lagoon, populated by dozens of Jack-O-Lanterns all hovering above the still waters! It would have been spooky by night; by day it was simply surreal. The only photos I shot this day were of the carved pumpkin heads in that swamp. Do not take lightly the sight recorded, however… I don't remember seeing that black shape in the background and I don't think it's in any of my other photos! What's that!!

Pumpkin Lagoon - 2
Pumpkin Lagoon – 2

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Fall is hard-set here

Posted by Photonstopper on October 31, 2009
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Autumn Sets In
Autumn Sets In

Finally, a good night's sleep! Between struggling with a cold, work worries, and noisy neighbors I've been severely sleep deprived for the better part of a week. Eight hours still wasn't enough to fully recover, but at least I woke rested. It had been a rainy and windy night and, as is natural this time of year, the world went from one robed in colorful leaves to gray gloomful skies stabbed by the dark, bare branches of trees. What a difference from one week ago! It looked like mid-November. There was the weekly shopping to be done so we headed out and completed that, then took a little trip west and paid an afternoon visit to the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. Walking in the woods and along the waters was invigorating and lovely. Some small gaps had opened in the overcast, allowing a few reassuring rays of sun through. Slow down and enjoy the season: fall is hard-set here.

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Best fall colors

Posted by Photonstopper on October 26, 2009
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Leaf Confetti
Leaf Confetti

The weekend of October 24 & 25 brought the peak of fall color to Northeastern Ohio. Saturday was mostly gray and windy sending many colorful leaves whirling and to the ground. Some trees now appear naked of the leafy covers they have carried since spring. It was a good day for errands and household checklists. Overnight the skies cleared and today dawned chilly and clear — a fine day for a fall color drive. Piling into the Insight we headed south.

Slightly past peak were the colors in North Central Ohio at Malabar Farm State Park. The entire area was gorgeous, nonetheless, decorating even the forest floor with a confetti-throw of leaves. We decided to follow a one-mile trail that headed uphill, through dense neighboring woods, for a loop back to the Farm. The trail had many wonderful sights to see and was fairly well marked until somewhat short of the half-way point. Seeing no trail blazes we continued on what appeared to be trampled leaves, began our turn back, and paralleled a road though still walking in damp leaf litter within the woods. In no danger of becoming lost we easily found our way back to the Farm's homestead. Then it was off on a cross-country trip over state roads (not freeways) towards home. The scenery was absolutely beautiful with groves of trees on low hills rising like islands out of a sea of brown soybean and corn fields. It was a fine rolling journey back under sunny skies.

It was a most excellent Sunday's sojourn experiencing the best fall colors.

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It’s good to feel well again…

Posted by Photonstopper on October 23, 2009
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Frostville Village Church
Frostville Village Church

As the day progressed today (Thursday) I've begun to feel more like my healthier self. I'm still taking a cough suppressant/decongestant to relieve some cold symptoms: except for a little sniffle and the occasional clear cough, my outward symptoms are gone. No fever, no chills, and energy levels are coming back up. I'm feeling stronger and have more stamina. I'll be going in to work tomorrow.

After watching a 2005 Biography Channel program about the Dalai Lama today, I've also been reminded I've been increasingly off-center in my life recently, mainly thanks to work. Sometimes we lose track of how we should live even when we think we're trying to do the right thing. Enough said, here.

I received word this evening that my first of two ordered copies of the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade has been shipped to me via Amazon. I was actually hoping to have received it today –release day– so that I could mess with upgrading my notebook computer over the weekend. I doubt I'll get it before Monday and I'll be too busy next week to install. Oh well, sometimes the anticipation is more enjoyable than the activity… er, yes, in more things than this!

Oh yes, it's good to feel well again… or to be headed in that direction!

Above: Another photo from my Tuesday evening shoot along the West Branch of Rocky River… the Frostville Village Church.

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Beautiful day not entirely wasted

Posted by Photonstopper on October 21, 2009
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Rocky River Afternoon
Rocky River Afternoon

It's a shame when you're not feeling well and the day is absolutely beautiful; such days are often wasted on the sufferer. A head cold tightened its grip on me last night robbing me of long, quality rest and making the workday difficult to endure. The day wasn't a total waste, however. For several weeks I've been watching the light and the leaf colors changing along a stretch of the West Branch of the Rocky River I cross on my daily commute. Daily the view has become increasingly beautiful both by morning and evening light. Tonight was my first real opportunity to stop and shoot a few photos. I got several good ones but, if the weather holds, the views should only improve. I hope to stop a few more times before winter stomps its heavy foot down and the trees drop the last of their leaves. Above: The broad, shallow Rocky River flows along its shale banks and cliffs as it winds its way towards Lake Erie. The late day October sun falls upon the treetops while the waters lie in shade.

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My 2010 calendar

Posted by Photonstopper on October 8, 2009
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I've never self-published a photo calendar before so this first effort is kind of exciting. I chose Lulu.com which does printing on demand… I didn't have to contract to print a bunch of stock that won't sell. On the other hand, quality of reproduction is a little uneven with two images that had subtle tones looking a little off-hue, even unsharp. So I'm not wildly enthusiastic. Most other images look fine to very good — especially the sunflower and the dragonfly. The process allowed me to add special events or "holidays," so I researched and added a bunch of astronomical occasions but nothing too geeky. I suppose as self-promotion this isn't the kindest review but I want it to be honest. Click here and enjoy the preview! {This is a re-post without a somewhat clumsy embedded object.}

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Yellow leaf, red leaf

Posted by Photonstopper on October 1, 2009
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Red Leaf
Red Leaf

Please pardon this "group reply" to the kind comments from fellow Voxers: I spotted the leaf (previous post) in our parking lot yesterday –all those perfect beads of rain, the leaf so dramatically floating over black asphalt– and photographed it. I was so compelled to capture the image after glancing at that leaf that I walked through the rain to my office, retrieved my camera, and went back out in the damp to shoot. It felt like a sad image. This morning I learned my mother had a very serious medical problem; I posted the picture because it illustrated how I was feeling. It is beautiful and it is sad. Mom, by the way, though hospitalized, is doing very well and is constantly on my mind. Spike, after I shot the faded yellow leaf I walked about 20 feet over to a tree and photographed a red leaf wet by the same rains. Not really done for you but, what the heck!

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Show pix received!

Posted by Photonstopper on September 25, 2009
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Favorite Sunflower
Favorite Sunflower

I received the completed order yesterday (Thursday) afternoon in three big boxes delivered by FedEx. It was only Monday night when I uploaded the eight photographs I settled on for printing! The order was mostly 8 X 10 color prints but included matting, and framing with glass cover. Amazing speed, the work is beautiful, and it cost about a third of what the local framing shop was going to charge! I have nothing against the local franchise frame shop –they were the first place I went when planning my show– but the much lower cost of my online supplier made the show possible in its "larger" end form. I've a only few little tasks yet to complete:

  1. Select "old" work to display with the new
  2. Figure out pricing – same for show and online sales
  3. Make a tag for each picture — title, price/NFS, etc.
  4. Make a small sign with maybe a little bio

Preparing for the show had the side benefit of finally getting me to print and frame some of my work. I'm hoping I'll do that a little more often going forward, even without a deadline pushing me along. The photo of my "favorite sunflower" is resting on our mantle until it is packed for transport to the show. It's every bit as beautiful as the online version, maybe even better… stunning, actually!

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Show pix ordered

Posted by Photonstopper on September 22, 2009
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Hinckley Boats
Hinckley Boats

I stayed up a bit late last night tweaking and uploading my eight final photo choices to the online printing and framing company (they did a very good job on the test image I'd sent). Even at their very modest rates for work done, it's expensive when you multiply by eight. The finished and framed pieces should arrive in plenty of time for the October 1 hanging. Tonight or tomorrow I'll choose some of my framed work from my first show, done long ago, to hang with the new stuff. This process has been interesting to me if to nobody else!

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