At the base of steps leading to the sands of Huntington Beach.
photography
All posts tagged photography
Dull morning light reveals a snow-flocked tree.
We’re nearly one week into spring, says the calendar, and today we received about four inches of very wet snow. Yep. Lots of wet snow. On the one hand, most of us are kind of tired of looking at it, much less dealing with the slipping, sliding, and shoveling. Then again, it can be very pretty.
It was hard to keep driving.
Driving this morning was actually a pleasure. I took the most scenic route I know of to get to my destination. It was very tempting to stop every five minutes and take it all in. I did not stop every five minutes but I did stop several times, right in the road, to shoot photos from inside the car. I would make an exposure, look into the rear-view mirror which (I swear) seconds before was clear, only to find a car approaching, pushing me forward. The only real stop I made was at the Strongsville Wildlife Area where I hoped to see dark water surrounded by snow-flocked trees. I got a surprise. After spying on the Canada geese squabbling on the chilled waters, I turned to the left and, from inside the observation blind, was shocked to see a Great Egret standing only a few feet away. I had only my little PowerShot G11 with me and its operation is as near-silent as can be. Still, the great white bird allowed one photo, then took wing. I’ll bet that’s the same bird I spotted last summer. I’ll get ‘im yet!
Not a Snowy Egret but a Great Egret in the Snow!
The snow didn’t stick to the trees for long and later in the day, despite continuing spits of new snow, their branches were bare and dark. We may be ready for spring but we need to be ready for unexpected treats.
Steaming West
Welcome, uh, Spring?
Today was the first day after the Vernal Equinox, it could be said to be the first full day of spring. For those of us in Northeastern Ohio, this fine “spring” day dawned with temperatures hovering at about 17 degrees (F) with a light coating of snow everywhere, and new snow lightly falling. Yeah, spring. Driving to my duties, I passed through the snowy spring wonderland gazing at many a lovely scene. Finally I stopped at a favorite place for morning pictures, the Lagoons area of Cleveland Metroparks, to record a scene or two. Dark waters set off snow-covered wooded grounds, and outlined the trees. Falling flakes clouded some distant areas. Amidst this seeming unseasonal scenery was a bit of a surprise. Two Canada Geese launched into the frigid waters to escape my approach and on their backs… a coating of snow. Spring? Well, it hasn’t “sprung” just yet.
Not Snow Geese, SNOWY geese!
As if taunting me over my failed comet photography, the crescent Moon formed a Cheshire Cat grin.*
I went out seeking Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) tonight. The sky was promising but, as we all know, promises were made to be broken! As the sky darkened the little comet became visible through binoculars. A thin crescent Moon, reminiscent of the fabled Cheshire Cat’s grin, presided over events. Soon, bands of thin clouds encroached. The comet began fading in and out. Finally, by 9:00 PM, after perhaps only a half-hour of visibility, it was gone. It was easy for them to quickly find and capture the dim apparition in the twilight. I had shared a parking lot with, perhaps, a couple of dozen cars. Folks exclaimed “cool” and “awesome” as they spotted our little visitor. Then they headed home. I looked around just about 9:00 and realized I was the only person left there! It was, after all, a cold night (32 F) for standing out in the open hoping to see a comet only briefly visible through binoculars. I chose to make my photographic efforts with my 400mm telephoto; makes sense? No. Those with the greatest success, both technical and aesthetically, used 70mm and short telephoto lenses. I tried a few non-tracking astrophotographs –all of them disappointing– and headed for home. So, I didn’t get a useable photo of the comet. I did, at least, see it. How many comets do most of us see in a lifetime, anyway? I believe I’m up to five!
* The Cheshire Cat faded away slowly until nothing was left of it but its grin. “Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin,” thought Alice; “but a grin without a cat! It’s the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!” (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6)
A carousel horse stands in silhouette over the museum entrance.
Today we paid a return visit to the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, Ohio. The museum occupies a former Post Office and federal office building in the heart of downtown. Its centerpiece is a full-sized, operating carousel which is surrounded by displays of carved ride animals. In addition to the carvings owned by the museum, several pieces on display belong to collections owned by individuals and businesses. Most of the carvings are beautifully displayed while a few are in their original condition. A carver works in a corner of the main exhibit area demonstrating the tools and techniques of restoration and of carving new ride figures. I have always had a love of traditional carousel band organ music and was treated to a performance. A restored and fully-funtioning machine stands in the main room with its open back to a panel of windows. Band organs are usually very loud and to stand so near one in operation was, while a joy to me, a bit uncomfortable. Stepping around to the other side of the windows, however, gave me insight into the wonderful musical contraption. The cymbals, drums, and other percussion instruments were played using compressed air actuators. The organ pipes, of course, also used compressed air. All of the air came from a couple of sets of bellows. And controlling the whole operation … a tiny perforated scroll, just like that used in player pianos! A wonderful contraption, indeed!
A beautifully-restored outside row jumper. ca. 1915, by Marcus Illions.
Smiling for the camera? Nah, “Ma” is resting and munching some hay.
On Saturday we visited the Lake Metroparks’ Farmpark in Kirtland, Ohio. This rather unique park is dedicated to giving visitors a taste of farm life not far from their city and suburban homes. The farm has sheep, milk cows, horses, and other typical farm animals. They demonstrate the care and feeding of those animals and maintain a milk production facility. This weekend the park hosted their annual Maple Sugaring event.
“Stay here, little one.”
Typically, visitors can see how maple sap is collected (the traditional buckets and a newer hose-fed system), and boiled down into syrup and sugar. Maple products made at Farmpark are available for purchase. It also happens to be nearly spring. A family favorite was the barn where young livestock were housed with their mothers: kids and lambs only days old, and young piglets. We spent a good long time in that barn and, after shooting many photographs and succumbing to cuteness overload, left pleased to have seen the kids (human and goat) interacting with such joy.
Keeping it Tight
Snow pellets appear as powdered sugar on an otherwise-smooth sheet of ice.
I took a little midday trip to the Lake Erie shore at Huntington Beach Friday. It was cold but at least the wind was not hard. Still, by the end of my brief session my fingers were stiff and red from holding my Canon PowerShot G11 bare-handed. I could have spent a couple of hours there exploring the scene; the light was gradually changing and there were so many interesting shapes and patterns to discover. My schedule and cold-hurting hands forced me to leave all too soon. The lake was frozen over for as far as I could see. Mounds of ice had piled along the sands, apparently from previous thaws followed by freezing. Ice and snow, recently deposited, gave texture to open areas of ice. Spring comes soon, ice will merge with the waters it hides, and the lake will emerge again.
Plates of broken ice pile over one-another on the sandy beach.
View to the east, along Huntington Beach, with Downtown Cleveland in the distance and a wine bottle on sandy ice.
A little jaunt to the Lake Erie shoreline this morning gave us dramatic vistas of sky and ice! The lake is only partly frozen and great plates of ice have been driven into piles near-shore off Huntington Beach in Bay Village, Ohio. Lighting conditions were constantly changing with the sky. Clouds overhead were white while those low to the horizon took on a brownish hue. Temperatures hovering in the upper-30s (F) allowed me to explore the area a bit and take it all in. By afternoon our overcast had returned. We have, still, memories of the ice-jammed beach.
Shattered ice piles off-shore from Huntington Beach.
Layers of decaying wood fiber decorated by lichens and snow on the forest floor.
Surprise! Instead of a cloudy and cold day, we received a cloudless and mild (~ 30 degrees F) Saturday! It was a fine occasion for a little walk at Akron’s Nature Realm park. The woods were loaded with Black-Capped Chickadees that were being hand-fed by some visitors. I was most fascinated by snow and shadow. What, to my eye, really stood out was a pinwheel of decaying wood capped with lichens and snow — an amazing touch of color in a seeming monochrome landscape.
Spots of light fell on snow formations in the shadows of the woods.
PhotonStopper 