Secondary Falls

Posted by Mike on August 19, 2012

I attempted to explore Whetstone Gulf state park just outside of Lowville, NY yesterday but ended up returning after finding out the trails close to the public at 3pm. I had arrived at 4pm in an attempt to get some nice sunset pictures, I guess the next trip will have to be early morning. I didn’t see any signs forbidding hikers on the trails in the early hours.

The day was not a total bust though as I stopped at Pixley Falls state park on my return trip. The ground was not as soft and wet as my previous visit so I was able to do some off-trail exploring. I managed to climb down a slope to get to this secondary falls. It was one I spotted during my last visit but was unable to get into position. Of course, the best view was from two thirds the way down the slope. Luckily there were some tree roots I could use to hold the tripod.

Secondary Falls
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 1/3s, 38mm, f/8, ISO 100

From the car window…

Posted by Mike on August 18, 2012

My daughter has been more interested in learning to drive this summer. I think it is directly related to the number of her friends that have already received their licenses. She asked if we could go get ice cream after dinner tonight and of course I fell for the trap and said yes. The next questions was ‘Can I drive?’. Don’t get me wrong, she is a great driver. Probably should schedule her road test but she needs a little more practice with driving in the city.

Anyway, I thought I would use the short trip to play with the camera in the car. I managed to get a few usable images but threw away quite a lot more. Here are a couple I liked. Nothing earth shattering, but it was fun to play…

From the car window…
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8, 1/200s, f/4, ISO 800

Rearview
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8, 1/60s, f/4, ISO 800

Leading to Nowhere

Posted by Mike on August 16, 2012

Leading to Nowhere
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8, 1/80s, f4, ISO 200

Old Water Bridge

Posted by Mike on August 14, 2012

Old Water Bridge
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8, 1/50s, f/8, ISO 1600

Dam Bloom

Posted by Mike on August 14, 2012

The storm was on its way but I wanted to get out again with the camera. Maybe it was just I wanted to go to my happy place after a long day at work. I took a chance I would find some opportunities back at the Delta Lake dam.

I also realized I definitely have a tendency for a single foreground subject with a blurred recognizable background. I noticed that method worked well for me on my last Disney trip too. Is that a style? Have I found my style? I’ll keep looking though just in case…

Dam Bloom
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8, 1/100s, f5.6, ISO 400

Yellow, Green and Blue

Posted by Mike on August 14, 2012

I found a new trail on the south side of the city yesterday. I didn’t investigate it via Google maps prior to grabbing the camera after dinner and heading out to explore. It wasn’t a very visual path for me. I kept hoping the next bend would reveal a clearing full of photographic possibilities but after 30 minutes of walking I had to turn around in order to get back before dark. Still, it was a good walk.

I decided I would use the new 35mm lens tonight as I wanted to see how using a prime lens changes how I capture pictures. Definitely a different approach required but I like it. It is a lot lighter than my Sigma, the camera barely feels like it is hanging from my neck. I need to be able to adjust my distance to my subject and some times that is not possible. These Black Eyed Susans were down next to the water. I could have changed lenses but that would have defeated my purpose.

Yellow, Green and Blue
Nikon D5100, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8, 1/50s, f4, ISO 800

Already?

Posted by Mike on August 13, 2012

Already?
Nikon D5100, Nikon 35mm f/1.8, 1/40s, f2, ISO 200

An Evening Canal Walk

Posted by Mike on August 12, 2012

Yesterday morning I took off close to sunrise in an attempt to explore the barge canal along the path less traveled. At the Oriskany access point the paved path heads east toward Whitesboro. There is a path which leads west toward the point where a creek enters the canal. It ended up being a longer walk than I anticipated and just after I started the sun decided to hide behind the darkening clouds. I didn’t want to get caught in the eventual rain so I cut the walk short and headed for the car.

Luckily, the evening turned out to be beautiful with little to no wind and some clouds to catch the sunset. I really didn’t plan on the day ending so nice so I quickly headed back down toward the canal to do some more exploring. This time I started at the Marcy access point and headed west toward Oriskany. It is a portion of the trail I haven’t had a chance to view through my lens.