Breathe It In

Posted by Mike on

Delta Lake State Park

Patience has not always been my strong suit when it comes to photography. Well, let me re-state that… in certain instances I have not exhibited the patience I need to get the image I want. I’ve been known to wait 20+ minutes for the next monorail to pass by at Epcot but tend to leave early when the sun is not done performing at the end of the day.

The other night I almost left after the “Color My Thoughts” image but convinced myself there was more to see. The creative side of the brain won out and I was rewarded with this view as the sun dropped below the horizon. I really liked the calm waters reflecting the hectic display in the sky. And who can argue with those colors… 🙂

Breathe It In
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/30s, 16mm, f/11, ISO 200

Steps of Solitude

Posted by Mike on

Chittenango Falls State Park

I like going to Chittenango Falls because I can explore more than the waterfall. The waterfall is easy. Finding other areas of the park to capture is what is fun. Plus, most visitors only view the falls and the remainder of the park is relatively people free… 🙂

Steps of Solitude
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 2s, 28mm, f/11, ISO 100

Summer Glimmer

Posted by Mike on

Wordless Wednesday
Floral, Midday, Macro

Summer Glimmer
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/100s, f/2.8, ISO 200

Color My Thoughts

Posted by Mike on

Delta Lake State Park

What catches your eye?

Movement?

Subject?

Color?

Maybe all of the above?

After capturing the panoramic view of the beach at Delta Lake I started to wander around looking for the view that catches my eye. No, not that one… the angle is all wrong, it feels off.

Maybe this one… meh…

Ooohhh! That patch of sky is turning a beautiful color. I bet if I go over that way I can focus on the color.

Yes! Simplistic. Part silhouette, mostly minimalistic, but all about the color…

Color My Thoughts
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/320s, 40mm, f/11, ISO 200

Take it All In

Posted by Mike on

Delta Lake State Park

Stop for a moment and enjoy the view.

Don’t rush off in search of an image.

See what is before you and take it all in…

Those were the first thoughts running through my mind as I stepped out onto the beach at Delta Lake State Park yesterday evening. I haven’t been to this park in four months. The last time I was here there was still ice piled up on the beach. It was a beautiful evening and I took a minute to enjoy it.

It was a rare moment at the park during the summer to have the beach to myself. There are little signs other visitors are around but when I arrived the beach and water were empty. The clouds were moving into the area and the sky presented an array of colors. Naturally I thought it best to capture a panoramic view so everyone else could enjoy what was before me.

I stayed for an hour as the sun and clouds played tag across the sky. I definitely have more images to share…

Take It All In
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/80s, 25mm, f/11, ISO 200, 7 image panorama

Simple Beauty

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome Monday
Chittenango Falls State Park

I love a waterfall image processed as monochrome. To me, it is clean, elegant and amazing. The first view I presented on Saturday was the color image, now it is time for the full gorge view in monochrome.

Simple Beauty
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 0.8s, 20mm, f/11, ISO 100

Whorls of Serenity

Posted by Mike on

Chittenango Falls State Park

The namesake waterfall is not the only attraction to see when you visit Chittenango Falls State Park. I’ll admit it is the big ticket item, and definitely worth the trek down into the gorge. But, I have found the area of the Chittenango Creek above the falls to be a treasure trove of opportunities for a photographer. It might only be fifteen or twenty minutes for me to explore the views of the waterfall in the gorge but I spent over an hour exploring the creek. BTW, it is properly pronounced “crick”… 😉

For me the “trick” when photographing the creek is finding the right shutter speed. I want a longer exposure that will produce the silky water but I do not want to lose the sense of motion. I could have used the ten stop neutral density filter to totally blur the water (and there are instances when that is exactly what you want), but I chose the three stop filter to keep the swirl of the bubbles from becoming completely solid white.

I can still hear the sounds of the creek as I view this image… aaahhh, that sound takes me back a few years… 🙂

Whorls of Serenity
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 3.2s, 14mm, f/11, ISO 100